# Anybody wish they were religious?



## ShadyGFX

Sometimes I wish I faith in an after life because then I would have something to look forward to after I die. But science makes too much sense (if that makes sense). It explains so much that I find the premise of an 'all mighty' highly illogical.


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## MachineSupremacist

No. If I were then I'd be the biggest and most insufferable evangelical ******* ever. I'm bad enough as it is.

I do sometimes wish some form of magic were real or at least that there were semi-magical solutions to some of my problems and I *think* that's normal. I also used to worry about death, especially in my teenage years, but then I realized that I have bigger problems. What's worse than dying? Never having much of a life to begin with, so now I worry about that instead


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## elDiablo

I wish I believed in God but weren't religious.


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## ShadyGFX

MachineSupremacist said:


> No. If I were then I'd be the biggest and most insufferable evangelical ******* ever. I'm bad enough as it is.
> 
> I do sometimes wish some form of magic were real or at least that there were semi-magical solutions to some of my problems and I *think* that's normal. I also used to worry about death, especially in my teenage years, but then I realized that I have bigger problems. What's worse than dying? Never having much of a life to begin with, so now I worry about that instead


That's as good point. It's not a major concern of mine, it would just be nice to know that if I **** up this life I might get another chance.


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## komorikun

I doubt that the religious truly believe there is life after death. Generally the religious are the last to pull the plug even when their family member is brain dead or in severe pain/discomfort.


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## wordscancutyoulikeglass

Every time I take a breath, I wish I hadn't left my religion, because I would have so much stress, so much fear, driving me downwards into depression.


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## MissMichele

*HAHA*

I totally agree! I was bummed about death as a kid...And scared of dying. But I would not accept the concept that we go up to heaven and become angels. It made no sense to me... So I dealt with the fear of eternal blackness and decomposition. : \


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## Recipe For Disaster

komorikun said:


> I doubt that the religious truly believe there is life after death. Generally the religious are the last to pull the plug even when their family member is brain dead or in severe pain/discomfort.


I genuinely believe there is life after death. If I was born once, who am I to say it cannot happen again? How silly to think that (from my perspective ) nothing existed then I suddenly popped into existence for some decades and then dissapeared for all eternity again.

Also, because when I dont exist I have no perception of time, even if it took the destruction and arising of 9999999999999999999999999999 x 10^99999999999999999999 zillion trillion billion quintillion millenniums universes for me to be reborn, it would eventually happen and I would experience that gap as no time at all since I did not exist during it.


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## Recipe For Disaster

MissMichele said:


> I totally agree! I was bummed about death as a kid...And scared of dying. But I would not accept the concept that we go up to heaven and become angels. It made no sense to me... So I dealt with the fear of eternal blackness and decomposition. : \


We do not become angels. Angels are a separate type of being created by God that were not meant to take embodiment on earth. Humans can go to heaven and become divinized and perfected, but they remain distinct from angels.

Anyway, why doesn't this make sense to you? And to OP who said science made too much sense. Well, of course science makes sense. That is the whole aim of science. It's based entirely on making sense. But there is nothing in science that indicates that angels or an after life doesn't exist.


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## MissMichele

Recipe For Disaster said:


> We do not become angels. Angels are a separate type of being created by God that were not meant to take embodiment on earth. Humans can go to heaven and become divinized and perfected, but they remain distinct from angels.
> 
> Anyway, why doesn't this make sense to you? And to OP who said science made too much sense. Well, of course science makes sense. That is the whole aim of science. It's based entirely on making sense. But there is nothing in science that indicates that angels or an after life doesn't exist.


Sorry, I know nothing about "angels" or whatever is taught in churches. I just hear random religious people telling others that their dead loved one became an angel. So......

