why have i been so much happier all these years now that i do not believe in the existence of god?

The same thing happened to me. It's sad that so many Christians waste their lives (the only lives they have) believing that there's an invisible man in the sky that needs worship or he'll send you to a very very very bad place..................but he loves you!

You've just found your place.
It's what you have decided to do, and you are happy doing it, so keep on doing it.

It's o.k. to decieve yourself. There will be a time when your house of cards falls.

Well you are leading a good life and you are happy. That is what matters.

As far as I know you will still get in to Heaven.

Happiness is a choice. Sounds like you are living life the way you are supposed to.

You've realized what religions don't want you to know: that people are better and happier without religion than they are with it. It really is better to give up the superstitions and simply lead a good life.

cus youre probably doing the right thing

you know, religious ppl dont understand, life itself is meaningful, just to take a peek of the beautiful planet earth is meaningful, live your life to the fullest for its own sake, not for getting a reward. now you can feel good to do good because good is right, not because god said so

plus christianity, just like many other organized religions, preach division and hatred toward ppl who hv different belief

Simply because you dont follow them brainwashed people they think you are lost, while they are the ones lost believeing in fear of hell. For them it is just this quote: If god really doesnt exist they lose nothing but if he does you, as a non believer, have so much to lose. They miss the whole point and they think it is like an investment. Pitty for them, great for you.

My sentiments exactly!
And who are these who judge our lives and say we are lost?

I feel the same way.

no god = no rules, therefore you don't feel guilty of sin.

Delusion comes in many forms. That is why you are happy. You seem to want us to agree so you can convince yourself. Not going to happen.

If you felt that you HAD to live strictly by the bible and always felt pressured, during your time as a Christian of course you're going to be happier now that you threw that all out the window. I'm a believer and just as content with my life as you seem to be with yours…but I don’t feel like I HAVE to do certain things or be an EXACT certain way because of my beliefs. I don’t let them RUN my life. I guess it just depends on your personal views of ‘’Christian’’ and ‘’believer’’ Its nice to know that your happy though, it’s good that you found ‘’your place’’ :)

Your existence without the believe in a God is commendable! Others lead equally commendable lives and believe in a God. Both, to me are equally acceptable.

I know exactly what you mean. I have never been happier in my life. Nobody laying guilt trips and judgement on me, no "skydaddy" watching me all the time and approving or disapproving, no tiresome people spouting the same old worn cliches about god's will and mysterious ways. It is liberating and empowering to hold your life in your own hands and answer to nobody but yourself and your fellow human beings.

Ahhh...freedom. If I am wrong, I will gladly burn in Hell for it.

Thats nice, if i was so happy i wouldn't have to ask for approval.

after escaping the manipulation of christianity like

Shawshank Redemption

I am a happier person indeed

living for today beats trivializing this life and living for a future one we dont' yet have or can prove

Happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy

"No brain, no pain!"

that's to bad...

Because now you don't fear reprimand! Congratulations.

your an idiot, I say it plain. May the Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on your soul.

Perhaps you answered the question when you defined the God you don't believe in?

Its all a dog and pony show UNTIL you reach a point of applying the ideals and stop worrying yourself into a hole with the stern threats and finger-pointing. That sort of Falwellian blithering just gives poor ol' Jesus a black eye. The real failing of big "R" Religion is that people try to swallow it whole, allowing "THE WORD* to push the WORDS aside, along with those vital twins, Logic and Heart.
At the Oklahoma City bombing site, a man told a rabbi he was angry at God for letting it happen. The rabbi simply said "That's okay, He's big enough to take it." Its good advice. Honest doubt is a PART of faith, or else you become a Jesus Zombie and miss the point.
Real enlightenment means you have integrated your beliefs and principles in a manner that allows you to come out the other side MINUS the restrictive absolutism that was paining you. THEN you have the proper footing to function in a Christian manner, regardless of belief. That's when the "points" start adding up.
I'm not a Bible student per se, but my favorite chapter of the whole shebang is Timothy I. Its like a common-sense guidebook for NOT screwing up by using really bad judgement. There's no drama, just sensible pointers about HOW to live that are hard to refute.
Believing in God is a total crapshoot, because you will never be sure this side of the big dirt nap, if then, heh heh.;) Worrying about some "eternal" reward OR punishment is laughable when we live about 70 years at best. Instead, simply try to emit what you'd like to have reflected back to you in real-time, here and now, where that stuff is decided. NOT hitting on your neighbor's wife or being known as someone who keeps their word isn't asking much, but it yields good results.
If you once "believed," don't feel so dramatic about it. Just let that positive nugget percolate in the background and behave like the kind of person God would be willing to have over for pizza. A lot of it really is that simple, if you allow it to be. You don't have to reject the idea of God; simply think in terms of respecting it minus the hysteria and you'll be closer to the point.
If that isn't quite enough, take killer journalist but avowed atheist H. L. Mencken's view. He was asked what he would say if he woke up in Heaven. He said he would go over, shake God's hand and say "Sir, I made an honest mistake." Dontcha think any "God" worth respecting would appreciate that if it was sincere?
Remember, all you need is that that proverbial grain of mustard seed. As long as you're really trying, you get some grace for it. After all, He's big enough to take it.;)

Because you finally escaped from a cult!

