comfort in religion?

Question

I'm starting to wonder if this is really true. I stoped wondering the Religion and Spirituality boards some time ago because of all the crazy christians and bitter atheist. I wander back there every once in a while just to see what there is. Today i read a post of someone that was crying hystericaly because they told someone the holy spirit was evil, and later felt bad about it; felt so bad that he/she thought Jesus wouldn't forgive them so he/she was just going to kill themselves. Some time ago, I found a post from someone that hadn't slept for two weeks because she was worried she would be left behind after the rapture. I know it's nice to assume these are just pranks, but that isn't always safe to assume. I thought religion was suppose to smooth people and reassure them, not scare the hell out of them and worry them sick. What happened. I was a christian and no longer am. I was worried for some time till I realised the fears were irrational. What is so wrong?

sorry, I'm good at explaining a question without phrasing it. What I'm asking is; What happend to religion that was suppose to be the ultimate comfort to people.

Answer 1

Ahh...those "wacky, nutty" Christians....
Yes...I believe that you are right...that religion's primary purpose IS to provide comfort & answers...but historically that is not always the case.
Many Christian denomonations still take lessons from the Middle Ages...where religion was more about power and controlling the masses. Unfortunately, the classic "Hell-Fire and Brimstone" method of teaching that God is a vengeful, wrathful diety that will "smite" the unbeliever and "punish the wicked" is still alive and well in many a pulpit throughout the world.
Fear can be a powerful tool to keep masses of people "in line" and "conform". In the Middle Ages, the only people permitted to read were the clergy and the arostocracy....and therefore, the only ones permitted to interperet the Bible. Which is easier...telling the masses that if you disobey, God will forgive you....or if you disobey God will strike you down and punish you for all eternity?
In a day & age when many people are leaving their churches in record numbers...(All denomonations are seeing a decline in attendance)...some Reverends, Pastors, Ministers, and Priests are reverting back to using fear...instead of using the words of Jesus to promote peace, forgiveness, love, and understanding.
When you have national figures like the late Rev. Jerry Falwell
saying that 9/11 was a "Punishment from God for New York's acceptance of the 'Gay' lifestyle" ...and using the Bible as a convenient tool to promote their own agenda and cause even further division in this country...what can you do?
I still consider myself to be a Christian (I try to follow the teachings of Jesus)...but I have made it a point to study all religions, and develop an understanding of them. Ignorance only breeds prejudice.
After learning what I have, I can honestly say that there are fanatics in all sects and beliefs. The same fear and fanaticism that would cause a band of Muslims to crash a plane into a skyscraper is also found in the Christian that would set a bomb off in an abortion clinic. All of this because someone in authority told them that that's what God wanted them to do!
I have a problem with organized religion. I'm not anti-God...nor am I anti-spirituality...One should believe in their own faith...whatever works for them--and no one should tell them that they are wrong for their beliefs....but whenever one's Leader's begin to promote fear & hate...it's time to question...it's time to think for one's self and answer only to their God.
Good luck...Remember, If God didn't want you to think critically...he wouldn't have given you a brain! I hope you continue to use yours and ask the questions that need asking!

Answer 2

i am not sure that organized religion was ever suppose to be a comfort to people, though many do find comfort there, to me the problem is that people separate religion from spirituality, and dont use religion as an expression of their spirituality, so then rather then tuning into theirselves, and seeing that they were given this life to focus on it and live it, they start to worry too much about where they are going after it, what exact thing they should do or not do etc etc
if you are born of God, and return to God, you are part of God now, and all will be fine,
it is people, and their teachings and writings, i feel , that scare other people
but people also must take responsibility, many have more ability to question what earthly messages they receive , about spiritual subjects, then they use!

Answer 3

While there is truth in all religions, many religions get caught up in power rather than love. The comforter, Holy Spirit is found in the loving heart. I believe that the Light and Sound are twin aspects of the Holy Spirit, the divine life current that flows from God, and rather than "sin" life is a series of lessons in learning to love God. There is always another step and another opportunity to get it right, so there's no need for guilt and fear.

Answer 4

I don't know, do they actually doubt about God's love for them. God's love is supposed to be our ultimate weapon, our everytime shield against what distresses us. Why did you turn away from Him ? You know, for some time, I turned my back to Him, because I thought he had forsaken me. But no.. People seem to forget than by allowing Him in our lives, it does not mean having a perfect happy life, but having his eternal love and support whenever we need it. He is the one that soothes my irrational fears, and i dare say i have quite a couple orf them. I know that i can go, everywhere in peace, because he protects me... Why are simple things sometimes so hard to understand? (Sorry, now you might think i'm a crazy christian, well i can cope with that etiquette, even if i don't really like it...) good night anyway.. peace!

Answer 5

Since you were a christian, you likely shared a common fear with those. The comfort that people refer to is the alleviation of a fear. For some the fear of being alone. One can never be alone if they create everlasting gods. For some the fear is being unloved. One can always feel loved by creating a god that will love them no matter what. One can fear death. A god that promises an after life can alleviate that fear too.

Of course, you recognized the irrationality of fear. The comforts is no longer going to work for you.

Answer 6

The understanding of religion as an emotional comfort is rooted in the domestication of religion in the nineteenth century, where much of what was believed to constitute faith was reduced to feeling and sentimentality. Religion can be comforting (dependent, of course on the particularities of a given system of religious convictions). But to say that religion must be comforting is not true by necessity. In fact, much of what religion proposes is often fierce in its realism and raw in its essential message.

Answer 7

I too have experienced what you are talking about. I was raised with Roman Catholic beliefs, and according to them, I was going to go straight to hell when I died because I was never baptized. When I was about 8 years old, I used to cry myself to sleep, thinking I was damned. Then one night, I thought about it, and I realized something - heaven sounded VERY boring, and I wasn't sure that sitting around on a cloud playing a harp for eternity was appealing to me anyway, so I decided that I would worship my own God (I didn't believe that a being so great would condemn children to hell becasue they weren't baptized, and I didn't care about going to heaven anymore). A loving, compassionate, rational God who existed not to judge, but to create and sustain. Since that time, I have studied several of the world's religions, and found bits of truth in all of them - but not all truth in any one of them. So I take the part of each that deals with love and compassion, and leave the rest. I believe that Christ was an incredible person, and that he did do miracles. But I don't think he would approve of people making buildings with effigies of him in them, espousing the belief that anyone who doesn't believe in him is damned to hell. Some points of fact :
1. Christ never refers to himself as the Son of God, other people do. He only ever refers to himself as the Son of Man.
2. Never once does he mention hell.
3. He said "When you pray, gather not in the synagogues (churches) as the hypocrites do, for they have they reward. But pray in private, and you shall be rewarded openly" (paraphrased)
How can Christinas gather in churches and preach condemnation after he said all these things? There are similar disparities in Judaism, Islam ,and other religions as well. That's why I stick to spirituality - let the religions fight over whose god is the real one - I've got my own, thank you...

Answer 8

Your observation is absolutely correct and you expressed it very well.

The Original Gospel can and does work.

The problem came along when the original Kingdom Gospel was overlooked in favor of the Pauline Gospel.

Check out the differences between these two and the value of the Original Gospel in this excellent on line resource....