Why are atheists concerned with other's beliefs?

Question

This is a respectful question, please bear with me.

I understand that atheists believe that nothing happens after we die. We simply cease to exist. We will have no awareness, no memories, and everything that we have ever done on Earth will be essentially meaningless. There is no end goal.
If that is true, then isn't everything we do just pointless? I mean, we can try to make the Earth a better place, but what for?
Can we truly help anyone if they, too, face the same pointless fate as we do?

Another way to ask:
Would you want to spend 100 years and all your money building a car if you knew full well that as soon as you finished, it was going to be destroyed beyond recognition and no one, including yourself would ever be able to enjoy it in any way whatsoever?
If all is for nothing, where is the advantage or disadvantage of what anyone believes? 100 years is like blinking an eye. Once I return to nothing, would I think -- "crap, I didn't use my 2 seconds to have some fun!"

Captain Atheism: I think you missed my point. I've seen that video before BUT

the video arguement addresses problems here on Earth, such as "Atheists cannot join the Boy Scouts".
But what I want to know is, if life is meaningless and everything is futile, why would an Atheist CARE if they couldn't join the Boy Scouts? Wouldn't that be considered futile and pointless as well? Because in the end, what is the benefit of joining the Boy Scouts?
Please read my question in its entirety.

Slappy: I understand what you mean about passing on legacies, such as the pyramids. But what I don't understand is why.
What does it benefit for others to see a grand accomplishment, if it too, will eventually fall to the ground?
If future generations see the pyramids and then die, returning to nothingness, what did it matter if they saw the pyramids?
I'm having trouble understanding where the value of things in this life are redeemed if the recipients become null and void in less than 100 years.

Snout: Longevity DOES have an affect on value. Let me ask you this..
If you wanted to buy a DVD and had only 2 choices, which would you buy?
A DVD player that cost $10 with a 1-day warranty, or a DVD player that cost $20 with a lifetime warranty?

Answer 1

Because mankind was born with an innate belief of a Supreme Being, and it is man who chooses to believe or not believe. They are battling with themselves.

Answer 2

I could easily present the converse argument to you. What is the point of toiling away on all these great mortal achievements... art, science, music, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc... if we are simply going to "leave them behind" to spend eternity in a non-corporeal afterlife? Why should I strive to make any one life better if we are all destined for equality in the afterlife anyway? Why should I struggle trying to make the best of a flawed mortal existence when it will all be brushed aside, and replaced by perfection when I die?

See, the problem with your argument is that the main way theists rationalize existence is by claiming that it is a "test" of some sort that we must endure before going to be with our creator. Never mind that there is no proof of this, but why have so many different religions, each of which claims to be the "one true religion"?

Ironically, you've actually answered your own question. Yes, I would spend 100 years, and all my money, building a car, knowing that when I am finished I will not get to use it IF the main source of pleasure in my life came from the BUILDING of the car, and not necessarily the use of it. Perhaps you've heard the saying, "it's the journey that matters, not the destination."? This is true in all things. The purpose of life IS to have FUN living.

Life is pointless in the sense that we are not born with a script that points us in a certain direction, or towards a certain goal. The fact that life is a blank slate is essentially the only thing that makes it worth living, and let's face it, knowing the ending would spoil all the fun. No matter how much theists are certain that an afterlife awaits them, the truth is, THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW FOR CERTAIN, at least no more than the rest of us.

That said, as an atheist, the only difference (that matters in the here and now) between myself and a theist, is that I accept that there are aspects of existence that I know nothing about, AND CAN NEVER KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT, because they are beyond my ken. I am comfortable with this fact. If I die and discover I am wrong, then I will gladly accept the consequences. It is far more important to me to live my life according to what I personally feel is true and correct, then to subscribe to a belief system simply because someone else tells me it is right, or because of some promised reward or punishment after I die.

If this isn't convincing enough then consider the prospect of immortality. Hypothetically, what would it mean to religion? Suppose the day comes when humans figure out a path to immortality through genetics, or cloning, or a fusion of biology and technology? What then would be the point of existence? If the meaning of life is found only in death, wouldn't the world quickly become a rather meaningless place, even as human achievements started to surpass everything that ever came before?

