Atheists answer this.?

Question

Say i'm a 85 year old man who is doing nothing to help society. i'm living off of social security and a pension, don't have a young wife or lover to pass on my genes, didn't have a particularly spectacular life so there's no wisdom for me to impart to the younger generations that they can't get elsewhere. In other words i am perfectly healthy but not doing anything for the species or society, why should i live and continue to be a drain on society?

Answer 1

At 85 you are not a drain on society. You have earned the right to be who and what you are. I am an atheist, but I also believe that life is precious and should be lived to the fullest.

You say your in good health. Help others who are not as lucky as you.  

Answer 2

Not all atheists are social darwinists.  We can have morals and think that it is wrong to infringe on someone's right to live as well.  Believe it or not, morality is not exclusive to religion.

Answer 3

Maybe cause you want to, and you're your own boss?

And can you tell us why you're asking atheists only?

God was the guy who liked killing off people he considered useless or undesirable.

.

Answer 4

You seem to have some pretty interesting notions about atheism.

Your journey is just that, yours.  Do with it what you will.  I don't mind paying into your medicare and social security.

Answer 5

matt, i think i know what you are asking........(think being the operative word).......

im roman catholic...and if you were to ask me this question, the best answer i could give you is this.

you wouldnt be a drain on society, as there is enough to go round...(at least there should be).....and  god loves you. we all have a reason to be here on earth, and we are all here to 'do something'.....this so called man of 85, just hasn't found his 'mission' yet, or maybe he has, but doesn't realise it........

Answer 6

Because as soon as other people decide whether human beings should live or die, we've lost control.

What if I arbitrarily decided that YOU were a drain on society?

Answer 7

The question has nothing to do with atheism.  

If you think it does, let me remind you that atheists value humanity for its own sake.

Answer 8

are you going to kill yourself or something?

most atheists i know don't go around killing themselves.

umm and yeah its not exactly nice to target atheists. you can join a golf club or something fun

Answer 9

Well, as long as your asking, can someone take out that 72 year old moron running for president, at the same time????

If elected?, he is certainly going to be a drain on THIS society!!!

Answer 10

Nearly everyone has the desire to live, so that's reason enough. If you don't, feel free to remove yourself from existence.

Answer 11

becuase you can effect people, even if that person is a stranger. you can (unknowingly) save a person from the depression of the world by just listning to them.,   (I was saved (not religiously ..-- im wiccan)   by a complete stranger finding me on the street, and he listned to me.. something no one else would do. )

Answer 12

I find it hard to believe that an 85 year old man hasn't provided enough to society to deserve to take a bit back. Think about how much tax that man has paid in his life, now he's just taking a bit back. Everyone deserves to live, and I can think of bigger drains on society than an old man, living on his own waiting to die.

Answer 13

Because everyone has a right to live their life peacefully, up until the day they die.

Answer 14

he's already lived for 85 years, how much does he have left, maybe another ten? it wouldn't matter by this point, to end his that is. plus, i don't see how i'm responsible to choose who lives and dies. if he wants to die then yes, that's his right, but if he doesn't it's not up to you or me to decide his fate. i sure wouldn't wanna be killed if i was in his shoes. plus, isn't he too old to work anyhow? like any atheist, we believe that this is the only life we get, so sharing it w/ as many people as we can makes it a lot more bearable. just live a life of love and togetherness.

Answer 15

Life is all about having fun. If your happy with what ever your doing, then I dont see why you cant wait till the time comes for you to go. On the other hand, if your just waiting for the time to come, I see nothing wrong in helping it along.  

Answer 16

You sound like a depressed unsatisfiable ol' f**t. Your old enough to make your own call.

Answer 17

why are you targeting this at atheists?  i dont think elderly people are a drain on society.

sheesh.

atheists are not as bad as you all seem to think.

Answer 18

Because everyone has a right to life and just because you arent doing anything for society now, it doesnt mean you wont be in five years time.  

Answer 19

If that 85 year old man gets a pension, that means that he worked during his life and contributed with a lot of what he earned so that now he can have that pension while some fat capitalists hav everything and don't even have to think about it. You seem more selfish than that old man who just neds to be left alone. Is this the answer you were looking for?

Answer 20

Because you still CAN give wisdom to younger generations.  Until you put your memories and lessons in a memoir, you can still alter people's future.  I can see where you're trying to get at, but you never mentioned whether the 85 year old has hobbies.  Could he have a hobby that unearths a new scientific formula?  Maybe you spread lessons of virtue to a local school?  You can always affect people, no matter the age.

Answer 21

they have the ability to help society, they just aren't, that's not reason to kill someone because its their choice to do something or not...

Answer 22

This has nothing to do with atheism.  It has to do with ethics that one holds and atheists do have good ethic.

So the question was improper to ask atheists

Answer 23

because he is  alive and is healthy and is here to keep the species alive not for society

our natural purpose is survival of our species and our genes

Answer 24

Let's look at this:

1.  You've paid your dues or else you would not be receiving a pension.

2.  You've paid your dues or else you would not be receiving social security.

The above two alone mean that you have imparted something and have some wisdom.  Life experiences are perfectly good examples and educational tools.

It was a nice try at a moral dilemma, but not very well thought out.

Answer 25

That has nothing to do with atheism. What do you suggest, we get rid of the older generation like an old piece of rubbish? How would you feel if that happened to your grandparents and parents or if you were old and alone? The old are entitled to rest.  

Answer 26

I wouldn't wish death on anybody (except for like, Hitler and Stalin, but that's totally different).  And anyway, this guy seems like no big deal at all.  Definately not death-worthy.  He had no children, so he did not add to overpopulation.  He's not consuming enormous amounts from the medical companies cause he's healthy.  He didn't have much wisdom, but so what?  That's not that big of a deal, really.  He'll die of old age soon anyway.  What's the big deal?

Answer 27

this has nothing to do with atheism? i dont really understand what the point to the question is, but ill try and answer it anyway: Why do you need to contribute something to society in order to have a reason to live? You should continue to live, because you have a right 2! and because you only have one life so why cut it short?

Answer 28

How cute.  The good old classic logical fallacy - APPEAL TO PITY.

Also known as: Ad Misericordiam

Description of Appeal to Pity

An Appeal to Pity is a fallacy in which a person substitutes a claim intended to create pity for evidence in an argument. The form of the "argument" is as follows:

P is presented, with the intent to create pity.

Therefore claim C is true.

This line of "reasoning" is fallacious because pity does not serve as evidence for a claim. This is extremely clear in the following case: "You must accept that 1+1=46, after all I'm dying..." While you may pity me because I am dying, it would hardly make my claim true.

Your argument fails by using this pity and then forcing the reader into a false dichotomy.  Society isn't here to make you happy, you create your own happiness.  Instead of boring us, you should first deal with the man in the mirror.

Answer 29

I think you are trying to say that atheists would kill off those who burden society. You are dead wrong.

You are living off of social security and a pension you earned through out your previous 84 years, and so are only taking back some of what you put in. That's fair.

You equate atheism to immorality, which pretty much goes to show that you know nothing of either atheists or morals.

Indeed, atheism is actually more instep with humanism. More so the theism is.

Atheistically yours,

JM Gendron.

Answer 30

We care for our elderly because we honor them.  Evidently you are not intelligent enough to appreciate the wisdom of this 85 year old man.

Answer 31

Start learning things which you missed so far. Even at 85 you can achieve lot of things. Due to your experience you learn things faster. When you start learning things you get a chance to exchange your ideas. By that time you get friends and society of your own. You get mixed up with people and that is it. You will do what you are supposed to do at your age.