Does anyone here believe in God?

[FullCircle]

I grew up in a Baptist Church. My faith was like a rollercoaster, but eventually I went to Bible college
I attend a non-denominational church now.
I believe in God. I don't understand why I suffer like I do, but shit, there's so much I don't understand about this world. Honestly, I wrestle with the idea that i was created for a purpose yet I want to end my life so badly.
But ive found hope in God and His Word. I don't understand it all. But I've prayed and trusted and I've experienced things I can't explain. It keeps me holding on.
Mental illness and suicidal ideation is seen in the Bible. It's not new.

 

[Darksektori]

Oh boy religion discussion, well let's put it this way. If he is real he's turned his back on the world or just doesn't give a crap.

You know what the difference between god and death is? "
"Death at least comes when called"

 

[SpottedPanda]

I don't believe in God. I've gone from delusional belief, such as grandiose schizophrenic delusions, to faith, through atheism, to just now not caring less about it.

I'd call myself an atheist, but I'd have to do it in a secluded room, under my breath, as I feel that taking a strong stance either way is just cringe.

Sometimes I envy gay people, and in the same vein I sometimes envy the religious. It must be nice to believe in something higher.

 

[Starcitty]

I used to but I only did because I was afraid of death. Now that I've accepted the fact that I'm suicidal I no longer belief in a God. But that also doesn't mean I believe that there's nothing out there.

No offense to religious people here but I view God as an egotistical view of us(human beings) being the founders of everything and being superior to all.

 

[Klee]

My Grandmother was an extremely smart woman - a member of the Mensa club, a published poet, a headteacher. She was also a devout Christian her entire life, and despite her hardships, losses and wavering, she always came back to her faith.
I was never overly religious until her funeral, where her fellow christians had total and complete faith that she had gone somewhere safe, somewhere beautiful, and to be with the people she had lost.
I have no explanation for why that comforted me, but I felt comforted.
I've been talking to God lately, every day. I hope he's listening.

 

[Shinbu]

Since the universe came from nothingness. Should nothingness be considered God?.

 

[SunInTheShade9]

Personally I have faith in a higher power, call that God, the Universe, what have you.
I also believe this life is meant for us to make our own choices when applicable.
I shy away from the terms "Heaven" and "Hell", but if using them, being 'alive' here on Earth is the closest to Hell anyone is gonna get.
Just my beliefs/faith. Xx

 

[anon0318]

Good news and bad news. The good news is that God exists. The evidence of design is overwhelming. Evolution was guided because it actually made more complicated choices about how living organisms operate.

The bad news.....GOD left a long time ago. Please watch this video on YouTube. You don't have to click since I'm a stranger. Just type in your browser
Proof God left this place long ago. https://youtu.be/aD-mTUEfka0

 

[TotallyIsolated]

Its a person's right to believe and to practice whatever they wish. Religious people need to understand, though, that others have the right to judge them for the choices they have made. Aligning yourself with the church makes you share in culpability for all the evils comitted in it's name. When you tell someone you're a christian, you're telling them that you CHOOSE to acquiesce to bigotry, abuse, and hatred. If religious people don't like being tarred with this brush then they need to start doing MUCH more to tackle these problems within their own communities instead of continuing to turn a blind eye to them. Not sorry.

 

[TheGoodGuy]

I believe as much in god as I believe in the toothfairy as an adult.

EDIT: Also to think there is more proof of "life" being simulation than that any god exists should be pretty concerning for religious people, they have ZERO evidence while the simulation hypothesis has several.

 

[Darksektori]

Since the universe came from nothingness. Should nothingness be considered God?.

Well look at it this way they believe in a book where..
-Snakes and Bushes can talk
-and old man parted the sea
-people coming back from the dead
-someone walks on water
-a virgin gives birth
-someone gets eaten by a whale
-and someone makes the sun stand still

And they call us crazy?!

I believe as much in god as I believe in the toothfairy as an adult.

EDIT: Also to think there is more proof of "life" being simulation than that any god exists should be pretty concerning for religious people, they have ZERO evidence while the simulation hypothesis has several.

The word "Christianity" is already a misunderstanding - in reality there has been only one Christian, and he died on the Cross." Friederich Nietzsche

This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it." - John Adams

So far as religion of the day is concerned, it is a damned fake. Religion is all bunk." -
Thomas Edison

"I don't see any god up here" - Yuri Gagarin - first man in space, while in space.

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." - Voltaire

Its a person's right to believe and to practice whatever they wish. Religious people need to understand, though, that others have the right to judge them for the choices they have made. Aligning yourself with the church makes you share in culpability for all the evils comitted in it's name. When you tell someone you're a christian, you're telling them that you CHOOSE to acquiesce to bigotry, abuse, and hatred. If religious people don't like being tarred with this brush then they need to start doing MUCH more to tackle these problems within their own communities instead of continuing to turn a blind eye to them. Not sorry.

