Where is the hope in atheism?

[gaara4158]

So your response to a suicidal atheist who doesnt believe in a afterlife is what exactly?

I don't owe a suicidal person a response and reality doesn't owe you hope. If you want these things, you have to find them yourself.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Unsurprisingly, I noticed that not one person has yet to seriously answer the OP. Notice that the OP has nothing to do with God at all nor did the question ever require God to be mentioned. It is simply a scenario involving a suicidal atheist who doesnt believe there is an afterlife. What message of hope would you provide this individual to turn him away from his nihilistic conclusion? It is a simple question so why are the atheists so quiet? As an aspiring chaplain, this is a very serious and practical question because I very well may have a suicidal atheist come into my office.

 

[gaara4158]

Do atheist even know what atheism is? They are really quick about telling me what it isnt. Which is pretty much everything.

Atheism is a position on one question, and depending on the atheist, the question is either "Does God exist?" or "Do you believe God exists?" Atheists answer "no." This doesn't come with any baggage. Any additional conclusions you may draw from this comes from you, not atheism.

 

[bhsmte]

Significant for who? Significant for what? We get one shot to do what exactly?

Live life.

 

[gaara4158]

Unsurprisingly, I noticed that not one person has yet to seriously answer the OP. Notice that the OP has nothing to do with God at all nor did the question ever require God to be mentioned. It is simply a scenario involving a suicidal atheist who doesnt believe there is an afterlife. What message of hope would you provide this individual to turn him away from his nihilistic conclusion? It is a simple question so why are the atheists so quiet? As an aspiring chaplain, this is a very serious and practical question because I very well may have a suicidal atheist come into my office.

Suicide is a very real concern, but random internet atheists are not the source you should be turning to for counsel. Suicidal people should be referred to mental health professionals, not us. Several illuminating discussions have taken place in this thread regarding the necessity of nihilism under atheism. Feel free to read them over.

 

[keith99]

That a thing becomes less valued the more you have of it. Pretty simple economic concept.

As it applies to the topic - if life exists on a timeline stretching to eternity, then your time on Earth is an infinitesimal speck of nothing on that line. Infinitely insignificant.

So you're right, maybe it wasn't a great analogy. A better analogy would be finding a diamond in a universe made of diamonds.

How about sodium chloride in a star system almost devoid of it surrounded by similar star systems?

And diamonds do have considerable intrinsic value. Remember that no other material has proved harder in tests. (apparently one is theoretically harder but so rare that diamonds are common in comparison, there has never been a sample large enough to test).

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

I don't owe a suicidal person a response and reality doesn't owe you hope. If you want these things, you have to find them yourself.

So What exactly is the purpose of you participating on this thread? Being that the very OP is exactly what you are saying you don't owe.

 

[bhsmte]

So What exactly is the purpose of you participating on this thread? Being that the very OP is exactly what you are saying you don't owe.

LOL

 

[ananda]

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.

I must first ask: why kind of atheist are you referring to? A gnostic atheist, or an agnostic atheist?

 

[gaara4158]

So What exactly is the purpose of you participating on this thread? Being that the very OP is exactly what you are saying you don't owe.

1) I'm concerned you're not going to the right place for important mental health information and 2) I've been having perfectly valid discussions regarding the logical necessity of nihilism under atheism, which was a premise of your OP. You're demanding we give you an answer that potentially none of us is qualified to give.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

I assume you've seen a movie or a tv show before. I guess you enjoyed at least some of them. Was your enjoyment diminishes by the fact that a movie eventually has to end? Do you think movies are only worth experiencing when they are infinite?

Except that is not the scenario that we are talking about. If all memory of said movie experience all of a sudden ceased to exist after you got home, what is left from the experience to enjoy other that $30 less in your bank account? That is the point I am making. In this scenario, it would be better to never have gone to the theater at all and saved yourself the $30 bucks.

The same concept applies to life. If no afterlife and no memory or existence after this life, it's no different than a memory wipe after a movie. Except in this case, in the grand movie called life, all memory of your existences will be wiped.

