Atheists: What is the mean of life?

[nateph88]

A question I have always wanted to ask an atheist— What do you believe happens when you die?

And here is a quote for you by Albert Camus “I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t and die to find out there is.”

 

[Chazemataz]

Actually, most atheists do belive in a form of consicousness after life. Alot believe in reincarnation. Some belive in coming back as a ghost or spirit. Only those scientists believe that death is the absolute end.

One interesting thing I heard, if there is no God (which there is, just for the sake of arguemnt) then the religious will all go to “heaven”. Their minds will play out exactly what they want to happen. So either way we will go to “heaven” and see God and spend the rest of eternity in that blissful fascimile just as we imagined Heaven to be. Others after death may find themselves “reincarnated” into another’s body or coming back as a spirit. And those poor atheists will find themselves not consicous at all. So really religion is a win-win situation. I agree with Albert Camus’s quote somebody posted.

 

[reen12]

That sounds like Pascal’s Wager.

reen12

 

[viktor_aleksndr]

Life is the best gift that GOD gave to us.

simple eh?!

 

[AnAtheist]

Seeks God:

Absolutely! I understand that, but when there is “no meaning to life” then consequences are irrelevant…

Yes, but then you do not really seek a meaning of life itself. It is looking for a meaning in the afterlife, and seeing the whole purpose of life being some kind of pre-stage for that.
IMO that only shifts the question. When the meaning of life is to prove being worthy of a nice afterlife or is the basis of being judged to an afterlife damnation or whatever, then what meaning does an afterlife have?
To be together with some kind of God or not, being in the Nirvana? Now what purpose could that possibly have?

 

[AnAtheist]

nateph88:

A question I have always wanted to ask an atheist— What do you believe happens when you die?

My brain stops working, and I cease to exist.

 

[AnAtheist]

Chazemataz:

One interesting thing I heard, if there is no God (which there is, just for the sake of arguemnt) then the religious will all go to “heaven”. Their minds will play out exactly what they want to happen.

Yes, I heard that too. I have written to nateph88 before, that I believe, that my brain stops working, when I die, and I cease to exist. That is what I believe, not what I want. I certainly can wish for better fates. But wishful thinking doesn’t make it true.

 

[dennisknapp]

AnAtheist:

My brain stops working, and I cease to exist.

So life meaning is…? Enjoy life till you die?

What if this enjoyment is at the expense of other people? Since there is no moral consequence and no One to answer to, this is ok?

Peace

 

[ahimsaman72]

An atheist can very well believe in moral consequences.

The doctrine of karma and rebirth can explain consequences for wrong behavior and thought without having to have a “person” to answer to.

Just a thought.

Peace…

 

[cheddarsox]

dennisknapp:

So life meaning is…? Enjoy life till you die?

What if this enjoyment is at the expense of other people? Since there is no moral consequence and no One to answer to, this is ok?

Peace

What if that was the meaning of life? What if there is no afterlife? What if there are no moral consequences?

Whether or not it is “OK”, what if it were that way, then what?

I think that is a question we all need to answer for ourselves, no matter what our religion teaches, at some point we all lay in bed an night and ask ourselves, What if this is all there is?

I have heard many people say, “even if it (their faith) turns out to be false, I would rather have lived this kind of life”

There are plenty of good reasons for morals even if this is the only life there is. Indeed, if this is the only life there is, and I cannot count on justice being meeted out in the afterlife, creating a just world seems even more imperative.

If you believe in total human depravity, or yourself are totally depraved, then I can see where one would argue, why bother being “good” at all. But most people arent’ totally depraved. they are capable of much good, of loving and sacraficing and cooperating.

cheddar

 

[dennisknapp]

cheddarsox:

If you believe in total human depravity, or yourself are totally depraved, then I can see where one would argue, why bother being “good” at all. But most people arent’ totally depraved. they are capable of much good, of loving and sacraficing and cooperating.

cheddar

I don’t believe in total depravity, but I know self-interest.

You never answered why someone would be loving and sacraficing and cooperative? I believe most people only do this out of self-interest. Our crime and divorce rate can show that when the interest is shifted kindness and goodness go out the door.

Peace

 

[reen12]

Hi, dennisknapp,

“Self-interest” is an interesting concept. I’ve seen it
referred to as “mixed motives.”

I recall Jesus saying: If you only love those who love
you in return, what merit is there in that?

Or Chesterton saying: It isn’t that Christianity has been
tried and failed, it hasn’t been tried.

So, my question is: What is the difference in behavior
that ought to mark a distinction between those who
believe in God and those who hold that there is no God?

The sole atheist I know is a moral and compassionate
human being.
If belief generates behavior, [all life is sacred, from
conception to natural death] how is that lived out in
the U.S., where a vast majority call themselves
Christian?

My own belief is that I serve and adore God because He is God.
And if death were the end, would we not serve God
out of love for Him, in any case?

reen12

 

[AnAtheist]

dennisknapp:

So life meaning is…? Enjoy life till you die?

