Is suffering meaningless to atheists?

[Valery]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

 

[RabidAlpaca]

This is one of the more dishonest strawmen the religious try to push to insult atheists. That nothing has any meaning at all to atheists. All of us in life get a blank slate and we get to decide what we assign meaning to and what we choose to care about. It's not going to be the same meaning and priorities for everyone, and that's what makes it beautiful. Instead of having an old book or priest tell you what you should find meaningful, an atheist gets to choose for himself.

Nobody likes to suffer. The key question is WHY that person is suffering. Does it serve an actual purpose or is it just needless suffering? I see religious people of all-types subject themselves to suffering in the hopes of getting special bonus goodies from god in a theoretical next life. I see that as meaningless suffering. Make your life now enjoyable and reduce the suffering for yourself and the people around you. If something is actually worth suffering for, i.e. putting yourself through college, then the end-goal is meaningful to you.

 

[dex4974]

I don't believe in any objective meaning to life. Everything that makes my life valuable to me is subjective.

 

[tacomancer]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

Back when I was an atheist, I believed that it was up to me to come up with my own meaning and honestly I was quite happy with that and did not suffer (from an existential standpoint) even a tiny bit.

 

[ataraxia]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

Yes, suffering exists. It has no intentional, objective meaning. Life is not fair. It’s how you take it and what you make of it. You can either let it crush you, or do something about it if you can, and if you can’t just accept it with equanimity and move on and not let it get you stuck. I like the approach of the ancient stoic philosophers.

"Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens. Some things are up to us and some things are not up to us. Our opinions are up to us, and our impulses, desires, aversions—in short, whatever is our own doing. Our bodies are not up to us, nor are our possessions, our reputations, or our public offices, or, that is, whatever is not our own doing."
-Epictetus

Incidentally, their philosophy was later adapted by Christians, but it works just as well with or without a god:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”

 

[PoS]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

Indifference to suffering is not predicated on religious and non-religious lines. There are many examples of religious people being not only indifferent to suffering, but are the actual cause of it. The meaning of suffering is silly when its the causes of such that matters to a typical Atheist.

 

[Dragonfly]

Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

What exactly is the "goal" of suffering? Who set this "goal" and for what purpose exactly?

What exactly is the "meaning" of suffering? Who defines this "meaning" and for what purpose exactly?

 

[zyzygy]

What exactly is the "goal" of suffering? Who set this "goal" and for what purpose exactly?

What exactly is the "meaning" of suffering? Who defines this "meaning" and for what purpose exactly?

There is no goal. It just happens.

 

[noonereal]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

How do I express how totally discussed I am at the ignorance of this question.

What is wrong with posters?

God Bless You dude, you need something.

 

[noonereal]

This is one of the more dishonest strawmen the religious try to push to insult atheists. That nothing has any meaning at all to atheists. All of us in life get a blank slate and we get to decide what we assign meaning to and what we choose to care about. It's not going to be the same meaning and priorities for everyone, and that's what makes it beautiful. Instead of having an old book or priest tell you what you should find meaningful, an atheist gets to choose for himself.

Nobody likes to suffer. The key question is WHY that person is suffering. Does it serve an actual purpose or is it just needless suffering? I see religious people of all-types subject themselves to suffering in the hopes of getting special bonus goodies from god in a theoretical next life. I see that as meaningless suffering. Make your life now enjoyable and reduce the suffering for yourself and the people around you. If something is actually worth suffering for, i.e. putting yourself through college, then the end-goal is meaningful to you.

Dishonest????????????

It's 4 clown shoes ignorant.

 

[Valery]

How do I express how totally discussed I am at the ignorance of this question.

What is wrong with posters?

God Bless You dude, you need something.

I see you're immensely triggered, but can I ask why? It was a simple question which means it should be simple to answer to, though you didn't, and how can a coherent question like this be called ignorant? I'm asking about something I cannot know. Would it be ignorant of a fireman to ask a doctor what it is like to be a doctor and what is the goal of a certain doctor?

