Assuming everyone was an atheist, how would life be different?

Question

Assuming that there was no religions in the world, not even the idea of spirtuality existed; how do you think that world would compare to the one we know?

Some Ideas to think about:

Do you think that there would be more or less morality?

Do you think that people would more or less ethical?

How would the population of the world change?

What type of government would exists. How do you think money and resources in the world would be distributed?

Do you think that the word "war" would ever be introduced into our vocabulary? If so, do you think that items such as the atomic bomb would have been created?

Since there is no afterlife in this world, how would people treat their one chance at life? Do you think suicide would happen? How would people act about love and relationships?

Would global warming even be an issue?

Answer 1

Do you think that there would be more or less morality? Far less. Never having a religion is tantamount to never having a foundational moral authority. The overriding result would be more of what we already see today, Might makes Right, with no restraining influence.

Do you think that people would more or less ethical? Less overall. Ethics is in itself a moral foundation contrived from concepts of right and wrong, which are inherently religious.

How would the population of the world change? I'm not sure what you mean by that. Quantitatively? Demographically? I think you would find a more fractured world community, overall.

What type of government would exists. How do you think money and resources in the world would be distributed? Governments would be based far more on sheer power and less on ideology. Money would probably be handled much as it is today, a tool of power for the rich, a tool of necessity for the poor.

Do you think that the word "war" would ever be introduced into our vocabulary? If so, do you think that items such as the atomic bomb would have been created? The word "war" would be central to our vocabulary and a far more acceptable mode of persuasion and survival. Nuclear weapons would certainly have been created, and possibly used more often.

Since there is no afterlife in this world, how would people treat their one chance at life? Do you think suicide would happen? How would people act about love and relationships? I think you would see more broken relationships than you do now. If people KNEW there was nothing afterward, they would have to get all the living they could in right now before the day of annihilation. You would certainly still have suicide, perhaps more as those contemplating such an act would be confident that they would face no negative repercussions in the afterlife.

Would global warming even be an issue? Quite. Technology would still be moving. I'm not sure the emphasis would be all that different than it is today.

If I get where you're coming from, it's interesting to see the slant of your questions. It indicates you believe that religion alone is responsible for war, suffering, moral conflict, ethical conflict, and the like. Quite the opposite. I might add that, with the possible exception of Islam, wars fought in the name of religion were fought in denial of the foundational concepts within the religion, i.e.: the crusades.

The concepts of human dignity and equality are steeped in and derived from the Western/Judeo-Christian concept of humanity. One could question whether we yet (or ever) would have arrived at such a concept of basic human rights without the influence of religion.

Answer 2

GREAT question!

Do you think that there would be more or less morality?

About the same since humans are humans but probably slightly more morality due to people not using god as an excuse to kill, murder, and prosecute people.

Do you think that people would more or less ethical?

See above.

How would the population of the world change?

A little less if people thought it was ok to use condoms. But that's a good thing.. we're overpopulated!

What type of government would exists. How do you think money and resources in the world would be distributed?

The same. Only our goverment wouldn't waste time getting wrapped up in church/state issues like prayer in school.

Do you think that the word "war" would ever be introduced into our vocabulary? If so, do you think that items such as the atomic bomb would have been created?

Yes, we'd still have war but a lot less. The atomic bomb still would have been created if Einstein existed.

Since there is no afterlife in this world, how would people treat their one chance at life? Do you think suicide would happen? How would people act about love and relationships?

Of course suicide would happen, it does anyway. People would try to live their lives to the fullest.

Would global warming even be an issue?

It would be a lot better I think.. for some weird reason that I never really understood, fundies always seem to think that global warming is hogwash and if people didn't have religion, they'd focus more on science and a greater amount of people would understand that global warming is a real issue.

Answer 3

The world would still be royally fubar.

I break with most atheists on this, because atheism is not a worldview, nor does it imply rationality, it only implies "I do not believe that god(s) exist(s)."

While it is true that a strict commitment to rationality will lead to atheism, the opposite (atheism --> rationality) is not true. Some atheists are atheists because they hate their Christian parents, or because they think it's cool to be rebellious, or because they've never heard of religion, or because of a number of different irrational or non-rational reasons.

