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Started By
Message
Is It Possible To Feel Gratitude Without Belief In A Higher Power?
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:34 pm
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:34 pm
Was driving, admiring the beauty of the day, when an overwhelming sense of gratitude came over me.
I'm healthy, have a wonderful wife, completely normal healthy children, have never known hunger or been without a roof over my head. In addition, I live in a country that is inarguably the greatest in the history of...ever. I felt profoundly humble and blessed.
And it made me wonder; do people without a belief in a Higher Power ever feel gratitutde? If so, to what do they attribute their blessings? Where would their gratitude be directed?
Chance?
Kharma?
Their lucky stars?
Appreciate your thoughts!
There's no religion board, so I thought I'd post the question here.
I'm healthy, have a wonderful wife, completely normal healthy children, have never known hunger or been without a roof over my head. In addition, I live in a country that is inarguably the greatest in the history of...ever. I felt profoundly humble and blessed.
And it made me wonder; do people without a belief in a Higher Power ever feel gratitutde? If so, to what do they attribute their blessings? Where would their gratitude be directed?
Chance?
Kharma?
Their lucky stars?
Appreciate your thoughts!
There's no religion board, so I thought I'd post the question here.
30
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:36 pm to Perfect Circle
quote:
And it made me wonder; do people without a belief in a Higher Power ever feel gratitutde?
Of course.
quote:
If so, to what do they attribute their blessings?
I needn't have a Being give me blessing in order to appreciate a beautiful day / scenery.
quote:
Where would their gratitude be directed?
Okay...I get what you are saying. I'm not "grateful" TO Someone. I am grateful to be alive and healthy, etc.
ETA: I suppose "Chance" is the best choice here. Yes, by chance, this beautiful place and my wonderful life occurred s
This post was edited on 12/11/19 at 2:37 pm
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:37 pm to Perfect Circle
You know God loves you when you are being disciplined by God. When things are going great and there are no troubles in your life for an extended period of time, then I would start to worry.
This post was edited on 12/11/19 at 2:37 pm
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:37 pm to Perfect Circle
quote:
Higher Power
quote:Kharma is a buddhism/hindu religious belief. Stars should speak for themselves as a higher thing.
Kharma?
Their lucky stars?
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:37 pm to Perfect Circle
Atheist here. Not militant. I was raised Methodist and share most Christian values as great values for living and a healthy society. I just don’t believe in the storyline around said values.
Yes. I feel grateful daily. Excited to live, enjoy life, healthy kids, wife etc.
If you feel grief, are you angry at god?
Yes. I feel grateful daily. Excited to live, enjoy life, healthy kids, wife etc.
If you feel grief, are you angry at god?
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:39 pm to Perfect Circle
quote:
do people without a belief in a Higher Power ever feel gratitutde?
Yep.
quote:
If so, to what do they attribute their blessings?
Random good luck. If God "blessed" you, what do you say about the kid with flies around his mouth and a distended belly? Cursed? God forgot? You tell me. I say unlucky and in need of assistance. Otherwise, the only logical explanation for the juxtaposition of your "blessings" and his "curse" can only mean the higher power plays favorites, at a minimum. Good on you for being on the nice list.
quote:
Where would their gratitude be directed?
To the people that helped them along the way. You know, in reality where things happen.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:39 pm to Perfect Circle
Why on earth did anyone Down Vote this post? It is a welcomed topic and presented very well.
I feel gratitude for the OP starting this thread
I feel gratitude for the OP starting this thread
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:40 pm to Perfect Circle
"The worst moment for an atheist is when they are truly thankful, but have no one to thank." -- Dante Gabriel Rosetti
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:41 pm to Perfect Circle
Who gives a damn? Believe what you want to believe, feel what you want to feel.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:41 pm to Perfect Circle
quote:
And it made me wonder; do people without a belief in a Higher Power ever feel gratitutde? If so, to what do they attribute their blessings? Where would their gratitude be directed?
of course
and yes, I attribute it to chance
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:42 pm to Perfect Circle
I am a Buddhist. You wouldn't feel grateful to/for karma. Karma is just cause and effect. It is the relationship between the good things you do and the good outcomes you get. It is not some cosmic power or universal judge. It's just simply the idea that you reap what you sow.
So I guess you could be grateful for the good actions that others have done in the past that allow you to live in the wonderful world we live in today.
So I guess you could be grateful for the good actions that others have done in the past that allow you to live in the wonderful world we live in today.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:42 pm to Perfect Circle
quote:Mostly towards my parents and myself for getting me in such a favorable situation growing up. Although I will say lately I've felt more...guilt may not be the right word, but I do sometimes struggle with knowing how easy it was to attain a comfortable financial situation while knowing that, by sheer bad luck, billions of others alive today will never know this comfort.
And it made me wonder; do people without a belief in a Higher Power ever feel gratitutde? If so, to what do they attribute their blessings? Where would their gratitude be directed?
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:43 pm to Perfect Circle
I admit it’s hard to feel gratitude. I certainly appreciate life and the good times, but to say “thank you”? To what? Fate? Chance? Physics?
Losing my faith in a higher being has made it hard to not see everything as meaningless.
Losing my faith in a higher being has made it hard to not see everything as meaningless.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:46 pm to Perfect Circle
Life is chance. We’re all just lucky we weren’t born in Rwanda or Somalia or some shite.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:54 pm to Perfect Circle
quote:Yes.
do people without a belief in a Higher Power ever feel gratitutde?
quote:Blessings? Like having a healthy family? That's just a normal day for most (not all obviously) people...Christian or not.
If so, to what do they attribute their blessings?
quote:At whoever deserves it I suppose. An important package was delivered on time...Thank you FedEx. Someone held the door open for me...Thank you kindly, ma'am. Hundreds of kids who are less fortunate now have winter coats...Thanks to all of those who donated.
Where would their gratitude be directed?
You might be overthinking the concept of gratitude, OP.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:54 pm to Perfect Circle
why does being grateful have to be attributed to any sort of higher power?
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:57 pm to Perfect Circle
quote:
Perfect Circle
The irony of your post is not lost on me with your Username.
Go give "Judith" a listen and see what someone thinks of the faithful with bad luck.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 2:58 pm to Perfect Circle
No, it’s not, and, I recommend you read CS Lewis.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 3:04 pm to Perfect Circle
quote:Personally speaking, it makes it easier to feel enjoy life. Perhaps it's because you feel that there is no one or nothing responsible for it that makes you appreciate it more. Perhaps it's the absence of guilt.
Was driving, admiring the beauty of the day, when an overwhelming sense of gratitude came over me.
I'm healthy, have a wonderful wife, completely normal healthy children, have never known hunger or been without a roof over my head. In addition, I live in a country that is inarguably the greatest in the history of...ever. I felt profoundly humble and blessed.
And it made me wonder; do people without a belief in a Higher Power ever feel gratitutde? If so, to what do they attribute their blessings? Where would their gratitude be directed?
Chance?
Kharma?
Their lucky stars?
Appreciate your thoughts!
There's no religion board, so I thought I'd post the question here.
Maybe it's not having something hanging over your head that's threatening to punish you for eternity. I try not to get hung up on whom to direct my appreciation or the why. I just enjoy the great stuff while it's here because sometimes it's not.
Posted on 12/11/19 at 3:12 pm to Perfect Circle
It all depends on how you the individual perceive life, perceive a higher power, etc... What one considers a good life full of “blessings” another might look at it as complete opposite. We all have a choice on how we perceive life and our attitude towards it.
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