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Atheist Hell

What is the Meaning of Life?

Atheists have a problem with explaining the purpose or meaning of a finite life on Earth. Christians and other believers in Abrahamic religions and other religions with a concept of life after death, eternal life or reincarnation believe that they have a better explanation for this puzzle. But do they? What is the purpose of eternal life?

Ahhh! Errrrrmmm.

Saying that this life is a preparation or test as preparation for eternal life doesn't answer the question any more than postulating a God answers the question about what created the world. It merely poses another bigger question, who created God and what is the purpose of eternal life?

Why would any self respecting all powerful deity want to spend eternity with the souls of believers? God-fearing people make poor company at the best of times, they can make an hour seem like an eternity, so what would an eternity be like? Think about the most pious person you know, or knew, now imagine them stripped of desire and need, and imagine them like that for ever. Frankly I'd prefer non-existence.

We are happy when our desires are met to a degree, when we have reduced the gap between desire and reality. Eternal happiness is unthinkable and meaningless. When we have striven to achieve our goals we feel good, but only until our mind sets us new higher goals. Everybody knows that people who seem to have it all can still be unhappy. Celebrity marriages are notoriously short-lived, they may be living the dream but they aren't really enjoying it as much as we think we might. Human nature requires us to strive for more, our unconscious mind generates desires and dreams for us to chase to keep us moving forward just like that classic image of a donkey pulling a cart towards a carrot dangled forever out of reach. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. How could a human mind/soul designed to strive for happiness ever actually be fully content with anything, even eternal paradise?

So what could possibly be the purpose of eternal life? What goal would there be? If there was no goal in what sense would there be a meaning to such a life? Christians are often asking me why I don't just kill myself because my life has no meaning (by their reckoning), but I'll send that idea right back to them, what is the purpose of eternal life? What is it good for? Why are people putting themselves through torments and rituals in order to get an endless meaningless life? Why don't they just get on with their life and live by their own conscience?

Yes, this piece has been more questions than answers. That's the way life is. An answer only satisfies us for a short time, then we ask another question. But in heaven what questions are there to be asked? And if there are no questions what is the point in being a human soul?

© 1999 - 2010 by Martin Willett.

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