Question:
Can you give me the name of at least one famous self-proclaimed atheist who is happy?
2009-03-21 17:07:04 UTC
and good-natured as opposed to being belligerent and angry? I say "famous" because you can easily make anyone up if I say anyone you know.
44 answers:
2009-03-21 17:21:24 UTC
Warren Buffett, Barbara Forrest, Bill Gates, Ellery Schempp (designed the MRI) and yes even Dawkins is a very happy man. You're seeing selected bits from the Dominionists you admire.
appleman
2009-03-21 17:22:08 UTC
Woody Allen, Lance Armstrong, Isaac Asimov, Richard Branson, Warren Buffett, George Carlin, Rodney Dangerfield, Jodie Foster, Bill Gates, Billy Joel, Angelina Jolie, Bruce Lee, Tom Lehrer, Tom Leykis, Barry Manilow, Arthur Miller, Randy Newman, Mike Nichols, Jack Nicholson, Gary Numan, Paula Poundstone, Ron Reagan Jr., Keanu Reeves, Gene Roddenberry, Andy Rooney, Salman Rushdie, Howard Stern, Studs Terkel, Gore Vidal, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., and Steve Wozniak.
2009-03-21 17:20:41 UTC
P.Z Meyers is a jovial fellow. So's James Randi. So are David Suzuki, Billy Connoly, Ben Elton, Terry Pratchett, Derren Brown, Russel T Davies, Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais, Eva Green, Sir Ian McKellen, Adam Savage, Joss Whedon, Mick Jagger, Stephen Hawking...



There are a lot of famous atheists, and they all seem pretty damn happy.
Dalek Hybrid
2009-03-21 17:10:48 UTC
This may not be famous to everyone but I can easily think of Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo. These three people are in the thrash metal band Slayer.



Kerry King the guitarist.

Jeff Hanneman is the other guitarist.

Dave Lombardo plays the drums.



3/4 members of Slayer are atheist.
2009-03-21 17:11:03 UTC
I will vote for John Lennon, although John Lemon would be the next alternative :P.



----

You think Dawkins is and angry and hateful? Try to think Jesus being in the same position. A spoilt brad that throw tantrum at merchants for doing business outside the temple and kill a fig tree because it refuses to bare fruit for him to eat in the wrong season.



-----

Newsflash, atheists don't normally label themselves as such. We are atheists because we do not believe in gods, any gods. Atheism is not a religion to label ourselves with.
neil s
2009-03-21 17:19:27 UTC
You have no idea how Dawkins feels, and his presentations are never hateful. Apparently there is a widespread inability to distinguish between criticism and hate. Hate comes in when you have no evidence and still judge against others, such as Prop H8 in California.
strpenta
2009-03-21 17:15:58 UTC
Buddha seemed quite content. The Dalai Lama isn't exactly happy, but thousands believe he is enlightened.

If you're talking about American stars, I'm pretty sure Paris Hilton said she had 'turned to God' and Lindsay Lohan turned to Judaism. Madonna's pretty content and she's a member of the Kabbalah faith...so is that pretty blonde...Tom Cruise is a scientologist and he seems pretty pleased with himself...

Tell me, which 'truth' is the right one?



Edit: I didn't even think of those scientists (Hawkins & Dawkins) and authors (Hitchens, Maher)

Pretty much any comedian. Oh, yeah...Ellen DeGeneres. She's 'over the moon' I'm sure about just getting married to Portia D'Rossi and having a wildly successful show :-)
Nowpower
2009-03-21 17:23:33 UTC
Helen Keller



"There is so much in the bible against which every insinct of my being rebels, so much so that I regret the necessity which has compelled me to read it through from beginning to end. I do not think that the knowledge I have gained of its history and sources compensates me for the unpleasant details it has forced upon my attention."



Benjamin Franklin



"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."



"Lighthouses are more helpful then churches."



Abraham Lincoln



"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma."



Albert Einstein



"I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religion than it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."



"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism."



"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for a reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed."



Andrew Carnegie



"I don’t believe in God. My god is patriotism. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life."



Arthur C. Clarke, author



"Religion is a byproduct of fear. For much of human history, it may have been a necessary evil, but why was it more evil than necessary? Isn't killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity?"
2009-03-21 17:31:31 UTC
Seth McFarland.

Julia Sweeney.

