Philippe*

Personally I love life too much to desire death, when I listen to several music notes which give me bliss I think just for this life is worth living. I am a sort of stoic zen guy, and I think it is good to be calm, simple, loving, wise and appreciate the present moment. And I think until now I am a privileged person when I see all the misery on Earth, testimonies of those who have known the KZs, genocide, who are in jail for something they didn't do aso, aso...though I see the human condition as miserable, I still enjoy living.

Philippe

southernhybrid

Just because we are aware that we will die one day, doesn't make the the experience of this transient life any less enjoyable. If working hard to accomplish something gives you a sense of purpose and satisfaction, that's what you do.

I'm certainly not what would be called an over achiever, but I do enjoy my life very much. I don't need an ultimate purpose and I'm sorry that some think they must have one to be happy.

Eudaimonist

Because that striving matters before the end, from moment to moment. "In the end" I won't exist to ponder how meaningless non-existence is.

Plognark

It's been pointed out, but I want to reiterate that this is a complete non-sequitur.

A better question is why would a person who believes in an omnipotent god bother to do anything? What does it matter if there's a master cosmic helmsman steering things?

This stems from your incorrect initial premise.

What does it matter if mere fallible human memory recalls who I am and what I did? I was here, I had some impact on the people around me and the events of the world.

When i'm sitting on my deathbed, reflecting on my life, I think i'd feel more mentally comfortable thinking "well, hell, I gave life a good shot and saw some neat stuff, and helped some people and did some cool things." than "Damn, wish I hadn't smoked so much weed and played so many video games."

It really looks like I don't get a second chance at life here, so i'd rather lead a decent productive one than sit around like a lump of crap.

Why is this so bloody hard for some people to understand?? :huh:

MsChutzpah

To many people it is not the destination, but the journey. They like to stop and smell the flowers along the way; stop and explore the unknown; lingering and savoring, pausing and reflecting....

For others, it is hurry, hurry, rush rush, gotta get there now, get outta my way, and I ain't got time for takin' a look at anything in between. I know many sad lives; people like this who are always talking about "the end" and what heaven will be like. um....yeah, and they refer to my life as 'lost' and "living in sin".

IF living life to the fullest (right NOW, here on earth) is considered "sin", then by golly: I love to sin

Meaning and purpose in life has not a damn thing to do with any god belief. The sooner one can dump that crock of doo-doo the sooner they really can enjoy and love LIFE! :thumbs:

Hiero5ant

:thumbs:

nixon

I smile at the baby and then he smiles back at me. (Refering to my grandson Brennen, a mighty cute baby)

radagast

Dear motorhead,
While this isn't a debate, as you have put it forth, you have made the same type of logic error known as a "Bifurcation flaw". The assumption that there are only two possibilities here.

You are assuming if there is no authoritarian, ultimate meaning and purpose that each of us cannot or will not find our own.

Once a person has such meaning, from whatever corner, then the rest of the questions dissipate like so much smoke.

The vast majority of Buddhist have no god that imposes a set of purposes and meaning on their lives, yet they seem to have found purpose in life for the past 2500 years.

Some do. In fact some Christians do. I've seen many, many Christians that believe in Christ and God, but for whom Christ and God do not provide the primary meaning and motivation in their lives.

Most parents would find their children to be a strong reason and motivation, no matter what religious or lack of religious motivation they have. The biological imperative to further ones own genetic line seems to provide this, free of charge, to most all humans.

Many fundamentalist and even non-fundamentalist religious folk seem to have an extremely myopic view with regards to atheists. Do some reading here, perhaps you will start to see that we don't fit what most theist believe about us.

Regards,
Glenn

Garnet

Now I have a question for you. Why do you think that not having an after life and not being remembered in 100 years are so important that you wouldn't live as well as you could? Seems kind of silly to me.

Capn_Danger

Thats profound. I think you've hit the nail on the head: life, and what occurs in life, is meaningful simply becasue we, as humans, value it. It's important to people, in general. We want to be happy, we have desires, goals, dreams, etc.; we value things like art, candy, sports, science, family, entertainment, and so on.

In response to the OP, the fact that life is so short, and that it appears likely that nothing happens after we die, makes life all the more meaningful and important. Since de-converting, my outlook on life has changed from it being just a small, horrid little test, to being the sum total of my existence. To ask the obvious, what's more important than that?

Anyways, if I'm going to be conistent, I have to admit that other's lives are as important to them as mine is to me, in general. And there isn't anything that suggests that my well-being is more important than someone else's. Thats my reason for trying to be moral, which is a hell of a lot better than trying to be good just to get some kind of divine reward.

So, if I lead a satisfying life, and have helped others to do the same, I'll consider my life to have been meaningful.

This is beginning to sound like a MF&P thread...