Question for all atheists or agnostic people...?

Question

I am curious to know this, as I have never really known a serious atheist or agnostic believer.

For me as a Christian my faith in Christ and the here after keep me going in life when things go bad. My faith is the reason I do good and my purpose in life for being a good mother, friend, and person.

For an atheist, what is your purpose to do good in life if you believe it is all over after you die? When things are bad in life for you what keeps you going? How do you percieve your life and the reason for living? I have always wanted to ask this but have not known anyone to ask. Heartfelt and serious answers only please...Thanks!

It was not my intention to sound arrogant in my faith or to offend some of you, as obviously I did. I apologize. I merely wanted to know the foundation of your perception in your beliefs in no God, as I feel the foundation of my life is in my Savior. Thank you to all of you that answered with heartfelt and such thoughtful answers. I understand now that the perception of how I see life is very much the same as most of you. I also wanted to add briefly that I am Mormon and believe that my family can be together forever after life. I do love my family so much as all of you indicated as well, so in doing good for my family and helping them to reach their goals of teaching them to be good, I know I can one day live again with them. I believe all the knowledge I learn in this life will help fufill even greater good fo the universe here after. I also by the way do not believe that you go to hell if don't believe in God. You do need to be a good person though...

Answer 1

I would like to answer your questions, although, I am not Atheist, or Agnostic. I am Wiccan. I will try to answer on a non biased view point. Question one...If you are refering to "doing good" as in not causing others pain, and living a basicly happy life..well, if you are a basicly decent human being, you will live by the Ten Commandments that Christians follow. Its not a hard thing to do when you really think about it. You dont have to believe in God..the Christian one or otherwise to you shouldnt kill. The same is, I believe, true for an Agnostic.
Question two....I believe that the people who love us(parents, children, lovers, friends..etc.) are what keep us going when things are bad. I know when I have a bad day, and I think things cant get worse...all I have to do is see my children smile, and hear my fiance tell me that he loves me, and all of the sudden, things arent so bad. I want to live day to day just to hear the innocent laughter of my daughter, or the newest slang my teen son comes home with, or the beautiful bright eyes of my youngest daughter. Before my fiance, and two daughters, it was only my son and me. Everyone would ask me why I didnt let my mother raise him since I had such a hard time putting a roof over his head or food in his tummy. When he would hold on to me, and say "Momma, I love you!", I would just try that much harder...just so I never had to see disappointment in thoes beautiful brown eyes.
Question three..I precieve my life as beautiful, fulfilling, busy, passionate, as exciting, as well as hard sometimes. Dont we all? I have EXTREMELY WONDERFUL reasons for living, and none of them require believing in a God, Christian or otherwise. None of my reasons require me to believe in heaven or hell. My reasons are right here with me. My reasons laugh, smile, and say they love me every single day. My reasons, think Im a hero, just because I take care of them.
So, I am Wiccan, so, sure, I believe in many different Gods and Goddesses. I dont believe that how you live here on earth is going to somehow determine what happens when you die. So long as I am loved, and am able to love, that will be my reason to be a good person, it will be my shelter in the storms.
I hope that gives you something to ponder for the better. Good luck in your search for enlightenment!

Answer 2

It not really all that challenging to be a good person with out getting a "reward" for doing so. but your curiosity is why religion exist, because most people need something to keep them going. We tell children that there is a guy in a red suit that comes down the chimney and gives gifts to the good and coal to the bad, now you and I know there is no Santa clause, but for kids the very Idea of an extra present makes life a little better. If all of a sudden there was proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was no god, What would you do? would you go out and kill yourself or other people? would you abandon your children? I would hope your answer is no. Just because I'm an atheist, doesn't mean I have no reason for living, as a matter of fact it actually gives me more reason to live because I feel there's no afterlife, so I make the most of each day I 'm lucky enough to live. The truth is your faith is not what makes you a good parent/friend/person. Because if in fact that's what you are, you would be that way without your faith.

Answer 3

As every question regarding faith, it's a very personal question, so I may only provide you with my own personal answer, expect a lot of I's.

My main drive in life is the search of knowledge, so when everything goes bad, I try to find the reasons why it went bad and what can be done to avoid it or minimize the effect. Whenever i feel I'm stuck in a bottomless pit, I remember what Churchill said: "If you are going trough hell, keep going". The reward for the struggle is life itself.

If i do good is because it feels good. We live in a society with an unwritten social contract that gives nice rewards when you do good and help people. But there is also a self-reward that makes you feel awesome, even without third-part recognition.

Life is consequence of time and probability, and it's great; there's so much to do and so much to learn, can't think of a better reason.

