Personal Questions about Atheism

Great Debates
1

I figured it was about time I asked you atheists some of my questions in hopes of obtaining a better understanding of where you’re coming from, how you got there, and why. There’s a few personal questions that I’m curious about how you would answer, but if you don’t feel like answering them that’s cool. I’m not sure if this makes for a “Debate”, but hopefully it will be a meaningful and informative thread.

**

  1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

  2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

  3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?

  4. What do you say to your children when they ask “Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?”

  5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.

  6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?**

2

1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

One finds one’s own meaning in life. There is no mystical “Meaning”. To me personally, I haven’t really found such a meaning. Doesn’t mean I’m unhappy, mind you.

2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

Don’t have one, as yet. Don’t know that I ever will. To my mind, there’s nothing wrong with a purposeless existence. Unless, of course, the quest for purpose is the purpose…

3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?

Nope. There are a number of people (living and dead) whom I admire, but no one I would refer to as a “hero” figure.

4. What do you say to your children when they ask "Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?"

Don’t have kids, so it’s not a question I worry about.

5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.

So far, no loved ones have died. As for personal tragedies, I deal with them as best I can, knowing that either things will improve, or coming to grips with the fact that things aren’t as bad as they could be / others have had it much worse and survived. Personally, I can’t think of any tragedy I’ve personally experienced that could compete with, say, storming the beaches of Normandy. Kind of makes my own problems dwindle into insignificance, at which point I am usually better able to address them.

6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?

I cease to be. And my body decomposes, completing the Circle of Life.

3

1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

Meaning? I don’t think life has any meaning, in any sense. I don’t know if anyone can find one. But I’m heavily existentialist-influenced, so I may be atypical.

2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

My presence here is an accident of birth. I really don’t think there’s any large scale purpose to my life. Right now, my purpose is to answer your questions. Before this, it was eating. After this, it will be to gather information about endurance training, so I can be less out of shape.

3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?

Let’s see…Thomas Jefferson is very close. I admire his ideals very much, and I think his quotes help to form a good guide to life. I also think that Lao-Tzu, Buddha, and Jesus had some very good teachings. Because I know you’re going to ask, I think Jesus had a very strong message of social justice, which is something I consider pretty important.

4. What do you say to your children when they ask "Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?"

I’ll be crossing that bridge when I come to it. :slight_smile:

5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.

Mostly, I just try to go on with my daily life. When I need to talk to someone (a close friend), I do.

6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?

I don’t know–I’ve never been dead. All I can say with a relative degree of certainty is that I won’t be composing posts here anymore. Rather, I’ll be decomposing. :wink:

4

1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?
If I said “42,” I bet you’d slug me. :slight_smile: Life has no great “meaning”; it simply is. One must construct one’s own meaning.

** 2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?**
This is simply Question 1 rephrased, and my answer is the same. There is no purpose, simply the use you make of your life during your brief existence here.

3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?
Rosa Parks, the firefighters and police officers of New York City and Arlington Virginia, the heroes of Flight 93, and the guy in the white shirt who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square, June 4, 1989. As far as philosophers or spiritual teachers, I’d go with the Buddha, Rumi, Guru Nanak, Lao Tze, Baha’iullah, and
Jesus.

4. What do you say to your children when they ask "Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?"
I don’t have kids, but if I did, I’d ask them, “What do you think?”

5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.
I grieve, and go on.
6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?
Nothing. Since my mind and my identity are products of my brain, when it goes, I go. Actually, that’s quite a relief; eternity, whether in heaven or hell, would be a bore.

5

Watch Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, it’s all there.

I make my own purpose. This does not detract from whatever I choose that purpose to be, however.

Ooo…a Hero, not just a hero. Bernie Rhodenbarr is a good one, if fictional.

Me. Now go back to bed.

I remember the good times and bad, laugh, sigh, and cry. Over time, the pain dims…but never leaves entirely.

I believe that I will be cremated and have my ashes thrown out of an airplane at 25,000 feet.
That, or I will play cornet for an all-girl carbaret.

6

1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

A decidedly sub-par Monty Python film, except for the songs and the “Chartered Accountants” short film. Seriously, though, I don’t think life has any meaning beyond what we assign to it ourselves. There isn’t a goal, or a prize; you live, you die.

