Atheism is so much more practical. No groveling, no wondering is this alleged god will answer your prayer, no twisting in the wind, no constant disappointments. Just being the best person you can be and being ethical and sane.
@@SpatialAndTemporalEvangelicals its not meaningless when it puts more value and importance on your own life and you want to start living not for a god for eternity but for others and for yourself. Atheism comes in many spectrums just like the christian and islamic religions. Why beset somone by telling them "oh your life must be terrible because you dont believe the same thing as me or believe in a fairytale god. All we can really do is make it meaningful but religion doesnt allow our species to thrive and better ourselves. Look at what religion is doing we are living in fear of hell, crime is increasing in the name of gods or god. People are being persecuted on sex, gender, and sexuality our leaders are science deniers and wont listen to its people. Wake up and maybe one day our species will eventually defeat death and live untill the world actually dies
@@SpatialAndTemporalEvangelicals "Atheism makes no sense" I'm sure you know what atheism means. It means no belief in any gods. There's nothing there to make sense of because it's a lack of belief. It's perfectly reasonable to suspend belief when there is no evidence to support a claim. There is no evidence to support the existence of any gods. What actually doesn't make sense is theism because that's belief in something without any reason or evidence. "And it's worthless" I don't even understand what you mean by that because it's a lack of belief. Of course it's worthless on its own. In contrast to a positive belief in a deity, it is far more beneficial to only believe in things that can be confirmed. So while atheism by itself is "worthless", theism is actually worth less than that. "And nihilism is meaningless" I'm a nihilist. Do you think that means I don't find life to be "meaningful"? I have goals, loved ones, dreams, ethical standards, and a massive wonder for the universe and how it works. Well if you consider that "meaningless" then I don't know what would be meaningful. Nihilism is only the idea that there is no inherent purpose or meaning to existence which I agree with. I have a brain and am conscious. I am a product of 4 billion years of evolution that produced life-forms that can feel, think, empathize, and cooperate. With life comes a drive to survive. Everything a living thing does is to ensure the continuance of its species. The by-product of this are creatures that have subjective experiences filled with pleasure and pain to serve its purpose. Living things have a purpose and no gods are necessary for them to have it. The universe itself may have no "purpose" but living things do. Are you going to tell me that without a god you would no longer have goals and aspirations? Would you just commit suicide because it's pointless? To me that is very sad. Think of how lucky you are to be alive (and as a human being instead of a creature still within the food chain). Is that not enough for you? If not, then you have a bottomless pit of greed that will never be fulfilled.
@@SpatialAndTemporalEvangelicals you're right, nihilism pertains to "meaningless', but not in the terms of ones personal life or self determined purpose. But not every atheist is a nihilist, but i suppose some are. Don't confuse nihilism for fatalism. They're not the same thing. Atheism is worthless? I dont think atheism is anything else but the non belief in deities, and it serves no other purpose or definition other than such. Atheism is a position of non belief in deities. Its not a philosophy. To call atheism worthless is pointless.
Years ago, this video actually helped me out of my plan to kill myself. I come back 6 years later and it still instills this powerful, motivating, encouraging and positive appreciation of life from a standpoint that not many people in our day to day lives talk about. I was suicidal for many years and the PTSD and major depression I had shoved me into the gravel consistently and made me believe there was no reason to life. I didnt even care what would happen afterwards, whether God or who ever it is up there would punish me for eternity or I would be saved, or I would just not exist. But this video wasnt so much of the debate about what happens after death, rather, what goes on in life that we so habitually disregard. This video helps me so unbelievably much. Thank you for uploading this, from a young teenager in 2012 to me now in 2018, and everyone else that this video has changed for the better. :)
RELIGION CAUSED MY FRIEND TO SLASH HER WRISTS Religious indoctrination is the worst form of child abuse. My friend was a victim. She slashed her wrists and tried to commit suicide. She was taught any good thought she had was ‘god’ and any bad thought was ‘satan’. She had a constant war going on in her head between ‘god’ and ‘satan’ to the point she couldn’t take it any longer. Marsha was sent to a state hospital in Galveston. When I visited Marsha her arms and legs were tied to a wheelchair so she couldn’t hurt herself. I broke down crying when I saw her and seeing the effects religion had on her. She was later transferred to a state hospital in Austin. Even though I barely had any money for gas I drove my van the 400 miles to see her every weekend for over a year and a half. I’d take her out on day passes and when I brought her back to the hospital I slept in my van outside in the hospital parking lot. I couldn’t see Marsha during the week because she was only allowed to get day passes on weekends. It was always hard when I had to leave her on Sunday evenings and drive back home. In almost a year and a half of visiting her not one member of her biological family visited. They were all devout Christians. Not one member of the 2000 person Baptist church she belonged to ever visited her. While I did everything I could to show her I cared about her the only thing those religious hypocrites could do was thump their goddamned Bibles. Every one of them were hypocrites. After months in the hospital and after extensive therapy Marsha told me I saved her life. I was the only one who cared about her. The entire structure of religious people she grew up with all abandoned her. All the things Christians claim to believe were untrue. Before Marsha’s suicide attempt I went to her church on a Wednesday night at her baptist church. The preacher kept ranting and raving how awful everyone in the congregation was and telling them they were all going to burn in hell. He kept condemning them and it got to the point I couldn’t take the abuse anymore. What’s especially sad is that preacher was quoting directly out of the Bible. He was using quotes of what the god of the Bible said to beat and belittle everyone in the congregation. He was mimicking how god acts and reacts in the Bible. So no one can blame his personality. He was doing exactly what the Bible taught him say. That’s the insidious evil that is in the Bible. The god of the Bible is condemning, petty, judgmental, vindictive, narcissistic and punitive. So the preacher was acting just like god acts in the Bible. The preacher was obviously abused with childhood indoctrination and now that he was an adult he was abusing others with the same tactics used on him by other Christians. I nudged Marsha and whispered that I had to leave. She was too afraid to get up in front of the congregation of people she knew her entire life to leave. Religious indoctrination paralyzed her. But I couldn’t take the abuse any longer. I got up and went to a hallway that led to an exit. As I approached the exit door three women walked in, noticed I was leaving and they said in a hateful tone “Where do you think you’re going!” I told them “I’m going outside where if there’s a god he’d be there and not inside this abusive church.” They blew up and their eyes were full of rage. I continued to leave and walked pass them and out to the 20 degree weather. Once outside I just walked around the parking lot feeling so good I was able to leave that awful, abusive church. The skies were crystal clear and I could see so many stars. At the time I thought if there was a god he’d be outside. I thought what was going on in that church was despicable. I witnessed people being willingly abused. It disgusted me. I realized later how Marsha became so abused by Christianity she tried to kill herself. She was the victim of a lifetime of religious abuse. I’ve always wondered how many people die from suicide caused by religious abuse. I felt sorry for all the victims. After Marsha got out of the state hospital she stayed in a halfway house for another half of a year. I continued to visit her every weekend. We’d sit on the bank of Town Lake in Austin and talk and joke or I’d take her to a restaurant. Later she ended up getting married and had children of her own. But luckily she didn’t indoctrinate them the way her parents indoctrinated her. After a year and a half of non-stop therapy Marsha was able to cut all ties to Christianity. Teaching religion to a child is one of the worst forms of child abuse. It causes all kinds of mental problems like religious trauma syndrome, PTSD and suicide. I’m glad I was able to save one person who otherwise would have died at the hands of Christianity. I saved Marsha’s life by helping her rid her mind of the poisonous Christian god and all the poisonous people who call themselves Christians. Not one christian was there when Marsha needed someone the most. I was. To Christians I am heathen destined for hell while they thump their bibles believing they are all going to their imaginary heaven. Even if a heaven existed I know spending an eternity with Christians would be the worst hell imaginable.
My late dad was a passionate scholar...his motto was Socrates' quote "All I know, is that I know nothing". He was the first person in our family to graduate college, and both my parents instilled in both my brother and myself the idea that "the day you stop learning is the day you die"..keep hungry for new knowledge..let none turn you aside from your path.
This literally just cured me of my depressive state. I've only been an athiest for a year now, but since I'm only 22, I'm now extremely excited for all the beauty in the world I'm going to experience in my lifetime
Your comment also made me happy. I'm only 17, so most people will see my Atheist ideology as me just trying to be edgy or cool, but what many of them don't and probably never will understand is that most of us don't do it out of hatred. Atheism helps people come to terms with reality, and become much more down to earth than your average Christian, or Muslim, or whichever religious group. I can say I'm much more at peace than I would've been had I never decided to explore other ideas and find this one in particular
I'm more afraid of other people dying than I am of my own death. I'm bad at dealing with deaths of people i'm close to, such as family and friends. I don't fear my own death much. It would be a nice surprise to see there is some type of life after death, but it would be really fucking shitty if it's what the Bible describes.
I have to tell you that you are a wonderfully selfless person. I know that dealing with deaths is terrible, even more when you're sensitive. However, I personally am afraid of nonexistence and dying and I think this is just because I'm selfish - I also very often do things that are only good for myself - it's my biggest flaw. I know this comment doesn't make much sense and appreciating somebody for not being afraid of death is something really weird and twisted but I truly want to tell you how awesome person you must be.
theaussiegirl55 Thank you. It's human nature to be selfish so it doesn't necessarily mean you are a bad person. When you die, you will go back to the way you were before you were born. I would prefer to live longer than the typical 60-80 years, but I feel like we weren't born in the right time period for that to happen. Maybe in 100 years science will discover a way to stop aging. The only way of a longer life is if after life exists, and I really doubt that.
The truth is that we cease to exist after death, and so you'll be so gone that the first-person-experience of an organism born (somewhere in the universe) after you've ceased to exist will be the experience that comes after yours. You'll no longer be around anymore to stop that from being the case.
My dad died of cancer a month ago today. His death has made me appreciate every sunrise,every rain storm, every snow flake...because i might never see the next one. To live on in the hearts of those you love is to never die. In this way,my father is immortal.
Although I do not believe in an afterlife, the idea of losing my consciousness forever with death still frightens me. I hope one day I can accept this like the people in these video, because I would live a happier life.
Just remember your brain will be dead so it will be impossible to know what it's like when you die just like you were before you were born and injoy your life wail you got it because many people haven't had the chance of life
i am a christian and i think this video is beautiful, eternity scares me as much as thunderfoot and is extremely difficult to grasp in our limited, finite mentalities... and it explains perfectly how an atheist has morality and hope apart from being finite - i think everyone should watch this video before they open their mouths against atheists
Thank you. Truly. Thank you for not being one of those who are so hateful and condescending towards us. This really goes a long way for the better of mankind's repsect for one another and long journey to a moment, if only brief, where everyone loves his brother not for a label, nor for an ideal, but for the fact that he is a person. Thank you so much for thinking this way.
brghost :) we're all here TOGETHER, whether we like it or not. i choose to like it - it's true our differences can make debates heated, but i want to learn rather than to bicker. either side gets a bad rap from the people who love to proclaim their points the highest, but it's our duty out of the spotlight to listen and support each person
***** Yes, unless they start going all anti-science on me. But usually in that case I just try to explain things as best I can then give up before anything can get hostile.
Purpose is to make your life beautiful and experience nature or have as many gaming nights as possible go to the cinema as many times as you can. Have fun with your family etc..
+Dekkren Kain Those who do NOT pray.... do not understand faith. "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going." - Hebrews 11:16
David Henry That is interesting, but not relevant to my original comment. Those who pray obviously have faith, as praying without it would be rather pointless. Faith is no virtue... It is gullibility, and inability to draw your own conclusion based on the evidence provided.
