Comments on: From where do atheists derive "meaning"? http://yrif.org/2009/05/05/from-where-do-atheists-derive-meaning/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:07:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nick Novitski http://yrif.org/2009/05/05/from-where-do-atheists-derive-meaning/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Nick Novitski Fri, 29 May 2009 16:05:41 +0000 http://yrif.org/?p=307#comment-134 A depressingly common mistake of members of any mutually-supportive community with a strongly defined identity is to think that their community (or any similar to it) is the only possible source of such support. People are so happy in their church, their subculture, their Cat Fanciers Forum, that they identify happiness with their membership in that group. Which can be a problem if they sacrifice important things for the sake of that membership, whether at the command of some authority figure, or of their own volition. Imagine (some of us may not have to) that in your life, you've had a long series of relationships, all of which ended badly, with the other person mistreating or taking advantage of you in some way. But then you meet this new person, and they're so unlike all the others, and they seem to really care, and you think you didn't know true happiness till now. You might say that just seems like bad luck, but is it really unimaginable that a person in that situation might think, in their heart of hearts, that their current beloved is unique, or at least will be unique in their lifetime, that this is their only chance and if you lose them you will <em>never be happy again</em>. Anyway, I suspect that's what's happening here. "Meaning" is being defined as "contentment and happiness", or rather, "the contentment and happiness I associate with this particular community and behaviors, which you do not share, so you can't possibly have." In my experience, answers like the above, giving to questions like the above, lead to arguments of definition. "Despite what you say, I know that what you feel when you eat jelly bellies is empty and without meaning, because the things you like aren't normally named 'God,' so they can't be as true and good as the things that I like, which are." A depressingly common mistake of members of any mutually-supportive community with a strongly defined identity is to think that their community (or any similar to it) is the only possible source of such support. People are so happy in their church, their subculture, their Cat Fanciers Forum, that they identify happiness with their membership in that group. Which can be a problem if they sacrifice important things for the sake of that membership, whether at the command of some authority figure, or of their own volition.

Imagine (some of us may not have to) that in your life, you’ve had a long series of relationships, all of which ended badly, with the other person mistreating or taking advantage of you in some way. But then you meet this new person, and they’re so unlike all the others, and they seem to really care, and you think you didn’t know true happiness till now.

You might say that just seems like bad luck, but is it really unimaginable that a person in that situation might think, in their heart of hearts, that their current beloved is unique, or at least will be unique in their lifetime, that this is their only chance and if you lose them you will never be happy again.

Anyway, I suspect that’s what’s happening here. “Meaning” is being defined as “contentment and happiness”, or rather, “the contentment and happiness I associate with this particular community and behaviors, which you do not share, so you can’t possibly have.” In my experience, answers like the above, giving to questions like the above, lead to arguments of definition. “Despite what you say, I know that what you feel when you eat jelly bellies is empty and without meaning, because the things you like aren’t normally named ‘God,’ so they can’t be as true and good as the things that I like, which are.”

]]> By: DCKate http://yrif.org/2009/05/05/from-where-do-atheists-derive-meaning/comment-page-1/#comment-133 DCKate Thu, 07 May 2009 00:57:17 +0000 http://yrif.org/?p=307#comment-133 If I'm reading this right, Klinghoffer is suggesting that theists ONLY derive meaning from their belief in a god? Nothing else gives their lives meaning? Well that's a sorry existence. If I’m reading this right, Klinghoffer is suggesting that theists ONLY derive meaning from their belief in a god? Nothing else gives their lives meaning?

Well that’s a sorry existence.

]]> By: Dan http://yrif.org/2009/05/05/from-where-do-atheists-derive-meaning/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Dan Wed, 06 May 2009 09:24:08 +0000 http://yrif.org/?p=307#comment-132 Do you need any source of meaning beyond the people and things you love? Do you need any source of meaning beyond the people and things you love?

]]> By: elizabeth3hersh http://yrif.org/2009/05/05/from-where-do-atheists-derive-meaning/comment-page-1/#comment-131 elizabeth3hersh Wed, 06 May 2009 03:27:29 +0000 http://yrif.org/?p=307#comment-131 BRILLIANT blog, dude (Joel, are you getting enough lithium?). Cosmology is my religion, but I haven't quite figured out where to send my tithes... BRILLIANT blog, dude (Joel, are you getting enough lithium?). Cosmology is my religion, but I haven’t quite figured out where to send my tithes…

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