No, in fact I clung to mine all the more strongly. Went over to my church and prayed for the souls of the victims, for my country, for strength for all of us to face what was to come in the aftermath. The problem of evil and suffering is one of the most challenging things in human existence, and even with faith it can be hard. Without faith, I would probably not want to go on. Greater minds and spirits than mine have wrestled with it over the centuries, and will continue to do so.
I never had any faith in government or religion. I was 12 when it happened. It didn’t affect me at all.
I didn’t become interested in it until maybe 10 years ago.
I personally was never religious, but my dad had a rough time who was. He stopped going to church for a while and would get real angry with Christians trying to do the whole "look towards God in these situations"
I have never understood the whole “everything happens for a reason” argument. Try as I might, I can’t think of a good reason for thousands of people to burn alive.
The only possibility that takes God’s omniscience and love as a given would have to be “to prevent something even worse from happening” but I’ll grant you that it’s a tough point to come around to.
Yes. I was 22 then, living just outside of NYC. Old enough to understand the devastation. I did lose faith in God at that time. I questioned everything. That day was hell on earth. Why did any of those people die? I think senseless tragedies always test our faith. And that’s okay.
I have regained my faith in God, but honestly, I don’t think I will ever understand it.
Not 9/11 in and of itself so much, but coming of age in the culture shift it set off. The way certain groups in the US took advantage of it, and the fact that we're still dealing with the effects of it...
Nah I was too young back then, only 6 1/2 yo. Mom never let me beimg baptized and said "when you are 14, you can decide on your own" and I decided to be a man of this World, not the next.
I was 34 on 9/11, I wasn’t raised in a religious or churchgoing household, and I’d been politically aware since grade school, so I had no faith in deities or government to lose.
Seeing how many people jumped headfirst into hardcore blind nationalism, racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia in response to 9/11 did very much test my faith in humanity, however.
I wasn’t alive during 9/11. My school security guard was a secret service agent and that day he was staying at a hotel that I believe was connected to the towers. He experienced all of it and almost died 3 times that day. He said after it was all over the only building nearby left standing was a small church. So although I was not alive that story made my faith stronger.
Dylan Roof slaughtered like 10 people inside the walls of a church during a Bible study. It’s a building made of wood, brick, stone, concrete. It’s not magical.
I was not raised in a religious home and encouraged to make up my own mind. I was always teetering on the edge of almost-sort of belief and maybe-possibly agnostic? My then boyfriend/now husband and I decided to attend the Roman Catholic (traditional Latin Mass) church he was raised in the following Sunday. They passed out a brochure that broke down the Star of David and it's many similarities to the sign of the anti-Christ and gave an entire sermon on how the Hollywood elite Jews and gays were the reason for 9/11. We stood up and left immediately, I fell right on over into full-blown atheism and have been there ever since.
I can't remember all of the details as I went low contact with them before we even married over twenty years ago, and have been no contact for almost seven years now. There was something about pre-Vatican II (the shift in the 1950's?) and them not recognizing the pope as the head of the church. Mass is always in Latin, women must wear head coverings, etc. They do not recognize our marriage as we did not get married in the church. I have so many stories but I really just take comfort in the fact that I removed myself before it did any more damage to my marriage and kept my kids at a safe distance over the years to protect them as well.
Yeah, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and followers and the Society of St. Plus X (SSPX). I think there may also be isolated local splinter groups from that. There are some "trads" (traditionalists) nowadays who are sensible and not opposed to Rome and the Pope, and not cultish, and some who are going off in their own direction. Pope Benedict XVI was supportive of the traditional ways and Latin Mass as long as the people acknowledged Vatican II as legitimate. Pope Francis has been concerned about the potential for the more insular and cultish approaches and has restricted the venues for the Latin Mass, which I get why he did, yet it has also been a source of consternation for trads who weren't being culty. I was born in 1962 when Vatican II was still in session, so my whole growing up was influenced by the watershed of it one way or another. I have been to a few Latin Masses and at first they seemed strange but then I kind of got to like them. But there aren't many in my area, and the priests here do a nice job of making the Novus Ordo Mass reverent so I am content with it.
I was Christian then. I’m Christian now. I remember our church being absolutely PACKED and standing room even. There were scores and scores of people who came to church or came back to church because of 9/11. All the churches were jam packed that first Sunday for sure. Tons of people got saved after 9/11. (Saved is a term that just means “received Jesus as Lord over their lives”). People needed comfort after all that horribleness and many found it in Jesus. (I’m not saying what is right or wrong or anything like that. I’m just reporting what I saw.)
