I feel trapped between Christianity, Islam, and Atheism.

[Muffled]

Possible? I suppose that it is indeed technically possible.

But the way I see it, the implications are quite disturbing, and not in a way that encourages theism.




You did not ask the question to me, but if by "randomly" you mean "unfairly", then yes, I personally do in fact believe and hope that human suffering is not assigned on purpose.

The theological alternative is quite self-defeating.

I believe that it is not self defeating. I believe it is a travesty when wickedness goes unpunished and goodness not rewarded. I see thinking that bad things happen randomly completely eliminates hope for a better life.

 

[LuisDantas]

That is sort what I said, except that you are taking a very slanted perspective of it.

 

[Muffled]

That is sort what I said, except that you are taking a very slanted perspective of it.

I believe you ought to wink when you say things tongue in cheek, lol.

 

[LuisDantas]

Who is being tongue in cheek? I am quite serious here, Muffled.

I am not at all sure about you, as a matter of fact. I hope but do not expect that you are kidding.

 

[paarsurrey]

I've posted a bit about this kind of thing before, so I'll make my introduction quick.
I'm an Atheist who has been deconverted from Catholicism for two years. As a bisexual, I was really turned off (no pun intended) by the way I was treated at my church. Additionally, I started to have massive doubts on the content of the Bible and I was going through a very hard time.
I suffer from depression and anxiety, as well as intrusive thoughts. I cannot shake the idea out of my head that God hates me. I miss the community of my church, and I miss being able to feel truly at peace. Furthermore, I have a massive fear of the Christian and Islamic Hell, and I'm scared that I will someday be persecuted and killed over what I end up believing.
I feel stuck between Christianity, Atheism, and Islam, and I'm not sure which is right. What can I do?
I miss having the presence of God and a Church-like community. But I also fear the possibility of me having incorrect beliefs; for example, I'm worried that I will become a Christian, but Islam will be right and I'll go to Hell. I'm also afraid of being delusional, and I don't want to waste my life believing a false religion. Additionally, I'm concerned that becoming religious will cause me even more stress in the end, especially if I'm once again deconverted and can't build another worldview. I'm even worried that ISIS might have the truest interpretation of Islam, that I'll be killed by Muslims or Christians, or that I'll be discriminated upon if I go to any place of worship.
Furthermore, I'm still worried that, if there's a God, he hates me and is making me suffer intentionally, and wants me to go to an eternal Hell. I'm still just so damn confused and scared.

Islam/Quran/Muhammad do not trap anybody.
It is your right to have any religion that convinces you sincerely and with unbiased research.
One should make comparison of religions from the truthfulness of their core teachings.
Regards

 

[paarsurrey]

I've posted a bit about this kind of thing before, so I'll make my introduction quick.
I'm an Atheist who has been deconverted from Catholicism for two years. As a bisexual, I was really turned off (no pun intended) by the way I was treated at my church. Additionally, I started to have massive doubts on the content of the Bible and I was going through a very hard time.
I suffer from depression and anxiety, as well as intrusive thoughts. I cannot shake the idea out of my head that God hates me. I miss the community of my church, and I miss being able to feel truly at peace. Furthermore, I have a massive fear of the Christian and Islamic Hell, and I'm scared that I will someday be persecuted and killed over what I end up believing.
I feel stuck between Christianity, Atheism, and Islam, and I'm not sure which is right. What can I do?
I miss having the presence of God and a Church-like community. But I also fear the possibility of me having incorrect beliefs; for example, I'm worried that I will become a Christian, but Islam will be right and I'll go to Hell. I'm also afraid of being delusional, and I don't want to waste my life believing a false religion. Additionally, I'm concerned that becoming religious will cause me even more stress in the end, especially if I'm once again deconverted and can't build another worldview. I'm even worried that ISIS might have the truest interpretation of Islam, that I'll be killed by Muslims or Christians, or that I'll be discriminated upon if I go to any place of worship.
Furthermore, I'm still worried that, if there's a God, he hates me and is making me suffer intentionally, and wants me to go to an eternal Hell. I'm still just so damn confused and scared.

