To: Atheists/Agnostics etc.

[Annisman*]

What keeps you going ? What is your hope for your current life ?

I am honestly not trying to start any kind of argument, I legitimately want to know what it is that you look forward to.

If there is no God, if there is nothing after death, if there is no right/wrong determined by a higher power etc. Then, to be blunt, what keeps you from ending it all right now ?


I've had my share of heartache, and I see many many more people with far bigger struggles and troubles.

If I was completely sold on there being no God or afterlife, I sincerly believe I would have put a gun to my head long ago.

Everyone will agree that we take nothing with us when we die. None of our wealth, posessions or even loved ones.

So what is keeping you going ? What do you put your hope into ?

Been thinking about how depressing that would be, and really wanted to hear some feedback.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

You have an asterisk in your handle.

 

[Geosurface]

as a lifelong atheist, the way I see it is...

I'm lucky to have a chance to exist at all. For the vast majority of reality and time, I was nothingness. I will very soon be nothingness again. I'm only something for just a flash of time.

Why in the world would I hasten my return to nothingness?

There will be plenty (infinite) time for me to be nothing again.

Right now, I'll enjoy this. I like sex, and cake, and food, and video games, and movies. I've gotten to be alive in a time where great technological advancements were made. Not quite as cool as my grandmother who was born during horse & buggy and lived until space shuttle.

and I hope to have a child someday to sort of grant some small measure of continuing on past death.

 

[JonathanYoung]

I see life as a one-time opportunity to live, to feel the warmth of the sun, to experience humanity, to go through all of the good and the bad. Death is a part of life, we all get a chance to experience it once. But when it approaches, that's it, you become nothing, you cease to exist. Thinking of life this way, what I look forward to is living each day and doing the best I can to contribute positively to my own growth and the growth of others.

Faith is a powerful thing, and if you believe that there'll be life after death, then perhaps you may not do the things you ought to be doing if life really is just a one-time shot. By definition, since I have no faith, I cannot risk wasting this single chance at life. What if I believed in an afterlife, and when I died there was nothing there? While I have the chance, I want to live and experience everything. If I put a gun to my head, I wouldn't get to experience the things I haven't had a chance to do yet.

My hope is that when I die, whether as an old man or as a poor sap staring at a subway train barreling at me, that at that last moment, I can say that I lived a good life with few regrets.

As Vic Fontaine said, and I'm paraphrasing, you play the cards that life deals you. You may not always get the best cards, but at least you're in the game.

 

[SheHateMe]

What keeps you going ? What is your hope for your current life ?

I am honestly not trying to start any kind of argument, I legitimately want to know what it is that you look forward to.

If there is no God, if there is nothing after death, if there is no right/wrong determined by a higher power etc. Then, to be blunt, what keeps you from ending it all right now ?

.....

If I was completely sold on there being no God or afterlife, I sincerly believe I would have put a gun to my head long ago.

Everyone will agree that we take nothing with us when we die. None of our wealth, posessions or even loved ones.

.....

Been thinking about how depressing that would be, and really wanted to hear some feedback.

Well, this isn't condescending at all.


What keeps me going? Hard work and determination.
What do I look forward to in life? Success as a result of my hard work and determination.

That answer your question?

Now, tell me what freebies God has given you?

 

[Annisman*]

Well, this isn't condescending at all.


What keeps me going? Hard work and determination.
What do I look forward to in life? Success as a result of my hard work and determination.

That answer your question?

Now, tell me what freebies God has given you?

But your hard work and determination leads to what end ? Is what I am asking. Do you want to leave a legacy to mankind ? What is 'success' in your words ?

I want to go a little deeper than just saying I want to be successful. What does being successful or a failure or a good or bad person matter at all if there is nothing after this.

And I assure you, that my belief in God has not made me less hard working or determined, like yourself.

 

[mnewsham]

If you need to believe in a god to make yourself live your life I feel sorry for you, there is so much to life, the simple fact you are alive is an amazing thing, the number of tiny little events that HAD to happen in JUST the right way to make you you. I live my life because I was given the chance to live, to do anything but is squandering the little time you have. My hopes in life are to be self sufficient, find someone I can share my life with and possibly start a family of my own one day. I look forward to experiencing everything I can (while being safe).

There is no right or wrong determined by a higher power, there is right or wrong determined by my morals, god did not give me morals, society did, society didn't get these morals from god, society created them in order form a more sustainable populous.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If I was completely sold on there being no God or afterlife, I sincerly believe I would have put a gun to my head long ago.

Do you abstain from suicide out of fear of eternal damnation, or do you persist in the struggle because you think God has a plan and a purpose for you to fulfill? If it's the first, you may need therapy. I'm going to assume the second.

