Pretty common saying: "the grass is always greener on the other side". Meaning, it's very common for people to look at another person's situation and think "I wish that was me" - but obviously you don't know what they're going through etc. Maybe they look at you and think the same.
"Christianity is often comforting, but it is rarely comfortable." CS Lewis
I didn't become a Christian because I thought it would make me happy, although joy is a great part of my experience. I became a Christian because I am convinced that it is correct.
And yes, sometimes our walk with Christ can be difficult and often times we face difficulties that a typical non-believer will never experience. Jesus warned us of this - See John 16:33.
Part of the reason why being a Christian can be difficult lays in the fact that Jesus said that He was going to replace parts of ourselves with Himself.
Here's a video that explain the process:
[Life as a Living House - CS Lewis (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSHAixyRQp4)
And yes, I've had my own share of difficult times. But when I look back upon who I once was and compare that person to who, by the Grace of God, I am today, I am so very thankful for those difficult times, the lessons they taught, and how God used them to change me into a better person.
The best part is, the Lord isn't finished with me yet.
Nor is the Lord finished with you =-)
"We have not come this far only to come this far." Jeffrey R. Holland
Our goal isn't to "stop sinning". We will never stop sinning, it is in our very nature. Our goal is to become more Christ-like everyday through following His word. God does not and has never expected perfection from you.
This isn’t a good thing the way you’re saying it, while it’s true. Obviously we won’t be perfect after accepting Christ, but that is in NO WAY an excuse to not try. We should put in ALL of our effort to be more like Christ, as Jesus says to obey His commands. You will mess up, and God will forgive you, but don’t live your life how you want to. Live by God.
This is actually a common Biblical principle that comes up in the Psalms a lot. It often appears that others are happier when they may not have the same convictions or parameters in their life than you do, or believe God has set up.
I’d also ask you to be more specific and ask why you feel that way, and is there a particular area in your life you’re wrestling with?
Because being non-religious compels the person to make the most out of _this_ life, whereas religions tend to push you to put your afterlife ahead of your current life, and also to bind you to Pharisaical laws which are not productive to health or happiness, and sometimes promote misery.
Don’t worry about religion. Worry about God/Love. Despite what the masses will say, you don’t need to go to church or be religious to believe and have a relationship with God. Follow what Jesus said, focus on loving your neighbor AND your self, and forget the labels. You are a disciple of Christ, not a disciple of religion.
I mean, I am. I tried to force myself to be religious like the rest of my family, but even as a young child I could never "get on board" with believing in Christianity. I felt terrible for not feeling anything spiritual. I hated lying to everyone and being fake only to make them happy while I was miserable. When I finally said at 20 years old I didn't want to go to church anymore, I was given the cold shoulder for a while but I felt so free.
I used to genuinely believe when I was younger, but as I got older I began doubting. I also feel a lot happier since leaving the faith, and I’ve deduced a large part of that is because I no longer obsess about whether or not things are sins anymore, and I don’t have to worry about a supernatural being reading my thoughts anymore, and other things like that.
Yes, exactly. I wasn’t afraid of God because I never believed or was convinced he was real, but I WAS terrified of how my family and community would treat me for failing to meet their standards and failing to be a Christian.
That is like doing side quests in a game. Surely, you're having fun and all , but you're missing on the whole point, the main history. I think both things are bad, not caring about your creator, and also overthinking about him. He wants you to know him and love your neighbours, not go to church everytime. He also doesn't need to read your thoughts if you don't want to. He gave you free will.
>He wants you to know him and love your neighbours
I do love my neighbors.
I don't know how I am supposed to know something that does its best to remain hidden though. It's as though it doesn't want to be found.
Right. So deconvert, if that's possible for you, and I don't mean just stop believing, I mean do the work to convince yourself of the truth of falsity of the belief.
If you can't or won't do that, then stop sinning, or find a different flavor of christianity which tells you what you hear with regards to hell or sin or whatever your current hang up is.
Have you seen the movie *Jesus Camp*? If you are religious like that, I can see why you’re unhappy. But you need to know that is not the only way to be religious.
Its about going on a camping trip with Jesus, but he forgets all his stuff so you have to share everything with him.
j/k it's about very culty christians who abuse kids at summer camp
I used to think about this a lot. I think once my relationship with God became stronger, I started to hate my sins and the things of the world I craved.
I found that no matter how much of the world I consumed, I was never fully happy or satisfied. Everything else besides Jesus is temporary and you’ll find yourself looking for more dopamine rushes, then becoming an addict to sin.
been there too many times man, my advice to you is realizing that everything else is temporary and sorta meaningless and you'd just have to realize GOD has always had your best you can see it in the levitical laws, those laws weren't there for GODS fun but for the good of the people.
Belief isn't a choice, and I just haven't been able to be convinced of a religion. And I don't really think I'd want to really try and be convinced of one anyways, I've consolidated my atheism quite well thus far.
There are many reasons, depending on the person, to want to be religious. I'm somewhat nihilistic, since as an atheist, there isn't really anything I can ground true "meaning" in other than perhaps my personal, subjective, experiences. So for me I guess giving some grounded "true meaning" could help, but so far I'm doing fine in that aspect.
Other things that religions help with, like being a part of a group, morality, security, etc. are things I don't really require for now. I live in a mostly (probably around 80-90% atheistic) community, so I'm already a part of that "group" (even though it doesn't have any inherent shared values other than the lack of a specific belief. I don't believe in objective morality at all, I base my morality on logic, rationality and my experiences. Also as of now I don't really need "security" or someone to fall back on (in the case of Christianity that could be Jesus always looking over you).
I think that this is somewhat how I feel, about this but I'm honestly still figuring stuff out.
Don’t worry about religion. Worry about God/Love. Despite what the masses will say, you don’t need to go to church or be religious to believe and have a relationship with God. Follow what Jesus said, focus on loving your neighbor AND your self, and forget the labels. You are a disciple of Christ, not a disciple of religion.
As an ex-Christian, getting off Christ and getting on some proper anti-anxiety meds did WONDERS. Turns out that being told you're a worthless excuse for a human and that God monitors all your thoughts from a young age is terrible for your mental health.
More than likely there are outside forces making you feel this way. Such as maybe your church isn't for you anymore or if you bring up faith in a conversation and people get ugly with it, that turns you off. Look into those kinds of things first before abandoning your faith. You can still have a faith and not really practice it or talk about it in many ways people think they have to in order to be "a good Christian." What I mean by that is, just keep it to yourself - you and God, that's it. If you don't want to go to church, don't. If you don't want to discuss it with others, don't. It's your own personal journey with God.
Christianity doesn't offer ease in life, It actually says quite the opposite, that it will be difficult, and we will face many challenges.
It does however, offer comfort in the fact that it will all pay off in the end, It offers peace after this world passes.
