How do atheists do life?

[vulcanlogician]

Speaking just for myself:

I hope this guy provides some context for many of my gripes, Belequa.

Not that he's a particularly unpleasant person or anything (I actually like the guy!)... just that... look at what his religion is to him. Hardly any Aquinas or Augustine in there, ya know?

But there's plenty of stereotyping of atheists. This dude thinks that because his life is pleasant for him, his beliefs are therefore correct. This mindset is fucking everywhere, Belequa. And I'm not a fan. THAT is what I'm railing against, man. Not Augustine.

I'm a very different type of person from you. I live on the side of a mountain north of Hiroshima...

And plenty of insulation from the nonsense that Christians enact here in the States. It reminds me of my University. More of the born-and-bred Americans were profoundly interested in Hinduism, while many of the students who came from India thought it was a foolish old religion. Insulation from a religion as it is practiced in a given culture works wonders in making that religion seem more palatable.

If I need a pep talk or a reminder of how to live morally, I have a bunch of books here for which I have a lot of respect. Though I am an atheist, these include theology books, including authors like Martin Buber.

I've been thinking of dipping into Buber. Are there any good essays or books by him (preferably brief) that you would recommend as a good introduction to his thinking?

I can't be a Christian, because Christ demanded that we give up all personal happiness in order to help others, and I am not strong enough to do that.

As is the case with most "Christians"... probably even the OP.

COME for the inspiring sermons and fellowship, STAY for the self sacrifice and sincere moral reflection barbeque and bullshitting about whiskey and guns!

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I think the reason for atheist sadness/bummy behavior is that they can't cope with life without God. If life is sad..or life gets you down and you don't have God...seems the only solution for folks is to drink, smoke, despair or masturbate to pornography the whole live long day.

Please enlighten me.

Thanks y'all.

How can I enlighten you? Seems like you hit the nail on the head, buddy! I'm surprised anything gets posted by atheists on these forums at all with all the fervant masterbation that goes on.

Look at it this way. Some beliefs are true, others are false. How happy a given belief makes you doesn't affect its truth or falsity. A flat earther might have a happy and fulfilling life, but that doesn't mean the Earth is flat. Just because you are a happy believer, doesn't mean that your god exists.

Have you ever heard of the Hitler Youth? It was basically like German boy scouts. A lot of kids would get together and go camping, play sports, etc. It was an intensely positive experience for many of them. The whole organization was about making these young people feel good about themselves. Even into their adult lives, after the fall of the Third Reich, many Hitler Youths continued to believe in Naziism because of these intensely positive experiences.

I hope you realize that I'm not equating Christianity with Naziism. I'm talking about the right reasons to justify beliefs.

Let me ask you this: What if a Nazi from the Hitler Youth used his positive experiences as justification for continuing to believe in Naziism? What if he pointed to Jews in concentration camps and took that as evidence that they had false beliefs? Would that be right? And how is that similar/dissimilar to what you are doing?