It would indeed. This post, then is a clarification of the potential substance of the debate in question.
Whom is typically most likely to live most contently?
Contentedness
In one word, I think people regard this as ‘happiness’. But this is too vague.
I will take the most adequate definition of ‘contented’ that I can - mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are. This is throughout the framework of somebody’s entire life, provided it does not end too early, and not just in regards to the end of one’s life when they might have a chance to retrospectively look at their life with hindsight. It can be in regards to anything, as long as it is typical of that type of individual. This means it can include ideas about common goals like bringing up a family but excludes obscurities such as having a goal to fly to Mars. It is essentially whether their belief in God, along with their faith and everything that comes with it, leads to one being mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are.
Option 1: Religious Zealot
This does not mean a person with radical religious views. This is meant to mean somebody who would claim to be ‘devoting their life to God’. They can live an ordinary life (work, family, social life, church) but ultimately link everything that happens in their life to their God.
Furthermore, this should be thought of in terms of a sentient God or sentient Gods. God is watching everything that they do, and God controls what is going on here on Earth. This also offers the individual a consolation from this life, whether it be in terms of heaven, reincarnation, the freeing of their spirit, or whatever. Moral value is drawn directly from their respecive doctrine.
Option 2: Secular Humanist
These are individuals who never had faith in the first place. They find solace in other things, namely within the sphere of humanity, but ultimately the sense of a sentient God is absent from their life in that it does not direct their actions. Moral value is drawn from their own sense of right and wrong, as well as there being an influence from the consensus of their society. Death offers no continual of consciousness, this is the only life that can be led.
I repeat once more, this is all in the context of whether the individual is mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are, throughout the framework of their entire life.
I’d also like to re-iterate that I will happily take either side of the argument.