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

[KWED]

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?

You are missing the point.
An afterlife is a nonsensical concept in the first place, but a naturalistic one is less nonsensical than a supernatural one.

If it's so easy then why don't you convince billions of believers?

Because childhood indoctrination is very difficult to break. However, you claimed that it is "impossible to remove god". This is easily disproved by all the people who have removed god from their life, or who never had one.

You also need to handle those unborn which will seek afterlife if you somehow convince everybody.

Whuh? Belief in an afterlife is instilled by others (usually through childhood indoctrination). It is not innate. This is shown by the many different versions of an afterlife, depending on the culture, time and place, as well as those with no concept of an afterlife.

 

[paradox]

An afterlife is a nonsensical concept in the first place, but a naturalistic one is less nonsensical than a supernatural one.

An argument for afterlife in supernatural sense is spirit.
What argument do you have for naturalistic afterlife?

Because childhood indoctrination is very difficult to break. However, you claimed that it is "impossible to remove god". This is easily disproved by all the people who have removed god from their life, or who never had one.

impossible to remove from humanity.

Whuh? Belief in an afterlife is instilled by others (usually through childhood indoctrination). It is not innate.

This is simply not true, new religious and spiritual movements are poping out all the time since ancient times and even today and people join new movements not because of indocrtination.
Of those who join are those who are not believers already.
Here is a long list for you:
List of new religious movements - Wikipedia

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

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?
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.
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?
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.

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.

The first thing anyone who hopes to find meaning in life must do is to abandon the idea that it is going to be given to them from outside -- from God, or from religion. Your meaning isn't yours unless it is truly yours, unless it comes from you and satisfies your needs.

The way you describe your falling away from Christianity suggests you've already come to realize that when people say "God gives my life meaning," they really cannot have any idea of what that meaning can be. How, then, can it be theirs?

Real spirituality is losing that sense of "self" that separates you from the rest of the world. Some of the people most at peace with the world are the ones that serve the world -- the Doctors Without Borders who go around the world treating those who would otherwise have no treatment, or the Boy Scout who helps an elderly person carry their groceries home. Though they sound quantitatively different, qualitatively they are equal. You begin to lose that sense of "self" when you subsume it to attention to the needs of others.

Life is its own purpose, and that is the sad truth for many people who hold to ideas of a purpose given by gods. And by being a live person who is part of all life, and contributing to life's purpose (which is merely to continue) can be spiritually uplifting. Keeping this planet fit for life, ensuring that species don't go extinct, focusing on the fact that there is an indefinite future in which, while you may not always play a part, the parts you play while you are in it will contribute to the future of all life like a wave rippling out from a stone dropped into a pond.

I think, if one has a mind to, one can find a lot of meaning, and spiritual well-being, in that.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

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?
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.
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?
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.

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.

Interesting. I see things the opposite way: if God were to exist, what would be the point of my life?

I mean, what possible difference could my existence make to anything important?

If there's something in the world that needs doing but *I* don't do it, would God leave it undone? No... right?

So if any worthwhile thing will happen regardless of whether I do it or not, I have zero effect on the end result. My existence would be perfectly redundant, and therefore perfectly meaningless.

 

[Link]

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?
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.
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?
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.

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.

God exists whether you acknowledge him or not. Whether you deny him or not, you still have meaning, even though without him, you would not be able to.

There is no objective meaning if no God, but some argue you can create meaning for yourself. I believing creating purpose and meaning is only possible if there is object meaning.

However, you have object meaning whether you know God exists or not.

 

[KWED]

An argument for afterlife in supernatural sense is spirit.

That's not an "argument", it's just a word.

What argument do you have for naturalistic afterlife?

I don't have to have one other than it is more reasonable than a supernatural one - because we know naturalistic explanations exist but there are no proven supernatural explanations.

impossible to remove from humanity.

Many gods have been removed from humanity.

This is simply not true, new religious and spiritual movements are poping out all the time since ancient times and even today and people join new movements not because of indocrtination.
Of those who join are those who are not believers already.
Here is a long list for you:
List of new religious movements - Wikipedia

Those new religious movements were started by people with an existing knowledge of religion. That existing knowledge usually comes from indoctrination.
It is a simple fact that people generally learn about religion from their parents/family/community and follow the same religion as their parents/family/community.
There appear to be many more ex-religious atheists than lifelong atheists who converted to a religion.

