God and children

Shakita

I am not sure where I stand with God anymore. My questions about his presence, or lack of, never seem to satisfy me. Is it important? Sometimes I think, yes, it is important to believe in a higher power that cares what happens to us. But, sometimes, I think it is illogical to believe in a higher power who doesn't seem to care enough to, given he has the power to do so, alleviate all pain and suffering. He gives us a book and expects us to believe in him through stories and examples. Why doesn't he, if he is all omnipotent and omnipresent, show himself? I want proof! And, FAITH to me does not equal PROOF.

Being a parent, I wonder if it is important to have children believe in a higher power of somekind who is behind the scenes who loves us. Someone we can lean on in times of trouble and pain. I was brought up to believe in a loving God. It wasn't shoved down my throat, but was something I just accepted. I think it helped to have someone there to pray to when there was no one. Not that he ever answered my prayers, just felt good inside. Is that what it is? Are we all being misled to believe in the God of the Bible because it just makes us feel good? Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that I definitely don't believe in God anymore, I just am tired of waiting for him to answer my prayers.

Geeze....sorry I rambled. I guess this subject is like that for me. Confusing. I wish I could truly believe in a loving God. But, my logic doesn't let me. Where do I go from here? What do I do with my children? Do I continue to teach them about a God that I don't feel is really here? People tell me that children need religion in their life. Is this so? Do children who don't grow up with a religion end up dysfunctional? Does it all really matter?

I now I open up pandora's box here, but I need some input from people who are not close to me. Will it make a difference, I'm not sure. But, I know that alot of people feel as I do. Maybe it will help them, too.

Mrs. Shakita

Shakita

Whoops... this posted under dating, relationships, and sex...don't know how to change

ashitaka

Hey mom,

Just to get this started, I would like to say that growing up in a religion like the Witnesses, you become the absolute skeptic. Not one Witty youngster that I know that has left is a true believer in God, and that includes me.

Hypothetically, if there is a God, I don't buy that God likes to test people. If that's the case, I hope he kills Himself and gets the universe over with. Some of his tests are abysmal. What about those 2,000,000 rawandans that hacked each other to death with machetes because of religion?

I think that the idea of needing a God is overblown. People think that they cannot live a fullfilled life without God. Personally, I think a life without God is more fulfilling. No silly rules, no defending His wonderous actions (like cracking babies heads on rocks and such...just read the bible). Sunday's are free all the time, and religion doesn't get in the way of relationships, nations, etc.

Children becoming dysfunctional from NOT going to church? Unlikely. If anything, they'll be more open to things that would have been closed off from them because of various religous rules. Children don't need God, just parental guidance, and after a time, just support.

So, as for me, I don't even care to want to know God. I think you can call me an Apatheist-don't care whether there is a God or no.

ash

ashitaka

Mom, start a post in Technical Support and ask simon to move this topic to the Friends forum.

ash

Shakita

Hi Ashi:

Sometimes I wonder if throwing so much doubt your way was a good thing. We are very open with the way we feel on things like this, but can believing in a higher power be a bad thing? I know in my case, to teach my remaining children here at home to believe in THE GOD OF GOODNESS and LIGHT, would make me a hypocrite. But your father does feel differently than I. Does that make him wrong? I don't think so. It is all so confusing. I just want everyone to be happy!!! And, it doesn't ever turn out that way, does it?

I think I will leave this thread where it is, makes it sort of fun!

Love ya, Mom

butalbee

Whoops... this posted under dating, relationships, and sex

Hey, this is the first place I look.

LucidSky

Shakita, although I'm not a parent, I went through the same kinds of thoughts as I struggled to define "God". In the end I just decided that if the situation ever came up, I would provide ethical guidance and answer questions and let my kids make their own decisions. Who's to say that the God identified in the Bible is the correct one? I took it for granted for far too long that this was the case.

I think one of the negatives surrounding religions such as Christianity is that you put great faith and hope in an afterlife of some kind. Then once you reject that, you come face-to-face with your own mortality -- not a pleasant experience after being taught your entire life that you'd live forever. So maybe death really is the end? I had to consider that a likely possibility now that I'm agnostic.

Lucid

Shakita

LucidSky:

Thanks for your thoughts. Being a parent is hard enough in this world without the religion you belong to making it even more difficult.

Letting children decide their religion themselves...sounds good. But, if you don't instill within your children your own beliefs, will they be subjected to other peoples' beliefs when they get older? Is this a good thing? Maybe. They will be free to decide what type of worship THEY choose. But what if they choose a religion like the JWs? What if they join the Rev. Moon's cult?

This is so confusing right now, I think I'll just put it on the back burner for awhile. It's giving me a headache.

Mrs. Shakita

DanTheMan

JW, Fundies, and even more liberal religionists have anthropomorphic views of God (God as an all-powerful idealized perfect human father).

God is just a word that our minds attach a meaning or form to. It's different for everyone. Who can say they know God? Did God talk to you?

There is so much we don't know. Consciousness and the physical world are things that we take for granted, but the more we learn about these things the more mysterious they become.

I'm learning to enjoy the mystery that is our existence. As a JW I lived in fear of a created god named Jehovah, mostly Rutherford's invention. I no longer fear.

It's been said that we create our own reality, and I believe that, to a certain degree.

Shakita

dantheman:

"Did God talk to you?" No. And I haven't met anyone who has talked to God. If you meet one before I do, please let me know. I'll send over the nice men with the white jackets.

Mrs. Shakita

God and children

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