Quote:
Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos
Graduates of the Allan Watt School Of Public Relations I see.
I don't like the second half of the message -- the "stop worrying and enjoy your life" part. The implication being that believers aren't enjoying their lives. To me it's no different than the "atheists are the angriest people in the world" cliche.
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I think what they are getting at there is that many Christians (and Muslims, etc) spend a large portion of their lives following behaviours that do not bring joy to their lives but they do it because they believe it is what God wants and they are worried that if they don't do these behaviours then they will not get into heaven, but rather burn in the firey bowels of hell.
Mormons and Muslims don't drink alcohol. Not because it wouldn't enhance their lives and bring them joy, but rather because they are worried about the effects on the afterlife.
Some go to noon church services even though they are going to miss their football team's kickoff. Some give more than they can afford to the church. Some give up their favorite foods over Lent, or Muslims give up eating during the day altogether during Ramadan. To some that worry about the fate of their souls is actually quite the destructive force. Sometimes that worry presents itself in the form of depression, others as radicalism.
In any case, I don't think the "stop worrying and enjoy your life" was meant to stereotype theists, but rather point out the freedom you get from being an atheist.
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On the flip side though, I, as an atheist, don't find it very liberating. When forced to mold your philosophy of life based on reason, I found myself being a teetotaling, vegetarian environmentalist (yes, the lack of owning a CO2 emitter during the latest Ottawa bus strike has been loads of fun). There is a responsibility that comes with not having your morals and ethics handed to you in a book. For the most part I'm a utilitarian, but in many cases I worry that I didn't make the right choice - that I weighed the options incorrectly.
Though, as a man, I have never had an abortion... but I'll use that as an example. Were a woman to be in the situation of having little income and few around to support her, she would have to weigh whether it was the right thing to destroy a potential human life vs the ability to take care of herself and the child. The emotional burden of going through a pregnancy alone vs the joy a child could bring to your life. You have to weigh so many variables - it's so much easier to have a book tell you all the answers to life.