Are athiests happy?

[John J. Bannan]

Ah, meaning in life is gained by serving others? Like Edison and A.G. Bell. No, this just makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. This isn't meaning. Meaning is purpose in the abstract sense. Without a God, there is no meaning. There's what makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but even Edison and A.G. Bell are still quite meaningless to the universe. Sorry guys.

 

[Celpha Fiael]

So I propose that man searches for meaning only because he can. It's entirely unnecessary to be a happy and healthy creature on Earth. Most social animals find meaning in belonging to their tribe. Since we are social apes, could it be that we seek in the idea of God, that which we are missing in our society? Monotheism arose along with civilization and cities. Could it be that our connection with nature is what gave us meaning in the past?

After reading my last post, let's then question why we have such a desire for purpose. This is answered simply enough:

Notice, as members already have, that animals don't search for meaning in their lives. This is because they aren't intellectually developed as we are, if we were to somehow inject a cat with a dose of super intelligence, then it'd be a safe bet to see questions of mathematics, philosophy, and purpose emerging. If that's to rhetorical of a scenario, recognize that we witness this development everywhere, even in our own species. Babies don't understand math, philosophy, or have any sense of purpose whatsoever. It's not to say that the potential isn't there, but that they just haven't passed that milestone yet.

So let's clairvoyantly travel back to the dawn of humanity's creativity; whether it was the spear, cup, wheel, fire, or whatever, this first manifestation of creativity was made with a specific purpose in mind. Thank goodness this happened, today we are surrounded by millions of inventions and tools, all with specific purposes in mind. This kind of development breeds an odd type of thinking, however. Because we are so immersed in an exponentially increasing purpose-oriented society, we naturally turn introspectively (once again, a product of evolved intelligence) and are able to linguistically and philosophically engineer the question around ourselves; why are we here? This question amplifies organization and growth, as we can greatly see from our progress as a species. It allows us to excel as the dominant species, so there's really no mystery as to why we have such a strong gravity towards a purpose for our own existence.

Note however that, as stated above, just because we can form this question doesn't mean it has an answer.

 

[John J. Bannan]

If God exists and has apparently made his presence known to us, we must be special to God. Life than has a purpose - to create us so that we can be with God.

 

[spidergoat]

Why did God create us? Was he lonely?

 

[SnakeLord]

Without a God, there is no meaning.

For the last time I am going to ask that you stop giving absolutes merely because of the way you personally feel. There's plenty of meaning and purpose to those without gods, as much so as those of you with them.

 

[John J. Bannan]

You propose that we are seeking God because we no longer live in tribes? But, aren't there actual tribal peoples that believe in God? Isn't our families a tribe? Our friends and associates a "tribe"? I don't think we have lost our tribal ways.

 

[John J. Bannan]

If there is a God, I have no idea why he created us. I imagine you wouldn't know that one until the after life.

 

[Celpha Fiael]

You propose that we are seeking God because we no longer live in tribes? But, aren't there actual tribal peoples that believe in God? Isn't our families a tribe? Our friends and associates a "tribe"? I don't think we have lost our tribal ways.

If this is a response to my post, then I think you need to go back and read it more carefully.

 

[Enterprise-D]

Ah, meaning in life is gained by serving others? Like Edison and A.G. Bell. No, this just makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. This isn't meaning. Meaning is purpose in the abstract sense. Without a God, there is no meaning. There's what makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but even Edison and A.G. Bell are still quite meaningless to the universe. Sorry guys.

Then I put it to you John, that you are the one doomed to a life of complete and utter dissatisfaction. You can never have an effect on the universe, and you will not ever be happy in your decades of mortal existence. Whereas many people (athiests and theists alike, find meaning in the simple things - taking care of children, upholding the law, designing living abodes etc).

I also put it to you that you are likely correct. We are probably born with no purpose. This is what some people are trying to tell you. Purpose is self made. You might ascribe a purpose to something you build, but that does not automatically mean that humans are built with a specific purpose, you are applying human thinking to a cosmic anomaly (our existence). You are executing the same fallacy you accuse others of.

