Without religion this is all there is, with, you have a higher power that you attribute certain aspects of your existence to, and an afterlife of course.
Its not that cut and dried of course, but i dont want to write a dissertation for an OP.
You think so?
I'm on the fence, and i say that as a religious person.
The idea that some...thing i have no real way of understanding has control of my fate, and that the way i live my life may not jibe with some arbitrary rules i have no choice in being subject to.
I assume you mean religion and spiritual conviction? Because people without a religion can have beliefs that involve an afterlife and daily rituals that would effectively change how they live.
Yes.
Like i said i didnt want a huge OP, and i'm giving posters enough credit to think they'll know what i'm asking about.
You and Mindset obviously do.
Honestly I believe those who are religious tend to lead more meaningful lives. I'm not sure if this is a trend worldwide but it is what I've observed.
__________________ There's a man goin' 'round takin' names.
An' he decides who to free and who to blame.
Everybody won't be treated all the same.
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down.
When the man comes around.
I suppose this heavily depends on how life is meaningful. Adding religious considérations only expands the material possibilities of decision making and morals, so stricto sensu it has more potential to give meaning.
Of course we have to assume there is such a thing like a material meaning, in the sense that is something that everyone can experience (otherwise the question would be rigged). This should place at least some inmaterial considérations of most religious into a secondary set of interests that can sometimes deflect attention from achieving material meaning, so in many cases religion can be harmful by distraction.
Depending on our definition of material meaning and it's compatibility with diverse religious mindsets some religions could be more harmful, while theoretically they should enrich material existence.
The real answer is it is neither more nor less meaningful. Life is what you make of it. Also stuff having meaning is highly overrated. Some need to believe every single thing has some significance. The fact is not everything does. This is in part why I think the church fought so hard against science at certain points in history.
I have also observed the opposite. All I know is I went to Catholic school and you could tell the students whose parents were super religious..they just tended to seem a bit more repressed in certain ways. Since the truth is not everyone was super religious that goes to those schools..in terms of the family. A lot of them are just people who go to church twice a year(Christmas, Easter).
__________________ Chicken Boo, what's the matter with you? You don't act like the other chickens do. You wear a disguise to look like human guys, but you're not a man you're a Chicken Boo.
Last edited by Surtur on Oct 9th, 2015 at 02:00 PM
At least in orthodox judaism, those people appear to be happier than any non religious person i know.
__________________ There's a man goin' 'round takin' names.
An' he decides who to free and who to blame.
Everybody won't be treated all the same.
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down.
When the man comes around.
Appearances can often be deceiving remember. Though they could certainly be quite happy.
__________________ Chicken Boo, what's the matter with you? You don't act like the other chickens do. You wear a disguise to look like human guys, but you're not a man you're a Chicken Boo.
Oh there's no faking this happiness. I respect not quite understanding it.
__________________ There's a man goin' 'round takin' names.
An' he decides who to free and who to blame.
Everybody won't be treated all the same.
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down.
When the man comes around.
Life is no more or less meaningful than you make it, regardless of what gives it that meaning. The premise of this thread is nonsensical at best, and at worst makes some scary presumptions about meaning being derived from something external rather than internal forces.
Basically you can indeed use religion to give your life meaning. Though not everyone needs religion in order to do that.
The thing is I don't believe in God, but I do believe in the afterlife.
You'd be surprised how good people can be at faking things.
__________________ Chicken Boo, what's the matter with you? You don't act like the other chickens do. You wear a disguise to look like human guys, but you're not a man you're a Chicken Boo.
Last edited by Surtur on Oct 9th, 2015 at 06:18 PM
Speaking as someone who doesn't believe that after I die I will go to a great place called Heaven and lived amongst deceased loved ones for all eternity, I personally believe I would value life much more than someone who believes in that.
Therefore, I think life is more meaningful without it.
Again, the premise of this thread is false. Because it presumes that external things can imbue life with meaning. Nothing has any intrinsic meaning until someone ascribes meaning to it. Religion doesn't give people meaning. People give religion meaning, and give their lives meaning through religion. But it's no more or less meaningful than any other source of meaning. In simpler terms, the person is the source of meaning.
So there isn't a yes or no answer to the OP that is true in a general sense beyond individual experiences. It isn't more or less meaningful without religion. It's exactly as meaningful as you make it.
And I say this twice now because it's one of the more bizarre falsehoods I see perpetuated about non-religion. That people can't fathom meaning outside of religion doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It only means their experience is limited. Maybe this isn't what Riv is saying, but it's very close to arguments I've heard several times, each as flawed as the next.
Not sure what's got your bloomers in a clinch, guy, but it was just a random question to start a random conversation.
No more than that.
You dont like it, thats cool, but dont herniate yourself over it, jeez!