I spend a lot of time on Hacker News and am curious what everyone here thinks about this topic. Is it essential that I believe in 'something'?
Please avoid religion bashing :)
edit: something -> a 'Higher Power' or something 'Greater Than Myself'.
I heard a saying once that went something like "the meaning of life, is a life of meaning". My interpretation of that is that I get to choose the meaning of my own life, and that it's my responsibility to do so. Given that mindset, and my very individualistic, libertarian, almost Randian[1] viewpoint, I don't see any use for seeking any sort of "higher power" or "higher purpose". I am my own purpose, my own end, and I am sufficient.
Aaah, I was also heavily influenced by reading a lot of Existentialist[2] stuff a while back too, and I sort of see things in a "when I die, you all cease to exist" world-view. Except not quite, which is why I do care about things like helping the poor and leaving the world better off after I leave. So, yes, I am very selfish in the Randian sense, but my selfishness leads me to want a world that's more free, less conflicted, and more rewarding than the present world, even for as-yet-unborn generations. It's hard to explain why, but none of it - in my view - reduces to any sort of spiritual notion or need for any external force / influence / god / whatever you want to call it.
As to the issue of "what about comfort in the face of tragedy" or whatever, I have adopted a somewhat Stoic[3] (if not in the strictest classical sense) viewpoint as well. That seems to play well with the individualistic, existentialist mindset I have. As a wise man once said "Keep buggering on"[4].
Anyway, that's just me. YMMV. :-)
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand#Philosophy
[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism
[3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism
[4]: http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/biography/biography/ch...
By being grateful, and sometimes you have to really reach out to find something to be grateful about, you appreciate the goodness in your life.
By being forgiving of the situations and people that wronged you, you let go of the hurt. Sometimes forgiving can be really difficult to do, but if you can, the hurt will fade.
Neither of those two things require that God exist, or even that life is anything more than random chance. They are however thematic in a number of theologies. In my experience though people who practice them are happier than those who don't. Sometimes it is easier to practice those things if you imagine there is a power greater than yourself. It gives you something, or someone, to thank for the things you are grateful for. It gives you something, or someone, to hand off your burden of hurt to when you are forgiving.
Sometimes it just gives you someone to talk to when you're not sure who you can talk to.
What you are saying is very much what I am trying to get Brian to understand. In addition, when you believe (even just a little), then if tragedy strikes your life, there is somewhere to turn for strength and comfort.
I believe there are times in life when all the knowledge and intellect in the world won't be enough, and no "person" will be able to bring comfort or peace...At these times, I want my son to have somewhere to turn.
http://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Inves...
Am genuinely enjoying it.
Amazon's summary:
"Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools like Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis who are recognized authorities in their own fields. Strobel challenges them with questions like: How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence for Jesus exist outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event?"
"The Science of God" and "The Hidden Face of God" by Gerald L. Schroeder...
http://www.amazon.com/Gerald-L.-Schroeder/e/B000APV1XA/ref=s...
About the Author from Amazon:
Gerald Lawrence Schroeder is an Orthodox Jewish physicist, author, lecturer and teacher at College of Jewish Studies Aish HaTorah's Discovery Seminar, Essentials and Fellowships programs and Executive Learning Center, who focuses on what he perceives to be an inherent relationship between science and spirituality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_hypothesis
Science is not about what we would like to believe, but what the evidence supports. The scientific outlook is so successful that it defines the modern world.
None of this can be used to argue that there's no God, only that there's no evidence.
I for one don't believe that this creation came to be as a matter of random chance. I have friends who absolutely believe that and they seem to be just as happy and fulfilled as I am.
People who don't believe in God aren't claiming there's "nothing out there", only that there's no evidence for this idea. That's quite a different thing.
Consider Bigfoot, for example. People who adopt a scientific outlook don't say there's no Bigfoot, only that there's no evidence. This summarizes the scientific "skeptical" outlook -- no evidence, no credibility.
Personally, I don't think believing in a higher power is needed, especially since I don't believe there's a superior intelligence watching over us and influencing us in any way. But I think those are the reasons why many people find it so easy to believe in a higher power. They would like the responsibility to belong to someone much more powerful than they are.
tldr: different strokes for different folks.