OP: It's just a matter of habit. You are used to praying in those situations, and so your mind just automatically goes there. It will go away over time. Some people start doing little things like playing phone apps to get their mind off it, others exercise, others have a friend (a real one) they can call and just talk to any time day or night. Others break down a situation into its components and view it as a challenge to lay it all out as logically as possible, etc.

And also, props to you for being able to admit this whole issue even when you know that you will get bombarded by christians claiming this is a sign you "know" their way was the correct one, bla bla bla.

Brotherlylove, what a wonderful dance you do around the issues. You graciously allow god every out and every loophole imaginable. If only god would be so kind to those going to hell because they didn't hear the gospel, or had parents with the wrong religion, or didn't make their decision after the age of three, or perhaps wanted more time or more proof or.....

How come these things never work both ways? God can be as fuzzy and contradictory as he wants to be but humans must figure out gods fuzziness and contradictions or face the consequences. When he doesn't answer prayer he has so many excuses. I think I've heard them all. Why don't you just give it up and look at the situation objectively? Is there a causal pattern between prayer and response or are you just interpreting things through confirmation bias? When this doesn't work what else are you using to keep your belief in god alive? Objectively speaking would randomness better explain the pattern you see?

Okay guys, thanks for the help but I got to make it clear to those, such as brotherlylove, who believes that I am struggling with faith in God, i'm not. I just simply do not believe in God. I'm sorry to disappoint you but that's the truth :\

Infact I came from a Buddhist background not Christianity, but even that, I rejected Buddhism, Christianity and faith in general. I have no doubt that I no longer dont have faith in them and I got good reasons for why I dont anymore, and I DEFINITELY DO NOT believe in God or Jesus, those are even more bizarre!

In no way or circumstances do I ever want to go back to religion. I think it is more noble to face reality and master at it then to live in denial for my own comfort. I am finally truly living ever since I abandon religion, I am now finding more beauty and have more appreciation for the natural world than ever, the unknown is thrilling, Religions though different is all the same, equally ridiculous and poorly try to put the world into neat little boxes that doesn't represent reality. Sometimes I think Christians never read the bible, because I don't see how you can be one after reading such filthy immoral book. Though I do sometimes miss that comfort in delusion, being an atheist is much more rewarding.

Science has been much more of a miracle and had bring me much more amazement and fascinations than any miracles mentioned in any holy books.

If what I have suggested is of help then great passionate. In the end you will find your own way of dealing with anxiety that doesn't need a deity.

wishing the best for you... always

(February 5, 2012 at 11:02 pm)KichigaiNeko Wrote: If what I have suggested is of help then great passionate. In the end you will find your own way of dealing with anxiety that doesn't need a deity.

wishing the best for you... always

Thank you, I really did appreciate your attempt to help. I can tell it was very sincere :]

(February 5, 2012 at 10:56 pm)passionatefool Wrote: ...I got to make it clear to those, such as brotherlylove, who believes that I am struggling with faith in God, i'm not...

Oh, they know, but you have to realize that when these people hear that you used to believe, it's like sharks getting the scent of the blood of a wounded sea lion. They will never pass up an opportunity to win one for the Christinator.

(February 5, 2012 at 7:48 am)ElDinero Wrote: I don't think I said 'material goods', I said 'things you want'. If that extends to other people being healed, or comfort for those who are struggling, then so be it. My question stands: Do you think you get the things you pray for to any greater degree than I get the things that I HOPE for? Yes or no? If yes, prove it, and that there is a causal relationship between your prayers and the things that happen. If no, the efficacy of prayer is what?

How should I know how often you receive the things you hope for, and what would it prove if it were more or less? Whatever I say, you will simply dismiss it as happenstance since you do not believe in a God that answers prayers.

(February 5, 2012 at 7:48 am)ElDinero Wrote: I should have known you'd be the sort of braindead idiot to trot out this tired argument. Your talk of justice is pathetically useless when in YOUR philosophy, a mass murderer could go to Heaven. For all your bleating about holocausts and justice, is it not true that ANY person could sincerely repent and be saved by Jesus, and be accepted into the kingdom of Heaven? Explain how this is fair and just.

I'll answer your questions about justice after you address the argument at hand regarding nihilism, unless you want to concede the point to me.