Bill Gates.
2009-03-21 17:17:54 UTC
Woody Allen, Lance Armstrong, Darren, Dave Barry, , Lewis Black, Richard Branson, Berkeley Breathed, Warren Buffett, George Carlin, John Carmack, Adam Carolla, John Carpenter, Asia Carrera, Billy Connolly, Francis Crick, David Cronenberg, David Cross, Alan Cumming, Rodney Dangerfield, , Daniel Dennett, David Deutsch, Ani DiFranco, Micky Dolenz, Harlan Ellison, Brian Eno, Richard Feynman, Harvey Fierstein, Larry Flynt, Dave Foley, Jodie Foster, Janeane Garofalo, Bill Gates, Bob Geldof, Ricky Gervais, Ira Glass, James Gleick, Robert Heinlein, Nat Hentoff, Christopher Hitchens, Jamie Hyneman, Eddie Izzard, Penn Jillette, Billy Joel, Angelina Jolie, Wendy Kaminer, Diane Keaton, Ken Keeler, Neil Kinnock, Michael Kinsley, Richard Leakey, Bruce Lee, Tom Lehrer, Tom Leykis, James Lipton, H.P. Lovecraft, John Malkovich, Barry Manilow, Todd McFarlane, Sir Ian McKellen, Arthur Miller, Frank Miller, Marvin Minsky, Julianne Moore, Desmond Morris, Randy Newman, Mike Nichols, Jack Nicholson, Gary Numan, Bob Odenkirk, Patton Oswalt, Camille Paglia, Steven Pinker, Paula Poundstone, Terry Pratchett, James Randi, Ron Reagan Jr., Keanu Reeves, Rick Reynolds, Gene Roddenberry, Joe Rogan, Henry Rollins, Andy Rooney, Salman Rushdie, Bob Simon, Steven Soderbergh, Annika Sorenstam, George Soros, Richard Stallman, Bruce Sterling, Howard Stern, J. Michael Straczynski, Julia Sweeney, Matthew Sweet, Teller, Studs Terkel, Tom Tomorrow, Linus Torvalds, Eddie Vedder, Paul Verhoeven, Gore Vidal, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Sarah Vowell, James Watson, Steven Weinberg, Joss Whedon, Ted Williams, Steve Wozniak, HUNDREDS MORE...
link955
2009-03-21 17:22:40 UTC
John Lennon, Steven Hawkins, and Carrie Fisher come to mind (and I apologize to the others who named them first). Dawkins might seem hateful to you, since he so vehemently disagrees with your religion, so I imagine it's a matter of perspective.



You might look closely at Europe and Scandinavia. The majority of their populations are atheist or agnostic; they enjoy economic prosperity, low crime rates, low incidences of sex crimes, and the lowest teen birth rates on Earth. They do well without your Jesus, thank you. We could, too.
2009-03-21 17:13:02 UTC
Well me and my family (you can take it on faith that I didn't make them up)



I think Richard Dawkins is quite 'happy' or at least he was when I saw him in the video checking his christian hate mail.



...and...



Douglas Adams

Eddie Izzard

David Baddiel

Ben Elton

Billy Connolly

Ricky Gervais

Sir Arthur C. Clarke





A lot of them are comedians.



As for christian happiness, I think it's called blissful ignorance.
Paul B
2009-03-21 17:16:38 UTC
Bertrand Russel

Douglas Adams

Me - not famous but still...



Valtor - I think I remember hearing in an interview that Marylin Manson does actually suffer from either bipolar or unipolar disorder, can't remember which.
Smark
2009-03-21 17:15:38 UTC
As I'm sure you've heard from many atheists who hate you, the higher one's level of education, the less likely he or she will be religious. On the other hand, the higher the level of one's education, the more likely he or she will suffer from depression. Happiness and intelligence are more closely (and inversely) related than happiness and religious beliefs.
Diane (PFLAG)
2009-03-21 17:18:21 UTC
Bill Gates.... Adam Savage.... James Hyneman... Penn and Teller.... Gene Wilder... Robert Heinlein... Lance Armstrong...
Anonnie Mouse
2009-03-21 17:12:27 UTC
I do not know the hearts of people I have never met. Who am I to say who is happy and who isn't?



Here's a clue for you though: Possessing strong opinions regarding religion is not a valid indication of a person's contentment or lack thereof.
?
2009-03-21 17:17:17 UTC
Carl Sagan sure seemed happy.



Bill Gates sure seems happy.



