RE: Is nihilism the logical extreme of atheism?
October 5, 2014 at 4:12 am
(This post was last modified: October 5, 2014 at 4:21 am by fr0d0.)
(October 4, 2014 at 8:55 pm)Exian Wrote: Frodo,
Let's say your god does exist and he did create everything, but lets change it so there is no promise of an afterlife. That is, there is no heaven and there is no hell, and anything to do with getting there is out. Once you die, that's it. Everything else in your religion is still in place.
How would this change your perspective on life, in regards to purpose?
ETA: I'm only asking this to clear up some confusion on my end. I have no "gotcha" motives.
Purpose hinges on posthumous justice in the Christian system. Removing an afterlife screw's that up.
I don't have to wait until after my life to make everything right. I have the opportunity right now to do that. Heaven and hell are current, not just posthumous. We live our own heaven and hell in this present moment, made by our own choices. We can limit our lives or our lives can be full. So my focus now is solely on my current health, in Christian dogma: my oneness with God.
We know that natural life is unjust. Taking away heaven and hell limits God to imparting justice in our natural lives, which would conflict with natural laws. Therefore we would have to conclude that there is no eventual justice, and no eventual purpose.
(October 4, 2014 at 10:10 pm)Jenny A Wrote: Dear Forest Gump,
If the purpose of life is life, would that meaning change depending on whether there is a god? How about if the purpose is to live a good life or a moral one? Because if atheists and theists reach the same conclusion, it would seem god is not necessary to the answer.
Hi Jenny
Yes. In my understanding, atheists operate on the premise that there is no ultimate justice, as that's the natural order of things. Reality. So an atheists morals are based upon an unfair system. The Christians morals are based upon a fair system, therefore our moral standards are different.
Life's a box of chocolates...
(October 4, 2014 at 11:47 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:(October 4, 2014 at 5:46 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: My feeling is that theism is the acknowledgement of purpose. In that respect I can view nihilism as it's polar opposite.
What of atheists who have a purpose in life?
They are further up the scale than the nihilists who are at the bottom
(October 4, 2014 at 11:50 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:(October 4, 2014 at 6:23 pm)Aoi Magi Wrote: what would be the "objective purpose" of life for a theist? sing kumbaya for all eternity?
There can be none; that purpose is defined by a deity, and is inherently subjective, just as any morality derived from the same source must be.
(my bolding) That seems contradictory.
