How do you find meaning in life without god? I dont say this

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>>18495062
Why are you looking for the meaning? Why do you need to know it now?

>>18495062
There Is no meaning to life even with God. All you can do is give your life a fictional meaning and wait for the big man in the sky to take you. Sooner you accept this, the clearer life becomes.

just breath, think, look, and listen. embrace the absurd. the cessation of consciousness will be like going to sleep and never waking up again (trust me I've experienced this*) which doesn't sound very bad, unless you take everything you do very seriously

*it's a joke

>>18495062
>How do you find meaning in life without God?
That's not possible, OP. Without an eternal, transcendent Creator, life is just transient and meaningless.

> I've tried to believe in a deity and an afterlife but its not something I am able to do.
Just to be clear, I'm not being accusatory, rather genuinely trying to understand. Why aren't you able to believe in God?

>>18495125
It makes no sense to me. I can't believe in something with absolutly no logical basis.

>>18495070
I just have a constant empty feeling and can never imagine why I should keep living other than that nagging fear of what death would bring.

Why would someone think this is a troll?

Best advice I've heard is to embrace the absurdity of life and not fall into nihilism, at any cost. You will lose your individuality and sense of importance, and eventually fall down a deep rabbit hole you can't get out of.

Also, welcome to being human. Good luck!

I believe there's nothing to fear. Everybody is gonna die some day. Just life the best you can right now.

I've found life seems meaningless when I started believe in religion again. Without a god life is not pre determind and nothing is set in stone. There is no future only tomorrow.

>>18495134
Nor should you. If there is a god and he endowed you with reason, why would he require you to forgo it? Is that not pain, is that not suffering, doing what is against your nature? Did he not make you, is he not omniscient? If causing suffering is objectively evil, what does that say about god?

Are you willing to bend? Gl

Be happy you get to life. The experience of allof these different emotions, flavors, smells, sightings.. to know the probabillity of you being born was so small you hit the fucking jackpot and got to exist. That's what religion should be about. The glorification of life, not god.

>>18495062
Strict biologism. Your purpose on this earth is to ensure the survival and propagation of your genes and those of your tribe and species.

>>18495134
>>18495150
>It makes no sense to me. I can't believe in something with absolutely no logical basis.
But there is a logical basis for believing in God. I mean, tell me what began the universe. Tell me what created the laws of science. Tell me how something can be objectively morally wrong in the absence of an omniscient determiner.

For most of human history, atheism is what was viewed as illogical, even by people who otherwise believed in religious tolerance. I know it's popular nowadays to think that people now are smart and people before were stupid, but that simply isn't the case.

>>18495150
I don't really follow what you're talking about, but the debate about whether knowledge of God is accessible through faith, reason or both has been ongoing since the 13th century.

In all honesty, I feel like people who say that believing in God requires foregoing reason entirely have done very little research or reflection and have simply decided that because they can't see Him, therefore He doesn't exist.

>>18495172
not OP but that logics a never ending cycle of and who created god, who created the god that created god etc. if you're going to slap omniscience onto gof to break the causality cycle you may as well just say the universe itself is eternal and that having a god before it isnt neccesary. at least we can observe the universe but we cant observe a god.

>>18495252
*god
phones are great

>>18495252
>not OP but that logic's a never ending cycle of and who created God
Nobody created God because He is eternal, beyond our human comprehension.

>if you're going to slap omniscience onto God to break the causality cycle you may as well just say the universe itself is eternal
Well, if that were the case, you'd be attributing sentience and creativity to the universe, which would make it a deity. Nonetheless, the universe hasn't demonstrated any sort of sentience.

>>18495278
if he's beyond our comprehension how do we know he exists

also the idea of eternity is very strange. If we were to say the universe is eternal i dont see why it would have to be sentient

I was raised catholic become a hardcore atheist and these days I'm basically agnostic/don't really care.

Either way It's simple: There is no meaning to life.

