i am an unhappy atheist, I want to have the emotional support from 'God' experieced by Christian, what to do?

Question

my christian friends all seem to be so happy because whenever they have a problem they can 'pray' to God and get support. I am atheist in heart, if there is a problem or challenge in life i must rely on myself and others, but no super God, what should i do? if i have a chance i'd rather be a christian but my knowledge of science prevented me from doing so? help please

I've read 'case for christ' and 'more than a carpenter', these books are so one sided (especially case for christ) even 10 year old wouldn't believe it. I can not trick my brain to believe God, also i've read 'selfish gene' by Richard Dawkin, it effectively explained why Science shows there is NO God, this pushes me into a deeper depression. Knowledge sets me free, also kills my hope for an everlasting life...

Answer 1

Honey. I am an ex-atheist. And i know for a fact that you can become a believer. But you must go into it with the right mindset....and remember, some people are not softkeyed to believe in God.

EDIT:
Lee Strobel wrote a series of books, one of which was the Case For Christ. It is also an excellent read, one which was also instrumental in my conversion. I read both the student's version and the full version. you can get a preview on Google books

Answer 2

It is all about faith.

These days it seems like science can prove anything and any side of a situation.
You should check out some studies that prove the existance of God though.

Most of all, you should find a book or someone who is not overbearing that can give you facts about the Bible and not twist it, that is hard.
Buy a Bible and a study guide and go through it.
Finding a church with good support might be hard but might not be.

Nothing will work without faith though. There are facts to prove God does exist though so if faith alone is not enough, research those things.

Look on line and find former atheists and ask them questions. That would be who you should be talking to.

Found some stuff for you.

Good Luck.
It is good you have the WILL to even search for more. Good start!
Just be careful. There are even Christians that will be over zealous and perhaps stear you wrong.

Answer 3

Maybe the question shouldn't be "how do I get the same kind of emotional support from god that my Christian friends have without believing in god," but "how do my Christian friends feel happier by relying on their god for support and how can apply that to my own life without believing in god?"

A Christian phrase is at the root of their support: let go and let god. The Serenity Prayer is another way of saying it.

Your Christian friends aren't necessarily getting support from god, but they are getting someone/thing they can put their worries, problems, or challenges on when they have little or no control over those worries, problems, or challenges.

For example, if the question pops up, "how do I pay the rent when I have no money?" Christians can rely on their faith that god will ultimately provide for their well being to maintain their internal peace. An atheist has no such luxury because there is no all powerful being there to take care of these things. Does god ultimately provide the rent? Or do they figure out a way to provide the rent themselves without feeling the distress that normally goes along with the fear of losing one's home?

You don't have to believe in god, any of them, to find comfort in the serenity prayer, altered for atheism:

I have/seek the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Christians know there are things they cannot change because they believe that only god can change those things. Atheists tend to believe that they can control or change more things than they actually can. A lot of a person's emotional suffering comes from trying to change what they can't and feeling distressed when the more they try to control something beyond their control, the more things seem to get worse.

Answer 4

I would recommend reading "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis, a fomer atheist who came to realize through logical reasoning that there had to be a God, and then came to know Jesus Christ as his personal savior. I would also recommend reading the gospel of Matthew, as it was written especially for Jews in the hope that they would read it and believe.

I can only guess, but perhaps you're so depressed because, deep inside of you, you realize that there must be some greater force, even though science has convinced your mind otherwise. Listen to your heart. Someone once said that those who are seeking for God have already found Him.

Answer 5

To find the right answers, you must first find the right questions. Breathe DEEP, Breathe SLOW...the journey is within. If your knowledge of science can extend to Quantum Physics then you may understand that what Jesus was speaking about works on many levels of understanding.
In Quantum Physics, they now understand that the observer effects the equation, but they don't yet understand that HOW they observe ALSO effects the equation.
When Jesus spoke of walking a mile in a persons shoes, He sought to share EMPATHY & LOVE with you. You are never given more than you can handle...though you may often disagree. Everything happens for a reason and every problem has a GIFT.

Answer 6

Belief in god is a sticky subject. I can tell you how I believe from my point of view. I know that there is something more. I have felt and seen angels..but I would believe even if i haven't...there are so many shows on TV, try watching some of the spiritual shows, does not have to be strictly christian. I know as far as science and god, the bible says he created earth in 7 days, but does it say the days where only 24 hours, no! It can be any length of time. As far as us being apes, the say now there is a lost creature which may be the creature we came from , primitive human. I will say this, no man on a pulpit has the right to tell you what you believe, you form your beliefs on your own after learning more. Please if you need to talk email me.

Ana

Answer 7

There is alot of Science that proves that the Bible is right... I think you should research it!

