Without God(s), what is the point?!

[KWED]

I suppose my personal issue is that that's all there is to life without a god. I have no grand purpose and heaven on earth won't happen. All there is is to find joy in simple things. Maybe that's not enough for me. I've been fixated on serving a grand purpose and higher power for so long, and now I am finding out all there is is to be happy. Is being happy enough?

The only reason that we think we are different to any other species on the planet is because we have the ability to think we are different to any other species on the planet.

 

[KWED]

Without Gods, there is no life. Simple.

But we are here, and gods probably don't exist, so...

 

[KWED]

the existential pointlessness would always try to rear its head.

Trust me. It doesn't.

 

[KWED]

I can understand being comfortable with this no God thinking but the idea that we are just a quick blip and our consciousness extinguished forever is not so easy to overcome. (And all the people and things we care about are to be soon extinguished forever.) All these things that you talk about are their own quick blips. Why struggle so often? It seems to me like the atheist-materialist needs to manufacture an importance to all this to stay sane.

No. I am perfectly happy in my acceptance of the ultimate pointlessness of existence. It does not affect my enjoyment of my "blip".
You may as well say that there is no point in watching a movie because it will be over in a couple of hours.

 

[George-ananda]

Trust me. It doesn't.

Some of us have more of a philosophical bent than others.

 

[KWED]

It's real grand! You are to move humanity closer to the end of all human suffering, with God's help of course. At least that's what I perceived.

Why doesn't god just end human suffering?
In fact, why did he create it in the first place?

Atheists don't have a plan to eradicate human suffering.

Some do. However, "atheism" is simply the rejection of the existence of gods. It is not a political or social or ideological position. Atheists can be fascists, conservatives, socialists, Marxists, etc. They can can be pacifists or militarists.
But the key point is that whatever atheists do, they don't think that they will be getting any magical help. It is entirely down to us - so whatever their plan it is more likely to succeed than the religious one of waiting for god to sort out our problems.

 

[KWED]

Some of us have more of a philosophical bent than others.

Maybe some of us just deal with such "philosophical" issues in a more practical and effective way?
Pointlessly worrying about meaningless stuff is not "philosophical".

 

[George-ananda]

Maybe some of us just deal with such "philosophical" issues in a more practical and effective way?
Pointlessly worrying about meaningless stuff is not "philosophical".

Sounds there like you are starting the argument with the conclusion that it is 'meaningless stuff'.

I don't suggest worrying about 'meaningless stuff', but philosophy and spirituality has given me meaningful stuff.

 

[ChristineM]

the idea that we are just a quick blip and our consciousness extinguished forever is not so easy to overcome.

Yes it is, ask the universe whether it cares about human consciousness and listen to the silence in reply.
I found it very easy to let go of belief in god once i examined the big picture.

And all the people and things we care about are to be soon extinguished forever.

Well yes, but their atoms will go on for ever as per the 1st law of thermodynamics. So our atoms continue and may help create new life. In that way we all are, to some extent, made of dead people.

All these things that you talk about are their own quick blips.

That's life.

Why struggle so often?

Life is a struggle for you as much as for me. I rely on myself to overcome problems.

It seems to me like the atheist-materialist needs to manufacture an importance to all this to stay sane.

It seems to me that a theist needs to manufacture an importance in a god belief to help cope with all this stuff called life in order to stay sane.

 

[George-ananda]

Yes it is, ask the universe whether it cares about human consciousness and listen to the silence in reply.

Maybe our minds are too filled with our own chatter to hear anything else. I consider what is said by those that claim experience of deeper levels of consciousness.

Well yes, but their atoms will go on for ever as per the 1st law of thermodynamics. So our atoms continue and may help create new life. In that way we all are, to some extent, made of dead people.

The atoms themselves carry nothing of the individual consciousness. I find nothing significant in my bodily wastes or decay. (That argument just doesn't make sense to me.)

It seems to me that a theist needs to manufacture an importance in a god belief to help cope with all this stuff called life in order to stay sane.

Well I was talking more about continuation of eternal consciousness than a god belief but for me it starts with the objective question: is there more than is explainable in materialist philosophy? After studying the so-called paranormal and spiritual for decades I do not feel I am 'manufacturing' my beliefs but following the path of reason and evidence.

If I thought the information led to a materialist philosophy, I would accept that.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I'm struggling to understand the purpose of life without God.

