Human nature as God's purpose

Abstract

This article responds to one of Thaddeus Metz's criticisms of the theory that the meaning of life is to fulfil a purpose assigned by God. In particular, it addresses the argument that only an atemporal God could ground meaning but that an atemporal God could not assign a purpose. In order to do this, the article first argues that Metz's criticisms misread the relevant sense of purpose. It then argues that on a more plausible reading of 'purpose', we can see that it is in fact the kind of thing that an atemporal God could assign.Countless people in the history of our civilization have believed that the meaning of their lives stems from a purpose assigned by God. As important a figure as Tolstoy has famously reasoned that life without God would have no meaning, and therefore concluded that God must exist. 1 Given that this question affects issues that are of both rational and emotional interest to many people, any argument that raises difficulties for the claim that God could provide life with meaning by assigning a purpose cannot be lightly put aside. Yet in recent essays, Thaddeus Metz develops just such an argument. That is, he lays out what he believes to be some of the best reasons why God alone could assign meaning to a person's life. Metz then argues that these reasons entail that God has qualities that are incompatible with assigning purpose to a human life. In particular, he worries that these reasons entail that God is atemporal, and then argues that a God who is atemporal could not have a purpose. If so, then the meaning of life could not be God's purpose.The aim of this paper is to argue that Metz may be correct to think that an atemporal God could not have a purpose, but his argument that this creates a problem for purpose theory is mistaken. His line of argument is mistaken because he bases it in a faulty understanding of the claim that God assigns a purpose to human life. More specifically, he misinterprets this claim because he misreads the relevant sense of the word 'purpose '. To that end, the aim of the paper is twofold. First, it will explore the sense of the word ' purpose' most relevant the relation between God and the meaning of life. Then, it will argue that once we get Religious Studies 43, 443-455 f 2007 Cambridge University Press

Spirituality and Business in Harmony: Case Study of Saints Movement Community Church

“…He quoted and used Paul's letter to the Ephesians as the basis of human's purpose. Therefore, it is in line with Gombis (2004) and Affolter (2007) that the purpose of life or men's vision can only be found and led to be done by God. SMCC focuses on finding God's purpose in the lives of young generations.…”

“…"Purpose theory is the view that a life is meaningful insofar as one fulfils a purpose that God has as-signed" (Metz, 2000). Everything is made to fulfill their reason of existence (Affolter, 2007). It is onlu God who knows the intention or meaning of every human life.…”

“…A perfect God will create everything to fit His purpose and plans (Affolter, 2007). What he has set for men is not only end goals, but He also insert meanings in those lives.…”

“…A Creator designs the things He made, He will plan the reason and prepare the interaction that is necessary to perfect it. Affolter (2007) concludes that the meaning of all lives can be found in God, for He has ordained the purpose of everything, and He has made everyone unable to not doing what they are made for. It is confirmed by Gombis (2004) that explains Paul's letter for the Ephesians.…”

“…In a wider scope, Osei-Tulu et al (2018) defines success as fulfilling a few life aspects: religious dimension, educational dimension, social dimension, and material dimension. But true success can be achieved by finding and doing life purpose (Affolter, 2007). Concluding from the findings of Petchsawangsa & Duchon (2009), Efferin (2016) found that there are four necessary elements to reach success: compassion (the feeling of empathy for the joy or suffering of others); mindfulness (the awareness of mind and actions to control emotions and behavior); meaningful works (the experience to find self-identity), and transcendence (the experience beyond normal or connection with the superior beings).…”