In my humble opinion, if you are carrying on your life just for the rewards at the end, you are missing the best part. My reason to be a good father is nothing but the love i feel for my kids, the big reward will be collected by my daughters-in-law and my grandchildren; i am happy with the small prize, knowing that good parents raise good kids.

Answer 4

Honestly, I have no idea what happens after I die and I struggle with it often. However, I know that I have this life and I know I have this chance to make the lives of others better. That is the important thing about atheism that many people ignore. Since lots of people believe this life is all we have, it makes them better people during this life. I work to make the world the best place I can, which affects me now...and that's all I'm guaranteed. Anything beyond that is just speculation. It's a matter of making life better for those that follow...and that's all we really can do. Just because a person has faith doesn't mean they're a good person. Anyone can be "good" if they have the strength to do it. My reason for living is not clear, but at the very least, it keeps me thinking. I don't want to accept what everyone else thinks about their existence--there's more to it than the Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc. view. Honestly, it doesn't matter if you're religious or not--it matters if you're a good person and you have compassion and a heartfelt respect for humanity.

Answer 5

I am not an atheist but I think I can give you some insight. First Jung explained clearly that it matters not if you are a religious person, because it is inherent for all human beings to believe in an ideal. On the other hand, as a Christian you are not spared of trouble. If you do your good deeds so that you could go to haven then your efforts are worthless since any real good action is done without expecting a reward. Otherwise it’s just bargaining. Moreover, if you do it expecting nothing, then you start functioning like an atheist. So, you see, it really matters not what religion you are, or if we declare yourself to have any religion at all. And when you will meet atheist you will see that many of them are more decent persons that some Christians.

Answer 6

I may be able to answer this for you. I'm an atheist but am a good person who contributes to many chariies and am kind and considerate to everyone I know. How can that be if I don't believe in God or religion? I am what I am because I was taught to be that way by my mother. In addition, my life experience is that when I treat people well I'm treated well in return and that makes me a happier person.

I get through bad times like everyone else; I wait the pain out and eventually it gets better. As a rational and scientifically oriented person I understand the random nature of the world. I don't need the comfort of an external purpose; I make my own purpose.

Thanks for your serious question!

Answer 7

I became an agnostic by getting interested in all religions, and finding there was a fundamental good in all of them but, also, a number of dangerous and exlusivist thoughts that brought about conflict.
Agnostic, doesn't mean you don't believe in God. It simply means you don't believe the will of God can ultimately be known by man. It is, in fact, my sense of morality that brought me to reject dogma. Take the Bible, for example. The book of Job is the description of a genocide ordered by God. How can that same God then send his only son on earth with the message: Love your neighbor like yourself?
So I do believe in a superior order of things (call it God if you will), but I don't believe that superior order necessarily calls for obedience. It does mean the world is an ordered and moral place, though. And as such, my morality is based on the idea we should strive to discover that morality and live by it. Your heart and conscience will tell you if something is really wrong. I don't personally need a book to tell me that, although I admit these books can provide enlightenment and do contain great truths.
As for atheists, I can't speak for them, but I've known many in my life, and found they were not any more amoral than the next person. Morality is a basic human trait. I honestly don't think it depends on religion at all.

Answer 8

There are two questions. 1. Do you know whether or not there is a god/do you think it can be known whether or not there is a god? If you answer no, you are an agnostic. If you answer yes, you are not an agnostic. 2. Do you believe in a god? If you answer no, you are an atheist. If you answer yes, you are a theist. These two questions will give you four outcomes - agnostic atheist, agnostic theist, "gnostic" atheist and "gnostic" theist. Since agnosticism is a philosophy of knowledge, it doesn't decide the question of belief. All agnostics are, therefore, either atheists or theists.

Answer 9

No problem.

What is your purpose to do good in life if you believe it is all over after you die? - Benefiting society. Leave a mark. Influence others. Make the world a better place for future generations.

When things are bad in life what keeps you going? - Hope. Love. The knowledge that nothing will come from ending [my] own life.

How do you perceive your life and the reason for living? - I think of life as an MMORPG. I don't really care why i live.

I do. Therefore, I am.

Answer 10

Does one really need faith in Christ to do good? I believe in myself and my ability to help others. I 'do good' just to feel good about myself and my contribution to others/society. I am not doing anything in order to satisfy someone else's theology. I act upon my own instincts and feelings under the influence of society. The reason I live is a mystery. I just live day by day, doing what I can to make my own life better.

If for some unknown reason Christ failed to exist and your Christianity crumbled, would that change your perception of 'good'? Would you no longer be a good mother, friend, and person? Would 'evil' come upon you? Most likely, no. You will continue to care and love those around you because those are the values instilled within you. This is my theology.