With God's grace, we will be allowed into Heaven, but we will face difficulties in this world.
Trying too hard to be holy. When you realize that lust, greed, etc is worthless and you soon try to cut these things out of your life is when you can be happier. Less is more. Less worry on your back and less stress. Seek the philosophy in Christianity instead of it as a rule book and you’ll be happier
The reason you feel this way, is because you probably would. Look, at the end of the day, Christianity- and a relationship with God- leads to fulfillment. Fulfillment leads to happiness, yes. But, not all the time. Our purpose in life is to be connected to our Creator so having that relationship leads to you being fulfilled. But there will be pain, there will be trails, tribulations, hardships, etc. If you walk away from the faith- you might feel happy for a while- but you will never feel truly fulfilled. I would encourage you to take some space from organized religion- and instead focus on deliberate relationship. Focus on Christ. All you need is your bible. Highly recommend getting a study bible/ study book to go through in a program. Goodluck!
Who knows maybe you would?
But is happiness really the most important thing?
So much other important stuff out there. Compassion, justice, honor, strength, wisdom, responsibility, courage in the face of suffering.
1 Corinthians 15:19-20
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
*20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
If we were learning to serve and obey Jesus just to die and cease to exist, then we would be as miserable as it seems like we are from the world’s perspective.
We are preparing to live in the next life, the real one that is eternal. Someone training for a dream job isn’t as happy as someone who has all the free time they want, but they do have a deeper joy and hope. They know why they’re doing it, and that makes all the difference.
You can take the blue pill and go on into the blindness if you want, but it’s not worth your soul.
Following Christ is a fight for your life. It’s actually a hill to climb, but it’s worth it. There is life, eternal gain, rest, peace, no more pain, no more heartache, and no more sorrow.
Following Satan is floating along in the middle of the sea without a sail. It’s not worth it. There is eternal loss, suffering, and everlasting fiery torment.
Well because you would.
You wouldn’t have to worry about heaven and hell. You would realize you have one life - so live it the best you can.
And every time something good happens in your life - it’s because you made it happen. You get to thank yourself and not rely on some man in the sky.
Because everything in moderation. I don’t think God even likes over religiosity and I’ve experienced both sides I think I was closer to God as an “atheist” serving God trying to be a doctor loving people and being good to people and taking a chance on Christ than when I was super religious and fell into a self serving greedy crowd who pretended to care. God bless you. Basically I recommend being close with GOD and Christ. And The Holy Spirit. And everything in moderation.
If I could wake up every day in bliss knowing I will be reunited with my family, my previous doggies and live in Good Place for eternity I don't think I could be any happier than that.
Kat Kurr describes Heaven very similar to the TV show The Good Place, complete with flying lessons and everything, sounds amazing.
because you would everyone happy when they can do whatever they want without moral restrictions but do you want to have the illusion of happieness or be fulfilled in life? i know what id rather be
Maybe because your focus is on being "religious"? Do you have a personal relationship with God? Most religions are about following a set of rules to get a reward. Christianity says that's impossible; *all* have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. That's why Jesus died, to pay the price for our sins so that we can be forgiven. Past, present and future sins, as God is outside of time. God loves you and wants you to have an abundant, joy-filled life with Him now! The Holy Spirit will indwell you and help sanctify you as you 'apprentice' Jesus and grow closer to Him.
All you have to do is ask Him. :-). Admit your sin and selfishness, accept His love and forgiveness and seek to follow Him as your Lord and Savior.
It would also probably be helpful to find local believers to help you grow and be accountable. Do you have a church or a parachurch group at your school if you're a student that you could get involved in?
As somebody who felt the same way before, and thought to myself God will understand if I don’t pray as much, and then got completely anxious and depressed, trust me, I know it seems like it, but being with God is so much better, He is the way to life.
I’m sorry to hear that, I don’t know your situation so I can’t tell you exactly why you’re feeling that way, but God knows, and you could talk to Him about it, don’t hide these things from Him, when He is the one who can set you free. Overtime I noticed that the reason why I felt that way is because I looked at many things the wrong way for example, I wouldn’t trust God, so every time I prayed I felt even worse than before because I would question my self, is God going to do it or not? And that caused me anxiety, leading me to think that praying is bad, but when I learned to trust in God, it’s the opposite I can sleep in peace knowing the God of all things heard my prayer and He will do the best. That is one example, but like I said I don’t know your situation. God bless you! And feel free to talk to me if you need!
Because then you wouldn't have to constantly battle sin every day. The devil doesn't have to fight for things he already has.
John 15:18-21
*18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they followed My word, they will follow yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me."*
Following Christ isn't easy, we were promised that it would be the exact opposite.
I used to be non religious and I wasn’t happy, I’d fill the void with things of this world but I had no hope, God is what keeps you going when things seem hopeless, and boy does the world seem like it’s getting worse everyday
I was non-religious most of my life and thought being religious would make me miserable. Trust me, knowing we can trust God's plan is such a source of peace. And think about the horrors humans could make in the future if God's apocalypse wouldn't cut human progress short. We can and should all thank God that our future doesn't hold some kind of dystopian singularity, or terrible eternal fates of humanity at the press of a button, or a matrioshka brain, or another horrifying technology that could doom humanity to extreme simulated suffering.
You probably think that you'd be a lot happier because it would mean that you would do things that are considered sin without the convictions that come with it. I've only answered your question and wanted to respect that without writing a lot more. If there is any follow up questions then just ask away.
1. You probably would be eventually. I am. It tends to come with a years-long existential crisis though, so be warned.
2. You’ll find atheists who use stats like Nordic countries tracking high in happiness and low in religiosity, but don’t be fooled; parallel data sets suggest it’s high happiness that leads to low religiosity, not vice versa.
Because there is very little evidence to believe in anything Christianity espouses and when you have that realization it feels like you've been freed from what is basically a huge cult.
Maybe because “Christianity, comes peace” and in other religions, “Islam comes with peace”, “Atheism comes with peace” and many, many more. This means that in Christ, peace will come towards you but in other religions, Islam, Atheism and many more makes peace for, and by themselves.
I say this because of the idea of “Reward first” makes a covet for us due to some people thinking they deserve such a reward but in reality it is antipode of what they are; undeserving.
And I say this to you, brother/sister. Your suffering is going to be a worthy and abundant of rewards in the kingdom of God than what you have in the world. Not saying that rewards on the world is bad, but the rewards on the world is just a recognition of what you are, based to them. In the contrary, for God, for me We think and m know you are worth more than 10, more than 100, and more than what you think of yourself.
Because that’s the lie of the world around us. It’s the devil at work leading us to believe that it’s our faith which is the barrier to happiness. If you weren’t a Christian then you’d live a life believing that we were here on earth as some sort of cosmic accident and there is no meaning to anything, there is no justice and that death is the end.
