What is a god?

[Edwardo Piet]

I find Daniel Dennett's views on consciousness and free will to be fascinating, very fascinating.

[Purple Rabbit]

I haven't believed in the hell, torture thing since I was a teenager so my beliefs are/were based on the more positive aspects of God: love, forgiveness, eternal life- all good things. To think this life is all we have and there is no God makes me feel very bleak and depressed.

It works quite the opposite for me. What meaning is there in any action you undertake when it becomes one action in an endless see of an infinite number of actions? Every action will eventueally be repeated endlessly? Unique meaning imo arises from the sheer fact that life is finite.

[leo-rcc]

I haven't believed in the hell, torture thing since I was a teenager so my beliefs are/were based on the more positive aspects of God: love, forgiveness, eternal life- all good things. To think this life is all we have and there is no God makes me feel very bleak and depressed.

It works quite the opposite for me. What meaning is there in any action you undertake when it becomes one action in an endless see of an infinite number of actions? Every action will eventueally be repeated endlessly? Unique meaning imo arises from the sheer fact that life is finite.

I feel the same way. However I've known quite a few atheists, particularly the ones that just de-converted, that got really depressed for a while because their security blanket vanished from their lives. It takes some getting used to for some.

[CoxRox]

Purple Rabbit, you said:

'What meaning is there in any action you undertake when it becomes one action in an endless see of an infinite number of actions? Every action will eventueally be repeated endlessly? Unique meaning imo arises from the sheer fact that life is finite.'

I never think like this about most of my daily routine. It seems a 'pessimistic' view, if you don't mind me saying. It is alien to me.

[lukec]

Are you saying, rabbit, that if life doesn't end, then actions will be repeated towards infinity?

If that's what you're saying then yes I absolutely agree- that's what gives meaning to the time we have. What do you mean, CoxRox, that it's pessimistic? Doesn't it give rather a lot more importance to the life you're living, and the people you influence?

[CoxRox]

I can see what Purple Rabbit is saying. I misunderstood when I first read it. Maybe because you and Purple Rabbit have never taken the idea of 'eternal life' seriously, or given it much thought, you see the 'negative' aspects of its possibility. Because I've grown up 'believing' we can live forever, I've always concentrated on positive things like: being with my family. Repetitiveness has never occurred to me and the thought of it doesn't bother me. Most of my life is repeated, but I'm still enjoying it most of the time.

[lukec]

I see. I dunno, even if it's not hell and brimstone, the description Daystar has outlined of Sheol/hades, and that I looked into, is simply unappealing.

[CoxRox]

I see. I dunno, even if it's not hell and brimstone, the description Daystar has outlined of Sheol/hades, and that I looked into, is simply unappealing.

The everlasting life I had in mind is nothing to do with sheol/hades. Sheol is just a pit, or covering, the common grave. They just represent the 'land of the dead' where there is no consciousness. As Daystar showed, consciousness crept into the equation along the way and then other bits were added: fire, torture etc. Things got out of hand it seems. Of course there is no such place. The life I had in mind is when you are resurrected by Jesus, brought back from the dead, but of course this is not looking likely....

[Daystar]

I don't understand all of this. I really don't.

[Purple Rabbit]

I can see what Purple Rabbit is saying. I misunderstood when I first read it. Maybe because you and Purple Rabbit have never taken the idea of 'eternal life' seriously, or given it much thought, you see the 'negative' aspects of its possibility. Because I've grown up 'believing' we can live forever, I've always concentrated on positive things like: being with my family. Repetitiveness has never occurred to me and the thought of it doesn't bother me. Most of my life is repeated, but I'm still enjoying it most of the time.

Well CoxRox, don't apologize for what you feel. I have been raised a believer too and I can equate to a feeling of lost eternity. But the more I thought about it, the more devoid of meaning the concept of eternal life seemed to me. Think about it, for a christian it's the jackpot, the toppings on the cake, but there's remarkable little information in the bible on it. It seems that hell is more interesting, even to the godly inspired who wrote it down. And eternity IS pretty boring, especially perfect eternity. Can you imagine yourself living near to infinity with a perfect memory of alll things past? I just can't imagine anything more boring than that. Well maybe insurance policies So in fact it is no loss of anything. But don't get me wrong, I sure wanna live as long as possible. But the meaning of my humble life here on earth will be sealed by death, not become an false start in a see of boredom. And think of what it could mean for being in this world right now. It's not about tomorrow, meaning starts here and now.