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Post by kishurki on Apr 6, 2010 6:50:34 GMT -5
Thats up to you, and partially depends on religion.
That would be just sad. If you don`t see any spiritual meaning, look for civilizational meaning, like inventing something new, what will make you well known, and unforgetable.
I was risen in catholic faith. My parents and grandparents are catholic. But when I went to high-school, I found that catholic is not something, that I really believe in. Now, I am some kind of deist, and I am seriously thinking about estabilishing new religion. That may sound somehow stiupid, but when non of the religions are satisfying my, what else should I do?
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Post by Trey on Apr 6, 2010 7:02:30 GMT -5
I actually think it's insulting to the non-theist community to assume they believe there is no meaning in life. 99% of non-theists would probably agree that they have a strong drive to contribute to the global community. I mean, I'm an 18 year old agnostic, and we recently donated $200 to Haiti. The will to live in non-theists come from a desire to significantly improve any community they're part of. It's not what God wants, it's what the community needs. To answer your first question, I'm an agnostic. I really have no earthly clue what's up there. To me, there's just too many religions claiming to be the right one, and they all have similar stories. Oh, and it's also because when I stopped being a christian (I still believed in God), my pastor told me in front of everyone that I couldn't play in the church band since I wasn't what they were. I never went to church again... My Dad is also agnostic. He left Christianity almost four years ago. At that time, he was so confused about what kind of son-of-a-bitch would send people to roast in hell for eternity because they simply didn't understand. He left because while service was going on, his pastor said, "Christianity is the only true religion! If anybody out there doesn't believe that, they can burn in hell!" As he said that, he stood up, walked out of the door, and hasn't gone back since since. Are you noticing a pattern? Anyway.. To answer your second question, I think there is meaning of life in everyone. Whether it's making the United States energy independent or getting to level 70 in World of Warcraft, there's something for everyone to live for. For me, it's playing music. But, it's not as simple as that! When I play music, I don't want to just play in front of people. The real thrill comes from playing WITH people. I want to feel that shiver down my spine whenever an explosive climax to a song just cuts through our souls. I want to feel the connection with my bandmates. Is that a good enough reason to live? Sorry this is such a long post, lol. I made an account about 3 months ago, but I guess it got deleted... So I'm going to make the first post on my new account REALLY AWESOMELY BIG  |
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Post by Leo McGinnis on Apr 6, 2010 10:29:56 GMT -5
I'd like to add my voice, as well. With what I'm about to say I speak only for myself.
I don't believe in any god, and I don't buy the stories of any religion, but I won't claim vehemently that there is nothing spiritual or supernatural. I think there is more to the human soul or ego than what science can tell us right now.
Basically, this means that it's up to me to find a purpose in life. Not God nor anyone else can give me that purpose. That's quite a challenge, and sometimes it's scary. It requires a lot of self reflection and quite a bit of thinking. In a way you have to become enlightened enough that you can develop a personal life goal for yourself. By that I don't just mean that you plan out a rewarding career and whether or not to start a family and such (although that is part of everyone's life, I guess). You have to get to know yourself on a much deeper level, one that I can't explain with words. It's a certain state of mind that one has to reach, and it requires some effort.
As for me, it took me a long time to find my answers, and some I'm still looking for, but that's part of what makes life so grand. My personal goal if you will is simply to grow. I don't have a set definition for the word growth here. It's a feeling. But that feeling makes me want to bring out the best in me and those I love.
The way I think now is not: "This is what I want to do in life."
But rather, it's closer to: "I want to live my life."
