No I am not delusional or symptomatic - heck, I am not even close to being religious - religion scares me.
I am however getting closer to God - that powerful divine energy that surrounds us.
As I am gliding through middle age - as my parents are older now - as I am more focused on my health - all kinds of thoughts are passing through my head. Is their life after death? What was this life for? Etc…
I am feeling a closer connection to God lately - but you will never see me in a man made church, this is for sure.
I guess that sometimes I am looking for comfort, especially when the people here with me, cannot understand or comfort me. This is not a delusional post and does not belong in the Unusual Beliefs section.
This is me finding some peace and tranquility in a chaotic and unpredictable world
That’s great to hear @Wave. It sounds like your mind is on a really good path. That’s got to be a great feeling
Yes. Can I get an Amen.
I’m not a Church goer… even though I can get behind the idea that there is some force that keeps the whole show in balance.
It sounds like your finding some peace.
you can’t force anyone to go to church lol
(i’d like to see that happen) haha sarcasm lol
i wouldn’t haha,
it’d be physically impossible anyway haha
I sometimes shake my fist in anger at God for all the horrible suffering that goes on. I don’t think God holds this against me. Sometimes when I hear Christians say, “Isn’t God good?” I groan inwardly and think of all the terrible suffering that goes on in the God created world. I’ve read about atheistic near death experiences, and they say God cares more about the moral quality of our lives than how many times we shout “hosanna” in church. I don’t think I could worship a God that doesn’t allow us to use our God given intellects to question his will for us.
You’re right Wave. I totally wholeheartedly agree. Thinking about God and spirituality, contemplating one’s place in the world, those are all very sane and positive things. Just not getting too wrapped up in it is important. Not feeling doubt and staying true to your goals and who you want to be within. A lot of people go through this all the time.
blessings!! I find comfort in the belief that there is a power of good in the life and afterlife.
I consider a good aspect of my life a spiritual path of understanding and wisdom. I’ve grown to love the God that Christians portray and that other religions portray in different ways. I’m still a little unsure of if I believe in the “one God” or if there are aspects of different types of Gods, but after a lot of searching I find that believing in the Christian God fits me most. I would consider Unitarian Universalists a good place maybe if I went to a church.
I have friends who are Baptist and Methodist. I find that Christian values do make people more friendly and open-minded. Even if some people believe Bible as fact, which I don’t believe it to be 100 percent factual but written for interpretation. On the issue of the virgin birth and Jesus. I believe Jesus was a prophet who existed and used methods of the Old testament to revolutionize the world. Jesus was a true man with the same yearnings of many people over time. I think Jesus was a messenger or prophet, someone who was gifted and shaped the world. I believe he may have performed true miracles but I can’t prove that without having understood it enough. I think he was teaching people much about mysticism and how to heal and transform. He was a mystic, a prophet, and a seer.
But whether or not he was of virgin birth I’d say, is debatable. I think he was told to have been so that he was more honored for helping free people’s minds. The Egyptians spoke of virgin birth Osiris, lots of spiritual stuff to page through.
Simplifying it would be to say I follow the rational aspects of Christianity. I don’t get too head-strong about it like many do. I just like to talk about my beliefs.
Also, I have no intention of changing anyone’s belief systems which is why I never debate or argue mine to another.
Since of course, it may be pretty obvious I have some eclectic and off the norm beliefs as well.
i asked the same question crimby, and someone responded that God gave humans the tools and abilities for good or evil, and that man is responsible for man-made evils. Therefore it is humanity’s responsibility to address man-made evils and respond to the world’s crises. We have all the resources to fix everything we need to make this a peaceful planet. All we need is more people putting it to action in however small or big they can.
For instance, a charity, teaching, or food services for the hungry. That’s important. It spreads honor and progress and makes people happier and more comfortable.
