is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despair?

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Wootah
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is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despair?

Post #1

Post by Wootah »

Hi all,

It occurred to me that when everything is going badly in life that 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despair and nihilism.

Without believing in a good God, there is really no reason to believe that life should not be the way it is.

Does anyone want to give some reasons for or against this?
Proverbs 18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.

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Re: is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despai

Post #2

Post by Athetotheist »

Wootah wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 7:28 am Hi all,

It occurred to me that when everything is going badly in life that 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despair and nihilism.

Without believing in a good God, there is really no reason to believe that life should not be the way it is.

Does anyone want to give some reasons for or against this?
The assumption seems to be that believing in a good God runs counter to all of the evidence. That's hardly the case.

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Re: is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despai

Post #3

Post by Difflugia »

Athetotheist wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 8:04 am
Wootah wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 7:28 am Hi all,

It occurred to me that when everything is going badly in life that 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despair and nihilism.

Without believing in a good God, there is really no reason to believe that life should not be the way it is.

Does anyone want to give some reasons for or against this?
The assumption seems to be that believing in a good God runs counter to all of the evidence. That's hardly the case.
Why would it have to be against all of the evidence? Against the preponderance of evidence fits just as well.
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Re: is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despai

Post #4

Post by TRANSPONDER »

Wootah wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 7:28 am Hi all,

It occurred to me that when everything is going badly in life that 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despair and nihilism.

Without believing in a good God, there is really no reason to believe that life should not be the way it is.

Does anyone want to give some reasons for or against this?
That's a good question. We know about the motivating power of religion, in sport, in war and in personal life. "The magic feather" We also know about lucky socks, rabbit's foot and lucky charms. We know they don't work, but we need to believe that they do. I don't know whether confidence - building strategies can replace a conviction that God is in your side, but maybe the answer is not to impose the struggles, stress and competition where people need to believe that God will help them because they don't know who or what else can.

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Re: is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despai

Post #5

Post by 1213 »

Wootah wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 7:28 am ...It occurred to me that when everything is going badly in life that 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despair and nihilism....
I don't think we have any evidence for that God is not good. But, the idea is interesting, because often it seems, when things are good, people reject God and when things are bad, people come back to God, either to blame Him for all, or asking forgiveness. It seems to be some kind of psychological thing to blame God for everything, when things are bad, and when things are good, people often take the credit for themselves and forget God.

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Re: is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despai

Post #6

Post by Athetotheist »

Difflugia wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 9:19 am
Athetotheist wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 8:04 am
Wootah wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 7:28 am Hi all,

It occurred to me that when everything is going badly in life that 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despair and nihilism.

Without believing in a good God, there is really no reason to believe that life should not be the way it is.

Does anyone want to give some reasons for or against this?
The assumption seems to be that believing in a good God runs counter to all of the evidence. That's hardly the case.
Why would it have to be against all of the evidence? Against the preponderance of evidence fits just as well.
Assuming that a god isn't good because not everything in life is good is non sequitur.

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Re: is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despai

Post #7

Post by TRANSPONDER »

It is the actions of God according to the Bible that suggest that (according to any morality that we use) He is no doing good but evil that would have Stalin and Pol Pot wagging their heads in approval. We know this is true because Bible - apologists have to keep finding excuses like 'God had to go along with that' or 'They had it coming' or fall into denial, like Pharaoh's heart was hardened, when it was God that deliberately did it to Pharaoh so he could go on doing the plagues. In the end, they have to resort to defiant 'God can do as he likes' which is admission enough, Friends, that God Doeth Evil but he's the boss and we'd better go along with it.

Case rested. Of course the NT god is a lot nicer, but then we are really talking about a totally different god, aren't we? ;)


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Re: is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despai

Post #9

Post by Difflugia »

Athetotheist wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 11:20 amAssuming that a god isn't good because not everything in life is good is non sequitur.
Is it? Even if that's what any of us are "assuming," it's not a non sequitur to ask, "if God is good, whence evil?"

That's also the second time you've tried to reframe the OP's question into something else. Your claim is equally valid (or invalid) against the alternate position of assuming that a god is good because not everything in life is evil.

So, let's address the OP without creating a straw man and take at face value that there is at least someone for whom "everything is going badly in life." Should that not be seen as evidence that the gods aren't good? Or despite that evidence, is there better evidence that the gods are good, anyway?
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Re: is 'believing (against the evidence) that God is good' is a very good psychological protection mechanism from despai

Post #10

Post by Athetotheist »

Difflugia wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 1:14 pm
Athetotheist wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 11:20 amAssuming that a god isn't good because not everything in life is good is non sequitur.
Is it? Even if that's what any of us are "assuming," it's not a non sequitur to ask, "if God is good, whence evil?"

That's also the second time you've tried to reframe the OP's question into something else. Your claim is equally valid (or invalid) against the alternate position of assuming that a god is good because not everything in life is evil.

So, let's address the OP without creating a straw man and take at face value that there is at least someone for whom "everything is going badly in life." Should that not be seen as evidence that the gods aren't good? Or despite that evidence, is there better evidence that the gods are good, anyway?
it's not a non sequitur to ask, "if God is good, whence evil?"

Asking, "if God is good, whence evil?" doesn't establish that any particular evil resides in God. Assuming that it does [asking the question rhetorically rather than literally] is, therefore, non sequitur.

Even so, to someone whose life is going entirely well the gods may seem benign. To someone whose life isn't going well at all, they may seem capricious. Perhaps there's evidence that they can be both.

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