See, the only reason humans NEED god is because they can not face the terrifying alternative - that what you propose may actually be true... that this is IT. That we only go around once, and that it IS actually a very short period of time, and each second of life is precious beyond imagining, and once it's gone, it's GONE!

What better method could there be to instill a sense of purpose, urgency and industry into a person than to wake up to the idea that all that matters is this simple mortal existence.

Answer 3

Just because someone believes their life (ie. their body, soul, mind etc.) will ultimately become nothing does not bear any implication for the time between coming from nothing to returning to nothing. To use the analogy of the car; to say it is built to be destroyed ignores the reason for bulilding it in the first place; just because it may eventually end up on the scrap heap does not mean its owner will not derive any pleasure or usefulness at all from driving it. The same is true of human existence; just because one is born and dies does not mean one cannot accomplish anything in the intervening time. The question of meaning is a different point; the meaning of a life (or rather, a life's work) can only be measured by how much others derive from it during and after that life has passed. Are Mozart's symphonies, Jane Austen's novels or John Lennon's records meaningless simply because they have passed away? Of course not! They and their work will continue to be revered for as long as people can obtain something of value from them.

The question of whether one SHOULD do anything with their life is the same with atheism as it is with any other belief system; namely that one can do whatever s/he sees fit in a lifetime (however atheism has the caveat that no efforts will go punished/rewarded when that life is over).

One thing remains the same however; if one wants their life to provide meaning for others they will not obtain that meaning by sitting around asking the question 'what's the point?' To ask the question 'why make the world a better place' has just as much bearing as the question 'why NOT make the world a better place', but asking the latter provides much more opportunity for a life of meaning than the former.

Answer 4

You have to rationialize that it's the journey that counts, not the destination. You make the most of it, balancing your own desires with a sense of consideration for those making the journey with you, and a sense of responsibilty to leave the world no worse off than you found it, for the sake of your children and generations to follow. You can cram a lot of fulfillment in a lifetime once you realize that it is all you have and you start making the most of it. The materials from which we are made came from the food our mothers ate and the air she breathed. Our sentience is explainable in scientific terms. We are naive to think some magical entity enters our bodies and gives us immortality. When we die, our atoms are recycled again, the same atoms that have existed for billions of years and have potentially been a part of millions of plants and animals before us. A hundred years is far from nothing, in human terms, and it is only wasted if we place our bets on a non-existent afterlifre. As for why Atheists are concerned with other people's beliefs: we see so much harm, real and potential, from people not taking personal responsibility. They are counting on god to make things happen. Other people put no value on this life (theirs' or others) on the premise that it is merely a step to a better one. How many terrorists would we have if they didn't believe that the path to a better life was murder and mayhem? I guess the bottom line is, as long as there are intelligent, open-minded people like you out there still looking for the truth, there will be Atheists to make sure it's there for your consideration.

A good philosophy would be : Life - we're stuck with it, we may as well make the most of it

Answer 5

I must correct you. Atheists don't generally believe that everything we do in life is meaningless and pointless. We just see a different meaning behind things. We're not collecting points for a ticket to heaven, but most of us have several decades of life to experience and enjoy and we want to make the best of the time we have. Many of us also find meaning in helping others and making the world a better place for future generations. We think it is great to be able to improve the life of someone else and that on its own is a meaningful achievement to us. We are not expecting an afterlife, so we think this life is very important and far from being meaningless.

If it was possible to prove tomorrow that god does not exist, would you suddenly stop enjoying life? Would everything seem meaningless to you then? Would you not enjoy bringing up your kids, seeing your grandkids, spending time with your family and friends, doing things you've always enjoyed so far? Would you just stop it all if you found out there is no god and no heaven? I find that hard to believe.

Maybe it's just me, but I really enjoy building up stuff, even when I don't expect to get to use it much. I find joy in the building process itself. If I build something amazing and don't get to use it when it's finished, at least I can pass on the idea/knowledge to someone else who could continue after me. Aren't you glad that previous generations passed on knowledge to you? Would you not want to pass that knowledge on? Would you not want your kids to have a good life after you're gone? Would it bother you so much if you didn't get to drive the car you built if you knew your kids would get to drive it and have a lot of fun with it?

