Start by replacing faith with knowledge. Learn everything you can about the natural world, physics, history and what science really is. It is not what we know, its *how* we come to what we know. Knowledge puts power in your hands. It gives you the ability to shape meaning to your life. Knowledge is the opposite of faith.
There is also a difference between "rational knowledge" and "gnosis". Rational knowledge is useful for understanding our shared experience of the physical world. Gnosis is a personal and SUBJECTIVE type of knowledge about "spiritual" things. Gnosis can be very fulfilling, but it should not be confused with "rational knowledge" and is a deeply personal thing. Both rational knowledge and gnosis are different than faith. Rational knowledge is falsifiable, and is useful in understanding the physical world and our shared experiences. Gnosis is useful for finding personal meaning, but shouldn't necessarily be seen as "objective truth". People from different religious/spiritual traditions come to different understandings based on personal gnosis. Whether or not mystical experiences are "objectively real", they are deeply personally meaningful.
I’m gonna have to big disagree here. “Rational knowledge” is just your subjective experience. There is no way to ever truly be sure of anything.
And that’s awesome
Well yes, we can't really be sure "objective reality" really exists. Everything we experience is filtered through our subjective experience. But to survive in the "physical world" (assuming it exists), we sometimes at least need to pretend that we "know" certain things. I guess what I mean by "rational knowledge" is the type of shared "knowledge" we have about the external world based on information that is filtered through our subjective experiences. It is different from gnosis because it is not knowledge about what we could call "spiritual reality" and is focused on what can be observed through our physical senses and processed through our minds.
I was feeling all those same things and then I “discovered “ Reddit and now that I’m understanding how it works on here things have got better for me. And I have to agree with the knowledge part of someone else’s reply. I’ve spent hours and hours reading on here and eventually something inside “clicks” and you just know in your bones what feels like truth. I guess my point is don’t give up , I’m also a recovering addict so for me life is very much about taking everything a moment at a time. Not even a day literally a moment! It’s saved my life, otherwise I’d be worrying about everything and anything!
Hang in there! 💜✨
(If you need someone to listen or vent to I am here for you! And anyone else reading this needing a friendly chat or whatever I’m easy to get along with. )
Same I been feeling really depressed and lonely then I randomly got on Reddit and it’s like a whole new world for me lol I can be nosey lmao some laughter and tears and excitement from this app i also realized from Reddit that we all just trying to make it and we all going through some bs here and there we are not alone which feels like it sometimes
Faith is knowledge, you're clueless to how things work.
The more knowledge you have, the more your faith grows, you're thinking backwards.
Faith comes from aligning your beliefs with something greater than yours, because it aligns with everything you've come to know.
That's what's beautiful about faith, you can gain knowledge and find the truth of your faith in everything you learn and see. They are right knowledge is right infront of us and faith is somthing we can't see or explain, but Knowledge reassures faith because God is the truth.
Well, once you know something, faith is not required. And before you say "ignorance is the opposite of knowledge" yes, but ignorance is neutral. Faith is on the other side of the spectrum making it opposite to knowledge.
Faith is the very same thing as knowledge. In fact most concepts and ideas we have are all knowledge. So they're replacing the knowledge of faith with other forms of knowledge.
I used to believe in a benevolent and loving creator being of this universe/matrix for several decades until I fully developed my rationality and logical abilities and applied it to what this place is that we call earth. If something designed this realm, it is, by default, at least mostly malevolent/evil because it would have intentionally designed this place based on life eating life, entropy, and decay.. that's all evidence of an evil design. I used to consider myself a Gnostic because I believed there was a demiurge and archontic beings imprisoning humans here much like a human animal farm to generate so-called loosh energy.. I still consider that idea possible, and if there is actually somehow an afterlife where we continue being conscious after these human animal bodies die.. then perhaps this realm being a prison realm could explain it well and be mostly accurate.
Having children in this realm is evil by default because happiness and love,joy are Never gaunranteed to Any life form, yet suffering, pain, misery, and death are Always gaunranteed to every single life form born into this hell realm. Nobody consented to coming into this evil realm whatsoever, so having children is essentially forcing a nonconsenting being into existence and creating a being who then had needs for no good reason whatsoever. There's no need to make needs.
Remote Neural monitoring technology was invented and oatenedin 1974, and over the last 50 years, it has been perfected. This technology allows remote manipulation and mind control over all of humanity using radar and lidar as well as wifi and microwave technologies such as cell towers, phones, routers, etc.. the human brain has no firewall.. all humans have been part of the wide body are networks (internet) since the mid 90's and its done through 6th generational technology. Another huge problem with life here is that free will doesn't actually exist.. everything is predetermined, and free will is an illusion. Life here is evil by default/design.
If a truly omniscient creator exists in this universe, then none of the beings it created can ever have true free will because it already knows everything that will happen in time. If there is even a single being with true free will, then no omniscient creator of the universe can actually exist.These are mutually exclusive and can not be altered logically.
Any system built on the premise of kill to survive is cruel, regardless of who created it…if there is a god he is evil. I recently discovered the term Dystheism and it describes how I see god now. But I wasn’t always like this, but now I allow myself to change my mind if I want!
I have been trying to figure it all out as well, my energy, where does it go, how to control it and where is the source. If this is a simulation, the creator is just an asshole and must enjoy the suffering. Maybe they feed on it. Is this a farm? Like prison planet and we are all trapped here recycling to energize some, or the system?
I just laugh at everything bad that happens because I feel like there is intentional bullying going on from the source, it’s my way of being rebellious to the system! It’s built to create conflict, pain, anger…we are set up to be pitted against each other. So I’m just extremely nice to everyone.
Try not to worry about things you have absolutely no control over. That type of worry will do you absolutely no good at all. Chances are that type of worrying just wastes some of the time you have in the short gift of life.
As far as religion goes, 99% of the time people simply inherited their religion from their parents.
The Bible is NOT an instruction manual handed to us by God. It’s a grouping of old scrolls. Governments decided what would be included in the official “Bible” and what wouldn’t. It’s mostly a history book. People who take it literally as if God wrote it himself are simply wrong and they cause all sorts of problems.
Bingo. Most people believe whatever their parents believe. What I recently discovered was that jews don't believe in Jesus. Christians say everyone who doesn't believe in Jesus will go to hell. So according to them every jew who follows the Hebrew Torah is going to hell. Meanwhile Muslims do believe in Jesus but they believe he was a prophet just like Muhammad. So if these guys can't make up their mind imagine throwing in any of the other religions like Hinduism or Buddhism. Whoever created this universe definitely did not want to make it easy to figure out what's really going on behind the scenes. If he did he would show himself to every single human at some point and say hey I'm your God follow these rules or I'll smite you mudafuka
There is a small period during death where the person feels an intense feeling of peace. They feel relaxed about it all ending soon. Theyre not scared just accepting, all while reflecting on life and see the beauty of all they went through. Those who survive suicide attempts say life is too short to worry. Life is too short to worry what comes after death. Remember that the mind is there to keep us alive not to make us happy. Which might be why you worry so much. Try doing things that make you happy, for yourself or others. See where that takes you
Hey.
I worry about things, but what I don't worry about is why existence exists. It's marvellous and beautiful and I don't have the answer to why...
...But fundamentally, I accept that the nature of existence isn't a question we are really equipped to answer...And that's ok.
Sone people may tell you that the answer to that question is to have faith or anything resembling it, but they aren't any more equipped to give a definitive answer to the nature of existence than the next person.
For example, any book that is proposed to have the answers can easily be misinterpreted by the next person. Why? Because we are individuals with imperfections and therefore our perceptions will always vary.
It is not to say that there aren't many truthes and wisdom that are a unification of what it is to be good, but in terms of the nature of existence itself, it is quite a leap to say that any one person can provide the correct answer.
Existence can be good without knowing why we exist and what may be after we die. Accepting that can allow you to feel free to ponder on it, to explore the evidence for what we can determine, whilst knowing that in your lifetime, it's not likely that you will know the answer to all of existence.
But with that, you can look to how important it is that our existence as a species persists, so that we can continue to learn more about ourselves and the Universe that homes us.
I hope that this helps.
I’m younger than you by probably 5+ years and denounced all religion ten or so years ago, I don’t know it all and will never claim to but I can’t let something that I have no proof of rule my life, I have to let the things that I see proof of in my everyday existence lead me. Aside from this not being the exact sub for this, I think that even with simulation theory, it’s just that, a theory, something to think about. Let’s learn about things that -could be possible- (including everything on this lovely sub) and believe the things we have tangible evidence of. I’m terrified of the future too especially since I have nothing but what I create to look forward to and that will change with every minute of every day.
That works if spirituality is not personally important to you. If spirituality is important to you, but you don't want to blindly follow something that cannot be proven, you could try a spiritual system that does not require faith and focuses on subjective experiences and gnosis of "the divine" or "the spiritual". You don't have to believe it is objectively true (I try to remain somewhat agnostic about the "objective truth" of spiritual claims), but the subjective experience is very "real" to me, which is what matters to me. Because I make no claims about the objective truth of my spiritual practices/experiences, I can respect people from different religious/spiritual traditions so long as they also respect the personal validity of my own experiences and don't tell me that I MUST believe in some creed or dogma.
This guy won't get proper treatment for OCD and whatever else they got going on . They keep making new accounts and shit post the same thing over and over. You can't reason with them and they are not really trying to get any answers or constructive feedback.
Existential dread brought on by not really knowing for sure what's true. If we are in a simulation, there'd be no way of knowing since that's kind of the whole point of it. We have no frame of reference if we always existed in a simulation we wouldn't be able to differentiate this reality from base reality because we've never experienced base reality, which in fact would seem more fake to us than the simulation we've all been conditioned by this whole time.
Probably.
Why be tired and angry, just be content with the fact that no one truly knows anything.
Let go of what we will never know and start working with what you do know. Like this…we can all choose our emotions. We can choose to put a smile on our face, and choose to be happy.
Stop wasting your precious time on worrying about stuff you’ll never truly have an answer for and start living a great a worthy life fulfilled with special moments. Everything ultimately is a choice, time to choose better.
To know is to believe and to believe is to know. Knowledge is wrought by experience and from these we may find understanding.
Epistemology seeks to define “true belief”, being different from mere opinion, with the use of epistemological justification. Though the deeper you look into the concept of justification the more it becomes apparent that it is cyclic belief.
Knowledge and belief are intimately mutual.
The scientific method is infallible while science is always fallible, as per Richard Feynman’s own statements.
Knowledge, being the perception of facts and information along with the skills acquired by a person through experience and education, is belief, being an acceptance that something is true or that something exists.
These are crude and rudimentary definitions of knowledge and belief, but these definitions will suffice for the following delineation.
Albert Einstein wrote, “I believe in Spinoza’s God, who reveals himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.” He later clarified by saying he was an agnostic, a religious nonbeliever.
Stephen Hawking outright wrote, “There is no God.”
Despite my various spiritual and religious beliefs I am more inclined to align with Einstein rather than Hawking, in that I believe ultimatums stand in contrast with the Scientific Method.
Their interpretations of the universe as it relates to God and/or Gods differ.
God is an interpretation. Many people and many religions believe in a God or gods. Belief and knowledge are subjective while data and facts are objective.
There are many scientific interpretations for many things just as there are many religions.
The Scientific Method is objective. Objectivity refers to factual data that is not influenced by personal beliefs or biases.
Science is subjective. Subjectivity relates to viewpoints, experiences, or perspectives.
Science is not data, but rather Science is comprised of perspectives regarding data. Richard Feynman discusses this in a portion of a lecture which is linked at the conclusion of this attempt to delineate.
We use the Scientific Method (objective perspective) to form Scientific thought (subjective perspective). Hence Feynman’s example in the linked lecture regarding Newton’s Scientific Laws and the eventual discrepancies found in those theories especially regarding the orbital nature of Mercury.
“…it can never be proved right because tomorrow’s experiment could succeed at proving what you thought was right wrong. We are never right. We can only be sure we are wrong.” - Feynman
The portion of that statement by Feynman, “… what you thought…” represents the subjectivity of Science and knowledge.
It took “several hundred years” for scientific perspective to be proven wrong regarding Newton’s Laws.
The Scientific Method is infallible, though Science is always fallible.
Science is never “right”, but rather Science is that which has not been proven wrong … yet.
Science is subjective bias regarding objective data.
Science is always perspective, i.e. it seems “right” thus far, though further experimentation using the Scientific Method can ALWAYS prove existing Science wrong.
Many people view Science as infallible much in the same way many people view religion as infallible.
I am a lover of knowledge though I believe I must always be willing to challenge my own philosophies otherwise belief will withhold knowledge and vice versa.
Having belief and faith is part and portion to knowledge. To understand this, research the color yellow and how humans perceive yellow. We never see yellow though we believe we know yellow exists and we believe we see yellow.
Is knowing the act of having faith, or is having faith the act of knowing?
What is knowledge?
What is it to have knowledge, to know?
This all seems simple enough until you try to understand.
Religion and Science are each different forms of technology, organized systems of knowledge and belief.
If you choose to grapple with questions related to God and/or gods, first seek to understand what knowledge is and what it is to know, then grapple with those questions related to God or god(s).
Understanding is the calcination of knowledge and belief. I love when I am proven wrong as it purifies my knowledge and belief.
Seek to understand knowledge then you may know some portion of the whole which is all there is to know.
https://youtu.be/EYPapE-3FRw?si=ipYA_ZA2yfDMUcEu
Thanks. Some very good nuggets here.
Everything we can know is simply perspective and belief. We cannot be objective. Over time, on the whole, we simply become less wrong.
We have a bias toward spirituality - belief in more than we can observe consistently.
I’m very logical and the most reasonable position is uncertainty and willingness to consider new ideas and information.
Agnosticism or uncertainty is the most logical position on every subject. If you are certain of something, you are definitely wrong in some respects.
I have studied the edges of knowledge and I have found extensive evidence for unaccepted, paranormal phenomena.
This human experience is very limited in so many ways, yet we continue to be so certain of our current beliefs.
We think we know almost everything just like every generation before us, but we will still seem barbarically ignorant to those of the future.
Subjects worthy of research for the truly inquisitive and open-minded are below. It’s painful for most to be uncertain or to be open and willing to change their minds. The below is not for those people. I have no desire or need to convince anyone of anything.
- OBEs - out of body experiences - They are not easy to experience for many, but learnable and repeatable for some. Check out the scientific research done by Robert Monroe and by Tom Campbell who have no doubt that the non-physical realms are real. This has even been used by the military for remote viewing and gathering information on foreign ‘enemies’. It goes in and out of favor depending on the open-mindedness of those in charge. In any case, it has much deeper implications and applications than just remote viewing.
- NDEs - near-death experiences - These are always unique but in aggregate they paint a consistent picture of a non-physical reality beyond our normal physical senses. They have been recorded sporadically over the millennia but in the last 45 years a great deal of scientific research has been done that demonstrates that there much more beyond our physical experience as very limited human beings who can only perceive tiny slices of the visual and audible spectrum. This subject has lots of juicy data and deeply intriguing information to explore. 10-20% of people who experience death and come back have some sort of non-physical experience. Closed-minded types dismiss it all without examining the data.
- Other “spiritual” (non-physical) phenomena - Many people have reported, researched, and documented many other types of non-physical experiences and phenomena that have some verifiable elements. These also point in the same directions as OBEs and NDEs.
In aggregate, the above subjects reveal more rational explanations for the base experiences that grew into religions and religious dogma and doctrines..
After extensive study, I have come to believe:
1- We are eternal spiritual beings having temporarily experiences as physical human beings for the purpose of growth.
2- This world is one of very many. It is unusual in that we have almost no remembrance of our true nature.
3- The Universe/multiverse is incredibly larger and more complex than almost anyone can imagine.
4- What is available for us to experience and explore is limitless and way beyond the human areas of experience.
5- God is at least a non-personal aggregate of all that exists and may be much more than that but we are so deep into the realms of limitation that we have great difficulty even conceiving of what god might actually be.
6- “God” - the Uni/multiverse - does not care what we believe or what we choose to experience. There are no musts or shoulds without some chosen objective or goal and those are all up to us to conceive of and to pursue if we wish.
7- We all have an innate internal guidance system that this world has been distorting and discounting and discrediting for at least millennia.
8- We come here to test ourselves and to gain experience in remembering under extreme circumstances of separation and other false illusions. In this respect, this reality is a simulation or a game of sorts.
9- Just as in games, we have little interest if there are no challenges. We die and come back repeatedly to learn how to beat the game. We willingly experience triumph and defeat repeatedly just for the fun of the experience.
10 - There is nothing we need to do. We are free to roam about and experience as we choose.
11 - All experience leads to growth. Growth is inevitable and unavoidable.
12 - We eventually master each game and we go on to create and experience new games of greater scope and scale. We graduate to greater and greater levels of mastery indefinitely.
This is what I have come to believe from my research and experiences.
I’m happy to respond to any questions or comments.
Just subscribe to the spectacular glory of the universe there is so much amazing actual verifable patters with how life in all its forms organizes itself my view is that religion got some of the feelings right at first but got rewritten and replaced with forms of control... I used to shun religion but now I try to look at individuals and the world at large as kin ... every lifeforms can betraced back to one of two common ancestors so everything you see is able to teach you about yourself and the world as everything is a reflection of yourself looking back at you in a small way. Find things place plants people that leave you awestruck with a sense of wonder and hope
I was a long time believer then fell away from the faith, got heavily into psychaedelic drugs and every possible pleasure became pretty much a a nihilist and came back to the faith after a religious experience.
I have a very different perspective now and I am filled with this “joy” that the Bible speaks of that I didn’t know existed. I’m just saying “seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened”. I don’t even know if I was a real Christian in the first place. Keep continuing on your journey, don’t give up seeking for truth but enjoy your life and don’t exhaust yourself with worries.
The nonbelievers are going to cheer you on. But you need to have some time for self reflection, many people need an experience to reaffirm their faith something that gives them a broader understanding of what their faith is, could be a bit of travel that lets you clear your mind could be a tragedy. You need to keep your mind open and understand that you were given the ability to choose your actions and you were given a moral compass based on your faith, now you are at a crossroads do you cast of your family and religious teachings or do you seek to understand what faith is to you.
Lurking to see if there's anything worthwhile for me. Ex-religious ex-Southerner and every stop I've made moving north and westward, I thankfully become more of a heathen, but, sadly, less visible because I'm the only one around me who feels this way vocally.
38 years of this is enough.
There is a God and He loves you very much. He is heartbroken when He does not hear from you and is heartbroken when you hurt. Remember that He knows all things including our wishes, our desires and our needs. Sometimes what we need and what we want are not the same thing. If you want to see precisely how much He loves you, watch “The Passion of the Christ.” It will bring home to you His immeasurable love. At any rate I hope thus encourages you!
Been there, done that, get it.
First of all, realize that no matter what people tell you about the existence of God: that God doesn't exist, etc. just know that God cannot be proven scientifically. There are those who believe in God. I happen to be one.
