This is for all of the Atheists out there...?

Question

If you don't believe in God, then what motive do you have in life? Do you think once you die, you end up just like any other mammal and that there is nothing beyond life here? Don't you ever sometimes think there is something more, something beyond our level of understanding? Then, what is the meaning of life? Our planet was made perfect for our survival, and science doesn't seem to explain everything. I don't mean to offend anyone who is an atheist. I just want your views on this so I can better understand your point of view. I am open to your opinions just like I have mine.

I am not saying the world is perfect. I am saying that if the creation of the Earth had been any different, our atmosphere and life would have changed drastically.This just wasn't by chance it happened of course.

Answer 1

My motive is to learn as much as I possibly can while I'm here, and leave the world a better place for my kiddies than it was when I found it.

Shouldn't be too difficult, the 70s were ****.

Answer 2

This seems like an honest question. I hope I don't offend you.

My motivation in life is to enjoy myself and better the world before I die. I know there is only one life, so I enjoy it. Humans are a social species, and evolved empathy as a survival instinct, and that is why I look to better the world. Having an afterlife would take away any motivation for living this one. It does sound nice living forever after you die, but that doesn't make it true. There does not need to be a meaning of life. The planet was not made for us. We evolved around conditions on earth. If it were different, we would have evolved differently. The idea of god was created to explain things that people were not intelligent enough to understand. It makes people feel more secure to not have to explain the universe, and just say "god did it". Science explains more and more. There will always be things that we don't understand, but that does not mean anything we think up (god) is real. There is 0 evidence for the existence of a god.

I am in a hurry, and can't go into detail. Sorry, but I hope this gives you a basic understanding of my point of view.

Answer 3

Yes, die like any other mammal, or any other animal for that matter. And the Trees and flowers, and fungus and mold. All dead. I find it interesting that you think that as humans we have a point. Meaning is arbitrary. We made it up. We developed language and decide to give context and substance to things that just are. I am not saying we are not miraculous. We certainly are. We have come to being from billions of years of the atmosphere coming into that perfection we so much need. Wasn't perfect for everything at every time. We know this because certain bacteria live where it is extremely hot, too hot for anything but the bacteria and the non-living. Some things have gone extinct. Life wasn't perfect for them. Famines, plagues, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, all ever changing life on this planet. Life is a continuous process. It doesn't start with you, it started billions of years ago and it will keep going. We will have come and gone. But we are here now. All of us for a little while. And in the brief moment of mankind we have developed language, art, poetry, love, evil, hate, good, bad, nice, beautiful, literature, buildings, clothes, fashion, technology, dance, sports, games, pets, yes pets, we did that, and in all of that, the chance that we were the planet in a Universe that never ends, that was close enough to the sun, yet the correct amount away too, with the right atmosphere so we can enjoy all of that and that in some amazing way you were also, the small cosmos that of a sperm who came about at the correct time and made it's way to the egg to continue that life process, so for a brief moment you can marvel at this glorious planet and all the things man has created is glorious. More glorious and fantastic than anything you will ever tell me about God. A god if there is a god, you have reduce to nothingness. A few thousand pages of a book. God is not a few thousand pages in a book. If there is a God he is everything and the nothing, he doesn't give and doesn't take away, he just is. That's what he is, the everlasting. And you reduced him to a few thousand pages of which most are just rules and him destroying what the universe and the earth had sprung forth. Sorry if you can find a purpose for yourself with just a few thousand pages, but I require a little bit more. I require all that is glorious about the human race and the earth, and with that, we all find our greater and lesser purposes. Good day.

Answer 4

My motive is to have fun. To ENJOY being alive. I think if more people adopted this motive, the world would become a better place.

I do believe I will end up like every other organic thing when it dies. I will decompose, and the elements that make up the molecules in my body will return to the earth to become parts of other things.

I think there are many things beyond our level of understanding, but I can't conceive of what they might be, because they ARE beyond our level of understanding. For example, I can't really comprehend things like infinity, what came before the universe, what lies beyond it's edge, what is smaller than sub-atomic particles, etc, etc. Maybe someday human intelligence will evolve to the point we can understand, or maybe we'll invent an artificial intelligence that will understand, or maybe we'll never know, and people will forever fill in certain blanks with "god."

The meaning of life is to live, and to continue living. Humans do this by having children, and teaching their children what they know. Everything else is we assign meaning to is personal bias.

Our planet wasn't made for our survival. Right now, MOST of our planet (ocean) is totally incompatible with our needs. On the remaining parts of the planet that aren't covered with ice/permafrost & desert, most humans will die within a few days without clothing and shelter. We are actually quite poorly adapted to the earth's environment. We survive mainly because of our brains, our ability to cooperate, and our ability to modify the environment to suit our needs (ie. build shelters, make fire, make clothes, etc.) Naked and alone, humans are virtually helpless in this world, and have been for the last 85,000 years.

Science doesn't explain everything, but it TRIES. Science is dedicated to discovering the truth, even if it means completely throwing away theories that were well accepted for decades. Religion doesn't deal with controversy, it simply says, "this is the way things are, take it or leave it." Religion doesn't allow for change in its doctrine. This is what is known as dogma.

Thinking this way stifles progress, and hinders the growth of mankind and society. Religion has tried to suppress knowledge countless times (the shape of the earth, the heliocentric model, human evolution) for its own purposes, but fortunately, intelligent people demanded the truth, and religion had to acquiesce.

I will leave you one final thought to consider... did you believe in god when you were born? No. Someone taught you about which ever god you believe in, and depending on WHERE you were born, you were given the religious beliefs you have. If you were born in Japan, you'd probably be a Buddhist. India, a Hindu. Iran, a Muslim. It's all relative, so how can you say with certainty that what you know is correct when the people in other parts of the world feel just as correct in their beliefs as you do in yours.

