Critical thinker, skeptical about atheism.

[Esquilax]

at the end of the day we all have a desire for fulfillment in this life, and I believe that's why atheism is such a minority belief system in our world,

You know, you say that any meaning you make up in your mind is delusional, but at the same time you're also saying that not having a meaning because we don't have sufficient evidence to know is bad, and that having a religion is preferable because it gives you a meaning and fulfillment. But if you preference having a religion on those grounds, when many religions are mutually exclusive and therefore some of the meanings they provide- if not all of them- are made up in the mind rather than being real. And since you seem not to care whether that fulfillment is real, over simply having it no matter what it is, then what you're really doing is denigrating a type of "delusion" that you've already decided you don't like, while praising a number of "delusions" that you've decided already that you do like.

You're special pleading based on nothing, in short.

it leaves one empty, because it has no answers for the most basic questions, and who wants to live an Empty existence,

It doesn't leave me empty, and I'm a part of it. And you aren't, as a matter of fact; if you're a theist and not an atheist, how in the hell do you know anything at all about what atheism does to you mentally?

And if those questions have no answers that satisfy you, then those questions have no answers that satisfy you. It doesn't instantly mean that the answers religions offer are true, it just means you aren't going to be satisfied with the answers that really do exist, which is too bad for you, I guess. It also means that the answers you've accepted from your religion aren't real, and were, in fact, made up in the mind, making them a delusion according to your logic.

So, once again, your own position is self refuting and inconsistent. It's almost as if you're going with what feels good to you, rather than thinking about it at all!

wondering what the point of getting up in the morning is, if one lives a meaningless life that ends in a hole in the ground,

some will say, "There is no meaning to life, but you can just use your imagination to make one up", but thats living a delusion.

Again, there are more mental constructs than just delusions, and if you use your logic then you're advocating for delusions yourself, while you denigrate them from a position you've presupposed is wrong.

Additionally, you've offered no argument or evidence for why a self-derived purpose is any less legitimate than a divine one, you've just asserted that it's true, as though your opinion on the matter is the end of the discussion.

And so we will always have religion it seems to me, since the alternative is a despair,

So you'll always have the delusions you like, to save you from the possibility that reality hasn't arranged itself just perfectly so that you're always comfortable and happy.

even if its veiled in a kind of "positive denial", that everything is OK with the world,

despite it being completely meaningless and empty, seems like an oxymoron to me.

Yet more empty assertions that assume your conclusion in order to function.

Oh and a little off topic, amazing inexplicable phenomena in this world, backed up by incredible discoveries in Paranormal Psychology, certainly reinforce the validity of religion as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eg9qY_7qvg

Even if real, ghosts aren't evidence for god.

[The Grand Nudger]

A life in which these "basic" questions are unanswered isn't empty, it's fascinating. I told you before, I decided what my life would mean, why I'm here, and now I live it. Do you do this any differently than I do? Tell me what part of that is delusion?

[pocaracas]

Thank you for the replies, I'm in a different timezone so was asleep as 4 pages of posts popped up in this thread, obviously I won't be able to address each post since it would be prohibitively time consuming.

Some of the replies are quite thoughtful and I thank you for that,

This by the same guy who said:

There are so many questions Ive asked atheists over the years, and their answers just seem illogical, and leave me even more skeptical about atheism.

How many atheists have you been talking to?

at the end of the day we all have a desire for fulfillment in this life, and I believe that's why atheism is such a minority belief system in our world,

it leaves one empty, because it has no answers for the most basic questions, and who wants to live an Empty existence,

And who wants to live a deceived life?

wondering what the point of getting up in the morning is, if one lives a meaningless life that ends in a hole in the ground,

The most usual meaning can be found in children... and grandchildren.
True immortality lies in the continuation of your genetic material. Your genes carry on.

And so we will always have religion it seems to me, since the alternative is a despair,

A bit exaggerated, no?
But yes, some people do experience that despair.
Most remain atheists, in spite of it.... for they can't acknowledge the existence of any god.

Oh and a little off topic, amazing inexplicable phenomena in this world, backed up by incredible discoveries in Paranormal Psychology, certainly reinforce the validity of religion as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eg9qY_7qvg

Claims, after claims, after claims...
Oh, and the only "photo" does not match with the description being narrated... ooops.

[KevinM1]

at the end of the day we all have a desire for fulfillment in this life, and I believe that's why atheism is such a minority belief system in our world,

A minority that's increasing in numbers every day...

Plus, you're assuming that only religion can bring about fulfillment. I think everyone else here disagrees with that notion.

it leaves one empty, because it has no answers for the most basic questions, and who wants to live an Empty existence,

I certainly don't feel empty. I feel empowered. I don't need a sky daddy to tell me how to act or what to feel. My life is my own. I'm the one in charge.

wondering what the point of getting up in the morning is, if one lives a meaningless life that ends in a hole in the ground,

Everyone's life ends in a hole in the ground. That much is fact. We just differ in that we don't need the fantasy of an eternal afterlife to give this life value.

some will say, "There is no meaning to life, but you can just use your imagination to make one up", but thats living a delusion.

How is religion any different?

And so we will always have religion it seems to me, since the alternative is a despair,

WHY is the alternative despair? Again, no one here feels despair because they don't believe in a deity. You keep asserting things, but saying them doesn't make them true. Everyone here is living evidence against your claims.

even if its veiled in a kind of "positive denial", that everything is OK with the world,

despite it being completely meaningless and empty, seems like an oxymoron to me.

