atheist/agnostic meaning and purpose

[knightofrelaxing]

Hi,

This post is directed for atheists and agnostics. Here is my question, "What purpose and meaning have you found in your life? What is important to you?"

For myself, the meaning and purpose I have at this point in time is to try to be as happy as possible and to be a good person. The reason that this is so is because I think that being sad/miserable/depressed/etc. is a waste of life. Why would I want to feel like that? I wouldn't, and so it's my main goal is to have a happy life. I want to be a good person too, because lets face it, evil sucks. When I do bad things I feel like crap, not happy. So being a good person is also very important to me.

My view on the universe and existence also supports my meaning and purpose. I think that life and the universe/existence are incredible wonders. I think that it is amazing to be alive and I think that all of us should be grateful for it. We should enjoy our lives and do good and in so doing we will make this world an awesome place.

 

[michel]

Hi knightofrelaxing,

I am not agnostic or atheist,but as I notice that this is your first visit here, I thought I would take the opportunity to welcome you to Religious Forums;


I hope that you would feel able to introduce yourself to the other members of the forum, by posting on:- Are you new to ReligiousForums.com?



Please feel free to ask questions, if you have any. You might like to check out our article with links for our newer members; from there, there is also a link to the forum rules which you ought to look at.

I hope you will enjoy being a member here.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

This post is directed for atheists and agnostics. Here is my question, "What purpose and meaning have you found in your life? What is important to you?"

For myself, the meaning and purpose I have at this point in time is to try to be as happy as possible and to be a good person. The reason that this is so is because I think that being sad/miserable/depressed/etc. is a waste of life. Why would I want to feel like that? I wouldn't, and so it's my main goal is to have a happy life. I want to be a good person too, because lets face it, evil sucks. When I do bad things I feel like crap, not happy. So being a good person is also very important to me.

My view on the universe and existence also supports my meaning and purpose. I think that life and the universe/existence are incredible wonders. I think that it is amazing to be alive and I think that all of us should be grateful for it. We should enjoy our lives and do good and in so doing we will make this world an awesome place.

Welcome. Thanks for an altogether excellent post.

 

[Ceridwen018]

I completely agree with you, KoR. I feel good whan I do good.

 

[standing_alone]

I would have to say that the meaning/purpose I have for my life is similar to yours. My aim is to do good for others/the world and to live a satisfying life.

 

[ladylazarus]

My purpose is to live, and it is meaningless.

 

[MdmSzdWhtGuy]

Like everybody else I feel good when I do nice things for others, and I feel bad when I do things which harm others. I do my best to do more good and less bad. I find meaning and purpose in my relationships with those I love. Because I don't think there is any evidence for an existence beyond the one I experience now, I feel it important to make the most out of the life I have.

Frankly I am having a hard time adding much to your initial post knight, I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head.

B.

 

[pandamonk]

And another do good feel good atheist here

 

[Atheist_Dave]

In the words of Carl Jung, "The meaning of life is to be all that you can, and die complete". This is what I strive to do with my life. Great post dude, frubals to you x x x x

 

[Abram]

By reading the posts you all should look into Buddhism. Budda was an atheist and was seeking to reform Hinduism. It gives a great guide and insight to life without the dogma of a God. I like to read a bit into it myself because there is wisdom to be found. But just a suggestion, take it or leave it.

 

[DakotaGypsy]

Perhaps this thread needs to be re-empowered.

 

[dorcas3000]

I have a question....if so many athiests find purpose in being 'good,' where does good come from? Is it a concept that humans have created? What makes it so universal?

 

[DakotaGypsy]

Um, being bad is kind of messy.

Sometimes a number of dead bodies can result if one is bad.

My goodness me, think of all those horrid mass graves in Bosnia, Iraq, Nazi Germany, various points in Africa.

I personally have a revulsion against heaps of dead bodies and I fail to see why so many religious folk are not similarly repulsed.

If dead bodies don't occur, there are horribly smelly rivers with undrinkable water and misshapen fish that are unspeakable.

So, frankly, being good and responsible and not making horrible smelly messes and also cleaning up messes that you make, it just makes sense.

Sorry it doesn't make sense to you.

 

[lovedmb]

Hi,

This post is directed for atheists and agnostics. Here is my question, "What purpose and meaning have you found in your life? What is important to you?"