***** Yes, I did not mean to imply that the concept of infinity is an easily grasped topic. However as you know as a mathematics student infinity is an error much like a singularity. Given that current theoretical models point at the idea of a beginning to the universe means that infinity cannot exist within it. How could a universe expand into infinity in a finite amount of time? I am not suggesting that infinity does not have a purpose in mathematics, but it generally means our understanding of the formula is flawed.
***** As for the first time you asked the question, I apologize. I accidentally flagged it as spam due to a miss-click before I could read it, I wasn't attempting to ignore you.
This is the truth. The question is often the answer. Somethings may seem so complicated to answer, so mindbogglingly incomprehensible, but they turn out to have simple answers. Why live for God? Why live to die? When you can live to live. This is why, despite skepticism from religions, atheists are happy.
Great points. Except I always say, "We live to die." The ultimate destiny of any life ends in death. The moment a person is born, he will die someday. Maybe the day he was born. maybe at 9 or 16 or 36 or live a very long life to 90+. What is important is what we do with that life in between life and death. Some will live exemplary lives, some are mundane. everyone deserves to live their life to the extent that they choose.
This is taking your comment a bit out of context, but honestly I wish religions WOULD have a little more skepticism towards atheists. Then they could actually figure out what a lot of us DO believe, instead of putting those ridiculous stereotypes on us. The dislikes on this video most likely came from religious people out of ignorant hatred, and they didn't even bother to watch.
Most athiests I've known have been depressed nihlists that can only be happy whilst on medications. Lol @ hedonists. I hope since 8 years you've repented and accepted Christ
Unless it works out for everyone that way, it'd be hell and heartbreak over and over again to watch your loved ones die. Even if it did apply to everyone, that's way too long. Overpopulation would be a huge issue.
+Roy Rieder yea but if that happens we will half to stop reproduceing for the simple fact that the earth will become to populated unless we find out a way to live on other planets at the rate were going we will probably figure out a way
I clicked on this so I would have something on in the background while I put away groceries. And now I’m questioning existence. This was a damn good choice.
Funny, because I get depressed when people choose to be empty inside, like all atheist do. Do you really think you know anything about reality for "SURE" ?? Hehehe, don't make me laugh. NO ONE KNOWS and that's part of the game. But wait, let's imagine for a moment that we know for "SURE" there is no God, there is no life after death and everything you do in life is absolutely pointless. DO YOU FEEL BETTER NOW ?
From my own account, yes it is BUT I'd much rather live my life knowing the truth in that no loving god exists instead of believing a lie, living my life as a lie. Knowing we got one life to live. It makes life to me more precious.
What is making me depressed and I'm not jokiing is seeing all the religious people involved in politics and wanting to control everyone else and how awful and hateful they are...I'm not even kidding.
My friend.. Eric Larry Johnson Rest in peace my friend.... April 29, 1979 - Jun 8, 2015 To a beautiful person, may you always be remembered for the Beauty you brought to this world.
Brandon S. Yes, sorry for your loss. All of us lose people that we really care about, and I know how you feel. I wish you the best in learning how to find happiness, even after your loss.
I died once... A motorcycle wreck when i was 15 yrs old really just heart stopped beating for a few minutes then they Jump started me... I saw and felt NOTHING... Later in Life I had a Seizure while getting a tooth pulled at the dentist.. I saw a warm bright light was in a long green grassy field when i was coming to my mind was telling me I wanted to stay there and not go back ... anyway that was a seizure and I never even stopped breathing... So I think I know where those people get their afterlife stories .. but anyway... I am fairly sure death is where it all ends ... So enjoy it while you got it.
The truth is that we cease to exist after death, and so you'll be so gone that the first-person-experience of an organism born (somewhere in the universe) after you've ceased to exist will be the experience that comes after yours. You'll no longer be around anymore to stop that from being the case.
@Phillip Hickman Why would I hope for the possibility of the experience of being a cow in a factory farm come after my death? There's nothing inherently good or comforting about my conclusion. Life can be bad, good, hellish, nice, boring, and many things in between.
@Phillip Hickman I have Two question for you: 1: Will you cease to exist after death? 2: Will life-forms be born (in the universe) after you no longer exist?
"I'm going to live.." this is part of what keeps me going after death of my younger brother and our dad. I feel as though they can continue 'living' through myself and our mom, so I'm going to do my damndest to live a life they would be proud of.
Thank you for this video. I became an atheist when I was about eleven years old. Sense that moment, that realization that nobody knows anymore about the after life or the world than anybody else, I have struggled with the concept of death. I remember it very clearly, my mother told me when I asked about what happens after I die, where I came from before I lived, she had the courage to answer honestly, "I don't know". That same night I lied awake, fearful and uneasy about the inevitable logical conclusion that followed; maybe nothing happens. It made perfect sense to me then. It has been more than ten years and I still lay awake at night, fearful and uneasy, unwilling to except, to comprehend the end of my life, an eternity of nonexistance. Over the last year I have found many great aethist thinkers. Christopher Hitchens poignant analogy, comparing the chistian paradigm to the North Korean state was both amusing and enlightening,. It had never occurred to view the concept of heaven as less desirable than the reality of death. I am a big fan of darkmatter2525, and he has a video on his channel where he makes the point that life would be without meaning if we merely lived forever after it. It gave me some comfort to feel this way, although I still live with the fear. I am very glad that I found this video. It is the ultimate humility, and an incrediable release, to give up ones life. To realize, except, and celebrate that not only humanity, but the individual self, is not the center of all things, and better because of it.I don't know if I will be free of my life long fear of death, but I do know sense finding these thinkers on youtube and on the internet I have found some sense of peace. Thank you for that.
Thank you I have said for years that man's fear of death was a primary reason of the creation of an everlasting afterlife . Honestly this is the first time I've heard someone else say it . Again thanks
I believe that this is helping me with the acceptance of my fathers recent death. This has put me more at peace than any pastor shouting words from a Bible. Thank you for this.
This is the only life we're sure to have. It is short lasting, rare, and valuable. This video is beautiful! I used to be a Christian (I believed it with all my heart) and am now an atheist (long story). I am filled with a deeper sense of beauty, wonder, and awe than I ever was a Christian. I find my life incredibly meaningful and valuable. Some ask, if there is no god, why live? I say, because I love living! I want to see what comes next! Yes, one day it will end and I have no idea when or how. But that is all the more reason to live to the fullest today. The scared girl said to the atheist doctor, "If this life is all there is, then nothing matters because there is no ultimate consequence." The atheist doctor replied, "No! If this life is all there is, then it is the only thing that matters."
The truth is that we cease to exist after death, and so you'll be so gone that the first-person-experience of an organism born (somewhere in the universe) after you've ceased to exist will be the experience that comes after yours. You'll no longer be around anymore to stop that from being the case.
This is beautiful, because it's real. I have to remind myself when I stress over petty things that those moments lost in worry are better spent contemplating the wonder that is reality. I feel sad for people who can't appreciate what we truly are; tiny, brief flashes of what we call consciousness in a universe far larger and more wondrous than we can even know.
I am an atheist. If there is a afterlife and a god then I hope he will judge me based on if I was a good person or not in my life. And not based on if I kissed his ass or not. And if there is no after life(which I do not believe there is) then I at least lived a happy and fulfilling life and made my life what it is with what little time I had.
I think I would be able to really enjoy a few thousand years. Imagine all the books, you can read..... :) And I could smoke cigarettes all day without being told I will get lung cancer. I could draw funny pictures of Mohammed, too and nobody would blow me up. :)
+truvelocity you're right. I can't. nobody can imagine "eternity, right? That's why religion is successfull with it's childish concept of "eternal" whatever...
Not sure how many times I have watched this over the years. It does not get old. I sent this to my best of best friends and love of my life right after her doctor's told her they could no longer treat her cancer..it was just too far advanced and the treatments were actually making it worse. I had just connected her with Dave's dying and and living outloud .. Facing the end of life ..this life..the only one we have here and now...its a different thing..a perspective most ignore because they fear death..it is why they need a pretend afterlife.. to conquer death. No one conquers death Not even the ones we truly love. I know my friend..the love of my life.. i know she did not fear what lie ahead.. that these times we had to share..to share with her children..loved ones..friends..to make it the best ..to love and leave behind that impact of legacy.. that was important to her. She passed a few weeks later..unexpectedly from complications related to her cancer. That last week or so was the most precious to me of all the years we spent together of all we shared of all the love given..those days were the best of all of them.
There is one thing I've come to realize about life, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe as a whole. Everything dies, and everything has an end. Even the universe will someday die off. People often say they have this feeling of the lord, his love, wisdom, or some shit like that. Personally I feel something different. That there's no light at the end of the tunnel and the rigged game is over.
But you forget the every story has a sequel, every end has a new beginning, and everything that began was the result of the end of something. You have a life now. Enjoy it. There will be an end. But there will always be a new beginning. And that beginning comes to everything, even when it seems impossible.
I absolutely love this video. I posted this on my Facebook account. I fully believe we should make the most of this life and enjoy life to the fullest. Thank you Seth for putting this video together.
I am getting old and I am, barring illness or accident, realizing my years are coming close to ending with maybe a decade or two left. I am not afraid or concerned about what comes with death. I know that I may well welcome it in the end. I would love to know that this video would be played at my funeral and shared with those who would gather to celebrate my life, that I had a life and lived it in the best way I could. Learning about the actual nature of life and the universe has been truly awesome and I am thrilled to be here even though I know it is only for a short time.
RhondaH like you I have lived more of life than I can reasonably expect to be ahead of me, 114 is possible though! One of my greatest accomplishments was the realisation that there is no supernatural deity. This has left me free of the guilt, the poison and the lies that such a following would entail. Naturally, if any person can prove the existence of their chosen deity to the satisfaction of all other theists, of whatever stripe, I'm prepared to change my view. Meanwhile, life is out there - Carpe Diem!
I would like you to research a video in youtube when you get a chance, dont worry im not really religious or anything like that i dont really care for it but the video it called " sam harris-it is always now". Sam harris is an athiest that explains everything you need to know about how to enjoy your life regardless of religion or not , your welcome
yz125motorider Thanks but just because I'm old doesn't mean I haven't seen all of Sam Harris' talks on YT. I've also read all his books and am on his email list. I don't agree with every single thing he says but I do agree with most of his positions.
i respect atheist way of thinking. but i just want people to know that even i , a christian 1. believe that life is very important 2. still thinking rationally and even question my own believe and find the answer myself 3. i'm not obsessed with death or the afterlife, i accept it 4. good deeds are needed to go to heaven
For me, I got over fear of hell fairly quickly after realizing I no longer believed. And although I understand death as being as I once was before conception, and like a dreamless sleep, I have this horrid fear of not existing. As strange as it sounds, even hell offers more hope of my consciousness remaining. I don’t know how to get past this irrational fear. It’s worse than hell to me and that’s just twisted. My brain over complicates everything. Ugh!
I like that end-quote by Robert Green Ingersoll... The most enriching aspect of my life has been relationships with others, my talents I used to cater to them, where I've had and will soon have the chance to travel to see more of them, and the 'One' whom I, in this life, here and now, while I'm yet alive, have a relationship with. There is so much to see and do. I can say that as much as I've accomplished there is more to be done... and I'm not alone. I've had to sacrifice nothing, but accept everything that 'One' has offered me... Life is constant; whether one side is better than the other is not half as relevant as the 'One' whom I share this side with now... even into any other side... whether it is, or is not... but 'my' path has not disappointed me yet :) !!! So I encourage all: Find your own path to truth and fulfillment while making others happy along the way ... I know this is the key. As I love 'One' with all my mind, heart, and soul, so I must love my neighbor(s) as myself!
We are isolated as biological beings, our body is aging so traveling the universe is by telescopes, antennas, and other tools to detect anything from distance... a very long distance... and complexity of quantum physics... a super microscopic scale... we don’t fully understand it yet But I believe “we live for a good reason”... that’s my number 1 of what I believe... Thanks for the life given to me and the consciousness...
