622 replies to this topic

[Magicjax]

There is only one time that I felt a tiny touch of that feeling and that was when I was struggling with the fact that I was having a hard time believing in god. This was when I was going through my searching for answers. Just about everyone and everywhere I looked told me that you are suppose to believe in god. My family isn't religious but no one said they did or didn't believe in god. But friends, school, billboards, tv shows, commercials, church signs, just society in general told me you're suppose to believe in god to be happy, to go to heaven, to be successful and to be liked. This is what the world told me.

But I didn't believe in god. I never admitted it to myself let alone anyone else. But I just didn't believe this story I was being told. I didn't believe there was a god or the storys of the bible. It just didn't click as something believable to me.

So at a point in my life where I really decided to face this issue. Those questions did feel disturbing. The idea of not being able to go to heaven was scary and as a result I fell into this inner battle. That something was wrong with me for not being able to believe in god like a good person should. I felt guilty, alone, scared and many other conflicting emotions during this inner struggle.

But I finally got to the point where I decided to stop trying to believe in god. I simply decided that I was just going to go with my instinct. I also found out at this time in my life that I was not alone on this issue. That there are many people that don't believe in god and live happy and productive lives. When this happened I no longer felt those contradictIng emotions. It was actually a very opening experience. A huge relief was lifted from me. A very freeing experience.

I'm not trying to seem corny but it's hard to describe the feeling. Contrary to what many religious people would think. Letting go of that didn't in any way make me feel cut off from anything. Instead, I felt more connected to the world. Less restricted. I was presented with more possibilities and less restrictions. I could do bad or good and the consequences and responsibility of my actions are my own. If I want to be liked its up to me to earne that. If I want to be hated its up to me to earne that and face the consequences here while I'm alive instead of after I'm dead.

But I agree. Once someone really makes the conscious decision that they don't believe in god. It's highly unlikely that they'll say they hate being an atheist. Because making that decision requires them feel the lifted burden.

Edited by Magicjax, 31 March 2012 - 11:47 PM.

[CommunitarianKevin]

Beckys_Mom, on 31 March 2012 - 11:20 PM, said:

Well.........it usually helps?



It is like someone  standing in the cue for a Mc Donalds   saying to a friend  -  Sigh, I hate all this junk food, it makes me feel so sluggish  and depressed...   Hang on a sec -  Yes  I'll have large fries with that and can you super size  my meal? Thanks  !!  ............   Or someone saying  -  I am an alcoholic ...I feel so empty and depressed....  Hold up - What's this  happy hour  whoohooo.. make mind a double and  leave the bottle thanks  lol  ..........  

  The thing is.. If something in your life is making you feel empty and depresses you, you move on... You do not remain what you chose to be............  Same with employment... If you job sucks and it depresses you.. you would turn to the Job Ad's listed and keep searching to find something new ...ya know?   Logical and more practical...



No you are ok... I have laughed enough as it is.. If I keep laughing any more.. I'll burst...  Come one you have to see the funny side to all of this..



And he lost his debate with that statement you posted...  Any wonder  lol .....



Here is it.. It is called holding a belief...He can hold a belief in something.. and still look at reality and facts....   I do it...  I beleive in God and the afterlife.. but I do not ignore facts of life...  It is possible...   Believing in God or some afterlife  is just a belief.. nothing more...  Way I see it is... If thee is no afterlife.. I wont know, because I'll be dead anyway ..No point in me getting depressed over that...Life is for living right? ..I know logic  ...it must  suck lol



I suggest they learn what the term - Faith and Belief means  and understand that beliefs do not require facts.. they are called  beliefs / faith for a good reason...    Facts have no place in a supernatural belief....If they did .. then  it wouldn't be called faith now would it ?



You are now confusing actual facts with  beliefs....  A perosn who learns they have cancer will know it is actual fact .... But even then  many wont sit feeling depressed,  they would father do something about it and get help ...A goal to reach  if possible..  



My mother in law did...She never set foot near a church to worship  in her life....But the moment she found she had breast cancer... She later got the all clear... Now nags  every week asking if she can take my kid to church with her.. She is a regular church goer...It shocked us all...  But many people will do this... They do it to be thankful they are alive.. OR to get spiritual help..

There are so many reasons why someone may turn over to Christianity ...  If you do not beleive me.. Just ask any Christian on here.. What made them turn to Christ.. You will find dozens of reasons... Many of those will consist of how they felt  they were spared by God...



Just one of the many reasons.. No point in being part of something that will make you feel like crap....You have to at least feel good about it and it has to  appeal to you...  Of course other reasons too.. but yes,  feeling better  is a good start...If it doesn't make you feel better.. wouldn't you just leave it? ...Remember I said  it is only ONE of the many reasons...