Well then what is the purpose of life with God if there is none without God? If a leaf has no value then neither does a tree. If 5 minutes have no value then neither does a year have any value. Your question (our question since we all ask it) is either arrogant or somehow overweening demanding superhuman ability. We are tiny creatures faced with a choice, not creatures with the ability to decide whether there is purpose. The choice is: is life good and worthwhile or is it not? It is life or suicide. You decide. You are asking me to take away your choice by telling you your purpose. I mustn't do that. Your choice is important.

Debate point: there is no point in life without God.
Someone told me that the point is to leave the world better than you left it for future generations. Perhaps that's true. But you're dead and unconscious, so so what. I'm just negative maybe.

Wrong assumption in my opinion. We don't have the capacity to determine the context of reality, so we can't say there is or is no purpose.

But I say life is a worthwhile thing and ought to be considered a gift. If I am correct then it implies that there is a purpose, but it is only in that. If I am wrong then there is no purpose.

 

[ChristineM]

I consider what is said by those that claim experience of deeper levels of consciousness

I conside a claimed deeper consciousness to be a self seving ego trip.

The atoms themselves carry nothing of the individual consciousness. I find nothing significant in my bodily wastes or decay. (That argument just doesn't make sense to me.)

Consciousness ends at death of the individual

Some of those atoms along with a few chemicals are what creates individual consciousness

Well I was talking more about continuation of eternal consciousness than a god belief but for me it starts with the objective question: is there more than is explainable in materialist philosophy? After studying the so-called paranormal and spiritual for decades I do not feel I am 'manufacturing' my beliefs but following the path of reason and evidence.

As i said, consciousness dies with the individual, there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.

I don't see that as an objective questions.

You follow your own path

If I thought the information led to a materialist philosophy, I would accept that.

Well the 1st law of thermodynamics could be helpful.

 

[paradox]

Without God there is no afterlife.
There will always be people trying to answer afterlife, for this reason it's impossible to remove God.

 

[KWED]

Sounds there like you are starting the argument with the conclusion that it is 'meaningless stuff'.

There is no evidence or rational argument to support the position that our existence has some ultimate purpose. Therefore that claim can be dismissed until such evidence or argument is presented. It is actually the usual approach of "there must be" or "life would be meaningless without it" that assumes the conclusion.

I don't suggest worrying about 'meaningless stuff', but philosophy and spirituality has given me meaningful stuff.

Is I said, we provide our own personal version of "meaning" or "purpose", depending on a number of contributory factors.

 

[paradox]

There is no evidence or rational argument to support the position that our existence has some ultimate purpose.

Our ultimate purpose is to survive.
And procreation is first most important way to survive.

That's how all life functions on earth.

 

[KWED]

Maybe our minds are too filled with our own chatter to hear anything else.

And maybe belief in the supernatural is the "chatter" that prevents you form accepting reality for what it is.

I consider what is said by those that claim experience of deeper levels of consciousness.

Why? It appears to be mere wishful thinking/confirmation bias.

The atoms themselves carry nothing of the individual consciousness.

Indeed, because the evidence suggests that consciousness is merely a product of the physical brain.

I find nothing significant in my bodily wastes or decay. (That argument just doesn't make sense to me.)

Neither do I. (What argument?)

After studying the so-called paranormal and spiritual for decades I do not feel I am 'manufacturing' my beliefs but following the path of reason and evidence.

And yet, the "reason and evidence" seems to rely entirely on simply accepting the claims of others with a similar interest.

If I thought the information led to a materialist philosophy, I would accept that.

Why should evidence lead to any kind of "philosophy"?
My position that consciousness is probably a product of the physical brain, that changes when the brain changes, and dies when the brain dies, it simply based on what the evidence points to. It is not a "philosophy", just an acceptance of what appears to be the way things are.
This seems to be a common error amongst religionists - that because their position requires an element of faith and belief, a Philosophy" that must be argued rather than demonstrated, then everyone else does as well. Not so.

 

[KWED]

Without God there is no afterlife.

Why not? There could be an afterlife that is a natural function of the universe. No more fantastical that an afterlife created by a god. In fact, it requires one less level of unexplained complexity so it is a better explanation than the god afterlife.
You're welcome.

There will always be people trying to answer afterlife, for this reason it's impossible to remove God.

Wrong. It is easy to remove god. Or rather, there is no need to remove something that is not there.

