(October 13, 2017 at 11:13 am)wallym Wrote: If doing something in preparation for the afterlife pushes the button to release the 'meaning' juice physiologically, how is that different than your physical reaction to whatever you find meaningful. You both experience the same thing.I don't recall anyone ever claiming that a christer wasn't wrong..and that the meaning they think originates from the divine is, more accurately, coming from them in this life.
As a physiological effect, it isn't any different...but that's something that you should probably be explaining to a believer, not an atheist...and has nothing whatsoever to do with the point of contention between the two povs.
Quote:Nothing is actually meaningful. It's just some chemicals being released (or whatever the physiological details are). The actions themselves carry no importance. Only the body's reaction to them. Whether you're not eating mean on Friday, or giving money to some homeless guy, if it triggers the reaction, it triggers the reaction. The action itself, and any rationalization is irrelevant in regards to experiencing 'meaning'.If meaning exists as a physiological effect, then meaning exists. QED.
Quote:The Matrix guy nails it. The guy knows he's not eating steak. He knows the world isn't real. But it's not about the reality of the world, it's about the physiological experience.Semantics bore you, do they?
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