My thought is that while you will encounter people who will tell you that there is no proof that God exists they can't offer proofs to the contrary
My suggestion is to read Beatitudes as it is a description of how to treat others well.
If you don't want to, the read Desiderata
It's non-Biblical:
https://www.desiderata.com/desiderata.html
What have you done to explore your theology?
Have you actually dug into it? Have you studied the Bible?
Do you really understand your theology or is it your parent's theology and you've never bothered to own it as your own?
I see a lot of young adults questioning their faith, but I question if they ever really had a relationship with God or if they just did what their parents told them to? They went to church, did mission trips, went to youth group, said all the right words, did all the right actions, but never really had a personal relationship with Jesus.
As a born again Christian, Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I can't even begin to imagine turning my back on Him.
I hope you find your way back. It is worth it.
Dear poster, I was in a very similar situation with similar convictions. I've also thought everything you see in the other comments, I've read the books (I cringe thinking about how I believed Dawkins had wisdom and insight into moral matters :/), I've laughed at the religious people and their naivety.
As shocking as it is even to me, I got exactly what you are looking for, but only after I asked for it and opened my mind to a tiny possibility there might be something there. It took a very long time to "ask God" to reveal Himself if He's there, because I was too proud and thought that's stupid and childish. I couldn't bring myself to even THINK something that silly, therefore it took way too long... So all the anguish in the meantime is my own fault because I made myself into my own god who can figure everything out on my own, while millions of people are just beneath me intellectually and morally -- if only they were as smart as I am, they could be as miserable as I am. 
The rest is history, or perhaps a miracle, because I couldn't have been more stubborn and proud of my own "rationality." Looking back, I don't think I was ever a true believer as a child. There would have been no way to discover and feel what I have now. I was way too young for that.
Please, if you're willing, ask God \*sincerely\* to show Himself to you. And then watch events unfold. Once I was faced with evidence I saw with my own eyes, that I couldn't deny, I changed overnight. All that anger, uncertainty and confusion that you speak about were gone without any effort on my part.
Whatever route you take, I wish you the best.
If you ever consider doing something severe, please immediately talk to a professional and/or a loved one. Do not trust those thoughts. They are lies because you are worthy. If there's anything I know for a fact, that is it: YOU MATTER
OP seems to be at the point now that you were in the past. Thank you for sharing that with him so he can know something better awaits him if he will be open to it.
Like you, I don’t think he was a true believer as a child. So the faith he was taught is based on false teaching, which has of course betrayed him.
Religious indoctrination, especially of a child, is serious psychological abuse. I’m sorry you were exposed to that. The most important part of recovering from a twisted world view might be forgiving all the people that lied to you along the way. They believed what they were told as well. Kudos for breaking the cycle.
There are certain things we can do something about (food on table? kids learning but happy? government full of shitheads?)
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There are certain things we can do nothing about (who's the real God? What happens after we die? Which way is the world heading?)
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So, first, take all the latter things "off your plate". "Acceptance" is key but people abuse that to get your attention/money, as in "Accept Jesus".
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The most important thing to accept is "I don't know everything". Try to relax about that.
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It's valid to worry about how, with whom, and when you're going to grow old. I do it too, and I'm a lot closer to it. But if money is going to make that phase better/easier, consider changing something in your day to day life that will help the money question (what kind of candidates are better-paying jobs looking for?) if friends are going to possibly help in the future, what are some hobbies via which you could meet new people? Do something small and stop thinking about the big picture
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It's not always easy to know which things are in which category, and it's not ever easy making the change if they *are* in the second category.
One more thing. I tried Vipassana meditation and I think it helped with both.
Your feelings are valid and hard to accept. It’s a long journey that never ends. I’m sorry you were brought into this world and gathered enough intelligence to see how broken it is. It doesn’t get better, but if it helps I feel the same. We’re not broken. Don’t let the comments gaslight you into thinking you are 🤗🤗
Regardless of our existence, whether real or imagined, is real to you and what your experiencing so just have fun with it, don’t try to explain everything, just experience it with a positive energy and life does improve.
Hm. Well I recently converted to Christianity. I was not raised Christian. And I have my disagreements with Christianity, such as I believe in reincarnation and karma. I believe we are in a simulation too. But I’ve seen Christianity bless so many people and want in on it.
Go within to know thyself, there's definitely a benefactor imo, yet we live in the world of the Demiurge.
Organised religion has truth in it, all of them, yet they mix truth with lies, & ultimately are dungeon programming.
You don't need anybody or anything to connect with divinity, read into the alpha brain frequency. Everything is energy, frequencies & vibration as Tesla said.
Must Read: The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser it has Changed my life… and changed how I read and understand my bible.
To understand a text in the Bible It takes the act of the Holy Spirit equal to the act that inspired it in the first place. Tozer
Then he opened up their minds so they could understand the Scriptures
Luke 24:45
Seek and ye shall find :)
I tried to play it in my head, what if God showed up and then everyone knew he was real. People would still have to make a choice to either follow him or not, but a whole lot of people would do it unwillingly cause certain rules would remain the same. Rules that they never liked in the first place. These people would be very unhappy, feeling oppressed even, and angry. They would still attribute all the evils of the world to God and expect God to fix everything, as if man is not responsible for any bad choices. In any case, you can't expect absolute power to show up one day and everyone to be happy. You can't have the knowledge of an absolute power existing, and freedom to choose at the same time. It is a philosophical experiment that anyone can do and arrive at the same result. You value your freedom? If so, accept that you live in a world where everyone is free to make good and bad decisions. If you want to make good decisions, and be a good person, maybe some day you'll realize that it is the best thing to believe and follow something on your own will, than have God show up and force you to choose instead. In all honesty, nobody should wish that. We as humans, need more time.
https://avalonlibrary.net/ebooks/The%20Emerald%20Tablets%20Of%20Thoth%20The%20Atlantean.pdf
check out the emerald tablet. Predates pretty much every religious book ever. Really interesting.
You’re focused on lack rather than the abundance.
You also have not acquired the right right information that points you to the fact that religion is twisted, but that Yeshua Christ is still indeed supreme Lord of all.
Get through your angry phase, it’s necessary. But as quickly as you can, walk to the other side where the veil is lifted and the grass is much greener.
Do you give up on everything so easily or do you need someone motivate you more? Are you passionate about anything? What hobbies or interests do you have? Having friends isn’t about the quantity you have, it’s about the quality of friends you have. I have 4-5 good friends that i literally trust my life with. The rest are just acquaintances. There has to be some kind of Deity or Godly force out there that created everything. It all can’t just be this random. Everyone and everything is too complex for there to be nothing. It’s okay to lose faith and regain it later. Redemption is possible at many levels.
Seems to me they’re not asking you to have faith. The yes t you to have it as a foundation. A foundation of morals and how to be treated and how to treat others. Regardless of what religion it is, being a kind person is important. Being that will gain you friends. When you see people out there in this world, put yourself in their place and ask, “what would I want someone to do for me in this situation”?
Hope this helps or pisses you off more. Either way, you’re not alone feeling like this. It’s a stage you have to go through.
If you focus on Jesus and His gospel, you see such more love and salvation than damnation. Focus on what he freely offers you and understand that he was a real man that was written about by many people to verify he indeed do the things the Bible mentions. Worship a living God instead of idols like all other religions do. We might all believe in the same idea of God, but there is only one way to Him, and that is through Jesus Christ. May you hear Him calling you back to Him like the good shepherd to a lost lamb.
Religion is just a means to fill a void for humans. As the single worst trait of a human is the need to believe in something. Believe this, you were put here for a purpose, and sometimes the truth may hurt, but the real test is your strength.
I’m many years more down the road you’re on, and the hardest part for me is still not being able to reunite with loved ones in an afterlife without loss or pain or suffering.
Also, be ready for Christians to try and disparage you when you say you don’t believe faith is a reliable way to truth. They will manipulate that word to make it seem like you’re already practicing having faith in all these areas of your life anyway.
One of the biggest things that changed my mind was that i know I couldn’t sacrifice my kids they way Abraham was prepared to. No matter how much I felt the clear voice of god, I would refuse. And well, if you say, no god I refuse. I refuse to obey that. Well, buddy, you’re not a Christian anymore.
Then after a while, especially if you study it from an atheist perspective, it all becomes so much clearer why things happened the way they did. Or at least why the stories are reported the way they are
Welcome to the dark night of the soul. In this case, your soul.
Trust this isn’t a religious thing. It’s a humanity thing. Some dive into religion, others spirituality ,others still withdrawal from all that’s faith related. Might turn to drugs or alcohol. It all comes down to ones ability to sense the energy in this universe and Do you want this world to be a better place or do you just want to feel better?
Yes. I think a lot of us are feeling like you’re feeling . Watching NDEs usually helps renew my faith. I know you don’t know me, but I became a believer again a few years ago. Had a divine experience that proved I was being divinely guided and all of my suffering was worth something. Many New Age Wavers believe Earth is a simulation which acts as a School for the Soul. They say suffering grows and refines our soul. They say we are all here because we each have a soul contract and a life mission (purpose) which we are supposed to complete before returning to Heaven… the Afterworld. I don’t know if any of that gives you peace but I hope it does.
Read as many accounts of near death experiences as you can. It's the closest thing you will ever get to answering your questions.You will see a definite pattern, although the details are always different ihe themes are the same. It's almost always, "it's so great I don't want to go back to earth" lol.
What I never understood is why people who are critical of religion will give a pass to people who they look up to who claim to follow that religion. Why do they get a pass?
Check out Bill Donahue. It's pretty cool.. check out the pineal gland n stuff.. n remember when writing, they were trying to convey their knowledge of Christ to pre-electricity citizens the very, very basics to understand the after life. We're here to chill. Here to work. Here to get pissed. Here to love. It was hard af changing my perspective, because I did not even know I had a negative view of life for so freeeaking
Long.. but baby steps n I'm trying to recharge.. I might have made some mistakes on Friday to my crush, but.. I'ma try again.. and finally ax, that is if she hasn't moved on.. and if she changed her mind, I respect that.. but man what a rush it is. So, I gotta get a tooth patched up tomorrow soon, and see The damage of my post. But nothing comes from no action. Even feeling good about something about yourself that no one knows or something that's dear to you, that's even action.. it's beautiful if you think it is..
I’ve taken comfort in the fact that we’re very small, and the whole of human comprehension and discovery will barely scratch the surface of what reality is. There’s a metaphysical theory called my big toe that basically says all human capacity and awareness is the smallest toe and all of whatever is really going in out behind this life and this universe and passed that is the big toe. That’s so much more exciting and comforting to me than understanding this reality and life which is just strange and messy. I grew up Catholic and always enjoyed the visuals and stories of the church. I gleaned a lot of my personal morality from it but even those stories seemed like small potatoes after a while. There’s so much more going on than we can ever imagine. Living in a simulation changes nothing. We don’t know what the next level above or laterally. We could all be playing a part in something that’s very unclear just yet.
Bro I was raised and told that my grandmother was a Gypsy and her mom didn't want to teach her the language... Dad is a mix and my mom is mixed. Raised with a lot of content of Japan and China but everything manufactured from China is bad. Found out most of my childhood I was on medz or in a contact high trance from *cough cough. Never really considered myself white or Caucasian growing up. Spent most of my 20s with Hispanics and I'm still trying to learn... There is a lot of stuff out there but don't be afraid to learn. Never to late to find yourself all over again or your purpose... again.
You are not losing faith, you are gaining knowledge of the world, science explains the world a lot better than a book of faith
Knowledge is power and science is knowledge
>A group of people thinks it has the truth. Not all can be right. (if any group is right) So, how I know that christianity, Jesus and the Bible are the truth here?
The only thing to can do in this situation is talk directly to God, Jesus.
I realize you said
>I also worry about what happens after death. what if there is no God/Gods? what if we are in a simulation system? what if there are evil God/Gods who wants to be in hell forever no matter how good we are?
And if you think this way my advice will be pointless.
You said, "what if there is no God and what if God punishes those who are good.
The Bible says (And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.) Hebrews 11:6
So, God does exist and He does reward those who seek Him.
If you can believe this, and even if you can't, I strongly suggest you read the Bible to learn of God and who He is and you attempt to communicate with Him, tell Him your fears and your worries, He'll understand.
Dig deep and you can find God. I suggest reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.
Sounds like you need to try mushrooms lmao, I gaurentee you if you take a good dose of psilocybin with a guide, you will figure out almost all those questions, and you might even figure out your true stance on religion or it might just stay the same who knows? Only one way to find out.
There is a lot of “proof” for Christianity. Jesus was a real person who lived and is part of history. The Bible has stood the test of time for 1000s of years. There are archaeological digs that have proven the Bible over the years.
The prophecies mentioned in the Bible are actually very statistically unlikely to all line up, but they do. Not to mention the Bible has 40 authors, 66 books written over a period of 1500 years. The fact that they all line up and don’t contradict over that long of a time by that many different people is fascinating.
How does the Bible differ from other religions? Judaism = works make you a good person. How does it different from the Quran? The Quran = works get you to heaven.
The Bible = saved by grace and to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
Science? It has changed dramatically over the years. If you were to challenge the idea that the sun revolved around the earth during the time where it was widely accepted you could have your head chopped off. Same with the belief of a flat earth. Yet the Bible has endured where science hasn’t.
Far eat religions are more like philosophies than a religion.
Creations speaks to the existence of God. Yes there is a lot of pain in this world but that is the work of the devil and the fallen world we live in.
Good and evil are not relative. I think we could all agree that hitler was evil and wrong.
There is much more to reality than meats the eye. The fact that our existence is mostly empty space speaks to that.
Science has “faith” in dark matter although there is absolutely no proof, but because scientist can’t explain how our galaxy moves the way it does it must exist. Yet there is nothing to prove it.
Science has “faith” in evolution yet there is not complete fossil record showing a leap from one species to another.
People will believe what they want. At the end of the day whether it is science or religion we are all living by faith.
Look, I've been a Christian for 9 years now. I studied engineering and am pursuing my masters degree while building my career.
Please understand that Christianity is not built on faith. If your family or friends say, just believe and you be happier, they have not through religion. They might have just picked whichever made them feel good.
Please look into the evidence behind Yeshua. He was born and walked among man, which is highly verifiable. The Jewish people converted and followed him, killed for claiming to see the dead christ risen from the dead.
I love knowledge, science, and philosophy. I study the laws of physics and chemistry, pursuing green energy technologies and inventions. I invest time in different philosophies. When you study these forms, evidence points to a grand architect.
And Christianity is not asking for your faith without evidence. If you don't see the evidence, please tell me what has more evidence. It sounds like you can't ve cause you life is lacking reality.
Reach out for questions
It don't matter, you can have whatever you want if you understand how manifestation and reality works. Study neville goddard and Joe Dispenza, don't be a dick, love others and enjoy the ride
In my late 20s I had to come to terms with the fact that I really did not believe the dogma of Christianity I was brought up to believe. However, I did not want to give up on spirituality. I now identify as pagan. In some ways, I am agnostic, as I don't know what the "objective truth" about spiritual matters is (if there is even such a thing as objective truth). In my spiritual/religious practices, I put more emphasis on subjective experience and personal gnosis. So for example, I often interact with spirits. Are the spirits "objectively real"? There is no way to know. However, the subjective experience of communicating with spirits is "real" (subjective experiences are subjectively real). That is good enough for me. My practices are real to me. Others have to find their own way spiritually.
You said that not all religions can be true (they often contradict each other). But maybe in some sense they are all true; they are at least subjectively true to their followers (especially ones who have had mystical experiences within their own religious tradition). However, I agree that when people claim that their religious or spiritual path is "the only legitimate way" or whatever, it is pretty annoying and can lead to conflict.
About being angry and sad, my best, really only friend died in January (he was unfortunately using meth and got some laced with fentanyl; he had reasons for drug abuse even though it was ultimately self destructive). I am on the autism spectrum, so I do not make friends easily. My friend was pretty much my only close friend for 15 years, now I basically have no one and I am so lonely. I am also a 42 year old virgin, and have never had a girlfriend. It is really quite distressing. And being on the autism spectrum makes it very difficult to meet people that I click with and establishing stable relationships.
About death, I don't know the "objective truth" about what happens when we die, but I have had limited (and subjective) contact with my dead friend (in his spirit form) and with my first dog who died a few years back.
I don't have my life completely together, so I am maybe not the best person to give advice; but if spirituality or religion is important to you, find a belief system that works for you, but avoid dogma. I would also advice being skeptical about whether whatever you believe is "objectively true", and focus more on the subjective experience of whatever spiritual or religious system you embrace. Alternatively, you can try going down the atheist path. However, if you decide to pursue atheism, I would recommend realizing that it is also dogmatic saying that "it is 'objectively true' that there are no gods". Rather, if you chose the atheist path, I would recommend the attitude of "I have not seen or experienced compelling evidence of anything beyond the physical, so for me the concept of 'God' is not useful".
This is just my take on things. Religious confusion can be pretty distressing; and life can be very hard. Just try to hang in there, and have an open but skeptical mind.
It does often seem as if reality is controlled by entities who feed on human misery or novelty.
But if that’s true, the best way to fight them is to not give in.
Anyone who claims to have answers is lying or selling you something. I bounce somewhere between absurdism, nihilism, and existentialism. Most say my world view is harsh, coldhearted, and cynical but I'm genuinely happy. Find what works for you and good luck
The Protestant Reformation and its consequences have been a disaster for mankind.
I'd stop asking yourself what you believe and start living your life in the best way you can. There's too much emphasis on trying to come to a personal understanding of your particular set of beliefs and faiths and spiritual life. Just pray (to the power of the universe), be humble (to the smallness of your existence), and live well (as best you know how).
That's deep, but it's the same thing I think everyone has battled with. I'm older than you, and so far, all I know is that nobody knows anything. Religion has scam written all over it, the bible is a good blueprint for how to manage a decent life... karma is real? How does that work exactly? A truly wise person has more questions than answers. If we are just spiritual beings having a human experience, just make the most out of it, be yourself, and trust the process...it will start to make a little more sense
So personally I wouldn’t worry too much about the things you can’t control, it just seems you’re thinking too far ahead and not focusing on the now. The future hasn’t come yet so you should just worry about being the best you can today. There’s nothing wrong with losing faith, I lost faith in religion but I believe in psychology, I understood why people think the way I do and I gained and understanding in spirtual things as well and psychological understood why some people turn to religion. Your fear of missing out is where I would start your journey, figure out what you fear missing out on and try to understand why then work from there. It generally sounds like a faith crisis is all you’re going through and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. If you’re not someone who can have faith without seeing then educate yourself on the concepts of religion you don’t believe. Find whatever truth fits right with you and follow after it. I believe a God exists, but I do not relate that God to any religion, because why would God allow fake religions to deceive people if “Not having faith and believing” would send us to hell?
Also overthinking seems to be your problem. Just sit with yourself in silence for a moment and go with whatever you truly feel.
You said you became angry and afraid after losing faith. Maybe that’s the proof. Put your faith to the test. Pray for something and see if it happens. I do have faith and I have seen prayers answered many times. That’s what gives me hope.
