Has atheism made your life more satisfying?

Question

There are atheists here who attack Christianity in an attempt to get Christians to stop believing. Why? Even if you are right, which I don't believe you are, has atheism made anyone's life more satisfying?
I could bring you millions and millions of people who would tell you that Christianity has made their life so much more enjoyable. Could you bring me 100 atheists who would say the same thing?
If we are wrong, why would you even care, we’re just animals anyway. So what is the motivation behind the attempt?

Let me clarify, what is your motivation behind trying to tell people that believe in God that there is no God?

Answer 1

A preface: Normally, I would say that I'm agnostic because I never want to deny the possibility that there is something going on out there that we simply can't understand as human beings. However, for all practical purposes, I am an atheist because I don't believe that any god like the ones propounded by any of the religions I know anything about could possibly exist. Further, I wouldn't want to associate myself with any of the churches that I've had any experience with because I think they're dangerous, honestly. They act as crutches for people who can't think for themselves and can't seem to formulate their own ideas about social issues and the like. I understand, however, that not all theists of whatever variety rely on churches to inform their opinions, but they do rely on something external from themselves.

My beliefs about religion, social issues, my own behavior, etc, arise from myself. My own personal beliefs have made my own life very fulfilling in this respect. I am comfortable with what I believe and how I behave based on my beliefs, including my belief that no god exists. I am fulfilled in that I know I can trust in and defend my beliefs because I arrived at them after considering all points of view. I don't need to rely on what other people tell me is right and wrong, or what some doctrine that was written long ago and manipulated from whatever form it originally was in to whichever form it takes now or will take. I rely on my own reasoning, and that's really nice to know.

If I believe that abortion is wrong or right, for example, I can provide universal reasoning for my answer. You can't argue with someone who believes it is wrong solely for religious reasons because you're starting the argument with different premises. Nothing can be accomplished that way. If I choose to have sex before marriage or not, it is my beliefs that influence my decision. It's not what someone else tells me I should or should not do. If I decide that it is somehow morally wrong for someone to be a homosexual, it is my own beliefs and reasoning that inform that opinion. It does not come from people repeating it over and over again to me.

Because I've arrived at my beliefs based on much thought, observation, and introspection, I am fulfilled in knowing that I have a great power of understanding why other people believe what they do. Because of that, I am fulfilled in that I can place myself in others' shoes and understand a little better why they act the way they act. This is something that religion cannot give you. It tells you that other people are simply wrong, and that they simply haven't found the "true path" yet, or whichever words you'd like to use there; it brings you no closer to understanding them because the goal is conversion rather than understanding. While I believe that there are many who are in fact wrong, I understand that there are people who need to believe whatever they believe, for a host of reasons. My goal is not to convert them so they think exactly like me. Rather, I would prefer that they understand why they believe what they believe. If they only believe these things because they've never questioned them, and they've never attempted to think through the problems for which they turn to religion, I would prefer they trust in themselves a little bit and consider these issues on their own. If they arrive at the same beliefs after such contemplation, great. Then at least they know that they don't have to rely on what others tell them to understand the world around them. And then, they might be able to understand a little better why people who disagree with them do so.

I am fulfilled in knowing that if I do something well, or if something good happens for me, I did what I could to make it that way. Conversely, I feel fulfilled in knowing that if I do something that hurts someone, or something counterproductive for myself, I am the one who did it, and I alone will take responsibility for it. These things which I might do were not done under the influence of some god-opposite (Satan, if you will).

I'm a little curious about your use of the term "atheism." Atheism is essentially a default, it's not a doctrine. So, not believing in god makes you an atheist, yes. However, it doesn't give you a code by which to live your life. That's what religion does, and atheism is not a religion. So no, "atheism," per se, has not fulfilled my life--I have. I have arrived at my beliefs under my own volition and using my own powers of reasoning, and that is incredibly fulfilling.

I can't speak for other atheists, but I can tell you that I have had conversations about such fulfillment with people who have similar beliefs as myself, and these people are fulfilled. We don't need a god or a religion or a church to fulfill us, we fulfill ourselves.

I'm sorry that you've had bad experiences with atheists, and maybe some of them are not fulfilled in their lives for whatever reason--spiritual or not. However, not everyone has to believe the same way you do. I urge you to let people be, and allow them to think through their own ideas. If they end up agreeing with you, you can be happy in knowing that it was under their own influence, alone, and not because they were frightened into thinking that disagreement has negative consequences.

Obviously this question was a little broad, as was my answer, but I feel like I've been able to present my basic idea here.

