My Life Is Not Pointless!

[Kylyssa]

"Atheists - Isn't your life pointless, purposeless?  If life ends and you are just gone, why bother?"

When they ask this rather rude set of questions, how do YOU answer?

This is what I have to say about it.

[jcm]

Ask them which religion are they talking about? There are so many to choose from. Strange how faith usually leads you to the religion you grew up learning about.

[McQ]

"Atheists - Isn't your life pointless, purposeless?  If life ends and you are just gone, why bother?"

When they ask this rather rude set of questions, how do YOU answer?

This is what I have to say about it.

Outstanding, Kylyssa!!

I love the fact that as an atheist, I get to decide what purpose my life holds, and that I get to define the terms of which I live.

You are a great writer, BTW! You have a new fan.  

[Bella]

Yup, isn't that a ridiculous question? It really shows how much they appreciate THEIR lives, sheesh.

[MommaSquid]

Well done, Kylyssa!  Your enthusiasm for life is refreshing and possibly contagious.  

[pjkeeley]

Theists are deluding themselves if they think religion offers some sort of purpose that atheism doesn't. "Serving God" doesn't count. After all, what possible purpose (unknown to us, just to make matters worse) could an OMNIPOTENT being have for mere mortals such as ourselves? If you can do anything, it follows that you don't need anything done for you.

[Kona]

"Atheists - Isn't your life pointless, purposeless?  If life ends and you are just gone, why bother?"

I  think people who say such stupid things as "you have no purpose in life" wish they had a life.  For example, my purpose this weekend will be to skip over to Kauai, cruise around on a Harley for a bit, and probably cool off my sunburn in a waterfall.  I may even have to drink a few brews watching the sunset at the beach.  

I hate my purposeless life!!    :bang:

[McQ]

"Atheists - Isn't your life pointless, purposeless?  If life ends and you are just gone, why bother?"

I  think people who say such stupid things as "you have no purpose in life" wish they had a life.  For example, my purpose this weekend will be to skip over to Kauai, cruise around on a Harley for a bit, and probably cool off my sunburn in a waterfall.  I may even have to drink a few brews watching the sunset at the beach.  

I hate my purposeless life!!    :bang:

I hate you so much, Kona. OK everyone. Who else wants to gang up on Kona now?
 

[SteveS]

Sweet Kona - sounds like fun.  I've been to the islands a few times, all on work, but I try to stay for a few days afterward and enjoy myself.  In recent times I've gone snorkeling off the Kona coast on the big island where I saw sea turtles which were really cool, and I made it up to the observatory on Mauna Kea which was totally cool - I liked that a lot - I actually got to see the Southern Cross which is impossible to observe outside Chicago.

I didn't try the Keoki beer, but I really enjoyed the Fire Rock Pale Ale brewed by Kona Brewing Co.  Good stuff - I heartily recommend it!

[Kona]

This will be my first time to Kauai, so I'm stoked!!  Big Island has been my overall favorite since it has it all.  Been up to the telescopes a coupla times....cool to see them up close instead of on Discovery Channel.  Turtles, flowing lava, black sand beaches, snow, tons of waterfalls, Kealekekua Bay--great snorkeling, hiking, beaches, and Kona coffee--best in the world.  Yeah, and then there is the Fire Rock Pale Ale....great stuff!  Just wish it was on sale more often.

 

[SteveS]

Kona coffee--best in the world

No doubt - I love that stuff.  Hard to find good Kona coffee on the mainland - you mostly get 10% blends  

[Smarmy Of One]

The old saying is that "life is what you make it." That's "YOU make it." If a person is living their life for Jesus, or Muhammad or Santa or whatever, I guess they'll kill themselves the first time they have a crisis of faith.

If you live the life you make, no one can take it from you except yourself. Maybe that makes sense.

Kona, I hate you!  :wink:

[ShimShamSam]

I actually think religious folk have more of a purposeless and pointless life. They spend all their life worshiping and bowing down and going to church, nothing is gained through all this, they just read the same book, go to the same church, they don't accomplish anything except talking to themselves at night, and that's barely an accomplishment.

What happens when they finally die, living their life all for the moment after they die to go to heaven, if there was one, wouldn't they feel stupid if heaven just turned out to be one of those big play houses you see at McDonalds. Damn, I don't even need to bring up my own purposeful life to make my point.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I tell them that I relish each day to be a good person, to accept people for who they are, to do a person a good turn and to learn something new each day.

Then I ask them, "so are you saying the only thing that gives your life meaning is your belief in god and an afterlife?

I also tend to mention that I don't have to hang onto things like that to give my life meaning, there is plenty of meaning with the REAL, tangible things in my life.  If the person has not walked away, I can give examples, like doing something with my daughter, playing with my pets, helping my handicapped neighbor with her groceries.  I do those things because they enrich life NOT in anticpation of some reward in the future.

[Martian]

Everyone has the same purpose. It is to achieve happiness and avoid discomfort. This applies to Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and even the nonreligious. It's just a matter of admitting it or not.

That's what I think about purpose.