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What is the point of life? (atheists only please)

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We are an accident. It just happens that earth has habitable conditions for life to form

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Life has no meaning. None what so ever. And that is absolutely fantastic. Either you can create your own meaning, which many do, or just accept that their is none and live in spite of this fact. Yeah some people might say that we have to continue the species etc. yadda yadda yadda. Why? It doesn't answer the fundamental question of what is really the point in doing that. So what if you die, that's life (pardon the pun). Still, even if there is no meaning that doesn't mean you can't have a bit of fun while you're here eh?
What's the point of life if there is a heaven? Seems like a waste of time.
Reply 683
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NHM713
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Original post by skunkboy
Time is not illusion. It's reality. The past, the present, and the future do exist.

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No, only now exists. The past is a memory, the future is a projection/idea.
Original post by RandZul'Zorander
Because I get hungry or thirsty. Reason and causes =/= purpose or point

EDIT: Note that such everyday things do not reflect on the greater purpose or 'point' of life as a whole.


Lol. Really? Have you ever eaten or drunk with no hunger or no thirst? Why? What's the point of doing that?

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Original post by NHM713
No, only now exists. The past is a memory, the future is a projection/idea.


I don't think so. The present depends basically on the past. And the future rides on the present. If the past doesn't exist, the present or the future can't exist.

Memory is not the past. It's something that's remembered.

Idea or projection is not the future. It's something that you think about or it's the plan that you make for something.

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Original post by skunkboy
Lol. Really? Have you ever eaten or drunk with no hunger or no thirst? Why? What's the point of doing that?

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Generally no I don't eat or drink when not hungry or thirsty? :confused: Sure I can eat or drink out of pleasure. But again, that in no way reflects on a greater point or purpose to life in general.

The question is not 'why do you live' but asking for a universal 'purpose' to life. This does not exist. There is no overarching reason for life as a whole.
Reply 687
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NHM713
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Original post by skunkboy
I don't think so. The present depends basically on the past. And the future rides on the present. If the past doesn't exist, the present or the future can't exist.

Memory is not the past. It's something that's remembered.

Idea or projection is not the future. It's something that you think about or it's the plan that you make for something.

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- I understand you are saying, but, you are only conscious of this present moment, nothing else.

-Memory and remembering are more or less the same thing. One is the idea, the other is the capturing the idea.

-That is what an idea is, it only takes place in your mind.
I guess the point of life is to find meaning in life.

Or if you wanna go super evolutionist about it, we're just complex organisms that are the product of billions of years of change that have gained the ability to use higher order thinking and language. Because partially our ancestors(who had no empirical evidence to prove them otherwise) for thousands of years assumed that life revolves around them and this has passed through generations to the point where it's deeply ingrained in most social/cultural groups, and partially because people don't want to face the reality that they are completely insignificant, we attempt to make some meaning out of our life either by living it to the fullest extent, by religion or both.
(edited 8 years ago)
This seems like a fairly easy thing to get your head around. I'm assuming you are religious. What meaning does life have to you? To praise and serve your Lord? To do good deeds? Consider everything that you consider to be, then remove God from the equation.

For me life does not need meaning. Life can simply exist. That does not mean that it lacks meaning, but merely that meaning is neither a prequisite or inevitability of life. That is my view though. Other atheists have their own. The only thing a room full of atheists will ever agree on is that they don't believe in God.
Original post by RandZul'Zorander
Generally no I don't eat or drink when not hungry or thirsty? :confused: Sure I can eat or drink out of pleasure. But again, that in no way reflects on a greater point or purpose to life in general.

The question is not 'why do you live' but asking for a universal 'purpose' to life. This does not exist. There is no overarching reason for life as a whole.


I was trying to say every life basically tried to avoid pain or suffering. We have been suffering from hunger since the date of birth. Hunger is kinda like disease. We need foods every day to cure us of the disease.

Everyone hates suffering or pain. We do love happiness. But no things in the universe can last forever. That's why we have to keep seeking true happiness... the immortal. I do think that's the point of life.

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(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by NHM713
- I understand you are saying, but, you are only conscious of this present moment, nothing else.

-Memory and remembering are more or less the same thing. One is the idea, the other is the capturing the idea.

-That is what an idea is, it only takes place in your mind.