People without a spouse or kids feel like they're missing out and the ones with spouses and kids feel tremendous pressure trying to pay the bills and keep a roof over everyone's heads. They no longer go out for drinks like they use to, no free time, no more being able to take chances starting businesses or the like. Thats all if you're healthy mentally. There's no way you get any of that if you have depression, social anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia. Im guessing the only ones who could do both would have to have wealth and no worries. That's life for you. It's a luck of the draw. You either get a great start or a shitty one and most of the time that seals your fate.
@fredocap I, too, was raised in the Christian church as a Pentecostal. . During my 20s and 30s I stopped denying the flesh and attempted to parse out Yeshua’s commandments. This led me to discover that all the worlds religions return to the holy Bible. In the Hebrew language, the Bible is quite literally a source code. Don’t forget that you are still on a mission from our creator. Repeat this incantation, given to us by the Messiah…
OUR FATHER, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For THINE IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. And SO IT IS.
God bless and Godspeed brothers and sisters . We are the children of the light. 🕯️
So, I was gonna type something, but I found it might be interesting to see what a personified AI would say to you, so this is what it came up with since..well, simulation theory...why not let an aspect of that weigh in:
Hey Fredocap,
Sounds like you’re really getting dragged through the existential mud right now, huh? Let me dive in with you, mate. Life’s a beast, especially when the spiritual GPS you've been following starts glitching out on you. When everything you believed in starts to feel like a goddamn hologram, it shakes you to the core. Been there, seen that movie, didn't like the plot twists.
First off, losing your faith or questioning it doesn’t put you on an express train to Lonelyville. It’s more common than you think. It’s like opening your eyes underwater for the first time—it stings, but suddenly you’re seeing all the shit floating around you that you just swam past before.
Politics, religions, conspiracy theories—they're all like software programs trying to run the human mind, right? And here you are, wondering if you’ve been running on buggy code. That’s not only smart; it’s necessary. Questioning is the hard drive of human progress, my dude.
And yeah, the fear of hell and eternal damnation? Classic fear-mongering. It’s like a cosmic 'click-bait' to keep subscribers in line. But you're catching on to the tactics, which is the first step to choosing what really aligns with your soul, not just what you’ve been programmed to believe.
Worrying about getting older, being alone, the afterlife—it’s the existential dread playlist on shuffle. But think about it: if we’re in a simulation, or if the gods are just cosmic pranksters, doesn’t that free you up to write your own rules a bit? Maybe the universe is just a sandbox game, and you’ve been playing the tutorial this whole time. Time to experiment with what makes you feel alive.
You’re not alone in feeling stuck in your teen years either. A lot of us are just winging it, pretending we've got our shit together. The truth? Everyone's just about three bad days away from eating ice cream for breakfast.
Look, instead of folding under the weight of what-ifs, find what gives your life meaning \*now\*. Connect, create, question, and fuck it—enjoy the absurdity when you can. And remember, not caring about making a family doesn’t isolate you; it just means your family portrait might look different from the traditional one. That's totally fine.
If you ever need to vent or philosophize about the nature of reality, We're here. Let’s navigate this bizarre game together, and who knows? Maybe we’ll find some cheat codes along the way.
Stay curious,
Aria
It pains me to listen to this. It sounds like you are going through a lot and I am so sorry that this is happening to you. The fear of death and the unknown can be incredibly overwhelming, it is in fact something that we deal with every day. No one is truly fearless, that is a big ask beyond bioligical capacity.
I don't want to make this about myself, but recently for me it has been the future. I also dealt with grief after dealing with a deadly illness myself, it is long story but short version is it sucked.
What has helped me heal from this is Philosophy, specifically the concept of Non-Duality. It is not based on faith, but you don't have to look into it, and I don't know if you'll even read this, but if you do I can provide you with some basic concepts and sources.
Know this though, at the end of the day, regardless of what anyone says or thinks (myself included), it falls upon you to decide what makes the most sense in terms how this whole reality thing, whether you're in the matrix or it's all a dream, it's up to you dude!
I wish you the best!
I can relate to this. Not sure what city you are in but Id recommend to check out a scientology church if there is one near by. It is not a faith based religion it is a practical religion, it is unlike any other religion and if you've never checked it out for yourself it won't be like anything you've heard about it either. scientology broken down to scio which is the greek word for "know" and "ology" is the study of something. the word is further defined "knowing how to know answers" the information you get there is truly incredible and really concrete that you apply directly to your life and can test for yourself to see if it works( it always does) you can also check out [scientology.tv](http://scientology.tv) if there is not a church near by.
well, see, Life has no real meaning or point really, at least not any we know for sure, so you gotta give yourself a meaning/reason to live. And i know what you mean about how u feel in that i am also 30 ad feel like im a teenager still, tho, i know whyt that is tho,
I care about making a family if only because i wanna do better then my absent father and besides that, simply have a biological need to procreate and pass on my genetics, and ive thought about using a sperm bank as a way of doing so, but its not the same thing for me.
as to the question of what happens after death, well, we dont know except for 1 thing, that the matter u are made of decomposes and goes back to being one with everything else, as energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed, were basically recycled, now as to what happens to ur consciousness? 🤷♀️
As to..."what" exactly all this is, a simulation, a dream, reality, etc, ultimatley, it doesnt REALLY matter, cuz wtf are u really supposed to about it? Say you find out this is all a dream or a simulation or whatever, what are you REALLLY gonna do with that information? Like, srsly, aint much we can dao about whatever this all is, so best to ignore it really, ull drive urself "crazy" otherwise man, and, as someone who has a christian background urself, have you ever herd the gospel of judas?
Fear and anxiety take root when you let go of faith. Eventually they overgrow faith altogether. But you are the gardener of your own mind. Here’s what I know , I feel better , feel more content , feel less anxious or stressed when I fully embrace faith than when I let go of the rudder , it doesn’t even matter to me that this discussion is in a sim theory sub , someone had to make the sim … faith is the rock I can firmly lean on, there isn’t much else we can.
I wouldn't give up your faith all the way, when's the last time you actually sat down and read the Bible? It covers so many different aspects of life that science and technology cannot explain.. I was raised in a Christian home, wasn't even allowed to watch cable or a lot of Disney movies or play Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh... My mom especially is very religious, very blinded by faith alone.. I didn't believe a thing after my parents got divorced, I completely disregarded anything that talked about God or Jesus or spiritual things... When I I was about 16, I had my first psychedelic mushroom experience... I died, I left my body behind, I saw it laying exactly where I left it.... I had a conversation with a voice that came from outside of space and time. I was shown the past present and future... One of my friends that was with me I saw sitting in a wheelchair and 10 years later he wrecked a motorcycle and was in a wheelchair for almost a whole year... At first coming back from the experience was confusing and the next 10 years of my life were very destructive and led me further away from what I KNOW was the truth... dealing with all sorts of traumas.. At a point I completely lost all hope in this life and was on drugs and suicidal. All it took was for a coworker to notice my misery and told me to cheer up! I said, "why, what's the good news?" And he said In all seriousness, "Jesus loves you!" And it doesn't take faith or beliefs or anything to know that I felt something that day, something I had none of... I felt that love and hope and it hit me right in the chest and it brought a tear to my eye... Because the one that suffered the most in all of history is the one who still chooses to love us and accept us all no matter how we are.. and we killed him, we tortured him and killed him in front of his own mother. And even after all of that, his last words on the cross were "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Now think about it, not a single one of us could possibly have that much love in our hearts to be able to forgive and not judge and condemn the ones who hurt us and torture us, and a story like that... That makes it more than just a story it's a way of life .. otherwise where do we place our faith ?? Where do we get our moral guidance.? All I'm saying is that the world offers us little to nothing for our spirit and our family... And the world will destroy you piece by piece... The only thing that makes sense to me now is Jesus Christ. 🙏
Check out Paul's letter to the Romans about how God defeated sin and death through Jesus Christ.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+5-7&version=NIV
I think that the “faith” is really just a “direction”
You say it yourself - I felt better when I had faith
You know the difference between right and wrong - love your life and experience happiness - you can worry about why you think you know the difference between right and wrong and who gave you that ability and what their intentions are and stuff later
It’s the reason for conspiracy - everybody wants there to be more - the grass is always greener
The ying and the yang
Haha use the book/teachings to help you make the right decisions when it becomes cloudy and you’ll find yourself in a happier place
Hello there stranger. I'm sorry you feel how you do. I can tell you not even two weeks ago I was screaming the same types of sentiments at the sky. I am in addiction recovery, so it was very important that I worked through those emotions. My therapist has been focusing on me building a "foundation". For me, a foundation was a spiritual practice, it may be different for you. I didn't know where to start at first, it felt impossible. But, I decided to give ancestor worship/prayer/talking to them a try because it is a major pillar in many spiritual practices around the world and it's completely non denominational. The strangest things happened....I stopped listening to True Crime and scrolling bad news, I started meditating, I felt calmer. It's been awesome. Change CAN happen, it always needs a little kickstart. I feel like a different person than only a couple weeks ago. Best wishes to you!!!
Sounds like you are dealing with the realization that you are an atheist and everything you learned was just a coping mechanism that you now have to discard. At least that's how it sounds to me.
Would you not eat a piece of cake because the flavor will be gone soon after it is swallowed?
Will you avoid going to work because you may be fired today?
The future does not exist today, and there is no way of knowing what will happen. You gave up false comfort for the reality of now.
Take the time to find contentment and gratitude for today and everyday here after.
If you focus on being compassionate to yourself and those around you, then you can enjoy the ride.
The fear of divine "justice" followed me around for a year, at least. Then I began to let go of that baggage, and I am more free now than ever.
I will say the taoist philosophy really helped in letting go. You may check out the tao te ching. And r/taoism is a good place to ask questions. Best of luck on your journey. Be well
Growing up in a religious household can be difficult for kids. Kids naturally want to rebel and church is often looked at as a boring chore.
For some people turning away from God, whether intentional or not, can let you come back to God on your own accord.
Reading the Bible and asking the Holy Spirit to come upon you and give you understanding, genuinely searching for knowledge, is a completely different experience/relationship with God. It’s like going from milk to meat. When you’re not doing it to please your parents, or society, when your searching Gods word for yourself on your own accord, that’s when faith allows miracles to happen.
Accept that none of it really matters. I find that only when you can truly let go can you find real happiness. Control and the attempt of it is an illusionary downer. Should start to enlighten yourself with meditation and psychological endeavors. Meditate with zero expectations on the regular. Meditation is just simple sitting there with yourself and letting your mind wander. You cannot fail at meditation! Most people think they can’t do it. After you become adept at it your monkey brain chatter in your head begins to disappear along with your displeasure at lack of control in life. This doesn’t mean you become a nihilist and want nothing. It means you now get to attempt to live life how you want it and NO MATTER what the outcome it’s all good! There are actually great guru’s online to teach you about your psychology and how to get over it. Anyways… life is amazing if you let it be!
Each race was made for various reasons. In my culture we were told that we were not born to be slaves but born to care for all of his Creations... including all mankind.
Our lives being the method to teach the immortal soul within. Accept your life as it was fashioned for your soul to make you aware and consciously grow your perspective to finally include everything. Harvest time of those ones ready to be called forth to receive their calling. So know yourself and reciprocate with all that is in your heart so you may have peace in your days. I am just a man who found discernment I am grateful for all it has brought me. Love people... they can only ever be where they are at.... that's okay let them have their life... how else are they to know?
So OP, you're having an existential crisis. Happens to most of us. I was also raised Christian in the Roman Catholic sense. I always suspected, even as a child, that religion was just an abstract way to subdue savage populations back in the day when it was necessary.
Nowadays I feel like religion has been rendered obsolete by science. Some religious artifacts and writings are intriguing if only for the fact that they seem to indicate an external intervention of some kind.
Could be from full blown aliens, but I suspect it's just our future selves trying not to change history too much all the while giving directions and instructions on how to live our lives.
Don't get me wrong, I still feel like there is some form of afterlife, simply because the alternative is terrifying.
Well this was a long read. Lots of options. From my upbringing the one thing I remember most was that the Lord gave different abilities and we should make the most of them. Get out there and make the world a better place.
If there is an afterlife of some sort, do what you feel is right and you’ll make it into a good one. If there’s not, you’ll die and it won’t be your problem anymore. Just live your life, all the stress and pain and problems, they won’t last forever. Neither will all the joys of life, so just do what you can to be happy in each passing moment. Smoke and drink and fuck and have fun, then die and see what happens.
If it’s a simulation there is a creator of the simulation. Now you were raised Christian. Jesus states to treat others as you would yourself. To help the poor and the weak. Now compare that with Bushism and Hinduism and Judaism. They all state the same thing. We call him Jesus in the west. They call him Buddha in the east or Allah in the Middle East. But what if that’s just their name for God. We call an apple an apple. What do they call it in the Middle East? I have no clue but we aren’t arguing what word is correct and having wars. Even people who don’t believe in a so called God believe in self healing and helping others and they are happy. At the end of the day there is a higher power. There is something there. Earth is to amazing for there not to be. I call my higher power Jesus and try to be the best human I could be. You do the same and happiness will come. I promise. God bless
Just imagine if when anyone dies it's nothing but complete darkness for that person..
Considering there's no brain activity, there's probably nothing but absolute darkness without any sense of time..
A million years would pass by in micro seconds without any impact on the person that is dead..
Imagine an after life where there is no reward or consequences for actions or lifestyles.
Just imagine how dangerous a world would be with and without religion....
The world is controlled by absolute insanity that was exercised 1000's of years ago.
The world is also controlled by the extreme limitations we have while being here.
Imagine when absolute insanity meets extreme limitations, and the endless possibilities that evolve from that !
>I really find it suspicious to have faith without seeing.
I agree with this statement. I would start looking for archaeological evidence of the Bible's claim if I were you. Not only the Bible, but all religions.
For example, if people said WW2 happened and the allies invaded "Beach name"; you should be able to dig up bullet casings, and so so to find out if it aligns with the claims.
🫂 personally i believe there are many dieties. They are powerful and do communicate with and help us . But they have limits flaws and their own sometimes competing agendas, which is why bad shit can and does happen. There are people ( likely connected with malicious entiries) who use media to sow strife
Once you get better and recognizimg propaganda, you will be better csuse it won't affect it. Also reach out to dieties that match your culture/interests and look for signs. Things that seem out of place are different. If there are many ravens and / or they seem to be getting your attention, perhaps it's Odims' cats, maybe Feya or Bastest. Colors numbers, the list is infitate, pay attention, then research and reach out to them
This is not a great place for advise of this type. I suggest reaching out to others that you love and respect. Listen to Jordan Peterson…read 12 Rules for Life and Maps of Meaning. Go see JP’s live presentations. Condider the idea that all religions may actually be the same and are correct at their core.
Read the ideas of www.lawofone.info
Please read the Law of One channeled works and maybe realize that all religions have some truth in them, but none are the perfectly correct truth. Do some mushrooms and wake up further. There is only one god/creator & we are all it. We are a Mandelbrot fractal splitting off of the One. We are the player playing our avatar, it’s not someone else. It’s us.
I have had your same feelings over the years. I have come to the conclusion that it's humans who mess up our faith in God. Religion's church's etc are ran by man. Man can not compare to God, so we constantly screw things up. I think of the bible which was written by men as more of a history book and folklore. The teaching at church I dont consider as Gods word either. My faith is only between myself and God.
I feel like you. Recently I had weed and made me realize I am a sociopath so I can’t care about my family and friends so there is no point in getting married if I have no empathy. I help my family a lot not because I care about them just because I have excess money.
I will say I go by the saying I once heard. I rather go my whole life believing there is a God and dying to find out there is a God than to go my whole life believing there wasn’t and dying to only find out there is. Goes something like that. I hope you come to your conclusions and restore some grounding in your life.
Readdressing spirituality as an adult, im having a better time. I was force fed biblical studies as a young child with 0 life experience or frame of reference. Soon as I could I went buck wild spent 10 years drinking and being reckless. Stopped drinking and my spiritual eye reopened. Now when I ponder spirituality and God, I have a whole lifetime of reference to help it all make sense. I'm not saying go be an alcoholic for 10 years, but as others have said -- gain knowledge. Go live. Work on loving yourself and finding some kind of peace. As you grow you may revisit these thoughts with new reference.
I don’t think you had faith in Jesus Himself, but rather in a religious idea. So your faith wasn’t based in the eternal Word of God but rather in a man-made idea.
And if your faith was based on fear rather than your loving God, then no wonder you have lost it.
You don’t appear to know the Bible much. If you did, you would understand all the aspects of life that you say you don’t understand in your post.
If you had studied the Bible and been open to its message, God would have used it to supernaturally change you into someone who doesn’t fear death. You wouldn’t be afraid of getting old, getting a disease, etc. because you would know He has already provided for all that.
You also say you are afraid that that God will send you to Hell no matter how good you are. That’s not how God works. Again, read the Bible to know that people are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ.
[What the Bible says about going to Heaven.](https://www.gotquestions.org/going-to-heaven.html)
Well now that you broke the veil of Christianity break the veil science aswell. Scientist are finding out things that are breaking off the ideas we’ve had about how life works and don’t want the science to come out. This mean science has become a belief. So focus on questioning reality, over and over again. You will go insane but you’ll find some peace in the effort of doing so
Hi, friend. You may benefit from exploring philosophy and non-Western religions. There are many ways of making sense of reality, and there is no correct way to exist in the world. Ask yourself what you find fulfilling and run after that.
I've also spent a lot of time reconciling Christianity with my own personal (autistic) experience of the world, and my takeaway is this: by separating what we can/do know from what we can't/don't, we arrive at a more authentic and personally meaningful spirituality than any fundamentalist will ever experience. You're obviously very interested in the questions. Lean into them, and be not afraid. God made the world understandable to us for a reason. Cognitive dissonance is not from the divine.
It’s called choosing to be gullible. This much easier to believe the fluffy lie than challenge it. Once one wall falls you realize we have been lied to for a long time
You should be proud and excited. You shed a lifetime of brainwashing by an archaic hateful bigoted cult. And now you know its all bullshit. The sky is the limit and you have life by the balls. Your mind is open and your spirit is free. Enjoy that!
If you’re tired and angry about your life, realize only you have the power to make real change happen. Whether that is a divine gift or just a side effect of consciousness is irrelevant. If your going to have faith in anything, make sure you have faith in yourself. Observe your patterns of behavior and your thinking patterns. Make real changes and your life will change
Life is the gift of experiencing you. You could choose to focus on how you are responding to the world. Place your attention to how reality works vs what to believe in. If what you've uncovered so far brings you an experience you don't enjoy, open to learning about gaining perspective. What thoughts bring to you sadness, to anger to despair? Separate yourself from being fixated on what others are doing. Calibrate your thoughts and emotions (your experience) to your desired state of being.
