Can atheists be happy?

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Magenta

Magenta

Senior Member
#41
Jul 3, 2015
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#41
morefaithrequired said:
agnostic?
but agnostics just admit "I dont know".
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No, agnostics do not "just" admit they do not know. Officially, agnosticism promotes that nobody can know. That it is not possible to know. In effect, claiming there are no absolutes, while stating an absolute. How contradictory is that? I would say, very. Atheists are like that too. Contradictory, that is ;)
 
GodFoundMe

GodFoundMe

Member
#42
Dec 23, 2019
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#42
I once asked someone who identified themselves as an atheist, specifically a "secular humanist," about what they thought the purpose of life was. I had imagined perhaps to enjoy life's pleasures, but he said to love others. Maybe he was influenced by his Christian upbringing, but I thought that was a good answer. I think it's to love God and others, the two main commandments, and Ecclesiastes does say we can enjoy the fruit of our labor. Anyway, both Christians and atheists can be happy or unhappy. We are all human and things are not all black and white, either or. We can even experience emotions simultaneously as the word "bittersweet" shows. We can't fit complicated people in a one size fits all box. We all have different experiences, motivations, backgrounds, perspectives and the answer you get is also influenced by how we define things (in this case the terms "joy" vs "happiness" and what each entails).

God created us with the capacity to experience joy, especially for things he delights in like the birth of a child. And Christians can cry or grieve, just not in the same way. We have hope and peace through the Holy Spirit. Our joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Nonbelievers would not experience these, so in a sense while they can have temporary joy or happiness, their joy would be incomplete. Castles built on sand crumble when life's waves hit. I know God filled my heart when nothing and no one else could. However, if anyone thinks that all atheists are always unhappy that's the same as stereotyping Christians as always being happy. Yet, even Paul, Peter, and Jesus wept (for Jerusalem and for Lazarus). This is definitely an interesting thread and many good points have been shared. I don't think it's a simple yes or no answer and really depends on the person. However, we can always agree to disagree :)
 
Magenta

Magenta

Senior Member
#44
Jul 3, 2015
60,008
29,375
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#44
WingsOfLight said:
The one I'm talking about is extremely contradicting.
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Atheists love to think they are smarter than Christians, that faith is a crutch, and untenable, illogical even, a belief in an invisible friend, a fairy tale... in essence, their god is their pride of life: they are so much smarter than believers, so much more rational than believers, and much more logical than believers, in their view of themselves. And yet, if you speak with atheists or agnostics over a period of time, you come to understand that a lot of that sort of talk is pure bluster; it is their pride of life talking, their need to feel superior to that which they do not understand and cannot accept. And it is also hostility toward the God they do not believe in, though they will deny being hostile. They will say Christians only believe because we are brainwashed while they allow themselves to be brainwashed as they gobble up Hitchens and Hawking and Dawkins etc., and blame religion in general and Christianity in particular for all the ills of the world.
 
WingsOfLight

WingsOfLight

Well-known member
#45
Dec 10, 2019
198
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#45
If a Christian is in a relationship with someone who doesn't believe, but that Christian can still thrive in faith and still be one with God, is that bad?
 
A

Adstar

Senior Member
#46
Jul 24, 2016
7,581
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#46
WingsOfLight said:
If someone doesn't believe in God but claims they are not an atheist, is there a term for that?
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Well a person might say they do not believe in the God of Abraham but they believe in gods like vishnu,, that being they do believe in gods that don't exist while not believing in the Actual God that does exist.. I guess the term for this example is Pagan..
 
WingsOfLight

WingsOfLight

Well-known member
#47
Dec 10, 2019
198
267
63
#47
Magenta said:
Atheists love to think they are smarter than Christians, that faith is a crutch, and untenable, illogical even, a belief in an invisible friend, a fairy tale... in essence, their god is their pride of life: they are so much smarter than believers, so much more rational than believers, and much more logical than believers, in their view of themselves. And yet, if you speak with atheists or agnostics over a period of time, you come to understand that a lot of that sort of talk is pure bluster; it is their pride of life talking, their need to feel superior to that which they do not understand and cannot accept. And it is also hostility toward the God they do not believe in, though they will deny being hostile. They will say Christians only believe because we are brainwashed while they allow themselves to be brainwashed as they gobble up Hitchens and Hawking and Dawkins etc.
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I think you hit that right on the nail! I was once brainwashed, but I never got away from my religion. I think once I realized what was happening, it empowered my beliefs. I'm always saying how things happen for a reason, and I say it too much, so I apologize. I just think that because I experienced the brainwashing, perhaps it shaped me to be a better believer.
 
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morefaithrequired

Guest
#48
#48
the atheists I meet online tend to be the more aggressive perhaps. im trying not to put them all in the same basket though. im hoping they dont think all Christians are the same either.
look how much we vary on here.
 
