Are atheists mentally ill? The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability

reply to post by Astyanax



I don't disagree with what you had to say, I cannot argue with that, it is one reason I went on to research for myself.

Love one-another.

reply to post by charles1952


Thanks Charles, I always love your post, thanks to the other posters as well, all the varied opinions matter.

reply to post by Stormdancer777

So which is the smart party, here? Is it the atheists, who live short, selfish, stunted little lives – often childless – before they approach hopeless death in despair, and their worthless corpses are chucked in a trench (or, if they are wrong, they go to Hell)? Or is it the believers, who live longer, happier, healthier, more generous lives, and who have more kids, and who go to their quietus with ritual dignity, expecting to be greeted by a smiling and benevolent God?

Well, this most certainly sounds like the loving and graceful attitude of many who belong to the Abrahamic religions. Christians specifically. And they wonder why atheists feel the way they do.

'God-spot' research finds faith hard-wired in the brain

This I somewhat agree with. I don't think the average person has a clue how much of their life and beliefs are faith based, even if they are non-religious.

reply to post by Klassified

Well, this most certainly sounds like the loving and graceful attitude of many who belong to the Abrahamic religions. Christians specifically. And they wonder why atheists feel the way they do.

In all fairness? Is it better when Atheists call people of faith delusional, ignorant, simple minded or unable to grasp reality on a basic level? I can very easily and quickly find numerous threads making precisely those comparisons.

....and they wonder why people of Faith feel how they do.

It seems both sides talk at each other SO loudly and with so little respect? Neither side even realizes they sound just as hateful as they claim the other side does. Just my opinion there.

only if there wrong.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Do you think these "great thinkers" would have lived very long if they had even pretended to be atheists?

I don't think under the threat of death those who claim to be religious can be taken at their word.

reply to post by Wertdagf

That's a very interesting thought. If I understood you correctly, you're saying:

Atheists would lie about their religious beliefs to avoid death.

The early Christians and the German Jews would not lie about their religious beliefs to avoid death.

I know which side I'd rather be on. (Hoping that I had the strength to do so.)

reply to post by charles1952


Maybe you should read your bible more.

I think its all moronic drivel but it directly contradicts what you just said. How many times did the rooster crow?

reply to post by charles1952

German Jews would not lie about their religious beliefs to avoid death.

You can't be serious.....

reply to post by wrabbit2000

While it is true, as an atheist, I am hard on Christianity specifically. It is because I was one for decades, and I know how Christians think and feel about unbelievers, and atheists especially. I have been on the inside, from the bottom to the top. I am not fooled by the public persona of the Christian elite and elect.

I have been with my ex-brothers and sisters in Christ when they talked their trash about the heathens that were going to burn in hell for their evil ways. I have been present when Christians with superiority complexes took on their attitudes toward others in public places, such as restaurants, stores, accountants offices, etc. I have heard the sometimes subtle, and sometimes vile comments made from the pulpit by "men and women of God" about the godless heathens, and how Christians should not feel sorry for the suffering of the dogs outside the gates, but to praise God they were inside the gates. I could write a book on the real Christian attitude toward the unbelievers and atheists. As well as those things discussed behind closed doors in meetings with elders and pastors. They have secret desires they dare not speak in public to non-Christians.

"In all fairness", not all Christians are like that. But MANY are. You I'm sure are not. There are some here at ATS who don't have the elitist attitude. I know them when they post, very quickly. But know this. You are a minority in the church. There are those around you, who consider you just as much a heathen as I am, because you don't have their perspective. They'll never admit it to you though.

Look out for the literalists and fundamentalists among you, they are everywhere, and they don't have your tolerance. It is they who have stirred the hornets nest of atheists using the same tactics the church has used for centuries.

reply to post by NeoParadigm

Dear NeoParadigm,

You are absolutely right. I over generalized. Some did, many did not. Some early Christians renounced their faith, many did not.

But all of that does not affect my main point, which was very few, if any Atheists maintained their lack of faith until death.

In responding to the earlier comments I was struck by the fact that I could not recall an Atheist who refused to renounce their lack of faith. The Inquisition was the only thing I could think of where an Atheist might have been killed for being an Atheist, but Atheism was largely unknown at that time. The targets of the Spanish Inquisition were the Jews and Muslims who claimed to convert to Christianity, but did not.

The main reason there was a Spanish Inquisition in the first place is that, unlike in other European kingdoms, Ferdinand and Isabella encouraged Jews and Muslims to convert to Christianity instead of simply expelling them all.

Now about Christians being willing to die?

