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Post by Darius on Mar 8, 2012 16:49:12 GMT
Just out of curiosity, does not having any beliefs about an afterlife ever make you feel a bit depressed?
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Post by flyingteapot on Mar 9, 2012 8:32:44 GMT
Just out of curiosity, does not having any beliefs about an afterlife ever make you feel a bit depressed? Not in the least bit. I'm as happy as can be.
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Bayes
Full Member
Posts: 206
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Post by Bayes on Mar 10, 2012 19:20:22 GMT
If I assume there is no afterlife I get hyper and frightened.
Belief about the afterlife is not what makes someone atheist or not though, there are atheists that believe in an afterlife. Atheists don't believe in god(s)
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Post by Worldquest on Mar 10, 2012 21:28:29 GMT
It would feel very bleak to be an atheist in my opinion.
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rns
Newbie
Posts: 19
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Post by rns on Apr 21, 2012 17:39:07 GMT
Not believing in an afterlife makes our time here that much more special and cherished, allowing me to fully appreciate THIS life, now, and inspires me to make the most of it. So no, it's not depressing, it's inspiring!
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Post by Worldquest on Apr 25, 2012 15:22:56 GMT
The idea of having more than 1 of something doesn't necesarily equate to wasying it. You don't have to believe you only have 1 of something to cherish it.
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Post by pandarius on Apr 26, 2012 2:01:06 GMT
I only became an atheist about a year ago. I remember the first night after my coming to that conclusion, I felt really empty and hollow inside. There's a term for that, I think.
Anomie: social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values; also : personal unrest, alienation, and uncertainty that comes from a lack of purpose or ideals
I don't think I was depressed because of the afterlife thing. I didn't even think of it. I just felt like something which I had based my world view around ever since I could remember, which I had never questioned and was hardly even aware of the fact that it could be questioned, just suddenly dissapeared out of existence. It was really strange, and it took a while for me to get used to it.
Now, however, I've more or less come to terms with my new beliefs, and although I find the world to be more strange and confusing, without a simple goddidit explanation, I'm starting to see the beauty of the natural world, without supernatural explanations. In a way, it's comforting. I think I'd go nuts if I had to live forever though...well, that would be if there was no internet in hell ;D
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rns
Newbie
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Post by rns on May 4, 2012 14:18:27 GMT
The idea of having more than 1 of something doesn't necesarily equate to wasying it. No, not necessarily, but usually people value something more when it's running out. Certain aspects of our economy work in a similar fashion (supply and demand). Other examples can be found all the time, e.g. when you are down to your last sweets / gum, you tend to ration it out when you are running out of money, you tend to spend it less freely when you have a favourite of something that is irreplaceable, one tends to make sure nothing happens to it etc.
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Post by Worldquest on May 4, 2012 20:18:36 GMT
The idea of having more than 1 of something doesn't necesarily equate to wasying it. No, not necessarily, but usually people value something more when it's running out. Certain aspects of our economy work in a similar fashion (supply and demand). Other examples can be found all the time, e.g. when you are down to your last sweets / gum, you tend to ration it out when you are running out of money, you tend to spend it less freely when you have a favourite of something that is irreplaceable, one tends to make sure nothing happens to it etc. I get that, but I think that's a very simplistic way of looking at it. For every individual there is a unique (or, let's say, at least, somewhat unique, or potentially quite unique) point of view about various things. If your view is that this is the only life you have to live, then you may or may not choose to make the most of it. It depends on your other views, whatever they may be, and your personality. If your view is that this life is just one in an infinite series of incarnations (as is my view), then you may or may not choose to make the best of it. It depends on what other views you have. It depends on a lot of things, as you can imagine. My view is that life (by that I don't just mean this lifetime) is a learning process, a process of development / evolution. So I'd never dream of wasting this life. I could waste it, but it would only set me back. That's my own view and I'm using it to illustrate what I mean about various points of view. Other people may feel differently, depending on their overall worldview. For example they could say what the hell, it doesn't matter what I do now, I've got an infinite number of lifetimes ahead of me. Likewise, someone who doesn't think there's anything after this lifetime might think what the hell and be completely selfish in an attempt to "make the most of it". This is why it's important to get to know the individual to get the full picture. I'm also making the point that life isn't like running out of sweets or the economy because it depends on many factors.
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Post by jungledjinn on Mar 28, 2013 0:37:51 GMT
Being an atheist doesn't rule out an afterlife although I suggest it would rule out that there is necessarily an afterlife for all, for better or worse. What I object to are the heaven and hell characterisations. Anyone who's read a bit of science fiction can come up with plausible scenarios about the continuation of consciousness after the body dies or is abandoned, or even how it could become a natural part of evolution.
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