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If you think this is the area where you tell everyone you are sorry for eating their lunch out of the fridge, it probably isn't the place for you


This forum is open discussion between atheists and all theists to defend and debate their views on religion or non-religion. Please respect that this is a Christian-owned forum and refrain from gratuitous blasphemy. VERY wide leeway is given in range of expression and allowable behavior as compared to other areas of the forum, and moderation is not overly involved unless necessary. Please keep this in mind. Atheists who wish to interact with theists in a way that does not seek to undermine theistic faith may participate in the World Religions Department. Non-debate question and answers and mild and less confrontational discussions can take place in General Theistics.


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I am an Atheist...

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  • I am an Atheist...

    ...and I recognize that I have no moral obligation in the least to follow any laws.

    I speak for myself here. I have no moral compass now. There are no Absolutes. Everything is relative. We're all just dust in the wind.

    What shall I do today? What shall I do?

    I'd like to go to the beach for a month or two, but something is telling me that it's best I go to work instead.

    Since nothing really matters anymore, does anyone have pointers on how to navigate here on earth without a moral compass?

    Thank you.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Machinist View Post
    ...and I recognize that I have no moral obligation in the least to follow any laws.

    I speak for myself here. I have no moral compass now. There are no Absolutes. Everything is relative. We're all just dust in the wind.

    What shall I do today? What shall I do?

    I'd like to go to the beach for a month or two, but something is telling me that it's best I go to work instead.

    Since nothing really matters anymore, does anyone have pointers on how to navigate here on earth without a moral compass?

    Thank you.
    'Sex' is as important as eating or drinking and we ought to allow the one appetite to be satisfied with as little restraint or false modesty as the other. Marquis de Sade
    Atheism is the cult of death, the death of hope. The universe is doomed, you are doomed, the only thing that remains is to await your execution...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbnueb2OI4o&t=3s

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    • #3
      Originally posted by seer View Post

      'Sex' is as important as eating or drinking and we ought to allow the one appetite to be satisfied with as little restraint or false modesty as the other. Marquis de Sade
      I am currently working a few angles. The Moral Compass that I once had kept getting in the way though. Now if I can just find some safe sex and learn to avoid the negative consequences...

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Machinist View Post
        ...and I recognize that I have no moral obligation in the least to follow any laws.

        I speak for myself here. I have no moral compass now. There are no Absolutes. Everything is relative. We're all just dust in the wind.

        What shall I do today? What shall I do?

        I'd like to go to the beach for a month or two, but something is telling me that it's best I go to work instead.

        Since nothing really matters anymore, does anyone have pointers on how to navigate here on earth without a moral compass?

        Thank you.
        I doubt that it's true that nothing matters anymore. I'm sure there are some states of affairs that you would prefer over others. Most people would like to be pain-free, have good health, live a long life, etc.

        Everything you do has consequences, both short-term and long-term. If you act without considering consequences, then you will receive whatever consequences the world has to give you. The odds are not good that those consequences will end up being what you really want. (People who act without any consideration of consequences are crazy, pretty much by definition.)

        If you only consider short-term consequences, then you may be very happy for a very short time. (In a very chaotic situation, this may be the thing to do, because you may have no confidence that the long-term consequences you plan for will actually come about. But in a relatively stable situation, you can probably do better.)

        If you only consider long-term consequences, you may find that you are dead before you have a chance to enjoy any of that long-term happiness that you planned for. The world is not entirely predictable, for anyone.

        My recommendation would be to try to strike a balance between doing what makes you happy right now, and doing what will give you the greatest happiness over the longest period of time. In particular, that means avoiding doing things that will likely lead to a short life, or a very unpleasant life in the long run.

        One piece of advice has been around since before biblical times, and seems to be a pretty good rule of thumb. Treat other people the way you would like to be treated yourself.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Stoic View Post


          One piece of advice has been around since before biblical times, and seems to be a pretty good rule of thumb. Treat other people the way you would like to be treated yourself.
          Those are good words to live by.

          Thank You Stoic. That was a very thoughtful reply!

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Stoic View Post
            One piece of advice has been around since before biblical times, and seems to be a pretty good rule of thumb. Treat other people the way you would like to be treated yourself.
            Another one that atheists can embrace wholeheartedly is "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." If atheism is true, then we live in an uncaring universe governed exclusively by the random processes of nature, and whether one lives as a sinner, or a saint, we will come to the exact same end: death, followed by nothing. So live in whatever way pleases you, whether that's a life of selfishness or selflessness, and be content in the knowledge that it ultimately doesn't matter.