But the most infamous event was when the captured men of Otranto were given the choice to convert to Islam or die; 800 of them held to their Christian faith and were beheaded en masse at a place now known as the Hill of the Martyrs.

It is testimony to the strange vagaries of history that it should be the Spanish Inquisition that remains notorious today, even though the 6,832 members of the Catholic clergy murdered in the Spanish Republican Red Terror of 1936 is more than twice the number of the victims of 345 years of inquisition.

www.wnd.com...

So, if you'll forgive my sloppy over-generalization, my point remains. Atheists don't die for their beliefs, Christians, Jews, and Muslims (The Abrahamic religions) will and have died for theirs.

All of this coming from Wertdgaf's reply to Stormdancer777's comment. I hope we don't get too far off track.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by charles1952

So, if you'll forgive my sloppy over-generalization, my point remains.

That's quite allright, it's not like it offended me or something, I just didn't think that paticular bit was accurate.

reply to post by Klassified

Dear Klassified,

You're right that many Christians talk trash about those they see as their opponents. We're sinners, and any human who thinks about it realizes that they are, too. Everybody in the Church is a sinner. I'm sure that if my soul was opened to the world, everyone would run from me in terror.

The Church is there to repair us, He came to heal the sick, not the healthy. Any one, Christian or not, who sees themselves as completely healthy does not want, does not call for the Healer. That's when the illness becomes incurable.

I pray for my Christian brothers and sisters, because they serve as models to the world. As you have seen, many are not good models. Jesus was especially condemning of those who led others into sin, and I'm afraid to say many Christians do that.

But we don't know how much worse they would have been without the Church. The Church is our hospital where we go to be healed and encourage others while they heal.

Sometimes I ramble, but that's what came out of my heart.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by charles1952


Well you would be correct for the most part. One exception I believe is that it would be hard pressed to find anyone back during the inquisition that claimed atheism I am not even sure the term existed then but I am sure you would find many Heathens.

As for dying for your belief or nonbelief let us think about that for a second. Atheist believes when you’re dead it is game over maybe some variations on the spiritual atheist side but it’s a done deal. Abrahamic religion on the other hand teaches there is no greater honor than dying for your religion you know god is great then boom and back then life was pretty rough heaven sounds pretty good like say heaven. Heaven was a reward on the end of the stick and if your life was going to be prematurely cut short for your belief it was almost always an automatic in. Free ticket all inclusive ride to the other side.

Now think about it. Why would an atheist want to be killed? There is something in for the Christian, Jew, Muslim, but no prize for the atheist.

reply to post by Grimpachi

Dear Grimpachi,

Now I remember why I love you like a brother, excellent post.

I think you're absolutely right, there have been Atheists throughout history, Euripides and Aristophanes in their plays had characters rejecting the gods, but for the most part it didn't pick up any steam until the 1700's. And their were some who were accused of Atheism and killed, but I believe the numbers to be small and I'm not sure they were given a chance to recant.

But now we hit your excellent observation:

As for dying for your belief or nonbelief let us think about that for a second. Atheist believes when you’re dead it is game over maybe some variations on the spiritual atheist side but it’s a done deal. Abrahamic religion on the other hand teaches there is no greater honor than dying for your religion you know god is great then boom and back then life was pretty rough heaven sounds pretty good like say heaven.

You raise the question of motivation. Seriously, and completely honestly, if I professed Atheism, I would probably also be an Hedonist.

My goal would be to get all the pleasure I could out of life, always thinking out what would make me the happiest. And why not? If I only have 80 years, I want to have the most fun possible, whatever that might mean. I certainly wouldn't go to war to defend my country, being a policeman would be out of the question, giving my money away instead of buying beer would be silly, and on and on. The world is all about me. because the only reward is the one I get for myself right now.

Certainly martyrdom can be a good and holy thing but honestly, there's not much chance of that happening in Florida, the US, North America, or most places in the world if you're not preaching to a group of Muslims. I don't expect it. But I believe God has given us other things to do. Love, when I really want to hate. Listen, when I want to hang up. Be generous, when I want to be selfish. Each of those, and many more, are tiny martyrdoms done out of a love for God. I want to be with God, because I love Him, that will be the greatest possible reward I could ever have.

but no prize for the atheist.

And that's the sad part. Hhe doesn't want to love or be with God, becaause he's sure there is none. Nothing to me would be more tragic, more horrifying, than to hear God say to me, "You don't love Me? You don't want to be with me? Fine, you never shall be." May God preserve us from that.

With respect,
Charles1952