I'm a religious person and I live for God everyday. I'm just curious, how does an atheist live their lives. Are they happy, sad, lonely, empty or don't feel nothing? I'm not judging I promise. I respect people by how they come across to me. I don't care if your rich, poor, black, white, believe in God or not. Their people too and I'm just wondering what it's like. Did you become an atheist by choice, or brought up in it? And if you don't mind, please don't bash or speak negitively about God. Even if you don't believe. I'm just asking. Don't worry I'm not gonna throw a bible verse at you, I think that's hypicritial when people do that. And another thing, what makes you not believe?
2007-07-12 08:02:33 · 36 answers · asked by ♥Blue Angel♥ 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"Are they happy, sad, lonely, empty or don't feel nothing?"
Happy, usually. I have an excellent job, have a rewarding position on the Board of Directors of a local organization, take bike rides, interact with nature and often feel overwhelming joy at that.
Never empty, plenty of feeling - that's why I don't feel the need to make up a God.
I don't believe because there's no evidence for the existence of a god, and again, because I don't have the kind of empty life that would make me need a God. Oh, yes, and there's Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
Thanks for not throwing in a gratuitous "dig" against atheists. It is appreciated (try to ignore the one cruel remark you got in response - an obvious troll).
2007-07-12 08:06:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 9⤊ 1⤋
I was brought up in the church as a christian fundamentalist. I became atheist in my late 20s by choice. I can tell you in a nutshell why I became atheist. I studied on where the original biblical texts come from and learned that there aren't any originals. There are many copies of copies of copies.
I am happy, sad, lonely, empty, fulfilled, content, sometimes I feel nothing and sometimes I am filled with hurt, sometimes I am filled with happiness. I'm just a person who has the same feelings as everyone else.
Maybe you wonder what motivates an atheist. Well I want to enjoy my life because I figure as long as I'm here I may as well like it. I'm not very materialistic so financial success isn't my primary goal but I am not a loser or poor by any means. I look forward to coming home to my dogs and my boyfriend at the end of the day. I enjoy when I am challenged at work, and I look forward to vacations. I love to educate myself on different things so I am usually reading something. I like growing my own vegetables and I'm going to try canning and freezing them this fall. That's a list of some things that get me going every day.
I don't ever feel like something is missing since I stopped believing in God. I actually feel like some doors of opportunity are open to me now that I'm not bound by certain principles - for example thinking that a man needs to be the head of my household. Maybe all christians don't see that the same way, but I was raised to think that I am inferior to men because of the original sin. That mentality gave me horribly low self esteem most of my life so in that area I am much happier. Thats just one example.
anyway I wrote enough but feel free to email me. :)
2007-07-12 10:02:14 · answer #2 · answered by ♨UFO♨ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We're people just like you. I live a life that is relatively happy, very fulfilling, and quiet.
I became an atheist by choice, I suppose. I stopped going to church around age 6 and was never really raised Christian. I read about several religions and found a lot of common ground in Paganism. But I've never really been capable of accepting supernatural explanations for anything, so I don't have any gods and I'm aware that my rituals are more psychological tools than any documentable "power." However nature is very real, and as close to divinity as I need anything to be.
I suppose that I can't believe in any gods or supernatural explanations out of sheer optimism. I look at how much we humans have been able to do and discover, and I think we've just barely started to really learn about this amazing universe. I can't accept theology, because I think there are real, identifiable and objectively verifiable answers out there. We just haven't found them yet. And they'll only lead to more questions. But the important thing is to keep testing, keep exploring and never accept an easy answer.
2007-07-12 08:16:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
While I'm not "atheist" per ce, I have skewed enough ideas of deities that I usually get lumped into this group. I was raised christian by an ordained minister, one of the most intelligent men I've ever known in my life. He encouraged me to research and find answers and truth for myself, and not to take anyone's word as gospel, not even his. I have nothing "negative" to say regarding god, but then, I have skewed perceptions, so there's that. As for how I live my life? I'm happy, I'm a mom of 4 with one more on the way next month. They are my pride and joy. There is no lonliness or emptiness in my life. If you'd like to know anything else, drop me an email and I'd be happy to answer any questions that I have an answer for.
2007-07-12 08:13:04 · answer #4 · answered by lupinesidhe 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm very happy. I've been married to another atheist for almost 11 years, and I have a wonderful 4 year old daughter.
The vast majority of us were raised in a religious house. That is starting to change a little, but I didn't even know the word for it when I figured out that I didn't believe in any god.
2007-07-12 08:09:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
What makes me not believe? Lack of delusion. Seriously.
There are over 2000 religions in the world. Which god is right?
The idea that there is an invisible man, that lives in the clouds, grants wishes, and performs magic, is silly.
The whole idea is preposterous.
Religion is a man-made concept that was used to explain those things he couldn't understand; and to control the behavior of others.
Raised Catholic, realized by age 9 that religion contains WAY too many lies, contradictions, and impossibilities, for there to be ANY truth to it. Have been an atheist ever since.
2007-07-12 08:10:24 · answer #6 · answered by No Chance Without Bernoulli 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I was raised a christian but came to be an atheist after a lot of bible reading and soul searching. I spent a lot of time trying to find god and trying to make sense of the bible, but I just couldn't reconcile what I saw in the world around me with what I read. I'm a mostly happy person now, but giving up religion was a difficult process for a child (I'm 31 now).
2007-07-12 08:14:15 · answer #7 · answered by Geoffrey S 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
ATHEIST - someone who does not believe in a God – any God – not just the Christian one. But that does not mean they do not hold strong moral or religious beliefs! They can follow any religion that does not have a god and there are a lot of those!! Like BUDDHISM – Religious teaching from Buddha and his followers that by destroying greed, hatred and delusion (the cause of all suffering) man can attain perfect enlightenment!! Add christians and muslims together and they amount to just under a third of the world population the majority of the rest is made up of atheists and religions without gods!! So they are in the majority here!!!
2016-05-20 22:48:53 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very happy. Arrived at it by choice after a lot of thinking about it. Never had a religious upbringing to rebel against. Live for my friends, my family and my work.
Life for an atheist is all you get. So you make it work. It's great.
2007-07-12 09:35:12 · answer #9 · answered by Bad Liberal 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes I am happy. Sometimes I am sad. I suffer from depression, but that is not related to my atheism. I was even more depressed when I was religious. I was a very devout Christian earlier in my life. I realized one day that I did not believe in supernatural happenings. I examined myself and finally came to the conclusion that forcing myself to believe things I knew were not true was not being honest. I am content as an atheist. I do not feel the need to bash christians. I respect everyone as human beings. Thanks for asking!
2007-07-12 08:12:59 · answer #10 · answered by in a handbasket 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