Progression to atheism

[alexiarose]

Is hating God the first step to eventually discounting His existence? Does it allow one to start to see all the inconsistencies, doubt the stories, and eventually, discredit Him altogether?

[achilles12604]

I have no heart. J/K


Simple answer, My sister HATED my father for years. She moved out because of him. She refused to talk to him for over a year.

Today, she and he are good friends and enjoy each other's company.


From my heart, do what you need to. If that means hating God, go for it. Just make sure that you are directing your anger in the correct direction and not hating for the wrong reasons.

Lets see, torturing mom as a child, torturing her as a teenager, torturing her as a young adult, now torturing her as an older adult (though she isn't ancient yet). Is my anger for the right reasons?

Those are good reasons. Now who is the culprit who conducted such horrible actions? Where should this anger be pointed?

Can I cry foul since you asked this after I actually got 6 hours of sleep with no nightmares of blood?

I am happy for you. PM me about it. And no, you can't cry foul without officially throwing in the red challenge flag and risking your time out.

[alexiarose]

I have no heart. J/K


Simple answer, My sister HATED my father for years. She moved out because of him. She refused to talk to him for over a year.

Today, she and he are good friends and enjoy each other's company.


From my heart, do what you need to. If that means hating God, go for it. Just make sure that you are directing your anger in the correct direction and not hating for the wrong reasons.

Lets see, torturing mom as a child, torturing her as a teenager, torturing her as a young adult, now torturing her as an older adult (though she isn't ancient yet). Is my anger for the right reasons?

Those are good reasons. Now who is the culprit who conducted such horrible actions? Where should this anger be pointed?

Can I cry foul since you asked this after I actually got 6 hours of sleep with no nightmares of blood?

I am happy for you. PM me about it. And no, you can't cry foul without officially throwing in the red challenge flag and risking your time out.

Then I am not sure who to throw the blame at. I am wondering how much of my faith is because of mom. Without her, would I still have it? Would I even had been interested in it in the first place? I don't know anything anymore.

[achilles12604]

I have no heart. J/K


Simple answer, My sister HATED my father for years. She moved out because of him. She refused to talk to him for over a year.

Today, she and he are good friends and enjoy each other's company.


From my heart, do what you need to. If that means hating God, go for it. Just make sure that you are directing your anger in the correct direction and not hating for the wrong reasons.

Lets see, torturing mom as a child, torturing her as a teenager, torturing her as a young adult, now torturing her as an older adult (though she isn't ancient yet). Is my anger for the right reasons?

Those are good reasons. Now who is the culprit who conducted such horrible actions? Where should this anger be pointed?

Can I cry foul since you asked this after I actually got 6 hours of sleep with no nightmares of blood?

I am happy for you. PM me about it. And no, you can't cry foul without officially throwing in the red challenge flag and risking your time out.

Then I am not sure who to throw the blame at. I am wondering how much of my faith is because of mom. Without her, would I still have it? Would I even had been interested in it in the first place? I don't know anything anymore.

Welcome to the first step of heresy.

Now examine everything. You mom has been and has had quite a journey.

[servant]

alexiarose wrote:
Is hating God the first step to eventually discounting His existence? Does it allow one to start to see all the inconsistencies, doubt the stories, and eventually, discredit Him altogether?

The first question that comes to my mind is why are you starting to hate God? I would think that yes hating something can make you start to discount it. Please remember that just discounting His existence in no way makes Him unreal like some Atheist believe.

Now hate is a strong word but there is nothing we can do here as humans that can stop God from loving us. We can hate God, doubt God, curse God, ignore God, yell at God, etc... Do you truly believe? If so, search your heart and try and be as sincere as you can be with God. Tell Him what your issues are and you need Him to respond. Anyone truly seeking the Lord will find Him.

I would recommend this book I just finished for anyone here. It's a great read and you will not be disappointed.

Barnes and Noble
Provocative, enlightening, a twenty-first-century successor to C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, Dinesh D'Souza'sWhat's So Great About Christianity is the perfect book for the seeker, the skeptic, and the believer who wants to defend his faith.

[PC1]

alexiarose,

To me the answer to your question is a definite yes. I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but my faith is grounded in my personal experience and heartfelt love for the Creator. If I were to lose that, I'd imagine I would be severely prone to atheism.

I can't profess to know what your going through with your mother's torture and I won't pretend to. I sincerely hope that you will be able to stay strong in this very trying time, and I will be praying for you and your mother.

[alexiarose]

alexiarose wrote:
Is hating God the first step to eventually discounting His existence? Does it allow one to start to see all the inconsistencies, doubt the stories, and eventually, discredit Him altogether?