 

[KWED]

God exists whether you acknowledge him or not.

God doesn't exist, whether you believe in him or not.
(See how easy that was?)

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

God exists whether you acknowledge him or not. Whether you deny him or not, you still have meaning, even though without him, you would not be able to.

There is no objective meaning if no God, but some argue you can create meaning for yourself. I believing creating purpose and meaning is only possible if there is object meaning.

However, you have object meaning whether you know God exists or not.

In my opinion, whether the Christian God or any other god is real or not cannot be demonstrated empirically or independently by anyone, including myself, you, or anyone else. Since humans lack omniscience, omnipotence, and the ability to exist everywhere at once, no human has ever searched through all of space and time to provide verifiable and empirical evidence for the existence of deities. I think we choose to believe or not believe in deities or anything supernatural based on the limited information we have.

I was a Christian and I only believed in the Christian God, but now I'm a Wiccan and a polytheist who believes in multiple gods and goddesses. However, I am unable to independently and scientifically prove the existence of these gods and goddesses. By the same token, I am unable to independently and empirically prove whether the Christian God exists or does not exist. And even though I am unable to demonstrate the existence of any deities, I still choose to believe because I believe in the afterlife and I have reasons for my spiritual beliefs. However, I'm aware that because my belief in these deities is only supported by anecdotal evidence, it doesn't satisfy the requirements for empirical and verifiable evidence. Likewise, Christians who claim, "God saved me and transformed my life" or "I experience God's presence in my life, so I know he is real," fall short of the standards for empirical and verifiable evidence as well.

 

[Tinker Grey]

“Asking, ‘If there is no God, what is the purpose of life?’ is like asking, ‘If there is no master, whose slave will I be?’ If your purpose of life is to submit as a slave, then your meaning comes from flattering the ego of a person whom you should detest.” ~Dan Barker (The Good Atheist)

 

[Link]

In my opinion, whether the Christian God or any other god is real or not cannot be demonstrated empirically or independently by anyone, including myself, you, or anyone else. Since humans lack omniscience, omnipotence, and the ability to exist everywhere at once, no human has ever searched through all of space and time to provide verifiable and empirical evidence for the existence of deities. I think we choose to believe or not believe in deities or anything supernatural based on the limited information we have as human beings. I used to be a Christian and I only believed in the Christian God, but now I'm Wiccan and a polytheist who believes in many gods and goddesses. However, I am unable to independently and scientifically prove the existence of these gods and goddesses. By the same token, I am unable to independently and empirically prove whether the Christian God exists or does not exist. And even though I am unable to demonstrate the existence of any gods or goddesses, I still choose to believe because I believe in the supernatural and I have personal reasons for my beliefs. However, I am aware that because my belief in these deities is only supported by anecdotal evidence, it does not satisfy the requirements for empirical and verifiable evidence. Similar to anecdotal evidence, a Christian who claims, "God saved me and transformed my life" or "I experience God's presence in my life, so I know he is real," falls short of the standards for empirical and verifiable evidence as well.

Salam

I understand where you are coming from. For five years I tried this personal journey type thing. I was even happier when I was non-Muslim then now. By a lot, and most of it was getting the concern of hell for others gone. But meaning wise, I was lost. It was good I converted to Islam or I believe the temporary happiness was on a verge to eventually go away as well.

In my view, when people rely on subjective journey, they will have errors in their conclusions, they will have problems in their views. However, if people take council from God's friends who took council from God's chosen, and council each other, and work out the "problems" they might have with God's guidance, they will find God through his guidance, shows enough analysis if we reflect to know the truth as far as our guidance needs are.

What complicates this is people holding on the sources of guidance, have not united on them and didn't council each other with compassion, humbleness, and generosity to guide one another. Instead, despite knowledge, we rebel and envy some, and the chosen guides rights were not given their proper due. Instead apathy, hate, or envy towards the family of the reminder has become a norm among Muslims.

I do believe "creeds" and "proving them to others" is beneficial. God to me is proven to the extent I am sure without him, I would be an illusion with no basis and that chaotic winds would form who I am as opposed to his perfect judgment analyzing and forming who I am.

 

[Ella S.]

I don't want to debate with you, but I'll tell you what personally gets me out of bed in the morning despite my lack of a belief in any higher power or transcendent morality.

Hacking. It's my passion. It enflames my heart. I'm definitely not the world's greatest hacker, but the subject fascinates me. I could (and have) spend days studying and practicing the artform.

