Who do you think lives a happier life: an atheist or a person who believes in a religion?

Question

I find it hard to believe that an atheist would be happier. From my perspective, they seem kind of bitter at life. Please any atheists out here? Help me understand your perspective.

Answer 1

I'd say atheists could be slightly happier on average because they are allowed to accept themselves as good beings without being in conflict with their religion. Most religions such as Christianity take the stance that humans are inherently sinful and bad. An atheist can start with the idea that they can be however they act - it they act with kindness and love they can feel good about themselves and feel that they are good. Religious folks are not allowed to feel that they are good beings without being in conflict with the teachings of their religions which state that they are not good beings and that their actions cannot make them good beings. I feel sad that people are raised believing they are not able to be good no matter how good they behave or how kind they are.

There's also no evil God hanging over our heads waiting to have us tested like Job or tortured like half the poor people in the Bible. When something bad happens to us we don't have to think, "what did I do wrong? why am I being punished?" We can think, "oh, well, sh*t happens" without assigning blame to ourselves and get back to living without feeling guilty that something bad happened to us.

I have yet to see a Christian who could follow all the rules of his religion. The rules are too many in number, conflicting, and complex. They seem to be constantly "sinning" in their own opinion. The guilt must be awful. Religions are mostly based on the principle that humans are inherently base and evil beings. Atheists don't have an obligation to feel like crap just because they were born human.

To sum up -
Athiest = allowed to feel good about good actions
Atheist = doesn't feel guilty when bad things happen to them
Atheist = doesn't have to fear torments from a God
Atheist = can have a clear conscience so long as they feel they've done nothing wrong
Atheist = can believe that people are fundamentally good

Answer 2

Maybe this will help. Its ALL a matter of perspective. Someone with faith may seem (to you) to be living a life of hope, but from my standpoint, they are living a life of denial. They live their lives denying themselves certain things that this world has to offer, in hopes of being "good enough" to receive another life, where everything is perfect (to me, that sounds like a fairy tale). An atheist, on the other hand can throw themselves whole heartedly into the here and now, because this life is all you get, and it's a short one at that. The faithful can't take credit for the things they did well, but must thank their respective deity for the strength to accomplish the task, whereas an atheist understands that it was done through his own perseverance. If someone pisses me off, I can tell them, rather than "turn the other cheek".

From my perspective, a great many of the faithful have a "herd mentality". You aren't permitted to be proud of yourselves, you're encouraged to be meek, you can deny anything about the world that you see as unpleasant by saying "its god's will", you're encouraged to devalue true love by loving everyone...the list goes on.

I realize that this is going to sound a lot more inflammatory than I mean it to. I'm just trying to state my opinions here, in a logical way.

Answer 3

You don't share any reasons why you think Christians would be happier. Is it because you are anticipating the bliss of the afterlife? Exactly how blissful is that? "More than you can imagine" is not a measurement. I'd like a ratio.

Actually, this promised bliss isn't very well described. How is it administered? Is it pumped in, baked in, slathered on or sprinkled over your soul? Is it constant? Is it so intense that you lose sensitivity and have to take ever higher doses? Do you have to take breaks? Does one actually DO anything in heaven? Is it like being in church 24/7? Is it ever boring to be constantly "happy"?

Meanwhile, whatever this promised, unearned reward is, it apparently beats anything this sad old vale of tears has to offer. The simple pleasures of nature, relationships and human "achievement" must look like pastboard and paint next to the imagined pleasures of heaven. It's a wonder that people can stand to live in this filthy, corrupt prison of corporeal life, when it pales so badly against the perfection of whatever heaven turns out to be.

And yet, I manage to enjoy it somehow. This simple pleasures are enough for me. Keep your whiz-bang E-tickets to that magic land beyond the fence. I'm sure it's a fabulous ride you'll always enjoy, but I prefer making the best of what I know. Perhaps I just don't have enough imagination.

Answer 4

I think an atheist would go through life with less guilt and possibly therefore be happier throughout life but I think having some religion in your life as long as it isn't overbearing (like say, going to church on Sunday or whenever that religion's Sabbath day is is good for a person) is very rewarding and makes a person feel good. There are exceptions, but religious people tend to be happy.

