The Emptiness of an Atheist’s Life

Ed is a Christian who’s chosen this place as one he’d like to do some converting in. Check my comments – you won’t have to look far for him. He’s trying quite valiantly to bring me and my readers to Christ.

One of the lines of thought that keeps creeping into Ed’s conversation is that his life was empty/without meaning and that he was searching for something until he came to Christ. Of course, he wants to share that – he wants me and other atheists to find Christ so that we can plug that hole in our hearts and become fulfilled.

To Ed and all you other Christians/Theists: I am not empty. I am not searching for something. I am quite happy and have no holes to fill.

In fact, it might surprise you to learn that, upon letting go of religion/god/faith/Jesus etc, I felt a great weight lift off my shoulders. I felt tremendous joy in being freed from religion. Not only that, but since de-converting, I have had an insatiable curiosity about the world, as well as an ever-increasing concern for our planet and the life on it.

Does this mean everything is perfect in my life? Of course not! But it does mean that I am a happy, contented, self-actualizing individual with a great deal of gratitude for having breath in my lungs, food on my plate and love in my life.

In other words, I am fulfilled and I’m sorry to tell you that your offer of fulfillment through Christ …offers me nothing.

And I suspect many other atheists are just like me.

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April 17, 2009 · Filed Under Atheism, Religion

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10 Responses to “The Emptiness of an Atheist’s Life”

  1. Brian on April 18th, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    I feel the same way regarding the weight being lifted off my shoulders when I let go of the sillyness.   My transition was a slow one (a gradual progression away from delusion).  It didn’t really sink in for me until a year ago or so that their is no god.  I am 37 now and I wish it didn’t take as long as it did.  I recently bought Dawkins book (The god delusion) and I am still reading it.  On page 50 Dawkins give a belief scale and rates himself a 6.  I rate myself a 7 (those that have the book know what I mean). 

    Like you, am a much happier now. 

  2. Infidel on April 19th, 2009 at 4:20 am

    I too have felt far more fulfilled as an atheist than I ever did as a Christian. I wrote a parody playing on the misconceptions of people like Ed – 7 reasons why becoming an atheist sucks.  Reading back over it I’m not sure if its paradoxical nature will come across to some… People like Ed have such a hard time grasping meaning without God, perhaps that’s why they are so religious?

  3. Melissa on April 19th, 2009 at 9:02 pm

    I, too, tire of that line of reasoning.  A young man once told me “Your life is so empty and depressing without God.  You just don’t realize it!”   Then I suppose I’m not suffering from it.  ;)

  4. Joy on April 22nd, 2009 at 9:51 pm

    I really like Ed (from his posts), and sense a wonderfully-well-meaning person.  But I’m with Infidel above–some people truly must not be able to envision having a meaningful life without an external authority spelling it out.  
     I see people doing things that they find meaningful all the time without invoking God. Sometimes they’ll mention God because they felt they were supposed to “give him all glory,” but they truly were enjoying the thing and in the zone of their true them-ness before the guilt trip hit and they had to credit God.  I don’t envy them one bit. 

  5. Doug on April 23rd, 2009 at 10:31 am

    Sure I have some issues with emptiness and a lack of meaning. I fully admit it.  However, theist belief is simply a lie. It is not terribly unlike a child believing in Santa Claus. Sure Christmas isn’t quite the same without really thinking old St. Nick is on the rooftop, but at least you can make everyones Christmas a little bit merrier by taking care of getting the presents for the ones you love, instead of waiting for a farie tale figure that isn’t going to arrive.

  6. Prophet Steven Bently on May 18th, 2009 at 12:26 am

    Yes my life was completely empty until I found Allah and his prophet son Mohammad, (pbuh). Until I found them, I was a total nothing, I did not even deserve to live, I was a destitute worthless infidel in the eyes of Allah and his prophet son Mohammad, (pbuh). No one can be worthy unto his highness Allah and his prophet son Mohammad (pbuh).

    So now, I’ve found God and his only begottten son, Jesus the living Christ saviour of the whole world. To whom, I would be nothing without them, except now, I deserve to be killed for being an savage infidel in the eyes of Allah and his prophet son Mohammad (pbuh) and now I deserve to be stoned to death for believing in Allah and his prophet son, Mohammad (pbuh).

    It’s all self-righteous bullshit!!!

    To Ed, the moment you die you instantly become ex-christian, ex-moslim, ex-whatever.

  7. Angelo.:.Corbo on May 28th, 2009 at 2:49 pm

    Ed and everyone else:

    When confronted with the notion that if mistaken, he would have to answer to God about his heresy, Bertrand Russell is said to have replied : “But God… you didn’t provide us with enough evidence”.

    I can’t understand the obsession of people with the afterlife. This life is what we know we have for sure. Let’s make the best of it. In dealing with the afterlife we neglect the most precious gift given to any living thing.

    The natural world, as we are able to understand it now, should be enough of a reason to find meaning in life. Why look for meaning in the unsubstantiated? Why waste time and living energy in questions best left unanswered? I don’t get it.

    Some day (hopefully in the not too distant future), we, high primates of this planet, will come to the realization that the natural world we live in, is all we have, and it is all we should care about. Anything and everything else is unworthy of pursuit.

    Before that day, it’ll be a struggle.  We are in the midst of it right now, and will be for generations, I’m afraid.

    On a positive note, the reason we are still roaming around this planet today is because only love can sustain us all. It was not religions or gods, it was love for family, friends, and neighbors. John Lennon was right.

  8. Chris on June 29th, 2009 at 10:22 pm

    Yes, a weight has been lifted only to replace it with scorn and surprise by other people. My daughter has the toughest time, because all children are brought up to believe in god. I let my daughter choose to believe or not, and she goes though hell, even having to change schools because of close-minded CHRISTIANS.

  9. Timotheus on July 7th, 2009 at 10:20 am

    Angelo,
    “Let’s make the best of it. In dealing with the afterlife we neglect the most precious gift given to any living thing.”
    - – - – - – - –
    I’m sure it’s just a slip, but every atheist eventually makes this mistake.
    So life is a gift? From who? John Lennon?

  10. shrubber on July 23rd, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    Timotheus,

    Yes. Life is a gift. From your parents.

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