Life is an end in itself

Without the vision of Heaven; without the mission to live life by an absolutist code in order to avoid eternal damnation; without any absolutes^[1] of any kind other than the fact of our existence, what is Our purpose to be?

For the individual the purpose is to live life to the limits of your potential by the dictates of your conscience however that conscience may have been shaped. 

The objective aspired to is that of a life well lived and that of a potential fully realised.  Life is to be seen and serenely accepted as containing its own purpose: the life of an individual well-lived is an end in itself and requires no other justification. 

If there is more beyond death, then whatever lies ahead could not reasonably demand more of us fallible and bewildered human beings^[2] than a life lived as fully as possible within the bounds of our consciences; and if there is nothing beyond, we could have done no better.  A just God could ask for no more, and an unjust or cruel God would not be worthy of our worship^[3] and obedience. 

In the aggregate the purpose of humanity is to enable as many individuals as possible to realise their potentials within their own consciences; as many individuals as possible not just among those alive today, but also among all those not yet born - among all present and future generations. 

As the only species able to destroy the biosphere, and to protect life from extinction events^[4] such as asteroid collisions, we also have a responsibility to all forms of life on Earth.

By extending our collective purpose to include all future generations of all species, our fundamental collective purpose becomes that of striving for the indefinite survival of the human species, and of all life.  There is no social or individual or ecological purpose that is more important - failure will deny life and choice to many more living beings than are alive today, or than have ever lived. 

At a personal level you may know^[5], but in the collective ignorance of absolutes and for our belief system to be as globally inclusive as possible^[6] collectively we need to defer to individual consciences because we are not in a position to dictate morality to others.  That is unless they act without empathy or conscience, or to an agenda that seeks to unduly restrict or harm others^[7].  If order needs to be imposed, it needs to be a minimum of order^[8]. 

The purpose of humanity is to strive for humane and hopeful survival ^[9]and the preservation of life for as long as the Universe continues to offer the option of life.

Let's revere Life together^[10]. 

Perhaps each of us gains our immortality through the indefinite humane survival of humanity?  We live on through future generations by the differences our actions today make for them tomorrow and beyond^[11].