I have always been an atheist, there was no instance in my life where i thought there could be a god. But there were instance where i wanted to have something to believe in. I'm talking about depression, anxiety, and other mental complications. I remember that back then i just wanted someone to tell me that i'm not wrong, that i haven't gone crazy. Then i started to think about people who do believe in God. I realized that most of them have already figured life out. In their own terms, i'm sure. Since they already know -or think they know- how everything works (morals, life, people, your mind, consciousness) they have nothing to fear.
Religious people tend to be more mentally healthy, they have a lot of support, from their communities and from their friend god. Wouldn't that be better? To have a friend that will never leave you. To feel that you are loved.
I realize how pointless this question is, since, even if the answer were yes, that wouldn't change anything, we have no choice. But i'd really like to know what other people think.
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@Hector...
"Would life be better if we believed in god?"
Answer......No!....
How could it be...?
When you were young...you ,no doubt ,had a security blanket to help you feel safe and warm...to comfort you and let you sleep easy.....
But the safety ,comfort and security offered by the blanket are illusory ....there is no real benefit from the blanket....it doesn't even keep the rain off.....
Similarly with god/gods.......at best "fluffy placebos" ... at worst intrusive ,expensive ,exploitative ,manipulative ,ritualised servitude.
Religion is a superstition that originated in the "childhood" of our civilisation.......
.and there comes a time to put aside childish things.
@Hector
"Religious people tend to be more mentally healthy"
Says who?
Some studies have found that devout people have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as a better ability to cope with stress.
However thats a double-edged sword...
Negative religious beliefs - for example, that God is punishing or abandoning you - conflicts of religion and morality. have been linked with harmful outcomes, including higher rates of depression and lower quality of life.
So those with a big cuddly blanket in the sky did somewhat better.
it in no way proves a god or the benefit of having a god (but simply the benefit of positive thinking)
I guess being a realist brings more stress, and responsibility - but make friends and enjoy life!
Ultimately I'd rather have my own head and reason. With positive thinking and friends, not having to lie to myself or accept religious double talk... I think its a great life... its true to me and who I am and what I believe without mental gymnastics.
Millions of atheists live wonderful lives, so why can't you? Freed from worrying about heaven and hell, we can embrace the best in nature with our eyes, ears, and minds knowing that it is the real thing and not some cheap intermediate stage. We can rise above the silly myths and actually touch the truth before our time is gone.
How sad the person who goes through life tethered to mythical falsehoods, headed for dust without ever catching a ray of light!
Hi Hector,
Welcome to AR.
I think you will find friends here and support. The difference is that you don't have to pretend in a god to get them.
Hector: I hope your life turns out to be a beautiful masterpiece! However, my life is far from a masterpiece but I like it anyway. Just fine without religion!
I'd rather have a life where I constantly search for answers, than a life where I make baseless assumptions.
Welcome Héctor.
It seems to me that you are asking two separate questions:
1. Would it be better to believe in god?
2. Would it better to have a supporting community?
I can understand that you might be curious to these question since you have never had any such beliefs.
1. To solve problems by believing in a god, would be like pretending you have bandages protecting a wound. It might make you feel better superficially, but it won't solve any problems and the wound would still be exposed even though you might think it is protected.
2. To be part of a supporting community would definitively be good. If that community could avoid trying to put on those imaginary bandages on you and instead help out in other ways with understanding and emotional support. Because hiding the problem doesn't help, there's little point in putting on imaginary bandages...
I don't know where you live, but if depression and anxiety is a problem:
* There is plenty of support for people in that position. It's a common problem, regardless of faith. You could try searching for support groups in your area, but try to make sure they are not the type who will just try to put on those faith-bandages. Google and the phone directory can be pretty helpful.
* There is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I wrote about it, here: http://www.atheistrepublic.com/comment/34093
To find communities that you might like to belong to that are non-religious, try searching for secular and/or humanist organisations in your area.
Well if you think that you are just random nothingness with no meaning obcourse your life isn't going to be very- meaningful. But it depends on your G-d,
Well if you think that you are just random nothingness with no meaning obcourse your life isn't going to be very- meaningful. But it depends on your G-d,
You wrote: Religious people tend to be more mentally healthy, they have a lot of support, from their communities and from their friend god. Wouldn't that be better? To have a friend that will never leave you. To feel that you are loved. This is an assertion. Now prove it because I for one doubt your assertion is correct.
When there's a god, there's a living, breathing complacency that does not task the believer to think beyond his/her belief. This appears to be happiness, or at least something less than the burden of thought the atheist is emboldened to. Atheists do not have the pacifier theists mouth over the length of their lives.
In other words, it takes a certain strength of character to embrace mortality. Theists do not have to mentally exercise that kind of strength to keep toned and ready for the eventuality of their ultimate finiteness.
Despite the knowledge that I'm finite and consider it a choice I would not have made if given one, I prefer it over the fanciful notion of immortality and the blatantly illogical method theists portend. It's one thing to understand and support a fact and another to understand and support a falsehood. And then we have the theist who throws out the facts if they don't support the falsehood.
Buck up. If you don't the life you have will not be worth living. For me, I was brought into this life by the mating happenstance of a species of cogent animal. That animal, as we understand it, is imprinted with a survival instinct and little else to equip it to live out a safe and hopefully prosperous life (happiness, etc). This was the way of it before men decided to control other men and introduced the god-scare amongst them. Now men are scared to die unrepentant, meaning, they feel obligated to fear and worship a god. For me, I've chosen to live the life of men before such notions were thrust upon him. For that I am considered blasphemous and a godless evil by those who've abandoned their logic for some contrived hope of immortality.
If it wasn't so entertaining in its silliness, I'd be less of a man and constantly sullen. So, I prefer being surrounded by theists for the sake of guaranteed cheap entertainment.