I wish that I had a Faith

I feel exactly the same. I envy people who have great faith, it must be such a comfort. In my case I did have absolute faith in God when I was young. I attended Sunday school, then Church every Sunday, and even contemplated joining a Convent in my teens. But I married an atheist, became busy with children etc and somehow lost all connection with the church and God.
And now I can't get it back, even though I would like to.
I just feel very cynical about everything.
Can miracles happen? I hope so, for you and for myself,
Fanny Cornforth.

So what is stopping you from looking for one which 'does it for you, FC?'
'Seek and ye shall find'?

I know what you mean, I often think it would be nice to have a faith too and then I sit and think about how guilty I feel about everything anyway and I think it would consume me too much.

I have a faith, it’s called humanism.

I believe entirely in the value of human beings whose knowledge and experience gives us the guidance by which to live.

I reject entirely the notion of a deity.

My rational is based on evidence and trust in the scientific method in understanding how the universe functions.

My ethical decisions are based on reason, empathy and concern for other human beings and other sentient animals.

I reject the notion of an after life and believe that life is given meaning by seeking happiness in life and helping others do the same.

That is largely taken from the humanist philosophy, but there are numerous definitions, all based on the 3 areas I have outlined.

Put simply I think the rejection of a deity in favour of human knowledge and rationality allows us as a species to finally mature.

ixion

So what is stopping you from looking for one which 'does it for you, FC?'
'Seek and ye shall find'?

I have to a certain extent.
I'm attracted to the polar opposites of Catholicism and the Quakers!
Also Buddhism and Judaism.
Oh dear...?

A while ago I decided I would have a year when I explored different faiths, in the hope of finding one that I could adhere to.

I found a great deal to admire in a number of faiths, but ultimately there came a point for all of them where I had to say, but that just doesn’t work.

Either those who professed the faith simply didn’t keep the faith, when it didn’t suit them and negated it or some part of the doctrine or belief set resulted in actions that I thought were just plain morally wrong.

So here I am with a belief in what? Some kind of life force???

And I agree with everything that Whitewave has said too!

I think many people believe in the humanist philosophy without knowing it’s name.

I'm a Christian, though not affiliated to any church, as I feel organised religion has veered well away from the God I feel I know, into sects and faiths which are the very opposite of love, caring, kindness, compassion, forgiveness and doing good, which are what I associate with God.

I hope that one day you will be able to find your own relationship with God - you are obviously open to such a thing, and I believe it would be such a comfort to you to lean on God when life gives you tough times and griefs.

I recommend taking a "leap of faith" if you'll excuse the pun, and just start talking to God (He hears you even if you're not speaking out loud!) about the things that you're grateful to have or have had, and the things that scare you/ worry you etc., and to ask for help for you and people you feel need His help.

Sending you hugs xxx

A lot of what WW2 said makes sense to me. Thank you.

There are various different faiths - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, I could go on. Some are monotheistic and others pantheistic...
In the Christian faith, there are many sects - low/high Anglican, Methodism, Friends, Amish... again I could go on.
I think that the best thing is to try them out. Sometimes, just sitting in a church or meeting housewives you the peace and quietude you are seeking. A lot has to do with how aggressively “friendly” congregations are, sometimes how you feel about the fe/male vicar. There are good people/churches around.
Give them a try and good luck.

I really don’t feel the need for ‘a faith’. I love church music - the good stuff, not the happy-clappy. Yesterday TV was a joy with Messiah followed by Easter music from King’s College Cambridge. I adored Prayers at school, every morning with good hymns, and psalms done to Anglican chant. I love cathedrals. But as for believing any of it.....no. Rational thought prevents that.

It’s one of the things I looked into. The philosophy was good but, like I said, it didn’t seem to work in practice.

I wouldn’t say the humanists I encountered were any more likely to put the common good of humanity above their own wishes and desires. Or that they treated other people particularly well.

On the other hand, they weren’t any less likely to adhere to their ‘faith’ than anyone of the others.

No better, no worse.

Humanism I mean. The posts moved on while I was typing.

Peasblossom

It’s one of the things I looked into. The philosophy was good but, like I said, it didn’t seem to work in practice.

