How do I reconcile the deep sense of believing in God without feeling like a hypocrite?

Question

I cannot explain it to any of you who would challenge me but deep down inside I believe and take comfort in there being some sort of God who loves me. I cannot do or say anything to prove or bring that anymore to life for you. AND, it does not come from fear of going to h**l or out of some sort of obligation or duty.

However, there are so many things I cannot reconcile with any religion's dogma. The teachings from the holy writings of each, the leaders of each and the followers of each simply make no sense and in fact, propagate horrific, immoral teachings. Centuries of preying on the weak, uneducated, and desperate. Lies upon lies from the top to the bottom of ALL religions. Hatred of women, homosexuals, s*x in general, not to mention how most all religions have wallowed in the dark pits of anti-semitism for thousands of years. How do I believe that there is any sort of divine plan for me on a personal level, by a God who cares about every hair on my head, when he seems to have ignored all the above horrors for thousands of years?

How do I reconcile these feelings without either giving up my belief in God or giving up the facts of what I have seen, read and heard?

Answer 1

You could look at the centuries of helping the poor, the needy, and the helpless, and stop listening to those who would only say bad things.

Sure, people have done bad things, but a blanket condemnation is a bit much. If you really believe this, you should become an atheist, you have no faith in your fellow man.

Answer 2

Why do you think that God watches over you, but not those in those other countries? Just because they have a worse living or political situation? Does a horrible government, inhumane laws, or terrorist attacks or any other human attempt to control people negate the fact that God loves humankind?

No, it does not. Just because humans do not love other humans does not mean God does not love all. If you are asking the age old question of why does God allow such types of evil to occur if he loves people, then you are joined by me and many other believers who are looking forward to the day when the things of this world will make sense.

For an explanation that I rest on until that day, I believe to love someone does not mean you control them. So therefore if God loves people, he cannot choose good or bad things for them. He gives them every opportunity to choose good, to do the right thing...but some people do not want to do good or right, they make others suffer as well. In the midst of suffering there are many people who find their peace in God and trust in Him. If they can do it in the midst of their suffering, you can also do so knowing that there is suffering going on.

I am not suggesting hypocrisy... I suggest to you that you should do something about human suffering. Volunteer, donate money, spread awareness. We are so fortunate not to be a part of such suffering, so we should try to help those who are suffering.

Answer 3

We are taught to test the spirits to see if they are from God. You may have a lying spirit telling you God loves you.

Answer 4

What would God have to do to keep people from harming other people?  

Rip thoughts out of people's heads so that they could only think good thoughts?

Change the laws of physics so that weapons could not be made (including sticks and knives, etc.)?

Everything I can think of destroys my ability to will or destroys material reality so I vote that God not do that.

You seem to care about people but why do you care?  You have feelings of sympathy and empathy but unless there is God, those are just feelings without any credible authority behind them.  If we decide not to believe in God, the first thing we should do is to realize our own meaningless feelings are driving us like slaves.  Only if God exists does our compassion (and love and mercy and justice) have any objective meaning.

Answer 5

You are a deist.

http://www.deism.com/

http://www.religioustolerance.org/deism....

http://www.ushistory.org/paine/reason/si...