I could list more names but who am I to say whether or not anyone is happy. I am no mind reader.
2009-03-21 17:14:25 UTC
Bruce Parry
2009-03-21 17:10:48 UTC
Richard Dawkins is a pretty happy guy.

Trent Reznor used to be depressed but he's fairly happy now.

Marilyn Manson was never all that depressed.

John Lennon was happy before he died.

Carrie Fisher is happy.
2009-03-21 17:15:48 UTC
hm i dunno me im pretty happy Dawkins seems pretty happy with his life just because he disagrees with you doesnt make him belligerent and angry Denett, pharyngula, Normal Bob Smith, Douglas Adams was quite the happy guy in his life, George Carlin seemed pretty happy in life he was always entertained by human folly and there is always plenty of human folly, my girlfriend is pretty happy most of the time except for like one week every damn month i have no idea why (jk)
2009-03-21 17:17:33 UTC
answer: Bill Gates, Richard Dawkins are two
interested1208
2009-03-21 17:10:57 UTC
Me, but then I'm not 'famous' but it's important to me. I can't speak for anyone else...



BTW, I didn't make me up.. I'm real...



and as most atheists I know, I don't go about announcing that I am one... It's no one's business but my own...
2009-03-21 17:18:17 UTC
Why does an atheist have to be famous for his/her happiness to matter? I'm an atheist, and perfectly happy.
2009-03-21 17:14:38 UTC
David Attenborough.

Jonathan Miller.



Most people don't announce they're atheists because practically everyone is anyway - it would be like announcing that you've got ears, people would say "So? Who hasn't?".
2009-03-21 17:12:00 UTC
The vast majority of Europen and Japanese celebrities and prominent scientists.
Pin-Up Doll
2009-03-21 17:17:34 UTC
There was actually so many, I couldn't copy and paste them all. The guy below me has the cliff notes version. Here's the full list:



http://www.celebatheists.com/?title=Category:Atheist
numbnuts222
2009-03-21 17:13:29 UTC
I get the feeling that you think anyone who disagrees with you is angry and hateful
2009-03-21 17:10:29 UTC
Here is a bunch or quotes by famous Atheist



http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/quote-w1.htm





Elie Wiesel is probably damn happy he is alive.



http://www.wonderfulatheistsofcfl.org/Quotes.htm
2009-03-21 17:12:38 UTC
You seem like a very personable type of guy. Are you allowed to fraternize with Jews?
Kevin
2009-03-21 17:09:29 UTC
Steven Hawkings? Happiness isn't something you can really qualify.



Dawkins is only angry because Christians make him angry. He's probably pretty happy in real life.
2009-03-21 17:14:09 UTC
George Clooney.



(Handsome and happy).



Jodie Foster

Angelina Jolie

Ricky Gervais



Will they do? All notably happy and evidently intelligent people.
Missquizz
2009-03-21 17:11:19 UTC
My dad . Stephen Hawkins is another that comes to mind..
lyceumlogic
2009-03-21 17:14:36 UTC
dawkins, hitchens, me

neil degrasse tyson

eugenie scott



edit: seems like you can't accept the fact that we are happy

without your little god. sorry. we enjoy life without guilt.
2009-03-21 17:10:16 UTC
Me. I didn't make myself up.

Name at least one famous Christian who isn't a self-loathing bigot...two can generalize!
aznfanatic
2009-03-21 17:10:24 UTC
Wait, can't you be both belligerent and happy?
2009-03-21 17:17:04 UTC
I'm pretty sure I'm famous(to myself).
2009-03-21 17:09:39 UTC
Matt Bellamy

from muse

+

me

cant u see my avatar



EDIT:

did y'all ignore my answer

i know ur prolly fishing for the answer you want.

But im afraid im right.

heheheheheh
RED CURTAIN
2009-03-21 17:10:10 UTC
Atheists should be all satisfied.
TEH TYME KITTEH =^..^=
2009-03-21 17:12:15 UTC
Can you name one that is sad?
2009-03-21 17:20:05 UTC
I can't give you one single name of any atheist who is happy because they're too busy fussing and cussing, and ridiculing.



I also cannot think of very many happy people in general period, because this is a sad sad world we live in full of evil people and hypocrites.



I long for Armageddon to set matters straight - whether I make it or not.