The only rational option is to believe only in what can be proved, what can be tested, and what can be demonstrated. Barring that, it's conjecture, superstition and/or delusion. I'd rather not believe, then spend my entire life living a lie.

Answer 5

I treasure each day of my life. What motives do I have? Life itself is very precious. And I value it. No, I see no evidence that there is life after death. There are lots of things on this planet that are not perfect for our life:freezing temperatures, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, deadly diseases, uninhabitable terrain, deadly insects, deadly animals, and a host of other dangerous things. This is hardly a perfect place. But life has many satisfying elements none-the-less. While science doesn't explain everything, attributing what we do not understand to some unseen being makes no sense to me. There remains a lot of things that are beyond our understanding now. But that may very well not be the case some time in the future. Throughout history it appears that humankind has embraced many gods. Each civilization discards the previous concept of god and develops a new one. So far there have been 2,5000 gods. I see the current Judeo-Christian god as just another god who will be discarded some time in the future.The people, activities and things that I love give my life tremendous meaning. That is my view. And I respect yours. Thanks for asking in such a nice way.

Answer 6

Yes, despite how shocking it obviously is for you, some people don't need an imaginary friend to get up in the morning.

And they can deal with the fact that we just die, like all the other mammals. And they don't think there's anything 'more, beyond our understanding' just because it would be nice if there were.

And there doesn't have to be a 'meaning' to life, apart from living it and doing things like helping others where you can.

And contrary to your inverted reasoning, it's we who were made perfect for the planet - by the same process that shapes all animals to be perfect for their ecological niches.

If you feel that science is inadequate to explain the things that puzzle you, is it not more possible that you don't *know* the answers science has found, rather than that science hasn't found them?

Questions like yours aren't offensive, they're just exasperating. There's SO much more that is known and nailed down than your 'goddidit' philosophy can touch. You just don't know about it.

CD

Answer 7

Well, my motive everyday is to try to chip away piece by piece at the evil on the planet, known as religion. It is so sad to watch mentally healthy people become slaves to a corrupt organization who fill people's minds with garbage. To threaten people with going to hell unless they come and pray and pay at the church should be illegal.
I also see with your question that if there is a heaven you do not believe that animals will go. Animals cause less destruction and damage and do nothing out of anger, or being selfish, etc, than humans have. If that is your God, then he can have you, and let me go the way of the animals on the planet.
If the planet was indeed made perfect for "our" survival, then obviously you do not believe in global warming or the effects of the destruction of the rain forest, etc. It is all just illusions, according to your statement.
Most atheists go through life trying to make the world a better place and realize that we must respect others (including animals). Your question and statements appear to reflect a theist who is not concerned about the earth or the other animals (yes humans are animals) that we share this planet with. I hope that sometime in your life you learn to respect the planet and all it's cohabitants, as opposed to thinking that it is yours to abuse and destroy and the other animals are yours to abuse and destroy.

Answer 8

I'm an agnostic and I do not believe there is anything beyond this life so I live for the here and now, the best I can with my abilities for myself, for those I love, for my neighbors and for humanity. What motive beyond that do I need? I don't need promises of something that is not proved beyond this world.

I work in the field of science and no it does not have all the answers but it does not have all the technology at this point in order to. Science is a continually growing field, we keep researching we keep learning new things. With each new thing our knowledge base grows a little more.

Everybody's life means something different as everyone is a unique individual...we are not meant to have the same experiences or the same goals. I strive for my own rings and leave others to theirs.

Answer 9

not everything on earth is perfect. Our earth is far from perfect for us, and it wasn't made just for us. The reason why we are here .. is because we are capable of being here... theres only 2 ways everything can go in life and in the world...

it happens or it doesn't happen . it works or it doesnt work.. simple as that.

as for movtives.. do you mean motives to live ? to survive ? .. i'm perfectly happy.. my motive is my family.. friends.. how lucky i am compaired to many around the world.. my motive is .. the pleasure i get from helping others.. my motive is seeing how beautiful sun shinning days can be .. and the rain as well.. and many other things.

as for death.. i dont think anyone knows what happens after death.. i dont think anyone on earth is even close to knowing. and yet it does not sadden me.

I understand why a believer would not understand how an atheist or an agnostic could be happy... its because you were brought up believing .. i can imagine how devistating it would be for something like your faith to be turned around.. and you questioning 'god' But if you were never a believer.. then nothing was taken away in the 1st place..

i dont know what i believe.. i deff believe something created us.. but it doesn't necessarily have to be human.. or even have intelligence... maybe its all just supernatural

Good Luck

(i'm agnostic)

Answer 10

My motivation in life is simple...to live it.

Yes, death is the end.

Of course there are things that are beyond our understanding; much in the same way that a round Earth, gravity, rain, and the wind were beyond our ancestors. Science will, eventually, progress and explain that which we can't. It may not be within our lifetime, but it will eventually happen.

The meaning of life? Physically, its to create more life. Philosophically, life is what you make it. I would much rather spend my time living, than dreaming up grand schemes to explain why I'm here.

Our planet is the product of millions of random occurences. Life on that planet is the same. Our survival, as a species, is directly related to our ability to adapt to our environment and place on the food chain. There is nothing meta-physical about it.

Answer 11

My motive for life is the same as every other living creature on the planet: to make more life. I also wish to disseminate wisdom to make life better for others by convincing them of the uselessness of religion. There is no reason to believe that there is any more to life than one's present existence, and when I am gone, I am indistinguishable (except for size) from the opossum beside the road. It would be nice if there were more, but I require evidence to believe in anything: mere likes are not sufficient. The notion that earth was made perfect for our survival is backwards: we survive, despite the world's imperfections, because evolution has given us the tools to do so.