for atheists/agnostics (page 5)

Sailor Ripley

My hope is that my kids are able to believe in a divine plan as whole-heartedly as their mother does. Simply for the fact that it is so much easier than having to explain yourself to every tom, dick and jane that wants to preach to you and ask you, "how can this all be without god?" I don't struggle at all with it myself... it's others that make me koo-koo. I had a shirt once that read, "I'll respect your crutch if you'll stop beating me with it."

Do I have an emptiness? Maybe, but I wouldn't have any empty anything had I not been told that I "would" have one if I don't believe in their idea of a "Greater Power."

Whatever you believe I hope it works for you and that you are as happy as you possibly can be. If you're not happy, I hope you have the courage to change.

Bstndance

The universe is endless and Earth is just a speck on the outer edge of one galaxy. Do you really think earth is that important that if there was a god we would be the center of attention? In a very broad sense, human nature is based on selfishness and greed. Humans have a pretty long lifespan compared to most animals yet we still want more. Life would get awfully boring if it was endless.

Fleur

Saki' I feel for you. I wanted those things too, for me and my children.

My mother is very bitter because she was promised she would not grow old before the new system came. She was told not to marry and have children. My grandmother, who became a JW in the 40's and was told she would never get old, died in her mid eighties a few years ago. She never thought she would be a great grandmother.

Far as my own mother goes...It's a good thing that she did get married, because the end didn't come and she is now a grandmother with children who care about what happens to her in her advancing years. At least one of her children do, me, and I'm the black sheep in the family.

We all want an ideallic life for our children in a world that we don't have to worry about them. Unfortunately, this is the one we've got to work with and that's why I think that all of us, believers and non believers, need to do what they can to make it a better place for the next generation.

Other things that occur to me as a parent when I used to lay awake at night wondering where Jehovah was;

Would you punish all of your children and grandchildren for one transgression if your 'first born'? Would you literally watch them suffer and die for millenia because of one bad decision if you had the ability to fix it?

Would you let them suffer and die just to prove that they needed a parent?

Would you demand that one child give up its life to forgive the mistake of the firstborn?

I wouldn't, I don't see how any loving parent could.

essie

ps if anyone replies to this and I don't answer today it's because the website keeps logging me out and then not letting me back in till the next day for a reason I have no idea of.

poppers

In a very broad sense, human nature is based on selfishness and greed .

This is so true; that's why it is important to see what lies beyond human nature, to see what lies beneath all ideas of "me" which lead to selfishness, greed, and separation.

Frannie Banannie

Was it primarily new information that made you rethink religion and God?

No, it's information that's been out there for hundreds of years.....it's called logic and reason. For example, the only time I've ever seen a snake talk is when it was being used by a ventriloquist and there've NEVER been any talking serpents on public TV or to be found anywhere that's been reported, ergo, talking snakes do not and never did exist. There are many other fine examples to be reasoned upon.

I.e. learning about the Ice Age, the Universe, the fossils out there?

No, that didn't do it for me.

Or was it the basic philosophy that turned you off?
You know, God is going to murder and smote non believers including children.
God doesn't answer prayers, or he hasn't mine anyway, or the prayers of people starving to death etc etc?

No, that's man's philosophy. Earthling men.........wrote.........the bible. I don't care who they blame for its original intent. Seems like they've always got to be blaming someone or something else for something they've done to themselves anyway.

As for "God" answering/not answering prayers, I've had plenty answered at one time. It was enough to teach me that one shouldn't always get what one asks for.

About an alleged "God" not doing something about people starving to death and 10's of 1,000's dying of sickness and disease? What's crucial to answer this one is.......What are the people who are truly concerned about this poor condition of others in third world countries doing about it themselves? Maybe the world's population needs to be more concerned about how to take care of others in dire circumstances......and less concerned about what they can get out of life for themselves.

Frannie (getting off soapbox now)

itsallgoodnow

Would you let them suffer and die just to prove that they needed a parent?

nice, fleur. I'm going to remember that one.

moshe

JW's and some other faiths would be happy to spoon feed a person all the facts they need to come to the right decision = their beliefs. I'm afraid there are no shortcuts to finding the path that is yours and yours alone.

good luck,

moshe

aSphereisnotaCircle

I believed in god for a while after leaving the org.

But for me it just came down to communication.

Why doesn’t god make itself known to us?

And don’t give me that crap that he communicates with us through the bible.

Any parent who remains invisible and only communicates with their children through ancient, contradictory, unclear writings is a pisspoor parent in my book.

If Jesus loves me, why doesn’t he call?

Auchmull

Religion -- God -- played no role in my upbringing. I don't believe I ever set foot in a church and then when my mom converted to Judaism, I went to Sabbath School, and learned neat bible stories; but I have no recollection of being taught about God. My parents themselves go to temple on only the high holy days when they have to; I suspect they're both agnostic themselves.

My husband believes in God and I try to talk to him about what my problem is. It feels like a fairy tale to me, not real. I don't feel any greater/higher presence. I'd very much like to believe that there is something more, but i just don't FEEL it. And something bothers me to "worship" God anyway -- it makes me feel like i'm groveling and obsequious.

I also have all the trouble with would I even want to honor the God I read about in the bible.

I know that this post is grammatically repugnant, but it's the best I can do right now. Why did my font change?? I didn't do anything.

**when I hit enter, my funky font went back to normal.**

hillary_step

Saki,

The earth itself is a work of art... Majestic, Breathtaking, and awesome...

Yes, as I watched a spider sucking the innards from a paralysed fly today as it still lived, I thought just that same thought. What a marvellous thing this web is, just imagine a spider human sized and its pray human sized. I doubt that even the sickest horror movie director could have come up with that particular nightmare.

Does God direct movies? If so make sure you do not send the kids.

HS

for atheists/agnostics

Share this