What is the satisfaction of atheism?

Question

I mean, you have nothing to look forward to, nothing to believe in except science and what you can see, touch. How is it an acceptable answer that you exist because you exist. That is all. There is no purpose in life, except to live until you die. There is no beauty in your reality. You boil down life to what you can explain, because you feel you can control it. Knowledge is power, right?
I mean, I'm a Christian. If in "the end", I'm wrong and there really is no God, then big deal. I lose nothing.
But if I'm right and you're wrong.... you go to hell.
What then?

I'm not trying to save you, I'm trying to understand you. What do you strive for in life, and in death? So you go to college, you make something of yourself. Okay, good... for this life. But like I said, "WHAT IF".
Please know, I'm trying not to stereotype! That's why I need to know more, so you don't feel offended. I don't condemn any of you!

And just as you believe I am wrong about your beliefs and practices, many of you are also VERY wrong about Christians.

I DO NOT speak for my brothers and sisters, because unfortunately, many of them carry a belief that as Christians, they are "better than you".
God teaches that all were created equal, and that He loves you as much as He loves me. Who am I to speak for God, He could love you MORE than me, for you are "lost".
God teaches that we should NEVER judge another human being regardless of their beliefs. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." I am not sinless, and I will not judge you.

Any "Christian" who does not follow these ways of Chrisitanity, bears a false witness and I personally apologize that you should have crossed paths.

Answer 1

Every single person will answer this differently, so all I can do is give you mine. I've studied a decent number of different religions, nothing scholarly, but enough for myself. In all of them I feel like something doesn't fit (again, these are my opinions). Something seems wrong, and it's wrong to force myself into believing something I think is wrong. Atheism seems to be the path that best fits with me. And while you feel it's cold and heartless, I disagree. As an atheist, I feel like all of us are little specs in the whole world. And I constantly marvel in how much love and hate, beauty and pain us little specs can feel. I disagree that my life is "purposeless." The purpose isn't handed down as a law, but is subtly given by all of humanity: help. In whatever ways you can, help your fellow human beings. I'm going to end this with a quote from an atheist professor given after the VT shootings in response to atheists being vilified.

"We atheists do not believe in gods, or angels, or demons, or souls that endure, or a meeting place after all is said and done where more can be said and done and the point of it all revealed. We don’t believe in the possibility of redemption after our lives, but the necessity of compassion in our lives. We believe in people, in their joys and pains, in their good ideas and their wit and wisdom. We believe in human rights and dignity, and we know what it is for those to be trampled on by brutes and vandals. We may believe that the universe is pitilessly indifferent but we know that friends and strangers alike most certainly are not. We despise atrocity, not because a god tells us that it is wrong, but because if not massacre then nothing could be wrong."

I really like his last line: You see Mr D’Souza, I am an atheist professor at Virginia Tech and a man of great faith. Not faith in your god. Faith in my people.

Answer 2

Well, how very self-righteous of you. I live for today, and I enjoy life. I believe there is no god, so to me, those who spent all that time praying are wasting their time. Instead of actually doing something to make the world a better place, they pass the buck to their creator. If you think I can't find something beautiful, then you already have no idea who I am. I have no more control in life than a butterfly does, but I don't hear the butterfly whining about other beliefs. Knowledge is power, and power can be weld to either make the world better or enslave it. Christianity has a long history of enslavement, literally in many cases. Two examples are the control the church had and used over the printing press (afraid that educated people may actually not believe), and then there was the constant defense of slavery in America using the Bible as the weapon.
And you are incorrect. If you are wrong, you will have wasted countless hours of your life and the chance do some real good. If I go to hell, then your god clearly does not care what kind of person I have been and is unworthy of worship.
I am satisfied knowing that because of my beliefs I try only to help people and raise tolerant, wise children. You really should try do the same, or you have wasted your supposedly precious gift of life. Good luck to you.

Answer 3

Now hold on a minute.

No purpose? No purpose?

Helping other people isn't a purpose? Building a career isn't a purpose? Travelling? Starting a family? Enjoying the arts, entertainment, sports, books, history, TV, literature, science, nature, movies, technology? Going to college? Learning new things? Trying something new? Attempting to make this world a better place than it was when you entered?

There are millions and millions and millions of potential purposes and meanings for life. Why does the lack of an afterlife suddenly render life meaningless?

I don't know if an afterlife exists or not. In my opinion the afterlife is a lot like other supernatural topics -- you really can't prove them one way or the other. But even if it didn't exist, I wouldn't care. I love life. This is all I need, right here. Why would I need more than this? The possibilities in THIS world are endless -- I don't need another world.