2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

In the basest terms, it’s to live and to die, like all living things. I don’t believe in “purpose” in the way I think you’re proposing it. My parents happened to have sex at such a time that the genetic information containing “me” was available, and I was conceived and born. Had they not had sex at that time, I would not exist.

While I’m here, the purpose I assign myself is to love my wife and my family, work hard, help others when I can, etc.

A hero? Not as such. The individuals in my life who have had the most influence on the way I live are my family; specifically my parents, my maternal grandfather, and my paternal grandmother. I’m willing to go into more depth if you’d like.

4. What do you say to your children when they ask "Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?"

Not an issue for me. My wife and I are not having children. If any of my nephews or my niece ever ask me, I will give them as honest an answer as possible. I will tell them that many people in the world believe in a being that created the universe, and that many worship such a being as their creator, and encourage them to examine the evidence and decide for themselves.

5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.

When I loved one dies, I mourn. A lot. I know that that individual is gone forever – that everything that made them unique and an individual has ceased to exist. After the mourning, I do my best to make sure I never forget them, and honor their memory whenever possible.

When a tragedy happens in my life, well, I deal with it. Depending on the level of tragedy, I may be more or less angry or frustrated, or feel varying degrees of hope that it will work out well for me, but I can’t just ignore it. I do what I have to do.

6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?

See above – I cease to exist. I fully believe in materialism, at least to the extent that what makes me “me” is a result of my physiology. (A great passage about this is in the first chapter of Carl Sagan’s Broca’s Brain, in which he views Paul Broca’s preserved brain in a specimen jar, and can’t help wondering “if he’s still in there in some way.”) When that ceases to work, I’m gone, and my body returns to its constituent parts.

7

—I figured it was about time I asked you atheists some of my questions in hopes of obtaining a better understanding of where you’re coming from, how you got there, and why.—

I think you’re still a little confused about what an atheist is, if you are trying to understand “atheists” as a type. While people who call themselves atheists might have similar opinions on theism, atheists themselves have no necessary set of opinions that ties them together as a group. You might as well ask these questions of ANYONE, not just atheists specifically. Obviously no atheists are going to give theist-based answers, but aside from that…

—1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?—

The question is nonsense. Meaning is something felt by a being: it isn’t something that can be discussed apart from specifying a particular agent who finds meaning.

—2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?—

Whatever purpose I undertake is my purpose, by definition. If someone else has a purpose for me, that’s their bussiness.

—3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?—

Plenty of them.

—4. What do you say to your children when they ask “Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?”—

I’d tell them that some people believe in beings called gods (plural), and that they should inquire with the various god believers as to the sorts of gods they believe in.

—5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.—

Same as anyone does: you comfort your family and friends, you reflect upon a life lived, and you don’t stop loving them. You find a place for it. People often say that people believe in heaven because it’s easier to cope: but frankly, with friends on both ends of the spectrum, I’ve never found that beleivers have an easier time of it at all.

—6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?—

Probably the same thing happens to me as with anyone else. I have no idea. Everything I know about my experience tell me that when my brain’s out of commission, I have no awareness. So when I die, I doubt I’ll have any.

8

Hi dreamer! :slight_smile:

1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

Only the title of a Monty Python film.
If there is no God, why would there be a Meaning?

2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

I don’t know about a purpose.
My personal philosophy is ‘make people happy’. :cool:
I strongly believe that we will all be happier if we are considerate towards others. But it’s a logical view of living in human society, not a religious belief.

3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?

  1. My parents
  2. Gandi
  3. Martin Luther King
  4. Nelson Mandela
  5. Lifeboatmen (as an example of all rescue services, who risk their life to save others).

4. What do you say to your children when they ask "Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?"

I don’t have children.
I’m a teacher, and if any of my pupils asks I can discuss the major religions. If they then ask my personal beliefs, I am happy to explain those.
I have discussed religion amicably with my School Chaplain, and have given a sermon. :eek:
I agree with the Christians in my Biology department who teach evolution as scientific fact. (Creationism is discussed in our religious classes as a myth.)

5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.

