If You Were An Atheist

[ErGingerbreadMandude]

Maybe if you were an atheist you would think about that more.  You are smart enough to see that it is better for you, and so maybe you are smart enough to act on that.

In my experience intelligence and emotion are mostly separate spheres. Maybe you should think about it more as an atheist. From my perspective, it seems that many people come here to feed their anger and keep it alive.

Two Words:

Free.
Waffles.

[Pyrrho]

Maybe if you were an atheist you would think about that more.  You are smart enough to see that it is better for you, and so maybe you are smart enough to act on that.

In my experience intelligence and emotion are mostly separate spheres. Maybe you should think about it more as an atheist. From my perspective, it seems that many people come here to feed their anger and keep it alive.

Yes, emotion and intelligence are different things.  But once one recognizes that something works better for one, that emotional desire for a better outcome may win out against the emotional desire for the momentary gratification of not forgiving people things.  Or not.  But one is pitting one emotion against the other in such a contest.  One also has the emotion of regret for times when one chooses what does not work so well, which may also be used to influence such decisions for the future.

[Silver]

According to psychology, there is such a thing as emotional intelligence.

There is more than one degree of intelligence, after all, and logical is not the only one within the realm of possibility.

In the end, one must weigh for himself.

[robvalue]

I've often heard of people who said they would turn into a raging psychopath if they ever lost their faith. And almost always, they are wrong. They realize, "Hey, actually I don't want to murder and rape people. Or be a jerk."

The few people who genuinely would flip if they lost their faith are most likely sociopaths, and ironically this is a benefit of religion in a way. I couldn't possibly say for sure about anyone individually, but I'd wager almost all theists on this board would be totally wrong about what they think would happen. They'd be the same person, the world would be the same. The people around them would be the same. They will just realize they are living for themselves and other humans, and probably grateful they realized this before breezing through this one and only life thinking it's nothing but an intro.

[John V]

Of course I'm not a good person on my own. Christianity does have a savior at its core you know. If I thought I were good on my own I wouldn't need to be saved.

Man, this thread is depressing.

You know what I find sad? The many threads on this site in which atheists talk about their depression and other mental illnesses and how they hop from one drug to another looking for relief.

[Homeless Nutter]

Of course I'm not a good person on my own. [...]

I don't believe you're a good person at all - jesus freak, or not. If you actually need an imaginary nanny in order to behave like a decent human being, you should be isolated from society. 

But most likely - you don't. You were just convinced you do, by cynical con artists - priests/preachers and/or well-meaning idiots - your family, so that you're easier to manipulate. You see - it's amazing what sorts of feelings and beliefs you can instill in a small child, or an otherwise mentally vulnerable person.

[Nope]

Man, this thread is depressing.

You know what I find sad? The many threads on this site in which atheists talk about their depression and other mental illnesses and how they hop from one drug to another looking for relief.

I think that atheists are more willing to admit when they have mental problems than some theists. There is still a stigma among some(not all) Christians that mental illness is a character flaw that the can be prayed away. I honestly believe that many people in my family suffer from bipolar and depression. They treat the disorder with addictions. Among the addictions that they use is religion. If they are down, they put on praise music and say stuff like, "the devil isn't going to get to me." Although they seem chipper on the outside-and would tell a stranger that they were super happy- they make their families miserable.  Admitting that they are depressed is a sign, in their eyes, that they are weak and worthy of contempt

In my own family, I realized that two of my children have depression-one is bipolar. They go to therapy and take prescribed medicine. We read articles about how to help them and they are pretty good advocates for themselves.

Atheism doesn't cause depression but because atheists are less likely to deny the disorder, they are more likely to be diagnosed.

I don't remember anyone saying that they hopped from one drug to the next. Do you think that your faith would cure depression, alphamale?

[Thumpalumpacus]

Never got an answer to these Qs ... perhaps you missed this post?

Life would have little meaning, there would be no hope for anything outside of this world.  

Two questions, and a comment:

1) Why do you think life would lose meaning?

2) Why is "[no] hope for anything outside of this world" -- I'm assuming you're talking about an afterlife --why is that a bad thing? Do you remember how things were for you before you were born?

3) We each supply meaning to our own lives. You do, I do, we each do, except for those folk who hold that life cannot have meaning. You have chosen to find your meaning in life through your faith.  That's cool, whatever gets you through the night, it's all good. But don't think for a moment that is not a choice you've made.  You have chosen to make your faith the meaning and self-definition of your life. It is not inherently the case.

[robvalue]

Kingpin: I wonder what your wife and kids would think to you saying life has no meaning without god? It's not an accusation, it's an honest question. Are they of no importance whatsoever if there is no god? And if so, why not? They are still the same people as before. Just because lives end, what stops them having meaning during the time they are happening?

I'd be very interested in knowing what meaning god does give you, and why life is meaningless without it. I'd bet a lot of money that you would be wrong in your assessment, not that my opinion has been asked for. I respect very much your humility in not claiming to know for sure. I would expect you to lose your way for a little bit, be confused and maybe depressed, but then to emerge stronger and happier than before. You may have needed religion when you are younger, but you seem way beyond it now. I think it's the hooks religion has in you that makes you think you can't go on without it. It's part of the game.

[Nay_Sayer]

Yeah, cause that's a very simple question.  

Well...why not give it a go anyway? What've you got to lose, big boy?

For one, His imaginary friend will stop talking to him.