Life & Death
Life
Why should an Atheist care how they live their life, knowing that a thousand years from now no one will remember or care?
One reason is that small actions can have large effects. Chaos theory has shown us that the flap of the wings of a butterfly can change the track of a hurricane, years later. Of course, this does not mean that every small action we take will have such an impact. But if we live our lives in such a way that we commit many acts of kindness and morality, the sum of those acts will certainly make a difference in the lives of those people around us. Now, no one in our small circle of friends and loved ones may ever end up wealthy or powerful or famous. But our kindness and morality will help them to show kindness and act in a moral way to those around them, affecting their circle of family and friends as well. All of the small acts add up to large effects, given time.
And unlike the butterfly, who knows not the effect of its wings, we have control over our actions and the intended effect. We can choose to make the world a better place, or not. We can choose what mark we make upon the world in our time here. Our choices, good or bad, will be the sum of our existence. We each get to decide what the point of our lives will be.
What is the ultimate goal of life? The goal of life is continued existence, understanding, joy, love and comfort. In the present, we should do what we can to help the human race. We should seek to end the hazards that threaten us, such as war, persecution, disease, poverty, famine, drought, and destruction of our environment. We should work against intolerance, ignorance, and hatred. We should encourage the spread of humanity beyond the Earth, to ensure humanity’s continued existence.
Some say the expansion of the universe is accelerating, and that the universe may one day be cold and dead, unsuitable for life. Without understanding the nature of the universe, we will not be able to seek ways to prevent or avoid this fate. We should promote scientific efforts to improve our understanding of the world and of our universe, as understanding is the best protection we have. Through science and inventiveness we have already reduced the threats of drought, pestilence, diseases, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, fire, flooding, and even comets and meteors. We must continue our scientific efforts to understand and conquer those things that still afflict and threaten the human race. The only path to curing current-day diseases, stemming political and environmental threats in the next hundred years, maybe even solving the threat of aging itself after that, and possibly even dealing with an ever-expanding universe, is the path of science and education.
We should pass on our genes and/or our knowledge to the next generation, and raise children to be moral, positive, rational, educated, and curious. We should dispel myths, and not allow them to believe in falsehoods as they mature to adults. We should give our insights on the world to other adults who inquire, to allow them to choose whether to follow rational truth or the misguided myths of the supernatural. All of these individual actions on our parts will serve to help humanity, to bring mankind forward to a more secure, more enlightened and more moral position.
But we should remember that this life is our only life. We should take enjoyment in life as well. We should not feel guilty in spending some of our time and efforts on our own happiness and well-being. We should make time for play, and camaraderie, and affection, and love, and entertainment, and reflection, and self-care, for these enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. While we should each know accomplishment, we should also each know joy and love and comfort.
Ultimately, our lives will have an impact on the future. It is up to each of us to determine what that impact will be. We may withdraw into ourselves and leave little or no lasting positive impression upon the world. Or, we may live a life measured in kindnesses and good deeds and charity, in works and efforts and teachings great and small, in love and caring and friendship. We each choose our own purpose here. We each get one chance at life.
Death
Should an Atheist fear death?
Certainly not. Each of us experiences the world while we are here. In essence, for you, the world only exists while you are alive. When you are not alive, you are not there to experience your death. There is no uncertain afterlife. There is no heaven. There is no hell, nor is there a limbo. There is no pain or pleasure. There is not even a void or a blackness or a nothingness. You will not perceive anything at all, for your perceptions are a function of your working brain and body. Without those, you are no longer able to perceive.
Another way to understand death is that for each of us, we are always alive. We will never notice our own death. Every perception we have of the world will be while we are alive. So, while we are alive, the world exists for us. If we are not alive, the world does not exist, for us. Our perception of everything ends at the moment of death. Yes, we of course know that the world goes on without us, but as part of what we experience, it does not. We are not a ghost or a spirit in a future world, we are simply not there.
