question for atheists...(dont be afraid ..its not an attack)?

Question

why do you feel life is worth living?? i mean if this is all there is....that is really the ultiamte definition of depressing, no?? to thin that we are here by chance for a few brief seconds in the cosmos..and then gone for all eternity leaving no prurpose or reason for anything....

i mean if it was me i would say give me the gun now...

why love anyone if it is just running out everyday....with the only hope being delaying the inevitable...

i know atheists are content and happy many of them (but that seems to be passing away with eachday no???

please..if u have any maturity in you at all dotn ake this as an attack..i have nothing agaisnt any of you

hmm...if halready acknowledged some of your responses in my question....

didnt yall readi t???

you dont need to take it so personally..my gosh! i mreally disappointed in that aspect....

Answer 1

I'm not afraid, and I didn't think you were attacking. Someone disagreeing with my views, I do not consider an attack. Nor should any other educated person.

Are you saying that you would stop loving your parents and everyone you cherish if you didn't have a belief in God? If so, what does that say about you?

I don't see how the two are related.

I find my life very much worth living, and very satisfying. The fact that I'm not counting on an afterlife makes it seem more worthwhile, not less. It's like being on vacation. Life is more meaningful when it isn't going to last. You are more likely to stay focused on what is important.

Is it a bit more scary? I don't know. It is scary to think about all I've seen being forgotten. I frankly was scared out of the church by the depictions of God's evident lack of compassion in both the new and old testaments. Someone who would punish people by burning them for ETERNITY is not as nice as most of my neighbors, even the bad ones, much less deserving of the title of completely good.

I make a living by helping people. I deeply enjoy parenting my daughter. I'm very grateful for the companionship and love of my wife. My life is precious. I'm grateful for everyday that I've had, and for those I will have.

I wish I had time to write more as it seems that you are asking a sincere question. I hope this helps.

Take care.

Answer 2

You ask why people are taking this so personally. Do you realize how insulting this question is? You're saying that by our terms, you think our lives are entirely worthless and meaningless. If you can't understand that, maybe you should take a second to ponder it.

Moving on to answer your question, are you telling me that somethings value is only determined by its duration. What about Christmas? People spends huge amounts of money and weeks of preparation for one day out of the year. But if it only lasts for one day, which is much shorter than a life, it should be even more worthless. Why not just stay at home and watch soaps? I think this question is absurd, and I think you will too. Why? Because you might say Christmas is a wonderous time of giving, celebrating and being with family. You should enjoy that time together before returning to the tedium of everyday life.

Now imagine you're given a 100 year life in between infinite spans of nonexistence. It's your window to make what you want of it. You could do nothing. You could kill yourself. Or you could take advantage of that time. After all, isn't something's value increased by its rarity? A life that lasts for the blink of an eye should be highly treasured. As for love, it's one way we make good use of the little time we have. I'm sure most of us would agree that it's worthwhile.

Now I have a question for you. Don't you think it would be extremely depressing if our lives were just a test, to be scrutinized and judged? You might say atheists live without purpose. I say we choose our purpose. Isn't it depressing to think that you have no choice in your purpose? That you are taunted with the gift of free will but are so constrained by arbitrary rules that you can hardly take advantage of it without facing retribution? I won't ask why you wouldn't just kill yourself because then you'd be facing an eternity of torment, like you would if you did any one of a number trivial things.

Now assuming you are a Christian, why would you love anyone? After all, you're not allowed to love anyone more than God, and if directed to do so, you might be forced to abandon the others at any time. Why bother with interpersonal relationships at all? Eliminate those and you'll never have the chance to perform certain sins.

By the way, if you ever do lose faith in God, let me know. I'll help you look for a gun.

Answer 3

It is really the opposite. For a couple of millennia, Christians were convinced to deny themselves in this life to get a reward in the next one. That set up benefited primarily the church and wealthy kings and nobles who got their reward right now.

Also, if the afterlife is so great and will last forever compared to this moment, why not cut the chase and go now?

If you knew this life was all there was, not only would your life be more precious to you, but you would be even more reluctant to take it away from others.

Atheists and agnostics don't spend a lot of time thinking about what happens after we die because we have no verifiable evidence one way or the other, and neither do religious people.

I am willingly to be pleasantly surprised when I die, but there is no evidence that would make me believe anything more certain about the supernatural.

Answer 4

So what you're saying is that the joy in your life is primarily due to the expectations you have when you die?

Then ask yourself this... how do you REALLY KNOW what will happen when you die. The answer is you don't. You have faith that what you've been taught and told is true, and maybe you may have built up a fantastic impression of what the afterlife holds, but it's all SUBJECTIVE. There is no proof. You could be wrong, and what a disappointment that would be, when you could have be channeling all that wasted time, energy and effort you spend on religion into living your real, genuine, human day-to-day life to the limit.

