My beliefs

nanaej Yes!

ariadne I love a good old church service! the hymns and the liturgy are all very emotive and I could so easily be carried away into believing but then the sermon starts and I hear too much that I cannot condone!

nanaej your first three paragraphs make absolute sense to me, and I agree with all you say, especially about working for the good of the world.

But as for me - I can't quite let go of God, or Jesus (or they won't let go of me). I have been much comforted, calmed and strengthened. I don't care for organised religion of any sort at all, because I believe that good men's words are muddied therein. But most of the words of the good men (using "men" generically!) said some immensely true and sensible things.

Sometimes I think I am easily seduced by wonderful language and music, but so what? It is beautiful, it moves me.

Gosh, how welcome this is - the opportunity to be honest in safety.

I believe I should lead a life that does no harm to others and that I should also do what I can to help /enhance the lives of others and not just look after me an mine.

I believe we should all work for the good of the community, society and the wider world doing as little damage to the natural environment as possible so future generations benefit from our good stewardship.

I believe people live on in the hearts and minds of those they have loved and been loved by.

Science tell me the world was not created in 6 days and that humans have evolved into current human form over many millions of years. I do not believe a deity was or is involved.

I was brought up as a C/E Christian, attended church and Sunday School, did O & A level RE but the actions of priests towards me (not physical) made me question the institution of the church. By the age of 20 I was an atheist.

Agreed, goose.

Goose Maybe I'm also a Humanist as I agree with what you have written

Ella No, I don't believe in an old man with a beard or a red creature with a forked tail!

I agree Goose.

I don't know where they come from, but I don't believe in a god or a devil.

I'm a Humanist. I feel everyone is entitled to hold on to any Faith they wish - or not believe in anything Spiritual at all. As long as the action of their Belief doesn't harm anyone else, then I don't see it should matter.

Perhaps that's God Ella. And the meaning of "the devil"

feetlebaum of course you are permitted to ask 'why?'. I'm sure you would receive a different answer from everyone you ask. I hold no particular beliefs so can't answer your question. But I am open-minded and look for answers in many different places. Each to their own

I believe in the power of love and goodness and also in the power of evil.
Both can have great influence on peoples lives.

And I see DD1 passing much of it on to her children too.

I have known people like that too, and they have had a lasting influence on my life and my way of living, such that my children will have benefited from those people too .

absent What a wonderful life-gift to have received.

My therapist was one such a woman, as you describe, and she was able to open up my eyes to the goodness in others. Her legacy is priceless.

I suppose I’m an agnostic. I don’t know for sure whether there is a god or not. If you look back through the ages at all the gods of Egypt, Rome, Greece, Scandinavia, etc. how do we know that the Christian god is any more real than those were. Perhaps in 10,000 years people will be saying that the Christian god was no more real than, say, Zeus, Ra, Thor and any other pagan god and there will be some new religion.

Ancient people believed their gods were real as do people now. What’s the difference? People can believe what they want, if it gives them comfort, whether it’s fairies, gods or whatever. I believe that human beings have it in them to be good or moral without some religion telling them that they have to be.

I believe that religions were formed by powerful people to keep the rest in line and control them. The religions got richer and more powerful and laid down more rules to control the populace.

The Catholic view that priests should be celibate doesn’t sit well the belief that Jesus lived during time when priests (Jewish – as Jesus would have been a Jew) were married.

Difficult to put into words without offending people, but I do believe that the bible is no more than a story like the myths and legends of ancient gods.

vq I admire the simplicity and openness of your thread title.

I don't think I have anything that would be called faith but I do believe that we have a kind of immortality in the memories and influences we pass on to other generations, whether good or bad. I think I have been extraordinarily lucky to have known someone that I would describe as genuinely "good". She was a profound influence on my life and also that of my daughter. Consequently, her goodness, honesty and integrity pass on down the line as aspirations for children who never knew her.

I did suggest that idea on this forum somewhere, phoenix, but it was pointed out that some religions have many different 'gods'...

Are we permitted to ask those who hold these beliefs 'why'?

I don't really believe we will actually see again our loved ones who have died. But perhaps there is another way of coming together.

I am still trying to work out my beliefs, but I would like to make one point that I have found thought provoking.

The sun, big orange thing in the sky (well, sometimes) we call it the sun, the French would call it la soleil (forgive spelling and or grammar, please) in German it would be de sonne, in Chinese it would be something else etc etc.

So, we are all talking about the same thing, but just with a different name, agreed?

So perhaps God, Allah, Buddha etc are all the same thing, but with different names?

I have had faith in the Christian God since I can remember. In the last few years I have lost my faith somewhat (mostly because of the convincing arguments my son puts forward about how we are just nerve endings and suchlike ). And other reasons of course.

But, like I have said before somewhere, there is something that keeps me hanging on.

#cantquiteletgo

I used to have faith and it can be very comforting but it can also be a cause of fear and despair. My mum finds it very comforting to believe she'll see my dad again which is lovely but a friend is terrified she will go to hell because of something she did when she was a teenager.