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Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Do you think being an atheist (it doesn't matter if you are an agnostic or gnostic) enhances or diminishes your chances of being a happy human being? Does believing in god/afterlife increase your happiness? Is there a conflict between knowing the truth and believing what makes you happier?
Personally being an atheist made it difficult to me to be happy, considering I'm aware of reality and I don't believe in fairy-after-life-tales, but I'm still trying to reverse the process.
I'd like to hear all of you guys' thoughts on this.
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 5:12 pm
(This post was last modified: July 2, 2014 at 5:13 pm by Fidel_Castronaut.)
Well I've always been an atheist and have always been relatively happy.
But it's important to stress the word relative. I don't think happiness relates to your beliefs as much as, say, one's economic and social position.
Theists who are in the same social or economic strata as me are probably no more or less (un)happy as me and vice versa.
But in addition, I think that happiness is also very much a personal thing that perhaps transcends any of the things I've listed above. My fiancé makes me happy. I feel like the luckiest (and happiest) person in the world being with her, and I think that would be true regardless of my beliefs or my circumstances.
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 5:12 pm
I sleep like a fucking baby.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 5:25 pm
I've personally been a lot happier since I gave up religion and became an atheist.
True, it could be that I was a catholic, and female and that's not necessarily a good thing to be considering the blame women get for just about everything . . .
Dying to live, living to die.
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 5:26 pm
I am as content as I'll ever be.
The thought of an afterlife is completely inconsequencial to me.
If you're not happy, easy fix. Lower your standards.
No God, No fear.
Know God, Know fear.
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 5:36 pm
For me true happiness comes from within, not out side of us, happiness that is found out side doesn't last long, and therefore we become addicted of whtever we believe makes us happy. I don,t know who said this, that "religion is the opium of the people", I believe he was right.
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 6:07 pm
It depends on where you live, if you'll be happier or not. If society is going to kick you around for not falling in line, you'll likely be less happy, but that just means society needs to change. Not that people shouldn't be atheists. Or rock the boat in other ways.
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 6:16 pm
In my experience religious consideration has very little to do with happiness. Atheists and theists all have the same basic needs and desires and it is usually the attainment of the basics that will dictate happiness. If a prayer helps someone cope or provides focus, who am I to argue even though I know the prayer itself has nothing to do with outcomes.
The one aspect of religious happiness that I can't accept is the use of religion to keep people complacent with a shitty existence promising paradise in return for obedience. The most sinister part of this exchange is that the purveyors of paradise don't even have access to what they're selling; all the while asking for a tythe of some sort so they can live comfortably.
This alone is why the Abrahamic religions and any other similar system of belief deserves nothing but ridicule. Asshats demanding respect for this contrivance are the scum of the Earth.
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 6:33 pm
"Don’t say, “I am depressed.” If you want to say, “It is depressed,” that’s all right. If you want to say that depression is there, that’s fine; if you want to say gloominess is there, that’s fine. But not: I am gloomy. You’re defining yourself in terms of the feeling. That’s your illusion; that’s your mistake. There is a depression there right now, but let it be, leave it alone. It will pass. Everything passes, everything. Your depressions and your thrills have nothing to do with happiness. Those are swings of the pendulum. If you seek kicks or thrills, get ready for depression. Do you want your drug? Get ready for the hangover. One end of the pendulum swings over to the other.
Anthony de Mello
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RE: Atheism and happiness
July 2, 2014 at 6:40 pm
(This post was last modified: July 2, 2014 at 6:42 pm by Chad32.)
(July 2, 2014 at 6:33 pm)Zidneya Wrote: "Don’t say, “I am depressed.” If you want to say, “It is depressed,” that’s all right. If you want to say that depression is there, that’s fine; if you want to say gloominess is there, that’s fine. But not: I am gloomy. You’re defining yourself in terms of the feeling. That’s your illusion; that’s your mistake. There is a depression there right now, but let it be, leave it alone. It will pass. Everything passes, everything. Your depressions and your thrills have nothing to do with happiness. Those are swings of the pendulum. If you seek kicks or thrills, get ready for depression. Do you want your drug? Get ready for the hangover. One end of the pendulum swings over to the other.
Anthony de Mello
What is all that even supposed to mean? Nothing is permanent? Well that's unfortunately not always the case, but all the rest seems to be empty words.
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