I don’t think I believe in “God” anymore

[anonymous1120]

I feel really low today, my trigger was reading an online story about how Madeline’s body might be found in a few days as police think it’s 30 mins from hotel in a well. I’m sorry I stopped reading so details might not be fully accurate. My eldest daughter has just turned 4 and it’s really upset me thinking what Maddie might have gone through in her last moments.

I know some people will respond negatively to me and hence the name change. I’m really struggling to think how can God really exist and let awful and evil things happen all the time. My faith has really been tested over the years and I do not believe in God anymore.

Is your non-belief a problem for you? If you don't believe, you don't believe. A great many don't and muddle through life arguably none the worse for it.

It may not even be a permanent state for you - faith can wax and wane over time.

I used to believe in God and when I stopped it was like a weight was lifted off.my shoulders. I felt angry for a long time because I felt I'd wasted time believing in God but now I feel grateful that I had the experience of faith as it helps give.me empathy for those who still believe.

I find it more unreasonable to believe in God, personally.

Welcome to atheism OP, start reading and open your mind, come on in, the waters lovely.

I’m sorry you’re feeling like this OP.
But I don’t think I could stop believing in God. Purely because I like to believe that all children that die go to heaven

Of course yanbu to stop believing. If you dont believe then you don't believe.

I tried to stop believing in God and found that I can't. I was very angry and yelled at him a lot though!

I find that when anything bad happens like a murder, war, famine etc. people are very quick to blame ‘God’, as if they need some sort out outlet for their anger and someone to point their finger at (despite, ironically, these issues being man-made so arguably nothing to do with God). But whenever anything positive happens in life, how often do you hear people praising God or giving him any sort of credit? Hardly ever.

Not an insult to anyone by the way, simply an observation.

What I mean to say is. Madeline’s final hours may have been awful but in my eyes at least she’s in heaven now.
But I do feel sick to the stomach even thinking about it. I just can’t!!!

'God' has been giving cancer and other insufferable diseases to children and adults alike all along.

If he's real, he's really not someone I want to end up with eternally anyway

I cannot think of one good reason to believe in a god, certainly not one that has free will. Besides, I wouldn't know which one to pick or which story to believe.

Not believing in God is fine! Some of the loveliest, most thoughtful people I know are agnostic or atheist. While I'm sure there are a great many lovely religious folk out there too - some of the nastiest people I've met have been regular church goers. Religion is nice if you want it. If you don't, just embrace your non belief!

Welcome to the club, it’s a good place to be.

If there was a God, why would he take children away from their loving parents, causing distress and trauma? Why would he allow people to be ill or have pain? If God is a loving creature with empathy that his followers should have why is it not bestowed upon us? Why is the plan of God one that includes pain and suffering and no explanation other than it’s the plan?

I honestly can’t understand it.

People can be kind and lead good lives without the fear, confusion and guilt religion can bring. In my opinion, people who “trust in God” or leave it to God are copping out.

God gave man free will,

Man uses that free will to do evil deeds,

God doesn't intervene, because it would mean taking back our free will.

Evil will be judged on judgment day.

Madeline Experienced trauma and true horror, but God, would have been weeping for both his children. One lost to a life of crime and depravity, and one lost as a victim of the aforementioned.

Horrible things happen every day. I take no comfort in the possibility that the universe is amoral.

@itsallgitsandshiggles

God gave man free will,

Man uses that free will to do evil deeds,

God doesn't intervene, because it would mean taking back our free will.

Evil will be judged on judgment day.

Madeline Experienced trauma and true horror, but God, would have been weeping for both his children. One lost to a life of crime and depravity, and one lost as a victim of the aforementioned.

'God' also has free will and he uses it to cause immeasurable suffering to innocent children who are born in extreme pain and continue to live just long enough for that pain to drag on and on.

So I'd like to know who will be judging evil on 'judgement day'.

I hope it's not God.

Yanbu to not believe in something that doesn't exist.

You are you and that is all that matters, hugs we’re all different.

How does man’s god given free will explain cancer and other diseases?

Why does a loving god make those things happen to his beloved creation?

In the last six months more than 428000 otherwise blameless people have died from a new and terrifying plague which has no cure. For context, that’s more than the entire population of Iceland having died in less than a year.

But what’s shaken your faith in “God” is the possibility that a young white girl may have died in a horrifying way 13 years ago?

I converted to Buddhism. Now, even the most awful things one can imagine make sense to me. I have an understanding of how all the pieces fit together and find some peace.

And, as awful as one could imagine, I have lived through some of the worst life has to offer. The teachings saved my sanity and I often have thought, if I were still the faith I was born into, I could not have survived the tragedies that I have.

One faith does not fit all. And some people have no faith in anything beyond physical life. And, that’s ok. Every person has freedom to choose what fits best, and it’s wonderful that we can all love and respect each other, even if we don’t share the same beliefs.

FithColumnist read my post - the last paragraph “it’s been tested over the years” and I do not wish to write every detail that has tested it!

For your information I am not white and regardless of skin colour she was a small child, a child who is same age as my daughter hence the trigger.

Thank you everyone who had responded. Apart from FithColumnist the rest of the responses have all resonated with me to some level. I don’t know what I believe, all I know is there is so much evil in the world and I’m afraid as I have children now. It was easier in past to think there’s a plan and reason for everything but not now.

well if god did exist there wouldbe any famine disease war thats how i look at it

I believe in ultimate good (God), but I also believe in ultimate evil. Many things that happen do not come from God.

Unfortunately there’s no plan or reason, it’s a howling chaos. It’s a kind of liberation to realise this though. I believed in god once, but i found it impossible to carry on doing so once I started asking these questions, largely prompted by studying other cultures and religions.

Polytheism makes so much more sense - when shit happens it’s a bunch of gods fighting amongst themselves.

Only monotheists need to tie themselves in knots explaining why shit happens.

Of course, the advantage of monotheism is that you can declare that the one god needs Special People (ideally men) to interpret his messages, and that gives all manner of opportunities for control and power. Can’t do that when every household, industry, pastime, ethnic group etc has its own god.

It's OK.
I left my religion in my late twenties over this issue, of suffering.
I was a reasonably content atheist for several decades.
Didn't make me a better or worse person, just relieved a lot of internal suffering.

Now I find myself returning to the idea of 'godness' that is a world away from the God of established religion, and that also feels positive.

It's all a journey, to use my most-hated cliche :)

It's OK to turn away over the issue of the suffering of innocents. There are apologetics (I think that's the right word?) explaining how it co-exists with a loving, powerful God, but they never helped me. You have to go where you go, kwim?