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As An Atheist Can Your Life Have Purpose and Meaning?

I was wondering what other people thought about this.

I realize we weren't born with a purpose. No creator or "higher calling".

But as a non believer can your life have meaning and purpose without god?

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Permalink Reply by Richard Goscicki on August 18, 2012 at 10:11am

Tom, the way I understand it, Pascal’s Wager is a heads or tails shot. You either bet God exists the way described by religion and live an obedient and conformist life to win eternal bliss with God, thus losing the sinful pleasures of this life; or you bet God doesn’t exist, in which case you win a life of sybaritic pleasure, but lose your soul to eternal hellfire. With a perfunctory look it appears to be a no-brainer.

But in my view it’s a bad bet. There’s more to it than what appears. To obey the church’s laws and live as a member of the “mystical body of Christ” is to virtually surrender your mind and independent thought. You’re asked to abandon curiosity and live obedient to the parochial views of the majority. Also, the concept of hell is a scare tactic, thought up at the Council of Nicaea in 325. No prior ancient religion ever used the word “eternal” when describing divine retribution.

As Pascal’s contemporary Voltaire proposed, I’d rather be conscious and miserable than live contentedly as an obsequious, mentally deficient serf. (I don’t remember the exact quote or the reference, but I’m pretty sure it’s in there somewhere.)

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Allan H. Clark on August 18, 2012 at 11:13am

It seems to me that one of the sickest ideas of Christianity is that pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, is sinful.

This notion gives us the image of St. Benedict rolling in thorns and nettles until his whole body was bloody to suppress desire for a woman he had seen. That this is considered saintly rather than neurotic is unnatural.

The historian Edward Gibbon took a far saner view:

There are two very natural propensities which we may distinguish in the most virtuous and liberal dispositions, the love of pleasure and the love of action. If the former is refined by art and learning, improved by the charms of social intercourse, and corrected by a just regard to economy, to health, and to reputation, it is productive of the greatest part of the happiness of private life.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Goscicki on August 18, 2012 at 6:01pm

It seems to me that one of the sickest ideas of Christianity is that pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, is sinful.

Doctor, this is one of the major theses of my book. Also, my friend Barbara Walker uses this theme throughout Man Made God. Consider that nuns were often commanded to shower and bathe with their habits on, so as not to offend God. So I think you should use the word “stupid” as well as sick. God supposedly created their bodies, so why the heck should the ladies feel obligated to cover up even when cleaning themselves.

As you probably know, the history of anesthesia goes back a long way. Ether, one of the earliest, dates back to the alchemists, perhaps discovered in the 13^th century. But it wasn’t used until centuries later for fear of upsetting God’s plan. Think of all the pain, especially to women in childbirth that might have been avoided or alleviated. The unnecessary suffering caused by misguided and brainwashed church leaders is immeasurable.

Many American Civil War amputations were performed with a shot of whiskey and soldiers learned to “bite the bullet.”

I’ve written extensively on my blog about this theme. How about St. Dominic, one of the founders of the Inquisitive. A bloomin’ sadomasochist and he has a New World country and a few cities named after him. That’s him on the throne below.

THE PICTURE IS CALLED AN AUTO DA FE

The text in the essay reads:

That’s him on the throne below. In the remarkable picture below, that’s St. Dominic on the throne, not even condescending to look at the condemned. He reminds me of the Martian head in the fishbowl in the old sci-fi thriller, Invaders From Mars, 1951. It’s the cold dispassionate detachment I find so striking, as if the holy man of God were stepping on a pair of insects.

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Permalink Reply by Steph S. on August 19, 2012 at 12:17am

I enjoyed reading about history of anesthesia Richard. I will certainly check out your blog to read more. And I love the artwork you posted here too. You don't know how much I appreciate your contributions to my discussion.
Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Richard Goscicki on August 19, 2012 at 6:09pm

Thanks, Steph. I appreciate your insights also. I'm glad somebody got into this picture. It says a lot. Surreal is the only word for it, but the Auto da Fe was a historical, documented fact.

The two condemnees at the lower right are so pathetic. One of them has his hands joined in prayer, as if to say, "Oh, Lordee, I didn't mean to say the Trinity was bs, please gimmee another chance. I'll keep my mouth shut."

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Permalink Reply by Richard Goscicki on August 19, 2012 at 6:19pm

Also, it's hard to believe that the sado-masochist monster sitting in judgment on the thrown is none other than the revered Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican order and namesake of the island nation, Santo Domingo.

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on August 19, 2012 at 12:20am

Yes Dr. Allan H. Clark they had weird acts of penance in the church. I read about them whipping themselves with a belt of spikes. And of course I've heard about the chasity belts the women would wear. Didn't they have a lock on those - I'll have to find a picture of that.

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Chang on August 18, 2012 at 12:54pm

Sisyphus was eternal.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Allan H. Clark on August 18, 2012 at 1:20pm

But his life was rocky and much of it an uphill battle.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Carter on August 19, 2012 at 2:54pm

never a truer word spoken life is one long slog

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Permalink Reply by Richard Goscicki on August 18, 2012 at 1:40pm

Yes, but not Hades. Hades wasn't a place of eternal tortune, but merely a place to rest after crossing the river Styx and paying the ferryman, Charon. It took some pretty sexually repressed bishops to come up with the concept of eternal pain and suffering.