Sense of Purpose and Security Without Religion?

[Unveiled Artist]

Is there a way to have a sense of purpose and security without religion?

I find myself agreeing in my head with atheists more than my religion but not in my heart because I'm afraid of a cold unfeeling universe....

Personally, as an atheist my sense of security and purpose has came from my creativity. It gives me life and the first thing I want to live for even when all my loved ones have passed away or gone.

Finding security and purpose isn't specifically claimed by religion. You can find it through your family, through how you relate and find comfort in your environment, your friends, or just a sense of self and gratitude for living.

Sense and security is a human thing rather than a religion thing. It gives people the motivation to live regardless if they attribute it to morals or beliefs or just plain learning from experiences.

It really has nothing to do with belief in gods but how you feel about yourself at the very moment.

If religion isn't in your worldview, maybe list different "non religious" things and people that are important in your life-maybe those things and people you cannot live without. Also, if you're talking of god religions, god in abrahamic religions is seen as love (for example). Instead of seeing god as an outside being that you either have to believe or not, but god is an innate breathe within you and by your view of yourself and others lets you "live" to know god. People who understand god beyond what's written understands god doesn't discriminate. It's really impossible to. If you're in every living being and person, that breathe and love is unconditional.

Way to feel that security is how you see yourself in relation to self and others. Do you feel gratitude? Do you feel love? What is the source and/or core essence of your interactions, passions, and whats important to you. It doesn't need to be religion to have a sense of god in your life. Even as an atheist, everyone has "the breathe" of life. Just atheist tend not to attribute it to a god-religion. It's there nonetheless.

 

[sun rise]

Is there a way to have a sense of purpose and security without religion?

Yes. Many atheists and agnostics are more grounded in their own sense of purpose than many so-called believers.

I need to do some soul-searching...

I hope we can provide some perspective to help a bit with your search.

 

[MonkeyFire]

Skepticism is a lemon.

 

[shunyadragon]

Skepticism is a lemon.

Better the bitterness than the delusions of sweet dreams.

 

[David T]

Is there a way to have a sense of purpose and security without religion?

I find myself agreeing in my head with atheists more than my religion but not in my heart because I'm afraid of a cold unfeeling universe....

john Muir seemed to have been able to. He also said "stepping out I discovered I was really stepping in". So one can simply replace religion with another building but it's still a building with just another name.

Natures a something we assume we are familiar with but there is zero evidence of that being true for most people.

 

[David T]

Are you assuming that there is any true purpose to life to begin with?

Interesting word purpose. are lungs purposeless? they serve no functional purpose? I think we get all goofy on that word actually need better language for it.

 

[David T]

No idea. I'm constantly depressed and full of despair. I tend to think life is pointless and generally can't wait to die. I only like being drunk at this point. I'm not an atheist but I might as well be because I have been spiritually dead for years. I wish I could believe in a loving God like I used to and be part of a community.

maybe you haven't found your tribe. listen to this full on loud......then ask yourself, WHAT THE HELL IS AN ARTIST!!! cuz maybe you are.

community comes in many forms being weird is sometimes ok.

 

[Naama]

Well, I look at it this way. The universe got us to this place fine enough. Here we are.

Being we are an integral aspect of the universe, for which purpose and security follows, one could say is included in the package.

But according to science all of our race will die out one day....

 

[Jumi]

No idea. I'm constantly depressed and full of despair. I tend to think life is pointless and generally can't wait to die. I only like being drunk at this point. I'm not an atheist but I might as well be because I have been spiritually dead for years. I wish I could believe in a loving God like I used to and be part of a community.

I hope you will find some place where you are appreciated for who you are. I'm sure there a many of those, you've just not found them yet.

 

[Naama]

Also, if you're talking of god religions, god in abrahamic religions is seen as love (for example).

He definitely isn't in Judaism.

 

[Jumi]

Is there a way to have a sense of purpose and security without religion?

I find myself agreeing in my head with atheists more than my religion but not in my heart because I'm afraid of a cold unfeeling universe....

The only thing we need to have a sense of purpose is to be alive. Everything else is just extra, like an overcoat.

 

[Foxic]

No idea. I'm constantly depressed and full of despair. I tend to think life is pointless and generally can't wait to die. I only like being drunk at this point. I'm not an atheist but I might as well be because I have been spiritually dead for years. I wish I could believe in a loving God like I used to and be part of a community.

Your problem is in thinking that religion is a solution to happiness and that being an atheist is akin to utter despair.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

He definitely isn't in Judaism.

Yeah, that's more of a Catholic and Orthodox mystic revelation of God. I know that I experienced the Christian God as loving to such an extent that it seemed obsessive and stalkerish. Haha. He really doesn't let you go, pines after you and seeks you out when you run from Him.