Congratulations for freeing yourself of the bonds of religious slavery. You are happy because you are now your own person and not behooven to any sect or creed. Lifted from your shoulders is the burden of intolerance and blame.
Go and live your life without God (for he does not exist) and be at peace with yourself.
And if you fee the need to slip back into the fold well you can do that as well - but only as long as you can tolerate the nauseating hypocrisy of it all.

Congrats! Isn't it a wonderful feeling! I struggled for many years with my feelings about religion. Was even severely depressed. Since I came to terms with my atheist feelings I am no longer depressed. Hey! Atheism can be a cure for depression!!! HA! Just joking. But it is a really good feeling. :)

It sounds as though you are still applying the moral principles that you learned in your former Christian environment. After all, Jesus narrowed the law down to one: love god and neighbor as yourself.

I do not know you or your life's history so i can only speculate.

It could be that you had misguided ideas aout God. Wrong ideas about God and the Bible can be so oppressive that people who have them would be happier as unbelievers. Most of the Atheists that i know had overly strict religious upbringings, and their rejection of God is a reaction against this.

In Jesus' own day he criticised the religious establishment for making religion oppressive and giving people the wrong idea about God and making religion a great burden for them. True religion brings a sense of freedom and liberty and happiness.
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light", says Jesus (Matthew 11:29-30).

Another possibility is that there is a particular type of behaviour that appeals to you but is condemned as a sin in the Bible, but not in non-religious secular society, and so you feel more comfortable rejecting God and the Bible so that you no longer have something telling you that what you are doing is morally wrong.

You tell yourself that you are not doing anything immoral since God's law has no jurisdiction over you since you do not believe God exists. It is like the Americans kidnapping people and imprisoning them in Guantanamo Bay so that they do not have to apply US law to them, and calling them "Enemy Combatants" so that they do not have to apply the Geneva Conventions to them.

Your question reminded me of the story of the rich young ruler who thought he had it all, and was basically a good guy until Jesus asked him to sell everything that he had and give it to the poor and follow him, whereupon it became obvious that there was something in his life that he was so attached to that he could not let go of it, an idol or an addiction if you like. Because of that, he rejected Jesus's invitation to become a follower of his (Luke 18). He felt he would be happier living life his own way.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018:18-30;&version=31;

See also the parable of the sower
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2013:3-9;&version=47;
And its interpretation
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2013:18-23;&version=47;

As i said, this is just speculation on my part, only you and God know the answer to your question.

You and I - and a few others above this - are 'on the same page'. How totally free I feel. How much happier I feel. How civilised I behave ... compared to the nutty muslims, for example! How sensibly I approach life and my fellow human beings, with respect, with consideration, with generosity, with kindness ... I don't need a fictitious god to be able to live a decent life.
Atheism is the only logical choice. Accept reality!!!

It is simpler to practice all that you said without becoming involved with religion.
Most of my friends don't believe in religion this doesn't stop them behaving like you do.
So there is nothing on the downside if you don't believe.

It's obvious during your "christian" years that you never had the opportunity to find the real truth and experience living in the Spirit of God. For that I am sorry because someone along the way has failed you. If you still have your Bible read the second chapter of Acts and consider what life might be like after that experience.
I think you would feel differently and do very well indeed if you had something more substantial to hang on to than just "accept and believe". That is not taught in the scriptures. There's a reason almost every one of the Disciples was executed and it wasn't because they confessed in their heart that Jesus was their savior. It was because they had received an incredible power from God in the Holy Spirit and they were turning the world upside down with their preaching and demonstration of the Spirit. The thing is, it's still just that real. There has been no change in the Holy Ghost. If you receive that you will not hate your life and you won't have to pretend.

maybe because you thought you had to be perfect for God and now you can be yourself. but you know God still loves you. He knows we're not perfect

i believe that you are happier because you are not contributing to the wars by believing in this spirirt so called. jesus has no proof that he is real, especially how people say the bible is the proof but who said that some wacko just didn't make him up to brainwash people hundreds of years ago.

And who cares?

It allows you to be selfish, and worship yourself instead of God. Of course you *think* you're happy with that sort of life.

