Comments on: On a life without a god or an afterlife.

By: Melanie Stephan

Melanie Stephan — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:31:21 +0000

We all have a desire to Live. I don’t want to die. Now I have had some really bad days when I wished I was dead. But I got past that, and the very next day I wanted to live again. I think it is instinctive for all creatures large and small to have a desire to live. I think my life has meaning. I have spent a lot of time learning, it would be a waste if all that just disappeared when I die. I look forward to waking up each day and wonder what I will find this day. I just can’t imagine that stopping. I don’t want to vanish, disappear when my body no longer can start up again in the morning.

By the way God told me that Richard Dawkins, well known ATHEIST, goes to Heaven. So one morning when your body just won’t get up you could be surprised to find yourself in Heaven. If an Atheist goes to heaven I would think a Non-Theist would too. Gods Messanger, Melanie

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:47:47 +0000

The answer to a “why” question begins with “Because” or in proper meaning “the cause be”. So by asking why, you are presuming a cause and thus a reason. In truth, there is no “why”, only “how”.

By: Frank Hagan

Frank Hagan — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 06:33:59 +0000

Pascal’s Wager is really not a choice between non-belief and all the various religions. Its facing the possibility that you could be wrong.

If you are wrong, what happens? Well, if you compare unbelief with most of the world’s religions, not much. You don’t go to hell in most of them; that’s a concept that some Jews, most Christians and most Muslims hold. So if you are hedging your bets, you don’t worry about the inconsequential problems if you are not a Buddhist; you look at the religions that, if you are wrong and they are right, are very bad for you.

Jews believe that Christians and Muslims go to heaven (usually based on the idea of good acts overriding bad acts), so you don’t have to become a Jew to satisfy the Wager. Your choice is to decide which remaining religion is the correct one. Your choice is unbelief (in which case, if you are wrong, you are in very sorry shape), or Christianity or Islam. Most of moderate Islam believes that “people of the book” will still go to heaven (Christians and Jews, based on how they have lived IIRC). So you can be a Christian and satisfy the requirement for Islam (unless you are already a Muslim).

The problem with Pascal’s Wager is not that it isn’t logical, its that it only serves to clarify the issues for those that believe God may exist, but don’t know which way to turn. But in the end, belief or non-belief has to be decided by the individual.

By: Colin Warwick

Colin Warwick — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:49:33 +0000

My recommendation is to read Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Speech. Second realize that if the Louvre offered to loan you the Mona Lisa for four score and ten years on the condition you gave it back after that you’d be a fool not to take it. Thirdly remember not to worry too much about the purpose of live (maybe there is one, but probably there isn’t: it’s not *for* anything, it’s the product of evolution by natural selection) but to worry about the purpose of your mind (which after all is what you are). The purpose of life maybe uncertain. But the purpose of your mind is absolutely clear (the reality principle of the Buddha and Freud): “seek happiness and avoid suffering, but bear in mind the time delay and the fact that what do you will come back to you”.

By: icroak

icroak — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:02:55 +0000

I misspoke when I said grand scheme. I didn’t mean it in the sense that there is a large plan at work created by somebody or something. All I meant is that we are pretty insignificant if you look at the scope of the entire universe and what has happened, is currently happening, and will continue to happen when our species ceases to exist. Sure we have to care about ourselves and what happens in our world. We are living in it so we need to make the best of it. But I think you looking for some kind of reason for us existing as a species, is something I think is left over from your former beliefs. The reason for existing religion provided you has left a hole.

Out of curiosity, are you the type that believes everything happens for a reason?

By: Sheogorath

Sheogorath — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:23:46 +0000

I don’t really think there is a grand scheme so to base your idea of whats important upon that is a bit foolish in my opinion. I’d have to argue that the evolution of the human race is certainly important to humans, it’s quite subjective though I will agree with you there. You define what is important in your world, or sphere of influence, however you like to view it. If you choose to think there is a large plan or something larger at work and that we’re low on the importance scale in that plan or working that’s fine. However I don’t think for a minute that there’s a plan or scheme at work that would place us any less or more important than any other sentient civilization that may exist in the galaxy.

By: icroak

icroak — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:37:41 +0000

I wouldn’t call it apathy myself. I mean I do care about us as humans existing. I enjoy being able at least catch a brief glimpse of our planet and the universe in general. However I don’t have any notions of us as a human race being important in the grand scheme of things. It’s a matter of scope and perception. In the greater scope of the universe and the time it has existed and will continue to exist, our evolution as a race is even less important than that crack in the sidewalk.

By: Sheogorath

Sheogorath — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:59:41 +0000

I’d have to say comparing evolution, or psychology to why there’s a crack in the sidewalk is a bit…well apathetic to be honest. Or am I reading your reply in the wrong manner?

By: icroak

icroak — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:00:21 +0000

I think one important thing that I myself have concluded, is that there isn’t supposed to be a reason for anything. I don’t believe there is a reason why we exist. Humans in general, most likely due to our social nature, feel the need to be part of something greater. Religion provides a nice story to fulfill this need.

My view is that everything that happens is simply a matter of cause and effect. Think of the universe as one massive collective domino effect, with each domino having fallen for no other reason than the previous one having pushed it. It’s hard to accept not knowing why the first domino was pushed to begin with, but if there is such a thing as infinity, then it exists both ways. We have our theories on the big bang, but who’s to say there wasn’t something before that? Something had to exist for the big bang to start.

To try to find meaning as to why we exist when we have a much larger mystery, scaling the situation down to our humanly level, is like looking for meaning in something as petty as someone having tripped on a sidewalk. There may definitely be a story as to how the sidewalk might have cracked due to a weak composition and maybe some earthquakes and heavy pedestrian traffic, and why the person was walking down that particular street, but ultimately there really isn’t a meaning behind it.