            (I find it curious how many atheists instinctively reject this line of reasoning despite the fact that it is the logically necessary conclusion of their worldview.)
            Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
            But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
            Than a fool in the eyes of God


            From "Fools Gold" by Petra

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post
              Another one that atheists can embrace wholeheartedly is "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die."
              Actually, most of us don't want to die tomorrow, and don't think we're going to die tomorrow.

              If atheism is true, then we live in an uncaring universe governed exclusively by the random processes of nature, and whether one lives as a sinner, or a saint, we will come to the exact same end: death, followed by nothing. So live in whatever way pleases you, whether that's a life of selfishness or selflessness, and be content in the knowledge that it ultimately doesn't matter.

              (I find it curious how many atheists instinctively reject this line of reasoning despite the fact that it is the logically necessary conclusion of their worldview.)
              I agree that ultimately it doesn't matter. It's the not-so-ultimately that concerns me.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Stoic View Post
                Actually, most of us don't want to die tomorrow, and don't think we're going to die tomorrow.
                Ever hear of a thing called "a figure of speech"?

                Originally posted by Stoic View Post
                I agree that ultimately it doesn't matter. It's the not-so-ultimately that concerns me.
                So just do whatever makes you happy, whether you live wholly to serve others, or wholly to serve yourself. If atheism is true, then there is literally no wrong way to live. Surely the atheist can find some comfort in that?
                Last edited by Mountain Man; 04-07-2021, 12:31 PM.
                Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                Than a fool in the eyes of God


                From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post
                  Ever hear of a thing called "a figure of speech"?
                  Problem is, that one doesn't make any sense unless taken literally. What you do today is going to make a difference tomorrow and the next day and the next day...

                  So just do whatever makes you happy, whether you live wholly to serve others, or wholly to serve yourself. If atheism is true, then there is literally no wrong way to live. Surely the atheist can find some comfort in that?
                  Even if your only goal is to maximize your own pleasure, there are some ways to live that are better than others. Maximizing your pleasure today may not mean much compared to maximizing your pleasure over many decades.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Stoic View Post
                    Even if your only goal is to maximize your own pleasure, there are some ways to live that are better than others. Maximizing your pleasure today may not mean much compared to maximizing your pleasure over many decades.
                    It depends on what you mean by "better". Some people think it is better to live selflessly, others think it is better to live selfishly. Some think it is better to focus on long-term satisfaction, others think it is better to maximize one's pleasure in the moment. Some think it is better to live a long life of virtue, others think it is better to live fast and die young so you can leave a pretty corpse. If atheism is true, then none of those choices are actually wrong, they're just different paths to the same destination: death and oblivion.
                    Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                    But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                    Than a fool in the eyes of God


                    From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post
                      It depends on what you mean by "better". Some people think it is better to live selflessly, others think it is better to live selfishly. Some think it is better to focus on long-term satisfaction, others think it is better to maximize one's pleasure in the moment. Some think it is better to live a long life of virtue, others think it is better to live fast and die young so you can leave a pretty corpse.
                      The difference between these people may be largely a matter of how smart they are, how well they've been taught, and how much thinking they've put into it.

                      If atheism is true, then none of those choices are actually wrong,
                      Some of them are wrong for me.

                      they're just different paths to the same destination: death and oblivion.
                      Some paths are more pleasant than others.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Stoic View Post
                        Some paths are more pleasant than others.
                        Yes. For instance, giving most of your earnings to charity and living in borderline poverty is less pleasant than hording your wealth and living in luxury.
                        Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                        But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                        Than a fool in the eyes of God


                        From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post
                          Yes. For instance, giving most of your earnings to charity and living in borderline poverty is less pleasant than hording your wealth and living in luxury.
                          Right. It's the sort of thing you don't do yourself, but you heap praise on others when they do it.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Stoic View Post

                            Right. It's the sort of thing you don't do yourself, but you heap praise on others when they do it.
                            The point, of course, is that neither choice is right or wrong in an atheist universe. So live however you please, because it doesn't matter.

                            You would think atheists would find this comforting, that there are no wrong choices in life, but that's rarely the reaction. I wonder why?
                            Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                            But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                            Than a fool in the eyes of God


                            From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post
                              The point, of course, is that neither choice is right or wrong in an atheist universe. So live however you please, because it doesn't matter.
                              Except that it does matter, both to the person making the choice, and to other people who will be impacted by the choice.

                              You would think atheists would find this comforting, that there are no wrong choices in life, but that's rarely the reaction. I wonder why?
                              Probably because you are wrong.

                              Comment

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