What do you do when you're losing faith in God?

[Heyo]

Faith is a choice. It's not something I find or lose. It's something I choose or reject.

I don't think so. You are either convinced of an idea or you are not. You may choose to act as if you are religious but you can't choose to believe. You can choose to put your fingers in your ears and not listen to arguments if you don't want to be convinced but if you listen, it is too late.

 

[Heyo]

That's a very good and reassuring point, I too think God can understand and forgive doubt.

Many have grown stronger in their believes after doubting, most often with a reformed belief.

But once you are over simple doubt, there is no rational way back.

 

[Altfish]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

Just get on with your life without god.
Enjoy your life, friends, family and Sunday mornings

 

[Nakosis]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

Do you mean faith that God exists?
I'd say let go of the question.

If there is a God, then ought they not be in control of everything? Ought they not have everything covered?
If God exists, then ultimately God is in charge and everything that happens is because that is the way God wants it to be.
So you have nothing to worry about.

If there is no God, then you also have nothing to worry about.

 

[PearlSeeker]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

I would go (did go) wherever the truth would lead me (not what I wish it would be).

Take your time for introspection and reflection. My Christian faith was the light of my life. When I started to lose faith it made me sad and I had an existential crisis... I had to accept and appreciate life (and nature) as non-believers know it - without any supernatural or "beyond" ingredients - how it's beautiful, precious and how it should be lived to the fullest.

You can also think how this changes your values and way of living. Religion has many different expressions in everyday life. For me it didn't change much. I still believe in the value of goodness and love (what Christianity teaches). What changed is the meaning of some rituals - I participate more as a friend (not so much as a fellow believer)...

 

[firedragon]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

If you do believe in God, and are losing faith, it's due to some unhappiness. That's natural.

Your question was what you would do. My personal answer is, go back to basics. Does God exist?? That's the question. So go back to the basics and make a decision. Not based on your emotions because of some bad thing that happened to you or someone or some people around you.

 

[QuestioningMind]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

You should believe in things because there is sufficient verifiable evidence to warrant belief. If you believe something based on faith that's an indication that you don't have verifiable evidence that the belief is true.

 

[PureX]

I don't think so. You are either convinced of an idea or you are not. You may choose to act as if you are religious but you can't choose to believe. You can choose to put your fingers in your ears and not listen to arguments if you don't want to be convinced but if you listen, it is too late.

I'm not convinced in favor of or against anything. If God exists, God exists. If God does not exist, God does not exist. I have no way of knowing either way, so I do not presume that I do know. Instead, I can choose to hope that God exists and to live accordingly, or I can choose to hope that God does not exist and to live accordingly. The choice is mine. Even how I conceptualize God is my choice. So there's nothing for me to find or to lose. I decide what I think God might be, if God exists. And I decide if I want to hope in that God's existence, and live accordingly, or not. It's that simple.

 

[idea]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

Are you familiar with the "dark night of the soul"? There are quite a few books on it.

See stages of faith:
James W. Fowler - Wikipedia

The end is either universalist, or athiest for most. Either way, you become your own authority figure, stop relying on interpretations of others, form your own unique beliefs.

Blessings on your journey.

 

[Wildswanderer]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

Re set your mind, by first of all focusing on all he has given you.
Start listing all the good things in your life, understanding that they all come from him.
Thank him even for the hard things because they can make you better if you let them.

 

[HeatherAnn]

What do you do when you’re losing faith in God?

Which god?

 

[HeatherAnn]

When people ( not nessessarily you ) believe in a god, sometimes they offload their moral choices onto that god. When a person is losing their faith in god, it's a good time to re-evaluate their moral compass, because the person is free to determine how they actually feel. They are free to explore what is right and wrong to them. I didn't mean to imply it's a bad thing. It's taking advantage of the situation to do a good thing.

ETA: Maybe I should have phrased it this way: It's an opportunity to re-evaluate what is right and wrong?

True, like Jacob “wrestled (his ideas of) God.”

 

[LuisDantas]

If you do believe in God, and are losing faith, it's due to some unhappiness. That's natural.

That is one possibility among many.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

This is going to come off smug and arrogant - but - I never really had this issue. To believe in God all I have to do is think of what God is. That reminds me of my idea / notion of God, and then, I believe in it. Also, my title and signature help remind me what God is: "From Omniverse to Omnitheism" and "God is what nature is becoming." So simple and quaint, yet so powerful. If I ever tell anyone I don't believe in God it's only because they've defined that God as some old man living in the sky. I don't believe in a God like that, but I do believe that things are being deified as time goes on, as each identity is becoming more and more Omniversal. Since I deify The Omniverse, the one thing that's always been and forever will be, it's really no question or concern if I believe in God. I believe in eternal progression, to me that is God. That's why I wear two tattoos to remind myself of that. I'm married to the concept, infinity, that will never happen - but each day we all get closer to it.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

I examined everything, drastically changed things, and have never looked back.
But I was being pumped full of venom when it happened to me so the answer of what to do may vary.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Faith is a choice.

Not if you're honest.

 

[Vinayaka]

I never thought I'd ask this question, but here it comes.

Good question, and I don't think there is a single answer. Perhaps there are as many answers as there are people. Personally, I just took a long break from the whole darn thing, tried to occupy my mind with other things, stopped worshipping, temple visits, and all that stuff. For me, not thinking about it worked. In more mystical or psychological terms, that gets it out of the conscious and intellectual mind, allowing a more intuitive or gut to eventually take over, as if you were a small child entering formal thought for the first time, of just seeing it all through fresh eyes. Maybe that'll work for you. Or not.

Best wishes.

 

[CharmingOwl]

It happens to me and I either just go through it or figure out what factor is causing me to have a sudden change of faith/belief whatever.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Good question, and I don't think there is a single answer. Perhaps there are as many answers as there are people. Personally, I just took a long break from the whole darn thing, tried to occupy my mind with other things, stopped worshipping, temple visits, and all that stuff. For me, not thinking about it worked. In more mystical or psychological terms, that gets it out of the conscious and intellectual mind, allowing a more intuitive or gut to eventually take over, as if you were a small child entering formal thought for the first time, of just seeing it all through fresh eyes. Maybe that'll work for you. Or not.

Best wishes.

It is challenging, I am admittedly afraid of losing faith. But to keep God off my mind for a while, like you said, might just be the best idea, then I can try to be more independent thinking for a while. And, like others said, if I do regain faith it will come back stronger.

I suppose this is one of those scenarios of "Let it go, if it returns then it was meant to be"

 

[Vinayaka]

It is challenging, I am admittedly afraid of losing faith. But to keep God off my mind for a while, like you said, might just be the best idea, then I can try to be more independent thinking for a while. And, like others said, if I do regain faith it will come back stronger.

I suppose this is one of those scenarios of "Let it go, if it returns then it was meant to be"

Mine came back stronger. My 'break' was almost 10 years, but that was about 25 years ago. I was nearly as surprised the second time around as I was the first time around. Everyone is so different. I've also seen people 'drop it' and later realize it was the best thing they ever did. There are lots of facets of life where you need a break. I taught school, and that 2 month break every summer was a much needed and deserved break. Best wishes.