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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Scared not to believe
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Schroedinger's cat
Ship's cool cat
# 64
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Posted
On the straws thread,
quote:
Originally posted by Nicodemia:
Like others on this board, I feel rather scared NOT to believe in God.
This intrigues me - is it fear, or is it a lingering belief in the divine, the numinous, that has lost its expression?
Let me put it another way, do you hold onto some form of belief in God because it has been drummed into you that failure to believe means you are going to Hell, or do you hold on because, somewhere deep inside you, there is a genuine belief that there is something more, something with spiritual reality, something bigger?
I realise that this is a challenging question, and may involve some serious soul searching. I don't apologise for this!
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Blog
Music for your enjoyment
Lord may all my hard times be healing times
take out this broken heart and renew my mind.
Posts: 18859 | From: At the bottom of a deep dark well. | Registered: May 2001
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Boogie
Boogie on down!
# 13538
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
Do you hold on because, somewhere deep inside you, there is a genuine belief that there is something more, something with spiritual reality, something bigger?
Yes, this.
I have a genuine feeling/belief that there is someone/thing underpinning creating and holding together everything. I call this someone/thing God.
I have no fear of him/her/it as 'God is Good' is one of the beliefs which hasn't left me. And if God is good there can be no such thing as Hell - so that's another reason not to fear.
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Garden. Room. Walk
Posts: 13030 | From: Boogie Wonderland | Registered: Mar 2008
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
Isn't the fear of something else a form of Pascal's Wager*?
Pascal was debating the existence of God and also said:
quote:
If I saw no signs of a divinity, I would fix myself in denial. If I saw everywhere the marks of a Creator, I would repose peacefully in faith. But seeing too much to deny Him, and too little to assure me, I am in a pitiful state, and I would wish a hundred times that if a god sustains nature it would reveal Him without ambiguity
* apologies for the owly link to Wikipedia, the board software can't cope with the apostrophe.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Nicodemia
WYSIWYG
# 4756
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Posted
I'm thinking about all that. May reply later. My mind is in a real muddle. Like Gaul, it is now in three parts!
1. there is no God
2. there is a God
3. How am I going to get Christmas done in time???
Posts: 4544 | From: not too far from Manchester, UK | Registered: Jul 2003
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Potoroo
Shipmate
# 13466
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Nicodemia:
1. there is no God
2. there is a God
3. How am I going to get Christmas done in time???
Thanks for the laugh, Nicodemia! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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Gilbert's Potoroo is Australia's most endangered animal.
Posts: 2778 | From: Australia | Registered: Feb 2008
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Jemima the 9th
Shipmate
# 15106
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Posted
I think if I stopped believing completely I would feel the rug had been pulled from under my feet. It's not a fear of hell, it's more being afraid of the scale of re-appraisal that would follow. I don't believe that God is watching and ticking off my behaviour and feelings on a good & bad sheet, so the wrath of God isn't it either.
I don't pray much these days, but at moments of strife I sometimes still do. I would probably feel that I shouldn't do it, but would find it difficult to give that up.
It's more the practicalities for me. If I didn't go to church, I would lose all my friends....
Posts: 801 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2009
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Doublethink.
Ship's Foolwise Unperson
# 1984
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Posted
You might want to expand your circle of friends, then you will have an additional degree of freedom in your choices.
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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell
Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005
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Schroedinger's cat
Ship's cool cat
# 64
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Jemima the 9th:
I don't pray much these days, but at moments of strife I sometimes still do. I would probably feel that I shouldn't do it, but would find it difficult to give that up.
"shouldn't" - but if it makes you feel better, is it not reasonable? Do you think this is because of habit or because you somehow still believe?
It is fine to pray just because it is what you do (lots of people do!), but is there some belief behind this?
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Blog
Music for your enjoyment
Lord may all my hard times be healing times
take out this broken heart and renew my mind.
Posts: 18859 | From: At the bottom of a deep dark well. | Registered: May 2001
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Jemima the 9th
Shipmate
# 15106
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Posted
Good question. There's probably the vestiges of a belief in the existence of God, and a God who hears prayer, but not one who actually acts on it, if that makes sense. That's probably a hangover from the time when I believed in a God who answered prayer. And possibly a bit of "well it can't hurt" thrown in for good measure.
Though the praying I often do these days is to avoid death when going down a difficult slip road (I loathe them). I don't think for a minute God is going to intervene and ensure there's a space in the traffic, but perhaps it's a ritual which in itself calms me down and gives me the confidence to do the driving I find difficult. Reciting the lyrics of a secular song I like could well have the same effect. So feeling that I shouldn't pray in those situations is something to do with being dishonest, I think.
I still think there's mileage in prayer - as has been mentioned in another thread, it seems to orientate us towards the person / people in need. So praying for someone on the church list who is ill is a reminder to me to ring them and see if they're up to company or need shopping doing or just want to be left alone.
Doublethink - yes, good point, and it has occurred to me. But I don't have the time or energy for it at the moment.
Ooof - far too many "I think"s and "probably"s. Sorry.
Posts: 801 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2009
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Potoroo
Shipmate
# 13466
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
Let me put it another way, do you hold onto some form of belief in God because it has been drummed into you that failure to believe means you are going to Hell, or do you hold on because, somewhere deep inside you, there is a genuine belief that there is something more, something with spiritual reality, something bigger?
I've been struggling with how to express myself on this thread, to answer the OP.
I still believe in God as the "something more, something bigger"... But if I can be allowed to diverge slightly from the OP, the thread title spoke to me as I was scared not to follow. In fact, I was terrified.
I thought I would be struck down, I thought I would go to Hell - in fact, I still struggle with these feelings occasionally. I sometimes think it would be easier if I didn't still believe in God.
I hope this will show you what a big decision it was for me to "reject" God. (And I hope it is not too divergent from the aim of the OP.)
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Gilbert's Potoroo is Australia's most endangered animal.
Posts: 2778 | From: Australia | Registered: Feb 2008
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TallPoppy
Shipmate
# 16294
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Posted
I don't know much Potoroo, but I do know that someone like you, kindly and long-suffering, will NOT be going to Hell, should such a place even exist (which I do NOT accept anyway).
When I did have faith, I never held any truck with God the Judge, much preferring God the Redeemer.
TP
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Papaver exaltatum
"Love comforteth like sunshine after rain"
Posts: 2389 | From: Southern England | Registered: Mar 2011
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