ALL I CAN TELL U IZ THAT U NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH GOD BCUZ THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT

I agree with what Beng T has just said, may I add that seen as jesus has not come to earth yet to take his place, so the devil is still here controlling alot of earth, he is not visible so to speak, but his job is distorting the truth and in this day and age, society makes it easier to be a non believer than a believer,
You seem unsure of yourself though, is it because you know you are commiting the unpardonable sin?

because you are doing things for youself
and the struggle for eternal life is not important
so what you do you do for yourself

Its so funny, because I am going exactly the opposite of you! Until recently I have been of no religion, and did whatever i wanted with no consequence, i was a good person, but i had no morals to guide me! Long story short I ended up having 2 kids at 19, no money, and no home, no husband. I'm now 22 and am finally getting on track. Religion, I believe if nothing else gives you guidelines for a good life.. dont drink, dont kill, dont lie..etc. A geniunely good person wouldnt do those things would he? Thats probably why your life is so good now! You live it with a foundation of morals that you took with you, even after your break-up with god. Trust me, when you do everything you want and dont care if its right or wrong you end up in a bad spot. Always. If I had not drank, i wouldnt have liked bad boys, if i didnt like bad boys, i wouldnt have had premarital sex, if i hadnt had premarital sex my kids would have a father who was around, and i would have a husband to help with the bills the kids!! If I had religion in my life then, maybe my life might be so hard now! Good Luck!

You know, I don't believe in god truly, but I use him as a comfort.

Religion to me is a comfort, it allows you to get over grief of a death of a family member believing they will be in a better place, it helps you cope with hardships and gives you hope for the future.

Go through life as a good person and even if God does exist, he should respect your human beliefs and reward you with eternal paradise. Just because you don't believe in him, doesn't mean god doesn't love you, what kind of god would smite you to hell for not believing in him? Thats very tyrannical!

God wouldn't want you to dedicate your life to him, who would? God just wants us all to live in peace and enjoy life until we die and are granted eternal paradise. If you are good in life, you should be rewarded with such. Even those who sin will be rewarded I believe because humans make mistakes, he wouldn't have created us just to damn us to hell!

Good luck in life!

It's a FALSE sense of peace. Satan wins your soul if you listen to him. And he can be pretty convincing.

it sounds like when you were a christian, your view of the bible and christianity were distorted. this may be the reason that you are happier now. nobody else has a right to say that you are lost. i am a christian, but i dont agree with many of the modern themes that have been attached to the churches.

your at peace because your under the illusion that your life has gotten better. but if you truely did stop believing, then why do you still feel the need to be good to others, and live in virtue? see where i'm going with this? if you truely didn't care anymore, then you wouldn't care about the other people in life or that you were a descent person. and we do not go around pretending that we are happy all the time and that life is perfect. it's not by a long shot! what makes being a christian worth it is knowing that no matter what happens in our life we have someone who will always love and forgive us even if the entire world hated us!! and we know that we have an eternal life of pure love and joy waiting for us when we die!! see being a christian isn't about living a lie and being continually punished, its about new life and living for more than ourselves.

Ignorance is bliss.

I no longer believe in God, it is a comfort to me because I feel that my actions are not judged, and I find that should I simply be the best person I can I am happier believing that whatever God should there be one would accept me for the good I have done, not the faith I have served. I hope this helps, and know that a watchful eye is only needed for those who have no faith in the purity of their own souls.

God has blessed you. We are not under law but grace. you have it figured out. It's not about being a great Christian. It's aabout what's in your heart. Jesus has released us from keeping rituals and laws. It's about the law in our heart.

Added: I think you are a good example of what a Christian should be.

Nothing to do with religion, choose a different one, like Buddhism.

What do you mean "pretend"? You just have to have faith. A personal experience strengthens faith. Overall, a strong Christian is better at handling worldly things because they have learned to set apart from it, to look at it from the outside. But you can't have a personal experience until you're saved.

Nobody said it is easier to follow Christ. Its much harder.
You can live your life in ease, of course - do whatever you want and feel yourself at total peace. You have accepted no real responsiblility to your own eternal life or that of others. You can just go day to day with a "whatever, dude" attitude.
Its a good thing really; I mean, this life is all you will ever have; certainly its a better idea to just do whatever the heck you want.
If I were you, I'd live it up - party til I drop dead, literally.
I would know theres nothing else, so certainly every single day had better count - big time.
I'm a Christian, and I don't pretend everything is perfect - as long as you are in the flesh, things are gonna go wrong. Jesus doesn't promise that you won't have any difficulties; what he promises is peace no matter what difficulties you do have.
Everybody has to sail their own ship. If this is truly the way you want it, so be it. Everybody makes their own decision - thats what God wants. Sounds like you've made yours, so --
party on...........

