I've been loosing my faith in God for quite sometime now. Partly because of what we are taught in school (that the universe was created by the Big Bang Theory, human evolution from the ape, etc.). But also because things just keep going wrong in my life. I always feel that God is helping someone else and ignoring me.
How do I regain my faith when the scientific theory of human evolution makes much more sense to me? Any opinions?
2006-12-20 06:43:41 · 41 answers · asked by Peanut Butter 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'm not blaming God for anything. I ask him for the strength, but I don't ever feel it. I don't ask him to fix my life, but to grant me the ability to change my attitude to fix my life.
Perhaps I don't need faith, but a therapist?
2006-12-20 06:53:50 · update #1
If faith was about having the puzzle pieces fit the way you think they should then it would be easy. Do you pray and listen when you pray? Do you know how to listen to God? Science to me, only serves to prove God's existence (ie... couldn't God have caused a "Big Bang"?, If it was proven we came from apes (why then are their still apes) how does that disprove God? If you want things to go better in your life, pray daily, find out how to listen to God, read your Bible and regain your faith!
2006-12-20 06:53:30 · answer #1 · answered by Scott B 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I went through the same thing that you are going through right now and I may have had it worse. My father is a Catholic Deacon and I was of course raised as a Catholic. Over the last few years I began to question in my faith as a Catholic. I did what another person mentioned in the answers before me did. I explored the possibilities of there not being a god. For awhile I concidered myself at least agnostic if not atheist. It really wasn't until I reached college this year that I found what truly fits me as an individual in my own belief system. A few months ago I actually came out of the broom closet to my mother who is a Catholic as well that I was now a Wiccan. I found a truth in my beliefs that were always there but were never answered by Christianity. By exploring the possibilities and looking for something that connected with me I found a faith that has made me a complete person and has filled the holes in the questions that other religions couldn't fullfil. You have to find your own path. Do what you think will make you a happy and better person. Don't be afraid to strike out against the normal and common, be different. Someone above me also said that if you do explore the possibilities and find your way back to your faith you will feel a stronger connection to that faith. Only you can decide who and what you believe in. I hope that you can find your own path and follow it with your heart. So in my own faith I shall end.
~Merry Meet, Merry Part, Merry Meet Again~
Blessed Be!
2006-12-20 07:08:20 · answer #2 · answered by B-love 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe you. I don't think the Big Bang or evolution theory can shake religious faith. There's tons of stuff science doesn't explain. Example: Science has no clue why the Big Bang banged. Nada. Read Stephen Hawkings. Could the Big Bang be part of God's creation process? Could evolution? What did the first living cell evolve from? Science can't touch those questions.
I don't buy your story that your religious faith has anything to do with science. If your faith is shaky, it's shaky. Deal with it or get over it. How you live is more important than what you believe.
2006-12-20 07:05:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Faith is blind belief in something or someone when you don't have clarified answers to the problems or questions you have. Try exploring logic and whether or not the concept of a creator god really makes sense to you. Explore other religions and their concepts of "god", Hindus have a very interesting perspective on god vs. human interaction. Buddhism eschews the idea of a creator god, as has been taught due to the fact that we believe the possibility of such a being is illogical and we have other understandings as to why bad things happen to people and how to deal with them.
Think hard, question the answers, and come to a conclusion that makes sense to you and makes you happy, leading you away from whatever suffering you perceive. I wish you well.
_()_
2006-12-20 07:00:17 · answer #4 · answered by vinslave 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can still have faith in God. It's called "FAITH" for a reason. It doesn't and cannot be proven because it's something that you just believe in yourself to be true.
Our scientific understanding does not reach to the divine and nor does our human understanding. But that does not mean that it doesn't or cannot exist. If you believe in God, then you have faith that he/she is real. Their level of involvement in your life is also a question of faith.
I, personally, believe that God is too powerful to worry about me personally. I am responsible for my own life - that's why God gave me free will. And, I believe that I cannot truly understand all that God is but I do think that God is not like Santa, simply there to do our bidding and give us nice things. You can believe that God takes a more active role in your life but again, it all comes down to a question of faith. Do you have the faith that God exists? If you do, then that's all that matters.
Just remember that science can only go so far AND that the people who wrote the bible did not have access to the science and education that we do today. Therefore, they would not have written about evolution. However, that doesn't mean that God did not create things on this earth to evolve and adapt to the environment which he/she also created.
Have faith.
