To envy people who have a faith?

[RitaHayworthHair]

I'm an atheist. Absolutely science and fact based in my thoughts and approach to life.

But.

I do envy people who have faith as I'd imagine it must bring great comfort to think there is a god (of their choice obv) looking over them. That good will prevail.

AIBU?

I understand. I’m an atheist but I was religious my entire life until my late 20’s. I don’t know what changed but I’m an atheist now. I think certain subjects such as death would be easier if I had faith in something, but I don’t and I don’t believe it can be forced either.
Losing a loved one is different when you believe you’ll see them again.

Wow. This thread is so interesting to me, as a Muslim.
I've seen scholars say that atheists are half way to God as in Islam the first pillar of Islam is the declaration of faith. The first part is 'There is no God...' which follows with 'but Allah'.

I agree it is comforting knowing we will see our loved ones in the next life. This world is a huge and difficult test for a believer, that's why generally no matter what the world throws at us, we try to remain upbeat. We have a detailed description of everything in the hadith (sayings of the Prophet peace be upon him) on any subject, especially life after death. I recommenf reading it up.

I don't go to the Masjid (mosque) hardly ever. We can pray from home or anywhere but the Masjid is a place where people of all races, wealth classes etc stand side by side in congregational prayer 5 times a day, showing that none of us are better than the next, no matter how healthy or wealthy.
However even with me praying at home, I know there are a billion other Muslims out there who are my brother/sister in faith.

We have several sayings about gossiping/backbiting and the severe punishment for it. Being there for humanity is so important and going behind someone's back has real consequences.

At the end of the day worshipping God reminds us of our short stay on earth and life after death, eternal Paradise for being good.

Honestly without it I'd be lost.

My Faith has got me through some of the worst periods of my life.

Me too. In fact it was when I was in complete crisis (PPA, which rendered me suicidal) that I turned to God. And strangely enough - I'm so grateful for my faith, and the community it brought me to, that I am not sorry that I had to go through the crisis to get there, iyswim.

I'm an atheist and find life much more precious because of it. We get one shot at this with no repeats or pie in the sky promises of ever lasting happiness.

I'm with you on this. I love the idea of the comfort and confidence that faith brings.

İt doesn't need to be science or religion. We have our religious beliefs and live science and marble at how God created such intricate designs and wonders and how everything is so perfectly put together and linked together like the eco system... Yes there is science but God created the science for us to discover and enjoy etc

See, that last sentence @HAhelp101 is what changes my mind of thinking it brings comfort. Not when it means bending facts like that.

I’m an atheist and reassured by my science background as to what does and doesn’t exist.

I was an atheist most of my life and not bought up in a remotely religious house, no one in my family has any religious faith to speak of.

Now as a Christian, I feel everyday the huge comfort and joy it has bought to my life, there is a stark change in the me when I was an atheist to the me now.

I don't for a second condemn anyone who is atheist/agnostic, if that person is truly fulfilled and at peace with those beliefs, then that is great, but for me I know I wasn't, I know I spent my life looking for something that I didn't know what, full of anxiety, I had been on antidepressants after childhood trauma I couldn't work through despite decades trying to and years of counselling and spent years suicidal, and this last year although it has been the hardest in events that have happened in my life, with my faith and those around with their faith I have felt at peace, happy, accepted and full of hope, I haven't needed the medication I did before, but I have probably been the happiest I ever have.

I know it's not a "solution" for everyone, but I do feel very lucky to have a Christian Faith.

How is that bending facts? İ haven't denies science. Science is fundamental. But if you believe in God and that he created everything then surely that means he created science. Or I should say the way he created everything was with science....

@RexMyDarling My aunt was a,regular churchgoer but when she became too ill to attend the minister visited her every week. At my local church all those who are ill are mentioned in prayers .Have you contacted the vicar/ priest at your mum's church ? He/ she might visit your mum.

I'm Jewish. I treat the Torah as a moral code and I'm not what I'd call a massive believer. Yet I love my close-knit, warm, liberal Jewish community deeply. I consider them extended family and they've always been there for me, which is a great comfort in itself. I regularly attend shul for services and observe religious holidays, as it's like a lovely family gathering in our small community.

I know what you mean op.

I think that some people have an internal thing that makes them spiritual and some just don't. I couldn't believe in anything if I wanted to.

Of course many people who practice religion don't believe in it, I'm not telling about them though.

Talking not telling!

What actual facts are we talking about? and how does science disprove God?

I think the world would be a far better place if all the religions realised that God doesn’t favour them alone. I hate when religions require all the different rituals and people follow blindly. It isn’t necessary.

Restawhile77 - It’s the Book of Genesis v all life evolving from primitive single celled organisms.

Absolutely OP, I’d love to have faith. I’m sure it’s an enormous comfort.

However I simply cannot believe in any traditional
versions of an afterlife, so I’ll have to do without it.

I'm a Christian and yes, one of the 'fruits of the Spirit', the benefits of inviting God in the form of the Holy Spirit into your life is peace.

I do know several scientists who are Christian, not everyone sees the two as mutually exclusive.

I’m not envious of people who are brainwashed. I feel sorry for them

I'm not sure why non-religious people think all religious people believe wholeheartedly that every word of religious texts is true. Some do, but the more liberal branches of Christianity and Judaism interpret what is written. It's not a binary between believing in hard science and believing that a magical deity conjured everything out of thin air.

I can't say I do envy them. Most of the people I know with a faith or religion cherry-pick what they want from it to fit round their life.

For example, one doesn't believe in Satan and the idea of heaven and hell because they can't accept an 'all-loving' G-d would create Satan. But will accept the genocide at the time of Noah 🤷‍♀️

I can also cherry-pick the comforts in life. They're just based on what I choose.

I have faith, but I haven't yet found a religious community where how I feel about faith kind of 'fits' in. I often find myself being preached at or told how I should feel about something, or in some kind of strange competition regarding how strong the faith is in someone else. How I feel about faith doesn't fit into any of that at all. I am struggling to put it into words here either so that may be part of my problem! I don't understand it myself yet, it just is.

I have a faith, but God is not essential to me. Like Bezalelle, the community and the structure of the year play a large part life. As well as the sense of community, what my faith gives me is a sense of purpose that is greater than being a mother or having a career. It is guidance on how to be the best person I can be, a life ethic.

Sometimes I read novels set in faith communities and slightly envy them the strong sense of purpose, of self-knowledge and of submission to their higher authority. So I understand what you're getting at, OP, but ultimately I'd rather have self-determination than submission.

And because it just 'is', it holds all experiences, nothing exists outside it. Therefore it has meant I have completely reframed what is 'good' and 'bad' or 'positive' and 'negative'. There's no comfort in that whatsoever, in fact it has been some of the scariest 'truths' I have ever sat with.