"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car. "- Laurence J. Peter
"If there is no God, who pops up the next Kleenex?"- Art Hoppe
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams

 

[AcornUnderground]

It's interesting to me how many people comment on threads about the afterlife - whether it be yes, no, I don't know - it's obvious that we are all invested and curious because we just DON'T know. For a person prepared to end their life, it's the most crucial question that will never be answered.

I will be dead two weeks from today. All material things are starting to give me slight panic, tangible now but soon - not. It's hard to imagine not being here anymore.

I have been trying to keep myself sane lately (I don't want to die) by reading a lot about the afterlife and proof thereof - really because I want there to be one, of course without any hell.

I think many of us wonder not only about - Is there a God and afterlife but also - what happens if you KILL YOURSELF? Are we "allowed" to end our own lives without spiritual consequence, if there is a spiritual world at all?

I read a book on Kindle this week called "My Life After Death" by Erik Medus. Supposedly it was written by a dead boy (bipolar/20) who shot himself to death in his parent's home. It was translated by a psychic medium, all arranged by his mother. Lots of straws to grasp at there, but for anyone needing to believe in an afterlife in which suicide is accepted, it's a good read. ♥

 

[Lunarhour]

It was translated by a psychic medium, all arranged by his mother

Translated by a psychic medium? You actually believe those kind of people? I would rather put my money on an NDE story than trust those Psychics any day of the month.

 

[AcornUnderground]

Translated by a psychic medium? You actually believe those kind of people? I would rather put my money on an NDE story than trust those Psychics any day of the month.

I'm not saying I believe. I really have no idea. It does make me feel better though, or distracts me anyway. I have seen mediums work in person a few times - knowing things they shouldn't know. I'm not convinced nor unconvinced.

Personally, I've used two mediums. Neither of them made me feel like they connected to the other side.

 

[omoidarui]

For those saying there's no proof God exists: is the existence of the universe not itself proof, because how was it created otherwise, and if you'd argue the Big Bang, then who or what initiated that, or did it just happen

I'm not religious and I don't believe in God, I'm just curious about what others think.

 

[AnxietyAttack44]

I believe in God, i pray to him every day, whenever its tough. I mostly pray for him to kill me already too. I dont hate him, he took my loved ones from me but i take it he loved em as well and needed their company to cure his own depression. Atleast he took away their pain away as they were gravely ill unlike hospitals who left em to tank it. I just wish he took me too.

 

[EraseRewind]

I've had some experiences that were to coincidental to explain away, my last attempt to ctb was subject to an experience that really did make my faith real and I did then go and investigate the church. A combination of things from my past and errors in procedures ended up pushIng me away from the church.

I still have a faith in a power greater than me though and I call that God, I'm not a church goer anymore and I don't really have much time for religion as a man made concept, as yes, they always seem to get to the money questions in the end. It works for me in my recovery and I'm definitely not an evangelist, each to their own beliefs.

 

[Broken Chimera]

I used to believe. I gave most of my life believing in a lie. My main problem is people attacking non believers. Most of the people who are use that as a point to try to convince me. Then when they can't they resort to personal attacks. I'm not a believer anymore and after seeing how christians act towards non-believers I'm happy I'm out of that glorified blood cult.

 

[ocheeva]

Does anyone here believe in God? Did anyone here used to believe in the Christian God?

If so, how do you reconcile your beliefs with the suffering that you experience which has brought you here? Many here wrestle with the question of what happens after death, but not many discuss their relationship to a higher power in the context of suicide. If you are here, it is very likely that any prior belief in a God is at least compromised now, but for some, it may be a mitigating factor for actually going through with it.

I would love to hear from any Christians on the board. Please be kind, non-judgemental, and allow open discussion. It's easy to be dismissive as so many of us here are atheists, agnostics, or devoid of spiritual belief in general. Thanks.

hi. is that your cat in the profile picture?

 

[HappyMstake]

When I was younger from birth until I was 15 years old I always considered myself as a Christian, went to church with my family every Sunday and Wednesday. We were very active in the church anytime they had a special event we went. My family gave 10% of our earnings every Sunday, I even did it with my allowance money. Essentially the average church going family.

I would say it wasn't until I was around 13 that I started to see behind what I was being taught. There were lots of little clues that I was piecing together in my last years of going to church.

Before I get into it I just want everyone to know I'm aware that not all churches and Christians are like this. I'm sure most of them are perfectly fine with genuinely good people.