The first question that comes to my mind is why are you starting to hate God? I would think that yes hating something can make you start to discount it. Please remember that just discounting His existence in no way makes Him unreal like some Atheist believe.

Now hate is a strong word but there is nothing we can do here as humans that can stop God from loving us. We can hate God, doubt God, curse God, ignore God, yell at God, etc... Do you truly believe? If so, search your heart and try and be as sincere as you can be with God. Tell Him what your issues are and you need Him to respond. Anyone truly seeking the Lord will find Him.

I would recommend this book I just finished for anyone here. It's a great read and you will not be disappointed.

Barnes and Noble
Provocative, enlightening, a twenty-first-century successor to C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, Dinesh D'Souza'sWhat's So Great About Christianity is the perfect book for the seeker, the skeptic, and the believer who wants to defend his faith.

I guess I am not really hating Him. I am mad at Him. Why does He sit back and let people suffer?

Actually, I am not a fan of C.S. Lewis. I find him to be artificial. But that is my own opinion. I am not sure I want to read anyone compared to him. But thanks.

[jeremiah]

I guess I am not really hating Him. I am mad at Him. Why does He sit back and let people suffer?

That is one of the biggest concerns and questions that people have had since Christianity came about, if not it was also thought that the gods were mad at human beings so they caused suffering or that the gods were hurting and took it out on humans. Unfortunately that though is still around. I think one of the problems, I found was mine as well, is the way of thinking about pain and suffering. Maybe God is all powerful, or maybe knows all things, or maybe he just lets it all happen for a reason. Kind of like a parent who sees their child do something wrong and let the consquences happen to them because that's the way life is. I found for myself that to accept that the way things are in life is cause and effect, not because God is mad at me or I did something wrong to disappoint him. Those are guilt trip teachings and are manipulative. Yes, I do believe all things have a purpose, even our suffering, but that is not something to even begin thinking about while going through the pain. Just let pain be pain, hate be hate.

Then I am not sure who to throw the blame at. I am wondering how much of my faith is because of mom. Without her, would I still have it? Would I even had been interested in it in the first place? I don't know anything anymore.

I soon found out that I had to seperate my faith from my parents, if I had any faith at all to begin with, and to see if I found out personally what I was taught was real to me or not. If we go based on what we were taught from our parents or from others, then that faith was never faith at all! We have to make it our own, not base it off of other peoples' way of thinking and reasoning or just how they use religion to make exuses for themselves or, worse of all, to avoid responsibility in and for their lives. it is alright to be mad at God, refusing to accept our feelings as they are only defeats the purpose of having them and that God gave them to us. All throughout Scriptures God expresses his own emotions as well as man expressing his! If we can't be real, then how can we learn to love ourselves, our enemy or even God who is love? Is it just the thought of being influenced by your mom that worries you or is it some kind of doctrine that is taught? Or is it your own emotions or uncertainty? Doubt is natural for faith, everything needs an opposite to help guide us back to reality of what is going on around us. I welcome my doubt, it gives me the chance to go back and view what I believe, or really who I am and why I believe.

[Joonwoo]

This may be an obvious answer but it is a true answer. "You cannot hate someone and not believe that they exist at the same time."

Some philosophers say that a bond made after tension is a much stronger bond then a bond without ever having tension. I absolutely agree with it!

As long as the bond is reconnected, going through some tension is like getting another problem out of the way of the bond, making it a stronger bond.

Why does he let us suffer? First of all, if it wasn't for Jesus Christ, we'd be suffering a whole lot more. God is merciful only in the sense that he gave us a chance to get into Heaven even after what we had done... "Adam and Eve". God has no responsibility in making the lives of anybody in this sinful world happy. Of course, if we pray and ask him for a blessing that will in the long run help to worship him, he may grant it to you.

Besides... God tends to do great works through those who suffer instead of those who are prosperous in their worldly lives. For the more stripped you are of the world, the closer you are to God's holiness.

[theleftone]

Is hating God the first step to eventually discounting His existence? Does it allow one to start to see all the inconsistencies, doubt the stories, and eventually, discredit Him altogether?

Your question assumes we innately believe in God, but I don't believe hate is necessary. Are you familiar with James Fowler's Stages of Faith Development? I am probably between stages four and five.

[alexiarose]

Is hating God the first step to eventually discounting His existence? Does it allow one to start to see all the inconsistencies, doubt the stories, and eventually, discredit Him altogether?

Your question assumes we innately believe in God, but I don't believe hate is necessary. Are you familiar with James Fowler's Stages of Faith Development? I am probably between stages four and five.

No, it doesn't presuppose this. It is referring to one who is old enough to have accepted their faith but then been challenged to the point that maybe they are questioning their faith enough to start believing otherwise.

There is nothing even related to innate here.