Thanks.
2009-03-21 17:13:43 UTC
No. Only true happiness comes from Jesus. Everything else just a counterfeit of the real thing.
gutbucket
2009-03-21 17:09:56 UTC
Yes, I am.
what_tattoo_420
2009-03-21 17:11:12 UTC
bill maher.......seems happy to me!
The incredible Satan
2009-03-21 17:09:41 UTC
dawkins? and me.

* Douglas Adams (1952–2001): British radio and television writer and novelist, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.[1]

* Mary Adams (1898–1984): English producer and administrator in the BBC, instrumental in setting up the BBC's television service.[2]

* Phillip Adams (1939–): Australian broadcaster, writer, film-maker, left-wing radical thinker, and iconoclast. He was the Australian Humanist of the Year in 1987.[3]

* Adithya (1974–): Indian actor.[4]

* Joe Ahearne (1963–): British television writer and director, best known for his work on several 'cult' fantasy-based programmes including Ultraviolet and Doctor Who.[5]

* Brandy Alexandre (1964–): American adult actress.[6]

* Woody Allen (1935-): American film director, writer, actor, comedian, and playwright.[7]

* Robert Altman (1925–2006): American film director, recognized in 2006 with an Academy Honorary Award.[8]

* Wil Anderson (1974–): Australian comedian, radio presenter, and former host of The Glass House.[9]

* Asia Argento (1973–): Italian television and film actress, film director, and model.[10]

* Darren Aronofsky (1969–): American film director and screenwriter, known for his films Requiem for a Dream, Pi, and The Wrestler [11]

* Kevin Bacon (1958–): American film and theatre actor whose notable roles include Animal House, A Few Good Men, Stir of Echoes, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, and Footloose.[12]

* Joan Bakewell CBE (1933–): English television presenter and journalist.[13]

* Javier Bardem (1969–): Spanish actor and former rugby player best known for his roles in Jamón, jamón and No Country For Old Men.[14]

* Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923): French stage actress referred to as "the most famous actress in the history of the world". She was asked by French composer Charles Gounod if she ever prayed. Bernhadt replied "No, never. I'm an atheist".[15]

* Paul Bettany (1971–): English actor, known for his roles in A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and The Da Vinci Code.[16]

* Orla Brady (1961–): Irish actress.[17]

* Brannon Braga (1965–): American TV producer and writer, creator of Star Trek: Enterprise.[18]

* Jim Broadbent (1949–): English Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, and BAFTA-winning theatre, film, and television actor.[19]

* Jeremy Brock (1959–): British actor, producer, writer, and director, whose work includes Mrs. Brown and the BAFTA award winning screenplay for The Last King of Scotland.[20]

* Charlie Brooker (1971–): British writer and satirist best known for his TV show Screenwipe.[21]

* Derren Brown (1971–): English psychological illusionist, mentalist, and skeptic of paranormal phenomena. Professed to being an atheist in his book Tricks of the Mind and described Bertrand Russell's collection of essays Why I Am Not a Christian "an absolute joy."

* Luis Buñuel (1900–1983): Spanish film-maker, activist of the surrealist movement. Known for his one-liner, "Thank God I'm still an atheist."[22]

* Gabriel Byrne (1950–): Irish actor and film producer, star of over thirty-five films including The Usual Suspects, Miller's Crossing, and Stigmata.[23]

* Peter Caffrey (1949–2008): Irish actor, best known for playing Padraig O'Kelly in Series 1-4 of Ballykissangel.[24]

* Simon Callow (1949–): English stage, film, and television actor.[25]

* Dean Cameron (1962–): American television and film actor known for his role as Francis "Chainsaw" Gremp in the 1987 Mark Harmon comedy Summer School.[26]

* Richard Carleton (1943–2006): Current affairs journalist for Australia's 60 Minutes.[27]

* Jimmy Carr (1972–): English comedian, author, actor, and presenter of radio and television.[28]

* Asia Carrera (1973–): Former American pornographic actress.[29]

* Jeremy Clarkson (1960–): English journalist and broadcaster. Presenter of Top Gear and columnist in The Times.[30]

* Billy Connolly (1942–): Scottish comedian, actor, former musician.[31]

* Sir Noël Coward (1899–1973): English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music.[32]

* David Cronenberg (1943–): Canadian film director, one of the principal originators of the 'body horror' genre.[33]

* Mackenzie Crook (1971–): English actor and comedian, known for playing Gareth Keenan in The Office and Ragetti in Pirates of the Caribbean.[34]

* Adrianne Curry (1982–): American model, television host, and film actress, well-known as the winner of the modelling competition America's Next Top Model.[35]