Each day of my life is better than the last because I learn and grow more as a human being. I absorb more of what the universe has to offer, and in turn, I can share what I know with others, enriching the lives of the people around me, and leaving a legacy for those who follow.

Life is a human endeavor, and one should dedicate themselves fully to this endeavor as long as they live.

What (if anything) awaits us when we die is best left to worrying about when we are dead.

Answer 5

I feel sorry that you believe that this life is only worth living if there is an afterlife waiting you. I sort of understand why you think this, because I too was raised religiously, and I know how the religious world view has that insidious flaw.

Religion was at one time the opiate of the masses, for those wretched people who knew only poverty and ignorance and had nothing to look forward to in life. They lived the same life as their grandparents, and had no reason to believe that their life or their children's lives could be significantly improved.

But we live in a time when anyone reading this has an exceptional standard of living, and the ability to access most of the worlds knowledge. I enjoy my life, and even though it is possibly more than half over, I look forward to the rest of it, and know that there is a lot left to enjoy. And when I die, I can't help but feel that my daughter will remember me fondly, and that a part of me will continue in her.

Answer 6

I tire of religious folks saying, "If this is all there is, isn't that depressing."

Nothing could be further from the truth! I have a wonderful son who makes my life worth living. A loving and caring husband. Friends. Nature. Cats. My hobbies... MANY things in my life make my life worth living.

Do you honestly feel that because I have no god and I don't believe there is anything after death than I'm sitting here, never smiling, never talking, just waiting for death? Why would I be waiting for the end of my life?

I make the most of every day. I try to help people when I can. I smile, I laugh, I participate in life. This is the only chance I get so I make it worth it. And I take photos and scrapbook them with stories about how I lived my life so future generations will know me.

For me, I think it's depressing to be so caught up in what happens AFTER you die (heaven, glorifying god for eternity) that you miss what's happening now.

Answer 7

I'm an atheist and i don't understand why some people need religion to justify living. your logic seems opposite to me. if your afterlife is so great why bother with life at all?

if our life is all we have why wouldn't we try and hold onto it? why do you think I'm interested in genetics as a career choice? ill gladly give myself gene therapy if i was sure it was safe to extend my life. as a long term goal ill gladly transfer myself to a prosthetic body. i don't think that is something we have in the short term though so i hope genetics will be advanced enough before i get too old.

i have pondered the significance of existence as well. at one point i wondered what's the point? I've arrived at the conclusion that life is worth living for the sake of that which you don't yet know. the most amazing coincidence in the universe could happen tomorrow or 60 years from now. id like to be there in the off chance that i ultimately discover a way to become more than human.

Answer 8

"That it will never come again,
Is what makes life so sweet." - Emily Dickinson

Atheists believe that there is only one life. It's the only life that and atheist can live and cherish. Richard Dawkins one of the most prominent atheists says in his book God Delusion:

"If the demise of God will leave a gap, different people will fill it in different ways. My way includes a good dose of science, the honest and systematic endeavour to find out the truth about the real world."

Many religions have a confined view to life, and generally promote a narrow view of human life. They define their beliefs in the confines of a book or superstitions that are not physically proven.

Just like those who believe in God, atheists too experience depression. Depression is caused by physical conditions rather than lack of belief. So, not believing in a God does not automatically get you depressed.

You might find it hard to believe but many atheists give more value to life and living a good one, unlike religious zealots who can do evil things in the name of belief. Such as suicide bombings, having racist attitudes, etc.

Atheists are more likely to have read Bible, Koran and learned about other religions before judging them. If you really want to know why life is worth living as an atheist you should read a good book on atheism.

Answer 9

There's a great book called the Last Unicorn, which in the book version (not the movie) there's a part where the beautiful, immortal unicorn scorns the beauty of a flower, saying, "How can anything mortal be beautiful?" and the wizard who is travelling with her says, "It is beautiful because it is fleeting." this was what made it precious.

I prefer the idea that I exist because I do so I might as well make the most of it, to exisiting to worship an evil deity who can't be bothered to take responsibility for anything in spite of being all-powerful, or practically so.

Death comes for us all, even you, so we might as well love and be happy while we're here. I mean, what else you gonna do?

Answer 10

Isn't it more depressing to see people who aren't even living their lives because they are so focused on the next thing coming? When you believe that you only have one life and it is happening now, it is greater motivation to experience each day and appreciate each day. And although human life may be "a brief few seconds in the cosmos," several decades still feels like a heck of a long time to me.