Science does not require a belief.. It only requires the understand  of the facts it can present......  Same with scientific theories.. you accept the theories  if they make logical sense....... Science is not a religion or belief system

You would likely struggle to get through life without science...  You wont struggle  without a spiritual belief...   Big difference

blah blah blah blah blah. No time to read all of your stuff, it is time for bed. Just do this for me...next time you want to talk about logic use premises and conclusions and just show what is invalid or how the conclusions does not follow the premises.

And no reason to get on my ass about this. I agree with what almost everyone is saying. I have never heard an atheist make the claim that they are depressed or empty and that is why I was asking...to see if any other atheists shared this opinion. This has nothing to do with the logic of my question or whether or not I think he is totally right or wrong. I just wanted to see if anyone shared his view. You need to realx. If you do not like a thread, don't post in it. You do not need to come in here with an opinion on everything thinking everyone is illogical or stupid.

While we are on the topic of laughing, one thing that makes me laugh is that you have almost 46,000 posts. That is mildly humorous.

Edited by HuttonEtAl, 01 April 2012 - 12:24 AM.

[Timonthy]

HuttonEtAl, on 31 March 2012 - 10:03 PM, said:

So last night at work I was talking with a co-worker that is an athiest. He said he found being an atheist depressing and empty. He says it sucks to know there is nothing after this life. This is not a view I typically hear so I was wondering if there are atheists here that also feel this way?

I don't feel that way at all. I feel that my life has more meaning than a religious persons.

If you care about your co-worker you should help them. Sounds like they need your support at the moment if they really told you that. You might be the only person they've revealed this to...

[Arbenol68]

You can't force yourself to believe in something. The idea of a personal god and everlasting life is an appealing one. I'd be delighted if it were true. But I can't believe it just because it would be nice.

For many people, atheism isn't a choice. And I believe that fear of oblivion after death drives some to believe in god. So if you fear oblivion, but cannot believe in god - that's a potentially depressing scenario.

Personally I view oblivion as being the same as I experienced before I was born, so I don't fear it. But I'd like to be around a little longer yet.

[Lion6969]

HuttonEtAl, on 31 March 2012 - 10:03 PM, said:

So last night at work I was talking with a co-worker that is an athiest. He said he found being an atheist depressing and empty. He says it sucks to know there is nothing after this life. This is not a view I typically hear so I was wondering if there are atheists here that also feel this way?

Whether you get crocked by natural causes, mass disaster, at the hands of psycho or genocidal maniac etc etc, atheist view is simple, tough cookie, that's how it crumbles. Atheism is dark bleak world view with no hope no empathy and it's very empty.

[Tmars78]

Arbenol68, on 01 April 2012 - 12:26 AM, said:

You can't force yourself to believe in something. The idea of a personal god and everlasting life is an appealing one. I'd be delighted if it were true. But I can't believe it just because it would be nice.

For many people, atheism isn't a choice. And I believe that fear of oblivion after death drives some to believe in god. So if you fear oblivion, but cannot believe in god - that's a potentially depressing scenario.

Personally I view oblivion as being the same as I experienced before I was born, so I don't fear it. But I'd like to be around a little longer yet.

I feel the exact same way. I knew of nothing then, and will know of nothing after I am gone. Some people seem to think that is a bad thing, but I don't. It just makes me appreciate all that I have now all the more.

[ChloeB]

Lion6969, on 01 April 2012 - 01:00 AM, said:

Whether you get crocked by natural causes, mass disaster, at the hands of psycho or genocidal maniac etc etc, atheist view is simple, tough cookie, that's how it crumbles. Atheism is dark bleak world view with no hope no empathy and it's very empty.

Lion, whatever, I swear sometimes you just try to pick fights with them.  You know that empathy doesn't have to have anything to do with God.  You could say people who believe in God and treat other people's as brothers and sisters because God or Jesus or Mohammad told them to you have less empathy than a person with no belief in God that just feels how someone else would feel if they were them, a connection to another human being does not have to have anything to do with a belief in a deity.  You know this, I just think you like to irritate them.

[libstaK]

Arbenol68, on 01 April 2012 - 12:26 AM, said:

You can't force yourself to believe in something. The idea of a personal god and everlasting life is an appealing one. I'd be delighted if it were true. But I can't believe it just because it would be nice.

For many people, atheism isn't a choice. And I believe that fear of oblivion after death drives some to believe in god. So if you fear oblivion, but cannot believe in god - that's a potentially depressing scenario.

Personally I view oblivion as being the same as I experienced before I was born, so I don't fear it. But I'd like to be around a little longer yet.

You are right, it drives some to believe in God but these people will find no real comfort in their level of belief as it is uninformed and unsubstantiated in their own minds-which is why depression and suicide are just as common across believers/non-believers alike perhaps.

Faith/belief is either based on a comprehension of something profoundly real to the individual or it is as substantive as a belief in Santa or the Tooth Fairy.  As a believer, I don't appreciate people being converted out of fear of what comes after life, it's playing to people's attachment to living, not informing them of what actually is which would provide solid ground and a potential to gleaning wisdom from what they believe.  People should stand based upon what they Know, not what their emotions drive them to attach themselves to because it makes them feel good.

