On Reconciling Atheism and Meaning in the Universe

[intaglio]

100. The November question?

There is no meaning to the day itself. There is an election on that day in the USA but that is an event on that day. You might wish to contort the word "meaning" to subsume that word into the effect of that election - but that is not meaning, it is just sloppy use of language. Perhaps instead you wish to use the word "significance" in its sense as a synonym for meaning. The trouble with significant is that it is also a synonym for importance so let me add that one as well to the lexicographic stew

If you wish to do this then reframe the question inherent the OP to use those words and compare:
Original - What is the meaning of the universe?
Derivation 1 - What is the effect of the universe?
Derivation 2 - What is the significance of the universe?
Derivation 3 - What is the importance of the universe?

Original - meaningless, so meaningless that you have not even proposed a class of answers that would satisfy it.

Derivation 1; Might have meaning if there is something other than the universe. Ignoring the contradiction inherent in that statement then it might be possible for a pocket universe to have a physical effect upon a greater universal structure - but that is not "meaning"

Derivation 2; When significance is used as a synonym for meaning the question is meaningless.

Derivation 3; This is a very different question to the original and might have answers dependent on context. For example, to us the universe is hugely important for without it we would not live as we are. A counter-example would be that for higher dimensional infinite space (and time) our universe is insignificant, as anything finite is in relation to the infinite.

So, having played your little word game, how about you put out some answers? Or might answers expose your fear of the infinite?