Christian losing faith in God

[Anonymous]

Another fake post. Op is desperately seeking help with no family and no hope, crying and broken. Op needs advice.

Op makes a single post begging for help and wisdom, but 4 days later had not responded to any posts, answered any questions, or followed up in anyway?

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend the podcast “Faith for Normal People” two pastors who grew up in evangelical faiths, went to Bible school and have managed to integrate faith and doubt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You’ll be ok. It’s normal to waver but the seed is planted in you. When you are on your deathbed it comes into overwhelming focus that the only lifeline from heaven is Jesus. Once every earthly issue and care is irrelevant and trivial your post death peril needs immediate attention.

Agree.

When you start to feel like you’re having a heart attack…or your plane plunges it’s amazing how quickly you find your faith was always there and how unimportant global warming becomes.

My friend have promised to put a stake through my heart and sever my spinal cord and then cremated me after I die, so I'm clear on the post-death peril.
But thanks anyway, Buffy.

Imagine having a God so petty and monstrously vindictive that he tortures souls for sport in their final moments.

If you can't find a way to make your religion not look exactly like a scam, your religion is a scam.



"I'll gladly pay you a chorus of angels in the afterlife of you'll ghoulishly harass your family, friends, and neighbors today"

You don’t believe in God, so why do you think the non-existent God you don’t believe in tortures people?

You don’t make any sense. You are mad at an entity you don’t believe in.

DP. You might want to take that back after you look up the word "imagine" in the dictionary.

PP typed "Imagine having a God so petty and monstrously vindictive that he tortures souls for sport in their final moments."

Pretty common, simple word. But you apparently need to look it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs saying losing their faith was a relief, can you explain how? For me, losing faith would mean all my suffering (and suffering of others) is meaningless. And more important, that all the love and joy I experience are equally meaningless, to be snatched away at possibly at moment for no reason, no justice, no point.

I'll answer: Reality is wonderful, and you can spend your time maximizing the value what you know you have and not worrying about afterlife or any other unlikely supernatural thing. It's liberating. And rewarding - you act good because you choose too, which means you ARE good, and not because of fear of eternal retribution. I have many more reasons, but for this thread and your question that should suffice.

What confuses me is how suffering in meaningful? Why would it make more sense that a supreme being was permitting your suffering (when they could change it), rather than the fact that it is simply an unfortunate part of life?

Even more confusing: how would love and joy be meaningless in any context? (Aside from that being logically impossible).

Love and joy would just be meaningless neurotransmitters firing. As would be your “choice” to do good.

That's demonstrably false, and dumb as well, as it is logically impossible. How could joy not be joyful? It's a square circle. Not possible.

Joy can be joyful and also have no “meaning.” Meaning is just a value you assign to something. If you don’t value joy, then it’s meaningless.

No, sorry. If you don't value a thing, then you won't feel joy about it. Joy is the RESULT. If you feel joy, OBVIOUSLY you value it. Your statements make no logical sense. Sorry to have to say it. You're trying to prove a square circle. It's not logically possible.

Repeating "square circle" over and over again doesn't triangle the cylinder.

Joy is an emotional response to a stimulus, it's not a logical response to anything.

Exactly. If you are feeling joy, it is because of the stimulus you value, not independent of it.

If you don't value the stimulus item, you wont feel the joy. The FACT that it has meaning is the only reason you feel it.

And I only need to keep repeating "square circle" because you keep asserting one. So stop that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs saying losing their faith was a relief, can you explain how? For me, losing faith would mean all my suffering (and suffering of others) is meaningless. And more important, that all the love and joy I experience are equally meaningless, to be snatched away at possibly at moment for no reason, no justice, no point.

NP…but why do you need meaning? How does the story behind your joy or suffering change the experience?

The point of it all is the point. When I embraced that I found a sense of relief. And, surprisingly, I found that myself open to faith again, just not the Christian god of the Bible.

I'm frankly shocked at all the posters wondering why we need meaning. All of existence is about meaning. The difference between doing an action with and without meaning is really worlds apart. You all should read "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor. In his observation, those who survived the holocaust were those who found meaning in their suffering. The others perished in their hopelessness and despair. You think you don't need meaning because we mostly live in a safe sterile bubble, but those who encounter great suffering either find/latch onto meaning and grow through their suffering or they die, inside or altogether.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs saying losing their faith was a relief, can you explain how? For me, losing faith would mean all my suffering (and suffering of others) is meaningless. And more important, that all the love and joy I experience are equally meaningless, to be snatched away at possibly at moment for no reason, no justice, no point.

NP…but why do you need meaning? How does the story behind your joy or suffering change the experience?

The point of it all is the point. When I embraced that I found a sense of relief. And, surprisingly, I found that myself open to faith again, just not the Christian god of the Bible.

I'm frankly shocked at all the posters wondering why we need meaning. All of existence is about meaning. The difference between doing an action with and without meaning is really worlds apart. You all should read "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor. In his observation, those who survived the holocaust were those who found meaning in their suffering. The others perished in their hopelessness and despair. You think you don't need meaning because we mostly live in a safe sterile bubble, but those who encounter great suffering either find/latch onto meaning and grow through their suffering or they die, inside or altogether.

I think what they mean is why do you need an outside source for meaning.

The point you make supports that, and your reference indicates that survivors chose to find meeting in their struggle and that made them survive. Makes perfect sense to me. No God necessary for that and certainly would be hard to believe there was one given the hell on earth those poor people endured. That’s the best kind of evidence against the existence of God, or at least against the idea if he does exist that he should be worshiped.

