The Batlord Cometh

[Alex K]

Then you should get out more.

But even if I granted you that one, is happiness really the final arbiter? To borrow a famous quote, a drunkard is happy, but does that make it desirable to be continuously intoxicated?

You're confusing temporary satisfaction with long-term happiness. Getting drunk might be satisfying, but it won't result in any long-term happiness. A personal philosophy which satisfies whatever psychological prerequisites you have that would contribute to a fulfilling life -- which aren't always rational -- however, may.

And why shouldn't happiness be the ultimate goal in life? Why live if you're not going to pursue happiness?

I think that your view, if you are really serious about it, inevitably leads to absolute nihilism, because if one does not value truth, I do think one cannot value anything. As an example, imagine you are convinced that you will meet your loved ones again after death. You may spend less time with them now, might even treat them worse because you know that you have eternity to make up for it. Would you not consider this tragic? Not caring would mean not caring about your relationship with your loved ones.

What experience with theists and their relationships with their loved ones leads you to believe that their religion makes them value their human relationships any less? If they did, then they probably wouldn't care about meeting them in the hereafter. Saying that is like theists claiming that you can't have morality without religion: both are intellectually lazy assertions which only reflect the bias of the person claiming it.

If you believe that, then shouldn't you avoid relationships with theists, since they're not going to value you?

Oh, you completely misunderstood me. I'm not saying that believers in an afterlife care less about their loved ones. I'm talking about those who do not care about the truth concerning an afterlife.