‘How do atheists find meaning in life?’

[웃 910]

‘How do atheists find meaning in life?’

The correspondent was blunt: “Why don’t you atheists just go out and kill yourselves right now?”

True, most Christians phrase it rather more delicately, but atheists are regularly informed by a certain kind of believer that our lives can have no value if we do not believe in their God. What is the point, they ask, of being kind or loving, caring about suffering or doing anything at all, if one day we just die?

It is true that in the absence of a divine plan our lives have no externally determined purpose: an individual is not born for the purpose of becoming a physician or creating a spectacular work of art or digging a well in an arid corner of Africa. But are the sick less cured, the pleasure to the art-lover less intense, or the thirst of parched villagers less slaked, simply because a man sought his own purpose rather than following a diktat from on high? Do we really need a deity to tell us that a life spent curing cancer is more worthwhile than one spent drinking in the gutter?

Why should we not find satisfaction in alleviating suffering or injustice, just because we’re all going to die one day? The very fact that this life is all we have makes it even more important to do everything possible to reduce the suffering caused by poverty, disease, injustice and ignorance. To describe such attempts as meaningless is to say that avoidable suffering does not matter, hardly a moral stance.

Many Christians claim we have no reason to care about others if there is no God. But this is itself a religious claim, arising from the theological concept of Original Sin, which declares humankind fallen and corrupt. We can safely ignore it, for in reality we do not need childish stories of eternal reward or damnation to coerce us into being good:research shows that the least religious societies have the lowest incidence of social ills, including crime and violence. Healthy humans have empathy built in, and the explanations for this lie in psychology and evolutionary biology: no gods required.

Life cannot be meaningless so long as we have the capacity to affect the well-being of ourselves and others. For true meaninglessness, we would need heaven.

In the state of permanent, perfect bliss that is the very definition of heaven, ‘making a difference’ is ruled out. If the difference made an improvement, the previous state could not have been perfect. If it made things worse, the result would not be perfect. In heaven, neither is possible. Even being reunited with loved ones could not add one jot to their bliss or yours, for heaven would be, by definition, a state that could not be improved on.

Just consider for a moment the hellish pointlessness of heaven. At least in our real existence our actions have an effect, for better or worse, and it is therefore worth trying to get them right. In an eternal life where we can have no effect whatsoever, we might as well be dead.

If you have ever claimed that your life would have no meaning if it weren’t for your faith in God, do you really believe your family and friends have no worth in their own right? Can you really not see the point in striving to protect and nurture your children, even if there is no eternal life? Really?

If you do, then it is you, not atheists, who debase humanity, and it is Christianity, not atheism, that diminishes the real value and meaning of life. We atheists find purpose in the world as it is, and in our real lives; we see living beings as valuable in their own right, deserving of our concern and compassion simply because they share our capacity for pain and pleasure. It is hard to imagine a position less moral, less conducive to empathy, than this inherently warped and uncharitable view of humanity proposed by Christianity.

This is a perverse view of reality. After all, if the only valuable thing about existence is that God gave it to us, then that must mean the gift is not worth having in its own right. God’s creation would be the equivalent of a shapeless, baggy sweater of dubious color that you would never willingly wear but which you nevertheless can’t bring yourself to throw away because it was a gift from Granny. This approach in effect says you’re grateful for God’s gift, but you don’t actually like it very much; that, were it not for your belief that there’ll be an eternity in heaven to compensate you for having had to endure it, you can see no reason why you’d ever want it.

Theistic religion reduces life to something that has no value other than as the creation of an imagined deity. It decrees that purpose and meaning can only be found in being that deity’s puppet, having no purpose but its purpose and no value other than as its handiwork. Theistic religion looks on all that is best and most noble in human impulse and endeavour and dismisses it as meaningless and worthless --or worse: corrupt --unless done in the name of God. It is time to abandon this baseless worldview. It is time to reject theistic religion and start viewing ourselves and others with real dignity, as beings with value in our own right and not just as the distorted shadows of a fictional creator.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/post/how-do-atheist-find-meaning-in-life/2012/01/18/gIQAbiFP8P_blog.html

[Tim/Mav 305]

Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust.

It's just what a person believes.

On the other side: We are Gods children and don't really know anything about destiny. We bury our loved ones and sometimes our children in my case and have no idea.

[Hank_ 9,174]

They are looking for meaning in death... not meaning in life. To just die bothers them.

[mox 298]

What a stupid question to ask an atheist. You don't need 15 paragraphs to answer the question, it's a simple answer: Atheists don't "just go out and kill" ourselves, because we don't believe in an afterlife. We believe you get one shot at it, and that's all. Why would you shorten the most precious thing you have?