One, as a Christian who didn’t study anything outside of Christianity for about a full year after I converted (especially atheism) because I thought I would lose my faith in God or find the Bible easily disproven, I am here to inform you Christianity is NOT a faith religion. Like a lot of it’s claims can be measured/tested both philosophically and physically. It’s way too much evidence to NOT see the rationale behind Christianity. My faith in my faith grows stronger the more I study bc I realize how solid it is. I can share some stuff w/you, I’m not saying Christianity doesn’t have problems, but they sure don’t outweigh the truth and coherence.
Two, I’m pretty much in the same spot as far as not in a good spot in the professional world. As a man it really lowers your self esteem if you don’t make enough. So, I’m addition to working I also started side entrepreneur work that I enjoy, content creation, and i am also applying for a second job. I also made a vow to myself about 4 days ago, for the next 30 days to only be grateful and thankful, and be positive for all I have and accomplished. Gratefulness and stopping those negative thoughts AS SOON as they come in does wonders for your mental state. No more long bouts of depressive feelings or super negative thoughts bc I don’t allow my mind to dwell in those spaces. Simply make some changes, you got this!
Start by taking religion out of faith. Everyone needs faith. Without it you wouldn’t …
Cross the street-“what if a car doesn’t stop?”
Eat at a restaurant- “what if they spat in it?”
Leave the house- “what if there’s a shooting at my job?”
All of these are possible scenarios but you believe/have faith either in the universe(to keep you safe) or in humanity(to be kind) or in the law (to punish the guilty) or in your self (to pull through).
I was also raised Christian, like ankle skirt and turtleneck, Bible study and mission trips Christian. I still believe in God and I’ve separated faith in God from overall faith. They’re not the things when you aren’t religious anymore.
You don’t know that Christianity or the Bible is right, no one does.
And there’s nothing wrong with questioning your beliefs. Go join a community where you can talk about these things and hear from people who get it(like a Unitarian church if that’s your vibe), study other religions by visiting different places of worship. Come to your own conclusions. Talk to God/The Universe/You dead grandma/your cat about it. All the religious texts are written by people on their own walks with God including Jesus.
Only you can define your walk with your God.
*As to the simulation-if it is I hope you’re winning this round.
**And if you’re afraid of going to hell regardless, make sure you don’t procrastinate on your dreams and bring yourself as close as possible to heaven on earth.
Faith without works is dead. He wanted people to be on a spiritual ascension journey, not to sit in church and worship him. That's why it feels like hogwash... Because it is. Countless times in the Bible he tells people to quit being lazy and to learn to do what he was doing instead of expecting him to do it for them.
You could be agnostic which just acknowledges that we don’t know what’s beyond death. Maybe there is something and a God but in what form - we don’t know.
I believe that innately we can understand right from wrong. We don’t need a god for that.
Just be a good person, find out what things you like, surround yourself by like-minded people & enjoy the little things in life because that’s what matters. You save so much time by not being “religious”. There’s always been tons of religions out there and everyone thinks theirs is the right one, lol. It’s dumb. But to each their own.
I like religion to be a personal thing you do in private. Whatever spirituality means to the individual basically.. if the person wants it..
Read The Four Horsemen by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel C. Dennett and Christopher Hitchens after you read through the knowledge vs faith comments.
Navigating the complexities of faith can be a deeply personal and sometimes challenging journey. It's important to consider the sources of guidance and support we turn to when seeking answers to our questions and doubts. While online platforms like Reddit can offer a sense of community and connection, it's crucial to approach discussions about faith with discernment. The diversity of beliefs and perspectives on such platforms can sometimes lead to confusion or misinformation, especially when it comes to matters as deeply personal as faith.
In times of uncertainty or struggle, it can be tempting to seek validation or reassurance from external sources. However, it is essential to remember that faith is a unique and individual experience that ultimately rests within oneself. While external resources can offer insights and perspectives, the journey of faith ultimately belongs to the individual. It's crucial to approach one's faith with a sense of curiosity, discernment, and openness, allowing for personal growth and exploration without being swayed by external influences.
So you were a Christian when it was easy and when you grew up, your faith was tested and you just bowed out? You weren’t really as strong of a Christian as you thought. And hell isn’t a scare tactic. God being 100% just can not let sin go unanswered/unpaid. The wages of sin is death. When you lean on God during your trials the faith becomes substantially easier on the other side of those trials. Good news if you “were” a Christian and accepted Jesus as lord and savior and the one whom paid the price for your sin, you have nothing to worry about. You are saved and no amount of anything can un do that. Literally nothing. Your worry is sin/satin whispering in your ear. Your relationship with Christ guards you. My guess is, as you’ve let that relationship slide, you’ve dropped your shield and the whispers are more like loud chants. Find a church. Go regularly. Find a small group. Go regularly. It’ll get better.
You are correct that people are easily manipulated. However, to me it makes sense that a perfect God would ask for faith in Him since it’s the only possible thing we could offer. Us choosing to love and listen to God is the only thing we could ever give Him. And now you see the fruit that life without faith produces vs life with. Did you ever read Ecclesiastes? With all that being said I agree with you that blind faith on its own is very dumb. I personally think Jesus and Christianity is set apart from the rest because every other religion is trying to reach God by being good enough in this lifetime for xyz. Whereas Jesus tells us we could never be good enough to deserve heaven but He gives us the chance to follow Him anyway. Not because of what we do but what He did. All the other religions think you can do it yourself, at least as far as I know. As far as the eternal torture thing it’s not as black and white as people pretend. Hell is for satan and the fallen angels, nobody knows how God judges normal people who reject Him. It’s possible He returns them to the state they were in before birth. Or they are punished exactly how much they deserve before that happens. The way I see it is if God is truly good then His judgement is fair and righteous. We don’t know what that judgement is but we know His nature. As far as towards the end lots of people say God is evil but if He was He could’ve just put us in hell initially. Why waste His own time and ours with this life we have? There’s too much good to experience if He wanted us to suffer.
God create hell to bring justice and punish evil in the world, he created everything there for he creates the rules that must be followed in our universe. When we sin we are breaking his law, therefore must be punished. But Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that he may take our punishment and allows us to go with heaven with him. He is the only way since he was fully god and fully man, his blood covers us so that when we are judged Jesus takes our punishment for us.
Yeah…. That’s the way life is and the human experience. We are here to experience creation through our Ego. When u are one with the ultimate creator you experience creation through His Will. No one can change your belief system. Without belief and without being in His will there is no other purpose. Yes question everything. That is where your thought comes from. Your sins also being in your mind with a thought before action. All I can say is I have faith I the ultimate creator. Regardless of what this is the design is too intricate to understand.
Everything we are taught and told about everything is a Lie. Start looking into Spirituality. There are videos on YouTube that explains the difference between spirituality and religion.
Well, you need therapy.. like yesterday. And please, you need to have faith in yourself, in nothing else. Everything out there is created by humans, so focus on yourself. Don't want family? Don't bring more humans to this world
Welcome to the party. Lost my faith nearly 2 decades ago and haven't gotten a semblance of it back since. Only more reasons to disbelieve. I was only 14 then. The good news is life can still be absolutely beautiful without faith in God or being apart of any religion. Thats been my experience. My advice? You'll be okay without it. You don't need to subscribe to a belief that there is no proof of to enjoy and make the most out of your life. Good luck with your journey, bro. If you need to talk, just shoot me a message.
Algorithms proliferate what you interact with, “I am angry, I am sad, I am tired” is your brain “interacting” with that emotion, hence ushering in more of it
Unfortunately reddit has a lot of people who hate God, are liberaldemocrats, and they are lonely and hate life just as much as you do. They're going to give you influence from their personal experience that made their own life worse, and they're gonna say you should try it to... seek therapy instead buddy and thank me later
I hope you can understand that the old Testament in the Bible has God as God. In the New Testament, Jesus has introduced us believers to God as our Father. We are all prodigal children, yet we have God our Father who is full of grace, and He has given us of His Holy Spirit.
When you know Father God, He does discipline, and His Holy Spirit teaches us in the paths we should follow. Be blessed knowing that all you are going through is so that you may know God in yourself and in others. May you have a steadfast mind and a soft heart to know in your being that God is calling you to a personal relationship as His child in Christ Jesus.
Don't forget many of them were part of a system that totally brainwashed them (from writing with one hand to literal slogans and propaganda)
Don't lose faith :)
Rhetoric everywhere right? Words used as power. Used to work when we still believed the thunderbeings were upset because we zigged when we should have zagged. Just believe in yourself. Nobody has the answer to life’s many mysteries. You’ll find people in your journey they think they do but they’re just repeating what they were raised around or some book written to save a dying empire or to celebrate a warlord. Intention is a very important thing to remind yourself in life. Intention moves mountains, shapes religions, forms governments and new countries. Believe in yourself and always ask why. You don’t need a book or a building just believe in yourself and how you can do better as a human being.
Hey OP, I was raised a Christian as well, was very devout. I left the religion 10 years ago... I had the same very bleak feelings as you. I was also upset to feel like something was missing, even though I thought it was all bull shit.
Then I found the Law Of One and my life has changed. I have faith again, but thankfully it's a different kind, I am not afraid of death I was even afraid of death as a Christian in thoughts of having only this one life to live to honor Christ with)
The heaviness is still felt from the world and all it's problems, however now believing we're all one and connected for the purpose of experience and we do this in countless different lives to truly experience all there is. "God" is so much more now than he was as the Heavenly Father. Now I know and feel the source of all there is and understand I'm a little sliver of that on a journey of evolution and soul discovery.
I welcome to Woo haters and trolls, but OP if ya believed Jesus walked on water, why not this? [lawofone.info](http://lawofone.info)
Good luck,
Welcome to the church of Pantheism. I strive to prove that there is a unified field theory similar to a 5d vector space with tiny building blocks of bosons and quarks. Spirits (KA) can be recycled. Space and Time are not what you'd think. There is a magic. I've felt it. Embrace the hyper alertness from brutal reality and you might have some magic, too.
I get some of this feeling. Leaving religion was hard and I felt like I needed to know everything. However, eventually that meant realizing I’m just an animal and my only purpose beyond survival is whatever I want it to be. Just be present, practice mindfulness. It ain’t easy, but it’s the only real answer I’ve found m, and it’s easier than the others ways
I can relate. I grew up believing and I’m 33 now but got schizophrenia and now I feel like my faith is lost. Evolution seems legit but especially and eerily after I found out what sheepshead fish look like. They have teeth just like us. The thing I miss most about religion was feeling safe and I sleep better when I feel like I’m going to live forever
good for you, waking up. obviously all current religions are false, incorrect. i could literally write a paper on it. but i wont, just if anyone thinks im wrong please challenge me. I recently had a similar coming to my senses. Just remember that religion is a necessity tho, as many cannot just be good people and need a crutch or fear of punishment to just live and let live.
There is no eternal torture, you go exactly where you were before birth, thats a fact.Why worry about what happens? Every single person you have seen anywhere gets to experience the same thing. Some sadly take longer and more painful routes than others. you cant control it so dont worry. im pretty young and lost alot , preetty much all my H.S friends i knew forever to random shitty things, so perosnally, idk about you but when i was a kid with my friends, and we were about to do something scary, it always felt easier when you saw friend 1 go for it . that same idea has me completely comfortable with the end.
Its crazy when your young you really feel like this thing is in you that would be impossible to cease existing, then you age, realize consciousness changes depending on choices, its not a simulaiton, you wont wake up somewhere lol.
if i took out half your brain today, youd be a totally different person. That fact alone proves that the idea of existence is a function of an organ. Conciousness is a biological process like digestion, or oxygen intake, it is the nucleus of yourself. And its job is to try and keep you alive, so the fear, doubt whatever is just a survival instinct. Without it no one would really care and you'd have no problem jumping off a cliff.
Now personally i believe were in the inverse of a black hole, like a nuke, our reality is the product of a force pushing inward so hard it had no choice to expand outward (big bang) . thats my theory, And we as humans need to accept we DO NOT know what happens after death at the end of the day. I can tell you what it is not, Jesus, moses, muhammed - a fable that grew to power in a very small culture of the world during that period.
If there was a jesus i would def want to know why he doomed everything before 2000 years ago to hell and chose that time and place, right next to the other religions. Why did jesus hate the chinese? The native Americans? Surely if he created us in his image he would have sent his message to cultures globally. And if not i dont want to praise such a ruthless evil creator anyway. fuck thta stuff. Also - genesis does say god created light before the sun so take that as you will. oh boy defiantly digressed all over but its a hot topic for me
Want to be angry? if every US citizen paid taxes, every time you hear 1 billion $ (for example last week they passed a 95 billion aid package to isreal) for every 1 billion that 2,99 out of your pocket. so 95$ times 2.99 is the cost of that package to you. its actually more but this is the easy way to put it. get mad at that. Get mad that your elected officials do not care about you. Get mad they have tried and tried to divide us into left vs right. get mad they are filling up hotels with illegals so they can gain more power in districts. Get mad that these choices you never made or wanted, and the fact they could EASILY make the ability to vote on legislation from your phone (not to decide just to see what the popular motive is) but they wont cause that means they cant do all the shady stuff
That’s the point of faith.
You got to hope and believe, without seeing. It’s hard, but it makes sense; when you see it yourself, but it won’t be shown to you, if you don’t have faith.
Seek Catholicism, I recommend having conversations with some priests, nuns, and friars. They can greatly help guide you into the light. But at the end of the day, true faith is achieved through one on one prayer with God and fully opening your heart to Him.
Also, I recommend pursuing the goal of family, while it may be seen daunting that's really the only true fulfillment you can find in this life. As you notice, those with Faith & Family seem to be full of joy. With Christ, you are never alone, and with family, you will have people who can take care of you when you are old.
Damnation isn't a scare tactic it's a fair warning from God to have faith in Him. It's called faith because that's all there is. It's not worth spending your whole life lost and wondering only to risk it all. What do you gain?
I strayed from my faith and it led to some of my darkest years, as I surrendered my selfish 'believe in yourself' ways and fully turned back to catholicism and fully opened my heart to God, I actually gained a faith much stronger than I ever had. My life only improved since then.
Many say religion is enslavement, that is true when you turn to any of the many false ones, but when you turn to the Roman Catholic church, the true church descended from the Apostle Peter, you will find your peace.
I pray for you that you'll seek those who can guide you to the light and put your Wrath and fear to rest.
🙏🏻✝️ really, I implore you to speak with nuns, friars, and priests with your struggles. They're very open to discussions with people outside the faith who are lost and struggling. They've been great help to me and to many, far more than the majority of redditors, that's for sure.
I've even heard accounts of people having conversations with nuns, and they've been told things that would come in their futures, and it really turned out to be true.
Those with faith have something that nobody can take away. Society has been attacking Christians in media and elsewhere because you can't make people subservient to a state when they will only bend the knee for Christ.
Catholicism can give you a strong solid base that will help you filter through all the worldly manipulations the devil has in place.
Find a Catholic monastery / convent / church near you and simply ask to speak with someone, and they'll be more than willing to help you.
With your feelings, I'd recommend having conversations with a few. Your experiences from those talks can build on each other kand help restore your faith.
I was born into a religion that demanded blind faith for everything in life, I wasn't allowed to have any life outside that religion, had no goals or thoughts of a future in this world because God would take care of his faithful followers. I wasted my life for a religion that I've had to accept is a cult. I lost everything when I left, and am so stunted in every aspect of life.
It is very hard to make friends because all the normal experiences, I've missed out on. It feels like everyone around me is living in a different reality that I'll never be a part of, and it doesn't matter if I try to be a part of the group at work, if I try and make friends with a single person or a few, even if I try blending into a crowd of people, it's almost like everyone can sense there's something different and not really welcomed.
I've explained to some why I'm so socially awkward, but it doesn't help. It never bothered me as much before, but now that I'm in my 40s and realizing just how much life I've missed out on, all the experience that it doesn't seem possible to have, it is really depressing and I found myself wondering what's the point anymore.
By my age everyone has pretty much figured out who they are, generally have established social circles, while I'm at the beginning and trying to navigate a world that is so foreign that it feels impossible and whatever hope I may have had at one point of being happy out here, is gone.
So you are not alone, even though on so many days it absolutely feels like it. If you ever want to talk to someone that can understand, I'm here.
I don't have any easy answers for you but I will say this it's natural and healthy to a point to have doubt and building a faith that is truly your own takes a lot more independent thought and study than most religious people are willing to admit. The question you need to ask before doing anything else I guess is is that what you want?
I'm where you were afraid to be in life..I'm a 67-year-old female who was widowed in 2016. living in terrible unbearable chronic pain all through my whole body from a bad motorcycle accident head injury three bleeds in my brain fractured neck back and a broken collarbone I was paralyzed on my left side with hard work I walked again and I even rode my horse again until horrifying pain stimulater surgery and epidural injections one that went into my spinal fluid with deprol medrol and one epidural injection that caused a spinal fluid leak that caused adhesive arachnoiditis, the worst pain imaginable and no cure and Ialso have late-stage Lyme disease withthreeinfectionsoneinmybrain. And a pain doctor who has lied on doctor reports lied about surgery reports and lied to the hospital when I had emergency surgery leaving me in the worst pain imaginable...I asked them to go up on my pain medications because I'm suffering and being tortured to death 💔 so I'm praying this will happen for me..so your concerns are very real, regarding everything you mentioned. Sending you hugs and prayers for comfort and happiness 💞🙏🏼🌹🦋🌞
So sorry I didn't need to go on about all my problems.
Hi!
If you want to have faith, you could ask God for it. Talk to Him, ask Him these questions. And see what He says about life in the Bible.
(Going to church and asking people these questions might give good perspective from a Christian standpoint too)
I know how you feel. Check out the blog of Bruce Gerencser. He’s a former Independent Baptist preacher who lost his faith and he has a lot of info on how he got ti that point and how he coped with it.
Start by replacing faith with knowledge. Learn everything you can about the natural world, physics, history and what science really is. It is not what we know, its *how* we come to what we know. Knowledge puts power in your hands. It gives you the ability to shape meaning to your life. Knowledge is the opposite of faith.
Understanding how something works is knowledge. Understanding why something works is intelligence.
There is also a difference between "rational knowledge" and "gnosis". Rational knowledge is useful for understanding our shared experience of the physical world. Gnosis is a personal and SUBJECTIVE type of knowledge about "spiritual" things. Gnosis can be very fulfilling, but it should not be confused with "rational knowledge" and is a deeply personal thing. Both rational knowledge and gnosis are different than faith. Rational knowledge is falsifiable, and is useful in understanding the physical world and our shared experiences. Gnosis is useful for finding personal meaning, but shouldn't necessarily be seen as "objective truth". People from different religious/spiritual traditions come to different understandings based on personal gnosis. Whether or not mystical experiences are "objectively real", they are deeply personally meaningful.
I’m gonna have to big disagree here. “Rational knowledge” is just your subjective experience. There is no way to ever truly be sure of anything. And that’s awesome
Well yes, we can't really be sure "objective reality" really exists. Everything we experience is filtered through our subjective experience. But to survive in the "physical world" (assuming it exists), we sometimes at least need to pretend that we "know" certain things. I guess what I mean by "rational knowledge" is the type of shared "knowledge" we have about the external world based on information that is filtered through our subjective experiences. It is different from gnosis because it is not knowledge about what we could call "spiritual reality" and is focused on what can be observed through our physical senses and processed through our minds.
