What does one do when they desperately want to believe in God but just can't bring themselves to do it?

What does one do when they desperately want to believe in God but just can't bring themselves to do it?

When I prayed to God in the past the vast majority of the time I felt nothing but silly as I felt like I was talking to myself, the odd time I have felt something but the niggling doubt always creeps up.

I've grown up in a secular society and atheistic family so that might be something to do with it. Whenever I have sought religious counsel I'm always told that "God has a plan for your life" and this temporary distance is just God's way of making my faith, yet I think of all the suffering some people go through in the world, people literally starving to death and all I can think is "Was that God's plan for them?"

I'm coming to the conclusion that God either A) Doesn't exist or B) Does exist but doesn't give a shit about us.

I'm jealous of all who are steadfast in their faith.

Other urls found in this thread:

youtube.com/watch?v=A0iDNLxmWVM
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_Nobel_laureates
allankardec.com/Allan_Kardec/Le_livre_des_esprits/lesp_us.pdf
youtube.com/watch?v=LACyLTsH4ac
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontological_argument
twitter.com/AnonBabble

Watch this:
youtube.com/watch?v=A0iDNLxmWVM

You are allowed to doubt and be in faith simultaneously. I bet most good Christians end up doubting the existence of God in their lives. It's part of the process.

I have not felt or experienced any proof for any god either. Us more rational types probably don't have as big potential for spiritual experiences as those who primarily experience the world through feeling and intuition.

Besides, if you got empirical proof of a god's existence, would it even be religion at that point any more? Or would it just become science?

maybe your destiny is to reduce world suffering by ending the lives of the poor and starving

Silly rationals. Go back to your STEM while I absorb the powers of the collective unconscious and observe the glory of God in every raindrop or speck of sand

I'm not even looking for empirical proof per-se, just the impact of a relationship with God would have on my life. Whenever I try to get close to God, literally nothing changes.. similarly I don't really see the hand of God at work in the world.

I'm more and more coming to the conclusion that if there is a God, he's completely impersonal. Just created the universe and life just sort of happened by accident, like if you make a sandwich and leave it for a while mold will grow

Imagine belonging to a religion that split Europe permanently into east and west because they couldn't decide on how to best worship a Jew.

It's hilarious, they hate their ancestors. The Christian ones, since for most of them the vast majority of their Christian ancestors were catholic. And the pagan ones, because of course they aren't Christian.

Their ideal version of earth is a garden in which you don't build, you don't invent, you don't do anything but sit and do nothing for all eternity. Their god is always their with them and will always forgive them no matter what they do as long as they feel sorry and ask for forgiveness. Along with all the no one can judge me but god and the original sin, it's just like modern liberalism. White guilt and born with/into privilege is the original sin. And we all know how the liberals hate when you judge people.

Does this god sound like a god man would want? I don't think so. I think it sounds like something that would appeal to women.
>no one can judge me (but god)
>I can always be forgiven for all the shit I pull
>I'm never alone, god is always by my side
>my ideal earth is one in which I sit around all day and do nothing

Even though I'm more familiar with the concept of God, due to regular church attendance, these panels still describe my experiences perfectly.

Please send help.

When you pray, do you do it in the name of Jesus Christ?

If not, you should, as He is the one mediator between God the Father and man.

Seek God in the name of Christ, and you will find Him.

I guarantee it.

I reach out, but all I touch is emptiness. The Abyss would not answer.

God is a non-denominational invention.

See flow chart.

Make up your own spiritual story - 100,000s of other people have.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_Nobel_laureates
The Nobel Prize is an annual, international prize first awarded in 1901 for achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. An associated prize in Economics has been awarded since 1969.[3] Nobel Prizes have been awarded to over 850 individuals.[4] According to 100 Years of Nobel Prize (2005), a review of Nobel prizes awarded between 1901 and 2000, 65.4% of Nobel Prize Laureates, have identified Christianity in its various forms as their religious preference (427 prizes).[5] Overall, Christians have won a total of 78.3% of all the Nobel Prizes in Peace, 72.5% in Chemistry, 65.3% in Physics, 62% in Medicine, 54% in Economics and 49.5% of all Literature awards.[6]

The three primary divisions of Christianity are Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Between 1901 and 2000 it was revealed that among 654 Laureates 31.9% have identified as Protestant in its various forms (208 prize), 20.3% were Christians (no information about their denominations; 133 prize), 11.6% have identified as Catholic and 1.6% have identified as Eastern Orthodox.[7]

According to Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States by Harriet Zuckerman, a review of American Nobel prizes awarded between 1901 and 1972, 72% of American Nobel Prize laureates identified a Protestant background.[8] Overall, 84.2% of all the Nobel Prizes awarded to Americans in Chemistry, 60% in Medicine, and 58.6% in Physics between 1901 and 1972 were won by Protestants.[8]

Alfred Nobel who established the prizes in 1895, was himself, through baptism and confirmation, a Lutheran. He regularly frequented the Church of Sweden Abroad.[9][10]

"God" as defined in organized religion does not exist. Don't waste time chasing after some Christian notion of "God" as some white bearded old man. That goes for any other religion. They're all collective neurosis.