Sounds good to me.
Alte clamat Epicurus, Venter satur est securus…

What if this enjoyment is at the expense of other people? Since there is no moral consequence and no One to answer to, this is ok?

Wait.
Is mistreating others wrong, because of the deed, or because there is a judge?
Should we respect others, because that is a proper way to live together, or because we would be punished otherwise?
What does it say about the character of someone, who needs a constant Damokles’ sword to restrain himself?
I rather have morals because they are logical than because someone is putting a gun at my head.

 

[reen12]

Dear AnAtheist,

Wait.
Is mistreating others wrong, because of the deed, or because there is a judge?

I’d rather say that the deed is wrong, and should not be
done because it is harmful.

I think a more useful parallel is:

It is also wrong because the Lawgiver deems it wrong
[replacing “judge.”] Do you see the difference in
emphasis, here? Or no?

Best,
reen12

 

[Seeks_God]

ahimsaman72:

Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. This from the lips of Christ is not a physical description. He was giving a spiritual principle that is universal. It is a law given by God to humankind. It isn’t an American phenomenon or Russian phenomenon. Whether a person understands the principles or knows the principle doesn’t matter. It still is in effect.

A non-civilized person in a far away country who doesn’t know anything about the “meaning of life” as you would describe it - is still under the sowing-reaping principle. Knowledge of it doesn’t make it true or false. His meaning of life is survival, one moment to the next.

Peace…

You and I are making the same point…but the argument made against me was in reference to physical consequences - i.e. If I put my hand in fire, it will burn. My point was that there are consequences to not accepting a meaning in life - all spiritual. After accepting that there is meaning in life, then the physical consequences become obvious because most are a result of Adam’s fall from grace…

SG

 

[Seeks_God]

Chazemataz:

Only those scientists believe that death is the absolute end.

Not ALL scientists are atheists…I love science and love God. I like the desription JPII gave about science - it is just another language in which God speaks to us…

SG

 

[Seeks_God]

AnAtheist:

Yes, but then you do not really seek a meaning of life itself. It is looking for a meaning in the afterlife, and seeing the whole purpose of life being some kind of pre-stage for that.
IMO that only shifts the question. When the meaning of life is to prove being worthy of a nice afterlife or is the basis of being judged to an afterlife damnation or whatever, then what meaning does an afterlife have?
To be together with some kind of God or not, being in the Nirvana? Now what purpose could that possibly have?

Your questions hit on the essence of Christian life - The afterlife is the reward/consequence of living God’s commands. It cannot be explained in anyway other than they are intertwined and dependent on eachother. The meaning in life for Christians is to seek God and live according to His will and by thus doing so we gain eternal communion with God.

Or maybe your questions far exceed my ability to explain them, because they are confusing (and I would think most Christians would struggle with the difference) because the after life (to Christians) is the key in explaining the meaning of life.

SG

 

[Seeks_God]

AnAtheist:

My brain stops working, and I cease to exist.

This would lead to the question “Where does consciousness or thought originate for you?”

Even Artificial Intelligence has a creator - eventually we might have the technological know-how to have robots that think independently, but there will always be the inventor (creator) of that being.

SG

 

[Seeks_God]

ahimsaman72:

An atheist can very well believe in moral consequences.

The doctrine of karma and rebirth can explain consequences for wrong behavior and thought without having to have a “person” to answer to.

Just a thought.

Peace…

I really don’t think an atheist can really explain moral consequences in absolute terms unless there is a basis for absolute morals. Even karma and rebeirht explanations have to have a moral “rulebook”. And those “rules” would have to originate somewhere…

Right?

SG

 

[Seeks_God]

AnAtheist:

Is mistreating others wrong, because of the deed, or because there is a judge?
Should we respect others, because that is a proper way to live together, or because we would be punished otherwise?

They go hand-in-hand. To us Christians, the Judge says the deed is good or bad.

AnAtheist:

What does it say about the character of someone, who needs a constant Damokles’ sword to restrain himself?

This can be answered with the following analogy: If I give someone a gift out of obligation and there is reservation or I’m expecting something in return, then it is not much of a gift. If I give it with the full desire to be giving, then I’m doing it out of love for that person. This is a similar concept for Christians: To give our lives, hearts and soles to God without reservation. One of the concepts I think is interesting about most religions is that they all tend to grasp that concept: Surrendering one’s self to God.

But what about that sword? What about that threat of eternal damnation if you don’t believe? I can really only answer this by saying that there are consequences to actions. If you speed, you get a speeding ticket; if you steal, you go to jail; if you murder, chances are you’ll be put to death. Humanity seems to respect cause and effect; I beleive that God knew that many of us would have hardened hearts and would only understand consequences rather than understand His love. “Why?” would be an obvious question and I can honestly say doesn’t plague me.

AnAtheist:

I rather have morals because they are logical than because someone is putting a gun at my head.

Ask most Christians and they will say it is logical to believe in God. To us, God is not a vague concept.