To Those Struggling with their Non-Faith:

reply to post by Dustytoad


Thanks pal, now I am having non-faith in my own thread.

Dusty, are you a deist?

Originally posted by Toadmund
It was the hell part that really bugged me, why should I be afraid to question this religious non-truth?

For the very SAME reason that you should be afraid to step in front of a moving train...

You are going to get very VERY hurt.

Here's the thing you are GOING to have to face eventually:

EVERYTHING you believe is a LIE...

We have been lied to about EVERYTHING...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Spirituality is the ultimate conspiracy and it is the elite's PRIMARY target
www.abovetopsecret.com...

We have been conditioned to DENY REALITY
www.abovetopsecret.com...

There is a VAST Satanic conspiracy behind false religions to deceive every person on earth
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by Toadmund
reply to post by Dustytoad

 

Thanks pal, now I am having non-faith in my own thread.

Dusty, are you a deist?

I had to look that up.. Kind of?
My god may be different from how many use the word as mine is more of the Force in star wars.. Not a dude with hands and judgments actions and personality..
I don't think anyone can know anything is more my philosophy.

Buddhist mostly I guess.



Heres a little help..
Jesus the Sun of God just died on the cross, but in three days on the 25th he will start rising again from the lowest point in the sky. The birth of the Sun.. Haha. And yet some enlightened light being named Jesus came to me and set me free.. To each their own.

How's that for someone who merged with the infinite conscious golden liquid bliss light..

haha.. Let the non faith roll man..

How do you struggle with non-faith? I don't think I get it. Is it because Christmas is based on a religious belief? Seems to me to be the perfect time to poke fun at people's beliefs and how the religious holiday has been turned into a zombie-like consumer festival. If there was ever a time to feel nice and smug, seems like now.

OKAY.
As you can probably tell from my avatar I might be labeled as one of those "Red Neck Christians".
With that being said, I do not understand the reasoning behind your thread. I think it may have a deeper meaning.

As children we (my brothers and I) were not forced to go to church. I can only remember going a hand full of times.
As I grew older I made my own choices and found what I had been seeking. I can not explain it but in my faith I have found peace.
If you feel the need to separate yourself from Christianity, that is something you will have to deal with. That is YOUR choice just like it is mine to believe.
I have read the Bible all the way through but I do not frequent a church. I find that there is too much of MAN in some churches.
Peace be still, all is well,
Quad

reply to post by Jeremiah65


A lot of people struggle with non faith, usually people that ask a lot of questions and are suspect of anything they are told which generates questions.
Then you get religious people that tell you you are going to hell if you don't believe, like a recent poster above made clear.
How many people are religious simply because they are scared?
How many people are religious because it makes them feel good, special, and believe they are going to heaven for simply believing, no matter how much they have sinned, all is forgiven.

I have struggled to believe for many years, I could not do it, logic told me it was weird, other smart people helped me realise that it's mythology.

All hail Zeus!

reply to post by Quadrivium


So, you've never questioned your beliefs?
Never?

Is there some people that never wonder about their faith?
What is it that blocks enquiry?

PS, do you believe prayer works?

Originally posted by Toadmund
reply to post by Quadrivium

 

So, you've never questioned your beliefs?
Never?

Of course I have. I believe everyone with faith questions it. Many times I find it strengthens my faith.

What is it that blocks enquiry?

Nothing that I know of.

PS, do you believe prayer works?

Yes. I found it has for me at least.

May I ask what type of Church you were attending?

reply to post by Toadmund


I can't really give ya much help on questions like those. i think those are the types of questions that you can only answer for yourself. I read all theology and philosophy. I do this so I might better understand the mind of mankind and why people do things and behave the way they do. I do not hold one far above another. I believe there is wisdom in all of them.

My avatar title on this board (self assigned title I mean) is "Seeker of knowledge" and that is basically who and what I am. I have an unquenchable desire to feed my brain with info. Sometimes it is basic science and history...sometimes a little more "fringe" stuff. Behind it all though is philosophy and theology. Attempting to understand why people do the things they do.

reply to post by Toadmund


We don't choose God. It's the opposite. He prepares us for faith or we have none.

John 6

65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

We then see the same idea in John 2:

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

It's not so much us knowing God. It's God knowing us. But why? I think it is tied to Jesus words about baptism. He said, "You must be born again." In other words, he already knows us at this point 6000 years later. Is this it then? Can we not come to God now?

