Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
I think it's a personality thing. If we're going by Myers-Briggs, NFs in particular (especially the introverted ones) lean towards mysticism, and there's really not much of a place for us in modern secular society. Even our atheists tend towards non-naturalism and a pseudo-religious understanding of the world, but that's not an approach that's well represented these days.
I do not like the implication that anyone who does not fit in with the popular atheistic model of what a meaningful life should look like is in some way lacking, though. That's pretty dystopic and totalitarian. (I don't think you're quite saying that, but other people do.)
Well, I would disagree for the reason I pointed out to Keith. Lack of religion can be harmful to anyone of a mystical inclination, because secular society just doesn't have the resources to deal with that sort of need. You're better off within the refuge of a religious tradition than off in the wilds of Spirituality Without Religion where mental health issues lurk.
There are some manifestations of religion that are absolutely harmful, I would agree, but it's hard to see how something like Unitarian Universalism could cause anyone problems, unless perhaps you've got scrupulosity. (Even there, UU would be a weird one to set that off.)
I don't really care if people aren't religious, though. What bothers me is the idea that the world would be a better place if religion were wiped out, and everyone who doesn't think that way is an indoctrinated fundamentalist who simply doesn't see how beautiful a world without God really is. Which doesn't apply to you but certainly is the case for some others around here.
If there is no afterlife, the best we have to hope for is to live our lives as best we can before we fade off into non-existence. Since mankind is destined to die, why should we care about anything if eventually humanity will cease to exist?I actually don't know what a god and an afterlife would add to this.
If there is no afterlife, the best we have to hope for is to live our lives as best we can before we fade off into non-existenceI actually don't know what a god and an afterlife would add to this.
If there is no afterlife, the best we have to hope for is to live our lives as best we can before we fade off into non-existence. Since mankind is destined to die, why should we care about anything if eventually humanity will cease to exist?
I don't understand this reasoning. Life's not eternal, therefore it doesn't matter? The very fact that life is finite is what makes your choices so important and the consequences so significant. You only get one shot! If anything, an afterlife takes away from that.If there is no afterlife, the best we have to hope for is to live our lives as best we can before we fade off into non-existence. Since mankind is destined to die, why should we care about anything if eventually humanity will cease to exist?
If there is no afterlife, the best we have to hope for is to live our lives as best we can before we fade off into non-existence. Since mankind is destined to die, why should we care about anything if eventually humanity will cease to exist?
I don't understand this reasoning. Life's not eternal, therefore it doesn't matter? The very fact that life is finite is what makes your choices so important and the consequences so significant. You only get one shot! If anything, an afterlife takes away from that.
Yeah, there's a wealth of ancient and modern literature exploring the pros and cons of immortality (Gilgamesh and Full Metal Alchemist spring to mind), and it turns out immortality has some very serious downsides as well. It's hard to fathom why he would argue so sharply for a meaningless existence under atheism if a) he's secure in his faith and b) he knows what he's talking about. I doubt either of those is the case.Doesnt seem that difficult to comprehend, does it. I think what have here, is someone who really needs to convince themselves, non believers can have no value to their life, which artificially creates comfort for him, since he is a believer.
Yeah, there's a wealth of ancient and modern literature exploring the pros and cons of immortality (Gilgamesh and Full Metal Alchemist spring to mind), and it turns out immortality has some very serious downsides as well. It's hard to fathom why he would argue so sharply for a meaningless existence under atheism if a) he's secure in his faith and b) he knows what he's talking about. I doubt either of those is the case.
So your answer is "determine if the suffering is short or long term and if it's long term tell him to pull the trigger?"
"Why do some Christians think life is Futile without God?" Well...if there is no afterlife tell me why life isn't futile. Explain.
I don't understand this reasoning. Life's not eternal, therefore it doesn't matter? The very fact that life is finite is what makes your choices so important and the consequences so significant. You only get one shot! If anything, an afterlife takes away from that.
