(OT) Some advice for me / My Depression Thread / Thanks forumers

[Atrocities]

Response to the Original post.

Originally posted by Taera:
Hello everyone, first off please keep this topic serious. if it drifts away ill just ask it to be deleted. thanks.

i have some problems... and hope that some of you, at least half of which are more than twice my age, can perharps advice me about.
Some background, in september '02 i immigrated, together with ymm family, to Canada.
Now it've been almost 9 months since then.
I find myself struggling to find friendships. Overally i am a relatively quiet person but this trait is acquired. I know some psychology and know how to deal with problems, and guess i would be able to get past through this - but i would appreciate some advice.

At this moment im very depressed. I spend most of my days home, on the computer. playing games.
While this *might* be okay for someone its not for me - in school (high school, 11th grade) i can not seem to be able to make friendships. As it appears i simply do not know how.

Other side is i happen to like a girl. She's now a friend of mine but im afraid to try anything further... because chances are it'll fail (very social, very nice looking girl, much different from me) i'll lose her as a friend (most likely). this does add up to my depression.

I am also suffering from lack of topics to talk about, with just about anyone (my interests kinda differ).

I am not looking for pity, this is a problem i got myself into. But i want this solved. Any advice appreciated.

And please, do not make me regret i made this post. I do not usually make such things, I simply trust you people to be serious.

Thanks.

Depression is a horrible horrible thing to have to live with. The only advice I would ever give in public about living with the pit falls of life would be to take it one day at a time and expect it all to come and go. Get a good nights sleep, and if your really depressed, and believe me you will know when that day comes, get help before it becomes to much. Trust me on this.

Thing do work out, and they often work out well.

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Why do you assume that atheists would be uncomfortable? Most atheists I have ever met or heard of were tolerant of other people's beliefs. It is generally the extremely religious that are the intolerant ones (except for those few extremely anti-religious, but they are just as bad as the extremely religious).

If an atheist experienced what I did this weekend, s/he would be going to church this week.

Some people may have a belief in God, but not in religion, are they considered atheist? I honestly don't know the answer to that question, but I would like to.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

athism referes to a disbelief in god. some people might argue the use of 'disbelief', but not the rest of it. and if your considering joining a religon, pray about it. read the scriptures. and if you get a warm feeling about it, i suggest joining. of course, i'm sure god would be happiest with you in my religon, which is why i'm confident in posting that.

[Taera]

me, im not an atheist. i believe in god, i just do not feel the need to worship.

[Will]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
Some people may have a belief in God, but not in religion, are they considered atheist? I honestly don't know the answer to that question, but I would like to.

Well, if you go by the technical definition, "atheist" would be one without religion. But the word is commonly applied to one who has no belief in a deity. And really, the whole entire range of people -- from those who practice "non-belief" to those who believe in some sort of deity/higher power, but without a specific religion -- are generally thrown into a vast grey area labeled "atheist/agnostic".

There are several labels that I have seen to catagorize these areas ("atheist", "agnostic", "humanist", "spiritual", "free-thinker", and on, and on, and on...), and all of them seem to be given different definitions by different people. If you ask someone what the difference between an atheist and an agnostic (the two most common labels), you will find a lot of different responses, like:

• "There is no difference worth mentioning, both are heathens that will burn in Hell for an eternity"
  
• "Atheists just don't believe, agnostics are 'still deciding, confused'"
  
• "Atheists are arrogant people who refuse to acknowledge any possibility of God, and agnostics are searching for the true God"
  
• "Athe-what?"
  

You get the idea... Personally I just think the whole catagorization thing was doomed since it was thought of in this case, since the range of beliefs in the grey-area equals the number of inhabitants. It's an intensely personal thing that defies any sort of sorting.
So, to answer the question... it depends on who's definition of "atheist" you use

[Atrocities]

Thank you Will.

I like to believe that we as humans have the right to choose what we will or will not accept or believe in. That to be free is to be free to choose what you will or will not believe in without the fear of being chastized or persacuted (sp) for it.

I am who I am and do not like to be judged for what I think or feel, and I would hope that others would feel the same way. It is not for me to judge poeple, it is for themselves to do.

I choose to believe in God, but not religion. I have my reasons, and I feel that they are good ones. God is with me, and has saved me on many occations. Yet there have been many times when I have left to learn my own lessons in life.

Life is an adventure in knowledge gathering.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

i believe that people would have trouble gathering all the information they needed, so god put religon on the earth.

[Erax]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
If an atheist experienced what I did this weekend, s/he would be going to church this week.

Some people may have a belief in God, but not in religion, are they considered atheist? I honestly don't know the answer to that question, but I would like to.

According to the Catholic Church, you would not be an atheist but you would be a heretic. But then so would all Protestants. This is a word that you don't hear a lot these days, BTW, but it's still the official definition.

[tbontob]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:

quote:

---

This doesn't mean we shouldn't examine the faux pas and think about changing future behaviour. Quite the contrary. But we do need to be gentle with ourselves when we inadvertently make mistakes.

apologizing also helps.

---

Yes, I agree.

But with or without an apology, it is still the choice of the person as to how he is going to respond to the behaviour or behaviour/apology.

It is not uncommon for a person to carry a grudge even when all attempts of reconciliation have been tried including apologies.

[Atrocities]

i believe that people would have trouble gathering all the information they needed, so god put religon on the earth.

It can also be regrettibly said that man invented religion as a means to control people. Play upon their fears and use that fear to make the weak minded or fearful do as you wish.

Or one could also say that God tought man religion in order to give a privelaged few the power to control the masses.

Either way you cut it, religion has resulted in abuses of power of people, and in many cases lead to wars, death, and terrorism.

So if a person chose the values of God without the mindless following that is dictated by a religion, one is labled a name by those who control the said religion and therefor will be cast out of heaven.

Ya right, and they have a red phone that links them directly to GOD. They have been empowered to speak for God by god. I don't think so, and I, as a free sole, choose to believe in God, and not religion, and I know that God has not foresaken me because of this. And how dare some one ever emply that he has.

[ June 03, 2003, 15:01: Message edited by: Atrocities ]