Believers please read for an atheist's perspective of life?

Question

I see many believers state in their responses that if there is no God that they would probably kill themselves, because there would be no meaning to life. They often ask how we can just live a life without a purpose. I do not know if other atheists will agree with me, but this is my personal belief. Take a look at the movie "Cast Away" for my purpose of life. Tom Hanks character is stranded on an island for four years. The only think that kept him wanting to live was knowing that he had a girlfriend/wife back home that he loved. My family and friends is what gives my life a purpose. Other things that I live for is the joy of knowledge and helping other people and animals. My life can have a purpose without a belief in God. So can people seriously tell me that they only live for God and none of the reasons that I stated? If God is all that you need, would you be happy all alone on an island, with nothing but your belief in God?

Redd all I do for others is what I want for myself. I have goals and dreams at life as do others. Would I like for some one else to give me a break at life when I could use it? Yes. So I feel that others can use a break as well. This is what makes me be a good person.

Answer 1

I like what you said here. I also do not understand why Christians do not value their own lives. If they do not value their own lives, how can they value others? If they feel that they would have nothing to live for without God and would just as soon kill themselves, would they also kill all their friends and family since they would have nothing to live for either? The fact remains that we are human and not perfect deities, we are mortal and will die, and therefore all we have is our lifetime. Any moral and loving person would value every minute alive to love their loved ones, do good things for others, and have as many wonderful times as possible. I really am glad that I'm not a Christian since I do value my life and would never want to die because a fairytale I believed in turned out not to be true.

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Answer 2

It's an interesting question, and one that I honestly feel is a matter of perception. A number of supposed Christians employ various forms of God's vengeance as a way of lording their religion over those outside the faith. You may not see that as a put down, but to someone outside the faith, telling someone they are "going to hell" is the equivalent to a grand FU. At the same time, I have noted (and reported) some non-believers who simply are rude and accusing people of being stupid because of their faith. There are ill-informed people and educated people of all stripes. Let's face it: there are competitive Master's and Ph.D. programs in religious studies. I studied in one. There are biblical study groups available in most churches, that require a good bit of research and discipline. Some religious people on Y! Answers do a really poor job of describing their faith, and many of the answers are comically irrational. Someone once even wrote: "Don't think; just believe!" For someone prone to practicing ridicule, they are an easy target. But atheists do not have a corner on that market. The issue behind it and one that I think many Christians minimize is this: MANY CHRISTIANS IN THE US WANT TO STOP PROGRESS AND IN MANY AREAS ROLL BACK HUMAN RIGHTS. When you read vitriol, consider that it comes from fear that if the US becomes more of a theocracy, then the chances are that homosexuals will be jailed and/or killed, that people who perform or receive abortions will become criminals, that birth control will be much harder to get, that science education and research will become tainted by religious dogma, and that the rights of minority religions will be trampled by the majority Christians. These are not small issues. If it seems non-believers come across as a little grumpy, it's because we're genuinely frightened of the US being conquered by a Christian version of the Taliban.

Answer 3

I completely agree with you! I'm a christian, but I don't think I could survive without my family, friends...and i hate to admitt it, but my kitten (she can make me laugh all the time) Also, my education gives me a purpose in life too. I'm in my first year of graduate school, working towards my PhD in psychology. I hope that one day I will be able to help people in the mental health field, and helping people makes me feel like I have a purpose. When Christians say that they need God to have a purpose in life, I definetely disagree!!! If we are the products of evolution, there's no reason why we can't find a meaningful purpose in life!!!

Answer 4

Generally, people who believe in God, such as myself, also believe in all the things you believe in regarding family, friends and the environment. So, the answer to your final question is no, God is not all I need and he would certainly not be all I would want and need if I were stranded on a deserted island. Your life has a purpose without a belief in God, and that is just fine. My life has purpose for many reasons INCLUDING my belief in God. I think you may be confusing people's legitimate religious beliefs with those of nut job fundamentalists. Only a fundamentalist would say that all they need is God. The rest of us believe in God but don't put him/her/it on such a bizarre pedastal. Your beliefs are as legitimate as mine. We'll only know who was right when we die. God's or earth's peace to all of us.

Answer 5

I appreciate this information. I still don't -- can't see things from Your point of view, and it isn't because i don't try.

How does an atheist cope with the loss of a loved one? Because of his age and poor health, i feel my father will die soon, and if i didn't have my faith i don't know how i could cope with that, believing that dead means a rotting corpse and nothing more.

As for that deserted island, i can't say if i would be "happy," but i know i would be miserable with all the other stuff and no belief.

Answer 6

we have two natures.....the spiritual nature that desires God and then the carnal(the flesh or body) God didn't intend us not to enjoy our lives and not make something of it.

If my life revolved around a girlfriend or that's what I lived for then I would think my life is very shallow( but that's just me)
Now if my life centered around family, etc and yes helping people that has meaning. that's fulfilling the human part but there is a spiritual part in us that centers around God. We put God first in our lifes and God fulfills the void we have.

Did Jesus die for the world or did He just not think people were important enough?

Answer 7

I understand where you're coming from...but I do not think you understand where I...and maybe some others....are coming from.

I say, that if it was proven there was no God, I would kill myself because I don't want to put myself through suffering and stress for nothing...I only go through it now because I believe there is something better after death and that if I kill myself I will not get that reward....so I'm waiting for someone to kill me....

It's just that life is tough...and yeah you could tell me to suck it up...but what would be the point? To have kids and for them to have kids? That's just more stress and pain that I do not need to put myself through.

Answer 8

First of all the title of your question implies that we Christians don't have any idea at all what it's like to be an atheist. That's not true. Most of us are 'ex-atheists'. I am. No one is born Christian or raised Christian. Some of us may be raised by Christian parents, but the final decision is ours and we can't be forced either way. As an atheist I made this same argument many times. I just couldn't understand how anyone could find fulfillment in a God I thought was fictional...or at best, too distant to be reached. I was wrong. God is all you need. He IS your family. He IS your friend. And he is absolutely reliable. :)

Answer 9

I can agree with you, I think that atheists can have a purpose in life for some time. Until that purpose fails them. Until something terrible happens, and your dearest family member dies, or your most loved and most precious thing or person dies, and is gone, or turns their back on you. no one is perfect. Where would you go if everything you trusted in, your purpose suddenly faded away?

Answer 10

I was an atheist before I was a Christian. I did not find that family, friends, knowledge, helping other people and animals was enough to live for.