Am I missing something? Religion.

[ButterflyTable]

I will caveat this by saying there was a point in my life when I was religious. However I now just feel religion is created by men; about men for men.

I look at women around me who are friends and religious, and their religion oppresses them. Much more than men.

I want to believe in God, or a higher power. But nothing in this world leads me to think there is a God as such. Granted I think there is energy, something out there perhaps connected to our ancestors or the Earth.

Religion to me seems about control, rituals, even having spent time around people of multiple faiths, in their holy buildings - I feel something, I hear a hymn, a call to prayer, I’ve sang I a church congregation. I’ve sat in Temples, I’ve been in Muslim countries and heard the prayers, I’ve experienced and read about a number of faiths. To the extent they all say pretty much the same thing, but I cannot believe in God.

I also feel faith holds people back. I’ve seen a lot wrong done by very religious people.

So you worship something who isn’t giving anything back - a one way relationship? So what is the value of your faith?

Why do you assume that God gives me nothing back? He gives me a deep peace when things are in upheaval. He gives me strength to deal with difficulties. He gives me joy - which is a thing much deeper than happiness. He gives me security because I know He loves me. And He's protected me in some instances where I was in danger.

How has he protected you from danger?

Well said, Snippysocks.

I'm honestly not trying to duck this, but there are things I won't share on social media and some even my close family aren't aware of.

Amen

Personally, my ethical framework is about ensuring I do not hurt others, either emotionally, physically or psychologically. I don’t need to be told that I’ll go to hell in order to be a decent person. I believe we all have one life and our time on this earth and I would absolutely do my best to not make someone’s else’s time worse due to my actions.

This....

IsthisthereallifeIsthisjustfantasy

Granted theology has historical significance, however to me its got zero practical relevance in addressing contemporary societal issues. Other disciplines like ethics, philosophy, and sociology can provide more comprehensive and empirically grounded analyses of these issues without relying on theological frameworks.

I think we’ll go round in circles as for me theology's emphasis on religious doctrines does not resonate with individuals like me with non-religious perspectives. This limits its applicability.

This...

Agree - neither heaven or hell exist. Everyone should try and lead a good life - you don’t need the 10 commandments or any religious threats to do this. Ultimately the only person who can make you happy is yourself.

How do you know someone who doesn't exist loves you? Where is the evidence?

Direct response to OP- no, you don't miss anything. I am not at all religious, and I certainly do not miss it at all.

It's not religion that is oppressive it's the church as an institution. And institutions were created by men for men. Capitalism is a form of religion imo, we all seem to be worshiping money now :( If we all lived according to what religions are preaching it would be a wonderful world indeed

I don't know someone who doesn't exist loves me. I DO know that God exists (though I can't prove it any more than anyone can prove that He doesn't exist). And I do know that He loves me.

How do you know he loves you?

Because of John 3 Verse 16. 'For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.'

But no one has ever had or ever will have everlasting life. Sounds like a false promise. We all die - we hope it doesn’t happen for a long time but we will all die. Faith doesn’t stop that happening.,

Yes, Jesus would make your life better. Not just this life, which, of course, can be fun and exciting, and, yeah, there can be fulfilment, but equally, it's also transient and temporal. Therefore, I recommend seeking something that lasts forever. Salvation.

Nothing lasts forever. Death is a great leveller - it happens to everyone.

Salvation from what exactly?

You don't know. You believe. I know I have two feet at the end of my legs, because I can see them and feel them and touch them. I know. God is a belief in something. Rightly or wrongly, I don't know. But nobody can reasonably claim that he actually exists.

You're right. We definitely all die and faith doesn't stop it from happening. Jesus Himself died. But He rose again from the dead and has promised that He's preparing a place in heaven for us. There's more to us than our present bodies.

There we differ - I don’t believe that heaven or hell exist. What evidence do you have? Also it’s impossible to rise again from death.

You do realise that a bunch of men in a tent sat round coming up with that stuff to control people? It's made up. A story.

Until recently, no one could reasonably claim that black holes exist. New things that we can neither see, feel or touch are first being posited as a theory, and then being proved. Are you absolutelly certain that nowhere in this huge great universe is the God who made everything?

I don’t believe god exists. Jesus probably did but was just a normal man of the time but we’ll never really know.