I've noticed that after a dx, people become either highly religious or write it off. I did the latter, but was never too religious to begin with. I've definitely turned more towards science. What have other people done?
ahh religion...always a touchy subject for most people. before my dx and after i have been studying Odinism. my dx never changed anything. more or less it made me study the religion more.
I was never religious and that did not change after diagnosis.
When I was in the hospital right after diagnosis there was a strange nurse that worked on the floor. One day she asked me if I was a born again Christian and I told her no. She said, "Ooooooooh, you're Jewish. That's okay". Huh?!
Lol. Well the obvious leap from being a born again or not is to go Jewish. Everyone knows that???
When I was first diagnosed I turned my prayers to God often. Heck before diagnosis I would pray at night hoping to find an answer for what was wrong with me. My faith has always been important to me and will always be it. Anytime I have a problem that is the first place I go. Last summer I was home alone and had a really, really bad low. I woke up from it in a cold sweat barely able to move or get anywhere near my emergency supplies. It took me a good five minutes to even get one glucose tab into my mouth. The whole time this experience was going on I was praying, first of all thanking God for waking me from the low but also praying to the Blessed Mother for support as I was trying to get out of this low and more so that I had no negative affects from the low. I know in some way the Lord was there to help me and support me and will always be there. I may not get the answers I am looking for always, but I know I have Him there to watch over me and guide me.
haha the strange people out in the world.
i was batized just before i was dx at 6years of age. we went to church when my mom(a single parent working full time) could manage to get up early enough on a sunday. by the age of 13, both me and my brother(hes 5years older than me tho) decided we didnt believe in god. haven't turned back since. we never really prayed to begin with tho,and went to sunday school but got nothing out of it.
Hi Carrie,since you asked the question I will answer.For me and my life,I turn to God.I can't remember my life without him.Prayer is part of my everyday life.I would be lost without him.So when d hit us with such force that I fell into a deep depression-I called out for God-my prayer was the same over and over-God please pick me up-God please pick me up. I have had some very hard things happen in my life-this one took me down.It took me a long time-but he did pick me up.I can't speak for anyone else but me-I need God in my life.
I honestly can't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have God to turn to. I always went to church, and I invited Christ to take over my life when I was eight years old. Being so young, I didn't really feel any different after that- I just knew that I really meant it and needed God. Then, a few months later, I was diagnosed with T1. Having to battle the disease really brought me closer to God and has allowed me to see things in a different way.
I turn to God multiple times during every day. Whenever I have the slightest concern, I pray and ask for his direction. If something great happens, I turn to him in thanks.
I am actively involved in my church youth group, and I just went on my first mission trip a little over a month ago. That trip made me realize how much I love to serve, and how happy it makes me. I am even on a launch team that is working to plant a new church. My current youth pastor is the one who is the head of the launch team, and he will be the lead pastor at the new church. It is called The Grove, and is set to have its first service at the beginning of October.
So, yes, you could say that I am "religious", although I hate that word. I am a Christian, I love Jesus, and I wouldn't be who I am today without his guidence in my life.
~*Sarah*~
I believe in God (I think) but I don't believe in religion. More people have been killed, stoned, maimed, drawn and quartered, burned alive, beheaded, crucified, and tortured in the name of religion than anything else. See the war in Iraq. At the same time it takes just as big a leap of faith to think all of this happened by accident than it does to think some supreme being is responsible.
I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic grade school AND high school. Had a great experience with it. Just not real "churchy" these days.
Anyway, that's how I see it. Carry on.
[quote user="DDrumminMan"]I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic grade school AND high school. Had a great experience with it. Just not real "churchy" these days.[/quote]
I went to Catholic School for grades 1-8. It had some good points, like no classes at all every Wednesday in grades 6-8 (and dismissal at 12:30!) but mostly I was uncomfortable. In second grade I told my mother I wasn't going to do the first confession or communion. We had a lot of fights over that. I ended up doing the first communion only after my mother promised to make a communion dress for my doll (she did a fantastic job!) and also because I really, really wanted to wear the white fake fur cape that went with my dress. I refused to do the first confession. People have told me that my first communion is void because of that but I really don't care.
I was never the type of person to start believing when things got bad. I know what I believe and I've felt that way ever since I understood what religion was (second grade). It doesn't bother me that others feel differently than I do.
My disdain for god, religion, etc came after I was diagnosed but not as a result of it.
I was diagnosed when I was four. Religion didn't and couldn't really change for me at that point. I was a bit young.
I'm Catholic. I don't think my religious views really have been influenced by the fact that I have a chronic disease. The way I was raised and the way I veiw the world have more impact. I guess diabetes has an impact on how I view the world, but that's not the point. If anything, the fact that I have anxiety disorder and depression, not because I'm diabetic but because of family history/genetics, impacts how I view religion.
Are there religious nut jobs out there? Of course. Just like there are crazy people out there who aren't religious at all.
Religion and science aren't necessarily opposites. We all have the wonderful fundamentalists and creationists to blame for that idea.
