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vigilant_mind
unfazed



Registered: 01/19/07
Posts: 1,717
Loc: boco
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No God? No Afterlife? What Now?
#7986640 - 02/06/08 01:12 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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For those of you who share my atheistic--meaning I denounce the idea of any supreme being--beliefs, you may struggle with the issue of explaining the meaning and purpose of life (or lack thereof). And then add in the belief in no sort of afterlife--where do you go from here? How can life matter? Why would it?
I guess my own answer to this question is simply:
Live life to enjoy yourself, insofar as you aren't infringing upon the rights (both postitive and negative) of others.
I also favor the existentialist answer to this issue:
Since there is no god nor an afterlife, we must all simply hold ourselves responsible for our own actions. Despite the absence of a caring deity or an afterlife, life need not be bleak, because everyday you are awaking to your own malleable reality! The fact that I am the only person who can decide how I view things, and how I feel--how empowering!
And that's my rant for today. Thoughts?
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backfromthedead
Activated


Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 3,592
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: vigilant_mind]
#7986652 - 02/06/08 01:15 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Its you.
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vigilant_mind
unfazed



Registered: 01/19/07
Posts: 1,717
Loc: boco
Last seen: 14 years, 6 months
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Care to elaborate?
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backfromthedead
Activated


Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 3,592
Last seen: 15 years, 6 months
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: vigilant_mind]
#7986673 - 02/06/08 01:20 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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You. Vigilant mind. God.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery



Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: vigilant_mind]
#7986707 - 02/06/08 01:28 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
vigilant_mind said: For those of you who share my atheistic--meaning I denounce the idea of any supreme being--beliefs, you may struggle with the issue of explaining the meaning and purpose of life (or lack thereof). And then add in the belief in no sort of afterlife--where do you go from here? How can life matter? Why would it?
I guess my own answer to this question is simply:
Live life to enjoy yourself, insofar as you aren't infringing upon the rights (both postitive and negative) of others.
I also favor the existentialist answer to this issue:
Since there is no god nor an afterlife, we must all simply hold ourselves responsible for our own actions. Despite the absence of a caring deity or an afterlife, life need not be bleak, because everyday you are awaking to your own malleable reality! The fact that I am the only person who can decide how I view things, and how I feel--how empowering!
And that's my rant for today. Thoughts?
Right the fuck on.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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vigilant_mind
unfazed



Registered: 01/19/07
Posts: 1,717
Loc: boco
Last seen: 14 years, 6 months
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I'm not willing to battle over definitions of God here. I'm defining God as being an external, timeless, and supernatural being. If you're simply asserting that "God" is the individual, so be it. But I'd prefer not to confuse the terminology in this thread. So...let's stick to the definition of God as being what I mentioned above.
Sorry if I'm coming off as rude, but my intention of creating this thread was to invite productive discussion, not to argue over definitions.
Now that that's out of the way, for those of you who believe that there is no god and not afterlife, what do you consider the purpose of life to be?
Edited by vigilant_mind (02/06/08 01:31 PM)
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery



Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: vigilant_mind]
#7986734 - 02/06/08 01:33 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Well the purpose of life is to survive and procreate and we are driven stongly in that direction. As far as personal purpose enjoyment would be the only motive that I would consider possible.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Ellezdey
Stranger