Answer 5

here , I AM NOT ATHEIST BUT I am NOT religious either. I do NOT PROFESS ANY RELIGION.I do not need religion in order to have a relationship with God. I do my best to follow very high moral standars, I help others as much as I can, I rather give my money to people that need it than give it to Churches, I love life and happy to be a good person and to help others without worrying about going to hell or whithout wanting a reward from God I do it because it makes me feeel good I am doing the right things. I do not need a religion to tell me what is right or what is wrong, just follow my heart and follow what leads to love and justice.A lot of people that follow a religion they do it just becasue of FEAR or they want A reward. I follow my heart and that's all it matters to make me happy.
And I think a lot of ATHEIST PEOPLE ARE LIKE ME ,EXCEPT THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THERE IS A GOD.
PEACE.

Answer 6

Why would I be bitter? I have friends, family, a good job, I travel a lot, and I have some free time. The only people I really don't like are those who try to push their religion on me - that's when I sound bitter.

I'll take reality over lying to myself any day, even if it DID lead to pain and suffering - which it hasn't. Otherwise, I'd just be a hypocrite.

Why do you find it hard to believe an atheist could be just as happy as a Christian? Or any religious person? Is religion basically a 'happy drug' for you?

Answer 7

I have to say, I'm happier now than I ever was when I was religious. Can't say I'm bitter at life itself. Admittedly sick of hearing the usual peanut gallery of comments ranging from atheists being immoral, devil-worshippers, or Commies going to Hell who'd better pick up a Bible and kiss God's feet for being such horrible people, but not bitter.

Yes, there are people out there who have really ticked me off that I freely admit I don't much care for. Bitter that they're in my life? Hardly. I see someone I don't like, I don't even bother to waste my time with them. Got better things to do with my life than be around people who mistreat me.

Maybe there's some angry, bitter atheists out there, but I'm not one of them. I think the whole reason believers seem to think atheists are "bitter" or "angry" isn't because they don't have God in their life. It's because most atheists are sick of having to hide their beliefs out of fear of being attacked(verbally or otherwise, I've heard of both), sick of being treated and spoken to as something less than human, and sick of being harassed by others to start believing in something an atheist finds impossible to believe in.

It's not about having an unhappy life. It's the constant harassment. Not every Christian does this, but the "angry" atheists have probably run across more than their fair of the religious believers who do. They're not bitter at life, just sick of mistreatment. Believe me, I've been there, with my own family, unfortunately. It's not life, it's people who can't leave well enough alone that they're bitter and angry with.

Answer 8

Really, what gives you any authority to say who is happier? I am happier in my life as an Atheist than I ever was as a Christian. I no longer worry about how sinful my questioning is. I am now able to research different things of interest without worrying about it being against my religion. I no longer have to depend on a god to make it all better, I know that I have to make it better myself. I take more responsiblity in my life and it's really fulfilling to know I am honest and a good person for no other reason other than wanting to be so.

Answer 9

thank you for asking extremely than assuming or projecting. i'm greater suitable than satisfied. I refuse to waste each time with adverse thinking. while a difficulty arises, I meet it as perfect i will and then I pass on. I lead a joyous existence wealthy in connections and exciting discoveries. If i'd desire to bottle the way i think once I awaken some mornings, i'd desire to sell it by utilising the case. this is to no longer say that i don't experience the completed selection of human emotion, which contains disapointments and frustrations. It only looks that as I mature situations and challanges have much less sway over my thoughts. i assume as you age and learn, you midsection. existence has substitute right into a journey that i'm an increasing variety of excited to be on. no person needs to have self belief in mythical critters to experience satisfied or to have a existence. The Bible is inccorect on that account. confident, i'm happier at this think approximately my existence than i became as a theist. in spite of the undeniable fact that that happiness is the effect of private advance, no longer inevitably to atheism. i come across extremely that atheism, like happines is a made of the deepest advance and not the reason. meanwhile, do no longer lose sleep over what human beings ascertain to do or to no longer do. Your loss of sleep won't help everyone and it will injury you. I even have one difficulty to maximum appropriate out of your question information: Being an atheist does no longer recommend you "leave God". It ability you haven't any longer have been given theory in any god in any respect. nonetheless i became theist and now am no longer, it relatively is no longer as though I divorced a god. it relatively is in effortless terms as once you're a toddler you have self belief in Santa and as an older toddler, you recognize he's make have self belief. you do no longer "leave Santa", do you? EDIT: I additionally prefer to indicate out to Korban that the suicide cost is optimum in aspects the place fundamentalist faith is prevelent. it is likewise very extreme between gay little ones whose families reject them for non secular motives. Do you spot a straightforward ingredient there? I do.

Answer 10

It depends on the religion. Even some forms of "christianity" can make a person extremely miserable. Christ gives us joy, but too many people follow a kind of religion that kills all joy, they might just as well be atheists, at least they would not be trying so hard!