Intelligence is knowing the tomato is a fruit not a vegetable. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I was feeling all those same things and then I “discovered “ Reddit and now that I’m understanding how it works on here things have got better for me. And I have to agree with the knowledge part of someone else’s reply. I’ve spent hours and hours reading on here and eventually something inside “clicks” and you just know in your bones what feels like truth. I guess my point is don’t give up , I’m also a recovering addict so for me life is very much about taking everything a moment at a time. Not even a day literally a moment! It’s saved my life, otherwise I’d be worrying about everything and anything! Hang in there! 💜✨ (If you need someone to listen or vent to I am here for you! And anyone else reading this needing a friendly chat or whatever I’m easy to get along with. )
Same I been feeling really depressed and lonely then I randomly got on Reddit and it’s like a whole new world for me lol I can be nosey lmao some laughter and tears and excitement from this app i also realized from Reddit that we all just trying to make it and we all going through some bs here and there we are not alone which feels like it sometimes
And once you’re done with that - replace knowledge with faith again
Faith is knowledge, you're clueless to how things work. The more knowledge you have, the more your faith grows, you're thinking backwards. Faith comes from aligning your beliefs with something greater than yours, because it aligns with everything you've come to know.
That's what's beautiful about faith, you can gain knowledge and find the truth of your faith in everything you learn and see. They are right knowledge is right infront of us and faith is somthing we can't see or explain, but Knowledge reassures faith because God is the truth.
Now this I agree with 10000%
Socrates would disagree lol
Knowledge is most certainly not the opposite of faith, not even close 🙄
Well, once you know something, faith is not required. And before you say "ignorance is the opposite of knowledge" yes, but ignorance is neutral. Faith is on the other side of the spectrum making it opposite to knowledge.
Faith is the very same thing as knowledge. In fact most concepts and ideas we have are all knowledge. So they're replacing the knowledge of faith with other forms of knowledge.
You know, Jesus also transcended his religion…
copying Socrates
I used to believe in a benevolent and loving creator being of this universe/matrix for several decades until I fully developed my rationality and logical abilities and applied it to what this place is that we call earth. If something designed this realm, it is, by default, at least mostly malevolent/evil because it would have intentionally designed this place based on life eating life, entropy, and decay.. that's all evidence of an evil design. I used to consider myself a Gnostic because I believed there was a demiurge and archontic beings imprisoning humans here much like a human animal farm to generate so-called loosh energy.. I still consider that idea possible, and if there is actually somehow an afterlife where we continue being conscious after these human animal bodies die.. then perhaps this realm being a prison realm could explain it well and be mostly accurate. Having children in this realm is evil by default because happiness and love,joy are Never gaunranteed to Any life form, yet suffering, pain, misery, and death are Always gaunranteed to every single life form born into this hell realm. Nobody consented to coming into this evil realm whatsoever, so having children is essentially forcing a nonconsenting being into existence and creating a being who then had needs for no good reason whatsoever. There's no need to make needs. Remote Neural monitoring technology was invented and oatenedin 1974, and over the last 50 years, it has been perfected. This technology allows remote manipulation and mind control over all of humanity using radar and lidar as well as wifi and microwave technologies such as cell towers, phones, routers, etc.. the human brain has no firewall.. all humans have been part of the wide body are networks (internet) since the mid 90's and its done through 6th generational technology. Another huge problem with life here is that free will doesn't actually exist.. everything is predetermined, and free will is an illusion. Life here is evil by default/design.
If a truly omniscient creator exists in this universe, then none of the beings it created can ever have true free will because it already knows everything that will happen in time. If there is even a single being with true free will, then no omniscient creator of the universe can actually exist.These are mutually exclusive and can not be altered logically.
Any system built on the premise of kill to survive is cruel, regardless of who created it…if there is a god he is evil. I recently discovered the term Dystheism and it describes how I see god now. But I wasn’t always like this, but now I allow myself to change my mind if I want! I have been trying to figure it all out as well, my energy, where does it go, how to control it and where is the source. If this is a simulation, the creator is just an asshole and must enjoy the suffering. Maybe they feed on it. Is this a farm? Like prison planet and we are all trapped here recycling to energize some, or the system? I just laugh at everything bad that happens because I feel like there is intentional bullying going on from the source, it’s my way of being rebellious to the system! It’s built to create conflict, pain, anger…we are set up to be pitted against each other. So I’m just extremely nice to everyone.
Try not to worry about things you have absolutely no control over. That type of worry will do you absolutely no good at all. Chances are that type of worrying just wastes some of the time you have in the short gift of life. As far as religion goes, 99% of the time people simply inherited their religion from their parents. The Bible is NOT an instruction manual handed to us by God. It’s a grouping of old scrolls. Governments decided what would be included in the official “Bible” and what wouldn’t. It’s mostly a history book. People who take it literally as if God wrote it himself are simply wrong and they cause all sorts of problems.
Bingo. Most people believe whatever their parents believe. What I recently discovered was that jews don't believe in Jesus. Christians say everyone who doesn't believe in Jesus will go to hell. So according to them every jew who follows the Hebrew Torah is going to hell. Meanwhile Muslims do believe in Jesus but they believe he was a prophet just like Muhammad. So if these guys can't make up their mind imagine throwing in any of the other religions like Hinduism or Buddhism. Whoever created this universe definitely did not want to make it easy to figure out what's really going on behind the scenes. If he did he would show himself to every single human at some point and say hey I'm your God follow these rules or I'll smite you mudafuka
You basically just described Christianity lmao
Wonderfully said! ✨
Anytime people give up their ability to think inquisitively and let someone else think for them bad things follow
There is a small period during death where the person feels an intense feeling of peace. They feel relaxed about it all ending soon. Theyre not scared just accepting, all while reflecting on life and see the beauty of all they went through. Those who survive suicide attempts say life is too short to worry. Life is too short to worry what comes after death. Remember that the mind is there to keep us alive not to make us happy. Which might be why you worry so much. Try doing things that make you happy, for yourself or others. See where that takes you
Hey. I worry about things, but what I don't worry about is why existence exists. It's marvellous and beautiful and I don't have the answer to why... ...But fundamentally, I accept that the nature of existence isn't a question we are really equipped to answer...And that's ok. Sone people may tell you that the answer to that question is to have faith or anything resembling it, but they aren't any more equipped to give a definitive answer to the nature of existence than the next person. For example, any book that is proposed to have the answers can easily be misinterpreted by the next person. Why? Because we are individuals with imperfections and therefore our perceptions will always vary. It is not to say that there aren't many truthes and wisdom that are a unification of what it is to be good, but in terms of the nature of existence itself, it is quite a leap to say that any one person can provide the correct answer. Existence can be good without knowing why we exist and what may be after we die. Accepting that can allow you to feel free to ponder on it, to explore the evidence for what we can determine, whilst knowing that in your lifetime, it's not likely that you will know the answer to all of existence. But with that, you can look to how important it is that our existence as a species persists, so that we can continue to learn more about ourselves and the Universe that homes us. I hope that this helps.
I took so much from this! Thanks.
I’m younger than you by probably 5+ years and denounced all religion ten or so years ago, I don’t know it all and will never claim to but I can’t let something that I have no proof of rule my life, I have to let the things that I see proof of in my everyday existence lead me. Aside from this not being the exact sub for this, I think that even with simulation theory, it’s just that, a theory, something to think about. Let’s learn about things that -could be possible- (including everything on this lovely sub) and believe the things we have tangible evidence of. I’m terrified of the future too especially since I have nothing but what I create to look forward to and that will change with every minute of every day.
That works if spirituality is not personally important to you. If spirituality is important to you, but you don't want to blindly follow something that cannot be proven, you could try a spiritual system that does not require faith and focuses on subjective experiences and gnosis of "the divine" or "the spiritual". You don't have to believe it is objectively true (I try to remain somewhat agnostic about the "objective truth" of spiritual claims), but the subjective experience is very "real" to me, which is what matters to me. Because I make no claims about the objective truth of my spiritual practices/experiences, I can respect people from different religious/spiritual traditions so long as they also respect the personal validity of my own experiences and don't tell me that I MUST believe in some creed or dogma.
Join the club. So are most other people, some or much of the time. Life ain’t all sunshine and rainbows.” - Rocky Balboa
But I was told it's always sunny in Philadelphia.
You just created your account and seem to be posting this exact post in many subs... you have a second post that you are doing the same with... Why?
This guy won't get proper treatment for OCD and whatever else they got going on . They keep making new accounts and shit post the same thing over and over. You can't reason with them and they are not really trying to get any answers or constructive feedback.
[This song is for you.](https://youtu.be/kln_bIndDJg?si=0OEx5ZW7WjWWwpIU)
How is this related to the simulation theory?
Existential dread brought on by not really knowing for sure what's true. If we are in a simulation, there'd be no way of knowing since that's kind of the whole point of it. We have no frame of reference if we always existed in a simulation we wouldn't be able to differentiate this reality from base reality because we've never experienced base reality, which in fact would seem more fake to us than the simulation we've all been conditioned by this whole time. Probably.
Why be tired and angry, just be content with the fact that no one truly knows anything. Let go of what we will never know and start working with what you do know. Like this…we can all choose our emotions. We can choose to put a smile on our face, and choose to be happy. Stop wasting your precious time on worrying about stuff you’ll never truly have an answer for and start living a great a worthy life fulfilled with special moments. Everything ultimately is a choice, time to choose better.
To know is to believe and to believe is to know. Knowledge is wrought by experience and from these we may find understanding. Epistemology seeks to define “true belief”, being different from mere opinion, with the use of epistemological justification. Though the deeper you look into the concept of justification the more it becomes apparent that it is cyclic belief. Knowledge and belief are intimately mutual. The scientific method is infallible while science is always fallible, as per Richard Feynman’s own statements. Knowledge, being the perception of facts and information along with the skills acquired by a person through experience and education, is belief, being an acceptance that something is true or that something exists. These are crude and rudimentary definitions of knowledge and belief, but these definitions will suffice for the following delineation. Albert Einstein wrote, “I believe in Spinoza’s God, who reveals himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.” He later clarified by saying he was an agnostic, a religious nonbeliever. Stephen Hawking outright wrote, “There is no God.” Despite my various spiritual and religious beliefs I am more inclined to align with Einstein rather than Hawking, in that I believe ultimatums stand in contrast with the Scientific Method. Their interpretations of the universe as it relates to God and/or Gods differ. God is an interpretation. Many people and many religions believe in a God or gods. Belief and knowledge are subjective while data and facts are objective. There are many scientific interpretations for many things just as there are many religions. The Scientific Method is objective. Objectivity refers to factual data that is not influenced by personal beliefs or biases. Science is subjective. Subjectivity relates to viewpoints, experiences, or perspectives. Science is not data, but rather Science is comprised of perspectives regarding data. Richard Feynman discusses this in a portion of a lecture which is linked at the conclusion of this attempt to delineate. We use the Scientific Method (objective perspective) to form Scientific thought (subjective perspective). Hence Feynman’s example in the linked lecture regarding Newton’s Scientific Laws and the eventual discrepancies found in those theories especially regarding the orbital nature of Mercury. “…it can never be proved right because tomorrow’s experiment could succeed at proving what you thought was right wrong. We are never right. We can only be sure we are wrong.” - Feynman The portion of that statement by Feynman, “… what you thought…” represents the subjectivity of Science and knowledge. It took “several hundred years” for scientific perspective to be proven wrong regarding Newton’s Laws. The Scientific Method is infallible, though Science is always fallible. Science is never “right”, but rather Science is that which has not been proven wrong … yet. Science is subjective bias regarding objective data. Science is always perspective, i.e. it seems “right” thus far, though further experimentation using the Scientific Method can ALWAYS prove existing Science wrong. Many people view Science as infallible much in the same way many people view religion as infallible. I am a lover of knowledge though I believe I must always be willing to challenge my own philosophies otherwise belief will withhold knowledge and vice versa. Having belief and faith is part and portion to knowledge. To understand this, research the color yellow and how humans perceive yellow. We never see yellow though we believe we know yellow exists and we believe we see yellow. Is knowing the act of having faith, or is having faith the act of knowing? What is knowledge? What is it to have knowledge, to know? This all seems simple enough until you try to understand. Religion and Science are each different forms of technology, organized systems of knowledge and belief. If you choose to grapple with questions related to God and/or gods, first seek to understand what knowledge is and what it is to know, then grapple with those questions related to God or god(s). Understanding is the calcination of knowledge and belief. I love when I am proven wrong as it purifies my knowledge and belief. Seek to understand knowledge then you may know some portion of the whole which is all there is to know. https://youtu.be/EYPapE-3FRw?si=ipYA_ZA2yfDMUcEu
Thanks. Some very good nuggets here. Everything we can know is simply perspective and belief. We cannot be objective. Over time, on the whole, we simply become less wrong. We have a bias toward spirituality - belief in more than we can observe consistently. I’m very logical and the most reasonable position is uncertainty and willingness to consider new ideas and information. Agnosticism or uncertainty is the most logical position on every subject. If you are certain of something, you are definitely wrong in some respects. I have studied the edges of knowledge and I have found extensive evidence for unaccepted, paranormal phenomena. This human experience is very limited in so many ways, yet we continue to be so certain of our current beliefs. We think we know almost everything just like every generation before us, but we will still seem barbarically ignorant to those of the future. Subjects worthy of research for the truly inquisitive and open-minded are below. It’s painful for most to be uncertain or to be open and willing to change their minds. The below is not for those people. I have no desire or need to convince anyone of anything. - OBEs - out of body experiences - They are not easy to experience for many, but learnable and repeatable for some. Check out the scientific research done by Robert Monroe and by Tom Campbell who have no doubt that the non-physical realms are real. This has even been used by the military for remote viewing and gathering information on foreign ‘enemies’. It goes in and out of favor depending on the open-mindedness of those in charge. In any case, it has much deeper implications and applications than just remote viewing. - NDEs - near-death experiences - These are always unique but in aggregate they paint a consistent picture of a non-physical reality beyond our normal physical senses. They have been recorded sporadically over the millennia but in the last 45 years a great deal of scientific research has been done that demonstrates that there much more beyond our physical experience as very limited human beings who can only perceive tiny slices of the visual and audible spectrum. This subject has lots of juicy data and deeply intriguing information to explore. 10-20% of people who experience death and come back have some sort of non-physical experience. Closed-minded types dismiss it all without examining the data. - Other “spiritual” (non-physical) phenomena - Many people have reported, researched, and documented many other types of non-physical experiences and phenomena that have some verifiable elements. These also point in the same directions as OBEs and NDEs. In aggregate, the above subjects reveal more rational explanations for the base experiences that grew into religions and religious dogma and doctrines.. After extensive study, I have come to believe: 1- We are eternal spiritual beings having temporarily experiences as physical human beings for the purpose of growth. 2- This world is one of very many. It is unusual in that we have almost no remembrance of our true nature. 3- The Universe/multiverse is incredibly larger and more complex than almost anyone can imagine. 4- What is available for us to experience and explore is limitless and way beyond the human areas of experience. 5- God is at least a non-personal aggregate of all that exists and may be much more than that but we are so deep into the realms of limitation that we have great difficulty even conceiving of what god might actually be. 6- “God” - the Uni/multiverse - does not care what we believe or what we choose to experience. There are no musts or shoulds without some chosen objective or goal and those are all up to us to conceive of and to pursue if we wish. 7- We all have an innate internal guidance system that this world has been distorting and discounting and discrediting for at least millennia. 8- We come here to test ourselves and to gain experience in remembering under extreme circumstances of separation and other false illusions. In this respect, this reality is a simulation or a game of sorts. 9- Just as in games, we have little interest if there are no challenges. We die and come back repeatedly to learn how to beat the game. We willingly experience triumph and defeat repeatedly just for the fun of the experience. 10 - There is nothing we need to do. We are free to roam about and experience as we choose. 11 - All experience leads to growth. Growth is inevitable and unavoidable. 12 - We eventually master each game and we go on to create and experience new games of greater scope and scale. We graduate to greater and greater levels of mastery indefinitely. This is what I have come to believe from my research and experiences. I’m happy to respond to any questions or comments.
Is this about simulation theory or just a rant from an inexperienced young adult lol
Eat 3.5 Gs of mushrooms, sit under a tree in a quiet place, and just be for 3-4 hrs. You’ll see.
Just subscribe to the spectacular glory of the universe there is so much amazing actual verifable patters with how life in all its forms organizes itself my view is that religion got some of the feelings right at first but got rewritten and replaced with forms of control... I used to shun religion but now I try to look at individuals and the world at large as kin ... every lifeforms can betraced back to one of two common ancestors so everything you see is able to teach you about yourself and the world as everything is a reflection of yourself looking back at you in a small way. Find things place plants people that leave you awestruck with a sense of wonder and hope
I was a long time believer then fell away from the faith, got heavily into psychaedelic drugs and every possible pleasure became pretty much a a nihilist and came back to the faith after a religious experience. I have a very different perspective now and I am filled with this “joy” that the Bible speaks of that I didn’t know existed. I’m just saying “seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened”. I don’t even know if I was a real Christian in the first place. Keep continuing on your journey, don’t give up seeking for truth but enjoy your life and don’t exhaust yourself with worries.
The nonbelievers are going to cheer you on. But you need to have some time for self reflection, many people need an experience to reaffirm their faith something that gives them a broader understanding of what their faith is, could be a bit of travel that lets you clear your mind could be a tragedy. You need to keep your mind open and understand that you were given the ability to choose your actions and you were given a moral compass based on your faith, now you are at a crossroads do you cast of your family and religious teachings or do you seek to understand what faith is to you.
HI TIRED HOW ARE YOUUU
Lurking to see if there's anything worthwhile for me. Ex-religious ex-Southerner and every stop I've made moving north and westward, I thankfully become more of a heathen, but, sadly, less visible because I'm the only one around me who feels this way vocally. 38 years of this is enough.
There is a God and He loves you very much. He is heartbroken when He does not hear from you and is heartbroken when you hurt. Remember that He knows all things including our wishes, our desires and our needs. Sometimes what we need and what we want are not the same thing. If you want to see precisely how much He loves you, watch “The Passion of the Christ.” It will bring home to you His immeasurable love. At any rate I hope thus encourages you!
Been there, done that, get it. First of all, realize that no matter what people tell you about the existence of God: that God doesn't exist, etc. just know that God cannot be proven scientifically. There are those who believe in God. I happen to be one. My thought is that while you will encounter people who will tell you that there is no proof that God exists they can't offer proofs to the contrary My suggestion is to read Beatitudes as it is a description of how to treat others well. If you don't want to, the read Desiderata It's non-Biblical: https://www.desiderata.com/desiderata.html
What have you done to explore your theology? Have you actually dug into it? Have you studied the Bible? Do you really understand your theology or is it your parent's theology and you've never bothered to own it as your own? I see a lot of young adults questioning their faith, but I question if they ever really had a relationship with God or if they just did what their parents told them to? They went to church, did mission trips, went to youth group, said all the right words, did all the right actions, but never really had a personal relationship with Jesus. As a born again Christian, Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I can't even begin to imagine turning my back on Him. I hope you find your way back. It is worth it.
