View Single Post
  #8  
Old 08-07-2005, 01:26 AM
Jim T Jim T is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 186
Default Re: A problem I have with Atheism

[ QUOTE ]
Good answer, but different people decide differently what is right and wrong and what matters and what doesn't.

What if one person decided that it was right to do whatever they wished considering quality of life was more important than quantity and it is better to enjoy a shorter life and risk running afoul of the law than to live a 'unguaranteed' longer life in observance with the law?

Would this person be wrong, or would this person be right? Is this train or thought logical, or illogical, and why?

Cheers,
SDM

[/ QUOTE ]

These choices occur all the time. If there is a God, then these same choices would be there. So what is the purpose of God? To be the ultimate policeman, judge and/or enforcer? Sounds tedious.

Essentially, you are begging the question. You are saying that if there isn't a God, then there would be no purpose to life. Therefore, there must be a God. However, why must there be some grand Purpose?

I don't believe there is such a Purpose. I do believe there are many purposes though. A big one was given earlier: having babies.

Going back to your fears of general anarchy without a God (or, at least, FEAR of God), I find them extremely overblown. How many times in your life have you actually made a moral decision due to fear of burning in hell? Not very often, I would assume.

EVERY society in history, with a multitude of religions, have evolved rules of conduct. Clearly there are huge differences between various systems, but why has every group of humans always found a need to enact such rules?

It is because anarchy is terrible to live under. While it might be nice (in theory, at least) to be able take whatever material possession you wanted, bang any woman you saw who struck your fancy, kill anyone who displeased you, etc. ... this ignores the fact that everyone else you meet will be looking to steal YOUR possessions, rape your wife/daughter/sister/mother (or you), kill you, etc.

I am MUCH happier living under our more constrictive system of laws than living such a miserable "free" existence, thank you very much.

Finally, if you find the laws you were "born into" too oppressive, then you can work to change them or move somewhere else with rules that you believe to be better.

PS Christianity makes such concerns you express absurd anyway. Assuming Christianity is correct, the most vile person imaginable (if he's lucky enough to have the time before he dies to repent) can scoot right into heaven while the kindest, lifelong devout Christian you can think of could be struck by lightning while he's thinking, "God damn my neighbor's wife is hot" and be eternally damned to Hell before his body hits the ground.

As you noted, why waste your time being "good" when nothing really matters (but your "state of grace" at the time you die)? Eat, drink, and be merry to the fullest extent you can - just be ready to repent 2 seconds before you die.
Reply With Quote