Well ask why religious people fight so hard to stay alive then if they don't believe in an afterlife?
You'd think more of them wanted to go there SOONER.
If you're an atheist and thinks nothing happens when you die, what motivates you?
- Thread starter Born2BKing
- Start date
Well ask why religious people fight so hard to stay alive then if they don't believe in an afterlife?
You'd think more of them wanted to go there SOONER.
The 'afterlife' (meaning heaven) is not the only way someone can be rewarded for living a just life. Leaving a legacy (even if it's as small as a legacy in the eyes of your friends and family, and no one else) is enough of a reward.
This is called Pascal's wager.
Even Pascal realized it has flaws:
1. It ignores other heavens and hells believed by people
2. it ignores other god(s) people believe in
3. It asserts that you could trick and ALL KNOWING/POWERFUL god into thinking you believed what you were only using duplicitiously as a "spiritual" insurance policy if you will. You can't fake yourself into believing what you truly don't
4. You waste time believing in something you can't confirm.
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I disagree with the above. Religion isnt the only reason to be a good person, and just because someone believes in a higher power doesnt make them a good person either.
I dont believe in religion but im not out here being a menace to society. And while im here i might as well make the most of my situation (being alive) cause once i go in that dirt im not coming back up
I'm glad you said this.
Being religious doesn't make you a good person. It makes you a RELIGIOUS person.
You wouldn't have any concept of right/wrong if you were following said religion if you were a true believer because you'd just do whatever the religion said.
In fact, to assert that your religion is "good/bad" means that you're using an external standard to judge what you believe.
AKA:
You have your own morality.
Personal progression as a person and pleasure (carnal and intellectual) 
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That's a serious answer. No god, no religion, just moving forward trying to be the most happy, positive, dominant, wealthy, knowledgeable, well-sexed , well-fed, spiritually satisfied version of myself before life throws me in a bush
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I'm not trying to sound like a pseudo intellectual or sh!t like that, but this is the only way I could really explain it :shrug2:
.That's a serious answer. No god, no religion, just moving forward trying to be the most happy, positive, dominant, wealthy, knowledgeable, well-sexed , well-fed, spiritually satisfied version of myself before life throws me in a bush
. I'm not trying to sound like a pseudo intellectual or sh!t like that, but this is the only way I could really explain it :shrug2:
Their life?
You mean yours too right?
Nietzsche was right...but that doesn't mean we can't make the most out of this life.
Existentialism is what this thread is approaching, but again... I don't think many of you are ready to peel back the layer on that onion.
lets say 'john doe' is an amazing person. lets say john donates half of his check to charity out of the goodness of his heart, volunteers everywhere every weekend, does nothing but amazing, angelic things out of the kindness of his heart. lets say there is absolutely no doubt johnny is an amazing person with a heart of gold.
now lets say john is an atheist. he believes religious is pure bullshyt and there is no god and he believes in evolution. lets say he believes when you die there is no heaven and hell.
now lets say john dies and there IS a heaven and hell. lets say his soul floats up to the pearly gates, and god is sitting there waiting for him.
what do ya think will happen?
do ya think god will say "well john, you lived an exemplary life and you have exceeded even the most devout of my believers in charity and goodwill and you have a legendary heart. however, u didnt believe in me so go to hell. enjoy a$$hole"
Dope quote.
nineteeneightysix
Banned
A lot of you folks are missing the point the OP is trying to make...
If you are truly an Atheist, and thus believe a human is just another species on Earth, and ultimately like any other species, then nothing you do or don't do ultimately matters...
If you are truly an Atheist then morals and ethics, and being a "good" person shouldn't have any meaning to you...
Ultimately, it's survival of the fittest...You are "good" if it helps in one instance and "bad" if it helps you in another...You shouldn't care about being "good" all the time...For what...?
If you are an Atheist, then why the hell should you care about "legacy"...? Humans care about what we do, because we have a MEMORY...At the end of the day, we want to remember, and we get pleasure or pain from what we remember and how we remember it...
