(August 6, 2010 at 3:55 pm)Edward the Theist Wrote: It dawned on me about a year ago why atheism is so attractive. I was having a hard time with existential issues. You know, what am I supposed to do with my life? What meaning do I have? Is there any reason for my birth? How can I find my purpose for being? That sort of thing.
Then I realized a startling fact: if there is no God who created me, then I have no purpose. No inherent purpose, no mission in life. If everything is chaos and natural selection, then I'm just a determined entity. I don’t have to worry about “purpose.” There is no purpose. I am free from my existential dilemma. Free at last.
All I have to do is stop believing in God.
I was wondering if any of the atheists in here would like to comment. Have any of you had the same experience?
No, people are not atheists because they want to ignore "life's purpose". The concept of "life's purpose" itself is something that cannot be defined and a terminology coined by theists and has no meaning to atheists. In fact there would be no need for a word called atheism, were it not for the fact that we are indoctrinated by our parents and society. Atheism is a natural state of mind. I, as an atheist want to live with some purpose in my life that would give me happiness - for example, to care for animals, to learn and create music. So, I do have a mission in life but there's no inherent purpose I was born with.
I became an atheist just recently when I realized the fact that that I was believing in a God that does not exist. In fact, I am a bit unhappier after becoming an atheist since I have to take responsibility for all my actions now and I cannot shift my guilt or sins onto a higher God :-). But "wishing" for a God so that I would be happier is different from "knowing" that there is no such thing. I would also be happier if there was some magic in the world that would helo me make money without working. And how lovely it would be if there was a Santa Clause? And how I wish there were lovely little beings like fairies and angels who could touch me with their golden wings and take away my sorrows. But that doesn't make me believe in them.
- ss
