Atheists are emotionally stronger than theists

[Seraphina]

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?

While it's very flattering to be thought of as emotionally stronger than theists, I'm not keen on painting atheists or anyone for that matter with broad brush strokes.

I didn't dump religion until my 30s. I'd like to think I'm emotionally strong but, if I am, it's likely because I've evolved that way by raising a kid and running a household single-handedly for the past 11 years, not because I don't believe in fairy tales.

I've also known an atheist or two who were quite emotionally fragile so there's that too.

-Teresa

[Little Rik]

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 hope you don't mind if I do correct your post.  

You say.......Atheists know ..................Atheists know ..............Atheists know .............

I rather would say...............atheists guess.......atheists guess.........atheists guess......

Doesn't this look better and reflect the reality?  

Thoughts?

[Angrboda]

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 hope you don't mind if I do correct your post.  

You say.......Atheists know ..................Atheists know ..............Atheists know .............

I rather would say...............atheists guess.......atheists guess.........atheists guess......

Doesn't this look better and reflect the reality?  

Thoughts?  

I do mind, because opinions formed on the basis of reasons or evidence are not considered guesses. Like many religious people, you want to level the ground of opinion in order to give your own a better face. If you cannot accept the faults in your own opinion, that's nobody's problem but your own. Making distorted claims about the opinions of atheists won't correct that problem. Perhaps the poster is equally exaggerating in the other direction by claiming knowledge, but as we all learned as children, two wrongs don't make a right.

Guess, transitive verb.

1 : to form an opinion of from little or no evidence
2 : ...
3 : to arrive at a correct conclusion about by conjecture, chance, or intuition

[Sal]

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 contest that this is spurious reasoning. I mean, just because atheists realize there's no god, doesn't follow that we atheists somehow gain/lose emotional constitution because of that realization; I might just as well spur with the same thought pattern that because life has no end goal we are more depressed and nihilistic because of that. See how that works out?

What I mean, generally, is that it's difficult to determine emotional strength out from any set of criteria.

Although it is correct that atheists might infer that no one looks after them and have to look after themselves, that might just as well be cause for emotional strife instead of strength, because people react differently on the same emotional stimuli. Someone might revel in the fact there's no sky-daddy looking out for them and take up personal responsibility as a result, someone else might cower and think it useless and pointless to continue living. What I'm getting at is that we react differently.

I don't think the universe at large and how we perceive it has much bearing on atheism or theism. I would contend, though, that atheists have a more realistic outlook, but by and large we all experience the same reality and face the same conundrums of existence and how to live; theists just do it with an extra baggage. So no, I don't think atheists have any special advantage over theists - in the end of the day, theists also realize they have a set amount of days to live, it's just they have (most of them anyways) an extra layer of thinking there's an afterlife after this existence.

Only thing I explicitly agree with is that there's no grand design. Theists hammer home way too often how everything was designed with humans in mind. That's something most atheists reject, but not because they're atheists, but because it's an afterthought after realizing that we are not special, evolutionarily speaking.

[Mister Agenda]

I'd need to see multiple studies that support this before I can agree. I need more than a superficially plausible argument to get on board. There's a superficially plausible argument for the opposite, after all.

[Mystic]

Make sure to have data that assess what it means to be emotionally strong as well but thank you for a little more objectivity.

[The Industrial Atheist]

I don't see any way to quantify and test such a statement. Emotional strength can be subjective in the first place. I don't believe it's true. Feelings of guilt over things that are a natural part of being human can be emotionally draining, I suppose, but I don't see that as an indicator of emotional strength.

[Little Rik]

I hope you don't mind if I do correct your post.  

You say.......Atheists know ..................Atheists know ..............Atheists know .............

I rather would say...............atheists guess.......atheists guess.........atheists guess......

Doesn't this look better and reflect the reality?  

Thoughts?  

I do mind, because opinions formed on the basis of reasons or evidence are not considered guesses.  Like many religious people, you want to level the ground of opinion in order to give your own a better face.  If you cannot accept the faults in your own opinion, that's nobody's problem but your own.  Making distorted claims about the opinions of atheists won't correct that problem.  Perhaps the poster is equally exaggerating in the other direction by claiming knowledge, but as we all learned as children, two wrongs don't make a right.

Guess, transitive verb.

1 : to form an opinion of from little or no evidence
2 : ...
3 : to arrive at a correct conclusion about by conjecture, chance, or intuition

I find rather bizarre for you to show me the dictionary meaning of the word GUESS when the dictionary itself back me up 100%.  

The first option is that this guess is an opinion with little or no evidence and the next meaning is all about arriving at a correct conclusion thing that Alex has never arrived at so what is your point anyway?
Where is the evidence that Alex did form his opinion on the basis for reason or evidence?
You show me these reasons and evidence and I will cover you in a sea of kudos.  

[robvalue]

I think theists can be more vulnerable because the rug could get pulled out from under them at any time. Atheists have either already gone through this or were never on the rug to begin with.

It can also lead to denial of reality (or addition of fantasy), which I expect could take a toll. (I see this daily on here.)

[Alexmahone]

I do mind, because opinions formed on the basis of reasons or evidence are not considered guesses.  Like many religious people, you want to level the ground of opinion in order to give your own a better face.  If you cannot accept the faults in your own opinion, that's nobody's problem but your own.  Making distorted claims about the opinions of atheists won't correct that problem.  Perhaps the poster is equally exaggerating in the other direction by claiming knowledge, but as we all learned as children, two wrongs don't make a right.

I find rather bizarre for you to show me the dictionary meaning of the word GUESS when the dictionary itself back me up 100%.  

The first option is that this guess is an opinion with little or no evidence and the next meaning is all about arriving at a correct conclusion thing that Alex has never arrived at so what is your point anyway?
Where is the evidence that Alex did form his opinion on the basis for reason or evidence?
You show me these reasons and evidence and I will cover you in a sea of kudos.  

What do you think atheists use to arrive at their conclusions anyway, if not reason and evidence?