Do You Ever Miss God?

[Jehanne]

For those of you who have a history in a particular religion and moved away from it, I mean do you ever miss the feeling of believing you had a personal relationship with god?

A few weeks ago, to my surprise, I went through a period of nostalgia.  I shouldn’t have been surprised.  Twenty-five years of indoctrination and programing in fear and guilt, joy and gratitude don’t just go away just because I realize intellectually that Christianity isn’t true.

If I shared those feelings and the dreams I used to have of being left in the rapture with a Christian, they will have an explanation for it. This is why indoctrination is so important in religion. We’re programmed with the strongest emotions and religionists know the feelings won’t go away—not permanently. All it takes is a trigger, a song, a memory. Then the Christians can say aha, in your heart of hearts you know god exists. And if I don’t know better, I’ll have to believe their interpretation of what I feel.

But I do know better and I resent being played with. To program me to believe something and then use that programming as proof of my belief is disingenuous. Of course, now they can interpret my resentment as proof that I hate god.

Yes, absolutely; I miss religious faith and the emotional and mental comforts very, very much, especially, the comfort of an afterlife.

But, it's not real, at least by the standards that we judge everything else in life.  Look at this way (which, I got from another source online -- just google it):  You have gotten arrested, convicted and sentenced to prison (or death) for a crime that you did commit.  Now, you may be (understandably) angry and blame the police for the way they treated you, the jury who convicted you, the trial judge who sentenced you, the prison guards who guard you, etc., etc.  But, are you going to invent some fantasy that you are not going to go to prison, death row, etc., just because you find the fact of prison and/or being executed to be unpleasant?  Only mentally ill people do that, or sane persons who are trying to fake a mental illness.  Nearly everyone else faces reality for what it is.  The "alternative" (and, there isn't one for sane people) is to invent an alternate reality for which there is absolutely no evidence.

Religion and/or religious faith are just as silly.

[Rhondazvous]

Yes, absolutely; I miss religious faith and the emotional and mental comforts very, very much, especially, the comfort of an afterlife.

But, it's not real, at least by the standards that we judge everything else in life.  Look at this way (which, I got from another source online -- just google it):  You have gotten arrested, convicted and sentenced to prison (or death) for a crime that you did commit.  Now, you may be (understandably) angry and blame the police for the way they treated you, the jury who convicted you, the trial judge who sentenced you, the prison guards who guard you, etc., etc.  But, are you going to invent some fantasy that you are not going to go to prison, death row, etc., just because you find the fact of prison and/or being executed to be unpleasant?  Only mentally ill people do that, or sane persons who are trying to fake a mental illness.  Nearly everyone else faces reality for what it is.  The "alternative" (and, there isn't one for sane people) is to invent an alternate reality for which there is absolutely no evidence.

Religion and/or religious faith are just as silly.

Wow, that's deep to equate the life of atheism with a prison sentence or death row. For me it's more like giving up an extremely pretty piece of glass for a diamond. True, we can no longer take comfort in what we know is not real, but even though atheism gives us a big dose of reality, that reality is no more empty than what we put in it. Take comfort in knowing that you are free.

[Jehanne]

Yes, absolutely; I miss religious faith and the emotional and mental comforts very, very much, especially, the comfort of an afterlife.

But, it's not real, at least by the standards that we judge everything else in life.  Look at this way (which, I got from another source online -- just google it):  You have gotten arrested, convicted and sentenced to prison (or death) for a crime that you did commit.  Now, you may be (understandably) angry and blame the police for the way they treated you, the jury who convicted you, the trial judge who sentenced you, the prison guards who guard you, etc., etc.  But, are you going to invent some fantasy that you are not going to go to prison, death row, etc., just because you find the fact of prison and/or being executed to be unpleasant?  Only mentally ill people do that, or sane persons who are trying to fake a mental illness.  Nearly everyone else faces reality for what it is.  The "alternative" (and, there isn't one for sane people) is to invent an alternate reality for which there is absolutely no evidence.

Religion and/or religious faith are just as silly.

Wow, that's deep to equate the life of atheism with a prison sentence or death row. For me it's more like giving up an extremely pretty piece of glass for a diamond. True, we can no longer take comfort in what we know is not real, but even though atheism gives us a big dose of reality, that reality is no more empty than what we put in it. Take comfort in knowing that you are free.

I do take comfort in that; religion, for me, was always the square peg in a round hole, and I never could come to believe in it, which is why I abandoned it.  Still, the prospect of an afterlife is absolutely delightful, but it's the modern equivalent of chasing a rainbow.

[Rhondazvous]

Wow, that's deep to equate the life of atheism with a prison sentence or death row. For me it's more like giving up an extremely pretty piece of glass for a diamond. True, we can no longer take comfort in what we know is not real, but even though atheism gives us a big dose of reality, that reality is no more empty than what we put in it. Take comfort in knowing that you are free.

I do take comfort in that; religion, for me, was always the square peg in a round hole, and I never could come to believe in it, which is why I abandoned it.  Still, the prospect of an afterlife is absolutely delightful, but it's the modern equivalent of chasing a rainbow.

That's true. And when you really think about it, it's not really all that hot to live for eternity under the scrutiny of a god who can read our thoughts before we think them and considers them as much a sin as our actions.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Miss God? Nah, my aim's too good to miss an imaginary creature.

[Rhondazvous]

Looks like my boy Stim has started something here.

Get one of those imaginary guns that leaves an imaginary red dot before firing a spiritual bullet. Cain't miss.

[energizer bunny]

I miss Santa Claus more than god.

[comet]

ignorance is bliss. The safety net of a belief statement makes choices so much easier.

[Nonpareil]

I miss Santa Claus more than god.

BUT MY AIM IS GETTIN' BETTER

[marktzu]

Great question.  I recently met with a family where mom who was thirty six years old just died of cancer.  She died leaving a spouse and two children.  The family was devastated but focused on the fact that, "god will take care of mom" and they will all meet in heaven.  Members of the church were present and the support / love in the room was amazing.  Nothing in this life is tougher then losing a loved one.  I felt a variety of emotions.  One was feeling sad that the family was deluding themselves and not facing the reality of the situation.  The second was appreciation / relief that they had something to hold onto to help them cope with such a traumatic loss.  Being an atheist can be tough in that we try to face the world with out god or magic.  Sometimes I miss the God but in the long run truth is better.
Marktzu