if god is so loving

I'm a confirmed atheist. To those who believe or have faith, I'm glad it brings you comfort, but I cannot comprehend how any supposedly loving 'god' could create a world in which there is such evil. I was taken to church every Sunday as a child by my granny, until I realised that you were not supposed to ask questions and simply 'believe'. My logical brain will not allow me to do that. There are thousands of religions, believing in thousands of gods. Who is to say that one 'god' is real and others are not?

I describe myself as religious but certainly not Christian. I dont convieve of god as a person but more as a force which created the universe. There may be more than one of them and they in turn may have gods. Who is to say.

I dont consider it necessary to belong to a particular faith or to do particular things to acknowledge that there is somewhere a force above humankind. I dont believe my life has individual meaning any more than the life of say a cat or a snake or a fly does. I think we just have to make the best of things as they are.

Im glad I never had children.

Kate1949

As a child brought up on a Catholic household, I prayed every night that my violent, drunken father would change. He didn't. I stopped praying because there was no one there. I have been through so much c**p but never pray. There is no point.

I grew up in similar circumstances, Kate1949 but - from my own experience - I developed a conviction at age 18 that 'we are here to use it help other people'. It led me, that year, to start working in a psychiatric hospital where people occasionally asked me what I thought the point of life was. Some seemed satisfied with this naive conclusion of mine. I went on to believe that, according to my mother; 'there is a reason for everything'. Looking back over the last 70 plus years I can see 'each end in my road was actually just a bend...' Social Work training led me to Carl Gustav Jung's idea of the 'Collective Unconscious'..... Then, much later someone I met in 2016 introduced me to 'the Universe' as a similar entity to the Collective Unconscious.... These ideas are more acceptable to me than any religion which, as often seems to lead to hatred, conflict and even the too often ensuing cruelty and death ..... as often as it may to kindness..... with its roots going back many centuries.....

joeann, great point you have made, Some days I'm at the place of just getting on with it....... but then thoughts jump into my mind!the perils of an enquiring mind! I doubt if humans will ever get to know until we are dead, but then there is faith.

Theoddbird
My daughter was walking my 5yr old granddaughter home from school when out of the blue she said will you be my mummy next time
Not long after that we were walking along our sea front and she pointed out to the estuary and said i drowned out there

As a child brought up on a Catholic household, I prayed every night that my violent, drunken father would change. He didn't. I stopped praying because there was no one there. I have been through so much c**p but never pray. There is no point.

I think everyone when in the most dire, dangerous, sad circumstances prays to God for help.
I’m not a praying person, although I believe in something. Many years ago I was in a very dangerous sailing incident. I thought for all the world I was going to die. I prayed that night for help.

a lot of sadness and destruction in the world is man's doing. - and a lot isn't. Worms that crawl into children's eyes in Africa? - what the hell is that about?

Urmstongran
I agree with your comment on 12:56

mumofmadboys

I believe in a loving God. He has given us freewill and a lot of sadness and destruction in the world is man's doing. My faith helps me live from day to day, hour by hour. I think there will always be questions and people will always have doubts. At present we see only in part ,one day we will see fully.

Beautifully put.

I believe in Karma and reincarnation. We are here to learn and also teach. We learn with each life we live. Our soul grows. Young souls are like many young people...they think they know everything...this is where problems in the world start...boy racers. Old souls will try and impart peace, caring and love...they teach what they have learnt. This us a rather simplistic description of what I believe. Beliefs that started to evolve when I was about 20. My son who is now 45 said something really interesting when he was between two and three. It was a sunny day and we were playing with toys. He suddenly said... 'of course when you die you come back as another baby' I was surprised to say the least.

Urmstongran. How hard it must be for those who suffer.

But then there's God's apparent reluctance refusal to provide us with order and happiness. He appears not to grant us our wishes.

I have faith. I was brought up in a Christian home.

I have no answers to a lot of things but I do believe that we were all born with a free will, some do good and some bad. When bad things happen its always Gods fault, never human, always God, people are too ready to blame God.

Like I say, I have no answer to a lot of things and so I sit more than comfortable and content with the knowledge I do have which is that God is here with me in my life, he gives me the strength to continue with difficult events he gives me the grace to praise the good.

😃

Briefly!

Human being have self will... and that means they have a broad spectrum of behaviours they can act out..

At the heart of all religions is the idea that one lives by the morality that is said to be given by God/dess, by those who choose it. Humanists can also live by these ideas.
Ten Commandments in Christianity, Precepts in Buddhism, Themes in the Bhagavad Gita in Hinduism etc..

Sadly the human ego arises and the 'I will' comes to the fore.
Hence greed, wars, murders and other heinous behaviours.

I wouldn’t dream of not praying for you both. Healing for himself, strength and comfort for you.

A heartfelt thank you from me GSM. What a comfort that is to me - truly - to be in the prayers of those who have a faith.

Yes, very well.

mumofmadboys

I believe in a loving God. He has given us freewill and a lot of sadness and destruction in the world is man's doing. My faith helps me live from day to day, hour by hour. I think there will always be questions and people will always have doubts. At present we see only in part ,one day we will see fully.

X post.
You put it well, what I was trying to say!

I studied all this stuff at university, Albert Camus, You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life, but I can't say I am any further on in understanding it in my 60s.
I think that if we constantly search for an answer or a purpose in life, we will never be completely free. I hold with the idea that this is just how it is. We just need to give ourselves over to it, one day at a time. We learn from both the good and the bad.
I never was one for whys and wherefores. For me, it's easier that way.

My view too mumofmadboys. Faith brings much comfort.

I pray for you and your husband each night, Urms, amongst many others. I don’t think God listens only when I mention names of those who believe.

I believe in a loving God. He has given us freewill and a lot of sadness and destruction in the world is man's doing. My faith helps me live from day to day, hour by hour. I think there will always be questions and people will always have doubts. At present we see only in part ,one day we will see fully.

I suppose that’s where the nub of this lies fancythat.
Faith is key.
Sadly (for me) I don’t have any.

It is a great comfort.
Also, on a day to day level, I would be a nervous wreck without it, personally.
Sometimes people ask, what makes you happy? God does. Gives me some inner peace. On a personal level. To a certain extent.

Why was the earth made? I dont know. No human knows everything.
It wasnt supposed to be destruction. Fallen angel[de vil] did that.

Then you may ask, couldnt God control that?
He seems to have decided to wait until the final judgement part.
Then you may ask why. Answer, I dont know. And we are back again to the, no human know everything, part.

I don’t. I’m a Humanist..
I was just joining in with the premis of the thread. That said, it must be a comfort to those who have a faith in times in times of anguish. I wish I had one.