Psychology of Losing Faith (page 2)

moshe

-it was suddenly clear that the courageous thing to do was to just admit that this is all made up.

You don't find many who will admit that. It is getting more permissable to express a non-belief in religion I have noticed.

daniel-p

If life was something that God could create and destroy at will anywhere he/she wants to, would it really be valuable? My way of thinking about the world is now very much based on science, yet I think it may be that the existence of life is not so trivial at all. My daughter's smile reminds me of that every day.

The way God is presented in the Bible does not lead me to believe that he especially values life, on the contrary, it seems he views it very cheaply, having destroyed the world once before and demonstrating his readiness to do it again. Jesus Christ presents a different slant on forgiveness and redemption, but those who view the Bible as the Word of God find a way to work Jesus' life into an over-arching agenda of God to destroy the earth yet again. I find that as comforting as believing in a godless universe, which is to say, not much at all. Rather, comfort is derived from love and love's reciprocation--nothing else. Whether that comes through religion, community involvement, family, or something else, doesn't really matter to me.

daniel-p

-it was suddenly clear that the courageous thing to do was to just admit that this is all made up.
You don't find many who will admit that. It is getting more permissable to express a non-belief in religion I have noticed.

I think it stems from a larger issue of whether society needs religion any more. If not, or if it needs it less, an interesting question is WHY?

BurnTheShips

Existentialist Miguel De Unamuno is one of my favorite philosophers. I'd like to share a couple of quotes with my atheist friends here.

“Those who believe that they believe in God, but without passion in their hearts, without anguish in mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, without an element of despair even in their consolation, believe only in the God idea, not God Himself”

“Life is doubt, And faith without doubt is nothing but death”

When we were in a brainwashing cult, we were CERTAIN. There was no doubt. We were also dead.

Then we ate the fruit and left the Garden (which was nothing but a prison).

Believe or not. Nothing is ever easy.

BTS

nicolaou

Back in the old days when JWD allowed signatures, I used this quote by Voltaire at the end of all my posts. I'd love to see signatures come back (hint, hint Simon)

"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one"

carpediem

Thanks so much for posting that. I dont really read long articles as a rule because I dont have a lot of spare time, but that had me captivated. It described many of the feelings I have had since leaving the org. A very honest and refreshing read.

goldensky

Thank you so much, Daniel-p, for posting such an interesting article! It captivated me too. Reading about non-Witnesses experiencing their "moments of enlightenment" gave me a much broader perception of my own awakening, and confirmed the logic of my reasoning, since it seems to be happening globally to people from all religious backgrounds. For some reason, this time it really brought it home to me. How illuminating!

AllTimeJeff

I am still very much in the camp of those who see the spiritual journey of people as always forward. I know it must distress people of "faith" to see others doubt.

But doubt is actually a step forward in ones personal spirituality, not a backward step. It opens the doors to the limitations imposed by organized religion. It frees up one to explore all kinds of options, meet and accept all kinds of people, and help others on their journey.

The "faith" in this article to me is the god(s) of organized religion. Their agenda is what is at the forefront of "faith", and has been for some time. Looking back on history from the time of Jesus through the 18th century, and you will find the Christian Church's agenda trumps scientific discovery and personal autonomy. It wasn't until the United States was formed, and there was an allowance for Science in the blooming West that religious superstitions were set aside for what the evidence suggested. Prior to this, church tradition and agendas trumped all else. Or as the article puts it well:

He began reading widely outside the Christian canon: science magazines, psychology, philosophy. It was the liberal-arts education he never had, and what followed was "a slow but steady migration across the theological spectrum" that took about five years. (Among the deeply faithful, doubt is often first stoked with exposure to the "outside world.")

It is that "outside world" that organized religion fears most. "Out there" are ideas where people can ultimately be individuals, and as a result, no longer need a church or an institution to express or learn about their own spirituality and personal journey.

I forsee a world where the definition of the word "spirituality" is more and more defined by the individual as opposed to organized religion, where one's personal experience is as valid as the next, where dogma is not #1 or even in the top 10. Dogma wouldn't be the point. Agenda's of groups replaced by your spiritual agenda.

Losing faith in organized religion or the traditional concepts of the bible is a step to discovering your own faith, perhaps in a higher power, but all the time, learning about your own real spiritual needs.

chickpea

excellent read

i have to agree that the realization that
there is no one "out there" giving two
craps in a handbag about my life conduct
is a stunning concept for the formerly religious....

it was a total "hitch up your big girl panties and deal
with reality... THIS is your one sure life" wake-up call

Meeting Junkie No More

Excellent article. Thanks for posting - resonates deeply with me as well.

Just wanted to say that this reminds me of TIME article about Mother Theresa's loss of faith - happens much more than generally thought.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html

Psychology of Losing Faith

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