Atheist and don't like it.

aaronjumper

Okay I am a long time lurker no time poster. I still have a lot to learn but here is my standpoint.

I am 100% atheist I do not beleive there is any higher being watching over us.

What I want to ask is are my fellow atheists not bothered by this fact?
I mean the beleifs of others are that when we die we get reunited with lost loved ones. So far so good. (for some)

We also get to live an eternity of bliss. Nice one.

I sometimes, rarely but still, find myself getting upset because of the fact that when life ends that is it, goodbye, nice knowing you.

Sometimes I am jealous of the faithful. Is no one else not enjoying being an atheist? I had a longer post planned but I do not have a keyboard. It took me twenty minutes to get this far

Are other atheists happy with being atheists apart from being liberated from their religions?

Are you okay with the fact that this is it for better or worse rich or poor when we die it is all over?

I know that a lot of the faithful fear death but given their beleif system they shouldn't. As an atheist death does not scare me. It is the nothingness that comes after that does.

Apologies for the long flaky post but that is the best I can do so far.
Be gentle. :pac:

Eathrin

Delusions of heaven and an afterlife are just false comforts.
Of course I would love to believe it (even though the whole eternity thing going sour argument has to be considered). Eternal bliss does sound fantastic. But too good to be true, and it's just that, fiction.

You're not missing out on anything, of course you know that.
You're time is better spent making the best life possible for yourself here rather than preparing for a fictional afterlife. After all, there's no second chances.

I do feel upset sometimes that death is the ultimate end but it'd be silly to live in sadness. I'm happy to be an atheist and be free from delusion.

fanki na pengin

I remember when I first realised that if God/afterlife etc doesn't exist, then there is absolutely nothing once I die, etc.

It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. What the hell was I living for?

But after reading a lot about atheism and religion, I've come to realise that since I don't believe in any form of afterlife, that it definitely means I should make the most of now, and try and do something of worth in my life, whether it be my job, creatively, or family.

Which is why I now have a master's in music and live in Japan. :v (seriously, I would have pissed away doing some sort of degree based on a future, solid career if I hadn't have said '**** it, life is too short').

Anyways, it may seem idealistic and a little faffy, but there you have it.

challengemaster

It's understandable to get upset over it. It's a scary thought that life is so short, that we're all just a tiny blip in history, and when we die that's it. That's why so many people turn to religion, they're scared of the truth, and it gives them some sort of hope.

You may think that false hope is better than no hope, but... I think this is probably the most meaningful part of being Atheist. The realisation that there's nothing after you die gives you a damn good reason not to waste the only life you'll ever have.

pauldla

I have found atheism to be exciting, liberating, and comforting. It gives one a wonderful sense of perspective.

I'll be sorry to leave this life, but I accept that the party has to come to an end sooner or later: I hope the rest of you drink and sing in my memory after I am gone.

OP, your life is here and now. Carpe that diem for all you are worth!

aaronjumper

Thank you for your replies they do make me feel better.
I have felt this way for a few years but have never expressed it before.

EDIT: I did a search but hate and atheism just led me to a lot of the religious forums! So sorry if this was done before.

Was just wondering what the wiser people thought.

Canis Lupus

I just get upset that I'm gonna miss out on cool **** like space travel/defeating aging etc. How awesome would it be to be a pioneer on a new planet and I get born way too early for it. If I died and heaven existed and god forgave me and let me into heaven I'd still be pissed at missing that kind of stuff.

As for death, I don't fear it but I fear dying. I hope it's quick and relatively painless like a nice sudden heartattack etc... I can only hope... I've had the misfortune to see some lingering deaths in my family and I want none of what they went through.

Arawn

I'm happy being one. I know I'll do stuff like rock climbing,sky diving etc cos there is nothing after death so why the **** not?

Extinction

It doesn't worry me that I know the fairy tales aren't true and I fully expect the afterlife to be the exact same as the beforelife so I won't even be aware that I've died. When I was younger it did bother me that I wouldn't see my loved one's again but now that I'm older it doesn't seem to bother me and I find it a comfort to know that there is an end, I just don't want that end yet. I also hope it's a quick end and not a long drawn out painful one when it comes.

