i fear i'm becoming an atheist?

Question

i used to (still do?) believe in God but the more I look at life I see only this. People can be disgustingly mean and lead great lives at the expense of someone else's suffering. what makes them succeed in this? their willpower, obviously. and then you have the religious people who are constantly struggling and so forth...so, from what I see, it's the willpower that helps you instead of...i don't like the way I think and I do want to believe but I can't ignore what i see.

i know my philosophy's not very deep but i want to hear your thoughts on this.

thanks

Additional Details

but why do I feel so unhappy about it

Answer 1

You feel unhappy because you want to fit in with everybody else and you know that if you don't believe in god then you won't fit in. That frightens you. And it's perfectly normal.

There's no reason to "not like" the way you think, especially since you've based your conclusion on observation. Well done. Never deny the evidence of your senses.

You fear atheism because you've been taught to believe that atheists believe in nothing, that atheism has nothing to offer. But remember: Just because you've been taught to think so, that doesn't make it so.

Answer 2

Your perspective of life is going to grow as time goes by. You can't limit yourself to a "yes" or "no" stance on God, no matter what apparent evidence is facing you. Life and each individual's philosophy about it are much more complex than "I am an atheist" or "I believe in God". Atheism is merely a different way to understand who you are, how you think, where you came from, etc. It takes God out of equation so as to see how humans look without divine intervention. Christianity is a religion that places God above everything as Creator and Savior. They are simply two differing viewpoints.

As far as willpower is concerned, you've got to ask yourself how much of an influence willpower has on life as a whole. You can see it affect a large portion of life, but you can also life and circumstances affect the will. Some things will never be in our control and may influence us to a certain degree. The will is a great force, but there are other forces that are much more powerful, and who knows where they come from?

I'm basically trying to say, don't be quick to make a big philosophical descision between God or atheism just because you feel that the will of an individual is what will control his life. Life will not fit into a confined box like that. Instead, maybe you should find something that you can believe in, even if the evidence is against it. That's what faith is.

Answer 3

I do not believe in God but I respect that belief in others. I don't like to see other people suffering and belief seems to help some people to avoid some suffering. I have wanted to believe in God for many of the reasons you say cause you to doubt. I see bad people getting ahead in life and good people suffering - if there were a Loving God and an afterlife things would seem a whole lot more fair.

If there is a God and you behave yourself, follow His rules, and you are a good person you will get rewarded eventually for being good.

If there is no God and you behave yourself and you are a good person you come to realize the reward for doing good and turning away from evil is doing good itself. At the end of the day you can look in the mirror without flinching. Hmmmm, no reason believers can't think that way, too. You are in the midst of your reward if you live a life doing good.

If there is a God and you are cruel and hurtful to others, stepping on them up the ladder of material goods you will eventually be punished for being evil unless you actually change and become a good person. Then you will be cleaned and forgiven.

If there is no God and you are cruel and hurtful to others your punishment is being an evil person, even if you change and turn to good you must always suffer with the knowledge that you have been evil. A person wed to evil is half a person no matter what they believe. They live a life blind and broken with or without a punishment inside or afterwards.

To me, the only valid reason to not believe in God is because you don't think God is real, like not thinking unicorns are real. It's not a truly mature outlook to not believe in something you think is real because life isn't fair. Life isn't fair but I believe in love. Love is the force we can use to fight against evil whether we believe in God or not.

Answer 4

It is hard to see good people not succeeding as well as the unethical ones. And you tend to hear about the unethical ones more because they get caught!

There are very good people who make it in this world without sacrificing their ethics or their beliefs. A man I knew and admired was a millionaire and owner of an oil company. It was not part of a conglomerate. I know for a fact that back in the days when he was just starting out, he often delivered kerosene to ranches and farms and wrote part of it off because he knew the customer couldn't pay for the whole thing. He owned a truck stop and once picked up the tab for a college student who was hitting the books there--and it wasn't an isolated incident. He was always first to donate to a good cause and supported his local church with large donations even though he often couldn't make it to service. I even saw him come back into the truck stop three years after he sold it and give Christmas bonuses to all his former employees. His funeral service was the largest I'd ever seen because he got where he was without hurting people.

