Trailblazer
Veteran Member
This thread was inspired by the thread “What do you get from being atheist?”
The reason my question is interesting is because it seems to make a deep assumption, and that deep assumption is that there is "something useful, something good, something valuable or precious" in holding a belief (or beliefs) about deities.
I understand that having a belief in a loving deity, or a savior, or an afterlife in a heaven can feel comforting and precious. I can see how having a set of rules (positive and negative) can feel as if difficult questions have been answered for you. I can even see how those rules might help you feel more comfortable.
I would like to hear from believers. What do you get from being a believer?
I’ll go first. What I get is knowing that there is a God who knows more than I do and is wiser than I am, a God that hears my prayers, a God who assists me and guides me through life. I get knowing that there is an afterlife that is far better than this life, where I will see my loved ones again. I also get a set of laws from God to follow that keep me on the straight and narrow.
But belief in God is not all a bed of roses. As a believer I feel obligated to follow the teachings and laws of my religion rather than live according to my own desires. As a believer in my religion, I am compelled to make sacrifices for the good of others and humanity as a whole, which means giving up activities I might enjoy doing just for myself, since there is only so much time in a day.
The reason my question is interesting is because it seems to make a deep assumption, and that deep assumption is that there is "something useful, something good, something valuable or precious" in holding a belief (or beliefs) about deities.
I understand that having a belief in a loving deity, or a savior, or an afterlife in a heaven can feel comforting and precious. I can see how having a set of rules (positive and negative) can feel as if difficult questions have been answered for you. I can even see how those rules might help you feel more comfortable.
I would like to hear from believers. What do you get from being a believer?
I’ll go first. What I get is knowing that there is a God who knows more than I do and is wiser than I am, a God that hears my prayers, a God who assists me and guides me through life. I get knowing that there is an afterlife that is far better than this life, where I will see my loved ones again. I also get a set of laws from God to follow that keep me on the straight and narrow.
But belief in God is not all a bed of roses. As a believer I feel obligated to follow the teachings and laws of my religion rather than live according to my own desires. As a believer in my religion, I am compelled to make sacrifices for the good of others and humanity as a whole, which means giving up activities I might enjoy doing just for myself, since there is only so much time in a day.