 

[noonereal]

I see you're immensely triggered, but can I ask why? It was a simple question which means it should be simple to answer to, though you didn't, and how can a coherent question like this be called ignorant? I'm asking about something I cannot know. Would it be ignorant of a fireman to ask a doctor what it is like to be a doctor and what is the goal of a certain doctor?

The ignorance in your words is overwhelming. You simply don't know how to think in a rational objective manner.

No way I can "straighten" you out. It would take years of formal education.

Don't expect me to reply to your exercise in idiocy.

 

[Quag]

Why would anyone think that it was?
Kinda like asking do (Pick a group) think water is dry?

 

[Valery]

The ignorance in your words is overwhelming. You simply don't know how to think in a rational objective manner.

No way I can "straighten" you out. It would take years of formal education.

Don't expect me to reply to your exercise in idiocy.

Real believable... :roll:

 

[OrphanSlug]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

Perhaps it would be better for you to explain what "meaning or goal of suffering in itself from the point of view of theists" before digging in again on atheists and agnostics, there must be some point you are fishing for.

 

[Elora]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

I've been told that human suffering is unnecessary, that if God is the loving God He claims to be, He would eliminate all human suffering...what they don't stop to realize is, that would be much like a parent who bails his child out of trouble every time he does something wrong...what type of lesson is that parent teaching his child and what type of child is that parent creating? One with no integrity...with no ability to make the right decisions in life...an immature, spoiled brat who literally thinks he can get away with murder...

 

[WillyPete]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

Atheism is not nihilism. Existing in a reality without a god running the show does not render that reality purposeless.

At least, that's what it says on the index card Eris gave me before I skied down to Earth from Mount Olympus.

 

[Dragonfly]

Perhaps it would be better for you to explain what "meaning or goal of suffering in itself from the point of view of theists" before digging in again on atheists and agnostics, there must be some point you are fishing for.

See post #7

Already asked same questions. Got no response.

Completely not shocking.

 

[Valery]

See post #7

Already asked same questions. Got no response.

Completely not shocking.

You asked general questions. You didn't say they were addressed to theists. I don't want to get into a philosophical debate.. :yawn:

 

[Dragonfly]

You asked general questions. You didn't say they were addressed to theists. I don't want to get into a philosophical debate.. :yawn:

Bull crap deflection. They are very specific questions.

Explain your idiotic post, or admit you've got nothing.

 

[blarg]

I don't mean other people's suffering in the sense that atheists were indifferent to the suffering of others. Rather I mean, is the suffering in itself — their own and that of others — without meaning or goal, from the point of view of atheists (or agnostics)?

i guess it's only good to let a being know that something is damaging it

but it would be pointless with an all powerful all knowing god since there would be no reason to have damage in the 1st place

 

[RabidAlpaca]

I see you're immensely triggered, but can I ask why? It was a simple question which means it should be simple to answer to, though you didn't, and how can a coherent question like this be called ignorant? I'm asking about something I cannot know. Would it be ignorant of a fireman to ask a doctor what it is like to be a doctor and what is the goal of a certain doctor?

You asked if atheists don't care about human suffering and if it's meaningless to them. It's incredibly insulting and pointed.

 

[Elora]

You asked if atheists don't care about human suffering and if it's meaningless to them. It's incredibly insulting and pointed.

That is not what was said in the OP...Valery made it very clear...

 

[blarg]

I've been told that human suffering is unnecessary, that if God is the loving God He claims to be, He would eliminate all human suffering...what they don't stop to realize is, that would be much like a parent who bails his child out of trouble every time he does something wrong...what type of lesson is that parent teaching his child and what type of child is that parent creating? One with no integrity...with no ability to make the right decisions in life...an immature, spoiled brat who literally thinks he can get away with murder...

um if nothing you do causes suffering why would it be wrong to do anything? if anything no suffering would encourage honesty there's no reason to lie what do you mean by integrity? why invent death in the 1st place if you dont like murder?

 

[Elora]

um if nothing you do causes suffering why would it be wrong to do anything? if anything no suffering would encourage honesty there's no reason to lie what do you mean by integrity? why invent death in the 1st place if you dont like murder?

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