My church thought of almost everything as ungodly so you had to beg god for forgiveness everyday for just even being alive cause were supposedly born sinful. One of the first things that tipped me off about my church was, I would like to bring some of my friends from school with me for context, one day I brought a friend from school, he was black. Everything went well people were nice to him and he was respectful even though he wasn't the type to go to church.The pastors wife came to me the next time I went to church and tried to insinuate that I should no longer bring him because "he looked a bit uncomfortable not being around his own kind" Which he wasn't at all uncomfortable from what he had told me, he enjoyed it because they made him feel welcomed, but I was young and I didn't want to start anything so I just said okay and let it go. It did seem like they were being a bit racist in the back of my mind but I told myself nah they must've just misread him or something, I mainly didn't want to believe the people I looked up to were racists.

Then after a while another issue I had with this particular church was EVERYONE was in competition with one another. Whether it be money or faith they would let you know discreetly if you were doing something they deemed wrong, if you weren't doing enough for the church, you know like guilt trip you to some degree. They wouldn't allow the women to wear a skirt at or above the knee, which wasn't a problem with me, but looking at it now it seems a bit extreme. All of the kids there hated me because my family didn't have nearly as much money as they did so I pretty much didn't have any friends there.

Lastly and most importantly, the main reason I couldn't take it anymore was the fact that there was this much older man probably late 40's or so, would always hit on me and try to get me to sit with him, not my family or the other kids. He was a well respected man in the church, so occasionally I would. After a while he would do really strange things like buy me gifts and sometimes when I sat with my family I would get a glance behind me and EVERYTIME I looked back there he was just staring at me not looking away. It creeped me out so much I tried to get my parents and even the pastor to get him to stop staring at me I was 14 years old, it was so weird. And all they would say is he just had a little crush on me and he's a little slow, he probably didn't understand it was wrong to just sit and stare at an underage child, I understand he may not have been all the way there but no one talked to him about it or tried to tell him how uncomfortable I was with it. He was the pastors brother so that's probably why everyone was taking up for him. But the fact that for 2 whole years I had to feel violated and constantly looking over my shoulder when I went to the bathroom or anywhere in the church really took its toll on me and I just had to get out of there, I dreaded going to church at that point, what was a fun thing turned out to be a chore.

He never actually tried anything with me because the only time I saw him was at church. I'm sure if we saw each other outside of the church though he wouldn't have hesitated to try something. It may seem like I was being dramatic, my family sure thought I was. But even sometimes to this day I shiver thinking about what could've happened if I'd stayed at that church and he'd somehow would've gotten me alone.

So now it's safe to say I'm not a Christian I haven't been to church since, though I know most Christians are not like this, I will probably not change my views. Having been through that and my sisters husband coming on to me when I was a teen I just don't want to be apart of that anymore even now at 25. I can't imagine the girls and boys who are actually sexually assaulted, raped and taken advantage of by someone they trusted and looked up to. It's people like predators and the people who protect them that's one of the reasons I don't want to be on this earth anymore. People can be just despicable sometimes and I don't want to live in a world where people who are held it high positions can do whatever they want and victims are silenced.

Sorry, I kind of went off topic but this is pretty much the reason I personally don't believe in god and many other reasons as well but this has gone on long enough.

 

[Darksektori]

I believe as much in god as I believe in the toothfairy as an adult.

EDIT: Also to think there is more proof of "life" being simulation than that any god exists should be pretty concerning for religious people, they have ZERO evidence while the simulation hypothesis has several.

Wait the Toothfairy is fake?!?!

I believe in God, i pray to him every day, whenever its tough. I mostly pray for him to kill me already too. I dont hate him, he took my loved ones from me but i take it he loved em as well and needed their company to cure his own depression. Atleast he took away their pain away as they were gravely ill unlike hospitals who left em to tank it. I just wish he took me too.

You would think that God would comply with your wish, I mean read the old testament he certainly had the means when you think of his genocidal tendencies he kills a lot of people in the old testament, he was the very definition of asshole. God's also a tyrannical lunatic.

 

[AcornUnderground]

I used to believe. I gave most of my life believing in a lie. My main problem is people attacking non believers. Most of the people who are use that as a point to try to convince me. Then when they can't they resort to personal attacks. I'm not a believer anymore and after seeing how christians act towards non-believers I'm happy I'm out of that glorified blood cult.

My mother was a fundamentalist Christian, and of a certain kind that judged others and drew a hard line between Good vs. Evil. It was amazing how many people could be considered Evil in her mind, and the reasons were ridiculous. It was a bizarre experience to grow up watching someone profess God is Love but show no love for life and living at all. I actually had a decent (broken, mended, broken, mended) relationship with my mother and loved her very much but her religion was certainly her worst personality trait, and it stole a lot from the lives of her and our entire family.

