I envy people who have Faith

[BlueBloodedBlue]

I don't but it must be a real comfort to believe in a higher power and have something that gives a meaning to everything.

That's it really.

I feel sorry for them.

I do get envying it, I do.
And I work in a faith school, and I see fabulous things. I see all that's good about religion, which I love and admire.

But it advocates responsibility.
And it's also just wrong. So 🤷‍♀️

I'm not religious, I identify as a humanist. I follow Humanists UK on social media and they share a lot of positive messages about holding a non-religious world view (alongside campaigning on various issues).

There are some lovely quotes here.

I identify as a humanist as well. Massively. But I find it fascinating how humans almost seem to ‘need’ religion. In that, gods have been a part of humanity since records began. And it’s very difficult to replicate the sense of community and belonging that churches often foster.

I do think there is a difference between spirituality and religion. I’m not sure how I would define spirituality but I definitely feel it when in nature or looking at stars.

I'm sorry but I don't.
My mum re-found her faith in middle age. It's brought her nothing but guilt , fear and judgementalism ( if that's even a word!)

I always had a kind of 'I'm spiritual but not religious' faith but nothing concrete. I became a Christian in my 30s and my life completely, completely changed. I felt the presence of Jesus in my life and God's power and love.

A lot of what people are saying about the carrot and stick don't relate to me. It feels like a real, loving, authentic relationship. The more God answers my prayers, the more I trust Him and I don't panic or stress like I did in the past. There is a solid rock of love inside me that I can tap into at any point, day or night. I don't feel like God is some kind of Dr Evil watching me through Spycam, ready to dole out the punishment.

It feels more like a beautifully calm and patient relationship with a loving parent. I fell in love with Jesus, with His person and I have got to know him through prayer and the Bible. It's the most beautiful relationship and I have such a sense of calm and protection that I never had before.

Being a Christian is NOT easy though. In fact, in many ways it makes my life more difficult. There are many things that I didn't care about before but which make me uncomfortable now and many of beliefs are counter-cultural. There's always the chance that people will laugh at you, reject you or get offended by these beliefs. A lot of people engage in pretty low key 'dodgy' things; telling white lies, gossip, fiddling the system and I have to step away from that. People get really annoyed and think you're judging them.

Thankfully I have managed to bobble along in life without ruffling too many feathers, but my faith comes first and if it comes to it and I have to decide, God comes first.

I can’t speak for others but for me, I do think I find life less stressful than I would if I didn’t have religious faith. But I don’t think “God will always make sure I can pay my own bills so I don’t need to stress about it” or that kind of thing.

I don't know that life is less stressful but for me I find my faith brings a core of peace in the midst of the stress, a calm in the storm, an underlying knowledge of the most incredible love.

I'm so sorry to those who have found it judgemental. I love my church family but we're still human and we mess up; I think we'd find that anywhere humans are but it's particularly stark when Christians are trying to hold to a faith that is about loving one another because when they don't it is obvious and so can be very hurtful.

Interestingly I find a lot in common with humanism (apart from the fact I am a Christian of course 🤣) - the actual origins of Christianity are very much in line with the tenets of humanism and in fact historically very much paved the path for beliefs about human rights, dignity and value.

I get that some have experienced churches that seem to be anti-women etc but there are so many that just are not and that find so much liberation for women within scripture in a whole load of really inspiring and unexpected ways.

I think faith evolves over a lifetime and that's ok.

You can have faith without religion though.

I have faith in their being something - sometimes I just call it the universe - a reason, a purpose, a higher power or just a point? I don't have a lot of time for organised religions and their histories. I lost a relative young a few years ago and it made be doubt and question everything. I am still angry about it. But then at the same time something happened to me that came to be the best thing that could have happened for my family. And I wonder if that was the universe's way of balancing the good with the bad. I dunno. I believe in an afterlife. But again, I don't subscribe to the ideas of others about it.

Same

Yes, it must be a comfort. My DM firmly believed that she’d be reunited with my DF after she died. She missed him dreadfully and more than once after he died she said she’d take an overdose, except that ‘I’d be penalised’ - i.e.sternly shut out of heaven as a punishment, so maybe not quite such a comfort after all.