I'm an atheist, and sadly right now, dealing with the impending death of a dear friend. I have found this film to be so comforting. Cherish the moment, the memories. All good things must come to an end.
I am not atheist, however, I am subscribed to no religion. My experiences are not yours, as yours are not mine. But if we can gather to appreciate the things that we can reasonably understand and share, than we have taken the first steps to truly living in unity and in peace. I appreciate my atheist friends, and although I am not an atheist, I think that I can say that they are generally exceptionally reasonable and trustworthy.
I had to keep pausing this because I have a fear of dying. I think the thought of not existing scares me. I'm agnostic but... I dunno, maybe something is there when we die? We don't know. I mean who knows. It'd be cool. Ahh that's so scary to think about. I'm panicking just watching this. But it's a lot of interesting things to think about too.
+Niconini♫ I realize this is, "easier said than done," but try not to fear or be anxious about death. You may wish to speak with a professional therapist. It has been my experience that people who had knowledge of impending death faced it with courage and peace. Every single one of them. Peace.
I am almost sure that I don't fear death. I mean, it wasn't bad before I was born, in fact, I don't know anything about that time and all the suffering began from the moment I stepped into this world, so why should it be bad after?
Try not to exercise ur belief the more u think of hell the more ur afraid of dying live ur life to the extent let the earth be ur playground time will pass and we can get over it have a nice and meaningful experience dont worry be happy
"We are a way for universe to understand itself" Carl Segan. From star dust to life a journey that took 14 billion years, what is not to cherish ,what is not to protect ,what is not celebrate ,what is not to value why would i look for meaning when the universe has given me the ability to create one for myself.
This is a great video. It does a wonderful job of explaining how atheists view the life we are privilege to experience. Lucky us. We were alive during the few billion years that stars outside our own Milky Way Galaxy will be viewable. Very cool. We are wise enough to understand our past and present and have a decent realistic view of the future. Amazingly fortunate.
since my liberation from religion, spirituality, superstition, whatever.. I find so many new thoughts engaging and enlightening. I benefit from all those who came before me who fought convention to impart something new to learn, and I cherish it. I understand more now than any bronze aged human. This new understanding teaches me not to fear death. Im comfortable with " I don't know" instead of "god did it" and I wont waste this brief moment in time with lies aboutwho and what we are.-+
beautiful video, very well stated people should not worry about dying and get busy living in a more positive way. I am not one for emotions but I was moved by this video. thanks a lot. I was having a bad week but somehow this brought me out of it. just to know that there are others out here in the world like this. I don't feel alone in my mind anymore. cause being an atheist in eastern Kentucky can be sometimes. I love these videos I almost cried with this one. love your channel.
Watching this during covid. People are losing their fecking minds after a few days, weeks, and months of lockdown at home, on their cushy couch with unlimited Internet. Eternity? LMAO They're even going mad with their own family members, spend eternity with them? Right! lol
Belief in an afterlife is a product of survival instinct and the mechanical fear of death. We, as humans, are so strongly hard-wired to survive that the idea of living forever is of ultimate comfort.
If there is anything after death, I'd rather be reincarnated, or become a spirit advisor. With reincarnation, I can restart and continue living. And seek out new challenges. With being a spirit advisor, sure that's also eternity, but at least I can give advice and wisdom to future generations. Sure that's also eternity, but it's an eternity helping others, and continuing to make a difference. And I consider that far more rewarding than kissing gods ass all the time. If course, if neither of those are options, I'll take cessation of existence.
If (and this is a huge *If*) there is an "eternal afterlife," I think that if one 'thinks' about it, logically, and rationally, it becomes abundantly clear that no one has ever had a clue as to what that would even mean or entail. And, it seems to me, it would also be a kind of 'existence' that no one alive could ever even come close to comprehending - even if it were explained to them from some being, or some thing, that actually can comprehend it! I also think that any belief that we humans would retain any semblance of our physical selves long after our bodies have died and decayed is a sadly absurd notion. What sort of 'body' would humans have in an 'afterlife'..? What sort of body would someone who died at the age of 100 have..? And what of the innumerous infants that have perished? What sort of body would they have..? Or (I must ask of theists) would there be no body for anybody (pun intended)..?? Do those who make it to 'Heaven' become as invisible as your 'God'? Now I'm not trying to be pretentious and claim that I 'know' that there is no 'afterlife'.. All I'm trying to say is that it's abundantly clear to me that no one can know and (I must add!) that anyone who does claim to know that there is indeed an afterlife - _and that they know how to get there_ - is either deluded, willfully ignorant and/or straight-out lying.
Another thing to think about is you will not perceive time when not conscious, so whatever will happen to you until you are conscious will happen immediately. So theoretically, eventually your exact atoms will rearrange again in many Gogol's of years and you will become conscious again, maybe not with your memory though. But there have been people on this Earth who have the memory of their past lives, which then suggests another thing, consciousness floats to a new host when its previous host dies, and only sometimes you get the memory, which is like a glitch in the system.
Fred Rice Infinity, anything can happen. If given enough time, anything can happen, as there is an infinite amount of time for it to happen. It is simple to understand.
Fred Rice When it reaches the singularity, the atoms still exist. After an expansion, the atoms could still find their way back, and even if they don't during that expansion, or a million more singularities and expansions, they will, because infinity ensures every possibility will happen.
Makes me want to run away from all this work I have been forced into from school. If I already know what I'm going to do with my life, why must I learn bullshit I'll never use?
I don't believe in suicide. I'm pretty certain it's not the end. (Take a big dose of magic mushrooms if you want a look outside your mind). I'm just making a point that parents create kids for they're own amusement. Seems crazy.
+Noah Schuler I was the same when I was younger. I hated to be forced to do something so I purposely did bad. I ended up trying to learn some of the subjects when I was older. Kind of regretted not learning them while I was in school but yeah we live in a sort of well disguised prison so that's why
I think our energy lives on, as the "soul" people call it. I do believe our conscious is a special form of energy that we can experience our own individual lives... not with others, but our own stories. If anything, I do believe our energy still lives on after death, it becomes part of the universe. It does make me believe in possible reincarnation, even as an atheist myself.
It seems like heaven and hell is more for the living, than for the dead. Loved ones being at a better place, a place where you all will be reunited in turn, all seems to comfort the living. I don't think this powerful idea is ultimately good at the end, because it makes death harder to accept, harder to move on. It is a nurturing thought that keeps the deep wounds wet. Becoming dead is frightening. Being dead is an entirely different matter. Life couldn't possible good if there was not struggle. What is exitement if there's nothing to wait for? What is pride if there was no failures? I could go on forever. Yet this is what the church want you to believe about heaven and it works?!? "An easy life without struggles, joy and happiness and love and and and kissing god's ass (but it taste _really_ nice so don't worry) and and and ice cream and it's like having christmas every-single-day for the next quadrillion years! Fun fun fun every day!" Oh.... give it some time and you would long desperately for an "OFF" button, a black coffin promising nothing but absolute nothingness: An eternal unawareness of selfexistence. Nothing to look forward to. Nothing to be afraid of. i'm content, and fear no death. I just hope for a long life :)
It's called "faith" for a reason. What is "faith"? Faith is a belief in something without a shred of evidence that can be verified. It's nothing more than wishful thinking!
+Chris Conley You're entitled to your opinion sir, but it is misinformed. Have you read any material from both sides of the debate? I've been interested in this question ever since I could first read and have a library to match. I'm now in my 40s. It has very little to do with faith. Or any organized religion for that matter. The material body dies, but consciousness lives on. Similar to the other cycles in nature.
IXIArmyofOneIXI Not even the most cutting-edge researchers can define what's termed *the hard problem of consciousness* and there's no way I could convey here what I've learned over thirty years. But two of the best works I have and highly recommend are *Irreducible Mind~Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century* and the recently published *Beyond Physicalism~Toward Reconciliation of Science and Spirituality*. In the meantime, here's an interesting link, sites.google.com/site/chs4o8pt/skeptical_fallacies
Paddy Theosophist I'm sure your a very intelligent person Paddy. I'm sure your highly educated and very well read. However, Paddy, there is no evidence to support your belief. I, like you, also wish for nothing more than to live on in some form after death. But there is no evidence for this belief Paddy! Zero! So without evidence, I suspend any judgements or conclusions no matter what I'd wish to be true. Actually, the EVIDENCE suggests that when we die, we as an individual cease to exist. And we ALL KNOW what not existing is like! This is because before we were born we didn't exist. Ceasing to exist and not existing are the same thing in my opinon! This is my personal view of the world, but it makes perfect sense and is supported by our current understanding of the brain. So without evidence, all we're left with is the endevor to live each day like it's our last! To savor every moment and squeeze every drop out of this life we possibly can! If we can accomplish this, and also leave this world a better place for the next generation, well then we've done the best we possibly could have. But this is just my opinon, my preponderance of the evidence. I have neither a 'Reverand' before my name or a PH.D. after. So what do I know?
I'm growing fond of the idea that we are the universe being conscious of itself. We are created from a planet, that was created from the smashing together of other planets near a giant star, in an expanding galaxy. If there is a god, it probably won't be an Earth-created one. The universe is too big for our gods and goddesses who only seem focus on us as a species and no others.
I fully agree with this video, but it offers no comfort to the blind, faithful believer who is only interested in remaining conscient forever, even though he doesn't fully understand what it means. People don't care about the atoms of their body living on forever. They want their consciousness to survive forever and no scientific reasoning will be able to shake the fear of not being conscious anymore. I've reached a point in my life where I know now that it's pointless to try to talk to believers. When you do, you use science and reason. That can't reach them because this is not where they are. Don't waste time trying to have people realize Christianity and other creeds are horsepoop. It's something somebody must realize alone.
I love the opening quote. I have always said that everyone already knows what life after death is like. It is exactly the same as what life before conception was like.
If your felling down or depressed just remember how incredibly lucky you are to be alive and remember those who weren't as luck as you to live like aborted babies and etc
once this really brought on the meaningful stuff, it's one of those things that just make you sad, and can't change. i didn't cry over any of this. i was already completely aware i believed everything they said, before watching this video. it's just the music, and graphics put together, all those people telling you the solid truth about the universe, in the long run. you wouldn't wanna stick around forever. that would be eternity of inner hell. my eyes did get a tad bit watery, but no tears came out. just knowing that, i'm a conscious being, and if i died, and were still conscious somewhere, (heaven, hell, or wherever...) i would ultimately foresee my eternal doom right there... once that part of the video went on about the numbers of years... but that's the afterlife, represented outside time and space. so even though the universe we're in, will eventually extinct the human race, all of us would still be in some eternal afterlife, and after living as old as just 1000 years old, i would have already gone insane! :( people would be begging god for death...
Amazing excerpt The Cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness Although the two are identical twins, man, as a rule views the prenatal abyss with more calm than the one he is heading for (at some forty-five hundred heartbeats an hour) Vladimir Nabokov
My "heaven" would be being able to age at whatever pace I liked, being able to age backwards at will, and getting to choose exactly when I die, and where aside from that, I'm immortal and have wolverine-like healing.
Every time you sleep, you switch off your consciousness... imagine, you sleep without dream and you forget to switch on your consciousness forever... welcome to afterlife... Instead of finding the meaning, it’s better to do meaningful things everyday, be kind, don’t do something that we regret... because we never know when the consciousness turn off forever...
I am an Atheist but, why there is this assumption that there is no afterlife doesn't cut it for me. Assuming there is no afterlife is the same as assuming there is no heaven or hell. The only way we can experience life as we know it is to have a body as a tool to touch, smell, see, hear, and taste our way through our environment. But what if our awareness/consciousness resides outside of the body? Could it be possible that we will exist on a different level? There is no proof nor indication as to where the soul is, only theory and again assumption based on medical studies. While medical studies may reveal to a degree how the brain functions as an organ, it is very short on revealing that our consciousness is a physical part of it. I would wager that it is not! So I wouldn't discount totally the idea that there could be a form of afterlife, and at the same time, I wouldn't be afraid of it.
