Atheism Doen't Equal Depression

[Godscreated]

Being down and depression are two totally different things, I have continuous back pain, but it doesn't lead me to depression, I understand I will always have it and accept that fact, and yes I've asked God to relieve it from time to time when it gets very bad. True belief in the God of creation could very well be of a great help in your shoulder pain, He could say go to the doctor that I gave the talents to help people heal, don't be stubborn of dumb and sit around in pain.

What I was referring to was all the atheist that are or were here that have sad they have depression, I have a chemical imbalance in my brain that does keep me depressed from time to time and take medication to control it, I have a good Christian doctor who puts me with the best doctors to treat my ailments, they may be Christian doctors or they may not, they all are blessed with talents from God, I believe this because they are always successful at helping me.

GC

I am confused you mention atheists being depressed and then say you, a christian need treatment for depression. Would it not be more accurate to say people get depressed sometimes because of life and or brain chemistry rather than say certain groups are more prone to it.

Maybe you could send this message to the atheist here also. I have said all along these things are from what I have observed not what is statistical. Those who are getting all bent out of shape because they believe I'm trying to establish a fact need to read what I have posted more closely. Some here want to read things they want to believe I said into my post instead of what I've said.

GC

[Godscreated]

I must disagree here with what you say, after five plus years here most of the atheist who have come here have express they are currently depressed ( at the time they are here) and some talk about ending their lives, the facts from this forum alone are against your statement Rhonda.

AF is far too small a statistical universe from which to conclude that non-theists tend more towards depression than theists (in all fairness, the reverse is also true).

I've had depressive episodes in my life - the death of my father, the ending of certain relationships, the loss of dear friends, etc.  But my atheism can hardly said to have been the source of my depression.

Boru

Just like Christianity isn't the cause of mine. All I have tried to relate here is that, as I see it, Christianity gives purpose where being an atheist is nothing more than none belief and I can't see how that in itself can contribute to purpose.

GC

[rexbeccarox]

I'll admit: I'm an atheist who suffers from chronic depression, and my downs get very, very loooooow...

I used to be a Christian who suffered from chronic depression and my downs got very, very loooooow...

The only difference is that now when I contemplate suicide I feel guilty because of the people I would potentially leave behind; not because it's a sin.

[Rhondazvous]

I said it was those who I see all the time, I bet if I was to go looking I could find a report that shows the opposite and maybe you should do more research on depression, a lot of depression is found to be related to diet, read Building a Mind.

GC

So, in other words, there's something about atheists that makes them follow depression inducing diets?

Maybe it's the bananas. We don't have to believe in Jesus. We just have to go easy on the bananas. All that potassium, perhaps?

[Fidel_Castronaut]

AF is far too small a statistical universe from which to conclude that non-theists tend more towards depression than theists (in all fairness, the reverse is also true).

I've had depressive episodes in my life - the death of my father, the ending of certain relationships, the loss of dear friends, etc.  But my atheism can hardly said to have been the source of my depression.

Boru

Just like Christianity isn't the cause of mine. All I have tried to relate here is that, as I see it, Christianity gives purpose where being an atheist is nothing more than none belief and I can't see how that in itself can contribute to purpose.

GC

He's right, you know. Being an atheist gives no purpose in life. If we want purpose we have to find and forge it ourselves.

[robvalue]

If I had to believe all the shit in the bible/quran/whatever is true, I'd be way more depressed than I already am.

It's something of a relief to know it's all fairy tales.

[Faith No More]

I said it was those who I see all the time, I bet if I was to go looking I could find a report that shows the opposite and maybe you should do more research on depression, a lot of depression is found to be related to diet, read Building a Mind.

GC

Don't patronize me, asshole, and quit backpedaling. You said that based upon what people here post about their depression that you were certain that atheists are more depressed than Christians. I provided a study that said you were wrong, but your only response is to do more research on depression, all while failing to do your own research to rebut my critique of your claim. Now, are you going to address that you were wrong?

And don't think I didn't notice that you skipped over my response to your statement that those who have an inherited tendency towards depression don't count. I love how you just dismiss yourself as a non-applicable statistic, but you don't even bother to find out whether or not the atheists here have a genetic tendency towards depression before you make your conclusion that they are depressed due to their atheism.

[Whateverist]

@ the OP: True, the depression costs extra. But I find the more inconsequentially comfortable my atheism becomes, the less prone to depression I am. Go figure.

[Rhondazvous]

@GC
I'm not condemning you. But your actions here are not limited to MTL. You're taking things that other members have shared about their personal life and emotions and throwing it in their faces in a way that's not even relevant. To me that is just a low blow. It takes courage to share such things, and at AF we try to create an environment where people feel safe doing that. You do the whole community a disservice when you drag up stuff from people's personal life to use against them.

Do you have credentials to diagnose if someone is depressed. If you think five years on a message board qualifies you to make such a sweeping diagnosis then the answer is no.

[Rhondazvous]

Just like Christianity isn't the cause of mine. All I have tried to relate here is that, as I see it, Christianity gives purpose where being an atheist is nothing more than none belief and I can't see how that in itself can contribute to purpose.

GC

Your inability to see purpose outside of Christianity is your own inability and has no bearing on what others find in their own lives.

To find purpose in god, you have to close your eyes to a lot of things found in the Bible. We see you come in here with your eyes wide shut talking about you can't see anything beyond your eyelids.