What's great about being an atheist rather than a Christian

[Jagella]

What’s great about being an atheist? Answering a such a question leaves me in the position of not knowing where to begin. Atheism has brought me multiple blessings the likes of which the Christian will never know. These blessings include freedom of thought and action, freedom from the ill effects of religious belief, and the ability to truly champion human rights unshackled by primitive myths that were and are designed to maintain unfair control over people at the people's cost.

As an atheist, I can recognize and speak out against such control as the evil that it is. Nobody can hide behind any god proclaiming that his or her bilking the public or persecuting those who disobey is somehow justified because it is from on high. The emperor is butt-naked, and his “new clothes” do nothing to hide the truth as far as I’m concerned. I know some people hate me because they hate the truth I speak about Christianity, but nobody can rightfully stop me. I can openly fight against human rights violations, and I am free of any control that any religionist might attempt to employ to silence me.

Such freedom to speak out against all injustice, whether it comes from politician, businessman, or religious leader, is but one of many freedoms I can enjoy as an atheist. Other freedoms include exploring and examining other belief systems including other religions aside from the dominant religion. I can check other worldviews to see what truth they may provide. I can also enjoy sex outside of marriage without any feelings of guilt. I can listen to any music, watch any movie or television show including X-rated material, and I can read any book, magazine, or web site completely free of wondering if some invisible being has become wrathful as a result of my natural and innocuous curiosity.

The greatest freedom of all bestowed upon me as an atheist, is the freedom from the ill effects of religion. Gone are the frightening and emotionally harmful images foisted upon me as a child by the nuns in the Catholic schools I attended as a boy. The nightmares of a bizarre and ghostly god I suffered as a Pentecostal Christian are a thing of the past. Today I can say without fear or shame that all images and beliefs are nothing more than the myths created by Christians long ago in a bid to take power. Now I can say that I’m a jocular and confident man who looks forward to a life free of the ill effects of religion.

Atheism, properly understood as the lack of belief in any gods, can be so beneficial to any of us seeking such a life. In no way does it guarantee that there will be no tragedies in one’s life and that one will not be hurt by tragedy. We all must live in a world full of many dangers, and we all need to face our inevitable demise. However, for anybody who wants to avoid the many dangers of religion, risks that are by no means necessary, you make the wise choice by honestly seeking good answers to the many quandaries of belief in some god. If you’re anything like me, then you will find no good answers and realize that it’s all a lie. Atheism, then, will follow naturally as flowers naturally bloom in the spring freeing themselves from the cold depths of the soil reaching for the warmth of the sun. No orchid or tulip, though, could possibly match the beauty of a human being freed from religion seeking everything he or she can be!



Jagella—Lover of Humanity

[scorpia]

Sorry if I sound rude now, but;

How is pointing out how you find atheism attractive any better than Pascal's wager?

Become a Christian. Just in case God's there. At least this way you get into heaven and you be happy.

Become an atheist. In case God's not there. That way you can stare at porn all day and you be happy.

Somehow I think the truth.......... The real truth is going to be a lot more depressing than that, something that neither Christian or Atheist can accept.

Or maybe I'm a sadist.

[Jagella]

How is pointing out how you find atheism attractive any better than Pascal's wager?

Become a Christian. Just in case God's there. At least this way you get into heaven and you be happy.

Become an atheist. In case God's not there. That way you can stare at porn all day and you be happy.

That's an interesting question. I didn't think of Pascal's Wager when I wrote my essay above, but I can see the similarity. I like to call it “Jagella's Wager.” Jagella's Wager is that since we know for sure that this life is real and that any afterlife is conjecture at best, then it makes sense to enjoy this life while we can and not waste time with the foolishness of religion. I hope you can see the logic there.

To answer your question, I wasn't trying to best Pascal's Wager. I was just trying to explain why atheism can be good for a person and that it's much better than religion.

Jagella—Human Rights Advocate and Defender

[Furrowed Brow]

What’s great about being an atheist?

Your Sundays are your own.

[acamp1]

Pascal's wager has one HUGE flaw: Which God should you believe in? Choose wrong and you're going to hell.

