When I was in Christianity, I used god as the meaning of life. Heaven was the main goal. Now that I am an atheist, I am having trouble finding my purpose in life. So the question is now what? I need to find the point to being alive. That may sound somewhat depressive or suicidal of me, but I swear its not. I find wonder in this amazing world, I just want to know where I fit in. I want to do something worth my time. I don't want to waste my life. I need a purpose.

Did anyone here feel a loss of purpose when you became an atheist? How did you find your purpose? Do you have any suggestions on some philosophy to read? Any advise on finding my purpose? Do you have any stories you would like to share?

(May 10, 2012 at 8:10 pm)cbell39 Wrote: ? Any advise on finding my purpose?

Your purpose in life as well as the purpose of everybody else on the planet is to live life since it is the only life you will have. Let me ask, if you have these questions now as an atheist wouldn't you have the exact same questions as a Christian? I mean if life has no purpose to you now how does adding an eternal life (still with no purpose) change anything? IOW, adding zero to zero still equals zero.

Do you really need a purpose, having a purpose in life is more of a luxury in life, other then that you are really insignificant in every way just like the rest of the 6-7 billion of us humans. But in a way because you ave nobody expecting a thing of you can can do anything you want and it not going to effect anybody else if you don't want it to. Live the way you want to and enjoy every moment of your short life as you only get one. The only really purpose of life it to A. replicate and B. live it.
Other then that, there no real purpose and have a purpose other then that can be a curse as it restricts what you can do.
If you want a purpose he is one for you:
Go out and enjoy life and not waste a second of it, do want you want you want to do and do it because you want to do it, go skydiving or go-karting or fire eating or traveling or fornicating, I don't care, there a big wide world out there to explore and see, taste, smell, touch and hear.
There are few restrictions in the world these days.
To quote Katsumoto from the film the last samurai :'The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life.'
A life wasted is a life that's not realised there dreams and are stuck in there position forever.
For example a 16 year old girl who is top of the class is popular and has the potential to do something great with here life and is going places, then get pregnant early and has to look after it as a teen mum and funds herself with a minimum wage job when not looking after the baby when it is old enough to go to school (so in the UK, she would be 21 as the baby joins school aged 5). as she would no long be able to be funded for education by the state she would not have the funds to go to College or university thus never forfill her dreams and potential and would be stuck in that life forever unless somebody take pity on her and foots the bill to help her get that education she needs. (this day in age highly unlikely), that is a live wasted.

Now, go forth and multiply!

You need motivation. That which you find in a fascination or sense of wonder. In a pretty face or a good feeling. Your goal is to distract yourself from what you know, which is no purpose, that distraction will be but temporary only if you stop.

Finding meaning in life is largely the point of life. Christianity gave you a false meaning, but it was one you used nonetheless. Finding what our are passionate about and doing that is the best way to live and the best contribution you can make to society. This is a new beginning for you.

My meaning is leaving the world better than I found it. That takes many different forms, but it's what I live for.

(May 10, 2012 at 8:10 pm)cbell39 Wrote: When I was in Christianity, I used god as the meaning of life. Heaven was the main goal. Now that I am an atheist, I am having trouble finding my purpose in life. So the question is now what? I need to find the point to being alive. That may sound somewhat depressive or suicidal of me, but I swear its not. I find wonder in this amazing world, I just want to know where I fit in. I want to do something worth my time. I don't want to waste my life. I need a purpose.

Did anyone here feel a loss of purpose when you became an atheist? How did you find your purpose? Do you have any suggestions on some philosophy to read? Any advise on finding my purpose? Do you have any stories you would like to share?

You will find yourself on a road well-travelled. What you're feeling is certainly very common, not just for those who become atheists but also as an (entirely authentic) experience even for believers in God. Not only a sense of meaninglessness, but shear absurdity, nihilism, hopelessness, dread and despair. These are all themes of a particular movement in the 20th Century (with roots in the 19th Century) called existentialism (you've probably come across it before, so forgive me if I'm teaching granny to suck eggs). A good place to start investigating would be a book (or rather a lecture) by Jean-Paul Sartre called Existentialism is a Humanism, which is perhaps the simplest exposition of his philosophy for us common folk. Then take a look at Albert Camus' famous novel The Stranger. For a different take from Christian perspectives, you might try Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling or Doestoevsky's masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov (one of whose characters is the most convincing atheist I have ever encountered).

(May 10, 2012 at 10:01 pm)Shell B Wrote: Now, go forth and multiply!

You mean do math?

There is no meaning, unless you apply one. You are here because you are here. One day, you won't be.

(May 10, 2012 at 8:10 pm)cbell39 Wrote: Do you have any suggestions on some philosophy to read?

None of it. Fucking waste of time philosobabble crap.