I am not an atheist by choice

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Annee

The word you're looking for is faith.

I have faith in God. He's there.

I understand why you would prefer to use the term belief. It's weaker than faith.

However, there seem to be quite a few atheists here and elsewhere who fall on the opposite end of my spectrum making comments such as "Why believe in a myth?" Are they all dishonest in their faith in no God?

No it's not.

That's your word and your concept.

originally posted by: whyamIhere
I have struggled with this question my entire life.

Hey OP, I have one question for you.

Think about the worst day of your life. Maybe it's a loved one critically injured.

You are waiting for word from the Doctor. At this point, you just want them to live.

Do you drop down to your knees and beg God to save your loved one ?

I didn't with my mother or my father.

I don't believe in any God, but I do believe we are an eternal energy consciousness and that we awaken in another dimension (or world).

The important thing is contributing to this world in the now. Not living for a reward at the end.

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Annee

The word you're looking for is faith.

I have faith in God. He's there.

I understand why you would prefer to use the term belief. It's weaker than faith.

However, there seem to be quite a few atheists here and elsewhere who fall on the opposite end of my spectrum making comments such as "Why believe in a myth?" Are they all dishonest in their faith in no God?

No it's not.

That's your word and your concept.

Wow! So I created that word and concept? I must be good because my created word and concept is every dictionary in the world ...

a reply to: ParasuvO

I would love to hang out with you in the Arizona desert near my peyote church. I could learn a lot from you. Or at least, I could try.

👣

originally posted by: chr0naut

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: ScientificRailgun

To be truly atheist, you would have to know there was no god. What you are, I suspect from you post, is more accurately called 'agnostic', which means that you don't know if there is a god or isn't.

That is incorrect. No honest atheist would claim there is no God. Only that they lack belief there is a god.

Atheist means lack of belief in a god.

Agnostic means God can not be proven or disproven.

Basically everyone is agnostic. Theist -- Atheist only indicates which way you lean.

I'm not agnostic. I've met Him (Jesus, who says He's God & I believe Him). Spoke with Him a couple of hours ago, actually.

Sure you did.

originally posted by: InfinityandBeyond
The people who claim to be atheists that went back to Christianity is a joke to me. Choose your words differently. You were never a true atheist, just another scared human who quickly picked up that security blanket.

Thank you, thank you.

Yes, you don't become a believer again just because you had some mystical paranormal or life altering experience. If that's the case, you were never really atheist. I know, I've had plenty. Including meeting a Jesus figure during an OBE.

The OP has it right. She wants to belong. She wants to be part of the "party", but it's just not there.

Being mad at the church or turning against it because of something they did, does not make you atheist.

Finally accepting and realizing I am atheist was the most enlightening experience I've ever had. It was like a huge weight was lifted off me. And I became personally responsible for everything I did. Everything I contributed to this world.

Still, I miss the euphoria of belonging to a shared thought congregation.

I'm one that's very happy atheists are now organizing in social groups.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Annee

The word you're looking for is faith.

I have faith in God. He's there.

I understand why you would prefer to use the term belief. It's weaker than faith.

However, there seem to be quite a few atheists here and elsewhere who fall on the opposite end of my spectrum making comments such as "Why believe in a myth?" Are they all dishonest in their faith in no God?

No it's not.

That's your word and your concept.

Wow! So I created that word and concept? I must be good because my created word and concept is every dictionary in the world ...

Where did I say you created anything?

a reply to: ScientificRailgun

I am so sorry to hear that you have been punishing yourself as well as your so called friends. These people never were your friends or they would have supported you.

I am a Christian and I can understand what you feel. I wish I could snap my fingers and make everything fine but I can't. I will not judge you.

You are not alone. There are many people who have lost their Christian faith due to numerous reasons.

Let me remind you that living on this planet is a challenge for us all. Our life is one long test as to how and what we do with our lives. Because your faith is weak or gone please don't let your morals wither away. Remember who you are and where you came from. Stay humble and help one another as we walk through life together.

Having faith in an unseen entity is very hard. Asking someone to believe in a "Spirit", an invisible God, is taking a leap of faith, just like when two people get married. They don't know their future but they take a leap of faith in the hope it will be until "Death do you part."

Why even the apostle Thomas did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead until he touched him and saw the holes in his hands and feet. You remind me of this bible verse.

Whether or not you understand you have confessed here online ..... out loud ....... a cry for help. You to need a sign from God and you will receive one so don't close up and ignore the supernatural revelation that is coming.

God has a plan for all of us and he has not forgotten you.

Stay strong.

Wow! You triggered a sh! Storm! ..
Follow your heart kiddo! Don't be persuaded .... follow your heart! If you believe in the CookieMonster......
Just follow your heart!

originally posted by: DeathSlayer
a reply to: ScientificRailgun

There are many people who have lost their Christian faith due to numerous reasons.

She didn't lose it.

She never had it.

I'd ask myself what I really want to have faith in. Do I want to believe there's a white haired guy in a floating city living in the sky? Do I want to believe that the earth and more specifically humans are the center of everything? Do I want to believe I get 40 virgins when I die? My own castle? That everyone I miss that has died is really just waiting for me some where? That I am some how special and set apart from the rest of creation? That I have no free will and reality is fated to end up some way and there's bunk all I can do about it?

