Why are atheists so unhappy?

[josie_L]

I wonder what God thought about the value of the Canaanite people?

That’s where you get your morality? A supernatural God urging one race of people to slaughter, exterminate and utterly destroy another race of people?

That is morality that I can do without, thank you very much.

Would it have been immoral if God asked the people of the world to fight/kill the Nazis? And how much do you know about the Canaanites?

 

[josie_L]

Natural disasters and diseases are bad for us, in a survival and happiness sense. They are not good or bad in a *moral *sense. Morality is strictly a human concept that has no meaning when applied to the inanimate universe.

Now, back to God. Why would a loving and merciful God create such horrible things? The ‘original sin’ excuse doesn’t wash. God would still have to have created diseases, or at least created the conditions for them to develop. And since He’s omniscient, he would have known their effects before He created the universe.

My answer is: He didn’t create them, because he doesn’t exist.

So we suffer horribly for nothing? A child with leukemia who dies at the age of 7 has now according to the atheist become nothing, a mere bleep on the radar of space and time, forgotten even by those who loved her (as they will die too). God who foresaw this however knew the child would suffer but only for a finite amount of time, paradise is forever, therefore her suffering is not in vain. We all suffer in this world but it is how we suffer that truly marks us as God’s children, you can rail against it or you can embrace it and turn evil into good. God did not create evil but he found a way to make all suffering a means to sanctify us. I know this through my own experiences. God bless.

 

[Convert66]

Originally Posted by rbiaca forums.catholic-questions.org/images/buttons_khaki/viewpost.gif
I wonder what God thought about the value of the Canaanite people?

That’s where you get your morality? A supernatural God urging one race of people to slaughter, exterminate and utterly destroy another race of people?

That is morality that I can do without, thank you very much.

You can “do without , thank you very much” because of 2000 years of Christianity. Your ethical system is parasitic. Your dogma of human rights was lifted from Christian tradition. It is not the by-product of atheism.

Every atheist philosopher worthy of the title has abandoned the “argument from evil” because there is no logical argument against God’s existence from the presence of evil in the world. Atheists who make this attempt only end up sounding like spoiled children railing against a parent for not giving them everything they want, when they want it and the way in which they want it done; which, doesn’t make them atheists, but angry, disgruntled and juvenile theists. At some point, it is necessary to grow up.

All my best . . .

 

[Charles_Darwin]

You can “do without , thank you very much” because of 2000 years of Christianity. Your ethical system is parasitic. Your dogma of human rights was lifted from Christian tradition. It is not the by-product of atheism.

Every atheist philosopher worthy of the title has abandoned the “argument from evil” because there is no logical argument against God’s existence from the presence of evil in the world. Atheists who make this attempt only end up sounding like spoiled children railing against a parent for not giving them everything they want, when they want it and the way in which they want it done; which, doesn’t make them atheists, but angry, disgruntled and juvenile theists. At some point, it is necessary to grow up.

All my best . . .

Who care about arguments for existence. The god of the OT is a twisted individual and even if it did exist, it is NOT worthy of my worship. I would be as well worshiping Hitler.

Oh and my ethical system has nothing to do with the bible. It is based on society. Tell me how to do you know something is moral? Because god says so? So if god told you to rape children would that make raping kids moral?

 

[RNRobert]

You can “do without , thank you very much” because of 2000 years of Christianity. Your ethical system is parasitic. Your dogma of human rights was lifted from Christian tradition. It is not the by-product of atheism.

Father John O’Brien makes the same point in his book The Faith of Millions. He uses the analogy of a boy sledding down to the top of a hill. As he reaches the bottom, he continues to travel. Someone who sees him might think he was traveling under his own power, but he is really just coasting on the leftover energy from the hill.

 

[rbiaca]

If you pray to Him, and truly seek Him with all your heart, He will assure you of His existence, as well as His infinite love for you, and all of His children! I’m praying for you.

.

Been there, done that, no one was home.

 

[rbiaca]

Would it have been immoral if God asked the people of the world to fight/kill the Nazis?

God was silent on the matter and issued no such order. Secondly, the allies did not actively and deliberately go out and kill babies, toddlers and school children who came from German families living in Nazi Germany?

And how much do you know about the Canaanites?

Plenty…here’s a good verse from Deuteronomy…

" Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God."

This of course includes the babies, toddlers and fetuses being carried in their mothers wombs.

Uhm, this is because God is worried that those races will teach his people to sin against the Lord? Gods answer to this problem…?

Slaughter them, kill them, murder them, destroy them and leave no one, not even a fetus left alive.

