Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?
Discuss religious, spiritual, and theological issues concerning Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other religion.
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?i did generally believe in god but not religious like my hindu mum... i was raised in a relaxed environment which im grateful for rather than being spammed by religion..
slowly as i became an older teen, i thought more about the world and less about god...
then, i became an agnostic atheist...
despite what others may say, being atheist does not mean youve 'lost' or gone to the dark side or anything negative like that...
there is nothing wrong with being an atheist and is certainly not something to be ashamed of...
only the ignorant will think otherwise...
here are my lecturers and some other people talking about their views... listen to the irish guy with glasses as he explains why...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7VcLCwnpt4
Last edited by Dmon1Unlimited; 11-05-2012 at 03:19. -
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True, just because you are not religous, doesn't mean that you are immoral.(Original post by Dmon1Unlimited)
i did generally believe in god but not religious like my hindu mum... i was raised in a relaxed environment which im grateful for rather than being spammed by religion..
slowly as i became an older teen, i thought more about the world and less about god...
then, i became an agnostic atheist...
despite what others may say, being atheist does not mean youve 'lost' or gone to the dark side or anything negative like that...
there is nothing wrong with being an atheist and is certainly not something to be ashamed of...
only the ignorant will think otherwise...
here are my lecturers and some other people talking about their views... listen to the irish guy with glasses as he explains why...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7VcLCwnpt4
Some religious people believe that you need religion to be moral or to have a purpose to keep on the straight and narrow, but it is not true. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?I lost my faith at about 14. After being brought up in a fairly traditional protestant way my mind began to question everything. One of the most frustrating things for me personally was the way everyone seemed to pick and choose from religion in different ways, and how you can dismiss large parts of what you should believe (ie in the bible) and still believe so strongly in everything else. At the time I lost it I felt abandoned, depressed and hopeless.
What helped me out was delving into science and philosophy. Take a look at some physics and understand and realise how truly amazing this universe is around us. Look at the wonders of evolution. Looking into philosophy helped me to try to understand my life and morality without the need for a higher power. I think understanding who you are and why you are here are important reasons why people seek comfort in religion but I was comforted by science and reality.
Also, spending time with people you care about, family and friends, helps too because it helps you realise how much you have to live for.
Hope this helps.
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?i think its a common misconception that having religion is the only way to have morals such that to have no religion equals having no morals.... That and having a purpose...(Original post by Dee Leigh)
True, just because you are not religous, doesn't mean that you are immoral.
Some religious people believe that you need religion to be moral or to have a purpose to keep on the straight and narrow, but it is not true.
yes... we were not destined to have a purpose from the very beginning... SHOCK..HORROR... that doesnt mean we can not make our own purpose...you know, like what we have been doing before
want to be a travelling doctor, travel the world and help the sick in third worlds? want that to be your purpose? this can be your purpose whether you believed in god or not... stopping belief in god does not mean this purpose cannot be yours to fulfil...
just irritates me when people think such nonsense... if they think that, what stops them from thinking im some devil ****...Last edited by Dmon1Unlimited; 12-05-2012 at 08:02. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?funny you mention that, there are some crazy people out there who are supposed to be religious but are obssesed with telling people that certain people are "possessed" by the devil...(Original post by Dmon1Unlimited)
i think its a common misconception that having religion is the only way to have morals such that to have no religion equals having no morals.... That and having a purpose...
yes... we were not destined to have a purpose from the very beginning... SHOCK..HORROR... that doesnt mean we can not make our own purpose...you know, like what we have been doing before
want to be a travelling doctor, travel the world and help the sick in third worlds? want that to be your purpose? this can be your purpose whether you believed in god or not... stopping belief in god does not mean this purpose cannot be yours to fulfil...
just irritates me when people think such nonsense... if they think that, what stops them from thinking im some devil ****... -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?Look here for ur answers.
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc....0.mNgpu-yWZoI -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?loosing faith = closing you into a box. With human sensitivity we can go so far. With science we can go farther.
With religion we can go even farther even after this life, in after life. Science can not go there so taking out religion you put yourself in a box. Science can not give u immortality or entrance to heaven neither non christian religions.
Pray to God to find answer to ur questions and u'll find out.
This is not funny , is sad. U put hope in humans for giving u answers and when humans failed u lost faith in God. This is dumb. Why? If humans failed lose faith in humans not in God since God did not fail. Kapish why is dumb what ur doing? Ask God through prayer all ur questions and I think and believe God will give u the answer.Last edited by pasadi97; 12-05-2012 at 22:21. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?There is true God that created universe and angels and some angels had a tantrum calling themself gods without being so. Ask true God to show the truth about all religions as he sees them and to give to u best after life available and wait.
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If people want to leave religion/choose not to believe in God, that's their business, not yours.(Original post by pasadi97)
loosing faith = closing you into a box. With human sensitivity we can go so far. With science we can go farther.
With religion we can go even farther even after this life, in after life. Science can not go there so taking out religion you put yourself in a box. Science can not give u immortality or entrance to heaven neither non christian religions.
Pray to God to find answer to ur questions and u'll find out.
This is not funny , is sad. U put hope in humans for giving u answers and when humans failed u lost faith in God. This is dumb. Why? If humans failed lose faith in humans not in God since God did not fail. Kapish why is dumb what ur doing? Ask God through prayer all ur questions and I think and believe God will give u the answer.