Yeah, there's a wealth of ancient and modern literature exploring the pros and cons of immortality (Gilgamesh and Full Metal Alchemist spring to mind), and it turns out immortality has some very serious downsides as well. It's hard to fathom why he would argue so sharply for a meaningless existence under atheism if a) he's secure in his faith and b) he knows what he's talking about. I doubt either of those is the case.
It's really terrible that I had to take that Virtue Ethics and Film class. Cuz' now, every time someone mentions Nietzsche's idea of the Eternal Return, I can't get Bill Murray's movie, "Groundhog Day" out of my mind ... Oh NO! There it goes again!Is this really true, though? I personally find Christian immortality both hard to conceptualize and genuinely intimidating--in line with my Eastern leanings, I have a much easier time with the idea that individual identity doesn't survive death and all that's left is the world-soul, in a manner of speaking.
But even as someone who doesn't necessarily believe in a traditional afterlife, I have to ask... we have one shot to do what, precisely? Buy into the illusion that any of our choices matter when everything will get wiped away sooner or later anyway? Even from my preferred panentheistic perspective, I have to wonder what the point of the whole thing is. The finite nature of life makes all of our choices and their consequences utterly insignificant, as far as I can tell.
To me, it's the possibility of immortality in some shape or form that changes things. If you're going to be stuck with yourself eternally, then you had better make sure that you're a person you can stand to be around. Immortality is as much a threat as a promise. From a Nietzschean perspective, are you so in love with life that you would be willing to live it over and over again eternally? If not, then you're doing something wrong.
It's really terrible that I had to take that Virtue Ethics and Film class. Cuz' now, every time someone mentions Nietzsche's idea of the Eternal Return, I can't get Bill Murray's movie, "Groundhog Day" out of my mind ... Oh NO! There it goes again!...thanks a lot, Sil!
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
That's what we watched for my old Nietzsche class, if I recall correctly.
And for that matter who cares is life in a world where there is no God is futile or not? The issue with God is NOT if life is futile otherwise it is if He exists. One who harps of a futility otherwise is clearly one who has doubts as to the existence of God.
If there is no afterlife, when you die all of your memories of your dogs cease to exist. So, why then are your dogs lives not futile?I had 2 dogs. Both have passed. Their lives were far from futile and Christianity does NOT teach that they will be reborn.
Significant for who? Significant for what? We get one shot to do what exactly?The very fact that life is finite is what makes your choices so important and the consequences so significant. You only get one shot! If anything, an afterlife takes away from that.
Yeah, there's a wealth of ancient and modern literature exploring the pros and cons of immortality (Gilgamesh and Full Metal Alchemist spring to mind), and it turns out immortality has some very serious downsides as well. It's hard to fathom why he would argue so sharply for a meaningless existence under atheism if a) he's secure in his faith and b) he knows what he's talking about. I doubt either of those is the case.
But even as someone who doesn't necessarily believe in a traditional afterlife, I have to ask... we have one shot to do what, precisely? Buy into the illusion that any of our choices matter when everything will get wiped away sooner or later anyway? Even from my preferred panentheistic perspective, I have to wonder what the point of the whole thing is. The finite nature of life makes all of our choices and their consequences utterly insignificant, as far as I can tell.
Let's say I was an atheist and for some reason I wanted to kill myself. I told you that I hated my life and wanted to end it. Being an atheist, I know that there is no afterlife and I will simply cease to exist. I also know that the second law of thermodynamics proves that the universe is dying and when that time happens, all humanity will die too. So because all humanity will one day die and cease to exist, the universe will ultimately be no different than if humanity never existed at all. So who cares if my death hurts other people, they will eventually die and all memory of hurt will cease to exist. So atheist, talk me out of suicide. Why should I not kill myself? Explain why life and existence isn't futile? Good luck.
If there is no afterlife, the best we have to hope for is to live our lives as best we can before we fade off into non-existence. Since mankind is destined to die, why should we care about anything if eventually humanity will cease to exist?
Then prove me wrong.
If no afterlife, what other option is there than nihilism?
This is a binary question
Either there is an afterlife of there isn't. If there isn't, why not nihilism?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?