With some time, the phrase „god is there even if you don’t see him” stops being ironically funny and it starts irritating me, especially when is people I used to care about.
When I feel lonely my depression starts getting worse, I’m aware of that, but an imaginary friend is not a long-term solution. Unless you have some mental problem that makes you hallucinate but that’s other problem and I don’t really have any experience on that matter.
My psychiatrist told me ones that interacting with pets was not a replacement for human interaction, I asked him why and he answered in the most calmed way possible “because they don’t interact with you back”. He pointed out that you can talk to a dog but he won’t talk back to you, he said that you can cuddle a dog but the dog won’t cuddle you back. I have to say I disagree with this statement because they may don’t talk back to you but I think they can feel your vibes and how you are feeling (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-incredible-things-dogs-sense-about-you.html). But that’s a side point, what really occur to me is that interacting with god as a replacement for loneliness should be even worse than talking to pets, maybe worse than talking to yourself.
People are so desperate to believe that they are never alone that they attribute minor things like founding car-keys to an omnipotent omniscient being. And I think they do that to reaffirm their wrong conclusion that there is not only a god, but a god that cares about them and listen to their needs.
My father told me ones “even if some people don’t feel him, god is still there” to which I thought to myself “then what’s the point?” all religion has as “evidence” are feelings, if the feelings go away when you stop believing that only means that god is not real. I don’t believe in love but I still felt in love with a good partner. when something is real it doesn’t need your faith or your wordship, you don’t need to seek it, it just comes to you.
If god were always with you, then why people in solitary confinement do go insane? (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/solitary-confinement-cruel-ineffective-unusual/). There are so many things that don’t fit with the narrative of “god is always with you”.
I really enjoy hearing it from a 4 year old with catholic parents. I love hearing things with such innocence that prove my point, things like “god doesn’t count as a friend cause I can’t play with him” or “why I only feel God when I remember him?”.
At the end of the day is easy to see (even a child can) why relying on god is not a good solution, maybe for a while, maybe as a way to meet people, but, per se, it is never a good long-term solution, no matter how devote you can be.
I used to think god didn’t answer me because I didn’t have enough faith, so I became more faithful and then I thought god was purposely ignoring me, which end up being worse for my condition. Becoming an atheist was the best for me, and it helped me address the actual problem.
Don’t rely on god, rely on yourself, cause no matter how much you believe, he is still not there.