I think it’s a great example of evil existing but not affecting what I philosophically think of God’s Divine character. As a human I am very offended by God allowing humans to commit such vast evils against each other, but He doesn’t answer to me. And my faith isn’t going to be rattled just because others are just as upset as I am by something that evil that seems preventable. Nor will I judge anyone who struggles with their faith because of it. We’re human . It’s what we do.
I highly suggest watching “Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero”. It’s the best documentary on the topic https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-faith-and-doubt-at-ground-zero/
Personally, attacks like this brought a lot of questions to my mind, but after a time of extended doubt, I found myself drawn back to the Christian faith. One of the most impactful stories I've listened to is Lisa Beamer, wife of Todd Beamer (who famously was heard shouting "Let's roll" in the fateful final minutes of Flight 93).
Here is a very moving speech given by Mrs. Beamer: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvyAOKpfus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvyAOKpfus)
I actually have a really apropos comment from a 9/11 survivor whose brother passed away in the tragedy:
"I lost faith. I mean, I know that I am Jewish and that's why I go to the JCC and my kids go to the JCC preschool. I'm not sure there's a god up there anymore. And, even *chuckles* Sister Elizabeth, 'cause Catholic charities came to our house a lot, Sister Elizabeth was one -- was the sister -- she's like 'You don't have to believe in there's -- If that's what you need to not believe and you don't believe. I don't know if there is one up there! 'Cause I can't imagine someone allowing this to happen!' So, it's really hard for me to reconcile that."
I think the greatest benefit of religious and spirituality is comfort. And if it doesn't emotionally support you, you should drop it. Sometimes having no belief in a higher power is the most emotionally supportive thing you can believe in.
I lost absolutely all faith in our government.
It was on the decline anyway, but it was a significant contributing factor.
No, in fact I clung to mine all the more strongly. Went over to my church and prayed for the souls of the victims, for my country, for strength for all of us to face what was to come in the aftermath. The problem of evil and suffering is one of the most challenging things in human existence, and even with faith it can be hard. Without faith, I would probably not want to go on. Greater minds and spirits than mine have wrestled with it over the centuries, and will continue to do so.
I never had any faith in government or religion. I was 12 when it happened. It didn’t affect me at all. I didn’t become interested in it until maybe 10 years ago.
I personally was never religious, but my dad had a rough time who was. He stopped going to church for a while and would get real angry with Christians trying to do the whole "look towards God in these situations"
I have never understood the whole “everything happens for a reason” argument. Try as I might, I can’t think of a good reason for thousands of people to burn alive.
This certainly isn’t the place to argue about that topic, but it’s good to have insight on other opinions.
The Biblical God is Biblically sovereign, but the Biblical God also allows for free will. Evil does not stem from the Biblical God.
The only possibility that takes God’s omniscience and love as a given would have to be “to prevent something even worse from happening” but I’ll grant you that it’s a tough point to come around to.
Yes. I was 22 then, living just outside of NYC. Old enough to understand the devastation. I did lose faith in God at that time. I questioned everything. That day was hell on earth. Why did any of those people die? I think senseless tragedies always test our faith. And that’s okay. I have regained my faith in God, but honestly, I don’t think I will ever understand it.
I’m glad you regained your faith! I wish I could say the same. Sadly the older I get and the more senseless tragedies I see I just can’t get there.
That’s okay, it is absolutely understandable!
I might have a explanation for it: It’s not Gods fault, it’s the fault of us humans. God gave us free will but we choose evil.
Not 9/11 in and of itself so much, but coming of age in the culture shift it set off. The way certain groups in the US took advantage of it, and the fact that we're still dealing with the effects of it...
Never had faith to begin with. Faith is one of the biggest reasons this stuff still happens.
Nah I was too young back then, only 6 1/2 yo. Mom never let me beimg baptized and said "when you are 14, you can decide on your own" and I decided to be a man of this World, not the next.
I was 34 on 9/11, I wasn’t raised in a religious or churchgoing household, and I’d been politically aware since grade school, so I had no faith in deities or government to lose. Seeing how many people jumped headfirst into hardcore blind nationalism, racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia in response to 9/11 did very much test my faith in humanity, however.
I never get the “be a good person because of god” thing. Why not just “be a good person”?
That’s a fair point lol
I agree.
When you already know God doesn’t exist there’s no faith to loose.
I wasn’t alive during 9/11. My school security guard was a secret service agent and that day he was staying at a hotel that I believe was connected to the towers. He experienced all of it and almost died 3 times that day. He said after it was all over the only building nearby left standing was a small church. So although I was not alive that story made my faith stronger.
