NEW HERE HAVING CRISIS

[nottheone]

So just to make things short. Grew up catholic. converted atheist in middle school. went back to christianity at 18. now an atheist at 22. I made some promises to god while I was a believer and im afraid even though I do not believe a god exists im afraid he is going to do something about these promises and guide me in this direction regardless and its giving me a ton of anxiety. could anyone help further re instate the lack of existence of the Old Testament deity.

[The Grand Nudger]

Yeah, alot of us feel compelled to keep our promises, even if they were made to a person or thing that turned out not to be what we thought it was. That's normal bud.

Commitment is real, even if gods aren't. Is there something wrong with the promises? You talk about guiding you some direction - that implies it's not necessarily a direction you'd want to take.

[Silver]

Do thoughts of making Santa's naughty list also keep you up at night?

If not, realize that their nefarious plan of implementing the boogeyman into your life has succeeded. Want them to fail? Simply realize the fictional theistic plot for what it is.

[nottheone]

So just to make things short. Grew up catholic. converted atheist in middle school. went back to christianity at 18. now an atheist at 22. I made some promises to god while I was a believer and im afraid even though I do not believe a god exists im afraid he is going to do something about these promises and guide me in this direction regardless and its giving me a ton of anxiety. could anyone help further re instate the lack of existence of the Old Testament deity.

I accidentally said something I shouldn't have said

[Spongebob]

Fox beat me to it, but I was going to say I used to promise Santa I wouldn't torment my sister if he would only bring me some fancy toy. Never got that damn toy.

[nottheone]

Fox beat me to it, but I was going to say I used to promise Santa I wouldn't torment my sister if he would only bring me some fancy toy.  Never got that damn toy.

its just stuck in the back of my head as if hes going to do something about it. uhh hate this bs indoctrination

[The Grand Nudger]

Fox beat me to it, but I was going to say I used to promise Santa I wouldn't torment my sister if he would only bring me some fancy toy.  Never got that damn toy.

I bet your sister is satisfied with santas service, then. 

[Spongebob]

Fox beat me to it, but I was going to say I used to promise Santa I wouldn't torment my sister if he would only bring me some fancy toy.  Never got that damn toy.

its just stuck in the back of my head as if hes going to do something about it. uhh hate this bs indoctrination

It took me years to get that stupid prayer I was taught as a child out of my mind.  

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my Soul to keep;
If I should die before I 'wake,
I pray the Lord my Soul to take.

Haunted me until I was a grown-ass man.  That is what indoctrination does!

"He" can't do anything is "he" doesn't exist.

[vulcanlogician]

I grew up Catholic too.

This forum is a good place to get clarity. Just by talking about the plausibility of gods, and recognizing the issues with belief it can help you come to grips with your emotions.

It's good to want to keep promises. Distress at breaking a promise is only natural. But there is no need for distress over a promise made to a non-existent entity.

One thing I'm sure you consider most of the time is how God is a construct of ancient peoples... to serve as an identity marker to distinguish one tribe from another, or a means to control others/maintain order.

"He who seeks, easily gets lost. All loneliness is guilt"—thus speaks the herd. And you have long belonged to the herd. The voice of the herd will still be audible in you. And when you will say, "I no longer have a common conscience with you," it will be a lament and an agony. Behold, this agony itself was born of the common conscience, and the last glimmer of that conscience still glows on your affliction.

But do you want to go the way of your affliction, which is the way to yourself? Then show me your right and your strength to do so. Are you a new strength and a new right? A first movement? A self-propelled wheel? Can you compel the very stars to revolve around you?

[The Grand Nudger]

You know, if there's anything we can say about the catholic god....it's used to being disappointed by people. I can't imagine why a person would be specifically anxious over breaking any number of promises to that god. Are we going to get more clarity on this, or? I don't want to pry if you'd rather not talk about it - but it's gonna be difficult to offer support for something we're not really in the know about.

For all we know, you promised to murder the harlot next door - and you're telling us that..lately...you been feelin a little stabby - like...one way or another, this ends with a knife in someone's back. God wills it.

Know what I mean?