In Reply to: Re: Atheists and acts of kindness.. posted by ray on August 20, 2004 at 10:22:40:
I do believe that it is natural to want meaning and purpose in life even if that meaning and purpose is built around survival and enjoying life as much as possible.
But maybe some people talk about "meaninglessness" more out of that sense of so much battering in the Family regarding every moment of time must be redeemed, must be "meaningful" or "for a cause or purpose". Maybe it is just a question of semantics, in that there is nothing wrong with living life for yourself and at the same time caring about your friends, family, pets, whatever. And there is nothing wrong with having leisure time to do as you please incl talking about the weather, what your favorite TV show/movie is.. Laying out on a blanket and gazing at the stars just because it is beautiful. (If you can see them where you live, that is).
One of the first shocks I had in the family after no TV, all day classes and work, and supervised 24 hr time, freetime expected to be utilized in a "redeeming way", I went up to the trailer at TSC to deliver some apple sauce for the royal babies. There was Sir Robert, in the airconditioned living room stretched out on the floor watching TV..and it wasn't a "spiritual redeem the time" show. I think it was a football game or something. But those are the sorts of incidents in the family one tends to dissociate.
I think I get more of what you are saying and basically I agree that humans are largely wired with a conscience, and environment, genetics weigh in on what happens to that conscience. As I have said before, I am agnostic at this point. I don't know what I believe as far as matters go in being able to identify any religion as something I believe in beyond an inborn yearning to learn, search, explore.