For those saying there's no proof God exists: is the existence of the universe not itself proof, because how was it created otherwise, and if you'd argue the Big Bang, then who or what initiated that, or did it just happen

I'm not religious and I don't believe in God, I'm just curious about what others think.

Yes! The big question: What the heck IS all of this, if not something? When did it start, and why? And really, a completely unrelated question- knowing the universe is vast and more vast than we can even conceive - why would we matter? Do we really have a soul that transcends our physical self? We kill an ant without thinking. Are we not an ant in the scope of the universe, or even just an atom? Mind boggling stuff.

 

[Broken Chimera]

My mother was a fundamentalist Christian, and of a certain kind that judged others and drew a hard line between Good vs. Evil. It was amazing how many people could be considered Evil in her mind, and the reasons were ridiculous. It was a bizarre experience to grow up watching someone profess God is Love but show no love for life and living at all. I actually had a decent (broken, mended, broken, mended) relationship with my mother and loved her very much but her religion was certainly her worst personality trait, and it stole a lot from the lives of her and our entire family.

Same here. Mine always prayed, but those prayers never did anything. Her mind was skewed by religion. She truly believed that "God" was going to help her. It's really sad looking back on it now. Some of the most hateful people I've ever met were Christians. Faith never helped anyone and I wish others could see that too.

 

[Darksektori]

Same here. Mine always prayed, but those prayers never did anything. Her mind was skewed by religion. She truly believed that "God" was going to help her. It's really sad looking back on it now. Some of the most hateful people I've ever met were Christians. Faith never helped anyone and I wish others could see that too.

"Religion can never reform mankind, because Religion is slavery." - Robert G. Ingersoll

 

[Darksektori]

"Suicide is man's way of telling God, 'You can't fire me - I quit!"
Bill Maher

 

[pete_x]

I was baptised roman catholic, served as an altar boy for years. I wanted to believe. By the end of 6th grade that was done. The abuse from the nuns alone [not all of them, I loved Sister Rosina she treated me like a human being] was enough to do it. To watch my teachers belittle a friend of mine for being jewish, realizing contradictions in the bible and questioning them, the list goes on. But yeah no.

 

[Fml]

No I personally don't believe in God or an afterlife. I am very scientific and logical minded so I would need proof if I was to believe in any of these things. I'm not a religious person either but I am into Buddhism which doesn't worship any Gods, just employs wisdom and kindness which I think is more helpful and practical in helping people through life. Buddhism does believe in reincarnation though which I also believe in as "energy can neither be created or destroyed" so when we die our energy and matter must go into creating new life forms.

 

[deadgirlahsatan]

I don't believe in god at all. This world is a hell. Endless suffering so why would there be a God? It never made any sense to me. This world is so fucked up.

 

[anonymoose]

Does anyone here believe in God? Did anyone here used to believe in the Christian God?

If so, how do you reconcile your beliefs with the suffering that you experience which has brought you here? Many here wrestle with the question of what happens after death, but not many discuss their relationship to a higher power in the context of suicide. If you are here, it is very likely that any prior belief in a God is at least compromised now, but for some, it may be a mitigating factor for actually going through with it.

I would love to hear from any Christians on the board. Please be kind, non-judgemental, and allow open discussion. It's easy to be dismissive as so many of us here are atheists, agnostics, or devoid of spiritual belief in general. Thanks.

I grew up in a very conservative part of the world, and was raised Christian. For a long time, I was a strong Christian. Part of that belief came when in adolescence I went through some very painful events. I felt like i had nothing else to turn to. It was a coping mechanism. But over time, it also became something that taught me to suppress my feelings and desires, at least in the Christian culture i was raised with. My family isn't very religious, but i was surrounded by it in school, and had to go to church, and those werent necessarily bad things. it was just how the message was portrayed that over time really made me question what i believe and why. Today, i would consider myself an agnostic theist. I do not deny the possibility of a god, but it is unfair to only try and interpret its possibility from one angle of one religion. The straw the broke the camel's back for me is when i started to realize that family members would take advantage of my beliefs to manipulate me into fear and silence. And when i realized no one was there when i was suffering the most. thankfully, it's given me the clarity i needed to not be afraid and take the plunge.

 

[f'dmylife]

God has been desribed to me as creation, similar to art. When we are in a truly free act we can get on his level but most of the time we're far behind him. I think when you see an artist moving gracefully and creating his piece he is truly keeping up with God in the unceasing creation of this universe. Or when you see a child play you can see something similar, true freedom, they're creating their "self". I've never really felt this feeling or if i have it hasn't been many times which probably explains why i'm here cause I'm sure being on that level feels great. I don't know if he was "in" the initial particle that started the big bang or if he created it. It's impossible to imagine a true nothingness so it's impossible to imagine a universe before it was there. I guess that's my take. Fuck I hate my life.