Why does religion seem so illogical to me? I get so sad that I'm essentially an atheist who wishes he wasn't??

Question

For over a year I have basically lost my faith in God and life after death. I finally accepted evolution as an undeniable truth, and will not force myself to believe that religion and evolution can correlate with each other. I'm basically an atheist now, but I hate being this way. I hate that I can't believe, but at the same time i honestly can't truely believe in that stuff. I hear a lot of people who are atheists say that they still feel a purpose, but I can't find one knowing that the lights go out and that's it. I am a great college, and I could be very successful, but I can't see the point. I just want to sit and cry over the fact that I'll never see my friends and family again. Even when I try to forget it it creeps up. Every day I feel so depressed. I'm 19 why is this happening to me. What kills me the most is those that have a horrible life and that is it for them. that hurts. Does anyone else feel like this? Life makes me so sick when only a few years ago I was fine.

Sometimes I almost feel as if this life is in fact hell. Like as in hell the afterlife hell. this is our punishment.

Answer 1

I usually don't respond to people who's questions are set to private -- I can't tell if you're a troll or sincere.

I'd encourage you to go to your school's health services, and find a councilor to talk with . . . your depression isn't a condition you need to live with.

And, I agree with your idea of Hell. Many of us already are in Hell. We're walking around thinking life is great, when we don't have a connection to the creator . . and that's what Hell is . . . being away from the presence of God.

About evolution . . . who says you can't have faith abd believe in evolution . . Evolution is a fact - that's why we need a different flu shot each fall. The Influenze virus has evolved, and we need a new shot to combat it. A simple way to think about it . . . God created evolution. Read the book "Finding God in the Questions," by Dr. Tim Johnson (from ABC) http://www.beliefnet.com/story/143/story_14389_1.html

About faith and the Bible.

The Bible is a collection of 66 different books, some history, some poetry, some songs, some letters, as well as the rules of an ancient religion . . . written over the span of thousands of years. Problems arise when people can't tell one from another, and confuse them into each other.

Problems arise when you try to take a rule written for and by a certain group of people, and apply it to your life today (taking a disobedient child to the gates of the city to stone him, for example).

People tend to focus on the words in the Bible, and miss the message behind the story. The creation story of Genesis 1 and 2, for example, are poetry, the message is that God is powerful, neither of which is a history lesson.

Adam and Eve is a metaphor -- not literal history. It's poetic parable -- not the literal story of two people, for example.

The Bible is a fantastic collection of stories written by, about, and for the followers of the God of Abraham, and the followers of Christ.

Of course the Bible isn’t THE WORD OF GOD . . . it’s translated into a language we can understand – Jesus didn’t speak English, for example.

But the Bible is God’s Word . . . meaning the message, not the medium or the method, is what God tries to tell us.

Being a follower of Christ is about having a personal relationship with a risen Savior, not about a book. The Bible is important, but God speak to us in many different ways, not just through the Bible.

I'm a pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.). You can also look for a United Church of Christ congregation, as well, where you may find a faith community that reflects your beliefs.

Godspeed.

Answer 2

It's all about psychology. What makes sense in one person's mind is illogical in the mind of another. I once heard a woman say she was raped by the devil. I thought she meant figuratively, but no, she was literally saying she was raped by the devil. Now THAT is illogical, but it made sense in her mind...I honestly don't care if people believe in God or not. Until I die, I don't care. I'll make as much sense of this world as I can until then. But to find that, I have to be open to the concepts of religion and no religion. So I'm kind of on the fence with it. What makes religion illogical in my opinion is the focus on complete faith of the unknown without any little slice of evidence for comfort. There is absolutely no proof that God exists accept for Holy books maybe, but even they aren't reliable. In Christianity, if God flooded the world over, why is there no complete layer of bones of the animals that drowned where they had been walking? And what about those dinosaurs? The Bible says we are all that is. If we ever find some life form out there, which I do believe exist, the Bible will have some serious explaining to do. Even then, it's simply illogical because one day, we may be able to scour the far ends of the universe. Religion would begin to fail us if that would happen. So much knowledge...wait...what is God even for? Forbidden fruit, people. It's sweet because it goes against God, showing he has a weakness. Then maybe we humans aren't so minuscule under his wrath. But his wrath? We cause most of our own pain. All for one, remember, and none for all. And things like earthquakes and hurricanes aren't God's punishments. The Earth's plates move and sometimes those waves get a little wily!

Answer 3

You should seek counseling, so you can sort all this out and figure out what's going on.

I think you're depressed, and are putting it on your theology, rather than on whatever it is that's causing it.

You are alive, and probably will be for decades.

If you weren't depressed, you'd see that you can enjoy living. You can chose a field of study that you love, do meaningful work in that field (possibly do work that will make this world less hell-like for future generations -- if that ain't a worthwhile purpose I don't know what could be), find love, have children, have friends, and enjoy all the stuff there is to enjoy.

Yes, it's painful to think of all the people who have no real chance to have decent lives. So help all the people who are trying to do something about it. That way, eventually, everyone WILL have a chance to have a happy and rich life.

Instead of crying over the fact that, after people die, you don't see them again, enjoy those you love while you and they are still here.

If you weren't in a state of depression, you'd realize all this.

Which is why I encourage you to seek counseling. Your school probably has free counseling services for students. Stroll on by and take advantage of it.

Take the 2 most basic principles in life, and build on them: Fun is good; and Suffering sucks.

Take the fun, help reduce the suffering. These are the elements to a rich and fulfilling life.

