Who would you be without faith?

[Spiderman]

Without God, I was a total train wreck. Guess I still am, but was far FAR worse as an atheist. I shutter and cringe to even look back and think about what I was like before praying to God for healing, prudence, sobriety, maturity, self control, understanding, wisdom, and discipline from above. I cannot even begin to describe it.

As an atheist I lived for drugs and alcohol and was likely a sociopath. Being mentally ill, a sociopath, and high on drugs and alcohol all the time, was a total disaster and disgrace.

(I'm not in any way dissing atheists. Just saying that's how I was as an atheist. A lot of atheists at this site seem like they're probably doing just fine without religion. I just was nuts, which causes me to depend on God, cuz I've lost hope in myself.)

 

[Woberts]

The same person I am right now.

 

[ChristineM]

Id be me.

P.s. being mentally ill does not mean you are atheist or vice versa.

A childhood friend became a heroin addict, contracted hep b from sharing needles and died of leukemia 5 years ago. He was a jehovah's witness?

If you had been a devout believer chances are you would still have had the same problems. Glad that you are sorting yourself out.

 

[Rival]

I would have chosen complete reason and logic over emotions at every turn and probably become somewhat sociopathic like my mother. It's what I'm most drawn to.

 

[Spiderman]

The same person I am right now.

I guess the way I should have worded it is, "how would your behavior be different"?

I would not be as honest or as kind to people , without faith.

 

[Valjean]

I'd be me.
Your theism or atheism are matters of fact, not of therapeutic effectiveness. I prefer to believe what is true, not what's useful or pleasant. What therapeutic modalities I choose is a separate matter.

Jogging, rocking, Sufi-dancing, mantras, prayers, hand washing and other OCD manifestations may be therapeutic, but they're not evidence of ontological truth.

 

[Rival]

I prefer to believe what is true, not what's useful or pleasant. What therapeutic modalities I choose is a separate matter.

Who is saying religious beliefs are always useful or pleasant? Go try to prepare a well-made kosher meal, keep Shabbos correctly, or put your shoes on the proper way each time and tell me how pleasant these things always are, and not difficult and cumbersome at times. Many religions have many rules and regulations, if would be often pleasanter and seemingly more useful to live without them.

 

[Valjean]

Who is saying religious beliefs are always useful or pleasant?

PopeADope.
He was evaluating his atheism v his religious practices in terms of personal utility.

 

[Kenny]

I would have been divorced and a business man willing to cross ethical lines.

I asked the questions to my children once...

My son said he would have been on drugs
My first daughter said she'd be really rebellious.
My second daughter said she would have had multiple men in her life.

(This is all if memory serves me correctly)

 

[Rival]

PopeADope.
He was evaluating his atheism v his religious practices in terms of personal utility.

Then I apologise!

 

[Epic Beard Man]

I’d be somewhere caged in a prison trapped in my perennial delusion of “gangsterism.” Although I am unsure of what God wants from me or where God is in my plan called life, I received a glimpse of God’s presence before which has instilled in me comfort.

 

[Quintessence]

It seems like there are different questions being asked here. You seem to be asking what we might be like if we were not theists, rather than if we lacked faith?

 

[Woberts]

I guess the way I should have worded it is, "how would your behavior be different"?

I would not be as honest or as kind to people , without faith.

Since I don't have faith, then I'll make it how my behaviour would be with faith.
Not that different, assuming I'm not a fundamentalist. I would presumably stay a communist, and I would presumably still live the life I do now.
Although this is all just mere speculation on my part, since it hasn't happened.
Hopefully, it never does.

 

[Spiderman]

It seems like there are different questions being asked here. You seem to be asking what we might be like if we were not theists, rather than if we lacked faith?

Yes, I'm asking what would a person be like without belief in Supernatural entities. Does their faith change who they are and how they behave?

 

[Quintessence]

Yes, I'm asking what would a person be like without belief in Supernatural entities. Does their faith change who they are and how they behave?

Well, I wouldn't equate theism or gods with supernatural entities, but if you mean to address that particular subtype of theism alone, I suppose I am not and have never been a theist (I don't believe in anything outside of nature).

Obviously, I don't see things that way. But asking what I'd be like if I didn't believe in all reality (as my gods are things like the land, sea, and sky) isn't particularly useful either. It's obvious that I would be in a long-term mental health facility because I'd be wandering around saying things like "the ground isn't really here!! I'm not really breathing air! AAAAAAHAHAHAH!"

 

[Rival]

"the ground isn't really here!! I'm not really breathing air! AAAAAAHAHAHAH!"

To be fair this is probably a legit worldview now... we've already seen 'the Earth is flat' and 'gravity doesn't exist'.

 

[Quintessence]

To be fair this is probably a legit worldview now... we've already seen 'the Earth is flat' and 'gravity doesn't exist'.

... I wish I could say this isn't a fair point.

 

[Jainarayan]

I'm pretty sure I'd be the same person and do the same things without a faith or religion. I think it's just my nature and make up. I have to admit, however, that having faith, religion and/or a God is teaching me things "to take it to the next level". I hope to become a better person, though I'm not all that bad now.

 

[Spiderman]

Well, I wouldn't equate theism or gods with supernatural entities, but if you mean to address that particular subtype of theism alone, I suppose I am not and have never been a theist (I don't believe in anything outside of nature).

Obviously, I don't see things that way. But asking what I'd be like if I didn't believe in all reality (as my gods are things like the land, sea, and sky) isn't particularly useful either. It's obvious that I would be in a long-term mental health facility because I'd be wandering around saying things like "the ground isn't really here!! I'm not really breathing air! AAAAAAHAHAHAH!"

Is there a God who created nature?

 

[Quintessence]

Is there a God who created nature?

Not in my book, no.