It's terrifying at first, but once you accept it, it's liberating. We simply give meaning to our lives by what we enjoy doing. If you want to be a mathematician pursue that because it brings joy. If you want to start a business pursue that etc.

It's best to find some dream and try to pursue it, and if it doesn't work out quite the way you hoped maybe you can do something else. Just do what brings you pleasure. Ultimately I think the goal should be to

1. Do what brings you pleasure

2. Be at peace with yourself

That's what makes life worth living.

>>18495285
>if He's beyond our comprehension how do we know He exists
His capacity is beyond our comprehension. I mean, as you say yourself, the idea of eternity is strange. It is nearly impossible for a human to consider something as having existed forever into the past, without creation. I know He exists because I have exercised the reason He imbued me with and come to the conclusion that the existence of a deity is necessary in order to explain the creation of the universe, the laws of science, and the existence of objective moral laws.

>>18495062 (OP)
Hang in there man. My situation is pretty similar. Like everyone else says, try to find something that makes you happy.

>>18495136
>Best advice I've heard is to embrace the absurdity of life and not fall into nihilism
why do people associate nihilism to emos? what you suggested doesn't contradict nihilism at all.

>>18495312
Well i'm unbelievably jealous that you feel the way you do. Like OP i just cant draw that conclusion based on "where did everything come from". I sure as fuck hope for all our sake that you're right.

>>18495062
The meaning of life is to love anon.

That's all there is to it.

>>18495332
Believe it or not, I used to feel like you. I really did, so I understand the anxiety, emptiness and aimlessness.

>Like OP i just cant draw that conclusion based on "where did everything come from".
I mean, that's only a very basic explanation of why I'm a Christian. I've been talking it over with friends for a long time and still have new things to say.

If you would like to read more about it, I recommend Mere Christianity, by CS Lewis. If you're academically inclined, Thomas Aquinas is probably the seminal figure in Christian philosophy. John Locke wrote an epistemological work called An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, some of which deals with the existence of God.

look
i was like you until a few weeks ago

what the fuck is the point in anything when there is no actual point? your parents will die, your friends will die, everybody will leave you and youll be alone and nothing youve ever done even fucking matters.

and then i was like
holy FUCK THIS IS AWESOME
i can literally do whatever the FUCK i want and nothing matters

you gotta do what you want (within reason) and live for whatever youre doing today. have goals and use each day as a seperate stepping stone to reach your goals.

hate your job or your college major? find another one and fucking quit, don't fall into this retarded trap of comfortability and being afraid
you wanna buy a fucking chocolate icecream but you're on a diet? fuck it, eat the icecream
every cunt who has fucked me over? i dont give a fuck about them because they were never going to be permanent fixtures in my life anyway

nothing means shit and that's cool as hell
you can fuck up as much as you want, as long as you're happy and productive
and then you die
either way that'll happen so may as well do what you can to be happy inbetween

>>18495062
if by meaning you mean purpose and by purpose you mean motivation, then the meaning of life is to do whatever the hell you want

there's no way to calculate the likelihood that this storybook "God" character is real. It would be no surprise if *something* created the universe, but there's really no way for humans to know.

asking humanity to prove how the universe came to be is like asking a pack of wild dogs to discover physics. the idea that humanity exists for some kind of grand purpose is really presumptuous.

maybe we're floating on a rock in space and nobody knows or cares except us.

I wish religious people would just exit these conversations. It's always so predictable what they say. They spout complete jibberish and then swoon when no-one believes it off blind faith alone. They refuse to even entertain the idea of something before a God. They refuse to entertain the idea that they are wrong. After all their magic book tells them everything they need to know, right? It's pathetic honestly. If you're not going to contribute anything to a conversation other than your baseless assumption then please leave.

Anyway I'd say God could exist but if so he's likely a being from a higher dimension. Higher than 4th.

