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Varitek said:
As one of the atheists with no afterlife to live for, I am perfectly fine with this life being all I get. I think it's strange that people need the concept of an afterlife either to make life worth living and inspire them to live better OR in some cases I think it's used as a crutch to write off not having a great life - you suffer or fuck up but there's the afterlife to make up for it.

I live for pleasure in the moment. Now this doesn't literally mean, every moment I seek euphoria, but I live to have meaning. I get this from learning, from social interactions and relationships, from seeing and experiencing things (for me, a lot of travel), from reading and writing and watching movies and seeing art and listening to music. And it doesn't bother me that I'll be gone and nonexistent and that everything I was will cease. I'm living to be happy and fulfilled now. Don't get me wrong - I'd like to leave my mark on the world, both in the field I'm interested in (not necessarily going to happen) and through people I meet and have relationships with. And I know it'll be a small mark but that is really enough for me. :shrug:
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This is close to my feelings on the matter. I often find "how do people live without an afterlife?" arguments to be egotistical or self-interested to some extent - and often I think this is latent.

I have no desire to matter. If I can contribute to the collection of human knowledge, that will provide me with personal satisfaction, as I believe it is a worthwhile endeavour. Whether or not I get recognition, I don't care. Once I'm dead, I'm dead. It's of no concern what people think of me or anything. As somebody who used to live in the future, it becomes unsatisfying due to its inherent uncertainty.

I feel so much better now that the weight of an afterlife is off my shoulders. Now I can relax in the here and now. The future will come when it comes.
 
LemonMelon said:
When did this happen? I and millions of others missed the memo.
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Because you cling to non-falsifiable claims, tradition, etc.

I say this as somebody who began to study theology because he wanted to confirm his religious beliefs and has come out an atheist.
 
LemonMelon said:
When did this happen? I and millions of others missed the memo.



Why is one more plausible than the other? Material evidence is preferable.
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There is simply no proof of intelligent design. That seals it really.

An afterlife and a god should be seen as two seperate things. An afterlife could be a new level of consciousness or a state of pure energy. The possibilities are endless.
 
LemonMelon said:
Yeah, we definitely differ here. :lol:


But, again, more power to you. I hope I'm not coming off as egotistical (if not presumptuous) right now...wasn't my intention.
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I used to want to matter. I wanted to be a famous author, mostly. And it'd still be nice. But I know that it's not going to happen (or is wildly improbable at the very least!), and I'll be honest and say certain individuals including my ex-girlfriend wore me down mentally. I've come out of it comfortable and content simply with who I am. Any "mattering" would be purely a bonus, and I don't seek it. I just want to live my life in ways that bring me satisfaction and are beneficial to the world that allows me to achieve that satisfaction.

And when I die, at least that's one less person wasting finite resources! :laugh:
 
Screwtape2 said:
An afterlife and a god should be seen as two seperate things. An afterlife could be a new level of consciousness or a state of pure energy. The possibilities are endless.
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Basically all conceptualisations of the afterlife with which I am familiar rely in some way on the presence of a deity. How does the afterlife exist and function in the absence of a deity?
 
DreamOutLoud, I can't remember the name of the medication I take. I know my medication doesn't work and I should say something but I want my family to think I'm okay. I don't want them worrying about me. It's not fair to them.

I hope your struggle continues to turn out well. :hug:
 
Screwtape2 said:
DreamOutLoud, I can't remember the name of the medication I take. I know my medication doesn't work and I should say something but I want my family to think I'm okay. I don't want them worrying about me. It's not fair to them.
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It's not fair to yourself to keep faking it and not have your problems addressed so you can have a more happy and fulfilling life. And your family loves you so, whatever worry this might cause them, it's even more unfair to them that for the sake of them, you are miserable. They wouldn't want that!
 
Screwtape2 said:
Am I going to have to write a book on the scientific possibilities of an afterlife? I'm shocked this hasn't been explored.
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The afterlife is a non-falsifiable claim, so I don't see what science has got to do with it.
 
You know what disappoints me? Whenever theology comes up, it's always either LM or the Maj. around, but never both. It would be bloody interesting to have both of them and might provide some more balance to the discussion.
 
Screwtape2 said:
DreamOutLoud, I can't remember the name of the medication I take. I know my medication doesn't work and I should say something but I want my family to think I'm okay. I don't want them worrying about me. It's not fair to them.

I hope your struggle continues to turn out well. :hug:
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Can you describe what the pills look like?

And your family shouldn't have anything to do with your medication. It goes into YOUR body. Do you see your psychiatrist alone or with your parents present? You're old enough to be seeing your psychiatrist alone. At your next appointment, bring up your issues and request something different. Your family doesn't necessarily need to know about it, and it's illegal for your doctor to tell them about it. If they want to know why you're changing meds, just say the doctor thought it would be a good idea to try something different.
 
Axver said:
The afterlife is a non-falsifiable claim, so I don't see what science has got to do with it.
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Science has everything to do with the afterlife. Science possibilities whether it be altered realities, levels of consciousness, space relative to time and so on makes an afterlife plausible because of the mere existence of those things.
 
Axver said:
Because you cling to non-falsifiable claims, tradition, etc.

I say this as somebody who began to study theology because he wanted to confirm his religious beliefs and has come out an atheist.
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Spiritual beliefs change for many reasons. I don't believe FACTS really have much to do with spiritual faith. At all. My faith has been strengthened by my personal experiences, while others have become discouraged because of them. I think that's mostly what it comes down to...you become biased and you find what you look for. Ultimately, I feel sorry for folks who just give up on any sort of spiritual life because evolution has a larger amount of material evidence than creationism. But maybe they just don't want to waste their time. It's an odd subject.
 
DreamOutLoud13 said:
By the way, am I the only person here that's not an athiest? :uhoh:
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You aren't?

(I must admit, my default assumption is that people are atheists or agnostics or simply unconcerned with religion. Holds true here, i.e. "here" being where I live, not "here" being Interference.)

But see my reference to LM and the Maj. The Maj. actually studies theology and I think leads some stuff at his church.
 
DreamOutLoud13 said:
Can you describe what the pills look like?

And your family shouldn't have anything to do with your medication. It goes into YOUR body. Do you see your psychiatrist alone or with your parents present? You're old enough to be seeing your psychiatrist alone. At your next appointment, bring up your issues and request something different. Your family doesn't necessarily need to know about it, and it's illegal for your doctor to tell them about it. If they want to know why you're changing meds, just say the doctor thought it would be a good idea to try something different.
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I found one of the bottles. It is Fluoxetine.

My mom usually comes along but I can her to leave the room. I know I should tell my shrink all this but I just want to accept it and move on. I don't want them to...I don't know. I just want to move on.
 
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