Atheism and nihilism

[Strathos]

Why on Earth would I care what somebody thinks a million years from now? I find it far more important to care about what people think TODAY!

What's the point, though? If everything is going to end up the same in the end, and there will be no trace of your life or existence, then why even live? It completely baffles me how anyone could be satisfied with such a futile existence.

 

[Kylie]

What's the point, though? If everything is going to end up the same in the end, and there will be no trace of your life or existence, then why even live? It completely baffles me how anyone could be satisfied with such a futile existence.

Why do you think we can't create meaning for ourselves?

 

[Strathos]

Why do you think we can't create meaning for ourselves?

Because it will all inevitably end up as nothing in a materialist worldview. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

 

[Tinker Grey]

1) Because the future is an adventure.
2) Sometimes it is fun.
3) Why not?

 

[durangodawood]

...Thirdly, I have no interest in an after life. The idea of nothing is perfectly acceptable and not frightening....

I get that "nothing" is ok and fine. But wouldnt an amazing-everything be way better? I dont believe in that, but if it were true I'd be all over it rather than just fading into nothing.

 

[durangodawood]

Because it will all inevitably end up as nothing in a materialist worldview. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Why is that an impediment to meaning?

 

[Strathos]

Why is that an impediment to meaning?

Because something that will inevitably be forgotten is meaningless by definition.

 

[durangodawood]

Because something that will inevitably be forgotten is meaningless by definition.

Really? I've never heard this definition. Can you show it to me?

 

[Strathos]

Really? I've never heard this definition. Can you show it to me?

It seems self-evident to me.

 

[comana]

Because something that will inevitably be forgotten is meaningless by definition.

I don’t buy your definition. I can’t remember everyday of my 47 years but that does not mean those days forgotten are all meaningless.

The majority of humans who ever existed in time are all forgotten, but to say that all those people who lived and died all led meaningless lives is absurd.

 

[durangodawood]

It seems self-evident to me.

Can you articulate why?

 

[Kylie]

Because it will all inevitably end up as nothing in a materialist worldview. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

And why should that mean that it is worthless here and now?

 

[Ken-1122]

What's the point, though? If everything is going to end up the same in the end, and there will be no trace of your life or existence, then why even live? It completely baffles me how anyone could be satisfied with such a futile existence.

Why fall in love? Why get married? Why read a good book, see a movie, enjoy a good meal, if a billion years from not nobody will care? Because it matters today. We enjoy those things now.
Do you do anything in life that you enjoy now, that nobody will care about a million years from now? Or are you so preoccupied with what some unknown person will think a million years from now that you can’t enjoy today.

 

[Strathos]

I don’t buy your definition. I can’t remember everyday of my 47 years but that does not mean those days forgotten are all meaningless.

The majority of humans who ever existed in time are all forgotten, but to say that all those people who lived and died all led meaningless lives is absurd.

No, but those days still contribute to your current self.

And why should that mean that it is worthless here and now?

In pure materialism, death is permanent. It cancels out everything. If your value in life is X, your death and eventual fading into obscurity is -X. Add them together and you get 0.

Why fall in love? Why get married? Why read a good book, see a movie, enjoy a good meal, if a billion years from not nobody will care? Because it matters today. We enjoy those things now.
Do you do anything in life that you enjoy now, that nobody will care about a million years from now? Or are you so preoccupied with what some unknown person will think a million years from now that you can’t enjoy today.

God and those in Heaven will care.

 

[the iconoclast]

I already said I'm more than happy to take any amount of money from people who feel that something (like their money) being finite is worthless. Let's see how well this theory works in practice.

Hey hey fair enough.

On the topic, why do you choose to accept nothing?

 

[KCfromNC]

Because something that will inevitably be forgotten is meaningless by definition.

I still haven't gotten any offers via PM to send me all of one's "meaningless by definition" money, cars and house.

 

[KCfromNC]

Hey hey fair enough.

On the topic, why do you choose to accept nothing?

I don't. The finite money isn't meaningless to me, only to people who claim that things which aren't infinite in duration are pointless. Or at least that's how it would work if that idea was actually applied consistently.

So far, though, nothing.

 

[Ken-1122]

God and those in Heaven will care.

Will you care?

 

[durangodawood]

...In pure materialism, death is permanent. It cancels out everything. If your value in life is X, your death and eventual fading into obscurity is -X. Add them together and you get 0....

To desire something different is to want to make the world "about me". But why should anything of the world be about me in some ultimate sense?

I think there's a touch of self aggrandizement going on here.

 

[Strathos]

I still haven't gotten any offers via PM to send me all of one's "meaningless by definition" money, cars and house.

They would be useless to you.

Will you care?

Yes.

To desire something different is to want to make the world "about me". But why should anything of the world be about me in some ultimate sense?

I think there's a touch of self aggrandizement going on here.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say here.