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Faith is Dangerous

C

Clara Tea

Well-Known Member
Shadow Wolf said:
It's not faith. I have learned to accept that largely and mostly things are just simply out of my control. There is no despair in that. Yes, there is much suffering in the world, but there's nothing I can do about it so it is not something to worry about. Such as Ukraine. It is horrible and terrible what is happening, but nothing I can do could have stopped it or stop it, and it's not a danger to me.
Another way to look at it is when I was a case manager at a mental health facility I couldn't let my clients problems become my problems and I had to leave their problems at work. It doesn't mean I didn't care about them, it's just their problems aren't mine and it's not healthy to take them on. I have my own problems and worries.
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Empires crumble in time. Usually it is because they are composed of individual kingdoms, each with its own wishes, and many hold grudges about being conquered.

Though there are many things out of our control, the crumbling of the empires starts with a tiny ripple....a thought that perhaps their children will have a better future. We can start that ripple.

Our small voices won't carry far, but they don't have to. If enough people understand the problems, they will rebel (they always have).
 
K

Kfox

Well-Known Member
It's My Birthday!
Nakosis said:
quote-in-the-beginning-there-was-faith-which-is-childish-trust-which-is-vain-and-illusion-elie-wiesel-47-53-82.jpg


Faith that God or the universe has some benevolent plan for you.

Thousands are killed daily, go hungry are homeless. There are no guarantees in the universe. No reason to believe the the universe is going to take your best interest into consideration. No reason to believe your future is bright.

My son believes the universe/God has a special plan for him. That he just needs to wait for the universe/God to reveal it.

Who has been watching out for him are his mom and dad. Parents who sacrifice so he has a place to live and food to eat. Not everyone has parents who are able or wiling.

Is it not folly to assume that someone or something exists that will watch out for your best interests? Or that tomorrow you will have a place to sleep. Food to eat. A family to rely on?

I think about the thousands on families in Ukraine who have lost their homes, parents who have lost their children, children who have lost their parents. Who are now homeless.

Faith is a luxury no one can afford.
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I would not agree faith is a luxury one can't afford, your son can afford to have faith because he has his mom and dad keeping the fantasy alive; sorta like believing in Santa Clause as long as you have parents putting gifts under the tree. Faith is fine as long as you are not in a position of needing it to work.
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
Windwalker said:
I think people tend to see that it was faith that pulled them through the hard times, as opposed to giving up hope and succumbing to despair during them. But don't mistake faith as a happy and always cheery optimistic outlook. Faith is really just not giving up preserving, not fake smiles when things are crappy. That's just fear being masked with denial.


But their choice to do so, is the universe caring for them. Do you imagine those people exist outside the universe?


I wouldn't say so. I'd say magical thinkers overlook how good comes to them through other people, and try to see signs of supernaturalism to shore up their immature faith. But hopefully as they mature, they recognize that good from "God" comes through others.
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It seems like " faith" is a name for courage.
 
1

1213

Well-Known Member
Nakosis said:
...
Is it not folly to assume that someone or something exists that will watch out for your best interests? Or that tomorrow you will have a place to sleep. Food to eat. A family to rely on?

I think about the thousands on families in Ukraine who have lost their homes, parents who have lost their children, children who have lost their parents. Who are now homeless.

Faith is a luxury no one can afford.
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To me faith means faithfulness, which is loyalty. I want to be loyal to God, because I think He is good and His teachings are good. Believing that God protects is a different matter.

But, wouldn't it be even more folly to not have hope? Why would anyone want to live, if there is no hope?
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
Revoltingest said:
If one has faith, no courage is necessary.
With faith there is no risk.
Example....
Why fear death if there's infinite afterlife in Heaven, eh.
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There is that.
But i was thinking of the endlessly
tiresome equivocation game the theists
play with the word " faith".

Here it just means courage.
Eleewhere, as in "i dont have enough faith
to believe in evolution" it means
something very different.
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
1213 said:
To me faith means faithfulness, which is loyalty. I want to be loyal to God, because I think He is good and His teachings are good. Believing that God protects is a different matter.

But, wouldn't it be even more folly to not have hope? Why would anyone want to live, if there is no hope?
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What makes you think that not hoping to win the lottery or some other fantasy is " no hope"?

Seems you are confused where the folly is.
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
Mock Turtle said:
But perhaps those without any such beliefs have more courage, given the power of many religions and the larger numbers believing in such. :oops:
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Takes more courage to unselfishly give
ones life either in violent defense of
loved ones or a life given to service while
expecting no reward, than to do a 911 with
72 eager virgins awaiting you.
 
Windwalker

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Audie said:
It seems like " faith" is a name for courage.
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I'd say they are related. Courage is predicated upon faith. If you didn't have any faith you could survive, you certainly wouldn't need to find any courage to even try. You'd just give up. But if you had faith you'd survive, you'd muster the courage to persevere. I suppose I'd relate faith more closely with the will to live and thrive, along with the belief you can. They're all interrelated.
 
S

stanberger

Active Member
Nakosis said:
How do you stay sane. Good question.
IMO, accepting the reality that there are no guarantees.

I accept that I might die tomorrow or find myself homeless or something worse.
So what? If I can deal with it great. If not, too bad.
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most who turn away fro their creator turn to drugs and alcohol
 
Nakosis

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
stanberger said:
most who turn away fro their creator turn to drugs and alcohol
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So God is preventing you from becoming a alcoholic/drug addict?

Fortunately I have family and friends to keep me sober. No need to rely on faith.
I'd suppose if faith is all you got, better stick with it and hope for the best. :thumbsup:
 
Nakosis

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
1213 said:
To me faith means faithfulness, which is loyalty. I want to be loyal to God, because I think He is good and His teachings are good. Believing that God protects is a different matter.
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Faithfulness is usually a two-way street. You support your spouse in need, they support you.
You don't expect any faithfulness from God? Wow, sounds like a tough relationship.

But, wouldn't it be even more folly to not have hope? Why would anyone want to live, if there is no hope?
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Actually, it is really not that bad. Life comes with it's ups and downs. Keeps things interesting. You just take life as it comes at you.
I like to improve my ability to handle whatever life throws at me.
No expectation for the good or bad. Just the knowledge of having been able to handle everything myself.
 
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