money won't buy you happiness but it will buy you a huge yacht that you can use to pull up next to happiness.:biggrin:
Ditto
money won't buy you happiness but it will buy you a huge yacht that you can use to pull up next to happiness.:biggrin:
Money won't buy you happiness, but it will take care of a lot of things that can make you sad.
I like this response. Did you copyright it? If not, can I use it in the future?:wink:
Another great one,
Money won't buy you happiness but it can pay off a lot of misery.
Knowing this, and living your life in this way, will bring you ALL of the happiness that you are missing. Why? In the simplest of terms, the stresses that fill your life will begin to vanish as you start to realize that it isn't really "you" in the driver's seat. "you" do not have to overcome the daily challenges of life, fight the things that frustrate you, or take personally the times that you fail. It's God (and His Holy Spirits) in the cockpit, and everything He does is part of His Plan.
I cringe at hearing someone describe a kindly act toward a stranger as the "christian thing to do", thereby implicitly suggesting that someone of the hebrew faith would somehow be incapable of a similar act of kindness.
Well somebody needs to play the devil's advocate (pun intended.......)
Although I can respect your views, I find being a "devout atheist" more liberating and thereby more amenable to assisting in a search for "happiness", whatever that may be. I realize that I am responsible for all my actions and understand I am accountable to everyone now thereby creating a sense of ethics and morality based upon personal responsibility rather than a fear of "eternal damnation". Often times "faith" and blind allegiance to dogma results in persons acting, or refraining from acting, out of "fear" rather than sincerity in "living a good and moral life".
I can find inner peace and happiness not being tied to a belief system that questions the beliefs of others who may disagree with their own. I realize that I must act to resolve any problems rather than pray and hope they dissipate through "divine intervention" thereby achieving a sense of personal gratification, aka "happiness", knowing that I struggled and overcame. I don't sit back for several years watching a parent lose dignity through a major illness and say "it must be god's will" and instead become proactive to try to restore a quality of life rather than rely upon "faith" that there is a reason someone has to suffer.
I see no rational basis for conflicts among countries whose main differences are encapsulated in religious beliefs. I will never understand why so many wars have been waged in the "name of god".
I cringe at hearing someone describe a kindly act toward a stranger as the "christian thing to do", thereby implicitly suggesting that someone of the hebrew faith would somehow be incapable of a similar act of kindness. Why cannot acts of kindness simply be the "right" or "decent" thing to do without thoughts of being rewarded with everlasting happiness in an "afterlife"?
I am not looking to get into a heated religious argument or start any flaming on such an acknowledged sensitive and highly personal issue. However, I did want to chime in with an "opposing" point of view that I find it easier to achieve relative levels of "happiness" in all aspects of life by not being "burdened" with a dogmatic ball and chain weighing me down.
Well somebody needs to play the devil's advocate (pun intended.......)
Well somebody needs to play the devil's advocate (pun intended.......)
Although I can respect your views, I find being a "devout atheist" more liberating and thereby more amenable to assisting in a search for "happiness", whatever that may be. I realize that I am responsible for all my actions and understand I am accountable to everyone now thereby creating a sense of ethics and morality based upon personal responsibility rather than a fear of "eternal damnation". Often times "faith" and blind allegiance to dogma results in persons acting, or refraining from acting, out of "fear" rather than sincerity in "living a good and moral life".
I can find inner peace and happiness not being tied to a belief system that questions the beliefs of others who may disagree with their own. I realize that I must act to resolve any problems rather than pray and hope they dissipate through "divine intervention" thereby achieving a sense of personal gratification, aka "happiness", knowing that I struggled and overcame. I don't sit back for several years watching a parent lose dignity through a major illness and say "it must be god's will" and instead become proactive to try to restore a quality of life rather than rely upon "faith" that there is a reason someone has to suffer.
I see no rational basis for conflicts among countries whose main differences are encapsulated in religious beliefs. I will never understand why so many wars have been waged in the "name of god".
I cringe at hearing someone describe a kindly act toward a stranger as the "christian thing to do", thereby implicitly suggesting that someone of the hebrew faith would somehow be incapable of a similar act of kindness. Why cannot acts of kindness simply be the "right" or "decent" thing to do without thoughts of being rewarded with everlasting happiness in an "afterlife"?
I am not looking to get into a heated religious argument or start any flaming on such an acknowledged sensitive and highly personal issue. However, I did want to chime in with an "opposing" point of view that I find it easier to achieve relative levels of "happiness" in all aspects of life by not being "burdened" with a dogmatic ball and chain weighing me down.
How many wars would have been waged, and what would civilization look like, had 95+% of the population throughout history *not* been grounded in the morality taught by religion?
You don't need to answer that because you can't. Just think about it. :smile:
I would also point out that you can not answer this question as well. Like you write, it's an interesting thought experiment, but neither of us can give any definitive answer.
And what if I can?
Go eat your banana.
Bananas make me happy.