If our consciousness is not part of, and a result of our brain, why does it get affected in very predictable ways by changes to our brain? There's no reason to think there is a soul, especially now that we know so much about our own bodies. Why do people's personalities change drastically when they suffer certain types of brain damage, if your consciousness is separate from the brain?
Hakasedess I really do appreciate your feedback. I will try to give you MY answer to your question. First you ask... If our consciousness is not part of, and a result of our brain, why does it get affected in very predictable ways by changes to our brain? Answer...The consciousness is not part of the brain, it is a separate entity that sends information and receives information back and forth from the brain. Also, the consciousness/Soul Is not effected by physical trauma to the brain, because it is not a physical attachment to the brain. There's no reason to think there is a soul, especially now that we know so much about our own bodies Answer...When I use the word soul, I mean it in the same context as consciousness or awareness. "This helps those religious people I try to convert understand...lol" Why do people's personalities change drastically when they suffer certain types of brain damage, if your consciousness is separate from the brain? Answer...If the physical brain is damaged or diseased or impaired in some way, naturally, there are going to be problems for the brain to interpret and express in the usual conscious way. Think of it this way, Your pc is a brain that communicates with the www through a server like Comcast for example. The www would represent the soul/ awareness/ consciousness. Every bit of information you share or type passes through your server and is stored someplace out there. Your pc as a brain can only do as told or taught and can only store so much information, so much of it is out there in the www. If your pc gets sick, or just dies you've lost it unless you saved everything on disk and in backup. However, you can buy another pc and get back on line and voila....There is your saved consciousness waiting for you. Thanks again for your comment.............Happy New Year!
Don Wilson The problem with all these ideas is that there is no evidence to back it up. Until you have evidence of your "soul," it is all just wishful thinking.
I just want to say, as a theist, that this was wonderfully put, and very respectful. I see too many theists and atheists alike, bombarding their opinion, so seeing this was a welcome change.
To claim, "we know there is nothing after death," is ignorant, to claim " there is heaven and hell" after death, is ignorant. WE DON;T KNOW, what happens after death. WE DON'T KNOW. lack of evidence does NOT mean lack of existence.
again, what happens after we die? WE DON'T KNOW, this is a perfectly logical answer WE DON'T KNOW, why is that so difficult to except? instead of hell, or heaven, or nothing , how about WE DON'T KNOW?
Discord did you watch the video?? Yes they don't know. Duh.. what makes you more worried the issue of after life or the existence of unicorn?? There is no evidence for both. Despite wishful thinking might make one of them more plausable. If your logic is consistent, then why you are not very comfortable to claim lack of evidence for the existence of unicorns doesn't mean unicors don't exist??
Yes. But to suggest anything does happen in death is like suggesting that when no one notices something it does not exist. Or real proof is impossible and truth does not exist.
My Papa just died. Maybe it's not the most comforting thing but I'm sort of glad he and the rest of my family could believe he lives on. It churns my stomach to think that he can't even remember anything anymore though.
My mom passed away less than 6 months ago. I think she was/is the most truly alive person I have ever known. It seems so weird and wrong that she is no longer in the land of the living. I am sorry about your papa. Are you a writer, a poet? You seem kind of awesome. I understand, and am sorry if it is none of my business. I am not a creeper. I love people and want them to be the best version of themselves that they can be. You seem curious and interesting and well-spoken. My sympathy to you and your family. P.S. I love your username.
Kyle Pirigyi My username is poetic nonsense, that's basically how I talk in flowery sounding nothings. I'm like a priest but without the imaginary friend or the arbitrary rules that I want to make everyone follow.
Since this seems primarily focused on Christianity's concepts, it strikes me that given the prominence placed on love in the New Testament, even so much as it was the primary commandment left by Christ "Love your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself", the core message of heaven would be grounded in that same thing. Yes, you may experience everything material eventually, but the one thing all humans seem to find their meaning in (believers and not) is in relationships with those they care about and love. While I may grow tired of the taste of chocolate or travel every imaginable universe, I'm not so certain I would ever tire of love. It strikes me that this is the real experience of an afterlife. Coincidentally, most near death experiences (anecdotal I acknowledge) whether they make any Bible-type references or not, speak of the presence of unimaginable love from which they don't want to leave. Even if we take these as only subconscious manifestations of an experience, we seem to gravitate towards love as what would make heaven "heaven". I think the general dichotomy established in Biblical texts speaks to this. The human "flesh" striving to fulfill itself via conquest and gain, knowledge and power, creativity and the thrill of experiencing things, all leave more to be desired in achieving these things than was gained in the pursuit of them. It's not that these are inherently bad of course, as all good things can be made bad if done for selfish gain. But, that's the rub isn't it? The Bible at it's core is claiming God gave us the ability to choose love and deny ourselves, as without choice it could not be real. As for this life, this is one of the major examples of those things that we could only accomplish in the context of an imperfect universe like ours, before any form of afterlife where these imperfections are removed. For me, if there is no God it leaves my relationships doomed, and imagining my son one day not only dead but gone completely is unbearable. And, there can be no justice for those who have had loved ones taken from them, or lost via natural tragedy. Someone once said "We die twice. Once when our hearts stop beating, and again when the last person who remembers us is gone." I choose to believe it's no coincidence that humans are the only creatures concerned with this. Otherwise, it is a cruel thing for there to be a universe in which a creature could evolve to the point of understanding its own mortality, and worse, those whom it loves. It's not a fear of death itself mind you. If you're right that there is no afterlife, I'm of the mind of Samuel Clemens who said "I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.". But, the idea that we learn and discover, love and share, do so many amazing things like share in the creation of a life, in spite of the toil and difficulties of this world (and we do lose so much along the way), for that to all be a chasing after the wind and the greatest of vain tragedy, is a terrifying thought. And for the universe and our existence to be so in tune with this reality, that we can even attempt to understand it, proves to me there is more to this life than the natural world. In the words of C.S. Lewis "If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning." You can declare meaningful things, and tell yourself there is purpose, but at its bottom Atheism must lead to the belief that these things cannot truly exist, except in our own heads, and only because we think they must. But even then, it is a silent torment, the insanity of Nietzsche's crazy man in the street proclaiming "who will light the lamp stand in the morning"? This doesn't work for me. And so it is one of the myriad of reasons I chose to believe. And I do so because it makes me happy. It seems ironic to me that a group of Atheists felt it necessary to create a video to protest how they can find meaning in life. The idea that you can find meaning isn't in contradiction to MY worldview. I believe in these things, so naturally I believe you can. But, Atheists have gone to great lengths to tell me that we are insignificant creatures in a vast universe who mistake meaning and purpose for the reality of their own biological and chemical makeups brought on by evolution, giving them the illusion that there is more to life than life, death and the material world. We are prone to see Jesus in our soup, mistake patterns for some greater cosmic purpose or plan, and conjure up significance in things when in reality there is none. And in your version of truth, as Richard Dawkins would say "We dance to our DNA". Even the greatest of virtues love, is little more than chemical reactions in your brain brought on by evolutionary drives to need to be social and propagate the species. You tell me that there are no absolute truths, except that there can be no absolute truths. Morality is relative, after which all things can be justified. Even the greatest accomplishments await the eventual cold, dark end of the universe where nothing remains but tombstones and relics that show we were here to no one. And still, incredulously you protest that your life can be meaningful, and I wonder why? Because it seems to me it is not my worldview you are wrestling with, but rather your own worldview that proclaims these things cannot be real. You want your cake, and to eat it too, but cannot be honest about where this leads, and you tell me I would only disagree because I fear death?! To be frank, it is not that I fear death, it is that I find Atheism unlivable, as its inevitable conclusion to our story is a vain tragedy from which we cannot escape. This is simply not the universe as I believe it to be, because in the end I have hope.
“Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.”
Epicurus :)
I'm with Epicurus
He's dead too 😂
Over quoted
Atheism is so much more practical. No groveling, no wondering is this alleged god will answer your prayer, no twisting in the wind, no constant disappointments. Just being the best person you can be and being ethical and sane.
Atheism Makes No Sense And It's Worthless.
And Nihilism Is Meaningless.
@@SpatialAndTemporalEvangelicals its not meaningless when it puts more value and importance on your own life and you want to start living not for a god for eternity but for others and for yourself. Atheism comes in many spectrums just like the christian and islamic religions. Why beset somone by telling them "oh your life must be terrible because you dont believe the same thing as me or believe in a fairytale god. All we can really do is make it meaningful but religion doesnt allow our species to thrive and better ourselves. Look at what religion is doing we are living in fear of hell, crime is increasing in the name of gods or god. People are being persecuted on sex, gender, and sexuality our leaders are science deniers and wont listen to its people. Wake up and maybe one day our species will eventually defeat death and live untill the world actually dies
@@SpatialAndTemporalEvangelicals
"Atheism makes no sense"
I'm sure you know what atheism means. It means no belief in any gods. There's nothing there to make sense of because it's a lack of belief. It's perfectly reasonable to suspend belief when there is no evidence to support a claim. There is no evidence to support the existence of any gods. What actually doesn't make sense is theism because that's belief in something without any reason or evidence.
"And it's worthless"
I don't even understand what you mean by that because it's a lack of belief. Of course it's worthless on its own. In contrast to a positive belief in a deity, it is far more beneficial to only believe in things that can be confirmed. So while atheism by itself is "worthless", theism is actually worth less than that.
"And nihilism is meaningless"
I'm a nihilist. Do you think that means I don't find life to be "meaningful"? I have goals, loved ones, dreams, ethical standards, and a massive wonder for the universe and how it works. Well if you consider that "meaningless" then I don't know what would be meaningful.
Nihilism is only the idea that there is no inherent purpose or meaning to existence which I agree with. I have a brain and am conscious. I am a product of 4 billion years of evolution that produced life-forms that can feel, think, empathize, and cooperate. With life comes a drive to survive. Everything a living thing does is to ensure the continuance of its species. The by-product of this are creatures that have subjective experiences filled with pleasure and pain to serve its purpose. Living things have a purpose and no gods are necessary for them to have it.
The universe itself may have no "purpose" but living things do. Are you going to tell me that without a god you would no longer have goals and aspirations? Would you just commit suicide because it's pointless? To me that is very sad. Think of how lucky you are to be alive (and as a human being instead of a creature still within the food chain). Is that not enough for you? If not, then you have a bottomless pit of greed that will never be fulfilled.
@@SpatialAndTemporalEvangelicals you're right, nihilism pertains to "meaningless', but not in the terms of ones personal life or self determined purpose. But not every atheist is a nihilist, but i suppose some are. Don't confuse nihilism for fatalism. They're not the same thing. Atheism is worthless? I dont think atheism is anything else but the non belief in deities, and it serves no other purpose or definition other than such. Atheism is a position of non belief in deities. Its not a philosophy. To call atheism worthless is pointless.
Who says that it is GOD that sends people to Hell? I say GOD created Karma to allow to deeds to judge a persons sins
Years ago, this video actually helped me out of my plan to kill myself. I come back 6 years later and it still instills this powerful, motivating, encouraging and positive appreciation of life from a standpoint that not many people in our day to day lives talk about. I was suicidal for many years and the PTSD and major depression I had shoved me into the gravel consistently and made me believe there was no reason to life. I didnt even care what would happen afterwards, whether God or who ever it is up there would punish me for eternity or I would be saved, or I would just not exist. But this video wasnt so much of the debate about what happens after death, rather, what goes on in life that we so habitually disregard. This video helps me so unbelievably much. Thank you for uploading this, from a young teenager in 2012 to me now in 2018, and everyone else that this video has changed for the better. :)
I hope you're doing alright now!
