[B]Atheist but confused...[/B]

I have always been a firm atheist (even though im only 18)
But a couple nights ago i asked 'god' to show me a sign that he was out there.
Now my grandpa is in the hospital for stroke (my grandma's keeping him company)(he looked miserably bored and cramped up) until...
a couple days afterwards a house opened up three houses down from ours with a really low rent and they moved in two days later.
not only that--
a physical therapist just mived in too and she's looking for work.
not only that--
some colledge kids are renting a house house from my dad's friend and he brought over a whole lotta furniture
and not only that-- a hospital bed just came up really cheap and we bought it.


SO im still not religious but im very confused as to what i am

HELP please!! From ATHEISTS AND BELIVERS

 

should be.....?

babe....the only thing you "should" be is happy....

 

Open-minded.

 

...crazier things have happened.

 

atheism and believing are two contradictory terms.

 

Muslim anyone with half a brain knows Allah did that

 

it was krishna fool

 

why the need to label yourself as "athiest"... nothing wrong with thinking, exploring, questioning...

in the end, whatever it is, it is. no real reason to keep adding labels to ourselves to be part of a specific group.

 

god is only the first and last of the greek alphabet. which were the wisest people of the world. hes what pulled matter to mass. in between that is time and our earth, the ballance between good and evil. what your experiencing is the good things of life. you have a cosmic soul but your human mind is controlled by the sin of this world.

 

Don't confuse coincidence with miracles.

I've had Jesus freak friends of mine ask me:

"How can you look at this world and not think there isn't a god?"

My response everytime is:

"Just because it is coincidence doesn't make it any less beautiful"

Be happy that you got lucky!

As for labeling oneself an atheist? Atheism is a common belief nowadays, no difference from the other beliefs out there. We believe that there is no higher power in the universe and that we aren't going to hell for smoking bud.

No belief has a complete understanding of the universe and how it works. Pick what suits you best and run with it, whatever makes day-to-day life more enjoyable.

 

thanx

 

thanx

 

You never would have noticed any of those "coincidences" even existed if your family was not needfully LOOKING for them.

"shit, my car broke down".
"Hey, I know a cheap mechanic nearby".
"It's a miracle!"
No, it because we live in communities that this help is available when you need it.

 

I'd say if good things happen to you for no immediately apparent reason, that's an indication that the universe is neutral and not conscious, that it doesn't actively prevent these things from happening which are beneficial. You don't need a god to enjoy knowing that the universe is not a sentient, malicious asshole that actively prevents nice things from happening to people purely by fluke, chance, accident or design.

 

Don't forget the concept of karma, which is based more on observations of reality than theological belief. It's a way of looking at macro and micro cause and effect that does not involve the participation of a god.

 

Karma's one of those things where, if you go for a "general gist" interpretation, it's just common sense, a way of explaining cause and effect when the cause is unknown but not unknowable, but if you go for a "literal" interpretation, it doesn't make much sense.

 

I agree with this

 

I agree. The general concept is parallel to the christian Golden Rule. If you try to turn it into a rigid, superstitious axiom, it requires the involvement of a higher power, which Zen does not have.

 

Yeah, it's when some notion of justice is injected into it that it becomes problematic to me. Things do happen for a reason (as in, because a million things caused them, not because they necessarily inherently lead to good fortune), and while that seems obvious at times, at other times, when we need to understand and accept it, it can be hard to see. Optimism leads to action rather than inertia, and action rather than inertia leads to more reason for optimism. I believe a belief in karma can break a pessimistic cycle.

 

Sounds like God is reaching out to you. I am a Roman Catholic and deeply believe in the existence of God. I feel grateful for this great gift of faith. When I was 16, I was struggling very badly. I felt all alone and was having a really tough time. I remember that a cool Catholic speaker (Matthew Kelly) came to my church to speak. He spoke about the importance of God and faith and challenged everyone to spend 10 minutes a day in prayer. It changed my life and I developed a close friendship with God. Each year my faith in God grows stronger.

It's great that you're asking questions.

It may be helpful for you to read:

A Call to Joy: Living In The Presence of God by Matthew Kelly
Paperback/Book - 204 pages
Publisher - Beacon Publishing
Year Released - 1997
ISBN - 1929266-00-6

Here is a link w/ information about the book and background information on Matthew Kelly's faith filled journey which began at age 19:

http://www.matthewkelly.org/book_more09.html

I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Take care and I will keep you and your family in my prayers.