There are plenty of evils that are not made by man. A volcano raining hot ash down on people, the black plague, smallpox, measles, polio, malaria, cholera, all the diseases that have ravaged humanity, a person getting third degree burns in a forest fire started by lightening, a massive flood that drowns people and destroys homes, a tornado, a hurricane, someone getting bit by a jack russel viper, or any other poisonous snake, a landslide that destroys homes and buries people, a drought that causes famine, I could go on. I don’t think God can escape responsibility for these catastrophes. Even the man made evils - like the Nazies seeing how many times they could break the leg of a Jewish child and reset it - God has the power to stop these. Why does he allow the Jewish child to suffer so horribly?
To know God is to find peace in chaos and to accept the reality that you are finite and will be forgotten aside from within the framework of God himself
What a triggering thread. 
I’m glad people are happy with their religion/spirituality, all of them, from christian to buddhism. But sometimes I feel the churches hit the forums using passive-aggressive tactics to “save” people. Sorry but that really bothers me because I know from experience that people with sz can be vulnerable.
I apologize if this thread is triggering or stirring up some negative emotions for some. These were not my intentions - I simply posted my relationship with God. Religion has nothing to do with it.
Good for you! 
my relationship with God is improving now as well
I am happy for you. We need to feel a Higher Presence, it helps us stay sane (well, that’s what I think). I also have recently in the last month come a little closer to God.
If gettn close to god means that it is at the expense of open, frank and expressive socialisation with other people then i dont think its a good idea. We are very social beings and to deny that by retreating from normal social discourse is never a good idea. Me personally ; i simply just want to live.
Look, all I am saying is that, in my past before BP/SZ hit me hard, I was a pretty spiritual person.
As I got sicker and more delusional, I had some pretty intense religious/spiritual delusions - because of this, I disconnected myself from all spiritual matters, including my relationship with a Higher Power - God.
Now that I am more stable, I have reconnected to the spiritual more and this includes feeling more connected to God.
I think that people living with a severe mental illness can establish a healthy relationship with the spiritual, as long as it doesn’t manage to go overboard.
I still am not religious but do consider myself somewhat spiritual and for me this works
Im diagonosed schizoaffective disorder but have always been a strong christian. When i first went manic 3 years ago and my schizophrenia started i didnt know what i was going through. I actually still dont know why i suffer this way but just pray that the Father will get the glory through my life. Its not just religoin to me its the reality i face each day as i go about my business. It takes faith to believe in the Father and Jesus because yes the Lord used men to write the bible but when you read the bible in the light of the holy spirit its as if theFather/Jesus is talking to you. And no this isnt something i made up in my mind, its all right there if you just look for it, and by this post i assume you are searching. Knowing that i have a God that loves me as i am, schizophenia and all, gets me through the toughest parts of my days. I wish i could let you see Him as i see Him but you need to search Him out by yourself…“Seek and you shall find, Knock and the door shall be opened unto you”. “There is no power under heaven whereby you must be saved than by Jesus Christ alone”
Same here. I feel my faith in God has helped me recover and grow in understanding. I like what one of the members said how God is the sum of all consciousness. God is not just a “man” who can wave a wand and change things. Mankind has to respond to its ills just as all the energy in the world is alive and free.
Yesterday I was driving back home and we got stuck in a blizzard for about 10 minutes. It looked like it wasn’t going to let up. So I prayed to God to end the storm because I didn’t want to wreck. I did it with this peace in mind of understanding that I couldn’t control the weather or storm, but a part of me could ask for it to stop. And then it stopped.
It has happened many times when I pray though, so I am beginning to wonder if my prayers actually are being said right to be heard. The storm never came back, the blizzard stopped. This happened when it was raining too. In the hospital I said that I could make it rain on this perfectly clear blue summer’s day. I was sad because I was in a hospital, and I was questioned so much about my integrity. Then 10 minutes later or 30 mins it sprinkled rain after I prayed for it to rain…it just felt like God allowed it as a sign, it gave me hope that I was heard despite all the pain of the schizophrenia and isolation.
I also pray when there are hurricanes and earthquakes. I watch tv and pray over them, and I’ve seen them diminish.
God is real. He just needs us to give him a voice. Blessings.