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I'm not trying to make one point or another about religion and if you are going to respond to this thread, I would appreciate objectivity, open-mindedness, and the absence of preaching.
I'm not Christian or any particular faith. My parents started going to a Christian church after they retired around 2000 and were baptized but as a family unit, we weren't really exposed to religion (I went to AWANA as a kid but that was mainly to keep me off the streets!). I've always thought about this question and since my Dad's passing 2 years ago, I guess it's a question that's been burning my brain.
I do believe in God. My theory is that there is only one God and when we all die one day, no matter what religion you are, we'll all end up in the same place. (Whether there is a hell, that is a whole different topic for now!)
Here's my rationale: What's the point of life if there's not something to look forward to later? I guess that's what fuels my opinion about faith. As an atheist, do you think it's a sad thought that you just live and die and that's it? The idea that you die and nothing happens afterwards just breaks my heart. How do atheists cope with death? Even though I'm not of a certain faith, it's nice to believe that my Dad is in heaven. I guess for me the idea of heaven and God is something I need to believe in to keep me sane.
Honest responses are appreciated but I do ask everybody to be respectful. Thanks.
As an atheist, I believe that when we die, we simply cease to exist.
This does not bother me. What is the point of looking forward to something after life? Why not simply live your current life to the fullest extent possible? Certainly it is sad when a loved one dies. But religious people are similarly saddened. After all, we no longer have that person's company and presence. This does not change regardless of whether one is theist or atheist.
I would like to live forever. But the fact is that we die, and there is no evidence that anything else happens. So I accept this, and make my decisions accordingly.
There was a quote that I once heard. "It's better to live your life thinking that there is a God and die to find out that there isn't one, than to live your life not believing and die to find out that there is".
I do think that we should live our lives as good people though regardless of what you believe. I'm sorry that I jumped in. I know that the question was for an atheist.
Stretch00 - I guess the notion that one "simply cease to exist" after death is depressing to me and that is probably why I could never be atheist! On the other hand, I do respect people's right to believe what they want and get very annoyed when people try to convert others. I like open dialogue and to learn from other people's ideas and opinions and you have enlightened me today. Although I can't agree with you completely, I can agree that we should all live life to the fullest.
I would like to live forever. But the fact is that we die, and there is no evidence that anything else happens. So I accept this, and make my decisions accordingly.
Sorry, I know this was for an atheist, and I am not one at all... But when I read the post above, I had to respond.
There's evidence (ALOT) that we continue on after a phyical death. It's proven fact that spirits are real (ghosts). I've seen three in my life so far, and I know others who have also.
So, after the physical death, you continue on... Now where you'll eventually end up, is entirely up to you (Hell or Heaven). You decide!
The thought might be depressing to you. But is that a reason to believe otherwise? It is depressing to me to know that I will never be as rich as Bill Gates, and that <insert favorite hollywood actress here> is not knocking down my door to be my love slave.
That does not mean that these are not realities. I simply have to accept these things and move on, rather than selling my billion shares of Microsoft stock.
Here's my rationale: What's the point of life if there's not something to look forward to later? I guess that's what fuels my opinion about faith.
I've always thought that this fear or sadness about death is the main reason that human beings invented the idea of a god in the first place. It's a perfectly reasonable question because it lays out the stark reality that we're all going to die and how do we feel about it. I think when we die our concious mind and sense of self simply don't exist any longer. I don't really know that I'd want to live forever. Can you imagine that in say a hundred million years you're still alive and it just keeps on going? I mean how much rejoicing can a person take? I do think it's sad when I think about my Father who died over twenty years ago that he really is gone forever. I just am the type of person who has to face reality even if it's not always pleasant. I believe since this life is all we have we really need to make the best of it and withdrawing into a fantasy about an afterlife is something I could never do.
I am pretty much in agreement with MontanaGuy. Why not just enjoy what you know you have in front of you. If you live your life well and enjoy everything for what you have than, that to me, is more important than worrying about whether or not some invisible being is going to judge my life and how I lived it.
It's proven fact that spirits are real (ghosts). I've seen three in my life so far, and I know others who have also.
Sorry, but that's ridiculous. I can't discredit your own experiences, nor do I desire to, but having witnessed something and knowing "someone" who has also does not prove anything -- especially as a "proven fact" as though it were scientific.
Before I converted (de-converted?) to agnosticism, and finally atheism, I pretty much had the opposite take that you express, ie that having the idea of a heaven is good and that we can go and live forever in peace. It's a nice idea, but I found that it robbed me of the "sanctity," if you will, and the awesome power that this life holds. Now that I believe nothing else exists out there, I'm free to be me, without reprocussion - without a vengeful god that will smite/scorn me for "being a bad boy." I'm far from a pantheist, either, but nature, the world, the universe, is simply amazing and breathtaking. I never, ever considered this, nor was I encouraged to, with religion. Religion is small-minded, closed-minded, and in a lot of sects relies on fear, hate, and division to keep its ranked plumped. In many ways, religion is IMmoral. I don't know, maybe I'm antitheist after all.
I'll tell it to you straight -- what turned me off of religion initially was my homosexuality. I simply could not equalize the two, so chose the one that I couldn't live without. Now that I was free of the burdensome raiment of religion I felt a bit more at ease and looked around at intellectual works that I could really get into. That's where I found The God Delusion by Dawkins which really put a lot of what I was feeling, and had been feeling for some time, into perspective. It's a great, solid read for anyone questioning whether religion is really effective at all!
My viewpoint: I don't live my life in the hopes of going "someplace better" when I die. I live my life because I enjoy living. I've always found it bizarre when Christians told me "If I didn't believe in God, I'd kill myself." My life has been hard, but I still enjoy it, and I love traveling, and making friends, falling in love. I hope to have children some day.
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Although I can't agree with you completely, I can agree that we should all live life to the fullest.
