Pursuit of happiness

[miotas]

God is the only thing that gives meaning and purpose to existence. And I'm not talking just about humanity; the Universe itself is nothing without God.

One of the problems I have with believing in God is that for God to exist then he must know what is in the future and if that is the case then we have no control over our lives. How can someone be happy knowing there is nothing they can do to affect the course of their lives?

Anywho, I quite like this poem that my nanna has hanging on her wall:

SUCCESS

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded

I believe that "success" could just as easily be replaced with "happiness".

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

One of the problems I have with believing in God is that for God to exist then he must know what is in the future and if that is the case then we have no control over our lives. How can someone be happy knowing there is nothing they can do to affect the course of their lives?

This is very much a matter of opinion, and there is no reason it must be this way.