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Atheists: Does Life Have Meaning For You?

Papersock

Lucid Dreamer
Someone recently said life has no meaning for atheists. So, I was wondering if atheists agree with the notion life has no meaning for them. Also, why do you suppose people say life has no meaning for atheists?

If "meaning" means "an intended purpose," as in we all exist for a specific ultimate purpose, then no. I think life does not have that sort of meaning.
However, as many have already said, we create our own meaning to our life. Maybe not even a meaning created for our life as a whole, but for each moment that we are alive. Each moment may have a different meaning to each of us.
 

Fluffy

A fool
Meaning? What does that even mean?

I enjoy life. I put effort and emotion into things and this causes them to have value for me.

I suspect it is the same for the theist except that they attribute all of this to an unknowable external source which, to me, doesn't appear different in meaning at all.
 

dance-above

Member
Religion gives hope to those that are not as "fortunate" as others. So if what they hope in is not true, is it wrong of them to give themselves a little comfort in hoping in something that might not be true? Religion is not always a bad thing. There is alot of suffering in this world alot of people that dont get to "enjoy this life" looks forward to a better one.
Im just curious does atheist believe in Justice? If so, what about all the people who have lived and died whithout justice? Just bad Luck?
 

rojse

RF Addict
Religion gives hope to those that are not as "fortunate" as others. So if what they hope in is not true, is it wrong of them to give themselves a little comfort in hoping in something that might not be true? Religion is not always a bad thing. There is alot of suffering in this world alot of people that dont get to "enjoy this life" looks forward to a better one.
Im just curious does atheist believe in Justice? If so, what about all the people who have lived and died whithout justice? Just bad Luck?

I know people that are religious and are more fortunate at most, so your reasoning falls flat in that regard.

Secondly, I would say that if religion is a false comfort, people might be better off concentrating on solving their problems rather than hoping a big mystical beard in the sky solves it for them.

As for justice, you can sue people in courts for that. If you are the sort of person that enjoys westerns, you can go and get your own.

Apart from that, justice is a human ideal.
 

Fluffy

A fool
dance-above said:
Religion gives hope to those that are not as "fortunate" as others. So if what they hope in is not true, is it wrong of them to give themselves a little comfort in hoping in something that might not be true? Religion is not always a bad thing. There is alot of suffering in this world alot of people that dont get to "enjoy this life" looks forward to a better one.
Im just curious does atheist believe in Justice? If so, what about all the people who have lived and died whithout justice? Just bad Luck?

I believe in making our own justice. Since I don't believe in a higher power, I feel that the responsibility for this falls on us. I don't think that the observation that many die unjustly is sufficient to justify the belief that they must attain this justice in another life.
 

rojse

RF Addict
Im just curious does atheist believe in Justice? If so, what about all the people who have lived and died whithout justice? Just bad Luck?

I would like to refine my last post, and ask you how you define justice.

Personally, I would say that it is receiving a fitting reward or punishment depending on what you have done in the past, but I will debate if you do not like that definition.

I will stick with justice in terms of punishment for this, because this is far more easily quantified.

The crime of theft has had many different sentences passed. Some cultures cut off a hand of the thief. Others force the criminal to pay restitution, work community service, or serve jail time.

Murder has many different sentences, too. People have been hanged, shot by firing squad, electrocuted, and injected for capital punishment. The prosecuted may be forced to complete a life sentence (not actually life, but a predetermined time of incarceration) or an actual sentence of staying in jail until they die.

For both of the crimes I have listed, each of the possible sentences are considered justice by different groups of people, but each of these have different severities and requirements of the convicted.

Firstly, what are your opinions, and why?

Secondly, because many people will choose different sentences depending on the crime and circumstances, it becomes obvious that justice is a construction of the human mind and morality.
 

eudaimonia

Fellowship of Reason
Im just curious does atheist believe in Justice? If so, what about all the people who have lived and died whithout justice? Just bad Luck?

I don't believe that anyone has died without justice. Anyone who wrongs you has not gained anything. They have accomplished only their own degredation, whether they realize it or not. People who only seek unworthy goals only achieve unworthy lives. That is justice enough.


eudaimonia,

Mark
 

rojse

RF Addict
I don't believe that anyone has died without justice. Anyone who wrongs you has not gained anything. They have accomplished only their own degredation, whether they realize it or not. People who only seek unworthy goals only achieve unworthy lives. That is justice enough.


eudaimonia,

Mark

Instead of examining it in a spiritual sense, what about materialistically? For example, if a pack of hoodlums breaks into your house and smashes everything and burns all of your photos, although they are spiritually lessened, does this give you justice, or is justice only for them?
 

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
Instead of examining it in a spiritual sense, what about materialistically? For example, if a pack of hoodlums breaks into your house and smashes everything and burns all of your photos, although they are spiritually lessened, does this give you justice, or is justice only for them?
You may as well just ask, "What is justice?"
 

rojse

RF Addict
You may as well just ask, "What is justice?"

Justice is a human concept that says that people who do bad things get punished, those that do good are rewarded, and those that are the victims of bad things are compensated in some regard.
 
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