So much for free will and so much for the Catholic doctrine of all life being sacred…

 

[Charles_Darwin]

Father John O’Brien makes the same point in his book The Faith of Millions. He uses the analogy of a boy sledding down to the top of a hill. As he reaches the bottom, he continues to travel. Someone who sees him might think he was traveling under his own power, but he is really just coasting on the leftover energy from the hill.

But the fact is, it is nonsense. Morals are based on living as part of a cooperative society. For example. Equal rights for women and homosexuals . Tell me exactly where in the bible these are derived from. Even now women don’t have equality within your chruch. How many female bishops are there? As for homosexuals, need i say more?

So there is two examples of where society and the christianity are at polar opposites.

See the thing about the bible is no matter what (almost) you believe you can find something in there to support it.

In to rape?

(Deuteronomy 20:10-14)

As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the LORD your God hands it over to you, kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the spoils of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you.

In to stoning non virgins?

(Deuteronomy 22:20-21 NAB)

But if this charge is true (that she wasn’t a virgin on her wedding night), and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father’s house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst.

In to peace and love?

(Mark 12:28-31)

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

 

[Leela]

Natural disasters and diseases are bad for us, in a survival and happiness sense. They are not good or bad in a *moral *sense. Morality is strictly a human concept that has no meaning when applied to the inanimate universe.

Now, back to God. Why would a loving and merciful God create such horrible things? The ‘original sin’ excuse doesn’t wash. God would still have to have created diseases, or at least created the conditions for them to develop. And since He’s omniscient, he would have known their effects before He created the universe.

My answer is: He didn’t create them, because he doesn’t exist.

We are seeing the usual slight of hand in this thread, aren’t we? First it is claimed that the fact that we even have moral intuition at all is evidence of God’s existence. But when our moral intuitions cause us to be appalled at the loss of innocent children by a tidal wave, hurricane, or earthquake, we are told that our limited ideas about good and evil can’t be trusted and that God’s will is a mystery. Which is it? Can our moral intuitions be trusted to tell us about God or not? Or are there other more plausible explanations for morality that don’t depend on supposing that a supernatural force leaves us little hints of its existence while remaining transcendently beyond our comprehension? Unfortunately a being who is beyond our comprehension, is by definition beyond our comprehension. Yet people seem so convinced that he doesn’t like two men getting it on. Again, which is it? Is God beyond our comprehension or not?

Best,
Leela

 

[CWBetts]

God is very much incomprehensible to us, but at the sme time there are certain aspects He has chosen to reveal. This si not either…or, it is both…and

 

[ms_alternative]

If I wanted to hear from Yoda, I would watch Star Wars again

why did the bible never use parables but Buddhism did the bibles parables started with Jesus after he studied bhubism and though it to the Jews.

where did Jesus go in his “missing years” did the bible scholars not think that the life of there god was not important to wright about.

the teachings of Buddha predated Jesus by 3,000 years and they are very similar

buddhist monks have written documents to prove that Jesus did study in there temples.

if you want to make fun of these teachings toy need to first look at history and find out who was your teachers teacher.

if you want to find happiness here on earth Buddhism. if you want to have the a chance of happiness after death the catholic church

when someone starts name calling they obviously do not have a good point of view or a good argument name calling is for the childish.

 

[Leela]

God is very much incomprehensible to us, but at the sme time there are certain aspects He has chosen to reveal. This si not either…or, it is both…and

So our moral intuitions both can and cannot be trusted. Got it. They should be used when it is convenient for your case for God and discarded when they become inconvenient for your case for God.

 

[ms_alternative]

Actually, we feel empathy sadness and loss because we are created by God. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “If you are really a product of a materialistic universe, how is it that you don’t feel at home there?”

no we feel this because we chose to you can only think of one thing at a time and you can think of good or bad but you need to make the choice. your thoughts become your reality if you think good thoughts you will be happy. i think your bible says “keep every thought captive” and this is why.

god douse not have empathy sadness and loss because those emotions lead to suffering and god is the absence of suffering.

 

[CWBetts]

So our moral intuitions both can and cannot be trusted. Got it. They should be used when it is convenient for your case for God and discarded when they become inconvenient for your case for God.

I’m sorry if I refuse to conform you your absolute.

 

[CWBetts]

why did the bible never use parables but Buddhism did the bibles parables started with Jesus after he studied bhubism and though it to the Jews.

where did Jesus go in his “missing years” did the bible scholars not think that the life of there god was not important to wright about.

the teachings of Buddha predated Jesus by 3,000 years and they are very similar

buddhist monks have written documents to prove that Jesus did study in there temples.

if you want to make fun of these teachings toy need to first look at history and find out who was your teachers teacher.

if you want to find happiness here on earth Buddhism. if you want to have the a chance of happiness after death the catholic church

when someone starts name calling they obviously do not have a good point of view or a good argument name calling is for the childish.

