Discussion What do you feel about religion?

[tasmaka]

Ive been forced into church and its events since I was placed in a baptist academy, now a catholic school.

I have no interest or belief in god, only a fear.

The concept of "forgiving all" never sits right for me. Reason: In my classes Ive had numerous teachers who say that god would forgive american school shooters and repeat sexual offenders (specifically pedophiles) because "god forgives all"

And with the concept of forgiveness I struggle to understand why the only unforgiving act is the taking of your own life, not taking others, or crushing their souls, but only yourself. Being mentally ill isnt their problem, self degradation isnt their issue either, but to participate in self harm and even speak the words of suicide is.

Im not one to say its "my only way out", but Ive felt it and tried maybe 5 times now, and just with that, I know its real, and for some people its how it ends, so how can religious members be so critical for the one group of people whos severe struggle is from Themselves.

Allssoooo Recently I was on another forced retreat and suffered a lung collapse (I have severe asthma, the burning of smoke and scents hurt me in church), and I told the teacher I was with and she didnt care, her words "well, you need to be here for god, we can pray about it.."
Hey so thats not how it works lolll

But for me the more I think about how the church I've always been in functions and thinks, I find it feels very blue pilled, and delusional. Everyone in the room believes a man who exists in a spiritual plain will save us all if we worship him for all our years. And even though the world is a horrible place, its "not our problem" as we will live in the eternal kingdom with god himselves. Just now, I feel like it all is just peoples way to not think about the pain of being alive and processing their existence and how you really will die one day.

But thats me lol

Disclaimer: Im not intending to persuade or direct hate towards any religion and its practices, I support the right of religious freedom.

Whats your stance on religion and its connection to suicide, or in general?

 

[metfan647]

I have very little time for religion these days so it has zero connection to suicide, as far as I'm concerned.

I do wonder what if, but that's as far as it goes.

 

[YourLocalSadGirly]

I personally believe that religion is a tool of control and oppression and that 99% of people or more would be better off living secular lives. I don't think you have to believe in some sort of institutionalized religion to be spiritual. I believe in some sort of afterlife and I don't think that's inconsistent with believing that religion as a practice should be abolished. I have no problem with people following their own personal beliefs, but when they insist that others also follow those personal beliefs that's when I take issue. I'm against religious indoctrination in any form which includes introducing religion to children. I'm aware that my views on religion are harsh but they derive from my support of queer liberation and women's liberation so I think most should be able to see where I'm coming from.

I think that the reason that suicide is considered taboo in most religions (christianity included) is because religious leaders don't want people killing themselves. It's just like people who are unquestioningly pro-life, they believe that suicide is selfish and is never a reasonable course of action. In my opinion it doesn't really go any deeper than that. Again I believe religion is a tool of control and controlling people's autonomy by spiritually prohibiting suicide is another form of this. Obviously there are altruistic reasons to discourage suicide but claiming that those who kill themselves automatically go to hell is needlessly cruel. Also about the forgiving pedophiles part, it's because a disproportionate number of religious leaders are pedophiles. The catholic church has that reputation for a reason.

And lastly I am very sorry to hear that your medical emergency was dismissed like that. The people running the retreat should've been informed of your asthma beforehand to keep you safe. I hope you're doing ok now and that you aren't put in that situation again.

This is all just my opinion though and I'm willing to hear others out on what they think about these subjects. If you're reading this I hope your day is going well <3.

 

[Macedonian1987]

I have my own belief in God based on what I have read in a thousands of NDE reports in the last 10 years. God is love, God is not a cruel entity that sends people to burn for all eternity because people dont believe in him.

 

[MyPropellerWontSpin]

nothing much, maybe a little bit of disdain because people around me have weaponised it throughout my life. I have no respect for people who use religion to justify hatred and bigotry.

I have no interest or belief in god, only a fear.

I used to feel the same way, I would like to think I've gotten over the fear but some aspects of religious trauma just never quite go away.

Allssoooo Recently I was on another forced retreat and suffered a lung collapse (I have severe asthma, the burning of smoke and scents hurt me in church), and I told the teacher I was with and she didnt care, her words "well, you need to be here for god, we can pray about it.."

Really sorry you went through that, hope you're doing alright

And with the concept of forgiveness I struggle to understand why the only unforgiving act is the taking of your own life, not taking others, or crushing their souls, but only yourself. Being mentally ill isnt their problem, self degradation isnt their issue either, but to participate in self harm and even speak the words of suicide is.