I certainly don't want to die. I know I will, of course. But I'm in no hurry. I'm honest enough about my urges to acknowledge and accept my basic survival instinct.

In the meantime, I can't think of anything better to do that enjoy the ride and try to leave everything a little better for the people that come after. If I'm lucky, they'll remember me fondly.

They say you die three times. The first when your heart stops, the second when they put you in the ground, and the third the last time somebody says your name. So if I'm remembered, well, isn't that a sort of eternal life? Or at least an extended one?

You might call it vanity, but I say what's the harm in vanity if it benefits others?

And why is that purpose (my purpose) any worse of a reason to persist than your purpose (God's purpose?)

 

[Geosurface]

I define success for our species as controlling multiple star systems in 500 or 1000 years!

Unfortunately I feel we have allowed political correctness to blind us to realities which, will ensure this does not happen. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[mnewsham]

But your hard work and determination leads to what end ? Is what I am asking. Do you want to leave a legacy to mankind ? What is 'success' in your words ?

I want to go a little deeper than just saying I want to be successful. What does being successful or a failure or a good or bad person matter at all if there is nothing after this.

And I assure you, that my belief in God has not made me less hard working or determined, like yourself.

What does being a success or failure have to do with a belief in a god? Success is achieving your own goals, failure is failing to achieve your goals.

Being good or bad shouldn't be a matter of god, I am good because being good makes me feel good.

 

[sandorski]

The same thing that keeps you going. Certain things make me happy, enjoyment of Life, Love/Family, Life's little pleasures.

The real question is: If the After Life is so awesome, why do Theists not end it right now to get there?

I'll answer that: It is because this Life is worth living regardless of there being an After Life or not.

 

[CA19100]

Been thinking about how depressing that would be, and really wanted to hear some feedback.

I've been an atheist my whole life. I was never indoctrinated into a religion as a child, so this "higher being" has simply never been a part of my thought process. I think for you, you would feel a great emptiness if you all of a sudden stopped believing. Kind of like losing a limb. For me, I've never, even for a second, thought that a god existed, so there isn't any emptiness or absence to feel. It's just the way it is, and I've never felt like I've been missing out. I think a lot of it depends on what you were raised with.

When I'm surrounded by an amazing sunset or some other natural beauty, I appreciate it for what it is. I don't read any more into it than that; it's just an amazing [whatever] and I'm glad I was there to see it. I live to see moments like that for myself, to meet interesting people, and to just enjoy the things I like.

Hopefully I can leave the world a little nicer than when I got here, so the next guy can enjoy his years as much as I have.

 

[SheHateMe]

But your hard work and determination leads to what end ? Is what I am asking. Do you want to leave a legacy to mankind ? What is 'success' in your words ?

I want to go a little deeper than just saying I want to be successful. What does being successful or a failure or a good or bad person matter at all if there is nothing after this.

And I assure you, that my belief in God has not made me less hard working or determined, like yourself.

I see. It is only possible to do something significant, leave a mark on the world unless you believe in God.

/thread

 

[Udgnim]

live life to be happy

it's not that complicated

 

[Annisman*]

What does being a success or failure have to do with a belief in a god? Success is achieving your own goals, failure is failing to achieve your goals.

Being good or bad shouldn't be a matter of god, I am good because being good makes me feel good.

But, for some people being bad makes them feel good. And the goals they want to achieve are deplorable. If they achieve their goals did they live a 'good' life ?

It would be stupid to say that people who aren't religious or God fearing don't know right from wrong, so let's not go there because nobody said that. I know a number of people who hold themselves to high moral standards who aren't religiously involved in any way.

And I am sure we all know people who profess to be religious who just don't back up the claim with their actions.

Let's get past the black and white stereotypes for atheists and beleivers

 

[Leros]

But your hard work and determination leads to what end ? Is what I am asking. Do you want to leave a legacy to mankind ? What is 'success' in your words ?

I want to go a little deeper than just saying I want to be successful. What does being successful or a failure or a good or bad person matter at all if there is nothing after this.

And I assure you, that my belief in God has not made me less hard working or determined, like yourself.

It leads to nothing. I'm going to die and cease to exist. From an entirely logical point of view, my life and all life is absolutely meaningless.

But... humans are not logical - we are emotional creatures and I enjoy being alive.

 

[mnewsham]

But, for some people being bad makes them feel good. And the goals they want to achieve are deplorable. If they achieve their goals did they live a 'good' life ?

As I already said I believe society dictates this, if society deems something horrendous but it makes you personally feel good, you are at least in someways a "bad" person, however there are good aspects and bad aspects to everyone. Also achieving goals has nothing to do with a good or bad life, goals can be good or bad. If my goal is killing 12 hookers then I am a "bad" person, but I am a success in my own eyes.

