Is being a atheist a bad thing?

Answer 1

This question is often posed as "Pascal's wager". It says that if one believes in God and in the afterlife and if there is really a God, the person will gain everything. if one doesn't believe in God and in the end there is God, the person will eventually loss everything, and if one believes in God and in the end there is no God, the person will not loss anything because one cannot lose something which he or she did not gain.

This, of course, depends on there being only two choices - no god, or my god. Of the several thousand gods worshipped throughout human history it is difficult to imagine a process to choose the "right" one. Even more difficult would be the process to imagine how to believe in this deity - does it require circumcision, blood sacrifices, or dietary conformity. Also one would have to hope the deity chosen offers some sort of eternal reward, not all of them do. Another consideration would be the consequences of choosing the wrong god. Some of them are pretty testy if you make a bad choice. Too bad if you are wrong!

The wagers results then become:

1. If you choose a god with an associated afterlife and he/she/it exists and cares anything about you (another question) and you are right in your choice you may get your "reward" if you haven't ticked him off by not following all the rules or by just believing in he/she/it to get a reward. Note that not all afterlife's are pleasant even for the "good".

2. In the same case as above and you choose to ignore this god/afterlife package you probably wind up in a comparable situation - maybe a bit worse, maybe a bit better.

3. If there is no god, no afterlife, no continuation and you wasted your time mutilating yourself and your kids, eating a restricted diet or giving your time and money to a ragtag bunch of shaman's you've missed a lot in this life - the only one you've got.

4. If case 3 is true and you live a normal life with no effort made to believe in any god or follow any "divine" rules - you win.

So all in all it seems that it is better for a person to be an atheist.

AdditionAlthough I am an atheist I think it would be better to believe in a god (that is if you could bring yourself to believe in one unlike me). There is no proof for or against the existence of a god and if you really wanted maximum benefit it would be have faith but don't waste your time with religion. Therefore you don't waste any time and are theoretically have a chance at an afterlife, however unlikely that my be.

Answer 3

I'm also atheist, but I feel that there is no "better" answer here. The question is, what do you feel comfortable following? If a particular religious tradition helps you make sense of the world, connect with your fellow human beings and motivates you in a positive way to become a better, more caring human being, that religion is probably the best choice for you. If a particular religious tradition makes you feel unworthy or fearful, motivates you to treat others as less than yourself (such as for not being saved as you are) or doesn't help you understand and relate to the world and your life within it, that religion is probably not a good place for you to be. If no religions help you, then maybe Humanism, agnosticism or Atheism would be best for you.

Answer 2

Opinions from contributors:

• Depends on where you live and who you talk to. According to the United States constitution, you are entitled to believe whatever you want to believe, be it in Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, agnosticism or atheism. In some places, though, you can be jailed or even killed for being an atheist.
• Yes. It is okay to be an atheist. It is simply a lack of belief in a deity. Regardless of what people may say, atheists don't want to kill babies or have an excuse to sin. We're no more immoral on average than any other group of people (and looking at prison populations in the USA, we're actually more moral than most groups).
• As stated before, it is no more than a lack of belief in a deity. Every single other thing is a personal belief. Most atheists would tend to agree with scientists and most also agree with the tenets of secular humanism, but neither is required.
• Generally, atheists are atheists because of a lack of evidence. It's the same as to why you don't believe in unicorns, sasquatch, santa, or the tooth fairy. There's no reason to believe in them because there is no evidence. The same is true for every deity ever created, but the god of The Bible or Allah of the Quran are especially bad. At least when people were claiming Zeus was real, there was actually lightning to see and thunder to hear. Belief in god or Allah is solely on faith.
• Most people only believe in a single god and ignore all others. This makes them atheists to everyone who's god they don't believe in. We simply go one god further.
• Most Christians believe that if you are anything but a Christian, you will spend eternity in separation from God, the state of which is commonly known as Hell or Sheol. As a result they feel very strongly about atheism and will try to convert you to their religion "for your own good". Be polite when you refuse but also make certain you are treated with the same respect.
• Similarly, Muslims believe that atheism, or denial of the existence of god, is apostasy or blasphemy, and punishable by death (men only) or life imprisonment. Thankfully, the death sentence is rare, but prison is not great, either.
• Atheists will tell you that they don't believe in myths and Fairy Tales, as that how they see religion. People of all different religions and contradictory beliefs are willing to die for these myths and fairy tales.
• If Atheism is what you believe, then that is what you believe. You are entitled to that belief. And most people will not discredit you for that belief.
• Its perfectly fine to be athiest, but many people don't accept it. I don't like to talk about spiritual beliefs with most people because, in my experience, many people look at you differently afterward. I only tell people I'm close to because they liked me before and they all still like me after.
• Many feel that atheists are filled with hate for god and religion. In actuality atheists do not hate "god" any more than they hate the tooth fairy or the monster under the bed once they realize that they do not exist. In the same way "heaven" vanishes in the same way that Santa's workshop and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow do when the truth is known

Answer 3

It s neither good nor bad. A choice is simply a choice. Studies have shown that atheists lead lives that are just as dull and upright as regular believers.

Answer 4

If you believe that God or gods exist and there is life after death then being an atheist is a bad thing. But most atheists seem to be happy in their beliefthat God or gods do not exist.

Answer 5

Nope, it's just their thing.