Only you can work through what you're looking for.

>I'm coming to the conclusion that God either A) Doesn't exist or B) Does exist but doesn't give a shit about us.
C) God exists, "suffering" is a part of His plan, and worldly suffering is a net benefit to our soul. Once you understand the purpose of human life the purpose of suffering is also clear. The story of Job actually makes a fuck-ton of sense once you're well and fully woke.

I have similar struggles, I don't religion can be understood rationally. As a culture we have grown used to the idea that scientific thinking is supreme and can address all aspects of life. The problem with scientific thought is that human beings are not rational. We're like ants, ultimately all we can do is hope our biological programming sees us through.

Religion needs to be approached from faith in God and the cultural authority that has carried us this far.

That's my two cents, join a church, participate in ritual, have faith

Another possible conclusion is that God's intention is that you figure it out by yourself and keep searching.

Christianity was popularized in Europe because the Roman empire embraced it. And it's only in the last couple generations that enough cultural maturity with gov't backing to disallow burning people at the stake for denouncing the religious views of their neighbors.

So yea, up until the last 50 years, being white and stating publicly that you're not christian was social suicide for most.

Retard. No one worships jesus. Not in the way you see worship. Also your image of heaven is... childish and naive and very wrong. You have a moral obligation to jesus to create heaven around you. You havent been very good at that I bet. Me neither. No one is perfect. But get off your ass and try, or keep steadfast in your ways and pay the price. See you later brother.

Welcome to the Deist Squad, Irishfellow

You are seeking Christ for selfish reasons. You want to feel his grace. You want to enjoy unity in faith. You want to be answered.

Instead listen to the words he has already sent you. Follow them without question, if only for a time. He will speak to you when you truly begin your journey.

> You have a moral obligation to jesus to create heaven around you.

Is that the latest progressive reformational interpretation of scripture? This is what it takes to get younger generations of slow thinkers to tithe?

> your image of heaven is ... wrong

MY SIDES.

Lmao.

There's a new type of conservative, he is white aryan, and smart enough to not fall for the jewish religious trickery, he is atheistic.

You are not this man, you are an old-world conservative, at the beck and call of the Jew. Your contemporaries are people like Ted Cruz, as opposed to people like Trump.

Constantine became Christian despite Rome being majority pagan. Constantine won one of his wars with Chi-Rho on the flag despite being outnumbered.

Where can I buy this koolaid?

The arrogance of believing AND prostelatizing without proof is astoundingly stupid.

Absolutely, I freely admit it is partially selfish. However, is it also selfish to want a relationship with a parent and have that parent have an influence on your life? I don't think so and God is essentially just a parent on a cosmic scale.

This is one of the problems I find with the whole thing, if God does truly love us and wants us to love him, why make it like a spiritual maze for those trying to find him?

I prayed to God and he fucked my shit up.

I am agnostic but more on the atheist side of things. Just do that and don't take it seriously.

The OP sought an answer to faith. I provided an answer. What do you provide but ridicule?

Constantine commissioned the bible and at the end of the Imperial era only Christianity was allowed to be practiced.

Say you believe or die at the hands of Roman soldiers son. Sign me up.

Kek

Ridicule is better than arrogant lies in the world I live in.

Take it and think it over or get passed over and become extinct.

God is not your parent. It is not the same relationship. Parents are human, and thus falliable.

I understand it's a hard thing, I was there too. But it is worth having faith in it.

You're not trusting enough.God hears your prayers, but you must truly believe that he does if you want to feel strong in your faith. A true believer can feel God's presence during prayer, they just must have faith that their prayers are reaching him.

Of course you will struggle in faith. Belief isn't easy. The question that God will ask of you is- "What did you do when you felt doubt?" Did you say that it wasn't for you, or did that doubt make you want to be even closer to God?

> A true believer can feel God's presence during prayer.

Where do you feel it?

I believe god is non-interventionist.

I have some issues with the chart.

For one thing, there's clear evidence that vedic polytheism is just as much a descendant of PIE as any of the other listed there, but there's not even so much as an "influenced by" here. It's an obvious omission.

More relevant to this thread, I take issue with the way "Judaism" branches into Christianity. It would be more correct to list both Christianity and Judaism as branches of Yahwism. The relationship is sibling to sibling, not parent to child.

