In praise of atheism: How believing in nothing gives my life meaning
He says:
I know there is nothing beyond – no saving grace, no great scorekeeper in the sky.
Interesting so many people know this, but are unable to convey how they know it. Perhaps they've had some mystical insight, a sudden epiphanic enlightenment into the nature of all things and realised that nothing means anything. Or . . . perhaps they've just passively absorbed the message our culture gives...
And is it really plausible that today will be less meaningful should you believe in an afterlife? Say you're watching a movie that you're really enjoying. But then you suddenly remember you believe there's an afterlife and an ultimate purpose to your life. Oh no! Your enjoyment plummets? I scarcely think so!
To be fair, I think the idea here is that we will accomplish less if we are immortal. It's the fact that our lives are so very short that gives us the urgency to achieve things. If we live forever, there's always tomorrow, so why not just relax today?
I'm not sure what would be the ultimate point of acheiving things if life has no ultimate meaning. But, apart from that, if one believes in an afterlife, one is not saying that we will live forever in this life. We have a certain number of days left before we depart this world, and we can't be sure of what will happen to us after that. But whatever happens in the afterlife, we won't be able to complete anything we do in this life.
It's kinda like a meme this idea that life is only worth living if this is the only life. Some famous philosopher says it, then all the unthinking masses repeat it. The fact that it is patently nonsense does nothing to stop people repeating it.
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