Today I would't describe myself as free from religion, I'm just free and religion doesn't even enter into the equation. I don't need anyone to tell me the difference between right or wrong, I don't need guidance on morals from a book or from anyone. I'm simply free to enjoy life, to meet challenges head on and improve my life. It simply makes no sense to me when I think of the people who are caught up in a belief system and praying and hoping that an invisible entity will give them what they are missing out on in life when they die. I like being an atheist, it's probably the best thing that could have happened to me.

There is one thing that I don't like though, I would love to be around in another couple of thousand years to see the advances that human beings make and to watch the discovery channel in 4013 as they display our primitive tools and discuss how mankind went from worshiping the sun to worshiping invisible monsters that threatened us with eternal suffering if we didn't do what we were told by the child rapists.

Oh and one last thing, when it comes to religion I regret that death and loss of consciousness means that I will never know that I was right and the religious will never know that they were wrong. What a wonderful world we could have if there was no religion.

krudler

I find it more comforting to realise you only get one chance at an existence in this world and that's it. Realising the world and all that's in it wasn't engineered purely for our species which is more favoured over the other animals by a supernatural dictator. suffering in this life to achieve happiness in the next is an utterly bizarre concept.

Beruthiel

aaronjumper wrote: »

I sometimes, rarely but still, find myself getting upset because of the fact that when life ends that is it, goodbye, nice knowing you.

You're looking at it wrong.
Think of all those sperm and eggs that never amounted to anything.
I consider it a minor miracle that I exist at all. I am alive!

That I exist in a part of the world where I get to have a roof over my head and food on my table makes me one of the most privileged humans on this planet.
I couldn't be luckier (unless I win the lotto ).

For me, this is heaven and life is as good. I am happy with my lot.
If I died right now I would regret nothing and would consider that I had a great (if a little short) life.
I got to live, love, laugh, drink great wines and eat fantastic food. I got to travel and experience many parts of the world.
It would be terribly greedy of me to expect more than that.

I know that a lot of the faithful fear death but given their beleif system they shouldn't. As an atheist death does not scare me. It is the nothingness that comes after that does.

I would fear a long protracted, slow death, especially as we don't have euthanasia in this country.
A quick, fast death I do not fear. As for the nothingness, I won't notice it, I'll be dead.
Consider what you felt before you were born... It will be the same as that, no?
Enjoy your day and make the most of it.

magicbastarder

i find the idea of an afterlife terrifying. what do you *do* for eternity?

krudler

magicbastarder wrote: »

i find the idea of an afterlife terrifying. what do you *do* for eternity?

Surrounded by "we told you so!" Christians as well :pac:

I'd imagine heaven is like Christmas Day dinner. forever.

magicbastarder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmZYIyySxPE

pH

aaronjumper wrote: »

I mean the beleifs of others are that when we die we get reunited with lost loved ones. So far so good. (for some)

We also get to live an eternity of bliss. Nice one.

Except that for the main part - anyone believing what you've said above - has made it up themselves - and if that's what you've taken away as the beliefs of the main religions (Catholicism, Protestantism and Islam) surrounding us then you've been misled or need to learn a little bit more.

By far the most common proposed religious beliefs include both heaven and hell. Now I know that most a la carte believers act and speak as if the hell part doesn't exist (I have been to many catholic funerals/wakes/removals etc and dear granddad is always with god in heaven - no other possibility is considered or mentioned) - but this is just intellectual dishonesty and cowardice on their part - a refusal to come to terms with their own beliefs.

So as a non believing sinner your "choices" are not between nothingness and eternal bliss in heaven with the baby Jesus - they're between nothingness and eternal damnation, hellfire, pitchforks and all that.

Beruthiel

krudler wrote: »

I'd imagine heaven is like Christmas Day dinner. forever.

What a terrifying thought!

Penn

OP, you need to remember that just because religious people believe in an afterlife, doesn't mean there is one.

I'd rather be happy in this life (which I know exists), than have to follow the rules of a religion which still only *might* allow me into an afterlife which only *might* exist.

Think about it: If someone came up to and said if you followed an arbitrary set of rules for a year, you'd win something they had in a box which would make you happy. You ask them where the box is, and they say that there's definitely a box, but they can't give you any evidence of it and you'd just have to trust them. Would you follow their rules for a year, or would you spend that time making yourself happy instead?

magicbastarder

is the claim about the afterlife explicit in the bible, or is it something which accumulated years afterwards?

pH

magicbastarder wrote: »

is the claim about the afterlife explicit in the bible, or is it something which accumulated years afterwards?