"There is nothing in science that indicates that angels or an after life doesn't exist" Maybe not, but angels and after life are clearly a man-made belief and therefore...It most likely isn't true. :sus


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## Keith

There's also the philosophical idea of eternal return or eternal recurrence, that the universe recurs infinitely and that time is cyclical. It does not conflict with materialism. So you live the same life over and over again, and I've heard deja vu is described as a subtle awareness of this. To most it would be a punishment, but reality already is a "punishment" when you realize the paradox of pleasure and suffering. That your efforts to cling to happiness cause you suffering. I believe in a cyclic model of the universe so this idea doesn't conflict, but that doesn't mean i limit myself to this one idea, or any idea at all.


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## simian4455

ShadyGFX said:


> Anybody wish they were religious?


Haha good question. No.


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## Nogy

ShadyGFX said:


> Sometimes I wish I faith in an after life because then I would have something to look forward to after I die. But science makes too much sense (if that makes sense). It explains so much that I find the premis of an 'all mighty' highly illogical.


 Being religious isn't always synonymous with believing in an afterlife or God(s).


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## wordscancutyoulikeglass

Nogy said:


> Being religious isn't always synonymous with believing in an afterlife or God(s).


Hindu's don't believe in an afterlife. Well, technically you go through life as people and then when you're good enough you become a cow, and then your soul is 'blown out like a candle' and you are no more.


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## CrimsonRaven

I wish I were so I could belong to a community, go on mission trips to help others, and be part of something much bigger than myself.

Sadly, I can't buy into the religious stuff it seems so weird to me. I love Islam but I can never fit into such a society


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## arnie

CrimsonRaven said:


> I wish I were so I could belong to a community, go on mission trips to help others, and be part of something much bigger than myself.
> 
> Sadly, I can't buy into the religious stuff it seems so weird to me. I love Islam but I can never fit into such a society


I know. Religious groups seem like the easiest way to get social interaction. Youth groups meet every weekend and do fun activities together like going hiking in the mountains or volunteer work. How come there's no secular equivalent? Maybe I should pretend to be religious just to join up.


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## niacin

arnie said:


> I know. Religious groups seem like the easiest way to get social interaction. Youth groups meet every weekend and do fun activities together like going hiking in the mountains or volunteer work. How come there's no secular equivalent? Maybe I should pretend to be religious just to join up.


http://www.iheyo.org/activities
http://www.meetup.com/
http://www.volunteermatch.org/


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## catawampus

I used to wish I could believe. Not only for the spiritual connection to something bigger than myself but also for the strong community that often accompanies religious belief. But I no longer feel that way. I can't force myself to believe in something that makes no sense even if the alternative is isolation. Though with my social anxiety even if I attended church I'm not sure I'd take advantage of the social aspect.


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## Recipe For Disaster

wordscancutyoulikeglass said:


> Hindu's don't believe in an afterlife. Well, technically you go through life as people and then when you're good enough you become a cow, and then your soul is 'blown out like a candle' and you are no more.


What the......... Hindus most certainyl do believe in an afterlife. They believe in karma and reincarnation.


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## AJFA88

I used to be a catholic until my very early teens. Religion gave me comfort, and at the same time a lot of confusion. At this point in life i dont even have the slightest desire to be religious or believe in a god that i know doesnt exist.


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## werdiscv

No way. Why would I WISH to be brainwashed? Because that's all I see organized religion as.
It might give me some false sense of hope, but ultimately it is all lies, and I can't live like that.

Anyway, I'm not going into detail, but I have reasons to doubt our souls are mortal, so I'm not too afraid of death. Don't be scared of it. That's all I'm going to say.


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## ExquisiteCorpse

I never wish I was religious... I don't really believe in a religious God but I honestly have no idea whether there's an after life or not. I don't even know if I want there to be one


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## atlex

No.


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## earlgreytea

x


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## A Sense of Purpose

Absolutely not. Nor do I have any aspirations to be.

Comfort is a state of mind that can be altered by thought. There is simply no need to commit to religion for the sake of comfort (for me).


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## Josie

I have, at times, thought it would be comforting to believe in religion and the idea that there is a parental figure who will always take care of me, along with the idea that I would forever be in paradise after death. There is also the social connection that other people have mentioned.

