What if your faith is wrong?

Question

Just imagine for a second that everythign you believe, allt hese feelings, emotions and "communications" with God have all been made up in your head by your subconcious. What then? Do you still keep believing? Or do you do it because you think it is the onyl way to live a moral life?

*NOTICE*: Any answers that are "It is not wrong" will be reported for breaking a rule I set up for this question.

Answer 1

hmm.

complicated concept. many people spend their entire lifetimes on this question and don't come up with satisfying anwers.

i'm curious if you are asking because you find yourself engaged in this particular crisis, or if this is about eliciting a reaction.

if it is the former, i extend my sympathy--it's a difficult place to be. if you are seeking advice, i would suggest that your question implies a conclusion that has already been reached. the narratives that religious ideologies inscribe upon people function to provide context. i think that once an individual comes to a point where s/he is able to articulate for themselves a context that is larger and more encompassing than the context provided by others (parents, ecclesiastical leaders), that individual has come to a point where it will be difficult (if not impossible) to revert to a narrower paradigm. in other words--if you get to a point where you can understand the real reasons you want to believe in the pretty stories, then it's unlikely you'll be able to go back to believing in them without compelling new evidence. once you see the man behind the curtain, you can't really go back.
if this is the case, then i'll share a couple of tips you might find relevant.
first and foremost--there is morality outside of religion. for some people, this is a difficult lesson to learn. what happens is that children are taught from birth that moral codes are derived from divine authority, and they are told that religious authorities define these codes. then when they stop being able to believe, they feel they must reject all they have learned from these authorities. this leads to a sensation of anomie (absence of structure of meaning). the truth is that religious authorities didn't invent morality, and they don't own the rights. religions are simply highly effective modes of propagating and preserving behavioral codes that have been discovered to be effective in producing that nebulous, subjective thing we humans call "goodness." in fact, for many people, the crisis of their faith comes in response to the resistence religious institutions demonstrate to new, more effective moral codes. you don't have to be a believer to be a good person.
secondly--try to avoid conflict with the believers in your life. a lot of people have a lot of animosity toward the people around them that still believe. this is understandable. often they feel betrayed by loved ones who were supposed to help them understand the world. (there aren't many people in the modern world who would buy the story of a man walking on water or coming back from the dead unless someone they knew and trusted swore up and down to them that it happened). often the animosity comes because they feel they are being judged as evil for simple intellectual honesty. often the animosity is a result of a sense of rejection (you don't believe in this so you're not a good person so i can't associate with you). try to be above the pettiness. if conflict arises with family members or close friends, try to focus on what really matters--the relationship. assure them that you are a good person--that you are constantly striving to be a good person, and tell them (gently but candidly) that it is hurtful to you when they don't see that. try to avoid debating about truth (would you argue with a child about whether santa claus was real?) remember that they will only learn to understand the bigger picture when they are ready.
third--don't define your beliefs in relation to other people's beliefs. this is difficult, but important. there is a tendency to think of religious people as "believers" and non-religious people as "non-believers." this is absurd. we are all believers. we just believe in different things. don't allow your complex view of the world to be reduced to one little thing that you do not happen to believe in.

i don't know if this has been helpful, but good luck to you.


