What is the meaning of life for atheists?

Zombrex

staple wrote:

What I'm wondering here, and on the 'systematic belief system' thread is whether individual atheists think their own personal beliefs are systematic, coherent, consistent and rational?

Well I can't speak for all atheists, since atheist just means you don't believe in God, it doesn't explain what you do believe in.

But me personally I certainly believe that the morals I believe in are consistent and rational. I can explain why I believe everything I do, the logic behind it, and probably how I came to that conclusion (if I remember)

staple wrote:

At the risk of repeating myself, there seems to be a contradiction between the idea that you are rational and choose freely, and that you are driven by evolutionary instincts.

Not really.

No one (I hope) is suggesting that instinct is the only factor in play when making a moral choice. In fact I would say it is a quite small factor, our high brain functions are much more dominant that our instincts, unlike other animals. Our instincts and base emotions like appathy, guilt etc, only form a framework on which our morals are eventually based.

It would be silly to ignore the evolutionary side of our moral behaviour but at the same time it would be equally silly to suggest that our moral structures in society are based solely on them.

staple wrote:

Some atheists suggest people are religious because they haven't examined their beliefs, and if they did they would become atheists.

That might be true for some, but I don't think someone could make such a general statement either way.

Some people when they really examine religious teaching reject it. Others spend there whole lives studying religious moral teaching and that study only makes them more faithful to the religion.

What is being suggested by me is that following a religion's moral structure restricts discussion and debate over the moral issues, because by definition in a religion you are following someone elses moral beliefs and that moral belief system is normal beyond repute. As I said, how do you argue that God is wrong.

Of course some people choose a particular religion because it better suits their own, already determined, moral perspective. But it is more likely that a person is raised in a certain religion and therefore has less choice in picking a religion to follow.

staple wrote:

It seems that some atheists also live unexamined lives, and don't have the intellectual high ground.

Again, totally possible. But I would think that it is more likely that an atheists would have to examine his feelings on a particular moral issue to be able to come to a conclusion either way as an atheists is less likely to blindly subscribe to a moral code or system through faith alone.

Scofflaw

Son Goku wrote:

Your just too old man. Sorry, but people don't care about your old-timer "gay-theism" now.

Young people, grrr! I'll get 'em yet, yus yus, them and their little dogs, mumble mumble drool...


senilely,
Scofflaw