Do you ever wish that you believed in God?

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

Like many other people, life has been kicking me repeatedly in the nuts for the last year. I won't bore you with the details, but I have lost security in every area of my life, and each time I think things are going to improve, they get worse.

I don't believe in God, and I've never envied those who do. But now...it would be so comforting to have some faith that there is some overall plan, and that all will be well, if only in the afterlife. I know some people who fully believe in God and I know they find it a huge support. It's obviously not something you can choose to believe, but if I could, I would be very tempted right now.

Am I alone in this, or do my fellow atheists have similar thoughts?

No, it wouldn't offer me any comfort. I prefer to be a realist.

Yes, life can be unfair and unkind but believing in something that I personally think is a fairly tale wouldn't offer me any comfort, I would just be burying my head in the sand and not facing the truth that we only have this life, and that's ok.

@MajesticWhine Do I ever think 'what's the point', if we are all insignificant?

No. I feel we're a tiny speck in time and space, and we've got an amazing opportunity to experience something wonderful - life. Especially as I've been lucky enough to be born into a pretty privileged life (not perfect - I have multiple disabilities). But any book written/political career/symphony composed/business success will be forgotten within a few hundred years at most, probably my lifetime, in reality, and the whole universe will burn up anyway one day. That takes a lot of pressure off. Realising how very insignificant I am in the longer run allows me the freedom to find enjoyment where I can in life now, and make it as good as I can for other people too. I don't see what else I can do, and it's more than enough. It doesn't stop me writing books, or having a career where I help people, but the point of the job and hobbies is not to be 'great', but to enjoy myself as much as I can in the decades I have on earth, and hopefully have a positive impact on other people's lives too.

I suppose you might call it humanistic hedonism?

Yes I have! Specifically the belief in an afterlife - I fear the unknown and things out of my control, so thing it must be comforting to believe there is an afterlife. I also sometimes get existential crisis and wonder if religion would help there.

But like others on this thread, I just can't believe in a God (brought up by atheists on all sides, and with a family history of fearing being associated with their birth religion due to persecution) And I am also another one who has seen how much harm has been/is being done in the name of religion (of many kinds).

No, it's not something I have ever wished. For me, it's like you asking me if I wish I could fly, or grow a mermaid's tail - I don't wish for it because it's completely impossible.

you can still believe in the divine and the miraculous. Look around, what nature and man have created, it's actually a miracle.

This is the Nature Is Good fallacy. It isn't good - it is entirely predicated on killing and suffering. Bigger/faster/smarter animals kill and eat weaker ones. That is how the world operates. A miracle?....more of an aberration I feel.

If we meet folk again in an afterlife, do I get to pick who I meet or will I be stuck for eternity with someone I never liked?! - help no!!!

Pollaidh - I do agree that a sense of one's own insignificance is liberating.

Some peoples faith is so strong. My nan-in-law was a very strong believer. She lived to 104 and spoke to God every day sometimes 3 or 4 times. She outlived lots of friends and family and never got upset when family or friends died as God needed them with him. She saw horrible things and went through lots of tough times but this made her faith stronger - without her faith she would have surely had a mental breakdown. She is the only one in her family who held onto her faith most of them completely stopping believing after lots of family tragedies but her faith became stronger every time. She was never bitter or angry about any of the bad stuff.

My nan-in-law was a very strong believer. She lived to 104

I've read that active religious belief is associated with better health and greater longevity. This may be partly due to the support of a community, but I also think peace of mind must contribute.

So much suffering and pain in the world if there is a God that has created and allowed this suffering - if I believed in a God why would I want to worship that? Fear yes possibly not worship or derive comfort from. Makes me bloody angry.

I can completely understand where you’re coming from OP.

I wish I had the security of belief that I’d meet my loved ones in heaven and all this suffering would be in vein.

As you say though, it’s not a choice really. Perhaps for some it is, but if I could get away with tricking myself, then I often think I would. Particularly through difficult times personally, but I’d be kidding myself to try to do things to appear religious.