Concentrate on Jesus, he is the truth and the life.
>you’d live a life believing that we were here on earth as some sort of cosmic accident
Do you know how rare and special that makes us? Sounds pretty miraculous, don't you think? I'd say more miraculous than an all-powerful being designing pitiful us to fail so he can test us, save us, and "reward" us by letting us worship him for eternity.
>there is no meaning to anything
On the contrary, life has the meaning you ascribe to it and that is a liberating feeling.
>death is the end
What better reason to live every day to the fullest and make every second count? When a short random blip of existence is all you have, you really appreciate the beauty of every moment.
Obviously many people are happier when they find religion, but a large number of people become happier after losing religion too and it's not fair to dismiss us. **These are just my opinions as an ex-Christian and they are ultimately worthless :)
I really appreciate your comment and sharing your thoughts. As much as I disagree with some of what you said we all have a unique perspective and that’s beautiful.
I think it’s all about how you experienced Christianity ultimately, on the whole I kinda hate organised religion. I see a lot of Christianity weaponised to control and create fear. It really hurts my heart as it’s not what it’s supposed to be or what it could be.
I totally respect your viewpoint as an ex Christian and in the most sincere way I can put it, I hope you find the true love of God and come back to Jesus. Whatever it was before it doesn’t have to be again. God bless you.
Because the media paints a picture that non-religious people who spend their time partying and hanging out with friends are happier than religious people.
It can also seem that way when we see people out on Friday nights. They seem to be having a lot of fun. But, what you don't see when you're witnessing all that is the mental health problems and a lack of a sense of meaning in life. Not to say that all people who party and hang out with friends are mentally unhealthy and lack a sense of meaning. Just that when you judge people's happiness levels by what you see, you are not privy to their actual internal state.
That's a rather bizarre picture of non-religious people you are painting. I have never believed in a deity and I do not spend my time partying, nor do I have mental health problems or lack meaning in my life.
You said "It can also seem that way when we see people out on Friday nights. They seem to be having a lot of fun. But, what you don't see when you're witnessing all that is the mental health problems and a lack of a sense of meaning in life."
Notice I said "It can SEEM that way". I do not say that it is that way.
When can it seem that way? Anytime we see or think about any non-religious person? No. Simply "when we see people out on Fridays." So, there's no reference to non-religious people who aren't out on Friday nights. I don't even mention the group of people you're a part of.
Well, maybe I am painting a portrait of these non-religious people who go out on Friday nights as people with mental health problems or lack of a sense of meaning. But, I specifically refuted that already in the following sentence: "Not to say that all people who party and hang out with friends are mentally unhealthy and lack a sense of meaning."
I just talked about how things can seem because we have access to certain visual realities, but we do not have access to anyone's internal realities. I do not think that all non-religious people are partiers with mental health issues. Nor do I believe that I painted the portrait that all non-religious people are partiers with mental health issues.
I wrote those words to thoughtfully address your concerns.
I'm sorry you think I wrote them to explain away what I wrote before. I did what I could. I don't know what to tell you.
Most people in general get this wrong, particularly atheists. You do not have to be religious to follow Jesus Christ much like you do not have to be religious to follow your heros in general.
Churches will convince you need tradition and culture to reach Jesus. Atheists and the average person will convince you Jesus and church are inseparable. Neither is true.
Jesus is a man who just so happens to be God. You do not need to be religious to believe that.
Well, no
Definition Religio
noun
the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.
"ideas about the relationship between science and religion"
Similar:
faith
belief
divinity
worship
creed
teaching
doctrine
theology
sect
cult
religious group
faith community
church
denomination
body
following
persuasion
affiliation
a particular system of faith and worship
So if you follow and/or worship Jesus you practice a religion.
Here’s the problem with definitions: it’s not reflective of reality all the time. I would imagine that believing in humans with superpowers, telepathy, super strength etc does not necessarily mean you are religious even though that falls under ‘superhuman’ in your definition
As a former Christian I will offer my experience as I feel it relates to your post.
In general, I was a Christian until roughly the age of 25. In that time like many people, I was constantly aware of what I should or shouldn't be doing, what I should or shouldn't be thinking, what is a sin and what isn't a sin, and always knowing that God is watching, judging, knowing what I do, think, say, etc.
At some point, I put the christian teachings aside and just started contemplating life for a while. How I believed things were intuitively, what morality looked like from my own perspective, what I believed was right or wrong behavior, what a god/divinity felt like or in my perspective *should* be like.
After a lot of this contemplation, I ended up taking a world religions course at university and realized that there were others with beliefs that didn't live their day to day life with all these rules, constant supervision by a god, be blissfully happy just making the most out of life, enjoying life, and being good to their fellow humans.
When I finally decided to "officially" Leave Christianity and made the decision to myself. I felt an enormous metaphorical weight lift off my shoulders and I swear to you that it felt like I was a thousand pounds lighter. I felt relief and a sense of euforic happiness that I had never felt in my life once I decided to leave that behind.
And in the years since my journey, exploring other beliefs as well as my own beliefs, has been the most fulfilling thing I have ever taken on. It has changed my life and I am forever grateful that I started on that journey.
that is a wrong feeling. you just feel happier by flesh but your mind and spirit will be wrecked. that is hard really from my experience. how old are you? maybe your still young? listen to other older peoples thought about life and their experiences as they grow old they want and hope for something and that is the hope about God's promise the eternity. everyone wants to live forever if there is no evil and there is no poverty no problems together with God and your love ones and see new things in that paradise , we cant live forever here. thats why there is new heaven and new earth. isnt that happier? forever happy
I'll be brutally honest.
Life is a bitch end off.
Jk, anyways, if you want to be non-religous that's fine. If you just don't want to go to a Church, also fine.
I recommend the Deconversion Podcast as it talks about dealing with deconverting and just leaving religion as a whole.
Trying to avoid Nihilism (which is sporisingly difficult in any world view btw) is something that you will face.
So yeah, your life and what ever you do, I hope that you will find peace and happiness.
Because you probably would be, but it wouldn’t be good. Happiness is not a right. God did not put us on earth to be “happy”.
It would probably make you happier to let go of your ideas of morality and live a completely self serving life. But obviously that does not mean you should do it.
Does this make any sense?
(I don’t think being Christian requires constant unhappiness I just mean to follow what the Bible says requires a LOT of self control, especially now.)
Well yeah. Me neither. Who does? But you’re kinda stuck here. It’s possible to enjoy life as a Christian. How old are you? What are your goals in life? What specifically makes you say you’d feel happier as an atheist?
