As an antitheist I am often accused of being pointless.
Far from it. I am not at all depressed by the knowledge that my life is finite. I opened my eyes on this incredible universe sixty five years ago and at some point in the next thirty five years, maybe today, I will close them forever.
For me the universe will cease to exist just as it did before I was born.
In some ways that is sad and I can see how some people might find that frightening and pointless. I don’t.
I would find the idea of living forever excruciatingly tedious. What would you do for all that time? It would be a jail sentence. What mysterious purpose would there be to that? There would no be a purpose. You cannot hide a lack of ultimate purpose behind either – ‘God has a plan’ or ‘We have to progress through many stages and lives’ – that is merely a psychological cop out.
No. I am happy with a finite life. It means that every second is precious. Every moment has to be wrung dry of all possible joy. It will not come round again.
So, if there is no ultimate purpose then what is the thing that makes life worth getting up for? (And yes by the way – I am a very moral person. I do not need some religious doctrine and fear to make me moral. Morality makes sense. It is a philosophy that brings happiness.)
Here are the reasons to get out of bed. This is my ABC of life:
a. Love
b. Fun
c. Making the world a better place
d. Awe and wonder
e. Creativity
f. Solving the problems
g. Enjoying the splendours
h. Exploring everything
I. Reading
j. Writing
k. Sharing
l. Appreciating a nice meal, a glass of wine and good company
m. Arguing and educating
n. Speaking out against the madness
o. Caring for other animals
p. Looking out for the plants
q. Learning from history
r. Sport
s. Driving
t. Swimming in a cool pool on a hot day
u. Looking up at the stars and drifting to infinity
v. Getting an idea for a story, painting, poem or dance
w. Thinking
x. Singing and playing music
y. Appreciating art, theatre, dance, drama, music, poetry …….
z. Dancing
I think that’s probably quite enough to fill a life-time or two.
Reblogged this on Opher's World and commented:
Each moment is precious.
Add ‘never indulge in vanity’ to that list.
I know you’re 67!
“You bounder, you cheat!” (John Lennon)
It is a reblog of a post I wrote two years ago. You think I should have updated it? Would that have made it more pertinent?
Only you know that I know that you know that I know.
But surely now you’ve put it up on a public blog that is no longer true?
They would simply have believed as opposed to known.
Much the same as religion.
But you don’t know for sure – only based on what I’ve told you. I might have been lying all along.
That makes me a gullible prole. But some proles are more gullible than others.
Or are they? Or do they just think they are? Or do they know they are? Or are they without knowing?
Their God will guide them to such wisdom.
That is the trouble. He always does!
Rule #1 – never believe all you read on a public blog. Sorted.
Well that’s lucky that no gullible people ever read my blog.
I didn’t say that gullible people would necessarily know that rule.
But if they believed you they’d know.