I find it fascinating that so many people hold such strong faiths. On the one hand I’m almost envious of them, but then in the other, I suppose I have some pitty for them for (imo) fir genuinely believing God will look after them and there’s a place called heaven

Anyway, I hear you! But my brain just couldn’t start ‘trying’ to believe

suffering would not be in vein I mean

Fuck, no.

I had quite enough brainwashing with that bullshit when I was a child. Catholic schools, mass every Sunday, confession, communion, confirmation. By the time I was 15, I had had enough and binned religion completely. Apart from weddings & funerals, I have never set foot in a church since.

Absolutely not, I think it's completely delusional.

I do and find it a comfort - one of my best friends doesn't at all and has very strong views on it. It's all about personal opinion I guess

Since my DM died suddenly in October I’ve walked past the cathedral a few times and wished I could go in and feel comforted.

It’s mainly been knowing how good it would feel if I thought she was looking down on me.

Absolutely not, I wouldn’t want someone so horribly cruel to ever exist.

I’d recommend that those who feel this way learn meditation. Puts you right in touch with the spiritual aspect of life and you don’t need to accept any of the religious ideas if you don’t want to. DP and I do transcendental meditation and find it helpful.

Yes, I do occasionally - I feel like it would be a great comfort to me during tough times and I like the idea of being part of a community.

However, I would say these thoughts are fleeting as I am agnostic.

I don’t really want to believe in a theistic godhead figure. A deterministic life, governed by another being. Concepts routed in time. Gods are largely projections of the human soul all that can be found in gods can be found within.

I prefer to develop the god within, develop my own connection with the divine in all things - recognise the polarities of existence and try and marry them within my own life. Learn to bless the good and the bad. Develop strength and responsibility within the self rather than look to external sources.

No, it looks craven and cringing to me, this deity who appears to be on a permanent tea break but nonetheless needs to be worshipped and praised all the time.

I love much of the art and music Christianity has produced, but I find religious belief in educated people in the 21stc juvenile.

It is very comforting, reassuring and gives inner peace.

Someone at the beginning of the thread said she thought you may need to start as a child. That is incorrect thankfully.
A lot of people actually become more interested in their 60s for example.

God says "Seek and you will find".
It is a process.

@SalemsPot22

As a satanist that would be weird for me

I'm intrigued by this! I hope you don't mind me asking, but assuming you believe Satan exists, do you not by default believe that God exists? (sorry if I'm simplifying it too much, I can't think of any other way to word it)

I wouldn't even want to have a cup of tea with god if he was real.
He is homophobic, misogynist, supports slavery, by his own admission, wrathful, jealous, quick to temper.

The 10 commandments are a joke, the first five all about his narcissisim, no idols, don't use my name in a bad way, then goes on to talk of women as property, tells us to respect our parents - whether or not they deserve it.

I mean he could have slipped a decent commandment into the list lik- "Don't own people as property" would have been a start.
The whole chritian ethos tells you you are a pile of sinful crap, won;t make it on your own, but if you come to him he will look after you.

If god was your husband he would be called an abuser

I am glad he is a fictional character.

I studied theology. That gives me a respect for faith.Many of those theologians were brighter and more academic than most of us, some had been scientists before switching to theology. they believe it, the ultimate paradox in the case of Christianity.
When you start reading about it and enquiring on a deep level, for me the unconvincing become convincing. I do believe but I am well aware I may be wrong, The truth is that when death comes all the religious people will not get that moment to realise that all they believed in was not true because there will be no experiencing anything. So I think those with faith have the last laugh. They believe something that makes life easier, whether it is true or not, so faith is very practical in that sense. My friend lost her daughter to sids and their faith got them through the loss. She believes she will be reunited with her daughter and I am so glad she believes it, regardless of any veracity that is impossible to attain in this life.

OP, you can start any time. He knows your backstory.

@greengrassapreciationsociety
I studied theology, too.