Why do some feel relieved to be atheists? (believe, born, afterlife)
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Atheism is to me radical truth telling, especially about oneself.
It does not free you. It makes you a slave to data and logic.
At its most extreme atheism can lead to a deterministic view of life, with no free will. This is not certain, however, and in any case it is a shared state of all people and thus easier to accept.
The harder thing to accept are the questions of justice and status. Atheism means there is no justice, there is no afterlife, there is no leveling. Some people are born slaves and die slaves. There is no redemption.
The classic argument, which is not meritless, is that this knowledge should spur us on to build a better world. However that has limits. People born with biological disabilities or chronic pain will never be free of their bodies. And there is no solution for low status. Status is relative, and it will scale with efforts to eradicate it.
Religion is an attempt to solve these problems with belief systems. But stripped of belief the intractability of many problems is laid bare.
I am skeptical of atheists who seem to express excitement at the spread of atheism, as if it will usher in a new age. I think atheism should be couched in sobriety and resignation about much of the human condition. That can humanize you, so to speak, buy it is also very depressing.
Atheism is to me radical truth telling, especially about oneself.
It does not free you. It makes you a slave to data and logic.
At its most extreme atheism can lead to a deterministic view of life, with no free will. This is not certain, however, and in any case it is a shared state of all people and thus easier to accept.
The harder thing to accept are the questions of justice and status. Atheism means there is no justice, there is no afterlife, there is no leveling. Some people are born slaves and die slaves. There is no redemption.
The classic argument, which is not meritless, is that this knowledge should spur us on to build a better world. However that has limits. People born with biological disabilities or chronic pain will never be free of their bodies. And there is no solution for low status. Status is relative, and it will scale with efforts to eradicate it.
Religion is an attempt to solve these problems with belief systems. But stripped of belief the intractability of many problems is laid bare.
I am skeptical of atheists who seem to express excitement at the spread of atheism, as if it will usher in a new age. I think atheism should be couched in sobriety and resignation about much of the human condition. That can humanize you, so to speak, buy it is also very depressing.
Other than being a rather daft post, I draw your attention specifically to the bolded. First, you have no idea at all what actually happens after death. Whether there is any leveling. How about if god just ends slavery for the living. But I guess there's just as much chance of that happening as the Corona virus suffering ending tomorrow. A powerless god...if there even is one.
Other than being a rather daft post, I draw your attention specifically to the bolded. First, you have no idea at all what actually happens after death. Whether there is any leveling. How about if god just ends slavery for the living. But I guess there's just as much chance of that happening as the Corona virus suffering ending tomorrow. A powerless god...if there even is one.
We have not measured anything emanating from a body after death. I don't see a point in conjecture about what happens to nonexistent energy or particles. We have been down the road of conjecture about things unmeasurable for eons and it got us nowhere.
If you actually think we can somehow construct a society where everybody is happy with themselves and their place in the world... well I think that's daft.
We have not measured anything emanating from a body after death. I don't see a point in conjecture about what happens to nonexistent energy or particles. We have been down the road of conjecture about things unmeasurable for eons and it got us nowhere.
If you actually think we can somehow construct a society where everybody is happy with themselves and their place in the world... well I think that's daft.
If you don't see the point about conjecture, why was that exactly what your original post was -- conjecture?
If you don't see the point about conjecture, why was that exactly what your original post was -- conjecture?
Assuming nothing with an absence of evidence is better than assuming something with an absence of evidence.
I see no evidence for an afterlife. That does not mean it's a 50/50 chance there is or is not an afterlife. It means unless new evidence comes to light, there is no afterlife.
People paint their dreams on the canvas of the afterlife, and those dreams are often the opposite of what we experience. That should tell you all you need to know about the psychology of afterlife-belief.
Atheism is to me radical truth telling, especially about oneself.
It does not free you. It makes you a slave to data and logic.
At its most extreme atheism can lead to a deterministic view of life, with no free will. This is not certain, however, and in any case it is a shared state of all people and thus easier to accept.
The harder thing to accept are the questions of justice and status. Atheism means there is no justice, there is no afterlife, there is no leveling. Some people are born slaves and die slaves. There is no redemption.
The classic argument, which is not meritless, is that this knowledge should spur us on to build a better world. However that has limits. People born with biological disabilities or chronic pain will never be free of their bodies. And there is no solution for low status. Status is relative, and it will scale with efforts to eradicate it.
Religion is an attempt to solve these problems with belief systems. But stripped of belief the intractability of many problems is laid bare.
I am skeptical of atheists who seem to express excitement at the spread of atheism, as if it will usher in a new age. I think atheism should be couched in sobriety and resignation about much of the human condition. That can humanize you, so to speak, buy it is also very depressing.
And that is so much worse than being a slave to fear and superstition.
Look, even many religious people are well aware of the human condition and talk about the dark night of the soul. Religion can't save a thinking person from wrestling with these issues. After all, god either "let" the holocaust happen, or actively intended it to happen, right? As well as every single war, every single act of inhumanity, every single act of torture, and every single plague that has occurred over human history. That's a pretty darn depressing belief, don't you think?
And that is so much worse than being a slave to fear and superstition.
Look, even many religious people are well aware of the human condition talk about the dark night of the soul. Religion can't save a thinking person from wrestling with these issues. After all, god either "let" the holocaust happen, or actively intended it to happen, right? As well as every single war, every single act of inhumanity, every single act of torture, and every single plague that has occurred over human history. That's a pretty darn depressing belief, don't you think?
It is not worse. It is definitely different.
I think most people gloss over the nature of life by focusing on the particular, that is, themselves. Bad things happen to other people, but I'll be alright. A lot of religious people also don't really understand the problem of evil and think that god is all good, and they are in good hands.
My bone to pick is not with religious people though. My bone to pick is with "millennarian atheists" who think atheism is liberating. It liberates in some ways and chains in others. Someone who believes a change in mind can set you free is deluded IMO. Your happiness and freedom are mostly determined by random things outside of your control.
I have never been religious so I can only tell you what all of my family, friends and coworkers who were once religious who are now atheists said.
And that is they are all extremely relieved to not be filled with fear and guilt and shame anymore. They feel free now and enjoy life to the fullest which they were not able to do before. They are so much happier in every way and appreciate life so much more.
I have never been religious so I can only tell you what all of my family, friends and coworkers who were once religious who are now atheists said.
And that is they are all extremely relieved to not be filled with fear and guilt and shame anymore. They feel free now and enjoy life to the fullest which they were not able to do before. They are so much happier in every way and appreciate life so much more.
Can I ask if your friends and family are materially well off?
Can I ask if your friends and family are materially well off?
They are not super wealthy or anything, but they make a decent living. Its a lot of different people I am talking about so some have a better living than others
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