No. I can be conscious of the past or the future moment ( if no death yet ). You can as well. If there is no You at the age of 10, how can you exist at the present time? So the past does exist. And the future always exists as long as the universe keeps moving.

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Original post by skunkboy
I was trying to say every life basically tried to avoid pain or suffering. We have been suffering from hunger since the date of birth. Hunger is kinda like disease. We need foods every day to cure us of the disease.

Everyone hates suffering or pain. We do love happiness. But no things in the universe can last forever. That's why we have to keep seeking true happiness... the immortal. I do think that's the point of life.

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Firstly no, not everyone hates suffering (although this depends on how you define suffering). Using your example as hunger plenty of people intentionally starve themselves. I am not talking about anorexic persons but rather people who are masochists and sadists (in the safe sense) who do it because they enjoy putting off the gratification of eating etc.

Secondly even if I were to accept that everybody hates suffering what is to make that translate into the point of life? Everyone also dies. Why is that then not the point of of life? To die eventually Just because everyone does or experiences something doesn't necessarily give that something any greater meaning.


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The point of life for me personally is simply to live for ones self and achieve survival at the basic level. Additionally you could say that to explore living could be another reason/point

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Original post by skunkboy
I was trying to say every life basically tried to avoid pain or suffering. We have been suffering from hunger since the date of birth. Hunger is kinda like disease. We need foods every day to cure us of the disease.

Everyone hates suffering or pain. We do love happiness. But no things in the universe can last forever. That's why we have to keep seeking true happiness... the immortal. I do think that's the point of life.

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I don't think you thought that last bit out properly. Being immortal would get boring

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Life has no point. No purpose or meaning. We are here by chance. People search for meaning, for happiness. People are born, go to school, get jobs, have sex, get married, travel, engage in thrill seeking pursuits and then what? What next? There is no point. We are all still going to die. Some one very close to me died three days ago. He was the healthiest person I've ever met. He exercised, was rich, had a beautiful wife, lovely kids, travelled the world, had a phd, everything. But now he doesn't exist anymore. Died in a car crash. Its almost hilarious how healthy he tried to stay and how much effort he put into avoiding disease/illness only to be killed in a car crash. What now? What was the point of it all. The people whose lives he touched will die as well eventually. So what was the point?


people try to deceive themselves. Live life to fullest. But then you die. What was the point of doing that? Will you remember all these amazing things you did when you die? I don't think I'm satisfied.
Religion is truly opium for the masses. It is a crutch. It gives otherwise meaningless lives a purpose. Ignorance is bliss. Religion serves a bigger purpose in lives than we realize. Like a drug it just makes everything (the harsh reality of the futility of life) easier to bear.

Maybe I am being very irrational and this is just the grief speaking I don't know.
I just wanted to vent.
Reply 696
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Original post by skunkboy
No. I can be conscious of the past or the future moment ( if no death yet ). You can as well.

You can recall past experiences very vividly sometimes, or visualise future incidences, both of those are NOT real. They are different from you being aware/conscious of the phone in your hand.

Original post by skunkboy

If there is no You at the age of 10, how can you exist at the present time? So the past does exist. And the future always exists as long as the universe keeps moving.

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Obviously, you as you think you as can not, but, the past is GONE, it is no longer relevant. The future hasn't happened yet, so all you have and all that is real, is now.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Andy98
I don't think you thought that last bit out properly. Being immortal would get boring

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No. Being immortal wouldn't get boring. Because that immortality is the unconditioned state.

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Original post by NHM713
You can recall past experiences very vividly sometimes, or visualise future incidences, both of those are NOT real. They are different from you being aware/conscious of the phone in your hand.



Obviously, you as you think you as can not, but, the past is GONE, it is no longer relevant. The future hasn't happened yet, so all you have and all that is real, is now.


Lol. Kinda funny. You were obviously 10 yrs old . That's not real? You are just imaginary person? Lol.

The past, the present, and the future are realities. Not imaginations. Time always changes. Whatever you're doing now will be the past. Whatever will happen will be the present. That's the law of nature.


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Reply 699
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NHM713
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Original post by skunkboy
Lol. Kinda funny. You were obviously 10 yrs old . That's not real? You are just imaginary person? Lol.

The past, the present, and the future are realities. Not imaginations. Time always changes. Whatever you're doing now will be the past. Whatever will happen will be the present. That's the law of nature.


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the past has already happened, finished. The present is now, so is the future. You do the maths.

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