I don't know if my search for God is going to be successful so in the event that I don't find him, how do I find contentment and avoid blowing my brains out with a .45 magnum as a result of the sheer despair? It seems to me that if the universe is getting ready to kill us all and that all good things are in vain, there is cause for only despair for those of us who care about the future of humanity.
Serious answers only please. Thanks.
2007-03-09 04:03:26 · 35 answers · asked by Zeek 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It is really very simple why I don't live for myself. I am not selfish. In fact, I don't care about myself at all. I don't care if I don't wake up tommorow morning. In fact, that would be wonderful becuase I would no longer suffer from all my cancerous tumours. Now I only care about the higher order and people who have more potential for life than I do. Is that so hard for you to understand?
2007-03-09 04:12:10 · update #1
atheists are humanists, they care about the here and now and the future of humnity, not living their lives on the condition that they get something paid back, and that god will save us from our sins and mistakes.
I do think you have to make peace with yourself, be happy in the here and now, apreciate people for who they are and not what they believe and above all, enjoy life, dont look into it too deeply or it will only bring you more and more questions and you will end up staring into your own bellybutton.
What happens after you die is an adventure, and a suprise for everyone, all I know is that energy cannot be created or destroyed, and there is an infinite of possibilities. we are all insignificant, there are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on every beach on Earth.
2007-03-09 04:08:53 · answer #1 · answered by Zen禅Maiden :ジェダイ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What do you expect to find in God that you cannot find elsewhere?
Relationship? You have 6 billion or so other humans to choose from.
Knowledge? Already finished reading the libraries of the world?
Guidance? Find a mentor, books of wisdom.
Forgiveness? Guilt is self-induced and requires self-forgiveness.
Immortality? We live on through our children and through the lives we touch.
What cause do you have for despair?
Don't you understand that the God we've invented is the very definition of despair?
All knowing. Nothing left to learn and no surprises, ever. Eternal, one day same as the next forever.
All powerful. Any thing you can think of you can have with a thought and you can think of anything.
The Christian God was so lonely he developed a split personality just to keep himself company and have an intellectual peer to talk to.
Dude. Quit chasing invisible cosmic beings and work on your real-world relationships with other human beings and real-world accomplishments that leave your mark and despair won't be an issue.
2007-03-09 04:29:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The key is to be happy with yourself. This isn't a matter of being selfish, just an acceptance that you are what you are rather than trying to be something you're not or something that you think other people want you to be. This doesn't mean that you should give up on trying to become a better person, just accept that as long as you give it your best effort then you shouldn't beat yourself up over it.
People can find contentment and their place in the World without factoring in God, especially as God is interpreted in so many conflicting ways. Be true to yourself.
It doesn't bother me that there isn't a God... all my mistakes are my own and all my accomplishments too. I can just try to do the best I can in any given situation and accept that sometimes it doesn't always go to plan. When things go wrong they may not be my fault but blaming "God moving in mysterious ways" doesn't help either; just accept and move on.
I don't suppose that the universe is going to end anytime soon but I know that there's nothing I or anyone else can do about it one way or the other. I would much rather know that the universe is going to end because of some natural phenomenon than at the whim of some sort of superior being who could just as easily choose to keep us all alive. The thought that God could wipe us all out is not very reassuring - I'm much happier knowing that there isn't someone "up there" who could treat me the same way that little kids pull the legs off spiders. Knowing that there isn't a God is actually very liberating.
2007-03-09 04:06:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'm an atheist and I am absolutely content with my beliefs and every other aspect of my life, I wouldn't even consider suicide (besides the fact I have no reason to at the moment) because I know this life is all I have and I'm not going to waste it in that way.
I also think the reason I'm happy with my beliefs is because I focus on the here and now and I don't have to act a certain so-called "moral" way to get into some place in an afterlife. I do things that make me content with my life now and don't worry about being restricted by fears of what will happen after death. It also goes along with the here and now thing, if this is the only life I have I might as well do things that make me happy and make it worthwhile, no point in moping around about anything.
2007-03-09 04:14:52 · answer #4 · answered by dc87 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Anyone can find happiness by choosing it. It is within yourself but you can nurture it by focusing on the many wonderful and positive things that are in the world. Yes, there is also negatively and uncertainity but there you can do your part to alleviate the negativity. Get involved in something you care about, make a difference. Take care and be kind to yourself. If your mind is too focused on negative things distract yourself with something you enjoy doing. If you don't have something like that find something. Realize how far humans have come, things are actually better today than they were in the distant past. Religion never made me happy nor brought me peace. I accept that all are different though. I hope you find what is right for you and allow others the same. Just know happiness without God or religion is possible.
2007-03-09 04:14:47 · answer #5 · answered by Zen Pirate 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1) Not a belief.
2) Most likely in every way a believer does besides "God"
You need a little self respect and a little more appreciation for humanity before you start asking these "why should I go on" questions. Obviously you don't value yourself or your fellow man. Apparently you think you need "God" to assign value to life. That's something you have to work out for yourself. I can't make you care about your life, the life of your loved ones, the life of fellow man, etc.
The future of humanity is here on earth... in reality. The fact that a "higher power" doesn't exist to be a comfort to you doesn't mean you can't care, doesn't mean you can't feel, doesn't mean you're incapable of doing good and experiencing compassion. Stop selling yourself short.
*edit* Are you saying that suffering necessitates a god?? I simply don't understand how you arrive at that conclusion. Suffering certainly makes people hope that there's something "better", but no matter how satisfying and reassuring an idea may be, that doesn't change what is logically possible and what isn't.
2007-03-09 04:06:51 · answer #6 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm sorry! I don't understand why it is despairing without a god.
Human life is valuable in and of itself. It doesn't need a sky pixie to have magicked it into existance in order to be wonderful. The fact that I have one short turn on this ball thats spinning around the sun, makes my short life MORE precious and valuable - not less so!
This is a serious answer and I mean this is the most repsectful way because I used to suffer from depression after a murder in my family. You may be suffering from depression if it seems that hopeless to you. It's not a character flaw, but due to an imbalance in the brain itself and can be easily remedied. Just talk to your family doctor about it - you don't even need a shrink.
Life is too short and precious to feel miserable.
2007-03-09 04:09:01 · answer #7 · answered by Laptop Jesus 2.0 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is a wide range of possibilities that lie between the search for God and "blowing out" your brains with a .45 magnum.
The search itself can be a stimulating source of enjoyment. I am constantly seeking a better understanding of the infinite. I have discovered a wealth of literature on the subject and am constantly learning. T. H. White, in "The Once and Future King," had Merlin very wisely say to young Arthur that "the best thing to do when you are sad is to learn something."
The universe is not my responsibility. I can, if I choose, work away in my little corner of it to make life better for the people I encounter and to continue to learn and grow in my search.
I will say that I am largely content, frequently happy, and occasionally joyful in my approach. I would recommend it to anyone.
2007-03-09 04:11:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why in the world would the nonexistence of God cause you to despair? Or to think that "all good things are in vain"?
That simply makes no sense at all.
I want to respectfully point out that religious belief is obviously causing you a lot of grief. Why would you persist in something that is so bad for you?
2007-03-09 04:11:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Search instead for a sense of humor. You can be aware of the inhumanity of the world and work to change it in any way you can, but if you can't find some humor in human folly you will sink into despair. I like reading Kurt Vonnegut. He understands how screwed up the world is, but reminds you the need to not take it too seriously. Find detachment, feel the transience of this human existence...it works.
2007-03-09 04:09:35 · answer #10 · answered by the beet 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