Don't institutionalize God by conflating him with organized religion.
Spiritualism is within you. Embracing it heals your mental state.
Consider this. Believe that you are never in private. That always you are out in public because God is always with you watching over every action.
Compare the person with this belief to those vile people online that act in disgusting fashion because of anonymity and no repurcussions to their words and actions.
God is the OG NSA
So better behave as you're never alone.
It's a great moral hibitor for sure
sorry i must disagree. i deduce spiritualism to be the mental health equivalent of covering a festering wound with a sticking plaster. it may look better to everyone and may even keep the smell in, but in the end meat will rot if the dead flesh is not excised. i get so annoyed that faith in a supernatural entity replaces positive change, that grovelling prayer replaces action. cancer: pray war: pray money: pray
psychotic delusion urging assistance from an invisible friend will never be as effective as getting up off your knees and sorting yourself, your situation, and building the road ahead. no offence meant.
i also dont need to live in paranoia of a supreme punisher surveilling my actions for me to act correct to myself and others. those who act with charity and dignity because of fear and guilt have no merit. again, no offence meant.
Do you have dealings with death? As an atheist who moved rurally suddenly I had to cope with regular death. Shooting caught feral cats. Shooting rabbits. Slaughtering lambs I'd hand reared. Losing ewes that had become pets. Etc etc.
What experience have you in coping with death? For me saying prayers as an atheist brought great peace and acceptance.
As an atheist I looked upon the world and saw great evil. I inspected this evil and behind it I saw even vaster evil which I had to conclude was was the Satan our ancestors wrote about.
Through Spiritualism and acknowledgement of Satan I came to accept God exists. By having God with me my mental health and stability grew immensely. I lost my anger. I found more love for my family. More peace in life. Every day I count my blessings and feel better for this.
Prior to all this like many middle age men I was suffering from irrational depression. My life is great yet I felt a drive to suicide and lament life? It was bizarre.
Anyway I'm rambling. You do you and best of luck to you.
thanks for the reply, i guess everybody's mileage may vary.
i have dealt with plenty of death also being middle aged and in a rural setting. in my 50 odd years i have witnessed horrific murders, friends dying of drugs in front of me, watching aged friends and neighbours die then preparing the bodies for burial, rearing and slaughtering, putting down sick pets (always the worst to have to shoot your dog) and watching my mother die slowly of cancer when i was 12.
death is all around and plentiful, i get rather dismayed at leaders in government and corporations that feel the need to add to this in the name of profit. death should be a shock to the system, but not a debilitating one. i feel no pity for the dead as their suffering is over. pity the ones left behind.
i have certainly explored all the religions and read all the books, albeit in translation. they all contain good ideas but also many varied toxic ideas as well. i chose to walk the earth alone, for me it works and made me stronger. i chose not to believe in a higher power, i chose to believe in myself.
something big is on its way so whatever you need to make you strong will really get tested. i have the feeling that many of us will soon have the need to take lives in defence of ourselves and our families. it will get a lot worse before it gets better. all the best to you in these strange days friend.
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