Can atheists enjoy life?

[theatheistguy]

"But how can you live if you know when you die, that's it, you're dead?"

Well to this I think Dawkins responds well,
"We are lucky ones because we get die, most people never get to die, because they never get to live."


I am amazed by the number of people who consider atheists to be cold, arrogant, obnoxious, angry, closed minded and having no purpose to life.

If these people happen to be religious (say Christian) then although they may be upset for those going to hell now, they believe that when they're in heaven they won't think about it or it won't bother them. Not only would I call that cold, but I'd say that then it is in fact not them who goes to heaven, but lobotomised, heartless version of them, and not one I would wish to know.

These same people will get angry at not only the ridiculing of their probably non-existent deity(s), but indeed even the slightest questioning of their beliefs. And though they criticise everyone else, especially atheists, for being closed minded they'll ignore the mountains of science against their claims or say that those bits are metaphor (of course never revealing the criteria of what bits are metaphor and what bits are literal 'truth').

Although I'll admit there are plenty of arrogant and obnoxious atheists and anti-theists (dam do I hate them), I'd ask theists to look in the mirror for a moment and see the arrogant and obnoxious members of their own side. Of course this is usually met with the typical mantra of, "No true Scot...I mean, Christian would do something like that!"

As for a point to life, well again, taking Christianity as an example, their purpose is to serve and worship Yahweh...? Huh? How much more fucking petty and insecure can a deity get? And what purpose does this worship serve exactly? In fact while you're answering that, what purpose does the punishment of not believing (burning in hellfire) serve? Theists have no real purpose to life if they think that is all just a test for 'Level 2' where they get to worship Yahweh for all eternity. Yea, that's real productive!



So can atheists enjoy life? In my mind, yes, and far more so that the theists and the religious. What do you think?

 

[Deleted member 619]

For me, it boils down to one single point. I don't spend my entire life worrying about what will come next, but living the life I have now. The real question has to be, then, can theists enjoy life?

 

[Commander Eagle]

Why wouldn't we be able to enjoy it? :|

 

[theatheistguy]

Why wouldn't we be able to enjoy it? :|

Just a question I get a lot. And the insinuation is that looking at things from a scientific mind removes the beauty and magic from the universe, when actually I'd argue it adds so much more.

 

[RichardMNixon]

Yes, we also have access to sex, whiskey, and bicycles.

 

[Commander Eagle]

Why wouldn't we be able to enjoy it? :|

Just a question I get a lot.

I know. I do too. That was my answer.

And the insinuation is that looking at things from a scientific mind removes the beauty and magic from the universe, when actually I'd argue it adds so much more.

Same.

 

[nemesiss]

i think it has to do with "purpose in life".

when you talk to most religious people, their purpose is like an addiction.
they couldn't see themselves without it, the thought to be without it makes them respond ackward.

i remember a moment, when i talking with someone about the purpose in life.. and at one moment is said "i decide my own purpose in life"
the speechless face ... like it was impossible to actually decide something on your own.

 

[theatheistguy]

i remember a moment, when i talking with someone about the purpose in life.. and at one moment is said "i decide my own purpose in life"
the speechless face ... like it was impossible to actually decide something on your own.

To quote Stephen Fry, "They look upon subjective morality as some immortal sin, when what it really means is 'thinking'."

I know what you mean.

 

[FireHawk]

Atheists have a more productive life studying the something that actually exists but isn't understood well, such as the universe and presenting evidence that supports their finding. This leads to the stimulation of various thoughts and/or curiosities and ultimately defining a purpose for their life. So yes Atheists can enjoy life to its fullest extent.

 

[)O( Hytegia )O(]

So can atheists enjoy life? In my mind, yes, and far more so that the theists and the religious. What do you think?

