The Gum Tree for 2007 September 28 (entry 0)

Fri Sep 28 08:16:30 On Atheism:

I was driving to school today thinking about the meaning of life and figured there are three to four different sources:

1)God

2)Family or Offspring

3)Work

4) I suppose if one didn’t have any of these things there is an argument that meaning can still be found (see The Myth of Sisyphus), however find that argument pretty unconvincing.

#1 for me seems to be necessary and sufficient,

#2 without #1 tends to breed tribalism (e.g. Lamanites).

#3 without #1 is idolatry, and in the end is not much more promising than the prospect that there is no meaning at all (see Ozymandias).

As I have said, #4 is pretty unconvincing, but it is important that some existentialist have addressed the issue. The one thing that cannot be denied is that we think and therefore exists, and there must be some kind of meaning in that, right? Well perhaps, but meaning in existence seems far more tenuous than #1 (having tasted the fruit of the reason and revelation of #1), but at least it is better than a life of total despair; void of meaning.

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� 2004-2007 Joe Walch.