How do I deal with the belief that maybe... Just maybe... God exists and I'm...

[Jehanne]

I cannot conceive of an omniscient, omnibenevolent, omnipotent, omnirighteous god who would punish someone for making an honest mistake.

Neither can I, but, such was the view in Western Catholicism for over 1,000 years, namely, infants and small children who, through no fault of their own, die without Baptism.

[purplepurpose]

Work helps. Get busy.

[R00tKiT]

I'm convinced he doesn't exist 

[Jehanne]

I'm convinced he doesn't exist 

Why the smiley?

[R00tKiT]

Why the smiley?

Someone who's worried that something may exist can't be certain that it doesn't exist.

[Jehanne]

Why the smiley?

Someone who's worried that something may exist can't be certain that it doesn't exist.

I think that you need to make a distinction between emotion and reason; some of us, myself included, were abused as children with descriptions of hellfire.

[Gentle_Idiot]

Someone who's worried that something may exist can't be certain that it doesn't exist.

I think that you need to make a distinction between emotion and reason; some of us, myself included, were abused as children with descriptions of hellfire.

I'm actually not one of those people who suffered that kind of nightmare. At worst, I was simply told that bad deeds will lead to a heart-attack (no joke). But as far as a ranting pastor or clergyman talking vivid descriptions of hellfire... I'm glad it didn't happen to me...

The true torment are the restrictions placed by the church, and then looking at it all from a distance and realizing I have to bite my tongue and let the stupidity come out of their mouths. That's my own suffering right there.

[R00tKiT]

I think that you need to make a distinction between emotion and reason; some of us, myself included, were abused as children with descriptions of hellfire.

Scaring children with hellfire is obviously not the right approach to teach them religion. This is not religion's fault, it's the parents'.

Now read what follows, straight from the horse's mouth : 

I'm actually not one of those people who suffered that kind of nightmare.

Okay. So, as you can see, Jehanne, our guy isn't really emotionally moved by descriptions of hell, we can then rule out this possibility.

 I have to bite my tongue and let the stupidity come out of their mouths. That's my own suffering right there.

Is someone holding you at gunpoint and forcing you to listen to some clergyman ? If not, what are you talking about ?

You say you're convinced God doesn't exist, without providing the thought process that led you to this silly conviction. You didn't give us anything substantial so far.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Intellectual belief in the divinity of Jesus is not a get-out-of-hell-free card anyway.

[Fake Messiah]

You say you're convinced God doesn't exist, without providing the thought process that led you to this silly conviction.

So being convicted that Krishna doesn't exist is silly? How come?