But then I take into account what comes with not having any ties to a religion. Mostly, I am grateful that I am able to feel such a deep appreciation for how life and the universe works. I am free to seek the absolute truth because I am not bound by a book that claims to fill in all the blanks. I do take comfort in how our universe is and the beauty of it all. In fact, it's downright inspiring and so are the people who find it so (people like Carl Sagan, or even Prof. Brian Cox, who always has a smile on his face when explaining the wonders of it all).

As far as the social aspect goes, it is disappointing that non-believers as a group still feel so vilified and alienated. However, we are a growing group of people and I have seen more and more awareness of the fact that we are just like the next person, and that we aren't demon-worshiping baby-eaters. So hopefully we're on our way towards stopping the vilification of the non-religious, and people won't have to feel so alone or like they can't/shouldn't seek the company of like-minded people.


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## Kedwin

I wish I was religious simply because everyone I currently know is fairly religious. I hide my lack of belief in social situations because I don't want it to be an issue. I hate being single, but every woman I've met lately has been religious and uninterested in a relationship with an atheist.


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## catawampus

Kedwin said:


> I wish I was religious simply because everyone I currently know is fairly religious. I hide my lack of belief in social situations because I don't want it to be an issue. I hate being single, but every woman I've met lately has been religious and uninterested in a relationship with an atheist.


It seems like there are very few female atheists out there. And because there's still such a stigma attached to atheism even those women who consider themselves merely spiritual without being religious seem to have issues with dating an atheist. It's a tough situation.


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## fallfires

No, I don't wish I was religious. I don't have a problem with not having an afterlife to look forward to, quite the opposite- I find it comforting to think that when we die, that's it, nothing else, no worries, no fears, no sorrow, no thought, just nothing, and no awareness of that nothing. 
As for having a purpose in life, make your own purpose. Why would you want a god to direct your fate? You supposedly have free will, but God gives you your purpose in life? Bull. Sorry religious peeps, you can't have it both ways. Be the captain of your own soul!

Sorry, off-topic follows:


catawampus said:


> It seems like there are very few female atheists out there.


Maybe it seems that way. Women are expected to conform in society, to be the good little missus, and not conforming has very harsh social consequences. And many traditional women's fields would severely frown on atheists. I value my teaching job, I am not gonna announce my atheism, that's for sure! Female atheists are out there, I promise! Some of us just prefer to keep it quiet. It may seem weak, but I do my part for spreading free-thinking by raising my son in a non-religious skeptical environment and by promoting scientific thinking in the classroom. (and I'm single, so don't come back and complain that all the atheist women are taken! It's just as hard for us to find non-religious men, especially in small town USA. *sigh*)


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## catawampus

fallfires said:


> Maybe it seems that way. Women are expected to conform in society, to be the good little missus, and not conforming has very harsh social consequences. And many traditional women's fields would severely frown on atheists. I value my teaching job, I am not gonna announce my atheism, that's for sure! Female atheists are out there, I promise! Some of us just prefer to keep it quiet. It may seem weak, but I do my part for spreading free-thinking by raising my son in a non-religious skeptical environment and by promoting scientific thinking in the classroom. (and I'm single, so don't come back and complain that all the atheist women are taken! It's just as hard for us to find non-religious men, especially in small town USA. *sigh*)


I definitely agree with you that due to misconceptions about atheism it's often wise to keep our lack of belief private. I'm not outspoken about my atheism except among friends and family. I don't announce it from rooftops or wear it on my sleeve for fear of possibly losing clients. Some of us just can't afford to risk being 100% outspoken for fear of the financial repercussions.

I applaud you for raising your son in a home where skepticism and free thought are key. I just hope that the religious right doesn't eventually force creationism to be taught alongside evolution in the classroom. How's that for a segue?

As for single atheist women, I'm sure they are out there. Though when considering the likelihood of eventually dating again, the chances of finding someone you connect with (for both single atheist men as well as women) is far less likely that were we reglious or at the very least spiritual. Not impossible but certainly much more difficult especially when considering SA also plays a huge role.


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## Rossy

Why would you want to be brainwashed?


