well i hope you're sure of your conclusion that there is no God. you don't sound very sure, to me... if you can't even remember the train of thought that led you to such a profound and sure realisation then maybe you had better do some more thinking/reading etc..? i really hope things work out, i know the pain and confusion and desperation related to surety and faith etc etc its very very difficult to figure out what we believe and why and if we are right etc etc oh man its not easy. i can understand the sense of loss...you've lost God, in a way havent you... perhaps you are one of these people who do need to have faith like the thing you read said. perhaps you do need to have 'something' to hold on to and believe in and trust in.... i think you should think carefully about which belief system to adopt IF ANY becuase there is no point in throwing all your effort and time into something you arent sure of and that doesnt exist. read, read, read!!!

xxxx

I'm really starting to believe myself that there is no God.

You don't have to replace your beliefs at all if you aren't a mind to. If you do decide to replace the loss you feel, please do so with something that won't be harmful to you physically or emotionally.

My best to you.

{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}

If there was no God you and I would not be here. If you never believed in God at all then why would you feel depressed about something you never had faith in perhaps you do believe?. I know without a doubt there is a God and he does wonderful things for those who follow and trust him in fact he blesses ones who don't even deserve it that is how much he loves us. I hope you find God.

Kristen,

I agree with you and I appreciate your answer. I do respect the right for those who don't believe. Life is full of choices and we each must make them.

The fact that there is so little comfort in your conclusion might be a clue to its validity. IDK. What do you think? I reasoned all this out for myself a long time ago, and seem to have found a community that supports me. Perhaps if you seek out those who believe as you seem to think you do, some ideas will be shared with you.

Is there Tao? I note your avitar, and could not help but be curious.

believing that t here's no god is fine and LOGICAL.

What you need to realize is that we are on our own, and we will either make it or not make it. How strong are you??

personally I am VERY strong (for a woman--haha). MUCh stornger than I thought I was.

I wish you peace.

I never believed......it has made me a stronger person...and that does NOT mean a MEAN person.....or an unfeeling person. not at all.


you can do this!

I feel that as well to some extent. Philosophy is better, because it encourages you to think. Its always been good for me to go through new information, and learn and grow from it. It helps me to understand things and accept things better, which honestly helps me to look at my life from a way better perspective sometimes. Its one of the only ways that I have found to really move through things and let some of my problems go.

Everyone has rights to believe what he/she wishes or not to believe however, I ask you this: do you believe there is something greater than you that exists? How can someone exist thinking that he/she is THE greatest, most-knowing? I have to believe that there is something greater than myself. I can't possibly be IT, can I? Whatever the higher power is, find it. It will help you to know you are not alone and someone/something has more knowledge, power and love for you and this world. We must rest on something. Best to you.

I'm new to the group, but came upon your topic. I think that whether you believe in God or not isn't really a conscious decision. You'll find an answer somewhere along the way, and you will know and find comfort in it that lasts, not just for a short period of time. I know it sounds hokey, but it happened to me. I always say that depression tends to magnify everything. The good AND the bad. Just concentrate on getting yourself better for right now, and once you do make a decision. This may not be true for anyone else, but for me, I find it's bad to make big life-changing decisions when you're in a horrible state of depression. Sorry for being long-winded, but I hope it helps!

God is the only thing in this life that we truly have to rely on. People get all ticked off because he never answers their prayers to help them. It is so much more than that.
You have to have a relationship with him for him to be there to talk to. Do you pray daily? Attend church and worship him with all you have?? These are the things we have to do in order for God to have a relationship with him. When ever I get depressed and stop doing these things I feel like he is nowhere to be found. Becasue I put him in the back of all my self pity and hurt. Just wanting him to come and fix it all .
Then I realize I do not hear his voice or feel his leading because I have not put him first in my life and haven't took the time to read his word and pray to him.
He is a jealous God but loves us unconditionally, we just need to keep him where he aks us too and that is before everything else in our lives. When we do that life is better I know that but Satan wants his way too and that is the depression.
I sure hope that now you know that you will go to hell if your not a beliver. That is what stops me from doing alot of things. I suffer on this earth i cannot phathom what hell would be like and do not plan on finding out. I wish you the best in your new Aethiest life.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

It is still difficult for me trace back the thoughts because they are still raw in my mind and I am griefing the concept so I am still scared to visit them again as it saddens me to think about them. This is why I need consolling. I have been brought up all my life to believe in God and his teachings and by now simply dropping that idea cold turkey feels weird. Having said that and after reading your responses I think that I am feeling better because I can rely on my humanity and the strength of the human being. Its actually kind of liberating but frightening at the same time:). It reminds me of the concept of dread that Jean-Paul Sartre coined which is the realization of the human being that he/she is the master of their own destiny and that could be frightening (the dread). For instance if one is standing on the edge of a cliff and knowing that you and only you have the power at that particualr moment to either move forward or move backward. It is a powerful feeling. With power comes responsibility :).

Thanks for all your points of views and comments.

God only gives us what we can handle.
Even though I have had so many down's I believe that he is their for me and for others.
I don't think you would be questioning yourself it you really thought "Their was No GOD'
I do hope you find your way

I almost didn't open this thread as I have vowed to stay away from political and religious threads. I found your thoughts interesting and thought provoking.

I have my beliefs, but just wanted to say that I hope you will not worry too much about all this and just wait and see what happens for you.

I am sorry that you are having trouble over this and wish you well as your journey of philosophy goes well for you.

I have had my doubts over the years, but typically they have boiled down to doubts about people. It has hurt when I came to the conclusion that people who SHOULD have believed in God (ministers for example) give me every reason to believe that they do not. Well, not what they say, but how they act.

I have always had an analytical mind, and define most things in terms of what has been known before. I embrace evolution, and a cosmic process that creates suns and planets (et al) out of basic atomic building blocks (mostly hydrogen!). But where I get totally lost is when I try to ask the question "What came before the basic building blocks? Where did they come from?"

So I get back to belief in God.

But back to your question, if it was your belief in God that helped you define right and wrong, then it is important to replace your faith in God with a good foundation of what is right and what it wrong!

That is how I see it.

Be very wary of Jean-Paul Sartre. He is not the only existentialist. Martin Heideggar is another whom you may wish to consider. As for the use of human philosophy to replace a divine being, I wish you the joy of it. I tried it, and found that human problems do not usually respond to human solutions. Ever hear that you cannot solve a problem on the same level upon which it was created? Still, give it your best shot, and I will hope that you succeed in finding some peace and serenity from your choice.