***Serious replies only*** If you believe there is no God and no meaning to life and you are free to experience life in the here and now, why do those attempts leave such a void? You only need look at People magazine to realize that the hedonistic lifestyle leaves one empty. If life doesn't mean anything why do you feel empty when you seek what should make you happy?
2006-10-21 10:58:47 · 13 answers · asked by reddybear223 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
1st answer- In all seriousness, why does it make you happy? Is there any higher meaning in life?
2006-10-21 11:04:30 · update #1
I am not asking if you have or don't have happiness and no meaning in your life. I am asking if you believe there is no God why do so many people end up empty after pursuing what they believe would make them happy? This doesn't have to be onlymaterial possesions but anything that we think is fun. This includes drugs, drinking, sex, food, etc.
2006-10-21 11:14:27 · update #2
You're overgeneralizing. Not all things material leave ones self empty. The question isn't whether we're using material things to replace god, it's whether or not we're using material things to replace what we really WANT.
When you remove the specifics of "god" and talk more about "spirituality" you can begin to speak of emptiness in terms of real desires: connectivity with people, desire to leave an imprint in history, things like that. Things are nice, but in the end they're mostly there to fill our bellies and work as tools towards the end goals: when you start using the tools as if they're an end in themselves, well, it doesn't really work.
Regardless, there doesn't have to be meaning to life for people to feel unempty. In the end, when you get right down to it, people have motivations, and will strive to meet their desires. Whether there's some "grand plan" or not doesn't change that. One lives because they have the desire to live: I don't really see what's wrong with that.
2006-10-21 11:24:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not believing in the usual concept of God doesn't necessarily translate to a belief that life has no meaning. Nor does it transform you into a hedonist.
Magazines like "People" don't represent reality - Real life, lived by ordinary humans, doesn't sell magazines.
Whether or not you believe in God, you can lead a full and valuable life. There are good people with all kinds of belief systems, all over the world, but you're sure not going to read about them in People Magazine.
2006-10-21 11:09:45 · answer #2 · answered by belmyst 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Material possessions/fun does not leave me empty, they make me happy. My life has improved significantly and I'm happier than I've ever been since I gave up Christianity.
Edit: Why does there need to be a higher meaning to life? I enjoy the time I have here and now, because there is no guarantee of an afterlife.
2006-10-21 11:01:59 · answer #3 · answered by i luv teh fishes 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't feel empty when I seek knowledge.
Understand that there is extrinsic meaning, that which is outside, and intrinsic meaning, that which is inside. I believe that life has no extrinsic meaning -- no god, no reason for us to be alive, no soul, zilch; just random happenstance that we're here. However, I find knowledge to be meaningful to me, so I pursue knowledge as best I can, and that quest gives me quite a bit of fulfillment.
There's more to the extrinsically meaningless life than material wealth. There's the intrinsic meaning we choose.
2006-10-21 11:05:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think people are still holding out hope that the things of this world will one day provide that which they are seeking. It is the doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results conundrum. Just a little more of this, a little less of that, a few tweaks here and there...surely the right recipe exists, people think.
Not knowing--all the while--that there is one crucial ingredient missing, which renders useless all of the others they've been playing around with.
2006-10-21 11:03:28 · answer #5 · answered by Gestalt 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that people who cling to materials and are worldly are running away from God and responsibility. When someone say that they can live without religion, and are happy in the here & now are supperficial. As you can see the here & now isn't here forever and it amazes me when I here people talk about life in a nonchalant way as if it ends when we die.
2006-10-21 11:22:17 · answer #6 · answered by changingcolors91 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The material possessions, or by doing any thing like indulging in worldly pleasures gives us temporary happiness which may last for a few minutes to a few years. But time runs out and the happiness also dries out God is the eternal happiness and seeking god gives permanent happiness. God is "SATCHIT ANANDA"(Truth, pure-consciousness and pure and lasting joy)
2006-10-21 11:08:48 · answer #7 · answered by Brahmanda 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because there is no god does not mean there is no meaning in life. No god needed to have fun. You can lead a meaningful life by care for your family and fellow human beings. Those are basic human needs and instincts.
2006-10-21 11:03:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Who said life doesn't mean anything? People just believe in nature. Do you really think most poeple can just believe in a divine force and not do anything else with their life, I don't think so. People think differently. I'm not happy or atheist but thats life get over it.
2006-10-21 11:03:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because someone doesn't believe in god doesn't mean that they don't care about other people. I feel like a broken record having to repeat myself over and over again, but many atheists and agnostics are still good people, they care about others, and they want to make the world a better place because it's the right thing to do, and not because god is going to reward them for it when they die.
I'm agnostic, and I don't value material things any more than any Christians or other people of other religions whom I know. In fact, I value material things somewhat less. Nor am I vastly unhappy. I don't need to believe in a god to feel worthwhile. I can feel full of worth based on my own actions. I have a wonderful family and group of friends whom I cherish. I do volunteer work in order to help other people, and this brings me happiness. I am going to be studying to either become a doctor or do medical research in order to save lives and help others live fuller lives.
In any case, you can't just say that things "should" make you happy (or rather, *should* make us happy, just because we don't believe in god). There isn't should, it's merely what you feel. Following religion makes me unhappy because it tries to defy my logic and factual evidence, and because I'm supposed to believe what that religion wants me to believe. I don't. That doesn't mean that the only thing left in the world are material possessions. There are still other people out there, wonderful people, if you're lucky enough to find them.
In fact, I'm willing to argue that because I don't believe that god is going to come back and destroy the world, I think it's going to go on existing for a long time. If that's true, then I don't want the world to be a bad place. I want to make sure that people in all parts of the world lead a different life. I want to make sure that our society doesn't become stagnant and fall from within. I want to make sure it continues to grow and become better and better as time continues. And that's what I'll seek to do, not to gain more material possessions.
*Reply to your second edit: I really feel that this has nothing to do with religion. Asking why people can't find enjoyment in drugs or alcohol or food has nothing to do with whether there is a god or not. You think there aren't people who identify themselves as Christian or Muslim or Hindu or whatever, who don't go through these same things and find themselves unhappy.
The real question is, who *would* be happy if they were addicted to drugs or alcohol? Who would really enjoy their life knowing that they can't get through it without the help of drugs or alcohol? And come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that drugs can have a physiological effect causing depression. Why would that make someone happy? Why would someone be happy eating all the time? It doesn't even make sense to me, your question. You're mistakenly thinking that the only thing that could make someone happy if they were unhappy with their lives is God. There are other ways to feel happy about your life than believing in god, as I and so many others pointed out in our answer. There's a huge range between believing that a higher power created you and you have to please him by the way you live, and living in a mess of drugs and food and sex, and much of the stuff in between has nothing to do with god. How would "god" change the fact that people do pursue these things and find themselves unhappy?
2006-10-21 11:12:47 · answer #10 · answered by maypoledancer 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