I think I'm loosing faith?

Question

For the past few months, I've been listening, watching & reading things that supposably prove God does not exist. I'm catholic,although, I'm not very religious. Since I've read & heard all those things, I've started to doubt there's a god. I don't want to believe this, i want to believe in God. I feel as if i am sinning for even thinking of the possibility that there is no God & there's no reason for me to be losing faith, only because of those things I've read. Sometimes i feel as if Im faking this, in having doubt, & sometimes i feel like i don't believe in God & as i type this i get scared. what if God is mad at me? What if in fact there is no god? but what if there is!? & i feel like i shouldn't be saying this[typing] because its wrong. sometimes i feel like God is mean. sometimes i sin & i say sorry but don't promise to not do it again because i know i will. sometimes i think bad things about God & tell him stuff but then say sorry.i dont know if its truly ME saying it or if its..

some evil, bad part of me or i'm just doing it on purpose to test God. I get scared ..im afraid. i dont go to church but go to school, clases to do my confirmation. im 14 & i'm lost in what i believe. i dont know what to do... :(

I do ask questions..lots!
But where am i suppose to get answers? books? the Bible?
im sure books or other documents won't give me the answers to my questions. as for the Bible, i havent tried to read it. im not sure if i'll understand but i will read it. as for those who don't bilieve and my God, i will respect your opions & biliefs. however, i feel like you've lost faith because of something tragic which has broken your heart. maybe this is why i,too, am doubting in God. my heart is happy but not satisfied.

Answer 1

Try reading a book called "Losing Faith in Faith by Dan Barker.It is his journey from theism to atheism.It describes what you are feeling very well and goes into a lot of the background as to what teachings make you feel this way.

Answer 2

No matter if God exists or not, you want to do good things, right?

I think that when you think that you've comitted a sin, you must think of why you did it, and why you think that what you are doing is a sin.

Perhaps you were doing sins because you didn't know any other way to do it.

Or, perhaps, you thought that doing the right thing was a sin because it hurt someone who was sinning.
No matter of God exists or not, whatever you do, it's still really YOU who are doing it. You can't say that it wasn't you.

No matter if God exists or not, you can still choose to do the right thing, you can ask for forgiveness, or even better, you can Just Do The Right Thing, which shows your apology even more.

If God exists, then there is no need for empty words, especially to a God who sees all, hears all and knows all.

And to answer your question; It doesn't matter if you think that you are losing faith, God still might or might not exist.
What remains are your decisions, and you decide whether to do the right thing or not!

I used to be an atheist, I was born in an atheist family, but now I have turned religious myself.

Answer 3

You need some quite time to reflect and clear your head.
Ask your self if God dose anything for you, look over the things you have thought was from God or was it your will power that achieved it.

If something is making you feel unhappy and full of guilt, You should really rethink it. I don't think your God would want you
to be in misery.

I am not a Christian, So I dont beleive in your God.
But its your choice and your life.

Answer 4

Been there. Done that.
When I was 12, I had really made up my mind that all religion was very silly. I was an atheist at that point but a very weak one. I, too, was scared, wondering if I was doing the right thing. It took another year for me to be brave enough, to have the strength of character to 'step over that line' and not be concerned in the slightest about any retribution from a fictitious god.
I became a 'strong' atheist at just short of 15, even though I had discovered that both my parents were closet atheists. Well, it was the early fifties and things were different then.

Continue to seek reality and everything will fall into place. Welcome to the real world.

Answer 5

I heartily second what Parrot said.

I'll also add that it is no sin to be honest with yourself; in fact it's essential. I know -- I self-censored my thoughts for a long time because I was afraid of thinking "wrong" ones, and it was not good.

***Edit: You ask, "but where am I supposed to get the answers?" You can search inside yourself, and yes, in books. I don't limit myself to any one religion's writings, but read widely. I find things that seem useful, or things that resonate with me and build on that.

But be prepared to be patient, too. The "answers" are never complete,. they're little bits of understanding on the way. It's a journey.

Answer 6

Keep reading and learning and question everything.

"sometimes i feel like God is mean."

Well I agree with you here. IF the Christian god existed, I think it's pretty fair to say it's mean. I never understood how god is supposed to be all-loving yet send people to hell for the choices they make with the free-will he supposedly gives them.

It sounds to me like you are clinging to your belief out of habit and fear of hell.

EDIT:
"i feel like you've lost faith because of something tragic which has broken your heart."
I don't believe in god because there is simply no proof. Before I was actually an atheist I started out much like you with questions and doubts. I started to educate myself about god and religion and that is what led me to atheism, not because of something tragic happening that I blamed on god.

Answer 7

Don't think of it as losing your faith so much as beginning to see a whole world of possibilities opening up before your very eyes.

Edit: It sounds as though what you are describing is rather like scruples, which tends to strike during the teenage years. To be honest with you, questioning is an important part of growing up; you are in the process of constructing your world 'map', if you like, and you are consciously (or subconsciously) trying to fit all sorts of often conflicting ideas, values and facts together in a way that will be consistent for you. Every adult has a mental matrix that allows him to understand the world in a way that makes sense and you are in the process of doing this yourself. The reason why it seems so worrying for you is because you are also trying to fit some very important beliefs you hold into place, when the world seems to move in a very different direction.

Once, people like St John of the Cross, Margery of Kemp, Hildegard of Bingen and other mystics called this the ''dark night of the soul'', where doubt seems stronger than faith and the individual feels helpless to do anything. St John of the Cross wrote a poem about this called ''Dark Night of the Soul'' (http://www.carmelite.com/saints/john/works/p_3.htm).

In all honesty, whether this process you are undergoing reaffirms your faith, or leads you in different directions, it is a completely healthy process. You have a mind, it is the purpose of the mind to question, to explore and to investigate. Don't feel it has anything to do with the Devil.

It is part of human nature to repent of sin but always know that we will sin again because the ''spirit is willing but the flesh is weak'', as Christ himself acknowledged. Even St Augustine, before he converted to Christianity, prayed ''make good Lord but not yet''! Be strong, let your journey take you where it will and trust yourself.

I should also declare my hand here. I am an atheist, but your journey is yours alone to take and you will decide for yourself what to believe.

Answer 8

"I feel as if i am sinning for even thinking of the possibility that there is no God"

You're not. I'm not going to tell you which conclusion to arrive at; that's up to you. But please don't fall into the trap of believing that thinking is bad, because it's not. "Satan" isn't causing you to doubt; "evil" isn't causing you to doubt; you're doubting because you have the ability to ask questions, and you're using it, like any good human being should. If God exists, then you'd have to believe that he gave you your mind, so why wouldn't he want you to use it?

Think about it, ask questions, study the subject, and come to your own conclusion. But don't feel bad about using your mind. NOT using it would be an insult to him, if you believe he exists.

Answer 9

You must continue to pray and read your bible. Build a relationship with God. And there is more evidence of God's existence than it is "so called" evidence of his non existence. Start reading about his existence. Get all that negativity out of your life. IF you can, you can start buying some gospel music, praise and worship songs.


View a video about people's life death experience on
youtube. I always find those stories interesting.

here is one true story... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O0KCfLqMZo&feature=related

you can search for more true stories, about people's experience in heaven and in hell.

Answer 10

Allah (GOD) has given u mind to make research of which path is right for u.

Islam is the right path. Unfortunately negative thing about Islam is spread by media. I just advised u to read Quran. Its ur decision whether u accept or not.

This whole universe cannot be made by itself. There is only 1 creator, ALLAH who has created every thing. And the life is test for us.