Wish Advice
Do you have any advice for people that wish to believe in the god, but so far have not been able to do it?
For the sheer joy and glory of believing in the god, there may be people who wish to participate.
But for whatever reason have been unable to conjure up the belief that you more religious and holy people enjoy. Is there some advice you can give them?
Beyond the mere question of whether it exists or not, I’m sure many of you feel the joy of believing in it; and some there be that have tried and cannot. Can you help? Thanks.
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You ask a great question, but I’m sorry to say that you simply believe what you believe. If you believe, you believe, if you don’t, you don’t–and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve been on both sides, as a born-again Christian for 18 years and as a non-believer. As a Christian trying to spread the gospel, I encountered a lot of people who said they wanted to believe, but couldn’t. In my own times of doubt, I prayed for God to increase my faith, to “help my unbelief”. It really is not your responsibility to will yourself into belief. You may not want to hear this, but I eventually lost my faith. It was very hard because I wanted desperately to keep believing. The reason even believers continue to have doubts is because “Faith is believing something you know ain’t so.” (Mark Twain) Is it possible that you would like to believe but you simply know it ain’t so?
I don’t want to rain on your parade. If you want the sheer joy and glory of belief, then I hope you find it. This excerpt– http://www.ex-christian.net/index.php?/topic/43474-should-i-regret-de-converting-other-christians/ –sums it up better than I can:
“There is some aspect of when a person loses the admittedly false hope–but hope and optimism nonetheless–of Christianity, that is terrible and tragic. The belief that an all-powerful, all-loving God has forgiven all our past, secured our present, and guaranteed our eternal future may be misguided rubbish, but it is also unfathomably comforting and even life and hope affirming. When one adds to that the notion that this God walks with humans in relationship and guides and protects them and literally gives them specific purpose and mission in life, (all of this is literally gospel in the evangelical worldview of millions of Americans), it should become apparent that losing this illusion is something that some people just can’t handle – or at a minimum only with great difficulty. Indeed, if I am uncomfortably honest, aspects of this have been quite difficult for me.”
Of course, I write from the perspective of someone who has lost belief, and you are writing as someone who hopes to gain it. Like I said, I’ve been on both sides. I hope you find what makes you happy. Please know that you can be happy as you are right now. I finally am! Cheers!
8 things I wish I knew before college
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