Is a belief that life is meaningless without a God or afterlife just an inability to enjoy the simple things?

Question

Some troll asked the other day why, if we were atheists, we didn't just commit suicide, because our lives were ultimately meaningless.

My reply was that I was looking forward to taking my son to his school bazaar on Saturday morning, somewhere nice for lunch with the family, then have friends visit in the evening; a swim with the children this morning and maybe somewhere this afternoon, we haven't decided yet - all of which has been very nice so far. But it saddened me that anyone could judge life to have meaning ONLY if it concluded with eternal joy, luxury and comfort, and none of the things that make being human interesting.

Why does it take ABSOLUTE perfection to give life any meaning? Why isn't that a selfish expectation?

Answer 1

This is an excellent question, Lib. I wouldn't be unhappy if my life as it is now were to be ALL that I had for eternity. WHY/ Because I have wonderful friends, a comfortable life (although I'm not wealthy by ANY strecth of the imagination), I have a decent job, wonderful daughter, I live in a beautiful area of the world, have my "creatures", have my Religion and have fairly good health. What else more could I possibly want? Simply because my Religion doesn't give 100% assurance that my eternity will be spent in absolute bliss leaves me sort of thankful. I don't know about the rest of you but for me, some degree of struggle is what makes life challenging, enjoyable and fulfilling. Spending eternity having all my needs and desires met would become VERY boring after only a short time. Spending eternity with a being with whom I could never be myself, express myself the way I am able to NOW would be sheer pressure for someone like me. I mean, if one can't even say "Shyte! What a gorgeous morning." without fear of offending an ultra-sensitive Divine being and have my butt tossed into Hell for a simple profanity of appreciation would leave me as unhappy as anything else. THAT would be HELL for me and I thi8nk that, if offered it, I would respectfully decline such a gift. Now, don't get me wrong. There ARE times that I wish I had MORE. Times that I wish I were rich but when I sit down and genui8nely meditate on it, I wouldn't REALLY change a thing. It's the little everyday struglles that shapes our personalities, builds our character, and helps us to learn all sorts of new and interesting things that a life of total comfort would deny us. Those who can't understand these things and look down on those who feel as I do have NO idea what it is to TRULY live your life. And to be honest, I feel so very sorry for them.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 2

Life can definitely feel empty. You live for maybe 85 years. First you poop yourself a lot, then you learn a bunch of trigonometry you'll never use, then you spend ten years screwing around with the opposite sex, then you spend forty more shuffling around money and obsessing over it, and then you get sicker and sicker and sicker until you die. Where's the meaning in that? People can hardly be blamed for grasping for meaning, and like it or not, most people do have a spiritual side to them - a side that says "Yes, there's more than this." Some people's spirituality expresses itself as a belief in an omnipresent deity; some people's spirituality expresses itself differently.

Answer 3

What if the Sun fell into the Earth? Not going to happen. Concerning yourself over if eternal joy didn't exist is worring about the impossible. Instead think of life and it's trials a test and eternal joy the reward; because that's what it is. During our worst times in life we can always know that it won't last forever and that as Christians we can reap the ultimate reward. That's enough for me to get up after I've been kicked in the nuts; not just get up but jump up and stick out my chest in confidence.

Answer 4

I doubt I'm telling you much when I say that it doesn't and it isn't. What does worry me is how many people are willing to accept the most abysmal conditions in expectation of perfection in Heaven. Striving for perfection in the here and now is not so bad, as long as one does not expect to actually achieve it.

I, for one, am willing to take having a fine time as being close enough to perfection. Because, well, it's all I get.

Answer 5

you have hit on the essential problem with evolution (as the Creationists see it).

They can't stand the notion that they aren't part of some cosmic rat maze where the Invisible Sky Fairy holds the clipboard and wears the lab white lab coat.

Evolution doesn't ascribe "meaning" to life and that scares the hell out of them.

That, and that they can't accept the fact that they are going to die. For good.

Of course, we're mostly talking about people whose emotional development was stunted (by religion) at about the age of a 10-year-old.

Answer 6

Then that person is not really a Christian. If it were not for my belief in GOD, I would have committed suicide long ago. In fact the bible tells us this is not our home. The world is a horrible place without a hope for something better. In fact scriptures tell us:
> John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. <

and;
>"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." -1st John 2:15<

http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/articles/love_not_world.html

>2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. <

http://www.topical-bible-studies.org/16-0006.htm

That person was not just a 'Troll', but a lying spirit.

Answer 7

An eternity stuck with the god as portrayed in the bible would be far worse than any hell you could imagine. Imagine the holocaust except hitler is omnipotent and you can't even escape by killing yourself.

Religion is dead but that doesn't mean god is dead.

Alchemy is gone and now we have chemistry.
Astrology is gone and now we have astronomy.
Religion needs to go so we can embrace philosophy.

Answer 8

Great question! I've often wondered about people who make the claim that without their concept of God, life has no meaning.
I've always found that troubling.

They ask why I don't go around raping and murdering people...if I know I wont' burn in hell for it. I mean...is that the ONLY reason they are not psycopaths? Their belief in hell?
If it is, I am glad they have their faith.

I find many things to enjoy and busy myself with. I understand that when I die, that's it. To me, that is more reason to do things here and now, not less.

This is the time I have to be, and I am going to make the most of it.

Answer 9

Life is of better quality and meaning without a God, leaving one to experience joy authentically. It is very narcissistic and self-absorbed to expect mansions and streets paved with gold for an eternity, and all for being self-rightous and egocentric.

Answer 10

To answer your title question, no, it's not. We're supposed to enjoy what God has given us. The person you spoke to took entirely the wrong way in approaching atheists. Saying what s/he said the way s/he did would drive most further from the truth. It makes us Christians look bad.