Therefore, a world full of atheists would not necessarily have any more or less irrational people in it, and therefore be very similar to this world now.

...

Now, if the question was, "Assuming everyone was a rationalist (with a strong commitment to reason), how would life be different?"... Here I would say the world would be almost paradise. Extremely moral, ethical, and fair. Technologically advanced and great.

Many people have died because someone was too faithful (fundamentalistic), but no one has ever died because someone was too reasonable.

Answer 4

There would be neither more nor less morality. I'm not even sure how someone would go about quantifying morality.

People would be neither more nor less ethical.

The population would not change.

Monarchies, dictatorships, and republics would exist. Money and resources would be distributed differently depending on the economic structure of a given nation (i.e. capitalism, communism, etc.)

The word "war" would come down from the Old High German "werra" meaning strife and would be used to describe violent conflict that would no doubt arise over land, cultural differences, natural resources, etc.

Suicide would, of course, still happen as a means of escape from perceived suffering.

Global warming and other environmental issues would still happen. Atheism does nothing to reduce pollutants.

Answer 5

For me personally, life would be pretty much as it is now, since hardly anyone I know is religious, and religion hardly impinges on my daily life at all.

From the wider perspective, the world would probably be a better place - After all, it's an observable fact that the least religious countries in the world also tend to be the most peaceful, civilised and egalitarian ones. We would still have wars and conflict because those are fought as much for resources as over religious beliefs and religious differences. We would have fewer atrocities committed on the basis of perverted religious beliefs. We would be freed from people being brainwashed by cynical and manipulative religious leaders.

Answer 6

We would have to be more ethical right now since we wouldn't believe in some pie in the sky life - this is the only life so we have to make the world a peaceful, prosperous place.

We would work on our problems right now and take responsibility for all our actions, because no one is going to make it all better in the next life, and no one is going to swoop down and take our "sins" away.

Since we wouldn't be wasting all of that money on religion and losing wealth to tax loopholes, the tax system would be less burdened and people would have more money to give to useful charities, instead of supporting some useless eater (priest) who gives nothing to society.

Since government wouldn't be wasting so much time dealing with pretend issues deliberately designed to whip up the Jesus freaks (ID/creationism, prayer in school, flag burning, boys kissing, Terri Schaivo, abortion, faith based nonsense) HOPEFULLY legislatures could do something useful, but even I have doubts on that one.

We'd still have problems, because humans are prone to error and imperfection, but we'd also have the rational tools to DEAL WITH our problems and imperfections instead of some delusional myth system that just adds to our woes.

Answer 7

there wouLd be more moraLity
peopLe wouLd be more ethicaL
the worLd popuLation wouLd be Less do to increase in Condom use
i think there wouLd be more democracies but there couLd stiLL be some dictatorships
resources wouLd probabLy be the same.
there wouLd stiLL be war but not near as much
peopLe wouLd Love Life more
there wouLd stiLL be suicide, but no mass suicide
HomosexuaL reLationships wouLd be aLLowed, but pedophiLia wouuLd not
gLobaL warming wouLd be an issue but not as much of an issue
oh, and everyone wouLd go to Hell (i'm kidding about the Last part)

Answer 8

Well, there'd be fewer wars, that's for sure.

I think that people would be more ethical as well. People wouldn't be staring at the heavens asking for the difference between right and wrong, but would look to each other and society.

I don't think the population would change.

Government? well, there'd be no theocracies, and that would be a HUGE improvement to the world.

I'm not sure that the other issues would be effected, though.

Answer 9

the world would be less complicated. no religious war and no terrorist to create chaos. time for more rest as no need to pray. no ned to wast time reading about religion can spent more time to study and get more degree. everyone will be friend with every one so we will have a world without stranger. no need to worry whether we go to heaven or hell. such a blissful life

Answer 10

Although I am a spiritual person, I know that religion divides people, countries, etc. As much as I hate to admit it I do believe that without religion people would be able to live in harmony with one another. Of course I would never want to be without it, but then again if we never had it we couldn't miss it right? Good question. I feel bad for admitting my feelings about it.