Atheism and nihilism

Is atheism inherently nihilistic?

  • Yes

  • No


Results are only viewable after voting.

Rajni

☯ Ego ad Eum pertinent ☯
Supporter
Dec 26, 2007
8,552
3,930
Visit site
✟1,210,341.00
Country
United States
Faith
Unorthodox
Marital Status
Single
Because if there is always a tomorrow, nothing will ever get done.
I don't know... Quite a lot has been accomplished
while under the influence of the notion that there is
always tomorrow. The seeming eternity of
tomorrows that have lead up to this point in time
has had its abundance of deadlines that were met
to prove that.

Conversely, I'd probably get even less done if I
genuinely lived as though today were my last (as
the rather trite saying goes).

But to each their own.


-
 
Upvote 0

Tinker Grey

Wanderer
Supporter
Feb 6, 2002
11,213
5,604
Erewhon
Visit site
✟923,105.00
Faith
Atheist
I don't know... Quite a lot has been accomplished
while under the influence of the notion that there is
always tomorrow. The seeming eternity of
tomorrows that have lead up to this point in time
has had its abundance of deadlines that were met
to prove that.

Conversely, I'd probably get even less done if I
genuinely lived as though today were my last (as
the rather trite saying goes).

But to each their own.


-
The very concept of a deadline contradicts your thesis.
 
Upvote 0

Yttrium

Independent Centrist
May 19, 2019
3,853
4,265
Pacific NW
✟242,366.00
Country
United States
Faith
Skeptic
Marital Status
Single
If atheism is true, the best you can hope for is nothingness. So yes, it is nihilistic.

Sorry for coming in late, but you're confusing atheism with a philosophy of Naturalism. All Naturalists are atheists, but they're a subset of atheists. There is nothing to prevent atheists from believing in the supernatural. They just don't think a god is involved.

For example, an atheist could very well believe in reincarnation. Or even a heavenly (or nirvana-like) afterlife of some sort.
 
Upvote 0

Larniavc

Leading a blameless life
Jul 14, 2015
12,268
7,622
51
✟312,489.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
UK-Liberal-Democrats
I am satisfied with nothingness after death. Live your best life knowing that it is all there is.
I'm not. It's mildly infuriating that there's most likely nothing after death.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Belk
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Strathos

No one important
Dec 11, 2012
12,663
6,531
God's Earth
✟263,276.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
So per your analogy, why would someone throw buckets of water from a sinking ship if the goal was not to prevent the ship from sinking completely?

Because they are desperately trying to hold on as long as they can.
 
Upvote 0

Oompa Loompa

Against both police brutality and cop killing.
Jun 4, 2020
5,460
2,418
40
Louisiana
✟143,012.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Sorry for coming in late, but you're confusing atheism with a philosophy of Naturalism. All Naturalists are atheists, but they're a subset of atheists. There is nothing to prevent atheists from believing in the supernatural. They just don't think a god is involved.

For example, an atheist could very well believe in reincarnation. Or even a heavenly (or nirvana-like) afterlife of some sort.
What is atheism without naturalism?
 
Upvote 0

Yttrium

Independent Centrist
May 19, 2019
3,853
4,265
Pacific NW
✟242,366.00
Country
United States
Faith
Skeptic
Marital Status
Single
What is atheism without naturalism?

Not believing in a god. By itself it's not meant as a philosophy of life, the universe and everything. Individual atheists can add whatever philosophy they like to that. There are Buddhist atheists, Taoist atheists, Naturalist atheists etc.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Oompa Loompa
Upvote 0

Oompa Loompa

Against both police brutality and cop killing.
Jun 4, 2020
5,460
2,418
40
Louisiana
✟143,012.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Not believing in a god. By itself it's not meant as a philosophy of life, the universe and everything. Individual atheists can add whatever philosophy they like to that. There are Buddhist atheists, Taoist atheists, Naturalist atheists etc.
Would someone believing in ghosts but not God qualify as a non-naturalists atheist?
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Ken-1122

Newbie
Jan 30, 2011
13,574
1,790
✟225,690.00
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Post #74 you were trying to make the argument that life is worthless if it is not infinite. You said

Because it ultimately amounts to nothing. It's like trying to throw buckets of water out of a sinking ship - you're wasting your time because the ship is going to go down sooner or later.

Those were your exact words. Now because you were making an argument about infinite, I thought your claim was the goal of throwing out buckets of water was to prevent the ship from sinking, but now that you’ve stated the goal is only to delay the inevitable, as you know with each bucket of water being thrown out is another microsecond the ship is delayed from sinking thus the goal of prolonging the inevitable has been accomplished; thus your argument from post #74 has been dispelled.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Noxot

anarchist personalist
Supporter
Aug 6, 2007
8,191
2,450
37
dallas, texas
Visit site
✟231,339.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Apparently you don't know what it means to be atheist

I don't know exactly what you are trying to tell me but my logic is that God is infinite meaning and atheists do not believe in God. Comparing finite things with infinite things is always going to render the finite as nothing without the infinite. If meaning is rooted in the divine and God is universal then atheist partake of as much meaning as they wish. They just deny that meaning comes from God. it would be like a woman loving the ring and riches her husband gave her and ignoring and denying that she has a husband or family.

I don't understand this theory of value. How is something made more valuable by being infinite? Typically value in things comes from scarcity not infinite abundance. To me life is more valuable due to it being finite and there not being resolution afterwards
the finite of its own cannot be valued because it does not exist to be valued. Only what exists can be valued. that which ceases to exist has no value because it is not. Being finite has meaning because it is a mode of the infinite. The finite can be appreciated and experienced because it is a servant to Eternal realities that can Eternally enjoy that which ends and begins. you can derive finite things from infinite things but how could someone derive something infinite from what is finite? Therefore what is infinite is more important by its very nature.

How would no resolution have any kind of value whatsoever? how could vanity be worth anything of its own? No resolution can only be valued by infinite and eternal beings because it is the emptiness of what they are, and they want to experience vanity to give it meaning. So no resolution is only a theme and a game, an illusion partaken of to induce novel pleasure and experience.

scarcity does seem to have an important role but only in the light that it can be enjoyed. that which exists can enjoy and that which ends and thus does not exist cannot enjoy.

The focus I bring to life, the desire to accomplish is based on the fact that I know one day I will not be here. Because if there is always a tomorrow, nothing will ever get done.
games are fun to play but when you become so obsessed and focused on them you start to harm yourself and neglect other parts of reality. but it is fun to get caught up in the competition, especially when there is a time limit on it and when there are others that you can compete with. some also like to compete with themselves. the lowest level of meaning is evolutionary meaning which is a crystallized symbol for higher meaning. Symbols are meant to point us to realities. getting good at having the things you need is nothing more than being a good slave. Only Eternal realities such as love and wisdom have lasting meaning, and only living beings can have love or wisdom. things only matter because the self and others are important and fundamental to reality. If there is no self there can be no meaning. If a self ceases to exist it can have no meaning. Meaning which perishes does not exist.

For example, an atheist could very well believe in reincarnation. Or even a heavenly (or nirvana-like) afterlife of some sort.

All such systems must depend on the Divine, Eternal and infinite reality which generates all things. Who is making the rules? The Divine and eternal reality is the consensus and all come from the same one source and reality called by some "God". Buddhist for instance call it the Buddha nature but they do not bother to explain the meaning of the discursive reality of suffering that they are in due the way their philosophy works. They do not bother with trying to understand the cause of this reality.
 
Upvote 0