If you lost your faith.. do you think you would become depressed?

[Blackguard_]

You could enjoy your life now and experience all this world has to offer

Yes, I could "gain the whole world". Then what? Only oblivion. It doesn't matter whether you live life to the fullest or waste it.

You can't keep those experiences or gain new ones.

A good movie has an ending, and you appreciate it for what it was.

Movies also have sequels, but that often doesn't help my case.

You're also still around to appreciate the movie and watch others and appreciate them.

At best, you're making a case you'll live on in the memory of others who appreciate your life.

It would not be better if it never ended.

Maybe, but it would not be better if I erased your memory of it and you could never watch it again and no more movies were ever made.

 

[stan1472]

Hmm this sure is an interesting question. I want to answer as clearly and boldly as possible. If I lost my faith in God, life would truly be meaningless and lifeless. I would lose my very soul.

 

[Themistocles]

Not really. You could enjoy your life now and experience all this world has to offer. A good movie has an ending, and you appreciate it for what it was. It would not be better if it never ended. Life is much the same way. Appreciate it for what it is, make the most of it, and leave it at that.

There's something to that but only something. It's, I'm sure, relatively useful as long as you avoid thinking about anything hard. Like orphans. Like the abused and neglected. Like the mentally handicapped. Like the destitute and the diseased. And when you consider that there is no particular reason why you ought to care about any of this because there are no moral imperatives you are bound to respect- no ground for morality (there isn't post-God: philosophers have toiled for millenia to solve the is-ought dilemma. It can't be done by any ingenuity known to man).

There is suffering. This is either meaningful or it's not. If it's not, patently I'm justified in doing whatever conduces to my happiness, at any given moment. I must chuck my feeling that it's really a bad thing that children are being molested as an irrational movement in the head of an animal- only useful to me if I happen to be one of the children. If, on the other hand, I'm obliged to care about this suffering and satisfy the demands of my conscience, I must have "the thing with feathers- that perches in the soul"- I must have hope. Dickinson, from her safe 19th century perch, might have thought it perched in the soul quite independent of God- that it "never stops". I don't. I've tasted the fruit of a century of that philosophy. It comes to no good end. I stand with Dostoevsky who knew that "If God does not exist, everything is permitted" and I stand with Dostoevsky who said, "If someone proved to me that Christ is outside the truth, and that in reality the truth were outside of Christ, then I should prefer to remain with Christ rather than with the truth."

 

[Drax]

Yeah, I said that once too. lol

And I can say it boldly. I've been a missionary. I've seen and experienced miracles (only a few, but they were all 100% no-doubt legit). A friend of mine who was very anti-Christian recently had her life saved by one she is convinced was an angel; after that encounter, she has become a great warrior for Christ. I've prayed highly-specific, seemingly impossible prayers and He has answered within moments. I have seen converts' lives transformed before my eyes. And if these proofs were not enough - or if I had never experienced them - I would fall back on the Faith that was given to me. The belief never sprung from within me; it was granted to me by our Lord who came to me and claimed me as His own. When I was washed in Baptism, He was there. When I was strengthened in Confirmation, He was there. When I hear the Gospel proclaimed or receive Communion, He is most certainly there. He was there before I ever sought Him out.

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, to lose what I was given is an utter impossibility. I would challenge anyone to look back at his or her own life. You will see God working in it before you ever knew Him, and I suspect you will find answered prayers or miracles that you never considered before!

 

[HoosierCanuck]

I suffer from depression anyway so I think it would be 10x worse if I didn't feel a faith in God to help me through each day.

 

[JohnDB]

I understand the question...kinda considering the source.

But you phrase it in all the wrong terms mostly because you have no understanding.

And in a couple of different ways you have struck a nerve...just not mine.

Here is a better way to phrase it:

If everything you held dear was found out to be a lie....would you do a 180 degree turnaround?

The sad truth is that this has been tried and the answer discovered...