Further to Post #126 above.
The one whom one loves most, one also fears that one does not lose him. So being apart from G-d is one's hell, instead one should be one with ONE, then one is at real peace and that is one's heaven, in real terms.
Regards

 

[paarsurrey]

I've posted a bit about this kind of thing before, so I'll make my introduction quick.
I'm an Atheist who has been deconverted from Catholicism for two years. As a bisexual, I was really turned off (no pun intended) by the way I was treated at my church. Additionally, I started to have massive doubts on the content of the Bible and I was going through a very hard time.
I suffer from depression and anxiety, as well as intrusive thoughts. I cannot shake the idea out of my head that God hates me. I miss the community of my church, and I miss being able to feel truly at peace. Furthermore, I have a massive fear of the Christian and Islamic Hell, and I'm scared that I will someday be persecuted and killed over what I end up believing.
I feel stuck between Christianity, Atheism, and Islam, and I'm not sure which is right. What can I do?
I miss having the presence of God and a Church-like community. But I also fear the possibility of me having incorrect beliefs; for example, I'm worried that I will become a Christian, but Islam will be right and I'll go to Hell. I'm also afraid of being delusional, and I don't want to waste my life believing a false religion. Additionally, I'm concerned that becoming religious will cause me even more stress in the end, especially if I'm once again deconverted and can't build another worldview. I'm even worried that ISIS might have the truest interpretation of Islam, that I'll be killed by Muslims or Christians, or that I'll be discriminated upon if I go to any place of worship.
Furthermore, I'm still worried that, if there's a God, he hates me and is making me suffer intentionally, and wants me to go to an eternal Hell. I'm still just so damn confused and scared.

So, one thing is sure that one has acknowledged here that Atheism/Agnosticism/Skepticism/Humanism (denominations of a specific world-view ) does not give peace of mind to one. Right? Please
Regards

 

[LuisDantas]

So, one thing is sure that one has acknowledged here that Atheism/Agnosticism/Skepticism/Humanism (denominations of a specific world-view ) does not give peace of mind to one. Right? Please
Regards

Excuse me? Surely there is a misunderstanding there.

 

[buddhist]

Objectively true.

You might be interested in checking out early Buddhism. It is not interested in theories requiring blind faith, but provides a systematic, self-testable path of self-development. Its central theme focuses on the core issue which you (and all of us) are afflicted with - suffering.

 

[paarsurrey]

Excuse me? Surely there is a misunderstanding there.

Please elaborate your point.
Regards

 

[LuisDantas]

Please elaborate your point.
Regards

Actually, I think I should ask you to elaborate yours.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I still don't know exactly what to believe... But I do know that I'm not going to take this kind of bull**** for a legitimate answer. I am not only depressed. I have anxiety, OCD, and Asperger's with it. That isn't my damn fault. I don't care what you have to say in response to that. If there is a loving god, then punishing me for the life of a being from the past would be wrong. While that's exceptionally unlikely, this would be an absolutely cruel thing for a god to do. All of your responses thus far have oozed hatred, and, dare I say, ignorance. You don't understand the pain that I have to go through in my everyday life. Surely, a loving god would soothe me instead of allowing me to live in pain every day. And I swear, if you think I chose my sexuality, then you're assumed I wanted it. I don't I want to be normal. I hate all of my problems. I have a self-hatred complex. If you think that simply by existing I deserve this pain, and your god would agree with that, then I don't want to hear a single word from you on the rest of this forum, because, quite frankly, you've already said all that you can say.



I am very sorry if I come off as disrespectful, but I don't know how a religion that preaches love and peace could create such vile organizations as ISIS, al-Queda, and Boko Haram. I have studied the life of Muhammad to a very small extent. From what I've seen, however, some of his acts seem to be morally gray to say the least. I very much appreciate your efforts, though. I love and respect life, and the lives of every organism around me. You seem very kind and well-intended, but I just can't find much love in Islam. Please feel free to prove me wrong with citations from the Quran... If you have arguments for Islam's peaceful nature then I would sincerely and legitimately love to hear them.

I don't mean to make a late entrance and understand your feelings. I do have some questions.

Do you feel pulled to the Abrahamic god (regardless if it's Islam or Christian)?
In other words, would you think god existed without the three Abrahamic religions?