[Anonymous]

No advice OP, just hugs. Life is hard and it can be difficult to find God in the midst of pain/grief. I hope you are able to find peace- hopefully some of the earlier posts help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs saying losing their faith was a relief, can you explain how? For me, losing faith would mean all my suffering (and suffering of others) is meaningless. And more important, that all the love and joy I experience are equally meaningless, to be snatched away at possibly at moment for no reason, no justice, no point.

NP…but why do you need meaning? How does the story behind your joy or suffering change the experience?

The point of it all is the point. When I embraced that I found a sense of relief. And, surprisingly, I found that myself open to faith again, just not the Christian god of the Bible.

I'm frankly shocked at all the posters wondering why we need meaning. All of existence is about meaning. The difference between doing an action with and without meaning is really worlds apart. You all should read "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor. In his observation, those who survived the holocaust were those who found meaning in their suffering. The others perished in their hopelessness and despair. You think you don't need meaning because we mostly live in a safe sterile bubble, but those who encounter great suffering either find/latch onto meaning and grow through their suffering or they die, inside or altogether.

What the fck, dude.

Meaning provides immunity to Zyklon B and bullet rounds?!?!

You are disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs saying losing their faith was a relief, can you explain how? For me, losing faith would mean all my suffering (and suffering of others) is meaningless. And more important, that all the love and joy I experience are equally meaningless, to be snatched away at possibly at moment for no reason, no justice, no point.

NP…but why do you need meaning? How does the story behind your joy or suffering change the experience?

The point of it all is the point. When I embraced that I found a sense of relief. And, surprisingly, I found that myself open to faith again, just not the Christian god of the Bible.

I'm frankly shocked at all the posters wondering why we need meaning. All of existence is about meaning. The difference between doing an action with and without meaning is really worlds apart. You all should read "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor. In his observation, those who survived the holocaust were those who found meaning in their suffering. The others perished in their hopelessness and despair. You think you don't need meaning because we mostly live in a safe sterile bubble, but those who encounter great suffering either find/latch onto meaning and grow through their suffering or they die, inside or altogether.

I think what they mean is why do you need an outside source for meaning.

The point you make supports that, and your reference indicates that survivors chose to find meeting in their struggle and that made them survive. Makes perfect sense to me. No God necessary for that and certainly would be hard to believe there was one given the hell on earth those poor people endured. That’s the best kind of evidence against the existence of God, or at least against the idea if he does exist that he should be worshiped.

There was a great comment in the movie Wallenberg from one of the hiding jews that humans were God and were killing him.

[Anonymous]

Sorry the movie was titled Good Evening Mr. Wallenberg

[Anonymous]

I mean, if the horrible really unspeakable things happening to children all over the world don't make you lose belief in a benevolent god...

If there is a god, I would be terrified because he's evil AF if you look around at this world.

[Anonymous]

What was meant by the comment to me was that humans have the capacity to shine light or darkness onto the world. And that can be achieved through suffering and through joy.

[Anonymous]

You all are arguing over a troll post. op was crying about their issue when they posted 4 days ago and never has responded or replied or answered any questions.

It’s just another post for atheists to rail on about how happy they are, in a religious forum. Do atheists ever talk about anything but God and religion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You’ll be ok. It’s normal to waver but the seed is planted in you. When you are on your deathbed it comes into overwhelming focus that the only lifeline from heaven is Jesus. Once every earthly issue and care is irrelevant and trivial your post death peril needs immediate attention.

Agree.

When you start to feel like you’re having a heart attack…or your plane plunges it’s amazing how quickly you find your faith was always there and how unimportant global warming becomes.

My friend have promised to put a stake through my heart and sever my spinal cord and then cremated me after I die, so I'm clear on the post-death peril.
But thanks anyway, Buffy.

Imagine having a God so petty and monstrously vindictive that he tortures souls for sport in their final moments.

If you can't find a way to make your religion not look exactly like a scam, your religion is a scam.



"I'll gladly pay you a chorus of angels in the afterlife of you'll ghoulishly harass your family, friends, and neighbors today"

You don’t believe in God, so why do you think the non-existent God you don’t believe in tortures people?

You don’t make any sense. You are mad at an entity you don’t believe in.

DP. You might want to take that back after you look up the word "imagine" in the dictionary.

PP typed "Imagine having a God so petty and monstrously vindictive that he tortures souls for sport in their final moments."

Pretty common, simple word. But you
apparently need to look it up.

Yes, you and pp are seething about an “imaginary” (to you) God.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You’ll be ok. It’s normal to waver but the seed is planted in you. When you are on your deathbed it comes into overwhelming focus that the only lifeline from heaven is Jesus. Once every earthly issue and care is irrelevant and trivial your post death peril needs immediate attention.

Agree.

When you start to feel like you’re having a heart attack…or your plane plunges it’s amazing how quickly you find your faith was always there and how unimportant global warming becomes.

My friend have promised to put a stake through my heart and sever my spinal cord and then cremated me after I die, so I'm clear on the post-death peril.
But thanks anyway, Buffy.

Imagine having a God so petty and monstrously vindictive that he tortures souls for sport in their final moments.

If you can't find a way to make your religion not look exactly like a scam, your religion is a scam.



"I'll gladly pay you a chorus of angels in the afterlife of you'll ghoulishly harass your family, friends, and neighbors today"

You don’t believe in God, so why do you think the non-existent God you don’t believe in tortures people?

You don’t make any sense. You are mad at an entity you don’t believe in.

DP. You might want to take that back after you look up the word "imagine" in the dictionary.

PP typed "Imagine having a God so petty and monstrously vindictive that he tortures souls for sport in their final moments."

Pretty common, simple word. But you
apparently need to look it up.

Yes, you and pp are seething about an “imaginary” (to you) God.

Nope! Wrong again!