The hierarchy of sins never made sense to me either, a sin that causes actual harm can be deemed forgivable whilst one that doesn't can be deserving of eternal damnation.

But for me the more I think about how the church I've always been in functions and thinks, I find it feels very blue pilled, and delusional. Everyone in the room believes a man who exists in a spiritual plain will save us all if we worship him for all our years. And even though the world is a horrible place, its "not our problem" as we will live in the eternal kingdom with god himselves. Just now, I feel like it all is just peoples way to not think about the pain of being alive and processing their existence and how you really will die one day.

I agree. I think religion is just another coping mechanism, a lot of people are horrified by the concept of nothingness once you die so to cope with that they believe in god and the afterlife. I know many might disagree with this but the afterlife sounds more horrific than nothingness, and I'm not just speaking of hell, but heaven as well, why anyone would want to be stuck in a perpetual haven is beyond me, living forever no matter where you are sounds abysmal to me.

 

[FuneralCry]

It's just completely fictional to me, I could never believe in such a thing as religion, to me existence is just a terrible, cruel mistake that just causes harm and suffering with no limit as to how much one can be tortured.

I could never see any point to any of this, I'll just always see existing as suffering all for the sake of it which is why non-existence is just all that's positive to me, all I want is to never exist ever again, I'll just always see the existence of life as the most terrible, devastating tragedy that only ever tortures existing beings and causes endless amounts of unnecessary suffering all for the sake of it.

 

[liquid-crystal daze]

Personally, I do not like to tie my suicidality to other people or forces or institutions. I'm doing this for me. I think I'm the first atheist in my bloodline, which everybody else is not a fan of. Not just like, "oh, we ignore him on Sundays," like being held down and whipped for not paying attention in church and stuff. I don't like to deliberate on it very much because of that, the last time I did I slipped into psychosis. I think people are too complicated to be written off as wholly evil just for one trait like following a religion since it manifests differently in everybody, but so far every religious person I've ever interacted with has shunned me, harassed me, beat me, or assaulted me. Overall I don't believe in god, or even the presence of a higher power, it simply doesn't make any sense to me (and it must be noted that something being unknown is very different from something being nonsensical). It doesn't make me feel better or worse to know the reason behind every natural or accidental occurrence, sometimes I don't even care about the reason behind certain human actions. Shit just happens.

I think religious people see suicide as a rejection of the basis of their fear: that their struggle is intentional and justified and it will all pay off. It is more comforting to believe your life has been handpicked by a force you can't even imagine to serve your spirit than it is to believe you've been dropped into the middle of a crowd-crush type world in which you can only move in whatever direction every other nobody like you is moving. I think religion holds back human potential, personal and collective.

 

[idontknowwhatiam]

Grew up Catholic but I've been an atheist since I was 17.

 

[Xila]

Ive been forced into church and its events since I was placed in a baptist academy, now a catholic school.

I have no interest or belief in god, only a fear.

The concept of "forgiving all" never sits right for me. Reason: In my classes Ive had numerous teachers who say that god would forgive american school shooters and repeat sexual offenders (specifically pedophiles) because "god forgives all"

And with the concept of forgiveness I struggle to understand why the only unforgiving act is the taking of your own life, not taking others, or crushing their souls, but only yourself. Being mentally ill isnt their problem, self degradation isnt their issue either, but to participate in self harm and even speak the words of suicide is.

Im not one to say its "my only way out", but Ive felt it and tried maybe 5 times now, and just with that, I know its real, and for some people its how it ends, so how can religious members be so critical for the one group of people whos severe struggle is from Themselves.

Allssoooo Recently I was on another forced retreat and suffered a lung collapse (I have severe asthma, the burning of smoke and scents hurt me in church), and I told the teacher I was with and she didnt care, her words "well, you need to be here for god, we can pray about it.."
Hey so thats not how it works lolll

But for me the more I think about how the church I've always been in functions and thinks, I find it feels very blue pilled, and delusional. Everyone in the room believes a man who exists in a spiritual plain will save us all if we worship him for all our years. And even though the world is a horrible place, its "not our problem" as we will live in the eternal kingdom with god himselves. Just now, I feel like it all is just peoples way to not think about the pain of being alive and processing their existence and how you really will die one day.

