Still struggling.

[scoobysnack]

Hate to break it to you, but you are obsessing with things that really not a big deal, which can only be understood as you get older. Until that happens, they will be the biggest problems in your life, and not that you will listen to people that are older than you, because you think we can't relate, but realize we have been through it before. Sure not your personal life, but when you get older you are going to have to deal with real problems.

Just go into coding, and learn how to program, and become obsessive about how to code. That will be a good distraction for you. You will find yourself with a six figure salary by age 21, so when you are in the bar with you can make it rain!

[robvalue]

You disgusting troll. Throwing a tantrum because he didn't lap up your bullshit?

[KevinM1]

Hate to break it to you, but you are obsessing with things that really not a big deal, which can only be understood as you get older. Until that happens, they will be the biggest problems in your life, and not that you will listen to people that are older than you, because you think we can't relate, but realize we have been through it before. Sure not your personal life, but when you get older you are going to have to deal with real problems.

Just go into coding, and learn how to program, and become obsessive about how to code. That will be a good distraction for you. You will find yourself with a six figure salary by age 21, so when you are in the bar with you can make it rain!

It's called a mental illness for a reason, dipshit. You're doing the equivalent of "Well, have you tried not having cancer?" It's idiotic and disrespectful in the extreme.

[robvalue]

I've been through (and am still going through) mental illness, and this kind of dismissal is about the most useless and infuriating thing anyone can do.

[SteelCurtain]

There are so many people who just don't have a clue. They treat mental illness like some sort of moral failing. Like if you had just done something better or behaved differently, you wouldn't be in the position you are in.

I am lucky enough to have never had depression or any serious mental conditions, but I have seen depression wreak havoc on my sister, my mother, and to a lesser extent, my brother. They are diseases just like any other. Worse in a lot of ways, because the treatments are way more difficult.

[Socratic Meth Head]

I dont know how i can dismiss how my brother became atheist and went back to christian. He says i am destined to be the same. I dont know what to do about it.
Robvalue, what mental illness did you have?

[robvalue]

I'd say your brother thinks he can read the future, and he overestimates himself. Just because he abandoned rational thought in favour of comfortable delusion, it doesn't mean you will. And anyhow, the question of joining a religion is a separate one from if a "God" exists. I'd have no interest in any religion, even if they had any truth to them. You don't have to do anything you don't want to.

I imagine, most likely, your brother caved to pressure from family and friends and convinced himself he believed all the rubbish again.

I've been suffering from depression for the last 8-9 years. It was at its worst about 5 years ago when I felt suicidal all day every day. I improved somewhat but was much struggling, and I hit almost rock bottom again about a year or so ago. I got sent to the mental health team and got an excellent therapist, who helped me a lot, and now I'm coping fairly well. The depression is still there ready to jump on me at any time, but I'm in control now, and I can keep it in check much better.

[Socratic Meth Head]

I'd say your brother thinks he can read the future, and he overestimates himself. Just because he abandoned rational thought in favour of comfortable delusion, it doesn't mean you will. And anyhow, the question of joining a religion is a separate one from if a "God" exists. I'd have no interest in any religion, even if they had any truth to them. You don't have to do anything you don't want to.

I imagine, most likely, your brother caved to pressure from family and friends and convinced himself he believed all the rubbish again.

I've been suffering from depression for the last 8-9 years. It was at its worst about 5 years ago when I felt suicidal all day every day. I improved somewhat but was much struggling, and I hit almost rock bottom again about a year or so ago. I got sent to the mental health team and got an excellent therapist, who helped me a lot, and now I'm coping fairly well. The depression is still there ready to jump on me at any time, but I'm in control now, and I can keep it in check much better.

He says that he did research and found the prophecies to be the biggest point of evidence. I asked if mom wouldn't have pushed him about it would he still be an atheist and he said most likely not.

Dang, sorry to hear that. When I was at my worst with OCD, I was pretty depressed. I would just lay in bed all day, wouldn't eat, couldn't drink.
I have to take anti-depressants, but its mainly because the serotonin boost can help with OCD, although it did do a little work at my mood.

[MTL]

I dont know how i can dismiss how my brother became atheist and went back to christian. He says i am destined to be the same. I dont know what to do about it.
Robvalue, what mental illness did you have?

HEY.  Be EXTREMELY skeptical when other people take it upon themselves to tell you what your destiny is, or is not...

...especially when they prophesy that you will end up like they did.

That is a facepalm-inducing level of nonsense for your brother to be spouting.

My sister and I could not be more dissimilar, for example.

It is a hallmark of Theism to project their issues onto others;
ESPECIALLY the "born-again" variety of Christian,
who seems to really need validation:

they think because they went down a particular path,
then everyone else has to, as well.

It's another form of codependent behavior.

[MTL]

I'd say your brother thinks he can read the future, and he overestimates himself. Just because he abandoned rational thought in favour of comfortable delusion, it doesn't mean you will. And anyhow, the question of joining a religion is a separate one from if a "God" exists. I'd have no interest in any religion, even if they had any truth to them. You don't have to do anything you don't want to.

I imagine, most likely, your brother caved to pressure from family and friends and convinced himself he believed all the rubbish again.

I've been suffering from depression for the last 8-9 years. It was at its worst about 5 years ago when I felt suicidal all day every day. I improved somewhat but was much struggling, and I hit almost rock bottom again about a year or so ago. I got sent to the mental health team and got an excellent therapist, who helped me a lot, and now I'm coping fairly well. The depression is still there ready to jump on me at any time, but I'm in control now, and I can keep it in check much better.

Rob:

I'd say your brother thinks he can read the future, and he overestimates himself. Just because he abandoned rational thought in favour of comfortable delusion, it doesn't mean you will.

Exactly.  That's what I'm sayin'.

the question of joining a religion is a separate one from if a "God" exists.

Again, exactly right. 

This is what I was saying about Deism, General Dog:

Learn to allow for this possibility:

God may exist...sure, fine.

That doesn't mean that ANY of the world religions have it right, about Him.

In fact, they may all be leading us farther AWAY from the truth about God,
if there is a truth to be had.

In this way, Religion is actually heresy, if you think about it.

In other words:

God may exist,

but Religion is not only NOT the path to God,
but may in fact be the single biggest OBSTACLE between Man and God.

I compare God to an authentic designer boutique,
whose product is "TRUTH",

and then I liken Religion to the cheap knock-off tent around the corner,
siphoning off God's customer-base,
misleading people into thinking they're getting the genuine article,
selling a cheaply-made, rhinestone-studded piece of garbage, called "truth".

See the difference?

Religion doesn't serve God,
Religion serves Religion.

It isn't doing God any favours,
and it isn't doing Mankind any favours, either.

If there really is any God out there at all,
Religion does a better job than anything else,
of keeping Mankind and God away from each other,

by convincing people to believe that when they're serving Religion,
that they must therefore be serving God,

...when all they're doing is serving Religion.