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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 30th, 2023

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  • You seem to have a very narrow view about meaning. You seem to only accept a definition of meaning which portrays one objective truth.

    Science doesn’t even claim that such universal meaning exists in the first place. It recognizes that meaning is a subjective feeling. A sense of meaning as you would say and what this comment thread was originally about.

    Besides, it’s very debatable that religion provides such explanation about our existence either. It all comes down to « because god » which isn’t meaning in itself, just a injunction to have faith. Religion hasn’t « found » any more meaning than science. Meaning in religion is provided through faith.

    Therapy (science) has helped many people directly find a sense of meaning in their lives on a large scale. But science has helped people find meaning in so many different ways. Science practicians such as doctors, engineers, teachers and so many other people find meaning because of it on a massive scale. People who don’t practice science also find meaning thanks to it because it enables them to live their passion, be creative, do good in the world, help others, etc. which are all actual meaning for people.

    People find meaning. It is not « found by » science or religion. Your semantics on that actually doesn’t make sense. People find meaning in something that provides what they resonate with. They can find meaning in religion, family, career, etc. and often it is not just one thing. Religion can’t find meaning but can help provide some.

    Your whole conception of meaning is flawed.


  • The backpedaling is hard there. You were literally saying « science hasn’t found a sense of meaning » before. Now it’s « not on the scale » of religion.

    People don’t need either science nor religion to find a sense of meaning. It can be through family, friends, sport, traveling, charity, etc. I’d wager religion isn’t that big as a meaning giver that you think it is globally. A big part of why it helps people mentally has likely more to do with the sense of community provided by those groups than it is with the beliefs themselves in the first place. It’s the same as being in any social club. Mental health is mainly about our human interactions, not so much about out individual beliefs and such.


  • Nobody said it can’t help. But you’re making a bigger deal of it than it is. The effect is rather small. If you compare it to benefits from science such as having running water, heating, access to medication, etc. It’s not even on the same level.

    Besides, not everyone’s mental health is helped by religion. As the studies shows, it’s only a portion of them. And a lot of people are miserable when religion is forced upon them.

    Besides, weather or not religion helps with depression has absolutely nothing to do with science not being able to provide a sense of meaning. You’re simply arguing in bad faith here.