How can one derive meaning out of matter and energy?

How did humans develop the concept of the word 'meaning' and define it?

Considering the bible implies that God gave man language, as seen through the tower of babel, and all the way back to eden, the idea of meaning could of potentially aroused from God.

shared knowledge..you sharing something with me or saying believe like you if not burn in hell?

Assuming there is no God though, to appeal to you directly, can we not create fictitious concepts? Example: spaghetti monster: a monster made out of spaghetti. I just created a concept, defined it. Does it have to exist? No.

It doesn't mean he is wrong. It means we do not know whether or not something gives life objective meaning. Moves back into the unknowable.

God only gives life meaning if you define him as such, and even then if we are using god in the religious sense your meaning is subjective to god's whims. It doesn't help even to define god as what gives life objective meaning as it is still subjective to god's potentially changing whims.

This post was edited by Thor123422 on May 20 2012 11:50pm

Same thing with meaning: does it necessarily exist?

Such a flawed idea.

Obvious flaw #1: You can believe in the Christian God, be wrong, and STILL end up in hell. You're assuming that the only two possibility is that YOUR god exists or that no gods exist.

But then I wouldn't expect anyone who would bring up Pascal's Wager to be able to consider a world that isn't simple black-or-white scenarios. Simple choices for simple minds.

another way they teach us too fight each other.
who cares if ones beliefs don't aline perfectly with yours..
We all need band up against those who use this against us, too be blind to what is really right and wrong..for us it is wrong too judge ,,not the wrongs people do but the beliefs they have...soo you can't be judge of someone else saying they goin too hell it is not your place!!

exactly. The concept of meaning is what we define it to be.

example: Christians may think Nikolas Tesla went to Hell because he never got "saved" but he defined the meaning of his life by the benefits that his inventions would bring to all future humans. According to his value system, his afterlife was not as important as the effect of his inventions.

Therefore, Atheists are fully capable of choosing to define meaning in a way that makes their lives meaningful.
Just as Christians are free to define meaning in a way that makes the lives of all non-Christians appear meaningless.