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Isn't it sad that our existence is meaningless? That there is no afterlife, no god, and no real meaning to our lives? Eventually the whole earth and every remnant of human life will be gone with noting to show for everything we've done, everything we've created, everything we've passed on here. It's all for nothing. I don't think about it often, and enjoy my day to day existence, but it is still sad. Obviously one of the major reasons religion was created in the first place.
Isn't it sad that our existence is meaningless? That there is no afterlife, no god, and no real meaning to our lives?
Where do you get such notions? Meaning and purpose are self-discovered / self-created. There's plenty to be found / made. Even theists make their own meaning, they just claim it comes from god.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jman07
Eventually the whole earth and every remnant of human life will be gone with nothing to show for everything we've done, everything we've created, everything we've passed on here. It's all for nothing.
Atheism is not nihilism and in truth, at least according to Nietzsche, what you're describing is a complete misunderstanding of nihilism and its implications anyway.
Our true scope is mortal. Once you get off the crack cocaine of immortality projects and their attendant inflations, you will find living within that scope to be entirely satisfactory. Death is just part of life.
In what sense is human endeavor "all for nothing" if humanity itself eventually dies? Life is for the living, not the dead. So whatever "something" life is "for" doesn't pertain to after you / everyone / whoever is dead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jman07
I don't think about it often, and enjoy my day to day existence, but it is still sad. Obviously one of the major reasons religion was created in the first place.
A quick perusal of your CD posts doesn't seem to indicate that you're a theist troll trying to bait us, so you're more than welcome to discuss these feelings of sadness and perhaps gain new perspectives. Are you a former believer who is missing the sense of community perhaps? Or is it something else?
Isn't it sad that our existence is meaningless? Eventually the whole earth and every remnant of human life will be gone with noting to show for everything we've done, everything we've created, everything we've passed on here. It's all for nothing.
If we can colonize other planets and solar systems before we ruin earth we at least may buy us some extra time if not achieve a reasonable form of immortality for the human race if not for individual humans. And medical technology may eventually be able to stop the aging process.
But if you could live indefinitely, with your consciousness and intelligence not growing exponentially over time, would you want to? You might face another 100, 200, 1,000 years of paying taxes, going to the dentist, mowing the lawn, fighting with your neighbor over placement of a fence, getting your car registered and inspected, etc.. etc... etc...
And with plenty of new arrivals (births) and much less departures (deaths) the terminal is liable to get a little crowded.
But if we can get consciousness and intelligence growing exponentially?
Where do you get such notions? Meaning and purpose are self-discovered / self-created. There's plenty to be found / made. Even theists make their own meaning, they just claim it comes from god.
Atheism is not nihilism and in truth, at least according to Nietzsche, what you're describing is a complete misunderstanding of nihilism and its implications anyway.
Our true scope is mortal. Once you get off the crack cocaine of immortality projects and their attendant inflations, you will find living within that scope to be entirely satisfactory. Death is just part of life.
In what sense is human endeavor "all for nothing" if humanity itself eventually dies? Life is for the living, not the dead. So whatever "something" life is "for" doesn't pertain to after you / everyone / whoever is dead.
A quick perusal of your CD posts doesn't seem to indicate that you're a theist troll trying to bait us, so you're more than welcome to discuss these feelings of sadness and perhaps gain new perspectives. Are you a former believer who is missing the sense of community perhaps? Or is it something else?
Thanks for checking that. I was pretty sure we had a sheep in wolfs' clothing here.
If not, we can perhaps consider the supposed attractions of an afterlife.
Suppose the hellthreat to be true. only a psychopathic bigot would relish the thought of an eternity of gleefully watching unbelievers and wrong -believers roasting in agony. And unless Gd is a psychopath himself in which case, nobody is safe as he would have aeons of glee watching his saints, angels and devotees roast "They thought they were saved..Hah hah ha ha!", the worst we can expect is a self -criticism session before being washed whiter than white, and finally released to mingle with the celestial deceased.
If not psychopathic, then they are simply going to have their brains removed so that they can bob about in mindless bliss eternally oblivious to the cries of the damned, and of course devoid of any semblance of their former selves. It don't sound so great to me.
So suppose there is no hellthreat and just an afterlife on offer. That or oblivion. While an eternity sounds attractive, if it's an option of grovelling to God (or one of the others) or sleeping in for eternity, I'll take the latter. Indeed, even if Yahweh allowed me to draw up my own bespoke eternity, would I really want to do it forever? This isn't just a million years we are talking about, but eternity. I think I'd regretfully have to opt for oblivion again.
But suppose we don't have the option, and afterlife is what we all get as naturally as dying. There's no point in worrying about it. And certainly, no particular religion is handing out entry tickets. What then?
If it is true, then you haven't lost a thing by not believing it let alone any particular religion
But if there is no afterlife, you wasted this one life you have in hopes to win an entry ticket to a next one.
So, if you are going to place a bet in this life on whether or not there is an afterlife, the smart money goes on living this life as though it was the only one you had coming,
I call this the "Reverse Pascal's wager".
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 06-20-2016 at 03:38 AM..
Isn't it sad that our existence is meaningless? That there is no afterlife, no god, and no real meaning to our lives? Eventually the whole earth and every remnant of human life will be gone with noting to show for everything we've done, everything we've created, everything we've passed on here. It's all for nothing. I don't think about it often, and enjoy my day to day existence, but it is still sad. Obviously one of the major reasons religion was created in the first place.
I am with ya. I can't believe that the universe is experiencing itself and I get to play a role in it. WOW. I aint no budda-a-ist, but it is way cool. What is sad is that fundy type people can't understand that other people can think differently, have a different outlook, and be just as correct, especially with the lack of information we have.
Relative to what? You could look at a waterfall and decide that it is sad that it is not ten times more breathtaking than it is.
This is it, this is the hand we have all been dealt. How sad or joyous it is to experience depends entirely on the outlook you adopt. Did you not enjoy the pint of ice cream because it wasn't two pints?
Isn't it sad that our existence is meaningless? That there is no afterlife, no god, and no real meaning to our lives? Eventually the whole earth and every remnant of human life will be gone with noting to show for everything we've done, everything we've created, everything we've passed on here. It's all for nothing. I don't think about it often, and enjoy my day to day existence, but it is still sad. Obviously one of the major reasons religion was created in the first place.
Life is like a ride on a roller coaster, or a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Rome. If you can't enjoy the ride (or the Colosseum) because of the knowledge that soon the ride will end (or you'll be on a 777 back home, never to return to Italy), then that's really your own failure to enjoy what you do have.
And that seems to me where this whole "What's the point?" originates - people aren't happy with what they have and instead they want everything (such as being an important cog in some cosmic plan, or an eternity to enjoy the celestial amusement park).
I don't need the universe (or even the world). My existence as simply an animal of unusual intelligence and self-awareness abounds with all the meaning I need to be content and satisfied. And the fact that the ride for me will come to an end that is just that in every sense of the word sometime in the next few decades is fine with me.
In fact is is quite a relief that nobody is imposing any kind of Plan on us. We can decide what's good for us.
We sure can, but not always and not in everything, my young friend.
We can decide in things we are allowed to make a choice. And for the rest, someone else is in control.
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In fact is is quite a relief that nobody is imposing any kind of Plan on us. We can decide what's good for us. 
I aint no budda-a-ist, but it is way cool. What is sad is that fundy type people can't understand that other people can think differently, have a different outlook, and be just as correct, especially with the lack of information we have.