I try to be practical and strong.
The hardest thing I ever did was when a close friend of mine (and his wife) were killed in a car crash.
I went to the hospital with mutual friends, and we were told that the kids (who were also in the car) were in shock and there was nothing for us to do until they came out of sedation.
So some of us waited, and two of us went to console the mother.
When we got there, it was instantly obvious that she hadn’t heard.
So I had to tell her.

6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?

Nothing - it’s like sleeping forever.

9

Heck, I’m not an atheist but I bet I can hit up your questions just as well. (Your questions with Hindu-Arabic numerals, my responses with lower-case Roman numerals.)

1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

i. Why must life have a meaning? Lots of things happen by accident.

2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

ii. Refer to answer i.

3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?

iii. Yes. One of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned in my life was taught to me by a classmate in the 9th grade. We became great friends after that and I still look up to him. Great example of a fine human being.

4. What do you say to your children when they ask “Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?”

iv. If the child calls me “Mommy,” we’ll have to deal with more serious issues first. Anyway, each person would explain the meaning of the word in the way they understood the word. An atheist would explain that “God” is the term used by theists to denote the entity theists believe exists.

5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.

v. People deal with tragedies in many different ways. There certainly isn’t any “one size fits all” for lessening or understanding one’s own grief.

6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?

vi. Haven’t died yet. I’ll get back to you when that happens. But in the meantime, let’s make being alive a better experience for everyone concerned.

10

I’ll agree in general with most of the posters here…but I have two points:

**3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to? **

Yes, very definitely. The Roman Emperor Julian who, in 362 CE, proclaimed religious freedom throughout all the Roman world, thus attempting to halt the mob action murders of all those whom the Christians disliked, both pagans and other Christians. Although I think he would have been appalled at how far Christianity has spread, I think he would also be very impressed with the U.S. constitution.

7. …sort of…

I personnally am appalled at the number of atheist, agnostic or deist posters here who have stated that they don’t have children and have no plans to have children. How are we going to work up a majority???

11

I’ll bite. I’m an atheist who believes in a lot of things, just not any gods.

What is the meaning of life?

This is a hard question to answer. What is the meaning of gravity? What is the meaning of contenental drift? Life is life. It is amazing. It is powerful. There is a certain sort of awesome acheing beauty to the very act of existing. But it’s not exactly something that has “meaning”. If pressed, the meaning of life is life. There is no way that it could mean more.

**What is your purpose to being on this Earth?[/b}

My purpose is to love. It is to love others. It is to love beauty. It is to love the painful wonderful crazy feeling of existing. It is to do the only thing I can do in such a strange existance as this- feel deeply and love unconditionally. I want to feel the thrill of being through my entire body and mind. I want to be as good to others, as loving, as kind, as closely connected, as I can. Because all we have is each other. It’s up to us to build the world we want to live in, and there is no other real viable choice except goodness and love.

{b]Is there are hero figure…**

I don’t really see what this has to do with atheism but…I look up to a lot of people. I look up to people that create. I look up to artists, writers, and filmmakers. i look up to people who love. I look up to the everyday people that are just living their lives the best they know how. Heck, I guess that means I look up to everyone, doesn’t it. If pressed, I’ll tell you I’m a big fan of Socrates. And…ummm…Karl Marx.

**What do you say to your children when they ask “Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?” **

Depending on how old they were, I’d probably give them a quick rundown on the world’s major religions. Ideally I’d supplement this with field trips to churches, temples, museums and the like. I’d explain to the kid that I don’t believe in god, and give a simple version of why. I find religion to be pretty beautiful sometimes, and infinately facinating, but not really something that I can belive. If they were old enough, I’d explain to them the value of metaphor when it comes to the spiritual.

[n]When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.**

I’d feel sad, of course. I’m prone to pretty wild mood swings, so I’d probably feel really really sad. We all fear changes in our lives, and we all fear having to go on without a loved one. But what happens happens. And even if everything doesn’t always happen for a reason or work out for the best, it’s a good idea to assume that anyway. It’s just a matter of mustering the bravery to face existance and change.

What do you believe happens to you when you die?