The Muslim emphasis on God is as a master, from my more limited experience. But I'm sure that all 3 major Abrahamic sects have crossover in the mystical branches.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Your problem is in thinking that religion is a solution to happiness and that being an atheist is akin to utter despair.

No, many atheists report being happy and fulfilled in their atheism. I don't doubt that is how they experience it. I can see how someone can be an atheist and fulfilled with it though experiencing a sense of awe at the cosmos. I, personally, am not an atheist but I can understand other points of view.

 

[Trailblazer]

No idea. I'm constantly depressed and full of despair. I tend to think life is pointless and generally can't wait to die. I only like being drunk at this point. I'm not an atheist but I might as well be because I have been spiritually dead for years. I wish I could believe in a loving God like I used to and be part of a community.

I am so sorry to hear that. I used to be depressed and in despair all the time and only after I found faith again did that start to change. Years of therapy never helped me. I still have a predilection to depression so I have to be vigilant.

I won't pretend to understand how you feel because only you can know that. I also believe that God knows.

I believe God is loving but it is not always easy to believe that. I could be part of the Baha'i community but I choose not to because I do not feel like I belong since I always feel the others are so close to God and I am not. I also do not like socializing in person very well. I like forums a lot better.

I am glad you are here. It is good to have some kind of social outlet and people who care.

 

[Trailblazer]

I consider agnosticism and atheism better choices than other ancient religious beliefs like Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

So do I.

If it were not for the Baha'i Faith I would be an agnostic.

So would I.

 

[Mock Turtle]

But according to science all of our race will die out one day....

But that is not something you necessarily have to worry about, is it?

 

[Mock Turtle]

Is there a way to have a sense of purpose and security without religion?

I find myself agreeing in my head with atheists more than my religion but not in my heart because I'm afraid of a cold unfeeling universe....

I suspect that it requires courage, an open mind, and the willingness to accept doubt in many areas, to do without religion. (That's me , folks! ) The main thing that sustains me is the concept of freedom and the ability to ascribe meaning, to our lives and to others, such that overall what it gives to humanity is more hope than any religion might provide, simply because the answers they appear to have usually just shut down any or all possibilities for our futures - the end time, H and H, etc, - all based in speculation as far as I'm concerned. So for me, the endless possibilities for future human life - hopefully for the better and for all life - would be better off without all religions. I have no problem with a consensus view on morality coming to fruition, for example, because essentially we are at such a state if we discard the various interfering religious dogmas. A sense of purpose thus envisioned would be necessarily personal but is this so difficult to achieve and would it necessarily lead to anarchy?

 

[LukeS]

I have a p

Is there a way to have a sense of purpose and security without religion?

I find myself agreeing in my head with atheists more than my religion but not in my heart because I'm afraid of a cold unfeeling universe....

I think your view is based on a nihilism which views the mental as "mere material stuff" and concludes that because it doesn't matter to rocks and sand what we do to rocks and sand, it ought not matter to us what we do to ourselves. Bad logic really. Were a different species of entity.

"Mattering" is wired into us insofar as we have feelings and needs, and also as we live in relation to an external world which can be organised either benignly or detrimentally also. Its "rational" to choose that which benefits, as its rational to choose a better option. Its a potent logic that is appropriate to the state of affairs we're faced with.

So some form of rationality is our purpose, I call it 'rational attraction to being' and it comes on a sliding scale - it can occur either consciously when we reflect on then big picture, or in general everyday affairs like eating, sleeping, chatting online etc. but in a more pre-reflective fashion.

So rationality is a kind of mechanism, but also a pre-given project at the same time. The "being" bit, that's what our rationality relates us to, and maintains us in, for better or for worse according to our skill. (cf the "sliding scale" idea).


Its also not all vain because its all passing by, that's more bad logic. In fact without change and time we couldn't be purpose minded creatures with projects, adventures and quests, or nights in etc. So therefore change doesn't destroy purpose and meaning, its actually a pre-condition of it!

You cant make a sand castle (or a home) unless you're in a partner the space time continuum, yet the essence of 'raitonal attraction to being' remains as a mechanism and a goal.

Hope this helps.

 

[Vinayaka]

Is there a way to have a sense of purpose and security without religion?

I find myself agreeing in my head with atheists more than my religion but not in my heart because I'm afraid of a cold unfeeling universe....

I'm not sure if security is dependent on religion at all. I was raised atheist, and we were happy and secure in life. Some of my 'religious' friends were ridiculously insecure, worried about going to hell, worried about sinning, and more. We just went happily along, not worried about much at all. A fear based belief system certainly can't help people with security.