Back to Home

Active Questions

It seems to me that people who believe in GOD..and have a religious view point......
Race, Religion & Politics / 10:53 PM - Friday November 20, 2009

It seems to me that people who believe in GOD..and have a religious view point......

are better able to accept the world as it is...and work to improve it...than those who have no GOD...and are despondent at the difficulty in dealing with every day disappointments.

Do you think that only having secular solutions leads to a feeling of failure.....while those who have a GOD to turn to...and placing their faith in HIM.......can deal with life better ???

- Asked by nuttyprofessor, A Guy Critical, Male, 56-65, Transportation

READ MORE ABOUT THE RATING SYSTEM

I can only speak for myself on this. Believing in God and putting my faith in him has helped me greatly in times of sorrow, it has helped me cope with life's difficulties, and it has filled me with a joy that I cannot describe. :D

- Response by 1sassychic, A Married Girl, Female, 36-45, Student

Rating Received:


Two things:

1) I'm glad you only said it *seems* that people who believe in GOD are better able to accept the world as it is, work to improve it, etc. because that simply isn't true. Considering the vast majority of scientists (who spend every day working on understanding our universe) are atheists, it's obvious that believing in God doesn't help at all. In fact, considering how religious types try to hold back valuable research, I'd say that believing in God is a huge barrier to progress.

2) What on earth gives you the idea that "those who have no GOD" "are despondent at the difficulty in dealing with every day disappointments."? That's a huge generalisation that has no basis in fact.

May I suggest you check your facts?

- Response by android63, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 46-55, Bali

Rating Received:

Community Rating: Community Star

Not automatically. Some people undoubtedly think that God will be there for them at all times, and have expectations about what that means, and then end up even more disappointed and frustrated when things don't go their way.

There's a saying that God answers all prayers, just not always the way we'd like. Many people don't always remember this, and conclude that God has abandoned them.

- Response by mikehug, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 36-45, Cleveland

Rating Received:


You lost me at 'HIM'.
I think people who have acquired optimal problem solving skills and who are pragmatic take life as it is handed to them pretty damned well. They don't blame god or goddess for what comes and they don't pray for god or goddess to remove the problem. People will good skills sometimes ask for the ability to see or find a solution. Is this a religious belief or just the reality of higher thinking and an understanding of how things are connected?
The more educated someone is the less religious the become. Do you think the most educated are the most despondent? Research actually indicates they are the happiest. And research also indicates that the unhappiest places are areas with the highest populations of "religious" people.

- Response by joybird, A Creative, Female, 46-55, Rochester, Who Cares?

Rating Received:


Yeah....I can see how it would, but...

...no....I don't.

I think that in many cases, vocal religious people tend to dismiss the misery in this world as inevitable...a sort of ecclesiastic rose colored glasses...and necessary to endure in preparation for the next.

I find this way of looking at things to be enabling.

And...I tend to admire people more who LIVE their faith, rather than broadcast it.

- Response by drumboi2, A Guy Critical, Male, 56-65, Technical

Rating Received:


I also wanted to add that it isn't only about believing in God, it is about having a relationship with him.

- Response by 1sassychic, A Married Girl, Female, 36-45, Student

Rating Received:


It's amazing how we group people. One group is by race, another group is by religion and another group is people with little or no religious beliefs. We seem to generalize their beliefs and ideas based on our preferences and bias. One guy is saying how religious and you are about people without religious beliefs and all to be painted with a broad brush. Nope the world has not changed for the better. Only the description of the tribes have changed.

- Response by william45, A Career Man, Male, 46-55, Chicago, Teaching

Rating Received:


I think we need both. It's a universal fact of life that all things should come in pairs (usually). Too much of one thing puts us off balance. I think we need faith in something abastract as well as a good logical view. I most certainly believe in God and I most certainly believe in Reason. The tough part is finding a middle ground.

- Response by TheSshhmoe, An Alternative Girl, Female, 18-21, Student

Rating Received:


Not my experience. The religious people I know mostly sit around praying for things to get better. Guess what? It doesn't work. Then they try to find excuses for God not answering their prayers (my father's favourite was "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord ..." - which apparently blinded him to the fact that the Lord's supposed plans were not prospering him at all as his life tumbled further downhill). It enables them to be resigned to the misfortunes of life, which appears calmer, so people mistake it for happiness. They are mistaken.

My approach is to work out logically what I need to do to gain or reclaim the dignity I need to carry on in this world. It's often bloody hell while I'm trying to get it: I've had quite a few bouts of depression where I've set myself deadlines to achieve something or die because without it I'd end up a loser like my parents and after all the misery they've inflicted on me, I couldn't allow myself to become such a nuisance to anyone else. However, the fear of the only life I have coming to an end concentrates the mind and makes me work my arse off to get what I want, and the periods of happiness when I get it mostly far outlast the bouts of depression. The last major bout of depression I had lasted nine months, but that was two and a half years ago and since then, there have been many incredible high points to my life. The previous one lasted four months, but I had 18 thoroughly enjoyable months after it. When I look back on all the things I've done that I wouldn't have been able to do if I'd just given up the way my parents did, I know I'd a thousand times rather live my way than get by with mere existence the way they do.

- Response by tabbycat1, An Alternative Girl, Female, 22-25, London, Internet / New Media

Rating Received:

Back to Active Questions