I am gradually losing my faith because I don't know what to believe anymore.
This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-S5830 -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?In the end, if you ask deep metaphysical questions, there is no consolation in atheism, this is what the existentialists had to confront. Dawkins type atheism simply attempts to brush aside the awkward questions. Or the new age type stuff attempts to get rid of it in shallow 'spirituality'. But wherever you look, if you ask the deep questions, there is no consolation.
Last edited by Time Tourist; 20-05-2012 at 15:15. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?The thing is, the consolation you receive from inventing and believing in your invisible being is one derived from delusion.(Original post by Time Tourist)
In the end, if you ask deep metaphysical questions, there is no consolation in atheism, this is what the existentialists had to confront. Dawkins type atheism simply attempts to brush aside the awkward questions. Or the new age type stuff attempts to get rid of it in shallow 'spirituality'. But wherever you look, if you ask the deep questions, there is no consolation.
I would rather accept what most likely is the truth and then add meaning to my life, instead of clinging on to a crutch in the hope that life is not transient. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?I didn't 'invent' anything.(Original post by Xotol)
The thing is, the consolation you receive from inventing and believing in your invisible being is one derived from delusion.
I would rather accept what most likely is the truth and then add meaning to my life, instead of clinging on to a crutch in the hope that life is not transient.
What your saying is my theism is false, a perfectly respectable position, but I politely disagree.
That's fine, I prefer to accept the truth too, that's why I'm writing a phd in philosophy.
I disagree that you can create meaning, because ultimately you can no more make something meaningful, whatever that is, than you can make stone nourish you. Meaning must in some sense be independent of you, part of the external world. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?Fixed that for you.(Original post by pasadi97)
Science can not give u immortality or entrance to heaven nor can any religion.
U put hope in an imaginary being for giving u answers and when it failed u lost faith in God. This is rational. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?Atheism makes you feel bad, therefore God?(Original post by Time Tourist)
In the end, if you ask deep metaphysical questions, there is no consolation in atheism, this is what the existentialists had to confront. Dawkins type atheism simply attempts to brush aside the awkward questions. Or the new age type stuff attempts to get rid of it in shallow 'spirituality'. But wherever you look, if you ask the deep questions, there is no consolation. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?Definitely not.(Original post by SEHughes)
Atheism makes you feel bad, therefore God? -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?I will probably get negged for this but keep and open mind and try not to take it as an insult.
I believe that religion is a mental disease. How come you get treatment if you believe in an imaginary friend but you are considered normal if you believe in an imaginary god.
To be ontopic, I was never particularly religion thus losing my faith (or better said stop believing in gods) was a natural step for me to take. If I was to feel anything it could be liberation and being one step closer to the truth. However, I became an atheist at 11 so I can't remember if I felt anything special. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?I was only commenting about your statement that atheism provides 'no consolation to metaphysical questions'. From a robust standpoint, theism does not either. Instead of admitting that we don't know the answer to some questions (and we don't know), it bypasses the whole issue of the question and invents an invisible being.(Original post by Time Tourist)
I didn't 'invent' anything.
What your saying is my theism is false, a perfectly respectable position, but I politely disagree.
It's why this is so ironic:
And so does theism.Dawkins type atheism simply attempts to brush aside the awkward questions.
Whether you have other reasons to believe in God, I don't know. The only why I will be convinced is if you have convincing evidence to support the existence of your God. If you can provide evidence, everything follows.
...What?
I disagree that you can create meaning, because ultimately you can no more make something meaningful, whatever that is, than you can make stone nourish you.
Why does meaning have to be external or intrinsic? Why can't I fulfil my own life without an external source?Meaning must in some sense be independent of you, part of the external world.
If meaning is something only provided by God, why do many atheists lived fulfilling lives? I would thought we'd all be stuck at home, acting all emo, and throwing ourselves off cliffs if we were completely lost.Last edited by Xotol; 20-05-2012 at 17:46. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?Read Pascal Boyer.(Original post by watami)
I believe that religion is a mental disease. How come you get treatment if you believe in an imaginary friend but you are considered normal if you believe in an imaginary god. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?Loosing my faith was one of the most liberating experiences I've ever had. My body became free, my mind became free, and most importantly, my speech became free. I was no longer bound by the restricting rules of religion, I would no longer fear thought crime, and I was no longer afraid to speak my mind.
I never felt a loss of purpose when I lost my faith - in fact, one of the reasons I abandoned my faith was so that I could determine my own path in life; determine the reason for my existence and remove this power from the hands of the Church. But I also came to terms with my mortality. I didn't live in fear of death any more, and I didn't need to cling on to the hope of an afterlife. I embraced the fact that we only live once, and will ensure that I live my life to the full, rather than wasting it worrying about such inevitable, what I consider to be trivial, issues. -
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Re: Have you ever lost your faith? How did you deal with it?I was raised in a relatively Christian environment - I had went to Christian schools and church and a majority of my friends were Christian. Without really realising it, I identified as a Christian and I did genuinely believe in God and Jesus. Coupled with moving into a secular college environment and some long hard thinking about certain things in life, I came to the conclusion that I didn't belong to a religion like Christianity. I suppose that's when I lost my faith.
But I've always been spiritual and that's when I discovered Buddhism. One of the things I love about it is that it teaches that being a good person is all that matters.