I stop existing. And I don’t even care that I don’t exist. Death isn’t exactly a good thing, but it’s a win/win situation. Either you exist, and get all the intersting stuff that comes with existance. Or you don’t exist, and you arn’t there to care that you don’t exist.

Incidently, this is an argument that I find pretty compelling against having children. By having them, you are forceing tham into an existance that they might not like having forced upon them. There is nothing inherently good about existance, other than it’s all we’ve got so we might as well do it right. It seems a little unfair to force the enitire world and the burden of existing on someone without ever giving them that choice. The alternative, to have them not exist and not care about not existing, seems a lot more humane at times.

12

I noticed that no one who has posted yet has children, but I didn’t see anyone who says that they have no plans to have any. (except for maybe even sven). Is that the case for you all? You don’t want to have kids? If so, why?

hi glee :smiley:

13

**1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you? **
I don’t think that there is some cosmic meaning. As individuals, and as families, groups, and societies we make our own meaning. We choose to live well, bring happiness, experience closeness, or not.

**2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth? **
I don’t believe I’ve been assigned any purpose. As a thinking person, the purpose I’ve decided for myself is try to live well, be happy and bring happiness, experience closeness, fell love, have some fun, try not to fuck up, be a decent person, etc.

**3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to? **
My folks, my brothers and sisters, my first boss, my 8th grade English teacher, Spiderman (mid to late 60’s comic book version), Cheri, my wife, my kids, Lionel, Matt, Robin, and many more.

4. What do you say to your children when they ask "Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?"
I told them what I knew, which was that no one knows if there is a god or not, but that I didn’t see much evidence for god, and so I didn’t really believe it myself. I told them that I knew personally several people (including at least 5 from my answer to question 3) who’s opinions I respected very much, who did believe in god. I explained the best the I could the major divisions of beliefs; Atheism, things like the god of the bible, the concept of a god being sort of a non-personal collective consciousness, god as an advanced human who we could all become like, etc. Then I encouraged them to think, study, and decide in their own way.

**5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it. **It’s never easy. I’ve lost a niece, all 4 of my grandparents (although I only knew two of them), both of my parents, my finance, and various other friends and more distant relatives. I mourn them, honor them, try to make what I learned from them part of my life, miss them, and remember them. After my finance and then my father died, I tried so hard to become a believer and think that I would see them again in some fashion. It just doesn’t work for me.

**6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?**You cease to exist. You’re worm food, pushing up daisies, pinin’ for fjords. If you’re lucky, some people will remember you with happiness, some people will be better off due to your existence. More than that I don’t think you can ask.

Ugly

14

Just put my .02 in. I have two kids, plus a stepson. I’ve been through the whole discussion with all of them.

Ugly

15

-1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

I don't know.

-2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

I don't know.

-3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?

Yes.

-4. What do you say to your children when they ask “Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?”

A leading question. I don't have children.

-5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.

Another leading question. This has never happened.

-6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?

I don't know.
16

dreamer, as I mentioned, my wife and I are not having kids. We’ve been married eleven years; I had a vasectomy seven years ago. The reasons are various and sundry; suffice to say that I know deep down inside that I would not enjoy raising children, nor would I make a good father.

17

Hello dreamer, I’ve followed a couple of your threads, I admire the way you present yourself here. Though I don’t share your beliefs, I generally respect the way you offer them rather than push them.

I am an agnostic, not an atheist, but here are some of my thoughts anyway. Some I’ve felt for a long time and am pretty sure about, others are just what came to mind at the moment, certainly not convictions.

1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

There is no capitol M meaning. If you look at it on a genetic level it’s basically about multitudes of different information structures (DNA) struggling against each other and their environment to become dominant. On a human level it seems very similar, different belief systems struggling for dominance.
Just about everything we do is meant to perpetuate our own existence long enough to perpetuate our DNA and/or belief system. Some of us take time for a little pleasure here and there too.

A life form has to balance between seeking shelter and exploring its world. It meets its physical needs and alters its environment to extend/enhance its existence.

2. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

Perhaps my purpose is to find my individual purpose. Yeah, that sounds redundant, but hey, so is life. I want to discover as much as I can, share as much as I can, and change what I don’t like.