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## Adversary

Why would I want my whole life to be based around a lie?


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## arnie

The truth is extremely depressing. It makes me feel so nihilistic, like nothing matters.


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## AlienTxtMsgs

not at all, I value facing reality no matter how gruesome it is.

I want you to think about the time that passed before you were conceived. This universe existed for almost 14 billion years before that time, and you weren't around for that, you didn't exist - you were dead.

Were you inconvenienced by your non-existence at all? I'll bet you weren't. 'Cause you were dead, and dead people don't give a **** about life. In fact, they don't give any ****s at all.

So I say don't worry about it, just try to enjoy this interesting experience that the universe has created while you're here.


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## Jollygoggles

Not even for a millisecond. Even when I contemplate my own death.

I value truth above all else.
I am the universe experiencing itself,
so I will not waste that opportunity.


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## LuxAeterna

I was _very_ religious. Like, a hyper-fundamentalist (think Jerry Falwell or Sarah Palin -- but worse). Actually, I've been all over the religiosity spectrum from hyper-fundamentalist to mystic/progressive/pluralist.

No. I don't miss it. I left classical theism voluntarily. I renounced my faith on _purpose_. There are philosophical and metaphysical concepts I entertain and enjoy. Absolutely. But classical theism, orthodox, Western theology, I don't miss a thing and certainly don't regret the path I took to spiritual freedom.


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## WYSkiBum

No

Then I would have to deal with some deity judging me too. I have enough trouble with the rigors of everyday life. 
... and I'm just not that simple, nor would I want to be.


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## milo2020

Keith said:


> There's also the philosophical idea of eternal return or eternal recurrence, that the universe recurs infinitely and that time is cyclical. It does not conflict with materialism. So you live the same life over and over again, and I've heard deja vu is described as a subtle awareness of this. To most it would be a punishment, but reality already is a "punishment" when you realize the paradox of pleasure and suffering. That your efforts to cling to happiness cause you suffering. I believe in a cyclic model of the universe so this idea doesn't conflict, but that doesn't mean i limit myself to this one idea, or any idea at all.


I been thinking the same, that we somehow, the world ending in billions of years time the whole world universe repeating life again, and that we wake up as babies again repeating this life over and over again...

Being human and having all these thoughts and feelings and being so different to other animals is kind of amazing, even if our lives are a bit ...you know...it's just a mystery to why we are having all these thoughts and sensations and stuff

I think there is more to God than what the bible says, if I see Jesus I'll accept him as my saviour and would look up to God for hope..
This whole life universe etc. remains a mystery, and I hope they find it soon.....
because personally I'm scared of the thought of my parents dying, then experiencing death and the unknown


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## A3rghee029

I had a Bad day 2 days ago. It's when I break down and cry really loud and just let it all out. For me, I see it as a therapeutic opportunity because it doesn't happen very often. But when it does, I always think "I wish I could believe in God" as if this will pick me up and give me the strength to carry myself through the bull**** of life. Brainwashing yourself to get a false sense of security sometimes seems like a decent option. but I can never do it. I'm a fatalist at heart. sucks. but oh well. I'm still young. kinda. I hope all is well on your end, and whatever you decide, Is complete for you.


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## Noca

ShadyGFX said:


> Sometimes I wish I faith in an after life because then I would have something to look forward to after I die. But science makes too much sense (if that makes sense). It explains so much that I find the premis of an 'all mighty' highly illogical.


Just because I want to go to a paradise after I die where I am an all powerful ethereal being that has unlimited sex drive, unlimited durability, stamina, orgasms, ejaculate, surrounded by endless hot men and women who want to satisfy every sexual desire I want doesn't mean it is going to ever happen. My fantasy may sound absurd, but no more absurd than any other religious afterlife.

Wishing something doesn't make it come true.