I do approve of Atenism influencing Judaism however. That's important, and often missed.

Life has life in itself, this is the Christ, the only son of God. The father has life and you have life. When you pray you are using the life in you to talk to the life in the father. He hears you. Life is the same in all living things.

That wasn't God, that was you.

Throughout your being. I feel I've developed a closer understanding of prayer in recent years. It's not a phone call, it's more like a conversation than anything.

I could help you.

But mostly you have to get into the rituals.

Religion is a way of connecting with all human civilization behind you, present future and all existence.

It's the gateway to the cosmic ride.

I am a very rational person (studied up to phd in hard science).

So the thing is, are you trying to put God in your plans or are you abandoning yourself to join God?

From what you've posted it seems more the first one. You must trust blindly. This does not mean abandoning your critical spirit (remember Jesus was very aggresive and critical). But it does mean this:

If you were told in the year 29 after christ, that this dude Jesus is the fuckin Messiah, he is curing people and has an overwhelming aura of compassion, would you go see him? Or would you be more "don't have time for that"?

If you don't have time to trust your inner being, the inner forces in you, to trust this doubt, then you will not be able to believe.

The chart expresses branching in relation to time and influence, were it to only demonstrate influence then you have a good point. Not my chart though.

Sounds like advancing schizophrenia or dementia. Might want to see a doctor about that.

>Everything good is God
>Everything bad is (you)

How convenient.

>Religion is a way of connecting with all human civilization behind you, present future and all existence.

If you mean religion is a epistemological burden that all people must carry together, one which is enforced by the threat of prison or death, then yes, it's quite a connection!

Go to a parish regularly first, and meditate on scripture.

What did it for me was the inverse of god. Look at the evil in the world. A lot of it is perpetrated by people who say they serve satan or serve satan and don't know it. If evil is real and of the enemy then god is real and deserving of your worship.

The universe isn't that black and white. If it were, God would eradicate all evil, or else he himself is culpable for said evil.

I'm not talking about religion in terms of the way a institution can enforce it. I'm talking in a more metaphysical sense.

That metaphysical "sense" is a side effect of the institutionalization of religion. Give Christianity 2-3 generations it will be regarded like all the other mysticism in ancient history texts by all by the poorest and uneducated of people.

>heaven is place where you can't do nuttin durr.

your sides are as far gone as the rest of you it seems.

>jesus died for my sins but i don't have any obligations to him at all durr.

Well burn then faggot. Think I care? I do, I want you to be saved. Do you tho?

>he other mysticism in ancient history texts by a

You misunderstand. I am not talking about christianity. I'm talking about religion, christianity is part of religion.

I cannot explain everything here, but if you want to know what I want to explain it's better explained in this book:

"raimon-panikkar.org/english/LXVI-the-rhytm-of-being.html"


Religion is a way of getting closer to reality, in a spiritual way.

Read the book. It's a really good read, independently if you believe in anything or if your a atheist.

What do you view as being unselfish reasons for seeking God?

Read this
allankardec.com/Allan_Kardec/Le_livre_des_esprits/lesp_us.pdf

Skip to page 63, have fun :)

I'm a MonoThesit but respect anyone who lives through their faith and doesn't use it to persecute others

it's the power of suggestion
You can feel god, you can also feel to be another gender

youtube.com/watch?v=LACyLTsH4ac

He died for your sins. If there were ever an act to obligate one to action, it's that.

If that isn't individualistic enough for you seeking God to further your cultural, national or moral values in order to provide happiness and unity for others among you should be enough.

Why do you want to believe in God? Look at what the Church did to our country and think about just what the fuck that has to do with God. Religion is a shackle.

all libtards in my highschool are cuck atheist and i want to feel superior therefore kikestick is redpill gods real DEUS VULT

We have all been there, friend.

It is tough, but one thing worked for me.

Try seriously applying the word of God (from forgiveness to moderation of some vice ie porn) to a problem you have. I did this, just trusted completely in the "biblical" solution even though it wasnt fun, and it made me so much more calm, happy, patient.


You basically need to try applying the teachings in the new testament. Not just praying.

I'm secular af but choosing biblical virtue over degeneracy in just a couple key places made me 10x more secure/aware/RP/mentally calm in my day to day life. puts the distractions away.

Bro, just add omnipotence and 2/5 eternal together, and then divide it by 1/2 immaterial

>your sides are as far gone as the rest of you it seems.

Doing great actually. I don't call people faggots on the internet either. And in the same breath you say you want to save me? Is that the Christian thing to do these days? Save the faggots?

I know it hurts to have your worldview and epistemology erode right before your eyes, but that is the fate of all the stories men make up.

