Atheists: Why bother with anything?

Question

What's the difference between helping humanity and spending inordinate amounts of time getting high on dope?

They both make us feel good but have exactly the same ends. No matter what we do, all is finite. All is pointless without Big G.

I'm just wondering what your individual philosophies are. When you think about this problem, what calms you and gives you direction in life?

I need to ask a better question. I haven't successfully asked what I wanted to ask.

Answer 1

I am a Buddhist - we believe that there is much more to the universe than one finite little life.

If you think there is no difference between "helping humanity and spending inordinate amounts of time getting high on dope", and that they "have exactly the same ends" then there is something seriously wrong with your moral compass.

In Kenya, Big G is a brand of chewing gum.
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Answer 2

It sounds like you spend inordinate amounts of time smoking dope, Sparky.

Let me put it this way: I've been a nurse for 30 years. I have made a difference in countless lives. I feel pretty good about what I do.

I'm also an atheist. The "Big G" is not a part of my life, and hasn't been for many years (more than 30, anyway).

I don't worry about what's going to happen when I die. There's nothing I can do about it in any case. If your "Big G" just discards non-believers into oblivion, I'm not going to know the difference, anyway. But I figure if people remember me, and feel I made a difference, then that is immortality. It's the best we can hope for.

Pointlessness is in the eye of the beholder. Spending a lot of sunny Sunday mornings in a stuffy building full of people comparing clothing, and praying to non-existent spirits, and listening to some preacher beg for money seems pointless to me. And a waste of life. Going to the beach is a better idea.

Answer 3

"What's the difference between helping humanity and spending inordinate amounts of time getting high on dope? They both make us feel good but have exactly the same ends."

They do not have the same result. Helping humanity helps humanity. It makes the world a stronger, more stable place. It enables those who are starving or living without hope an opportunity to improve their lot and, in turn, contribute toward making society stronger and more stable. Getting high only wastes time that could be spent making the world a better place. It's the difference between building and tearing down.

Answer 4

Huh? What does doped up and high have to do with living a normal happy life? I don't dope, take any drugs or alcohol. I am also a happy athiest who enjoys life, helping people, doing the right thing. Wish more so called christians that cut me off in traffic would practice what their fish signs on their cars supposedly mean! Life is not pointless without a belief in something, man made gods and religion to try and explain things they were not sure of. Scientific discovery and common sense has gradually done away with the reason for religion.

Answer 5

We are all born, and we all die.

The part in between is called life. You can either enjoy it, and try to make your life and the life of others enjoyable, or you can wallow in misery.

In many ways, atheists appreciate life a lot more than those who believe in the Big G and an after-life.

This is the only kick at the can we're gonna get - no heaven, no karmic reincarnation, no astral travelling. One chance. Better make it count.

As far as helping humanity, a lot of people have come to the realization that when everyone around them is happy and healthy, then they have a much nicer time themselves. If you make the world a nicer place to live in, lo and behold, you end up with a nicer world to live in.

Doesn't seem like such a hard concept, but it seems to escape a lot of people - particularily capitalists and conservatives who don't want things like health care or education draining money from their pockets.

Answer 6

If you can't see there's difference between helping humanity and spending inordinate amounts of time getting high on dope then there is seriously something wrong with your thinking. People in this world have a twisted sense in the way we help humanity. What I see most are people in this world hindering humanity with the lame attempts to supposedly 'help' humanity. This world is full of warped people who think war and bullying other people is necessary for peace. I have yet seen any peace come of war in the past or present. From what I see, we're killing each other more and more and in more violent ways. We need to seriously change our way of thinking if we want to help humanity because what we're doing is certainly not helping anyone. By the way, I have better things to do than to waste my time and my braincells on dope. I am going to do my part and change my way of thinking in a more peaceful manner. Hopefully, others will eventually do the same. Hopefully, it will become contageous.

Answer 7

The best way, I think, to answer your question is to point out that just because you feel nothing has any point without your god, there is no reason for this to apply to anybody else. If you look at the population of the world, you will find that the majority of people do not believe in your god.

In fact, why aren't you asking how people of other religions get through the day? Surely all is pointless for them without your god as well?

Or are you saying their beliefs give them purpose? If so, then surely this belief is a placebo affect, as at most only one religion can be correct. And if it's a placebo affect for other religions, then why not for yours?

Answer 8

I don't think about this "problem" because it isn't a problem at all.... I do not want to smoke dope all day (every day) because that makes for a very dull life, and I only have one. I could ask you the same thing, what is the point of living as a christian, this life doesn't mean anything except trying to get into heaven, and you don't even KNOW that you will... to me, is pointless to spend my whole life worshiping something. Our lives only belong to us, and we want make this world a better place for future generations. The accomplishments we make and the good deeds we do live on for our children.

Answer 9

Why bother doing anything? Because I'm going to die, and after that I'll just be dead. Atheism doesn't suggest that life is pointless. On the contrary, atheism places far greater importance on life than any religion. When you take away the afterlife, all you have is seventy or eighty years, so you obviously have to make the most of them. If I believed that my life would be followed by an eternity in paradise, that would make life pointless.

Answer 10

Let me ask you - what is the point of living if you believe in a religion that only requires your blind devotion to Big J ? As long as you have complete faith in Jesus then why not just sit on the couch and watch Christian Broadcasting until you die?

The point is that there are a lot of reasons to live - family, friends, community, country, fun, adventure, growth, learning, charity.

You are taught that without god there is no meaning to life. But could that just be a marketing trick?

Think about it