Being an Atheist Is Bad For Your Health

by Space Madness 71 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Ruby456

  no reply function on your other thread space madness so I've brought you op over here to reply to you

  A little background, I faded in 2007 and have been out ever since. I started studying at 18 and have no JW realitives. I'm returing because my life is heading in the wrong direction. I was a much better person as a witness. Although I no longer believe in the Bible, the atmosphere and positive association will help me become the person I use to be. My life is all negative now and I need something positive to balance it out. My time as a JW was the only time in my life when I had friends and was genuinely happy.

  There is nothing wrong with going back for social resons if thats what makes you happy but keep up with your studies. I often go to meetings for the same reason.

  atheism can take you to a bad place and if that is what has happened please be aware that it is one of many places and you can choose which place you want to be.
• 

  KateWild

  Ruby,

  I could post on the other thread. Strange??? Kate xx
• 

  Jon Preston

  Let me explain somehing i learned in stats 101---just because there is a correlation between two things does not mean one causes another. For example:

  In the summertime there is a higher instance of rape. But there is also a higher instance of eating ice cream. Does this mean eating ice cream causes rape? Does it mean summertime causes rape? No. But maybe rapists take their dates out for ice cream beforehand....who knows.

  Yes there may be a correlation between atheism and suicide, but i have met and known more suicidal people with a creationist background than atheist.....doesnt mean im right either but theres a correlation. Be careful with statistics and basing them as absolute truth. Itll get you in a hot mess.
• 

  Giordano

  I did a quick look through online re death rates for Atheists and it does appear to be somewhat higher.

  I think that people with strong religious convictions usually are in communities (Their church etc) of like minded people who belive suicide is morally wrong so they may gut it out through a long illness. A social and family pressure sort of thing.

  If you ran a study on people who suffered from depression I imagine you would have the highest group.

  As a non believer I have given myself the option of checking out when and if I wish to though I am looking forward to a nice relaxing morphine drip and a clean bed.
• 

  Fernando

  @Space Madness.

  Recently I was contemplating different frameworks for interpreting the Bible.

  I came up with three.

  Religious.

  Atheist.

  Spiritual.

  Having tried the first two, what are your thoughts on the latter?

  Greetings

  Fernando
• 

  Ruby456

  space Durkheim's points are well argued but you will find in your studies that there are arguments against him
• 

  alecholmesthedetective

  I live in Brazil. Prologos's words are the best description about this country:

  People in developping countries have no high expectations, naively believe in the unrealistic promises of the utopian religious teachings, do not expect justice to come in this life, and might feel more comfortable, content than then those having to face the crass competition in the top-earner nations.

  The elite here doesn't care so long as their lives go on as usual. This works for them. It is a panem et circenses style of politics.

  The vast majority of the population is uneducated, superstitious, and religious. There are many catholics, who also believe in spiritism, and evangelicals. Forbes magazine published a list where a Brazilian evangelical pastor is a BILLIONAIRE, followed by others who are millionaires. They fleece their flocks. A famous pastor was arrested last year due to several charges of rape against church members in church premises and drug trafficking.

  The general Brazilian attitude is to just accept things. They protested last year and after the government conceded to not increase 20 cents in the bus fare, the protests died out. Nothing has changed. Public transport continues the same crap it was and so does traffic. The Sao Paulo metro system is woefully lacking. They are still hurrying to finish building more stations for the World Cup but they are still behind schedule. The billions spent are gone and the general problems will continue here. They go back to the time of the foundation of the country. This is why a vastly uneducated population can do little to change them, when the intelligent elite and politicians control and exploit them, whilst deluding them. The evangelical politicians we have in Congress continually denounce homosexuals, women's rights, and liberal values.

  So, no. Being in atheist, an antitheist, not only has allowed me to claim my life back from religious oppression as it has helped me to see things with very different eyes. Only weeks ago my sister had a minor surgery and lost a lot of blood, due to my family's JW stance. She is now anemic. I shudder to think what would have happened if this had been a major surgery. In her case, and in that of many others, being a believer is bad for your health and many times lethal. Not only am I much happier, but I can also take my life in the direction I want, having freed myself from the shackles of lies and deception, I can make my own purpose in life, pursue my own goals, and give something back to the world.
• 

  clarity

  Space hi.....when I have had a fleeting thought to go

  back, my mind was yearning for the 'old routine', and I could

  picture it in my mind........walking in and sitting down in a

  favorite area ....and then just spacing out, letting the speaker

  & routine of the whole thing, take over ......aahhh didn't have to

  think or feel aahhhhh....someone else was doing it for me!

  It would feel familiar & safe.

  *

  Space, your programme is still running! Just let it, no hurry,

  you could always go back if you really feel the need....don't panic.

  *

  If all of us had never heard of jehovah's witnesses... we wouldn't be

  having this problem. We would have been living a normal life,

  with no urgency to believe a certain way or not! We would not have

  this dilema going on in our heads! We probably would never have

  thought about whether we were agnostic, atheist etc ..or not!

  *

  Slow down your mind ... you are over thinking. Give it a rest.

  Take care of your physical body right now. Start small...go for a

  short walk everyday ... the exercise & oxygen will help you... so will

  the birds singing & smiling at those you meet outside.

  Been there, done that sweety.......with you in thought

  clarity
• 

  Ruby456

  space madness, focus on your potential and keep on resisting but of course not to the point of resisting so much that you harm yourself. The JW environment, if that is what you want and it is better than taking drugs, will give you plenty of practice and then when you have finished your studies and understand the length and breadth of your chosen subject (if that is what you want) you will be clearer about how you can resist/use social pressures and social organisations too(whichever ones you choose) and still be an independent person.

  Also take whatever advice you are given here (including mine) with a pinch of salt
• 

  ABibleStudent

  Hi Space Madness, I'm glad that you are still participating on JWN.

  Have you heard of the study that ice cream sales have a strong correlation to drowning deaths? From your description Durkheim's study seems to have been based on macro-data between countries instead of micro-data for the people committing suicides. I would ask your professor whether Durkheim's study took into consideration other variables and did more in-depth research for a few countries, such as:

  • Faith of person committing suicide - What was the faith of the person committing suicide and did more atheist than non-atheist commit suicide within a country?
  • Weather - Did more suicides occur in winter than in summer within a country?
  • Alcohol consumption - Did more heavy drinkers commit suicide than light to non-drinkers within a country?
  • Family relationships - Did more members of single child families commit suicide than multi-child families within a country?
  • Economic factors - What was the economic status of the people who committed suicide within a country?

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert