Something to believe in?

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Hello everyone, i hope you’re having a good day, i’m Paul. When i was around 13 years old i kind of got the idea that god didn’t exist (i’m 17 now), i didn’t lose faith or something sad happened; for me it just wasn’t possible for god to exist. I still am an atheist and i still don’t believe that god exists. But i know that from when i was 13 and now i’ve been getting depressed. I didn’t have a clue why until several years ago that wel,l religious people are in fact a bit happier than me at least (not everyone, just in the general idea) and in my opinion i think its because they have a kind of purpose to live for and a spiritual guide.

There are a lot of reasons why i’m kind of deppressed, but losing faith may be one of those reasons, i’m not saying you have to have faith to be happy, i’m just saying that for me its kind of a reason. I lost a kind of purpose to life, now i don’t want to die obviously but i don’t see a lot to live for and religion kind f gave that sense of purpose on this life.

So what i’m saying, can i still have a guide, purpose and will as same as religion without being religious. A guide, something to believe in that i will believe in, not some other religion. Something that will make sense for me since i am often cynical, direct and logical, something that’ll give me a strong will so i can continue living my life. If you’re an atheist too and you found something like that please comment, it can be anything, people, experiences, a wise phrase. Just something.

Now don’t tell me i have to have faith in god or that i must rejoin god, that god loves me and that i have to accept Jesus, God, Allah or some other people into my heart, i already have gone past that and people have told me countless times, i don’t need to hear it again. I need an answer please. Thank you for listening.

Category: Tags: asked August 23, 2014

4 Answers

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Oh my goodness, you sound exactly like me. For as long as I remember, my parents would take me to church and sunday school, and I always thought that god wasn't real, and it was just something that grown ups told us to simply have something to believe in (sorta like santa). I'm only 14, and i'm an atheist, and i'm also a very scientific and logical person also. The thing is that you have no reason to be depressed. Sure, religious people have something to believe in/ rely on/ accept/ etc., but just because you don't have that doesn't mean that they have a sense of purpose and you don't and you should be sad about that. I haven't quite found anything that keeps me strong willed, but i always seem to find pondering the infinity of the universe, the fact that literally anything could happen, and just technically thinking about things seems to sort of fill the gap of missing spirituality. But i also kind of believe that somewhere, there is a higher being thats sort of like a god figure, but more like a spirit overseeing everything. I'm not sure if you know what i mean, but i makes very vague sense to me. I hope this helped a bit. I think it would be nice if we could try and keep in touch somehow for further elaboration, but im not sure if thats possible. Oh, and i'm bella. Good luck!
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Hey Paul, Im also skeptical of there being a god out there but I've found that instead of putting my faith in an organized religion it would be more beneficial for me to put my faith in people. Whenever I begin to get depressed and start drifting into this "what is my purpose?" state of thinking I realize that there are so many things that I have to live for- mostly people like friends and family. However, if thats not enough for you, then put your faith in your own life. You've got a life to live so live it and i mean really LIVE IT! You have so much time to experience life with all it's twists and turns and ups and downs so just believe in the fact that life is an adventure. Also just try and focus on being spiritual; get in tune with yourself. Reflect on what you're passionate about and what makes you happy then use that to create goals on what you want to do in life. You don't need religion to make you happy, believe me, Ive gone to catholic school my whole life and i blindly followed tradition and I was miserable and still felt alone. It was only after I started questioning my faith and beliefs that I realized I don't agree with a lot of catholic ideals. So instead of unsuccessfully trying to connect with people in my ex-religion I found myself feeling more connected to the world in general because I just saw everyone as a part of humanity instead of part of a different religion. Everyone is just trying to live their lives and be as happy as they can be, you don't need a religion to tell you how to live your life or to make you happy. Ultimately, you will find true happiness in the way you choose to live your life not in your ability or lack-there-of to believe in god.
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My finding, losing and discovering what I believe in happened in a way that may or may not help but here's how it went. I am currently 23 years old, but when I was 13 or so, I had a friend named Tim who introduced me to a very harsh Christianity. He told me stories from the bible, but only the ones about the end of the world and so like any gullable 13 year old, I started to insist that I went to church with my grandfather. What I discovered was a far less scary thing, and for a while felt like I could believe in God and the bible, and at some point it wasn't out of fear of going to the hell that I was being threatened with. Eventually, I found that it just wasn't quite right though. I found myself questioning it and around the age of 17 I started to study every religion I could find to see if anything at all made any real sense to me. A lot of religions did make sense to me, but I then saw a pattern that threw me off again. There are a lot out there that are fantastic moral guidelines if you don't take them literally, and the understanding of the universe wasn't made as obvious as I had hoped. I continued to search until I finally figured out that I had been looking at it wrong..What I believe in is what I feel and see, and personally accept as my own truth. I have my own, very personal idea of the way the universe works, and it isn't really a religion but I believe in how I feel that things are. I still respect practiced religion in that it gives order and peace to people who seek it, but i'm personally at peace having decided on my own truth. I can't get into the details because I could go on forever, but my message to you I suppose is just..You may find your peace and truth in a God or religion that's practiced by many,or you may have to find peace over time within yourself and find your own understanding of the way things are.
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Hehe what is the purpose of my life? Big question for everyone and the answer is different for everyone. I agree that religion may be the purpose for some but for some it may not, you don't have to be religious to be happy, just be a good person and good things will come your way.If you are into the love purpose, well perhaps that is one thing you can find purpose in. To find the person who you can take care of and share the rest of your years with and create a wonderful family and give them your love and all you've got. The Shaytards on youtube are a great example of love and family. Oor maybe it's too soon to think about that since you are 17, maybe you can focus on your career and find purpose in that. Find a career that you really are passionate about and build from there. Maybe your purpose could be found in a special cause, you can help endangered animals, helping to end world hunger, going to different countries and helping out, ending abortion, etc. Or maybe find a role model who can be a guide for you, but remember to stick true to yourself. You can also mix stuff up, you don't have to just believe in one thing, you can have some bits of religion, a role model, or something else you believe in. You've probably heard this a lot but, You are the one in control of your life and you've only got one so make the best of it, don't waste it. There's so much out there for you to believe in, just believe in what you think is the right fit for you and always aim to do good. XD I hope this was a bit helpful Haha.