Ask an atheist (the second coming)

[El_Machinae]

There is a known dinosaur bed that has not completely fossilized. It's big news, and a headliner in the primary scientific literature.

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110614/full/news.2011.369.html

It's not completely certain that the tissue found is from the animals, or from something that lived in the bones after the animals died. It's a bit of a running debate, in the primary scientific literature.

 

[Lillefix]

I might be going to church this Christmas. It's up to my mother. As always. I find it quite boring though, and hope to avoid it. And there are so many people.

And the nitpicker in me has to point out that the dinosaurs never went completely extinct, but evolved into birds. Consequently we have lots of dinosaur bones around. Just not the cool kind.

 

[warpus]

Penguins are dinosaurs

 

[Gamemaster77]

How do some of you atheists deal with the prospect of death? Do you feel said believing that when you die your just gone forever? What about the point of living; what is the point of doing things to make yourself happy in life you are not going to remember any of it? What is the point of leaving behind a legacy and affecting other people if eventually all of the humans are going to be dead anyway, even if it is far in the future?

 

[Defiant47]

How do some of you atheists deal with the prospect of death?

I try not to worry about it too much.

Do you feel said believing that when you die your just gone forever?

Pretty much. It's the sad truth of life. No point in getting upset about it any more than getting upset that I wasn't born as an Egyptian king with boundless wealth, power, and slaves.

What about the point of living; what is the point of doing things to make yourself happy in life you are not going to remember any of it?

Well, I generally try to make others happy beyond just myself, to make a difference.

I have already rejected the notion that the idea that the present is fleeting means that attempting to better the present is pointless.

What is the point of leaving behind a legacy and affecting other people if eventually all of the humans are going to be dead anyway, even if it is far in the future?

What else is there to do?

 

[Ayatollah So]

DA: Your friend isn't going to be 100% correct all of the time, making him quite different from whatever actual determining force(s) may be present.

So, you admit that my predicted acts are free: this leaves you with the need for an explanation of why some predicted acts are free while others supposedly can't be. Also, suppose I tell my friend what I am about to do in every case. Now he can predict every action.

If he can predict exactly what you are going to do, then you have no free will in doing what you want. If you think of your actions as a tree (kind of like a tree of possible chess moves) then you'd be confined to one particular path along the tree. If you had free will you'd be able to pick a different path.

Non sequiturs. I am able to pick a different path. I won't pick a different path; that doesn't mean I can't.

 

[Gamemaster77]

What else is there to do?

I just think of the question "Would you have rather you not been born?". Of course if you have life you might as well live it out but otherwise would you have rather have not had to have built up such emotions, material worth, thoughts, and other stuff only to be tossed into the ground?

 

[Maniacal]

How do some of you atheists deal with the prospect of death?

As much as I dislike the thought of not existing again, death is inevitable and there is no point in worrying too much about it. Just enjoy your life and be a good person, and I have no need to lie to myself that everything is magically better after death.

Spoiler :

Do you feel said believing that when you die your just gone forever?

Yes and no. While I don't look forward to it I also don't know which idea scares me more, living forever or having an ending.

Spoiler :

What about the point of living

Besides the biological need to reproduce, enjoying life, being a good person and not trying to harm others is reason enough.

what is the point of doing things to make yourself happy in life you are not going to remember any of it?

Not living a happy life would be extremely pointless and a waste of your life. Besides, there is no guarantees you will remember everything you did in life in the afterlife anyway. Not too mention lots of people spend and have spent their lives accumulating great wealth and power in the name of religion (priests are often holders of wealth and power), none of which matters after they die (and certainly isn't helping them get into heaven or whatever).

What is the point of leaving behind a legacy and affecting other people if eventually all of the humans are going to be dead anyway, even if it is far in the future?

I assume it is somehow tied to the biological need to reproduce, but I really have no idea why people (regardless of beliefs) feel the need to leave a legacy. A legacy isn't important if there is an afterlife or not too.

 

[Smellincoffee]

How do some of you atheists deal with the prospect of death? Do you feel said believing that when you die your just gone forever? What about the point of living; what is the point of doing things to make yourself happy in life you are not going to remember any of it? What is the point of leaving behind a legacy and affecting other people if eventually all of the humans are going to be dead anyway, even if it is far in the future?

I've never had a problem with death, never wanted an afterlife.

As for the point of living...I'd say living IS the point. I'm here; I see no reason not to embrace the fact. And sure, all of our actions are ultimately pointless, but who needs an ultimate point? What's the point of eating when you're going to die eventually? Why start running if you have to stop sooner or later?

Because running is fun. Human beings do not need to be masters of the universe and possessors of some 'ultimate truth' to enjoy themselves and lead fulfilling lives.

 

[warpus]

How do some of you atheists deal with the prospect of death? Do you feel said believing that when you die your just gone forever?

I don't feel sad believing that there is nothing after life, because what I believe doesn't affect reality.

I feel an uneasy suspense about death from time to time because I know it's coming.. but I don't really spend too much time dwelling on it. It happens to everyone, so.. I will deal with it when the time comes.

What about the point of living

For me? The point of living is to explore the Earth, meet new people, have meaningful relationships with them, eat bacon, play and watch soccer, drink beer, fondle women, build web applications, and play video games... and read! and a whole bunch of other stuff.

For you it's probably different, but at least what we know for sure is that you at least enjoy bacon unless you're Jewish or Muslim.

what is the point of doing things to make yourself happy in life you are not going to remember any of it?

Of course one day you are not going to remember anything, because one day you're going to be senile... and then dead.

If you want to go living through life like an emo kid just cause one day you're not going to remember anything then you're just doing it wrong. Life is about experiencing the now and enjoying the company of other people.. among other things.

