If Life is Meaningless Anyway, then What's Wrong with Religion?

[Mister Agenda]

Why read a book or watch a movie when you know they're going to end?

A book or movie that never ends, is never complete. I can't think of anything more pointless than my earthly existence being a mere prelude to eternal existence, the part of my life where I was born, grew up, did things on this earth and finally died becoming a smaller and smaller part of who I am, century after millennia after eon. I wouldn't mind a longer, healthier life; but it has to end sometime.

Sometime being when? Do you really think, that given the option of immortality, there will ever come a point for you when you'll just think this is it, it's my time to go, I've lived for too long now?

Yes. I don't know when, but I suspect that I wouldn't make it close to the trillion trillion years-old mark. People already choose to die because they feel they've lived long enough already.

[Mister Agenda]

I sense an eschatological turn in there, somewhere.

Ofcourse I have an overarching point, but before I can't get to it I must run the gauntlet of the usual riff raff whose whole purpose is obfuscation over having any real debate.

Because just getting to the point is beyond the pale?

[Mister Agenda]

I wouldn't say life is meaningless so much as that meaning isn't arbitrarily assigned by some outside force.  We are free to assign our own meanings as we see fit.

Aside from emotional meaning life is meaningless. Subjective self-assigned meanings are only meaningful because they feel meaningful. Subjectively meaningful, to the subject.

However if it feels meaningful and adds subjective purpose to one's life who cares if it's "really meaningless" or whatever?

Feeling meaningful is pretty much all meaningful is.

[Excited Penguin]

Sometime being when? Do you really think, that given the option of immortality, there will ever come a point for you when you'll just think this is it, it's my time to go, I've lived for too long now?

Yes. I don't know when, but I suspect that I wouldn't make it close to the trillion trillion years-old mark. People already choose to die because they feel they've lived long enough already.

No one ever chooses to die because of that. That's ridiculous. They choose to die because they are unhappy and/or mentally challenged. In the future I suspect it will be far more unlikely for someone to wish to kill themselves because of those reasons.

[Thumpalumpacus]

No one ever chooses to die because of that. That's ridiculous.

... he said, with the certainty of youth ...

Listen -- my grandmother died because she was worn out of living, fighting and beating cancer, and was happy to be relieved of this mortal coil.

You'll discover wisdom when you learn that even speaking for yourself truly is difficult enough. When you deign to speak for everyone, you only reveal yourself to be a fool.

[LadyForCamus]

Yes. I don't know when, but I suspect that I wouldn't make it close to the trillion trillion years-old mark. People already choose to die because they feel they've lived long enough already.

No one ever chooses to die because of that. That's ridiculous. They choose to die because they are unhappy and/or mentally challenged. In the future I suspect it will be far more unlikely for someone to wish to kill themselves because of those reasons.

 *Bold mine*

How could you possibly know something like that with such certainty though?  You can't be inside every person's head who's ever lived and died.  I worked in a nursing home (a lovely, bright, and lively nursing home.  Believe it or not, they do exist!) for two years.  There were plenty of generally healthy folk in their late 90's (and even early 100's) who were just...ready.  Content to be done.  Or, at least they said so, and why would anyone not believe them?

[Angrboda]

Yes. I don't know when, but I suspect that I wouldn't make it close to the trillion trillion years-old mark. People already choose to die because they feel they've lived long enough already.

No one ever chooses to die because of that. That's ridiculous. They choose to die because they are unhappy and/or mentally challenged.

That's me! Mentally challenged!

[henryp]

The 3rd option to unhappy and/or mentally challenge, is that the future does not offer much promise. At 100, you can be content, but know that there isn't much positive coming your way, and decide to call it quits.

Psychologically, it's impossible to know how the effects of living hundreds or thousands of years would wear on your future outlook. We see people get tired of individual things that seem pretty great in a matter of hours. I would assume, after awhile, that might apply to living as well.

[Excited Penguin]

No one ever chooses to die because of that. That's ridiculous.

... he said, with the certainty of youth ...

Listen -- my grandmother died because she was worn out of living, fighting and beating cancer, and was happy to be relieved of this mortal coil.

You'll discover wisdom when you learn that even speaking for yourself truly is difficult enough. When you deign to speak for everyone, you only reveal yourself to be a fool.

That's unhappiness. I already accounted for that.

[Edwardo Piet]

You did.