Does becoming an atheist mean I have to live an authentic existence?

Question

Acknowledging that there is no God, and that the universe is an accident, and that I am a product of Evolution, would the individual then have to face an authentic life?
What would this mean for the person? Would they have to solve all problems with human solutions? Would every cause have a natural explanation?

When something makes them sad, would they have to deal with it? Let me give you a real life example, a man emails me three days ago and says he is thinking about committing suicide. Since I knew he was a Christian I emailed what I thought was encouraging Bible verses. Rather than say dude, I love you bro, but you got to deal with life, did I cheat this man an authentic life? He asked if suicide was a sin that he could commit and still go to heaven, and while I emailed Judges 16:29-30 I said I still don't think this authorizes suicide. Did I do wrong? Should I have just said there is no God try and deal with it?

He is alive. I was crying my eyes out yesterday wondering "did I fail this man?" "I am not my brothers keeper" "will God punish me for not quoteing the right Bible verses?" And I checked online he was blogging last night. So,

Answer 1

Authenticity is a possibility for anyone. Certain beliefs -- such as irrational fundamentalism, or arrogant atheism -- make it more difficult. Authenticity involves, fundamentally, being honest about what you believe, and being open to criticism of that belief. That applies as much to atheists as to theists.

I think you were right to try to speak to someone in a language he could understand.

Answer 2

I hope the poor man lives to see better days.

I'm not traditionally religious. I think people should live an authentic existence no matter what their religious beliefs, and I believe things are usually worse for people in the longer term if they don't; I think some convenient inauthenticity now usually will lead to worse things in the future, than whatever difficulty is involved in authenticity now. That said, I might mean something different by the term "authentic existence" than you mean.

As fas as someone contemplating suicide, my approach would have been to try and point out hopeful things in life, and beautiful things, and encouraging the person to focus on the positive. I might have quoted books and references stories with important messages about life (the Odyssey is a good one when people are struggling to do the right thing and work hard in the face of horrible, unjust, powerful people, for example).

As far as getting into heaven, I would have said that in my opinion this life is all he has, and if he throws it away, there is no heaven afterwards. He has the time here to make the best of this life he can, and to leave as much positive things behind as he can, and cutting that short doesn't mean heaven. It means a void where all the people he could have helped and all the good things he could have done and made and experienced from this point on just never exist at all. That's what suicide is to me, and that's what I'd explain.

Answer 3

If you're an atheist, then there really is no right or wrong. It doesn't really matter what you told your friend, or how you live. Everything is authentic if you can experience it sensually. There is no right or wrong except for the arbitrary restrictions contrived by society to keep a measure of order and peaceful coexistence.

There is no moral foundation for you to work from because there is no moral authority. Everything is a grand, cosmic accident, so any guilt you might have felt about the way you handled the situation is a product of the contrived restrictions and arbitrary morality impressed upon you during your upbringing.

Since you're an atheist, is doesn't really matter if your friend had lived or died except for how it makes you feel. If you would feel better having your friend go on living, then telling him a lie doesn't at all matter. Who cares if it's a lie? Who's going to judge you for lying to your friend to keep him alive? There is no authority, there is no judge, there is no morality to adhere to either way.

If some other atheist disagrees with that, that's fine, but that's still a self-imposed contrivance because no law is at work but the law of nature which carries no moral weight, but simply maintains the cycle until the sun goes cold.

Peronally, I don't get the allure of atheism, but have at it, and good luck.

You'll need it.

Answer 4

First, that there is no god compels you not a bit, in any direction. No god, so what? Ball's in your court.

Second, 'authentic' is given. No matter what you do or think, that is necessarily 'the authentic' in you. I believe 'inauthentic behavior' is a false notion.

Do you think it meet to lie to a friend? Go ahead and lie. The only ethical principle I can see that makes ANY sense in a universe that is godless but (apparently) deterministic is 'do what seems necessary in order to continue making questionable decisions for as long as possible,' while carefully suppressing any thoughts on 'the problem of free will.' Act as if you had free will--you're gonna do it anyway.

"SURVIVE!" is primary. Getting convivial companions to share that ambition with you doesn't seem wholly out of line--and if you have to fib a bit to keep a friend alive, I am not gonna give you a lot of grief about that.

So why would you give yourself a lot of grief about it? Are you perhaps enchanted by the idea that your vision of the universe is so near Truth that human lives can be sacrificed for it? Chilling thought, isn't it? But you sent Bible verses; good call, in my opinion. Supply aid in a form that might be useful to the recipient. And what would you have sent to a suicidal atheist?

I'm not unsympathetic. I felt Very Sure About Everything once, and I did some stupid things, based in my sense of certain understanding of the universe, including a few things (inactions on my part) that culminated in suicides. I salve my conscience with the thought that not all of those suicides were avoidable--but some of them were, I think, at least postponable, and I flog myself for my possibly lethal vanity.

Now my problem is that I am Uncertain About Entirely Too Much, and so sometimes fail to give inferior advice that might nevertheless be just the advice I should have given. Ah, poop, the universe is a stacked deck. But while I stay in the game, I have a chance to dope it out.

