Question for Atheists.. Did you gain a Greater Sense of Morality and Happiness? (page 6)

UFCFan

I don't consider myself someone who spends tons of time thinking about morals. But I am way happier as a Athiest since I don't have to worry about looming destruction, AKA Armagedon.

Maranatha

So, the general consensus is that all "religious" folks or believers in a Creator God are morally inferior and full of hatred? I beg to differ.

My experiences: I hated people before I came to know Jesus as my Savior. I didn't care about anyone. I never cried during sad movies and made fun of anyone who did. I watched violent, gore infested movies and listened to the likes of Marilyn Manson and Otep just to name a few. I was a common thief too. I would steal all the time. I smoked pot and drank with people I thought were my friends. I vandalised property. I was cruel to animals. I cursed like a sailor. I would practice witchcraft and spritism.

That all changed when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I cry during St.Jude commercials and I cry during sad movies or inspriational movies. I don't watch horror films anymore because I can't stand the violence and gore. I am disgusted at the fact I used to listen to such Satanic music. I don't steal anymore and won't even pick up a penny off the ground because it wasn't mine to begin with. I always ask now even if something is free for the taking. I still ask. I no longer do drugs or drink. In fact, I only take otc or prescription drugs if I absolutely have to. I am nicer to animals. I do not curse like I used too. I rarely say anything cuss words now. I have nothing to do with anything associated with witchcraft or spiritism. Before I did not care who lived or died, but now I sorrow for the lost. I used to be greedy but now I love giving whatever I can to those in need. I am content to live with as little as possible.

I know your question was geared towards atheists but I was tired of reading all the negative comments about those of us who believe in God. Jesus and religion are two entirely separate things and until one comes to know Jesus personally they will continue to equate the two as one.

OneEyedJoe

Maranatha -

I don't think anyone was saying that it's necessarily the case that athiests are better, but I believe that people who transition from being religious to being athiest are usually better afterwards.

The reason may not be intrinsicly tied to some superiority of athiesm, as you point out there are many who use it as an excuse to do whatever they want. It is my belief, though, that people who leave religion to become athiest usually already have a sense of how to be a moral person, but they're able to free themselves from some of the ancient traditions that often lead to judging others uneccesarily. It also removes (to a much lesser extent for non-JWs who become athiest, I suspect) the sense of seperateness you have between yourself and members of other religions. There's also the fact that those who become athiest probably put a lot of thought (I know I did) into what it means for them morally. This level of consideration in itself can have a strong moral effect on someone. That's not necessarily exclusive to those who become athiest, though. It's more about those who are willing to examine what they believe and change if necessary (as you yourself did).

I think you might want to take the things said in this thread with a grain of salt, too, since most of the athiests on the forum became so after leaving a very conservative cult that fostered a very negative view of people outside the cult. It's almost impossible to leave the cult and not become a better person, whether you left to become an athiest or you left to become a budist or a christian.

It might be possible that anyone who changes religions is better for it, regardless of the specifics of the change, as it invites introspection and encourages you to challenge your beliefs and motivations.

objectivetruth

To explain these quotes a bit. Confirmation Bias, is one of the Strongest Cognitive Biases, it and Cognitave Dissonance work together closely.

Here's an example, Jehovah's Witnesses, live in a Closed-Off Culture of Hate & Blood Lust. These are not natural tendencies, so they have Cognitave Dissonance because of this.. These Witnesses search the Scriptures, and they come across a Scripture like Jeremiah 25:33, and they find their Confirmation!

It is ok for them to hate and lust after annihilation, because Their God, known as the Bible supports it.

Here's another example, An Atheist or Theist who Values Love above Any Written Book, sees that the Bible (At Times) Condones Hatred,Murder,Hypocrisy,Biggotry,etc.. He subconsciously reasons, "If This is God, I simply cannot accept it or Believe it"

Both of these Examples come about because, we have all been Indoctrinated, that "ALL SCRIPTURE" is Gods perfect "Infallible" word.

We glare into the Abyss/Bible to figure out who God is.. but the Abyss/Bible glares into us, and it Discerns who we are.. If we Hate we will find Justification to Hate.. If we Love we will either seek to Better understand God, or Reject he who we Discern God is.

objectivetruth

Maranatha - You bring up some good points, what you are describing is Found in one of The True, portions of the Bible.

Ezekiel 36:26 " And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

Religion is about Knowledge & Doctrines .

Spirituality is about Doing & Loving.

OneEyedJoe

Thanks, that makes more sense. There's definitely something to that...anyone can use the bible to justify anything they want if they pick and choose correctly. The problem is that it happens all too often that when someone else uses the bible to justify something immoral, they often are convincing enough that others follow and behave immorally against their better judgement. I keep going back to it, but the easiest example is the treatment of homosexuals by religious people who are otherwise good folks.

Not that i think atheists are inherently better people, it just seems as though they'd be less likely to be swayed by some mystical argument to do something they otherwise would view as immoral. This would especially be the case if they were raised religious and realized that they'd been so swayed in the past.

Oubliette

ObjectiveTruth: I did not use the word "Rigidity" to Ascribe anything Negative to Science, rather a Positive Thing. Stiffness, the property of a solid body to resist deformation, which is sometimes referred to as rigidity.

I didn't take it as negative or positive. I just do not see how it applies.

Mental health professionals know that a certain flexibility of thinking is a good indicator of overall mental health. Correspondingly, rigid, black-and-white thinking, is generally indicative of a lack of mental health.

Science is a way of knowing. Good scientists need to be open to new ideas and new ways of thinking. All new discoveries and scientific breakthroughs required a certain creativity in addition to hard work and a disciplined mind.

objectivetruth

Oubliette - You're Right.. Science is not Like Math.. Some times you have to challenge certain Axioms.

Ill read your thread : )

Oubliette

Objectivetruth, I hope you find my thread thought-provoking and I look forward to your contributions.

Even in math, we encounter problems with multiple solutions. For example, consider this seemingly straightforward equation:

x^2 + 2x = 15

Solve for x and you'll find it has two answers!

EndofMysteries

Objective - I have thought that perhaps the tree of knowledge of good and bad, a person would die because as Jesus said I think, if a person doesn't know it's sin or it doesn't bother their conscience, then it's not sin. But doing something out of conscience is a sin. So if tree of knowledge of good and bad meant that being told what is good and bad and if being human inclined to do things that technically are bad, had they not known it would not have been sin. Tree can also mean more than just a tree, it could be another entity as in Enoch, one that spoke and told them things, "eating of the words" same as when Jesus says eating the bread of the pharasees.

Question for Atheists.. Did you gain a Greater Sense of Morality and Happiness?

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