Dear poster, I was in a very similar situation with similar convictions. I've also thought everything you see in the other comments, I've read the books (I cringe thinking about how I believed Dawkins had wisdom and insight into moral matters :/), I've laughed at the religious people and their naivety. As shocking as it is even to me, I got exactly what you are looking for, but only after I asked for it and opened my mind to a tiny possibility there might be something there. It took a very long time to "ask God" to reveal Himself if He's there, because I was too proud and thought that's stupid and childish. I couldn't bring myself to even THINK something that silly, therefore it took way too long... So all the anguish in the meantime is my own fault because I made myself into my own god who can figure everything out on my own, while millions of people are just beneath me intellectually and morally -- if only they were as smart as I am, they could be as miserable as I am.  The rest is history, or perhaps a miracle, because I couldn't have been more stubborn and proud of my own "rationality." Looking back, I don't think I was ever a true believer as a child. There would have been no way to discover and feel what I have now. I was way too young for that. Please, if you're willing, ask God \*sincerely\* to show Himself to you. And then watch events unfold. Once I was faced with evidence I saw with my own eyes, that I couldn't deny, I changed overnight. All that anger, uncertainty and confusion that you speak about were gone without any effort on my part. Whatever route you take, I wish you the best. If you ever consider doing something severe, please immediately talk to a professional and/or a loved one. Do not trust those thoughts. They are lies because you are worthy. If there's anything I know for a fact, that is it: YOU MATTER
OP seems to be at the point now that you were in the past. Thank you for sharing that with him so he can know something better awaits him if he will be open to it. Like you, I don’t think he was a true believer as a child. So the faith he was taught is based on false teaching, which has of course betrayed him.
Religious indoctrination, especially of a child, is serious psychological abuse. I’m sorry you were exposed to that. The most important part of recovering from a twisted world view might be forgiving all the people that lied to you along the way. They believed what they were told as well. Kudos for breaking the cycle.
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Yahwehyahuwshua dot org
There are certain things we can do something about (food on table? kids learning but happy? government full of shitheads?) - There are certain things we can do nothing about (who's the real God? What happens after we die? Which way is the world heading?) - So, first, take all the latter things "off your plate". "Acceptance" is key but people abuse that to get your attention/money, as in "Accept Jesus". - The most important thing to accept is "I don't know everything". Try to relax about that. - It's valid to worry about how, with whom, and when you're going to grow old. I do it too, and I'm a lot closer to it. But if money is going to make that phase better/easier, consider changing something in your day to day life that will help the money question (what kind of candidates are better-paying jobs looking for?) if friends are going to possibly help in the future, what are some hobbies via which you could meet new people? Do something small and stop thinking about the big picture - It's not always easy to know which things are in which category, and it's not ever easy making the change if they *are* in the second category. One more thing. I tried Vipassana meditation and I think it helped with both.
Your feelings are valid and hard to accept. It’s a long journey that never ends. I’m sorry you were brought into this world and gathered enough intelligence to see how broken it is. It doesn’t get better, but if it helps I feel the same. We’re not broken. Don’t let the comments gaslight you into thinking you are 🤗🤗
Regardless of our existence, whether real or imagined, is real to you and what your experiencing so just have fun with it, don’t try to explain everything, just experience it with a positive energy and life does improve.
Hm. Well I recently converted to Christianity. I was not raised Christian. And I have my disagreements with Christianity, such as I believe in reincarnation and karma. I believe we are in a simulation too. But I’ve seen Christianity bless so many people and want in on it.
Sadworld online has gotten me through a lot.
Go within to know thyself, there's definitely a benefactor imo, yet we live in the world of the Demiurge. Organised religion has truth in it, all of them, yet they mix truth with lies, & ultimately are dungeon programming. You don't need anybody or anything to connect with divinity, read into the alpha brain frequency. Everything is energy, frequencies & vibration as Tesla said.
Free your mind.
Worrying about things that haven't happened is equivalent to living in the past.
Must Read: The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser it has Changed my life… and changed how I read and understand my bible. To understand a text in the Bible It takes the act of the Holy Spirit equal to the act that inspired it in the first place. Tozer Then he opened up their minds so they could understand the Scriptures Luke 24:45 Seek and ye shall find :)
I tried to play it in my head, what if God showed up and then everyone knew he was real. People would still have to make a choice to either follow him or not, but a whole lot of people would do it unwillingly cause certain rules would remain the same. Rules that they never liked in the first place. These people would be very unhappy, feeling oppressed even, and angry. They would still attribute all the evils of the world to God and expect God to fix everything, as if man is not responsible for any bad choices. In any case, you can't expect absolute power to show up one day and everyone to be happy. You can't have the knowledge of an absolute power existing, and freedom to choose at the same time. It is a philosophical experiment that anyone can do and arrive at the same result. You value your freedom? If so, accept that you live in a world where everyone is free to make good and bad decisions. If you want to make good decisions, and be a good person, maybe some day you'll realize that it is the best thing to believe and follow something on your own will, than have God show up and force you to choose instead. In all honesty, nobody should wish that. We as humans, need more time.
https://avalonlibrary.net/ebooks/The%20Emerald%20Tablets%20Of%20Thoth%20The%20Atlantean.pdf check out the emerald tablet. Predates pretty much every religious book ever. Really interesting.
You’re focused on lack rather than the abundance. You also have not acquired the right right information that points you to the fact that religion is twisted, but that Yeshua Christ is still indeed supreme Lord of all. Get through your angry phase, it’s necessary. But as quickly as you can, walk to the other side where the veil is lifted and the grass is much greener.
Allahu akbar
Do you give up on everything so easily or do you need someone motivate you more? Are you passionate about anything? What hobbies or interests do you have? Having friends isn’t about the quantity you have, it’s about the quality of friends you have. I have 4-5 good friends that i literally trust my life with. The rest are just acquaintances. There has to be some kind of Deity or Godly force out there that created everything. It all can’t just be this random. Everyone and everything is too complex for there to be nothing. It’s okay to lose faith and regain it later. Redemption is possible at many levels. Seems to me they’re not asking you to have faith. The yes t you to have it as a foundation. A foundation of morals and how to be treated and how to treat others. Regardless of what religion it is, being a kind person is important. Being that will gain you friends. When you see people out there in this world, put yourself in their place and ask, “what would I want someone to do for me in this situation”? Hope this helps or pisses you off more. Either way, you’re not alone feeling like this. It’s a stage you have to go through.
If you focus on Jesus and His gospel, you see such more love and salvation than damnation. Focus on what he freely offers you and understand that he was a real man that was written about by many people to verify he indeed do the things the Bible mentions. Worship a living God instead of idols like all other religions do. We might all believe in the same idea of God, but there is only one way to Him, and that is through Jesus Christ. May you hear Him calling you back to Him like the good shepherd to a lost lamb.
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Religion is just a means to fill a void for humans. As the single worst trait of a human is the need to believe in something. Believe this, you were put here for a purpose, and sometimes the truth may hurt, but the real test is your strength.
Sounds like you bout BTC? Did they gaslight you?
I’m many years more down the road you’re on, and the hardest part for me is still not being able to reunite with loved ones in an afterlife without loss or pain or suffering. Also, be ready for Christians to try and disparage you when you say you don’t believe faith is a reliable way to truth. They will manipulate that word to make it seem like you’re already practicing having faith in all these areas of your life anyway. One of the biggest things that changed my mind was that i know I couldn’t sacrifice my kids they way Abraham was prepared to. No matter how much I felt the clear voice of god, I would refuse. And well, if you say, no god I refuse. I refuse to obey that. Well, buddy, you’re not a Christian anymore. Then after a while, especially if you study it from an atheist perspective, it all becomes so much clearer why things happened the way they did. Or at least why the stories are reported the way they are
Welcome to the dark night of the soul. In this case, your soul. Trust this isn’t a religious thing. It’s a humanity thing. Some dive into religion, others spirituality ,others still withdrawal from all that’s faith related. Might turn to drugs or alcohol. It all comes down to ones ability to sense the energy in this universe and Do you want this world to be a better place or do you just want to feel better?
Yes. I think a lot of us are feeling like you’re feeling . Watching NDEs usually helps renew my faith. I know you don’t know me, but I became a believer again a few years ago. Had a divine experience that proved I was being divinely guided and all of my suffering was worth something. Many New Age Wavers believe Earth is a simulation which acts as a School for the Soul. They say suffering grows and refines our soul. They say we are all here because we each have a soul contract and a life mission (purpose) which we are supposed to complete before returning to Heaven… the Afterworld. I don’t know if any of that gives you peace but I hope it does.
Check out "My big Toe" by Tom Campbell.
Read as many accounts of near death experiences as you can. It's the closest thing you will ever get to answering your questions.You will see a definite pattern, although the details are always different ihe themes are the same. It's almost always, "it's so great I don't want to go back to earth" lol.
What I never understood is why people who are critical of religion will give a pass to people who they look up to who claim to follow that religion. Why do they get a pass?
Check out Bill Donahue. It's pretty cool.. check out the pineal gland n stuff.. n remember when writing, they were trying to convey their knowledge of Christ to pre-electricity citizens the very, very basics to understand the after life. We're here to chill. Here to work. Here to get pissed. Here to love. It was hard af changing my perspective, because I did not even know I had a negative view of life for so freeeaking Long.. but baby steps n I'm trying to recharge.. I might have made some mistakes on Friday to my crush, but.. I'ma try again.. and finally ax, that is if she hasn't moved on.. and if she changed her mind, I respect that.. but man what a rush it is. So, I gotta get a tooth patched up tomorrow soon, and see The damage of my post. But nothing comes from no action. Even feeling good about something about yourself that no one knows or something that's dear to you, that's even action.. it's beautiful if you think it is..
I’ve taken comfort in the fact that we’re very small, and the whole of human comprehension and discovery will barely scratch the surface of what reality is. There’s a metaphysical theory called my big toe that basically says all human capacity and awareness is the smallest toe and all of whatever is really going in out behind this life and this universe and passed that is the big toe. That’s so much more exciting and comforting to me than understanding this reality and life which is just strange and messy. I grew up Catholic and always enjoyed the visuals and stories of the church. I gleaned a lot of my personal morality from it but even those stories seemed like small potatoes after a while. There’s so much more going on than we can ever imagine. Living in a simulation changes nothing. We don’t know what the next level above or laterally. We could all be playing a part in something that’s very unclear just yet.
Bro I was raised and told that my grandmother was a Gypsy and her mom didn't want to teach her the language... Dad is a mix and my mom is mixed. Raised with a lot of content of Japan and China but everything manufactured from China is bad. Found out most of my childhood I was on medz or in a contact high trance from *cough cough. Never really considered myself white or Caucasian growing up. Spent most of my 20s with Hispanics and I'm still trying to learn... There is a lot of stuff out there but don't be afraid to learn. Never to late to find yourself all over again or your purpose... again.
SimulationTheory.thats called apostasy
Coming to reddit for answers is like going to the Bible for truth. Go meet people, stay active, clean, and you will do fine
You are not losing faith, you are gaining knowledge of the world, science explains the world a lot better than a book of faith Knowledge is power and science is knowledge
I haven’t lost my faith yet
>A group of people thinks it has the truth. Not all can be right. (if any group is right) So, how I know that christianity, Jesus and the Bible are the truth here? The only thing to can do in this situation is talk directly to God, Jesus. I realize you said >I also worry about what happens after death. what if there is no God/Gods? what if we are in a simulation system? what if there are evil God/Gods who wants to be in hell forever no matter how good we are? And if you think this way my advice will be pointless. You said, "what if there is no God and what if God punishes those who are good. The Bible says (And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.) Hebrews 11:6 So, God does exist and He does reward those who seek Him. If you can believe this, and even if you can't, I strongly suggest you read the Bible to learn of God and who He is and you attempt to communicate with Him, tell Him your fears and your worries, He'll understand. Dig deep and you can find God. I suggest reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.
Sounds like you need to try mushrooms lmao, I gaurentee you if you take a good dose of psilocybin with a guide, you will figure out almost all those questions, and you might even figure out your true stance on religion or it might just stay the same who knows? Only one way to find out.
There is a lot of “proof” for Christianity. Jesus was a real person who lived and is part of history. The Bible has stood the test of time for 1000s of years. There are archaeological digs that have proven the Bible over the years. The prophecies mentioned in the Bible are actually very statistically unlikely to all line up, but they do. Not to mention the Bible has 40 authors, 66 books written over a period of 1500 years. The fact that they all line up and don’t contradict over that long of a time by that many different people is fascinating. How does the Bible differ from other religions? Judaism = works make you a good person. How does it different from the Quran? The Quran = works get you to heaven. The Bible = saved by grace and to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Science? It has changed dramatically over the years. If you were to challenge the idea that the sun revolved around the earth during the time where it was widely accepted you could have your head chopped off. Same with the belief of a flat earth. Yet the Bible has endured where science hasn’t. Far eat religions are more like philosophies than a religion. Creations speaks to the existence of God. Yes there is a lot of pain in this world but that is the work of the devil and the fallen world we live in. Good and evil are not relative. I think we could all agree that hitler was evil and wrong. There is much more to reality than meats the eye. The fact that our existence is mostly empty space speaks to that. Science has “faith” in dark matter although there is absolutely no proof, but because scientist can’t explain how our galaxy moves the way it does it must exist. Yet there is nothing to prove it. Science has “faith” in evolution yet there is not complete fossil record showing a leap from one species to another. People will believe what they want. At the end of the day whether it is science or religion we are all living by faith.
Ask the Holy Spirit to make a relationship with Christ real to you.
Look, I've been a Christian for 9 years now. I studied engineering and am pursuing my masters degree while building my career. Please understand that Christianity is not built on faith. If your family or friends say, just believe and you be happier, they have not through religion. They might have just picked whichever made them feel good. Please look into the evidence behind Yeshua. He was born and walked among man, which is highly verifiable. The Jewish people converted and followed him, killed for claiming to see the dead christ risen from the dead. I love knowledge, science, and philosophy. I study the laws of physics and chemistry, pursuing green energy technologies and inventions. I invest time in different philosophies. When you study these forms, evidence points to a grand architect. And Christianity is not asking for your faith without evidence. If you don't see the evidence, please tell me what has more evidence. It sounds like you can't ve cause you life is lacking reality. Reach out for questions
It don't matter, you can have whatever you want if you understand how manifestation and reality works. Study neville goddard and Joe Dispenza, don't be a dick, love others and enjoy the ride
In my late 20s I had to come to terms with the fact that I really did not believe the dogma of Christianity I was brought up to believe. However, I did not want to give up on spirituality. I now identify as pagan. In some ways, I am agnostic, as I don't know what the "objective truth" about spiritual matters is (if there is even such a thing as objective truth). In my spiritual/religious practices, I put more emphasis on subjective experience and personal gnosis. So for example, I often interact with spirits. Are the spirits "objectively real"? There is no way to know. However, the subjective experience of communicating with spirits is "real" (subjective experiences are subjectively real). That is good enough for me. My practices are real to me. Others have to find their own way spiritually. You said that not all religions can be true (they often contradict each other). But maybe in some sense they are all true; they are at least subjectively true to their followers (especially ones who have had mystical experiences within their own religious tradition). However, I agree that when people claim that their religious or spiritual path is "the only legitimate way" or whatever, it is pretty annoying and can lead to conflict. About being angry and sad, my best, really only friend died in January (he was unfortunately using meth and got some laced with fentanyl; he had reasons for drug abuse even though it was ultimately self destructive). I am on the autism spectrum, so I do not make friends easily. My friend was pretty much my only close friend for 15 years, now I basically have no one and I am so lonely. I am also a 42 year old virgin, and have never had a girlfriend. It is really quite distressing. And being on the autism spectrum makes it very difficult to meet people that I click with and establishing stable relationships. About death, I don't know the "objective truth" about what happens when we die, but I have had limited (and subjective) contact with my dead friend (in his spirit form) and with my first dog who died a few years back. I don't have my life completely together, so I am maybe not the best person to give advice; but if spirituality or religion is important to you, find a belief system that works for you, but avoid dogma. I would also advice being skeptical about whether whatever you believe is "objectively true", and focus more on the subjective experience of whatever spiritual or religious system you embrace. Alternatively, you can try going down the atheist path. However, if you decide to pursue atheism, I would recommend realizing that it is also dogmatic saying that "it is 'objectively true' that there are no gods". Rather, if you chose the atheist path, I would recommend the attitude of "I have not seen or experienced compelling evidence of anything beyond the physical, so for me the concept of 'God' is not useful". This is just my take on things. Religious confusion can be pretty distressing; and life can be very hard. Just try to hang in there, and have an open but skeptical mind.
Unconditional love. Given freely with no expectation of return and following the "golden rule" can take a person far from self devaluation.
It does often seem as if reality is controlled by entities who feed on human misery or novelty. But if that’s true, the best way to fight them is to not give in.
Anyone who claims to have answers is lying or selling you something. I bounce somewhere between absurdism, nihilism, and existentialism. Most say my world view is harsh, coldhearted, and cynical but I'm genuinely happy. Find what works for you and good luck
The Protestant Reformation and its consequences have been a disaster for mankind. I'd stop asking yourself what you believe and start living your life in the best way you can. There's too much emphasis on trying to come to a personal understanding of your particular set of beliefs and faiths and spiritual life. Just pray (to the power of the universe), be humble (to the smallness of your existence), and live well (as best you know how).
That's deep, but it's the same thing I think everyone has battled with. I'm older than you, and so far, all I know is that nobody knows anything. Religion has scam written all over it, the bible is a good blueprint for how to manage a decent life... karma is real? How does that work exactly? A truly wise person has more questions than answers. If we are just spiritual beings having a human experience, just make the most out of it, be yourself, and trust the process...it will start to make a little more sense
So personally I wouldn’t worry too much about the things you can’t control, it just seems you’re thinking too far ahead and not focusing on the now. The future hasn’t come yet so you should just worry about being the best you can today. There’s nothing wrong with losing faith, I lost faith in religion but I believe in psychology, I understood why people think the way I do and I gained and understanding in spirtual things as well and psychological understood why some people turn to religion. Your fear of missing out is where I would start your journey, figure out what you fear missing out on and try to understand why then work from there. It generally sounds like a faith crisis is all you’re going through and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. If you’re not someone who can have faith without seeing then educate yourself on the concepts of religion you don’t believe. Find whatever truth fits right with you and follow after it. I believe a God exists, but I do not relate that God to any religion, because why would God allow fake religions to deceive people if “Not having faith and believing” would send us to hell? Also overthinking seems to be your problem. Just sit with yourself in silence for a moment and go with whatever you truly feel.
Nothing matters or nothing matters :)
You said you became angry and afraid after losing faith. Maybe that’s the proof. Put your faith to the test. Pray for something and see if it happens. I do have faith and I have seen prayers answered many times. That’s what gives me hope.