Answer 4

I'll addresss the second point first - I don't think God will be too happy that you are Christian only because of Pascal's Wager.

As to the first point, even devout people of many religions will tell you there is a point to life besides knowing God. Happiness, Love, Satisfaction, these are the religion of the Athiest. Also, Athiests DO beleive in things they can't see or touch - things like nanoparticles, quarks, the Big Bang, Empathy, Racial Conciousness, Genetic Memory, and Love. They believe there is beauty in the creation of a star, the blooming of a flower, and the love between two people. They believe purpose in life relates to the personal and the racial (the human race), and improving both as the purpose of life.

I do believe in God but I don't deny any of these things. The way you worded your questions leads me to believe you are very close-minded, and seemingly averse to understanding others' viewpoints. I recommend learning to better understand the lives of others. A great man once said "A life has value only in the effect it has on other lives".

Answer 5

Yay! A drinking question! *drink*

I'm an atheist but also a Taoist and a pagan. I have spiritual beliefs despite your declaration that I don't. I have meaning in life despite what you think, because you don't comprehend my view at all. You are only imagining what I think. You're wrong.

If, as a Christian, you are wrong and there is no deity (or no deity as you picture it) you've spent your life worshipping an evil god and looking down your nose at good people. What a waste!

If you are right and I am wrong, well, the moral high ground lies with Satan, at least until that deity's mother finds out what he's been up to and gives him a time-out for cruelty and snottiness.

Answer 6

I have more comfort in believing there's no God. That life isn't just a test preparing you for something 'else', that people need to make their own purpose rather than having one predetermined...I don't want to think of myself as 'special' with a set 'purpose', etc. I'm more comfortable thinking that each and every person is the exact same, and our choices make us either successful or unsuccessful in the end. I believe in living life as I see it, and I find it amazing that all the life around me created itself and thrived. That, to me, is more awe-inspiring than believing some guy just created it. I think that since this is the only life I have to live, I have to make a purpose...if there's heaven after this, then why bother? Why not just keep my toe in line, don't do anything spectacular, and just keep waiting for paradise? In my point of view, life is sacred, beautiful, a gift of nature--but a Christian doesn't need a purpose, they don't need this life--they have the paradise that awaits them at the end of the tunnel.

Oh, and don't use the whole, "You can only believe in science and what you can see and feel" bs with me...My reasoning against religion is that, when I went to church, I felt nothing. God hadn't uplifted my spirit, hadn't touched my soul, or whatever. I felt not a damned thing--and I was six. I was more than willing to believe at that age. I wanted to believe so bad it hurt. So turning to atheism had nothing to do with science, but everything to do with intuition.

Answer 7

Basic honesty. Personal integrity.

Most of what you wrote is simply false - don't put so much stock in the Christian anti-atheist and anti-nature propaganda.

Oh, and bottoms-up!

If "in the end" you're wrong and there really is no God, then no big deal, for you. But if it turns out that there IS a god, then you'll go to hell for believing in him, while we atheists will enjoy eternal life in paradise. Do you really want to take that risk?

(See? When you just make up the rules, you can prove whatever you want. That's why "Pascal's Wager" doesn't hold any water)
==================
Hey, folks, I wanna see some drinking here.
I'm not drinking alone on this one.

Okay, that's better.

Thanks, MaryAnn. Have I told you lately that I love you?

Answer 8

Paul S is right: The satisfaction of atheism is the satisfaction of honesty. Being able to look the world straight on, knowing that it's up to you to figure it out and that you have the means to do so, is immensely satisfying.

The rest of your question consists of the kind of baseless assumptions that believers love to make about atheists. Then you finish up with Pascal's Wager. How original.

And btw, I disagree with that. If you're wrong about god, then you've already lost quite a lot -- you've lost reality. No, it's worse -- you've pushed it away with both hands.

Answer 9

I don't get it at all, this theist "you have nothing to look forward to" crap. We are not nihilists. We are social animals just like you. Vertebrates. Mammals. Primates. We build complex social structures with parents, siblings, children, friends, peers and colleagues. We live and strive and hope and dream just like you. We appreciate the arts and creative outpourings from humans and nature like you do. We just don't think there is a sky daddy constantly looking over our shoulder.

You grossly misrepresent our stance, I hope by simple misunderstanding rather than malice.

Answer 10

I could never believe in god that would let the world get into the current state of chaos that we call life...