For the atheists: Have you ever been in a truly hopeless situation? Doesn't every problem have a solution?

Question

I ask because I keep seeing the "Atheists, who do you pray to when all hope is lost...?" questions.

I know you don't pray, so I wonder:

Have you ever been in a truly hopeless situation?

Or have you just had the good fortune (ability) to figure out how to solve your problems?

Answer 1

Figuring out how to solve a situation or a problem has nothing to do with fortune or ability, you know?  Some people are born and raised to think for themselves instead of dropping on their knees and begging the invisible to do something that no one can do for them

Answer 2

The time i was in South America, running from them... it got cornered.. It was completely hopeless.

But then HE came and saved us.O man the sight of all them... getting decapitated...

Answer 3

I believe that no situation is hopeless, it's just a matter of perception.  I have *felt* hopeless before, but I always knew in my heart that the pain was only temporary and there would be light at the end of the tunnel...and I didn't need to pray, because that knowledge is already in me as it is with everyone.  

I think some people just need to feel like they are not alone in seemingly hopeless situations and that is why they pray - so they don't have to feel like they are facing a problem on their own.  Little do they know, but they actually are.  I guess the corny old saying is true: "You are stronger than you know."

Answer 4

My life has been perfect so far.  Life is good.

Answer 5

My parachute malfunctioned in the army once.  I fully expected to die.  My adrenalin kicked in and I managed to get my reserve out.  But I didn't expect that.  It was truly a hopeless situation, from my perspective.

Answer 6

Oh, I think there are plenty hopeless situations.  Then again that depends on my definition of "hopeless".

Answer 7

If a situation is hopeless, I change my attitude about it or remove myself from it.  It's that simple.

Answer 8

Most people are never in truly hopeless situations regardless of luck or ability. My definition of a truly hopeless situation is terminal illness and nothing less.

If I had a terminal illness I would be busy trying to make the best of what little life I had left, not wasting my precious time talking to myself.

The best way to find a solution to a problem is to find fault in yourself. Believe it or not, you are the only thing you can change directly so instead of blaming others (like God or whatever) blame yourself first. Don't just say "everything happens for a reason" thats a way to avoid responsibility.

Answer 9

I had many nights in Nam that seemed hopeless.  We were being over run by VC.    I'm not fond of recalling it.

Answer 10

>>>Have you ever been in a truly hopeless situation?

Obviously not, or we would not be here: Would we?

That is not to say that we have never been in interesting situations.

Answer 11

No situation is ever really hopeless if you look for the 11th way out .

Back in the early 60s some shrinks put a chimp in a room with 10 possible ways to escape '

he found the 11th .

Answer 12

Everything in my life seems to go well for me...

Except my social life. And yes, I do go outside. But I can't make friends very well because I've got a lot of problems interacting with others at the start. It seems pretty hopeless to me that I will ever develop properly. I just deal with it by not letting it get to me too much. I might be able to solve it- I'll have another chance starting when I go back to college on Sunday- but I know that it's all my effort and chance that determines my success, not the musings of a God.

Answer 13

Where there's a will, there's a way.

No situation is truly hopeless, unless you want it to be.

Answer 14

Doesn't every problem have a solution?

I think that is what the last to load the boats on the Titanic thought.

I think they were wrong.

Answer 15

I've found a solution to every problem I've had so far.

They're not always the best solution, or necessarily the one I would have chosen if I had been in complete control of the situation.

But to date, every problem I've had has resolved one way or another.

Answer 16

I've been in situations that seemed hopeless at the time, but I came through them with good and satisfying solutions.

As you gain experience, you realise that you can always do something to help improve or solve a situation, so there's always hope.

You commented about good fortune and finding solutions that others find difficult:

Optimists tend to have more "good luck" than pessimists. That's probably because they don't give up so easily (maybe this is "hope").

When I was younger solutions seemed more difficult because of lack of experience. There may be others who were unlucky enough not to have the same benefits from education that I've managed to get, so would find things more difficult; if they can learn to ask for help from appropriate people, they too will find solutions.

And as you indicated, prayer doesn't enter into finding solutions to problems. Using your intelligence to solve problems or to get help is what works.

Answer 17

I'm a Christian-ish, but the only time I find myself praying is during college football games.

I also find myself SWEARING a lot more, too...

Answer 18

Since I'm still alive, I have never been in a hopeless situation.