It's an interesting question - I still find it hard to understand the Jewish/Old Testament beliefs on afterlife - and much of the new testament seems to focus on the resurrection of the dead and a paradise on earth for eternity.

Dades

aaronjumper wrote: »

Sometimes I am jealous of the faithful. Is no one else not enjoying being an atheist?

I'm only an atheist when I post here. Other times I'm a father, footballer, petrolhead, moviegoer, writer...

Don't be defined by what you (don't) believe, just be proud your beliefs are honestly held.

And as I read on a bus once (and bought the t-shirt) - Stop Worrying and Get on With Your Life.

nozzferrahhtoo

aaronjumper wrote: »

What I want to ask is are my fellow atheists not bothered by this fact?

Not in the slightest. Nor can I see any good reason to be. It would just be a waste of time. Why be bothered by the truth? Life is what you make of it and one can either sit around being depressed by reality and truths or one can just get on with it.

Being annoyed or saddened by the truth is not going to change it.

aaronjumper wrote: »

We also get to live an eternity of bliss. Nice one.

Does not sound nice to me at all. Imagine going to a good gig and really enjoying it but then you are taken aside and told the gig will go on forever, you can never leave and the management (in a tone that says "or else") positively insists you have a good time during this incarceration.

seamus

As I've said every time this has come up really the only thing I "fear" about death is the knowledge that I don't get to see how this ball of bat**** chaos that we call earth, turns out. I would love to see what happens next and have the time and the means to explore the entire universe, to expand my knowledge of reality.

But I can't. In fact, nobody can, which gives me some solace - I'm not "missing out" on something which another person will do, I'm pointlessly lamenting that I can't do something impossible. It would be like being pissed off at not being able to fire lazer beams from my arsehole.

Looking up at the stars actually is something which I find bittersweet. It brings home the reality of the enormousness of everything, and our complete unimportance, but it also brings home the reality of how I will never get to go there.

Though one video I saw recently which has brought me some surprising comfort in that regard made me consider this:
You look at the stars and the incomprehensible distances between us, the sheer enormity of not just our star system, but our solar system and the universe as a whole. Distances where the numbers are effectively meaningless.
There was a time when we were all together. All of the stars you can see in the night sky, all of those galaxies that hubble sees, everything. We were all together in the one place at the same time, side-by-side, atom to atom.

For some reason that brings me enormous comfort; I don't need to go to the stars, cos I've already been there, I just don't remember it

krudler

There was a great bit in a recent Idiot Abroad episode where Karl was talking about heaven, and how there's people you'd never want to see again who'll be there and you'll have to be around them for all eternity, made a great point lol "oh christ they let you up here did they?"

sbsquarepants

I think it's just a case of believing what you want to believe. Some people take comfort in believing their dead relatives are lookng out for them from above and so on. I have a friend who fervently believes his dead granny stopped him from being hurt in a car crash, i asked him once why didn't she step in a few seconds earlier and save him a few bob on car repairs too - he justed stared blankly at me!:)
Personally i prefer to "know" the truth - i'm not so arrogant as to think i actually know for certain, but i'm certain enough to live my life based on the knowledge that no one is waiting for me on the other side. And yes that is a little bit sad, i've loads of people i'd love to see again but when the show is over, then it's over. Sometimes you have to just get on with things.
On the plus side - i make sure to enjoy my time here - cos i do know for ceratin, it'll be way too short!

Handsome Bob

I often find the live life to the full line a bit hollow as a lot of people don't really have the means to do that. This could be down to a number of reasons such as financial issues, unemployment, personal issues, illness or mental health issues. For example, some posters mentioned living in Japan, others talk about sky diving or rock climbing. Not everyone can do these things, even if they dearly wanted to.

I understand the the concept, and it is true (people shouldn't waste the little time they have), but the reality is that life is full of obstacles. Some you can beat, some you can't. Life, for a lot of people, is simply unfair so I understand where you're coming from OP.

krudler

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I think it's just a case of believing what you want to believe. Some people take comfort in believing their dead relatives are lookng out for them from above and so on. I have a friend who fervently believes his dead granny stopped him from being hurt in a car crash, i asked him once why didn't she step in a few seconds earlier and save him a few bob on car repairs too - he justed stared blankly at me!:)
Personally i prefer to "know" the truth - i'm not so arrogant as to think i actually know for certain, but i'm certain enough to live my life based on the knowledge that no one is waiting for me on the other side. And yes that is a little bit sad, i've loads of people i'd love to see again but when the show is over, then it's over. Sometimes you have to just get on with things.
On the plus side - i make sure to enjoy my time here - cos i do know for ceratin, it'll be way too short!

