A life wasted on religion?

[Atest]

I live the way I live because I've chosen it, and I've had a better life for it. Perhaps you can stop asking stupid questions about how you think a person's certain way of life is inferior, because you obviously don't understand why we live this way, and it most certainly is NOT wasted

I can assure you that the majority of modern atheists were, at some point, a believer. I, for one, know exactly why so many people subscribe to the pathetic institution that is religion. I know precisely the weakness of the human psyche that causes so many of us to throw our lives away for an invisible, inconsequential, ridiculous means of support. Many atheists do. Perhaps you should sit down and read some of the horror stories many of the irreligious are forced to suffer through because of the "life they've chosen".

You have not chosen anything. If you were born into the religion, you indoctrinated. Brainwashed. If you "decided" to join when you were older, the institution preyed on your insecurities and you succumbed to the temptation that is an invisible, meaningless support.

Every moment you spend. Every calorie you spend praying your heart out. Every lecture you absorb into your brain, taking up space that could be allotted to something far more meaningful... Is wasted. Show me where religion has necessarily been an instrument for creating a useful individual? What? Charity? The clerics? Science? All things that could be and are performed without it.

[Czechanada]

If it's true you only live life once, then I'd rather live life feeling healthy and alive - rather than destroy my body through alcohol, drugs, excessive sex, poor food, lying, cheating, stealing, or any other manner of "free living". That's just how I think; so, no, it's good for people to stick by their beliefs, it creates a burden-free conscience and therefore a happier, healthier person. Even if it is true that no god exists, or there isn't an afterlife, and someone spends their life restricting themselves, it wasn't wasted because after death there's nothing anyway. *shrug* It wouldn't matter what you did in life, it's not like you'd remember it. All that's left is for people to forget about you. Heck, it wouldn't matter if the world exploded because none of us would remember it to be saddened.

As a Christian, I don't feel bad about avoiding alcohol, sex, or even smaller things such as curse words, because it won't make a difference in the world whether I do those things or not, and the only difference it'll make in me is give me a bad liver or a heightened chance for cancer (that's excluding curse words, of course). And personally I'd like to be a healthy old person that isn't a burden on others or my family, so taking care of my body is more than just serving my God, it's making sure I can do my best to take care of the people around me.

I like a number of the answers already given, that people already live their life the way they want. Even I'm living life the way I want by telling myself "no" to certain things I want! Okay, in a nutshell, no, I don't view it as time wasted.

Faith is a drug. You say you prefer to live life soberly, so why do you have faith?

[Vazdania]

If it's true you only live life once, then I'd rather live life feeling healthy and alive - rather than destroy my body through alcohol, drugs, excessive sex, poor food, lying, cheating, stealing, or any other manner of "free living". That's just how I think; so, no, it's good for people to stick by their beliefs, it creates a burden-free conscience and therefore a happier, healthier person. Even if it is true that no god exists, or there isn't an afterlife, and someone spends their life restricting themselves, it wasn't wasted because after death there's nothing anyway. *shrug* It wouldn't matter what you did in life, it's not like you'd remember it. All that's left is for people to forget about you. Heck, it wouldn't matter if the world exploded because none of us would remember it to be saddened.

As a Christian, I don't feel bad about avoiding alcohol, sex, or even smaller things such as curse words, because it won't make a difference in the world whether I do those things or not, and the only difference it'll make in me is give me a bad liver or a heightened chance for cancer (that's excluding curse words, of course). And personally I'd like to be a healthy old person that isn't a burden on others or my family, so taking care of my body is more than just serving my God, it's making sure I can do my best to take care of the people around me.

I like a number of the answers already given, that people already live their life the way they want. Even I'm living life the way I want by telling myself "no" to certain things I want! Okay, in a nutshell, no, I don't view it as time wasted.

Faith is a drug. You say you prefer to live life soberly, so why do you have faith?

Atheism is a drug. I prefer to live soberly.

[Vazdania]

To assert objective morality is to assert that something can have value (an action) without an evaluator. This is self-defeating. It is axiomatic and can be disproven just by pointing that out.
Even if god exists, and created the universe, and all that other stuff, there would still not be objective morality.
There would only be gods subjective opinion on morality.

I agree. That 'Subjective Opinion' however becomes a perfect truth (for those who believe) when its the opinion of G-d.

[Tlaceceyaya]

Faith is a drug. You say you prefer to live life soberly, so why do you have faith?

Atheism is a drug. I prefer to live soberly.

Atheism is a lack of belief in a deity/deities.
How is that in any way comparable to a drug? It does not involve blind faith to feel good, like theism.

[The Sector Union]

Believing in a god doesn't really affect your life. It's the activities such as worshiping that does. I used to be a christian, but I am now simply theist, and believe me, freedom is better.

I make my own morals. But I still believe in a god.

[Orcoa]

If it's true you only live life once, then I'd rather live life feeling healthy and alive - rather than destroy my body through alcohol, drugs, excessive sex, poor food, lying, cheating, stealing, or any other manner of "free living". That's just how I think; so, no, it's good for people to stick by their beliefs, it creates a burden-free conscience and therefore a happier, healthier person. Even if it is true that no god exists, or there isn't an afterlife, and someone spends their life restricting themselves, it wasn't wasted because after death there's nothing anyway. *shrug* It wouldn't matter what you did in life, it's not like you'd remember it. All that's left is for people to forget about you. Heck, it wouldn't matter if the world exploded because none of us would remember it to be saddened.

As a Christian, I don't feel bad about avoiding alcohol, sex, or even smaller things such as curse words, because it won't make a difference in the world whether I do those things or not, and the only difference it'll make in me is give me a bad liver or a heightened chance for cancer (that's excluding curse words, of course). And personally I'd like to be a healthy old person that isn't a burden on others or my family, so taking care of my body is more than just serving my God, it's making sure I can do my best to take care of the people around me.

I like a number of the answers already given, that people already live their life the way they want. Even I'm living life the way I want by telling myself "no" to certain things I want! Okay, in a nutshell, no, I don't view it as time wasted.

Faith is a drug. You say you prefer to live life soberly, so why do you have faith?

Are we going to do this thread-circle jerk about Faith being a drug again? God that was one of the silliest threads created on NSG....and I have been here since 2008!

Anyway, If you wish to spend your time doing faith based things and going to church, then do so since it's you're choice and I don't have the right to tell you other wise.

You can go to church all the time and I can play video games while going to church when I can.

See? Not so hard to fucking figure out...

[Ibwa]

i agree, so much time is wasted "praying" and celebrating if you look at it it is as bad as a time vampire as gaming (gaming is better)

ex. every night my parents insist on saying the prayer, if they didn't have to spend 5 minutes thanking a person that doesn't exist for things that they got fore themselves and asking him to watch over family,i could have my diner halve eaten. IM HUNGRY GODDAMMIT!!! LETS EAT THIS DAMN FOOD BEFORE IT GETS COLD!! Also it separates family's as well, i told my parents once that i didn't believe in god you know what they told me? they said, and i quote, "GET THE F*CK OUT OF MY HOUSE!" i didn't leave i looked them in the face and said if you cant accept me for who i am you are not my parents. that shut them up real quick.