I'm probably not making any sense here. I can't really put it into words better than that. Philosophy isn't my strong suit.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2010 10:55:37 GMT -5
A lot of people live life just for the sake of living. (does that make sense? Yes it does! ) And that's just as good a course in life as any other. You don't have to be the next Bill Clinton or Jay-Z. You don't have to have the urge to be remembered, as long as you live your life in happiness (or in sadness if that's your goal, which would seem weird to me, but it's probably possible XD) |
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evets
Meteorite
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Post by evets on Apr 6, 2010 11:32:44 GMT -5
...or getting to level 70 in World of Warcraft... FYI, since the new expansion, the level cap is now 80. Just saying. >.> |
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Post by Trey on Apr 6, 2010 12:33:09 GMT -5
...or getting to level 70 in World of Warcraft... FYI, since the new expansion, the level cap is now 80. Just saying. >.> Thank you, evets. Lol |
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Post by bunnyfulwanderer on Apr 6, 2010 21:05:35 GMT -5
FYI, since the new expansion, the level cap is now 80. Just saying. >.> Thank you, evets. Lol the new expansion that is coming out will raise it to 85 supposedly o-o |
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Post by bunnyfulwanderer on Apr 6, 2010 21:20:26 GMT -5
1) how did become part of your religious group (if any)? parents? school? etc
my first religious group was Christianity, Lutheran in particular. Catholic by association (my family usually refer to themselves as Catholics. go figure.) I was born into it.
my second group was atheist. I become disenchanted and marginalized by my own religion. I didn't believe it anymore and the hate just astounded me, but as all the old saying. hate breeds more hate. I don't regret this time, it gave me time to learn more about science then I would have on my own, but I was an angry person...maybe that phrase "I was mad at god for not existing" actually applies here (the nice loving perfect fatherly one, not the charater in the bible)
my third group was agnostic/deist. I came to start relaxing, and although I had inner turmoil for reasons not related to religion, I just sort of decided i don't know if god exists or not and i really don't care either, the most likely form of god was an externally impersonal god to me, one made of pure energy. over time I started feeling more comfortable in my own skin I decided to learn more about different religions and if one moved me personally perhaps I would consider converting.
The first book I bought was a book on Wicca, it simply blew my mind. It's values were my values, it valued nature, it outwardly spoke against dogma, evangelizing and the indoctrination of children. It didn't claim to be the "only" way or indeed that adopting a spiritual path was even necessary to live a good life, just that it was a way. It also incorporated my then new hobby of divining.
Although my brother didn't like that I was affiliating myself with witchcraft, and I wanted to learn more beliefs (after all I didn't want to settle for the first thing I found. so I did more research. Buddhism in particular)
2) do you find it acceptable that a life could have no meaning??
it's possible. but I really think it's up to us to find meaning
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Post by Lyserg Zeroz on Apr 6, 2010 21:27:27 GMT -5
You don't need to belong to a religous group (or an atheist or an agnostic one), believe what you believe in and don't worry about the name of your belief, is the belief itself the one that matters (whether its non or something completely made-up by you), or just be a freethinker, open to everything, while believing in nothing in specific, if you want to know what certain religion is, well, just go to wikipedia or google it, or ask someone with knowledge about that stuff. I suppose we all should try to make a difference in the world, but for that you need to ask yourself what kind of difference do you need or want to make. It doesn't need to be a world changing-like thing. We all at some point make a difference I suppose. But honestly, I wouldn't worry about that, just live your life the way that makes you happy. You shouldn't ask us if making a difference is important, you should ask yourself if that is really what you need. Making a difference could come just for doing something that you like and enjoy doing. And if you like being president of the USA or being the person that discovers the cure for cancer then you're on a lucky day  ...But I really, really digress... and ramble....too much About the second question: I don't know, I may actually find it acceptable, I mean, life itself. The problem with that is that even if it has one we cannot know...I suppose that depends on the beliefs (or non-beliefs) that you have. The life of a person however, is what that person makes of it. You don't need an specific goal, you don't even need a realistic meaning, you just need one that you like. Personally I like "Find real, authentic and honest happiness" |
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Silverrida
Moon
Infinity - So far away yet around us at the same time
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Post by Silverrida on Apr 10, 2010 22:10:30 GMT -5
For your first question, I am an atheist. Specifically, my philosophy is one of existentialism which will come more into play in the second question. I became atheist about 4 years ago, at the age of thirteen. Between twelve and thirteen I was agnostic. The significant change was actually from agnosticism to atheism, not from Christianity (Which, if I was anything, I was Christian). It was easy to realize that all major religions are flawed and full of internal errors. At that point, I began doubting everything told from a religious viewpoint, including God. It wasn't until I took a more philosophical look at "God" that I became atheist. The main questions I pondered were "If God were a clockwinder God, then who created God?" and "If I were never told of the idea of God, would I have ever come up with such an idea to explain the supernatural". Through the first question I discovered Occam's Razor and I realized that it was just as easy for the infinitesimal point before the expansion we know as the Big Bang to have always existed, and in fact made more sense than saying something else always existed then created everything else. The second question made me come to the conclusion that the idea of God was to explain misunderstood concepts of the world, to keep people in order, and to give people the comfort of facing your tyranny's. This made the idea of God nigh laughable in my eyes.
