If athiests don't believe in God, what in life do they have to look forward to?

Question

I was just wondering what kind of life would a person lead if they had nothing to look forward to. How do you live from day to day believing that this is all you have?

Answer 1

'''''''''''''''HELL''''''''''''''''''''That thier choice.

Answer 2

Well, ask yourself a simple question. If tomorrow, someone could prove to you that there was no god, what would YOU have to look forward to? Would your life suddenly become meaningless? Would all the things you've learned no longer be relevant? Would the people you love no longer matter? Would your possessions be worthless? Would your desire to be a productive, generous and important part of your community, society and planet disappear? No. The fact is, unless you're insane, you'd survive, and probably go on to live pretty much exactly the same life you had before, albiet a bit less deluded.

Your question is perhaps the most foolish thing I've ever read, and that's coming from someone who thinks there's no such thing as a stupid question.

Your life, and the meaning you assign to it, is not defined by your belief in any god, or an afterlife, or anything outside yourself for that matter. Your life is defined by what you DO, and I can assure you that atheists can do ANYTHING they want, same as theists.

What a sad, pathetically narrow view of existence you have. And as for what comes after you die, well, there is no proof that you have anything to look foward to other then your own imagined bliss, which again has no bearing on what a person chooses to do with their life when they are alive.

Answer 3

I think you've sort of answered the question- what we have to look forward to is in life, not death. I have had some wonderful times in my life, I am hoping to have some more. I look forward to enjoying living and enjoying being with other people who bring me delight. I'm hoping to learn a lot more than I currently know. I'm hoping that I can help others. It would be wonderful if I could do things for them that would cause them to remember me fondly when I'm gone. What a life I'd have led if people feel their lives were better because they knew me!
I don't need forever to make it all worthwhile. Each person's life should be worth living just for the pleasure it brings while it's being lived. If lived well, lives are great opportunities. It saddens me to think that there are people for whom it is not enough. Is life so bad for others that they consider it meaningful only if it gets them admission to a better afterlife? Enjoy the time we have.

Answer 4

I think that is better!

Are you actually trying to say that Christians look forward to dying!? How completely full of crap you are.
If that was true, all of you would reject medical interventions since you just KNOW its going to be so great for you on the other side.
Your life must really suck if you go around all day saying to yourself: "well, at least I'll die soon and go to heaven, THAT'S when I'll really begin to LIVE!" But I guess that would make sense since you or many christians like you must lead such an inhibited and narrow existence..
Just by saying that you all have to suffer now so much because of the promise of some 'great reward' when you die isn't exactly a great way to win converts.

Answer 5

Well, I personally have plenty to look forward to. My friends, boyfriend, family, job, everything that I like. Just because a person does look forward to God, doesnt mean that they dont have things that they look forward to or live for. In other words, I believe that there is more to life than God.

Answer 6

I look forward to living for today, and not some afterlife that theists look forward to. I relish in day to day activities, and people and know to put my best foot forward every day of my life as this is the only chance we get. I am not bounded by any rules in a book and hence am allowed to have a lot more fun in my tangible life.

Answer 7

Friends, family, fun... the same things that theists look forward to except an imaginary afterlife and paying well earned money to church.

Atheists can look forward to less suffering:

"Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future."

- Penn Jillette

Answer 8

I look forward to life. Life is for living here on earth not 'putting in time so I can get to heaven.' That makes life sound like a punishment. Life is great.. I love it. I am happy.. I have wonderful people around me I love, I volunteer because it makes me feel good not because it will be my ticket to heaven. Life is for living on earth...not some fictional place after I'm dead and gone.

Answer 9

You could easily ask the same question about Santa. If your life is so pathetic that all you look forward to is death and some kind of fantasy life in heaven, you have a pitiful life indeed.

Answer 10

Life is good. I hope slaving over an imaginary mystical spirit is a good life to you, because that's all you get.

Have a nice life, ooops, i mean afterlife since that is all that matters to you. Death will get you someday, but I guess never soon enough for a Christian...ya know, with all that eternal paradise and stuff.


btw, sugar_butt86, atheists believe no god/no religion, but everything else exists; nihilists believe in nothing.

Answer 11

Atheists have every day to look forward to, since they believe this is the only life we get. Theists look forward to the day they die, since they believe they'll get a better life after.