[Junior]

If you think about it, to an athiest all there is is this life -- and efforts should be made to prolong the experience, as it were. As humans are a cooperative bunch by nature, and as even chimpanzees understand recipricol arrangements (you scratch my back and I scratch yours), it stands to reason that atheists would aid others in prolonging their existence in return for the same consideration. Hence the argument can be made that atheists could derive their valuation of life from a rational, rather than a religious perspective.

[PatrickHenry]

If you think about it, to an athiest all there is is this life -- and efforts should be made to prolong the experience, as it were.

Does anyone know the statistics -- if they exist -- for suicide rates among atheists, as compared to religious people? If it were true that atheism caused life to be devalued, they should be killing themselves at a far greater rate than other people.

[PatrickHenry]

I found this info, but I don't know how reliable it is:

Among the most common faith groups in the U.S., Protestants have the highest suicide rate; Roman Catholics are next; Jews have the lowest rate.

Followers of religions that strongly prohibit suicide, like Christianity and Islam, have a higher suicide rate than those religions which have no strong prohibition (e.g. Buddhism and Hinduism.)

Source: Some facts about suicide. (You have to scroll down when you get there and click on "Suicide".)

[Tribune7]

As humans are a cooperative bunch by nature,

We invariably put self interest over cooperation.