2006-12-20 06:53:13 · answer #5 · answered by jenn_smithson 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Don't try. Explore the possibility that god doesn't exist and see where you are in a couple of years. If you still feel like you need religion, well do what you have to do. But, you may find that scientific theory works great and is very logical.
Religion was created as a system of control.
2006-12-20 06:46:48 · answer #6 · answered by trer 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
What about the scientific theory of human evolution makes much more sense to you? Also, do you do anything besides 'pray' for strength? If you really want to get closer to God and discover Him more, make an effort to read his word. He talks about creation in Genesis (the first book). God reveals Himself in more ways than answered prayer.
If you have any questions or would like some suggestions on where to read, email or im me.
2006-12-20 07:04:53 · answer #7 · answered by Ryan B 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am a Christian. This might surprise you, given that I believe that:
- The scientific theory of evolution is almost certainly correct. Human beings are derived from earlier anthropoid forms, all leading back to a common shared ancestor among all living things.
- The Big Bang is the source of all matter and energy in the universe.
- God does not always answer our prayers in the way we want him to. Sometimes it seems, he doesn't answer them at all, in any way we can tell.
Christianity is a belief which makes an extraordinary claim. That a benevolent God is responsible for the existence of everything, and that 2,000 years ago, he inserted his own essence into the universe in order to rescue a fallen race of imperfect beings who were in open rebellion against him. He did this because he loves them.
That's an astonishingly bold thing for a religion to claim to be true, and there is no way I could believe it, but for one thing - love. Love is the greatest miracle there is, and it is astonishing that it should exist. By love, I mean real love - the love that motivates a person to die for a perfect stranger, or suffer in order to make things better for someone else.
This is exactly the sort of love that this man who claimed to be a God personified. And the man in question was so amazing in his ethical and compassionate perfection, that he makes that incredible claim seem somehow not only possible, but plausible.
Sometimes it does seem like God ignores us. When my sister in law died a few moments after I prayed to God to save her, I was quite angry with him. I only learned later that she had been praying for release - God answered her prayers, not mine.
What it all comes down is what St. Paul called the theological virtues, faith, hope, and love. The three could be summed up as complete trust - "let go, and let God."
Just because you are in the dark, does not mean you have to stay there. Hope is your way out; hope is a miracle too, and be careful not to let anyone - yourself included - take it away from you. For faith, hope, and love are the greatest gifts given to us.
Now, as to how I can believe in scientific truths and religious truths - "truth cannot contradict truth," a great man once said. The truths of science tell us important things about the nature of the world. And the truths of faith tell us important things about the nature of ourselves. Genesis is a story about humans, their arrogance, and how it cost them their innocence. The story is more important than the details about whether God went 'poof' or used evolution as his life-giving means.
It is perfectly legitimate to think of Adam and Eve as parables rather than a historical retelling, and I think we're meant to feel that way - after all the very words "Adam" and "Eve" mean "man" and "woman" in ancient Hebrew. They are meant to be archetypes.
God bless you.
2006-12-20 07:02:32 · answer #8 · answered by evolver 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Are you telling me that you believe a theory over the facts.
First off science does not prove evolution. Here is science
http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/audio/newevidence.htm
Here is another good analogy
http://www.everystudent.com/forum/chance.html
It doesn't take any faith to believe in God. It is completely obvious your consious is proof. Look at Mount Rushmore and tell me that it came by chance. How did life come from death? Where is the proof of evolution occuring? There is a lack of transitional forms. DNA is another prblm for atheist because it is coding. Even if evolution did occur does that disprove God? God has to exist without him we could never reach this point in time. The earth had to have a beginning otherwise, we would have never reached this point or any point for that matter. If you can go back infinitlely how can one reach a point? So God always was.
2006-12-20 06:55:56 · answer #9 · answered by ۞ JønaŦhan ۞ 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I came to God at age 53... 6 1/2 yrs ago... my life was a mess... it is still a mess and infact is worse than it was then, in many ways.... But there is nothing that could possably turn me from God... not after coming to know The Truth. I wasted my life...but now I have the absolute assurance of my place in Heaven.... I know for a fact that no one who knows The Truth will ever Turn from God...no matter what.... I invite you to read my testimony of my first day of The True Christian Faith.... then go over the site starting from the home page as I have it set up... If you have any question you may contact me from the site... here is the direct link to my Testimony": http://mikevanauken.pages.web.com/outreach/id109.html
if you go further in the site you will see I have my pov on the Creation and Evolution business as well. And there is nothing wrong with God's science if it is properly used.
2006-12-20 06:53:39 · answer #10 · answered by idahomike2 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