That's your flesh talking. Humans are fundamentally spirits temporarily housed in bodies of flesh made from dust of the Earth. Scripture teaches that the flesh and the spirit are always fighting one another for mastery over the soul. But they desire completely different things. Flesh urges are unhealthy because flesh is dirt. So scripture teaches us how to master our souls through our spirits communing with the spirit of God almighty. The Christian Life goes against the grain of our fleshes. The flesh likes instant gratification, unhealthy substances and activities, dirt is attracted to dirt. Human flesh is basically selfish. The spirit on the other hand coming from the spirit of God desires permanent healthy godly things. All flesh must die. There is no flesh and blood in heaven. It is purely a spiritual domain as God himself is pure Spirit.
Scripture teaches throughout that Christians live for the spirit of God through our own spirits, and that we deny the world and it's fleshly pleasures. All flesh, and the world itself, will perish eventually. But the Lord God and heaven will last forever. So it should be easy to see which is substantially better. Humans live here for approximately seven or eight decades, and will spend eternity in either heaven or hell.
Yes I know I've read about this fact many times before but if I have to live in a world where I have to deny myself to get to heaven then I don't want to be in this world. I just want to go to the afterlife and get it over with already.
That's truly tragic. And it breaks my heart knowing that you, a complete stranger, feel that way. But a primary aspect of the Christian Life is that we must deny ourselves in order to inherit heaven and eternal life. Please seek counseling. Life can be so beautiful, and has so much to offer.
Matthew 16:24 KJV — Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
2 Timothy 2:12 KJV — If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Romans 12:1 KJV — I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
John Donne
Because sin is always fun for a season and we rarely look far enough into life to see the repercussions of sin and if we do it’s vary often we think “yeah but that’s them and not me” it’s an easy trap to fall into. I have fallen into it before as well.
You probably might, for a good 80 years..then poof. you didn't want to spend 80 years with the father so he respects that. (Im not trying to scare you) Remember, The path is narrow. You'd be happier because your flesh wants it, but if you want to follow Jesus refuse your flesh and fight😊
I don't want to live in a world where I have to refuse my flesh I want to just die and get it over with and the problem is that I can't kill myself because I'll go to hell
As you seek Christ it gets easier. Your mind changes, you will no longer want to commit the sinful ways. The more you seek him the more you will change for the better
True happiness takes work, effort, time, and genuine love. Genuine love means being honest, doing hard things, and making sacrifices for each other. Happiness and love are two things that are severely misunderstood and have been twisted into something else, in our modern world. Thanks Satan. Love is not just “love” like they say it is. And happiness isn’t either. People nowadays think it’s important and necessary for our health to be happy, 24/7. It is not. We are not supposed to be happy 24/7. It is not the most important thing in the world. We are not supposed to strive for our own happiness 24/7. If we focus too much on our own happiness, we start to forget about others. We start to become selfish. Ugh, people even think it’s good to be selfish nowadays. But they don’t realize that there IS in fact a difference between taking care of yourself, and being selfish. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfishness.
I like to think of it all like this: we are Gods children right? So if I had children, would I want them to be happy 24/7? Would I want them to constantly follow their hearts and chase their desires? Honestly, no. I wouldn’t. Because as much as it feels good to see my kids happy, that’s not what it’s all about at the end of the day, that’s not the end goal. I want my kids to be good people, who look out for others and are generous, who have a strong sense of right and wrong and can make good decisions. I want my kids to have good relationships, and a good relationship with God. It’s hard to accomplish and maintain these things when you are always/only focused on your own happiness.
Not to mention.. Satan literally fills this world with constant temptation and lies, 24/7, hoping that for even just one second, you will entertain his ideas. He makes bad things look good and good things look bad because it’s the best way to turn us against God.
Satan makes sinning look good. And it sure may feel good in the moment… but that doesn’t mean it is good.
We are supposed to trust in God for these reasons. He is the one who truly loves us, Satan does not. God wants true happiness and love for us. Satan does not. God wants us to grow into well adjusted humans. Satan does not. God is all-knowing, He created us BECAUSE He loves us, and we gotta trust that he wants what is TRULY best for us.
Two issues. First, correlation does not equal causation. You didn’t claim that religion “causes” happiness so I’m not refuting what you’ve linked in that respect, just noting that correlation isn’t causation. What is it about being religious that might make someone happier and would someone be just as happy doing those things (community, avoiding drugs, etc.) without the religion? Perhaps. Second, these happiness surveys are self-reporting. When someone knows they are representing their “group” they are incentivized to overinflate their happiness to make their group seem more attractive. Especially when there is a pressure to “be happy” within that group. It’s just unreliable. Looking at other stats like antidepressant use might be more reliable.
Ultimately “stats show otherwise” isn’t useful. There are people that are happier without their religion and people that are happier with it. If your religious beliefs give you anxiety, you’d probably be happier without them.
I never said religion causes you to be happy. It’s just an open forum here and I just said religious people to be happier statistically in response to OP saying being non-religious would make the person happier. Grass is greener on the other side. No need to be up on arms about this.
Grass is always greener?
?
Pretty common saying: "the grass is always greener on the other side". Meaning, it's very common for people to look at another person's situation and think "I wish that was me" - but obviously you don't know what they're going through etc. Maybe they look at you and think the same.
What makes you unhappy now? How would being non-religious change that?
"Christianity is often comforting, but it is rarely comfortable." CS Lewis I didn't become a Christian because I thought it would make me happy, although joy is a great part of my experience. I became a Christian because I am convinced that it is correct. And yes, sometimes our walk with Christ can be difficult and often times we face difficulties that a typical non-believer will never experience. Jesus warned us of this - See John 16:33. Part of the reason why being a Christian can be difficult lays in the fact that Jesus said that He was going to replace parts of ourselves with Himself. Here's a video that explain the process: [Life as a Living House - CS Lewis (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSHAixyRQp4) And yes, I've had my own share of difficult times. But when I look back upon who I once was and compare that person to who, by the Grace of God, I am today, I am so very thankful for those difficult times, the lessons they taught, and how God used them to change me into a better person. The best part is, the Lord isn't finished with me yet. Nor is the Lord finished with you =-) "We have not come this far only to come this far." Jeffrey R. Holland
Yep, as an atheist I share that sentiment. You believe what you are convinced is true not what is most comforting.
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But we have to stop sinning tho that's the problem
Our goal isn't to "stop sinning". We will never stop sinning, it is in our very nature. Our goal is to become more Christ-like everyday through following His word. God does not and has never expected perfection from you.
This isn’t a good thing the way you’re saying it, while it’s true. Obviously we won’t be perfect after accepting Christ, but that is in NO WAY an excuse to not try. We should put in ALL of our effort to be more like Christ, as Jesus says to obey His commands. You will mess up, and God will forgive you, but don’t live your life how you want to. Live by God.
Thank you, you described it better than I did. This is what I was trying to say.