It wasn't until later that I questioned life itself. I understood abiogenesis, but never the philosophical implications behind it. Thinking about it in-depth, I realized that life has no meaning. Our life will literally not impact anything in the Universe in the far future for us, which isn't that far in even just our geological time and insignificantly small comapared to the time of our Universes existence. I am aware that my decisions may affect another family, but I am equally aware that another family or person's feelings or retaliations will mean little more to themselves and myself and, in the most extreme circumstances, the world on which we live which is an infinitesimal speck in the constantly expanding Universe. From this realization, I was determined to make a meaning in life, specifically for myself, because you're alive so you should go on living. This is the basis behind existentialism. I am AWARE that life is meaningless, but I give meaning to my own life. And I believe that my own life has more meaning than some others because I am not affected at all by outside influence because I am aware that other universal things, God being the main one that people succumb to, are not affected by my decisions. The only thing I get out of my meaning is self-satisfaction, meaning that it has to truly be significant as opposed to what a guidebook of morals tells YOU is significant to the world.
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Post by IMAGINARYphilosophy on Apr 11, 2010 1:09:26 GMT -5
First I would like to applaud you for asking these questions of yourself. The first step on the road to individual Enlightenment is understanding that we as individuals do not know all there is to know. I think many people become trapped in the dogma of their particular religious faith because they are afraid to ask these types of questions, which can be ultimately shattering to one's perception of the Universe.
1) how did become part of your religious group (if any)? parents? school? etc
I was raised in the Roman Catholic church by my parents (my mother is Roman Catholic, my father is Lutheran). As part of this, I attended weekly Bible study classes and youth group meetings from elementary school through high school.
During my freshman year at high school I started to learn about the religions of the world, as well as the various sects of Christianity. This gave rise to the question of how I could know that Catholicism was the "correct" path to understanding and worshiping "God". My questions continued to mount as I learned about the history of human civilizations and the roll religion played in them. In particular, I was disturbed by the Catholic Church's repression of scientific thought in Europe prior to the Age of Enlightenment, as well as the movement of Christian fundamentalists to suppress Darwin's theory of natural selection as the origin of species.
Just before the start of my sophomore year I came to an understanding that I was homosexual (I was 15). This was not an easy thing for me to accept because I was aware of Christianity's view of homosexuals. Ultimately I came to an understanding that if what my heart was telling me was correct, then Christian teaching must be incorrect. This realization was the end of my Christian faith.
For a period expanding across most of my college years, I considered myself a Spiritualist or Agnostic. I believed in the existence of Divinity which encompassed all the energy, life, and non-living substance of the Universe. This Divinity was not a conscious being like the God-figure of most religions, but rather an infinitely simpler way of describing the connection between all matter and energy in the Universe. Divinity did not proscribe moral standards or archaic edicts about sexuality and hygiene. All it did was provide me a sense of comfort and understanding about the nature of my existence.
I now consider myself to be an atheist. I still often use the world Divinity, but I do not believe it to be supernatural. Rather, I qualify Divinity as those aspects of the natural Universe which are beyond our ability to understand, based on the natural limitations of the human mind.
2) do you find it acceptable that a life could have no meaning??
Meaning is connotative, not innate. We as humans give meaning to our surroundings and experiences in order to understand them. In other words, you must determine the meaning of your life for yourself. You can choose to create your own meaning or accept the meaning which another person gives you, but the ultimate choice is yours.
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