I have been in incredibly frightening situations...

I was never tempted to pray.

Answer 19

I just wanted to comment on your thumbs down admonition.

The thumbs are there for users of this site to register their agreement or disagreement with other answers. Nothing wrong with using them to do so. Thumbs are NOT the same as Reporting violations of the Guidelines.

Why shouldn't people here say they agree or disagree with various answers?

No, I've never been in a hopeless situation.

BTW, a long time ago I answered a question here that was similar to the ones I'm seeing today, but really different in intent and purpose.

The asker routinely says little prayers -- to find her keys, or if she sees a dog run into the street, as two examples.

She was genuinely curious as to what, if anything, we do in similar situations. Since this had been her habit all her life, she had often wondered whether atheists did anything similar.

I say "genuinely curious" because, unlike 99.99999% of believers who post "I really want to know" questions to atheists, she chose an atheist response as Best. It amazes me how many believers are total liars, SAYING they want to understand something, then picking a "Don't listen to them; they'll burn in h**l" type answer.

I thought their Sky Bully frowned on lying....

Answer 20

I have bipolar disorder and I have felt like things were truly hopeless before - even to the point that I attempted suicide. But I had family and friends to help pull me out of that. And I found strength within myself that I didn't know I had. I didn't ask any gods for help but I made it through all the same thanks to good doctors and loving family.

Answer 21

I have come close to death three times, in many hopeless situations, yet never found god there, no need - just use my mind.

Answer 22

I've been down and out. I've been in a dark murky hole of complete c**p and nothing was going right. I was afraid of dying yet I considered the possibility of doing it myself just to end the misery.

But I never thought it was hopeless. The only reason I'm still alive is that I have plenty of hope for the future. For my future. For everyone's future. Problems have a way of working themselves out when you stop fighting and trying to change the way things are.

I have one life, I'm gonna go out swinging.

Answer 23

there si always a way out... but my life is just fine!

peace!

Answer 24

I am not an atheist, but I know that God never interferes.

We are on our own here.  I have survived by my own wits, most of the time.  When I needed advice I went to people whom I trust.  

Answer 25

Eventually everybody will encounter a situation where they'll be right about not having any hope.

Until then, it's a c**p shoot.

C'este la vie.

Answer 26

A Kobayashi Maru?

I don't believe in them.

EDIT: Very well.

I've been through some very hard times as both a theist and an atheist. It was a relief to think a god had a handle on things, but that did not make it true. In the log run, it never made things any easier. Now, I cope. I cry. I seek support from friends and loved ones. I accept my situation and plan my way through it. It is not any different than what I did previously, other than I don't talk to imaginary critters. I try to keep my perspective and my calm. (For optimum thought process all tantrums must be kept to a minimum.) I listen to music. I walk the dogs. I hug alot when I need extra comfort. I like naps when they are possible. I help others so that I don't get bogged down in my own issues. I focus on what can be done and what joy can be found even in rough patches. In general, I just keep my morale high and let go of expectations. Life isn't always easy or fair and that's perfectly OK.

I hope that helps increase understanding of why I don't need prayer to live out my days.

EDIT:

Wished I Could: The band played on and they kicked back some excellent scotch and died a good death. That was a solution. Don't be silly. We all die. We do not all suffer fear of death.

Answer 27

I have been in terrible pain and had no hope.

That, ironically enough, was when I was still Christian.  

Answer 28

The same way as everyone else.  I just don't talk to an invisible friend along the way.  I figure out the problem, I reach out to my resources and I work through the solutions.  Everyone does it this way atheist or not.  The difference is I don't blame divine intervention on the outcome.

Answer 29

Yes I have been in seemingly hopeless situations with no way out.

And, oddly enough, without praying, found a solution from within.

Very odd indeed....

Answer 30

When in a seemingly hopeless situation, pretending/praying that a magical fairy can help out is not the best plan of action.

Answer 31

I always figure out a way to extract myself from the situation...  

I never look at a situation as hopeless because that's like admitting defeat,  if you go at a situation immediately admitting defeat you have as much as given up, forfeited,  something I am not willing to do...   Situations are difficult and dicey, never hopeless...

I find solutions by evaluating the situation, comparing it to similar situations I have had, trained for or read about in the past..  I then apply a common sense solution leaving room to tweak the solution as I go along and the situation changes.....