Rebooting Without God?

You aren't alone! I am also agnostic. I am doing this to better myself and my relationship. I agree I don't care if other people believe in a god. My fiance is also doing this for himself, though I fear mostly for me and our relationship. He's rather agnostic too. Our abstinence is not for a higher power.

 

I'm agnostic too, so you're not alone... I prefer to follow a philophical path, without god; an alternative to this capitalism/consumerism idea.

 

Personally I'm an atheist. The main things that are helping me reboot are my girlfriend, my two AP (Accountability Partners), my philosophy of Taoism, meditation, exercise, and the idea that I need to act like a responsible adult someday.

 

You need to find a why. A clear objective why you are undertaking this journey. This goal can be earthly like curing ED or finally experience good sex and so on. But philosophical reasons are just as valid. (In my view philosophical includes "God"). I am also somewhere between agnostic and atheist and many others here are too. You don't need anything to turn to during your journey other than a clear depiction of your desired result.
An advice regarding religious discussion on this board: Avoid it in threads/posts. If at all, only do it over PM. You might reach the point where withdrwawal leads you to rant at everything, inluding religious people. This forum is meant first and foremost for overcoming porn addiction. Learnt this the hard way when I felt like I had to rant about belief out of my own arrogance.

 

I am a believer but I also believe that regardless if you believe or not we are all still victims of what this world offers. We may have different views or beliefs but we are all in very similar circumstances. Whatever you find to be your biggest motivation, roll with that, for some it is god, others a partner or many other things but at the end of the day you gotta do whsts best for you if thats what you feel in the heart. We are all human. I hope I was able to help even though our views differ. Keep it up and stsy strong! Glad you came here

 

I consider myself non-religious, although I believe I have faith, a strong faith actually . However, it does seem to me that in many cases people who are either agnostic or atheist tend to start unnecessary polemics on this forum on how they are not doing their nofap for some god or deity. Surely, that is not necessary. It will be best to focus on helping support each other in this journey rather than making judgements on other people's beliefs.

I think that making a statements like "I don't see evidence for it" is a provocation to those who have faith and do see evidence for it. We can all be friends here without adherent of one system of thought seeking to belittle those who have a different outlook to life. For someone like me who has faith, when you say that you cannot see God, I will say "you need to have your eyes checked "

I believe your thread could have been simply about asking whether there other agnostics around and how they found their strength and accountability rather than making statements about the existence of God.

I may not be religious, but I am not an agnostic or atheist either. Just because I have faith, it does not make me intellectually inferior to the agnostic or atheist. And Just because I am not religious it does not make me less spiritual to those who practice religion. My beliefs are mine and they do not make better than anyone else.

Let's leave religion and politics out and just support each other. Peace

 

I'm not atheist or agnostic - but I do have a view of spirituality that doesn't make me accountable to any God.

The only person I'm accountable to is myself and that includes my own higher self. God is within me, I am a part of God and God is everything I experience.

I also think organised religion is mostly a lie.

I don't think you need to get wrapped up in dogma to live a spiritual life or to be well, and religion certainly doesn't hold the monopoly on spirituality, morality or a healthy sexuality.

 

I think this getting slightly off topic, i think its best to respect the view of the poster and remember that he just wants assistance for the same reason we are all on here. His view is important to him and he is looking to see how people who have similar views are handling this. Anything to do with ones belief can be a sensitive subject i think we all agree. Thanks for hearing me out.

 

Interesting thread - I don't think it's necessarily off topic to be discussing our motivations so long as we don't end up arguing about who's right. Your motivation is yours which is quite enough but at the same time it's not a bad thing to understand a bit more about where other people are coming from.

Although I will declare myself as a Christian believer (though not "religious" as I think these are diffent things) I don't see any conflict between personal and spiritual motivations. I am of course doing this for myself to be free and better myself, to improve my marriage, to gain a calmer state of mind and to fight back in a minor way against the abuses of the porn industry. However I see these as exactly what any interested personal divine being would also want for me, society and all of us. I'm not accountable to what God wants as opposed to what I want. - they are the same things.

What I mean by that is that I have to believe that what God wants for me is also what will be best for me (and all of us). So I see definitions of right and wrong from God's point of view as entirely in harmony with what's best for us as well.