* Alan Davies (1966–): English comedian, writer, and actor.[36]

* Russell T Davies (1963–): Welsh television producer and writer, most famous for reviving Doctor Who on British television.[37]

* Terence Davies (1945–): English screenwriter, film director, actor, and novelist.[38]

* William B. Davis (1938–): Canadian actor, known for his role as the Cigarette Smoking Man in The X-Files.[39]

* Andrew Denton (1960–): Australian comedian and television presenter host of the ABC's weekly interview program Enough Rope.[40]

* Marlene Dietrich (1901–1992): German-born American actress, singer and entertainer. She is considered to be the first German actress to flourish in Hollywood.[41]

* Stanley Donen (1924–): American film director, best known for his musicals including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Singin' in the Rain; awarded honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement.[42]

* Amanda Donohoe (1962–): English film, stage, and television actress.[43]

* Natalie Dormer (1982–): English film and television actress.[44]

* John Doyle (1953–): Australian comedian, actor, and writer, famous as "Rampaging" Roy Slaven in the comedy duo Roy and HG.[45]

* Christopher Eccleston (1964–): English stage, film, and television actor, known for his roles in Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later, and as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who.[46]

* David Edgar (1948–): British playwright, noted for his adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby.[47]

* Frances Farmer (1913–1970): American film, television, and theater actress.[48]

* Diane Farr (1969–): American actress perhaps best known for her role as FBI agent Megan Reeves in the television CBS series Numb3rs.[49]

* Harvey Fierstein (1962—): American Tony award-winning actor, playwright, and Emmy-nominated screenwriter best known for his work in the Torch Song Trilogy.[50]

* Brian Flemming (1966–): American film director and playwright, notable for his 2005 film The God Who Wasn't There.[51]

* Dave Foley (1963–): Canadian actor best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall and NewsRadio.[52]

* Sir Denis Forman (1917–): British Director (1949–1954) and later Chair (1971–1973) of The British Film Institute, Chairman and Managing Director of Granada Television, and Director of the Royal Opera House in London.[53]

* Jodie Foster (1962–): American film actress, director, and producer. Two-time Academy Award-winner.[54]

* Nick Frost (1972–): Award-winning English actor, comedian, and writer.[55]

* Stephen Fry (1957–): British humourist, writer, actor, and filmmaker.[56][57]

* Ricky Gervais, British (voice)actor, film and tv director, (screen)writer, producer, and comedian. [58]

* Paul Giamatti (1967–): American film and television actor.[59]

* Richard E. Grant (1957–): British actor perhaps most well known for portraying the world-weary, drug-crazed alcoholic Withnail in Withnail and I.[60]

* Eva Green (1980–): Award-winning French actress and model, notable for her roles in Casino Royale and The Golden Compass.[61]

* Seth Green (1974–): American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer.[62]

* Peter Greenaway, CBE (1942–): Welsh-born English film director.[63]

* Kathy Griffin (1960–): American Emmy-winning actress, comedian, and media personality. As well as the star of the two-time Emmy Award-winning show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.[64]

* Rachel Griffiths (1968–): Australian Golden Globe- and SAG Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-nominated film and television actress.[65]

* Kamal Haasan (1954–): Indian film actor and film director, considered among the leading method actors of Indian cinema.[66]

* Brian Hall (1937–1997): English actor best known for his role as Terry the chef in Fawlty Towers.[67]

* Tony Hancock (1924–1968): British actor and comedian, star of the popular Hancock's Half Hour.[68]

* Sir David Hare (1947–): Award-winning English dramatist and theatre and film director.[69]

* Nina Hartley (1959–): American pornographic actress, film director, author, and sex educator.[70]

* Amber Heard (1986–): American film and television actress.[71]

* Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003): American actress who appeared in 53 films from 1932 to 1994; winner of four Academy Awards for Best Actress.[72]

* Mathew Horne (1978–): English comedian and actor, best known for playing Gavin Shipman in the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey.[73]

* Kenny Hotz (1973–): Canadian comedian, filmaker, actor, producer, director, photographer, and co-star of the Canadian television show Kenny vs. Spenny.[74]

* John Huston (1906–1987): American Academy Award-winning film director and actor, especially known for the classic films The Maltese Falcon (1941), The Asphalt Jungle, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, The African Queen, The Misfits, and The Man Who Would Be King.[75]

* Jamie Hyneman (1956–): American visual effects expe


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...