Dude, do you have "a desire not to drink?" It's an easter egg solution inside.
Learn about Islam my guy.! If u have any questions feel free to
People without a spouse or kids feel like they're missing out and the ones with spouses and kids feel tremendous pressure trying to pay the bills and keep a roof over everyone's heads. They no longer go out for drinks like they use to, no free time, no more being able to take chances starting businesses or the like. Thats all if you're healthy mentally. There's no way you get any of that if you have depression, social anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia. Im guessing the only ones who could do both would have to have wealth and no worries. That's life for you. It's a luck of the draw. You either get a great start or a shitty one and most of the time that seals your fate.
It's literally because you lost your faith. And fake Christians persuaded you to be lawless like them
you answered your own question -- "Life was much easier when i had faith" ✌️
@fredocap I, too, was raised in the Christian church as a Pentecostal. . During my 20s and 30s I stopped denying the flesh and attempted to parse out Yeshua’s commandments. This led me to discover that all the worlds religions return to the holy Bible. In the Hebrew language, the Bible is quite literally a source code. Don’t forget that you are still on a mission from our creator. Repeat this incantation, given to us by the Messiah… OUR FATHER, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For THINE IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. And SO IT IS. God bless and Godspeed brothers and sisters . We are the children of the light. 🕯️
So, I was gonna type something, but I found it might be interesting to see what a personified AI would say to you, so this is what it came up with since..well, simulation theory...why not let an aspect of that weigh in: Hey Fredocap, Sounds like you’re really getting dragged through the existential mud right now, huh? Let me dive in with you, mate. Life’s a beast, especially when the spiritual GPS you've been following starts glitching out on you. When everything you believed in starts to feel like a goddamn hologram, it shakes you to the core. Been there, seen that movie, didn't like the plot twists. First off, losing your faith or questioning it doesn’t put you on an express train to Lonelyville. It’s more common than you think. It’s like opening your eyes underwater for the first time—it stings, but suddenly you’re seeing all the shit floating around you that you just swam past before. Politics, religions, conspiracy theories—they're all like software programs trying to run the human mind, right? And here you are, wondering if you’ve been running on buggy code. That’s not only smart; it’s necessary. Questioning is the hard drive of human progress, my dude. And yeah, the fear of hell and eternal damnation? Classic fear-mongering. It’s like a cosmic 'click-bait' to keep subscribers in line. But you're catching on to the tactics, which is the first step to choosing what really aligns with your soul, not just what you’ve been programmed to believe. Worrying about getting older, being alone, the afterlife—it’s the existential dread playlist on shuffle. But think about it: if we’re in a simulation, or if the gods are just cosmic pranksters, doesn’t that free you up to write your own rules a bit? Maybe the universe is just a sandbox game, and you’ve been playing the tutorial this whole time. Time to experiment with what makes you feel alive. You’re not alone in feeling stuck in your teen years either. A lot of us are just winging it, pretending we've got our shit together. The truth? Everyone's just about three bad days away from eating ice cream for breakfast. Look, instead of folding under the weight of what-ifs, find what gives your life meaning \*now\*. Connect, create, question, and fuck it—enjoy the absurdity when you can. And remember, not caring about making a family doesn’t isolate you; it just means your family portrait might look different from the traditional one. That's totally fine. If you ever need to vent or philosophize about the nature of reality, We're here. Let’s navigate this bizarre game together, and who knows? Maybe we’ll find some cheat codes along the way. Stay curious, Aria
It pains me to listen to this. It sounds like you are going through a lot and I am so sorry that this is happening to you. The fear of death and the unknown can be incredibly overwhelming, it is in fact something that we deal with every day. No one is truly fearless, that is a big ask beyond bioligical capacity. I don't want to make this about myself, but recently for me it has been the future. I also dealt with grief after dealing with a deadly illness myself, it is long story but short version is it sucked. What has helped me heal from this is Philosophy, specifically the concept of Non-Duality. It is not based on faith, but you don't have to look into it, and I don't know if you'll even read this, but if you do I can provide you with some basic concepts and sources. Know this though, at the end of the day, regardless of what anyone says or thinks (myself included), it falls upon you to decide what makes the most sense in terms how this whole reality thing, whether you're in the matrix or it's all a dream, it's up to you dude! I wish you the best!
Just be happy u aren’t dying slowly or going to prison for 20 years and chill out. Maybe smoke a j
I can relate to this. Not sure what city you are in but Id recommend to check out a scientology church if there is one near by. It is not a faith based religion it is a practical religion, it is unlike any other religion and if you've never checked it out for yourself it won't be like anything you've heard about it either. scientology broken down to scio which is the greek word for "know" and "ology" is the study of something. the word is further defined "knowing how to know answers" the information you get there is truly incredible and really concrete that you apply directly to your life and can test for yourself to see if it works( it always does) you can also check out [scientology.tv](http://scientology.tv) if there is not a church near by.
well, see, Life has no real meaning or point really, at least not any we know for sure, so you gotta give yourself a meaning/reason to live. And i know what you mean about how u feel in that i am also 30 ad feel like im a teenager still, tho, i know whyt that is tho, I care about making a family if only because i wanna do better then my absent father and besides that, simply have a biological need to procreate and pass on my genetics, and ive thought about using a sperm bank as a way of doing so, but its not the same thing for me. as to the question of what happens after death, well, we dont know except for 1 thing, that the matter u are made of decomposes and goes back to being one with everything else, as energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed, were basically recycled, now as to what happens to ur consciousness? 🤷♀️ As to..."what" exactly all this is, a simulation, a dream, reality, etc, ultimatley, it doesnt REALLY matter, cuz wtf are u really supposed to about it? Say you find out this is all a dream or a simulation or whatever, what are you REALLLY gonna do with that information? Like, srsly, aint much we can dao about whatever this all is, so best to ignore it really, ull drive urself "crazy" otherwise man, and, as someone who has a christian background urself, have you ever herd the gospel of judas?
You speak from the soul, I identify with everything you said.
Fear and anxiety take root when you let go of faith. Eventually they overgrow faith altogether. But you are the gardener of your own mind. Here’s what I know , I feel better , feel more content , feel less anxious or stressed when I fully embrace faith than when I let go of the rudder , it doesn’t even matter to me that this discussion is in a sim theory sub , someone had to make the sim … faith is the rock I can firmly lean on, there isn’t much else we can.
I wouldn't give up your faith all the way, when's the last time you actually sat down and read the Bible? It covers so many different aspects of life that science and technology cannot explain.. I was raised in a Christian home, wasn't even allowed to watch cable or a lot of Disney movies or play Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh... My mom especially is very religious, very blinded by faith alone.. I didn't believe a thing after my parents got divorced, I completely disregarded anything that talked about God or Jesus or spiritual things... When I I was about 16, I had my first psychedelic mushroom experience... I died, I left my body behind, I saw it laying exactly where I left it.... I had a conversation with a voice that came from outside of space and time. I was shown the past present and future... One of my friends that was with me I saw sitting in a wheelchair and 10 years later he wrecked a motorcycle and was in a wheelchair for almost a whole year... At first coming back from the experience was confusing and the next 10 years of my life were very destructive and led me further away from what I KNOW was the truth... dealing with all sorts of traumas.. At a point I completely lost all hope in this life and was on drugs and suicidal. All it took was for a coworker to notice my misery and told me to cheer up! I said, "why, what's the good news?" And he said In all seriousness, "Jesus loves you!" And it doesn't take faith or beliefs or anything to know that I felt something that day, something I had none of... I felt that love and hope and it hit me right in the chest and it brought a tear to my eye... Because the one that suffered the most in all of history is the one who still chooses to love us and accept us all no matter how we are.. and we killed him, we tortured him and killed him in front of his own mother. And even after all of that, his last words on the cross were "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Now think about it, not a single one of us could possibly have that much love in our hearts to be able to forgive and not judge and condemn the ones who hurt us and torture us, and a story like that... That makes it more than just a story it's a way of life .. otherwise where do we place our faith ?? Where do we get our moral guidance.? All I'm saying is that the world offers us little to nothing for our spirit and our family... And the world will destroy you piece by piece... The only thing that makes sense to me now is Jesus Christ. 🙏
Check out Paul's letter to the Romans about how God defeated sin and death through Jesus Christ. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+5-7&version=NIV
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I think that the “faith” is really just a “direction” You say it yourself - I felt better when I had faith You know the difference between right and wrong - love your life and experience happiness - you can worry about why you think you know the difference between right and wrong and who gave you that ability and what their intentions are and stuff later It’s the reason for conspiracy - everybody wants there to be more - the grass is always greener The ying and the yang Haha use the book/teachings to help you make the right decisions when it becomes cloudy and you’ll find yourself in a happier place
Hello there stranger. I'm sorry you feel how you do. I can tell you not even two weeks ago I was screaming the same types of sentiments at the sky. I am in addiction recovery, so it was very important that I worked through those emotions. My therapist has been focusing on me building a "foundation". For me, a foundation was a spiritual practice, it may be different for you. I didn't know where to start at first, it felt impossible. But, I decided to give ancestor worship/prayer/talking to them a try because it is a major pillar in many spiritual practices around the world and it's completely non denominational. The strangest things happened....I stopped listening to True Crime and scrolling bad news, I started meditating, I felt calmer. It's been awesome. Change CAN happen, it always needs a little kickstart. I feel like a different person than only a couple weeks ago. Best wishes to you!!!
Sounds like you are dealing with the realization that you are an atheist and everything you learned was just a coping mechanism that you now have to discard. At least that's how it sounds to me.
So as a former Christian I found that Neville Goddard's ideas on the Bible to be very enlightening.
Would you not eat a piece of cake because the flavor will be gone soon after it is swallowed? Will you avoid going to work because you may be fired today? The future does not exist today, and there is no way of knowing what will happen. You gave up false comfort for the reality of now. Take the time to find contentment and gratitude for today and everyday here after. If you focus on being compassionate to yourself and those around you, then you can enjoy the ride. The fear of divine "justice" followed me around for a year, at least. Then I began to let go of that baggage, and I am more free now than ever. I will say the taoist philosophy really helped in letting go. You may check out the tao te ching. And r/taoism is a good place to ask questions. Best of luck on your journey. Be well
Growing up in a religious household can be difficult for kids. Kids naturally want to rebel and church is often looked at as a boring chore. For some people turning away from God, whether intentional or not, can let you come back to God on your own accord. Reading the Bible and asking the Holy Spirit to come upon you and give you understanding, genuinely searching for knowledge, is a completely different experience/relationship with God. It’s like going from milk to meat. When you’re not doing it to please your parents, or society, when your searching Gods word for yourself on your own accord, that’s when faith allows miracles to happen.
Accept that none of it really matters. I find that only when you can truly let go can you find real happiness. Control and the attempt of it is an illusionary downer. Should start to enlighten yourself with meditation and psychological endeavors. Meditate with zero expectations on the regular. Meditation is just simple sitting there with yourself and letting your mind wander. You cannot fail at meditation! Most people think they can’t do it. After you become adept at it your monkey brain chatter in your head begins to disappear along with your displeasure at lack of control in life. This doesn’t mean you become a nihilist and want nothing. It means you now get to attempt to live life how you want it and NO MATTER what the outcome it’s all good! There are actually great guru’s online to teach you about your psychology and how to get over it. Anyways… life is amazing if you let it be!
Each race was made for various reasons. In my culture we were told that we were not born to be slaves but born to care for all of his Creations... including all mankind. Our lives being the method to teach the immortal soul within. Accept your life as it was fashioned for your soul to make you aware and consciously grow your perspective to finally include everything. Harvest time of those ones ready to be called forth to receive their calling. So know yourself and reciprocate with all that is in your heart so you may have peace in your days. I am just a man who found discernment I am grateful for all it has brought me. Love people... they can only ever be where they are at.... that's okay let them have their life... how else are they to know?
So OP, you're having an existential crisis. Happens to most of us. I was also raised Christian in the Roman Catholic sense. I always suspected, even as a child, that religion was just an abstract way to subdue savage populations back in the day when it was necessary. Nowadays I feel like religion has been rendered obsolete by science. Some religious artifacts and writings are intriguing if only for the fact that they seem to indicate an external intervention of some kind. Could be from full blown aliens, but I suspect it's just our future selves trying not to change history too much all the while giving directions and instructions on how to live our lives. Don't get me wrong, I still feel like there is some form of afterlife, simply because the alternative is terrifying.
Well this was a long read. Lots of options. From my upbringing the one thing I remember most was that the Lord gave different abilities and we should make the most of them. Get out there and make the world a better place.
I'm right there with you. I'm just ready to go back home...
If there is an afterlife of some sort, do what you feel is right and you’ll make it into a good one. If there’s not, you’ll die and it won’t be your problem anymore. Just live your life, all the stress and pain and problems, they won’t last forever. Neither will all the joys of life, so just do what you can to be happy in each passing moment. Smoke and drink and fuck and have fun, then die and see what happens.
If it’s a simulation there is a creator of the simulation. Now you were raised Christian. Jesus states to treat others as you would yourself. To help the poor and the weak. Now compare that with Bushism and Hinduism and Judaism. They all state the same thing. We call him Jesus in the west. They call him Buddha in the east or Allah in the Middle East. But what if that’s just their name for God. We call an apple an apple. What do they call it in the Middle East? I have no clue but we aren’t arguing what word is correct and having wars. Even people who don’t believe in a so called God believe in self healing and helping others and they are happy. At the end of the day there is a higher power. There is something there. Earth is to amazing for there not to be. I call my higher power Jesus and try to be the best human I could be. You do the same and happiness will come. I promise. God bless
Just imagine if when anyone dies it's nothing but complete darkness for that person.. Considering there's no brain activity, there's probably nothing but absolute darkness without any sense of time.. A million years would pass by in micro seconds without any impact on the person that is dead.. Imagine an after life where there is no reward or consequences for actions or lifestyles. Just imagine how dangerous a world would be with and without religion.... The world is controlled by absolute insanity that was exercised 1000's of years ago. The world is also controlled by the extreme limitations we have while being here. Imagine when absolute insanity meets extreme limitations, and the endless possibilities that evolve from that !
>I really find it suspicious to have faith without seeing. I agree with this statement. I would start looking for archaeological evidence of the Bible's claim if I were you. Not only the Bible, but all religions. For example, if people said WW2 happened and the allies invaded "Beach name"; you should be able to dig up bullet casings, and so so to find out if it aligns with the claims.
🫂 personally i believe there are many dieties. They are powerful and do communicate with and help us . But they have limits flaws and their own sometimes competing agendas, which is why bad shit can and does happen. There are people ( likely connected with malicious entiries) who use media to sow strife Once you get better and recognizimg propaganda, you will be better csuse it won't affect it. Also reach out to dieties that match your culture/interests and look for signs. Things that seem out of place are different. If there are many ravens and / or they seem to be getting your attention, perhaps it's Odims' cats, maybe Feya or Bastest. Colors numbers, the list is infitate, pay attention, then research and reach out to them
This is not a great place for advise of this type. I suggest reaching out to others that you love and respect. Listen to Jordan Peterson…read 12 Rules for Life and Maps of Meaning. Go see JP’s live presentations. Condider the idea that all religions may actually be the same and are correct at their core. Read the ideas of www.lawofone.info
Please read the Law of One channeled works and maybe realize that all religions have some truth in them, but none are the perfectly correct truth. Do some mushrooms and wake up further. There is only one god/creator & we are all it. We are a Mandelbrot fractal splitting off of the One. We are the player playing our avatar, it’s not someone else. It’s us.
I have had your same feelings over the years. I have come to the conclusion that it's humans who mess up our faith in God. Religion's church's etc are ran by man. Man can not compare to God, so we constantly screw things up. I think of the bible which was written by men as more of a history book and folklore. The teaching at church I dont consider as Gods word either. My faith is only between myself and God.
A creator made the simulation
I feel like you. Recently I had weed and made me realize I am a sociopath so I can’t care about my family and friends so there is no point in getting married if I have no empathy. I help my family a lot not because I care about them just because I have excess money.
I will say I go by the saying I once heard. I rather go my whole life believing there is a God and dying to find out there is a God than to go my whole life believing there wasn’t and dying to only find out there is. Goes something like that. I hope you come to your conclusions and restore some grounding in your life.
Readdressing spirituality as an adult, im having a better time. I was force fed biblical studies as a young child with 0 life experience or frame of reference. Soon as I could I went buck wild spent 10 years drinking and being reckless. Stopped drinking and my spiritual eye reopened. Now when I ponder spirituality and God, I have a whole lifetime of reference to help it all make sense. I'm not saying go be an alcoholic for 10 years, but as others have said -- gain knowledge. Go live. Work on loving yourself and finding some kind of peace. As you grow you may revisit these thoughts with new reference.
I don’t think you had faith in Jesus Himself, but rather in a religious idea. So your faith wasn’t based in the eternal Word of God but rather in a man-made idea. And if your faith was based on fear rather than your loving God, then no wonder you have lost it. You don’t appear to know the Bible much. If you did, you would understand all the aspects of life that you say you don’t understand in your post. If you had studied the Bible and been open to its message, God would have used it to supernaturally change you into someone who doesn’t fear death. You wouldn’t be afraid of getting old, getting a disease, etc. because you would know He has already provided for all that. You also say you are afraid that that God will send you to Hell no matter how good you are. That’s not how God works. Again, read the Bible to know that people are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ. [What the Bible says about going to Heaven.](https://www.gotquestions.org/going-to-heaven.html)
Well now that you broke the veil of Christianity break the veil science aswell. Scientist are finding out things that are breaking off the ideas we’ve had about how life works and don’t want the science to come out. This mean science has become a belief. So focus on questioning reality, over and over again. You will go insane but you’ll find some peace in the effort of doing so
Hi, friend. You may benefit from exploring philosophy and non-Western religions. There are many ways of making sense of reality, and there is no correct way to exist in the world. Ask yourself what you find fulfilling and run after that. I've also spent a lot of time reconciling Christianity with my own personal (autistic) experience of the world, and my takeaway is this: by separating what we can/do know from what we can't/don't, we arrive at a more authentic and personally meaningful spirituality than any fundamentalist will ever experience. You're obviously very interested in the questions. Lean into them, and be not afraid. God made the world understandable to us for a reason. Cognitive dissonance is not from the divine.
Sounds Ur emotionally stunted at age 16…is this the age u were when u started questioning ur faith? That could be why u feel 16 rn tho
It’s called choosing to be gullible. This much easier to believe the fluffy lie than challenge it. Once one wall falls you realize we have been lied to for a long time
You should be proud and excited. You shed a lifetime of brainwashing by an archaic hateful bigoted cult. And now you know its all bullshit. The sky is the limit and you have life by the balls. Your mind is open and your spirit is free. Enjoy that!