 

[HitchSlap]

Unsurprisingly, I noticed that not one person has yet to seriously answer the OP. Notice that the OP has nothing to do with God at all nor did the question ever require God to be mentioned. It is simply a scenario involving a suicidal atheist who doesnt believe there is an afterlife. What message of hope would you provide this individual to turn him away from his nihilistic conclusion? It is a simple question so why are the atheists so quiet? As an aspiring chaplain, this is a very serious and practical question because I very well may have a suicidal atheist come into my office.

If you’re turning to the internet for random answers from anonymous persons about such a serious issue as suicide, then you’re an idiot and have no business being a chaplain.

 

[Skreeper]

Except that is not the scenario that we are talking about. If all memory of said movie experience all of a sudden ceased to exist after you got home, what is left from the experience to enjoy other that $30 less in your bank account? That is the point I am making. In this scenario, it would be better to never have gone to the theater at all and saved yourself the $30 bucks.

The same concept applies to life. If no afterlife and no memory or existence after this life, it's no different than a memory wipe after a movie. Except in this case, in the grand movie called life, all memory of your existences will be wiped.

So you are a nihilist I take it then? If so, then there really is no point in discussing this topic like there is no point in discussing science with a flat-earther.

 

[gaara4158]

Except that is not the scenario that we are talking about. If all memory of said movie experience all of a sudden ceased to exist after you got home, what is left from the experience to enjoy other that $30 less in your bank account? That is the point I am making. In this scenario, it would be better to never have gone to the theater at all and saved yourself the $30 bucks.

The same concept applies to life. If no afterlife and no memory or existence after this life, it's no different than a memory wipe after a movie. Except in this case, in the grand movie called life, all memory of your existences will be wiped.

Was there no point in doing any of the things you currently have no memory of?

 

[Skreeper]

Except that is not the scenario that we are talking about. If all memory of said movie experience all of a sudden ceased to exist after you got home, what is left from the experience to enjoy other that $30 less in your bank account? That is the point I am making.

But I had enjoyment when I watched the movie. That's why I paid for it. I enjoyed watching it and I was entertained. Just because the joy ends doesn't mean it wasn't worth it.

I would even go as far and say that I would prefer if I could remove the memory of movies I've watched so I can watch them again without knowing what will happen.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

I must first ask: why kind of atheist are you referring to? A gnostic atheist, or an agnostic atheist?

Although I don't think anyone can honestly claim to be a Gnostic atheist, in this scenario it would be Someone who has concluded for himself that God does not exist.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

But I had enjoyment when I watched the movie. That's why I paid for it. I enjoyed watching it and I was entertained. Just because the joy ends doesn't mean it wasn't worth it.

I would even go as far and say that I would prefer if I could remove the memory of movies I've watched so I can watch them again without knowing what will happen.

But you have absolutely no memory of the movie. You just discover $30 gone from your wallet and a receipt from the movie theater. If I were to have robbed $30 from you and planted a movie receipt in your pocket would you honestly think "Gee...that movie was worth it! I can't wait to do it again?"

 

[Eight Foot Manchild]

So your response to a suicidal atheist who doesnt believe in a afterlife is what exactly?

Same thing I would say to a suicidal Christian, Muslim, Zoroastrian etc: seek counseling. Also, here are some free resources.

You don't have to be hypothetical about it. I've literally been in this exact position, a number times. I fundraise for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and volunteer hours of my time for them.

Do atheist even know what atheism is?

Yes. It's a philosophical position regarding one thing - the existence of gods. Nothing else.

I realize that's inconvenient for the sake of your garbage apologetics, but that's your problem and no one else's.

 

[Skreeper]

But you have absolutely no memory of the movie. You just discover $30 gone from your wallet and a receipt from the movie theater. If I were to have robbed $30 from you and planted a movie receipt in your pocket would you honestly think "Gee...that movie was worth it! I can't wait to do it again?"

Why don't you ask me that question while I was watching or close to the end?

It just seems you have a very nihilistic outlook on things. Good for you but it certainly isn't for me.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Was there no point in doing any of the things you currently have no memory of?

There is no point in doing any of the things that nobody will have memory of after they cease to exist.