Life Meaning -- Atheists? Theists?

[_Moniker]

Bond, when you were a believer did you often think of the afterlife? As someone that never really made that transition (I was a theist as a young child, I suppose -- yet it was absent religion and was only through spirituality that I felt that there was a God) I can't really relate.

As so many on this board did go through this transition I wonder if they too had difficulty finding a new meaning to their life.

I'll jump in for a minute...because this is something I've gone through. Yes, at first there was the thought "how can I go on in life not "knowing" about God and an afterlife?" I even thought "how can I go through each day without faith in God, etc...without it, I might just do wicked and evil things all day....!"

I believed that way BECAUSE that how I'd been taught to believe, and when I look back on it, I laugh at the concept that one must have belief in an afterlife to be a good person. Can you imagine the idea of looking forward to going to Disneyland...the great anticipation of the excitement and fun of the whole day of rides, etc....the hope and purpose it gives to just make it to the day....

Then when it's over, having nothing more to anticipate or believe in, one must sink into deep despair, void of hope and purpose...without this hope, you must change all your behaviors and start hurting people....?

DOH!

It's the programming...the paradigm that a person must believe in the afterlife to do things good. Even the paradigm of "obeying" commandments and rules to gain a reward...and the sacrifices we must make -- to eventually achieve the peace and happiness that God has waiting for us. I've observed many (my own mother is my most poignant example) that have a constant grimace on their face projecting all the pain and suffereing they have today, but must "do" all this temple work, more sessions, in spite of the sickness, etc.,...but God will reward them in the afterlife....

A turning point for me was Eckhart' Tolle's book "The Power of Now." It highlights the benefits of living in the moment and the attitude shift one can make to be happy and peaceful every day. I think religion had taught me to live in the past and the future...almost forgetting about recognizing the beauties of today. Feeling guilty and remorse for wrongdoings of the past, and an urgency to keep performing better to earn my place in heaven after I die...all shifted my focus to an unhealthy (and unnecessary) place each day. Also, it was almost considered "selfish and prideful" to be happy in the moment...or to purposely do things that made me "feel good." More guilt....

Yup...much happier today -- without religion!

I think this really hits the nail on the head. If you look to the quote I posted from Nehor he mentions that atheists have no rational reason for charity. I see comments like this often and am startled by the implications of this belief! I've had numerous conversations with believers that think that without moral codes defined by God that we would be murdering, pillaging, and raping one another. I've seen other ex-LDS (some of these I consider highly intelligent) state that they are thankful for learning these lessons in primary, etc... that helped them navigate ethically in the world. The idea that empathy must be indoctrinated in most people misses the mark for me -- we've evolved to be social creatures and there are great benefits to helping the society we live in outside just the "feel good" aspect of it. Although, there is no denying that there are humans that decidedly lack in empathy -- yet I find no correlation between religion and empathy as just an observer of human nature.

Well, I most definitely will check out The Power of Now! Thanks!

[_Bond...James Bond]

Need to reply (sorry forgot bout this post). Well as you know life isn't always the best. For most people life is alot of work with a little pleasure sprinkled in (particularly historically, when people worked hard to survive, today it's much easier). Anyways, the promise of the metaphysical heaven/paradise in return for a little faith on this end seems like a good trade off right? Anyways, the belief that Heaven exists and is a reward is useful in getting people through the rigors and trials of life. It's like a warm blanket that people always wear, and the warmth is so satisfying that some people will stop looking for meaning and will rest on their laurels (err...beliefs).

That certainly is a way to look at it that I hadn't considered. Yet, it's not often phrased that way by theists -- that I've seen? Often what I've come across is the belief that atheists or apostates are miserable and that theists are not.

Well I think it's a defense mechanism. Some people won't/can't look beyond their way of thinking, so any alien ideas are attacked. Not to mention that since atheists are going to go the rational/logical approach and ask for evidence which religion can't provide in many cases. So the best defence in this case is a good offense.

I should restate to say I (who went from theist to weak atheist) had to work hard to find meaning. I was brought up in the paradigm that heaven was the reward for faith. When I lost faith I had to do quite a bit of searching looking for meaning to fill the void. It's quite difficult to fill a hole infinitely large (I mean everlasting paradise is everlasting parade!)

Alright my hands are killing me...reply if I need to clarify something.

Bond, when you were a believer did you often think of the afterlife? As someone that never really made that transition (I was a theist as a young child, I suppose -- yet it was absent religion and was only through spirituality that I felt that there was a God) I can't really relate.

As so many on this board did go through this transition I wonder if they too had difficulty finding a new meaning to their life.

Yeah I though of the afterlife. I mean I think most people do, but I recognized early on that mortality was a fact so I guess I jumped right over the egotistical bullet proof period that many teenagers seen to aspouse and went straight for attempts to reconcile with death and the afterlife.

Sorry about your hands! No need to reply if it's painful! :)

I think it's the beginning of arthritis...sigh.