The advantage of being religious is, I imagine, the ability to associate routine hoping with an external referent that has the considerable resources of omnipotence. Being a virulently atheistic tinhorn existentialist can be a complete fucking drag when one is confronted with contingency. In English: it would be really nice if my hope that everything will work out in the next month / four months / year / five years could be translated into faith that it'll work out.
The only advantages with disbelief are that, first, you're not surprised when things go horribly awry and, second, that you can revel in smug satisfaction knowing that you're probably right that there is no god.
As usual, Devo has a song about it (Praying Hands):
You got your left hand
You got your right hand
The left hand's diddling
While the right hand goes to work
You got both hands
You got praying hands
They pray for no man
OK, relax
Assume the position
Go into doggie submission
5.07.2007
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(A few) Additional advantages of disbelief:
-Its cheaper (no donations!)
-No nosey and judgmental (and creepy) brethren
-Bacon
-Guilt-free sex, drugs and rock n roll!
but isn't it damned depressing sometimes?
Yep! That was my point. It was Sartre's point, too, in Existentialism is a Humanism; the existentialist finds it entirely depressing that (as far as he or she can tell) god doesn't exist, because without a supernatural referent, everything we do has to be justified by our own choices and the values we embody in those choices. And it's a pain in the ass.
hmm. I guess I've never been much of a fan of human based systems of philosophy, because I consider humans to be inherently flawed, deeply disturbing creatures. I wouldn't be too keen on following a philosophy based on such a shaky foundation. However, most religion seems to be to be merely a reflection of ourselves, but called something else. So I don't know where I fit. :) but nothingness beyond us is the most depressing idea I can think of.
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