i have seen some people go down a terrible road, and at some point find god, and managed to turn their lives around, at least somewhat. i am always very happy for these people. it doesn't matter to me which god they found, just that they are better off now. what do you think, have you seen this too?
2007-07-27 08:18:47 · 35 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Locke - yes, i completely agree too, there are 2 sides to this coin
2007-07-27 08:22:27 · update #1
rachel - you can have us both!
2007-07-27 08:23:56 · update #2
Yes, I'm all for anything that makes people better people than they were, be it religion, professional mental therapy, rehab, or medication. Once they become better people, I think they should get off the crutch though.
2007-07-27 08:22:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Many 'born again' were in that boat. their lives were falling apart and they had nothing left. It is like AA. The first thing you do is admit that you are powerless and have to give in to a higher power. Some people have addictive personalities and will always be addicted to something. Some people do not have the capability to survive without some one or some thing doing some of the survival for them. If people need god to survive and are better for it, have a blast. I do not need a god to survive and to have people through out my life forcing the christian concept down my throat is a bit much. AA people do not shove it onto anyone. The premis is that you have to want it not be forced into it by someone else.
2007-07-27 08:26:30 · answer #2 · answered by bocasbeachbum 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wish I could say so. However, my experience has been somewhat different. Most of the people I know who have "found god" have turned into pious self righteous bible thumping evangelicals. OTOH, I also know a person who described himself as a recovering christian and, in general, is one of the nicest most down to earth people I know.
That is not to say that finding God isn't a good thing and can be very beneficial to some. However, going overboard with religious zealotry can be a problem of its own.
2007-07-27 08:24:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever seen what happens when someone trust in what isn't there to turn their life around? Have you seen the devastation that happens when "god" didn't provide the expect help in time of need?
Yes, a belief in god can help some people turn their lives around, but what happens when the thing believed in is revealed to be a shame? Wouldn't that cause more pain and hurt?
There are many dysfunctions in this world. Religion is one of them, using one dysfunction to fix another isn't any more healthy.
2007-07-27 08:28:21 · answer #4 · answered by atheist 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is no doubt that some aspects of religion are quite beneficial to certain people and perhaps society as a whole.
However, it's tiring to hear all the great things about religion when people of certain faiths fail to acknowledge, and even discuss, all the bad points of religion, too. There are so many excuses, such as "Well, a REAL Christian would never do that".
You can't take credit for the good unless you are willing to take blame for the bad.
2007-07-27 08:24:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Most are better for thier faith no matter what the label is I have seen bad Chirstian turn into good Buddist or follower of islam. The truth is that your relationship with god is a personal one, and that can only come from your search to the truth of god. Not from some label.
2007-07-27 08:24:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree. SOME people have changed dramatically for the better once they dedicated themselves to religious belief. My problem isn't with any of the religions or gods on the planet but with radical fundamentalism that would flush down the drain our Republic and replace it with a fascist theocratic system of government--as many Fundies here would happily do.
2007-07-27 08:39:10 · answer #7 · answered by Yank 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the ones who are so vocal about their lives getting better are the extreme personality type. They go from one polar opposite to the other. They were real bad, now they're real good. Who knows what they will be next week. The middle ground people would be good with or without their religion
2007-07-27 08:30:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
— George Bernard Shaw, (1856-1950)
2007-07-30 02:41:45 · answer #9 · answered by HawaiianBrian 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I have seen this too. I have also seen people coming from that same place mistake religion for a real connection with God and then suffer greatly for it.
2007-07-27 08:23:02 · answer #10 · answered by NONAME 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