How many thieves were on the cross and how many made it off into paradise? There were two and only one repented. This is the purpose of our baptism into the waters of life. Did the Thief on the cross do ANYTHING to earn his salvation? No, he simply saw the truth. He was the first person into paradise based on his faith alone.

What made him believe?

Isaiah 53:12 says; "Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors."

The He here is Christ. Again, why did the one thief receive salvation?

Like 23

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

He believed and asked him. Simple. He was sincere and humble. He recognized his own sin and knew he was justly sentenced. Christ, on the other hand, was suffering for us unjustly. He made this choice willingly. Fear is humbled deference for the authority of God. It's another name for respect. Love respects others over self. This is the key to love. God gives and receives. So should we. The thief takes. The thief in question turned from the sin, even at the last minute.

reply to post by EnochWasRight


Thank-you for that EWR.
I have read those verses many times. You helped bring out a meaning I had not thought of.
Thanks

reply to post by Jeremiah65


I do a lot of reading too, like a compulsion to learn new things, like an itch that can't be stopped.
.................................................

To all you religious people coming here, please tell us about your times of unfaith, that is why you are here right?

Come on admit your faith is faulty.

You know you have doubts at times, fess up.
That is the topic of this thread, non-faith and letting go of superstition.

reply to post by Toadmund


For me I gave up faith in other people to tell me anything when I realized that no one had all the answers..

This lead me to the realization that everyone had some truths even if they found them the wrong way..

I still question my faith in humanity off and on, but I find myself being more and more ok with what ever happens, because at least I am choosing my own path, without relying on any one elses beliefs.

ATS challenges my faith all the time..

It only makes me stronger.

I have hope now.

This is completely unrelated to any God concept I mentioned earlier.. Just faith in consciousness overcoming unconsciousness..

This is one of those things that when you lose faith in it, I did for years at a time, it can be very depressing. Losing faith in a creator or a force is much more forgiving.. Than losing faith in life...

Originally posted by EnochWasRight
reply to post by Toadmund

 

We don't choose God. It's the opposite. He prepares us for faith or we have none.

So, you are chosen by god, how special.

All the rest of us are just not good enough.
If we have lack of faith, god did that to us, put doubt in our minds.
What kind of a sick mind game is that?

Originally posted by Toadmund

Originally posted by EnochWasRight
reply to post by Toadmund

 

We don't choose God. It's the opposite. He prepares us for faith or we have none.

So, you are chosen by god, how special.

All the rest of us are just not good enough.
If we have lack of faith, god did that to us, put doubt in our minds.
What kind of a sick mind game is that?

Why so negative toadmund?
You may have had a bad experience yet you do not know what is in the hearts of others.
I am sorry for what ever happened. I hope you can come to terms with it. Don't let it eat away at you.
Peace be still, All is well.

reply to post by Quadrivium


I can tell you know God, even as I disagree with the christian ideal..
Spread that Love man, I like it.
It really is ok.

Originally posted by Quadrivium

Why so negative toadmund?
You may have had a bad experience yet you do not know what is in the hearts of others.
I am sorry for what ever happened. I hope you can come to terms with it. Don't let it eat away at you.
Peace be still, All is well.

Why are you writing all this? Don't put words in my mouth.
You assume because I question religion that I am being negative and that it was a result of some sort of 'what ever happened'?
That I got mad at god and decided I would turn atheist?

What are you implying? And as the title of the thread asks, Quadrivium, how are you dealing with doubt? Don't admit you've never doubted.
That's why you are here right, or are you trying to convert?

reply to post by Toadmund

Perhaps you missed this post earlier www.abovetopsecret.com...

As far as dealing with my doubt? I don't. I accept it and move on. I understand that at times I will doubt as everyone will. Read Job perhaps you will understand.

I do not have a motive here. I saw the title, thought it was interesting and put in my two cents. That's all
eta

You assume because I question religion that I am being negative and that it was a result of some sort of 'what ever happened'?

It's not that you are questioning religion but the way in which you are questioning. The way you post, it just seems that you may have had a bad experience. Sorry if I offended you.

reply to post by Quadrivium


No offence, I am stronger than you think.
And for some reason I forgot it was you that already expressed doubts do occur, my mistake.
I mean to direct it at the Marty Feldman avatar guy, yeah, him.

I'm not angry at anyone, or mean malice, I tend to blurt out, it's part of my condition.

Nobody knows.

That's just the way it is.