[scorpia]

That's an interesting question. I didn't think of Pascal's Wager when I wrote my essay above, but I can see the similarity. I like to call it “Jagella's Wager.” Jagella's Wager is that since we know for sure that this life is real and that any afterlife is conjecture at best, then it makes sense to enjoy this life while we can and not waste time with the foolishness of religion. I hope you can see the logic there.

Actually yes, but with a bit of a twist, focus on this life, but still focus on God as well, just not for the sake of some afterlife.

In fact forget enjoyment. It gets boring, peeters off, kind of like eating so much chocolate you get sick of it and don't want sweets for a week.

To answer your question, I wasn't trying to best Pascal's Wager. I was just trying to explain why atheism can be good for a person and that it's much better than religion.

Just because it sounds better to you doesn't make it true.

[Goat]

How is pointing out how you find atheism attractive any better than Pascal's wager?

Become a Christian. Just in case God's there. At least this way you get into heaven and you be happy.

Become an atheist. In case God's not there. That way you can stare at porn all day and you be happy.

That's an interesting question. I didn't think of Pascal's Wager when I wrote my essay above, but I can see the similarity. I like to call it “Jagella's Wager.” Jagella's Wager is that since we know for sure that this life is real and that any afterlife is conjecture at best, then it makes sense to enjoy this life while we can and not waste time with the foolishness of religion. I hope you can see the logic there.

To answer your question, I wasn't trying to best Pascal's Wager. I was just trying to explain why atheism can be good for a person and that it's much better than religion.

Jagella—Human Rights Advocate and Defender

Well, you can only say why atheism was good for you, and why it's better than religion for you. I am sure there will be a number of atheists that will agree with those points.

[Jagella]

Actually yes, but with a bit of a twist, focus on this life, but still focus on God as well, just not for the sake of some afterlife.

I always thought that this rationale for belief in God is very odd. “Believe in God; otherwise, something really horrible may happen to you when you die!” As if the fear of death isn't bad enough, now we're being told that some “loving, merciful” God will punish us eternally for nothing more than getting our theology wrong. I don't play that game. Either give me good evidence to believe—the same evidence I expect for anything else—or I won't believe. Strange tales of a hellish existence for unbelievers won't work for me.

In fact forget enjoyment. It gets boring, peeters off, kind of like eating so much chocolate you get sick of it and don't want sweets for a week.

Enjoyment has always worked for me. I'm an avowed hedonist, but are Christians not hedonists as well? Don't Christians believe that they will have eternal pleasure in heaven? The only difference between me and most Christians is the timing of the pleasure. Pleasure is now for me, and for the Christian, pleasure is deferred.

Jagella—Lover of Truth

[Jagella]

Well, you can only say why atheism was good for you, and why it's better than religion for you.

I can't speak for everybody, but atheism definitely has its benefits. I realize that Christians have demonized atheism for centuries and still do. They try to scare people into believing that they'll be communists like Stalin or Pol Pot if they no longer believe in God. However, I know better than to believe that. An atheist can be a very good, moral, and caring person. I am proof of that.

Jagella—Lover of Humanity

[scorpia]

I always thought that this rationale for belief in God is very odd. “Believe in God; otherwise, something really horrible may happen to you when you die!” As if the fear of death isn't bad enough, now we're being told that some “loving, merciful” God will punish us eternally for nothing more than getting our theology wrong. I don't play that game. Either give me good evidence to believe—the same evidence I expect for anything else—or I won't believe. Strange tales of a hellish existence for unbelievers won't work for me.

I might throw in what I consider evidence for YHWH, although there's always some excuse anyone else doesn't like it. I will not, however, waste my time trying to prove the afterlife. It is something that happens in the future, and you might as well be trying to prove or disprove the current existance of someone's birthday cake despite said birthday being a month away, or claim that one day humans will not need religion. Promises and wishes is not something you toss around evidence for.

Enjoyment has always worked for me. I'm an avowed hedonist, but are Christians not hedonists as well?

I am neither.



No, actually, I forget......... I do enjoy some pleasure, just not the sort most people would recognise as.

Don't Christians believe that they will have eternal pleasure in heaven?

Any observation of a Christian would show that answer to be yes.