For myself, the meaning and purpose I have at this point in time is to try to be as happy as possible and to be a good person. The reason that this is so is because I think that being sad/miserable/depressed/etc. is a waste of life. Why would I want to feel like that? I wouldn't, and so it's my main goal is to have a happy life. I want to be a good person too, because lets face it, evil sucks. When I do bad things I feel like crap, not happy. So being a good person is also very important to me.

My view on the universe and existence also supports my meaning and purpose. I think that life and the universe/existence are incredible wonders. I think that it is amazing to be alive and I think that all of us should be grateful for it. We should enjoy our lives and do good and in so doing we will make this world an awesome place.

For me my meaning and purpose is still found in the same places it always was. Maybe that is why I'm no longer a Christian. My meaning wasn't ever centered around the Bible, or the BoM (I was LDS), but around family, friends, and life.
I try to do my best, be my best, and offer everything I can to do for others, but I've never believed in ultimately sacrificing myself, my person, wholly to anything or anyone.
I want to be a "good" person, in the sense that I can look myself in the eye each morning when I look in the mirror. The only thing that has really altered for me is my need to lead others to "truth", to do it "my" way (or my religions way), leaving religion in my past has really helped me to develop my critical thinking skills and open my mind to others ideas. I think that this is helping me to enjoy others more, and life more as a result.
Good questions.

 

[d.]

where does good come from? Is it a concept that humans have created?

yes.

What makes it so universal?

it is not. it doesn't need to be.

 

[michel]

I have a question....if so many athiests find purpose in being 'good,' where does good come from? Is it a concept that humans have created? What makes it so universal?

Good question. Good is the opposite to bad (obviously), but even that is too vague. Is it 'good' for a Christian to try and persuade an atheist to become a Christian ? You might think it's 'good', but in fact, it would probably be maladaptive. Adaptive and maladaptive, swapped for 'good' and 'bad', give a much finer definition.

Being adaptive is doing something which is going to have a positive effect on those around . Nature itself defines things that are adaptive to growth (for plants read water, nutrients, sunshine).and therefore there is the lack of these things (which has to be maladaptive).

If we didn't have these two extremes (these oppositites) we would never appreciate the 'good' bits.

 

[dorcas3000]

it is not. it doesn't need to be.

How are goodness and morality not universal? I'm not talking about what constitutes goodness, but the concept of it is quite universal. If it has been created by humans, how do you propose that such a concept arose in several distinctly different cultures? If it is rational to be good, how did all races develop such rationality, to a point that they all acknowledge opposing forces of good and evil? Dozens of cultures happened to all create the same concept?

 

[lovedmb]

I have a question....if so many athiests find purpose in being 'good,' where does good come from? Is it a concept that humans have created? What makes it so universal?

I don't think it *is* universal. "Good" is subjective. What you might think is "good" I might disagree with. I know that my idea of "good" is often in conflict with the Christian version of "good".

I think that human's have a need to do what feels right to them. We learn these things through experiences, and in this way we learn empathy. I don't hit people, because I know that getting hit hurts. But if I am angry, or upset, and *want* to hurt someone I may hit them. It is human nature. I know that if I were down on my luck and hungry I would be grateful to have a meal provided to me, so we look at these things, (all of us) and we try to help. I think that religious people are the same, but someone has put these things in a book. But I think that even without that "direction" from the book, you would still do those things naturally.

 

[lovedmb]

How are goodness and morality not universal? I'm not talking about what constitutes goodness, but the concept of it is quite universal. If it has been created by humans, how do you propose that such a concept arose in several distinctly different cultures? If it is rational to be good, how did all races develop such rationality, to a point that they all acknowledge opposing forces of good and evil? Dozens of cultures happened to all create the same concept?

It's about survival. Lots of species do this. They care for one another, provide for each other, etc. It's instinctual. The concept *is* universal but not just among humans.

 

[d.]

How are goodness and morality not universal? I'm not talking about what constitutes goodness, but the concept of it is quite universal.

how do you separate the concept of 'good' from what constitutes it?

If it has been created by humans, how do you propose that such a concept arose in several distinctly different cultures?

with this logic, the concept of dragons cannot be a concept created by humans because it 'arose in several distinctly different cultures'.

If it is rational to be good, how did all races develop such rationality, to a point that they all acknowledge opposing forces of good and evil?

but they don't. the good/evil dichotomy is not a universal concept, but specific to certain cultures.