| bonzobanana said: Hmm.. reading this confuses me whether I'm an atheist. At the age of about 13 it became clear to me there was no evidence to support the existence of god and the people that believed in god cared little for evidence. The older I got the more compelling it became that there was no god but there is still desire in me to believe in god given the evidence or some factual basis for it but I can't even see where a god would fit into nature or the cosmos. There is no place for such a being. I see good people around me that I don't want to cease to exist but I know they will just like myself. There is nothing particularly good about being an atheist and not much solace in realising there is no god. I'd be a happier man if I saw some evidence for some sort of spiritual existence but all I really see is lies and people who are much more successful at lying to themselves than myself. You sometimes wonder what a world would be like 100% full of atheists, I suspect it would be even more depressing than it is now. I quite like the positivity of religious people. Some religious people are exceptionally decent people and as someone who sees kindness and empathy as great virtues I like that. Often religious people are motivated by their belief that they can save you, it isn't a desire to manipulate you. Lets face it if a person lives their whole life enriched by believing something and it actually improves their quality of life and when they die will never know any different as their life fades away. It's hardly a wasted life. You wonder if you were born mentally ill and were either constantly happy or having the sensation of orgasm but spent your whole life in an asylum just clapping your hands and dribbling would that be a curse or a gift? |
Based on that explanation, from an outside speaker, I would say you still fall into that atheist camp in case you were still questioning. You seem firm set in your belief that their isn't a God to fit in, so this desire for there to want to be one doesn't really fall in line with agnosticism, which is more not really knowing or on the other hand not really caring. Wanting there to be a God or some form of spiritual being is different than not being sure.
As for without religion the world will be a more depressing place, I may go a step further in its depressing effects. Many believers see religion as a form of coping. We know that death is imminent, but the hope for something greater helps us push through and makes us slightly more comfortable with the reality of death. Does it make death less painful? No, but it helps to believe that there is a life much greater beyond this. This leads me to my conclusion/hypothesis.
IMO, if all religions were disproven, the suicide rate would increase exponentially. I have no proof since it's never been implemented, but to me it's a forgone conclusion.
