Honestly, I unburdened myself from a majority of my stress, anxiety, and situational depression when I left religion. No longer was a worried about what might happen to me AFTER I die. I started actually living in reality, and experiencing life, without the fear that I "might" upset my absentee landlord.
I still suffer from depression, but thats biology, not situational.

As a non-believer, we only have one life. That means we have already reached the promised land and the life we have is what we make it. This life is more special as its the only one I get

Yes. Free of fear of reward/punishment. Seeing the world clearly. Seeing nature open and pure. Doing right for right's sake, not some punisher or human god-wannabe. Enjoying the curiosity and ambition bred into us by nature.

It has been my experience, that I feel more secure since I left the Christian Religion. There is an energy in this Universe, that supports life and it is open to everyone, who 'knows' it. It isn't jealous, punishing or even handing out 'treats!' It just is. And, it may even go on forever, as far as we know! Just changing in forms! In that case, we too...will go on forever...I am not worried about what form, my evaporative energy, will take after my body stops functioning! Even if i see energy as living on forever...I am only concerned with using my presence in the 'here and now,' for it's best use!

Can an atheist be happy for the future? yes. As a Science Fiction writer thinking about the future is my job. I feel that we as humans will get our collective heads out our asses and start working for the betterment of mankind and for Earth. In this dream humanity is fairly happy. As for the afterlife, I figure that I'll figure it out when I get there.

I find that we appreciate ‘the now’ far more than the religious.. I’ve marveled at the mundane conditions suffered daily by religious people ..only to find they’re expecting their ‘payoff in heaven’... That’s too much of a gamble for this Atheist

I’ve experienced diffic, make that hard times.. and as torturously hard as they were ..would not have traded that pain for a moment of ignorant religious bliss. We exist on a higher plane and are willing to pay the price, some aren't...

Less......less of all those conflicting thoughts. I am free!

I'm happy for the future! I love life! Just because you don't believe in an afterlife does not mean that passion does not stir your heart or that you lack the ability to get goosebumps when something thrilling happens. No, in my opinion, I believe that non-believers are happier than believers after all, we don't have to constantly be looking over our shoulder wondering when god will punish us.

It's a special kind of gift, being secular. Everybody else has to wait and worry about their heaven.

We get to build ours here.

What a huge relief it is not to have to live forever in shame and sorrow. Just what do those devout believers think they will be doing for all time? Man, if I thought I had to keep slogging through existence for all eternity... Now that would be depressing!

I like the ability to reasonable predict floods, hurricanes, tsunami's because I don't have to ask God about it. I'm happy about that.

Peace, quiet, darkness, vs. singing endless praises.....hmmmmm. I pick peace!

The religious believe that they'll be chosen to go too a perfect place with no suffering and yada yada. They don't need hope for the future to be better in the real world. We however do, we're the ones most keen on a cleaner better future. If it was all left up to the religious we'd all still be substance farmers under God's ordained form of government.

I am a Happy motherfucker, very happy of being part of this realm called Earth and with little worries other than finding a witness to my life without making her miserable because that is not a witness that is a hostage.

I view my future as being on this earth. As for a future afterlife who knows, there's no evidence to suggest one but I don't control what happens after I die.
As for atheists being more open to depression, I would have the opposite was true, but depression itself I wouldn't have thought was normally based around religious (non) beliefs.

I can't answer that question but if left to religion, the future will be stagnant and pointless other than worshiping some invisible and imaginary god.

No, I suffered from depression due to a chemical imbalance in my brain. Stroke took care of that. I don't see what one has to do with the other. I am very hopeful for the future. Because I believe in the goodness of humanity.

I don't see any reason the presence or lack of religion would cause more or less depression. It would be very difficult to measure, especially given that non-believers do not occur randomly in the population, but are more common in better educated groups and probably in more prosperous groups. Find a way to eliminate all other factors and you may be able to study this.

I think atheists tend to be more depressed. Reality doesn't offer the same happy endings that fairy tales do, and that can sometimes be a real challenge to get hold of.
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I think it's the opposite. Non-believers are forced to come to terms with death, believers just continuously avoid the subject.

Can you be happy? ???????? LOL LMAO

NOBODY has a guranteed future...be happy right now!

NOBODY has a guranteed future...be happy right now!

I am happy being an Athiest,but worry about what type of life my descendants will have with climate change,more storms,rising sea levels,more desertification shortage of drinking water and the possible conflicts it would possibly occur.

I would be more depressed being a believer and thinking I might go to a hell a place of permanent torment.