Is nihilism the only alternative to faith?

[Quinlan]

Without religion or some belief in spirituality or the afterlife can there ever be any meaning in our lives? If all we are is just a collection of molecules why does it matter if we live of die? It's just energy changing from one form to another. This is why I understand people having faith in a higher power, the alternative (strong atheism/nihilism) that we are no better than animals, that when we die conciousness ends, times up, gameover is too terrifying to contemplate. When you ask someone to turn away from their god/s, you're generally asking them to give up their immortality, if I was religious there would be nothing that atheism could offer me that would make me want to give that up.

Without god or a higher power, how do things like right or wrong, good and evil even exist?

 

[Satya]

Meaning is a concept that was created by and only has purpose for humans. Just because it is important to humans doesn't mean it has to play an important part in the universe. Humans create their own meaning and as far as humans are concerned, that is all we really need.

Good and evil, right and wrong, are defined easily enough between our own needs/desires and the socialization we gain. They are an integral part of our egos/identities. Just another human way that we try to understand the universe.

 

[Shai Gar]

 

[Quinlan]

Explains everything!

 

[Shai Gar]

I'm an XKCD type of Nihilist.

 

[Satya]

That is awesome. I couldn't have explained it better myself.

 

[gokartride]

Spirituality and belief can be very sophisticated and highly relevant, but I will say the terminologies and jargon that many of us are accustomed to really need some major updating...they just don't mean what they really mean anymore. At best the cliches are mere pointers to a deeper wisdom that has followed humanity in different cultures and spiritual traditions throughout the ages. Historically, there is much one can say about how we got to our current state, but I won't get into that. I just suggest rewinding some of the old tapes and rethinking.

Actually, I think the type of religion we have inherited and we perceive as being representative is rightly off-putting, and I can see where folks would adopt some other kind of approach....makes sense to me. In the end, if one wants to explore spirituality, I find one has to let go of, unlearn, and unknow a lot. Generally though, one comes full circle...but things look very different for having made the journey.

This is where the real adventure is, imo....the inner universe. If we can ground/orient ourselves and our motivations, we may actually have a future worth living!!