If someone is having an issue with their faith, is it okay to convince them to lose their faith if they are having real struggles? My friend is a Christian, and she grew up in an extremely religious household. She asks me for advice occasionally on what to believe, part of me wants to just free her of the constriction that religion brings. Yet, another part of me feels like I shouldn't push it. However, she is on the verge to Atheism already...advice?
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Questioning faith is a good thing.
Don't push your friend, she'll come around.
Remember that what you believe is not a choice. Once you're convinced of something or the lack of something, beliefs follow.
No one can tell you what to believe, you either believe it or you don't. People do change with new information, so the best thing for anybody who is vacillating is education. Help her to expand her mind and learn new things and to practice thinking for herself.
Like you said, she's on the verge already. Well, in that case I'd just give her my honest thoughts. Or maybe point her to a book or two that would give her some ideas. Like that George Smith book "Atheism: The Case Against God."
I feel the only person who controls a person thoughts when it comes to what they believe is them if you try to help and push them in a direction they ultimately decide is not the direction they wish to go in, you may find yourself short a friend. It's only human to see a person struggle and to try and help them in a way we see fit. But ultimately they make their own choices in the end.
If you decide to be involved in the process of helping them through their struggles make sure you are helping them come to their won conclusions and not trying to push your conclusions about what you perceive to be the best choice on them.
Good luck to you and your friend what I recommend is you ask them to find their own answers to the questions they have rather than ask for answers from you. If they ask you to help them gather intell try to find things that support both sides of any argument they may wish to confront it is important to remain unbiased in your approach and make it clear you are doing so. It's important to tell them they have to come to their own conclusions about their beliefs.
That depends if the person is open-minded enough to accept your help. If not, it will be a real struggle and will just likely waste your time from it. Helping someone get out of his religion might be one of the best things that we can do but sometimes it simply not worth it.