Its the guardian angel logic. Say there's a disaster, 1000's of people killed, but one person found alive is a "miracle" and "someone was watching out for them" riiight, so just them, not the other 1000's dead? Heaven stands and looks on with complete indifference for them?

There was a sickening comment on facebook recently when those kids were killed in the school shooting, something along the lines of "those angels were called to heaven early" That kind of logic is just fcuking abhorrent.

HHobo

Hi Aaron,

Yeah, it is kind of depressing at times. There is a whole lot about reality that just sucks, plain and simple. The question I ask myself is; would I choose the lie if I were actually offered the choice or would I prefer to live the hard truth? I honestly don't know! I like to think I would choose the truth but I can't be certain. It is entirely academic for me though as the whole paradise after death thing is so incredibly childish and so obviously invented a fantasy that I simply ccouldn't believe it, no matter how much I might want to.

It is even more depressing than it seems at first. There is no ultimate justice. Tyrants live perfectly happy lives, torturing and killing those around them and they often get away with it, scot-free. Christianity doesn't do a whole lot to address this but more morally enlightened religions do.

There is a little justification for the religious perspective that there is a nihilistic aspect to atheism but the true comlpaint of course is that there is a nihilistic aspect to reality.

Possibly the worst thing is, that even though you know that this life is all you get and you really ought to make the most of it. You will find you squander it to much the same extent as those who believe in an afterlife. Atheists often talk about siezing the day but in my experience you are as likely to find them wasting away on the couch as anyone else!
Some atheists seize the day as do some religious. Some of both stay home and watch coronation street too. Neither worldview seems to have much effect on how someone lives.


It's not all doom and gloom though!

You do begin to appreciate the marvels of nature more I think. The universe seems much more full of possibility when there is no, laughably human-like, mind dictating ludicrously specific rules. You begin to understand that the world really is what we make of it. We are flawed creatures but we are hard at work trying to be less so. The accomplishments of humankind are ours alone. So too are our failings, of course, but the better angels of our nature, involve no angels, no divine spark, no elevating impetus. Life as we are does not need some exterior force to raise it out of the muck. We can do that ourselves. Our potential is not limited and we are not the playthings of gods and demons. The more people who realise this, the faster the world is likely to become a better place. Religion encourages the view that we are nasty, sinful cretins and the only good we do is thanks to some better entity that holds it's nose and tries to drag us out of the filth we would chose to wallow in without it's magnaimous intervention.

You are free to do whatever things brings happiness without bizarre restrictions imposed by long surpassed authorities. At the same time, you can't seek forgiveness from anyone except from those you harmed and this I think makes people more considerate of their actions. You understand that the time you have with family and friends is very limited and I think this encourages you to cherish the time you have with them.
Only the atheist, I think, can truely understand just how true the statement "knowledge is power" really is. That is one of the reasons I think they tend to often be great respecters of science. They are more likely to understand that mankind's lot is something we have a measure of control over. The more we know the better we can make life for everyone and the richer the experience will become.

For all the downers its comes with. When I look up at the milky way and understand just how tiny I am, I am filled with inspiration and awe, not self-pity or a sense of dinunation. I am small and have very little power, but with the help of my fellow humans I have the potential to even stand on the moon. I think in general you feel a little better about your fellow prmiates!

fanki na pengin

S. De Sousa wrote: »

I often find the live life to the full line a bit hollow as a lot of people don't really have the means to do that. This could be down to a number of reasons such as financial issues, unemployment, personal issues, illness or mental health issues. For example, some posters mentioned living in Japan, others talk about sky diving or rock climbing. Not everyone can do these things, even if they dearly wanted to.

I understand the the concept, and it is true (people shouldn't waste the little time they have), but the reality is that life is full of obstacles. Some you can beat, some you can't. Life, for a lot of people, is simply unfair so I understand where you're coming from OP.

