New atheist here, gotta say, not loving it

[Abaddon_ire]

No, I want to know exactly why he/she is suffering. Nothing has really changed in this person's life at all bar a superstition has been deleted. I simply cannot fathom such a thought. I was raised RCC. When I tossed that baloney in the great bit bucket recycle bin, did I suddenly find life had no meaning? No. Did I suddenly find I had to glumly go through the motions of the sheer pointlessness of life? No.  

Why on Earth would anyone feel that way?

There must be some other underlying motive here. Bullying? Rejection by family and peers, perhaps? I don't know. And thus the question.

Frankly, my eldest came out as trans-gender recently after having previously come out as atheist. Given the rump of remaining RCC loons, one can imagine the mayhem.

And I had no hand act or part in that. My policy was "step away, do not get dragged into the fight, provide support". I still got blamed for it, being as I am a godless heathen and spawn of the devil.

Bottom line is, our OP has some other thing going on or is a wind up merchant IMHO.

So, just because it didn't happen to you, there must be more to his story or else he's full of shit?

Seriously, I need a break from people. This guy came looking for someone to talk to, just talk, and you asshats tell him we aren't qualified and question his sanity.

I'm done here for a while.

That is not what I wrote. Logically speaking as an atheist, the fact is that you have only this one attempt at life and that is it. Thus for an atheist, this one life is even more meaningful because there are no "do-overs".

[Odoital77]

Odoital77 Wrote: No, as I said earlier.  "On atheism there is no grounds for having hope.  You simply have the life you appear to have now, and when it is over...you are over.  Nothing that you say, do, or feel has any ultimate meaning or significance. 
 
Khemikal Wrote: No god meaning, therefore no meaning?  A bit of a stretch, don't you think?  Besides, if all you have is ultimate meaning, then you don;t have any super ultra mega ultimate meaning.

A stretch?  Not at all.  If there is no God, then there is no moral accountability for our actions.  The actions of every person feeding the homeless or caring for an orphaned child would ultimately end up the same as those of the child molester and murderer.  Nothing is truly punished, nothing rewarded, and nothing redeemed in the absence of God. So no, not a stretch at all. As far as your other comment regarding “super ultra mega ultimate meaning”, all I can say is that all of the meaning that can be had is only had via the existence of God.
 
 

Odoital77 Wrote: If I somehow found myself an atheist, I can imagine myself feeling much the same way.  Knowing myself, I would likely end up killing myself through destructive addictive behavior, probably by way of the abuse of alcohol and use of prostitutes. 
Khemikal Wrote:........therefore Hookers and Blow!

Probably.  I can’t say for sure, but I’m aware of at least some of my human frailties and the likely road I’d be on, absent my recognition of reality and following of Christ.  It’s just an educated guess though.
 
 

Odoital77 Wrote: Thankfully, I'm free from that kind of existence as a Christian.  I would invite you to reconsider the truth of theism and Christianity in particular.
Khemikal Wrote: Neat trick.  Why, do you suppose, that other christians are all about hookers and blow and meaningless lives?  It seems that you haven't all gotten the memo.

I actually don’t know what you mean.  I don’t know other Christians who are all about hookers and blow, and of course, I referred to alcohol rather than illegal drugs.  I doubt that I would go that far, but in an atheistic or naturalistic context, I suppose any of that would at least be possible.  If you are referring to some professing Christian that you know about who has been “all about” those things, then I’d have to know more about it.  Likely, you’re either not dealing with a genuine Christian or you’re dealing with a Christian that has a deep spiritual deficit in their Christian life that has seen God’s influence wane in their life.  I’d urge them to fall on their knees before God and repent, as well as to refocus on their Christian walk and the spiritual disciplines that attend the Christian life and strengthen the influence of God in our life and daily behavior.  That’s the best I can do, but each case would probably have to be looked at individually.  It’s hard to generalize sometimes.
 
 

Odoital77 Wrote:That has nothing to do with an imaginary friend.  It has to do with the fact that there is no ultimate basis for meaning on atheism.  And yes, merely because I would likely succumb to destructive behaviors if I didn't know the truth about reality doesn't mean that everyone else would to that, though I would point out that plenty of people poison their bodies and destroy their lives in just the ways I described, as well as many others.  But yeah, there are people who don't realize, are able to ignore or otherwise compartmentalize the consequences of their views and are not drastically affected by their consequences of their views as I would be.  Those people can certainly live multi-decade lives that look very much like those of any other average Joe.
Khemikal Wrote:Or maybe meaninglessness and hookers and blow isn't a consequence of atheism? I mean, we all know that;s just a consequence of tuesdays, right?

