Are Christians happier than Atheists?

Question

B/C they believe in the after-life? I think so.
(and no, I don't base my whole religion on the after-life)

I'm praying for you music girl.

It was meant as an actual concern and I hope someday, somehow, you will find Christ in your life. You will be happier.

Answer 1

Not that I've seen.

Answer 2

Christians are happier compared to any other people not just the atheists, because of the hope that is there in them. Just believing in life after death wouldn't have made them happy but then the fact that Christ died and rose again on the third day is the basis of their joy and happiness..

Edit
Your question seems to be directed more in the general sense of being happy, i suppose. Well! In comparison i would say that Christians could be much more unhappier from a non-believers point of view, when compared to the atheists, but then the ultimate happiness abides in the 'hope' that a christian professes which is absent in the atheists.

Answer 3

Well, let me give you the perspective of one who has been both...

Not too long ago I was looking forward to death more than I looked forward to life because I believed that death was better because it meant I would be in heaven.

It hurt and was hard to leave my religion, but I felt that truth is the most important thing to me.

Once I got through the "mourning stage" of deconversion, and my eyes really began to open, the reverance and lust I began to feel for life was absolutely unreal, and has not abated.

****************
Pray away. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and take it as genuine concern rather than some kind of cosmic threat like it's usually intended.

But.... didn't you hear of the study that showed prayer to be completely ineffective when the person being prayed for didn't know about the prayer, and actually harmful when the person did know?

Um, did you not listen? Or are you just completely arrogant? I was a Christian for 20 years, hon. Whether YOU think I had Christ or not, is really a judgment that you have no business making, especially according to your own religion.

I also just told you that I am happier as I am. Are you calling me a liar, or is this the perpetuation of your arrogance in thinking you know my life and heart better than I do?

You asked a question, and I gave you an answer. Maybe you didn't really want the answer? Maybe you only wanted to hear what you already thought the answer was?

Answer 4

I have been both (I was a Christian for 10 years. Actually I never was an athiest, I am an agnostic), nonetheless, you can be happy or sad as either. The afterlife has very little bearing on it. You need to develop self esteem and self worth. Many people gain this from Christianity. Many people develop this from within. Be yourself and follow what your heart tells you. Two books to read include "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsch or "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman. These will help you understand the delicate balance between belief and non-belief. They may help you sort out both sides.

Answer 5

No, Christians are not happier than atheists because they can look forward to an 'after death-life" ...not at all.

Look... this is simple. Death may be a terrible thing to face because it is deemed by most people as 'the unknown' and there is the fear that pain will preceded and continue through our moment of death.

But as far as the 'after-death' goes, in fact, we have all already experienced exactly what it has to offer - we have seen, first hand, the result of death...

Do you recall suffering anything at all before you were born? Of course, you don't. That's death in a nutshell. It is nothing more than what you have already experienced during you pre-birth non-existence. Nothingness.

So... what's to feel worried about. I can be happy with that, can't you? Nothing could be better than nothing... and nothing could be worse. No Heaven... No Hell. No worries at all.

(((( r u randy? ))))
.

Answer 6

No. I think that both Christians and Atheists can be happy or depressed depending on the individual person.

When I was younger I was depressed and suicidal because of my father's death. At the time I was Christian. As I got older I left my church and began to see the beauty in my life and the people around me not because of an afterlife or because my religion said so, but because I truly found them all beautiful as they were. I became a Humanist, went off my medication, no longer fear death and most importantly no longer fear life. My life has done nothing but improve since developing a natural wordview.

This is not to say that I blame my depression on Christianity, because I don't. I have very little bad to say about the people in my old church. But the doom and gloom outlook my religion fostered was unhealthy for me and luckily I found a good therapist who accepted me as I was regardless of my religious beliefs. I do think that coming to accept the world as it is has done a lot to help me accept myself for who I am and my circumstances for what they are.

To those who say that atheists are all bitter and/or unhappy, I don't think there is much I can do to change your opinion, but I am not a bitter person at all and I don't hate religious folk. I may think they are incorrect but they probably feel the same way about me, that isn't hate it's just a difference of opinion. I try to love and understand all people. ;)

Answer 7

It depends on what you mean by happy. I think that is what confuses many atheists. God never promised a Christian that he will be free from the cares of the world. He never promised Christians that bad things would not happen to them. What He DID promise was that Christians will live a life of JOY.

Rom 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
NIV

2 Cor 7:4

4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
NIV

Gal 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy , peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
NIV

James 1:2

2 Consider it pure joy , my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
NIV

1 Peter 1:8

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy ,
NIV

So yes, Christians live a life of joy because of their relationship to God. And Christians can be joyful even when life circumstances may not necessarily be something to be happy about. But then that is what allows Christians to make it through the hard times.

Answer 8

Please. Why do you have to assume that I'm less happy than you, simply because we don't share a faith? You don't know me. How many actual, real life atheists do you know? To talk to, I mean, not just the atheists here on this board. I happen to be a very happy, fulfilled person, quite satisfied with my lot in life and who I am as a person. Seriously - does it make you feel superior to think that we're nothing but a bunch of miserable slobs? If it does, that's nice for you, I guess, but it's really not the truth. I don't need god to make me happy - I make my own happiness.

Answer 9

The Christians would like to believe they are happier, as they have assurance of some sort of evelasting bliss bowing to and worshiping a God for the rest of eternity.

The Atheists believe they are happier because they aren't wasting the life they have suffering and being penitent to earn something that doesn't exist.

We Pagans are happy because we recognize that life is but a portion of a journey that leads us to better and better things, eventually toward full enlightenment as we continue on.

Answer 10

NO

There are happy and unhappy Christians the same as there are happy & unhappy atheists, muslims, jews etc etc

Being happy has nothing to do with faith.

EDIT
Nice to see the answers so far show how narrow minded most Christians are ..... all saying they are happier than Atheists, yet the Atheist answers state that everyone can be happy.

Answer 11

I can only speak for myself when I say that before I had eternal life Through Jesus Christ my Lord, life was a drudgery; and now that I'm Born Again, I understand things so much clearer now, plus I have fellowship with the Father and the promise of an eternity with Him! Now I know true JOY! NOT too Shabby!