Have you ever met a happy atheist?

Question

It seems religious people are happy because they have something to believe in and atheists are angry and mean because they don't? What gives?

The Freedom From Religion Foundation claims to want to enforce a separation of religion and state, so why is it trying to push atheism as the new religion? Their website looks a lot like a church website with people playing guitars, books to read, weekly meeting groups in large halls etc.

Sorry, I seem to have stirred up a lot of anger with this one......hmmmmmm.

Interesting that you all assume I am Christian. Why should atheism target Christianity, there are a shed load of other religions, but no-one has mentioned Jews or Muslims.

I am glad there are no lions around here, otherwise I think I might have been thrown in amongst them.

Going from your (mostly - not all) animosity to this question, why do you hate the idea of others believing in religion. You say it imposes on your lives, whilst religious people say you impose on theirs

Interesting some of you say atheism is not a religion - depends on your definition. According do the definition on dictionary.com it would classify.

However, I have to agree (and thus apologise for calling it so), an -ism by definition is a theory which in itself means that it is inherrently fallible, which is something religions tend not to define themselves as.

So I am in full agreement with you. Atheism is a theory and by definition is questionable. Sorry for the previous confusion.

Answer 1

Matthew 5:3 - "Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them."

When people have true spirituality in their lives, they lead more happy and fulfilling lives. But keep in mind the emphasis on TRUE spirituality, not just ANY.

Answer 2

Nope I've actually never met an Atheist that was truly happy. Yikes getting a thumbs down for answering the question truthfully. It's not my fault that I haven't met any happy Atheists. It's not as if I said that there are no happy Atheists in the world. It's just that I've never actually met any of them.

Answer 3

I consider myself 100% athiest (not agnostic or something in between) and I think that makes me a happier person than most religious people I know. I live every day like it's my last, because I don't have a flowery afterlife to enjoy. I also don't have false confidence that some great power up above is taking care of me, so I determine my will and my 'fate', as it were.

Also, as far as atheism being a religion - i don't think it is a religion in itself, but there are definitely people that turn it into one. The most devoted athiests are just as bad and annoying as the religious crazies in the world.

Answer 4

Happiness is dependent on your state of being and circumstance, not whether you are an atheist or a theist. Theists may seem happier because they dwell on the beliefs that their god is loving and merciful and that whatever afterlife they believe in will be absolute bliss. However, I've never met a theist who is immune to grief, suffering and tears. Likewise, I've never met an atheist who was unhappy just because he/she is an atheist.

In regards to your statement that "atheism is a theory", let me assure that it is NOT a theory. It is a state of perception and awareness. An atheist is simply lacking the belief of a theist. The reason for this is simple: a person is a theist because he/she has had some experience, event or phenomenon occur in his/her life that he/she concluded could only be possible due to the existence of some god or deity. The atheist simply hasn't. The atheist has not seen, heard, felt or experienced anything that would cause him to conclude that some kind of god or deity exists. There is nothing theoretical about such a position.

Answer 5

Well, im an athiest, and im happy for the most part, maybe more bitter than religious people as i see what is going on around me for what it is and not acts of god w/ meaning, Ignorance really is bliss, so I can see how one could think that, but it's incorrect. Im just fine w/ being worm food when i die, handling it when people die on my own, and knowing everything going on isnt a religious chain reaction but the degradation of society due to irresponsible and disillusioned people.

See, even the xians have to turn athiesm into a group, they couldnt stand just having people around w/o a title, so they gave it a name. Then they couldnt stand that we didnt have meetings and have a head brainwasher, so now the lack of religion is a religion too. I wish they could butt out and leave things that dont concern them alone. That goes w/ gay anything, abortion, forcing impressionable minds to talk about god in elementary school, etc.

Answer 6

Eh that argument could go either way. Some atheists could assert the claim that if religious people seem happy it is only because they are mindless sheep who are lying to themselves. I don't really have a strong opinion either way, I just don't believe that all religious people are happy and all non-religious people (read term any way you'd like) are all unhappy. Depends on the person I guess. Oh and religion isn't the only thing in the world to believe in.

Answer 7

I'm a happy atheist, and I have lots of friends who are happy atheists.

Not all of us participate in the Freedom From Religion foundation, and I think pretty much all of us realize that atheism is not a religion. (Music groups and book clubs are not religions either, as is implied by the end of your second paragraph). Have a good day!

Answer 8

All of them plom not happy
If
John 3:36
36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."[a]

so how about Afthiest peoples, not believe in any
and read
Psalm 14
1 The fool [a] says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

2 The LORD looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.

3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

4 Will evildoers never learn—
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on the LORD ?

5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.

6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.

Answer 9

tut tut tut I thought you weren't allowed to tell lies

All the atheists I know are happy people

Most of the xian people i know are happy too.

I find it funny that xians aren't more terrified of hell. I mean what if you've got the wrong religion and god isn't too sympathetic about it?

Atheism is the lack of belief in gods. Please explain how that could be a religion. You could start by listing the rites and rituals of atheism.

Answer 10

I've met far more happy atheists than I have happy christians.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation seems to only want equal dealings. The US Constitution gives as much freedom of religion as it does freedom from religion. But in either instance the government should never endorse, promote, or condone religious involvement in government.

Answer 11

Many of the atheists on this site seem to be not only happy, but very nice people. This was a revelation to me, because I genuinely had never met a happy atheist in real life. They were plenty smart, but selfish, cynical, and a little hateful.

We learn something new every day, no?