Atheists are emotionally stronger than theists

[Brian37]

Atheists know there's no invisible being who will take care of them when they slip up. Rather, they know they have to look after themselves. Atheists also know that the universe wasn't created for them, and that they are just insignificant specks in the grand scheme of things. Atheists are know that life is short, and that there isn't an eternity to do the things they want. So, I contend that atheists are emotionally stronger than theists.

Thoughts?

I don't think you can talk in terms of personalities with generalizations. I agree that we know all this was not put here for us. But as for me the individual atheist, while I have confidence in some aspects of my life, I can be insecure and second guess myself in other aspects. I'd only agree there is no sky hero helping us. I am confident in debate and writing poetry, but I constantly second guess myself and worry all the time about other things, like right now my house, but when my mom was alive I was terrified not knowing when to let her do what she wanted and when to step in.

Personalities are always an individual issue. I've seen many confident theists, still wrong of course, but still confident.

[Catholic_Lady]

Being a theist or an atheist has nothing to do with emotional strength.

/thread lol

[Brian37]

Being a theist or an atheist has nothing to do with emotional strength.

/thread lol

But as I said before, you can be confident, AND dead wrong at the same time.

The ancient Egyptians were confident their gods were real, for 3,000 years, turns out their gods were not real. I see all god claims as nothing more than the wishful thinking of our species.

[Minimalist]

Boy are you in for a surprise!

[julep]

I disagree.  I don't think the lack of a perceived spiritual safety net necessarily makes for additional emotional strength.  

Also...people who are stronger emotionally (by which you mean more balanced? less volatile?) are not superior to people who have less control over their emotions.

[Mystic]

Emotional strength is ambiguous.

Jacob per Quran cried a lot, and was immerse in grief due to knowledge he had.


Iblis saw Adam as inferior due to his vulnerable mold like nature.

Maybe that emotion you deem weak is manifestation of true strength

While the emotion that tries to show itself strong, is but a weakness.


For example, wanting to live forever is an act of love towards oneself, so a person ought to search to see if there is an afterlife.

While being satisfied with one life might seem strong, it might be a haste and too lazy to care type emotion.

[Minimalist]

We are not impressed with your fucking fairy tales.

[Whateverist]

Being a theist or an atheist has nothing to do with emotional strength.  .. duh!

/thread lol, bitches

Finished those for you.

---

Emotional strength is ambiguous as hell.

I'm in a mood to finish things.

[Catholic_Lady]

Heh heh

[paulpablo]

Atheists know there's no invisible being who will take care of them when they slip up. Rather, they know they have to look after themselves. Atheists also know that the universe wasn't created for them, and that they are just insignificant specks in the grand scheme of things. Atheists are know that life is short, and that there isn't an eternity to do the things they want. So, I contend that atheists are emotionally stronger than theists.

Thoughts?

I think there's instances when this might apply.  I always think it must be tempting to reach out to a god while you're on your death bed.  Therefore I also imagine it must require some kind of mental strength to remain a total atheist while terminally ill. 

I don't really think I'm emotionally stronger than an average theist though.  Going through all the stuff you mentioned, watching televisions shows about the universe and how insignificant we are gets me depressed so I really don't watch them or like to think about it. 

I don't know how much I do know that life is short.  I do know it, but that's another thing I don't like to walk around thinking about.  It doesn't make you great company if you're trying to have a laugh while thinking about the futility of life and the inevitability/ eternity of death.  I explained this in work the other day.  I said that around 11pm I'm at my horniest because at that time of night I either have to think about death or sex and I always choose sex. Which is true, I do try and avoid thinking about death by thinking about earthly pleasures. 

I don't know if there are a lot of emotionally strong stable people around here on atheist forums, but then I suppose there seems to be a whole lot of religious people in mental asylums and prisons.