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Theists often admonish each other to "Let Go and Let God" meaning let go of one's worries and let God and His will take over. Believers who follow that advice, report feeling better about the situation and an increased ability to cope.
Now, I don't believe there is a god, so I am more interested in looking at this phenomenon from the viewpoint of a psychologist. I believe these theists are simply making use of the well-known concept of "acceptance".
Acceptance in human psychology is a person's assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest, or exit. The concept is close in meaning to 'acquiescence', derived from the Latin 'acquiēscere' (to find rest in).
So, I think believers really do experience psychological benefit from what they call "letting go and letting God", but it is not for the reasons they suppose. I don't believe any god is helping them out, they have simply given themselves permission to let go of all the anxiety and stress they have been carrying and the pressure to change what they cannot change.
For some, perhaps the only thing that enables them to let go is if they think some all-powerful being will take over. It can be difficult to let go if you are pretty sure no one else is going to take over. But, regardless, we have to come to accept that there are many things we just can't control, like other people's decisions or some life events. We were never in control of them, but psychologically, we may have been carrying the self-imposed burden of responsibility, and/or the guilt of not being able to fix something that no one could. That is what we have to let go of, and we can do it, regardless of whether one believes in god or not.
I've heard that so many times........"let go and let God." It's even on church signs around here on occasion, the latest one that comes to mind is "TGIF.......Today God Is First". I've come to realize just what you are saying, that "letting go" is just that, stopping worrying about something that you just can't control, whether you release it to some god or not. Either way, it requires effort on the person's part regardless of where you relegate it to. I could just as easily and effectively relegate it to a cow and it would be no different than putting it all on a "god".
WE are totally in control of how we handle things and how we let them affect us. But if it makes some folks "let go" of things easier to release to an imaginary being, then so be it. The most important thing is our health and well being, and stress-related illnesses are running rampant these days.
We have no real explanations or advice for your situation, we kinda know god is just in our heads, so just relax and enjoy your misery but keep the offerings coming as you know, god needs your money....
We have no real explanations or advice for your situation, we kinda know god is just in our heads, so just relax and enjoy your misery but keep the offerings coming as you know, god needs your money....
Why worry about something you have no control over, the only thing that worrying does is cause you stress, so don't worry about it. God or the Creator has nothing to do with it.
Why worry about something you have no control over, the only thing that worrying does is cause you stress, so don't worry about it.
^That is making use of the psychological construct of acceptance. And as you have so expertly shown, one can come to a state of acceptance without a belief in God. That is all I was saying in my OP.
We have no real explanations or advice for your situation, we kinda know god is just in our heads, so just relax and enjoy your misery but keep the offerings coming as you know, god needs your money....
Why don't you just locate the religiousModerator cut: delete who conned you out of your money and shoot them, Seeker . . . then you might be able to let go of that tremendous chip you have on your shoulder against religions.
Last edited by Miss Blue; 05-09-2012 at 06:12 AM..
Reason: bastards got reportrd
Why don't you just locate the religiousModerator cut: deletewho conned you out of your money and shoot them, Seeker . . . then you might be able to let go of that tremendous chip you have on your shoulder against religions.
B/c all religions are BS - plus I have time on my hands.
I cannot shoot them as that is against the law. I do however enlighten folk that they are being scammed, don't make the same mistake I did.
But I have told you this is not why I am an atheist time and again, you are getting old if this is all you can remember.
But hey, way to ignore the rest of my post. Par for the course with you I guess.
Last edited by Miss Blue; 05-09-2012 at 06:17 AM..
Theists often admonish each other to "Let Go and Let God" meaning let go of one's worries and let God and His will take over. Believers who follow that advice, report feeling better about the situation and an increased ability to cope.
Now, I don't believe there is a god, so I am more interested in looking at this phenomenon from the viewpoint of a psychologist. I believe these theists are simply making use of the well-known concept of "acceptance".
So, I think believers really do experience psychological benefit from what they call "letting go and letting God", but it is not for the reasons they suppose. I don't believe any god is helping them out, they have simply given themselves permission to let go of all the anxiety and stress they have been carrying and the pressure to change what they cannot change.
For some, perhaps the only thing that enables them to let go is if they think some all-powerful being will take over. It can be difficult to let go if you are pretty sure no one else is going to take over. But, regardless, we have to come to accept that there are many things we just can't control, like other people's decisions or some life events. We were never in control of them, but psychologically, we may have been carrying the self-imposed burden of responsibility, and/or the guilt of not being able to fix something that no one could. That is what we have to let go of, and we can do it, regardless of whether one believes in god or not.
What is the consequence of non-acceptance?
The idea in letting go is a notion, where life can be very impossible, to give it to God.
For example...the toddler is gravely sick in the hospital, the experience is shared with God , not all complete for healing but in a form of humble acceptence, giving it to God in sharing.
The good theist shares good and bad with the Higher Power, a quality in life experience, evidenced and mirrored in spousal commitment. Man inherently knows value. Another topic but not a difficult one either.
If the experience is known without the letting go with God in the prayer experience, then "where" is the experience in consequence going to go expressing the dismay, there is consequence in every single experience and translation.
Plus...the idea in acceptance allows for a natural giving it to...what life ultimately is....so the basic foundation for recourse in mental understanding is put in place, however has no where without a god idea to focus the marked suggestion which itself is focused (acceptance)
so here we clearly see the usual short answer to things "stealing" attribute from theology and stamping it with lower thinking, evidenced by ushering the sorry patient toward a focused nothing...but with a focus. Acceptance is import to understand. Good thing I checked in today. Theft is the root of all mischief.
Last edited by peter-1; 05-07-2012 at 02:43 PM..
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