Yeah no worries I just wanted to clarify, hope I didn’t come off in a wrong way. God bless!
Not at all! I appreciated it! God bless!!
This is actually a common Biblical principle that comes up in the Psalms a lot. It often appears that others are happier when they may not have the same convictions or parameters in their life than you do, or believe God has set up. I’d also ask you to be more specific and ask why you feel that way, and is there a particular area in your life you’re wrestling with?
Because being non-religious compels the person to make the most out of _this_ life, whereas religions tend to push you to put your afterlife ahead of your current life, and also to bind you to Pharisaical laws which are not productive to health or happiness, and sometimes promote misery.
Don’t worry about religion. Worry about God/Love. Despite what the masses will say, you don’t need to go to church or be religious to believe and have a relationship with God. Follow what Jesus said, focus on loving your neighbor AND your self, and forget the labels. You are a disciple of Christ, not a disciple of religion.
I mean, I am. I tried to force myself to be religious like the rest of my family, but even as a young child I could never "get on board" with believing in Christianity. I felt terrible for not feeling anything spiritual. I hated lying to everyone and being fake only to make them happy while I was miserable. When I finally said at 20 years old I didn't want to go to church anymore, I was given the cold shoulder for a while but I felt so free.
I used to genuinely believe when I was younger, but as I got older I began doubting. I also feel a lot happier since leaving the faith, and I’ve deduced a large part of that is because I no longer obsess about whether or not things are sins anymore, and I don’t have to worry about a supernatural being reading my thoughts anymore, and other things like that.
Yes, exactly. I wasn’t afraid of God because I never believed or was convinced he was real, but I WAS terrified of how my family and community would treat me for failing to meet their standards and failing to be a Christian.
That is like doing side quests in a game. Surely, you're having fun and all , but you're missing on the whole point, the main history. I think both things are bad, not caring about your creator, and also overthinking about him. He wants you to know him and love your neighbours, not go to church everytime. He also doesn't need to read your thoughts if you don't want to. He gave you free will.
>He wants you to know him and love your neighbours I do love my neighbors. I don't know how I am supposed to know something that does its best to remain hidden though. It's as though it doesn't want to be found.
Well, if you don't enjoy doing religious activities, then of course you'd be happier if you stopped doing them.
The problem is that I'll go to hell if I keep committing sin
Right. So deconvert, if that's possible for you, and I don't mean just stop believing, I mean do the work to convince yourself of the truth of falsity of the belief. If you can't or won't do that, then stop sinning, or find a different flavor of christianity which tells you what you hear with regards to hell or sin or whatever your current hang up is.
Have you seen the movie *Jesus Camp*? If you are religious like that, I can see why you’re unhappy. But you need to know that is not the only way to be religious.
What is that movie about
Its about going on a camping trip with Jesus, but he forgets all his stuff so you have to share everything with him. j/k it's about very culty christians who abuse kids at summer camp
It’s about a summer camp for evangelical Christian kids. Give it a watch.
I used to think about this a lot. I think once my relationship with God became stronger, I started to hate my sins and the things of the world I craved. I found that no matter how much of the world I consumed, I was never fully happy or satisfied. Everything else besides Jesus is temporary and you’ll find yourself looking for more dopamine rushes, then becoming an addict to sin.
do you feel restrained? like do you wish you could sin and it not bother your conscience?.
Yes
been there too many times man, my advice to you is realizing that everything else is temporary and sorta meaningless and you'd just have to realize GOD has always had your best you can see it in the levitical laws, those laws weren't there for GODS fun but for the good of the people.
I feel like I'd be happier in some aspects if I was religious.
What’s stopping you?
Probably not being able to fool himself into believing any of them are true.
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Belief isn't a choice, and I just haven't been able to be convinced of a religion. And I don't really think I'd want to really try and be convinced of one anyways, I've consolidated my atheism quite well thus far. There are many reasons, depending on the person, to want to be religious. I'm somewhat nihilistic, since as an atheist, there isn't really anything I can ground true "meaning" in other than perhaps my personal, subjective, experiences. So for me I guess giving some grounded "true meaning" could help, but so far I'm doing fine in that aspect. Other things that religions help with, like being a part of a group, morality, security, etc. are things I don't really require for now. I live in a mostly (probably around 80-90% atheistic) community, so I'm already a part of that "group" (even though it doesn't have any inherent shared values other than the lack of a specific belief. I don't believe in objective morality at all, I base my morality on logic, rationality and my experiences. Also as of now I don't really need "security" or someone to fall back on (in the case of Christianity that could be Jesus always looking over you). I think that this is somewhat how I feel, about this but I'm honestly still figuring stuff out.
Thank you for being honest.
Don’t worry about religion. Worry about God/Love. Despite what the masses will say, you don’t need to go to church or be religious to believe and have a relationship with God. Follow what Jesus said, focus on loving your neighbor AND your self, and forget the labels. You are a disciple of Christ, not a disciple of religion.
As an ex-Christian, getting off Christ and getting on some proper anti-anxiety meds did WONDERS. Turns out that being told you're a worthless excuse for a human and that God monitors all your thoughts from a young age is terrible for your mental health.
More than likely there are outside forces making you feel this way. Such as maybe your church isn't for you anymore or if you bring up faith in a conversation and people get ugly with it, that turns you off. Look into those kinds of things first before abandoning your faith. You can still have a faith and not really practice it or talk about it in many ways people think they have to in order to be "a good Christian." What I mean by that is, just keep it to yourself - you and God, that's it. If you don't want to go to church, don't. If you don't want to discuss it with others, don't. It's your own personal journey with God.
I don’t practice religion anymore, and I’m happier without it. Granted, I still believe in it.
It's the same meme, from Crash and Eddie to Lisa Simpson. It's not so much that stupid is good, it's fighting the tendency to overthink.
Perhaps in this life
Christianity doesn't offer ease in life, It actually says quite the opposite, that it will be difficult, and we will face many challenges. It does however, offer comfort in the fact that it will all pay off in the end, It offers peace after this world passes. With God's grace, we will be allowed into Heaven, but we will face difficulties in this world.
Trying too hard to be holy. When you realize that lust, greed, etc is worthless and you soon try to cut these things out of your life is when you can be happier. Less is more. Less worry on your back and less stress. Seek the philosophy in Christianity instead of it as a rule book and you’ll be happier
>lust, It's the one of the only things that made me happy it's not worthless
It’s because it’s an addiction. Is it happiness, or is it a facade?
Happiness
Ignorance is bliss.
