atheism & dilemma?

Question

I know a lot of atheists who are generally good people and their lives always work out great. however, I also know a lot of good religious people who are struggling all the time. isn't the power of God supposed to help you in times of distress? but all the atheists I know simply rely on their own will power & everything works out for them.

so what's the trick

i really am beginning to think there may not be God at all

there's just too much pain and no responsible parent would want to put her/his children thru' that & we're supposed to be the children of God

i'd like to hear your thoughts & I know it's the same old question but I just haven't made peace with the way the world is yet

thanx

Answer 1

isn't the power of God supposed to help you in times of distress?

says who? why does "God" have to help anyone? Don't they say God helps those who help themselves?
Why can't God be just an absentee landlord or a distracted parent that sent us on our way to make it on our own?

Who are we that we should expect THE GOD to assist us? So if I want to win the lottery and pray for it but never win, and the one who won the lottery also prayed ---what makes the winner better than me? Did God make him win instead of me--or was it just chance?
WHO KNOWS? not us.
I believe in God but I don't believe He is at OUR beck and call.

Answer 2

There is no trick, you can't rely on anything except yourself to get you thru life. If there is a god it is not the god of any religion, you are right to question it I have been questioning it for years and the best I can come up with is that Religion is RIDICULOUS it is there to keep people in line and nothing else. Think about it, if you honestly think that out of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE that this is the only planet with life on it... you must be crazy. The universe is HUGE, there is no way that this is the only planet with life on it. Look what I am trying to say is, question it come up with your own answer don't be afraid to come to the conclusion that there is no god, and don't lt anyone tell you your wrong when you figure it out for yourself.

Answer 3

Take a look at Humanism - could be good for you.

I'm starting to learn something from Buddhism.

But to respond to the pain idea - Deism has suggested - god created the universe & everything therein, and said "there you go. It's all yours. Don't make a mess". WHy do people assume that we should not simply hold humanity to blame for humanity's probems.

When your children become young adults & leave home, you stop (or reduce) your intervention - you're there if they need help. But once you're an adult - make you own decisions & live with the results. Same applies to humanity - we fail to prevent things from happening then want god to fix OUR mess.

Answer 4

Knowing about the reality of the fairy tales of the bible or anything written by man, how can ANY religion be viewed as anything BUT the invention of men? I know this may not be what you want to hear, and I doubt I'll do much harm to a person's faith; faith is remarkably impervious to reason. But we atheists are nothing like what the church leaders are fond of charicaturing us as. We are freethinking individuals who are able to see the Big Picture without the blinders of religion.

We do not live in despair, quite the contrary; freethought is incredibly refreshing, liberating, and empowering. We are not nihilists, but lovers of life who see it as all the more precious because there's no eternal afterlife. We do not need the bribe of heaven or the threat of hell to be good people, we believe in being good for its own sake. Through science and reason, we know more about the true nature of the world we live in than religion could ever hope to offer.

Atheists are not the enemy of religious folks. Our quarrel is with irrationality, wishful thinking, superstitions, intellectual dishonesty, and all other forms of thinking that keep mankind mired in darkness, ignorance and hate.

There is no 'trick' in having good things happen to good people. The reality is that good and bad happen to all people. The 'trick' is to live for the moment, you won't get a second chance.

Answer 5

It's nice to have hope, but hope alone doesn't accomplish anything. Deeds do. Atheists are much more spiritually self-reliant; we see no need to call on imaginary beings for help. We don't "put our faith in god" that things will get better; we MAKE them better.

From what you write I can't really tell if you're a xtian, atheist, or a doubter in the process of moving from the former to the latter. I'm atheist myself, but I won't proselytize to you here. If you're not ready to give up the beliefs you were raised on, that's fine. Some people need the emotional crutch of religion to lean on. But to answer your question, just don't lean on religion so much that you give up personal responsibility for your actions. Atheists by default know that if we want to get pulled up by our bootstraps, we've got to do it ourselves. Some theists know this too, others need to learn the hard way that imaginary friends won't bail them out.

Answer 6

great joke to answer this, a guys house is flooded to the roof and he is sitting on top. he says I dont fear, God will save me. A boat comes and he says no thinks Im waiting on God He will save me. A helicopter comes and the man says no thanks God will save me. The guy soon after that drowns and goes to heaven he meets God and says I waited for you to save me what happened. God says, what do you think the boat and the helicopter were for.

the simple answer is religion clouds judement sometimes and you miss the boat. (no pun intended) Sometimes you have to work hard, soemtimes it pays off and sometimes you come up short but at the end of the day whatever gets you through the rough times is what ever you make of it.

Answer 7

Sheri, your question is truly exciting because you are at the threshold of a paradigm shift. You are about to drop your present understanding of life, and move on to a higher level of understanding. Most probably you will develop a better concept of God-- a God who cares for all people in the world --even atheists.

