3 ms·
I wonder how humanity will handle the decline of religion. I identify as an atheist (I think), so I've always greeted stories like this as good news. The soone
by J-dawg 10y ago
I wonder how humanity will handle the decline of religion.
I identify as an atheist (I think), so I've always greeted stories like this as good news. The sooner we all move past the medieval stuff and start thinking rationally the better, right?
However there's a part of me that's envious of religious people. I still struggle with the idea that life is inherently pointless, that there is no fundamental morality in the universe.
How amazing it would be to believe in an omnipotent being who loves me and wants me to be ok. I'd love to believe this so much, my rational brain just won't let me.
Something I've noticed about non-religious people: when pushed on the issue, very few will admit to being 100% Dawkins-style atheists. People will often say something hand-wavy like "I believe there's something out there".
- ysleepy 10y agoWell, the religious story seems to be inherently pointless to the same degree. If you just need someone telling you that you are important or significat, just ask yor mom or kid. But thrid party assigned purpose only works if I submit and give up my independence. I say "I believe there's something out there" if I am unsure of how it will affect our professional relationship - to give a non-answer to someone who is so unpolite to actually ask.
- ImTalking 10y agoI've never understood the 'life is inherently pointless' statement. The meaning of life is to give your life meaning. And we do have fundamental morality. It's instinctual morality that has evolved as we have physically. We didn't need Moses to show us the tablets; we know we must not kill because the human race would have never got this far if we did not evolve morally.
- joesmo 10y agoYes. And interestingly enough, we're certainly not the only species with morality, so the idea that Moses has to bring morality is even more absurd because of this widespread biological base that spreads far beyond humans.
- majewsky 10y ago> there is no fundamental morality in the universe How about this: Morality may not be a fundamental property of the universe, but since we, created by the universe, shape and experience morality, it can be argued that morality is an emergent property of the universe. And in my opinion, some of the most beautiful things in this plane of existence are emergent properties of simple systems.
- J-dawg 10y agoThis is a nice way of looking at it. Thanks.