Hardships in life affecting beliefs?

[Mock Turtle]

Are these more or less likely to make one a believer - in whatever religious/spiritual belief one might have?

I'm sure there are many on RF who have had lives (even currently) many might consider as being quite hard relative to most others, but, without necessarily detailing such, how many of you would ascribe any particular belief to such experiences and how many would say the opposite?

I would put myself in such a category but I don't believe my experiences have influenced me either way, that is, I have just put my problems down to my behaviour alone even if it was not something completely under my control. I just didn't see any divine influence (or karma) for that which might have been causative of such.

 

[PureX]

Are these more or less likely to make one a believer - in whatever religious/spiritual belief one might have?

I'm sure there are many on RF who have had lives (even currently) many might consider as being quite hard relative to most others, but, without necessarily detailing such, how many of you would ascribe any particular belief to such experiences and how many would say the opposite?

I would put myself in such a category but I don't believe my experiences have influenced me either way, that is, I have just put my problems down to my behaviour alone even if it was not something completely under my control. I just didn't see any divine influence (or karma) for that which might have been causative of such.

There's more to it than that. It's not always about assigning fault, or blame. Very often it's about needing help to get through a difficult situation, and none being available. We live in a merciless economic system that enslaves and then works to death a great many people. It's a system and a culture that does not care at all about how much suffering it inflict on us along the way. And as a result we have become socially isolated and extremely vulnerable. Our neighbors and fellow citizens are now our competitors in a system of economic survival. So where can we go when we are suffering, and frightened, and need support?

We go to 'God', and to church. Because with these, we can at least find some semblance of divine and/or communal support. Which we cannot get anywhere else in our current contentious and divisive environment. It's not about blame. It's about desperation.

 

[bobhikes]

Are these more or less likely to make one a believer - in whatever religious/spiritual belief one might have?

I'm sure there are many on RF who have had lives (even currently) many might consider as being quite hard relative to most others, but, without necessarily detailing such, how many of you would ascribe any particular belief to such experiences and how many would say the opposite?

I would put myself in such a category but I don't believe my experiences have influenced me either way, that is, I have just put my problems down to my behaviour alone even if it was not something completely under my control. I just didn't see any divine influence (or karma) for that which might have been causative of such.

I believe the hardships of life make you test your beliefs, it is in what you find that either strengthen's or weaken's them. Its probably 70/30 because most people are going to be surrounded and supported by people of the same belief.

 

[Sirona]

It's a very complex issue with probably different results for each individual.

Religion and coping with trauma - Wikipedia

 

[Mock Turtle]

There's more to it than that. It's not always about assigning fault, or blame. Very often it's about needing help to get through a difficult situation, and none being available. We live in a merciless economic system that enslaves and then works to death a great many people. It's a system and a culture that does not care at all about how much suffering it inflict on us along the way. And as a result we have become socially isolated and extremely vulnerable. Our neighbors and fellow citizens are now our competitors in a system of economic survival. So where can we go when we are suffering, and frightened, and need support?

We go to 'God', and to church. Because with these, we can at least find some semblance of divine and/or communal support. Which we cannot get anywhere else in our current contentious and divisive environment. It's not about blame. It's about desperation.

Much of that is just social support though. I was thinking about how any particular thing one might experience in life being seen as in some way as part of a spiritual or religious experience, in the way that I perceived none, even though some were fortuitous. I just accepted them for what they were and it didn't affect my lack of belief. I've never really had any support through my worst times.

 

[Mock Turtle]

It's a very complex issue with probably different results for each individual.

Religion and coping with trauma - Wikipedia

I'm sure it is, and the reasons for why whatever happens in life (if any) can be whatever what one chooses to believe as an explanation - there being so many. I was wondering if anyone had pinned anything down that might have affected their belief at all.

 

[PureX]

Much of that is just social support though. I was thinking about how any particular thing one might experience in life being seen as in some way as part of a spiritual or religious experience, in the way that I perceived none, even though some were fortuitous. I just accepted them for what they were and it didn't affect my lack of belief. I've never really had any support through my worst times.

But superstition is not what drives people to God, or to organized religion. Just as it did not drive you to them. What drives people to God and to religion is fear, loss of control, a need to feel that they have somewhere to turn for help.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

Are these more or less likely to make one a believer - in whatever religious/spiritual belief one might have?

I'm sure there are many on RF who have had lives (even currently) many might consider as being quite hard relative to most others, but, without necessarily detailing such, how many of you would ascribe any particular belief to such experiences and how many would say the opposite?

I would put myself in such a category but I don't believe my experiences have influenced me either way, that is, I have just put my problems down to my behaviour alone even if it was not something completely under my control. I just didn't see any divine influence (or karma) for that which might have been causative of such.

I suppose a lot of people with hard lives believe in God since it provides reassurance and comfort. But of course that doesn't make the belief true.

 

[Mock Turtle]

But superstition is not what drives people to God, or to organized religion. Just as it did not drive you to them. What drives people to God and to religion is fear, loss of control, a need to feel that they have somewhere to turn for help.

I know there are many reasons for why people are drawn to such beliefs, and one's experiences might not have anything to do with such, but some here do seem to have experiences that have inclined them towards such beliefs, and I was just wondering if any particular hardship might have done so.

 

[PureX]

I suppose a lot of people with hard lives believe in God since it provides reassurance and comfort. But of course that doesn't make the belief true.

Nonsense. If they were seeking reassurance and comfort, and their belief in God and participation in religion provides them with assurance and comfort, it has already shown itself to be as true as anything else in their life has been shown to be true.

The truth, for any of us, is what works.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I'm still more interested in anything that people have experienced as affecting any beliefs rather than any support they might or might not have received, and I know it might be difficult to separate out such, especially when support can be mixed. As most will know, I didn't have any religious beliefs from early on, or a tendency towards such apart from investigating the varieties that existed, and that didn't change during and after any issues I had and which were resolved almost fortuitously it seems to me. I could perhaps have thought they were in some way aspects of karma or meant to be but I don't and I suppose my attitude was more of mindfulness - that is, just being observant but not necessary condemning of any behaviour - and as such just going with the flow. Whatever, it seems to have worked - and without any spiritual or religious aspects - but of course I might have just missed such.