[_Only]

Lion6969, on 01 April 2012 - 01:00 AM, said:

Atheism is dark bleak world view with no hope no empathy and it's very empty.

Painfully common misconception. :/

[Alienated Being]

Lion6969, on 01 April 2012 - 01:00 AM, said:

Atheism is dark bleak world view with no hope no empathy and it's very empty.

Not at all... I can honestly say that I am very, very happy with how my life is going. I have a lot of empathy - in fact, whenever I hear about children being murdered, or see a paedophile being convicted of raping a child on the news, I tend to shed a tear. It breaks my heart to hear of such stories.

Just because I don't profess the same mindset as you, that doesn't mean I am any less human; nor does it mean that I don't have a heart. I have a very big heart, and anybody who has had a personal encounter with me will attest to this notion.

While I may have a condition that others see as a curse, it has encouraged me to cherish even the smallest things in life. Every day I step outside, I look to the sky, and say... "I am glad to be alive. It is a great day", or when I sit outside in the summer with a book, the hot sun beating down on my face... I am thankful to be alive. And so many people take these things for granted.

You see, I love life just as much as you do.

Edited by Alienated Being, 01 April 2012 - 01:43 AM.

[Arbenol68]

Lion6969, on 01 April 2012 - 01:00 AM, said:

Atheism is dark bleak world view with no hope no empathy and it's very empty.

Speaking from experience, are you?

I think your warped opinion of atheism is dark and bleak, and lacks empathy.

[nickel1620]

No.

[willowdreams]

Lion6969, on 01 April 2012 - 01:00 AM, said:

Whether you get crocked by natural causes, mass disaster, at the hands of psycho or genocidal maniac etc etc, atheist view is simple, tough cookie, that's how it crumbles. Atheism is dark bleak world view with no hope no empathy and it's very empty.

how so? I understand that this is life. Life is it. This is IT.

That makes my heart so full of empathy that even commercials of abused animals or hungry children makes me hurt.

Because I understand that 'this is how the cookie crumbles' when it comes to nature, and other horrid things, that I want to help make the cookie crumble less.. clean up the crumbs and move on with a nice glass of ice cold milk.

I want my fellow man to feel good, because THIS is their only life. I want their only life to be a damn good one.

And not just for my fellow neighbor, but for pets and such as well. I believe if you take the responsibility of being a pet parent, you should take it serious, and take darn good care of the animal now dependant on you for its life and care.

I EMPATHIZE .

Matter of fact, that is why I do not believe that religion/faith in god/belief in god/afterlife threat of punishment if you do not do well  is not needed for morality.

I think a foundation of empathy is what is needed for morals. If you empathize then you want to do well,  parents should encourage it, make it a part of their child rearing.

People can believe in some sort of religion and have no empathy for others and become horrible creatures in society, so religion/beliefs of god/s is not 'it' in morals.

SO your blanket statement falls very very very short of being the truth.

[Ryu]

HuttonEtAl, on 31 March 2012 - 10:03 PM, said:

So last night at work I was talking with a co-worker that is an athiest. He said he found being an atheist depressing and empty. He says it sucks to know there is nothing after this life. This is not a view I typically hear so I was wondering if there are atheists here that also feel this way?

This sort of nonsense is not truly driven by atheism but rather he is still holding onto the idea that "meaning" can only come from believing in imaginary deities.
At any rate there are plenty of religious people who feel the same way so it has nothing to do with belief but with depression. I am not "depressed" to think that when I die there is nothing. All I do is live my life and when it's over then it is over.

Of course there is a remote chance I could be wrong but then again I need to focus on this life and not some fictional afterlife.
The ability to love another or to care about the hurts of others has nothing to do with religion and never will, it has to do with simply being social enough to care about how others feel and to be aware when you hurt or help another.

I care nothing for the concept of "souls", fictional previous lives or afterlife scenarios, I live my life, try not to harm others and do my best not to let myself sink into the abyss of hatred. That alone requires no religion, just common sense.

[Podo]

I'm going to be a bit of a devil's advocate here. I would be considered an atheist. I don't believe in a deity, pantheon, or afterlife in the conventional sense. As a rule, I find this as the standard state of being; I wasn't raised with religion anywhere near me as my city is basically godless.

However,  occasionally I get a bit sad that I can't believe in some form of god. This is only extremely rarely, mind you, and usually only when I become fed up with the world for whatever reason, but the thought has crossed my mind.

The reason for this is because that I find myself utterly incapable of belief in anything that even vaguely resembles a god. The concept of an omniscient being watching everything simultaneously and judging us makes no sense whatsoever. Additionally, the idea of one being creating an entire universe is laughable at best, and dangerously idealistic at worst.

In theory, believing in a god would be great. Ignorance is bliss, and all that. But it just isn't possible for me, as I am, as far as I can tell, too logical to adhere to any godishness.