Agnostic.com

16 2

Do you value life more ever since becoming nonreligious?

I live life for the now instead of waiting for a better one in unsubstantiated afterlife.

AustinSkepticus 7 Feb 25
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

16 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

1

This is an excellent question. My answer to this is a massive YES. It has also given me a different attitude to life. Two experiences I had recently (1) my Aunt, a very religious lady in a recent discussion, insisted I shouldn’t tell people how I felt about my enlightenment, ending with her her comment “I know religion is made made” and 🍺 during the Christmas period I met with a dear friend of mine from Iran and also an Engineer . I was finding it difficult to tell him of my new opinion and the research and time I had put into this. This chap is quite religious and told me I shouldn’t be thinking this way and when I suggested to him that he was treating religion as insurance he said “yes”. This said it all for me. I’m glad I’ve changed.

Leon Level 5 Mar 12, 2018
0

Yes I do. There is no Heaven or Hell to begin with.I'm glad to tell everyone that reads this that I'm bi sexual. god and religion held me down for to much of my life. I'm looking forward to all the new friends I'm going to make,

0

No real difference.

0

I initially did until I learned about the multiverse theory (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

0

Life has become more precious to me since I left magic behind. I have become more excepting of people and their differences.

1

I think I take life more responsibly being non-religious. Religious people can continue to "sin" since they will be forgiven. What nonsense! We always need to do our best and forgive ourselves when we don't measure up.

0

I was always of the opinion that when we stop, life stops. James

Leon Level 5 Feb 25, 2018
1

I was born nonreligious so I don't understand your question.

1

Well in abstract terms as others have pointed out, life can only be more valuable if it isn't indefinitely extended into some afterlife.

On the other hand, you can also easily not pay attention to your own mortality. I think the loved ones in my life who have died have been a more concrete and immediate illustration of the transient nature not just of life, but of all things. This has done more than the abstract notion that I am mortal, to motivate me to be more present, to leave nothing unsaid, etc.

1

I've never been a believer but it's hard to imagine someone who thinks they will live forever can value life as much as someone who accepts the reality of death.

1

I think to value life, we must first value our own. I realize there are some people who do not value their own life let alone someone elses. I'm not a psychologist but they must experience a deep running problem. I used to hunt both small and big game long time ago. During one dove season I shot a dove. I picked it up and it wasn't dead yet. That bird looked into my eyes as saying, "why did you kill me? What have I've done to you? I've had a life I've enjoyed just like you do". That was the last time I've ever hunted.
Even if someone's life is not important to you, It is important to that life's owner. Do we have a right to take it? I know this last sentence can lead to another discussion about death penalties. That's another subject of which, I'm for it.

2

Not that much difference to be honest. The only difference is that I don't go to church and the bible from my childhood becomes a dust collector in the back of my shed.

Rammy Level 4 Feb 25, 2018
4

“We all have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”

This is often attributed to Tom Hiddleston, but I'm pretty sure it's much older than him.

2

I don't think I do, however I do value life more since I became a grandmother.

1

No more or less than before I acknowledged my atheism.

1

Absolutely. And conscience. When there's no big guy in the sky to set things right or give second chances, you gotta try harder to get it right the first time.

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:29069
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.