Questioning one's faith or lack of it

[hippie37]

I've been philosophizing over this for the past week and I'd be interested in getting some feed-back over this.

For me having faith in something means me ultimately extending the boundaries of what I perceive to be true. Of late I have been thinking that my liberal sit on the fence viewpoint has not allowed me to focus my attention and do this. I have never truly put my faith in anything I think, and it is that, for me anyway that I am beginning to question. I'm not necessarily talking about religion here either but the whole idea of 'faith'. I've known to have faith in myself in the past (not very hard though when you're as self-centered as I used to be when I was drinking!!) but to go beyond that and totally put my faith in and idea or person or religion etc IS something I would like to change about myself. I'm not exactly searching for 'something' either in case you were wondering, that is not the point I am trying to make here. It's not about me finding god or buddha etc but about me going beyond just the normal expectations and committing myself further either spiritually or physically.

Anyway I'd love to hear your views and comments on your own faith.

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx

[beatle]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

Hippie, this is thought-provoking, but not an easy post to answer. I've been thinking along the same lines, too. I am downright jealous of those close to me that have faith-- it is mostly religious fatih, but they seem so content with it. I want that contentment, but I am always questioning. I think faith is being able to stop questioning and "accept". But I'm not that developed yet.

[Determinatrix]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

Hipster,

I find I am most at peace and mindful when I am in nature.
Just birds and bugs. Trees and lake. Sun and grass.
That feeling has made the outdoors my church.

I find many churches rely on guilt as a motivator and I don't find that very peaceful.

Dx

[hippie37]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

I think faith is being able to stop questioning and "accept".

I think that is my problem beatle. I am one of life's searchers. I feel like I'm looking for the holy grail. But I think it goes beyond "acceptance" although I totally see your point. I think though if I found the answers I was looking for my life would become meaningless in some strange sort of a way. My searching would be over and I would be left with just that acceptance. It's a very tricky one I know!!!

I think this is one of those topics like alcohol and depression (the chicken and egg syndrome). something else which I've been thinking about a lot recently as it was brought up on another forum as a topic of debate. I found that really hard to be exact or clear about. Would I be suffering with depression if I had never abused drugs and alcohol or would I have been destined to suffer with it if I hadn't abused those substances (i.e. genes etc). Although I do think talking about it has lead me to the semi acceptance part. I still do have thoughts of "what would my life be like if I had chosen a different path away from alcohol and drugs".

Christ I've got far too much time on my hands haven't I ? !!! I think with the depression/bronchitis/weight gain/ etc I must be reaching mid-life crisis territory any day now!!!

Great to hear from you beatle anyway and thanks for your input.

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx

[Determinatrix]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

Wow, Beatle!

You have answered many things with that statement:
...faith is being able to stop questioning and "accept".

For instance, those questioning 'why can't I drink?' or 'why can't I mod?'.
Believing that if I could just understand than I could accept.
I need to know WHY.
Sometimes there are no answers. We must just accept. Still not easy.

Definitely for the enlightened.
Dx

[tlrgs]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

hippie37.you had me thinking on that and determinatrix that was the best way to put it

[Deena]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

Interesting points to ponder. I guess at this stage in my life I'm pretty "faithless". While I don't envy the blind faith of zealots, I do envy those who seem to find peace in their religious faith.

I sometimes wonder if my life would be different if I had maintained the religious upbringing I had. Would I have meandered down this nasty path?

My own mid life crisis and my decision to tackle "this drinking thang" has caused me to ask alot of the same questions. Unfortunately, I have no answers or words of wit and wisdom to share with you.

We're in the same boat...looking quizzical and mildly concerned.

[lukalee]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

Hippie, I want to push this up so I can respond more tomorrow. This is a question I believe most people have--or at least I do.
You stated, "For me having faith in something means me ultimately extending the boundaries of what I perceive to be true." The ultimate question is what do you believe to be true? If you need to extend yourself to a point where you feel you need to accept something that you do not believe in, then the quest is futile.
We all question the purpose of life and where we fit into the whole scheme of things. We live in a world where we are expected to believe in this or that, but there is nothing wrong with taking from different beliefs. You may not believe in a certain religion, but most of them have great things to offer. I personally do not follow a specific religion, and I am certainly still trying to find my way. But, you do not have to follow Buddah, the Catholic God, or even Mother Nature for that matter. You just need to follow what is true in your heart. Great spiritual leaders will never tell you what you are following is wrong (unless you are a serial killer). The key is doing what you believe is right and to treat others with dignity and respect regardless of their beliefs.

[Determinator]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

very interesting posts you all. I think it's the relationship between faith and acceptance that is critical for me. and my nemesis as well. I seem to have a deficit of both faith and acceptance in my thick head. must think about this more......

[southernbelle47]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

Hippie......
I've been reading your thread for several days with great interest.
I haven't posted yet because there is so much that I would like to say here and can't figure out yet how to say it.
For right now.....I'm glad that you are searching for something and I pray that your "spiritual" eyes and ears will be opened to find what you are looking for.

:h Nancy "Belle"

[cuckoosnest83]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

Hippie, I hope this thread gets the attention it deserves. I was raised with a strict religious background and rebelled as a young adult. Organized religion holds no appeal for me but like Deena I do envy those who have an aura of peace and contentment in their faith. They seem to live their lives with a quiet certainty. I'm in agreement with Determinatrix as far as the outdoors and nature being my church. Look forward to many different opinions on this topic.

Cuckoo

[SoCal Betsy]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

I was trying to think of the right words to describe my thoughts on faith (my head is a bit blurry from a sinus infection) when I read Lukalee's reply: "If you need to extend yourself to a point where you feel you need to accept something that you do not believe in, then the quest is futile." BINGO! That's what I was trying to put into words.

[southernbelle47]

Questioning one's faith or lack of it

OK...a little "food for thought"....As I sit out in my swing, in the bright sunshine and feel its warth on my winter weary skin and feel the light breeze blow throught my hair, and hear the birds songs and watch them in all their beauty at the feeder, look up and watch the puffy clouds in the very blue sky......I thought of sharing todays devotion with you. Came in my "mail box" today.....funny how that always works out. Hummmm....
:h Nancy "Belle"

February 10, 2008


IS YOUR IMAGINATION OF GOD STARVED?

Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created
these things.

Isaiah 40:26
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=isa+40:26&sr=1

The people of God in Isaiah's day had starved their imagination by
looking on the face of idols, and Isaiah made them look up at the
heavens, that is, he made them begin to use their imagination aright.
Nature to a saint is sacramental. If we are children of God, we have
a tremendous treasure in Nature. In every wind that blows, in every
night and day of the year, in every sign of the sky, in every
blossoming and in every withering of the earth, there is a real
coming of God to us if we will simply use our starved imagination to
realize it.

The test of spiritual concentration is bringing the imagination into
captivity. Is your imagination looking on the face of an idol? Is the
idol yourself? Your work? Your conception of what a worker should be?
Your experience of salvation and sanctification? Then your
imagination of God is starved, and when you are up against
difficulties you have no power, you can only endure in darkness. If
your imagination is starved, do not look back to your own experience;
it is God Whom you need. Go right out of yourself, away from the face
of your idols, away from everything that has been starving your
imagination. Rouse yourself, take the gibe that Isaiah gave the
people, and deliberately turn your imagination to God.

One of the reasons of stultification in prayer is that there is no
imagination, no power of putting ourselves deliberately before God.
We have to learn how to be broken bread and poured out wine on the
line of intercession more than on the line of personal contact.
Imagination is the power God gives a saint to posit himself out of
himself into relationships he never was in.