Jesus fulfilled over 1,000 prophesies concerning him as well as a bunch of ones that weren't so expressly stated but only alluded to...and in Israel when Jesus was there the bulk of the people didn't believe in him...While He was on tour and ministry Jesus only had 200 some odd faithful. He was the "least successful" messiah strictly by popularity with the people. Other "messiahs" had thousands following them...only to meet up with the Roman Army and be destroyed.
The Pharisees, Sadducees, and most of the Population simply didn't believe what it was that they were seeing despite the miracles they seen with their own eyes.

The truth is that those of us who actually know Jesus on a personal level have had everything that we once believed in turned on it's head....and we are immensely happy for it because we chose to put our faith in what we had only heard.

IE...I can tell you all about how wonderful a person my son is. I can describe him in many ways and tell all kinds of wonderful stories about him. But until you meet him you really can't know how wonderful he really is.
The same is true for Jesus. I know a lot of people go to church and make sounds and pretty words as if they have really gotten to know the real Jesus instead of one that they created. They really have no clue that they actually stand out like sore thumbs to those of us who have met HIM. They even believe themselves to actually be one of us....sad fact is they ain't. They are the hardest ones to try to get to meet Jesus.

And in the same fashion if you were to try to convince me that my son wasn't real...OK...well...it just isn't possible. You only exist to me on the computer screen...my son is here in front of me and I talk to him and hug him regularly.
Where I may not be able to hug Jesus that doesn't mean that He doesn't say things to me...I may not see Jesus face to face today but I know I will. There have been too many signs, wonders, and miracles for me to ever even give the slightest notion of considering a world where He doesn't exist. Every thing I do is for him...and I wish it could be more.

 

[MehGuy]

I understand the question...kinda considering the source.

But you phrase it in all the wrong terms mostly because you have no understanding.

And in a couple of different ways you have struck a nerve...just not mine.

Here is a better way to phrase it:

If everything you held dear was found out to be a lie....would you do a 180 degree turnaround?

The sad truth is that this has been tried and the answer discovered...

Jesus fulfilled over 1,000 prophesies concerning him as well as a bunch of ones that weren't so expressly stated but only alluded to...and in Israel when Jesus was there the bulk of the people didn't believe in him...While He was on tour and ministry Jesus only had 200 some odd faithful. He was the "least successful" messiah strictly by popularity with the people. Other "messiahs" had thousands following them...only to meet up with the Roman Army and be destroyed.
The Pharisees, Sadducees, and most of the Population simply didn't believe what it was that they were seeing despite the miracles they seen with their own eyes.

The truth is that those of us who actually know Jesus on a personal level have had everything that we once believed in turned on it's head....and we are immensely happy for it because we chose to put our faith in what we had only heard.

IE...I can tell you all about how wonderful a person my son is. I can describe him in many ways and tell all kinds of wonderful stories about him. But until you meet him you really can't know how wonderful he really is.
The same is true for Jesus. I know a lot of people go to church and make sounds and pretty words as if they have really gotten to know the real Jesus instead of one that they created. They really have no clue that they actually stand out like sore thumbs to those of us who have met HIM. They even believe themselves to actually be one of us....sad fact is they ain't. They are the hardest ones to try to get to meet Jesus.

And in the same fashion if you were to try to convince me that my son wasn't real...OK...well...it just isn't possible. You only exist to me on the computer screen...my son is here in front of me and I talk to him and hug him regularly.
Where I may not be able to hug Jesus that doesn't mean that He doesn't say things to me...I may not see Jesus face to face today but I know I will. There have been too many signs, wonders, and miracles for me to ever even give the slightest notion of considering a world where He doesn't exist. Every thing I do is for him...and I wish it could be more.

I don't' really see how your phrasing is better than mine... maybe not as specific, but that was my main question so eh.....

Though I probably would probably use a different phrase if I wasn't worried about being modded, so I just tried to be as vague and neutral as possible.

I'm not even sure I am allowed to respond to your bottom half.

