Calzaer

** This is a serious topic, and I hope it will be treated as such. **

How is it that there are so many happy, joyous, and fufilled atheists in the world? These people have given up security, fellowship, children (to religious spouses in divorce proceedings), and holy matrimony, and yet, they are joyful. Many have no desire to be politically influential and are satisfied with their role outside of the Church.

Does this speak to any nuns in support of the nonexistence of God? If not, to what do you attribute their happiness?

Calzaer

Calzaer

...sorry, Gemma Therese's topic was just ripe for the picking. But it's still a good question, nevertheless.

Ad Astra

I'm happy because I no longer have to take the time and energy to bullshit myself into latching on to a religion I know is sick, twisted and utterly disgusting. So, one day, I gave the concept of gods as being real the big middle finger, and started living my life.

Godless Wonder

This begs the question* Is there any correlation between religious belief and happiness? And if so, which is cause and which is effect, or are they even causally related? (The phrase "fat dumb and happy" came to mind.)

Anyway, granting the premise of the OP for purposes of discussion...

Perhaps it is not so much the case that atheists are happy, as that they are not unhappy.

Think of all the things which might make them unhappy which they fail to subject themselves to:

Getting up early Sunday mornings, and wasting precious time off from work
Feelings of guilt about not getting up early Sunday mornings.
Feeling like they are being watched all the time by some super-being who is constantly judging them.
Fear of eternal hellfire

*I learned earlier today that perhaps I am using "begs the question" incorrectly. I don't much care. If I keep it up, maybe one day my way will be correct.

SiliconWolf

Many religions teach that humans are insignificant and exist only to serve jealous god(s). That is a profoundly depressing concept. I would rather acknowledge the wonderful nature of our humanity and work to create heaven on Earth. We CAN do things on our own; we don't need god as a crutch.

The Catholic church, in which I was raised, teaches that all humans are born hellbound (original sin) because a mythical ancestor learned the difference between good and evil. One of the things that makes atheism fulfilling for me is the realization that they have it entirely backwards. The gaining of our rational abilities (the metaphorical knowledge of good and evil) wasn't a curse! It was the greatest thing that has happened to any species that has ever lived on this planet. We should enjoy it and use it to its fullest, not condemn each other for it!

SiliconWolf

Lots of us do that. I think the philosophers should be the ones to get a new term, because your way makes a lot more sense.

Amos

[
Probably because they once were unhappy with religion. Do you think maybe that atheism is a response to theism and therefore still a form of religious expression in Christendom?

DMB

No. (Short answer)

Some theists who visit this board do suppose that this is so because of the topics we discuss here, but they cannot know why we do it.

As far as I am concerned, theism is a heavy weight that presses on humanity and for that reason is a major issue, which merits discussion and,where possible, action.

But that emphatically doe not mean that atheism is merely a response to theism. Atheism is the default position. The various theisms are aberrations.

Then again, I like coming here for my own amusement. (Longer answer)

Overgrowngoblin

When you are an atheist it is so much easier to breath without the chains of control. *Deep Breath* Feel that? Pure 100% unpolluted non-sky daddy air. Makes me feel so so good.

Taffer

I've been an atheist all my life. I cannot see how I would be happier as a theist, but I can see why some might claim I would be.