Atheists...what is your purpose?

Question

i made the mistake of calling athiests "worthless bags of nothing" in a question. i didnt ask the question to get a rise out of anybody and did not say that to offend anyone either. i just wanted to know why and how you can believe that there's no soul inside that bag of perfectly arranged organisms and molecules. i guess i find it hard to believe that people out there really think that this is it. that when you die you die and nothing else. what a waste of space and time that would be if that was the case. maybe that's the purpose of life...to find that faith in God deep within yourself...even if it means believing in something that you cannot see, or touch, or have a scientific explanation for. i'm not sayin you should believe or follow any particular religion...that's silly, i know. But what outside of this confused beautiful world do you look up to? why are we all here? and if believing in nothing makes you happy...would believing in something make you unhappy?

make me understand...

why do some of you have to judge me and my God, as if you knew him, to answer this question......hmmm....

dmb...i am not making an assumption that atheist are wrong, i am not degrading or insulting anyone...or tryin not too anyways. i just wanted answers to justify the atheist belief that there is no God. i happen to explore ALL the possibilities...

does making accusations and putting me down make you feel better about yourself?

Answer 1

To irritate the hell out of the christians (no pun intended)

Answer 2

Right, can't imagine why someone would be offended at being called a worthless bag of nothing... go figure. Anyway:

"i guess i find it hard to believe that people out there really think that this is it. that when you die you die and nothing else. what a waste of space and time that would be if that was the case."

That's your opinion, not a fact. What one person finds to be a waste of time, another might love. I personally think Nascar is a waste of time, but whatever.

"But what outside of this confused beautiful world do you look up to?"

Why do I have to look up to anything? Just because you can't deal with life without some "higher purpose" doesn't mean no one else can. Plenty of us get along just fine. It's only arrogance that makes people have to believe that they have some great other purpose, or some such thing. Delusions of granduer. That's all.

Answer 3

I'm not an Athiest, but rather a questioning Agnostic, I can however see exactly where Athiests are comming from. I don't believe in souls, I believe in the science that makes up our bodies as well as the bodies of everything around us. Life is a constant recycling of materials, you live, you die, something else lives off of the energy that's left, etc.
Do we have to find purpose in life through a unseen being? Why can't purpose be different for everyone? Everyday people struggle to get somewhere and speed through life, my purpose is just to be, just to exist in the way that I need to exist. I don't do it for any "entity" but rather just for myself, for survival.
Isn't that all life's about, just surviving?
If you were to ask any animal what the meaning of life was they would most likely say survival. We are a part of the animal kingdom, and for many religions animals do not have souls, why us and not them? does that make them worthless bags of nothing? they provide us with food and clothing, we provide them with very little, does that make us less living then them.. or does it make us more?

Answer 4

There are an estimated 1.1 billion atheists on the planet as of 2005. This puts them in fourth place in size as religion is concerned. Being beat out by Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism.

I would like to state for the fact that I am not an atheist! However, I am curious as to how you can assume that 1.1 billion people are wrong.... I believe that your statement "I'm not say'n that you should follow any particular religion" Has not been well stated.... Because that is exactly what you are saying... You are insulting and degrading other peoples beliefs because they are not within your realm of thought!

By the way, how could you possably refer to anyone as "worthless bags of nothing" and not mean to offend anyone?

They simpily believe there is no God, the same exact way you believe there is one.... They are using the same proof that we are using...... nothing but faith!

Answer 5

Dear Worthless Bag Of Superstition,

I don't understand why you would assume that there was a soul inside your bag of meat. This is the kind of thinking that result from people who live in fear. You fear death and think 'I am too important, there has to be an afterlife, I have to go on living'. Well, I have news for you. You and every other human really aren't that important. You are as unique as a grain of sand in the desert. (I include myself in this.)
I'm sorry if this makes you sad. But live with it. Enjoy your life now and just think - when you die, it can't be any worse than going to sleep can it?
(Note: the above statements are theory. I do not under any circumstances claim to know either a) the meaning of life or b) what happens to a human after death.)

Your pal,
An Atheist

Answer 6

First of all, you are operating from the assumption that there can only be a purpose for your life, if there is a God watching it. Atheists don't need an imaginary friend to have meaning in their life. It's an entirely different style of thinking, and one that is difficult for theists to comprehend. I know.... I used to be just like you, and asked the same question.

We also don't profess to know what happens when we die. What we do know, is that the bible is a bunch of bunk. There's no reason to believe something that is clearly false, simply because there's not a better thing to believe in.

I'm running short on time, so that's the best I can do today.

Answer 7

First of all - this isn't exactly a bag of perfectly arranged organisms and molecules. The human body is prone to a billion different defects, but I digress.

Secondly - 'believing in nothing' isn't what makes me happy, I'm responsible for my own happiness and lacking a belief system doesn't really affect it one way or another. Therefore, believing in something wouldn't make me unhappy either. (I actually have a good perspective here - I was once a very adamant believer, I no longer am. Oddly enough, I've pretty much been happy throughout all of it.)


