Wrong, I have an alcoholic brother who won't quit smoking because he wants to die, as well as a severely depressed sister that's been talking suicide for years. Both have a lack of self worth, no purpose in life, and no hope for the future. It's obvious in the world today though that there are many people struggling with these shortfalls in life. For what it's worth, allow me to give a Christian perspective since no one else here has.
Our value as a person comes from being a special creation of God - not from parents, spouses, friends, bosses, coworkers, or social media. We all have it, but many don't go to the right source to understand or appreciate it. With this truth, it logically follows that we must have been created for a reason. Every single one of us matter to God and have a planned purpose for our lives. One can embrace God and that purpose, or reject it. But the former offers peace, love, joy, and hope for the eternal life to come while the latter yields anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and a death worth fearing.
While pets, hobbies, careers, and worldly pursuits make life more enjoyable, most of these things do not provide meaningful or lasting satisfaction. They're just temporary diversions to appease our feelings. Here's an outstanding sermon that I recommend for everyone, addressing our whole reason for living. It's a bit long 1.25 hour YouTube video but well worth watching.
I agree with a lot of that above and I'm generally OK with religion in general or others believing in a supreme being, so I'm not trying to be deliberately argumentative. But I think one can replace "God" with "Nature" above and have more or less the same result. As I've said elsewhere, I believe in Spinoza's God, or something akin to it, and that our "creation," or perhaps a better word for me is "emergence," provides a unique perspective on the world that can provide meaning, stability and a groundwork for ethics throughout our lives.
On the "planned purpose" and "eternal life" statements, I can offer nothing and I neither agree nor disagree with them because I wouldn't even know where to begin. They seem to just raise more questions than answers for me. But people can believe in them, that's fine, I'm not trying to stop anyone doing so.
And yes, I completely agree that people get too tied up in the fleeting and the short-term and forget about the more lasting things that matter.
Sadly, the religious people that I've known, at least those that adhere to some form of Christianity, including Protestantism and Catholicism, have been the most anxious, depressed and fearful people that I've known so far. They keep trying to live up to some ideal that seems forever out of reach. More than a few Catholic women I've known, I've married at least one Catholic, try desperately to live up to the Virgin Mary, which they obviously can't. Others can't deal with the inevitable moral clashes that occur in the world and they feel terrible about not being able to live up to these. I hope Christianity is addressing these issues, or at least helping people come to terms with these unrealistic expectations without dismissing them.
I also hope that Christianity becomes more Earth-centered and people-centered. We do need each other "down here" on Earth and religion should emphasize peaceful and meaningful relationships between people, not that "no value" can come from such things. That part of your statement I disagree with
vehemently. There is no contradiction between a God, especially a loving God, and meaningful social connections between humans. Please don't de-emphasize these, but help people understand that they need each other and need to treat each other respectfully, whether they believe in God or not.
I know that you mean well and I bear you no ill-will whatsoever. I value you as a fellow human being with needs, desires and everything that humanity bestows on us. I respect your beliefs and your right to express them. We may not agree on all the points, but that makes life just a little more exciting.