Answer 5

First , I'm glad your friend is still alive.
Secondly , you Seemed to lump a lot of assumptions into the being an Athiest. And thirdly if this man was a christian, weather or not he killed himself is out of your hands. Its GOD's Will.
Being an athiest does not make the assumption that you believe in evolution, Those are simply the most popular current theories, For All I know we are created by an alien race as slaves to work the salt mines.
As An Agnostic myself I can simply state that I do not know how the universe was created, or why . also do not know if there is a Heaven Or Hell as we have come to think of them in popular culture. Therefor I am free to use my mind the way it was intended,, to question and learn as I gothrough the life I am living now.
I strugled with Athiesm for a lot of my life. in order to subscribe to any religon or Lack therof it seems thatyou have to pick an opinion on a huge # of other debates all in one fell swoop.such as darwinism, moment of conception Etc.

When I learned that Agnosicism simplified my ability to believe in what I know to be true,by either having seen it myself or felt it in my heart I learned it was ok to question my beliefs without being told I was wrong or put into a little box with all the others that believed the same as I do.
It gave me the freedom to decide for myself what I believe and the ability to say that I don't know everything but when I figure it out I will add it to my beliefs.

Answer 6

I have answered two questions from a person who said they were planning to commit suicide. Any cop will tell you that if someone is talking about committing suicide, they probably won't do it. They just need to be reasured by someone that they would be missed and give them another perspective to think about. So, that's what I did for the person I was answering. I told him, I'm sure that there are people in your life that you haven't even considered as ones who care and who would be very sad if you were suddenly gone. I also reminded him that if he did attempt to kill himself, to make sure he wrote a note explaining why, and if he was revived to let his YA friends know that he was O.K. and recovering in a hospital nearby. I also explained why hanging is not a good choice, and offered a better and quicker method, just to give him a gory picture to think about, and hopefully help to discourage any follow-through on his part. It's nice that you tried to help him and it sounds like you did, if he was still clicking away at his computer. congrats

Answer 7

"An Atheist loves himself and his fellow man instead of a god.  An Atheist knows that heaven is something for which we should work now - here on earth - for all men together to enjoy.  An Atheist thinks that he can get no help through prayer but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue, and enjoy it.  An Atheist thinks that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment.  Therefore, he seeks to know himself and his fellow man rather than to know a god.  An Atheist knows that a hospital should be built instead of a church.  An Atheist knows that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said.  An Atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death.  He wants disease conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated.  He wants man to understand and love man.  He wants an ethical way of life.  He knows that we cannot rely on a god nor channel action into prayer nor hope for an end to troubles in the hereafter.  He knows that we are our brother's keeper and keepers of our lives; that we are responsible persons, that the job is here and the time is now."  ~ Madalyn Murray (later O'Hair), preamble to Murray v. Curlett, 27 April 1961

Answer 8

What does God call it? Preach love too you? Lets see what God says, to do with you.

You have unbeliever's. Chaff, Scoffers.

An Atheist is a scoffer. The WORD of God, clearly tells you the filhty rags they are, and to stay away from them, and avoid them. We are NOT to plant seeds. God knows it is useless and that is why he tells us, "You stand firm against them" ( Jer.17:8 14:1 Iah 44:4) You disassociate them completely. Any Believer that does not abide in God's own Word, does not know God, according too God Himself. Atheists are "chaff" A simile of the wretchedness of the wicked. Chaff is carried away by the lightest wind, and it's removal brings about cleansing by extracting what is utterly useless. (Ruth 1:22). They will NOT stand in the judgment. They will NOT be able to withstand God's wrath when He judges.( Paslams 76:7 Exra 9:15). This is not my opinion, this is God's very own Words, in the Bible. You know, the BIble? The same Bible atheist scholars quote. There is a reason God, said this. Psalms.1.1-3 Jer. 17:8 14:1 12. 1-2 18:9-10 Prov1.10-19 (vs 5) scoffers:(atheists) those who ridicule God and definatley reject His Law. Prov 1.:22 Ruth 1:22 Jer 18:7 (pull down-destroy) 1:10 (evil-calamity) 18:11

Pslams 1:
godly wisdom here, declare the final outcome of the two "ways". The paths of "sinners" (unbelievers) and the "way of the righteous. he speaks progressively of assoociation with the ungodly and participation in they're ungodly ways.

God said it. End of Story. Jesus Himself said "Let the dead bury they're dead".

Use all the Internet and Dictionaries they want to and call themselves anything they wish. God "defined" what they are by His own words.

They can hang a dog tag* around they're neck in the pits if hell itself and separate each other by name categorically.

God's Word said it. By God's definition. There is NO opinion.

Hate? Where do you get hate? If God's TRUTH is hate too you, then, so be it. You and God, can and will discuss the means of your sciptural interpretation, consisting with a man-made defacto on a motion of plea bargin I guess. I dunno.

Answer 9

Wow...actually, it doesn't really sound like you're an athiest at all. Unless you're just a Bible-quoting athiest...which is very new to me. You obviously did not fail the man because he is still alive, and even if he had killed himself it still wouldn't be your fault. And I don't believe God would ever get mad at someone if they quoted the wrong Bible verse especially if they were only trying to save someone's life with the Word...don't worry! Be happy :)

Answer 10

You totally cheated him by giving him B.S. bible verses. But being honest with him and saying "dude, I love you bro, but you got to deal with life" might not have kept him alive. He's been so brainwashed with xtian rhetoric for so long, the crutch of the bible was all you could give him. Do him a favor now and help him deal with life when he's more stable in mind. Ween him from the crutch of xtianity.