To get to the meat of the question - what is my purpose? There is a great deal of purpose in my life, and all of that purpose is self driven. Raising my children into happy and healthy adults is one purpose. Sharing myself, my ideas, my happiness, and my creativity with others is another purpose. Helping to form my community, my country, and my world into a mutually beneficial place for all is another purpose.

I don't need an external force or entity to tell me that my life is worth living. I'm living it, I feel it's worth it, and that's plenty for me. Yes, I believe that when I die my body will simply rot, and that what I know to be myself will cease to be; but that's okay with me. I've no need to go on forever, my lack of immortality doesn't make the life worth any less. (If anything, it may make it more valuable to me - after all, I don't want to spend a heck of a lot of time being miserable while I'm alive if I don't have the notion that I'll live in paradise after I'm dead!)

I don't look up to anything outside this confused and beautiful world. I don't need to.

I believe we're all here simply because we are. No divine purpose - just existence.


I know it may be difficult for you to understand, but making my own purpose is no less fulfilling to me than having your purpose divinely handed to you is to you.

Answer 8

I do not believe that having a soul or searching for one is any more a purpose that not searching for one. Either way, your phyiscal body dies and deteriorates in the ground. The result is the same regardless of how you spent the intervening years. And if finding a soul were the purpose, people should rightly die then; their usefulness at an end, but they continue to live. Your time on earth is only as purposeful as you make it. As long as you have found a way, stemming from whatever source of strength you like, to make existence better for everyone then you have succeeded. Belief in soul or deities is not necessary to be a good, contributive person.

Answer 9

First of all, atheists can believe in souls. Most don't, but there isn't a rule against it or anything. There doesn't have to be a purpose to anything. What is the purpose of stillbirths in healthy, God-fearing mothers? What is the purpose of watching your child die slowly and painfully from a wasting disease. Whats the purpose of dehumanizing groups of people be they black, women, or gay?

The purpose of Atheism is to bring logic, and much more importantly FAIRNESS and FREEDOM to the world where EVERYONE has a right to be happy, regardless of what God-fearing, holier-than-thou religious fanatics think you should be and do. After all, we believe this is are only life, so we should be able to live it the way we want (as long as we aren't killing, raping, etc. other people, thus harming them). That is an important lesson the world needs to learn for the sake of ourselves and the sake of future generations. That is our purpose.

Answer 10

How did you not mean to offend? Calling anyone a "worthless bag of nothing is offensive. Just because I don't believe in God doesn't mean I don't have a purpose in life or that my life is a "waste of space and time". I enjoy life to the fullest and I am happy everyday, without believing in God. I see wonderful beauty in this world and I don't need anyone to look up to and I am here to live my life. I don't expect you to understand my beliefs. I cannot understand yours. But they are my beliefs and doesn't your God say not to judge?

Answer 11

my own bible, hope it helps:

"I do not drive too fast, even if i don't agree with the rules. I give too much change back to the girl behind the counter in the supermarket. When i find a wallet on the street, i return it to the owner without expecting a reward ,because the relief on your face is worth more to me than money. In a bar i'll talk to you, when you are standing alone. I will never jugde or disrespect you on your looks, not even on your charactre.

And i do that without any God telling me to do that

I give to charity, i seperate my garbage for a better environment. I rather put on an extra sweater, than to put up the heater. I never throw my chewing-gum on the street. Every week i buy the paper from a homeless person. I will help and support you if you're attacked by drunken guys on the street, i'll avoid the fight, but i'll never leave you alone. I help the old lady cross the street, i'll bring the crying lost little girl back to her mother.

And i do that without any God telling me to do that

I know no rules, except my own thoughts. After thinking everything through, i have to conclude that there must be 'something' to make this all happen. I've looked around and inspite of all the misery, the poorness, the crime, the hate, i don't see humans as sinners, but as people with choices. I don't think that i will be lost if i do not meditate on a mountain or pray under a cross. I don't even believe that the guy who blows himself up between a group of schoolkids will burn eternally.

And i think that without any God telling me to think that

Every person has something good inside. Sometimes on the surface, sometimes deep hidden inside. I hope that the God they all talk about, is not the guy with the beard sitting on a cloud. The God i have faith in, is just a metaphore. A feeling. A sence of all the goodness inside the people. Nothing more than that. And more clear: nothing less than that. The goodness in our heart is the most important thing we have. My God has an extra 'O'...Good.

And i am good, without any God telling me that

Good has no need for symbols. No cross, no boring books, no big fat guy, no cow, no buildings with colored glass windows. Good is everywhere and is eternal. There is no need to pray for something good, because it will always be there. There is also no need to pray to end something bad, because the bad will also always be there. Sure there are bad people. These people are to dumb to understand the good. Goodness, kindness can relieve you. Badness only creates more badness. We can never beat the badness. A bad guy with a gun can only be beaten by a good guy with a gun. But a good guy doesn't use a gun.

And even if the Good will always loose, I'll always try to be Good.

Everything has its time, and its place. In our sadness, in our anger, in our happyness, in our love we can see our humanity. These things make us to be the people we are, they shape us, they teach us, they make us really feel. And in every deep misery, there is always a hidden hope, cause we all know anything can always be done differently. This earth is our playground, to feel, to laugh, to cry, to love and to live.

And i live. And that's good."