Answer 2

Then does that mean people who aren't atheists are lost or something and unhappy. If you turn your question around it makes no sense. I am a christian and my life is just fine and dandy. ___ "If you don't believe in atheism, why would you evaluate it" Good point. Atheism is not believing in God that is all. They deal with life just like everyone else, except without God. So how can you evaluate not believing in God? Is there a certain way not to believe? __ Yeppers, funny how that NEVER stops atheist from responding to questions directed at theists. Poke poke....by the way, I am the only theist who noticed your error. ___ Well it gets a big cold while standing in front of the fridge with the door open. Then I get hungry, and you know what comes next. Sorry FSM but you were yummy. It doesn't make sense to evaluate not believing in something. Once you make up your mind that something doesn't exist then that should be the end of the discussion. Unless you teeter back and forth from believing and not believing. The FSM doesn't exist so I don't have evuate a negative and you don't either. Yet you seem to evualate a positive and how the lack of that positive has effective your life. The question is what is that positive, the air?

Answer 3

Atheists do not attack Christians to get them to stop believing. We attack because Christians do not respect OUR beliefs and without invitation/ solicitation start preaching and badgering us. After a while, we get sick of it and retaliate by giving you a taste of your own medicine.

Atheists seek the truth. The Truth DOES set you free. Yes, I am much MUCH more satisfied with my life now. It has effected every aspect of my life for the better. I could explain why and how. But it is 3am where I am and I'm tired. Suffice it to say, that for the first time in my life I feel at liberty to be me--not who some mythology says I should be. I dont fear some phantom sentinel's wrath if I should make a perfectly human mistake and finally, I am not only content, but happy. I am able to live in the moment. Good night.

Answer 4

Yes, actually it has..mainly because I'm able to think for myself. I also don't attack Christians...I answer questions/discuss...there is a big difference. The motivation: 1) exchanging information and discussion is something I find enjoyable. 2) I think sharing my view with others helps to promote tolerance...something we need a lot more of today.

Can I bring you 100 atheists who would say the same? Yes, and more. Just check out these forums...especially where people talk about their conversions and how they feel now:

http://www.ethicalatheist.com/forum/index.php
http://www.exchristian.net
http://www.happyatheistforum.com
http://www.atheistnetwork.com

That's just a short list of where to find people who are happier as atheists than they were as Christians. (I would ask that no one seeing the above links spams the forums...they all invite rational discussion though.)

Answer 5

I can only speak for myself. I don't think I ever 'turned' to Atheism. I was raised with the freedom to believe or not believe. By not following any religious path or believing in a specific God, I find myself less fearful than some religious people I know, and I think I feel a little freer as well. I know that if I wrong someone I will face the most powerful judgement, and that is the one I place upon myself. I think most people like myself, lack religious belief simply because they have never gotten any proof. I can already hear people saying they pity those who have no faith. I ask you please do not pity us. We don't need pity, nor do we feel the need to be saved. Just the need to be respected. Think about how strong your faith is, how hard you believe and how much you love your God. That is how I feel about the human race, my country, my planet, my family and friends. Maybe after I die, I'll be proved wrong. But I don't believe it's your place to be doing the proving, isn't that His job??

Answer 6

I'm not actually an atheist. But I'm not a believer either, so I guess I'm entitled to answer. And my answer is that my life is very satisfying in many aspects, and those I'm not satisfied with have nothing to do with the fact I don't believe. My satisfaction is the satisfaction of understanding and living life in a very intense way. I do enjoy my life a lot. I actually enjoy doing things you cannot do, while you're in your religious ceremonies. I have more time for myself. And that's great. And yes, I could bring you much more than 100 atheists or non-believers, at least, who will tell you the same. Really I could.

My motivation is not for you to give up faith. My motivation is for your faith to stop trying to affect my life. Christianity has been intruding in everybody's life in Occident in a really obscene way. We have a right not to have a religion. But religions impose their beliefs and points of view everywhere in people's lives. We cannot work on Good Friday, because it's a RELIGIOUS holiday (without any importance at all for the rest of us, but we HAVE to observe it). Women cannot abort in many places because religions are in the way. I mean, if you think it's bad, fine. Don't do it. But we have rights, too. And the main right is the right NOT to do something, just because YOU think it's wrong. Don't abort. Nobody's forcing you. But leave US alone. Or else, don't pretend our countries enjoy freedom of faith, because that's a miserable lie. And what about gays? What the hell do they do to you, if they want to marry? How is that a problem to you, Christians? Are your marriages so weak, that they can be affected by what happens in another couple? Live your lives, and let the rest live theirs. It is none of your damned business to spoil a person's life, just because they're doing something you judge as wrong (even you're supposed not to judge). You should restrain from intruding, as long as they don't really harm others. And they do not, by getting married, or by having sex with people their own sex.