I'm sorry for the length of this, but I'm just trying to explain how I feel about this all. Life is not meaningless at all.

Answer 6

It's all about the here and now.

At least in my perspective.

Yeah I can spend a lifetime working on something, knowing that one day it will be meaningless but it's the emotional attachment that I have towards it while I'm working on it that makes it meaningful.

And we strive to make the earth better because this is our home. Do you purposefully destroy your house? No? I didn't think so.

The earth is no different.

If there's nothing to look forward to after death, then why not make the most of it while still living?

People find fun in all different things.

And maybe everything is pointless. No one knows for sure. Not one person will ever be able to report to us on if life truly has a meaning. That's what makes life so spectacular. It's all about the mystery.

People believe different things to find answers. Religion is all about finding answers. "What happens after we die? Do we go to a better place? A worse place? Are we born again?"

I've never understood why people aren't satisfied without answers.

Maybe we're just not supposed to know.

Answer 7

I don't believe that "nothing will happen" after I die: a whole planet full of life will continue to exist - it's just me that won't be around!

To say that because love or joy or suffering or life itself are transient that they are pointless makes no sense to me. Why does something have to be eternal to be worthwhile?

[Additional] A warranty is only of value if I can have a reasonable expectation that it can be, and actually is, enforced. If the $20 CD player salesman claims an (eternal) lifetime guarantee but I have no way of knowing whether this carries the force of law or if it's just sales talk, I'll take the $10 one (all else being equal).

Answer 8

We don't concern ourselves with what happens after we die, because we understand that to believe we - as HUMAN animals - have some special post-death experience waiting for us is a particularly human conceit meant to irrationally separate us from every other living thing on the planet.

Therefore, we live our lives to the fullest, to enjoy the time we have on this earth, and hopefully to pass on our legacy to future generations and our own children. Do good things, and you will be remembered. That's all it boils down to. Why complicate it?

Respectfully, the second part of your question is based on badly flawed logic. It assumes that all our works on this earth are destroyed and forgotten the day we die. Do you think that's true for the people who built the Pyramids? The Taj Mahal? Do you think it is true of Mother Teresa? Ghandi? Jonas Salk? Da Vinci? If your premise were correct, I would have never known about any of these things / people.

Answer 9

atheism is just as much a faith as any other belief-system, as no one can prove that there is no god. however, athiests believe in the here and now, and that this is the only life we have. which is fine, because to some extent all the evidence supports their beliefs.

living this life for its own sake is no small thing. not everyone needs a legacy - sometimes an act can be an end in itself.

surely the point of life is to live it as best as possible, regardless of what happens after it, because then each life will be filled with wonder and goodness.

Answer 10

Atheism is mainly the lack of belief in deities of any kind. It doesn't necessarily mean that atheists think that after we die we simply cease to exist. For whatever reason, we are here, and we can enjoy our lives, enjoy loving the people we love and who love us, and make an effort to make things better for the people we are with, the people our lives affect, and the people who will come after us. I used to be involved in Christianity, and after about 20 years of that lifestyle, I changed. I personally would not want to return to that lifestyle - so many people I knew then spent (and still spend) all their time trying to change other people and present a certain image, while putting down everyone else's beliefs. I often think it really hasn't turned out the way Jesus the man would have wanted it to. I wouldn't want to spend my time on Earth doing that.

Answer 11

You should dedicate your life to what you believe. You shouldn't be concerned what you spend 100 years on. Did the car you spent 100 years on fulful a destiny within you? There are people who spend their whole lives working on goals and living their life and they are remember no where in history.

Rather you are an Atheist or Christian, Buddists or whatever . . . life is not for nothing and should be lived accordingly. Athiest may not believe in God but I think they believe in higher power within themselves. I think they basicall believe they should live a good life, a life based on what is good and honorable. Things they probably didn't find in the churches or christian groups they grew up with. I think an atheist is just someone who was hurt or disappointed by religion.