How does faith in God to go with reality?

Faith in God goes fine with reality. You can either live in a reality defined by God, or you can live in a reality defined by the modern Coca-cola culture. You have that choice.

You know, how people always lament - oh woe , poor me, if I'd only acted differently, if I just hadn't done this or that... he would still be alive, wah wah it is my fault.

This is the modern mentality, I'm the doer - something good happens - I did that. Something bad happens - I did that or it's someone else's fault...

The the vast majority of people go through their whole lives lamenting over the bad that goes down in their lives, and rejoicing over the good that happens.

But life gets so much more simple when we understand the law of karma. It so simplifies our outlook on the world.

Karma is a law of nature. Everything that happens in the universe, in the 311 trillion years it lasts, is pre-programmed, arranged by the Supreme's material energy - it is one breath of Maha-vishnu, which means that one exhalation and inhalation of God lasts 311 trillion solar years. That's the first thing to discover about God - how great He is.

But that's only a preliminary understanding of God. Higher than worshiping God in awe and reverence is to relate to Him as friend, or parent, or lover. This becomes possible when, by the grace of the spiritual master, one is allowed entrance into God's personality.

-- but, but you have no proof, it's all random chance, how can there be a God, like some magic pixie in the sky?

Anyway, so every material interaction, right down to the movement of each and every atom and molecule in the universe is arranged by Krishna in His form as Paramatma - God in the hearts of all living entities.

What that means is we don’t have to lament over anything, because no matter what we did at any given time, it was destined to happen. It doesn't matter what we did or didn't do, if it's our friend's karma to die at a certain time, there i nothing we could have done to stop it from happening. It’s all being carried out by material nature.

Krishna says:

The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature. (Bg 3.27)

You see, rather than being peaceful and happy in the knowledge that everything that happens is inevitable karma, people like to bitch and moan non-stop about all the things that went wrong.

However, when you know that every atom is controlled by Krishna, you feel completely secure in surrendering to Him. Why would one not want to surrender to someone who is in control? It's a natural inclination to surrender to, and rely upon someone in total control. People through out all times have surrendered to some supreme power, either in the form of nature or some supernatural beings in the universe.

--but, but I don't need nobody to to tell me what to do. No god is gonna tell me how to live my life.

I actually have a theory about that. I am convinced that modern Christianity and Islam were invented by atheists to ridicule and scorn God.

--but, but now a days we know the universe popped out of a point, poof, just like that for no reason at all. The only rhyme and reason about life I invent myself. I don't need nobody to define my values for me. I'll figure that out for myself, thank you very much.

Ok, so how do you know what rules to live by in life? Who defines your values?

-- Uh duh, welcome to the entertainment industry. It's called Hollywood. Hollywood defines how I live my life.

Really? You mean to say, people other than yourself define your values?

--no, no I have my own values.

Oh, you mean the values you grew up with in the global culture that rules the world at present? How do you know your values are more correct or unassailable than, say, the values of any other culture?

--but, but we try to export our way of freedom to the rest of the world. It's called globalization. All research shows it's beneficial for the economy to consume as much as possible. That's why us Westerners deem it imperial to subject the rest of the world to our way of life. Why do you think the West is called the free world?

Yes, I get that, but how do you know that Western democracy, based as it is, on consumption and exploitation of natural resources, is the best way of life?

--but, but that's obvious. The sales of anti-depressants have shot through the roof in later years. How is that not good for the economy? Do you realize how much money the pharmacy industry makes, how much they contribute to tax and BNP and how many jobs they create all over the world?

Yes, but how do you measure that a life of consumption is the best way of life? There is only one way to do that, and I'll tell you how. The real measure stick of life is happiness, how happy something makes you…

By measuring the over all happiness and distress obtained from your activities, it's possible to scientifically determine the best way to live. And it is a scientific fact that you become more happy and satisfied with Krishna in your life, than living a life without Krishna. It’s as simple as that. It's not a matter of faith, it's a demonstrable, scientific fact.

Krishna says:

In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Vishnu, and blessed them by saying, “Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.

The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.

In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajña [sacrifice], will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.

The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.

All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.

>egulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.

My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain. —Bhagavad-gita 3.10-16