Happiness Beats God. | Teen Ink

Happiness Beats God.

February 22, 2010
By Princeling BRONZE, Kent, Other
Princeling BRONZE, Kent, Other
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."


The Oxford dictionary is wrong: atheism is not the belief that God does not exist; it is the lack of belief in God. For me I am an atheist the same way I am an a-fairyist and an a-Santa-Clausist. I shouldn’t even have to say it. The fact that I do have to tell people at all is strange. I’m the one with the non-belief, why is it always me who has to explain myself to your belief?

You don’t have to understand it. You could think I’m wrong, though 95 percent of the time the arguments Christians present me with are erroneous and show a complete lack of understanding about evolution, the big bang theory, or even religion itself. (And trying to argue creationism makes me barf a little in my mouth, to be honest.) But here’s the big question: why are you arguing with me at all? I’m atheist. Big whoopdeedoo. I’m not going around bashing Christianity (unless one is chiefly talking about Church corruption and not belief), and I don’t even try to argue my side unless you intentionally provoke me with a nonsensical debate I can’t help debunking. I respect your belief, so why can’t you respect my non-belief? Please. Don’t pray for me. Don’t ‘understand’ me and then condescendingly tell me I’m going to hell, which I don’t believe in either.

For me, religion, or even the lack of religion, is not a big deal. I can survive. I can be moral. I can be happy, and yes, I can be fulfilled. If you need God, if you believe in Jesus – by all means, go ahead. I’m not stopping you, nor am I trying to stop you. But the patronising way many Christians regard atheists is unbearable. If you’re not one of them, I love you. Think I’m wrong all you like. Just don’t say it to my face and don’t try to convert me. I can be your neighbour, I can help you, I can love you without believing in what is for me a fairytale. (And, quite frankly, if you believe I’m an ignorant fool who doesn’t know anything about religion, then I am atheist all the more. How can I believe in something without understanding it? I don’t understand it and couldn’t understand it anymore than you can understand why I’m atheist. Besides, more than likely you hardly understand anything about it either, and was just brought up to believe. Which is fine, just don’t try to preach your ignorance at me in a condescending way, it kills me.)

I am not confused. It is true, I cannot prove to you God does not exist anymore than you can prove to me he does. You can try, if you like. But you won’t succeed anymore than I would in doing the opposite. Hell, (By Jove, cheesy pun intended!) it doesn’t even matter to me if God really, really, really exists or not. I have never felt a higher divine being somewhere up there. I have never felt I needed someone to talk to, to rely on, to believe in. I have never needed God, and I never will. I always felt stupid when my mother told me to pray, because I never truly believed anyone was listening. My logic tells me I couldn’t believe in God even if I wanted to. As for what created the universe, there are many theories, but I don’t care. I’m just trying to live. Without God.

Why? Because all that is necessary for me is my self-belief. I work hard and trust in my own abilities. I don’t need help from God, and I get myself through hard times by relying on myself, my family and my friends, all of whom are 100 percent real, tangible people. I create my own future, and my own past. I set myself my own challenges, or life does. And I get through it because I’m strong. Sometimes it is lonely. Sometimes it is hard. This is life, people. Life is not easy, but I am determined to make something of it with my own hands, because it is precious and only comes once. What more, I make my own accountability. I suffer the consequences of what I do, but it’s alright because everything is my own choice, my own decision. I do all this without the need to believe. For me, God is not truth. Happiness is. I can be happy without God, and that is true.

If you need to, if you want to, if you were brought up to believe, if you were converted: then believe. It is your choice. Just like atheism is mine, though to be honest it is more a natural state of mind than a conscious choice. Don’t hate me for it; it won’t do you any favours in the literal or divine sense. Why be so defensive if you ‘know’ you’re right? Class me as a loony bin, I’m a pretty happy one, thanks. I prefer to spend my life enjoying the physical, tangible world we call life than chasing phantoms neither you nor I can prove is real. Even inexhaustible philosophical questions like “Who am I” are more interesting to me than the question of God. At least I know that the metaphysical human identity exists for sure, whatever it is.

Life is beautiful, and so is love. This is something everyone can agree on and believe in. Life is sometimes simpler than you think. Instead of the pursuit of God, I choose to make my path the pursuit of happiness. This is what I believe.


The author's comments:
The ignorance and bigotry on this website frustrated and then inspired me.

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This article has 97 comments.


KellyR GOLD said...
on Sep. 24 2010 at 8:24 am
KellyR GOLD, Richmond, Virginia
14 articles 0 photos 258 comments

Favorite Quote:
We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

Scarecrow I disagree I actually do believe in God but I do not believe in the God of any religion that exists right now. No religion seems to match the God I believe in, therfore I neither really believe in God or don't believe in God.

on Sep. 16 2010 at 2:08 am
Princeling BRONZE, Kent, Other
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."

Again, obviously not understanding the point of the article. i clearly state that everyone is entitled to believe what they want - this is just MY opinion, and you're free to disagree. This is an article written in the perspective of first-hand experience, not based on how many atheist articles there are on this website.

on Sep. 16 2010 at 2:06 am
Princeling BRONZE, Kent, Other
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."

You're free to have your own opinion just as I am free to have mine. You may believe I'm rotting, and I believe you're being nosy. We can agree to disagree.

on Sep. 3 2010 at 11:38 pm
Princeling BRONZE, Kent, Other
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."