I wouldn’t say the humanists I encountered were any more likely to put the common good of humanity above their own wishes and desires. Or that they treated other people particularly well.

On the other hand, they weren’t any less likely to adhere to their ‘faith’ than anyone of the others.

No better, no worse.

Humanism doesn’t make you a better person, only your actions do that.

I think Faith is a deeply personal thing.
It is not something that can be gleaned from the experiences of others.
And something only you can 'choose', having looked at all the options in all ways.
Are you saying that you have explored all the options and none of them are for you?

Thank you for this thread FannyCornforth there are people of faith and people of none but each person makes their own contribution to life in a way that is meaningful to them. I do have faith and have today joined in an uplifting Easter Sunday service with my church which gives me a great sense of belonging and the opportunity to be part of my local community. I know it is not for everyone but it feels right for me. If you are happy as you are, please don't feel like you are missing something. I know many non-Christians who act with kindness and compassion, you certainly don't need to go to Church to do that. Just be the best person you can be to those who love you.

My senitments exactly poshpaws.
I used to go to church when i was young,my mom used to run the sunday school,but i got to around 14/15 and decided church was not for me.
I found that there were too many hypocritcs in there.
That doesn`t stop me believing in God and what he stands for.
I am a firm believer in the 10 commandments.

ixion

I think Faith is a deeply personal thing.
It is not something that can be gleaned from the experiences of others.
And something only you can 'choose', having looked at all the options in all ways.
Are you saying that you have explored all the options and none of them are for you?

No, I'm not saying that.

I used to have a faith. I was forced to have one by my Irish Catholic parents. I believed it all. Priests and nuns were cruel and frightening, taking great delight in terrorising small children.
I no longer have a faith. Life has taught me that there's no one there. I do however love churches and cathedrals.

Just to add, it must be comforting to believe in something.

This might interest some

“Amsterdam Declaration 2002

Humanism is the outcome of a long tradition of free thought that has inspired many of the world’s great thinkers and creative artists and gave rise to science itself.

The fundamentals of modern Humanism are as follows:

Humanism is ethical. It affirms the worth, dignity and autonomy of the individual and the right of every human being to the greatest possible freedom compatible with the rights of others. Humanists have a duty of care to all of humanity including future generations. Humanists believe that morality is an intrinsic part of human nature based on understanding and a concern for others, needing no external sanction.

Humanism is rational. It seeks to use science creatively, not destructively. Humanists believe that the solutions to the world’s problems lie in human thought and action rather than divine intervention. Humanism advocates the application of the methods of science and free inquiry to the problems of human welfare. But Humanists also believe that the application of science and technology must be tempered by human values. Science gives us the means but human values must propose the ends.

Humanism supports democracy and human rights. Humanism aims at the fullest possible development of every human being. It holds that democracy and human development are matters of right. The principles of democracy and human rights can be applied to many human relationships and are not restricted to methods of government.

Humanism insists that personal liberty must be combined with social responsibility. Humanism ventures to build a world on the idea of the free person responsible to society, and recognises our dependence on and responsibility for the natural world. Humanism is undogmatic, imposing no creed upon its adherents. It is thus committed to education free from indoctrination.

Humanism is a response to the widespread demand for an alternative to dogmatic religion. The world’s major religions claim to be based on revelations fixed for all time, and many seek to impose their world-views on all of humanity.

Humanism recognises that reliable knowledge of the world and ourselves arises through a continuing process of observation, evaluation and revision.

Humanism values artistic creativity and imagination and recognises the transforming power of art. Humanism affirms the importance of literature, music, and the visual and performing arts for personal development and fulfilment.

Humanism is a lifestance aiming at the maximum possible fulfilment through the cultivation of ethical and creative living and offers an ethical and rational means of addressing the challenges of our times. Humanism can be a way of life for everyone everywhere.”

I experienced enough ‘faith’ in my first sixteen years to last a lifetime!

Gosh Kate, that's awful.
Catholicism certainly has an extremely dark side that it is almost impossible to reconcile with.

Further to my reply to Ixion, what I am saying is that I am not sure that I actually have the capacity to believe in a God.