Why worry about the future if they say the world will end soon?

Debate Room
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Why fight for a better future?

My goal here is not to offend but simply to establish a civilized dialogue on the subject, which I’ve always had some doubts about, even when I was religious. I think it’s an interesting question, even for theists.

Recently, I watched a video by Pirulla where he was answering questions posed to atheists. One of them was: “If God doesn’t exist, does it make sense to care for the future of the planet? After all, if we don’t take care of it, it won’t be our problem but rather that of future generations.”

This reminded me of a question I often had as a Christian: “Why fight for a better future?” Why did I think this way? It’s simple. If you ask any Christian in the world about when the end of the world will be, the most optimistic will say the planet has, at most, 80 years left. If they believe the world will end in such a short time, why fight for a better future?

If humanity is truly going to end in such a short period, what’s the logic behind fighting long-term inequality? What’s the point of protecting the environment or trying to reverse climate change?

Many also say the world will always be evil and cruel, which is why Jesus will return to destroy it. But if that’s the case, then it doesn’t make sense to fight for peace, since humanity will always stray from it, and all efforts will be in vain.

What do you think about this? If I’m in a house and I know other people will come to live in it, I would certainly try to leave everything well-organized for the new residents. But if someone told me it would be demolished in 8 days, what would be the point of taking care of it? Why would I fix the roof if, in a short time, the walls supporting it were going to fall?

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People will believe stupid sh*t whatever they’re told.

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This question seems to circle back to the idea that if God doesn’t exist, then nothing matters . . . and I reject this logic.

Why do people believe that “meaning” (in however you define the concept) must only come from God?

I believe that it’s worth protecting the planet purely for its own sake. If we can alleviate suffering (of people and animals) and engineer civilization to a point where we all care for and cherish each other, then why is this meaningless if there is no God?

And if it turns out that I’m wrong and there is a God, then how would this accomplishment displease Him?

Also, if there is a God (as described in the Bible), then getting into heaven by being “saved” means that we praise Him for all eternity . . . and what is more meaningless than existing for an infinite amount of time for no other purpose than to satisfy God’s narcissism?

So . . . I consider this reasoning to be a kind of “reverse Pascal’s Wager.”

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Regardless of belief systems, there exists a moral obligation to consider the well-being of future generations. Many argue that fighting for a better future is not just about immediate benefits but about creating a sustainable world where future inhabitants can thrive.

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Well the question doesn’t need a deity posited, unless anyone can demonstrate any deity exists or is even possible, the question is complete without it.

It’s a matter of subjective perception, and beyond that if you have children or people you care about who will live after you’re gone, then that seems a pretty good reason.

No there doesn’t sorry, we may impose one on ourselves subjectively, if that’s what you mean, but it doesn’t exist in any objective sense. We can of course construct sound arguments as to the folly of not looking after the planet, and the “future” here might be a lot closer than many people imagine.

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