dostf

Aqua:

Yes people want to "believe". What they really want is love. Religion provides "ground rules" for this. However , it is terribly flawed in a myriad of ways. Religion provides rules for those that need them. A person with "concience" has no need for religion.
If you must "believe" believe in the human that loves you with no benefit to themselves.

MadMordigan

If you must "believe" believe in the human that loves you with no benefit to themselves.

Show me one and I'll believe in them.

E_muse

I'm not sure that people simply believe in God out of some emotional need and such an explanation might be too simple.

I know many Christians, many of whom struggle intensly with Church, but at no point does their faith in God waver at all.

What I do see in them is a sense of the divine. That they are somehow connected to a supernatural being. To deny this would simply (for them) to be to deny their own experience.

Even those who have gone through times of intense personal doubt describe 'an invisible thread' connecting them to God through such times. Others describe how they can 'enter the presence of God' easily when they wish to - even when they have no connection with the Church.

Maybe in our culture people adopt a religion out of a desire for community and a sense of belonging.. but this has not always been the case historically when being a Christian could have cost you your life. At such times people hold true to what they have experienced rather than simply 'give in' to the intolerance of another. Such theism must be informed by something deeper than a need to belong.

E_muse

Many atheistic thinkers (such as Bertrand Russell and Sartre) have confessed to a 'desire for God' and it is refreshing to find it being expressed on these threads.

This is where many begin their journey of faith and need to investigate whether this desire is simply 'in them' or corresponds to something greater.

Many have prayed that God will show himself to them if they pray... and it still seems a sound idea to me. Just in case there is something beyond the natural world that I can connect with.

Theli

The strange thing about this is that people can draw pretty weird conclutions. First they pray to god to give them a sign, but they have no idea what that sign might be, so they see every single event that seems "out of order" or exceptional as a sign from god.

sighhswolf

Yea, this is akin to the perpetual dodge.
Reverend I have prayed dilligently and asked for gods help and begged for an answer to my prayers,
but I have not been given an answer."
And the preacher says, "Maybe you have been answered, just not in the manner you wanted.
God works in mysterious ways, and he will do whats best for you even if you dont recognize it for what it is."
And I say:
You are full of crap Rev., what good is it to pray for answers and help to some god, when you may never understand the answer you are given??
Sounds like the classic bait and switch routine, I dont have what you want.....but here!! I have this and it's much better than what you requested.
Course it will cost more...but hey if you need it
you will pay the asking price.
Wolf


<img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

Loki

Yeah... prayer can have great internal efficacy, but I'm a bit skeptical on its external efficacy, for obvious reasons.

I think a lot of it is probably the sense of community; I just broke up with my boyfriend, and a major factor was religion, or lack thereof. Note to self, do not date a devout Catholic again.

Part of it, for me at least, is the fact that I'm growing up and a bit whiny because life isn't as simple as it once was; sometimes i'd like to return to age 7 or so, when life was bright and shiny and things always worked out okay. To me, I guess, that's what God or a god or gods would do... make everything work out okay.

Emotionally, it's very tempting, but I can't do it logically.

dostf

madmordigan:

Don't be sad. That human may be around the next corner.Maybe you have been looking in the wrong places.

dostf

aqua:

Emotionally, it's very tempting, but I can't do it logically.(aqua)

Yes because you have "grown up". Don't look back it will only make you sad. The past was never as you remember it.

Loki

Touché.