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Are believers happier than atheists?

Trailblazer

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
TagliatelliMonster said:
Strange thing to say.

It's like saying "I could easily be a bachelor if I wasn't married"

:D
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You hit the nail right on the head... I am 'stuck' being a believer because I know God exists. :D
but that does not mean I want to be a believer.

Edited to add:
A bachelor may want to get married but if he does not find a suitable partner he remains single.
An atheist may want to believe in God, but if does not find suitable evidence for God he remains an atheist.

A married person may want to stay married and there are reasons he stays married.
A married person may not want to stay married but there might be reasons he stays married.

A believer may want to be a believer and there are reasons he remains a believer.
A believer not want to be a believer but might be reasons he remains a believer. ;)
 
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Riders

Riders

Well-Known Member
For me when I was in church, as a Pentecostal they told us if we had the power of God in our lives we'd be happy and have a smile on our faces. But I am bipolar I can get off mentally on a high high which is not happiness, I use to have a big smile on my face all the time and some of that came from y church telling us we should be happy some of it came from the bipolar high I got from worshipping for hours at a time at church.

Some people get high from being at church, it should not be mixed up with true haappiness.
 
Trailblazer

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Riders said:
For me when I was in church, as a Pentecostal they told us if we had the power of God in our lives we'd be happy and have a smile on our faces.
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Lots of religious people believe that but it is demonstrably false. Belief in God does not make anyone happy, they are either happy people or not. I have a MA in Psychology so I know a few things about human psychology.

Some Baha'is believe we can all "be happy" just because we believe in God and Baha'u'llah but I steer away from those Baha'is because they have no understanding of human suffering.
 
IndigoChild5559

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
Trailblazer said:
It may or may not be a factor. Not all people are 'happy' being part of a religious community, some people are loners and happy being loners.
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Sorry, but there is no "may" about it. Scientifically speaking, statistically speaking, you are a happier person if you are part of a religious community.
 
IndigoChild5559

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
Policy said:
That is both obviously and demonstrably false. I have a very happy life, and none of my communities is religious.
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Hey, if you want to reject the science, that's your choice. Me? I go with the science.

The statistical generalizations are based on the bell shaped curve. That there are those who deviate from the norm is well understood, and does not invalidate the results.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
IndigoChild5559 said:
Statistics is based on the bell shaped curve. The fact that there are those who are exceptions is built into it. Nevertheless, statistical generalizations can be made.
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And yet they really shouldn't be made because it the potentially for implying those outside of the norm are wrong, bad, lacking, etc. all the other fallacies I've heard. Such as this, where the implication can be those without cannot reach optimal happiness, or be as happy as those in religion.
 
ppp

ppp

Well-Known Member
IndigoChild5559 said:
Hey, if you want to reject the science, that's your choice. Me? I go with the science.

The statistical generalizations are based on the bell shaped curve. That there are those who deviate from the norm is well understood, and does not invalidate the results.
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Ah. What you really meant is that people who have a happy life statistically trend to being part of a religious community. It is not necessarily a factor.
 
ppp

ppp

Well-Known Member
Shadow Wolf said:
And yet they really shouldn't be made because it the potentially for implying those outside of the norm are wrong, bad, lacking, etc. all the other fallacies I've heard. Such as this, where the implication can be those without cannot reach optimal happiness, or be as happy as those in religion.
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It also ignores the fact that certain religions go out of their way to make life as painful as possible for non believers
 
Trailblazer

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
IndigoChild5559 said:
Sorry, but there is no "may" about it. Scientifically speaking, statistically speaking, you are a happier person if you are part of a religious community.
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While it might be true that 'statistically speaking' most people are happier being part of a religious community, that does not mean that all people are happier. To claim that is the fallacy of hasty generalization and the fallacy of jumping to conclusions.

What is the scientific evidence that people are generally happier as part of a religious community?
 
Trailblazer

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Policy said:
Ah. What you really meant is that people who have a happy life statistically trend to being part of a religious community. It is not necessarily a factor.
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People who have a happy life statistically trend to being part of a religious community because statistically most people are part of a religious community. There is not necessarily a causal relationship between happiness and being part of a religious community.
 
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