Death is not to be feared, but it is reasonable to fear dying. Dying might be painful or terrifying. It is also reasonable to avoid death, so that we may continue to experience the world. Again, with respect to ourselves, we live always, but the amount of that “always” can be longer or shorter. Seeking to make it longer is a rational, instinctual act.
Also, one may regret death in that plans you have made while alive may go unfinished if you die before they are complete. For an Atheist, this means that we must all plan for our death, knowing that we will no longer be able to affect the world in any way once we have died. Being prepared for death with a will or insurance is a rational response to the uncertainty of the actions around us that may cause us death.
What about the death of a friend or loved one? We should certainly feel sad. We should feel regret for them if they were not able to complete their goals in the world, or were not able to reach their potential. But we must know that they have not moved on to some other place, for once you have died, you no longer experience anything. There is no suffering, nor is there comfort, pleasure, or love. There is no void nor blackness, their brain has ceased to function and therefore no longer receives perceptions and no longer generates thoughts.
We can be comforted by the fact that during their time here, we were able to make their life better, and they were able to make our life better. If we mourn that they are no longer able to make an impact on the world, this would be a good time to do what we can to help those plans to be fulfilled, to help them make one final impact. If your loved one had a favorite charity, it would be appropriate to donate or set up a trust in their name for such efforts. Although they will not be able to appreciate your efforts, this will help them achieve their plans on this world, and will affect the lives of others. You can be their agent on this world for one last effort. Others have also worked to get laws changed if your loved one died an untimely death. New laws protecting children from sexual predators and kidnappers have been enacted, and there are now Megan’s Laws and Amber Alerts throughout America, protecting children in the names of those children who were harmed. In such a way, the death of a loved one can have one last positive impact on the lives of those around them.
Why is the religious treatment of death false? The promises of a “better place” are mere myths, well illustrated by the story Patti Davis told upon the death of her father, President Ronald Reagan:
“He was the one who generously offered funeral services for my goldfish on the morning of its demise. We went out into the garden and we dug a tiny grave with a teaspoon and he took two twigs and lashed them together with twine and formed a cross as a marker for the grave. And then he gave a beautiful eulogy. He told me that my fish was swimming in the clear blue waters in heaven and he would never tire and he would never get hungry and he would never be in any danger and he could swim as far and wide as he wanted and he never had to stop, because the river went on forever. He was free.
“When we went back inside and I looked at my remaining goldfish in their aquarium with their pink plastic castle and their colored rocks, I suggested that perhaps we should kill the others so they could also go to that clear blue river and be free. He then took more time out of his morning, I’m sure he actually did have other things to do that day, and patiently explained to me that in God’s time, the other fish would go there, as well. In God’s time, we would all be taken home. And even though it sometimes seemed a mystery, we were just asked to trust that God’s time was right and wise.”
Of course, the explanation is falsely based upon a god. Without “god’s time,” why wouldn’t a child kill the other goldfish to send them on to such a wonderful place? Why shouldn’t we all commit suicide in order to reach that mythical place of infinite love or fabulous riches and rewards sooner? The only answer the traditional religions can come up with is “god’s time” and “god’s plan,” which do not truly address the core issue.
The only true answer to a child comes from the Atheist, who would tell the child that there is no heaven. Your fish enjoyed their time on earth, because you saw to it they were fed, had clean water, and a nice place to live. Their time is now over, but we can remember the joy they brought to us, and take comfort in knowing that we made their lives better while they were here.
The Atheist will value life more than the religious, for we see that life itself is the most precious gift there is, one that physics and nature and random chance have brought to us. Since there is no supernatural reward, and our time is finite, we must live every day as if it was precious, for it is. We have but one chance to live and affect the world around us. We should love our family and friends, to make their lives better while here on the earth. We should do good works, so that our effect is felt by people long after we are gone.
We should not fear death, for there is nothing to fear.