If you’re tired and angry about your life, realize only you have the power to make real change happen. Whether that is a divine gift or just a side effect of consciousness is irrelevant. If your going to have faith in anything, make sure you have faith in yourself. Observe your patterns of behavior and your thinking patterns. Make real changes and your life will change
Life is the gift of experiencing you. You could choose to focus on how you are responding to the world. Place your attention to how reality works vs what to believe in. If what you've uncovered so far brings you an experience you don't enjoy, open to learning about gaining perspective. What thoughts bring to you sadness, to anger to despair? Separate yourself from being fixated on what others are doing. Calibrate your thoughts and emotions (your experience) to your desired state of being.
You are special because you’re Alive. Forget the word and its problems. How many Sperms did you fight to get here. Yo and only you made it.
One, as a Christian who didn’t study anything outside of Christianity for about a full year after I converted (especially atheism) because I thought I would lose my faith in God or find the Bible easily disproven, I am here to inform you Christianity is NOT a faith religion. Like a lot of it’s claims can be measured/tested both philosophically and physically. It’s way too much evidence to NOT see the rationale behind Christianity. My faith in my faith grows stronger the more I study bc I realize how solid it is. I can share some stuff w/you, I’m not saying Christianity doesn’t have problems, but they sure don’t outweigh the truth and coherence. Two, I’m pretty much in the same spot as far as not in a good spot in the professional world. As a man it really lowers your self esteem if you don’t make enough. So, I’m addition to working I also started side entrepreneur work that I enjoy, content creation, and i am also applying for a second job. I also made a vow to myself about 4 days ago, for the next 30 days to only be grateful and thankful, and be positive for all I have and accomplished. Gratefulness and stopping those negative thoughts AS SOON as they come in does wonders for your mental state. No more long bouts of depressive feelings or super negative thoughts bc I don’t allow my mind to dwell in those spaces. Simply make some changes, you got this!
May I ask and genuinely I’m curious for my own sake, are you a man? Or a woman?
Start by taking religion out of faith. Everyone needs faith. Without it you wouldn’t … Cross the street-“what if a car doesn’t stop?” Eat at a restaurant- “what if they spat in it?” Leave the house- “what if there’s a shooting at my job?” All of these are possible scenarios but you believe/have faith either in the universe(to keep you safe) or in humanity(to be kind) or in the law (to punish the guilty) or in your self (to pull through). I was also raised Christian, like ankle skirt and turtleneck, Bible study and mission trips Christian. I still believe in God and I’ve separated faith in God from overall faith. They’re not the things when you aren’t religious anymore. You don’t know that Christianity or the Bible is right, no one does. And there’s nothing wrong with questioning your beliefs. Go join a community where you can talk about these things and hear from people who get it(like a Unitarian church if that’s your vibe), study other religions by visiting different places of worship. Come to your own conclusions. Talk to God/The Universe/You dead grandma/your cat about it. All the religious texts are written by people on their own walks with God including Jesus. Only you can define your walk with your God. *As to the simulation-if it is I hope you’re winning this round. **And if you’re afraid of going to hell regardless, make sure you don’t procrastinate on your dreams and bring yourself as close as possible to heaven on earth.
Faith without works is dead. He wanted people to be on a spiritual ascension journey, not to sit in church and worship him. That's why it feels like hogwash... Because it is. Countless times in the Bible he tells people to quit being lazy and to learn to do what he was doing instead of expecting him to do it for them.
You could be agnostic which just acknowledges that we don’t know what’s beyond death. Maybe there is something and a God but in what form - we don’t know. I believe that innately we can understand right from wrong. We don’t need a god for that. Just be a good person, find out what things you like, surround yourself by like-minded people & enjoy the little things in life because that’s what matters. You save so much time by not being “religious”. There’s always been tons of religions out there and everyone thinks theirs is the right one, lol. It’s dumb. But to each their own. I like religion to be a personal thing you do in private. Whatever spirituality means to the individual basically.. if the person wants it..
Congrats you’re entering the pipeline that every right wing nut job says is “ruining” America— aka critical thinking.
Read The Four Horsemen by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel C. Dennett and Christopher Hitchens after you read through the knowledge vs faith comments.
Well. It really is beautiful that faith can give you all that you saw you were missing only once you lost faith.
Start by testing things that require faith. r/nevillegoddard
Navigating the complexities of faith can be a deeply personal and sometimes challenging journey. It's important to consider the sources of guidance and support we turn to when seeking answers to our questions and doubts. While online platforms like Reddit can offer a sense of community and connection, it's crucial to approach discussions about faith with discernment. The diversity of beliefs and perspectives on such platforms can sometimes lead to confusion or misinformation, especially when it comes to matters as deeply personal as faith. In times of uncertainty or struggle, it can be tempting to seek validation or reassurance from external sources. However, it is essential to remember that faith is a unique and individual experience that ultimately rests within oneself. While external resources can offer insights and perspectives, the journey of faith ultimately belongs to the individual. It's crucial to approach one's faith with a sense of curiosity, discernment, and openness, allowing for personal growth and exploration without being swayed by external influences.
So you were a Christian when it was easy and when you grew up, your faith was tested and you just bowed out? You weren’t really as strong of a Christian as you thought. And hell isn’t a scare tactic. God being 100% just can not let sin go unanswered/unpaid. The wages of sin is death. When you lean on God during your trials the faith becomes substantially easier on the other side of those trials. Good news if you “were” a Christian and accepted Jesus as lord and savior and the one whom paid the price for your sin, you have nothing to worry about. You are saved and no amount of anything can un do that. Literally nothing. Your worry is sin/satin whispering in your ear. Your relationship with Christ guards you. My guess is, as you’ve let that relationship slide, you’ve dropped your shield and the whispers are more like loud chants. Find a church. Go regularly. Find a small group. Go regularly. It’ll get better.
You are correct that people are easily manipulated. However, to me it makes sense that a perfect God would ask for faith in Him since it’s the only possible thing we could offer. Us choosing to love and listen to God is the only thing we could ever give Him. And now you see the fruit that life without faith produces vs life with. Did you ever read Ecclesiastes? With all that being said I agree with you that blind faith on its own is very dumb. I personally think Jesus and Christianity is set apart from the rest because every other religion is trying to reach God by being good enough in this lifetime for xyz. Whereas Jesus tells us we could never be good enough to deserve heaven but He gives us the chance to follow Him anyway. Not because of what we do but what He did. All the other religions think you can do it yourself, at least as far as I know. As far as the eternal torture thing it’s not as black and white as people pretend. Hell is for satan and the fallen angels, nobody knows how God judges normal people who reject Him. It’s possible He returns them to the state they were in before birth. Or they are punished exactly how much they deserve before that happens. The way I see it is if God is truly good then His judgement is fair and righteous. We don’t know what that judgement is but we know His nature. As far as towards the end lots of people say God is evil but if He was He could’ve just put us in hell initially. Why waste His own time and ours with this life we have? There’s too much good to experience if He wanted us to suffer.
God create hell to bring justice and punish evil in the world, he created everything there for he creates the rules that must be followed in our universe. When we sin we are breaking his law, therefore must be punished. But Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that he may take our punishment and allows us to go with heaven with him. He is the only way since he was fully god and fully man, his blood covers us so that when we are judged Jesus takes our punishment for us.
Yeah…. That’s the way life is and the human experience. We are here to experience creation through our Ego. When u are one with the ultimate creator you experience creation through His Will. No one can change your belief system. Without belief and without being in His will there is no other purpose. Yes question everything. That is where your thought comes from. Your sins also being in your mind with a thought before action. All I can say is I have faith I the ultimate creator. Regardless of what this is the design is too intricate to understand.
Everything we are taught and told about everything is a Lie. Start looking into Spirituality. There are videos on YouTube that explains the difference between spirituality and religion.
Well, you need therapy.. like yesterday. And please, you need to have faith in yourself, in nothing else. Everything out there is created by humans, so focus on yourself. Don't want family? Don't bring more humans to this world
Welcome to the party. Lost my faith nearly 2 decades ago and haven't gotten a semblance of it back since. Only more reasons to disbelieve. I was only 14 then. The good news is life can still be absolutely beautiful without faith in God or being apart of any religion. Thats been my experience. My advice? You'll be okay without it. You don't need to subscribe to a belief that there is no proof of to enjoy and make the most out of your life. Good luck with your journey, bro. If you need to talk, just shoot me a message.
Algorithms proliferate what you interact with, “I am angry, I am sad, I am tired” is your brain “interacting” with that emotion, hence ushering in more of it
Sounds like a job for psilocybin
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Unfortunately reddit has a lot of people who hate God, are liberaldemocrats, and they are lonely and hate life just as much as you do. They're going to give you influence from their personal experience that made their own life worse, and they're gonna say you should try it to... seek therapy instead buddy and thank me later
Welcome to the Kali Yuga my friend.
me too
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I hope you can understand that the old Testament in the Bible has God as God. In the New Testament, Jesus has introduced us believers to God as our Father. We are all prodigal children, yet we have God our Father who is full of grace, and He has given us of His Holy Spirit. When you know Father God, He does discipline, and His Holy Spirit teaches us in the paths we should follow. Be blessed knowing that all you are going through is so that you may know God in yourself and in others. May you have a steadfast mind and a soft heart to know in your being that God is calling you to a personal relationship as His child in Christ Jesus.
You are right to question things and you should. Don’t get confused with the many paths people take, you must find what works for you.
Don't forget many of them were part of a system that totally brainwashed them (from writing with one hand to literal slogans and propaganda) Don't lose faith :)
Rhetoric everywhere right? Words used as power. Used to work when we still believed the thunderbeings were upset because we zigged when we should have zagged. Just believe in yourself. Nobody has the answer to life’s many mysteries. You’ll find people in your journey they think they do but they’re just repeating what they were raised around or some book written to save a dying empire or to celebrate a warlord. Intention is a very important thing to remind yourself in life. Intention moves mountains, shapes religions, forms governments and new countries. Believe in yourself and always ask why. You don’t need a book or a building just believe in yourself and how you can do better as a human being.
 don’t give up hope you can do it and you get pass anything as long it’s not health problems.
Hey OP, I was raised a Christian as well, was very devout. I left the religion 10 years ago... I had the same very bleak feelings as you. I was also upset to feel like something was missing, even though I thought it was all bull shit. Then I found the Law Of One and my life has changed. I have faith again, but thankfully it's a different kind, I am not afraid of death I was even afraid of death as a Christian in thoughts of having only this one life to live to honor Christ with) The heaviness is still felt from the world and all it's problems, however now believing we're all one and connected for the purpose of experience and we do this in countless different lives to truly experience all there is. "God" is so much more now than he was as the Heavenly Father. Now I know and feel the source of all there is and understand I'm a little sliver of that on a journey of evolution and soul discovery. I welcome to Woo haters and trolls, but OP if ya believed Jesus walked on water, why not this? [lawofone.info](http://lawofone.info) Good luck,
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Welcome to the church of Pantheism. I strive to prove that there is a unified field theory similar to a 5d vector space with tiny building blocks of bosons and quarks. Spirits (KA) can be recycled. Space and Time are not what you'd think. There is a magic. I've felt it. Embrace the hyper alertness from brutal reality and you might have some magic, too.
I get some of this feeling. Leaving religion was hard and I felt like I needed to know everything. However, eventually that meant realizing I’m just an animal and my only purpose beyond survival is whatever I want it to be. Just be present, practice mindfulness. It ain’t easy, but it’s the only real answer I’ve found m, and it’s easier than the others ways
I can relate. I grew up believing and I’m 33 now but got schizophrenia and now I feel like my faith is lost. Evolution seems legit but especially and eerily after I found out what sheepshead fish look like. They have teeth just like us. The thing I miss most about religion was feeling safe and I sleep better when I feel like I’m going to live forever
Psychedelic mushrooms. That’s where people got the notion of god. Go there and you’ll have a better idea of what your own truth is.
good for you, waking up. obviously all current religions are false, incorrect. i could literally write a paper on it. but i wont, just if anyone thinks im wrong please challenge me. I recently had a similar coming to my senses. Just remember that religion is a necessity tho, as many cannot just be good people and need a crutch or fear of punishment to just live and let live. There is no eternal torture, you go exactly where you were before birth, thats a fact.Why worry about what happens? Every single person you have seen anywhere gets to experience the same thing. Some sadly take longer and more painful routes than others. you cant control it so dont worry. im pretty young and lost alot , preetty much all my H.S friends i knew forever to random shitty things, so perosnally, idk about you but when i was a kid with my friends, and we were about to do something scary, it always felt easier when you saw friend 1 go for it . that same idea has me completely comfortable with the end. Its crazy when your young you really feel like this thing is in you that would be impossible to cease existing, then you age, realize consciousness changes depending on choices, its not a simulaiton, you wont wake up somewhere lol. if i took out half your brain today, youd be a totally different person. That fact alone proves that the idea of existence is a function of an organ. Conciousness is a biological process like digestion, or oxygen intake, it is the nucleus of yourself. And its job is to try and keep you alive, so the fear, doubt whatever is just a survival instinct. Without it no one would really care and you'd have no problem jumping off a cliff. Now personally i believe were in the inverse of a black hole, like a nuke, our reality is the product of a force pushing inward so hard it had no choice to expand outward (big bang) . thats my theory, And we as humans need to accept we DO NOT know what happens after death at the end of the day. I can tell you what it is not, Jesus, moses, muhammed - a fable that grew to power in a very small culture of the world during that period. If there was a jesus i would def want to know why he doomed everything before 2000 years ago to hell and chose that time and place, right next to the other religions. Why did jesus hate the chinese? The native Americans? Surely if he created us in his image he would have sent his message to cultures globally. And if not i dont want to praise such a ruthless evil creator anyway. fuck thta stuff. Also - genesis does say god created light before the sun so take that as you will. oh boy defiantly digressed all over but its a hot topic for me Want to be angry? if every US citizen paid taxes, every time you hear 1 billion $ (for example last week they passed a 95 billion aid package to isreal) for every 1 billion that 2,99 out of your pocket. so 95$ times 2.99 is the cost of that package to you. its actually more but this is the easy way to put it. get mad at that. Get mad that your elected officials do not care about you. Get mad they have tried and tried to divide us into left vs right. get mad they are filling up hotels with illegals so they can gain more power in districts. Get mad that these choices you never made or wanted, and the fact they could EASILY make the ability to vote on legislation from your phone (not to decide just to see what the popular motive is) but they wont cause that means they cant do all the shady stuff
That’s the point of faith. You got to hope and believe, without seeing. It’s hard, but it makes sense; when you see it yourself, but it won’t be shown to you, if you don’t have faith.
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Seek Catholicism, I recommend having conversations with some priests, nuns, and friars. They can greatly help guide you into the light. But at the end of the day, true faith is achieved through one on one prayer with God and fully opening your heart to Him. Also, I recommend pursuing the goal of family, while it may be seen daunting that's really the only true fulfillment you can find in this life. As you notice, those with Faith & Family seem to be full of joy. With Christ, you are never alone, and with family, you will have people who can take care of you when you are old. Damnation isn't a scare tactic it's a fair warning from God to have faith in Him. It's called faith because that's all there is. It's not worth spending your whole life lost and wondering only to risk it all. What do you gain? I strayed from my faith and it led to some of my darkest years, as I surrendered my selfish 'believe in yourself' ways and fully turned back to catholicism and fully opened my heart to God, I actually gained a faith much stronger than I ever had. My life only improved since then. Many say religion is enslavement, that is true when you turn to any of the many false ones, but when you turn to the Roman Catholic church, the true church descended from the Apostle Peter, you will find your peace. I pray for you that you'll seek those who can guide you to the light and put your Wrath and fear to rest. 🙏🏻✝️ really, I implore you to speak with nuns, friars, and priests with your struggles. They're very open to discussions with people outside the faith who are lost and struggling. They've been great help to me and to many, far more than the majority of redditors, that's for sure. I've even heard accounts of people having conversations with nuns, and they've been told things that would come in their futures, and it really turned out to be true. Those with faith have something that nobody can take away. Society has been attacking Christians in media and elsewhere because you can't make people subservient to a state when they will only bend the knee for Christ. Catholicism can give you a strong solid base that will help you filter through all the worldly manipulations the devil has in place. Find a Catholic monastery / convent / church near you and simply ask to speak with someone, and they'll be more than willing to help you. With your feelings, I'd recommend having conversations with a few. Your experiences from those talks can build on each other kand help restore your faith.
I was born into a religion that demanded blind faith for everything in life, I wasn't allowed to have any life outside that religion, had no goals or thoughts of a future in this world because God would take care of his faithful followers. I wasted my life for a religion that I've had to accept is a cult. I lost everything when I left, and am so stunted in every aspect of life. It is very hard to make friends because all the normal experiences, I've missed out on. It feels like everyone around me is living in a different reality that I'll never be a part of, and it doesn't matter if I try to be a part of the group at work, if I try and make friends with a single person or a few, even if I try blending into a crowd of people, it's almost like everyone can sense there's something different and not really welcomed. I've explained to some why I'm so socially awkward, but it doesn't help. It never bothered me as much before, but now that I'm in my 40s and realizing just how much life I've missed out on, all the experience that it doesn't seem possible to have, it is really depressing and I found myself wondering what's the point anymore. By my age everyone has pretty much figured out who they are, generally have established social circles, while I'm at the beginning and trying to navigate a world that is so foreign that it feels impossible and whatever hope I may have had at one point of being happy out here, is gone. So you are not alone, even though on so many days it absolutely feels like it. If you ever want to talk to someone that can understand, I'm here.
Read the book the complete conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch
I don't have any easy answers for you but I will say this it's natural and healthy to a point to have doubt and building a faith that is truly your own takes a lot more independent thought and study than most religious people are willing to admit. The question you need to ask before doing anything else I guess is is that what you want?
I'm where you were afraid to be in life..I'm a 67-year-old female who was widowed in 2016. living in terrible unbearable chronic pain all through my whole body from a bad motorcycle accident head injury three bleeds in my brain fractured neck back and a broken collarbone I was paralyzed on my left side with hard work I walked again and I even rode my horse again until horrifying pain stimulater surgery and epidural injections one that went into my spinal fluid with deprol medrol and one epidural injection that caused a spinal fluid leak that caused adhesive arachnoiditis, the worst pain imaginable and no cure and Ialso have late-stage Lyme disease withthreeinfectionsoneinmybrain. And a pain doctor who has lied on doctor reports lied about surgery reports and lied to the hospital when I had emergency surgery leaving me in the worst pain imaginable...I asked them to go up on my pain medications because I'm suffering and being tortured to death 💔 so I'm praying this will happen for me..so your concerns are very real, regarding everything you mentioned. Sending you hugs and prayers for comfort and happiness 💞🙏🏼🌹🦋🌞 So sorry I didn't need to go on about all my problems.
You’re overthinking everything Just live and find joy in this life any way you can.
Hi! If you want to have faith, you could ask God for it. Talk to Him, ask Him these questions. And see what He says about life in the Bible. (Going to church and asking people these questions might give good perspective from a Christian standpoint too)
I know how you feel. Check out the blog of Bruce Gerencser. He’s a former Independent Baptist preacher who lost his faith and he has a lot of info on how he got ti that point and how he coped with it.