I doubt seriously that Jesus traveled abroad to learn from Buddhists. He did have to make an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, you know.

 

[Gabriella_San_S]

So our moral intuitions both can and cannot be trusted. Got it. They should be used when it is convenient for your case for God and discarded when they become inconvenient for your case for God.

Moral intuitions must be discerned properly through prayer, to determine whether or not they arise from the “carnal” or the “spiritual” nature, not as a matter of convenience, but of clarity.
The* evidence* for God is crystal clear for those who have the eyes of faith. For those who do not believe, no “case” for God is possible-rather-your “moral”* intuitions* just need to be engaged.

 

[yankee_doodle]

A month or so ago I was doing some research for something non-religion related and came across a website that was a clearinghouse for every kind of conspiracy theory. They also had a page dedicated to attacking religion in general and Christianity in particular. This got me to thinking: It seems many atheists are awfully unhappy. I’m currently re-reading Fulton Sheen’s Your Life is Worth Living and came across the following passage:

I remember seeing a study looking at the percentage of prisoners in US jails (delineated according to religion). A fraction of 1% of all US prisoners claim to be atheist or agnostic, while Roman Catholics are the largest group in our prisons (over one third of all convicts are Catholic), and Protestants run a close second. Mind you … it’s not like we’re as small of a minority as we used to be (indeed some estimates put our numbers at over 10% of the US population).

So now I ask, considering numbers like that … who is truly more depressed? Indeed theists are more likely to be serial killers, racists, and just about every other bad thing you can think of. Yet you probably read some obscure study (no doubt by a theist proponent) that says we’re depressed

 

[Joan_of_Bark]

If you pray to Him, and truly seek Him with all your heart, He will assure you of His existence,

At this point I should point out that I was raised a Christian. I believed in God, Jesus, and all the trappings. The fact that God could not answer my questions is part of the reason I lost my faith.

as well as His infinite love for you, and all of His children! I’m praying for you.

Actions speak louder than words. God could prove His “infinite love” by eliminating malaria and reducing the suffering of millions. Of course, this act would not absolve Him for all the suffering He has already inflicted on humanity.

With regard to suffering, we all question the reasons for tragedies.Yet, if we believe in a God who is omniscient, as you said, and All-Loving, as I believe, He will not forsake us.

With regard to the bolded part of your statement, I would ask: have you ever been wrong before?

 

[josie_L]

I remember seeing a study looking at the percentage of prisoners in US jails (delineated according to religion). A fraction of 1% of all US prisoners claim to be atheist or agnostic, while Roman Catholics are the largest group in our prisons (over one third of all convicts are Catholic), and Protestants run a close second. Mind you … it’s not like we’re as small of a minority as we used to be (indeed some estimates put our numbers at over 10% of the US population).

So now I ask, considering numbers like that … who is truly more depressed? Indeed theists are more likely to be serial killers, racists, and just about every other bad thing you can think of. Yet you probably read some obscure study (no doubt by a theist proponent) that says we’re depressed

Actually, there is one common denominator amongst all criminals - they’re all moral relativists. Furthermore, moral relativism has become so pervasive in the West as a result of the atheistic/secular culture which has slowly overtaken society since the age of “Enlightement”. God bless.

 

[Joan_of_Bark]

So we suffer horribly for nothing?

No, some of us suffer horribly (and some of us suffer slightly) for the life we have. In that sense, we are no different from dogs, whales, and ants. Wishful thinking doesn’t change that.

A child with leukemia who dies at the age of 7 has now according to the atheist become nothing, a mere bleep on the radar of space and time,

As far as the uncaring universe is concerned, this is true.

If you mean to imply that we can’t be happy without believing in an afterlife, then how do you explain the Hebrews that gave you the Torah? They didn’t believe in an afterlife. In fact, billions of people in the history of our planet have lived contentedly without any knowledge of heaven.

forgotten even by those who loved her (as they will die too).

No, those who loved her will remember her until they die. She will be forgotten by humanity as a whole, however. That’s the nature of life.

God who foresaw this however knew the child would suffer but only for a finite amount of time, paradise is forever, therefore her suffering is not in vain. We all suffer in this world but it is how we suffer that truly marks us as God’s children, you can rail against it or you can embrace it and turn evil into good.

If Christians truly believe this, then why do I see them crying and moaning in grief when someone dies? Shouldn’t they be happy that the person is going on to a better life?

God did not create evil

Didn’t God create everything? Are you saying that earthquakes came out of nothing?

but he found a way to make all suffering a means to sanctify us. I know this through my own experiences.

Everyone has their own experiences and come to their own conclusions. Some come to believe that there is no God; or that they will be reincarnated, or …?