Hey, hey, hey-
I'm Pagan, and my #1 rule is to enjoy life to it's absolute fullest measure.
-_-

I think that Achielles said it best:
"Why should we envy the Gods? The Gods envy us because of our Mortality - the fact that every single breath we take could be our last."
-Troy (the Move)

 

[nemesiss]

Hey, hey, hey-
I'm Pagan, and my #1 rule is to enjoy life to it's absolute fullest measure.
-_-

yes, but how do YOU do that, in your case.
for many christians, certainly those hard-core nutballs for which we have seperate page, that means sucking up to a god all the time.

 

[theatheistguy]

Atheists have a more productive life studying the something that actually exists but isn't understood well, such as the universe and presenting evidence that supports their finding. This leads to the stimulation of various thoughts and/or curiosities and ultimately defining a purpose for their life. So yes Atheists can enjoy life to its fullest extent.

Thanks, and welcome to the forums =]

 

[the_morbidus]

i just enjoyed life today, went outside and had a nice game of soccer, tho i realized i'm terribly out of shape , im more like a 60 yo than a 25 yo.
got home and had a nice cold beer and some BBQ ^^.

on another note, isn't the fact of knowing (well we don't have evidence for this) that there is nothing else after this that makes us treasure this life even more and try to make the most out of it? but then again that is just an opinion.

 

[Andiferous]

Curiously, there was a study a while ago (posted here), and it concluded that

Although controversial, it is often argued that religious belief is a cause of greater happiness.1 However, we have found in two separate studies that both theism and atheism are correlated with fewer reported depressive symptoms than the in-between state of 'existential uncertainty'.

and the conclusion of this study saw that:

There are several plausible explanations for such an association. Most obviously, strong beliefs may protect against depression, or conversely, low mood may diminish strong beliefs.

In other words, people with the strongest opinion at either extreme are more likely happy than those who are waffling and questioning in the middle of the spectrum. So any correlation between atheism and depression is tenuous at best. Confidence (and overconfidence?) at either end of the spectrum tends to make people happy, or according to this research. Or perhaps, happy people are more likely to be confident?

 

[FaithlessThinker]

I definitely know that atheists and the irreligious enjoy life unless they choose not to. I certainly do enjoy mine. In fact, I was only able to enjoy life after I said goodbye to religion. I was brought up in a home that was very rarely religious, with emphasis on schooling and knowledge, rather than belief. I didn't understand the value of such upbringing until I tried my hand at christianity for 7 long years from the age of about 14.

It all started when I changed schools to a christian school in a town far away from my home. The schools I have been to before were very much secular and didn't have any religious elements. However, this new school had a small daily prayer gathering in the hostel, led by students. Out of curiosity I asked my friend who attended it and he invited me. I went, and in the room I just followed what everyone does. I got a small new testament bible and became a regular at the meeting.

Soon I learnt that they also go to church on Sundays, and apparently the church is led by our correspondent (highest authority and owner of my school). I joined that too, and once even witnessed an immersion-based baptism (or something like that). There was also a larger weekly gathering in school which I attended, which gave us opportunities to "confess sins and repent".

Anyway I stayed in that school for 3 years, being as firm a christian as I can for a good part of the time. Then I shifted to another city. The hostel here was more religious as everyone staying, regardless of personal beliefs, have to attend church. My atheistic roommates and friends scorned how they had to put up with what they called "nonsense". I on the other hand was wondering how I can "save" them by the grace of "my lord jesus christ" since I was a quiet person and was afraid to talk to people who don't agree with me.

Recalling, I had been one of the top performers in the secular schools I studied. But once I changed my education to christian schools, my performance began to drop slowly. I'm still better than the average, but not the top. Apparently the atheistic friends I had would perform better than I ever could imagine myself performing.

Anyway 2 years in the school, I continued trying to be strong in my faith. Then about a year I stayed at home before going to a different country for further education. Problems were caused at home when I revealed my belief in jesus, as my mom is atheist and my dad pretty much is too (with occasional bursts of hindu faith). I desperately wanted them to see how much my faith meant to me and to see them accepting jesus as well. (How foolish I was back then).

