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I'm so tired of being told I"m going to hell for being an atheist.
How can you really call something faith if you were terrorized into believing it? That's not faith then, that's a brain washing.
That's how I felt as a child growing up, like I was being terrorized into believing something even though my head kept telling me it was BS.
Finally at some point in my life I decided that I wasn't going to be terrorized any more. But your child hood brainwashing's aren't always easily undone now are they?
Any one else leave their child hood brainwashing behind? Does it every bother and haunt you like a bad dream?
Sorry I know this can be a sore subject with many including myself.
How can you really call something faith if you were terrorized into believing it? That's not faith then, that's a brain washing.
That's how I felt as a child growing up, like I was being terrorized into believing something even though my head kept telling me it was BS.
Finally at some point in my life I decided that I wasn't going to be terrorized any more. But your child hood brainwashing's aren't always easily undone now are they?
Any one else leave their child hood brainwashing behind? Does it every bother and haunt you like a bad dream?
Sorry I know this can be a sore subject with many including myself.
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I find myself going places in the car and not wanting to get out of the car. I come back home and I don't want to get out of the car. I think it's the only time I spend reflecting. Chronic tiredness from Long Covid plus the immunosupressing meds for my Crohn's is slowing me down but everything just seems a massive effort. I am dealing with the paperwork following my father's death but it's not...
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Wow, it's the middle of the week already!Today is our 11 year anniversary, so we're going out to a nice dinner. I'm losing a lot of sleep these days, hence a wonky schedule and uncomfortable feelings. But I know it will pass, eventually.I hope all of you have a peaceful day, and may good things come your way!
not no no thing! lol
I did read your post angela and that was very long. I forced myself to read it.
There was something that triggered me recently that's what had caused me to post this.
I've still got a long journey ahead of me, but I wasn't questioning my belief as there is little I can do about it. Even back when I still wanted to believe I didn't and it's the same now. I could explain all of why I don't believe but that would take a long time. Every one has their reasons and most are unlikely to change it.
Maybe in some ways it was good I was raised a christian because I have insight. But I still feel the residual effects and whiplash of that upbringing. No matter how hard I try to break away from it the past is still there to haunt me.
i don't have a 'bad' family, either.
i don't know if any of them believe in Christ..
God gave me myself back. From being an emotionally and physically crippled person, to someone with joy and purpose. I just want to glorify God, and praise him for all he has done for me.
Sorry I posted and ran. I have an intermittent internet. Very hard to post and read the replies.
Well, I've been an atheist and didn't regret it. Been a Christian, contemplated Buddhism, am having a hell of a time stopping emails from the American Humanist Association. But, I'm none of those now. Sort of think that the universe and the world and everything we see might have needed some help getting off the ground, so to speak... God? Faith requires beliefs, and if you don't have those or can't conduct your life according to those beliefs, then what the hell use is faith, anyway. That, in a nutshell, is my beef with religion and faith. On one level, I think religion is an invention to let people off the hook for things they regret. Create (or find) a God, give him/her/it the power to absolve your sins, then get on your knees and ask for foregiveness. Life-time warranty, but people are still scared as all get out for what happens next.
I see religions as capsulized myths, often created as first attempts at answers to questions like what, why, how and WHO, then confided, codified, carried forth and corrupted. The one absolute truth is that no one here, in this life, living in the same flesh as you and me can tell you with absolute certainty that they have THE answer.
I could see myself as a Jesusian, that is a follower of Jesus (what was his last name, anyway?). From what I know of him, from the Christian Bible, he was one cool dude. So was Gautama Buddha, Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, and on and on. Good people worth hanging with, but I'm not saying any prayers to them.
I don't want to step on anyone else's beiefs or faith, but I don't understand anyone terrorizing or brain washing with faith, doorknob. That's just not right. I never felt that way as kid, just kind of followed dumbly until I felt strongly enough that it was BS. I did some bad things, got punished, learned to try to be good, ask for forgiveness, forgive others, try not to hurt people... all that kind of shit, and I think for myself. If I die before I know the answer (not 42), I really hope there's something on the other side, and wouldn't it be cool to come back and tell everyone. If Jesus comes back, I'd sure like to meet him.
Be yourself, think for yourself, look around you, ask questions. It's all good, it's all right.
I don't believe in hell as most people I've run into believe in hell. I believe it to be separation from my higher power whom I choose to call God. I do not call myself Christian really but instead a Child of God.
In other words hell to me is being in a place where that hole in my heart is not filled up because I feel cut off from my higher power.