 

[datalink7]

But, for some people being bad makes them feel good. And the goals they want to achieve are deplorable. If they achieve their goals did they live a 'good' life ?

Yes, but if you know anything about psychology you'll know that the segment of the population that is unable to feel empathy (psychopaths) constitute a very small minority. Most people simply aren't like that, whether they have religion or not.

 

[Annisman*]

There have been many thoughtful responses in such a short time, I have been enjoying reading them all.

The general answer seems to be to live a good life, enjoy the time here, appreciate being alive at all.

I'm not trying to persuade anybody to anything, I beleive that people have to experience God to beleive, nobody is going to do that on a message board!

 

[PowerEngineer]

I have to wonder what will keep you going and what your hope will be assuming you have eternal life after death. What will you look forward to? If there's nothing worth living for in ~75 years, then what makes living longer -- even eternally -- worth more?

Actually, I wanted to point out that Albert Camus suggested this:

There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy. All the rest – whether or not the world has three dimensions, whether the mind has nine or twelve categories – comes afterwards. These are games; one must first answer.

http://www.camus-society.com/myth-of-sisyphus.html

 

[Annisman*]

It leads to nothing. I'm going to die and cease to exist. From an entirely logical point of view, my life and all life is absolutely meaningless.

But... humans are not logical - we are emotional creatures and I enjoy being alive.

Ah, you touch on an important point for beleivers. There is no creature in the world like us human beings. The Bible says we were made in His likeness. Could this not be evidence of creation.

As to your first point, I think if I held that opinion I would drive into the Niagara River on the way home from work tomorrow.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It's always boggled my mind as well. I would have trouble sleeping at night and going on with life if I had no idea whatsoever what happens after death or if I thought I just "cease to exist" or worse, living with the possibility that I am in fact going to hell. It would seem way too depressing to go on with life without constantly thinking about it.

Also if there is no God, then what *IS* evil? What is the definition of doing something bad? You can kill people if you want, it's not a sin, sin does not exist. There is no right or wrong, everything is neutral. Some people even believe that life is just a chemical reaction that is predetermined and there is no self awareness or freewill. If that was the case then we are equivalent to acid eating through something. The acid is not committing a crime by destroying something else, it's just a chemical systematically doing what science determined. Some people actually believe living things are like that. D: Sad way to look at what life is.

 

[Annisman*]

I have to wonder what will keep you going and what your hope will be assuming you have eternal life after death. What will you look forward to? If there's nothing worth living for in ~75 years, then what makes living longer -- even eternally -- worth more?

Actually, I wanted to point out that Albert Camus suggested this:



http://www.camus-society.com/myth-of-sisyphus.html

That's a very thought provoking quote!

Anyways, to answer your question, personally I beleive in heaven, a place with no pain, no tears, no more physical body (my body is always breaking down) A place where God's presence is complete, where other beleivers are, where there are streets of gold. Who wouldn't want to go there !

 

[mnewsham]

It's always boggled my mind as well. I would have trouble sleeping at night and going on with life if I had no idea whatsoever what happens after death or if I thought I just "cease to exist" or worse, living with the possibility that I am in fact going to hell. It would seem way too depressing to go on with life without constantly thinking about it.

Also if there is no God, then what *IS* evil? What is the definition of doing something bad? You can kill people if you want, it's not a sin, sin does not exist. There is no right or wrong, everything is neutral. Some people even believe that life is just a chemical reaction that is predetermined and there is no self awareness or freewill. If that was the case then we are equivalent to acid eating through something. The acid is not committing a crime by destroying something else, it's just a chemical systematically doing what science determined. Some people actually believe living things are like that. D: Sad way to look at what life is.

That made little actual sense and was simply filled with your misunderstandings of science and how things actually work.

 

[Annisman*]

It's always boggled my mind as well. I would have trouble sleeping at night and going on with life if I had no idea whatsoever what happens after death or if I thought I just "cease to exist" or worse, living with the possibility that I am in fact going to hell. It would seem way too depressing to go on with life without constantly thinking about it.

Also if there is no God, then what *IS* evil? What is the definition of doing something bad? You can kill people if you want, it's not a sin, sin does not exist. There is no right or wrong, everything is neutral. Some people even believe that life is just a chemical reaction that is predetermined and there is no self awareness or freewill. If that was the case then we are equivalent to acid eating through something. The acid is not committing a crime by destroying something else, it's just a chemical systematically doing what science determined. Some people actually believe living things are like that. D: Sad way to look at what life is.

Well as to right and wrong, many have pointed out that 'society' determines that, however I remember reading an excellent book by C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, that completely blasts that idea out of the water. If I was better with words or more of a scholar I would try my luck with citing it here.