MovieChat Forums > The Theory of Everything (2014) Discussion > What is love to an atheist?

What is love to an atheist?

posted 10 years ago by lca-blog
226 replies | jump to latest

I watched the movie today and it got me thinking a lot. The idea of having nothing after dead and no God gets me to think of something.

I googled my question to google and I came up with this. http://www.strangenotions.com/atheists-love/

I'd like to hear your opinions on this. My intentions are not to offend atheists. I just want to understand how it works.

By the way, Stephen Hawking is a perfect example of the 'problem of evil' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil - a common hypothesis to why there is no God, I believe.

[–] mattiasflgrtll6 10 years ago

What love is to an atheist? Just like love is to a Christian. God has nothing to do with it.
I can have strong emotions and feel just as sensitive as any religious person in love. I don't even understand why you are asking this in the first place.

[–] danimal09752 10 years ago

What is love to an atheist? Love is love. Plain and simple. If you have found religion, that's a great thing for you. But you do not need to have found God to know love. I am not atheist. I am simply not the slightest bit religious. Does this mean I haven't a clue what love is? Come on now. I love my family, love my girl. Hell I love my dog. Fact is, you do not need religion to have (or understand) love, proper morals etc.

[–] GoodSOVeryVeryGood 10 years ago

What is love to an atheist?

Pure with no god strings attached.

[–] saraleite-1 10 years ago

I know it's been said already but I really don't see the link between the existence of a deity and love. :/

[–] muzak_man 10 years ago

How do you square a finite existence with true love? For example, if the universe is just undergoing a slow death and you have no soul and cease to exist beyond your life now, what's the point of love? It doesn't accomplish anything meaningful.

[–] Callie36 10 years ago

How do you square a finite existence with true love? For example, if the universe is just undergoing a slow death and you have no soul and cease to exist beyond your life now, what's the point of love? It doesn't accomplish anything meaningful.

It's fun? People want to connect to other people? Seriously, these questions and the assumptions being made about atheists are beyond silly.

[–] Elemental_Mind 10 years ago

I think he was implying that there was no universal reason for an atheist to show love or live in monogamy with someone, other than for evolutionary purposes. However, love transcends boundaries and is not necessary for evolution (natural selection favors social grouping for reproduction, nothing more). The atheist does intangibly experience love which cannot be physically measured, so arguments about no physical evidence for the intangible such as God cannot be used by the atheist to discredit those who experience love with God.

[–] Strazdamonas 10 years ago

and whats the point of love if it isnt so? love, like anything else we do, is only as meaningful as it gives you pleasure.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] badtothebono 10 years ago

Example #5: This OP

[–] deideiblueeyez 10 years ago

You don't need religion to love? What you think that atheists or people who do not believe in your god are just walking around like robots with a shallow conception of affection for fellow human beings or something?

"How it works?" What do you mean how it works. There is loving other people, and there is loving and putting faith and trust in a deity or supernatural force. Two completely different things.

Oh no! No more Bee Gees! How will I be able to stay alive, stay alive?!-Whose Line Is It Anyway?

[–] Strazdamonas 10 years ago

Atheist, havent looked at your link. Love to me is a brain neurons firing in response to chemical reaction in my body that comes from evolutionary instincts created to find mates that allow reproduction and thus survival of the species. And im completely fine with love being that. It does not stop me from loving anyone, only helps me understand it better.

Personally i dont find the whole idea of nothing after death scary. if anything, its liberating. if i die today ill die knowing i enjoyed my life and i dont have to worry about being "judged" by some "unknownable" being. meanwhile theists seems to live their whole lives in fear.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] PeterMarkoff 10 years ago

Not sure what has God to do with love at all and how is religion significant when loving someone. When someone die they are dead and if you love them it doesn't matter if you believe in God or not.

The best - Fight Club, American Beauty & Falling Down.