Shall I keep on telling what my motivation is? Well, my motivation is also that there are some Catholic priests, here in Argentina, who have sexually abused children and minors under their control or authority, in the most repulsive way you can imagine. And the Church I want to set the world free from, has been protecting them ever since. What authority have they got to tell me anything, if they protect child abusers, the lowest human category ever?

And my motivation is that while there is a church out there, telling people how to think, people will not learn to think on their own. And it will always be very easy for the Church to instill the lowest ideas in the people, like that of resignation, instead of fighting for what is theirs.

And my motivation is that churches manipulate people through a terrible feeling of guilt. They have cunningly decided that most sexual activity (i.e.: any sexual activity that is not performed by husband and wife) is bad (a sin, they call it). But sex is as much of a natural bodily function as eating or sleeping. So very few people manage to do without it. The rest, who can't help it, are made to feel guilty, and dirty. As if they had something terrible to hide. And these people (that is, practically every human being on earth) will feel ashamed and guilty, and they will be extremely easy to manipulate. Manipulating people through inflicted guilt is mean and low, and it's what churches do.

And if people are manipulated, everybody loses, except for the powerful. I'm not among the powerful. So, I need for people not to be manipulated. And your churches are trying to prevent that. Churches (NOT believers) are my enemies. And winning the war is my motivation.

Answer 7

i may be able to give u a very different and surprising perspective on this question, as a person who was once an atheist and is now a christian. my answer is yes, atheism made my life more satisfying. and now, u're thinking 'how is that possible?'

i seriously called myself an atheist when i was just 11 years old and spent more than 10 years of my life exploring that idea. as best as i was able to, i researched every religion that interested me from buddhism to wiccan, jewish, christianity, shintoism to a few others. out of all those beliefs, i learned more from atheism than most of the others.

atheism taught me self-reliance, independence and free thinking, 3 things that i absolutely value. because i didn't automatically look to god to place on all the blame of all the bad things that happened in my life and the world around, i learned to look at myself first and see if the problem was somehow caused by some mis-interpretation of my words or actions. because in my mind, there was no god to pray for solutions to fix and solve the bad things in my life, i learned that i had to first find a way to solve those problems myself. here, i also learned that i had to help others and ask them to help me sometimes. because i didn't believe god was there to give me answers, i learned to search for the answers on my own to the different questions in life. here, i also learned that there's more than 1 answer to any question and that i should always be considerate of those many answers because each answer is another person's opinion or belief.

i'm 24 years old now and christian now. i can understand things from different perspectives better than some. cause of my past when i talk about god and whatnot, i can do more than spit out bible passages. i can give logial, well-thought out arugments, sometimes with statistics and whatnot, about religion and beliefs. religion isn't something that was drilled into me when i was a child but something i rationally thought out. and i can thank the fact that i was once atheist for that.

Answer 8

religiosity breeds conformity - that's why you could bring millions and millions of stepford wifes and husbands to drone on about how happy they are.

Personally, I've had the most charmed life of anyone I know. I have visited all over the world several times, and have seen some of the most wonderful sights. I have experienced so much and participated with so much. from rock climbing to jumping a freight train in Canada, from sailing to teaching. I have loved and been loved I have beat cancer twice, I've done consulting work with IBM, Blue Cross and GTE, I've designed and built and remodeled many homes. I know about quantum mechanics and art, horses, archery, cooking, fencing, scuba diving, i've flown a helicopter, I read and study things i'm interested in, it just goes on and on

I lust for life, life is sensual, i'm in love with life and experience

but none of this has anything to do with being an atheist. That has had no effect on my happiness.

Answer 9

We, as atheists, get to invent anything we want to live our lives by. Many of us value integrity, which would preclude tolerating a society which wants to live a fantasy because it makes them happy. There are bigger issues for us animals on this planet. We need a handle on all the reality we can get to stop things like overpopulation, pollution, sickness, hunger, war, racism, and assorted human rights. I'm sure Hitler's fantasy was very satisfying, but does that mean you should allow or support it?

Answer 10

Atheists try to convert Christians because stupidity is everyone's problem. Atheists understand this and know that the key to a better future for humanity is to get people to see the truth, rather than the fallacy that is religion.

Answer 11

Absolutely! Living by my conscience and desires instead of by some book that doesn't make any sense, anyway?! THAT is freedom.

When religion is used for community, support, and healing, I would not interfere with that. However, it is also a vehicle for predjudice, murder, illogical, fanatical thinking, and denial of reality. This hurts people, our environment, and perpetuates ignorance and slows progress that could save and better the lives of millions otherwise.
THAT is why atheists have a problem with religious fanatics.