What do you mean you want to have faith? what do you want to believe in? Being that faith and belief are just things we do as humans I guarantee you do it on a daily basis. There's absolutely no way around it, in fact our brains are wired so that we do believe, its the abstraction we need from pure stimulus that gives us the ability to imagine and project, and make decisions based on those. If you can't believe in the flying spaghetti monster, so what? Why do you want to?

I think it's telling that you speak of faith as if it's something that some people have and something you seem to be incapable off. You seem to have faith and belief that believing in a deity somehow makes things different.

Apparently, you're not happy being an atheist. If you've read many posts written by believers, you realize they're not happy, either. Obviously, the answer to unhappiness isn't religion. Look elsewhere.

originally posted by: Tangerine
Apparently, you're not happy being an atheist. If you've read many posts written by believers, you realize they're not happy, either. Obviously, the answer to unhappiness isn't religion. Look elsewhere.

What does that even mean?

The simple answer is to just be true to yourself. If you're no worse or better to anyone else by doing so, then that's probably a reasonable thing to do. And if some greater consiousness does exist like some people say, then you're a part of it anyways and being faithful to your own self counts as being faithful to it by proxy.

No need for protocol or going through the motions that somebody made up a thousand years ago. Most people that are super-devout or practicing whatever you want to call their strict form of religious practice are judgemental hypocrites anyways, whether or not they take their old books literally or not - most of those books say judging isn't supposed to be their job anyways.

And if you feel like doing your own thing still isn't enough (because it probably seems pointless) and still need to connect to something greater, there are other ways of mind alteration other than partaking in some substance or other. Fasting, sleep-deprivation, and meditation or some combination thereof tend to work pretty well. (But no shortcuts in this case, reaching the altered state can take hours if not days with this approach.) The eastern philosophies are all familiar with this to some degree, and being among Bhuddists in Japan is probably as good as any other. Other than that there are also various hermetic teachings, but you're probably not going to find much like what the ancient Greeks did in this era and modern gurus or mystics worth anything are probably too rare to bother. (Anyhow life has it's own way of teaching. You're more likely to learn better when dealing with some old cranky lady working at a food stand and idle chit-chat vs. some modern day moonie hawking their next cult practice out on the net. It's funny like that.)

Of course my 2¢ ain't worth much (I tend to take the laid-back slacker approach these days), but it might be better than nothing.

a reply to: ScientificRailgun

What say you, ATS?

What aspect of faith ?
Truth?
Answers to prayers ?
Bad thing happenings in your life that destroy faith.
Faith in God ?

There are many variables

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

In other words, praying does nothing for those who are ill, but more for those who are praying, while those not praying might be too busy trying to help in more productive ways.

I know of at least a few people who could show you how wrong you
are to say that. In fact one lady who suffered an anreurysm along
with a team of her Doctors, would argue that what went on with her,
defies logic. I know her and her husband very well.

originally posted by: ScientificRailgunBecause I want to feel that feeling of unconditional love that the devout always tell me about. That absolute certainty that despite what I suffer through in my waking life, something wonderous awaits me after I die. I'm not afraid to admit that I fear death. I fear the nothingness of non-existence.

Did you feel the nothingness of non-existence before you were born? What makes you think you will feel it after you die? I don't know how to express this.....maybe the unconditional love thing is just something generated within the mind of the believer and doesn't really exists. I love God, God loves me, therefore warm fuzzies. Not being a believer, it's not something I've spent a whole lot of time thinking or worrying about.

a reply to: ScientificRailgun

You can't be born into faith matey.

My wife almost lost her faith because of actions of her family. Fortunately she hasn't but she is a little confused still.

As a dad, I take heart from acts 16:31
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and your household..

Which, in my opinion will lead my children to be saved, even if it's on the deathbed, like the thief on the cross.

I certainly hope and pray that you find peace and I hope you will at some point hear God calling you.

Regards

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: Tangerine
Apparently, you're not happy being an atheist. If you've read many posts written by believers, you realize they're not happy, either. Obviously, the answer to unhappiness isn't religion. Look elsewhere.

What does that even mean?

I thought it was pretty clear. The OP is obviously unhappy. She thinks "believing" (ie. religion) will change that. I said it won't. I suggested she find happiness some other way.

It occurred to me that you think the post was directed at you. It wasn't. Sorry if that's what you thought.

originally posted by: Tangerine

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: Tangerine
Apparently, you're not happy being an atheist. If you've read many posts written by believers, you realize they're not happy, either. Obviously, the answer to unhappiness isn't religion. Look elsewhere.

What does that even mean?

I thought it was pretty clear. The OP is obviously unhappy. She thinks "believing" (ie. religion) will change that. I said it won't. I suggested she find happiness some other way.

It occurred to me that you think the post was directed at you. It wasn't. Sorry if that's what you thought.

Why would I think the post was directed at me?

Thanks that is clearer now.

I don't think the OP is unhappy. I think it's just one curious thing in her life she doesn't understand missing out on.

I never got it either. Sure, I'd like to be part of the "party" --- to belong. But, it's never going to happen. It's not who I am.