Life Meaning -- Atheists? Theists?

[_JAK]

God takes the responsibility of finding meaning from theists. Atheists have to work a bit harder, but through their work can perhaps have more personal growth than people who are raised in a belief system and never leave that comfort zone.

In fact, the opposite is the case.

Theists rely on the doctrine and dogma ready-made by the myth-makers who invented the myths.

God is an invention preceded by the invention of the gods. It’s the various pundits for God who have “to work a bit harder.” Actually, they have to work much harder. There is a great deal of competition for God.

The “comfort zone” only works so long as one maintains blind faith. If one dares to think, to challenge, to question, the “comfort zone” is soon unsatisfactory.

Further, today, most people want rational thought. We want it in our doctors. We want it in the person who repairs our car. We don’t want a mechanic to whom we have taken our car to say: God only knows to the problem we have presented for the mechanic to solve.

God myths (and there are many) are irrelevant.

JAK

[_Moniker]

No theists here?

I am a theist. I am here occasionally. The difficulty I see with the question is I cannot think of any reason to think that atheists and theists should have different meanings in our life. After all we all find all that we are from the same source.

Well I was posing the question because theists have often said that atheists have no meaning to life. I wanted someone to go into detail why they draw that conclusion and why they find meaning in their life derived from God.

What is the source you speak of huckelberry?

[Guest]

Moniker

Nehor says that atheists have no rational basis for meaning to their life.

Nehor is out to lunch. So long as humans bond there will be meaning to their life.

How many times do I have to say I didn't say that????????

I need to go check Scratch's blog to see if it's there.

To clarify: Nehor said that there was some truth to the argument that there is no rational reason for a meaning to life for atheists.

He says he didn't intend to say that. And I believe him. :)

[_JAK]

I made in important discovery not too long ago. It turns out that the creationists were right. Humans are the product of design. They were fabricated in an experiment by the aliens of Claxton-9. They are breeding us on planet earth so that we may eventually toil in their intergalactic spice mines. Our deaths are an illusion. When we die, it means we have matured to the point that we are ready to be slaves in their mining operations. Our lifeforce is captured and placed in a new body on a distant planet. This process repeats itself as we age. Humans live a very long time, and most of that lifespan is a backbreaking, torturous existence under the crack of their laserwhips.

Fortunately, because we were designed with this purpose in mind, that means our lives have meaning. Sweet.

This sounds like a version of Soylent Green, a 1973 movie.

For a further description of this movie see this.

JAK

[_Jersey Girl]

God takes the responsibility of finding meaning from theists. Atheists have to work a bit harder, but through their work can perhaps have more personal growth than people who are raised in a belief system and never leave that comfort zone.

In fact, the opposite is the case.

Theists rely on the doctrine and dogma ready-made by the myth-makers who invented the myths.

God is an invention preceded by the invention of the gods. It’s the various pundits for God who have “to work a bit harder.” Actually, they have to work much harder. There is a great deal of competition for God.

The “comfort zone” only works so long as one maintains blind faith. If one dares to think, to challenge, to question, the “comfort zone” is soon unsatisfactory.

Further, today, most people want rational thought. We want it in our doctors. We want it in the person who repairs our car. We don’t want a mechanic to whom we have taken our car to say: God only knows to the problem we have presented for the mechanic to solve.

God myths (and there are many) are irrelevant.

JAK

I honestly don't want to get bogged down in lengthy discussion here (got a few irons in the real life fire) but, while I understand your (bolded by me) remark regarding dogma and doctrine, I would have to say that speaking only for myself (rough around the edges and oftimes irreverant theist) that I don't think I rely on dogma (doctrine maybe) to find meaning in my life.

Feel free to make inquiry regarding that last, don't ask me to post a prayer. ;-) (Inside joke folks, you had to be there and just be glad that you weren't)

JAK, I won't be replying here right away should you choose to continue with me.

Jersey Girl

[_Jersey Girl]

I'm beginning to think that there aren't any here... which is kind of depressing. It's like when Christopher Hitchens said he never wanted religion to completely dissapear because then he wouldn't have anyone to argue with...

Well there are theists here. There's Nehor (bah! No help there), asbestosman, Liz, Charity, Wenglund, Pirate (she's LDS -- but I'm not sure what her beliefs are in a deity to be honest), Gazelem, bcspace, Coggins, RayA, Moksha, and I'm sure there are others that I'm just forgetting right now.

There is me but it's hard to tell, I know. Judge me by my actions and not my sometimes questionable word choices.

;-)

[_JAK]

I misspoke. I apologize. I meant that there might be some merit to that argument but I would not argue it.

Well, that's no fun! Where are all the theists that like to make this argument? Where oh where have they gone???

I should think that Nehor might be the last holdout on the defense of theism in this discussion topic.

But it appears not.

I agree: Where have all the theists gone?

JAK

[_Sethbag]

I don't think there's a meaning to life that is derivable outside of the context of those who are living. I don't think there's some cosmological meaning to life in the way most people imagine it.

I don't have a direct quotation handy, but one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA was once asked "what are we for?" He replied "I don't think we're for anything, but that won't stop me from having a good lunch."

[_Jersey Girl]

Moniker

Nehor says that atheists have no rational basis for meaning to their life.

Nehor is out to lunch. So long as humans bond there will be meaning to their life.

Exactly so.

“Meaning in one’s life is not dependent on the mythology of religions or of any religion in particular.

See my post Goals of Theist & Atheist

JAK

One significant difference (based on the hard core skeptics that I've interacted with ;-) is that Theists use their God belief as a reference for their human bond. I see nothing particularly wrong with that.

[_Jersey Girl]

JAK,

Don't you think one can be a skeptical Theist? If not, why not?

Jersey Girl