I agree, and that's why I like to say 'live your life to it's fullest' instead. Accepting our limitations makes us understand ourselves better imo, and helps to focus and concentrate on what we can achieve.

sbsquarepants

S. De Sousa wrote: »

I often find the live life to the full line a bit hollow as a lot of people don't really have the means to do that. .

Couldn't agree more - you can't spend every day bungee jumping with naked supermodels (unfortunately) But that's not to say you can't try to enjoy yourself whatever your circumstances, within reason - it's hard to put a positive spin on terminal cancer, or neck down paralysis for example. In the end we can only play the hand we're dealt.
Thankfully the majority of people in western democracies like our own have it reasonably well, we won't starve, we won't get eaten by tigers and so on. Enjoying yourself can be as simple as a nice walk in the park, or a nice cup of tea and a packet of custard creams!

krudler wrote: »

There was a sickening comment on facebook recently when those kids were killed in the school shooting, something along the lines of "those angels were called to heaven early" That kind of logic is just fcuking abhorrent.

Thanks big man for speeding up the entry process for my 5 year old kid - i owe you one buddy.
I know grief can hit people in funny ways, but this shít is just sick!

Pat Mustard

krudler wrote: »

There was a great bit in a recent Idiot Abroad episode where Karl was talking about heaven, and how there's people you'd never want to see again who'll be there and you'll have to be around them for all eternity, made a great point lol "oh christ they let you up here did they?"

Brilliant! :pac:

Just imagine being up there, blissfully living some Carlsberg ad for about five minutes, until the discovery comes that Hector and Gay Byrne are your next door neighbours for all eternity.

krudler

The whole "live every day like its your last" thing, Well unfortunately facebook inspirational quotes aside that rarely happens, now if I was a billionaire I would but sometimes doing (like I did yesterday) simple things you enjoy is living that day to the full.

robindch

The Mustard wrote: »

[...] that Hector and Gay Byrne are your next door neighbours for all eternity.

I bumped into Hector in Manama airport Bahrain airport a few years back as he was staring, open-mouthed at the head of a huge moose that somebody had nailed to the wall about nine feet off the floor, just to the right of a coffee stand. The following conversation ensued:

Hector (noticing that I'd noticed him; points at moose; glum voice): I'm easily amused.
Me (remembering some lame telly of his I'd seen recently): Well, I'm not (walks off)

I think it came out wrong, but then again, maybe it didn't.

nozzferrahhtoo

robindch wrote: »

I bumped into Hector in Manama (Do doo be-do-do) airport Bahrain airport a few years back as he was staring, open-mouthed at the head of a huge moose that somebody had nailed to the wall about nine feet off the floor, just to the right of a coffee stand.

FYP.

oldrnwisr

aaronjumper wrote: »

Okay I am a long time lurker no time poster. I still have a lot to learn but here is my standpoint.

I am 100% atheist I do not beleive there is any higher being watching over us.

What I want to ask is are my fellow atheists not bothered by this fact?
I mean the beleifs of others are that when we die we get reunited with lost loved ones. So far so good. (for some)

We also get to live an eternity of bliss. Nice one.

I sometimes, rarely but still, find myself getting upset because of the fact that when life ends that is it, goodbye, nice knowing you.

Sometimes I am jealous of the faithful. Is no one else not enjoying being an atheist? I had a longer post planned but I do not have a keyboard. It took me twenty minutes to get this far

Are other atheists happy with being atheists apart from being liberated from their religions?

Are you okay with the fact that this is it for better or worse rich or poor when we die it is all over?

I know that a lot of the faithful fear death but given their beleif system they shouldn't. As an atheist death does not scare me. It is the nothingness that comes after that does.

Apologies for the long flaky post but that is the best I can do so far.
Be gentle. :pac:

What about the nothingness before? I mean before you came on stage the universe had been around for 13 billion years and all that time you were in a state of nothingness, which I assume you don't have a problem with. So why is it a problem to return to that state for another 13 billion years.

From my own perspective, I find the truth far more satisfying than believing some comfortable lie.

Finally, as far as the "meet all you loved ones in the afterlife" goes I'll let Stephen Fry explain the problems with that scenario:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzfCtGFgRSk

nagirrac wrote: »

I would encourage you to live your life to the full, follow your bliss wherever it takes you, and maintain an open mind. On the latter point, I would respectively encourage you to reconsider your 100% atheist belief. We have (currently at least) no way of knowing (knowledge as opposed to belief) whether there is a creative intelligence behind our universe or not. Although atheists dispute this argument, there is more evidence (albeit subjective) for a creative intelligence than for any currently proposed alternative.

