Poll Did Your Trauma Effect Your Religious Views?

[Deleted member 1860]

Other.... (Didnt respond)

Molested by the ministers wife. Brought up in the church but didn't see the light until recently...

So less then more?

 

[Deimos]

I was raised in a very fundamental Christian home. Part of my trauma was having an authority figure use scripture in a way to make his victims vulnerable to his attacks. Similar to what I imagine may go on with the priest molestation that goes on in the catholic church. I still have battles over what I believe but I tend to find myself thinking "Lord, save me from your followers" While I lean towards the beliefs of Christianity because of my upbringing, the thought of anything religious tends to make me shutter.

 

[Girl3]

I know there is a God and I do believe that Jesus died for our sins. But I see it as almost a large corporation wherein the CEO (God) has a lot of stuff to oversee and take care of, and me #41, well I am not very high up on the list of things that need to be seen about today. And I am OK with where I am with God at present. I do go to church, I take communion, I pray routinely - but not like I did before - it isn't personal with me and Him any more. I have my job He has His. Life goes on.
I no longer ask for ANY personal favors, issues, anything -

 

[anthony]

Yer, CEO... Its called the Pope in their own City called the Vatican... so much for religion helping others... all its done in my view is create wars and made the people at the top very wealthy to live luxurious lifestyles.

Christianity is no better than capitalism IMHO.

 

[fairydust]

I have always had difficulty with organised religion. I see my own relationship with god as very private, no need for a middle man / woman / organisation.

 

[jo may]

I'd have to say I think with every passing week the faith I use to have (which was strong) is disappearing and I do believe soon it will be gone completely. I find it harder and harder to believe that "our maker" puts us all through so much hardship. and I can't forgive him for some of the things he's done to my loved ones, who are no longer here. Plus let's not forget he killed his only son to save us. Yet there are still so many wars going on due to religion.:tdown:

 

[Mercy]

It is odd to believe in a 2000 yr.old event that can't be proved. That's faith. All organized groups will fail with the same failings that are common to mankind, lust for power, greed, envy, heirarchy......My Father Confessor once said to me, "The only proof of the existence of the Holy Spirit is that the church has lasted this long." considering the failings we, humans have.

 

[Girl3]

People can screw up anything - including God's message. I never believed in the pope - I'm not catholic - but I have found ministers at times who were helpful...but i also never believed I need to confess to anyone but God. As for the rituals, etc - I think people like a party or a parade or a dress-up affair, and they'll turn anything into it - doesn't matter if it is holy writings, dogs, or strawberries. Mankind will make a fair to-do of it.

 

[Girl3]

Dairmaid McCulloch - wrote a great book The Reformation. What you note as you read it is that all transformations of the church revolve around politics and those who would change political venues based on "they didn't get it right" religion. Having practised in every church including the Seventh Day Adventists - but no temple or mosque - the God message changes with the linens. But God Himself doesn't.

 

[Kb3]

What you note as you read it is that all transformations of the church revolve around politics and those who would change political venues based on "they didn't get it right" religion.

Bureaucracy! Is no institution exempt?

Depending where I am, I go to the places where I feel God's presence the most. At home it is in my church, and where I am now it is on the beach, looking out over the water.

I try to spend time with Him everyday, and although I find certain places to be more facilitating than others, I believe that God's presence is everywhere.

Raffles, bake sales and reformations are optional:).

 

[PhilipH]

I was never a religious person and my life experiences never caused me to think any religious beliefs could have any validity....not that I would ever base my beliefs based solely on experience.

 

[PTSD sufferer]

My religious opinions have not changed since I was about 8......so here is my 2 pence worth.

Rituals and customs were created by man, and given meaning by man. Man created the 'institution' that is religion, and it has the same flaws as any other man-made (and man administrated) institution.

Now, please don't take my humor as slight, its not intended that way. I am simply a pragmatist. And it is in good humor that I tell this story...

You know how priests wave that metal bell around with incense in it that lets off all that smoke? Most claim that it has some religious meaning behind it, but in reality it doesn't. Back in the day, the peasants would sit at the front of the church and the lords and ladies at the back. The priest would wave this smoke filled metal bell around a couple of times during the service so as to disguise the smell of the peasants. Yep its TRUE!!! That ritual obviously does not cleanse your sins, just the air! When a priest swings his smoke fulled bell around, all I think to myself is, well, I guess he is really saying that those people smell :p

Now to be a little more serious... in my mind, all religious texts deserve as much attention as the writings of the great social philosophizers - Mills, Kant, Aristotle and Plato for example. What we can learn from social philosophy (including religious texts) is the concept of 'virtuosity'. Regardless of the type of region or whether you have no religion at all, virtuosity is an important concept.

Personally, I'm pretty sure that on 'judgement day', god will be more concerned about whether I am a good person on the inside and whether I tried my best to show that in the things I do. I somehow don't think that god will be concerned as to whether I followed man-made customs and rituals, and 'ticked' the boxes of the good deeds an 'institution' has told me to do, as long as I try to show 'virtue' in everything I do.

So, have my religious views changed with PTSD - Nope. And to summarize, I believe in social philosophy, virtuosity and human rights and try to live my life by these guidelines. If that is God's intent, then I guess I am religious...if not, well bugger :x3: