Jacob is a devout Christian, His wife Betty is equally religious and they share a connection to god, they believe, that is unmatched by anyone in their family. Every weekend they attend church meetings and share their stories of faith an triumph. They discuss how those without faith live and falter, have little happiness or joy, and mostly are in need of god. They recite from the bible and pray for their loved ones... in short all the things good Christians do. One day Betty is driving home from work, she realized Jacob hasn't called her all day. She dials his phone praying that he'll answer...silence....Jacob is not picking it up?! Meanwhile... Jacob was driving home from work, he was exhausted from being at church so late and working his double-shift the day before. Jacob was the bread winner of the family and did all he could to follow gods will. The wife, he'd been told, was meant to bere children and live at home... Jacob was extremely sleepy and so fell asleep at the wheel.. unfortunately this was the last thing he'd ever see in this world. Soon after Jacob his a youngster riding his bike, after killing this child he then ran head on into a truck and was instantly dead. Jacob could see lights, hear sounds... he felt like he was floating... he knew it was gods presence he felt. God was there to claim his soul! As Jacob began rising above the Earth he could see all his life flashing before his eyes, and it was then he realized... god would love him for he was a good Christian! Some time passed and as he settled into this new feeling god came, appearing to him... "Jacob my son" he said... "it's been so long since I've seen you, welcome to heaven." Jacob was amazed and enthralled at gods bright glow, he was so happy to be there! God then said "Jacob... I have some bad news for you my son." Jacob was terrified, what could be worse than dying? God spoke "I sent you to Earth for a specific reason, and indeed all my creations are sent there for the same purpose. You were supposed to follow your own path and not the one I set out for you, instead you clung to religious ideology that I never preached or taught, you couldn't think for yourself and so let others do it for you." Jacob was aghast! God again spoke "My son... if you can't find your own way to live then what is the point of living? You learned nothing on Earth my son.. you must..... GO BACK." Hearing this Jacob began weaping... he said "but God I thought I was following your word, your way.." God replied "Yes but my way isn't meant to my my childrens.. you mustn't follow people blindly, now return..." To that Jacob felt himself returning to Earth..... right back into a new born infant! "Here we go again" God thought.
And if Jacob's way was to rape, pillage, and burn, God would make certain that he had a second chance to get it right?
What if Jacob's path was to discover a cure for all cancers? Except he rejected his love for biological sciences in favour of biblical inanities? Bowser, the point is that the "what if" game is fraught with endless possibilities. A true purpose is what you figure out for yourself, not what some priest, imam, pundit or whatever tells you to do.
