The Joy of Atheism

[Jagella]

Christian apologists like William Lane Craig and Ravi Zacharias like to tell people that life without God (the Christian God) is absurd and without a moral basis. It will lead to immorality and social disruption. It will harm the individual in this life and especially in the supposed hereafter. Society itself will crumble without the ties that only God can provide.

Allow me to give my own version of what it's like to live without God which in a very real sense is the life we all live although many of us may not realize it.

I was a born-again, Pentecostal Christian in the mid 1980s. I read the Bible believing everything it said, I prayed, I exercised faith, I regularly attended church, and I eagerly looked forward to meeting Jesus "in the air" to leave this sinful earth and to live forever with Jesus in paradise.

Something was wrong, however. I kept having these feelings that what I was believing wasn't true, and that I was crazy for believing it. My life as a Christian went from good to bad as I saw the hypocrisy of my fellow Christians and the failure of prayer. The miracles I read about in the Bible seemed to belong to another world and surely not this world. I learned that the faith healers were fake stealers ripping off poor, old, and sick people. Perhaps worst of all was the terrible thoughts I had that all those non-Christian people in the world were destined for eternity in a lake of fire if they didn't repent and believe the gospel.

Like I feared, I started having some emotional problems. I became angry toward people especially those Christians I began to see as hypocrites and sinners. One night I remember having a nightmare about God. I was in a misty void, and I called out: "Is that you, Lord?" I woke up with a shudder. I told my pastor about the nightmare and that before my mind goes Christianity goes.

Christianity soon went, all right. I studied my Bible, and I was beginning to find errors in it. I discovered contradictions, false prophecies, and worst of all atrocities ordered by God. My pastor was unable to provide any good explanation for them. Finally one day it dawned on me that there's just no way that the claims of Christianity are true. The God of the Bible cannot exist--it's logically impossible.

I soon found myself an atheist. Gone forever was that invisible monster in the sky and all his little monsters. The lake of fire was a myth used to frighten fools into belief. It was a lie--the biggest lie ever inflicted on humankind. I was so lucky to be free of that evil, the evil that never again haunted my dreams.

So my becoming an atheist is the best thing I've ever done. I love being free of the gods and the ridiculous myths that liars use to try to make them seem real. It's so much better being the best person I can think of being.

So as for all of you, why not join me in freedom from the gods and religion? Stay home Sunday mornings and get some good sleep. When you get up, have a good breakfast. If you have a partner, invite him or her over for a nice visit. Order some pizza, crack open a beer or softdrink, pop a good movie into the DVD player--maybe a good porn flick--and enjoy yourself. If you're both consenting adults, then have some great sex together. It doesn't matter what kind of sex; it can be straight, gay, or lesbian. Just make sure to have a good time and make the best out of this one short life we all have.

There's so much more I can tell you about living as an atheist, but for now let me ask...

Why not join us and experience the joy of atheism?

[JoeyKnothead]

From the OP:

What's Great About Being an Atheist?

Not havin' to hop up and listen to a bunch of preachin' with a hangover.

Two hot wimmins. That's all I'm a-sayin' on that'n.

Not havin' to compromise me what little morality it is I do have, in order to worship me a God that best I can tell, has him even less of him of it.

[Willum]

You know the meaning of everything you do.
You are the author of everything you do.
You look at the wonders of the universe and you don't need a God for them to have a purpose.
You know this is the world you need to make better, not hope for a another, better one.

[Jagella]

You know the meaning of everything you do.

That's right. None of that fake stuff from self-proclaimed messiahs.

You are the author of everything you do.

You get the credit. No need to give up any credit to some imaginary man in the sky.

You look at the wonders of the universe and you don't need a God for them to have a purpose.

You see that the universe exists just fine all by itself. You see it has no need for some ghost created in the middle east by people who thought the earth was flat and stars could fall to the earth.

You know this is the world you need to make better, not hope for a another, better one.

Let's make it better. The first step is get rid of religion and all other superstitions.

