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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to make myself believe in god?

999 replies

HopHopHopSkip · 25/07/2013 22:55

I have always been very logical and so despite going to a Christian primary school, having a very religious mum(though not in a pushy way) and reading the bible when I was younger(the story version Grin I was a bit of a book worm) I have never really got my head around how god could be possible.

But I really wish I had the extra "something" that some people seem to find by believing in god. I'm probably not making much sense, but I wish I could get myself to feel like there's somebody watching out, that there's something after death, that everything happens for what'd ultimately a good reason/what's meant to be so on.

AIBU to try going to church for a bit even though I don't believe in god? Or am I just being silly, is it something you can't 'make' yourself feel?

OP posts:
headinhands · 27/07/2013 10:43

So god didn't know what sort of brain he was creating? He just threw a load of random neurones in Adams head? He didn't know what was going to happen?

springytoto · 27/07/2013 10:44

He didn't. We chose that. Whether the Adam and Eve story is true or not, the evidence suggests that we do indeed want to run our own lives; and, in that sense, are sworn enemies of anyone who would try to stop us. It is a primal impulse, hard-wired. I don't believe or disbelieve the A&E story - I'm more concerned with what is going on now, what our world is like now. What the consequences of wanting to run our own show are like now, how that pans out.

i could kidnap my kids, force them to be good and sensible. Would that be love, though.

TimeofChange · 27/07/2013 10:50

Springy: but you cannot control what your DCs do with their lives once they are are certain age.
We all want our DCs to have happy, fulfilling lives without the crap that some of us have, but that doesn't happen.

If we have wealth we can buy our DCs a house, but that won't stop them selling it and bumming round the world with the money, or borrowing money against it for a £150k car or to pay off their gambling debts.

You can support them through school, but at Uni you can't stop them taking drugs, getting drunk every night, dropping out.

springytoto · 27/07/2013 10:52

x-post with headinhands

there is unconditional love but there are also boundaries. I am having to use some serious boundaries with my kids at the moment. It is very painful, as it happens. I don't know how I'm not dead with the pain of it tbh (don't mean to pull on heartstrings, it just is).

Despite glaring evidence to the contrary, I do hope for my kids. 'Love is blind' comes to mind? As God says he is Love, it could be that there is a blindness, a hope, that is bourne out of love. Perhaps love can be stupid. It says 'Love conquers all' but you have to have a lot of wisdom with that.

springytoto · 27/07/2013 10:53

I think that was my point Time

headinhands · 27/07/2013 10:53

would that be love

He would rather people be allowed to kill each other than be prevented from doing so in case it meant they couldn't love him?? Forget the loving him bit. How about he gives a crap about the innocent child? Are you actually thinking through what you're saying?

headinhands · 27/07/2013 10:58

Springy if you don't stop your dcs hurting others I dare say the authorities would step in at some point and I don't see them worrying too much about your dcs loving them.

headinhands · 27/07/2013 11:00

How can we choose the hard wiring of our brain?

As for being in charge of our life it's called surviving and animals will express the same reaction to threats such as fight or flight.

Caster8 · 27/07/2013 11:03

Summary of first few chapters of the first book Genesis, from God's point of view.

God creates earth, sky, water etc.
God creates humankind to rule over the animals etc, and blessed them.
He declared everything very good.
God rested on the seventh day, and made the seventh day Holy.

God makes a garden called Eden. God puts man in there to till it. God makes a woman for a companion for the man. She enticed by a serpent encourages the man also to eat the fruit of a tree. They then both know good and evil.
They have children. People multiply on the earth. God sees that the wickedness of humankind was great on the earth, and that every inclination of their thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.

The crucial point seems to be when they ate the fruit of a particular tree.

Caster8 · 27/07/2013 11:05

"How can we choose the hard wiring of our brain".

It is up to us to try and overcome it.

springytoto · 27/07/2013 11:07

erm are you thinking through what you're saying head ?

People have to choose to love? You don't want a partner who has been told to love you, you want a partner who chooses to love you because you are so adorable

We 'made' our kids, we hope they are going to be decent people who give something to the world. Love is vulnerable.

imo, just as I pray for the right people to cross my kids' paths, I absolutely believe that God is on the hunt for people to do his bidding in the world. imo he will use anybody, anybody at all - as I would with my kids. I'm not fussy if they come to do good, to be a good influence.

to that end, imo God is very much on the case of the 'poor and needy' in the world and cries out for those of us with the means to do something about them. I don't think we can stand up and point at God when so many of us own houses, cars etc - if we are so incensed, why don't we sell them and give it to the poor? I'n not suggesting we should, just that we could but we don't. But don't then blame God for doing nothing about it when we so 'easily' could. The Oxfam IF campaign points out that there is enough food for everyone. It might sound like the old saw but there is truth in it.

springytoto · 27/07/2013 11:11

He would rather people be allowed to kill each other than be prevented from doing so in case it meant they couldn't love him??

I don't get this head - can you explain what you mean?

enpanne · 27/07/2013 11:14

As they say, ignorance is bliss.

See also: reference_data

springytoto · 27/07/2013 11:15

Springy if you don't stop your dcs hurting others I dare say the authorities would step in at some point

that's alright then - phew!

Hmm

(doesn't mean it doesn't HURT head )

headinhands · 27/07/2013 11:17

So Caster if they didn't know good from evil at the point when they decided to eat the fruit why did god hold them accountable for it?

headinhands · 27/07/2013 11:19

Springy why doesn't god stop people hurting innocent children?

headinhands · 27/07/2013 11:20

Why would god make our brains in such a way that it prevents many from accepting him and more importantly causes unspeakable suffering on millions of people

springytoto · 27/07/2013 11:23

What, you mean zap like a wizard?

Not being facetious, genuinely wonder what you mean. Personally, I think it would be great if someone was struck down dead on the spot for hurting a child.

I suppose if it was my child hurting a child, I wouldn't be quite so quick to wish them struck down dead on the spot.

enpanne · 27/07/2013 11:24

God is like the Labour party, if something good happens it's because of them, if something bad happens the Tories did it.

nb I accept this analogy would work in reverse

springytoto · 27/07/2013 11:24

Sorry for nagging - but please could you explain this head

He would rather people be allowed to kill each other than be prevented from doing so in case it meant they couldn't love him??

headinhands · 27/07/2013 11:25

You said something like 'you could kidnap your kids and force them to do good but would that be love' (sorry, can't copy and paste easily on phone)

Love as in not showing them love by kidnapping them or as in them not choosing to do good because they love and want to please you?

Oldandcobwebby · 27/07/2013 11:26

Don't get involved with religion. No! Run for the hills. Run as fast as you can. They will take your money and your time in return for empty promises. They will fill your head with lies.

springytoto · 27/07/2013 11:27

erm.. it has nothing at all to do with them loving me back head . That doesn't come into it at all Confused

headinhands · 27/07/2013 11:27

How does a loving god allow a man to beat up his 3 year old child?

headinhands · 27/07/2013 11:29

What is gods most likely thought process? "I won't stop this man beating up his child because __"