To not understand how these people still believe in God

[Deskboundsally]

ITV news just now reporting on the drought in Somalia. Children dying from starvation, cholera and dehydration. One woman who has lost 7 children. Another woman with a baby in a ramshackle hospital bed, literally skin and bones. The worst drought in 100 years and still they believe Allah will come and help them.

How? How do people have that kind of faith? In the face of dying children, dead crops and cattle and presumably god/allah whomever could just make it rain....how do they still believe that he's going to intervene or even that he's actually real?

Is it some extreme brainwashing that you can only see if you're on the outside? I genuinely do not get it.

I saw it too. It was so harrowing.

I think at this point, 'Allah' is her only 'hope' and probably all she has left.

But it doesn't make sense to me either really.

Personally I find it much more incomprehensible when people do believe then stop believing because something bad happens to them. If you believe in God (I don't ) then it is surely in the full and certain knowledge that terrible, awful things happen to innocent people all the time.

Last drop of hope I suppose. Some people cling on to it for their own sake and deep down they probably know it's bullshit

I second Worra. Her faith may be all she has left, for as long as believes there is still hope. If she gives up her faith she will be accepting the dire situation she is in without any hope of change. Or she may know that the situation is hopeless and she continues to believe in the hope of heaven (or equivalent). I also think that people with faith (I don't) tend to have unshakable beliefs- they know their faith will be tested but it always prevails.

It's only fairly recently in this country (UK) that many/most people have stopped believing in God - and yet human suffering is at an all time low. Hundreds of years ago, it would have been commonplace for children to die young, mothers to die in childbirth etc, and yet everyone believed in God. It seems that suffering can make you believe in God more, not less. Perhaps because we need the belief to get us through tough times, else we would just give up?

I don't get it either. But when you think about it, those poor women have lost everything on this earth. Religion gives them hope that on the other side it will be better. So either they drown in despair and just stop living altogether, or they believe and keep going.

In some parts of the world, unfortunately, losing 7-8 kids is something parents need to learn to expect. Several friends' refugee parents lost up to six kids to things we'd class as unthinkable now - chicken pox, diarrhoea, flu etc. They died because the medical standards in those countries was awful or non-existant

When you are entrenched in that world/culture its normal. Dont we read every day here of people in awful relationships that stay in it becuase its all they know?

In cases like these, it has all the hallmarks of an abusive relationship in my opinion. They are at the mercy of 'god's will' and all they can do is hope he hears their cries for help.
I think from a psychological point of view a belief that someone will come and fix it somehow, is what keeps them going, and if not, well then our loved ones are in a 'better place' or its 'part of god plan'
It counters the intense helplessness of the situation, for a mother not to be able to actively help her child, or comfort them when they are suffering must be the cruelest feeling. I really feel for them.

I wonder what would happen if they all just said fuck god and threw it all out? They decided we only get one life and we are unbelievably lucky to be able to live it so lets make it the best. Lets stop oppressing, stop killing, stop segregating and judging in the name of god/allah/yahweh they are all the same and start building a society based on progression, mutual respect and compassion, and reasoning. Yes there are political issues at play too, but I think it would be a start.

That makes sense. But then how do they not hate him/her/it. If they believe god brings the rain and could save the.

Urgh it was just such an awful report, I was cursing the world earlier because DS spilt the milk everywhere and I had to get in my car and drive to get some for the morning

X post with wizzy re: abusive relationships.

Would they really be any better off believing in their corrupt government who couldn't care a toss if a third of the population died so long as they still had servants and expensive cars and would probably crush any rebellion with guns?

Deskbound... because if God brings the rain then they/he/she has chosen not to bring it for good reason. Often punishment for the sins of humanity.

God is a sadist seemingly.

But yes. An ideology costs nothing.

Troll, i don't think you will find that Islam teaches that suffering is some kind of punishment from God. If you don't know about a religion why not research it instead of making judgemental "statements" with no evidence.

Sorry Fruitcorner, not everyone in Somalia is Muslim. I'm not trying to speak for any particular religion.

Nor is it judgemental - the truth is that religious ideology does not cost anything and is steeped in culture which people cling to when all else is dark.

Maybe it's the 300 families that own the world and all their servants they should hate, not Allah.

The OP referred to Allah which is where Islam came from. I am sure there are other religions and athiests in Somalia too but we are commenting an a particular post. You've made a comment which suggests you think you know what they believe and why. Yes people do cling to their faith and there are thousands of different faiths but the world's largest faiths don't teach that suffering is caused by God as some kind of punishment and your post suggested that they did.

'I wonder what would happen if they all just said fuck god and threw it all out? They decided we only get one life and we are unbelievably lucky to be able to live it so lets make it the best. Lets stop oppressing, stop killing, stop segregating and judging in the name of god/allah/yahweh they are all the same and start building a society based on progression, mutual respect and compassion, and reasoning. '

Eh? Who's 'they'? People trapped in war-torn, famine-afflicted and disease ridden places are hardly in a position to think, 'I'm so lucky, I'll just change philosophies and rebuild my life.'

It's the usual thing of blaming religion instead of those who use religion to manipulate, mistreat, oppress,and start wars. The human beings with free will. Islam teaches compassion,mutual respect, charity and forgiveness etc. It's not "religion" that's to blame for people's poor behaviour, It's the people themselves.

If you want to play semantics... the OP referred to god/allah... it was non specific.
The archetype of vengeful deities is repeated across a lot of religions.

I don't think the OP was expecting a succinct answer to this question (as frankly it's unanswerable), but imho it's not unreasonable to pose a reasonable response to a question.

Especially when there's others on the thread that poopoo religion entirely for you to take umbrage with my post is a bit odd.

Its strange that those who claim that God does not exist, show so much hatred towards Him.

That poor starving woman has her faith that carries her through. She has suffered yet thanks God for the small mercies that we in the West are so accustomed and ungrateful for. We might not see anything in her life worth being thankful for, but that is due to our comfortable and privileged life. Her faith in her Allah gives her strength to carry on through hardships that you and I cannot imagine. Her belief is that her reward for her patience is in the next life. Why does that rile you. If you really care about her, donate some money rather than getting angry with something that you claim doesnt exist.

As I've said before on religious threads, personally I believe in God because of the bad stuff which has happened to me, its an emotional crutch and one I need.

Yes, on one hand you can say how can you believe when x, y or z happens, but on the other hand how can I not believe when the alternative would be accepting that my stillborn children aren't happy in heaven, waiting for me, and that one day I'll be able to hug them again. If I didn't believe I wouldn't have that small and very cold, but necessary (to me) comfort.

I chose to start believing in God as an adult, and there have been times in my life when I've had nothing, literally nothing, but I've had my faith and its been a raft for me to cling to and a light in the darkness.

I certainly took the op to be referring to Muslim women in her particular example hence the Islam reference. I accept she also mentions God/Allah. If a person is an athiest they are an athiest that is their belief and I can't see a point in being annoyed by this. I just took exception to the idea (which i suppose is also suggested in the op) that they believe God is somehow punishing the people by not sending rain, allowing wars to happened etc. Islam, the religion I took the op to be referring to, does not teach this and it is far too simplistic a viewpoint even for many religions that present a vengeful deity. (I absolutely accept there are loads of religions and some do take this viewpoint)

Well said Fruitcomer.

Far stranger that those who believe God exists think worship and praise are an appropriate response to his existence. Indictment would make more sense as placating him with prayers and/or blood clearly doesn't.