Are Atheists Happy?

[EverChanging]

It is not a dilusion, Omar

It is the Truth

You can tell yourself that over and over, but that doesn't make it true.

 

[Cordoba]

If you mean that you have contentment, fulfillment, peace, and generally positive feelings about your life most of the time, that's definitely possible, but it is arrogant for you to discount the many atheists and other nonbelievers who say they have the same thing.

I'm not discounting anybody, EC ...

Peace and all the best

 

[EverChanging]

One can still think for himself while believing in God by the way ....

Some theists do think for themselves, but my thinking has led me to the conclusion that there is no god. I say that with about as much certainty as I say there is no flying spaghetti monster. I do not have the ability to discount all of my reasoning and believe in a god. I just can't do it. I can't make myself believe in green invisible men living in my head, either.

 

[EverChanging]

I'm not discounting anybody, EC ...

You made the statement that true peace can only come from trying to be closer to God, among other things:

From my personal experience after nearly half a century, belief and doing one's best to be closer to God is the only door to real inner peace

While your own search for God may bring you peace, it is presumptuous to assume that others don't have peace simply because they don't believe in a god. Perhaps I misunderstood your statement and you meant this statement only applies to you? If so, my apologies.

 

[Cordoba]

No problem

Peace and all the best

 

[whereismynotecard]

I'm happy. Maybe not so much because I am an atheist but that I've learned that being unhappy isn't fun and won't make things any better. Wooooooooo Hoooooooo!!

 

[Mr Spinkles]

That's an interesting answer

What you're saying is that atheism is "neutral" as far as inner peace and happiness are concerned ....

Does that mean there is something "missing"?

You seem to be using the Socratic method...interesting.

To answer your question, in my opinion, if a person is an atheist (that is, does not believe in a god) and they have no other beliefs or values to speak of, then yes I think they are missing something. I also think if a person is a theist, and they have no other beliefs or values, they are missing something.

Just because a person is an atheist, does not mean he/she has no convictions, or any conception of right and wrong, or meaning, or does not believe there is anything worth struggling for. In fact, many atheists gave up their lives on behalf of causes greater than themselves. Read George Orwell, or Noam Chomsky, or David Hume, or Epicurus, and this will be obvious.

 

[Mind_Zenith]

I was happy as an Atheist, but because of my life now as a Buddhist, I must say I am happier now. I think it's more circumstantial though.

 

[Sunstone]

I would think the happiness of any atheist would largely depend on the genes, circumstances, and attitude or will of the atheist, and not necessarily on the atheist's lack of belief in a deity or deities.

 

[rojse]

A thread yesterday asked whether religion increases human happiness, and the answers included yes through worship, love for others and inner peace

A similar question for atheists:

Does atheism lead to happiness and inner peace?

What do you think?

Well, being an atheist has little effect on my happiness or unhappiness. I suppose that I don't have any of the unhappiness resulting from religious issues that might come from being a religious person, though.

As for inner peace, I don't really want that yet - it means I am challenging myself mentally, and surely this can only be a good thing.

 

[Seven]

I'm an atheist and I'm very happy. But the two are entirely incidental

 

[Nanda]

My best friend says she's much happier as an atheist than she ever was as a Christian. I'm pretty happy, too, but I don't think I'm any more or less happy than when I professed to believe in God.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I would think the happiness of any atheist would largely depend on the genes, circumstances, and attitude or will of the atheist, and not necessarily on the atheist's lack of belief in a deity or deities.

This.

You could extend this to theists as well.

 

[Magic Man]

This.

You could extend this to theists as well.

There are theists who lack a belief in deity? Weird.

 

[Tristesse]

I can only speak for my atheist self. But I'm quite happy! I know this is the one and only life I have, so I'm going to cherish it, and live it to the best and fullest I can. I think the thought of an afterlife makes this life irrelevant. It's a place to wipe your feet before you go on to the "real" life.

 

[Tristesse]

I was happy as an Atheist, but because of my life now as a Buddhist, I must say I am happier now. I think it's more circumstantial though.

Well, aren't buddhists atheists to the strictest definition? You don't have a belief in a deity, but you do believe in some spiritual stuff, right? I might be wrong, but thats what I thought buddhism is.

 

[Beaudreaux]

From scanning this thread, it seems pretty clear that happiness is not connected to whether or not one believes in God. What does that mean, I wonder?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

If they aren't, I don't think they're going to admit it. If they were to admit it, the first thing people would do would be jump to the conclusion that it's because of their lack of belief in God. Now from my own perspective, I would be extremely unhappy without a belief in God. Other people seem to handle it just fine.

I think it's more of a matter that if people aren't true to themselves, they're not going to be happy. It seems that for some people, this means some form of theism while for others, it means an atheistic path.

 

[Tristesse]

From scanning this thread, it seems pretty clear that happiness is not connected to whether or not one believes in God. What does that mean, I wonder?

Why should it? In fact for me, if there were some deity watching my every move, cares what sexual acts I make, threatens hell on friends and family, that kind of notion would make me unhappy, and frightened. But maybe thats his goal. :sorry1:

 

[CarlinKnew]

You might as well have asked, "Are people with mustaches happy?"