>>18495513
ty for the suggestions
i'll keep them in mind

>>18495062
>How do you find meaning in life without god

What do you mean by "meaning in life"? Sure, there are meanings you will encounter in life. Words have meanings. Symbols have meanings. Numerals have meanings. A series of dots and dashes can have meanings.

Meanings are the information conveyed by something. They include the intension (the criteria for picking out what suffices as fitting under the meaning) and the extension (the set of all things picked out by the meaning).

Only certain classes of things have meanings. A tree has no meaning. But the word "tree" has meaning. One is an object, the other is a word.

You could grant meaning to a tree by establishing a system in which every birch tree in a line of trees stands for a 0, and every oak tree a 1. Plant the trees in a way to spell out the info you want to communicate in binary.

But the tree, in and of itself? No meaning.

We could argue about whether meanings are purely mental constructs, or are contingent on the world outside our heads (internalist vs externalist debate), we could argue about whether meanings are dependent on the intention of the author, or the interpretation of the receiver, but regardless, meanings are attached to words, symbols, gestures, signs etc, while not being attached to other things.

So, what sorts of meanings are you looking to find? If you want to find meaning in life, you could always grab a dictionary.

>>18495172
>I mean, tell me what began the universe.

Argumentum ad ignorantiam. You're arguing that because we don't know what (if anything) started the universe, we must accept that it was a deity.

We don't. It's an open question with many possibilities. Maybe the Big Bang occurred out of timeless fabric, of which we are but one patch. Maybe we live in a cyclical universe, with the universe expanding and contracting and banging again.

Maybe nothing started it, because the law that everything must have a cause is a law OF the universe, and need not apply outside the universe. There was no "before" the universe, because time began at the beginning of the universe.

>Tell me what created the laws of science.

Why did something have to create them?

>Tell me how something can be objectively morally wrong in the absence of an omniscient determiner.

Morality isn't "objective," regardless of whether or not a "creator" exists. One cannot derive an "ought" from an "is." Even if the "is" is that "there is a god."

>For most of human history, atheism is what was viewed as illogical

Argument from tradition.

For most of human history, it was believed that the sun orbits the Earth.

Read Carlos Castaneda and east asian philosophy

>>18495062
There is no meaning in life other than what u give it. As to how to live with it thats different for everyone, there is no perfect response to this question.

From what i can guess about u from ur post I can tell u that much:

Try to find joy in everyday occurences and interactions. Do not look for meaning where there is none(there are mechanisms that rule everyday life and choices people make but u cant call them meaning).
Take ur life one day at a time but if u have some long term goals and dreams then then every once in a while u should do some balance check to see if what u re doing with ur life gets u closer or further away from them. If u skip that last part u will end up feeling miserable some day in future. Surround urself with positive people even if u dont feel the need to talk to them.

Ultimately ur life is what u make of it so if u feel hollow u should so something, anything really if it doesnt work do something else.

>>18495062
You don't. There is none. You look for pleasure, that was developed via evolution to guide you to survival and procreation, then die.

But here's the kicker - pleasure's nice. In fact, it's the only nice thing you know. So get it. That's the only sensible course of action. Enjoy the fuck oit of life, but make no mistake - that's all there is. Just becaise some people thought it's something more, doesn't make it true.

>>18495513
>Aquinas
>in 2017
>obv bait

The choice you present is: something screwed up beyond our comprehension created the world that is pretty random, or the same thing, but that something is conscious and hates gay people.

I call Ockham's Razor on this one.

>>18495312
Just because you believe with all your heart and soul doesnt make it fact chief, accept that bitter fact now. You seem to give blind faith and only piggyback on "I believe with all my might so it must be true" That's delusion my friend, not belief or proof thereof.