But thats me lol

Disclaimer: Im not intending to persuade or direct hate towards any religion and its practices, I support the right of religious freedom.

Whats your stance on religion and its connection to suicide, or in general?

I'm a practicing Catholic, ironically. I'm aware of of how suicide is viewed, where it can lead me. All I can say is, it won. Unfortunately for me it's won. I wanna die in a church, I'm trying to work something out.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

I think Catholicism has a powerful recipe for sanity. I kind of wish I'd been raised on it, but I probably would have become a smartass atheist teenager anyway. It seems to correct for all the ways I went wrong spiritually. The natural law, man's end being the contemplation of God, rationality governing the passions, ideas like that would have helped me. Instead I went nihilistic and anything-goes, probably because I was repressing shame from masturbating. No one ever told me it was wrong! My conscience did. That's not a reason to embrace a whole theology, but it makes me wonder. Sorry if I'm oversharing.

 

[fallenbutterfly]

I'm agnostic, but not too long ago I read into the religion I was born into and in the prayer book, it mentioned that lots of people sing of god and there's countless stories, different versions. I.e. no one really knows but it's likely there could be something out there.

 

[Pluto]

 

[DeathByBananabread]

Religion is the opium of the masses.

 

[Kanoh]

I'm not into organized religions but I think Jesus was great, I adore him as a person.

 

[pymeow]

I'm 20,a Christian...been religious my whole life, until this year, when my life fell into a death spiral and I actively attempted to ctb. I cursed God that day for not showing up, wondering whether my agony gave Him a divine "smile"...I looked into my life, one more time, 95% of the things that I counted as blessings were things that I put quite a lot of effort into, others could be luck...who knows?
When I refused to die, I felt like I was in denial about God's existence, coupled with a lot of resentment towards Him, here I am, my life is not a gift, when I put my phone away, I just want to find SN.
I am confused, I hate the concept of religion because God shouldn't be cruel enough to watch His people suffer, to the moment where they decide to end their lives...on the other hand, nothing gives me hope such as praying, I do pray because I refused to die, these are resentful prayers—they feel like a reflex to pain, not devotion—just because it's the only activity that rewards a flicker of solace
THIS IS MADDENING

 

[throwaway9901]

As a Christian, I'm going to be 100% clear that the idea suicide guarantees hell is pure bullshit. The morality of suicide is never brought up, much less condemned anywhere in the Bible. The idea is extrabiblical garbage pushed by the early Catholic church.

 

[itsgone2]

Im catholic after converting as an adult. I've had moments where I felt very close to God. So many times in life it's like He was letting me know the right thing to do and I'd choose wrong anyway. So I don't understand why I'd be made this way. Why I have this corrupt brain. Other things too that seem so cruel, things that happened to the good people around me. I don't understand. I'll never understand. I want God to help me so much and He is silent to me now. The church says hell is not having a relationship with God. I fear I'm in hell already. My life absolutely would have been better if I followed the teachings more. Obey the commandments. Stay humble. It's not even difficult. Such a waste of a life.

 

[TransientEternal]

If god exists I believe he is absolute evil. He designed us, decided our environment and knew what we would do then because of those outcomes (which he knew would happen) puts us into heaven to enjoy bliss forever or hell to suffer forever. Can anyone imagine infinite suffering? I don't think all the finite suffering in the world combined is worth a single person suffering eternity in hell. And you can only decide your outcome while you're alive? I think that's just used to control people with fear. God is an icon of fear and religion is a control tool.

 

[hurb]

The whole concept is just so dumb. It created so much misery just to brainwash humans and controlling them like sheep.
Religion is coming back stronger than ever now because rich people realised its hard to control individualized people.
Fuck religion

 

[LaetumCat]

It is a bit of an alien concept to me. I was raised in a very atheistic country, and I knew two people in life who were Christian, others didn't believe in god (or any other religion) at all. To me it just seems like a sort of.. Set of rules to follow and traditions I suppose. A way of coping, perhaps?

 

[Forever Sleep]

I've heard that the only unforgiveable sin is not believing in God. So- similar to you really- the idea that God prefers peadophiles, rapists, murderers over atheists who may have otherwise lived a fairly sinless life deeply disturbs me.

In fact, the kindest people I have known in life have all been atheists. If they're burning in hell whilst some child molesting priest gets to enjoy heaven- that tells me there is something seriously wrong.

As for religion itself, I think there is good and bad to it.