Yes, ethical people do seem to struggle more, but you'll find that they also reap larger rewards both here on Earth and when they are gone. Their stories are harder to find, but they're out there.

By the by, when you reach a certain level of wealth, it becomes more burden than asset. You either spend the rest of your life worrying about it or you use it to help others.

Answer 5

Perhaps it's time to really examine what you believe and why. You say you believe in God, but have a have a hard time with the horrible things people do (sometimes, even in the name of God).

I guess you have to examine why (if for any reason) we are put on this earth. Is it simple a random act of sex? Or, are we hear to learn and develop? If you are here randomly, of course, it neither matters, nor is there any intervention in the mean, horrible things that are done. If you're here to learn and develop, hopefully, you are also here to develop a locus of control to keep you from doing mean, horrible things.

Think of it this way: As very small children, our parents could and did (if we had good, loving parents) intervene to help keep us on safe, on the right path, etc. However, eventually, we had to learn to act outside of our parents' control. We learned to make good and bad choices. We also learned that there are consequences for our choices that not only affect us, but others, as well. You tell a lie to keep from getting in trouble, but it gets someone else in trouble instead. Eventually, the lie probably catches up to you, creating a worse mess, with more dire consequences than if you'd told the truth.

What does this have to do with God? If God, as a loving parent, allows us to make good choices, he also allows us to make bad and suffer the consquences. If all of our paths are totally proscribed, where does learning come in? We can't learn and know the difference between good and bad unless we experience either first hand or vicariously, the effects of both.

I've left you some links to help you. I've left not only traditional and untradtional Christian, but also other religious philosophies as well. Though I've included a link to my own beliefs (I'm not going to tell you which), I'm also not going to endorse one over another. The Interfaith Calendar link gives you a link to many of the world's religions and philosophies. You must find what fits for you. The fact that you're unhappy and questioning does NOT show, as one person suggests, that you're an unhappy atheist, but that you know there is something out there that you do not understand. Finally, the last link, is to a site where you can ask this questions of "experts" not just those of us with profound beliefs or lack of them.

Good luck on your quest.

Answer 6

Not so long ago, I went through the same phase.

You are making a comparison that will only get you depressed. You follow certain beliefs/tenets/values and there are some who don't or follow something that is totally against yours. This is the wrong sort of comparison because you're following your values not for any immediate benefits in your daily life whereas those you 're comparing yourself against are doing whatever they are doing for a specific benefit, namely success. It boils down to the purpose of your values. If you think people are mean and hurt others' feeling, they are doing it to succeed in their immediate goals whereas when you're being nice to someone you're not doing it to achieve any goals. That's why I think this sort of comparison will get you depressed. So don't.

As to unhappiness, do something actively to pursue happiness. Make a list of things that you would make you happy no matter how trivial they are and DO THEM. Think of all the things that you made you happy when you were young. You will find most things that cheer you up, are easy to accomplish. Also how many different ways you know to get a natural high? You can do a search on the internet. I think being intimate with someone you love tops the list. But there are plenty of other things like music, sports, gardening, etc that will get give you a sense of euphoria.

Good luck!

Answer 7

I went through the same thing, by the time I was 12 I was very much in doubt of God. When I was 14, I tried really hard to restore my belief, I read the entire bible. I enjoyed the stories, but I still wasn't convinced. In addition, the things in the bible didn't mesh with my reality. I was hanging on to Christianity, just in case. By the timeI was 16 I had fully embraced my disbelief, and since then I've been breaking it to peopel that I'm an atheist.

It's hard to accept that when you've been indoctrinated since you were a baby. Don't let the fact that you were indoctinated make you feel obligated to remain so. Also, being a good person, being Christian, and having a good life do NOT go hnd in hand.
There are good people who are Christian who have good lives
Bad people, christians, bad lives
good people, non-christians good lives
etc. etc. etc...

