(January 5, 2012 at 12:11 pm)amkerman Wrote: Can life have meaning w/o God? I mean I understand how we could perceive it to be have meaninb w/o God, but that perception is just illusory isn't it? Without God aren't life and death ultimately meaningless?
What makes you so certain that the perception that there is a god isn't illusory?
Quote:As far as I can understand EITHER life has real meaning and there must be something real which we call "God" or "meaning" OR any "meaning" in life is illusory and people choose to believe in the illusion of God to give their life meaning.
I'll go with the latter. If there is a god, and he has a meaning for us, then what is it? What is the meaning of the life of a starving child, ravaged with AIDS?
Quote:Believing that meaning is real but that "God" is illusory doesn't make any sense. It's exactly the same belief. It would just be another unverifiable belief for which the word "God" has been replaced with the word "meaning".
Why can we not decide what our own, very practical meaning is? How does the meaning I have assigned to myself, which is to raise my children to be critical thinkers, and to show them how to love, have anything to do with any gods? I don't think I am special, nor do I presume that some god has a special meaning for me. I'm not an arrogant asshole.
Quote:If someone could explain how life has real meaning without "God" I am all ears. Honestly I'm not trying to get into an argument I just want to hear the rationalization.
What I want to know is what meaning you think god gives? Why does life need real meaning? Aren't you enjoying life? If you can't enjoy life because you don't understand the meaning of life, perhaps the meaning of your life is to torture yourself with unanswerable, inane questions until you die.
Quote:If you believe it can't and it doesn't that's fine, it's just a difference of opinion. I AM NOT ATTACKING ANYONE's BELIEFS.
I believe the meaning of life is what you want it to be.
Quote:Furthermore, since all of our understanding of reality is based upon our perceptions, isn't the belief in the validity of human "perception" exactly the same as a belief in "God"? They are both ultimately beliefs in the unverifiable.
Who believes in the validity of human perception?
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