[rikuoamero]

[Replying to post 1 by Jagella]

Stay home Sunday mornings and get some good sleep. When you get up, have a good breakfast. If you have a partner, invite him or her over for a nice visit. Order some pizza, crack open a beer or softdrink, pop a good movie into the DVD player--maybe a good porn flick--and enjoy yourself. If you're both consenting adults, then have some great sex together. It doesn't matter what kind of sex; it can be straight, gay, or lesbian. Just make sure to have a good time and make the best out of this one short life we all have.

Uhh...Jagella...you haven't watched Kevin Sorbo's recent Christian movie "Let there be Light" have you?
Cuz Sorbo's character in that is supposed to be a strawman representation of famous atheists who do debates and challenge Christianity a la Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens...and in his opening scene, he basically says something like it's great to be an atheist because of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.

[Bust Nak]

Why not join us and experience the joy of atheism?

"The fact that a skeptic is happier than a believer is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one."

Or something like that anyway.

[Jagella]

[Replying to post 5 by rikuoamero]

Uhh...Jagella...you haven't watched Kevin Sorbo's recent Christian movie "Let there be Light" have you?
Cuz Sorbo's character in that is supposed to be a strawman representation of famous atheists who do debates and challenge Christianity a la Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens...and in his opening scene, he basically says something like it's great to be an atheist because of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.

I haven't seen the movie, but I have seen the trailer and read the Wikipedia article. I put the movie on my DVD queue.

I'm not sure about drugs, but sex and rock & roll are great! The thing is, though, many Christians enjoy sex and rock & roll too. The difference is that we atheists can admit it. Such open honesty is a fruit of atheism.

[Jagella]

Why not join us and experience the joy of atheism?

"The fact that a skeptic is happier than a believer is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one."

Or something like that anyway.

A Jehovah's Witness I used to know told me he was happier than I am, and I told him I envy his happiness no more than I envy the happiness of a drunken man. He retorted that Jehovah's Witnesses don't get drunk. I think he missed my point.

In any case, a lot of Christians may be scared off of atheism by apologists who tell them that without the apologist's god they will be hopeless, immoral and miserable. We need to let them know that the apologists are wrong. We can live great lives as atheists.

[marco]

In any case, a lot of Christians may be scared off of atheism by apologists who tell them that without the apologist's god they will be hopeless, immoral and miserable. We need to let them know that the apologists are wrong. We can live great lives as atheists.

If one sincerely believes in a heaven with rabbits cuddling tigers and babies cooing eternally, then the euphoria this picture induces is considerable. If we are a tough brute who believes that killing a few infidels will earn heavenly virgins, replensihed after use, the belief instils power and joy. I'm afraid the atheist may have bare truth, but his banquet is bread and water rather than nectar and ambrosia. The believer has purpose; the atheist, sadly, is an ant working for the community, a few molecular pieces inferior to the oak in its longevity. Pushkin wrote: "Vain gift of life, random gift, why were you given to me? Why was I sentenced to death?"

Those with faith would say that God supplies the answer, and the purpose. I don't believe he does, but I would not call my position one of bliss. We enjoy a few brief episodes and then return to unremembering atoms - - - - - I think.

[bluethread]

Me thinks thou dost protest too much. Rather than discussing joys associated with atheism, this thread seems to be obsessed with theism, specifically Christianity. If this thread were titled, ,"My lack of joy in Christianity", that might make sense. However, how is anything you have said intrinsically related to atheism, rather than extricably related to Christian?

It reminds me of the story of three ultra-celibate monks who were crossing a river. There they saw a woman who was afraid to cross, but desperately needed to. After she pleaded with the monks, two of them adamantly refused to help her. The third told her to get on his back and he carried her across. For the next three miles the other two muttered between themselves about how terrible it was that the other had broken his vows. Finally, one of the two asked the third with indignation how he could have done such a thing. The third, then turned to him and said, "I only carried her across the river and have moved on to other things. However, you two have continued to carry her for the last three miles." If you are truly an atheist, why do you spend much more time discussing Christianity than most Christian do?