So do you want to answer my original question? I know you say its impossible for you to lose your faith, that's fine but you can still think over fantasy scenarios such as not believing in him anymore right?

 

[Amber.ly]

I'm in the camp that you can't lose your salvation so my perspective is going to have to be if I had never believed:

If I had rejected the truth and chose to believe the lie, I imagine I would be essentially the same- a sinful person but with a shell of a life and soul. I'm not given to a depressive personality so that would not be an area I would struggle in.

 

[peacechild4]

Well I asked a mod if I could make this thread, and she said it would be fine as long as I don't promote anything.

Anyways if you lost your faith somehow do you think you could handle living in a life with no divine purpose *of course this would assume you didn't join some other religion or something lol*

Would you be depressed and mopey, enjoy the depression and go on with your life, perhaps being a more cynical person towards others?, or just not really care at all?/ out grow it fast?

IDK I guess that's it, nothing much, I just always wondered if some of you fear the above, or would really care, maybe its hard to answer where you are but I'm still interested in hearing your responses.


I guess a little bonus question is, if you lost your faith how would your life change? Would you be a little less forgiving? Would you cheat more? Would you pretty much stay the same?

My goodness.. I know in the last year or so.. my faith has taken a beating.. but GOD never left me thankfully.. and I did not let go of HIM either.. even though it has been really really hard..

I think yes I would be majorly depressed.. as to how I would cope.. I would find comfort in more worldy ways.. find a relationship for comfort sake.. probably drink more.. maybe become more reclusive..

Thats an interesting question..

 

[K9_Trainer]

I don't understand why people think that the only alternative to theism is nihilism.

 

[scraparcs]

Why does this question seem to make people angry?

I'm more curious what would happen if I actually had solid faith that I knew wouldn't waver after a few weeks or months.

 

[MehGuy]

I don't understand why people think that the only alternative to theism is nihilism.

Well it doesn't have to be, but usually when people see no reason to believe in God they think the same regarding purpose and all that. Why what do you believe?

 

[Miles]

I don't understand why people think that the only alternative to theism is nihilism.

In a similar vein, I don't understand why so many people feel that the only alternative to Christianity is atheism. Faith in Christ isn't necessary for one to conclude that there's a creator.

 

[MehGuy]

In a similar vein, I don't understand why so many people feel that the only alternative to Christianity is atheism. Faith in Christ isn't necessary for one to conclude that there's a creator.

Probably because many of them apply the same line of reasoning they had in leaving Christianity, to other faiths and whatnot.

 

[JohnDB]

Probably because many of them apply the same reasoning they had in leaving Christianity to other faiths and whatnot.

This is where we in the "Christian" camp differ from the Atheists.

It isn't about a religion...it never was to those of us who never will leave.

What it is...is a relationship with a person who is the one and only living God.
Nothing more and most importantly nothing less.

We know Jesus on a personal level just like we know other people in our lives.

We Christians don't really have a religion...we have a relationship.

We don't use religion as a tool to please God...and that makes all the difference in the world from those who fake it versus those that have made it.

 

[scraparcs]

This is where we in the "Christian" camp differ from the Atheists.

It isn't about a religion...it never was to those of us who never will leave.

What it is...is a relationship with a person who is the one and only living God.
Nothing more and most importantly nothing less.

We know Jesus on a personal level just like we know other people in our lives.

We Christians don't really have a religion...we have a relationship.

We don't use religion as a tool to please God...and that makes all the difference in the world from those who fake it versus those that have made it.

That's more a Conservative Evangelical Protestant point of view than a general Christian point of view. I'd say that's where the "Conservative Evangelical Protestant" camp differs from the mainstream Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Agnostics, Atheists, and other religious types.

 

[Miles]

Probably because many of them apply the same reasoning they had in leaving Christianity to other faiths and whatnot.

Perhaps.