After going to a different country, my faith began to get its knocks as I thought about how it's affecting my life. At first I found a church and attended it. I tried to pray whenever I can remember. Then I realised slowly that it's not worth being a christian. It's like being in chains.

Being a christian is like being in chains. The bible and the church is telling you that we are all sinners, committing sins everyday, so we must pray and ask jesus to cleanse our sins from our souls. I felt guilty of sin for almost everything. It's very usual for girls to wear revealing clothing in this country, but I would feel so guilty and ashamed to set my eyes on them even without intention, that I wish I was blind. Didn't jesus say that if you look at a woman with eyes of desire, you have already committed adultery with her?

I had the guilt of not doing things also. I would hate myself for not being a good christian, not doing daily prayers, not reading bible. I would scold myself that I can't talk to my friends about jesus and save them from hell. Though I had never physically hurt myself out of guilt of sin, I had been mentally torturing myself.

Slowly I realised that I'm in pain for the sake of my religion. I want to break free of the chains. So I decided to drop everything, to stop believing in jesus, in sin, in hell and all the christian stuff. I really felt free and able to enjoy my life. I read books that helped me better understand certain aspects of human psychology. I no longer felt guilty to look at girls dressed sexily. They do so because they want me to look! As long as I don't attempt anything wrong upon the girls, I'm not guilty of anything. (The girl example is just one of the several things I became free to do).

I didn't immediately let go of the belief that there is a god. It took me a while to go from theism to pantheism to agnosticism to atheism. But I don't call myself atheist. Buddhists are atheists too. I call myself irreligious because I refuse to subscribe to any religion or belief system. I only accept what reality really is. I have learnt that I could be wrong, and I should be ready to be corrected. I have learnt that science while it may not have all the answers, those that it provides is based on the observable reality around us and not on the words of a book.

Now I enjoy my life very much, a lot more than a religious person can ever imagine to. I am not restricted by anything except the law. Besides it, I set my own rules, but it doesn't mean I do whatever I want to do. An irreligious moral system is to be guided by consequences. I learnt that consequences are a better moral compass than a holy book. My actions have consequences, and I determine what I do with regards to the consequences it will bring. That's why I enjoy life.

 

[monitoradiation]

Hey, hey, hey-
I'm Pagan, and my #1 rule is to enjoy life to it's absolute fullest measure.
-_-

Correct me if I'm wrong; are pagans not a sort of polytheism?

Just curious, of course. I think that by "theist" the OP is referring to someone who believes in ONE god that cares for us all, etc., etc., though it might have been better to be more careful with the wording.

 

[TheFlyingBastard]

As anon said above, it's kind of like chains.

But there's more. Satan is always there on the lookout to tempt you. Atheists are people who have already been deceived by his demons. Other Christian dominations are all just lies from the devil about the truth to sow confusion. All of this and you are puny and without God, you're pathetic, so go out there and get people saved because if you don't, their blood will be on your hands.

It's a constant state of paranoia and feeling insufficient.

As an atheist I enjoy life and the world around me to a much fuller extent than I ever did when I was a theist.

 

[FaithlessThinker]

Satan is always there on the lookout to tempt you. Atheists are people who have already been deceived by his demons. Other Christian dominations are all just lies from the devil about the truth to sow confusion.

For a moment, I thought you're holding an ancient book and a piece of wood. Lol. I wanted to say "Oh, so your christian denomination is all truth huh?"

 

[CommonEnlightenment]

Sure, they can enjoy life as much as theists. Just as long as you are not bombarded with theist propaganda 24/7.

 

[monitoradiation]

What I find most confusing for theists of the judeochristian bent is that in their religious views, this life IS CRAP. The whole point of their religion is to live the perfect life that's supposed to come after this one.

So when any christian or whatever asks me whether or not I enjoy my life, I think the only response is: Why does it even matter to you? You thinks this life is miserable anyway, isn't that the entirety of your doctrine?