Type 1 diabetes is one of those situations which can seriously test your faith in God. It leads you to ask why "bad" things happen to "good" people and what YOU d id to deserve this punishment and fate. To accept it as a part of God's divine plan which you don't and can't understand can only be possible as an act of faith,
Putting faith in God with diabetes is pointelss in my eyes. Why would a "God" punish us like this? Give Diabetes to some crackhead who does not care about his/her life. Give it to a suicidalist who does not want to be here in the first place. Let the suicidalist....who really wants to die...get a disease like Diabetes that can kill them fast. God should suffer the ones who choose to suffer. We choose to live good lives. Why should God choose a destiny like this for us? In my opinion this is why I cant stand religion. No matter how much you pray...it is what it is.
Scumbags never die. It seems as if they are untouchable.
I agree Paul G on one aspect....why do "bad" things happen to "good" people?
Agreed, this is always a touchy subject. We're all adults here... or we can at least act like them :o) So I think this conversation could be an interesting one.
I've struggled with faith and religion a lot. I'm a cradle Catholic and still attend church whenever I'm at my parent's house. I have a lot of faith, but I will admit I don't necessarily put my faith in religion.
I was diagnosed when I was 5, so my faith/religious background didn't affect me at all. I don't see diabetes as a punishment, nor do I believe God punishes us like the Old Testament so strongly believes. For me, God is a presence. He is there to guide me and help me, but only when I ask for it. I do like to think He is always watching over the world, but I think that is more to comfort myself. Comfort is another huge reason for my faith. It is comforting (at least to me) to know there is a guiding presence out there willing to love me and care for me regardless of the things I do or how I act. I would like to think life on Earth is not the only life to live and that there is some sort of "other world" waiting for me after I die.
I respect everyone's opinion. I realize not everyone sees things how I do, and I by no means feel I should force my beliefs upon them or look down on them for having a different opinion. For me, I believe there is something out there far bigger and greater than myself. It would be wonderful if everyone could feel the hope, comfort, and relief I find in my faith. But I also know everyone can find their own sort of hope, comfort, and relief from other things.
C what is a cradle catholic? someone who attends church on a holiday and takes up all the seats of the regular folk?
You may not see Diabetes as a punishment but i do. We have one chance to live in life. And these are the cards we are dealt with. thats punishment to me.
God is not a "presence" like you say. But hes not doing anything for us...
True "comfort" is being non diabetic for the rest of eternity.
In my opinion......there is no God. God does not do tis to people
Haha. A cradle Catholic just means you were born and raised Catholic. Like I said, I realize not everyone will agree with me, and I respect you don't see things like I do. If you don't believe in God, you can't be angry at him for giving you diabetes. :o)
Religion was swell until 7 years of Catholic school and being told that my open mindedness and free thinking wasn't welcome and having questions such as "why?" or "why not?" being unanswered by teachers/priests/jesuits etc.
So yeah, haven't been "religious" since elementary school. Wasn't when I was dx'd and definitely am not now.
oh a discussion about religion... my favorite! check out the thread 'diabetes and spirituality'. i hope to add to this thread but can't right now since im on my phone on the go.
I can't see being a diabetic as some sort of thing that I have been saddled with or stuck with. Do I wish I was not a diabetic? Sure, but would I wish this upon someone else? No, why would anyone want to have this, be they a drug addict, rapist, or anything else? Do I have have my bouts of depression and anger? Yes, we all do. However, I still could not see this as being a punishment for those that live bad lives. Are we any better to judge the lives of those who do bad things?
Bad things happen to all of us, we should just be grateful for what we have instead. We live in a place where being a diabetic is a livable condition, we live in a place where there are many people looking for a cure, we live in a place where while it is not always affordable for everyone, we are able to take care of ourselves to some extent. What about people in third world countries who do not have the care we do? They will die a whole heck of a lot faster of this than anyone else. The human body is not a perfect thing, it is ever changing ever evolving. Over that time defects are going to happen. Diabetes is a livable defect, while yes it is considered a "chronic" illness, it is not the end of the world for us. I would rather be a diabetic than have another chronic illness, this we can live with. We all have the strength to cope with whatever is thrown at us. Yes, it sucks to be a diabetic, I have always been a "good" person, but I do not now have anger or hate at God because this has happened to me.
When I was first sick and not yet diagnosed I would pray for an answer. I got it. When a few years back I was having horrible lows and not able to get out of a rut, i prayed for help. I found a friend who truly helped me through this. When I would have my doubts and concerns about certain things, I could find my answers. Yes, we can say that is just science or luck. I tend not to think so, I truly believe that the answers I have been looking for in my life have come from God. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the events in my life that have happened are because of Him. While I cannot or will not force what I believe on anyone, I knows that He is there for me and for everyone if we truly turn our lives to Him. We just need to realize that the answers we feel we deserve are not necessarily what we will get. I used to give a talk on a Confirmation retreat to a bunch of kids about this. Miracles happen, but not always in a way we want. We can pray to God for an answer to something and the answer will not float down on a balloon. No the answer might come from a friend. We just need to be attuned to our lives to see what we may find and how to use what has been given to us.