What is "meaning?" Is it purpose? Is it a rationale for existence? You say tomato and I say crusades.
"But it gives my life meaning"
by Coded Logic 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Wasanelder Once
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Anony Mous
How do you define meaning and does that mean you have to accept all the baggage that comes with it too.
Okay, so you believe in a god that created the big bang, I can accept that far because science hasn't conclusively proven otherwise (although mathematically we do have a concept of what things happened). But now your god says he created everything but also to sacrifice your children or he will kill and maim everyone that doesn't believe - how does that give your life meaning, does that make you happy and if it makes you happy, don't you agree that you are a far more dangerous person than you care to admit?
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Simon
Isn't the truth about Christmas far deeper and more profound than a belief in Santa? The fact that loving parents buy their children gifts? The fact that good will and the spirit of giving come from us and not some magical being - isn't this more empowering?
But can't the same be said of religion? For some people, their religion inspires them to do good works. Religion in itself isn't always automatically a bad thing - it really depends on what it inspires people to do.
I'm not advocating for religion, I think on the whole the world would be better without it, but it's not fair to say all religion is bad for all people all the time.
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cofty
We must also give no quarter to this falsehood that religion can give peoples lives real meaning
I have been among of the most outspoken of anti-theists on the forum but even I am uncomfortable about this statement.
Attack bad ideas but let's not have derision for people who find comfort or purpose in their belief systems.
On the other hand we often see theists assert that it is not possible to have a meaningful life as an atheist. Our energies are better spent providing a positive response to this challenge.
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stillin
I'm with Cofty on this. We have thousands of years of various belief systems. Some have been better than others but the ones that get honorable mention are the ones that gave people a sense of meaning, coupled with their good deeds towards their fellow people. Why fault them? Something inside of us just is what it is. We should work on tolerance.
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Fairlane
Inspiration, good works,comfort ,sense of meaning ,good deeds,sense of purpose. ....who would not strive for these fine qualities, all you need is the overarching falsehood of religion and bingo a wonderful life....why did i or many of us decide to reject this utopia.
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Coded Logic
Attack bad ideas but let's not have derision for people who find comfort or purpose in their belief systems.
-Crofty
But that's exactly what it is. We are attacking BAD IDEAS. Not people. This notion that religion and superstition can afford peoples lives with "true meaning" is a complete and utter falsehood. It's the mother of all religious lies. It's even more vacuous and even more empty than all the stories in all the "holy books" that religious leaders use to prop up their followers sense of destiny. This notion - bought and swallowed by the billions - really is an insidious vandalism upon the human condition - because so many people have squander so much good will and so much effort in the service of the most vile and offensive fairy tales that our world has ever seen.
Carl Sagan once said, "If we crave some cosmic purpose then let us find ourselves a worthy goal." Well I for one say that capitulation to the iron age gods is most certainly NOT a worthy goal. And the wasted aspirations to that end have very real and long lasting consequences for all of us. -
Vidiot
Can't necessarily speak concerning other religions, but regarding Watchtowerism...
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...being required to reject any idea - even those based on reason and logic - that conflicts with your ideology - "gives your life meaning"?
Waiting with bated breath for an extinction-level event to wipe out over 99% of the planet's population "gives your life meaning"?
Living in constant unspoken fear that you yourself won't survive said extinction-level event (and subsequently will completely cease to exist in any conceivable way) "gives your life meaning"?