**3. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to? **
There are hundreds of people I have learned from and many whom I admire. But they are all human and have their weaknesses as well. There is no human whom I deify with Hero status, that is the stuff of myths. I find it sad when people accept myths as fact.

**4. What do you say to your children when they ask “Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?” **
My first one isn’t due for four months, so I can’t be certain how I will respond yet. I’m sure that when the time comes in his development I will reveal more of my understanding of the universe to him in ways that I feel he will understand. Learning is a continuous process and can not be tidily summed up into a single conversation. There is too much information involved and too many unknowns to consider. I will encourage him to ask questions and seek answers, but also inform him that there are some things which are unknowable. You’ve hit on a few of these in your OP. I once wrote a song to help me vent my frustration with “The Unanswerables”… Where did we come from, what are we here for, where do we go? What is love, what is pain, do we have a soul? Maybe I’ll let him listen to that sad tune and tell him at the end, nobody really knows. And most importantly, beware of anyone who claims they do. (okay, love and pain have decent scientific explanations, but I had a hole in the lyrics. I never claimed to be a “good” songwriter. )

**5. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it. **

The same as everyone else, whether they believe in god or not…

  1. Denial
  2. Anger
  3. Depression
  4. Acceptance
  5. Rememberance

6. What do you believe happens to you when you die?

I can’t possibly know until it happens, anything anyone believes on this matter is pure and utter conjecture. Despite various claims, there has NEVER been ANYONE who has met true clinical death and returned to inform us about it. It is an impossibility. Unfortunately many in this world choose to believe in various fraudulent claims by those with ‘knowledge’ in this realm, and then go on to propogate the lies, not withstanding their own reasons for doing so may be benign.

18
  1. What is “The Meaning of Life” to you?

I would agree with the other posters that this is as meaningless as “What is the meaning of fish?” But I don’t think that’s what you really meant to ask: probably something more like “What gives meaning to your day-to-day existence?” (Correct me if necessary, dreamer.)

And my answer to that would be, all kinds of things. I get to spend time with my friends and family, play games, see movies. On a less selfish note, I feel like I have important work to do both in my campus chapter of the ACLU and in my community, teaching people to value those freedoms and liberties they so freely pledge allegiance to and then turn around and strip from other people.

That’s not an attempted hijack, but for now it’s part of my personal meaning so I think it’s worth mentioning.

  1. What is your purpose for being on this Earth?

This is pretty close to number 1.

  1. Is there a Hero figure or anyone in your life that you have learned from or whom you look up to?

Lots of people. My father, the hard-working small business owner. My mother, the intelligent, caring (and sometimes crafty) writer. My drill sergeants, who I most certainly did not see eye to eye with but who showed me how much I could do when I had to.
The president of my campus ACLU chapter, an extremely charismatic dude who delights in getting in trouble for good causes. (I am proud to serve as vice president.)
I’m sure I’m forgetting more.

  1. What do you say to your children when they ask “Mommy, Daddy? Who is God?”

No children yet, though I intend to have a few of my own and adopt several more if the future Mrs. Coin is up to it.

I will say, “God is all kinds of things, really. Lots of people believe in God, but they have different names for him, or sometimes her, or sometimes him and her and all their family. Daddy doesn’t think he’s real, but you can if you want.”

That’s a start. Lil’ Coin(ette?) will no doubt have more questions than I can anticipate here.

  1. When a loved one dies or a tragedy happens in your life - What are the steps you take to deal with it.

I spend time with my friends and family both in real life and on-line talking about it. When the young ones of the family aren’t around, I cry a little. Once I’ve calmed down, then I throw myself into whatever needs to be done to deal with it. I take a great deal of comfort in my own strength (such as it is).

  1. What do you believe happens to you when you die?

Your family, friends, and other people you’ve touched think about you, and maybe even tell their kids about you. Your memory lives on as long as it is kept alive.

You rot.

19

I would like to add that I will definitely teach my child/children tolerance of other’s beliefs verbally, and try to teach them the same through my actions. I’ve always kind of thought that should be easy, given my fence-riding-nature, but damn, some of those with faith (religious or not) can be irritating as hell sometimes.:smiley:

20

Well I believe an early CONGRATULATIONS is in order :slight_smile:
Thank you for your kind words too.