p.s. if your intent in this question was simply to elicit a response from theists, then i apologize for my long response. but if this is the case then allow me to wonder if this is the best mode of stirring the water. you see, for most theists, it is precisely the refusal to entertain the possibility that they interpret the world incorrectly that defines their faith. for christians, for example, faith is defined as "the substance of things hoped for,the evidence of things not seen" and it is a concept always opposed to "the wisdom of men." to allow themselves to examine their beliefs honestly and objectively would be a action opposed to faith--a sin, as they understand it (not to mention how difficult it is for anyone to examine their worldview objectively and honestly).
furthermore, note that many of the responses talk about how if the faithful are incorrect, there are no consequences, but if the faithless are incorrect they shall suffer tremendous consequences. they don't want to examine it. to their understanding, nothing good can come of it.
if your intent is just to bait them, then that's ok. but if your intent is to help them grow beyond a primitive worldview, then remember A: people will grow up on their own time schedule, and B: if you want to help them grow, you have to show them how it will be a good thing. focus on how coming to understand the universe in broader way will empower them to help create a better world for the next generation. for example, try to help them see that all of the miracles that we are seeing in the field of medicine are a result of being able to understand biology in terms of it's unifying theory--evolution. or try to help them understand the awesome responsibility that modern citizens have to understand the complex nature of of sociopolitical questions. for instance--in order to heal the conflict between the western world and the middle east the world will need millions of people who are capable of understanding that there are not "good guys" and "bad guys"--just complicated, fallible people on both sides. the world needs people who will step up to modern problems with broad, open minds--people who will take everything we have learned in the past 2,000 years, and apply it to our dilemmas. this doesn't mean that we need to toss aside the wonderful things we have learned from incredible, ancient traditions. we simply need people who will learn from these traditions and then move beyond them. for many people, theism is a choice they make because facing their own mortality, their own finality, is too difficult. many of these people would be able to contribute so much more if they could simply move beyond that fear, learn to make the most of this life here and now--a life that is so much more precious once you understand it's effervescence.
if your intention is to help them grow--try to help them focus on how that growth will be positive.

just my 2 cents.

by the way, whenever i talk to theists, i always tell them that i believe in god. etymologically, "god" and "good" are the same thing. and i certainly have faith in "good." i see it all around me. to me, god is simply so much more beatiful and powerful without being confined by anthropomorphism/ anthropocentrism. i think that people's spiritual experiences are valid, beautiful things. i usually don't see a need to persuade them to modify their interpretations of these experiences--people will grow out of those when they are ready.

Answer 2

What question out of the 3 do you want answered? I guess I'll address each one....

1. What if your faith is wrong? Well there is no way of telling that is there so it's a mute point really. It works for me and it's a personal thing between me and God. Like I said it works for me and I'm quite happy with it.

2. What then? if it's wrong it doesn't matter, I've still lived my life doing the best that I know how being a good person and trying to live a moral life regardless. The saying goes like this.... I would rather live my life believing that there is a God and die to find out that there isn't , then to live my life believing that there isn't a God and die to find out that there is.

3. Yeah I keep believing why not....I'm a good person or at least I try to be. In the end I am happy with my life and my beliefs, they give me hope in this life and the life to come, and if by chance I die and there isn't anything Oh well I had a happy life regardless and it's over, at that point none of it makes a bit of difference. That is unless there really is a GOD, and if there really is then I can stand before him and say I stood strong in my faith and tried my best. I used the gift that thou gavest me through Thy Son please let me return to Thy presence. The better question to ask is What will you say?

Answer 3

I think if you stick to your morals and live a good life then if there is a God he will understand that you are a good person. If there isn't a God then you have still done the right thing. Morals should not be followed as a fear of God's retribution or they are not genuine and therefore not valid. If there is a God they will see through your being moral only because you are doing it for yourself in the end and see that you are shallow. If you live your life in the hopes of helping others and being a good person I can't imagine God from any religion of belief looking down upon you. And once again even if there is no God you have still lived in a wholesome and true manor that can be appreciated by everyone.

Answer 4

I don't really think a religious person CAN read this and answer anything but, "That will never happen; my faith is not wrong". It would be a contradiction to their faith to say otherwise.
But you have to admit, the idea of "signs", like feeling connected to God physically, all this stuff can have such easy logical explanations, and books like the Bible and Qu'ran were written thousands of years ago with no clear way of knowing if one is really right, so the smartest thing is to seek a spiritual side and believe in a God, but not bind yourself to a particular text or declare yourself Christian, Jew, Muslim, etc, or to get into any real specifics. And also to lead a generally moral life, believing good is good and bad is bad.
And there is no way of working out that your faith is entirely wrong and there is no God without some kind of otherworldly force coming to you and explaining to you that there is no God and PROVING it, which would also be contradictory because it would take a God to explain and prove to you that there is no God and a faith is WRONG in the most absolute sense of the word.

