Thursday, June 4, 2009

The Meaning of Life

This girl from FriendFeed (and if you are reading, that's you, Lo) was asking in our discussion forum about suggestions to what can get her out of the bed in the morning. I don't know. Much as I think being alive is totally overrated, you just don't tell people to "give up." But what do you tell an atheist, who does not believe in a soul or afterlife, what is the meaning of it all?

That said, the religious concept is also strange. I believe that life, for the most part, is meaningless and that a big part of religions is to give people something to look forward to -- the afterlife. Ah, so you see the problem there -- if afterlife is all the glory, why not go there sooner? So the creator of various religions, or denominations thereof, also build into the believe system that taking away one's own life is not allowed. It'll disqualify you at entering the door of Heaven. Let's just pretend for a moment that that is true, so instead of focusng on the present these people are focusing in the future? That this current life that we have is not as important, as long as we can just squeeze by, and only what comes after matter? Is that messed up or what? And, even if that is true, I don't see how spending eternity with the Creator is all the hype!

2 comments:

Atheist Confessions said...

It seems obvious now that you type it out, but that is precisely the question that led me to seriously pursue religion several times in my life. And it's the same question that makes me fear judgment from my atheist friends.

cahalan said...

Friends shouldn't be judgmental, but I doubt any pre-existing religion can give you what you are looking for. None of them even make enough sense to hold any water, let alone filling the void that you are feeling.