Answer 4

I doubt God, Jesus, Heaven and hell A LOT. I am a smart person who wants proof. I don't always feel God close to me. I have gone through some horrible things in my life and wonder how a loving God could let me suffer and waste so many years being sick. Then I come back around and remember that faith is believing and believing by the word of God. Faith... makes us certain of realities we do not see. Faith is faith in the unknown and unexplainable. You have to CHOOSE to believe. You must CHOOSE faith. You must surrender your disbelief to Jesus and let Him take over and run your life. It is hard to do that but that is the only way to get back on track. The concept of Heaven and hell is so bizarre, however, I CHOOSE to believe they exist. This life, like you said, is like hell at times and there HAS to be something far better than this life. If you were to die and find out there is nothing - would it have hurt you one bit to have believed there was something more? Believing in Jesus and life after death is a no brainer. It is your choice. That choice doesn't always come with overwhelming warm fuzzy feelings all the time. Jesus said we would not be totally comfortable all the time in this life and that we would go through hardships and have disbelief. Believing is a choice. Even though you feel like you don't believe you can choose to believe. It is an act of faith. Exercise your faith today. Bless you.

Answer 5

I understand your anguish .
You need to use some of your effort and talents towards helping other people here on Earth . There are so many causes to donate time to . Animal shelters , suicide help lines , feeding the needy, etc . You wish the myth of religion was true , heaven and such . But your intelligence doesn't allow it . ( Good for you , but it can be a bit depressing , sorta like finding there is no Santa Clause .) But you ned to find another "action = good result" to replace the prayer and worship . Of course the prayer and worship is something designed to be easy enough for everyone to do . I always think what if those people in church were to donate an hour of time to a cause like the senior citizens home ,or a hospital or such instead of singing and reciting words in a church . Once you start making an effort and seeing real world results you will feel better .
PS Farrell's book is full of nonsence and half truths . It is so easy to trick those people not strong enough to break their addiction to religion and a need for god .
The truth is that it IS easy to prove that there is NO all powerful AND all caring god . As you have observer there is lots of unneccesary pain and suffering in this world by both people and animals . And the Biblical god is a violent , jealous , vengeful , hateful person . He was written to be that way because this is what men have observed in nature . Could a vile god have put evolution into play billions of years ago ? I suppose it is possible . Dammed if I am going to kneel before him ! Or even consider him a god . Or even worry if he exists . I see no evidence of him . I see evidence of evolution and other scientific therories . I am going to spend my time making myself and my loved ones happy , and helping the needy people and animals along the way .

Answer 6

Although this will be small comfort, please try to understand that a lot of what you're feeling has nothing to do with faith and everything to do with being 19.

That said, I encourage you investigate your spiritual beliefs. I encourage you to question everything.

Learn about existentialism. You're in the midst of an existential crisis - you might as well read what others learned while in the same place. But, above all, keep questioning and learning.

As an atheist, I believe that truth has importance in and of itself, and that superstition has for too long kept the majority of the planet pliable and ready to pick the next harvest.

But if you decide differently, that's awesome too.

18 months of heavy drinking will probably also make things easier, if you're of a less philosophical type.

Answer 7

I can't understand your feelings at all . I'm eighty-seven , with one foot in the grave , but I have no fear of death at all. Everythink was a complete blank long before we were born , and will be again . What's so bad about that ?
Certainly , we as part of nature have a purpose . Like all other living things here on earth , plants and animals , we come , reproduce and die. You don't need more than that .
If you must have a personal purpose in life , live it in such a way that you become a model of honesty , helpfulness , truth, faithfulness to your wife and family . Be the person who everybody will use as a model of the kind of person everybody should be .
What better purpose could you ask for ?

Answer 8

evolution is not a 100% true fact. So beliving in evolution or that there is no God is the same as beliving there is a God. God created us to have such a longing for purpose so that we might in fact find his and follow him. No one knows 100% where we came from or why we are here that is why it is called faith. I see it as - Life gives birth to life so there must be some other life out there that breathed the breath of life.

Answer 9

Hi Alphabet,

You have these feelings because the Holy Spirit is always in you no matter what. That is what makes us want HOPE, and to know if there really is a God. Jesus said before he left that HE is sending someone to be with us forever, this is the Holy Spirit. If you didn;t have it in you, believe me you wouldn't be curious about God at all or even asking this question. God wants you to keep asking and hoping, he wants you to be with HIM in the end and with all your family. All Ican say is look out your window. Do you see a sun that is shining, that is a miracle, who can make that, and make it burn for billions of years. Who can make a tiny seed that if put in the soil will grow in to a Giant tree like a red wood, or give off fruit for you to eat that is good for you. What scientist can make an eye in a lab and make it work so you can see the world and all of Gods creations, nobody can, only God. Just open your eyes and see things in a different way, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Take care!

Answer 10

Why do you reject God now? Belief in evolution tends to give some people a sense that there's no point to life and can be depressing. You should perhaps re-examine why you believe evolution is "undeniable" when so many people do not accept it and for very good reasons. It's only a man-made theory of life and origins, man is imperfect in his knowledge and what is truth...God's word can be trusted to be true...God does not lie. Don't overthink the problems you have with it...Jesus said to have faith as a little child. All young people go through a period of intense struggle with finding their own beliefs...just be patient and realize that not everything man claims is the absolute truth. Through God's Word we come to know that we can have eternal life if we believe that Jesus died for our sins, He has already paid the price for our sins and grants us salvation from death if we believe and trust totally in Him.