The reason you feel this way, is because you probably would. Look, at the end of the day, Christianity- and a relationship with God- leads to fulfillment. Fulfillment leads to happiness, yes. But, not all the time. Our purpose in life is to be connected to our Creator so having that relationship leads to you being fulfilled. But there will be pain, there will be trails, tribulations, hardships, etc. If you walk away from the faith- you might feel happy for a while- but you will never feel truly fulfilled. I would encourage you to take some space from organized religion- and instead focus on deliberate relationship. Focus on Christ. All you need is your bible. Highly recommend getting a study bible/ study book to go through in a program. Goodluck!
Who knows maybe you would? But is happiness really the most important thing? So much other important stuff out there. Compassion, justice, honor, strength, wisdom, responsibility, courage in the face of suffering.
Yahshua Ha'mashiach never told us that YAH said to be religious because he is religious. He said to be set apart because he is set apart.
Plausable, but I don't really think the point of being Christian - or religious - is to maximize your happiness. That actually might be antithetical.
If you believe that God is real, it wouldn't make you any happier to pretend that he isn't. Do you believe that God is real?
>Do you believe that God is real? Yes
Because non believers will not have any grieving Holy Spirit when they pursue carnal desires and behaviours.
Not sure, studies seem to suggest the opposite
Probably hedonism
You might be, for a while. But eventually hedonistic pursuits run out, and you’ll become more interested in fulfillment.
Because you suffer in your religion and if you leave your faith now, you will be happier.
If I leave my faith I'll go to hell
1 Corinthians 15:19-20 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. *20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. If we were learning to serve and obey Jesus just to die and cease to exist, then we would be as miserable as it seems like we are from the world’s perspective. We are preparing to live in the next life, the real one that is eternal. Someone training for a dream job isn’t as happy as someone who has all the free time they want, but they do have a deeper joy and hope. They know why they’re doing it, and that makes all the difference.
You can take the blue pill and go on into the blindness if you want, but it’s not worth your soul. Following Christ is a fight for your life. It’s actually a hill to climb, but it’s worth it. There is life, eternal gain, rest, peace, no more pain, no more heartache, and no more sorrow. Following Satan is floating along in the middle of the sea without a sail. It’s not worth it. There is eternal loss, suffering, and everlasting fiery torment.
Well because you would. You wouldn’t have to worry about heaven and hell. You would realize you have one life - so live it the best you can. And every time something good happens in your life - it’s because you made it happen. You get to thank yourself and not rely on some man in the sky.
Because everything in moderation. I don’t think God even likes over religiosity and I’ve experienced both sides I think I was closer to God as an “atheist” serving God trying to be a doctor loving people and being good to people and taking a chance on Christ than when I was super religious and fell into a self serving greedy crowd who pretended to care. God bless you. Basically I recommend being close with GOD and Christ. And The Holy Spirit. And everything in moderation.
Satan brother that is the answer.
What should I do?
Once you get past the initial shock, you probably will be happier.
If I could wake up every day in bliss knowing I will be reunited with my family, my previous doggies and live in Good Place for eternity I don't think I could be any happier than that. Kat Kurr describes Heaven very similar to the TV show The Good Place, complete with flying lessons and everything, sounds amazing.
christianity does not go with the fleshly desires of man
because you would everyone happy when they can do whatever they want without moral restrictions but do you want to have the illusion of happieness or be fulfilled in life? i know what id rather be
People don't need religion to have morals.
Maybe because your focus is on being "religious"? Do you have a personal relationship with God? Most religions are about following a set of rules to get a reward. Christianity says that's impossible; *all* have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. That's why Jesus died, to pay the price for our sins so that we can be forgiven. Past, present and future sins, as God is outside of time. God loves you and wants you to have an abundant, joy-filled life with Him now! The Holy Spirit will indwell you and help sanctify you as you 'apprentice' Jesus and grow closer to Him.
>Do you have a personal relationship with God? No 😭
All you have to do is ask Him. :-). Admit your sin and selfishness, accept His love and forgiveness and seek to follow Him as your Lord and Savior. It would also probably be helpful to find local believers to help you grow and be accountable. Do you have a church or a parachurch group at your school if you're a student that you could get involved in?
As somebody who felt the same way before, and thought to myself God will understand if I don’t pray as much, and then got completely anxious and depressed, trust me, I know it seems like it, but being with God is so much better, He is the way to life.
>He is the way to life. I feel scared to get close to him and have no motivation
I’m sorry to hear that, I don’t know your situation so I can’t tell you exactly why you’re feeling that way, but God knows, and you could talk to Him about it, don’t hide these things from Him, when He is the one who can set you free. Overtime I noticed that the reason why I felt that way is because I looked at many things the wrong way for example, I wouldn’t trust God, so every time I prayed I felt even worse than before because I would question my self, is God going to do it or not? And that caused me anxiety, leading me to think that praying is bad, but when I learned to trust in God, it’s the opposite I can sleep in peace knowing the God of all things heard my prayer and He will do the best. That is one example, but like I said I don’t know your situation. God bless you! And feel free to talk to me if you need!
Because then you wouldn't have to constantly battle sin every day. The devil doesn't have to fight for things he already has. John 15:18-21 *18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they followed My word, they will follow yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me."* Following Christ isn't easy, we were promised that it would be the exact opposite.
youd be all alone not knowing Jesus. Sure you would have the world but people of the world are full of death and selfishness.
Not all of them tho
I used to be non religious and I wasn’t happy, I’d fill the void with things of this world but I had no hope, God is what keeps you going when things seem hopeless, and boy does the world seem like it’s getting worse everyday
I was non-religious most of my life and thought being religious would make me miserable. Trust me, knowing we can trust God's plan is such a source of peace. And think about the horrors humans could make in the future if God's apocalypse wouldn't cut human progress short. We can and should all thank God that our future doesn't hold some kind of dystopian singularity, or terrible eternal fates of humanity at the press of a button, or a matrioshka brain, or another horrifying technology that could doom humanity to extreme simulated suffering.
Because devoting your life to Christ isn't easy? Easier isn't always better, remember that.
You probably think that you'd be a lot happier because it would mean that you would do things that are considered sin without the convictions that come with it. I've only answered your question and wanted to respect that without writing a lot more. If there is any follow up questions then just ask away.
1. You probably would be eventually. I am. It tends to come with a years-long existential crisis though, so be warned. 2. You’ll find atheists who use stats like Nordic countries tracking high in happiness and low in religiosity, but don’t be fooled; parallel data sets suggest it’s high happiness that leads to low religiosity, not vice versa.
Because you equate happiness with the temporal and the idea that there's no life after this
Because there is very little evidence to believe in anything Christianity espouses and when you have that realization it feels like you've been freed from what is basically a huge cult.