Did you even understand the point of this article? :P

matt7 BRONZE said...
on Aug. 11 2010 at 9:59 pm
matt7 BRONZE, Charleston, Other
2 articles 0 photos 56 comments

Favorite Quote:
"For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel."
-Martin Luther

You can spend your entire life chasing your dream. How long will it take you to realize that a dream is but a dream? ;)

matt7 BRONZE said...
on Aug. 11 2010 at 9:58 pm
matt7 BRONZE, Charleston, Other
2 articles 0 photos 56 comments

Favorite Quote:
"For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel."
-Martin Luther

Well this is hyporcritial. Calling what people believe fairy tales and condeming Christians for believing atheism is wrong. Open your eyes dude, most of these articles on religion is bashing the Christian religion.

on Jul. 20 2010 at 9:33 pm
Scarecrow BRONZE, Vancouver, Washington
3 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A father is a banker provided by nature."






-French Proverb

Among many other things, I disagree with the first paragraph. As you stated, you can neither prove nor disprove God. Therefore, in the absence of either kind of proof, you are left with a choice of two beliefs. You either believe He exists or you believe He doesn't.

 

 


on Jul. 20 2010 at 7:37 pm
conversegirl23 BRONZE, Wasilla, Alaska
1 article 1 photo 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
"So many frogs, so few princes"

Did you ever think that us christians feel the samw way about you?

ssssss BRONZE said...
on Jul. 20 2010 at 3:43 pm
ssssss BRONZE, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
1 article 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
If you love something, let it go, if it comes back to you it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was.

I am really glad you're happy with whoyou are and what you don't believe. But there are a few things that are insulting to us christians, like the fact that we try to convert you. I admit that we often try to convert people. But why do you think we do it? We care. We don't want to go to heaven without knowing at least we helped someone find Paradise.But, sometimes we're also just talking about our lives. I can't go to my atheist friend's house without being yelled at by her mom about how I'm not going to convert her or her daughter. And most good christians do respect atheists' decisions. It's just that the thought of someone rotting away in the worst place in the history of well everything is just so gut renching to us.

on May. 15 2010 at 11:53 am
krazykathleen BRONZE, Edwardsville, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
"7/5 of all people do not understand fractions." -Unknown

Wow! I loved this- it's totally true! I happen to be a Christian, but I totally understand and respect your beliefs. My church is always talking about witnessing and saving people before they go to hell, but sometimes I have a hard time believing that just because you don't believe in God you would go to Hell. I know many people who are athiests (Half my family is) and I can't imagine them going to hell.

I also hate it when Christians are forcing religion on people- Good grief, it's their choice!! Same goes when athiests just preach about how religion is sooo wrong and unbelievable and stuff. That's why I loved your article, it wasn't preaching or anything.

I know a lot about evolution and other theories, as well as creationism. I'm honestly not sure what I believe, though my church scoffs at evolution.

I believe in God, and that's me. You don't, that's you. I totally agree everyone just needs to stop forcing their beliefs on each other!!!!

Sorry for writing something so long. :)


on Apr. 25 2010 at 7:25 pm
Michaelacorrine BRONZE, Camden, Tennessee
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan. Why is that?' In fact, it seems to me that most contemporary insults are pretty lame. Even 'lame' is kind of lame. Saying 'You're lame' is like saying 'You walk with a limp.' Yeah, whatever, so does 50 Cent, and he's done all right for himself." -John Green

I love this! Not only is it well written, it expresses my feelings exactly. I don't need to believe in an omniscient power to be happy or have morals.

on Apr. 2 2010 at 1:21 pm
LeannaRose SILVER, Moreno Valley, California
5 articles 6 photos 43 comments

Favorite Quote:
I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you learn to appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself...and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

ok. im not trying to force u into anything i just simply wanted you to view my side aswell. and thank you, although i do not stand for the things u hav written i believe urs is also well written.

on Apr. 2 2010 at 2:04 am
Princeling BRONZE, Kent, Other
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."

I read your article before I wrote mine, actually. I admire you for your strong and unwavering faith, but it doesn't really change my non-belief. I hope you understood from my article that I am not opposing you or your views in the least. The freedom to choose and believe what you will is your own. 

Having said that, however, my own opinion is that I can find and achieve happiness without God. It will not last forever, but it is through little joys and the constant pursuit of accomplishing my life goals that I can find true happiness. 

And for that matter, it is actually being atheist nowadays that makes you stand out, ha ha, particularly in the western world. Like I have said, being atheist is a small, almost insignificant part of who I am. I find joy through other ways than God. We all have our own ways.


on Apr. 1 2010 at 9:37 pm
AbrahamR BRONZE, Maplewood, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment
My beliefs exactly!

on Apr. 1 2010 at 3:40 pm
LeannaRose SILVER, Moreno Valley, California
5 articles 6 photos 43 comments

Favorite Quote:
I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you learn to appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself...and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

Happiness can only last for a short period of time, only GOd can bring you joy. My views compltely oppose yours. Please take the time to read my article, 'standing out what makes me different' and give me your opinion. thank you.

-Leanna Holguin


on Mar. 26 2010 at 11:50 pm
bunbunthegerman SILVER, Islip Terrace, New York
6 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is the school, Love, is the lesson

exactly how i feel! now if only i could convince my parents

on Mar. 3 2010 at 12:25 pm
TheProphet GOLD, Antelope, California
14 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
Not only is the future unwritten, but it also belongs to us.

*claps enthusiastically*