What's the story of job

pasta

Religion is in fact institutionalized epistemology.

No sugar???

The "faith" means starting out with little evidence. Faith is rewarded (in my experience). I have never been "given" anything just by asking then going back to shitty habits due to doubt.

doubts natural, like jumping into cold water there seems to be no reason to do it but once immersed it is clear

The vast majority of what the Church did for our country is extremely positive. Educated us, cared for the sick, gave us our own cultural and societal identity. Sure, you had some bad people in it, but you'll have bad people in any organisation and it certainly doesn't negate the good said organisation does and certainly doesn't disprove existence of God.

The Catholic bashing people do in Ireland, yet shamelessly promoting Islam and it's "virtues" by letting a load of Syrian refugees in makes me sick.

Ireland wouldn't be Ireland without the Church and we wouldn't have western, democratic values if it wasn't for Christianity in a wider sense

>I know it hurts to have your worldview and epistemology erode right before your eyes, but that is the fate of all the stories men make up.
>if I say this then that's what's going on.

get out of here nigger you don't get to just invent bullshit context. Well you do, but it does you nothing in the end. it's your soul, save it while you can.

Right on christbro! I walk past my local baptist church every week and roleplay as a catholic crusader on Sup Forums. DEUS VULT

Your butthurt ass is replying to every comment like it's an assault on your being. No patience for beliefs that exist for obvious reasons. its acting no different than some triggered feminazi or apeshit migrant.

Which Church or denomination are you apart of?

I felt the same way the first time I heard the word of the Based God.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontological_argument never stop searching for the truth, the truth will set you free

I'm sorry the gift of a modern education was not bestowed upon you...in Norway of all places.

May the N-word carry and guide you on your quest to save the heathens.

For Jesus brother!

Last I checked I'm not the one calling people names.

Whose triggered now?

#choosetobewhite

protestant. I had a great minister growing up. it's not about denominations to me tho. more about accepting jesus and being saved from here on out.

God does in fact exist OP. Stop trying to put him in a box with our limited understanding. People suffer because that is the way it is, who is to say their reward wont be greater in the afterlife. Talk to him alone from the heart, alone and ask him to reveal himself to you. Also you might go through a living hell to find him but it is worth it. He that gives up his life here keeps his life in eternity. I recommend chuck missler book comentary book of Job, or any of his teachings. Truly a blessed teacher

I think you are misinterpreting the concept of god.

Will Jesus save your country from the immigrants

What about you France, heard things aren't going so hot over there

I love how blind men like you spout bullshit. it strengthens every fibre of my being and my faith grows stronger. for jesus.

Thought on this??

>There is no eternity in which the human mind can find eternal peace and happiness

did you know nation comes from the word nashon , meaning serpent? think I care about my country that has rejected jesus for the most part? silly amerifats can't into faith. dunno what to say to you people. try reading something else than /pol.

>think I care about my country that has rejected jesus for the most part?

I would hope so. Don't turn your back on your own country

God doesn't have any faith in ireland desu

Why do protestants always sound like cultists?

>God doesn't have any faith in Ireland
Says the guy from Germany.

I pity them. I never turn my back on anyone, but not everyone is willing to listen and that's not my problem but theirs.

You made your point -- Jesus was a homophobic racist.

Take a break from such a hard day bro, your word has been spread!

So you would watch as your country does simply because they don't love Jesus

Please Christians answer

I'm Eastern Orthodox. There's a Russian cathedral in Paris now, that's neat. It's depressing to see Americans struggling to fight against abortion and acceptance of homosexuality still while those haven't been really debated things here for a while now.

If you were talking about immigration, I don't have problems with it. I hear Paris is a shithole when it comes to that, but then Paris is a shithole when it comes to a lot of things. What matters right now is that we don't take in more immigrants than the system in place can handle, unlike Germany.

I don't have the means to make everyone listen to me moron. I save myself and anyone who wants it.

stop being so triggered please. I don't like seeing /pol cry about "homophobia" and "racism"

It's an positive feedback dogma, the abstraction keeps getting more and more amplified. Protestants who died 50 years ago are rolling over in their graves every time the christian rock bands start up in the protestant evangelical churches. They do what they have to do to keep the modern gullibles tithing.

So you've accepted the demise of your country and the destruction of your people? Is that why you turned to Jesus

God Himself is love. Partaking in God's divine nature (in other words, "being in Heaven") is the experience of the full love from an eternal God. It's the very definition of eternal peace and happiness. As for

>There is no eternity in which the human mind can find eternal peace and happiness

That's what Hell is about.

I've accepted that not everyone wants to be saved yes. People like you it seems.

Take some drugs my man.

Eternity is an awfully long time

I think you are a coward