If they kept it to themselves, I'd care far less. But the problem is that they frequently don't, and frequently when they don't the consequences are dire.
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Why I Despise Religion
- Thread starter Rational Agnostic
- Start date
If they kept it to themselves, I'd care far less. But the problem is that they frequently don't, and frequently when they don't the consequences are dire.
What's wrong with simple logic?
No religioner can go beyond that logic, so they rely on faith.
The complexity you're alluding to could only continue by side stepping the fundamental point of God's existence. If there is no God, then every God-based religion is a sham. It all starts at that initial logic.
I'm not here trying to prove God doesn't exist, but I'm not the one shoving God-based morality down other people's throats. Those that want to, then needs to prove God exists.
Correct. In which case this discussion should be taking place within the scope of "Why I despite self righteous religious individuals", but that isn't the scope and many are blatantly refusing to take that step back.
I was so bored, I got tired trying to lift my fingers to answer his post. Yours was so much more exciting!
My point exactly.
It depends on how exactly people deal with that belief, of course.
I have met plenty of people that see it as justification for fanaticism, neglect, self-entitlement and worse, but I suppose many people do not have a similar experience.
I envy them.
Typically, abuse of afterlife beliefs involves convincing oneself that there will be specific rewards and/or punishments "where it really counts", that people have specific missions that others can't reasonably be expected to understand or accept, or other forms of alienation and inconsequence.
I can't say I ever met anyone who I thought would be better off if he or she only had a bit more of a belief in some form of an afterlife. Quite on the contrary.
Belief in afterlife should not encourage laziness and similar, you're the first one that I've heard giving this as an example. I've noticed around me that people actually have urge to do as much as possible because of the belief in the afterlife.
Rational Agnostic
Well-Known Member
I am not exactly sure where the line is between proselytizing and fervently expressing my opinion, but I did not intend to cross it with this thread. I would certainly contend that human beings are more evolved than other animals in many regards. Yes, I would love to be reunited with my loved ones and have another chance at life after death. This would be wonderful. Unfortunately I do not believe this is how it actually works, and see no evidence that this occurs. In my opinion, it is far better to be intensely realistic than to deceive oneself with ideas for which there is no evidence. Having said this, I am not telling you what to believe; I am fine with your beliefs as long as you do not frown upon those of us who do not share them.
Rational Agnostic
Well-Known Member
This seems illogical. If I believed I was going to be around for an eternity I would not have as much urgency to do things as I do believing that there is no afterlife.
Well you need to earn your ticket for the place so that's a motivation. Oh and also, I think you're having a wrong picture of afterlife - you (by my belief) won't need to have a job, education, eat, sleep and so on. Afterlife is not physical and the same as this life. Also all religions I know of motivate people to earn their place in the afterlife and pretty much teach that laziness is not a wise thing to do.
If there's no afterlife everything you do when alive is ultimately pointless, so why the urgency?
A Vestigial Mote
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah... you're loads of help. BTW, your addition of cutesy little emojis actually helps strip away the mask you probably thought they added over-top the passive-aggressive behavior you're projecting in these next 3 lines:
Your personal title is a contradiction in terms when compared with itself, and when compared against your opening post.
You cannot believe in Nihilism whislt still remaing an Agnostic AND a Theist, imo......
You cannot be a Theist if your OP is an accurate description of what you believe to be true.
... because they are sarcastic. Who admonishes someone's choices of title for themselves with a big, sappy grin on their face unless they are actually being quite a butt-head about it?
Apart from that, hell, go out there and blaze a trail of joy for yourself, or whatever you want. But it's a good idea to abide by the laws of the land that you live in, or you'll need to find your joys within a much smaller world.
Just figured you'd throw that bold part in there, eh? You'll probably deny it, but I see this as another passive aggressive jab at someone who doesn't hold as strong a belief in a deity as you, apparently, feel is required. Basically charging non-believers with being patently more prone to lawlessness or "sin." Ridiculous.
They don't have commandments that say "thou shalt not fight injustice," no. They just create the conditions to perpetuate injustice.
If someone you know is a non-swimmer is flailing in the water, you'll respond with greater urgency if you don't think they're wearing a lifejacket than if you think they are. In the same way, all else being equal, someone who thinks that their god is watching over a person in need will respond with less urgency than would someone who realizes that without their help, the person won't get help at all.
In what way?
The bolded part: how do you figure?
Why would there being an afterlife magically give life purpose if it didn't already have one?
This is a question that bothers me too. I still have no answer and remain a sort of closet nihilist. I often wonder. Considering I had actually planned to kill myself today, my belief that life is pointless seems to be deeprooted.
Yes, religious people do believe people possess a life jacket and are more detached from the world's ups and downs. But that is also a truth for religious people and a good thing for their internal well-being. They need to judge how to best 'trod the spiritual path with practical feet'.
On the other side of the coin, a materialist-atheist position would probably make many, myself included, more apathetic to everything.
Seemed clear. People caught in personal and health situations beyond their control are comforted with the greater perspective and the future ahead for them that religion teaches.
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oldbadger
Skanky Old Mongrel!
Rational Agnostic
Well-Known Member
I am concerned for you, and you really need to seek help if you are suicidal. I find nihilism liberating and emboldening, not depressing. Please do not end your life. There are many reasons why life is wonderful, even if only temporary.
I'm glad you didn't.
Namaste,
I went through as much of this thread as I could, well page 1 anyway. No one mentioned the obvious. The "we" you are using to identify yourself and the ones whose beliefs you wish to "straighten out" is a pronoun which refers only to the human body. Your vision of Reality is topsy-turvy. "We" are not humans who possess an immortal soul, we are immortal souls in possession of human bodies. So you are right in that regard. Our almost animal bodies will most assuredly become food for worms or ashes. And yes, the sun and universe (well, the ones you're referring to and others you didn't) will cease to "exist" some day (do they really exist now? Oh, but that's another thread!
)Why say "almost" animal bodies? Because there is a unique and important distinction between human bodies and all other bodies existent on this plane--mammalian and otherwise. Within the human body and no other is the sushumna nadi, a subtle "tube" roughly paralleling the spine which serves as the channel for divine energy; the energy which traverses it is something super-mundane--Spirit, if you will--or some call it by other names. Now, however, we are off into the religions, doesn't matter which one. It's experiencing "Spirit" which gives "religious people" their faith. And no need to admonish "us" to get busy living the life we want. Like you, we are while we can, thanks!