However, it seems to me that it requires no more faith to conclude there's a Creator than to conclude that there isn't a Creator. Certain celebrities and schools of thought disagree with this view, but their opinions are ultimately less valuable to me than my own. The most intellectually honest position that I can take is to relate to the universe as myself. When I do that, as best I can figure, we are surrounded by extraordinary evidence of a creator. To some of us theists, *everything* is evidence; including all scientifically gathered knowledge. If I lose faith in Christ, I'm not going to suddenly think that God isn't real. If what I identify as God isn't real, then we're not real, and that would be crazy talk. I would only assume the identity of an atheist if I (me... not you or anybody else) wanted to manipulate the system. To get ahead by earning a few "cool points" in certain circles. However, that would mean living a lie.

 

[MehGuy]

This is where we in the "Christian" camp differ from the Atheists.

It isn't about a religion...it never was to those of us who never will leave.

What it is...is a relationship with a person who is the one and only living God.
Nothing more and most importantly nothing less.

We know Jesus on a personal level just like we know other people in our lives.

We Christians don't really have a religion...we have a relationship.

We don't use religion as a tool to please God...and that makes all the difference in the world from those who fake it versus those that have made it.

I don't see how what you just said retracts from anything I've said, except that you have a undeniable line to the living God. Fine... I don't know what to say about that, without possibly being modded.

If you want to continue this discussion through PM that's fine, and feel free to post the exchange here if you want too. I don't have anything to hide.

Now do you want to just ponder my question or not?

 

[K9_Trainer]

In a similar vein, I don't understand why so many people feel that the only alternative to Christianity is atheism. Faith in Christ isn't necessary for one to conclude that there's a creator.

Perhaps others do as I do and class most forms of theism in the same camp as Christianity. I simply do not believe in a personal God who created the world and continues to be involved and want relationships or service from humans. It doesn't make a difference if its the God from Christianity, or a God from another theistic religion.

In that way, I am technically atheist. But I feel that the term is misleading because I'm totally agnostic when it comes to the presence of a deistic creator God.

Well it doesn't have to be, but usually when people see no reason to believe in God they think the same regarding purpose and all that. Why what do you believe?

The above paragraphs kind of answer your question about what I believe.

I guess I'm just not bothered by not having some sort of divine purpose. That doesn't mean I don't have purpose, I just make my own purpose. I don't rely on a God to give my life meaning, I make my own meaning. The world is too fascinating of a place to be bummed out over the philosophical meaning of life.

 

[MehGuy]

Perhaps.

However, it seems to me that it requires no more faith to conclude there's a Creator than to conclude that there isn't a Creator. Certain celebrities and schools of thought disagree with this view, but their opinions are ultimately less valuable to me than my own. The most intellectually honest position that I can take is to relate to the universe as myself. When I do that, as best I can figure, we are surrounded by extraordinary evidence of a creator. To some of us theists, *everything* is evidence; including all scientifically gathered knowledge. If I lose faith in Christ, I'm not going to suddenly think that God isn't real. If what I identify as God isn't real, then we're not real, and that would be crazy talk. I would only assume the identity of an atheist if I (me... not you or anybody else) wanted to manipulate the system. To get ahead by earning a few "cool points" in certain circles. However, that would mean living a lie.

*regarding the bold*, maybe with a deist viewpoint. Something we can't really test anything on, since this thing never really does or says anything.

So what you view the universe as God or something? I don't quite understand? I don't see any evidence of a creator personally, but that's just me lol. Existence itself doesn't make any sense to me. Saying a God started it doesn't help one ounce in my opinion. But again I can't say with 100% certainty, which is why I don't subscribe with strong atheism. But a complex entity creating the universe sounds less plausible then it being started by some mechanism or the material always being there. But hey, I could be wrong, and I just hope this being goes easy on me, and understands I did the best I could regarding the information.

I can understand wanting to manipulate the system lol. Nihilism can be quite fun that way. And I don't see anything intellectually wrong with it.



"If what I identify as God isn't real, then we're not real, and that would be crazy talk."

I don't really know what you mean by this.