About atheism

[Paul the Human]

My main question is still, will stop believing in god make my life better/happier in any way?

Sorry. I missed that part. Does belief in god make your life better/happier in any way? My lack of belief made me happier, because the world began to make sense once I stopped applying superstition and magical thinking to the things I couldn't explain. What it would be like for you... is impossible for anyone else to tell you.

[Anomalocaris]

I will probably never have a strong opinion one way or the other. I am by nature curious about how things work and why things are the way they are. And I don't think i will believe for certain that there is a god or that there isn't if i don't see any proof of either the existence of god or god's unexistence. This is a question i can't accept the atheisms point of view without question, because i have something to lose.

I'm sorry, i'm probably not getting across the way i want to, because English is not my main language.

My main question is still, will stop believing in god make my life better/happier in any way?

There are a number of ways not believing god can make your life different. For example:
1. Not believing god allows you to examine the real world around you without a very tightly constraining bias
2. Not believing god would allow you to engage in more broadranging and meaningful discussions with a far more incisive class of intellects.
3. Not believing god would remove one way you can become an impediment to such scientific and social progress that shows every sign of being the most fundamental basis of humanity's long term survival
whether those difference would make your happier overall depends on the quality of the stuff you are made of.

It is certainly possible that you are made from such and green and rotten timber that these things give you less joy than would a known dilusion. But you may also be made of sterner stuff.

[Jodin]

If you really think forgoing reason and rationality for ignorance will make you feel better then by all means carry on believing.

I'm not being ignorant, i've done quite a bit of scientific research about these matters. And we're not talking about creationism vs evolution. I know about many of these matters, and what i'm talking about is more if believing in god is like self-hypnotism.

Always question and always search for truth with a skeptical and critical eye. If you aren't sure whether or not you believe that there is a god, so be it. Keep looking into 'how things work and why'. Eventually, you will come to a conclusion that god(s) either exist or don't. Or you will never reach a conclusion either way. It really doesn't matter. What matters is how you live your life and treat yourself and your fellow man.

That was an excellent response, and i thank you for it.

[Paul the Human]

That was an excellent response, and i thank you for it.

Sometimes I get lucky.

[Jodin]

Sorry. I missed that part. Does belief in god make your life better/happier in any way? My lack of belief made me happier, because the world began to make sense once I stopped applying superstition and magical thinking to the things I couldn't explain. What it would be like for you... is impossible for anyone else to tell you.

My belief in god have helped me in some ways, and is one part of why i am the person i am today.
And i've never applied superstition or magical thinking to things i couldn't explain. I've been interested in science all my life, and always looked for a scientific explanation first. If there's something i don't understand, i do research about the subject to find out what it might be (not on a professional level, i'm no scientist. not yet anyway). I've never said: oh, that must be the power of god in some mysterious way.

[Napoléon]

If you really think forgoing reason and rationality for ignorance will make you feel better then by all means carry on believing.

I'm not being ignorant, i've done quite a bit of scientific research about these matters. And we're not talking about creationism vs evolution. I know about many of these matters, and what i'm talking about is more if believing in god is like self-hypnotism.

I'm not calling you ignorant. I am asking you do you want to be ignorant. I meant no offence. And where did any of us mention creationism vs evolution?

Carry on with your research, I hope it leads you to the only rational conclusion.

And I don't know how anyone hasn't mentioned it yet, but you're simply an agnostic (from what you've described). One can be an agnostic atheist you know.

[Jodin]

I'm not calling you ignorant. I am asking you do you want to be ignorant. I meant no offence. And where did any of us mention creationism vs evolution?

Carry on with your research, I hope it leads you to the only rational conclusion.

And I don't know how anyone hasn't mentioned it yet, but you're simply an agnostic (from what you've described). One can be an agnostic atheist you know.

Sorry, i guess i misinterpreted what you wrote.
and my point about creationism vs evolution, is that is the subject most christians actually are "ignorant".

[Napoléon]

Sorry, i guess i misinterpreted what you wrote.
and my point about creationism vs evolution, is that is the subject most christians actually are "ignorant".

No need to apologise I don't always put myself across in a manner which may seem the most polite.

And yes you are correct.

[Jodin]

No need to apologise I don't always put myself across in a manner which may seem the most polite.

And yes you are correct.

I have never really grasped what an agnostic is, but i know that i want to be on one side. I don't want to stand in the middle undecided.

[The Heff]

So my question is, should i stop "believing" in a god because it's more realistic that he actually doesn't exist, when i fear i might lose my sense of purpose and belonging.

I don't believe you can choose to believe, you either do or you don't. The fact that you are here and asking about it signals your doubt, which means you are probably already on the road to being a non-believer (if not already one).

As for being a happier person by not believing in God, only you can judge what would make you happy. If you're asking whether the rest of us non-believers are leading happy lives, I'd hazard a guess we'd all answer the same way... Yes!