Yeah, it might not be for a lot or even most people.  I just think it would likely be a consequence of atheism for me.  The consequences of atheism would work themselves out in different ways with different people.  Obviously, a good number of people might not notice any difference from their lives today because a lot of people live their daily lives as if God doesn’t exist already, no matter what they might say if directly asked a question about their beliefs.  Others would feel a freedom to do things that they ordinarily would not have felt free to do in a different context (i.e. a context in which God actually exists).   In any case, people would be left to their own devices and would likely attempt to fill their lives with subjective meaning of a sort.  For those who can’t or couldn’t and thought a bit more deeply about reality, there would be a sort of moral nihilism that would likely emerge.  It wouldn’t be a great deal different than what we see today in the non-Christian community.  There would simply no longer be the restraining influence of Christianity, and then things would eventually change markedly.  But who can know what that would look like?  All we do know is that where God’s influence has waned significantly and/or atheism has been introduced as the dominant worldview, tyranny and death have eventually followed.  That’s not because atheism itself forces such things to occur in any way.  It’s because it removes the restraints from mankind, and the nature of man takes us down that path.  Regarding the consequences of “Tuesdays”, I have little to say.  I suspect that’s an attempt to be insulting or dismissive, but I won’t take offense.  At least I’ll try not to.  Thanks!

[Aroura]

@Odoital77
Why does there have to be accountability for your actions to mean something?
Is not the act of helping a person reward enough?  I cannot fathom that a person actually thinks that, without god, "The actions of every person feeding the homeless or caring for an orphaned child would ultimately end up the same as those of the child molester and murderer."

So literally, you view murder and feeding the hungry as the same, barring gods judgement on the matters.  You don't care about actually helping a person for the sake of helping them, because it makes another life better or eases suffering, but only that you get your reward for doing so.

Actually, please do stay a theist, you total sicko.

[notimportant1234]

Odoit , it seems that you are a kind of hypocrit .
From what I know the bible says that if you do good for a reward it is a sin soo the question comes , how are you a genuine Christian?

[Crossless2.0]

So, I've been denying my atheism for years, but man, I just can't do it anymore. That said, there's a reason I've been avoiding it. I'm terrified right now. I don't get how anyone's supposed to be happy like this.

I feel like...all I can do is cope with life now. I don't see what there is to look forward to, or to take reassurance in. Everything just seems empty.

(Why yes, I'm on meds and seeing a counselor. Doesn't help much.)

If you still follow this thread I would like to give you my personal suggestions.

As most people here already said your problem is due to simple depression.
Forget for sometime about theism or atheism.
These issues will only make your depression worse.
Take a step at the time.

Here is an old saying.........Mens sana in corpore sano ................is a Latin phrase, usually translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body". The phrase is widely used in sporting and educational contexts to express the theory that physical exercise is an important or essential part of mental and psychological well-being.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=mens+...e&ie=UTF-8


So start with physical exercises and healthy eating.
Once you find some benefits then start with the mind and once the mind has been fixed then you may start
thinking about what is behind the mind.

If this is of any interest to you please ask me about exercises and healthy eating.
All the very best.  

That's the first relatively sensible thing I've ever seen you post, Rik.

Congratulations, I guess?

[Aroura]

So, just because it didn't happen to you, there must be more to his story or else he's full of shit?

Seriously, I need a break from people. This guy came looking for someone to talk to, just talk, and you asshats tell him we aren't qualified and question his sanity.

I'm done here for a while.

That is not what I wrote. Logically speaking as an atheist, the fact is that you have only this one attempt at life and that is it. Thus for an atheist, this one life is even more meaningful because there are no "do-overs".

That is absolutely what you said.  Like, I'm not even putting words in your mouth or taking things out of context.  You literally said:

There must be some other underlying motive here. Bullying? Rejection by family and peers, perhaps? I don't know. And thus the question.

Frankly, my eldest came out as trans-gender recently after having previously come out as atheist. Given the rump of remaining RCC loons, one can imagine the mayhem.

And I had no hand act or part in that. My policy was "step away, do not get dragged into the fight, provide support". I still got blamed for it, being as I am a godless heathen and spawn of the devil.

Bottom line is, our OP has some other thing going on or is a wind up merchant IMHO.

You said, there must be something else aside from change to atheism going on.  Then followed up by saying the other option is he's a Wind up merchant", which is a liar, jokester, troll type of thing.
These are your very own words.