It makes me happy to know that there are people like you willing to examine their own beliefs, and grow to a higher level of understanding and maturity. How good and exciting our life will be if our minds keep on growing and developing as we rise to higher levels of understanding! Wish you the very best!
For further exploration, you might want to click on the link below and read it.

Answer 8

I once read an article in a paper that said that those who were sick and in the hospital who knew they had people praying for them did not recover as quickly as those people who were not religious and did not have anyone praying for them. It said that the people who had someone praying for them were relying on some other force to make them better and not relying on their ownself to make them better. Kind of makes sense.

Answer 9

The question you should be asking is "is God real?" when you are deciding if you believe or not. I don't think you should decide to disbelieve based on bad things happening to good people if you think God is real.

Answer 10

You're going to get a lot of anwers on what folks think, I think:) Here's what I think. Some would even call it experience. That's the best kind of knowing. Otherwise, you just get "opinions" of every kind. Boring stuff. Here's my experience. I asked forever to know if there was a God. How did I find out? I began to ask Mother Mary, someone I knew I could trust. Maybe because of her ability to concieve a child, without human seed. I studied every philosophy, religion, even traveled to distant lands, my hunger was that deep. I meditated, begged, used chants as a prayer or form of meditation. I could go on. Then I began to quiet down for longer and longer periods at a time. Could I hear? Kinda' rugged at first, many stops and starts. I fasted for long periods, prayed and cursed and shouted and got furiously mad. I read book after book. I listened to ministers, friends, teachers, even some ignorant guru's, claiming to be our God. Where does one go when they have exhausted the limits? I talked to psychics, card readers, palmists, astronomers and astrologists. Then I began to listen to my heart better and better. I heard a lot of things, some good, some not so good. Scary stuff, I said. Lots of minds all saying parallel things, contradictory things. Kinda' like the stuff I was hearing on earth. So now, heaven is nuts too? Louder and louder I sceamed for Mother Mary. She turned up the volumn for me. And I also took time to get quieter and quieter inside, and not as impatient as I used to be. Big lesson for me. I focused on Mother Mary more and more, the things she said to me inside, not out. It began my Final Journey back to me. Meaning, I only stayed still and they came to me. If I was taken outside my form, it was a gift. I said thank you when I could remember. Even teachers of God appreciate gratitude. I sense God might too. I included both male and female in the Godhead, meaning, I was shown that without that, there is great imbalance in all life. Everything has an equal partner, not just God alone. God has children, wee ones, big ones, some in between. Fur babies, four legs and tails, sun and sky and moon creatures, as well as moon. Without eyes to see, who can see anything at all? Vast buildings and skyscraper, paper toys fade away... what will we do when Big Love Viewers show up? Hold onto your seat belts, it's closer than you think.:) You wouldn't be asking your questions so openly and honestly if you weren't really ready for the answers. I can only tell you MY story. Other folks also have their ways of knowing. No one can take that from you once it is achieved. God doesn't send trials, only New Beginnings. Meaning, if you can't hear how to do it right the first time perfectly to your own satisfaction, then keep practicing it until you do. Which means, just because you say you don't believe in a God doesn't mean He/She doesn't guide you still. How audible, visible, do you want God to be? He/She is capable of anything, don't you think? It's just sometimes God likes softer music, not always rap. It's so easy, I wish I could give it to you on a platter. Takes time and effort to know God, I guess. It's so VAST. :) Keep moving in the direction that brings release for you best.

The teachings I've been shown are endless, glorious, and yes "heaven" is as real as earth. Thing is... angels, Guides, and a vast number of other Divine Beings everywhere, from all the farthest outreaches of Space and Time, are now closer to Earth, so close you can reach out and touch them. It's not frightening to know and see and feel such Divinity. Some call psychic abilities clairvoyance, mental telepathy, etc. I call it having a good time. There is no Child of God that is without these same qualities. It only takes a bit of practice to get better and better at it. You wouldn't want to remain locked into using only five senses forever, would you. Why not try to use your 6th Sense for seeing the things I talk about? How? More practice. It will come to you. When you make concerted effort, these Beings will notice readily. They can't wait to help you. You only need ask. Don't let another's ignorance or disappointment get you down or discourage you. It's fun to be in the lap of Love, like a real human, cat, dog, wolf, or any such creature of Love must be. You have to regain your memory of all that was Lost. Find out how it got that way, who took it from you back in Historical Times past. What have YOU got to lose? Slow down some, don't force yourself to hurry by the good stuff. Look at the flower petals dancing. See lighter and lighter vibrations or energy bands of the teeniest and sparkliest fillaments of the ALL. This is God, my friend. Omnicient, omnipresent? I'll say so.