Quite the contrary, I've often wondered why theists don't just go kill themselves. Gets you to heaven faster, ends all this earthly suffering. Yeah, yeah, there's that whole "suicide is a mortal sin" thing, but since theists have made exceptions for just about every other teaching in their holy books, suicide might as well just go out the window too.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Simple. Have children.

[The_Dude 1,142]

If you really do need religion to motivate you to live a moral life then you have much bigger problems in life....

[tmma 467]

If you really do need religion to motivate you to live a moral life then you have much bigger problems in life....

[BishopM 114]

As a believer, my thought is that ALL people (believers and non-believers) are created in God's image. So, the innate desire to live a good life which is full of meaning has nothing to do with if the person believes or not, because we're all created the same cloth. Its in our DNA.

Blessings - BishopM

Edited January 18, 2012 by BishopM

[Dan and Judy 614]

I found it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://dictionary.re...com/browse/life

LIFE

noun

1.

the condition that

distinguishes organisms

from inorganic objects

and dead organisms,

being manifested by

growth through metabolism, reproduction, and

the power of adaptation to

environment through changes originating internally.

2.

the sum of the distinguishing phenomena of organisms, especially metabolism, growth, reproduction, and

adaptation to

environment.

3.

the animate existence or period of animate existence

of an individual: to risk one's life; a short life and a merry one.

4.

a corresponding state,

existence, or

principle of

existence conceived of as belonging to

the soul: eternal life.

5.

the general or universal

condition of

human existence: Too bad, but life is like that

Edited January 18, 2012 by Dan and Judy

[Danno 1,228]

If you really do need religion to motivate you to live a moral life then you have much bigger problems in life....

I have to agree with this.

Nearly everyone lives a Moral life, we just all have different Ideas what that exactly means.

In fact the very worst of human genocide has been hammered out on the anvil of -A greater moral good.

I'm sure plenty of Atheist find meaning for their life, no doubt if I were a non-believer I would fill that void with another hobby or interest.

But on the other hand lets be honest, the first paragraph was a bit disingenuous.... as it speculated Atheist are out drilling wells in Africa or whatever, stats show the less involved one if in faith the less likely they are to start soup kitchens, build health clinics.

But I am not trying to pick on my Atheist pals here, they have a tough enough time as it is... with all the obstacles they have to over come.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Pray tell what 'obstacles' need to be overcome?

[Danno 1,228]

Pray tell what 'obstacles' need to be overcome?

Come on now it's no secret that Atheists struggle with things like weight, finding a suitable partner, even feeling like an outcast when every one bows there head for some occasion.

While many have fulfilling lives statistically, they marry less have children less, hell, even vote less.

Most seem educated and one presumes adequately employed yet they donate time and money at just a fraction of what Believer give....... If this is the only life for them, I guess "why waste your money on others?"

Shall I go on?

Edited January 19, 2012 by Danno

[웃 910]

Come on now it's no secret that Atheists struggle with things like weight, finding a suitable partner, even feeling like an outcast when every one bows there head for some occasion.

While many have fulfilling lives statistically, they marry less have children less, hell, even vote less.

Most seem educated and one presumes adequately employed yet they donate time and money at just a fraction of what Believer give....... If this is the only life for them, I guess "why waste your money on others?"

Shall I go on?

Bible Quote for January 18

Laws of Rape

"If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her."

Deuteronomy 22:28-29

LONG BUT MUST READ! ----> Bible Quote for January 19

Ritual Human Sacrifice

"At that time the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and led an army against the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, "If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the LORD the first thing coming out of my house to greet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

"So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave him victory. He thoroughly defeated the Ammonites from Aroer to an area near Minnith - twenty towns - and as far away as Abel-keramim. Thus Israel subdued the Ammonites. When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter - his only child - ran out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. "My daughter!" he cried out. "My heart is breaking! What a tragedy that you came out to greet me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and cannot take it back." And she said, "Father, you have made a promise to the LORD. You must do to me what you have promised, for the LORD has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. But first let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin." "You may go," Jephthah said. And he let her go away for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children. When she returned home, her father kept his vow, and she died a virgin. So it has become a custom in Israel for young Israelite women to go away for four days each year to lament the fate of Jephthah's daughter." Judges 11:29-40

Edited January 19, 2012 by ☠

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Come on now it's no secret that Atheists struggle with things like weight, finding a suitable partner, even feeling like an outcast when every one bows there head for some occasion.

While many have fulfilling lives statistically, they marry less have children less, hell, even vote less.

Most seem educated and one presumes adequately employed yet they donate time and money at just a fraction of what Believer give....... If this is the only life for them, I guess "why waste your money on others?"

Shall I go on?

Danno this post will go down in my book as the Danno-logic post of the decade! Cudos!

As always fact free and ever eager to show off your bias. Simply a wonder!

[slim 1,519]

God does not believe in atheists.