Just an example, some people want to have children because the thought of having a "legacy" is appealing...However, that thought is only appealing because you have a brain that is functioning, and has be socially programmed to accept that kind of thinking...
But ultimately, we all die, and thus, we wont have any thoughts, subsequently, we wont be able to experience pain or pleasure...
Therefore, at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you leave a legacy behind, because you will die, and your brain will not be able to think or reflect on anything you did in your life...
Basically, it doesn't matter if you were poor or a billionaire, because once you are dead ALL experience is GONE...
So, if you are truly an atheist then it shouldn't matter if you "commit that" today or live your life until you are 100 years old, because at the end of it all, you wont even know you were ever alive...
To conclude, let me make this analogy...
If you enrolled in a course in University/College and the Professor told you on the very first day, "it doesn't matter how much you struggle or enjoy the course, in the end of the semester, you are GUARANTEED that you are going to fail, and even worse, you wont even remember the experience of taking that course"
Why would anybody care about the course knowing and believing this...?
If you are truly an Atheist, and thus believe a human is just another species on Earth, and ultimately like any other species, then nothing you do or don't do ultimately matters...
If you are truly an Atheist then morals and ethics, and being a "good" person shouldn't have any meaning to you...
Ultimately, it's survival of the fittest...You are "good" if it helps in one instance and "bad" if it helps you in another...You shouldn't care about being "good" all the time...For what...?
If you are an Atheist, then why the hell should you care about "legacy"...? Humans care about what we do, because we have a MEMORY...At the end of the day, we want to remember, and we get pleasure or pain from what we remember and how we remember it...
Just an example, some people want to have children because the thought of having a "legacy" is appealing...However, that thought is only appealing because you have a brain that is functioning, and has be socially programmed to accept that kind of thinking...
But ultimately, we all die, and thus, we wont have any thoughts, subsequently, we wont be able to experience pain or pleasure...
Therefore, at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you leave a legacy behind, because you will die, and your brain will not be able to think or reflect on anything you did in your life...
Basically, it doesn't matter if you were poor or a billionaire, because once you are dead ALL experience is GONE...
So, if you are truly an atheist then it shouldn't matter if you "commit that" today or live your life until you are 100 years old, because at the end of it all, you wont even know you were ever alive...
To conclude, let me make this analogy...
If you enrolled in a course in University/College and the Professor told you on the very first day, "it doesn't matter how much you struggle or enjoy the course, in the end of the semester, you are GUARANTEED that you are going to fail, and even worse, you wont even remember the experience of taking that course"
Why would anybody care about the course knowing and believing this...?
alright, i couldn't read anymore. it's sad ppl attach morality and being a good person to religion. many of us don't need books to know right from wrong. it worries me that some people would probably snap and rape/kill innocent people if their faith was seriously tested.
also passing down a legacy should seem more important to those who don't believe in god. considering atheist don't believe in an after life, a strong legacy is all one has to leave behind of his life. who cares about a legacy on earth when you believe you'll live forever after death?
smilies 
Life IS pointless.
OK.
Now what. Do you want to die right now or not?
Its really that simple. You just choose to think you deserve something.
Since i'm here, I'm just maxing it out. Red-lining it to the end.
You'd rather fukk around and hope you get something when you die.
CanesMiamiLakers
All Star
How does atheist associate its self with life? Why live if you don't believe in anything..why make the most of your life when technically it doesn't matter
I get what the thread starter was trying to say
I get what the thread starter was trying to say
lmao i used to prank call these fakkits all the time. that show sucks.
BuyandSave
All Star
My motivation is being in heaven while I'm still living. 
I just don't see how the hypothetical vision of heaven can be any better than being young, living life to the fullest, and being surrounded by loved ones and friends.
I just don't see how the hypothetical vision of heaven can be any better than being young, living life to the fullest, and being surrounded by loved ones and friends.
My family is very deep in the church. Southern Baptist. I love my family and would do anything for them. But, I believe you have to have some sort of mental disorder to believe this stuff. Anything could be possible because it can't be disproven but to choose one thing and rock with it based on nothing but a book and word of mouth is a mental disorder.