So, today as I am riding on the ferry to work some lad sits next to me and tells me he is a missioner. I tell him I am not interested in proselytizing if that's what he wants to do because I am not a religious person.
He tells me ok but what do I think of our purpose on Earth. I tell him: "Who knows?" He tells me: "What do you think people just sit in some room after they die?" I say: "No, they become part of the Earth when they die."
He says: "Then how do we find out how we got here?" I tell him: "Hopefully one day scientists find all the answers."
He says: What is the purpose to live?" I say: "There are none. You can kill yourself any time you want. But if you have something that is interesting to you and you like to do in life then that is your purpose." Man that guy was totally clueless in the world.
How surprising - Big took one single experience and assumed that it applied to all religious people. If nothing else, it's poor scholarship, Big. Anecdotal evidence proves everything, right?
Now while the title of the thread is idiotic, his answers to the person trying to convert him (and the questions themselves) do make for a decent (if mis-named) topic.
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I am 48, bald, ugly, and don't own a single cool thing. Kids like me though.
FWIW, I found Bigs answers excellent. This one....
"Then how do we find out how we got here?" I tell him: "Hopefully one day scietists find all the answers."
.... I would have answered differently (and I am not being critical of Bigs answer). I might have said; "that is something science is working on, it may not ever be answered completely, but the chase is what makes us keep moving forward, and for those interested, it is interesting. For example, without the chase we wouldn't have the technology capable of riding this Subway."
Big - I do realize you didn't want to get into it with this guy (the whole suffering fools gladly issue), but I just like trying to get them to think outside their comfort zones.
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I am 48, bald, ugly, and don't own a single cool thing. Kids like me though.
Well I really did get mad in the beginning because he seemed very rude to me. He sits across from me and says: "Hello, what is your name?" I say: "Why are you asking?" He says: "I have been meaning to talk to you. I want to ask you where you are going and what kind of work you do. I am a missioner."
It made me feel uncomfortable that he did not even ask me if I wanted to talk to him. It was all about him needing to talk to me.
Scientific question: "How?" May someday be answered by empirical evidence.
Religious question: "Why?" A matter of faith and conscience; many opinions as to the answer - none right or wrong.
Religious people are confused, lost souls 
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