Christians and other theists claim that life has no “ultimate” purpose or meaning without the concept of an afterlife. I for one cannot really understand why we would need an “ultimate” purpose at all; the good old run of the mill purpose and meaning of living a good life with and for the people around me works great for me and for most others I know. The promise or threat of an afterlife does not add anything of value to that.
Claiming that an afterlife is necessary to give life purpose and meaning is of course in no way evidence for the actual existence of the afterlife or for God. “Life feels so meaningless and empty without God, therefore God” is just an Argument from Comfort, which does nothing to substantiate the theistic claims.
If it is so important for life to have “ultimate” purpose and meaning this immediately raises the question: What is the purpose and meaning of the afterlife once you get there and are actually living it? The bad afterlife has no purpose and meaning at all for the person living it; it is just infinite cruelty inflicted upon billions of humans for the “crime” of not believing the right stuff. Theists claim that the purpose of the good afterlife is to live in unity with God and other believers. However, that purpose is already fulfilled at the very beginning of the afterlife, so the eternal remainder is just mere existence, without purpose or meaning for the person living it, ultimate or otherwise. And remember, as Prince famously sang: Forever, that’s a mighty long time.
Questions
- What do the promise and threat of an afterlife add to the purpose and meaning of this life? Or does the afterlife rather diminish the meaning of this life?
- What would be the ultimate purpose and meaning of the bad or the good afterlife for the person living it?