Here's a poser for you

[Rev.Crowley]

If there is no afterlife, why should we bother with morality? If there is no afterlife, then the only purpose in life is to get what you can while you can.. Therefore, why not go out on a killing, robbing spree like the couple in Natural Born Killers? What difference will it make how you live your life as long as you get what you want? As Dostoyevsky said: 'If God does not exist, everything is permitted'. Just think about that.

[Rev.Crowley]

My point is, I repeat, that without an afterlife, the only purpose in life is to get what you can while you can, in any way you can. What I asked was, in that case, what does it matter how you go about getting what you can? Nobody has actually answered this, but I realise it's a difficult question to answer. Anyway, thank you all for your points of view.

[woodpam]

For mant of us Rev, everything IS permitted. We choose to behave in a civilised way towards each other because that is how we would wish to be treated ourselves. We feel good about ourselves, and the planet we live on if we do what we can to enhance the quality of life for as many people as possible. That is an equally valid purpose in life as the pessimistic view that life is for getting what you can while you can. Taking care of each other is an ideal espoused as much in principle by communism as any religion. Love is the force that makes us take care of those closest to us and we humans, having imagination, can project that feeling onto people we do not know but realise instinctively have as great a value as those we know and love. Empathy is a wonderful thing and we can all find it within ourselves, it doesn't have to come from a higher authority. Faith is a great force for good and a marvellous method of controlling peoples' behaviour, but also seems to permit everything when circumstances suit. How many protagonists in battle believed they had God on their side whilst killing other human beings?

[xyzzyplugh]

Your stars too precious too give away RevCrowley? I know it's a drudge but.. you might cause a smile if you rate an answer sometimes..

[xyzzyplugh]

Let me help; 3 stars for Karl, maybe?

[WaldoMcFroog]

The primary function of an organism is to pass on its DNA. It does this without morality or reward, it just does. Once organisms develop to a certain level of sophistication, they begin to develop behaviours that increase their chance of successfully breeding and thus passing on their DNA. As the organism becomes more successful, these behaviours will be largely shared by the whole community. By the time you reach a level of sophistication such as the one reached by human beings, these behaviours have become not only established but may even become dogmatic! Society as a concept has developed in order to ensure the longevity of the species and hence the DNA of the species and hence the DNA of an individual. These behaviours are what we define as morality.

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Of course, the person is not aware of these base instincts any more than one thinks about making ones heart beat. So we exist in a codified society, which some people claim to be from a divine providence in the form of religion, but our base desires still drive us. Food, sex, shelter.

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And so what? It doesn't make love any less remarkable, beauty any less pleasurable, learning any less vital or necessarily rob the universe of wonder.

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I constantly encounter magic (non-supernatural meaning) in life and am delighted to have the gift of life.

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Here's another question. If there's no religion, can we stop butchering or opressing people just because they happen not to think exactly as we do? We can respect other people's right to live for the pure and simple and logical and true reason that they are no different than we are - just check the DNA.