Does belief in God make people happier although it may be a fake concept?

Question

Are God-believers happier than the atheists although atheists seem to be realists?

Answer 1

It depends on the person. Some people get their happiness from their faith, while others get happiness from denouncing the existence of a god and relying on themselves rather than on an outside force.

Happiness is a conditional state of being by its definition, so I think people who get happiness from their faith can only get their happiness in favorable conditions: when they have a home, money, a job, a family... if all that was taken from them, they would no longer be happy.

Answer 2

To be honest, it depends on the individual. Most of the christians I've met (not bashing the whole barrel for a few bad apples here) have been just as depressed/mean as the general populace. I have met some (more like a few), that the religion gave them strength and happiness, and they didn't turn their noses down on anyone not christian or otherwise up-to-par.

My father is atheist, and is the happiest person I know, and out of all the people on the face of this planet, he's honestly the one that I love and look up to the most. He's never had any sort of faith in anything even resembling a diety.

I started out christian, as was kind of forced by my mother, and it just did not work for me. I gave up on it, becoming atheist, and that was even worse (although how much of that was due to that period of time being rough is up for debate). Now I follow the technically "pagan" religion the Ojibwe Native Americans, and I've never been happier in my life.

Answer 3

Some people, some participants in different religions all around our pretty blue rock, find comfort in their beliefs, their faith. Especially is this true among the elderly, the lonely, the emotionally afflicted. I am very old indeed but a nonbeliever ever since I was a wee lad way down in Jim Crow Georgia. Still and all, though I am old and also one of the 56 million Americans with disabilities, and, as I said, a nonbeliever of all gods, I'm a happy man. My happiness was born in my life in the professional theatre, but I am of a mind that if I did not see gods are merely myth and sometimes curious fairy-tale--a talking snake, a talking bush, a talking jackass--I would still be a fellow who smiles and laughs a lot and sings a merry tune because, at my disastrous age, 71, I still perform upon the world's professional stages.

Answer 4

Although the world judges happiness by temporary success (often in terms of money) it is only temporary. The world, one day, will come to an end, but God's Kingdom will not. Christians have the freedom to put all their trust in an eternal God, who will not let them down.

By building a life on a foundation of love, trust and support, people are more likely to extend these things outwardly to others. Becoming a Christian does not make all your troubles disappear, but it does give you comfort and support when you realise that Jesus, who died for your sins, has been through so much worse.

Although the problems and issues may be the same in the life of a Christian and a non-Christian, their outlook on the situation might be different, as faith in God allows us to trust that he will work things out in the best possible way.

Answer 5

I don't think that belief in God necessarily makes people "happier". I think a belief is something that gives someone a foundation and support structure whether it be atheism, or a belief in a higher spiritual being. Happiness is a separate state of mind that is constructed not necessarily on a person's belief.

I also feel that a person's belief can not be a fake concept if you believe in them. Beliefs are made from soul searching and a person's value system and they can never be fake. Other people may not necessarily share beliefs, but that is what makes people individuals

Answer 6

To believe in god is to have hope. The belief in god fills a void in many peoples life. Without god some people wouldn't be able to handle their lives they way they do now. I'm not saying monotheist are weak in any way, but their belief allows them to be satisfied to an extent that the world can't do. It does seem easier to believe in god, all your questions are answered for you, than to think for yourself. Thinking for yourself requires courage and rarely leads to real conclusions, only more questions. Before Christianity there were other cultures that understood the basic human need for hope. For example, the only thing left, in the bottom, of Pandora's box was hope. Some indigenous tribes sought hope through ritual sacrifice. All religions provide some sort of hope or symbol of meaningless, if they didn't they would not exist very long. Religion is a good thing, it gives people balance and makes them better for it. It is sad that the darker side of religion has to balance out the better half, but that is the way everything works. Balance is the universal law.

Answer 7

Yes, as a vast generalization I think it does. A case can be made that any belief, however irrational, can be valid it is has a net positive effect on your life. If you are convinced that believing in God gives your life meaning and purpose, helps you deal with life's difficulties and there is no down side to this belief what's wrong with that. As Brian said, "You're all individuals! You've all got to work it out for yourselves!"
On the other hand he wasn't the Messiah just "a very naughty boy."

Answer 8

I say that depends upon the person. I see many people who believe in gods who are quite miserable and want to make other people as miserable as they are. Dad and his mother were such people, and my oldest sister inherited that destructive rubbish. I was miserable when I was a child and had not yet developed my own personality and thus went along with my family without question. It was quite depressing to think that I had to live forever in one of two undesirable places. What deity could be so cruel? Luckily, I began to realize that the Bible and my family's religion made no sense. I was a born philosopher, it seems. I could believe unpleasant things if I found them to be true, but I was glad to be rid of religion that is not true. There are enough unpleasnt realities without believing in silly fantasies that make one depressed.

Answer 9

Are we happier then you guys who love to tell us that we're fake?

Probably

Anyone who spends their entire life trying to tell someone else that they're wrong has something seriously wrong with them.

Most religious people love the fact that someone is looking after them, that they have a future, that someone loves them and wants them to succeed, they have a reason to be.

There are many people who do not believe but let others believe what they want to believe, they too can be happy. There are also many stories of non-believers who truly embraced their non-belief and succeeded, (Into the Void, WATCH IT), then again you get the opposite happening with people through their faith achieving awesome things.

If you have a reason to be, you will be happy, but if you continuously insist that someone else's beliefs are wrong, and try to dictate what other people think and live then you are no better then the religious extremists who try to force their way of life onto others.

Answer 10

Define happiness. Modernity currently defines happiness as a state of emotional satisfaction or positive feelings. Classical definitions of happiness have much more to do with the fulfillment or purpose of one's nature. Is understanding of happiness objective or subjective? How happiness is defined is critical to answering your question. The other critical distinction that needs to be addressed is your characterization of atheists as "realists". This is an impression, however what do you mean by this impression?