Atheism and Sadness

[robvalue]

Sure, but atheism isn't supposed to provide that. Neither is theism. They're just statements of belief/non-belief.

In my experience, people who have come out of religion to become atheist can sometimes be bewildered at first, if they have become accustomed to a regimented lifestyle and always having some sort of authority telling them what to do. Starting to properly think for yourself can be daunting.

I liken it to playing an "on rails" shooter, and then realizing you can just walk off the rails. Then you're playing an open world RPG. The new amount of freedom and choice can be scary, but hopefully it will also be viewed as exciting in time.

For bums like me who've always been atheist, it's just never been an issue.

[GodCherry]

Maybe its a product of both my husband and I having science/engineering backgrounds but I have to say that I know far more people that don't follow religion than do...and so I certainly don't suffer the loss of any community or social networking because I don't have a church lifestyle.

And the few hardcore church going people that I have met through work, etc...are sometimes very nice but honesty, they creep me out a bit.  I can't say that I'd want to spend any significant time with them hanging out.

I have traveled to states that are very bible-beltish though and I'm sure its harder to socialize there....so perhaps its very dependent on where you live.

That's all good. But a lot atheists, who are less independent-minded, seem to want some order out of chaos. They find atheism such an open book (culturally speaking) that they are lost and bewildered and don't know what sort of lifestyle to live. And this anomie is isolating rather than binding. Norms create social cohesion.

My point is that human nature is designed for cohesive communities, with a well defined culture. And atheism doesn't provide that. Atheism is an open book. Atheists who do well are strong minded, and secure in their cultural identity. Atheists who don't do well are those that drift aimlessly, and can't find order in the chaos.

There are many ways to find community and one of the worst of those ways is actually through the church though.  The reason is that church encourages an air of separation, superiority and disturbing group-think.

What you describe as cohesive community, I describe as sheep mentality.  A bunch of bleating sheep who don't question corrupt authority and will follow the flock into anything...no matter how disturbing.  I actually don't believe that is either or required in that fashion at all.  In fact, I equate a lot of very bad historical events to the flock mentality.

There are a thousand ways for atheists to come together and organize in humanistic, volunteer activities that won't require them to take up a very narrow mantra of thought. 

No one in life is happy until they find purpose and it really isn't that difficult to do.

[mralstoner]

There are many ways to find community and one of the worst of those ways is actually through the church though.  The reason is that church encourages an air of separation, superiority and disturbing group-think.

What you describe as cohesive community, I describe as sheep mentality.  A bunch of bleating sheep who don't question corrupt authority and will follow the flock into anything...no matter how disturbing.  I actually don't believe that is either or required in that fashion at all.  In fact, I equate a lot of very bad historical events to the flock mentality.

There are a thousand ways for atheists to come together and organize in humanistic, volunteer activities that won't require them to take up a very narrow mantra of thought. 

No one in life is happy until they find purpose and it really isn't that difficult to do.

Of course, tight communities can have a downside of groupthink. Of course, there are many alternatives to religious community. But still many atheists/humanists seem to struggle, can't find their way, and can't find a community. To say it "isn't difficult" is to miss the depth of the problem. It is a big problem for a lot of atheists/humanists.

[GodCherry]

There are many ways to find community and one of the worst of those ways is actually through the church though.  The reason is that church encourages an air of separation, superiority and disturbing group-think.

What you describe as cohesive community, I describe as sheep mentality.  A bunch of bleating sheep who don't question corrupt authority and will follow the flock into anything...no matter how disturbing.  I actually don't believe that is either or required in that fashion at all.  In fact, I equate a lot of very bad historical events to the flock mentality.

There are a thousand ways for atheists to come together and organize in humanistic, volunteer activities that won't require them to take up a very narrow mantra of thought. 

No one in life is happy until they find purpose and it really isn't that difficult to do.

Of course, tight communities can have a downside of groupthink. Of course, there are many alternatives to religious community. But still many atheists/humanists seem to struggle, can't find their way, and can't find a community. To say it "isn't difficult" is to miss the depth of the problem. It is a big problem for a lot of atheists/humanists.

Perhaps.   I personally haven't had this issue and don't know anyone that has but I don't rule out that it might be more common than I know or have experienced.

Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

[zebo-the-fat]

I have been an atheist since the age of about 12 (now 61) and I don't think I am any sadder or happier than anyone else. I have no fear of being dead (the process of dying is another matter) since you can only be either alive or dead, before I was alive I must have been dead ... didn't cause me any suffering! Asking where you go after you die is like asking where the music goes when the band stops playing, it only exists in the memory of the people who heard it. When I die I will only exist in the memory of those who knew me.

[robvalue]

I'd be a hell of a lot more sad if I thought any of the bullshit religion preaches was actually true.

[RobbyPants]

As I am not an atheist, I do not know the answer to this question, so I am asking you.

Are atheists generally sad, unhappy people, as opposed to Christians (true and otherwise) and other believers?

I went through various periods of guilt when I was Christian. When I went through my two-year transition to disbelief, I had a lot of depression. When I stopped believing, I was able to dump all that. I am much happier now.

Idk, it just seems sort of discouraging to me to go around thinking that when you die, you just become like a lump of dirt, or a glob of poop, and thats it . No after life.. no paradise in the sky with your dead family members and pets.. just nothing.. so sad .

Luckily for me, I'll be dead when that happens, so I won't be capable of caring. Sure, there was a part of me that was disappointed when I realized I no longer believed I was immortal and destined to live in some extraplanar paradise, but it's not like wanting make-believe things makes them true. If I spent all my time comparing the good things in the really real world to some hyper-idealized version of things that might be, I'd probably be depressed as hell, but what's the point in that?

[robvalue]

Every atheist ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf-ANnjvrlA

[maestroanth]

Nah, atheists are happier. Because cosmology has sooooooo much more satisfaction about existence with interesting black hole theories, singularity theories, holographic principals, eternal inflation, and so forth. I mean who would want to give up on a universe of all that interesting stuff for a grumpy old man snapping his fingers and then there was light?

[robvalue]

Too true! The fact that "all this" happened without guidance is astonishing and beautiful. If instead I thought it was just a project to amuse some weird being who got bored, it would lose it's sense of wonder. And given the power level usually attributed to such a designer, it would also be extremely shit judging by the new standard.