What we know from science is that the universe is very finely tuned, otherwise we could not exist. If we accept the big bang theory as the start of our physical universe as we observe it, there are really only two logical possibilities, either 1) a conscious intelligence designed it as such, or 2) ours is one of an infinite number of universes that happens to have the right physical properties for us to exist. We cannot observe any other universes so imo belief in the latter is as objectively speculative as the former.

Oh dear, not this again.

Since there is no credible evidence to suggest any kind of deity I'm not sure what you mean by "more evidence than for any proposed alternative"

Secondly, the fine-tuning argument, out of all the arguments for the existence of a God, is the most fundamentally flawed. In fact, if I were to start detailing all the problems of the fine-tuning argument then it would probably end up being the longest post in boards history. Just one tiny example of the problems with this argument is that we can already show that life is possible without two of the four fundamental forces of nature and yet you think the universe is fine-tuned.

Also, your assumptions about the big bang are wrong. Those are not the only two possibilities for a start, and also you're invoking the fallacy of equivocation that because we don't have conclusive evidence either way that both ideas must have equal merit. They don't.

Finally, the OP is talking about his concerns about there not being an afterlife if you're an atheist. Even if we accept the fine-tuning argument as evidence for a "creative intelligence", that does not imply that there must be an afterlife. You've still got a massive conceptual leap to bridge between "creative intelligence" and any of the religions which propose a continuation of existence after death.

seamus

nagirrac wrote: »

We cannot observe any other universes so imo belief in the latter is as objectively speculative as the former.

In other words, "All opinions are nonsense, but you might as well go with my nonsense because it's better than yours".

Sarky

You know all those folks who do believe in an afterlife? They're all going to die too. What they believe doesn't matter. All that prayer and church and evangelising, that's time they could have spent hanging out with friends, listening to a new album, playing a game online, writing that novel, booking tickets to halfway across the world with a loved one or any number of other things.

There won't be a you to feel sad about being dead just like there wasn't a you to feel anxious about not being born. And it's the one thing in life that is totally, unequivocally impossible to avoid. So there really is no point worrying about it (although I should point out that avoiding tax is illegal and may get you into trouble). You don't have to be rich to enjoy life. Carpe diem. Carpe the living f*ck out of it.

Sulla Felix

My father dying was easily the hardest test of my lack of faith. It was never the time to balk at going to mass etc so for a good week or so I was surrounded by people being visibly comforted by therr faith.
Im still an atheist even if I'd love to have five minutes with him or even to know he could hear what I had to say. I wouldn't go do far as to say that I don't want or like being one, it did give me a bit of understanding of the other side though.

Penn

Sulla Felix wrote: »

My father dying was easily the hardest test of my lack of faith. It was never the time to balk at going to mass etc so for a good week or so I was surrounded by people being visibly comforted by therr faith.
Im still an atheist even if I'd love to have five minutes with him or even to know he could hear what I had to say. I wouldn't go do far as to say that I don't want or like being one, it did give me a bit of understanding of the other side though.

It is the ultimate selling point of most religions, and how it so easily grew among people. I'm sure it gives great comfort with regards death, whether helping people accept a family member's death by believing that you'll see them again, or even great comfort for your own death as you believe it's not really the end.

Gbear

I think the belief that people will see their relatives, friends, etc, when they die is just as vacuous as the rest of religious beliefs. It's something that seems superficially "nice". Religion is full of those sorts of shallow beliefs. You can make that sort of comment in a throwaway fashion at a funeral and people just nod. There's no depth of thought put into it.

Personally, I get very little from the "we came from stars" sort of thinking or any other positive spin that's put on no longer existing.

Ultimately, it's pointless to worry because it's inevitable and there's no element of jealousy involved because it's inevitable for everyone.
That doesn't mean I don't get bothered about it. It just means I get more annoyed with myself for worrying about something I can't do anything about.

I think how you deal with this question is more down to personality than anything. My own solution is to avoid thinking about it by doing **** rather than fruitlessly grappling with it.