---

(February 5, 2012 at 5:09 pm)Ziploc Surprise Wrote: Brotherlylove, what a wonderful dance you do around the issues. You graciously allow god every out and every loophole imaginable. If only god would be so kind to those going to hell because they didn't hear the gospel, or had parents with the wrong religion, or didn't make their decision after the age of three, or perhaps wanted more time or more proof or.....

Your problem here may be that you're applying human limitations to an unlimited being. Do you believe that a matter of geography limits His providence? The word is preached everywhere in the world, and where it isn't, God sends dreams and visions. You assume that people are slipping through the cracks, I don't.

(February 5, 2012 at 5:09 pm)Ziploc Surprise Wrote: How come these things never work both ways? God can be as fuzzy and contradictory as he wants to be but humans must figure out gods fuzziness and contradictions or face the consequences. When he doesn't answer prayer he has so many excuses. I think I've heard them all. Why don't you just give it up and look at the situation objectively? Is there a causal pattern between prayer and response or are you just interpreting things through confirmation bias? When this doesn't work what else are you using to keep your belief in god alive? Objectively speaking would randomness better explain the pattern you see?

Is this how you understood your relationship with our Heavenly Father? Did you in all the time you had prayed ever once utter these words?: (speak Lord, your servant is listening)

My belief in God isn't based on what I receive from prayer, it is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have been blessed to experience the presence of God in my life ever since the day I received the Holy Spirit, and that has never ceased. I do not need to do anything to sustain my belief because I trust the Lord in all matters of my life and He is faithful.

Try poetry. Get a book of great poetry, find poems that relax you and bring you comfort. Memorize them or parts of them and when you are nervous, agitated and need to relax, pull out one of your favorite poems and recite it to yourself. [/b]


[q[b]uote='passionatefool' pid='234475' dateline='1328158544']
Being an atheist now, I seriously doubt that prayers work, it never did before. But I felt like its something imprinted in my mind from back then when I was extremely religious, praying was a daily everyday thing. Now everytimes I get anxious,nervous, scared, worried, or something horrible happened -which it does happen quite often with all of it together- I find myself having urges to pray because it brought comfort before, it was a temporary escape from reality. I refuse to do it now because it felt wrong, wont bring me comfort. I dont believe in it anymore, but now I find it hard dealing with my stress, over-worrying, paranoid and anxiety problem, it makes me feel like throwing up sometimes. Actually I dont know how to make myself feel like everything is going to be okay.
[/quote]

God sends dreams and visions?

Now you have to say the magic words before god responds?

Are you sure you're not just making this up as you go along?

Quote:Your problem here may be that you're applying human limitations to an unlimited being. Do you believe that a matter of geography limits His providence? The word is preached everywhere in the world, and where it isn't, God sends dreams and visions. You assume that people are slipping through the cracks, I don't.

This is doctrine well spoken, but bullshit well spoken is still bullshit. I've heard this before (and many variations their of). I even vaguely remember the scripture reference that supports it. Here is my problem with it: There is no factual evidence to back it up. To do so would require a worldwide study -say perhaps a questioner. Some way of measuring weather everyone in the world understands the salvation message to the point where they were able to make a conscious decision about it. After all those who don't choose god or the right god is bound for eternal torment in hell. To say that god takes care of those who have never heard the salvation message is to cover over a very large problem and then walk away. You assume people aren't slipping through the cracks. You have no proof of this.

Also, this brings up the problem of the great commission. Why use missionaries? Wait a sec, I've heard those excuses before. It still bothers me though that some people get every opportunity to avoid eternal torment yet other people have to make their decision based on a supposed dream. Furthermore so many missionaries working in areas that have oppressive governments are killed for spreading the gospel when god could have just cut the crap and given these people a dream.

Quote:Is this how you understood your relationship with our Heavenly Father? Did you in all the time you had prayed ever once utter these words?: (speak Lord, your servant is listening)

My belief in God isn't based on what I receive from prayer, it is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have been blessed to experience the presence of God in my life ever since the day I received the Holy Spirit, and that has never ceased. I do not need to do anything to sustain my belief because I trust the Lord in all matters of my life and He is faithful.

If you eliminate all material wishes from prayer there still remains elements critical to relationship. these are answered questions. Some deal with direction and decisions and others are more general. Questions like these are critical to human relationships but somehow god can get away with not answering them or at least not doing so in a timely manner. This hurts a person's relationship with god but they are so bent on believing (I've noticed) that they will make excuses for their sky daddy so they can continue to worship him.