As a Naturalistic Pantheist, I have a naturalistic and non-supernatural worldview. So the question has to be asked – is it possible to still have a sense of meaning and purpose in the universe?
There are really two ways to answer this question – You can either take the route and say, No, there is no inherent purpose in the universe, but we can make our own purposes and meanings for life. After all, who really wants their whole life purpose decided by someone or something outside of them and giving them no real say in the matter?
There is also another possibility…and that’s to use a sleight of hand and change the language from “purpose” to “calling.” Calling is perhaps a softer way of saying that there is something we need to do with our lives. Are there things that we are “called” to do? Evidently there is no supernatural guide, but are there still things we “ought” to do with our lives? Perhaps we receive our calling from our very genes, if we discover that we are endowed with a natural innate talent e.g. writing, singing, making people laugh, perhaps we could say that nature, has through our genetics, or the universe through our upbringing, endowed us with something and we have a duty or responsibility to nature/ existence to develop and use it.
Perhaps we can take this concept a bit further and say, we have been brought into existence by nature/ universe and therefore does that gives us a responsibility towards nature…to look after it and all who dwell in it? To celebrate it and feel gratefulness?
These are just a few preliminary thoughts I’ve had on the issue of meaning and purpose in a world without the supernatural. What do you think?
Nature is Sacred 