Though I agree that atheism makes life more meaningful not less, that point is not anywhere in the post from you I was responding to.  
Only the degradation of the OP's motives.

[pocaracas]

If there is no God, then there is no moral accountability for our actions.  The actions of every person feeding the homeless or caring for an orphaned child would ultimately end up the same as those of the child molester and murderer.  Nothing is truly punished, nothing rewarded, and nothing redeemed in the absence of God. So no, not a stretch at all. As far as your other comment regarding “super ultra mega ultimate meaning”, all I can say is that all of the meaning that can be had is only had via the existence of God.
 

Let me tell you a story.
Humans are a social species.
Many other social species exist on this planet and they all possess some sort of intuition towards the caring of their own social group.
Over the ages, such intuition has been selected for, as the non-social individuals failed to breed while the friendlier ones successfully did so. With this, you obtain a population that is mostly comprised of individuals who have what we call empathy for their social buddies.
Humans have, for the most part, that empathy for each other. Some of us can even extend it beyond our social group to the whole world's population, to some extent.

If your actions are not those of an empathic human being, your social group will classify you as dangerous.... we usually describe such people as sociopathic or psychopathic.
You would immediately find that your "ultimate meaning" lies not in some otherworldly entity, but in your fellow humans and the group that they wish to keep healthy, cohesive, and peaceful.

With the growth of human groups, the development of cities and the belonging to groups that encompass strangers, the empathy towards these strangers seems, from a rational (but not by much) point of view, misplaced.
The concept of god has hence been hijacked to provide people with the sense that all individuals in that extended group deserve your empathy. And that is the thing you're employing, now.
I seriously doubt that, were you to one day find yourself disbelieving in the existence of any god, you'd turn sociopath.
You are merely rationalizing being empathic towards others within the framework of the extended group.
In itself, this rationalization is not a bad thing. I think some people would really be sociopaths, if not for their perception that an omniscient being is keeping them in check. But most would not. Most people would go on with their lives being as "good" as they were before, because what counts is that warm fuzzy feeling of helping others - empathy.

[Little lunch]

My jaw is still dropped from what Little Rik posted.
Why can't you be nice like that all the time?

[Whateverist]

Not sure if he is merely a sock of some persistent apologist who just really likes this site playing the 'pity me'- card or just another in a seemingly endless line of them.  Do they teach this in missionary school?  Or -just maybe- he is actually an ex-believer who has come to an atheist site to whine that our position is to blame for his depression.  (Sorry Aurora, my missionary-dar is just pinging too loudly for me to really take that possibility seriously; but I do agree that symptoms of depression must be taken seriously.)

---

So, I've been denying my atheism for years, but man, I just can't do it anymore. That said, there's a reason I've been avoiding it. I'm terrified right now. I don't get how anyone's supposed to be happy like this.

I feel like...all I can do is cope with life now. I don't see what there is to look forward to, or to take reassurance in. Everything just seems empty.

(Why yes, I'm on meds and seeing a counselor. Doesn't help much.)

If you still follow this thread I would like to give you my personal suggestions.

As most people here already said your problem is due to simple depression.
Forget for sometime about theism or atheism.
These issues will only make your depression worse.
Take a step at the time.

Here is an old saying.........Mens sana in corpore sano ................is a Latin phrase, usually translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body". The phrase is widely used in sporting and educational contexts to express the theory that physical exercise is an important or essential part of mental and psychological well-being.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=mens+...e&ie=UTF-8


So start with physical exercises and healthy eating.
Once you find some benefits then start with the mind and once the mind has been fixed then you may start
thinking about what is behind the mind.

If this is of any interest to you please ask me about exercises and healthy eating.
All the very best.  

I'd like to report that Rik's account has been hijacked.

[Joods]

So, just because it didn't happen to you, there must be more to his story or else he's full of shit?

Seriously, I need a break from people. This guy came looking for someone to talk to, just talk, and you asshats tell him we aren't qualified and question his sanity.

I'm done here for a while.

That is not what I wrote. Logically speaking as an atheist, the fact is that you have only this one attempt at life and that is it. Thus for an atheist, this one life is even more meaningful because there are no "do-overs".

Well not every conversion story is as clear cut as yours. Some people deal with the reality better than others and while one would think that it would be a relief to know there is no god, others clearly find that not to be the case. In that situation, it's best to use empathy and not whatever you used because you know - sensitivity is indeed a thing. More people in this world could use that.