Answer 5

I think we must be sure about our faith, and because we live in such difficult times, I wouldn't live with anything made up in my head or a false and shaky belief, I'd be very sure about what I believe through facts and evidence, more than anything having a clear encounter with your creator and confirmation from above, by seeking the truth and true knowledge, but above all wisdom. I think it would be very boring doing something just because someone else is doing it, or because I am not sure about it or because of guilt that I have no moral values. God is a gentleman, he doesn't make anyone do anything they don't want to do.

Answer 6

Romans 1:20

20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Reason tells me that all of the complexity and beauty that we're surrounded by can't just appear out of no where by random chance. It is more reasonable to me to realize that since there is so much intelligent design out there, then there is some kind of Intelligent Designer out there as well.

Peace.

Answer 7

It's incorrect !....however no longer why you suppose it's...listen me out... It's incorrect or as a substitute you are not able to come to a religious truism or revel in a religious truism along with your human or as a substitute with our human intellectual brain of purpose, common sense and evaluation. It's simply does not paintings that approach. God's language, or language of the spirit is intuition, notion, Intution , intestine feeling, 6th feel, goals.....slump..... That's the language if the Spirit. All first-rate works be it Einstein or Michaelangelo could no longer be first-rate if they didn't appoint the language of the spiirit along side their god given mind of common sense, purpose and so on The church, the Christian church as a rule haven't any clue how one can appoint the language of the spirit.....they're only a giant bible university with sunday amusement via a overrated pastor........ There are a couple of resources that you'll be able to discover, Napoleon Hill's suppose and develop wealthy.....do not permit the identify idiot you, it is extra a blue print of lifestyles than approximately riches......it is approximately discovering the treasure inside, the dominion of Gid is inside you.... Or take a look at eckankar And a few type of meditation, Christian meditation....ck for a one to your regional discipline Maum meditation....strongly advise..l

Answer 8

If I go based on what lots of folks on here have told me, from a number of different perspectives, mine IS.

(I hoping saying that doesn't break your rule - I didn't say "it IS NOT" - so please don't report me (lol).)

Andyes, I feel that it helps me to live a moral life.

But I have repeatedly said, in responses to other posts, that there are plenty of ways to live a moral life sans (without) religion, particularly when one considers Socratic and Platonic thought (amongst other schools).

Socrates suggested that the "daemon" (comparable to the conscience) is pretty much what you describe - a subconscious voice that helps us to learn right from wrong. But - guess what? He was accused of impiety and ... well, you probably know how the story goes (I don't say "ends" because the story of Socratic thought has yet to "end").

Answer 9

Idon't understand wht u actually want to ask.
Believing in God and chanting his names is throughway to happiness.I think this is the only way which can give us real happiness and satisfaction. May be all these feelings r result of thoughts running in our mind,but one can't stop believing on god becoz one have not had communications with him. He is in ur heart and when u r in a charismatic state, he simply shows a way which is right for u.

Answer 10

Personally i don't think people should have only one way of thinking.. and that is there faith. I believe that people need to think of all possibilities as not to hold themselves back. So, if say you were to find out something false in what you have been taught.. like if your a christian. and the whole book on how Jesus could have a blood line and such.. just explore new things.. you might get alot out of it.. don't stick to it cause theres no other way..

Answer 11

Excellent question. Faith is a matter of belief, of things not seen. How you practice this faith is what separates, sects and religions. First ask yourself, what do you believe; second ask why you believe. I have many times questioned my faith, seen gaping holes and inconsistencies is how we practice our faith and have had some issues with respect to my church. Do you believe what the preacher, pastor or priest tells you? Or do you seek other sources? If you study the Bible and believe it to be the inspired Word of God and your church is not preaching from it, this may be why you are questioning your faith. God tells how to study in Isa 28:10 "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little".

Cheers
Malcolm