Is everything "meaningless" without God?

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Because survival is beneficial, regardless of how long it lasts and because I do not have the choice of not wanting to survive.

Beneficial for who and for what reason?

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

We feel the importance of survival innately. It is not a divine being that teaches us to remove our hand from fire or crushing objects or to gasp for air.

So why do we have this "innate" importance of survival?

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Jumping into the discussion blind after the third page:

I'd like to switch the question around: how does having the god of classical theism (God) automatically give life meaning? What purpose or final end does choosing to follow God offer? Why does that final end matter? What purpose does it serve? Why follow God? The infinite chain of purpose has to have a final end, so what is it?

Our purpose is to love God and love eachother.

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[Freodin]

Why? Are you suggesting that if your life had no meaning you would be fine with that?

How would I know? As I said, my life automatically has meaning, by the sole reason that it is my life. (Meaning: the life of a being capable of ascribing meaning to something.)
You might as well as if I would be fine if my life had no concept of "being fine with something".

 

[Freodin]

Our purpose is to love God and love eachother.

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

What is the point of loving God and loving each other? Both in the sense of "what is the meaning" as well as "what do you have to show for it at the end"?

 

[newlightseven]

Yes, everything is meaningless without God. Glory be to God that he gave the believers eternal life through his Son

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

It matters to me more than non-existence. Existence has an edge over non-existence in that it exists.

Everything that I am is found in my existence. All of my values are found in my existence. All of my needs are found in my existence. All of my growth is found in my existence. All of my happiness is found in my existence.

What is the mystery here?


eudaimonia,

Mark

But if you will eventually cease to exist, wouldn't all your values, needs, growth, happiness, and everything else you are cease to exist also? So why does it matter to you if you have it now.

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon discusses ten vanities—ten things that are “meaningless” when considered from the limited point of view of “under the sun.” Without God, human wisdom is meaningless (2:14–16); labor (2:18–23); amassing things (2:26); life itself (3:18–22); competition (4:4); selfish overwork (4:7–8); power and authority (4:16); greed (5:10); wealth and accolades (6:1–2); and perfunctory religion (8:10–14).

I noticed that this entire thread has been focused on the meaninglessness of life however there are 9 other things that are listed as being meaningless without God.

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

You are just being obtuse here.


eudaimonia,

Mark

It was a legitimate question. What gives your life more meaning than that of a bacterium? Is not the purpose of a bacterium reproduce to continue the species? Is not your basic purpose in life to reproduce to continue the species?

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[Freodin]

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon discusses ten vanities—ten things that are “meaningless” when considered from the limited point of view of “under the sun.” Without God, human wisdom is meaningless (2:14–16); labor (2:18–23); amassing things (2:26); life itself (3:18–22); competition (4:4); selfish overwork (4:7–8); power and authority (4:16); greed (5:10); wealth and accolades (6:1–2); and perfunctory religion (8:10–14).

I noticed that this entire thread has been focused on the meaninglessness of life however there are 9 other things that are listed as being meaningless without God.

Indeed. I'll be very interested to hear about the meaningfulness of greed, amassing things, selfish overwork and perfunctory religion etc. with God.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

How would I know? As I said, my life automatically has meaning, by the sole reason that it is my life. (Meaning: the life of a being capable of ascribing meaning to something.)
You might as well as if I would be fine if my life had no concept of "being fine with something".

But don't atheist "give their own lives meaning"? That assumes that your life was originally meaningless. So does an atheist life "automatically" have meaning or do atheist bestow meaning onto their own lives?

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

What is the point of loving God and loving each other? Both in the sense of "what is the meaning" as well as "what do you have to show for it at the end"?

That is what we are created to do. That is our created purpose and is why we exist in the first place. In the end, it means spending eternity in heaven loving God and eachother. If you choose not to, it would mean spending eternity wishing you had.

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[Eudaimonist]

But if you will eventually cease to exist, wouldn't all your values, needs, growth, happiness, and everything else you are cease to exist also?

Yes, they will only have existed.

So why does it matter to you if you have it now.

I exist now.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Freodin]

But don't atheist "give their own lives meaning"? That assumes that your life was originally meaningless. So does an atheist life "automatically" have meaning or do atheist bestow meaning onto their own lives?

I'd say that this "giving meaning" "creating meaning" "ascribing meaning" are just common used phrases based on a worldview of active agents. As I see it, there is no intentional act of "creation" involved. Atheists do "bestow" meaning onto their own lifes. They way they do it is by living. Which is automatic for living beings

 

[Chany]

Our purpose is to love God and love eachother.

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

What is the purpose of that? What end does it achieve? Why should I care and put stock into this meaning created by another being?

 

[Hikarifuru]

Beneficial for who and for what reason?

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

For me and for survival. For the same reason you want those same things.

So why do we have this "innate" importance of survival?

I am not always sure why these things mean so much to us, but that doesn't change that they do. Hunger no more comes from god than water comes from crayons. The connection just isn't necessary or reasonable.

It is silly for someone with meaning (everyone) to begin to argue that without a god they don't or should not have meaning. The best you can do is argue that our meaning is unjustified but that wouldn't accomplish the original claim that meaning doesn't exist.

 

[Freodin]

That is what we are created to do. That is our created purpose and is why we exist in the first place. In the end, it means spending eternity in heaven loving God and eachother. If you choose not to, it would mean spending eternity wishing you had.

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

So there is no meaning, no point, nothing to show for it but this very thing itself.

As I said it... at some point you must come to this conclusion: something is a meaning in itself.

There you have it: the answer to all your questions about "why does it matter". It matters because it is. Not because it didn't exist or is going not to exist.

 

[Hikarifuru]

Our purpose is to love God and love eachother.

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

Why would that be anyone's purpose?

 

[Eudaimonist]

What gives your life more meaning than that of a bacterium?

It doesn't have "more" meaning. It has a different meaning -- a human meaning.

This isn't a contest. I exist as a human being, not as a bacterium, so my meaning as a human being is what matters to me.

Is not the purpose of a bacterium reproduce to continue the species?

Reproduction is a part of their life cycle, but I would say that their biological purpose is primarily survival. The biological activities of a bacterium are primarily about sustaining their existence.

Is not your basic purpose in life to reproduce to continue the species?

No.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Hieronymus]

That is what we are created to do. That is our created purpose and is why we exist in the first place. In the end, it means spending eternity in heaven loving God and eachother. If you choose not to, it would mean spending eternity wishing you had.

Hmmm...
I don't like threats, and the 2nd death is terminal, so perhaps atheists are right in believing there is no life after death, or maybe they will be only small in God's Kingdom.
..just saying..