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RE: If You Were An Atheist
August 28, 2015 at 12:06 pm
(August 28, 2015 at 11:17 am)lkingpinl Wrote: (August 28, 2015 at 11:10 am)downbeatplumb Wrote: Why must there be a meaning? What difference does it make to your day to day life?
Because deep within I believe we all question and seek answers to four major questions.
Origin
Meaning
Morality
Destiny
Where do I come from?
What gives life meaning?
How do I differentiate between good and bad?
What happens to a human being when he or she dies?
The atheistic worldviews answers to these questions, I find depressing. I think most people have a longing for life after the grave, we feel there is something more. May be not all people, but most.
Atheism says we are a cosmic accident, each person defines their own meaning, each person defines their own good, and then dust. To me, personally, that is depressing.
What gives life meaning? I have a wife and family and enjoy spending my days with them and supporting them. I have hobbies and interests and a job. I find this satisfactory.
How do I differentiate between good or bad? I don't know about you but i have this thing called empathy where I can place myself in another persons situation and imagine how they would feel if I acted a certain way. As an evolved social animal I act in accordance with what causes the least societal stress. It's not rocket science.
What happens to a human when we die? Nothing, we end and that's it.
You seem to need external forces that are based on wishful thinking to give your life meaning, I find this sad.
Where do I come from? My family and further back the animals I evolved from.
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.
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RE: If You Were An Atheist
August 28, 2015 at 12:47 pm
Origin: we originate from our mother's, who in turn originated from their own mothers. No we as a species originated through an amazing process called evolution. The life which evolution acted on was originated in the vast oceans of early earth as simple organic compounds, which originated from molecules that formed from atoms forged in the cores of beautiful stars. To quote a rush song " I am made from the dust of the stars and the oceans flow on my veins."
Meaning: I this is the most liberating answer. Your life has no meaning, it is not a novel from which to draw themes and moral messages. It is you are the universe experiencing itself through sentient eyes. Therefore your meaning isn't simple like the meaning of a wrench, and I would argue the ckksest thing to a meaning is to enjoy this universe for all you can without harming it or the experience of others.
Morality. Secular morality has been demonstrated to be far superior to religious morality, hence we have the greatest civilization to date and separation of church and state is a important cornerstone of it. Secular morality while imperfect falls around three basics: Compassion, empathy, and reason.
Destiny: I don't have alot to say on this except that if you think about hitchens was right, heaven sounds like a celestial North Korea. I honestly don't understand the appeal of it. Its basically a lobotomized version of you worshiping a dictator forever. I personally find the idea of becoming far more appealing. Knowing the atoms that make up me will go on to become great and beautiful things.I also don't get the appeal of some great celestial plan for us all. For that robs me of all agency and means my life is, well to quote Shakespeare " full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