More than that, it's a tool. It can be used responsibly and legally for cybersecurity defense, which can protect people from all sorts of bad actors. That feels very meaningful to me.

I'm a mess many days, but I was the kind of kid that would figure out how to get around all of the internet blocks at school and teach everyone else. It's always been a source of stability in my life and I find it fulfilling.

Outside of that, mindfulness meditation helps me center myself in the reality of the moment and, in my experience, it's a more useful train of thought than constantly questioning if this is all there is to life. YMMV.

 

[Alien826]

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?
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.
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?
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.

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.

I think your first task is to come to terms with your new reality. Imagine that for all your childhood your parents told you that you had a rich uncle who was putting money in an account that you would receive when you were adult. The only downside was that you had to be "good" or the uncle would stop making payments. Then you find out that it was all a trick to control you and there was no money waiting. I'm sure that it would come as a great shock. To get over it though you must first accept that it was never there. Then realize that your life today is no different, other than that the motivation to be "good" has gone away. Finally, and this might be the hardest part, realize that being good is still what you want (hopefully it is) and you just have to find better reasons. which on reflection you realize will have a firmer base than your nonexistent uncle provided.

This isn't easy by any means, but worth the effort, imo.

 

[YoursTrue]

Perhaps my narcissism is just showing when I'm thinking I'm gonna be dead so so what. Everything you say makes sense. Just, acts of benevolence loses its grand nature. No longer will I be doing the work of a god, as well as creating good karma for myself and the world, I'll just be being a nice neighbor. And that's ok I suppose.

Here's what I think: if a person does not believe in God but thinks it's good to do good for others, naturally helping others usually makes the recipientand the giver feel good. It's a "natural" response, <smile>, perhaps not one of "natural selection." Such actions give the giver something positive to experience. But...let's take a maniacal criminal, for instance -- he can accept good things from others, even give good things to others, but will that change his thinking about doing crimes? There are some things hard, very hard, to change in a person's psyche. Therefore I conclude that doing good for others AS WELL AS showing them what they must do in God's eyes is what's good. But that becomes a sticky problem which is why I think some people do not believe in God--because they see things in the religion that can be/are harmful to one's psyche and others, because they do not teach a person to have a close friendship with the God of truth and justice. That's my opinion and answer to your post.

 

[YoursTrue]

I don't want to debate with you, but I'll tell you what personally gets me out of bed in the morning despite my lack of a belief in any higher power or transcendent morality.

Hacking. It's my passion. It enflames my heart. I'm definitely not the world's greatest hacker, but the subject fascinates me. I could (and have) spend days studying and practicing the artform.

More than that, it's a tool. It can be used responsibly and legally for cybersecurity defense, which can protect people from all sorts of bad actors. That feels very meaningful to me.

I'm a mess many days, but I was the kind of kid that would figure out how to get around all of the internet blocks at school and teach everyone else. It's always been a source of stability in my life and I find it fulfilling.

Outside of that, mindfulness meditation helps me center myself in the reality of the moment and, in my experience, it's a more useful train of thought than constantly questioning if this is all there is to life. YMMV.

Hacking?

 

[YoursTrue]

Oh yeah what gets me out of bed some days is thinking about what I'm going to eat for breakfast or later in the day.

 

[Alien826]

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

That's not necessarily true. For example, what if a continued existence in some other form were simply part of how the universe works?

Edit: Sorry I posted that without reading on. I don't have anything substantial to add to what @KWED has written.

 

[Ella S.]

Hacking?

Also known as "offensive computer security," "digital penetration testing," and "red teaming."

Currently, I'm preparing for some CTFs, which are essentially simulated hacking competitions.

 

[paradox]

Also known as "offensive computer security," "digital penetration testing," and "red teaming."

Currently, I'm preparing for some CTFs, which are essentially simulated hacking competitions.

My humble beginnings started with (now obsolete) backtrack
I would probably never learn cpp without discovering that system.

 

[paradox]

That's not necessarily true. For example, what if a continued existence in some other form were simply part of how the universe works?

problem is that there is nothing left once the body is decomposed.
and since you exclude spirit there is nothing left.

 

[Ella S.]

My humble beginnings started with (now obsolete) backtrack
I would probably never learn cpp without discovering that system.

Ah, I'm script-kiddying it up with my Kali, lol.