NOM

It´s autumn here, and the weather and darkness affect my mood.
It always does, and my thoughts turn to the past, every year.
The sun rises at 0830 and sets at 1700 now.
I don´t see daylight for months on end except for weekends.
Living at latitude 52N does that to you. The difference when living at 45N is striking.

My best friend posited something interesting last friday.

Why do so many in Church say: God is with us?

My grandfather had the same on his beltbuckle.
He was a beast in war and peace, and he killed quite a few people in the war.
He survived serving on the Russian Front and returned home.
Is George Carlin right, Maybe God does not care at all.

Simple, if God is with you then anyone against you is against God. It's the ultimate justifying phrase, the only thing you have to worry about is iron chariots.

Thanks for sharing that image - that is one of the things I like to bring up when some uninformed people trot out something like "Hitler was an atheist!" While we can never know for sure what he thought in his head, he at least had no problem using religion for his purposes. I am reminded of Bob Dylan's song "With God on our Side".

(last verse)
So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
That if God's on our side
He'll stop the next war

Anyway, sorry to hear of your melancholy mood. We in the United States sometimes forget that most of Europe is further north in latitude than the U.S.

fh451

I like to think God is with everyone and for everyone.

Odd - the Jews were saying the same thing.

moksha wrote:I like to think God is with everyone and for everyone.

I agree - but I'm also aware that very evil people have used the idea of God to control and harm others.

moksha wrote:I like to think God is with everyone and for everyone.

Then he must have been with and for both the Union and the Confederacy during the American Civil War, as both sides made appeals to him. For both the Nazis and the Jews whom they persecuted. More generally, for both the persecutors and the persecuted.

moksha wrote:I like to think God is with everyone and for everyone.

I would love to have this universally true and known. But this message is problematic as long as the LDS church claims to be "the one true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" with the true priesthood with exclusive rights to the saving ordinances. The LDS church is hardly alone in claims like this. Ecumenical gatherings seem to force churches and government to pretend that the universalist God exists, but I still see the "God" excuse as shorthand for "those other guys are unworthy of our efforts at peace."

Meilingkie,

I'm concerned for you brother. I know NOMs can give great support, and I'm glad you reached out, but I hope you have whatever support you need in real life too.

The thing that really has me concerned is that I thought you were still a theist, so to hear you express what I think is a feeling of being abandoned by God struck me as an expression of pain or deep sorrow. I hope it's not as bad as it seems to me. At any rate, sorry you're dealing with this.

☼,
Zack

I am with Zach in hoping you find peace. Winrer can be long and depressing, especially in isolation and enduring CD.

I hope you find some light, from whatever source it may come.

I'm with Zack on that as well, Mielingkie.

Possibly you could use one of those lamps specifically designed to mimic sunlight for those in northern climes???

Anyway, you're a favorite poster here on NOM. We hope you're okay.

Zack Tacorin Dos wrote: The thing that really has me concerned is that I thought you were still a theist, so to hear you express what I think is a feeling of being abandoned by God struck me as an expression of pain or deep sorrow. I hope it's not as bad as it seems to me. At any rate, sorry you're dealing with this.
☼,
Zack

Thanks for all the concern, Well I have been having seasonal depressions for years now.
It eats into my marriage, DW takes it hard every Last Quarter when I go down the chute.
This year is better than most to be honest.
But yeah, when I wander in Church I often think, where is God?
Only when I see some people, like here, and sometimes at work, and occasionally in Church do I see Him in the acts of kindness by others.
But as for me, I am wondering, where is He, is He absentee at the moment, on some days it does seem so.

I have seen no evidence God is with us.

Seasonal depression is bad. I used to get it pretty bad. Medication has helped me. I remember feeling that God didn't care/wasn't there when I was depressed. I look back now and think God, in whatever form, was watching out for me. I feel your pain Meilingkie.