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## ShadyGFX

Dr House said:


> Just because I want to go to a paradise after I die where I am an all powerful ethereal being that has unlimited sex drive, unlimited durability, stamina, orgasms, ejaculate, surrounded by endless hot men and women who want to satisfy every sexual desire I want doesn't mean it is going to ever happen. My fantasy may sound absurd, but no more absurd than any other religious afterlife.
> 
> Wishing something doesn't make it come true.


I didn't say it would. I said I sometimes wish that there was something more.


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## ugh1979

arnie said:


> I know. Religious groups seem like the easiest way to get social interaction. Youth groups meet every weekend and do fun activities together like going hiking in the mountains or volunteer work. How come there's no secular equivalent? Maybe I should pretend to be religious just to join up.


There are plenty secular equivalents elsewhere. I guess you must just be unfortunate enough to live somewhere dominated by Christian's.


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## ugh1979

Recipe For Disaster said:


> We do not become angels. Angels are a separate type of being created by God that were not meant to take embodiment on earth. Humans can go to heaven and become divinized and perfected, but they remain distinct from angels.
> 
> Anyway, why doesn't this make sense to you? And to OP who said science made too much sense. Well, of course science makes sense. That is the whole aim of science. It's based entirely on making sense. But there is nothing in science that indicates that angels or an after life doesn't exist.


There's nothing in science that indicates that angels or an after life do exist either. Just as there is nothing in science that indicates goblins and fairies exist.

If you don't care about meeting the burden of proof you can state that anything you want exists.


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## Luka92

Nah.


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## Joe

ShadyGFX said:


> Sometimes I wish I faith in an after life because then I would have something to look forward to after I die. But science makes too much sense (if that makes sense). It explains so much that I find the premis of an 'all mighty' highly illogical.


This explains my thoughts, when I was 14 I used to get super depressed over it lol


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## visualkeirockstar

ShadyGFX said:


> Sometimes I wish I faith in an after life because then I would have something to look forward to after I die. But science makes too much sense (if that makes sense). It explains so much that I find the premise of an 'all mighty' highly illogical.


That's what you would say. But even if you do it doesn't make life better.


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## low

Nope. I value my honesty and sanity. I will never cave and lie to myself or others like that or base my life, my fundamentals, or my morals from dishonest core values. I value my rationality and critical thought too much. Which would by default, have to be given up if I were to take up such dishonest and contradictory faith based beliefs.


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## Soulsurvivor

^ I echo this. No matter how bad things get, how desperate I become, I will not turn to religion.

By my own code of ethics I would consider myself a sinner if I were to convert. Besides, I can't just make myself suddenly stupid or ignorant. And why would I turn to this all-powerful, all-knowing god in my most dire of times if that very same god had capacity to prevent me from getting in that state in the first place? What, am I being punished for nothing more than having a questioning mind and a sense of social justice? Really, I don't want to meet a trivial and unreasonable ogre like that.


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## wordscancutyoulikeglass

Haha mebe if I was religious my friends wouldn't have to pretend to feel comfortable around me


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## Marleywhite

During my weakest points, where I'm the most vunerable. I think of god and hope that he is out there, but he isn't and that just makes me empty inside


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## Dragonair

komorikun said:


> I doubt that the religious truly believe there is life after death. Generally the religious are the last to pull the plug even when their family member is brain dead or in severe pain/discomfort.


Yeah, you gotta wonder why they're so afraid if they think there's an afterlife >.>


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## ugh1979

Dragonair said:


> Yeah, you gotta wonder why they're so afraid if they think there's an afterlife >.>


I think the concept of self doubt hangs heavy in many of them.

I don't see how it couldn't in this day and age where their faiths beliefs are being discredited left right and centre.

The nails in religions coffin grow more every day.


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## yourfavestoner

I'm glad there isn't an afterlife. My life is hell, why would I want to suffer eternally? I can't wait to die and be over forever.

As for religion - yeah I'd probably feel better if I believed in some almighty being who had my back, but meh.


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## Soliloquitious

What I wish is that people would quit generalizing their shared opinions into what is called a "religion". You can have faith in any number of things, society has simply restricted it to an all-powerful being or set thereof. Instead of wishing for the possibility of an afterlife, be in awe of how you're alive at this very moment in time during billions of years of chaos.