Hang in there, buddy! Life gets better :)
Peace and hugs
Hang in there!! ❤
RELIGION CAUSED MY FRIEND TO SLASH HER WRISTS
Religious indoctrination is the worst form of child abuse. My friend was a victim. She slashed her wrists and tried to commit suicide. She was taught any good thought she had was ‘god’ and any bad thought was ‘satan’. She had a constant war going on in her head between ‘god’ and ‘satan’ to the point she couldn’t take it any longer.
Marsha was sent to a state hospital in Galveston. When I visited Marsha her arms and legs were tied to a wheelchair so she couldn’t hurt herself. I broke down crying when I saw her and seeing the effects religion had on her.
She was later transferred to a state hospital in Austin. Even though I barely had any money for gas I drove my van the 400 miles to see her every weekend for over a year and a half. I’d take her out on day passes and when I brought her back to the hospital I slept in my van outside in the hospital parking lot. I couldn’t see Marsha during the week because she was only allowed to get day passes on weekends. It was always hard when I had to leave her on Sunday evenings and drive back home.
In almost a year and a half of visiting her not one member of her biological family visited. They were all devout Christians. Not one member of the 2000 person Baptist church she belonged to ever visited her. While I did everything I could to show her I cared about her the only thing those religious hypocrites could do was thump their goddamned Bibles. Every one of them were hypocrites.
After months in the hospital and after extensive therapy Marsha told me I saved her life. I was the only one who cared about her. The entire structure of religious people she grew up with all abandoned her. All the things Christians claim to believe were untrue.
Before Marsha’s suicide attempt I went to her church on a Wednesday night at her baptist church. The preacher kept ranting and raving how awful everyone in the congregation was and telling them they were all going to burn in hell. He kept condemning them and it got to the point I couldn’t take the abuse anymore. What’s especially sad is that preacher was quoting directly out of the Bible. He was using quotes of what the god of the Bible said to beat and belittle everyone in the congregation. He was mimicking how god acts and reacts in the Bible. So no one can blame his personality. He was doing exactly what the Bible taught him say. That’s the insidious evil that is in the Bible. The god of the Bible is condemning, petty, judgmental, vindictive, narcissistic and punitive. So the preacher was acting just like god acts in the Bible. The preacher was obviously abused with childhood indoctrination and now that he was an adult he was abusing others with the same tactics used on him by other Christians.
I nudged Marsha and whispered that I had to leave. She was too afraid to get up in front of the congregation of people she knew her entire life to leave. Religious indoctrination paralyzed her. But I couldn’t take the abuse any longer.
I got up and went to a hallway that led to an exit. As I approached the exit door three women walked in, noticed I was leaving and they said in a hateful tone “Where do you think you’re going!” I told them “I’m going outside where if there’s a god he’d be there and not inside this abusive church.” They blew up and their eyes were full of rage.
I continued to leave and walked pass them and out to the 20 degree weather. Once outside I just walked around the parking lot feeling so good I was able to leave that awful, abusive church. The skies were crystal clear and I could see so many stars. At the time I thought if there was a god he’d be outside. I thought what was going on in that church was despicable. I witnessed people being willingly abused. It disgusted me. I realized later how Marsha became so abused by Christianity she tried to kill herself. She was the victim of a lifetime of religious abuse. I’ve always wondered how many people die from suicide caused by religious abuse. I felt sorry for all the victims.
After Marsha got out of the state hospital she stayed in a halfway house for another half of a year. I continued to visit her every weekend. We’d sit on the bank of Town Lake in Austin and talk and joke or I’d take her to a restaurant. Later she ended up getting married and had children of her own. But luckily she didn’t indoctrinate them the way her parents indoctrinated her. After a year and a half of non-stop therapy Marsha was able to cut all ties to Christianity.
Teaching religion to a child is one of the worst forms of child abuse. It causes all kinds of mental problems like religious trauma syndrome, PTSD and suicide. I’m glad I was able to save one person who otherwise would have died at the hands of Christianity.
I saved Marsha’s life by helping her rid her mind of the poisonous Christian god and all the poisonous people who call themselves Christians. Not one christian was there when Marsha needed someone the most. I was.
To Christians I am heathen destined for hell while they thump their bibles believing they are all going to their imaginary heaven. Even if a heaven existed I know spending an eternity with Christians would be the worst hell imaginable.
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow, and learn as if you were to live forever"
My late dad was a passionate scholar...his motto was Socrates' quote "All I know, is that I know nothing". He was the first person in our family to graduate college, and both my parents instilled in both my brother and myself the idea that "the day you stop learning is the day you die"..keep hungry for new knowledge..let none turn you aside from your path.
This literally just cured me of my depressive state. I've only been an athiest for a year now, but since I'm only 22, I'm now extremely excited for all the beauty in the world I'm going to experience in my lifetime
+Peter :D
Atheism is having a close personal relationship with reality.
The universe is too beautiful to not be experienced, we should cherish our small time in it so much.
Your comment also made me happy. I'm only 17, so most people will see my Atheist ideology as me just trying to be edgy or cool, but what many of them don't and probably never will understand is that most of us don't do it out of hatred. Atheism helps people come to terms with reality, and become much more down to earth than your average Christian, or Muslim, or whichever religious group. I can say I'm much more at peace than I would've been had I never decided to explore other ideas and find this one in particular
@Joseph Yessirrrr time flies
I'm more afraid of other people dying than I am of my own death. I'm bad at dealing with deaths of people i'm close to, such as family and friends. I don't fear my own death much. It would be a nice surprise to see there is some type of life after death, but it would be really fucking shitty if it's what the Bible describes.
I have to tell you that you are a wonderfully selfless person. I know that dealing with deaths is terrible, even more when you're sensitive. However, I personally am afraid of nonexistence and dying and I think this is just because I'm selfish - I also very often do things that are only good for myself - it's my biggest flaw. I know this comment doesn't make much sense and appreciating somebody for not being afraid of death is something really weird and twisted but I truly want to tell you how awesome person you must be.
theaussiegirl55 Thank you. It's human nature to be selfish so it doesn't necessarily mean you are a bad person. When you die, you will go back to the way you were before you were born. I would prefer to live longer than the typical 60-80 years, but I feel like we weren't born in the right time period for that to happen. Maybe in 100 years science will discover a way to stop aging. The only way of a longer life is if after life exists, and I really doubt that.
craqqer Don't mourn over the death of those you love; celebrate the life they lived.
keinaluASMR You didnt live before you were born so maybe it doesnt matter when you die. Nothingness...
The truth is that we cease to exist after death, and so you'll be so gone that the first-person-experience of an organism born (somewhere in the universe) after you've ceased to exist will be the experience that comes after yours. You'll no longer be around anymore to stop that from being the case.
My dad died of cancer a month ago today. His death has made me appreciate every sunrise,every rain storm, every snow flake...because i might never see the next one. To live on in the hearts of those you love is to never die. In this way,my father is immortal.
i'm glad I live in this time and age and not in the dark ages.
People like us would be burned in public as heretics.
It's like a live role-playing game... except they kill you if you break character.
This reminds me of minecrafts permanent death mode. You die you lose everything lmao
Although I do not believe in an afterlife, the idea of losing my consciousness forever with death still frightens me. I hope one day I can accept this like the people in these video, because I would live a happier life.
Don't worry about it, live for the moment and enjoy your life.
Just remember your brain will be dead so it will be impossible to know what it's like when you die just like you were before you were born and injoy your life wail you got it because many people haven't had the chance of life
You can think of it like sleep without dreams. That happens every night.
***** you can think of it like before you were born you couldn't remember anything so it's the same thing when you die
Chad Hansen
That's also true.
We are all made of stars, we can be part of all things and be in all places, for me that's more than enough.
mark goodyer literally
Thank you for helping people
So true
i am a christian and i think this video is beautiful, eternity scares me as much as thunderfoot and is extremely difficult to grasp in our limited, finite mentalities... and it explains perfectly how an atheist has morality and hope apart from being finite - i think everyone should watch this video before they open their mouths against atheists
Thank you. Truly. Thank you for not being one of those who are so hateful and condescending towards us. This really goes a long way for the better of mankind's repsect for one another and long journey to a moment, if only brief, where everyone loves his brother not for a label, nor for an ideal, but for the fact that he is a person. Thank you so much for thinking this way.
brghost :) we're all here TOGETHER, whether we like it or not. i choose to like it - it's true our differences can make debates heated, but i want to learn rather than to bicker. either side gets a bad rap from the people who love to proclaim their points the highest, but it's our duty out of the spotlight to listen and support each person
brghost and I do hope you treat Christians with the same respect this man has treated you
*****
Yes, unless they start going all anti-science on me. But usually in that case I just try to explain things as best I can then give up before anything can get hostile.
myollinir i wish all Christians were like you.
No plan and no purpose but there is beauty.
Purpose is to make your life beautiful and experience nature or have as many gaming nights as possible go to the cinema as many times as you can. Have fun with your family etc..
Those who pray for eternity... Do not understand the nature of infinity.
+Dekkren Kain Those who do NOT pray.... do not understand faith.
"It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going." - Hebrews 11:16
David Henry That is interesting, but not relevant to my original comment. Those who pray obviously have faith, as praying without it would be rather pointless. Faith is no virtue... It is gullibility, and inability to draw your own conclusion based on the evidence provided.
***** Yes, as a physicist I do, and have studied the concepts of infinity and zero in equal measure.
***** Yes, I did not mean to imply that the concept of infinity is an easily grasped topic. However as you know as a mathematics student infinity is an error much like a singularity. Given that current theoretical models point at the idea of a beginning to the universe means that infinity cannot exist within it. How could a universe expand into infinity in a finite amount of time? I am not suggesting that infinity does not have a purpose in mathematics, but it generally means our understanding of the formula is flawed.
***** As for the first time you asked the question, I apologize. I accidentally flagged it as spam due to a miss-click before I could read it, I wasn't attempting to ignore you.
This is the truth. The question is often the answer. Somethings may seem so complicated to answer, so mindbogglingly incomprehensible, but they turn out to have simple answers. Why live for God? Why live to die? When you can live to live. This is why, despite skepticism from religions, atheists are happy.
Great points. Except I always say, "We live to die."
The ultimate destiny of any life ends in death.
The moment a person is born, he will die someday. Maybe the day he was born. maybe at 9 or 16 or 36 or live a very long life to 90+.
What is important is what we do with that life in between life and death. Some will live exemplary lives, some are mundane. everyone deserves to live their life to the extent that they choose.
This is taking your comment a bit out of context, but honestly I wish religions WOULD have a little more skepticism towards atheists. Then they could actually figure out what a lot of us DO believe, instead of putting those ridiculous stereotypes on us. The dislikes on this video most likely came from religious people out of ignorant hatred, and they didn't even bother to watch.
Atheists And Nihilists Are Always Sad And Miserable While Deists And Altruists Are Always Happy And Excited.
Most athiests I've known have been depressed nihlists that can only be happy whilst on medications. Lol @ hedonists. I hope since 8 years you've repented and accepted Christ
I would love to live for a millennium. On earth, not in heaven.
Me too. I hope that someday technology cures aging.
Unless it works out for everyone that way, it'd be hell and heartbreak over and over again to watch your loved ones die. Even if it did apply to everyone, that's way too long. Overpopulation would be a huge issue.
Gavin Boutdy
I really don't think it would be that bad (on a personal level). I'm not exactly a people person.
+Roy Rieder yea but if that happens we will half to stop reproduceing for the simple fact that the earth will become to populated unless we find out a way to live on other planets at the rate were going we will probably figure out a way
Soon science and technology will allow us to live longer then any of the past generations
I clicked on this so I would have something on in the background while I put away groceries. And now I’m questioning existence. This was a damn good choice.