I'm a good person who is not Christian who has a good life. I'm happy,full and satisfied.

If you feel the need to maintain a spiritual tie, look into Buddhism. I've recently started studying it; it seems more 'realistic' than other religions to me - so far.

Answer 8

Whether you believe in God or not, or are not sure (agnostic), your observations about the success of some not-so-nice people are correct. But, maybe you're expecting the wrong thing from God. In my opinion, a mature believer doesn't expect God to be like Santa Claus, bringing material rewards for good behavior. Focus on what YOU are doing to make the world a better place. Focus on what YOU are doing to make other people's lives better. Then you will find your sense of purpose in life and you'll be much happier. Along the way, you may also come to a more mature and satisfying understanding about the nature of God.

Answer 9

I understand what you mean....when you look at life you see only mean people that lead great lives at the expense of others suffering...i know...and that is bad...then the religious people are stuggling also....willpower...basically Life is a stuggle....even though books may tell you it is NOT... but they haven't walked in your shoes...You feel unhappy, maybe because whether you are an atheist or a christian person everybody stuggles...and it make s everyone depressed and feel like giving up...the rich get richer and the poor get poorer...UNLESS YOU GET IN A FIELD (JOB WISE) THAT WILL BRING YOU IN MORE MONEY....IT WILL always be a stuggle.....i knew some guy that became an ATTORNEY AND then suddenly got AYDS from a blood transfusion and never got to start his practice...NOW THAT IS UNFAIR...ALL HIS BRAINS...and you know the ending...he passed on...a lot of people doubt God especially if their child starts... dying....understandably....they will doubt him...maybe they are being tested ...that is what I HAVE HEARD...BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.......so i do not know...BUT EVERYONE TELLS US TO BELIEVE...SO I DO...

Answer 10

The world is so full of negativity these days it's hard to see anything else sometimes. But I can tell you from personal experience God is there when you least expect it. If it weren't for Him, I probably wouldn't be alive after a few events that could have been so much worse. People struggle every day, but maybe they don't believe in God and don't realize that if they want, He can help with all of their problems. Faith is a very important part of believing in God. You have to ignore what you see and just believe that there is a higher power. I know there is in my life and I'm thankful. I suffer from depression myself, and sometimes God is the only way to get me through the day.

Answer 11

Read the bible. Talk to the Lord, and do not be discouraged. Pray often. You are getting discouraged because the devil is whispering in your ear and making you forsake yourself. Remember that you are a child of God.
Do not envy people that spend all their time and energy aquiring earthly treasures. Build up your treasures in Heaven. Know that your Heavenly Father has a home for you and you name is in the Book of life. The Christian lifestyle is not an easy road....in fact it is the hardest. Its much harder to do the right thing, than it is to do the wrong thing.

Remember this scripture from 2nd Corinthians: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

It's interesting as I read through the responses to this issue. Many of the people who do not believe in God just say "keep looking and find what is right for you". this is obsurd as there is only 1 real truth. Its not about finding what is comfortable for you or what meets your needs...it is the way it is. God is the only God, and there is a devil. The bible was written by over 60 different authors in 1400 years. Most of them never knew each other and yet they are ALL in agreement with what they write. This is because the words are inspired by Gods own Words to them as he led them through life.

Listen....there is a book written by an agnostic. His name is Lee Strobel. If you are serious about this decision (as it will affect the rest of your life). Then you must read it. It is called "The Case For Christ". What an amazing book!

Most of these Agnostics, Athiests, and scientology folks say they don't believe in God. But they are in trouble, and lose everything, or are about to die...who do they pray to? When they have a close call and there life is spared just barely....whom do they thank? It is not the trees, and it is not themselves, nor is it good luck. Its always God. And even the "so called" non-believers will be calling his name in times of trouble. There is something implanted into the hearts of all of Gods children. It is a calling, and it can be faint. God whispers to our hearts and we think we don't know what it sounds like, but we do. You know already deep down in your gut where you belong. Please atleast look into this book...ok?

"The Case For Christ"
By: Lee Strobel