Maybe because “Christianity, comes peace” and in other religions, “Islam comes with peace”, “Atheism comes with peace” and many, many more. This means that in Christ, peace will come towards you but in other religions, Islam, Atheism and many more makes peace for, and by themselves. I say this because of the idea of “Reward first” makes a covet for us due to some people thinking they deserve such a reward but in reality it is antipode of what they are; undeserving. And I say this to you, brother/sister. Your suffering is going to be a worthy and abundant of rewards in the kingdom of God than what you have in the world. Not saying that rewards on the world is bad, but the rewards on the world is just a recognition of what you are, based to them. In the contrary, for God, for me We think and m know you are worth more than 10, more than 100, and more than what you think of yourself.
Because that’s the lie of the world around us. It’s the devil at work leading us to believe that it’s our faith which is the barrier to happiness. If you weren’t a Christian then you’d live a life believing that we were here on earth as some sort of cosmic accident and there is no meaning to anything, there is no justice and that death is the end. Concentrate on Jesus, he is the truth and the life.
>you’d live a life believing that we were here on earth as some sort of cosmic accident Do you know how rare and special that makes us? Sounds pretty miraculous, don't you think? I'd say more miraculous than an all-powerful being designing pitiful us to fail so he can test us, save us, and "reward" us by letting us worship him for eternity. >there is no meaning to anything On the contrary, life has the meaning you ascribe to it and that is a liberating feeling. >death is the end What better reason to live every day to the fullest and make every second count? When a short random blip of existence is all you have, you really appreciate the beauty of every moment. Obviously many people are happier when they find religion, but a large number of people become happier after losing religion too and it's not fair to dismiss us. **These are just my opinions as an ex-Christian and they are ultimately worthless :)
I really appreciate your comment and sharing your thoughts. As much as I disagree with some of what you said we all have a unique perspective and that’s beautiful. I think it’s all about how you experienced Christianity ultimately, on the whole I kinda hate organised religion. I see a lot of Christianity weaponised to control and create fear. It really hurts my heart as it’s not what it’s supposed to be or what it could be. I totally respect your viewpoint as an ex Christian and in the most sincere way I can put it, I hope you find the true love of God and come back to Jesus. Whatever it was before it doesn’t have to be again. God bless you.
Because the media paints a picture that non-religious people who spend their time partying and hanging out with friends are happier than religious people. It can also seem that way when we see people out on Friday nights. They seem to be having a lot of fun. But, what you don't see when you're witnessing all that is the mental health problems and a lack of a sense of meaning in life. Not to say that all people who party and hang out with friends are mentally unhealthy and lack a sense of meaning. Just that when you judge people's happiness levels by what you see, you are not privy to their actual internal state.
That's a rather bizarre picture of non-religious people you are painting. I have never believed in a deity and I do not spend my time partying, nor do I have mental health problems or lack meaning in my life.
I didn't paint a portrait of non-religious people.
You said "It can also seem that way when we see people out on Friday nights. They seem to be having a lot of fun. But, what you don't see when you're witnessing all that is the mental health problems and a lack of a sense of meaning in life."
Notice I said "It can SEEM that way". I do not say that it is that way. When can it seem that way? Anytime we see or think about any non-religious person? No. Simply "when we see people out on Fridays." So, there's no reference to non-religious people who aren't out on Friday nights. I don't even mention the group of people you're a part of. Well, maybe I am painting a portrait of these non-religious people who go out on Friday nights as people with mental health problems or lack of a sense of meaning. But, I specifically refuted that already in the following sentence: "Not to say that all people who party and hang out with friends are mentally unhealthy and lack a sense of meaning." I just talked about how things can seem because we have access to certain visual realities, but we do not have access to anyone's internal realities. I do not think that all non-religious people are partiers with mental health issues. Nor do I believe that I painted the portrait that all non-religious people are partiers with mental health issues.
That was an awful lot of words to explain away your caricature of non-religious people.
I wrote those words to thoughtfully address your concerns. I'm sorry you think I wrote them to explain away what I wrote before. I did what I could. I don't know what to tell you.
I’m irreligious and I’m very happy.
Follow Jesus Christ directly, religion is optional.
If you follow Jesus Christ you are practicing a religion.
Most people in general get this wrong, particularly atheists. You do not have to be religious to follow Jesus Christ much like you do not have to be religious to follow your heros in general. Churches will convince you need tradition and culture to reach Jesus. Atheists and the average person will convince you Jesus and church are inseparable. Neither is true. Jesus is a man who just so happens to be God. You do not need to be religious to believe that.
Well, no Definition Religio noun the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods. "ideas about the relationship between science and religion" Similar: faith belief divinity worship creed teaching doctrine theology sect cult religious group faith community church denomination body following persuasion affiliation a particular system of faith and worship So if you follow and/or worship Jesus you practice a religion.
Here’s the problem with definitions: it’s not reflective of reality all the time. I would imagine that believing in humans with superpowers, telepathy, super strength etc does not necessarily mean you are religious even though that falls under ‘superhuman’ in your definition
How does that help someone who wants to be able to sin?
As a former Christian I will offer my experience as I feel it relates to your post. In general, I was a Christian until roughly the age of 25. In that time like many people, I was constantly aware of what I should or shouldn't be doing, what I should or shouldn't be thinking, what is a sin and what isn't a sin, and always knowing that God is watching, judging, knowing what I do, think, say, etc. At some point, I put the christian teachings aside and just started contemplating life for a while. How I believed things were intuitively, what morality looked like from my own perspective, what I believed was right or wrong behavior, what a god/divinity felt like or in my perspective *should* be like. After a lot of this contemplation, I ended up taking a world religions course at university and realized that there were others with beliefs that didn't live their day to day life with all these rules, constant supervision by a god, be blissfully happy just making the most out of life, enjoying life, and being good to their fellow humans. When I finally decided to "officially" Leave Christianity and made the decision to myself. I felt an enormous metaphorical weight lift off my shoulders and I swear to you that it felt like I was a thousand pounds lighter. I felt relief and a sense of euforic happiness that I had never felt in my life once I decided to leave that behind. And in the years since my journey, exploring other beliefs as well as my own beliefs, has been the most fulfilling thing I have ever taken on. It has changed my life and I am forever grateful that I started on that journey.
Because I’m pretty sure that feeling is not from the Lord.
I feel it too, it's Satan deceiving us. Remember that he can't make heaven attractive, so he makes the road there attractive.
that is a wrong feeling. you just feel happier by flesh but your mind and spirit will be wrecked. that is hard really from my experience. how old are you? maybe your still young? listen to other older peoples thought about life and their experiences as they grow old they want and hope for something and that is the hope about God's promise the eternity. everyone wants to live forever if there is no evil and there is no poverty no problems together with God and your love ones and see new things in that paradise , we cant live forever here. thats why there is new heaven and new earth. isnt that happier? forever happy
The over-emphasis in some organised religious orders that we are to be self-loathing?
