how sad that humans seem to need a god so badly

[alreadyGone]

I did.

 

Losing that belief in "higher power" and a supreme being can be as disorienting as anything in the entire realm of human existence and experience, as it seems to me.

Coming far enough along in life and having lived most of it as a Christian believer means falling off that cliff into disbelief at this stage in life is as tough as anything one can face.

Facing both your choices and mistakes in your life lived so far while facing also your mortality...

 

Having lost that belief in the afterlife of the kingdom, I personally do not find belief for any other 'afterlife' or existence after my present mortal life.

 

Time... that is indeed the stuff of which life is made.

 

 

[◊ Krowb ◊]

20 hours ago, alreadyGone said:

Time... that is indeed the stuff of which life is made.

 

And fleeting too.

 

Welcome to the board. I'm new here myself and I'm sure others will give you a more official welcome.

[MOHO]

Welcome to Ex-C, @alreadyGone.

Glad you found us.

 

You articulated what so many here have gone through and are going through when they lose their religion. The associated emotions and disruptions in one's life have also caused some to re-embrace the doctrine. I cannot imagine doing so and assume that those "go back" never really do so - they just hope, like so many in the pews, that they will truly "believe" some day.

 

Personally I think the need to believe in a higher power is tied to a need for mommy and daddy which is likely a survival thing.

    - MOHO (Mind Of His Own)

 

 

[◊ Krowb ◊]

1 hour ago, MOHO said:

they just hope, like so many in the pews, that they will truly "believe" some day.

 

This is so true. In college I had a discussion with a close friend about how to believe. My advice was to fake it till you make it. I never had those "religious experiences", can count on one hand those warm and fuzzy feelings, and never heard god speaking to me. I simply believed, professed Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, was baptized, lived by the rules, and hoped deep down that was enough.  I walked down the aisle at a young age to be "saved" so there was no compelling life changing testimony for a fourth grader.

 

Belief in belief as it were.

 

23 hours ago, alreadyGone said:

Facing both your choices and mistakes in your life lived so far while facing also your mortality...

I still struggle with this myself.  It hits harder when you recognize there was no grand plan to it. No great destiny that god was preparing you for.  However, it also frees you to recognize that your success and failure is not dictated from above (god, stars, or otherwise)

[alreadyGone]

5 minutes ago, Krowb said:

 

....

I still struggle with this myself.  It hits harder when you recognize there was no grand plan to it. No great destiny that god was preparing you for.  However, it also frees you to recognize that your success and failure is not dictated from above (god, stars, or otherwise)

It's what people try (sometimes) to tell you when you're young..

Except that at the same time, when you are young Christian believers are also telling you "God has a plan for your life", and "Don't concern yourself, God is in control.."

If you manage to live long enough and you are truly paying attention to the reality of this world you eventually realize it just ain't so.

People see what they believe. Humans are funny that way.

 

 

[TABA]

Hi @alreadyGoneand welcome to the Ex-Christian community!  
 

Coming to the conclusion that there is likely “nobody in charge” of the universe certainly changes how we look at a lot of things - but the world does make a lot more sense from that perspective.  
 

I hope we’ll hear more from you and that you’ll share your deconversion experience whenever you’re ready to do so!

[Joshpantera]

On 8/26/2020 at 2:05 PM, alreadyGone said:

I did.

 

Losing that belief in "higher power" and a supreme being can be as disorienting as anything in the entire realm of human existence and experience, as it seems to me.

Coming far enough along in life and having lived most of it as a Christian believer means falling off that cliff into disbelief at this stage in life is as tough as anything one can face.

Facing both your choices and mistakes in your life lived so far while facing also your mortality...

 

Having lost that belief in the afterlife of the kingdom, I personally do not find belief for any other 'afterlife' or existence after my present mortal life.

 

Time... that is indeed the stuff of which life is made.

 

 

 

Yes, it's a very different perspective after losing the god delusion, so to speak. In a way, it just gets to where it doesn't really matter about afterlife or any of it. There's no pressing need to debate in your mind whether or not such a thing exists. 30 years into non belief, I feel the weight of mortality bearing down in mid life, but I'm not moved in any way towards theistic belief because of it. I just observe the passing thoughts of mortality as they arise. And recognize them for what they are. I analyze the reality of the situation of an aging animal, fully aware of it's own mortality. 

 

It's an odd thing for an animal to evolve to this point. To gain the ability to deeply contemplate it's own mortality like this. Dream up mythical gods during this evolution and development as a way of appeasing the fears and stresses that go along with the contemplation of one's own very certain mortality. All of these myths and religions presenting various ways in which the animal mind can try and appease the awareness and contemplation of certain mortality. What else could they be? Literally true? The evidence strongly disagrees. 

 

We could imagine all types of afterlife. But not having one at all does seem like the simplest explanation. And that's the forefront of the animal evolution. We've gained the ability to contemplate our own mortality. Reacted to that contemplative ability with myths and religions. Then a minority of animals pressed further to face down mortality head on without the need to try and soften the blow, so to speak. But it could be spreading. It's a growing minority as far as that goes. 

 

I enjoy not having to pussy foot around make believing in fantasies in order to get through day to day life. It really is sad that so many people are not able to do the same. Desperately looking to outside, imagined forces to save them from whatever. The very idea of wanting to live forever without end has myriad problems associated with it, which, the same said people who aren't known for thinking things out very far, generally don't think out very far. I don't think that I'd want such a thing, having considered it. Living a natural life from birth to death can actually sound quite reasonable against living forever without end, without literally ever ending. I think the latter is more fucked up than the former.........