Faith???

[Goodsoulette]

After a friend who has many people who loved him killed himself (he suffered with bipolar), I started to get pangs of doubt. Then I went through crisis after crisis, another friend died from a brain tumour, to top the personal things the little girl getting kidnapped and raped and the final straw war a mother with postnatal depression killing her baby by cutting of its arms. I cannot find a reason God would have for letting these things happen especially to the completely innocent.

Has anyone else ever totally lost their faith? (I was a practising CofE Christian)

[rampart]

It is hard to understand. But do not abandon God.

http://www.explorefaith.org/world.html

http://www.abetterhope.com/victory/whydid.html

http://www.baltimorenewchurch.org/pc/bad.htm

[Goodsoulette]

Thankyou for everyones kind words. I spoke to my vicar and whilst I find the sentiments of christianity appealing still, it has gone and I just know it had gone for good. To be honest I cant believe I wasted so much time on believing that I had more purpose. I am sure that there has to be something out there but it certainly isnt what i have been blindly following for 20 plus years.

[El D]

Goodsoulette - I wish you well finding what you seek. A life without the rather bizarre complications of faith can be much more fulfilling, if a little tougher sometimes. We know that life does not turn out ok for some people, terrible things happen and people die, often those who have had a great impact on our lives; but by embracing our humanity we can take comfort in the positive actions of other people - be it a simple gesture of kindness or a tremendous act of courage. You need no faith to be one of these people and to show others that by accepting reality and acknowledging that terrible events occur we are actually better placed to deal with them and help others to do the same.

[Ethmer]

God has no choice. It gave to us (our spiritual entities) the ability to make our own choices along our paths that eventually lead back to the Oneness of God.

i choose

i chose to be born, � to live or die,
Even the sex, that would be i;
i chose the race, from which to appear,
Also my wealth, my health and my fear.

i chose my trials and stumbling blocks,
And the legs i would use, in all of those walks;
i chose my sadness, my joy and my love,
i chose to serve and not be above.

i chose this life � with all of its dues,
And with each dawn, again i choose;
The experiences for me that wait ahead,
To be alive, or be claimed dead.

And of the future lives i've yet,
It is my choice that i begat;
All the things, however pleasin',
That shall befall me in those seasons.

From A Search for Truth:

http://www.asearchfortruth.com/old

[El D]

Just to clarify Ethmer, are you saying that people choose to have bipolar disorder?

And if all choices lead back to god, do we really have any choice? Of course, to say that god has no choice is also rubbish as the same criteria you applied to us would apply the same.

[Englishbird]

I don't agree with the poem on a religious grounding obviously, but choice has been an important word to me when dealing with depression, self esteme and grief.

I choose how I let people treat me, I choose how I react to a situation and I can choose to emotionally fight or walk away.

I agree with El D too, the reality of realising there is no higher power, gives you a freedom and a strength to walk your path as you see fit. Think of a Catholic woman in Africa with AIDS. She did not defy her god by using contraception and she will die for that. You don't need to be a Christian to be compassionate.

[Ethmer]

El D

Yes, i do believe that we make our choices of what difficulties we choose to attempt to overcome.

Why do we exist?

To further the cause of God. To experience, learn and grow and eventually gravitate back into the Oneness of God.

Why did God make the world?

IMHO, God diversified Itself into Its many parts and charged those parts (entities) to go forth and acquire knowledge and experience and to then return to the Oneness of God.

The entities caused the creation of the universe and everything therein and individually choose to inhabit the physical bodies.

The entities may incarnate/reincarnate many times before gravitating back into the Oneness of God.