Poll Did Your Trauma Effect Your Religious Views?

[caliaviator]

I became a born again Christian after being a long time athiest. I was initially resistant to Christianity because all the negative crap on TV and I was in an environment where jaded athiests flexed their intellectual nuts to the point of nonsense. Not having actually read the bible in it's entirety, I went ahead and read it thinking if I was going to hate something I might as well have a good reason why. I didn't find any reason to hate it, and I actually liked what was inside so I decided to convert. It's helped me through a great deal and it's been integrated into my therapy.

I'm not really a multi-faith person, but I do believe others can believe what they want; unless it directly threatens my way of life and safety. If that happens they're screwed.

 

[Mercy]

Then in my twenties, when my mom was dying, I was praying for her to live, every day in church to Saint Anthony. She miraculously lived, but later I had wished for her to die. I know this sounds awful but she was my abuser. So I started to resent God. I still believe in him but now I am mad at him and I can't step into a church without being triggered.

God has broad shoulders. It's OK to be mad at him. He gets it. Worship doesn't have to be in a church building. God created the whole world and everyone in it and wills, moment by moment, for it to continue. The early church fathers say that God is known in part through his energies, the plants, seas, mountains. You can look at something in nature and be blessed by it. We are asked in the letters of the New Testament to think on whatever is good, beautiful and true. The rules of churches are mostly made by people. Since all people are sinners, all churches like any human institution will have failings. A priest friend of mine told me that the best proof that the Holy Spirit exists is that the church exists at all.

 

[Amy Jo]

The BEST book ever on Christianity: Why Christian?: For Those on the Edge of Faith by Douglas John Hall. Amazing amazing amazing!!!!!

 

[Kb3]

I found this quote, while quite simple in it's analysis, to be very helpful to me in understanding the issue of evil in the world. I'm sorry, I am not able to remember who wrote it. The final sentence in particular resonates strongly with me.

"A serious and difficult theological problem is how could a loving and good God permit such evil, or for that matter, any evil, to exist so powerfully? One explanation is that God made us free, and to be truly free, we must have the ability to embrace good or evil, love or hate. Some choose to embrace the side of light and goodness and others embrace the side of darkness and evil. We certainly see this in the world around us everyday. God does not sanction evil but has the power to draw good from it."

 

[BrazenBull]

I'm an Atheist that sees no point in believing in anything, but on the other hand I am very much interested on what other people thing life is all about :)
I was brought up a catholic too, that went away when Santa Claus and tooth fairy did. The minds of people people sure are creative :|

 

[OKRADLAK]

Just this morning I went to a group that wanted to discuss human suffering. They were religious based. They are very kind people, but I kept my mouth closed. Things I do not accept--

1. You suffer because you make bad choices. OK, a few. Most in this world suffer because a few with power bring it to be.

2. You suffer because someone else's choice and that is OK because God is in control. Makes no sense. So a man has a right to sate himself on his young step daughter with autism because God is in control? How do you explain that to a child who now cannot stop clawing at her genitals because she does not understand and cannot express it?

3. You suffer because God is preparing you. That is bunk. Many people, not all, but MANY begin to blaspheme when suffering eclipses their ability to endure it. Suffering breaks people. That is why they used tortured in ancient days. It is quite effective in breaking down faith, moral, ethics, etc....

There were some other points, along the lines that you should be glad to be abused and beaten up because that means God gave free will to the world . HUH? I would rather have peace than free will thank you.

Anyway, the only one they did not touch on was:

SH*T HAPPENS.

So now, I have no idea what I believe. It changes more often than the weather.

 

[Tinyflame]

All that I can think is, for me, God isn't 'about' pain and suffering, has no intention that people should, if He is love and therefore the opposite to hate, violence, greed, 'harm', etc, but people can manage to put theirs' onto others, or 'systems' can, all too-often. 'Free will'.

I don't understand much, but I've heard that 'God' (whatever your belief or conception) remains with you. I try to believe that.
I just figure He wasn't treated very well, either, so He understands.

 

[LaurenRose]

Absolutely. After the brainwashing from that cult (mini Jimmy Jones), it crucified (pun intended) Christianity for me. My odyssey studying ancient scrolls to see what the bible really said lead to a study of most Western religions. Dabbled with the Eastern. Came to a conclusion that if there was a "God" that it is simply love. Am not really sure what it is that I believe in right now. I don't believe there is an "all powerful" entity that is either directing or has produced some sort of plan for mankind. That would make me angry. I think I may think that there is a universal energy of sorts, perhaps even a collective consciousness. I don't know. Even typing this now I am thinking "what are you talking about?" Lol. I do have a firmer belief - for lack of a better word - in a "higher self." The part of me that is above my trauma and my trauma-related symptoms. The place where love of self and love of space around me exists.

 

[nie]

My answer could seem contradictory, but I checked less and more. I think at first it caused me to be less religious, but in the long run, more. I didn't want to have anything to do with God at first, but now I lean on Him for strength more than ever before.

 

[jo may]

I believe the is a god of some kind but if I'm honest I have little to no time for him/her anymore.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

I practice Islam, am Muslim. I used to be more religious. This was before the major trauma started ( the ones I remember). In the years after it, I lost a lot of faith. Now...my faith to be seem better then it ever was. It seems whole. On the outside I don't look very religious, as I do longer cover my hair unless in a mosque or praying.

I do a lot of thinking for myself. And I don't let people think for me. thats way I think my faith is better, instead of just agreeing with the masses of idiots in the world.

My brand of Islam, is also more mystic. I will paint religious artwork sometimes, and I see that as a form of worship.

 

[Mercy]

I paint religious art work too. Icons of the Orthodox Christian tradition. Painting is a way of praying and keeping close to God. Did you know that Palestinian Christians call God Allah too?