Enjoy it while it lasts; that's as good as it will ever get for you Pal;;

" He that believeth and is baptized SHALL BE SAVED; he that believes not SHALL BE DAMNED ". - Jesus

Because now nothing you do seems to have consequences. you think that if you dont believe someone or something is watching you, there is no way your soul can be in trouble. And dont tell me that christinans PRETEND to have an amazing life because of Jesus, who by the way, died for you and even though you dont love him anymore he loves you.

Jonestown and Waco are good examples of believers like you. Glad you are at peace.

Because you are now free to do whatever nonsense you like to your own peril. No guidlines, just you as the beginning and end all. Your your own god and can save yourself from anything, because you've created it. Wow, if thats freedom, go the other way!

agree man, the existance is really doubtful.....
but somtimes, i think, what if when there is a point in your life when all hope for something is gone......

To each his own, but your life is not over yet! Go, enjoy and see ya' later!

when you were Christian how did you really follow the Bible's commands, if this were really true you would know that it is not silly at all you would have been happy, as you say you are now it might be that you are happy now because you feel like you have no more responsibility to the Bible and maybe even to God but are your feelings real or are they your false sense of security?is it that you pretended to have amazing, enthusiastic life because of Jesus touch as you said about other Christians
COULD it be that you are missing out on something important in life? If you know little about God, then most certainly you are. Why? Because, as millions of people have discovered, getting to know the God of the Bible brings major benefits in life. These benefits start immediately and last into the future.
Jehovah God, the Author of the Bible, wants us to get to know him. The psalmist wrote: "That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth." He recognizes that it is in our own best interests for us to know him. "I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself." How do we benefit from knowing Jehovah God, the Most High?-Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 48:17.
One real benefit is that we get guidance in the face of everyday problems, a firm hope for the future, and peace of mind. Furthermore, being well-acquainted with Jehovah moves us to develop a different attitude on the most vital issues that face people all over the world today. What are those issues?
Does Your Life Have Purpose?
Despite mankind's astounding technological progress, individuals today still ask the same fundamental questions: 'Why am I here? Where am I going? What is life all about?' If a person does not get satisfactory answers, his life will lack true purpose. Do many people sense this shortfall? A study carried out in Germany in the late 1990's revealed that half the respondents often or sometimes felt that life seems to have no purpose. Perhaps a similar situation exists where you live.
Individuals still ask the same fundamental questions: 'Why am I here? Where am I going? What is life all about?'


Without a purpose in life, an individual has little bedrock upon which to build personal goals. Many try to compensate for this deficiency by pursuing a successful career or by accumulating wealth. Still, the emptiness can be haunting. Having no purpose in life even disturbs some to the point that they no longer wish to live. Such was the experience of a beautiful young woman who, according to the International Herald Tribune, was raised "amid stunning wealth and unlimited privilege." Although she lived in luxury, she was lonely and felt that her life was aimless. She took sleeping pills and was found dead. You may know of other lonely ones whose lives ended tragically.
Have you, though, heard people claim that science can tell us all about life? German weekly Die Woche points out: "As true as science is, it is spiritually weak. Evolution seems crude, and even quantum physics, with all its unpredictable fluctuations, offers anything but comfort and security." Scientific discoveries have done much to describe life in its various forms and to explain natural cycles and processes that maintain life. Yet, science cannot tell us why we are here and where we are going. If we depend solely on science, our questions about the purpose of life go unanswered. The result is, as the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported, "a widespread need for guidance."
Who is in a better position to give such guidance than the Creator? Since he put humans on the earth in the first place, he must know why they are here. The Bible explains that Jehovah created humans so that they could populate the earth and care for it, being its stewards. In all their activities, humans were to reflect his qualities, such as justice, wisdom, and love. Once we understand the reason why Jehovah created us, we know why we are here.-Genesis 1:26-28.

Ignorance is bliss??

PS - Don't generalize the Christians.

will there is a god and he's the only god (allah)

http://www.islamcall.com/allah.htm

I would ask you what you tried? For it definitely was a faith based relationship with Christ that gave you abundant life in Him. By your statement you tried to do it by being legalistic - self righteous - strutting your stuff - trying to live a chirsitan lifestyle without Christ's spritual empowerment, you only tasted the good things and spewed them out - so Christ when He comes will also spew you out his mouth for rejecting Him, He that rejects the son rejects life. I am pitty you when that day comes - when you stand in front of Him and realize the folly of your ways - but even now you can still repent of your sins, turn to him, follow him be filled with the Spirit so that you may live the life you so missed out the first time - do so before it is too late!

Christ came to heal the sick--if you're not sick, don't worry about it! Just be sure you can stand comfortably before the Judgement Bar on the Great and Last Day.