 

[paradox]

Why not? There could be an afterlife that is a natural function of the universe. No more fantastical that an afterlife created by a god. In fact, it requires one less level of unexplained complexity so it is a better explanation than the god afterlife.
You're welcome.

This makes no sense at all, after death body gets decomposed and nothing is left, so what does afterlife consist of?
What makes you you in afterlife?

Wrong. It is easy to remove god. Or rather, there is no need to remove something that is not there.

If it's so easy then why don't you convince billions of believers?
You also need to handle those unborn which will seek afterlife if you somehow convince everybody.

 

[LuisDantas]

I'm struggling to understand the purpose of life without God. Atheists, do you simply chase happiness and contentment with your days? Is that all there is without God?

I suppose. But it really depends a lot of what you are calling "God" exactly. I suspect that you are subsumming into the idea much that we do not.

When I was a Christian , I served a higher power and had a purpose. My actions and thoughts affected the metaphysical world. My purpose was to serve Jesus Christ and help reclaim the world for Him. Even after letting go of Christianity, still retaining some belief in God and karma, I served a higher purpose. The reclamation of this world for the benevolent yet not omnipotent God.
Now as I question my belief in God altogether, I am left wondering what my purpose would be without serving a god. My whole life revolved around my spiritual practice, and I am losing it. I don't see the point in life without a god. So perhaps I will be intellectually dishonest to myself and return to Christianity. Or perhaps many other things. Can become a polytheist or animist. Those would give me purpose too I think.

Not all people - and quite possibly not even most people - are suitable to or even compatible with an attitude of serving a deity.

But if I were atheist, I fail to see how I would carry on. God has been my crutch since forever. Knowing that sky daddy is watching over me and taking care of me and has a plan for me is a powerful, motivating belief. Why do you think so many fail to ever let the God belief go?

There are a few powerful reasons, which are to a considerable extent shaped by social environment.

Here in Brazil there are many Christians indeed. Far too many, with far too much influence. So many and so careless with their voices that a huge contingent of Brazilians has learned to deal with them by pursuing the quietest possible disregard. That resulted in a common perception that, lacking clear reason to the contrary, the average person should attempt to humor Christian claims without confrontation even if there is no respect whatsoever for the claims themselves.

Odd as it is, we Brazilians live in a society that considers it rude to clearly deny belief in some variety of the Christian deity unless some attempt is made to control the listening public. How that can be made without some combination of censure and lying, I can't begin to guess.

Which is one reason for the persistence of theism: some societies directly demand people to pay at least lip tribute to it. Even when larger society does not, more proximate circles often do. That by turn causes further confusion and censure, as people learn that keeping the appearance of belief is a social demand even if belief itself can't be changed by demand.

It is really very difficult to make accurate statements about numbers of believers and unbelievers, because there are such strong taboos, prejudices and fears against gauging both superficial appearances and deeper feelings about either of those two concepts.

Debate point: there is no point in life without God.

That is not true, as any atheist will promptly tell you.

Someone told me that the point is to leave the world better than you left it for future generations. Perhaps that's true. But you're dead and unconscious, so so what. I'm just negative maybe.

People's motivations and emotional drives vary considerably. Some of us atheists, quite possibly most, find it preferable to put our hopes and faith in the contributions that we expect to survive ourselves than in anything that relies on entities that we do not find convincing.

The preacher of Ecclesiastes questioned the point of life. I resonate with him.
Maybe I just need to accept that I can live a simple life. No need for a higher grand purpose. Maybe finding contentment in simplicity is the point of life.

For many people it is indeed.

 

[PureX]

I'm struggling to understand the purpose of life without God.

To fulfill our role in the great existential event as best we can does not require that we acknowledge any gods. Nor that we reject them. Yet it gives us meaning and purpose in that we each contribute our uniqueness to the whole of 'what is'. And to each other. And to the 'world'. Your contribution to the whole is welcomed, and appreciated, and important.

"Every being in the universe
is an expression of the Tao.
It springs into existence,
unconscious, perfect, free,
takes on a physical body,
lets circumstances complete it.
That is why every being
spontaneously honors the Tao."​

Maybe I just need to accept that I can live a simple life. No need for a higher grand purpose. Maybe finding contentment in simplicity is the point of life.

Nothing has been lost that now needs to be found. Only nonsense acquired that needs to be let go of. What you're seeking is already yours, and always has been.