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## HarryStanluv25

Heck no. To be one of those who believe you should go to hell because you don't believe even if you're a good person- disgusting. To shove it down your throat even when you don't want to hear it. Even to be a person who believes but isn't all crazy about it would still be painful. I couldn't imagine believing again.


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## drunker

I have faith that something is w8 for us when we die...i dont belive in any religion. religions were meda up for manipulation so...sometimes i do want to be a christian because u have god...what ever bad thing u do oh god forgives u...u always have some1 to talk to. And u can t blame yourself since god made u...so i wish i was ignorant enaught


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## tranquildream

Yeah, I wish there was one religion like in fantasy worlds in some games lol. It would only be cool if it was real and not hypocritical or harmful to anyone.


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## Freiheit

I'm not an atheist but lean more towards agnosticism. I was raised Christian though and sometimes when I'm desperate and want to kill myself I try "talking" to god because if I convince myself that god cares about me I'll feel less miserable and it does work, but it's temporary. When I'm suffering mentally I feel guilty about neglecting my religion and I want to go back to when I was a kid and had a strong belief in god.


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## TheComedian

To me it's like taking the blue pill and going back to a fictional reality that makes you feel better. 
Sometimes I wonder if intelligence is a gift or a curse.


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## joey22099

Why would anyone wish they were religious? Same as asking 'Anybody wish they were irrational?'


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## The Sleeping Dragon

joey22099 said:


> Why would anyone wish they were religious? Same as asking 'Anybody wish they were irrational?'


Or:

"Anybody wish they had social anxiety?"


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## The Quiet Girl

Yes. Very much so. A close friend of mine had passed away recently and I wish I had that solace of knowing they're "in a better place".


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## NoMoreRunnin

The Quiet Girl said:


> Yes. Very much so. A close friend of mine had passed away recently and I wish I had that solace of knowing they're "in a better place".


You're right there. I can understand the comfort. It'd be nice to have that kind of support to lean on.


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## 87wayz

NoMoreRunnin said:


> You're right there. I can understand the comfort. It'd be nice to have that kind of support to lean on.


Yeah - people forget that rational thought can be brutal. They usually forget while they're using it to force their superiority on someone else with it. Rational thought deals with objects, you have to become an object to truly rationalize


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## The Sleeping Dragon

Rather have a brutal truth than a comforting lie. 

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

I find it ironic this is in the bible. :B


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## 87wayz

joey22099 said:


> Why would anyone wish they were religious? Same as asking 'Anybody wish they were irrational?'


Have you ever had someone close to you die? The sadness will make irrational thought feel more gratifying than rationalism. Science explains events and phenomenon based on objects. People would rather their lost loved on be a soul than a corpse, whether its evidenced or not

Although I am not religious, I understand why people, who are not specimen, would like to think their subjectivity is worth more after death than a body for an autopsy. I get it


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## straightarrows

not for me,,,, here we've some people who act that they r Religious to make benifits,, as they help each other!!........ also act like this to gain others trust!


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## Glowaway

I wish I had faith, I wish I could believe and wast such a cynic and a skeptic but logic consumes me and swallows me whole.


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## DamnExtr0verts

i wish there actually _was _ a god, someone who could actually take away all my pain at a simple request


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## fightoffmydemons

I agree with DamnExtr0verts. I think we all really wish a god does exist, someone to take away pain, blame for problems, give us reassurance, the things we need. But alas we're all cursed to not even believe in such a support system


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## misssvictoria

catawampus said:


> I used to wish I could believe. Not only for the spiritual connection to something bigger than myself but also for the strong community that often accompanies religious belief. But I no longer feel that way. I can't force myself to believe in something that makes no sense even if the alternative is isolation. Though with my social anxiety even if I attended church I'm not sure I'd take advantage of the social aspect.


I agree. Having a strong community of happiness and joy would be quite nice! Lol


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## jubru

being rewarded for doing good and punished for being bad, eternal happy life, purpose of living... yes, having a belief in something spiritual beyond the material is very comforting. I wish I could believe. But I am too rational, and as stated before, it can be brutal.