Dont question existence, question the afterlife
I want this played at my funeral
me too
Kairielise Why? It’s depressing.
Same!
Same
Me to
The fact we were born makes us all the biggest lottery winners as the odds were never in our favor.
"Ever atom of my body will be recycled into the universe after I die."
While your alive every atom is a part of the universe.
Is it depressing to be an atheist?
Yes and no, the only reason why I may be depressed is because so many people are not atheist.
Funny, because I get depressed when people choose to be empty inside, like all atheist do. Do you really think you know anything about reality for "SURE" ?? Hehehe, don't make me laugh. NO ONE KNOWS and that's part of the game. But wait, let's imagine for a moment that we know for "SURE" there is no God, there is no life after death and everything you do in life is absolutely pointless. DO YOU FEEL BETTER NOW ?
@@este4955 yes I feel better, thanks for this !
From my own account, yes it is BUT I'd much rather live my life knowing the truth in that no loving god exists instead of believing a lie, living my life as a lie. Knowing we got one life to live. It makes life to me more precious.
What is making me depressed and I'm not jokiing is seeing all the religious people involved in politics and wanting to control everyone else and how awful and hateful they are...I'm not even kidding.
No, but for the Christians around us it can be for them.
I only fear the PAIN before death... after that, it is the greatest sleep of all.
The mere THOUGHT of praising one dude every single day for all eternity does not appeal to me, so I am not christian
This is some deep stuff right here
+Phoenix Fire so deep I can see Adele rolling in it.
Vojtěch Janků shots fired
+Phoenix Fire So deep i can see someones mom in there.
Phoenix Fire it's much to say about nuttin'
Not really.
My friend.. Eric Larry Johnson
Rest in peace my friend....
April 29, 1979 - Jun 8, 2015
To a beautiful person, may you always be remembered for the Beauty you brought to this world.
..
Very sorry for your loss.
ironchefdempsey It's nice to see your comment. Thanks. My friend had a heart attack at ... 36! ...
Life truly is like a shooting star... peace
Brandon S. Sorry for your loss, best wishes to you.
Brandon S. Yes, sorry for your loss. All of us lose people that we really care about, and I know how you feel. I wish you the best in learning how to find happiness, even after your loss.
Being dead will be like you went to sleep but never woke up. Now thats more relaxing then anything.
No dreams, no desires, no regrets, no pain, no stress.
I died once... A motorcycle wreck when i was 15 yrs old really just heart stopped beating for a few minutes then they Jump started me... I saw and felt NOTHING... Later in Life I had a Seizure while getting a tooth pulled at the dentist.. I saw a warm bright light was in a long green grassy field when i was coming to my mind was telling me I wanted to stay there and not go back ... anyway that was a seizure and I never even stopped breathing... So I think I know where those people get their afterlife stories .. but anyway... I am fairly sure death is where it all ends ... So enjoy it while you got it.
The truth is that we cease to exist after death, and so you'll be so gone that the first-person-experience of an organism born (somewhere in the universe) after you've ceased to exist will be the experience that comes after yours. You'll no longer be around anymore to stop that from being the case.
@Phillip Hickman Why would I hope for the possibility of the experience of being a cow in a factory farm come after my death? There's nothing inherently good or comforting about my conclusion. Life can be bad, good, hellish, nice, boring, and many things in between.
@Phillip Hickman I have Two question for you:
1: Will you cease to exist after death?
2: Will life-forms be born (in the universe) after you no longer exist?
"I'm going to live.." this is part of what keeps me going after death of my younger brother and our dad. I feel as though they can continue 'living' through myself and our mom, so I'm going to do my damndest to live a life they would be proud of.
Don't forget They and you are gonna be stardust so more than once you really gonna reunite. 😅
Thank you for this video. I became an atheist when I was about eleven years old. Sense that moment, that realization that nobody knows anymore about the after life or the world than anybody else, I have struggled with the concept of death. I remember it very clearly, my mother told me when I asked about what happens after I die, where I came from before I lived, she had the courage to answer honestly, "I don't know". That same night I lied awake, fearful and uneasy about the inevitable logical conclusion that followed; maybe nothing happens. It made perfect sense to me then. It has been more than ten years and I still lay awake at night, fearful and uneasy, unwilling to except, to comprehend the end of my life, an eternity of nonexistance.
Over the last year I have found many great aethist thinkers. Christopher Hitchens poignant analogy, comparing the chistian paradigm to the North Korean state was both amusing and enlightening,. It had never occurred to view the concept of heaven as less desirable than the reality of death. I am a big fan of darkmatter2525, and he has a video on his channel where he makes the point that life would be without meaning if we merely lived forever after it. It gave me some comfort to feel this way, although I still live with the fear.
I am very glad that I found this video. It is the ultimate humility, and an incrediable release, to give up ones life. To realize, except, and celebrate that not only humanity, but the individual self, is not the center of all things, and better because of it.I don't know if I will be free of my life long fear of death, but I do know sense finding these thinkers on youtube and on the internet I have found some sense of peace.
Thank you for that.
Thank you I have said for years that man's fear of death was a primary reason of the creation of an everlasting afterlife . Honestly this is the first time I've heard someone else say it . Again thanks
This life is all I'll ever know. I fear losing it.
I believe that this is helping me with the acceptance of my fathers recent death. This has put me more at peace than any pastor shouting words from a Bible. Thank you for this.
Do you think he is still with you?
I have just come to the realization that all of us have been dead before. Before we were born we were dead. I fear death no longer
We have never died before though. Seems pretty terrible.
standev1 Yeah the act of dying remains scary. Largely thanks to us not knowing how, when or why it will happen
Tiaan De Swardt It's also usually quite painful. If I knew exactly when, why and how I will die painful death, that would still be scary.
standev1 Yeah. I am a 'death or glory' type of guy so I don't mind a painful death as long as it doesn't last long
*Gets hit by a car*
I fucking love Thunderf00t's voice and accent, the guy could read some random nicki minaj lyrics and still sound smarter than any of us.
This is the only life we're sure to have. It is short lasting, rare, and valuable. This video is beautiful! I used to be a Christian (I believed it with all my heart) and am now an atheist (long story). I am filled with a deeper sense of beauty, wonder, and awe than I ever was a Christian. I find my life incredibly meaningful and valuable. Some ask, if there is no god, why live? I say, because I love living! I want to see what comes next! Yes, one day it will end and I have no idea when or how. But that is all the more reason to live to the fullest today.
The scared girl said to the atheist doctor, "If this life is all there is, then nothing matters because there is no ultimate consequence." The atheist doctor replied, "No! If this life is all there is, then it is the only thing that matters."
The reason I fear death is that life is far too beautiful to let go of.
The truth is that we cease to exist after death, and so you'll be so gone that the first-person-experience of an organism born (somewhere in the universe) after you've ceased to exist will be the experience that comes after yours. You'll no longer be around anymore to stop that from being the case.
This is beautiful, because it's real. I have to remind myself when I stress over petty things that those moments lost in worry are better spent contemplating the wonder that is reality. I feel sad for people who can't appreciate what we truly are; tiny, brief flashes of what we call consciousness in a universe far larger and more wondrous than we can even know.
I am an atheist. If there is a afterlife and a god then I hope he will judge me based on if I was a good person or not in my life. And not based on if I kissed his ass or not. And if there is no after life(which I do not believe there is) then I at least lived a happy and fulfilling life and made my life what it is with what little time I had.
well said
standing ovation.
I think I would be able to really enjoy a few thousand years. Imagine all the books, you can read..... :) And I could smoke cigarettes all day without being told I will get lung cancer. I could draw funny pictures of Mohammed, too and nobody would blow me up. :)
+Mara Sa worst attempt to missionize ever...
I am not interested in missionising at all! :) If you are referring to my profile-pic then you made the wrong conclusions.
yeah i interpreted it that way. sorry if i got you wrong
+Mara Sa Imagine that for eternity.
+truvelocity you're right. I can't. nobody can imagine "eternity, right? That's why religion is successfull with it's childish concept of "eternal" whatever...
I was really caught off guard when Laci Green started speaking. I forgot she actually used to be a somewhat respectable human being back then lmao
Not sure how many times I have watched this over the years. It does not get old.
I sent this to my best of best friends and love of my life right after her doctor's told her they could no longer treat her cancer..it was just too far advanced and the treatments were actually making it worse.
I had just connected her with Dave's dying and and living outloud .. Facing the end of life ..this life..the only one we have here and now...its a different thing..a perspective most ignore because they fear death..it is why they need a pretend afterlife.. to conquer death. No one conquers death Not even the ones we truly love. I know my friend..the love of my life.. i know she did not fear what lie ahead.. that these times we had to share..to share with her children..loved ones..friends..to make it the best ..to love and leave behind that impact of legacy.. that was important to her. She passed a few weeks later..unexpectedly from complications related to her cancer.
That last week or so was the most precious to me of all the years we spent together of all we shared of all the love given..those days were the best of all of them.
There is one thing I've come to realize about life, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe as a whole. Everything dies, and everything has an end. Even the universe will someday die off.
People often say they have this feeling of the lord, his love, wisdom, or some shit like that. Personally I feel something different. That there's no light at the end of the tunnel and the rigged game is over.
But you forget the every story has a sequel, every end has a new beginning, and everything that began was the result of the end of something. You have a life now. Enjoy it. There will be an end. But there will always be a new beginning. And that beginning comes to everything, even when it seems impossible.
I love how I recognized the voices of the atheists.
Imagine existing in a concious state for eternity, its utterly horrific. Lets all hope its not true.
I absolutely love this video. I posted this on my Facebook account.
I fully believe we should make the most of this life and enjoy life to the fullest.
Thank you Seth for putting this video together.
I am getting old and I am, barring illness or accident, realizing my years are coming close to ending with maybe a decade or two left. I am not afraid or concerned about what comes with death. I know that I may well welcome it in the end. I would love to know that this video would be played at my funeral and shared with those who would gather to celebrate my life, that I had a life and lived it in the best way I could. Learning about the actual nature of life and the universe has been truly awesome and I am thrilled to be here even though I know it is only for a short time.
RhondaH like you I have lived more of life than I can reasonably expect to be ahead of me, 114 is possible though! One of my greatest accomplishments was the realisation that there is no supernatural deity. This has left me free of the guilt, the poison and the lies that such a following would entail. Naturally, if any person can prove the existence of their chosen deity to the satisfaction of all other theists, of whatever stripe, I'm prepared to change my view. Meanwhile, life is out there - Carpe Diem!
I would like you to research a video in youtube when you get a chance, dont worry im not really religious or anything like that i dont really care for it but the video it called " sam harris-it is always now". Sam harris is an athiest that explains everything you need to know about how to enjoy your life regardless of religion or not , your welcome
yz125motorider Thanks but just because I'm old doesn't mean I haven't seen all of Sam Harris' talks on YT. I've also read all his books and am on his email list. I don't agree with every single thing he says but I do agree with most of his positions.
i respect atheist way of thinking. but i just want people to know that even i , a christian
1. believe that life is very important
2. still thinking rationally and even question my own believe and find the answer myself
3. i'm not obsessed with death or the afterlife, i accept it
4. good deeds are needed to go to heaven
For me, I got over fear of hell fairly quickly after realizing I no longer believed. And although I understand death as being as I once was before conception, and like a dreamless sleep, I have this horrid fear of not existing. As strange as it sounds, even hell offers more hope of my consciousness remaining. I don’t know how to get past this irrational fear. It’s worse than hell to me and that’s just twisted. My brain over complicates everything. Ugh!
