that atheism makes life more precious? it seems to me that since we believe that life is pointless, that it isn't precious. it doesn't matter when we die or what we do before we die because in the end...we die! and then we don't remember if we were happy or sad all of our lives or that we did or did not expierence something. we're dead and that's it.
2006-12-14 07:56:19 · 25 answers · asked by Shamus O'Larry 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
and i don't want to hear about how i need to be more opptimistic! i basically just told you i don't see the point in being opptimistic.
2006-12-14 07:57:35 · update #1
No atheist I know thinks life is pointless. It may not have a big, Hollywood plot and purpose defining the fate of the universe, but life is for the living - atheism forces you to embrace and address the world on its own terms, to make a positive difference to people's lives. If you don't there's no-one to blame but yourself - it's not like the Devil's stopping you helping people. Every day becomes precious, because on some level, you justify your own existence through your words and your actions every day - there's never a time when you can do crappy things and then repent of them. If you do 'em, you have to either fix 'em or live with it. It's a way of coming face to face with everything real in human beings - good and bad - and determining to play a genuine part in the world as an individual.
Essentially, it's the same argument as is used by people who don't have or don't want children to parents who ask what will survive of them when they're dead - if you don't have kids, you can't give up making a personal difference. Similarly if you don't have a god, you can't give up the responsibility of being "good" and let them handle it. Good or bad depends on you, today, tomorrow, always.
Peace.
2006-12-14 08:07:41 · answer #1 · answered by mdfalco71 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
First off, you don't get to use the pronoun 'we' unless you're talking about a group that you are a part of; you're obviously not an atheist or you wouldn't have to ask.
Second, asking whether atheism makes life more or less purposeful is utterly pointless. We are atheists because we do not believe that there is a god. Whether we find meaning in our lives does not change the fact that there is no direct evidence of a creator, and without direct evidence we are not going to change our beliefs.
2006-12-14 16:03:58 · answer #2 · answered by abram.kelly 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I don't think atheism makes life any more or any less precious. The two don't really have much to do with each other. If the two are related, it may go something like this - I enjoy life because I'm enjoying what I have now, instead of trying to prepare for an afterlife that may not exist!
2006-12-14 16:01:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Because you know you have one life to live, so it is more precious. If I knew there will be another life after I die, as a matter of fact much better life, why the hell would I care about this life?
2006-12-14 16:00:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Man, and all of life on this planet was a fortunate occurrence. There are probably millions of planets out there with no life on them...
With this in mind, it is acceptable to assume that life is precious, since it is so rare.
2006-12-14 16:07:00 · answer #5 · answered by RED MIST! 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In a way, atheists do enjoy life more than theists. They think life shouldn't be wasted on a religions that makes you guilty for every little thing you do. Therefore, without having those religious obligations to hold them back, they enjoy life better than theists and they appreciate life just as much as any other person (no matter what the religion).
2006-12-14 16:04:26 · answer #6 · answered by Abby C 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Every part of my life improved-- relationships, career, education-- once I admitted that I didn't believe in a deity and that I had the ultimate responsibility for whether or not my life had meaning. For me, life is precious because it's finite, and because I'm making it matter now.
2006-12-14 16:03:56 · answer #7 · answered by Let Me Think 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Atheist, Christian, whatever, if you dont see life as a gift, something precious, simply because there is an end to it, how can you live day to day?
We die, and thats it, okay. Isnt that all the MORE reason to enjoy what you have, not **** all over it?
2006-12-14 15:59:58 · answer #8 · answered by sweetie_baby 6 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Then why does it matter if you eat a tasty well-prepared and presented meal? It's just going to end up as brown gooey stinky mush anyways.
Life is more precious when you realize you only have the one and you have to make the most of it. We can get enjoyment and fulfillment out of a thing, even if it is temporary. Even if the enjoyment and fulfillment is temporary, they are still enjoyment and fulfillment.
2006-12-14 16:06:30 · answer #9 · answered by godlessinaz 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
To be honest with you, I'm also a pessimist, and yeah, in the end, we all die. But, not all atheists think life is pointless (Although I do). I think that atheists don't believe in god, and there is nothing wrong with that. I wish I could give you a better answer. =)
2006-12-14 16:07:49 · answer #10 · answered by Linaeve 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