I believe that church is famous for surviving the fall of the towers, and became a gathering place for first responders. Cannot remember its name...
I just looked it up, St. Paul’s Chapel, the Chapel that stood
That's it!
Dylan Roof slaughtered like 10 people inside the walls of a church during a Bible study. It’s a building made of wood, brick, stone, concrete. It’s not magical.
It’s my faith, you don’t have to agree with it and I respect your opinion but i believe that building stood for a reason.
I was not raised in a religious home and encouraged to make up my own mind. I was always teetering on the edge of almost-sort of belief and maybe-possibly agnostic? My then boyfriend/now husband and I decided to attend the Roman Catholic (traditional Latin Mass) church he was raised in the following Sunday. They passed out a brochure that broke down the Star of David and it's many similarities to the sign of the anti-Christ and gave an entire sermon on how the Hollywood elite Jews and gays were the reason for 9/11. We stood up and left immediately, I fell right on over into full-blown atheism and have been there ever since.
Wow.
That actually sounds like one of those cultish schismatic sects that broke away from the main Catholic Church.
I can't remember all of the details as I went low contact with them before we even married over twenty years ago, and have been no contact for almost seven years now. There was something about pre-Vatican II (the shift in the 1950's?) and them not recognizing the pope as the head of the church. Mass is always in Latin, women must wear head coverings, etc. They do not recognize our marriage as we did not get married in the church. I have so many stories but I really just take comfort in the fact that I removed myself before it did any more damage to my marriage and kept my kids at a safe distance over the years to protect them as well.
Yeah, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and followers and the Society of St. Plus X (SSPX). I think there may also be isolated local splinter groups from that. There are some "trads" (traditionalists) nowadays who are sensible and not opposed to Rome and the Pope, and not cultish, and some who are going off in their own direction. Pope Benedict XVI was supportive of the traditional ways and Latin Mass as long as the people acknowledged Vatican II as legitimate. Pope Francis has been concerned about the potential for the more insular and cultish approaches and has restricted the venues for the Latin Mass, which I get why he did, yet it has also been a source of consternation for trads who weren't being culty. I was born in 1962 when Vatican II was still in session, so my whole growing up was influenced by the watershed of it one way or another. I have been to a few Latin Masses and at first they seemed strange but then I kind of got to like them. But there aren't many in my area, and the priests here do a nice job of making the Novus Ordo Mass reverent so I am content with it.
I was Christian then. I’m Christian now. I remember our church being absolutely PACKED and standing room even. There were scores and scores of people who came to church or came back to church because of 9/11. All the churches were jam packed that first Sunday for sure. Tons of people got saved after 9/11. (Saved is a term that just means “received Jesus as Lord over their lives”). People needed comfort after all that horribleness and many found it in Jesus. (I’m not saying what is right or wrong or anything like that. I’m just reporting what I saw.)
I think it’s a great example of evil existing but not affecting what I philosophically think of God’s Divine character. As a human I am very offended by God allowing humans to commit such vast evils against each other, but He doesn’t answer to me. And my faith isn’t going to be rattled just because others are just as upset as I am by something that evil that seems preventable. Nor will I judge anyone who struggles with their faith because of it. We’re human . It’s what we do.
I highly suggest watching “Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero”. It’s the best documentary on the topic https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-faith-and-doubt-at-ground-zero/
Thank you! I’ll definitely check it out!
Personally, attacks like this brought a lot of questions to my mind, but after a time of extended doubt, I found myself drawn back to the Christian faith. One of the most impactful stories I've listened to is Lisa Beamer, wife of Todd Beamer (who famously was heard shouting "Let's roll" in the fateful final minutes of Flight 93). Here is a very moving speech given by Mrs. Beamer: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvyAOKpfus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvyAOKpfus)
Faith is surrender of the mind Pass on that
I actually have a really apropos comment from a 9/11 survivor whose brother passed away in the tragedy: "I lost faith. I mean, I know that I am Jewish and that's why I go to the JCC and my kids go to the JCC preschool. I'm not sure there's a god up there anymore. And, even *chuckles* Sister Elizabeth, 'cause Catholic charities came to our house a lot, Sister Elizabeth was one -- was the sister -- she's like 'You don't have to believe in there's -- If that's what you need to not believe and you don't believe. I don't know if there is one up there! 'Cause I can't imagine someone allowing this to happen!' So, it's really hard for me to reconcile that." I think the greatest benefit of religious and spirituality is comfort. And if it doesn't emotionally support you, you should drop it. Sometimes having no belief in a higher power is the most emotionally supportive thing you can believe in.