Registered: 02/08/07
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: Icelander]
#7987052 - 02/06/08 02:42 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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There is no doubt that everything mentioned above can be very true. I however must propose a variable that needs to be considered.
Yes, we are in control of how we perceive our reality and we can make our own purpose for ourselves. But what about those of us suffering from neurological disorders? One year ago i was convinced i knew how to live life and how to maintain my happiness.
Yet, somehow, between then and now ive fallen into a massive depression that seemingly has no escape. Whether it be drug-induced or drug-reinforced depression, i feel as though i have no control over my outlook on life right now. The only thing i look forward to now is how my outlook may be after my appointment for getting an antidepressant prescription. Antidepressants, hopefully, will cure my ailing perspective due to their ability to increase serotonin levels in the brain. If this works, then you can assume that serotonin plays a pivotal role in mood regulation and, perhaps, that its a wise choice to avoid drugs that replicate serotonin activity in order to prevent disruption of this regulation.
My many experiences with lsd, marijuana, and mushrooms may have spared me a perspective through which a happy life can be experienced but they simultaneously have tampered with my brain chemistry to the point that if they are not in my brain, i can not see the perspective. In other words, my brain relies on drugs for happiness. Hobbies of the past have disappeared, and childhood-dreams seem to have vanished. The psychedelic experience has consumed my life to the point that it has become all i live for and all i look to the future for. This is dissappointing to me since a lifestyle to fulfill these desires is restricted within the confines of today's reality. So, what do i do?
My perspective, clearly, has shackels attached to depression. I can not emphasize how difficult it is to determine whether this is caused by my drug-use or if my drug-use is the result that reinforces the depression. If its the latter of the two, then it's likely that the depression will pass soon (marijuana use will be dramatically reduced and im done with lsd and shrooms for a great deal of time). If it's my drug use that caused this depression, then its likely that the depression will continue for a very long time.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery



Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: Ellezdey]
#7987071 - 02/06/08 02:46 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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While we all strive to be happy not all of us have the skills or luck to accomplish the task.
The fact that you struggle to be happy makes you normal. Most humans don't really accomplish that task. As the famous quote goes. "Most people lead lives of quiet desperation".
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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appleorange
Rainbow Technician



Registered: 12/30/07
Posts: 4,868
Loc: Reykjavík
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: Ellezdey]
#7987084 - 02/06/08 02:49 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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I think life has inherent meaning just by the very fact that it exists.
How could something exist without a reason/cause? That is illogical and impossible.
*By life, I mean existence, not just individual experience.
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demiu5
humans, lol


Registered: 08/18/05
Posts: 43,948
Loc: the popcorn stadium
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: vigilant_mind]
#7987288 - 02/06/08 03:27 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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just because there is no god does not mean there is no "after-life". all this energy goes somewhere. and don't forget that you are pure energy in an impure (inefficient) form
but
Quote:
Live life to enjoy yourself, insofar as you aren't infringing upon the rights (both postitive and negative) of others.

this should be everyone's thought/goal process whether or not religion/god has a role in their life
as should this:
Quote:
we must all simply hold ourselves responsible for our own actions...because everyday you are awaking to your own malleable reality! The fact that I am the only person who can decide how I view things, and how I feel--how empowering!
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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Ginseng1
Elegant Universe



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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: appleorange]
#7987297 - 02/06/08 03:28 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
appleorange said: I think life has inherent meaning just by the very fact that it exists.
How could something exist without a reason/cause? That is illogical and impossible.
*By life, I mean existence, not just individual experience.
-------------------- Flowing through beginningless time since time without beginning...
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EternalCowabunga
Being of Great Significance



Registered: 04/04/05
Posts: 7,152
Loc: Time and Space
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: demiu5]
#7987299 - 02/06/08 03:29 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Whateva, I do what I want!!
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Love Cap
Wanderer



Registered: 09/16/07
Posts: 401
Loc: somewhere in the plains
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: Ellezdey]
#7987736 - 02/06/08 05:20 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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ayahuasca, brother. fuck anti depressants! look into it... ayahuasca
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Continuum
Kid A


Registered: 07/19/06
Posts: 163
Last seen: 5 years, 16 days
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: Love Cap]
#7987923 - 02/06/08 05:57 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Experience a breakthrough on DMT, and I guarantee your views will change.
There's more than meets the eye
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g00ru
lit pants tit licker



Registered: 08/09/07
Posts: 21,088
Loc: georgia, us
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Re: No God? No Afterlife? What Now? [Re: Continuum]
#7988198 - 02/06/08 06:43 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Just because you don't believe in god doesn't mean death is necesarily the end.
I mean, it probably is, but once you start looking in to highly theoretical physics there are some possibilities for how our life/consciousness might not die (forever).
-------------------- check out my music! drowse in prison and your waking will be but loss
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