I like that end-quote by Robert Green Ingersoll... The most enriching aspect of my life has been relationships with others, my talents I used to cater to them, where I've had and will soon have the chance to travel to see more of them, and the 'One' whom I, in this life, here and now, while I'm yet alive, have a relationship with. There is so much to see and do. I can say that as much as I've accomplished there is more to be done... and I'm not alone. I've had to sacrifice nothing, but accept everything that 'One' has offered me... Life is constant; whether one side is better than the other is not half as relevant as the 'One' whom I share this side with now... even into any other side... whether it is, or is not... but 'my' path has not disappointed me yet :) !!!
So I encourage all:
Find your own path to truth and fulfillment while making others happy along the way ... I know this is the key. As I love 'One' with all my mind, heart, and soul, so I must love my neighbor(s) as myself!
We are isolated as biological beings, our body is aging so traveling the universe is by telescopes, antennas, and other tools to detect anything from distance... a very long distance... and complexity of quantum physics... a super microscopic scale... we don’t fully understand it yet But I believe “we live for a good reason”... that’s my number 1 of what I believe... Thanks for the life given to me and the consciousness...
Where was I before I was born? Intrigues me.
This is honestly one of the most beautiful videos I have taken time to watch. I applaud all of you, and I thank you.
+BearJoyner00 Well, you need to take more time on UA-cam, because there are quite a lot of wonderful videos to watch.
I'm an atheist, and sadly right now, dealing with the impending death of a dear friend. I have found this film to be so comforting. Cherish the moment, the memories. All good things must come to an end.
I am not atheist, however, I am subscribed to no religion. My experiences are not yours, as yours are not mine. But if we can gather to appreciate the things that we can reasonably understand and share, than we have taken the first steps to truly living in unity and in peace. I appreciate my atheist friends, and although I am not an atheist, I think that I can say that they are generally exceptionally reasonable and trustworthy.
I had to keep pausing this because I have a fear of dying. I think the thought of not existing scares me. I'm agnostic but... I dunno, maybe something is there when we die? We don't know. I mean who knows. It'd be cool. Ahh that's so scary to think about. I'm panicking just watching this. But it's a lot of interesting things to think about too.
+Niconini♫ I realize this is, "easier said than done," but try not to fear or be anxious about death. You may wish to speak with a professional therapist.
It has been my experience that people who had knowledge of impending death faced it with courage and peace. Every single one of them.
Peace.
+Niconini♫ you were dead billions of years before you were born, was it scary?
*_Life is precious. Live it happily not sadly. Death also scares me but we can't do anything._*
I am almost sure that I don't fear death. I mean, it wasn't bad before I was born, in fact, I don't know anything about that time and all the suffering began from the moment I stepped into this world, so why should it be bad after?
Try not to exercise ur belief the more u think of hell the more ur afraid of dying live ur life to the extent let the earth be ur playground time will pass and we can get over it have a nice and meaningful experience dont worry be happy
Was anyone else so weirdly touched by this that it brought a tear to their eye?
"We are a way for universe to understand itself" Carl Segan.
From star dust to life a journey that took 14 billion years, what is not to cherish ,what is not to protect ,what is not celebrate ,what is not to value why would i look for meaning when the universe has given me the ability to create one for myself.
After all, no one EVER came back and told us there's an after life, not one!!
This is a great video. It does a wonderful job of explaining how atheists view the life we are privilege to experience. Lucky us. We were alive during the few billion years that stars outside our own Milky Way Galaxy will be viewable. Very cool. We are wise enough to understand our past and present and have a decent realistic view of the future. Amazingly fortunate.
Many of the people I have deep respect toward, thought provoking and uplifting.
I am not afraid of death, I afraid of pain and suffering
since my liberation from religion, spirituality, superstition, whatever.. I find so many new thoughts engaging and enlightening. I benefit from all those who came before me who fought convention to impart something new to learn, and I cherish it. I understand more now than any bronze aged human. This new understanding teaches me not to fear death. Im comfortable with " I don't know" instead of "god did it" and I wont waste this brief moment in time with lies aboutwho and what we are.-+
beautiful video, very well stated people should not worry about dying and get busy living in a more positive way. I am not one for emotions but I was moved by this video. thanks a lot. I was having a bad week but somehow this brought me out of it. just to know that there are others out here in the world like this. I don't feel alone in my mind anymore. cause being an atheist in eastern Kentucky can be sometimes. I love these videos I almost cried with this one. love your channel.
Watching this during covid. People are losing their fecking minds after a few days, weeks, and months of lockdown at home, on their cushy couch with unlimited Internet. Eternity? LMAO They're even going mad with their own family members, spend eternity with them? Right! lol
If There Is No AfterLife Then Our Lives Have No Value.
If There Is An AfterLife Then Our Lives Are Priceless And Of Infinite And Eternal Value.
Exactly the opposite
Belief in an afterlife is a product of survival instinct and the mechanical fear of death. We, as humans, are so strongly hard-wired to survive that the idea of living forever is of ultimate comfort.
If there is anything after death, I'd rather be reincarnated, or become a spirit advisor. With reincarnation, I can restart and continue living. And seek out new challenges. With being a spirit advisor, sure that's also eternity, but at least I can give advice and wisdom to future generations. Sure that's also eternity, but it's an eternity helping others, and continuing to make a difference. And I consider that far more rewarding than kissing gods ass all the time. If course, if neither of those are options, I'll take cessation of existence.
If (and this is a huge *If*) there is an "eternal afterlife," I think that if one 'thinks' about it, logically, and rationally, it becomes abundantly clear that no one has ever had a clue as to what that would even mean or entail. And, it seems to me, it would also be a kind of 'existence' that no one alive could ever even come close to comprehending - even if it were explained to them from some being, or some thing, that actually can comprehend it!
I also think that any belief that we humans would retain any semblance of our physical selves long after our bodies have died and decayed is a sadly absurd notion. What sort of 'body' would humans have in an 'afterlife'..? What sort of body would someone who died at the age of 100 have..? And what of the innumerous infants that have perished? What sort of body would they have..? Or (I must ask of theists) would there be no body for anybody (pun intended)..?? Do those who make it to 'Heaven' become as invisible as your 'God'?
Now I'm not trying to be pretentious and claim that I 'know' that there is no 'afterlife'.. All I'm trying to say is that it's abundantly clear to me that no one can know and (I must add!) that anyone who does claim to know that there is indeed an afterlife - _and that they know how to get there_ - is either deluded, willfully ignorant and/or straight-out lying.
Yes! This! Very well put :)
Hearts0fSpace Thank you.
***** Thank you.
My main fear is the way I am going to die.
That was one of the most beautiful videos I've ever watched.
Death does not scare me I just do not want a slow painful death like so many have to deal with
Another thing to think about is you will not perceive time when not conscious, so whatever will happen to you until you are conscious will happen immediately.
So theoretically, eventually your exact atoms will rearrange again in many Gogol's of years and you will become conscious again, maybe not with your memory though.
But there have been people on this Earth who have the memory of their past lives, which then suggests another thing, consciousness floats to a new host when its previous host dies, and only sometimes you get the memory, which is like a glitch in the system.
Fred Rice Infinity, anything can happen. If given enough time, anything can happen, as there is an infinite amount of time for it to happen. It is simple to understand.
Fred Rice When it reaches the singularity, the atoms still exist. After an expansion, the atoms could still find their way back, and even if they don't during that expansion, or a million more singularities and expansions, they will, because infinity ensures every possibility will happen.
Sad but true. After all we are just stardust.
I personally think that the universe "restarts" after its end, and we will live the exact same life again and again for all eternity without knowing
I want to live my life now! I want to go to America!
tell that to covid
This just makes me depressed man...
Makes me want to run away from all this work I have been forced into from school. If I already know what I'm going to do with my life, why must I learn bullshit I'll never use?
Noah Schuler the futility of existence-life is simply a self replicating disease we inherit from our parents.
+Stillo Chillino... Fucking parents. Never occurred to them that maybe we didn't want to be born
I don't believe in suicide. I'm pretty certain it's not the end. (Take a big dose of magic mushrooms if you want a look outside your mind). I'm just making a point that parents create kids for they're own amusement. Seems crazy.
+Noah Schuler I was the same when I was younger. I hated to be forced to do something so I purposely did bad. I ended up trying to learn some of the subjects when I was older. Kind of regretted not learning them while I was in school but yeah we live in a sort of well disguised prison so that's why
The single comfort I take from death is that we all must die. It’s a journey we must all take, so I don’t feel alone
I think our energy lives on, as the "soul" people call it.
I do believe our conscious is a special form of energy that we can experience our own individual lives... not with others, but our own stories.
If anything, I do believe our energy still lives on after death, it becomes part of the universe. It does make me believe in possible reincarnation, even as an atheist myself.
It seems like heaven and hell is more for the living, than for the dead.
Loved ones being at a better place, a place where you all will be reunited in turn, all seems to comfort the living.
I don't think this powerful idea is ultimately good at the end, because it makes death harder to accept, harder to move on. It is a nurturing thought that keeps the deep wounds wet.
Becoming dead is frightening. Being dead is an entirely different matter.
Life couldn't possible good if there was not struggle. What is exitement if there's nothing to wait for? What is pride if there was no failures? I could go on forever. Yet this is what the church want you to believe about heaven and it works?!?
"An easy life without struggles, joy and happiness and love and and and kissing god's ass (but it taste _really_ nice so don't worry) and and and ice cream and it's like having christmas every-single-day for the next quadrillion years! Fun fun fun every day!"
Oh.... give it some time and you would long desperately for an "OFF" button, a black coffin promising nothing but absolute nothingness: An eternal unawareness of selfexistence.
Nothing to look forward to. Nothing to be afraid of. i'm content, and fear no death. I just hope for a long life :)
It's called "faith" for a reason. What is "faith"? Faith is a belief in something without a shred of evidence that can be verified. It's nothing more than wishful thinking!
Exactly.
+Chris Conley You're entitled to your opinion sir, but it is misinformed. Have you read any material from both sides of the debate? I've been interested in this question ever since I could first read and have a library to match. I'm now in my 40s. It has very little to do with faith. Or any organized religion for that matter. The material body dies, but consciousness lives on. Similar to the other cycles in nature.
+Paddy Theosophist Could you define consciousness, and if it "lives on" after material death, what evidence do you have to support that claim?
IXIArmyofOneIXI Not even the most cutting-edge researchers can define what's termed *the hard problem of consciousness* and there's no way I could convey here what I've learned over thirty years. But two of the best works I have and highly recommend are *Irreducible Mind~Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century* and the recently published *Beyond Physicalism~Toward Reconciliation of Science and Spirituality*. In the meantime, here's an interesting link, sites.google.com/site/chs4o8pt/skeptical_fallacies
Paddy Theosophist I'm sure your a very intelligent person Paddy. I'm sure your highly educated and very well read. However, Paddy, there is no evidence to support your belief. I, like you, also wish for nothing more than to live on in some form after death. But there is no evidence for this belief Paddy! Zero! So without evidence, I suspend any judgements or conclusions no matter what I'd wish to be true. Actually, the EVIDENCE suggests that when we die, we as an individual cease to exist. And we ALL KNOW what not existing is like! This is because before we were born we didn't exist. Ceasing to exist and not existing are the same thing in my opinon! This is my personal view of the world, but it makes perfect sense and is supported by our current understanding of the brain. So without evidence, all we're left with is the endevor to live each day like it's our last! To savor every moment and squeeze every drop out of this life we possibly can! If we can accomplish this, and also leave this world a better place for the next generation, well then we've done the best we possibly could have.
But this is just my opinon, my preponderance of the evidence. I have neither a 'Reverand' before my name or a PH.D. after. So what do I know?
I'm growing fond of the idea that we are the universe being conscious of itself. We are created from a planet, that was created from the smashing together of other planets near a giant star, in an expanding galaxy. If there is a god, it probably won't be an Earth-created one. The universe is too big for our gods and goddesses who only seem focus on us as a species and no others.
