As an atheist, how do I find salvation, from a psychological perspective? The things Ive done, the way Ive treated my friends, eats me up inside. Everyday is a battle to convince myself that I am somehow redeemable. Surely there is a path to redemption for a non believer
Salvation
Hunter Hernandez
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Ayden Diaz
Read the Golem Lectures by Stanislaw Lem, as well as Blindsight by Peter Watts, and find out how you are most likely the playthings of cosmic beings far vaster than your comprehension.
Nothing is scarier than Hard Science Lovecraft.
Jaxon Brooks
Well thats comforting
Gavin Rogers
Whats the basic argument for the existence of these cosmic beings?
Ian Fisher
If you seek redemption then reflect on every past mistake that haunts you and resolve to learn all you can and become a better person because of it. That is all it takes and all you can do.
Aiden Peterson
You have wheels in your head, user.
Austin Garcia
Ive never understood this Stirner quote. Can you put it in terms a retard would understand for me?
Connor Morris
There is no salvation in this life, only the next.
To die well is to live well, be the best man you can be, do what is right. Concern yourself with your own nature, remember that it is a piece of the Divine, a House of the Holy Spirit.
John Parker
I thought atheists were free from guilt and the search from metaphysical salvation. That was kind of one of the things I envy about atheism.
Matthew Barnes
Atheist ethics stem from an analysis of action and consequence. While there is surely no need for a judgmental deity to provide us with a series of incantations by which we might receive salvation, there is definitely a responsibility to consider the ramifications of your words and deeds on the world around you. Your first responsibility is to your body, and then to others in your direct sphere of influence, and then to those you don't know, but who are living, and then to those who are not yet born. This only makes logical sense.
The conflict we tend to struggle most with is between the first and second categories: self and others (who you daily interact with). The truth is, we are all irrational creatures to some degree, and we cannot control our thoughts and emotions. There is no use in heaping shame upon yourself, because you don't know why you have done the things you have - we often find ourselves acting outside our own wishes.
If someone strikes your patellar tendon, you will jerk your leg. This is a reflex. How far does the reflex phenomenon go, however? If someone says a word or phrase, you might have a reflex as well. This is understandable, and you have to forgive yourself for it. Don't believe it's always out of your control, but don't blame yourself for having a reaction. You're only human.
Salvation comes from the ability to release yourself from unnecessary attachment to the past. This is easier said than done. But if you pay attention to your actions and their effects, and try earnestly to provide the most amount of understanding to how what you do affects others, then you will find that you can live with yourself much more easily. This means communicating with people you know, and asking what they think about things - and, even more difficult, really listening to what they say without falling into another reflexive response.
One process that might be helpful is Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which is based on the idea of separating the moment of interpretation from the event - and separating your reaction from your interpretation. It's about analyzing your thought patterns and breaking routines you might have which contribute to your sense of worthlessness.
It's not comfortable, and you might find that entering into a more honest state with others can actually be intensely challenging. But living without unnecessary guilt (you're never going to live up to all your expectations, after all, so the best you can hope for is avoiding guilt you don't deserve) - and completely without shame (shame is the real killer; nobody deserves shame) - is absolutely worth the ardor.