I briefly thought that when my DM died suddenly but I’m actually very comfortable as an atheist.

I'm not religious, but I do believe that everything happens for a reason. I didn't always, but in the last 10 years, a lot of the bad stuff has led to good things so I now have that little comfort that bad isn't always terrible.

I’ve tried to believe but I just don’t. When I was going to church it just did my head in. Trying to look for signs, asking for help but getting no answers, trying to find god’s purpose and will in the trauma unfolding g in my life.

it was a relief to let go of it all. It was a total head fuck.

i’ve found it’s really important to me to feel that I am the one with agency and control in my life. Not to look for something outside to fix things for me.

I do though, envy those who can believe and find comfort and support in that. Though in my experience, these were all people with very nice lives which had worked out well, and we’re able to pat themselves on the back for how faithful god had been to them.

if you do believe though, the community can be great. I envy that a lot.

Can you expand on this please?
I don't feel I have a 'choice' to know that my feet are on the ground and my head on top of my body, for instance. So how is believing in a god - is that what faith is? - a choice? If you believe it you believe it because for some reason I don't understand, you presumably don't have the option to choose or not choose to believe it? I'm utterly mystified by this concept. This is a serious question, I'm really not trying to be goady in any shape or form (in case it sounds like I am!)

People always pair God and Jesus likes it's the only possible connection.

We have a book on philosophy (it's for kids by DK) and it talks about how many people believe there's a God with no Christian links. Meta Physics etc.

It's a really balanced and interesting book. 😌

I'm with you OP

I agree I had faith as a child but also a lot of guilt that I wasn’t the best I could be of my faith. My family is very cultural but not faith strict. They still took me to our place of worship every week. It was great to be part of a community of people. Learn prayer and it’s also where I got married.

I feel now we don’t have time for religion in the same way as we did as children. Sunday that was our religious day and we met family/friends in our place of worship then would go on to each other’s houses. It was a restful time.

I'm a Christian and also have a pretty low tolerance for 'nonsense' so it is possible to have a faith/relationship with God and be a tad cynical about some of the human/cultural practices which have sprung up around the life of Jesus.
My faith has been the thing which has stopped me falling completely apart after a traumatic bereavement and yes, I worry about stuff like cost of living too, but at the same time it's underpinned by this feeling of being secure.

Best advice I ever heard for a person who wants to believe but doesn't/can't, just put out a sincere prayer, 'God, if you're real, please show me'. And then keep an open mind to whatever might happen next.

If is not for you, that's ok! But for me, this is a core part of who I am.

I have seen too many dreadful things happen due to faith, on both a global and family scale to want to have any truck with religion of any type. One particular situation in my wider family has confirmed my views.

I do my best to be tolerant of the majority of religious people.

Interestingly, it's atheists who were the most supportive/least horrified when I became a Christian. Also my Muslim friends were encouraging too. It's the wishy-washy 'spiritual but not religious' types who seemed to have a problem with it, even though I wasn't preachy and just kind of got on with it without involving anyone else. I found this really interesting.

If we were taught to believe in our own selves, in our and others innate goodness and humanity, they way we are brainwashed to believe in a god that had never been proven to exist, the world would be a much better place. So much suffering has been caused because of religion, in the name of a god that has never, ever been seen by any one.

I do believe in something greater, something else but it’s definitely not that god, in that bible, threatening everyone with hell if they don’t love him unconditionally, who lets them suffer needlessly because “it’s part of god’s plan”, or whatever. Why would anyone ever be envious of that? There are potentially so many better belief systems for humanity, and it doesn’t mean having to go down the traditional religious belief route.

does your husband know you feel sorry for him?

I dont. I'm quite happy being an atheist.

I was a Catholic until I was 42. I taught in a Catholic school and I really believed. I now wish I had never heard of the Catholic church. 8 years ago I had a termination because my 16 week fetus had a series of structural problems. I thought I would be able to cope afterwards, that I would find peace with God. However, the guilt I felt was incredible. I saw a priest who made me feel a million times worse and to be honest the guilt he left me with sometimes consumes me. I fear Hell. So I am the opposite to you OP, I wish I could get rid of my faith.