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morefaithrequired

Guest
#49
#49
WingsOfLight said:
A few people might get offended, but based on what I've been reading on here, they would be contradicting themselves.

I made a mistake on a different Christian site. I jumped in right away and started talking about something and a few people kind of came back and attacked me.

Perhaps I should start a new thread so it doesn't mesh up with this one.
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your good manners are appreciated but mostly i dont mind if threads go on tangents. its all communication.
 
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morefaithrequired

Guest
#50
#50
WingsOfLight said:
I think you hit that right on the nail! I was once brainwashed, but I never got away from my religion. I think once I realized what was happening, it empowered my beliefs. I'm always saying how things happen for a reason, and I say it too much, so I apologize. I just think that because I experienced the brainwashing, perhaps it shaped me to be a better believer.
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to my mind it means your insights will be unique and valuable
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#51
#51
WingsOfLight said:
If a Christian is in a relationship with someone who doesn't believe, but that Christian can still thrive in faith and still be one with God, is that bad?
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apparently it is on this forum.
ya gotta be yoked!!
 
Magenta

Magenta

Senior Member
#52
Jul 3, 2015
60,008
29,375
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#52
morefaithrequired said:
the atheists I meet online tend to be the more aggressive perhaps. im trying not to put them all in the same basket though. im hoping they dont think all Christians are the same either.
look how much we vary on here.
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Generally speaking, atheists broad brush Christians greatly, and use any differences against us. This is more of their contradictions, since on the one hand they will claim we cannot think for ourselves, but hold our ability to think for ourselves against us if we are in any way at odds with how they believe a Christian should be or what we should believe, according to them. Oh! We cannot think for ourselves but they want us to follow their example and believe what they do because they tell us to LOLOLOLOLOLOL
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#53
#53
im still unconvinced about "joy" though. Just how exactly is a Christian's joy different to a non Christian's joy? im willing to change on this.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#54
#54
Magenta said:
Generally speaking, atheists broad brush Christians greatly, and use any differences against us. This is more of their contradictions, since on the one hand they will claim we cannot think for ourselves, but hold our ability to think for ourselves against us if we are in any way at odds with how they believe a Christian should be or what we should believe, according to them. Oh! We cannot think for ourselves but they want us to follow their example and believe what they do because they tell us to LOLOLOLOLOLOL
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you need to meet some nice atheists. we all do. and not talk about religion would be a good idea.
 
Magenta

Magenta

Senior Member
#55
Jul 3, 2015
60,008
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113
#55
morefaithrequired said:
you need to meet some nice atheists. we all do. and not talk about religion would be a good idea.
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Why do you assume I have not? I was not a believer for the majority of my life, you know. I have known and still do know (or am acquainted with) plenty of non-believers. I would not, however, ever have defined myself as an atheist or agnostic. I always knew there was something even if I did not know what it was. Seeking Truth was and is one of the greatest adventures of my life. Atheists want evidence while denying the evidence. More of their contradictions. Perhaps what they truly seek is self-conviction.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#56
#56
i probably come across as a backsliding liberal promoting relativism. its the lesser of two evils is my current thinking. Inflexible absolutism .. the other extreme....is worse.
Ideally you grow up in a strict environment. Then break the rules later in life.
 
T

TheIndianGirl

Guest
#57
#57
The few atheists I know are very cynical and angry. However I know a lot of non-Christians other than atheists who are happy. The sun shines on everyone.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#58
#58
Magenta said:
Why do you assume I have not? I was not a believer for the majority of my life, you know. I have known and still do know (or am acquainted with) plenty of non-believers. I would not, however, ever have defined myself as an atheist or agnostic. I always knew there was something even if I did not know what it was. Seeking Truth was and is one of the greatest adventures of my life. Atheists want evidence while denying the evidence. More of their contradictions. Perhaps what they truly seek is self-conviction.
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its when we stop seeking. stop learning. and think we know the whole truth. thats a problem.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#59
#59
TheIndianGirl said:
The few atheists I know are very cynical and angry. However I know a lot of non-Christians other than atheists who are happy. The sun shines on everyone.
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ive met terrible ones online. obnoxious.
 
T

TheIndianGirl

Guest
#60
#60
Christians are a unhappy bunch. We think most of the world will go to hell (how can anyone be happy knowing this? Please tell me your secret.) We range from Episcopals, Catholics, Calvanists, Southern Baptists, Pentacostal. We range from progressive to evangelical, and argue about everything. For example, on salvation, we have 1) once saved always saved, 2) can lose salvation, 3) predestination, 4) faith only vs works and faith, 5) individual salvation vs universal salvation, at least.
 
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