[Serious] How Do You Cope?

[h4ym4n]

The JW's knocked on my door last week and gave the usual "Do you worry about the future?" fearmongering introduction that has been their thing ever since I can remember, but now that I'm older and entering senior citizenship it hit differently. They always seem to like playing about people's fears, but I guess what religion doesn't?

Of course I worry about the future, just like a lot of people, but it made me ponder more about how others deal with the issue of a bleak future. Only people with their head firmly buried seem to think there's no problems ahead. Even many religious folk aren't too hopeful, but at least they have the belief that the afterlife will be better than this.

So, it got me thinking "What do Atheists have?". As the world turns to shit and the future looks bleak everywhere you look with bad news and more bad news every day, what still moves you forward?

I actually think an afterlife would be a WORSE fate than just decomposing after death. The idea of heaven just never appealed to me, no matter how glorious it may sound to others.

Thoughts?

Bold mine

I feel I’m a participant in the movie, 

Don’t Look Up

[Rev. Rye]

As a side note: the preferred way of dealing with JWs is to tell them "Hurry up. It's my birthday and my boyfriend and I are going to try on skinny jeans and give each other blood transfusions."

Also, making sure that, if there are any minors in the house, they stay far the fuck away, because the Jehovah's Witnesses have a pedophilia problem so severe that it makes the Catholics look like Chris Hansen.

[The Valkyrie]

Alcohol.

Violence.

[Thumpalumpacus]

As a side note: the preferred way of dealing with JWs is to tell them "Hurry up. It's my birthday and my boyfriend and I are going to try on skinny jeans and give each other blood transfusions."

Also, making sure that, if there are any minors in the house, they stay far the fuck away, because the Jehovah's Witnesses have a pedophilia problem so severe that it makes the Catholics look like Chris Hansen.

My go-to line with JWs has been "I've been disfellowshipped". Your address will be blacklisted at that point; they're forbidden contact with the expelled.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

When I need to cope, I usually



Boru

[Paleophyte]

I am not happy that someone what shot and killed.  But, I plan to wait till we know what the hell happened leading up to it.  Word from his wife is that he had been receiving threats for a while.  Yes, prosecute the shooter but I still want to know the why.

I agree with you entirely, but I can't help but think that the victim was profiting from suffering and death, and almost certainly contributing to both. The fact that his actions were probably legal doesn't make that one bit better. Now society is supposed to seek justice for somebody who couldn't manage basic compassion and I'm trying to figure just how many fucks to give. Vigilantism is stupid and typically counterproductive, but it's what you inevitably get when a large enough gap forms between legality and justice.

If we're lucky it'll turn out that the shooter was mentally unstable but had been denied coverage.

[Paleophyte]

So, it got me thinking "What do Atheists have?". As the world turns to shit and the future looks bleak everywhere you look with bad news and more bad news every day, what still moves you forward?

I remember that we live in a society that is, on average, improving despite existing in a cosmos where everything else tends toward disorder, decay, and an inevitable heat death. There isn't one of us born that doesn't look at this sad old world and think, "I could have done better." and then try to improve it in some small way.

[Ravenshire]

If members were banned for unpopular opinions, you'd have been gone long ago.

Which is exactly why I rarely post, or even respond to anything on this forum. Considering that this is supposed to be a forum for atheists, it seems like the vast majority(about 98%) of the members here are practicing the religion of politics. 
The next 4 years are going to be very entertaining watching and listening to all of the Harris/Walz supporters losing their shit. 

And don't forget, this is still a free country, with free speech still being legal. Just because someone else's opinions are unpopular, that doesn't mean that they're wrong. 
Don't believe everything you think.

You espoused surprise over the lack of a ban for someone else's free expression of their opinion, yet imply that you're opinions should be fully protected. That you lack the understanding that the protections of free speech written into the constitution do not, and were never intended to, apply to a private institution, and your failure to recognize your own screaming hypocrisy, is noted, but completely unsurprising.

As to your sad little straw-man, never once did I claim your opinion was wrong.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Just because someone else's opinions are unpopular, that doesn't mean that they're wrong. 

You're perfectly entitled to espouse your opinions. So is everyone else. You're not entitled to agreement, or indeed to be free of pushback.

This being a private forum, Constitutional rights like freedom of speech aren't applicable, because the owners are not an arm of the government. They do a pretty good job all the same allowing minority views to be both aired and challenged.

[Fireball]

As for the original question, I've coped by putting one foot in front of the other. Planned as possible, but those plans usually got trashed in a lot less than the five years people ask you about, as in where you plan to be.