In your experience, are believers happier than non-believers?

Question

Or is it the other way around, or is belief not a factor in happiness?

Whichever you think, tell me why you think that. No Bible quotes, please.

chdoctor - I'd be happy to hear from 'biblically-minded people'. In fact, it's exactly what I want. But note that I'm saying in the question 'in your experience'. My question is about what you've observed from people around you. Bible quotes cannot be useful in answer to that any more than on-line statistics, which I suppose I should also have requested not to include.

Rox: what you have written is the most ignorant, despicable, offensive, wrong-minded, insulting and - by far - hypocritical thing I have read today.

Answer 1

Since happiness is relative and never absolute ( infact no human can spare himself pain ) in this concept faith is the only way of gaining the closest state to happiness.. in other words faith is an aid-tool for keeping humane mind in a balanced state of content and reasoning ..since feeling happiness is achieved so many times by compensation strategies, compensating oneself with inspiring thoughts and beliefs ..else we will end up not only in misery but in deep troubles psychologically and ….
In fact non believers tend to stay in skeptic mood – or call it uncertainty.. that’s alone can blow their happiness away.. unrested mind can never be a happy mind..

By instinct we tend to look for shelters of super powers that’s why we try hard to stay strong (health, figures, emotional) and once we are faced with restraints of our human body we compensate ourselves with the power of human mind that has (apparently) no constrain ..faith is powerful its strength depends on the strength of connection we have with GOD and can gain some state of happiness ..

Answer 2

In my experience neither. I think if you are content with yourself then happiness will follow. Religion is only a small part of that. As for that person who said all those silly things that atheist get their happiness from, well I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't pick people up in bars, I am not taking prescription meds, or any of that stuff. I have found though that those who are quick to judge others are often not happy in their lives or they wouldn't be so worried about what others believe.

Answer 3

I cannot talk on behalf on other people's experience, but I try to let you know what I think.

When I invited Jesus to my heart...I experienced the kind of JOY that it is hard to explain. thought that I was happy allright, but the happiness God gives me is so splendid. It is awesome! It is wonderful indeed.

I am not seeking the happiness what the world offers, because this world is not my home. I do not want to make myself too cozy in it. I don't want to indulge my ego at the expense of my soul.

It cost plenty to get me out of the dead end, empty-headed life I grew up in. When life gets really difficult, do not jump to conclusion that God is not on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.

God is restraining Himself on account of you, holding back the End because He does not want anyone lost. He is giving everyone space and time to change.

God is kind, but He is not soft. In kindness He takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into radical life change. My happiness is to be servant of my Lord. I do not understand His business but I trust in Him. I trust that He knows what is the best for me. My happiness is to know Him more. My joy is to have this life changing, personal realitonship with Him. Nobody wans to be alone. And He has promised that He will never leave me. So I think that the person who has hope is happier than the person without it.

Answer 4

Yes, but gaining happiness is a choice. Not many christians make the choice to be happy. It has to do with the way we are supose to react to disapointments and troubles. If we choose to pray to god about our trouble then he reminds us of all the good things we have been given by him already. He reminds us that he loves us and has made unimaginable sacrifices for us already. He reminds us that he is our father and the thing we want might not be the best thing for us wether we like it right now or not. Once we go through all those mental processes by talking to god we have an oportunity to feel less disapointed, happier and closer to our loving father.
This is why christians can be happier at times then someone who just gets pissed cause they feel entitled to go through life without trouble. But many who call themselves christains don't understand this or are too stuborn to bow down and pray over their troubles.

Answer 5

I am atheist and I think I am far happier than theists. A theists will look at the beauty of life and think "God did it" where I look at the same things and appreciate everything that went into it. Some mighty figure didn't snap his fingers and make things appear, things occur because of nature and human ability. They are the product of billions of years of change. Also, many non-believers have no belief in an afterlife. Such thinking makes us appreciate the lives we have that much more. Life is something to be treasured because there is only one shot at it, not because an invisible god is forcing you to live or suffer in his version of hell.

Answer 6

I think believers have more peace because no matter what happens they look forward to being with God. I think they have more joy than happiness....because happiness is the same for everyone but joy is because you are confident that everything will be fine and that you are not alone and that there is a definite hope in the whole thing.

Answer 7

Chris Wilson, author of "The Enlightened Caveman," thinks our brains are made for surviving as hunter-gatherers, and not for happiness, however you define it.

If you believe the statistics (and I would never recommend that!), it appears that areas where believers are the majority experience divorce, alcoholism, and unplanned pregnancies as often as -- or more often than -- the rest of the world.

It often appears to my (not-unbiased) view that belief acts as a substitute for the certainty they don't have and the confidence and optimism they don't feel.

Answer 8

shifting from Christianity to atheism replaced no longer some thing in me or the way I reported the international. It did loose me as a lot as take care of to seem on the international and under no circumstances question by ability of religion collored glasses... surprisingly, i did not develop right into a homicidal maniac, grand thief or crack addict ... i myself do take care of those with appreciate, even as warranted.. and that i'm an fantastically chuffed and upbeat form of guy... Who might want to have theory that would want to be without the 'theory' in gods... IMHO

Answer 9

In my experience, I have not found a difference. Both believers and non-believers seem equally happy/unhappy. But we never know what goes on inside every human being. Is the person who looks happy really happy? Only they know.
You may find this link quite interesting:
http://pewresearch.org/social/chart.php?ChartID=12

Answer 10

Non Believers are very un-happy.
They find happiness for only a short time with decadence.
They find momentary happiness in their next sexual encounter or their next T.V show or Movie. They find their happiness in their next meal or cup of extraordinarily high priced coffee at some "hip local joint". They find their happiness in their next Party with their so called friends. Or the next time they get to act like they want to help someone. They find their happiness in making people think they care by demonstrating against causes they no nothing about and will forget soon after something new arises. They find their happiness in their next "Trip" on their drug of choice, and when they are used up and too old to party, too old to protest, too old to go to the bar alone, too old to pick up on stupid young kids willing to give it up for a moment of fun, and too old to score their next "hit". They go to their Doctor and get a prescription for Zoloft or Percacet or Well-butrin or whatever. Because they cant get over their depression and emptiness....

according to your response,,, I must have been right,, at least for you... I have no doubt what so ever that, people without faith try to compensate for their emptiness. Very often the form of compensation is self destructive.
Don't get me wrong... I am not a religious person, but, I am not Blind.