Triggering (Suicide): Atheism

[Nadroj]

I've known I didn't believe in God for a while. I just recently started realizing the implications of it though. If there's no God, there's no meaning or point of life. People create meanings for themselves but they make them up because they wish life meant something. A lot of people believe in God because belief makes life mean something..
But I don't believe in anything and I wouldn't want to because I don't want to do what I feel like would be deluding myself.
I just want to die. I'm done. There's no point and my life sucks. I just want it to be over. I have no purpose. There's no reason for me to be going through this pain anymore.

[Revolution]

Hey Jordan,

I think I'm a very appropriate person to answer this thread. I'm an atheist, I have been my entire life, and I know exactly how you feel. Everybody has that moment where they realize that really there is nothing, all the goals, all the friends, all of those things in our life are really meaningless. The only thing that gives them meaning is us, so we start to wonder what's the point.

The point is that there is no God, there is nothing that is controlling us, there is nothing that is holding us down. We've been given a clean slate, and in this life, you can do anything you want. You can create whatever purpose you want. You have no fate, nothing is already laid. You are not "already" a failure, you haven't "already" sinned, you do what you want for the morals you want, and you choose the life that makes you happy. As an atheist, I believe life itself is a miracle, not because some God created it, but because of science, somehow, the particles of the universe came together just right, and we are here. We are one of very few planets with life, and one of very few species that could ever have intelligence. Sadly, because of our intelligence, we can think this through, and wonder what's the point. But what isn't the point? Why can't we just make the point ourselves?

If one wants to believe in a God, and that's what their point wants to be, then boom, they can feel better about themselves and live a happy life. Why don't you just make your own point? Paint, run, teach, do what you love. No, there will not be an afterlife where you will be in eternal happiness or eternal hell. Earth is all we got. So take it for what it's worth! If you are depressed, seek help, because this is the only life you have. Don't live your life in despair, live your life in happiness! You do not need a God that you don't believe in to do this.

Welcome to the site, and please let me know if you need anything, need any advice, or overall, want to talk about the meaning of life. Just because we are atheists does not mean that we are lost souls who just haven't found God yet. Create your own meaning, and I hope you have a great day.

-Traci

[viemexis]

Just to be clear, I'm a Christian. That's where I'm coming from, but I'm not here to hit anyone over the head with a bible.

Jordan, what you're saying is essentially what the atheist philosopher Nietzsche was getting at, what many label nihilism. He criticized his fellow atheists for being so cheerful, and said that in erasing God "we have unchained the earth from the sun", meaning we've ruined life by realizing there is no God and thus no standards for morality, beauty, truth, or purpose.

What Traci is getting at, the idea that we can create meaning for ourselves out of nothing, is called atheistic existentialism, and it's one way to escape nihilism. Even if without God there's no standard for objective truth, beauty, and purpose, we still feel those things intuitively. You could say there's no such thing as beauty, yet when you listen to a beautiful piece of music, you can't help but be moved. Life does contain these good things, even if we don't understand why.

Between the two, I agree with Nietzsche's take on atheism and in a way admire him for his honesty -- that there doesn't seem to be any basis for morality, etc. without a god of some kind.

Fortunately, I believe there is a God, and life has purpose because of him. I don't believe that just because it sounds nice, either, even though some theists do. I think our intuitions that there are things like truth and beauty in the world, or purposes to be had, ultimately points to an intelligent creator. And I think the arguments for theism, on a purely intellectual front, are better and make more sense than arguments for atheism.

I don't expect to immediately convince you of that, but it's at least something to think about. There's a possibility that you're mistaken and life has a solid purpose after all. Investigating that mere possibility is reason enough to keep on living.

But even aside from all that, your current feelings of depression and thoughts of suicide will likely pass. Persist, and you will find more of a purpose. You will come to a point where life seems meaningful again, even if you have your ups and downs. Keep searching as honestly as you can, and you will find the purpose and meaning you long for.