Be gentle!

[Hema]

Hi Westy. Welcome to RF. You don't sound stupid. You sound like a seeker. All the love in the world is right inside of you. Yes, it's good to learn from spiritual people and they will help you along the way, but remember to look within. :yes:

 

[PureX]

Hi,

My Names Rachel, but everyone calls me Westy. Im here for a strange reason really and i dont really want to sound stupid!

Im 23, and all my life i have been an atheist. For the past few weeks i have had this feeling. Something really weird that i cant explain, like somethings missing. Its so strange i cant fully describe it, like im wrong about something!

And thats what has brought me here! I know it sounds really silly but i feel like something or someone is trying to tell me something!

So anyway thats me, hope ive not scared everyone off lol!

I hope to hear from people soon!

Many thanks

Westy,

I'd be careful of "magical thinking". We humans are very superstitious creatures, who tend to imagine that the way we conceptualize and experience reality is real, when often it's not. We can easily trick ourselves into believing in ghosts and demons and gods and angels and devils and who knows what else, especially when we experience electrochemical phenomena in our brains that can create powerful physical reactions that are themselves real.

My advice would be to first, RELAX. The truth is that "God" is a mystery, and will remain a mystery to us for as long as we live. The more you imagine that you "know God", or are getting to know God, the crazier you are becoming. And the same goes for other people: the more they claim they know God, the more likely it is that they know nothing at all.

Given the fact that God is a mystery, I would say that if you feel that there is a need in you to believe in the existence of a deity, then choose a concept of that deity that best serves you, and that ads real value to your experience of life. I personally choose to believe that although God is a mystery to me, that this divine mystery manifests itself in my world as love, as generosity, and as forgiveness. Thus, whenever I experience these things in others, or express them in myself, I am experiencing and expressing "God". Or at least God's divine nature. I don't try to unravel the divine mystery of "God", and I'm perfectly happy to let God be whatever God is, or isn't. I understand and admit that my concept of God is of my own making, and that I can't "prove" it's truthfulness except to say that it works for me in my own life, and does make my life a lot better experience, as well as making me a better person relative to others.

I guess my real advice would be to try and avoid falling into the bottomless pit of looking for the "proof" or the "truth" of "God". As human beings, we don't get to possess these. What we get instead is imagination and faith. Accept these two gifts for what they are, and remember what they are not, and they can be two very powerful tools in your life.

Look for "God" in the reality of life, not in experiences of supernatural "magic", or in moments of heightened superstition and emotionalism. That path of "magical thinking" leads to insanity and delusion, for we humans, while the path of reasonable honesty and humility lead us to health and joy.

 

[Westy]

I just want to say thanks so much for all the welcomes.

Everyone has been so lovely and incredibly friendly! I can tell im going to really like being around here!

Thanks again you have all made me feel really welcome x

 

[Westy]

Westy,

I'd be careful of "magical thinking". We humans are very superstitious creatures, who tend to imagine that the way we conceptualize and experience reality is real, when often it's not. We can easily trick ourselves into believing in ghosts and demons and gods and angels and devils and who knows what else, especially when we experience electrochemical phenomena in our brains that can create powerful physical reactions that are themselves real.

My advice would be to first, RELAX. The truth is that "God" is a mystery, and will remain a mystery to us for as long as we live. The more you imagine that you "know God", or are getting to know God, the crazier you are becoming. And the same goes for other people: the more they claim they know God, the more likely it is that they know nothing at all.

Given the fact that God is a mystery, I would say that if you feel that there is a need in you to believe in the existence of a deity, then choose a concept of that deity that best serves you, and that ads real value to your experience of life. I personally choose to believe that although God is a mystery to me, that this divine mystery manifests itself in my world as love, as generosity, and as forgiveness. Thus, whenever I experience these things in others, or express them in myself, I am experiencing and expressing "God". Or at least God's divine nature. I don't try to unravel the divine mystery of "God", and I'm perfectly happy to let God be whatever God is, or isn't. I understand and admit that my concept of God is of my own making, and that I can't "prove" it's truthfulness except to say that it works for me in my own life, and does make my life a lot better experience, as well as making me a better person relative to others.

I guess my real advice would be to try and avoid falling into the bottomless pit of looking for the "proof" or the "truth" of "God". As human beings, we don't get to possess these. What we get instead is imagination and faith. Accept these two gifts for what they are, and remember what they are not, and they can be two very powerful tools in your life.

Look for "God" in the reality of life, not in experiences of supernatural "magic", or in moments of heightened superstition and emotionalism. That path of "magical thinking" leads to insanity and delusion, for we humans, while the path of reasonable honesty and humility lead us to health and joy.

This makes total sense to me! And makes me realise that i might be looking for the wrong things, i was waiting for god to find me, and to have physical proof, and im not going to get this!

Many thanks for the advice! Its all truely appreciated! :angel2:

 

[michel]

Hi Westy,

Welcome to Religious Forums!

You don't sound in the least bit strange; I guess what you have described is something that a lot of us have experienced at some time or another.

Listen to your heart, and go where it leads you..............you might find something here on this forum that suddenly "clicks" with the way you think.

 

[Rough_ER]

Welcome to the forums, I look forward to your posts.