 

[John J. Bannan]

Hey, snakelord. There is no meaning, if there is no God. Life is meaningless. Life only persists. It doesn't have to do with my personal feelings. What is the purpose of life besides to do what it does? You are the one who feels there is more to it than that - not me.

 

[John J. Bannan]

Celpha. No. That was a response to Spidergoat. I agreed with your post.

 

[spidergoat]

If there is a God, I have no idea why he created us. I imagine you wouldn't know that one until the after life.

So you are happy because you have something to look forward to. We can be happy for the same reason, but the thing doesn't have to be some uncertain meeting with a devine being, it can be something you actually get to live through.

 

[SnakeLord]

Hey, snakelord. There is no meaning, if there is no God

You can persist in saying that until the cows come home, it changes nothing.

It doesn't have to do with my personal feelings. What is the purpose of life besides to do what it does?

The problem is that you refuse to accept "purpose of life" unless the answer happens to have the word 'god' in it - and as such I wonder why you even bother asking. You've decided the answer to the question for everyone before even asking it.

I would assert that the 'purpose of life' is genetic survival and reproduction. You refuse to accept that as meaningful for some unknown reason and refuse to accept it as a purpose because it omits the word 'god'.

For life to have a purpose or meaning does not mean it has to be created or eternal. You cannot accept this and so the answer will never be good enough for you.

You are the one who feels there is more to it than that - not me.

Incorrect. You are the one who feels that the way it is is insufficient somehow. Until you figure out why you deem it insufficient I can't help you.

I have asked questions that have been ignored and tried to enquire as to why life only has meaning and purpose if a god exists. Will you answer it?

 

[Medicine*Woman]

How does life without God have any meaning? O.K., so you can find happiness and pleasure. But that's not meaning. You're existence is pointless. The rest of the universe doesn't care if you live or die.

*************
M*W: You get out of life what you put into it. If you put no meaning into your life and the universe, you'll not reap much meaning or happiness. I find that the meaningful things in my life were just as meaningful if not more meaningful after I became an atheist. My family has always been my main source of joy and then my career. Essentially, my family was my career and my career was my hobby. There are no holes in my life, but then again, I filled them all with meaning as I understood it. The only thing that did change was my concept of religion. It became meaningless to me, and after several years of studying my religion, I could no longer justify it as being a meaningful aspect of my life. Atheism was to follow. It's a gradual process. It's a slow awakening. The most important things in my life bring me joy. I am not empty and forlorn. I live abundantly, but I have given abundantly to my life and those in it. It's a misconception that atheists are empty, bitter and hateful.

 

[spidergoat]

I know Christians and atheists, and other things in between, and we all have our good times and bad. I only know a few very religious people that seem permanently happy, but they also seem deranged.

 

[pjdude1219]

for the people who keep asking how can life have meaning without god your never going to get an answer you will accept or understand until you accept that an atheist's view of the world is valid

 

[Carcano]

And if so, why? You deny life after death.

An atheist isnt neccessarily a strict materialist.

For example, the Buddhists dont have any myths of creation or a supreme deity, and yet they have an ancient spiritual tradition as rich as any god-based religion.

 

[sandy]

Benny Hinn? :roflmao:

Do you know him? Have you ever met him? Ever been to one of his crusades? Ever see a miracle? Well, I have. Plenty of miracles. Go ahead and laugh. We'll see who gets the last laugh.

 

[spidergoat]

I have seen Hinn on TV, he's hilarious! A better snake oil salesman there has never been...

 

[scorpius]

Soul is mind, will, and emotion. How can soul not exist?

We are spirits. We live in bodies. We have souls.

Spirits are eternal. I don't understand how someone can be satisfied knowing theirs will burn in hell when they were given the choice of Heaven.

CRAP !!
souls are invention of primitive mens minds,who had no clue what wind/air/ breath is, so they thought its this soul which leaves the body after death b/c dead people dont breathe,today we know better
here
www.atheists.org/Atheism/mind.html