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/lit/ - Literature

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6763324 No.6763324 [Reply] [Original]

What do I read if I'm struggling with my faith and maybe having an existential crisis but I still want to hold onto God and my religion

>> No.6763330

tolstoy's gospel in brief

or, if you so desire, spinoza's ethics

>> No.6763334

The Book of Job

>> No.6763340

I have two very important Catholic books you should read, both of which can be appreciated even if you aren't Catholic:

Mr. Blue by Myles Connolly, which is about a modern day St. Francis living in New York City.

The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos (also made into a film directed by the great Robert Bresson), which is about a young priest in provincial France who struggles with an illness, the members of his community, and his faith.

Both of these helped me through my existential crises, when I was questioning my faith.

>> No.6763341

the brothers karamazov

>> No.6763345

Linkin Park - In the End

>> No.6763351

>>6763345
I TRIED SO HARD

AND GOT SO FAR

>> No.6763479

Blaise Pascal

>> No.6763492

You never had faith in the first place. Faith isn't meant to be "I don't know if God exists, but I guess I just believe He does". Faith is meant to be trust in God's promises and what He has done for you while you know for sure that He is real because you interact with Him often because you actually, you know, have a relationship with Him.

Pro-Tip: Read the New Testament again and try to really focus on what they're actually talking about instead of letting society color your beliefs of what Christianity is "supposed" to be. The results may surprise you, such as:
>The apostles and the others didn't need to have faith that God was real as He was talking to them and doing crazy shit in their lives like all the fucking time
>Jesus indicates that this is the way it is meant to be if you are actually a believer

>> No.6763521

>>6763492
>>6763492
>know for sure that He is real because you interact with Him often because you actually, you know, have a relationship with Him.

Fedora memes aside, this would mean no one has faith. Religious and non-religious alike have inner dialogues with themselves. God doesn't interact with anyone.

>> No.6763639

>>6763479
This.

If I remember correctly, Pensées had a good aphorism about struggling with faith.

>> No.6763651

I hate the way Pynchon is memed
What the fuck does Pynchon have to do with religious faith?

I bet you've only read Lot 49 and maybe 50 pages of GR

>> No.6763653
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6763653

>>6763324
pic related is what held me hold on to my faith in times of struggle. I think it's what you need, anon. I wouldn't be the same today without it.

>> No.6763670

>>6763653
you gotta be kiddin me, man. the book about the big dumb monkey? psssh, c'mon.

>> No.6763679

>>6763653
seriously? thats one of the worst books I ever read, it just oozes this new age vaguely eastern philosophy

Incense: The book

>> No.6764652

>>6763651
Pynchon is synonymous with meme

>> No.6764663 [SPOILER] 
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6764663

Read everything by Soren Kierkergaard

>> No.6764685

>>6764663
Should I start with Either/Or

>> No.6764707
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6764707

I dont know your religion, but if you want a story about how an agnostic/atheist made a full and conscious journey to being a believer, read Be Here Now by Ram Dass. you cant argue against any of it, and it may reinvigorate your own faith (he doesnt advocate hinduism over other faiths at all)

>> No.6764789

>>6763324
you stop being a inherently religious faggot and face that this existential crisis is your new default state of mind.

>> No.6764795

>>6763345
i pledge my kek to you

>> No.6764807
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6764807

>>6764789

>> No.6764817

>>6763670
>>6763679
funnily enough the responses you two made within the context of this thread blatantly prove that you haven't read the book. It's not that I disagree with your interpretations at all, it's that you wouldn't be saying this in response to my comment, in this thread, if you had actually read it.

Do people lie this often about having read books on /lit/?

>> No.6764895

>>6764817
>Do people lie this often about having read books on /lit/?

Is the Pope Catholic?

>> No.6765039

Life of Pi

>> No.6765150

>>6764895
>Is the Pope Catholic?
Which one? If you're talking about Francis I, then we have doubts about that too.

>> No.6765475

>>6763324
read david hume

>> No.6765514

>>6763324
remind yourself that everything after ockham is shit

>> No.6765702
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6765702

The problem is that you've been worshiping the demiurge.

>> No.6765745
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6765745

>>6765702
WORSHIP ME.

>> No.6765765

>>6763324
The Brothers Karamazov. Either you will lose your faith or solidify it to an impregnable magnitude; the book succeeded in achieving the latter for me. Good luck.

>> No.6765795

>>6763324

Thomas Merton

If that doesn't work then try something like Shinto

Then realize an antiauthoritarian (aka atheist) worldview with a blend of nihilism, cynicism and mild asceticism is the only logical conclusion

Large clay pot to sleep in optional

>> No.6765807

>>6765795
No thank you, Stirner.

>> No.6765882

>>6765807

Ouch, my feelings