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?

[Fisherking]

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?

Not neccessarily -- how we deal with difficult circumstances will tell us if we really believed He existed in the first place though. Hang in there.

[alexiarose]

So if my faith is slipping, I never really believed to begin with?

[Fisherking]

So if my faith is slipping, I never really believed to begin with?

How would I know

I guess I'm not really sure what you mean by your faith slipping.
Do you mean slipping faith = hating God, discounting His existence, doubting stories, and discrediting Him altogether -- or are you refering to slipping faith in something you think God would or should do?
I can't speak for you, but in my life there are things that I thought God would do, prayers I believed He would not only answer but would want to answer. Faith in God's existence never was an issue for me during painful times. Faith in what I thought God would do or should do was the issue and through the years I've learned God is God.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts"
I believe without a doubt that whatever does or doesn't happen, it is the best thing that can happen, whether I understand it or not.

In my opinion, if someone was hating God they would have a hard time discounting His existence because they are affirming His existence by hating Him.
Someone who hated God could attempt to discredit Him though.

[achilles12604]

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?

Hating God (in my opinion) is perfectly fine and sometime totally expected. Think of it like a small child in the doctor's office. He hates his mother for holding him while the needle is thrust into his arm for no reason at all. And this hatred is totally valid from the perspective of the child.

I have been known to curse at God. I can remember more than once going out of my tent and cussing him up one side and down another. I even had security called once (that is a whole different story).

Doubting his existence is a totally different matter. Emotion concerning God is actually evidence for his existence (on a personal level only).

As for observing inconsistencies, etc, I feel I have been trying to do this ever since I got here. My goal here is no evaluate the evidence whatever it may be and believe accordingly. The problem is that people are generally much more emotional than they should be. This causes them to react something like the following . . .

I heard my husband talking to a woman on the phone 2 weeks ago. Now he is coming home late from work tonight. Obviously he is having an affair.

Now given this situation, there is evidence to support the conclusion. But is the conclusion really valid? People sometimes do the same thing with God.

An atheist just presented evidence that without a doubt disproves one of my long held beliefs (say young earth). Obviously the bible can't be trusted. I guess God may not even exist.


Now is this line of thinking reasonable? Maybe for the individual. But it isn't logical. First off the person's belief in a young earth may not have EVER been biblically supported. If it was biblically supported, then there could be other reasons why it didn't hold water (the book in question has an unknown history, there are no verifying factors about the book or author, the scriptures in question were misread, the atheist's argument may itself be a logical fallacy, etc). If all of these do check out, then I have in the past been totally OK with recognizing the bible is not inerrent for many various reasons and I have simply adjusted my beliefs accordingly.

After all there is no reason to throw out the baby with the bath water. You don't seem to hold all the traditional beliefs. I would expect that you would be able to let go of some things without tossing the whole idea.

Anyway, just my thoughts as I have had to throw out some beliefs over the last year and a half, but I hold even stronger to other points and to God.

[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?

Hating God (in my opinion) is perfectly fine and sometime totally expected. Think of it like a small child in the doctor's office. He hates his mother for holding him while the needle is thrust into his arm for no reason at all. And this hatred is totally valid from the perspective of the child.

I have been known to curse at God. I can remember more than once going out of my tent and cussing him up one side and down another. I even had security called once (that is a whole different story).

Doubting his existence is a totally different matter. Emotion concerning God is actually evidence for his existence (on a personal level only).

As for observing inconsistencies, etc, I feel I have been trying to do this ever since I got here. My goal here is no evaluate the evidence whatever it may be and believe accordingly. The problem is that people are generally much more emotional than they should be. This causes them to react something like the following . . .

I heard my husband talking to a woman on the phone 2 weeks ago. Now he is coming home late from work tonight. Obviously he is having an affair.

Now given this situation, there is evidence to support the conclusion. But is the conclusion really valid? People sometimes do the same thing with God.

An atheist just presented evidence that without a doubt disproves one of my long held beliefs (say young earth). Obviously the bible can't be trusted. I guess God may not even exist.


Now is this line of thinking reasonable? Maybe for the individual. But it isn't logical. First off the person's belief in a young earth may not have EVER been biblically supported. If it was biblically supported, then there could be other reasons why it didn't hold water (the book in question has an unknown history, there are no verifying factors about the book or author, the scriptures in question were misread, the atheist's argument may itself be a logical fallacy, etc). If all of these do check out, then I have in the past been totally OK with recognizing the bible is not inerrent for many various reasons and I have simply adjusted my beliefs accordingly.

After all there is no reason to throw out the baby with the bath water. You don't seem to hold all the traditional beliefs. I would expect that you would be able to let go of some things without tossing the whole idea.

Anyway, just my thoughts as I have had to throw out some beliefs over the last year and a half, but I hold even stronger to other points and to God.

Can you try to drop the analytical responses for 5 seconds and just give me an answer from the heart? Not technical. Do I have a reason to fear hating God? Could it lead me away from Him?

[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.

[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?

[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?

[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?