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## ugh1979

jubru said:


> being rewarded for doing good and punished for being bad, eternal happy life, purpose of living... yes, having a belief in something spiritual beyond the material is very comforting. I wish I could believe. But I am too rational, and as stated before, it can be brutal.


Well that's it, "ignorance is bliss".

It's almost an animal like state. Naive of reality, these people are in many respects clearly just only mentally capable of processing/comprehending basic/animal like thoughts.

In human societies there are those who think for themselves and those who need others to think for them. Shepherds and sheep.


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## totalloner

I see myself as religious but not following any dogma. Indeed I wish everyone was at least interested in spiritual things. It makes me feel alone sometimes.


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## ugh1979

totalloner said:


> Indeed I wish everyone was at least interested in spiritual things.


I would be if it had any evidence for it. Until then it's like wishing for unicorns. Nice, but silly, and underwhelming compared with something evidence based that you truly know is real, or at least appears to be real.

IMO there are vast wonders in science that eclipse the fanciful thoughts of spirituality.


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## Nightwalker12

There are times I wish I was but I know I would just be back at square one as the 14 year old I once was asking questions why an all powerful entity can't answer me.


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## Choa

I used to be very religious (atheist now). although I still feel this love of spirituality in me, I don't want to be religious again.


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## jubru

ugh1979 said:


> Well that's it, "ignorance is bliss".


Agree, put me back into the matrix! :b


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## minimized

The current boy scout thing is a good reason why I'd rather become a mass murderer than be religious.


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## enfield

i wish i could be devoutly religious in the likeness of the casper boom family and do what they did, and live by the creeds they lived by, and attend the church that they attended. i would wish for this really strongly!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casper_ten_Boom



> The ten Boom family were devout and generous Christians. According to _The Hiding Place_, in 1918 the family took in the first of many foster children that they would shelter over the years. Corrie ran special church services for disabled children for 20 years. _The Dutch Reformed Church "protested Nazi persecution of Jews as an injustice to fellow human beings and an affront to divine authority."[3] The ten Boom family strongly believed that people were equal before God._
> 
> During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, ten Boom and his daughters became active in sheltering Jewish people who were trying to escape the Nazis at their home. In May 1942, a woman came to the house and asked for help. She said she was a Jew, that her husband had been arrested several months before, and her son had gone into hiding. As Occupation authorities had visited her, she was afraid to return home. She had heard that the family had helped other Jews, and asked if she could stay with them; to which Casper agreed. He believed that all people were equal before God and told her, "In this household, God's people are always welcome." When the Nazis began requiring all Jews to wear the Star of David, he voluntarily wore one also.[4] His son Willem, a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, also worked in an non-denominational nursing home. During the occupation, he sheltered many Jews there to save them from the Nazis.[3]
> 
> When ten Boom was interrogated in prison, the Gestapo told him they would release him because of his age so that he could "die in his own bed". _He replied: "If I go home today, tomorrow I will open my door to anyone who knocks for help".[4] When asked if he knew he could die for helping Jews, he replied, "It would be an honor to give my life for God's chosen people._"


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## AxeDroid

jubru said:


> being rewarded for doing good and punished for being bad, eternal happy life, purpose of living... yes, having a belief in something spiritual beyond the material is very comforting. I wish I could believe. But I am too rational, and as stated before, it can be brutal.


Ditto


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## sweetluvgurl

Sometimes, I wish I was religious. It'd give me more of something to believe in and have hope in. Plus, I'd feel like someone is truly watching over me, but I don't know what I believe.... Sometimes, I feel like I should go to church and feel like I'm a bad person, because I'm not religious. But I don't know... I've also seen a lot of cases of religious people who turned out worse than some people who weren't religious at all. So, I don't think it always matters.


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## AceEmoKid

Nah, not really. Being religious I feel like would just make me feel very trapped.

Being spiritual, on the other hand, could be nice.


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