Just try talking to God... if He is real He WILL answer you... but do it with some faith! You might not hear an audible voice but God speaks through many different ways... through the preacher, just speaks to your heart, sends someone to talk to you... just be open to it though!

I reccomend going to a church and talking to someone on the ministry team... I go to a United Pentecostal Church... i know that there are ppl that completely hate us and think of us as a cult but I can honestly say I have a relationship with God. Maybe you should look into it... I'm not trying to chive my religion at you but I'm so happy that I go to this church! They teach the Bible and don't water it down... and sometimes that's tough because we think we are doing right when we aren't but i'd rather be overly careful than not careful enough. What area do you live in btw? Not trying to stalk you lol but I might be able to find you a church!

I've looked at some of your other ??s and I can see that you are searching and that's the 1st step! I really think that's great because so many atheist are just set against and religion at all. I like that you are open to it!

I'm really going to pray for you and contact me if you need anything!!

BTW I know some pastors are rude... but that just means they aren't a true christian.... Jesus showed love to those who didn't believe and I hope I can do the same!!

Answer 8

Df a, if you really mean what you say, you will So find Gods Love, Peace and all He promises. Because HE is drawing you*
You need to ask The Lord to Forgive you, and Repent. Ask Him to come into your Life and give you the Holy Spirit as He promised to do when Jesus ascended to Heaven*

And then get around your Christian friends ...tell them and they will be overjoyed, as they most likely would have been praying for you for a while now* and they will take you under their wing, frequent Church and learn from not just what they do, but Gods word, The Holy Bible*

May God bless you with being His Child this very day.
Prayfully, your Sister in Christ,
In His Love,
Always,
Le7

Answer 9

Your knowledge of science, just as with most of us, is incomplete, because most of us fail to put God into the calculation. I find it amazing that people can look at science and still deny God.

In order to have what we Christians have with God, the only thing one has to do is accept Christ as their personal Savior. Accept that He came down to this earth as the perfect sacrifice to atone for your sins and mine. Admit you are a sinner and can only receive salvation through the acceptance Jesus Christ. Drop on those knees and pray to God. Tell Him you know you are a sinner and that you want to accept His gift of salvation that He give only through His grace. Acknowledge that you know you don't deserve His grace and that you know that only a compassionate God would allow the sacrifice of His only Son for the likes of us. After you do all that, you get yourself into church...ask for guidance and God will let you know where you need to attend. This gives us time to fellowship with God and members of His Body. This atmosphere allows us to grow in knowledge and helps us build a closer relationship with Christ and The Father.

Most of us that are serious have what we call our "quiet time". That is, the first thing in the morning (after the potty trip, of course), we have time alone with God. We take His Word and we find a place that has no distractions. We pray, we read, we talk, we cry, we get close to God. It seems silly at first, but it works! Before you know it, God is there with you...every moment of the day. We may not know or understand what His plans are for us, but we accept the fact that our plans for God include keeping Him first and foremost in our lives...above husbands, kids, jobs, cars, everything.

Talk to some of those friends of yours. I'm certain they can show you the right path. It's a narrow on that we have to be careful not to stray from...but it is worth it. Think of the alternative!

The fact that you want it should be some kind of an indication that maybe there is something out there more than science...and you want it. Go for it! Take the plunge!

Answer 10

If you come up with your own spiritual beliefs and moral code, it will help. It works with me. I believe that it is important to have a strong connection with the environment and the other living things all around us. There are several concepts that I also believe are imperative to comprehend to have better connectedness with the environment. First, I am very anti-anthropocentric. I do not believe that human lives are superior to those of other living things. Second, I understand that when I die, I will fully spread out into the world. My body will decompose, my many particles will diffuse into the soil or be released into the atmosphere, only to be absorbed by plants and then consumed by other animals. It will be a continuous cycle, with my body joining once more with the cycle of matter. Although I do not think that there is any "me" to live on eternally, I will, in a few short decades, be spread around the world in the systems of countless organisms. This conclusion, I believe has led me to such a connectedness with my environment. If you come up with a philosophy of your own that you follow, it will certainly help.

Answer 11

You need to change your attitude. Notice, I did not say find God. You don't necessarily have to have religion in your life, you need to have a better way of handling issues in your life. Alot of times a persons response in a situation is the key to how the outcome of a situation will transpire. I will leave you with a small tip. Religion in itself is interpreted by many. Noone has the real answer. Science in itself is just the same. Both religion and science are based on speculation and left up for interpretation. Both religion and science are left up for debate because neither have clear and solid proof. In the end. It stems down to what you feel. Neither party has the right to sway you either way. Follow your own heart.