>>18495642
This is why me and my mother butt heads so much over religion. She cant seem to question something she has complete blind faith in, never has she given me concrete reasoning on why and how God exists. Its the second verse same as the first with all christians, "I cant explain anything past my own understanding so I simply attribute it to a deity who figures everything out for me". I'm the master and commander of my own ship, so I refuse to give faith to something that has never once made itself known to our human eyes and minds. I find it odd that we have a book filled to the brim with miracles and deity shenanigans, but we cant find not even a shred of proof in this day and age. Impossible shit done thousands of years ago and yet we cant find proof or even get anywhere close to copying.

>>18496268
Amen to that buddy. I feel like the day I ditched god was the day I fully decided to live for myself and for my own maximum pleasure.

I think there is none. But it is still nice to live a fulfilling life the way you enjoy.
Socrates and Plato talk about this nicely (How it's nice to live life by the Good or in accordance to justice or whateve it's called in English)

It just depends on the person, I guess. I don't believe there is anything more to this world, but I also admit I have no clue what the """"meaning""""" of life is, and I'm content with not knowing. In fact, leaning towards the god-doesn't-exist belief makes me feel A LOT more comfortable, because I know that if a god does exist, most likely I'd be going to hell (and so would you), since who knows which god would be the real one.

Have kids, hope to give them some good genetics and die, that's life's actual meaning, that's the ultimate meaning of all life forms, heck, that's how we evolved.

>>18497568
God doesn't exist, and if he does then he's a scumbag.
>get the most painful disease ever; trigeminal neuralgia and be forced to commit suicide because of the unbearable amount of pain
>go to hell and suffer more because suicide is a sin

>>18497648
But is suicide a sin? Many people don't think so.

Everything surrounding religion is full of very important questions that can be answered in two ways, that's why it's futile to believe in the first place. No one can truly know. I mean fuck my family are all Christians and they believe hell doesn't exist.

>>18495513
Don't respond to atheifag threads Christbro, they won't listen and just yell out insults like a /v/tard or a nintenbot in a console war threads

>>18497653
"If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." -Corinthians 3:17
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (people who commit suicide are considered cowards) -Revelations 21:8
And there are many more
your parents are not true christians, christianity is followimg what the old (and new) testament says, they will also go to hell for not believing in the bible

>>18497666
***if you believe in a literal interpretation of the bible

>>18497663
You're projecting awfully hard there

>>18497851
No Christian does that. They pick in chose what they want to follow and yell about the stuff they do.


*trigger warning*
Example: gay people

Believe in yourself. Make life meaningful, or fucking end it. The people who find their own meaning are the great ones.

>>18497918
>You're projecting
The classic "no u" tactic

>>18497932
If fact they're not real christians since they don't believe in the scriptures and will go to hell for it

Just make one up. It doesn't have to be something grand, it can be something as simple as being good at what you do. People in general want to feel valued and that's what you seem to lack. Make it your goal to improve yourself in that case. That should reduce your feelings of emptiness. You can also help other people for similar effect.

>>18498276
The discussion has been pretty civil for now, atheist-side arguments blunt, but clearly not offensive or insubstantial. Please join in that instead of antagonizing everyone you don't agree with for that sole reason, anon.

>>18495536
Is this anon right? his post kind of motivated me again.

Dreams breathe life into men and can cage them in suffering. Men live and die by their dreams. But long after they have been abandoned they still smolder deep in men's hearts. Some see nothing more than life and death. They are dead, for they have no dreams.

-Griffith (Berserk)

TLDR; Find a dream to pursue

>>18495062
Welcome to nihilism.

In all seriousness the fact that you and I can even answer these questions and think about these things on a deep philosophical level should evoke in you the awe of what it is to be alive and intelligent enough to ponder about these things. No god included.

>>18499284
Yes he's right. He didn't put it eloquently, but he doesn't need to. It's really simple logic, everything eventually dies so nothing really matters except making sure you're life is as enjoyable to you as possible. All expectations, except your basic biological functions and instincts, are socially imposed. The only ones that matter are the ones you choose to impose on yourself, i.e. your goals. Welcome to absurdity.