You missed the bit where I asked for evidence. Without which your list can be dismissed as mere assertion.
The existence of God and the efficacy of prayer
- Thread starter MikeG
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You missed the bit where I asked for evidence. Without which your list can be dismissed as mere assertion.
Pup
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I personally can't, maybe #2 if you count my wife but no other family. But other people can find meaning in any or all of those things, and other people wouldn't attach importance to where I find meaning (researching and writing about history, can't really call it a job because university press books don't sell enough).
I think the problem comes when a person finds meaning in telling other people that what they find meaning in is wrong.
Nay_Sayer
I say nay!
He knows god isn't that enough?
Once again I have to point out the childish nature of their god that needs to be constantly praised and coddled and this is the "mighty" entity worthy of worship.
Indeed, however it wasn't "meaning" but "the meaning (of life)" which was being asserted. There are a myriad of things which bring meanings to individual lives, of course, but there is stupidity in assuming that there is a single generalised "meaning of life".......other, of course, than 42.
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Oh, and "country"! Pleeeeeeeease. Some temporary geo-political arrangement is supposed to be part of the meaning of life? Astonishing. Please go tell that, logger, to all the nomads who ever lived, to all the aboriginal peoples of the planet through history, and to those like me who were born in one country, raised in another, and reside in a third. Fundamentally ridiculous.
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Delvo
Дэлво Δε&#
So without religion, we can't have families, jobs, or countries.
Desert Fox
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[/HILITE]
I must confess--I think that's a pretty miserable statement in and of itself. While I am agnostic, I try to find 'meaning' in my life in order to make it more full. I'm not interested in 'occupying', I'm interested in exploring. And I certainly don't want to pass my crappy DNA on to anyone. I think one can find meaning in things that can be objectively demonstrated--one doesn't have to resort to believing in nonsense just because someone else says so or because it makes you feel good. If that makes me a bad atheist, I'm perfectly fine with that.
If it makes you feel better, one can make your own purpose for your own life.
Nay_Sayer
I say nay!
No.
No it does not, it likes to pretend it does and lures in the gullible with the promise of said answers that it never actually gives.
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Well MikeG, Do you really need evidence? If you do than you must not know God, have a family, job or love your country.
I've seen you talk about your job, you seem to find meaning in that?
He knows god isn't that enough?
It's enough for me, why is that something to roll your eyes at.
Why not be happy that I've found what I've been looking for?
I suppose that's one way of looking at it, but since he has given me very much I think he deserves praise, most of all being eternal life.
So without religion, we can't have families, jobs, or countries.
Those are the four for me, you may have those or many others.
What things give you meaning in life?
You guys fall apart from the most simple things.
Pup
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Did you just read what you expected to see, a reply from an atheist who has no meaning in life?
I mentioned my wife but wasn't sure if you'd count just one person as "family," since I never had nor wanted offspring. But I said right in the post you quoted "other people wouldn't attach importance to where I find meaning (researching and writing about history, can't really call it a job because university press books don't sell enough)."
That's about as straightforward as I can be on the topic. A sensation of lack of meaning in life has never been a problem for me. I've wanted to research history as long as I can remember, and retired at 31 so I could do it unfettered by a job. I volunteered and worked for minimum wage in museums and living history sites for 30 years, published two books through LSU Press. Now that I'm physically limited with cancer, I'm still researching via original books, magazines and newspapers online, and am part of a history forum as active as this, discussing research.
It's why I'm acutely aware that feeling like life is meaningful (which I do) and believing that it has an actual meaning, (which I don't) are two different things.
Nay_Sayer
I say nay!
I find it hard to celebrate willful delusion.
I'd ask you about the second part but I'm certain I'd get the spin cycle response again, I'll just say nothing is eternal but as usual the poorly thought out theistic notion of being around for ever and ever rears it's ugly head.
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The Big Dog
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So without religion, we can't have families, jobs, or countries.
Criminy pete, delvo, great example of the Rule of So.
So nothing to do with the original question (the meaning of life) then. Fair enough.
The Big Dog
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smh means nothing to me. The original question:
The meaning of life, note. Not my meaning, not my meanings, not order of importance.............THE meaning of life. And don't forget, only religion can answer it. In what way has anything you have written in the last couple of pages in any way responded to this?
The meaning of life, note. Not my meaning, not my meanings, not order of importance.............THE meaning of life. And don't forget, only religion can answer it. In what way has anything you have written in the last couple of pages in any way responded to this?