If you are not pulled to a specific Abrahamic god, and you just believe god exists, can you find a theology, philosophy, or worldview that makes sense to you rather than one that you have to struggle with daily?

In my personal view, I would not go with either of them. I saw a post that Judaism doesn't view hell and sin in the same manner Christians do.

Also, do you think it could be the believers-the actual people--that may be influencing your view of how god sees you rather than knowing from god himself, how he sees you?

I am lesbian and if I were Christian, I know that the relationship I have with god is between only god and I and no one else. I would not believe god made me sinful from the get-go..that's not what I read and that's not how he spoke to me.

I know you want community, but I also think some communities hinder a person's faith. A lot of believers Muslim and Christian are solitary for that very reason. I honestly think it's more the people influencing how god sees you.... take out the people and read the Bible from the perspective of god's voice not a priest or pastor, then you may get a different message... who knows?

 

[Muffled]

Who is being tongue in cheek? I am quite serious here, Muffled.

I am not at all sure about you, as a matter of fact. I hope but do not expect that you are kidding.

I believe perhaps that I perceive things differently. When a person says "sort of" and "slanted" it triggers a wonderment in me. In order to take you seriously I would have to have an explanation of what "sort of" and "slanted" means in relation to what I said.

 

[Muffled]

Excuse me? Surely there is a misunderstanding there.

I believe the concept would be that one who knows what is right and does not do it has no peace of mind. Obviously a person can ignore what is right or simply not believe that it is right and be at peace within the delusion.

 

[LuisDantas]

I believe people can believe anything they want but that does not make their beliefs rational. I once had a person who had been abused curse me out because I had a loving family. Is it not possible that I am being rewarded for being good while others are being punished for doing evil?

Possible? I suppose that it is indeed technically possible.

But the way I see it, the implications are quite disturbing, and not in a way that encourages theism.

PS: Would you rather believe that a person suffers randomly?

You did not ask the question to me, but if by "randomly" you mean "unfairly", then yes, I personally do in fact believe and hope that human suffering is not assigned on purpose.

The theological alternative is quite self-defeating.

I believe that it is not self defeating. I believe it is a travesty when wickedness goes unpunished and goodness not rewarded. I see thinking that bad things happen randomly completely eliminates hope for a better life.

That is sort what I said, except that you are taking a very slanted perspective of it.

I believe you ought to wink when you say things tongue in cheek, lol.

This I have an issue with. A fairly strong one at that.

The manipulative and moral dangers of afterlife beliefs are nothing to lightly ignore.

I believe the concept would be that one who knows what is right and does not do it has no peace of mind. Obviously a person can ignore what is right or simply not believe that it is right and be at peace within the delusion.

As an atheist, I often consider that about Christians and Muslims. It somewhat helps forgive some of their mistakes.

 

[paarsurrey]

paarsurrey said: ↑
So, one thing is sure that one has acknowledged here that Atheism/Agnosticism/Skepticism/Humanism (denominations of a specific world-view ) does not give peace of mind to one. Right? Please
Regards
paarsurrey↑
Please elaborate your point.
Regards

Excuse me? Surely there is a misunderstanding there.

OP got converted to Atheism and is no satisfied, that implies he is not in peace at heart there. Right?
Regards

 

[LuisDantas]

Beats me. I just don't know.

 

[paarsurrey]

Beats me. I just don't know.

@ LuisDantas
Sir we are friends, rather close friends here. Friend JeremK had expressed in post#1 that he became Atheist but wants to become a believer in G-d again but for certain apprehensions.
I just pointed it out. Thanks
Regards

 

[LuisDantas]

My own reading is somewhat different, @paarsurrey


I can't in good faith advise people to attempt to become theists, and the OP seems to give better reasons than most to avoid such an attempt.

I do however believe you sincerely perceive things differently. I'm not quite sure how you do, but I know you better than to doubt your sincerity.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

So, one thing is sure that one has acknowledged here that Atheism/Agnosticism/Skepticism/Humanism (denominations of a specific world-view ) does not give peace of mind to one. Right? Please
Regards

He mentions that he's afraid that God hates him which necessitates a belief that God is there to begin with - which makes your claim about Atheism/Agnosticism/Skepticism/Humanism invalid.