Why Atheism?

[iampostal]

the point is im existing now..im enjoying the gift life is...everyone and everyting dies...you may  remain in fear of death if you wish...but why atheism?atheism ahs never lied to me...or made outrageous supernatural claims....atheism will admit when it errs and learn from its mistakes rather than think itself unfallible...atheism is based on fact and proofs not fairy tales....and there are no atheist freedom fighters..no atheist martyrs...no atheist suicide bombers..or riots caused by clashes of atheistic thought.....

[Artois]

the point is im existing now..im enjoying the gift life is...everyone and everyting dies...you may  remain in fear of death if you wish...but why atheism?atheism ahs never lied to me...or made outrageous supernatural claims....atheism will admit when it errs and learn from its mistakes rather than think itself unfallible...atheism is based on fact and proofs not fairy tales....and there are no atheist freedom fighters..no atheist martyrs...no atheist suicide bombers..or riots caused by clashes of atheistic thought.....

So you're not atheist because it's the only stance that does not require indoctrination, or the ability to delude oneself with mental gymnastics whilst making an illogical, irrational 'leap of faith'?

[iampostal]

well how about common sense and the intelligence that you would say your invisible lazy sky man gave us. how about...why judaism?they believe ina loving compassionate god after half their people died in the holocaust.why catholocism?does it make sense to catholic women that their sexual doctrine is decided upon by an 85 year old male virgin in italy? why mormonism?the creaot of their religion spent 4 years in jail for FRAUD before his revelation began...but to accept christianity as a whole you have to accept the following 1)god would rather appear and talk to and show miracle after miracle to shepherds and nomads  in the middle east to a very succeptible people rather than converse with a much more enlightened advanced version of his created race today(hmmm coincidence i think not) 2)that even though it would take the light from your average star 3/4 million years or so to appear in the night sky that the world is only 6000 years old (oh and you better ignore the 10,000 years of recorded sumerian history too) 3)that an all powerful all intelligent creator needs daily constant adulation and praises to fill his fragile ego 4)your god is a sexist pig (where is thou shalt not rape?) who curiously deems it important to not covet what thy neighbour has yet never once mentions how morally wrong slavery is (for the record christ never speaks out againsst slavery either)...i could go on but the amount of stupidity and immoral behavior required to be a christian is just disgusting and islam is no better,and though your parents may not have influenced your beliefs i would argue that georgraphy more than any other factor decides your religion because face it if your were in iran or iraq you would be screaming muslim diatribe at me with a koran in your hand

[theloconate]

So I've always wondered. Why believe that when you die you stop existing?

That's not what atheism is. Although most atheists would agree that you cease to exist when you stop existing. Why? Because that's where the evidence points. What evidence? We were dead for billions of years before we were alive so why would it be any different after death?

I don't see how anyone could accept that and be able to live happily, knowing that it's basically like you aren't even living at all. If you stop existing, then what was even the point?

Well you see there are things that are programed into human brains that allows for happiness and pleasure, I don't see how it's like not living. For me, my point of existence is to help further the knowledge of the human race and to do what i enjoy

[moomoose]

just because you were talked into believing that you will exist forever does not make it so.  id rather be realistic than believe in fairy tales my whole life in an attempt to make me feel better or give my life some extra meaning. 

ps. santa isnt real, either.

[991woot119]

All you really have to do to get to heaven is accept jeasus into your heart you dnt have to praise god every day even if you save the world you won't get into heaven you just have to accept jeasus into your heart.
God can forgive everything if you ask him to.
Hell is made for the followers of the devil (the people who sin) and you dont have to go there even if you destroy the world as long as you ask for forgiveness from god.

[theloconate]

All you really have to do to get to heaven is accept jeasus into your heart you dnt have to praise god every day even if you save the world you won't get into heaven you just have to accept jeasus into your heart.
God can forgive everything if you ask him to.
Hell is made for the followers of the devil (the people who sin) and you dont have to go there even if you destroy the world as long as you ask for forgiveness from god.

what kind of god would do that? He'd torture you eternally just because you didn't believe something for which there was no evidence, also hitler was a christian, did he go to heaven? IF you've been told he's an atheist here's a quote from mein kompf "I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.."

[QuantumT]

So I've always wondered. Why believe that when you die you stop existing? I don't see how anyone could accept that and be able to live happily, knowing that it's basically like you aren't even living at all. If you stop existing, then what was even the point?

Well first off, because there's no evidence to the contrary. But there's more to it than that. I don't want to get so bogged worrying about my next life that I miss out on living this one. I think that when you realize that this life is the only one you have, it doesn't become worthless, instead it becomes that much more precious.

So I would disagree with the notion that it's like I'm living at all. I'm living this life to the fullest, because it's the only one I'll ever have.

[theloconate]

what kind of god would do that? He'd torture you eternally just because you didn't believe something for which there was no evidence, also hitler was a christian, did he go to heaven? IF you've been told he's an atheist here's a quote from mein kompf "I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.."

If he believed that he was acting for the good of the world, then he would be forgiven. There is no proof that Hitler didn't go to heaven, because there's no proof that there is not a heaven. All that you need is belief. If there is nothing to believe in, then life is simply black and white, with a beginning and an end. There would be no purpose to life if there is nothing before it or after it.

Actually that is a pretty intriging philisophical question (the hitler thing). but apart from that, you don't need belief (i'm still alive aren't i). If you don't believe in anything then you realize that your life is finite meaning that its infinitly valuble as opposed to believing that this world is a stepping stone to the eternal party.

[QuantumT]

If he believed that he was acting for the good of the world, then he would be forgiven. There is no proof that Hitler didn't go to heaven, because there's no proof that there is not a heaven. All that you need is belief. If there is nothing to believe in, then life is simply black and white, with a beginning and an end. There would be no purpose to life if there is nothing before it or after it.

I actually find the idea that "if I don't believe in an afterlife then my life is meaningless" borderline offensive.  It also doesn't make any real sense. Basically there are 2 ways to look at it:

1) I believe in an eternal afterlife. Therefore, I have 100 years in this life and an eternity in another.

2) I don't believe in an eternal afterlife. Therefore, I have 100 years in this life and that's it.

It seems to me like when those 100 years are all you have, they become incredibly more precious. Lets just look at how these two attitudes translate.

1) Who cares about this life? After all, I have an eternally long one coming after, so why care about this one?

2) This life is all there is, so I'd better make sure I live it to the fullest.

I argue that the idea of an afterlife actually cheapens this one.

[Jangoo]

how about...why judaism?they believe ina loving compassionate god after half their people died in the holocaust.why catholocism?does it make sense to catholic women that their sexual doctrine is decided upon by an 85 year old male virgin in italy? why mormonism? [...]

Why Necromancy? 

[xdude]

So I've always wondered. Why believe that when you die you stop existing? I don't see how anyone could accept that and be able to live happily, knowing that it's basically like you aren't even living at all. If you stop existing, then what was even the point?

So, I've always wondered. Why believe that when you die there is an omnipotent/scient/present who will get you in a perfect place? I don't see how anyone could accept that and not ask him/herself some questions, knowing that basically his/her life on Earth is actually useless. If you go to a better place, then what's the point of coming to Earth in the first place?