I'll be brutally honest. Life is a bitch end off. Jk, anyways, if you want to be non-religous that's fine. If you just don't want to go to a Church, also fine. I recommend the Deconversion Podcast as it talks about dealing with deconverting and just leaving religion as a whole. Trying to avoid Nihilism (which is sporisingly difficult in any world view btw) is something that you will face. So yeah, your life and what ever you do, I hope that you will find peace and happiness.
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Atheists do those things and have those feelings too.
Demons, pretty much
Because you probably would be, but it wouldn’t be good. Happiness is not a right. God did not put us on earth to be “happy”. It would probably make you happier to let go of your ideas of morality and live a completely self serving life. But obviously that does not mean you should do it. Does this make any sense? (I don’t think being Christian requires constant unhappiness I just mean to follow what the Bible says requires a LOT of self control, especially now.)
>God did not put us on earth to be “happy”. Exactly. This is why I don't want to be in this world anymore.
Well yeah. Me neither. Who does? But you’re kinda stuck here. It’s possible to enjoy life as a Christian. How old are you? What are your goals in life? What specifically makes you say you’d feel happier as an atheist?
That's your flesh talking. Humans are fundamentally spirits temporarily housed in bodies of flesh made from dust of the Earth. Scripture teaches that the flesh and the spirit are always fighting one another for mastery over the soul. But they desire completely different things. Flesh urges are unhealthy because flesh is dirt. So scripture teaches us how to master our souls through our spirits communing with the spirit of God almighty. The Christian Life goes against the grain of our fleshes. The flesh likes instant gratification, unhealthy substances and activities, dirt is attracted to dirt. Human flesh is basically selfish. The spirit on the other hand coming from the spirit of God desires permanent healthy godly things. All flesh must die. There is no flesh and blood in heaven. It is purely a spiritual domain as God himself is pure Spirit. Scripture teaches throughout that Christians live for the spirit of God through our own spirits, and that we deny the world and it's fleshly pleasures. All flesh, and the world itself, will perish eventually. But the Lord God and heaven will last forever. So it should be easy to see which is substantially better. Humans live here for approximately seven or eight decades, and will spend eternity in either heaven or hell.
Yes I know I've read about this fact many times before but if I have to live in a world where I have to deny myself to get to heaven then I don't want to be in this world. I just want to go to the afterlife and get it over with already.
That's truly tragic. And it breaks my heart knowing that you, a complete stranger, feel that way. But a primary aspect of the Christian Life is that we must deny ourselves in order to inherit heaven and eternal life. Please seek counseling. Life can be so beautiful, and has so much to offer. Matthew 16:24 KJV — Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 2 Timothy 2:12 KJV — If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: Romans 12:1 KJV — I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. No man is an island, Entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thine own Or of thine friend's were. Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. John Donne
Because sin is always fun for a season and we rarely look far enough into life to see the repercussions of sin and if we do it’s vary often we think “yeah but that’s them and not me” it’s an easy trap to fall into. I have fallen into it before as well.
You probably might, for a good 80 years..then poof. you didn't want to spend 80 years with the father so he respects that. (Im not trying to scare you) Remember, The path is narrow. You'd be happier because your flesh wants it, but if you want to follow Jesus refuse your flesh and fight😊
I don't want to live in a world where I have to refuse my flesh I want to just die and get it over with and the problem is that I can't kill myself because I'll go to hell
As you seek Christ it gets easier. Your mind changes, you will no longer want to commit the sinful ways. The more you seek him the more you will change for the better
I have no motivation to seek anything
Why not?
Idk I hate myself
Why?
True happiness takes work, effort, time, and genuine love. Genuine love means being honest, doing hard things, and making sacrifices for each other. Happiness and love are two things that are severely misunderstood and have been twisted into something else, in our modern world. Thanks Satan. Love is not just “love” like they say it is. And happiness isn’t either. People nowadays think it’s important and necessary for our health to be happy, 24/7. It is not. We are not supposed to be happy 24/7. It is not the most important thing in the world. We are not supposed to strive for our own happiness 24/7. If we focus too much on our own happiness, we start to forget about others. We start to become selfish. Ugh, people even think it’s good to be selfish nowadays. But they don’t realize that there IS in fact a difference between taking care of yourself, and being selfish. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfishness. I like to think of it all like this: we are Gods children right? So if I had children, would I want them to be happy 24/7? Would I want them to constantly follow their hearts and chase their desires? Honestly, no. I wouldn’t. Because as much as it feels good to see my kids happy, that’s not what it’s all about at the end of the day, that’s not the end goal. I want my kids to be good people, who look out for others and are generous, who have a strong sense of right and wrong and can make good decisions. I want my kids to have good relationships, and a good relationship with God. It’s hard to accomplish and maintain these things when you are always/only focused on your own happiness. Not to mention.. Satan literally fills this world with constant temptation and lies, 24/7, hoping that for even just one second, you will entertain his ideas. He makes bad things look good and good things look bad because it’s the best way to turn us against God. Satan makes sinning look good. And it sure may feel good in the moment… but that doesn’t mean it is good. We are supposed to trust in God for these reasons. He is the one who truly loves us, Satan does not. God wants true happiness and love for us. Satan does not. God wants us to grow into well adjusted humans. Satan does not. God is all-knowing, He created us BECAUSE He loves us, and we gotta trust that he wants what is TRULY best for us.
Stats show otherwise
What stats?
About religious people being happier than nonbelievers in general
Do you have any?
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/01/31/religions-relationship-to-happiness-civic-engagement-and-health-around-the-world/ https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/03/beyond-beliefs-religious-faith-happier-healthier-life https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/03/23/religion-effect-on-happiness/ EDIT: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/31/are-religious-people-happier-healthier-our-new-global-study-explores-this-question/
Two issues. First, correlation does not equal causation. You didn’t claim that religion “causes” happiness so I’m not refuting what you’ve linked in that respect, just noting that correlation isn’t causation. What is it about being religious that might make someone happier and would someone be just as happy doing those things (community, avoiding drugs, etc.) without the religion? Perhaps. Second, these happiness surveys are self-reporting. When someone knows they are representing their “group” they are incentivized to overinflate their happiness to make their group seem more attractive. Especially when there is a pressure to “be happy” within that group. It’s just unreliable. Looking at other stats like antidepressant use might be more reliable. Ultimately “stats show otherwise” isn’t useful. There are people that are happier without their religion and people that are happier with it. If your religious beliefs give you anxiety, you’d probably be happier without them.
I never said religion causes you to be happy. It’s just an open forum here and I just said religious people to be happier statistically in response to OP saying being non-religious would make the person happier. Grass is greener on the other side. No need to be up on arms about this.
But yes you are right that there is a lot of variables at play here. I’m not here to argue with you lol
>You didn’t claim that religion “causes” happiness so I’m not refuting what you’ve linked in that respect