Although we may consider their reasons misguided, the fact is that people of faith have generally been much more hostile to pornography and porn values than the mainstream of society - us fapstronauts are now catching up with them not the other way around.

I simply don't recognise the image of a God who has arbitrarily decided on a bunch of things as "sinful" which are in reality fun and good for us. As far as fapping and pmo are concerned God (in terms of the definition I understand) isn't much in favour of pornography and neither am I - for all the same reasons.

 

I am an atheist. But I don't think my rebooting has anything to do with it. I try to reboot for personal reasons, I just want to feel better.

But if religion or belief in God helps someone to reboot, than it's ok. Everybody has their own beliefs.

 

The rule concerning religion and NoFap says that religion can be mentioned in a "this helped me" context as long as people, like Madrileño said, we don't end up arguing about who's right. Interesting thread though!

 

Hi butinbatallions. Perhaps you can find this thread interesting: http://www.nofap.org/forum/showthread.php?9788-Non-religious-motives-for-quitting-PMO-What-s-yours

As the fellow fapstronauts have pointed out, you need to be sure why you're doing this. If you have a solid value system, a philosophy of life ("a way of life whose focus is resolving the existential questions about the human condition") that obviously excludes pornography, you'll find it easier to accomplish the goal of recovery, as you'll have a North, somewhere where you're heading to. If that philosophy of life includes or excludes God, that's up to you.

Personally I believe in God, but I'm not taking this journey because I think masturbation is a "sin", or because someone told me that it was bad. In all cases, wheter you believe in God or not, you'll have to do it for yourself for this to work.

Best regards,

Galaxim.

 

I am an unabashed Christian - and, of course, any time I perhaps forget about that fact, there are plenty of people out there to insult, debase, ridicule, and criticize me for my morals, beliefs, and perspective. It's hard to be outspoken for Christ, especially in a culture that generally tends to vie on the relativistic "there are many paths" approach.

It is my sincerest belief that I incapable of overcoming my addiction without God. To many people who do not share my faith, this would appear to indicate that I believe myself weak and limited, but ironically, I believe that anyone who tries to obtain true prosperity, blessing, or success in life by themselves is ultimately doomed to failure. I have been a Christian my entire life, but most of it has been me trying to control my life through my own strength and wisdom - the results of which were disastrous. I have learned that submission to God - giving him the reigns - allows me great freedom to live while He directs and protects my path; inherently, I have observed that control is an illusion, and that we are not capable of truly controlling - that is, being master, or king - over our lives.

I have essentially found all other paths and methods to be unreliable and faulty: I have came to the limit of my ability and have realized my inabilities, my brokenness; I cannot rely on other people unerringly, because they can and will fail me. I believe that without God, nothing is possible, but with God, everything and anything is.

I have also learned much through scripture that teaches me important practical lessons in life that apply, such as: respect and reverence for women; the important of purity; the practical consequences for lust; the power of real love; the "death of self" (i.e. selflessness); developed self-control and patience; the importance of wisdom; my position and calling as a man.

A bit long-winded, perhaps, but that's the gist of it.

 

I'm on board with your mind set; I feel empowered and hopeful reaching for a greater source of power and asking for help.

One of my favourite quotations... "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

 

I'm atheist so I don't hold myself accountable to anyone but me. I am convinced that because I only answer to myself that it's helped me complete my 90 day reboot (well, in 2 days anyway) without a relapse. I'm certain if I was doing this for someone else or God, I would have failed long ago.

 

I am an apatheist. My reasons for quitting are about feeling better and self mastery. If your religious its all good as long as my views are respected.

 

@Legion, of course your views are respected, I am far from supercilious and am always glad to chat with others about religion.

@prioritymail, I am with you on that: I do not hold anyone accountable for my actions but myself. I am, contrary to you, also convinced that my 2.5 month abstinence streak earlier this year came from the help and support of God. You have one small misconception though... I am not doing this for God, I am doing this for myself and myself only. I ask for his help during the rough patches and ask him to guide me in the right direction. I believe he has grace far beyond our human comprehension, and will always support me. It is a reassurance if you will... If I believe in a greater being that gives me an inner peace and strength, then why question it?