Do atheists lack social obligations

[Nero]

Atheism, notably the hypothesis that [atheists']  lack of social obligations encourages disbelief in God. The analysis is rooted in the compensator theory of religion, first proposed twenty-five years ago, but it incorporates a recent addition: the distinction between primary and secondary compensation. Social obligations makes secondary compensation important, because it substitutes a compensator for a reward that a person is obligated to provide to another person. The data show that Atheism is indeed more common among people whose social obligations are weak

http://www.religjournal.com/pdf/ijrr01002.pdf

Perhaps this^^^would explain the higher suicide rate of atheists. A WHO study showed that Atheist suicide rate is double of that of the Buddhists and trice of that of the Christians. The fact that more Buddhists than Christians commit suicide may be explained in terms that a fraction of Buddhists are indeed Atheists, or a subtle failure of Buddhism.

A global perspective on the epidemiology of suicide. Bertolote, J.M., & Fleishmann, A.
Suicidologi, 2002, Arg. 7, nr 2

If true, I bet it has something to do with the suicide stigma among believers than nonbelievers. It's very taboo for the most part among Christians and many even believe suicide is an ultimate sin they'd be damned forever for. Suicide is scarier if you suspect you're in for additional suffering afterward (which is kind of the whole point of suicide, isn't it? To escape suffering). Athiests wouldn't have anything to fear since they don't believe there can be any suffering afterward.

[krakenshay]

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


Atheists don't believe in gods, so they do good because they want to and not because they have to like most religious people. Obviously not all. People are people, some do good, some do bad. Atheist dont justify their good deeds or bad deeds by invoking a god or religion and morality is not from religion.