Reverse_Dragon is offline Reverse_Dragon Post #11  August 11,2011, 9:51am
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llw11 is offline llw11 Post #12  August 13,2011, 11:10am
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Matayu wrote :
From there, it was mere years before I turned my back on all religion, gods, spirituality, and pseudo-science. I live a life, quite happily, knowing that there is no god.
for some, its not that easy to give up the idea. its much more comforting to think that there's a "bigger picture" or "plan" of some sort when something bad happens and that everything will always work out for the best in the end because of this plan. doesn't make it true but makes hardships easier to deal with.
 
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Diana_P is offline Diana_P Post #13  August 15,2011, 5:59pm
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llw11 wrote :
for some, its not that easy to give up the idea. its much more comforting to think that there's a "bigger picture" or "plan" of some sort when something bad happens and that everything will always work out for the best in the end because of this plan. doesn't make it true but makes hardships easier to deal with.
You have brought up an interesting point.

There may be 8 billion people on this planet, but the fact remains that you are alone. There is only one of you in your head. People can get under your skin but they can’t get under your skull! God is the only being in the universe that can “cohabitate” inside your mind!

So a belief in God makes people feel not so alone inside their skin. God becomes a part of their thoughts and in that way whether God actually created them or they created God becomes irrelevant. Knowing that God is in my head and in your head makes us closer than we could ever be physically.

Is this experience something people choose? I don’t know. I’m not even sure that it is possible to explain it adequately to someone who isn’t pre-wired with a disposition for spirituality.

There have been some very intesting posts so far and I’m curious to see where this will go.
 
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Reverse_Dragon is offline Reverse_Dragon Post #14  August 16,2011, 3:39pm
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llw11 wrote :
for some, its not that easy to give up the idea. its much more comforting to think that there's a "bigger picture" or "plan" of some sort when something bad happens and that everything will always work out for the best in the end because of this plan. doesn't make it true but makes hardships easier to deal with.
I couldn't disagree more. The idea that horrible things happen to innocent people as part of the unknowable design of some omnipotent entity is frankly terrifying. What plan could include events like the Holocaust and still be the work of a benevolent being? To a great many people the only possible god must be either insane or horrendously malevolent.

I prefer to look at life's suffering and setbacks, not as tests or punishments or part of some celestial chess game, but rather as a natural component of the human condition. The events in our lives and in the world at large are simply the result of human choices and natural forces. Accepting that life contains suffering is the first step towards enlightenment.

Without the bitter, how would we know the sweet?
 
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llw11 is offline llw11 Post #15  August 16,2011, 4:56pm
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Reverse_Dragon wrote :
I couldn't disagree more. The idea that horrible things happen to innocent people as part of the unknowable design of some omnipotent entity is frankly terrifying. What plan could include events like the Holocaust and still be the work of a benevolent being? To a great many people the only possible god must be either insane or horrendously malevolent.
i see where you're coming from but what i meant was that when something bad happens, a lot of believers have faith that a god will make things better for them and that they have to put their trust and faith in "him". without this, they see life as being hopeless.
 
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axle is offline axle Post #16  August 17,2011, 11:16am
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Is it a choice? Sort of, but it's not a very easy decision to make. Especially when you look at the tactics churches use to indoctrinate people. Have you ever seen a book of hymns? What it boils down to is, can you make an unbiased decision to believe after spending every sunday chanting "i love jesus i love jesus i love jesus" over and over and over again?
 
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Reverse_Dragon is offline Reverse_Dragon Post #17  August 17,2011, 8:49pm
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llw11 wrote :
i see where you're coming from but what i meant was that when something bad happens, a lot of believers have faith that a god will make things better for them and that they have to put their trust and faith in "him". without this, they see life as being hopeless.
I empathize with your position as well, and in fact used to share it. Over time, though, I started to realize that my life was more rewarding and my goals more achievable if I put my trust and faith in myself and those who loved me.

Finding the solutions to my own problems without relying on divine intervention or intentions actually moved me towards the life I wanted. In other words, I stopped having faith in my dreams and started making them reality.
 
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