It's a pointless argument because neither side will concede the benefits of the other. I think atheism is better but I'm not sure if it makes life richer. Delusional people can be very happy within their delusion.
And your link doesn't work for me.

That Terry Jones certainly is an idiot. He obviously has no clue that Muslims believe in the same god as christians do.

This may be why you never hear about Atheist Suicide Bombers.

I had to click on your profile to see you in your red shirt.

I'm sure the religious value their lives as much as I do. They mourn their dead as well because they're no longer able to be a part of their day-to-day lives.

My Christian friends are devastated that I am an atheist and we won't see each other in heaven. The funny thing is that I have more "morals", help more in my community, and am less judgemental than they are (except for this statement!).

When I ask exactly how they know they're getting to heaven, they say it's up to their God. I think I'd like to know EXACTLY how I'm going to see this guy if I'm spending my whole life trying to spend eternity with him.

The link isn't working but none the less I can imagine! I would also suggest to use some punctuation in the main question you are trying to ask. A moron who burns the 'book' of another moron is another proof of Darwins work of the 'undeveloped creatures' they are!

Why do I see three photos of myself when I click on the link?

If a person believes they will be rewarded with happiness ever after, in a make believe heaven, in the presence of God, and that keeps them living what they consider to be a "good life" as their ticket into heaven, then it might make them feel their life is enriched with that belief, as long as they believe. They wouldn't like to think they had lived a good life "for no reason" as it would be worthless, since they are mostly being good for the grace of God. They don't understand the worth of being good for goodness sake.

So. on the other hand, if an atheist, agnostic, humanist or other freethinker believes they will be rewarded for their good deeds, by living a good life here on earth, simply by their own self esteem and the high regard, trust and love from the people who interact with them, and that they might be influencing goodness in others to carry on after their death, that is a reward they can see and feel in real time, no waiting.

To be loved for being a good person NOW is pretty rich, instead of waiting for some far off reward in myth-land seems to be the better bet, to me anyway, regardless of whether there is or isn't a god or heaven.

I imagine sharing such a sentiment would go over as well with a theist audience as being told as atheists we can't have objective morals or meaning in our lives. We aren't in any position to know better than the other person himself what their experience can or cannot be. It is pretty much a dick move to make such pronouncements and can only undercut ones credibility.

Religious people do not value life, they value what comes after. The problem is, nothing comes after. I have always hated that I will not be able to say to the religious, after their deaths, "I told you so". They will die never knowing how wrong and hateful they were. Ticks me off, lol.

I'm right there with you.

As the old saying goes, "Everybody believes in heaven, but nobody wants to die." You get my vote.

That’s just not the way religious people think. If I believe in a god, when someone died I’d be happy because then they’d be in heaven. But religious people grieve just as much as an atheist does.

We only get one go at life. That makes it precious.

Why do you think they have such a hold on 'the sanctity of life' and made suicide a sin! Who wants to stick around in pain here when paradise awaits.

I agree with that hypothesis. I have always felt that religion is a cop out. Religious people are assuaging their guilt by ignoring responsibilities of this life. They think if they play the piety game it gives them a free ticket to what they call "heaven". If they pay enough they can lie,cheat, steal and treat others like shit. I think it can be argued that even the most seemingly altruistic act could be considered selfish because it gives the person who performs the act a comforting feeling of satisfaction. That is not to say that it is wrong or bad, but just human nature.

You are correct.

as if the choices you list are the only possibilities?

No pic

I agree with your analysis however many many christians who are supposedly strong believers dread dying and that never made sense to me..

I think they may have been booing you calling a lived life as "a vale of tears".

But I generally agree with the idea that it makes no sense to think theres an infinitely better existence than life itself and all you have to do is to "die in the right way". In fact I use it to show how hypocritical the belief is. Because if believers truly truly believed in a heaven, they would be more careless and take the riskiest most dangerous hobbies or work just so they have a higher probability to get in to heaven quicker. They literally wouldn't care about dying regardless of how happy they were. If God wants them alive longer they would survive by divine will.

But you don't see that behavior amongst believers, which means deep down they must not believe in heaven that strongly. That they care more about life than they do about being in heaven with God is a strong indication that they don't truly believe.

You Red Devil!

That’s pretty amazing. I thought Terry Jones died this past January.