(November 13, 2017 at 11:27 pm)pool the matey Wrote:(November 13, 2017 at 8:33 pm)Whateverist Wrote: Would you say you actually stopped believing in whichever religion you were raised in for reasons relating to your understanding of the world, people and yourself? Or did you just go into a snit for a little while cuz God didn't intervene for you the way you thought He should have? See, I don't call the second kind an atheist.
I think a little bit of both. The first time atheism even crossed my mind was when I thought there is only a 50-50 chance that God might be real or fake and I wanted to explore the perspective of others that think it is fake, I guess on some level I wanted it to be fake because I didn't want to face certain realities, so I went through stuff and stuff and built up more and more rationalizations on top of rationalizations but at the end of the day if a plane is crashing everyone is going to go "oh God" regardless lol
So you pretty much always thought God was a thing but wondered if you could use the 'rationalizations' others gave for not believing to distance yourself from the irksome parts of god belief? You tried it out but could never shake the idea that you were doing something wrong and the big Guy would kick your ass if you didn't get back in line?
I'd like to help you escape your God belief but I don't really know how to disprove God for you. Would you like it if it were possible? Is that why you're here?
You see, for me, being unable to prove God does or does not exist isn't a problem because I lack the predisposition to think He might or, worse, know He must. To my mind God, as it has been explained to me by believers, is in a class of things (supernatural) which in all likelihood do not exist. My life takes place entirely in the natural world so even if there was this other 'place', it would make no difference.
But if you're stuck with the suspicion that God really does exist, I'd encourage you to try to make a good life for yourself and to work on believing that God gets something special from you too. It isn't a one way street. God, if 'He' exists, made you to do something He could not. He needs you at least as much as you need Him. So feel free to set some limits with the big Guy, play your hand like you're holding aces. You know, like you'll speak up for Him when others put him down but when you're checking out online porn, He has to close His eyes and understand that you're just pursuing a pleasure that He put there for you to enjoy. Stuff like that.
Good luck.
