Afterlife vs Not

[Ace Otana]

It is my understanding that an atheist dose not think there is any kind of afterlife. When the body dies it is game over, no consciousness, no sense what so ever that you or anything existed or even doesn't exist true "nothingness". This leads me in thought that nothing matters in the end, and I don't mean just my personal end. All of human existence, in fact if astrophysics is correct, the entire universe will cease to exist. So, all that we humans accomplish will eventually vanish to this "nothingness" even if we happen to exist as a species to witness this ultimate demise. Nihilism is the only conclusion that can be made from this path of logic, to me. Granted that is a very long way off in the future, if a rogue asteroid or deadly virus doesn't wipe us all out tomorrow. Where am I wrong, if at all, in this way of thinking. How do you who are true atheists reconcile this within yourselves without becoming a nihilist? I personally am an agnostic so at this point I just don't know. I hope there is more to this existence than this, that we are somehow more then the sum of our parts. But, no consciousness has come back from the other side to tell me different, and even if they did I might think I was just going crazy.

Thanks
Mal

It is my understanding that an atheist dose not think there is any kind of afterlife

A little wrong there. Atheists in general do tend to reject any belief regarding an afterlife. However, being an atheist does not require the lacking of belief in spirits, ghosts or any sort of afterlife. An atheist is simply someone who does not believe in a god. Everything else is up for debate. Atheists do tend to reject any supernatural and accept the scientific like evolution.

When the body dies it is game over, no consciousness, no sense what so ever that you or anything existed or even doesn't exist true "nothingness".

Mostly true. Though mentally we are gone, physically, we'll exist forever. The idea that one day we'll be gone for good scares the hell out of some people. Which is why many resort to wishful thinking like religion which makes alot of empty promises. The things people will do to hide away from the reality of things. Takes courage to accept and face what you fear. Real truth seekers will accept the truth no matter how bad or good it is.

This leads me in thought that nothing matters in the end, and I don't mean just my personal end.

Correct. There is no special purpose as theists would like to believe. We are essentially nothing. We are as meaningless as the flies we swat with newspapers. Just biological mechanisms trying to comprehend the larger and older worlds that are outside of our own, and failing miserably.

All of human existence, in fact if astrophysics is correct, the entire universe will cease to exist.

Well I don't know about the entire universe going into non-existence. I reckon all the matter and energy that makes up this big and very dangerous place would always exist.

So, all that we humans accomplish will eventually vanish to this "nothingness" even if we happen to exist as a species to witness this ultimate demise.

Well, for the universe to come to it's ultimate end, it will take quite a few BILLION years! Don't know about you, but that seems long enough to me.

Granted that is a very long way off in the future, if a rogue asteroid or deadly virus doesn't wipe us all out tomorrow.

Which is why it's very important to focus on science. The more we know, the more we can do to protect ourselves. Science can help us extend our lifespans to hundreds of years, stop berth defects, eliminate cancer, produce state of the art limbs and organs. It's endless. Science can improve all our lives to a huge extent. Religion likes to hold it back with delusion. I don't think religion is aware that science can give us an extremely long lifespan. We can delay the inevitable.

I hope there is more to this existence than this,

We can create our own purpose. We have that ability. We can be as gods if we want. What I think is holding us back is our immeasurable stupidity, like religion for example. We are holding ourselves back. That's the problem.

But, no consciousness has come back from the other side to tell me different,

It's because there is no 'other side'. We made that up to feel safe. To feel comfortable in the deluded belief of endless existence.