EDIT (for politeness): again, we don't believe that life is meaningless and empty.

I get it - it's been drilled into your head that without god, life holds no meaning. The thing is, that's simply not true. I know it's hard to believe or understand because you've been indoctrinated (no insult intended, just fact), but it's true.

My life's meaning comes from my family, my friends, my work, my hobbies, my attempts to make my little corner of the world a slightly better place.... I don't need a god for any of that.

I was raised Catholic. My fleeting belief in god made no positive difference in my life. I wasn't a happier person. I wasn't a better person.

Oh and a little off topic, amazing inexplicable phenomena in this world, backed up by incredible discoveries in Paranormal Psychology, certainly reinforce the validity of religion as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eg9qY_7qvg

No, it doesn't. Paranormal psychology and things along those lines are complete bunk. Ghost Hunters isn't real.

[Jenny A]

at the end of the day we all have a desire for fulfillment in this life

With you so far. . .

, and I believe that's why atheism is such a minority belief system in our world,

it leaves one empty, because it has no answers for the most basic questions, and who wants to live an Empty existence,

I've repeatedly asked Christians just what is this fulfillment that they've found through belief in god. The answers I've gotten are: he made us; loves us; we made us to worship him; we aren't going to die; god has an unspecified plan for either each us or for humanity as a whole.

I don't find any of those compelling reasons to get out of bed in the morning. In fact some of them are positively belittling, or depressing. Nor do I see any evidence that any of them are true.

wondering what the point of getting up in the morning is, if one lives a meaningless life that ends in a hole in the ground,

some will say, "There is no meaning to life, but you can just use your imagination to make one up", but thats living a delusion.

I don't use my imagination to make up meaning in my life (that's the job of religion), I make my life meaningful and fulfilling by how I choose to live it. My actions are not a delusion. Neither are my interactions with others. They are real and fulfilling.

And so we will always have religion it seems to me, since the alternative is a despair,

Really? I don't find myself in despair.

even if its veiled in a kind of "positive denial", that everything is OK with the world, despite it being completely meaningless and empty, seems like an oxymoron to me.

No, everything is not okay with world. My little part of it is pretty good. Other parts of the world are not. If there is a god, he created a world with a lot of harsh nasty bits.

That does not mean that my world is all despair.

BTW: oxymoron doesn't mean quite what you think it does. An oxymoron is a word or phrase that logically contradicts itself: liquid gas; seriously funny; original copy, expensive gift, open secret, negative growth, dull roar. But as you might have noticed in the previous examples they do tend to be idioms meaning something other that what is implied by the simple combining of the two words.

You can also make up jokes by calling phrases oxymoron to reveal what you think about certain people or things:

military intelligence,
scientific creationism
intelligent design
Christian charity
true believer
cardinal saint
express mail
religious education
honest politician
biblical inerrantcy
atheistic dogma

[Alex K]

I'm not so impressed now. OP in their insistence to know better what atheism is and means than the actual atheists here, going on about how empty and desperate I'm supposed to feel without bothering to actually think about our position, now sounds like a dime a dozen fundie with a bit of window dressing.

Critical thinker? I have yet to see evidence for that.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

[Simon Moon]

it leaves one empty, because it has no answers for the most basic questions, and who wants to live an Empty existence

Just the opposite for me.

The search for answers is so much more fulfilling than making them up, or by getting them form a Bronze Age text written by people that made them up.

Once you claim you have the answer (God did it), you stop looking for the real answers.

My existence is far from empty. Knowing that this is the one and only life i will get, every second is precious to me.

For theists that believe in an eternal afterlife, this short life of 70 or so years, is nothing but a place to wipe their feet in preparation for 'real life' that starts after they die.

wondering what the point of getting up in the morning is, if one lives a meaningless life that ends in a hole in the ground

Again, stop projecting your idea that atheists live a meaningless life on us. My life, and the good I do while here, is meaningful to me and my friends and family.

some will say, "There is no meaning to life, but you can just use your imagination to make one up", but thats living a delusion

Providing our own meaning is more real than your god supplied meaning.

Would you put up with your parents picking your spouse for you? Your schools picking your career for you? Friends picking your hobbies for you?

Why would you want anyone to pick your meaning for you?

And so we will always have religion it seems to me, since the alternative is a despair

I have no religion or belief in gods, and I am not in despair. But yes, I agree, sadly there will always be religions.

It seems to me you are equating atheism with nihilism, or you believe that atheism leads to nihilism. You seem to make a lot of assumptions about other people's positions. Seems there is a name for that...

Oh yeah, 'bigotry'.

[Tonus]

And so we will always have religion it seems to me, since the alternative is a despair,
even if its veiled in a kind of "positive denial", that everything is OK with the world, despite it being completely meaningless and empty, seems like an oxymoron to me.

So we'll always have religion because people are weak?

[KevinM1]

And so we will always have religion it seems to me, since the alternative is a despair,
even if its veiled in a kind of "positive denial", that everything is OK with the world, despite it being completely meaningless and empty, seems like an oxymoron to me.

So we'll always have religion because people are weak?

We'll always have religion because religion tells people they're weak, and their only hope is the religion that tells them they're weak.