Obliq

There isn't a great deal of difference between the way religious and atheist people live their lives, apart from the comfort that religious people feel in the notion of an afterlife, and the time they waste out of their lives in going to church/praying, etc. (of course they wouldn't see it as wasted time)

Why was the notion of afterlife (heaven and hell) made up in the first place? To encourage people to lead a good and moral life - to guide them towards the moral codes, with the threat of hell if they ignore them. We manage to live by our natural morals just fine without that threat, yet we're left with that uncomfortable feeling that this is all there is, as opposed to the comfort from being good will get you to heaven. Why do we see this as uncomfortable, even though we need no carrot/stick to guide us? Maybe because of the idea of comfort giving other people something we can't have. Realistically, those people need so much more reassurance than us - often and especially on their deathbeds - when the idea that they might have been living a lie becomes more important.

I get comfort from the fact that my remains will be recycled/upcycled by the universe, as will all my loved ones. The same atoms that make up me, have always been here and always will be. I wonder what I'll be next?! (the tiniest particles that I'm using anyway....)

HHobo

Sarky wrote: »

You know all those folks who do believe in an afterlife? They're all going to die too. What they believe doesn't matter. All that prayer and church and evangelising, that's time they could have spent hanging out with friends, listening to a new album, playing a game online, writing that novel, booking tickets to halfway across the world with a loved one or any number of other things.

This is certainly true but as Aaron post shows, there is another way to look at it.
These believers may be happier in general because of their beliefs. (I think there is even some research that backs that up, but I can't recall where it came from so I don't know if it was reliable at all) The atheist with all his extra time could be going about full of anxiety.

Sarky

And the religious person could be fretting all their life about whether they'll manage to avoid the eternal tortures of Hell. That's more an argument about negative thinking than it is about atheism.

I think the atheist has more opportunity to enjoy life without being bogged down with religious baggage and fuzzy magical thinking. It's up to them whether they take advantage of it or not. If they're scared, there are ways to deal with it.

Roger_007

Those who reason that life must have some purpose are right. The purpose is to survive and procreate. This is clearly true for all other forms of life so why not for human beings. To argue that there be an afterlife for humans only is patently ridiculous. There is nothing special about us.

HHobo

The Mustard wrote: »

.... until the discovery comes that Hector and Gay Byrne are your next door neighbours for all eternity.

*shudder*

Kidchameleon

What has being atheist got to do with beleiving in an afterlife? Religion doesent own the afterlife you know

Artful_Badger

The end of consciousness is an eternity of bliss, non existence is the only true freedom. Imagine eternal self awareness for a second. Sounds horrific to me.

I much prefer knowing I have a set number of years as a self aware being to experience what the world has to offer and then get switched off.

Artful_Badger

Kidchameleon wrote: »

But you essentially switch off every night when you go to sleep. At least that's what it feels like to me. I'm sure if there were an after life you could go to "sleep" whenever you please.

I assume it would be the same as we are now though if it were going to be the same type of awareness. So even though you can switch off for a sleep you're always going to wake up. And if you literally have infinity to think you're going to think a hell of a lot about the fact you have infinity to think and the realisation that its never going to end and you are forever trapped in your own mind. I wouldnt imagine you'd be very chipper on the morning of your seventeen billionth birthday.

Dades

All "Fine Tuning" (off topic) posts have been moved to a new thread here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056852021

Post another in this one at your peril...

Undergod

I find the idea of death pretty terrifying, but I wouldn't say I'm unhappy to be an atheist, or I don't like being an atheism. I didn't choose to be - I stopped believing. Liking it or disliking it wouldn't really occur to me.

Tim Robbins

One thing I miss about religion is the sense of community and tradition. I have two kids now and I think there's so much in Ireland that is not family friendly. If I was a mass goer you could bring the kids every now and again and meet other families without being ripped off or feeling like you are being awkward to others' without kids. You can organise play dates all you like but it's hassle organising - mass you just show up. In some ways the church is a pub for families.

My kids will hopefully go on to play sports and that will fill that gap but when they are 0 - 5, it's harder.

Bannasidhe

Penn wrote: »

It is the ultimate selling point of most religions, and how it so easily grew among people. I'm sure it gives great comfort with regards death, whether helping people accept a family member's death by believing that you'll see them again, or even great comfort for your own death as you believe it's not really the end.

Absolutely. But I can't help but seeing it as buying a pig in a poke.