I dislike the name Christian due to all that has been done in the name of Christianity throughout the years,
I have Wiccan and Pagan friends who are not Wiccan and we get along well.
I was brainwashed into thinking as a child if you were not Christian you had no good morals and would just as soon kill someone as look at them. Seriously what the heck?
I dabbled a bit into Paganism and ChristoPaganism but found it did not fill up that hole in my heart.
I wrote out what I needed from a higher power and that is what my higher power is for me like a Daddy I can tell anything to.
I am appalled at people who proselytize because in my opinion one should show your faith my actions not by words. All proselytizing did for me (when I was going through my getting into Paganism stage) was turn me off of the "Christian" religion.
I have respect for ALL religions or lack there of these days.
What I am doing is just stating MY feelings so no one take anything personally, ok. Let's not go there. :)
I saw literal fist fights in the church and left the church at 14 or so (give or take a year or so). I did however get married in a church.
I believe in God pray to God (not Jesus) and am more along the lines of some Jewish beliefs although I don't totally fit in there either.
Now I am going to say something about atheists and I do not mean to upset anyone so here goes.
I do not understand atheists. I was again (brainwashed?) brought up to think atheists don't believe in anything or have any faith in anything. I can't pretend to wrap my brain around anyone who has no faith in ANYTHING (does not have to be my God or my belief system though).
My son is atheist and I don't understand him either but I DO accept those are his beliefs and yes, he's read the bible through and through. We can agree to disagree on religion or lack there of because in my opinion freedom OF religion also means freedom FROM religion. We have choices I'm happy to say. I do love my son even though I don't particularly like him most days lately. The reasons I don't like him have nothing to do with his view of religion or faith.
I believe that the Bible has been misunderstood and mis preached if you will for ages. I was brought up to believe certain things in the bible which, upon reading the bible, are NOT in the bible.
I am sorry if I offended anyone. I guess I needed to voice my opinions. I am not trying to change anyone's belief system or lack there of because that is AGAINST my belief system. I am simply attempting to share what it was like, what happened and where I am at with it today.
It is not true that Atheist believe in nothing, that is just a way to prejudice those who do have a faith in a deity against them.
My understanding of Atheism is that they have belief in the human ability to overcome with out the need of the supernatural or a Deity.
They believe that people through science and their own ability to learn and grow are what makes overcoming things in life possible.
They do have Faith, it's just a faith in Humanity.
Not to hijack this thread or anything so if anyone wants to PM me go ahead and do so.
I am open minded enough to say I don't understand don't "get it" and could possibly and probably was brainwashed because the people I grew up around were very religious to some degree with two exceptions.
If you are atheist I truly would love to hear from you about your beliefs or non beliefs. Perhaps it would help me to understand my son a little better and I am ALL for that. Perhaps the relationship with my son could be enriched if I better understood atheists.
They believe that people through science and their own ability to learn and grow are what makes overcoming things in life possible. "
No, aethism is just a lack of belif in dieties.
What you described is I think Humanist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism
Going to church is simply not the goal of following Jesus. It is something that supports our walk with Christ, not the reverse. Going to church does not make you a Christian, anymore than going to MacDonald's makes you a hamburger.
Doorknob, please do not apologize for this post. I think it is great we can all discuss what they believe. I would like to know more about Buddhism. I took in last semester, mediated with them many years ago, and I still don't understand it. I'm hoping some of the Buddhists here can help me understand it.
As for religious abuse by the Christian church, it is BAD! Whether Orthodox or cults, no one should be controlling you but God. No one has the right to dig into your personal life, unless you go asking for help. Then my advice is a certified and qualified Christian counselor who is bound by the laws of privacy, and will not spread rumors about your life. I have to use a lot of forgiveness for what happened in my last church, but I did leave and it was a move from God.
And I am more myself each day, walking with Christ. I follow HIM, and everything in my life should be guided and directed by Jesus. If it is not, then that is my fallen nature. And God continues to work on me on that. My promise is that Christ has promised to continue the work of transformation in my life and heart, and one day, I will see him, the earth will be restored and I will have a new and better body, soul and mind.
Sorry - I forgot I was supposed to be brief! LOL
for anything to take shape, it must be created.. so, complex beings such as ourselves, i cant think, came from nowhere..
its all too perfect.
you look at the way we fit with the sun, the air, the plants, the animals, the energy the solar system, the galaxy, the universe or omniverse... how then could you not have a designer..
we are programmed for a deity, it should be no wonder.. look around