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.

People choose to be born blind and therapists blaming shitty male behaviour on his victim.

Alrighty then.

She won’t be found

Worst fears for many parents is their child being taken.
But this is the work of a man not god.
Man is the cause of the world's problems, be it greed, murder, hate, cruelty, war etc.
Then we have nature, earth quakes, droughts, floods, disease.
None of these are God's actions.
He will not intervene because man has decided he can do a better job than God. God let's him get on with it.
Will God intervene at a time of his chosing? This depends on your belief. But according to the bible, the state of the world is not God's doing.
Sometimes it is difficult to have faith but we tend to search or question God when things go wrong instead of perhaps when things are going well?

@scarlett that is a good story and I hope that you will be ok.

No God worth worshipping could ever be so cruel. I too am part of British Humanists association and they are having online ceremonies sometimes at the moment

In case you miss the ceremonial aspect later on may be worth looking into

You have used the word “think” so your not sure, your angry. Take some time out see what happens.

@cabbageking

What I find inconsistent about that is it is incompatible with God as an all-knowing, all-powerful creator.

If God has those characteristics (as the Abrahamic religions say he does), then when he made the world he knew full well exactly how its future would plan out (including every single choice every human being would ever make).

If God wanted people to make better choices, he would have made them (or their surrounding circumstances) better.

So, every bad or evil decision made by man was, in fact, purposefully premeditated by God.

I know a number of very very religious people. They'd go to church at least twice a week, pray a minimum of 4 times daily, never take the lords name in vain etc they followed every single rule. 2 of them died horrifically and slowly of cancer, one had a massive stroke that left them unable to walk, feed themselves, talk etc. If God does exist why would he let these things happen to his 'obedient' subjects?
I also have to say apart from a handful of people the rest of the religious people I know have been the most unwelcoming, horrible people I've ever met.

"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."

Two words: conjoined twins

God is not external to us. Even the bible says that and I'm no Christian. The divine exists in all of, in everything. The problems start when we allow the cloak of politics to hijack our spirituality, then it turns from faith into religion. Fuck that.

Reading Albert Camus stuff makes it easy to not believe in God.

Id be interested to know (anecdotally) if this is the main reason for people losing fath, cos it seems to be?

I was religious as a child (think I enjoyed the stories more than anything) and even now have an intense connection to judaism- but I stopped believing around 7 years old after my older brother said 'god doesnt exist' and I sort of thought over a few weeks that sort of made sense.

Maybe watch God On Trial. Its about a group in Auschwitz putting on a trial for god abandoning the jewish people.

www.dailymotion.com/video/x2vpvwa

I can completely understand where you're coming from. What happens in this world would fill anyone with despair.

Honestly for me personally, believing in God is the only thing that keeps me sane when I think about all the horrors of the world.

The thought that those who have suffered horrors and pain in their lives will be in a better place and will no longer suffer, and that those who are evil will be judged accordingly brings me some comfort.

I cling to this because otherwise - what is the point of it all?

Wanting to believe in God is a rubbish reason to do so. Sorry, but it just is. Why should what people want to believe is true have any connection to what is actually true? It's completely illogical.

It's interesting OP that you notice things that indicate to you there might not be a god. The question is whatever indicated that there might be? There is no evidence for the existence of a god. In what other area of life do we have to find evidence against something for which there was no evidence in the first place?

I think you might be onto something. I wouldn't look back.

To me religion is not about going to church or praying x number of times a day. It’s about the way you live your life, the way you treat people. I think we have all heard of people who have used religion to cover up horrendous crimes.
What always surprises me is the number of people who have had appalling times, yet manage to hold on to their faith.

There is no point, Azrail

Why does there have to be a point?

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?

Why mention her skin colour ffs

This thread is attention seeking, making the probable kidnap and death of a 3yo girl about you and your beliefs is very strange.

If god is real, I've got a few tough questions to ask that bugger if I end up travelling in that direction.

If he/she/it exists, they are pretty shit at their job.

Maybe you should pick up a book by Richard Dawkins, "Outgrowing God" or " The God delusion" perhaps? Having read these it help me to rationalise your dilemma when I was at the same juncture. I now think that if I follow life with the ten commandments as a basis of kindness and humanity but without a belief in God I'm much better off. Science explains things more rationally than religion for me now.
Enjoy your journey to free thinking.

@WinterAndRoughWeather

I believe everything has a point - or a reason, whether we know it or not.

@Euclid that's one of the worst posts I've seen on Mumsnet, and from a "practicing Christian" too. Are you really blaming the McCanns for the probably violent and painful death of their own young daughter? Your opinions are not representative of the faith and you are not doing it any favours.

Said as an atheist who sees much to love about faith.

Euclid is only offering opinion. The parents have probably never forgiven themselves.

I'm sure they are, but that doesn't necessarily make them to blame.

Whatever happened to "judge not, lest ye be judged" (Matthew 7:1)?

Someone who claims to be a "practicing" Christian should by definition practice the faith.