is faith overrated?

Hi,
I was sometimes thinkin' that it's a pity that I don't believe in God, because I think my life would be better if I could practise some religion. I have never been interested in religious matters, "life after death" etc. but the religious feeling itself attracts me. It gives some kind of "inner peace" or something like that. But maybe I don't need faith at all. I was thinking of going to a church some day and attending a service, and do all things that the people do there (pray, sing, etc.). I don't think I need to believe in God in order to find it meaningful. I don't mean it as a joke or an experiment. I am interested in being religious, but without faith (since I don't have it). Maybe faith is overrated?

Christians always talk about how important it is to believe. That's the whole foundation of christianity. So maybe that's why I have thought that religion is not for me.

I once told a friend of mine that I have no faith.

He quickly corrected me and proceeded to point out exactly how much faith I do have. It turns out faith is another word for trust in some ways...

The list he gave me was a bit long, and there's no real gain to put it out here... but it boiled down to I place a lot of faith in people. I believe people want to do the right thing, but get lost or confused. I have faith in my friends, and in life in general, that things are going to turn out they way they should, and that I'm going to get what I deserve, for ill or good.

That being said... I am atheist, sometimes I tell religious people that after they get to know me, and it confuses them-because my view on things is not faithless at all. I just don't believe in god. I don't think you have to do so in order to have faith.


I also think without faith... we could not survive. God or no god.

Originally Posted by Sleepy

Hi,
I was sometimes thinkin' that it's a pity that I don't believe in God, because I think my life would be better if I could practise some religion. I have never been interested in religious matters, "life after death" etc. but the religious feeling itself attracts me. It gives some kind of "inner peace" or something like that. But maybe I don't need faith at all. I was thinking of going to a church some day and attending a service, and do all things that the people do there (pray, sing, etc.). I don't think I need to believe in God in order to find it meaningful. I don't mean it as a joke or an experiment. I am interested in being religious, but without faith (since I don't have it). Maybe faith is overrated?

Christians always talk about how important it is to believe. That's the whole foundation of christianity. So maybe that's why I have thought that religion is not for me.

Faith in what? It depends on what one is having faith in. Faith in God is worthwhile and can return great things. Faith in Faith is bad.

I think you can achieve a sort of inner peace without a god. Try doing some yoga! Or anything else that will help you get to a centered state of being.

I kind of hate "faith", unless you are defining it as trust. I take it to mean believing in something with no proof.

I meant faith in God (and I thought it was the same as believing, but maybe I'm mixing up words). Anyway, I think it's unimportant. Religion can be DOING stuff rather than believing.

Alanna suggested yoga, and I think we're on the same track. But yoga feels too unreligious for me. There's no god in yoga that you have to believe in, but my point is that you don't have to believe in any god in order to practise traditional christian-like rituals. It's enough that you have a religious mind. Still, the idea of a god present in for example christian rituals might make it easier to have a religious experience, even as an ateist.

I am aware that this might sound confusing.

Originally Posted by Sleepy

I meant faith in God (and I thought it was the same as believing, but maybe I'm mixing up words). Anyway, I think it's unimportant. Religion can be DOING stuff rather than believing.

Alanna suggested yoga, and I think we're on the same track. But yoga feels too unreligious for me. There's no god in yoga that you have to believe in, but my point is that you don't have to believe in any god in order to practise traditional christian-like rituals. It's enough that you have a religious mind. Still, the idea of a god present in for example christian rituals might make it easier to have a religious experience, even as an ateist.

I am aware that this might sound confusing.

Are you sure you are an atheist? Perhaps you are a deist, and believe in a higher power, but that higher power has nothing to do with religion.

Or perhaps I am totally wrong. Whatever. :P

Originally Posted by Alanna

Are you sure you are an atheist? Perhaps you are a deist, and believe in a higher power, but that higher power has nothing to do with religion.

Or perhaps I am totally wrong. Whatever. :P

I actually thought of it in the oppositie way. The most meaningful thing for me is the here-and-now presence in religious rituals, and not the stuff about a higher power etc.

Maybe I am a religious hedonist or something like that? It's like beautiful nature. I can feel that nature is "sacred", without believing in any metaphysics about nature. Couldnt one have the same attitude towards religion?