The fear of death is the main reason religion is so popular. I don't fear being dead, I do fear dying.
this was beautiful
I fully agree with this video, but it offers no comfort to the blind, faithful believer who is only interested in remaining conscient forever, even though he doesn't fully understand what it means. People don't care about the atoms of their body living on forever. They want their consciousness to survive forever and no scientific reasoning will be able to shake the fear of not being conscious anymore. I've reached a point in my life where I know now that it's pointless to try to talk to believers. When you do, you use science and reason. That can't reach them because this is not where they are. Don't waste time trying to have people realize Christianity and other creeds are horsepoop. It's something somebody must realize alone.
"It's not that the party is over, it's that the party is going on, but you have to leave." - Christopher Hitchens
I love the opening quote.
I have always said that everyone already knows what life after death is like.
It is exactly the same as what life before conception was like.
This video is so beautiful. I love what that Spanish? girl is saying
If your felling down or depressed just remember how incredibly lucky you are to be alive and remember those who weren't as luck as you to live like aborted babies and etc
Woahhhhhhh
One of the greatest video ever on UA-cam
Awesome video !! I can say that this is one of the best videos I've ever watched on utube. I was confidently smiling through it all .... Thanks :)
Did anyone cry a little watching this .. I did .. Fuck
you not alone *sniff
I started crying from 6:51
once this really brought on the meaningful stuff, it's one of those things that just make you sad, and can't change. i didn't cry over any of this. i was already completely aware i believed everything they said, before watching this video. it's just the music, and graphics put together, all those people telling you the solid truth about the universe, in the long run. you wouldn't wanna stick around forever. that would be eternity of inner hell.
my eyes did get a tad bit watery, but no tears came out.
just knowing that, i'm a conscious being, and if i died, and were still conscious somewhere, (heaven, hell, or wherever...) i would ultimately foresee my eternal doom right there...
once that part of the video went on about the numbers of years... but that's the afterlife, represented outside time and space. so even though the universe we're in, will eventually extinct the human race, all of us would still be in some eternal afterlife, and after living as old as just 1000 years old, i would have already gone insane!
:(
people would be begging god for death...
Amazing excerpt
The Cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness
Although the two are identical twins, man, as a rule views the prenatal abyss with more calm than the one he is heading for (at some forty-five hundred heartbeats an hour)
Vladimir Nabokov
My "heaven" would be being able to age at whatever pace I liked, being able to age backwards at will, and getting to choose exactly when I die, and where aside from that, I'm immortal and have wolverine-like healing.
Every time you sleep, you switch off your consciousness... imagine, you sleep without dream and you forget to switch on your consciousness forever... welcome to afterlife... Instead of finding the meaning, it’s better to do meaningful things everyday, be kind, don’t do something that we regret... because we never know when the consciousness turn off forever...
I am an Atheist but, why there is this assumption that there is no afterlife doesn't cut it for me. Assuming there is no afterlife is the same as assuming there is no heaven or hell. The only way we can experience life as we know it is to have a body as a tool to touch, smell, see, hear, and taste our way through our environment. But what if our awareness/consciousness resides outside of the body? Could it be possible that we will exist on a different level? There is no proof nor indication as to where the soul is, only theory and again assumption based on medical studies. While medical studies may reveal to a degree how the brain functions as an organ, it is very short on revealing that our consciousness is a physical part of it. I would wager that it is not! So I wouldn't discount totally the idea that there could be a form of afterlife, and at the same time, I wouldn't be afraid of it.
If our consciousness is not part of, and a result of our brain, why does it get affected in very predictable ways by changes to our brain?
There's no reason to think there is a soul, especially now that we know so much about our own bodies.
Why do people's personalities change drastically when they suffer certain types of brain damage, if your consciousness is separate from the brain?
Hakasedess I really do appreciate your feedback. I will try to give you MY answer to your question. First you ask...
If our consciousness is not part of, and a result of our brain, why does it get affected in very predictable ways by changes to our brain?
Answer...The consciousness is not part of the brain, it is a separate entity that sends information and receives information back and forth from the brain.
Also, the consciousness/Soul Is not effected by physical trauma to the brain, because it is not a physical attachment to the brain.
There's no reason to think there is a soul, especially now that we know so much about our own bodies
Answer...When I use the word soul, I mean it in the same context as consciousness or awareness. "This helps those religious people I try to convert understand...lol"
Why do people's personalities change drastically when they suffer certain types of brain damage, if your consciousness is separate from the brain?
Answer...If the physical brain is damaged or diseased or impaired in some
way, naturally, there are going to be problems for the brain to interpret and express in the usual conscious way.
Think of it this way, Your pc is a brain that communicates with the www through a server like Comcast for example. The www would represent the soul/ awareness/ consciousness. Every bit of information you share or type passes through your server and is stored someplace out there.
Your pc as a brain can only do as told or taught and can only store so much information, so much of it is out there in the www. If your pc gets sick, or just dies you've lost it unless you saved everything on disk and in backup. However, you can buy another pc and get back on line and voila....There is your saved consciousness waiting for you. Thanks again for your comment.............Happy New Year!
Don Wilson
The problem with all these ideas is that there is no evidence to back it up. Until you have evidence of your "soul," it is all just wishful thinking.
An atheist does not believe in an *afterlife*. If you are sitting on the fence, waiting to see if there is an afterlife, you are probably agnostic.
exo ra luna
Atheism and the belief in an afterlife are not mutually exclusive.
I just want to say, as a theist, that this was wonderfully put, and very respectful. I see too many theists and atheists alike, bombarding their opinion, so seeing this was a welcome change.
We are a mote of dust in a universe that is so brobdingnagian in scale that it is LITERALLY impossible to comprehend.
To claim, "we know there is nothing after death," is ignorant, to claim " there is heaven and hell" after death, is ignorant. WE DON;T KNOW, what happens after death. WE DON'T KNOW. lack of evidence does NOT mean lack of existence.
just replace the phrase 'after death' with 'unicorn' and you will see how amazing your comment is ... lol
John you are amazingly ignorant
again, what happens after we die? WE DON'T KNOW, this is a perfectly logical answer WE DON'T KNOW, why is that so difficult to except? instead of hell, or heaven, or nothing , how about WE DON'T KNOW?
Discord did you watch the video?? Yes they don't know. Duh.. what makes you more worried the issue of after life or the existence of unicorn?? There is no evidence for both. Despite wishful thinking might make one of them more plausable. If your logic is consistent, then why you are not very comfortable to claim lack of evidence for the existence of unicorns doesn't mean unicors don't exist??
Yes. But to suggest anything does happen in death is like suggesting that when no one notices something it does not exist. Or real proof is impossible and truth does not exist.
But think of all the time to fap XD
My Papa just died. Maybe it's not the most comforting thing but I'm sort of glad he and the rest of my family could believe he lives on. It churns my stomach to think that he can't even remember anything anymore though.
My mom passed away less than 6 months ago. I think she was/is the most truly alive person I have ever known. It seems so weird and wrong that she is no longer in the land of the living.
I am sorry about your papa.
Are you a writer, a poet? You seem kind of awesome.
I understand, and am sorry if it is none of my business.
I am not a creeper. I love people and want them to be the best version of themselves that they can be.
You seem curious and interesting and well-spoken.
My sympathy to you and your family.
P.S. I love your username.
Kyle Pirigyi My username is poetic nonsense, that's basically how I talk in flowery sounding nothings. I'm like a priest but without the imaginary friend or the arbitrary rules that I want to make everyone follow.
The Soft Glow of Brightly Burning Hope
So it's psyco-bable?
I still like it.
Since this seems primarily focused on Christianity's concepts, it strikes me that given the prominence placed on love in the New Testament, even so much as it was the primary commandment left by Christ "Love your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself", the core message of heaven would be grounded in that same thing.
Yes, you may experience everything material eventually, but the one thing all humans seem to find their meaning in (believers and not) is in relationships with those they care about and love. While I may grow tired of the taste of chocolate or travel every imaginable universe, I'm not so certain I would ever tire of love. It strikes me that this is the real experience of an afterlife. Coincidentally, most near death experiences (anecdotal I acknowledge) whether they make any Bible-type references or not, speak of the presence of unimaginable love from which they don't want to leave. Even if we take these as only subconscious manifestations of an experience, we seem to gravitate towards love as what would make heaven "heaven".
I think the general dichotomy established in Biblical texts speaks to this. The human "flesh" striving to fulfill itself via conquest and gain, knowledge and power, creativity and the thrill of experiencing things, all leave more to be desired in achieving these things than was gained in the pursuit of them. It's not that these are inherently bad of course, as all good things can be made bad if done for selfish gain. But, that's the rub isn't it? The Bible at it's core is claiming God gave us the ability to choose love and deny ourselves, as without choice it could not be real. As for this life, this is one of the major examples of those things that we could only accomplish in the context of an imperfect universe like ours, before any form of afterlife where these imperfections are removed. For me, if there is no God it leaves my relationships doomed, and imagining my son one day not only dead but gone completely is unbearable. And, there can be no justice for those who have had loved ones taken from them, or lost via natural tragedy. Someone once said "We die twice. Once when our hearts stop beating, and again when the last person who remembers us is gone."
I choose to believe it's no coincidence that humans are the only creatures concerned with this. Otherwise, it is a cruel thing for there to be a universe in which a creature could evolve to the point of understanding its own mortality, and worse, those whom it loves. It's not a fear of death itself mind you. If you're right that there is no afterlife, I'm of the mind of Samuel Clemens who said "I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.". But, the idea that we learn and discover, love and share, do so many amazing things like share in the creation of a life, in spite of the toil and difficulties of this world (and we do lose so much along the way), for that to all be a chasing after the wind and the greatest of vain tragedy, is a terrifying thought. And for the universe and our existence to be so in tune with this reality, that we can even attempt to understand it, proves to me there is more to this life than the natural world. In the words of C.S. Lewis "If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning."
You can declare meaningful things, and tell yourself there is purpose, but at its bottom Atheism must lead to the belief that these things cannot truly exist, except in our own heads, and only because we think they must. But even then, it is a silent torment, the insanity of Nietzsche's crazy man in the street proclaiming "who will light the lamp stand in the morning"? This doesn't work for me. And so it is one of the myriad of reasons I chose to believe. And I do so because it makes me happy.
It seems ironic to me that a group of Atheists felt it necessary to create a video to protest how they can find meaning in life. The idea that you can find meaning isn't in contradiction to MY worldview. I believe in these things, so naturally I believe you can. But, Atheists have gone to great lengths to tell me that we are insignificant creatures in a vast universe who mistake meaning and purpose for the reality of their own biological and chemical makeups brought on by evolution, giving them the illusion that there is more to life than life, death and the material world. We are prone to see Jesus in our soup, mistake patterns for some greater cosmic purpose or plan, and conjure up significance in things when in reality there is none. And in your version of truth, as Richard Dawkins would say "We dance to our DNA". Even the greatest of virtues love, is little more than chemical reactions in your brain brought on by evolutionary drives to need to be social and propagate the species. You tell me that there are no absolute truths, except that there can be no absolute truths. Morality is relative, after which all things can be justified. Even the greatest accomplishments await the eventual cold, dark end of the universe where nothing remains but tombstones and relics that show we were here to no one. And still, incredulously you protest that your life can be meaningful, and I wonder why? Because it seems to me it is not my worldview you are wrestling with, but rather your own worldview that proclaims these things cannot be real. You want your cake, and to eat it too, but cannot be honest about where this leads, and you tell me I would only disagree because I fear death?! To be frank, it is not that I fear death, it is that I find Atheism unlivable, as its inevitable conclusion to our story is a vain tragedy from which we cannot escape. This is simply not the universe as I believe it to be, because in the end I have hope.