Atheists / Sceptics / Free thinkers etc: We only have one life - so what?!?!?!?

Well in the grand scheme of the Vast Universe, your life doesn't matter, so get over it.

But on a micro level, you can improve the world in your short time here, and the basic substance of your body will remain, in some other form.

so your identity will be annihilated, and the effects of your life probably won't matter (where are the conquests of Julius Caesar now?), but there is still purpose to being alive.

A lot of people say this. They always try to find the reason to life. Truth is, several years ago --you weren't even existing. You didn't ask to be here, your parent(s) made the decision to raise you and here you are today! You wouldn't have had an option to live and experience life or not, so the choice really wasn't yours. Your choice to live and experience life or give up and allow yourself to cease to exist is now your option. Finding out the reason for life is like trying to find who/what created the universe. It's a big mystery, so until then --you must figure out how you want to spend this life (whether positively or negatively, meaningful or meaningless) The choice is yours. How everyone else decides to view life is all their opinions and that should not matter to you, because in the end it's yours that counts the most.

I believe life has a purpose, and when you find yourself enjoying it,..I'm sure you'll see why.

When you find yourself hating it (but growing from those painful moments),..I'm sure you'll see why.

It doesn't matter to me at all. If you want to throw your life in the trash, go for it. There is a loss, the loss of all the great things you could have accomplished if you would have lived life, instead of tossing it away. Lets say John thinks the same way as you, so he never accomplishes anything is his life, because "we all die anyway". Now in a parallel universe, John lives ever second of his life to the fullest, he goes to college, gets a job as a doctor, and saves thousands of people's lives. Would you say there's a loss there? Yes, the loss of John's potential. He could have been a hero, but instead he dies in an unmarked grave with only 5 people at his wake. So the reason you live your life the way you do is purely for salvation? You don't care about the physical world, just as long as you get your eternal salvation? That's extremely selfish. We should all try to leave this world in better conditions then we inherited it, no matter if you believe in God and eternal life, or not. I live my life to it's fullest because I hope to make a difference in the world for the other 7 billion people living along with me, not so I can get to heaven. This is my only life, so I will make the most of it, for the people around me, not because it's my only life, but because it's my only chance to make the world a better place, for my children, my grandchildren, etc... You can have eternal life, you can enjoy every second of it, but at least I'll die knowing that my one life, was all I needed to make my mark on the world, and that's all I need out of life.

I agree that for some human beings they arrive across a purpose in life with the help of god yet for me the fact is more suitable major. i imagine god contradicts common sense (yet it truly isn't any longer the point.) The 'meaning' of life and why human beings exist i imagine is a question with an basic answer - there is no intending to life - it is only a organic procedure which has occurred to happen in the international (this answer sounds somewhat chilly and per chance somewhat empty in the beginning yet i come across this answer to be impressive). it truly isn't any longer to assert you may't provide your own life a meaning and a purpose. For me i'm particularly a lot as particular as i'd be that it is my in person-friendly words life - i favor to spend it with my family individuals, friends, those i love. i favor to do issues that are interesting, see issues that are proper, journey all that this life has to provide. i'd also favor to leave this international a more suitable advantageous position than when I discovered it so as that others after me can proceed to get excitement from it. i imagine in case you help others, and attempt to augment the society you stay in you've finished nicely and had a functional life. The pride of my beliefs and contentment might want to be worded it a quote by Carl Sagan - "it really is a techniques more suitable advantageous to attraction to close the universe as it truly is then to perist in delusion, besides the indisputable fact that pleasant and reassuring."

If all that makes you act as a good and socially responsible person is the threat of hell, then you still are not a good and socially responsible person. You are likely doing just enough to get you into the "pearly gates" and little else.

Not all of us need the fear of an afterlife to try and not have regrets during this one.

It doesn't matter to me in the slightest whether you make the most of your one life or toss it away. It matters to me whether I do.

The only thing I care about from you is that your decision to waste your life doesn't interfere with my decision not to.

I can't imagine life being an 80 year old long visit to a waiting room. I'm going to see and do all I can while I'm still capable.

I say I live and die, so it really does not matter what I do... I fail to see the point you're trying to prove here.

so your only reason to live is to die and go to "heaven" as opposed to living now and trying to make a positive impact for the people around you and for your kids (whether you have them now or in the future) and the only reason for you to do good is to go to heaven and not for the sake of doing good?

There is no point to life,even with an afterlife there is no point,after a billion billion years would you not be a bit bored?