I think it is possible that this could lead to some sort of believing in a higher power, but it would be very subjective and personal, and it would probably be impossible to explain it in any rational way, even to myself.

I'm a Agnostic, which some have come to see as the new chiche'.

Agnosticism is not to be confused with being Atheist. Agnosticism is not a religion, just a point of view.
Atheism is a religion, for believing there is no God is believing in something there is not.

I was a christian, and on some levels might still relate to the subconscious "need" to believe there will be something after death...something better than what living in this world is like.

However, I've found it to be somewhat hard to believe in something which I do not quite have the capacity in believing due to my INTP nature.

Faith is believing in that which you cannot see, smell taste touch, but feel. Not physically, but spiritually.

Spiritualism does offer quite a few perks, as many of you have stated. An sense of being protected and ease of mind, inner peace and the hopes of a transition after death to a place of joy and peace.

I call that the frantic attempt of our sub conscious brain to try and negate the fact that we struggle to come to grips with the concept of death being an end, and that there is no higher purpose than continuation of the species.

I know that's putting it VERY bluntly, but your not here to hear entertaining fables.

...well maybe you are. I don't know

The point is, I do believe that "faith" could allow people to tap into the energy we all posses. I have come to understand that in all the complexity of the human body, we are still just flesh, blood, bones, neurons etc.

There has to be something orchestrating us. The soul, spirit, essence or a part of God, however you wish to define it.

The point I'm making, is when alot of people "believe" someone will become well, we may be tapping into "exotic-extensions" of our soul, subconsciously stimulating an physical action.

Like when people pray for terminally ill people, and they make spontaneous recoveries. I do believe the combined "will" of individuals concentrating on the same outcome can influence physical manifestation of said outcome.

"Belief" and "Will" it would seem have some things in common...

...feasible it is then, that if 2 000 000 people believe in a common God, he might be manifested by the wanting "will" of the masses, and subsequently their demands for an afterlife.

Something interesting to nibble on ^_^

Originally Posted by Merov

I'm a Agnostic, which some have come to see as the new chiche'.

Agnosticism is not to be confused with being Atheist. Agnosticism is not a religion, just a point of view.
Atheism is a religion, for believing there is no God is believing in something there is not.

I really really hate it when people say "atheism is a religion". Okay well, I call my self an atheist, but for argument's sake I am a really really skeptical agnostic. I am agnostic about the existence of a supernatural god the same way that I am agnostic about the flying spaghetti monster. So, you know, I can't really ever know that god or the flying spaghetti monster do not exist; but I am PRETTY FRIGGIN SURE.

Originally Posted by Merov

The point is, I do believe that "faith" could allow people to tap into the energy we all posses. I have come to understand that in all the complexity of the human body, we are still just flesh, blood, bones, neurons etc.

There has to be something orchestrating us. The soul, spirit, essence or a part of God, however you wish to define it.

The point I'm making, is when alot of people "believe" someone will become well, we may be tapping into "exotic-extensions" of our soul, subconsciously stimulating an physical action.

Like when people pray for terminally ill people, and they make spontaneous recoveries. I do believe the combined "will" of individuals concentrating on the same outcome can influence physical manifestation of said outcome.

"Belief" and "Will" it would seem have some things in common...

I would love to see some proof of that. I am pretty sure that none exists.

Originally Posted by Merov

...feasible it is then, that if 2 000 000 people believe in a common God, he might be manifested by the wanting "will" of the masses, and subsequently their demands for an afterlife.

Heh, well this is the basis of the plot of one of Terry Pratchett's books!

Personally, I wouldn't go through rituals without believing in them. I would feel that it's pointless. But you can of course do as you want...if it makes you happy, why not?

Faith, for me, is something I have had since being very young...actually, as long as I can remember. What I don't understand is how some people become members of some religion and copy-paste the "codex" of that religion over what they are. Religion, in my mind, is at it's best an organized system of people who have similar faiths. Why go to a group of people and tell them you believe in their stuff? Why not believe in what you believe?

Also, for a lot of folks, religion and faith seems to be about rules and regulations. Another thing that I don't understand. Why don't people decide for themselves what is allowed and what is not ?