Does it really feel your heart with joy to believe there's nothing more after this life?And to believe that after you die,you'll be nothing more than breafast,luch&dinner for the maggots that will feed on your decaying body?
Maybe it's just me,but that doesnt sound like a very good or pleasent belief.
2007-03-27 02:05:49 · 31 answers · asked by Maurice H 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Who says that it fills our hearts with joy? Atheism is NOT about wishful thinking, it is about being rational and realistic. Believing something just because it gives you joy is delusion and nothing more.
2007-03-27 02:18:29 · answer #1 · answered by NaturalBornKieler 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"Athiest" is not a word. "Atheist" is.
The notion that something that happens after I die should or should not fill my heart with joy is rather silly, isn't it?
Joy is a result of actions in life, in the present, not in the anticipation of some unknowable speculative reward that might or might not happen depending upon whether some entity which may or may not exist approves of what people may or may not do while they are alive.
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.
What maggots do with my decaying body after I die is none of my business. I am alive today, right now, in this moment. This is where joy is to be found.
2007-03-27 09:26:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's not a matter of feeling joyous at the thought of one's demise and what happens to one's lifeless body afterward. What matters is NOW.
So, yes, knowing THIS IS IT--right here, right now--is a rather joyous way to live, believe it or not.
It is a constant reminder not to take a single moment, a single experience, a single opportunity for granted. It is an chance to find wonder in nature, beauty in a child, or spouse or elderly person. It is motivation to make a difference.
Appreciate it all while you can. To be alive is a beautiful thing.
I don't need a fantasy story to make me feel good about life. What I have here, now, is enough.
I am not a greedy person.
2007-03-27 09:19:27 · answer #3 · answered by allaboutthewords 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am not currently an atheist, but I have certainly thought about it a lot. And no, there was no joy in it for me when I did not believe in a god.
However, after exploring different religions, I have not found a lot of joy in those, either. The constant threat of "you will burn in Hell" saps joy from my life and seems to me to be nothing more than a scare tactic used to control masses of people.
This life, this existence, is my one concrete value. Nobody knows what happens after this life. We can wish, and we can believe, but we can never really know. Therefore, I choose to live THIS life according to my rules (as well as the laws we create to keep society functioning), and I take joy from that. I do not bow to any god, I do not fall for "burn in hell" scare tactics, I will not be controlled or manipulated by any religious rules that tell me what to do with my body, who I should or should not love, or even who I should vote for.
Atheism is grounded firmly in reality and knowledge of the here and now. Atheism is also a beautiful appreciation of the here and now, since that is all we really KNOW we have.
If believing in gods or sharing a communal religion with others brings you peace and joy, and helps you to live a better life, that is a wonderful thing. I don't believe in religion but I believe in a greater power, and that certainly brings ME peace and joy. But there is nothing wrong with living life in celebration of the here and now, and choosing not to believe in "the invisible monster in the sky" that many people choose to bow to.
2007-03-27 09:19:11 · answer #4 · answered by iamshake 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What, you think a made-up fantasy afterlife is better that reality? Dude, I outgrew that at the same time I outgrew the tooth fairy, Easter bunny and Santa Claus. See, when you're dead it won't matter one bit what happens to your body, however gross it happens to be. You will not be aware of it. You will not be aware of anything. There will be no "you" to BE aware.
And don't give me that pathetic whine about life after death. If you were a true believer, you'd have read the entire Bible and would have found the passage that clearly states there IS NO LIFE AFTER DEATH!
If you think your answers lie in Scripture, then try this one: Ecclesiastes 8:15. It gives you the purpose of life itsself.
Bye, little one!
2007-03-27 09:14:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Why would I take joy in something that is after I stop existing, I'd rather take joy in my life - my family, friends, accomplishments and the universe around me.
I'm not sure that I would want to spend an eternity in heaven, when countless "unchosen" or "unreached" humans are not, just because they were not born Hebrew, or in the wrong part of the world or at the wrong time.
2007-03-27 09:12:48 · answer #6 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Do you believe that your whole body is going to heaven, or just your soul? Cause you know your body is still going to be here becoming breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the maggots.
What fills my heart with joy is my LIFE. Death is death. It's over, I'm not going to know the difference anyway.
And I'm being cremated, so I won't be worm food, but thanks for caring.
2007-03-27 09:30:06 · answer #7 · answered by photogrl262000 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maurice, there's no question that after you die you will become worm food. Whether your god is there or not, your body is gonna rot.
As for the rest, I'm sorry that you can't find enjoyment in our life and in our world without believing that some god is gonna reward you and punish others who don't agree with you.
That doesn't sound pleasant to me.
2007-03-27 09:19:01 · answer #8 · answered by Samurai Jack 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Clearly that's not what all atheists believe. I for one do not. Not even an ignorant atheist would find that a pleasant belief. Nice way to stereotype people.
2007-03-27 09:25:03 · answer #9 · answered by Maureen B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless you can prove that your body won't become breakfast, lunch and dinner for the maggots, I think my belief is fine.
Religions and god are created by people and a god who is all powerful and all benevolent does not exist.
Is it true that a religious person can only disagree with another religious person if they are from different religions?
2007-03-27 09:16:43 · answer #10 · answered by ShanShui 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