A Happy, Frustrated Atheist

funny-pictures-cat-pays-attention-to-shiny-thingHey everyone! First, let's catch up.

  • Comments: Thanks for the great comments recently! I promise to reply to each of them but I am falling behind. I realized some of them really require a post devoted to them instead of just a reply. So please don't think I'm ignoring you. I will comment soon.

  • Computers: It's true. Ask my poor long-suffering husband Butch, I am missing the Patience gene. My computer has been doing strange things since I reinstalled windows (which I do every 6 months to a year to keep things fresh and in working order, as every past geek friend of mine has recommended) and I found out through Lifehacker that Windows 7 beta is freely available for download. Well, of course I had to do it. I have waited as long as possible, but the ADD, Shiny-Loving Geek in me had to have it. I'm such a sucker for the shiny when it comes to geek stuff. (Luckily for Butch, I couldn't care less about diamonds and that kind of nonsense. Unfortunately though, I need gadgets and computers and stuff like that.) It's my kryptonite, I guess. So I just had to have windows 7, and now, of course, I'm having problems with the virtual memory. Sigh. So bear with me, it's taking me quite some time to try to figure out the issue and see if I can find a fix. On a completely unrelated note, I'm interviewing geeks to be my new BFF. Please apply within. :P


Ok, now, I want to talk to you briefly about happiness. Are you an atheist? Are you happy? This lingering idea keeps wandering around that all atheists are curmudgeonly, grumpy, miserable, fatalistic and depressed.

I've been an atheist for 9 years, and for many years before that I was basically an agnostic. I have to say, I think discarding religion was a huge relief. I think I felt better. Once I finally learned to think critically, I think I started really seeing rationally and really appreciating the natural wonders of the universe. If anything, this process has left me more happy, more fascinated by the world of science and discovery. I think I'm happier and calmer, yet always eager to learn and grow.

But I think I probably come across under certain circumstances as a furious cynic. Why would that be? Which is the real me? The happy atheist is who I think I'd identify with best. But my bullshit meter has become increasingly sensitive. So when someone says something that screams of ignorance and a total lack of thinking for oneself, I just tend to get irritated, frustrated and grumpy.

It seems that wherever I go I'm surrounded by sheeple people who let others think for them. They spew forth the rubbish and lies that had been told to them by people in some strange version of authority (whether that be their minister, the pope, the government, or a slick marketing campaign) and that's good enough for them. They wallow in their ignorance like it was some sort of universal remedy. Thinking is endangered and that pisses me off, and worries me.

Anyway, other than that, I'm quite a content person overall. Are you an atheist? Or a believer? Are you happy and content? Or are you angry and bitter and curmudgeonly? If you're happy, do you still get really angry over certain things? I look forward to your comments! Oh,and have a great evening! :D

12 comments:

  1. I am a happy atheist but I get angry at my computers. Like my Windows XP desktop which will not boot into the OS. GRRR.

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  2. I'm not exactly an atheistic - more of an agnostic with pantheistic/animistic tendencies - but I'm a *very* happy non-Christian. The fundamental assumptions of Christianity simply don't make sense to me; so my lack-of-Christianity has nothing to do with bitterness, anger, or rebellion. And, generally, I'm pretty happy fellow. I have a good life, and I'm content - by which I mean spiritually satisfied, not spiritually lazy.

    I realize that there are people who think that such a thing is simply not possible, but who am I supposed to believe? Them? Or my own lyin' eyes?

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  3. Being an atheist has made me a happier person. I adore the wonder of nature, the chaos of life, the randomness of quantum physics, the vastness of the universe, the possibilty of 'god particles', the possibility of extraterrestrial life, seeing true altruism in strangers, learning about different cultures, art, music and love.
    I love being free to enjoy, appreciate and have these experiences without having to worry about offending any non-existent creatures.

    Sheeple (I love that term!) only demean themselves by having to attribute their ignorance to 'god'.

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  4. I too felt relieved and even happy once I admitted to myself that I was an agnostic atheist. To think that we're always depressed, or angry... I think we have much less to be depressed or angry about than our theistic counterparts, at least in one area of our lives!

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  5. I feel your pain, James. I feel your pain. :P I can't get my damned computer to create a paging file. It's driving me nuts. Then again that's what I get for using beta software, by microsuck, no less. :P

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  6. Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your experience! :)

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  7. Hi Random Fish. That's excellent! Good stuff and I agree with you! :D

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  8. Hi Stacy, I agree!
    The only thing is, I think when you don't believe in fairy tales it spreads to more than one area of your life. :)
    For me, at least, being free of superstition and fear of an invisible sky daddy, and the ability to embrace critical thinking was liberating in almost every aspect of my life.

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  9. I'm happy.

    I happen to be an atheist, but that's just my philosophy talking. But being an atheist doesn't make me happy. How can it?

    It's all the other stuff that does; I like myself, I love my family, I have great friends, I get to visit Disneyland at least once a month, I have a great job in an uncertain economy, I've listened to all six thousand songs on my iPod at least once, I know a bunch of sites like this one where I can vent my spleen from time to time, Star Trek just came out, Terminator 4 is coming out in two weeks, UP is coping out at the end of the month, etc. Etc.

    I'm a happy guy. How can you not be when you make every day count?

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  10. Well said, Steve. I agree entirely! Only one question... what's UP? (please forgive me, I live under a rock)
    Making every day count. Exactly. :) You really did say it perfectly. :)

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  11. UP is the new Pixar film! I've been pretty disappointed by their recent offerings (The Incredibles is the last one I really, really loved) but this new movie looks like a lot of fun.

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  12. Oh, cool! I think I've heard some vague mention of it, but we have a DVR so we don't see commercials. :P

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