Finding enjoyment in the NOW is a fundamental human quality.. I think. We can all do it. That's the answer to your questoin.

What is the point of leaving behind a legacy and affecting other people if eventually all of the humans are going to be dead anyway, even if it is far in the future?

We don't know that at all. Who knows what the future holds.

One day the continents are going to look a lot different, due to them slowly moving over time... This means that eventually there is not going to be a New York. Does that mean that we should just abandon it? I hope not

 

[warpus]

Non sequiturs. I am able to pick a different path. I won't pick a different path; that doesn't mean I can't.

If you can pick a different path, then how can your friend predict which one you're going to take? Can he read your mind?

 

[Whiskey_Lord]

Better question: what is the point of obsessing over whether life has an intrinsic purpose or not? Seems like human vanity to me. I'm just thankful to be alive despite all the misery religion has caused me. I'm not going to whine about the fact that someday I have to go back to how I was before I was born.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

How do some of you atheists deal with the prospect of death?

Same as most theists I guess.

Do you feel sad believing that when you die your just gone forever?

Of course. But wishing it were different doesn't make it so.

What about the point of living; what is the point of doing things to make yourself happy in life you are not going to remember any of it?

How don;t I remember it? I remember it every day I'm alive.

What I find puzzling is how people spend time worrying about the afterlife instead of this life.

What is the point of leaving behind a legacy and affecting other people if eventually all of the humans are going to be dead anyway, even if it is far in the future?

I'm not too concerned with leaving a legacy.

 

[bathsheba666]

How do some of you atheists deal with the prospect of death?

I don't think of it that often.
I worked all that out a long time ago, no need to dwell on past thoughts unless they are particularly interesting.

Do you feel said believing that when you die your just gone forever?

No.
I wasn't feeling sad before I was born; and I'm hardly likely to afterwards.

What about the point of living;

What's your point ?

what is the point of doing things to make yourself happy in life you are not going to remember any of it?

I remember it now; that is sufficient.

What is the point of leaving behind a legacy and affecting other people if eventually all of the humans are going to be dead anyway, even if it is far in the future?

They will remember it then; that is sufficient.

Actually, which is more sad?

Living the few years you have in an honest and enjoyable manner and confronting the realities of existence, as needed?.
Or spending the only time you have obsessing about a delusion; a consensual hallucination about a fairy - all in order to gain a purchase over some time that doesn't exist ?


Link to video.

Dr Hook understood, they just had the wrong target.

 

[Maniacal]

Better question: what is the point of obsessing over whether life has an intrinsic purpose or not? Seems like human vanity to me. I'm just thankful to be alive despite all the misery religion has caused me. I'm not going to whine about the fact that someday I have to go back to how I was before I was born.

I'm pretty bloody happy just to be a young white male and Canadian. It gives me a potential advantage in enjoying my life the way I want to that many people don't have.

I think a lot of people I know really take a lot for granted.

 

[El_Machinae]

How do some of you atheists deal with the prospect of death?

It pisses me right the hell off. Lots of theists implicitly want to live forever, but I explicitly do so. I'd prefer a world where the only human death was voluntary, and involuntary death is (to me) a giant injustice and tragedy.

To me the question is like "how do you feel about being mutilated slowly by war with the tribe over the hill?"

"Oh, happens to everyone, I guess. I try not to think about it. Oh, I exercise, you know, just in case, so I can fight better, but I know eventually I'll be mutilated by that enemy tribe"

That's just NOT the right answer! No, I'm not interested in being mutilated to death. I'm not interested in watching my loved ones being mutilated to death. Heck, or strangers. You know what could defeat that enemy tribe? Technology, resources, wisdom, focus.

 

[JonBonham]

What is the point of leaving behind a legacy and affecting other people if eventually all of the humans are going to be dead anyway, even if it is far in the future?

They are going to all be dead anyways even in the religious PoV? If heaven is mans future and all that, why do theists bother on caring for planet and leaving a legacy?

I hope to get an answer from you but since its also an ask an atheist thread, the point of all that is that because all we have is this world and this life, and so what matter's is what we do with it. To put it in someone else's words,

"If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now. If there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world."

 

[Gamemaster77]

They are going to all be dead anyways even in the religious PoV? If heaven is mans future and all that, why do theists bother on caring for planet and leaving a legacy?

Most theists I know believe life now is like practice for the after life. You need to gain everything now so you know who you are in the afterlife.

We don't know that at all. Who knows what the future holds.

One day the continents are going to look a lot different, due to them slowly moving over time... This means that eventually there is not going to be a New York. Does that mean that we should just abandon it? I hope not

Well I am talking about the way distant future, when the sun runs out of juice, a black hole gets a little too close, a sun explodes, or the universe starts shrinking again.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Most theists I know believe life now is like practice for the after life. You need to gain everything now so you know who you are in the afterlife.

Most theists I know say they believe that, but then go on to live their live exactly as I do. As if there is no afterlife. So I'm not so sure whether they actually believe in the afterlife, or it's just something they tell themselves.

Because when you think about it, believing in an afterlife would mean drastic changes in how you live your life. Much more drastic than theists usually display.

 

[mayor]

Most theists I know say they believe that, but then go on to live their live exactly as I do. As if there is no afterlife. So I'm not so sure whether they actually believe in the afterlife, or it's just something they tell themselves.

Because when you think about it, believing in an afterlife would mean drastic changes in how you live your life. Much more drastic than theists usually display.

why? isn't the reverse also a possibility? You living the life that would lead you to said afterlife?
(I am assuming we are talking about the afterlife that is heaven and leave hell out of the picture for the sake of simplifying things and me assuming you lead a "good" life )