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Old 05-20-2013, 01:43 AM
 
1 posts, read 1,155 times
Reputation: 10

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I have had some major issues myself lately. I was Christian as well, but I don't buy it all anymore. I started looking at other religions and exploring them, and was convinced that they were cults because they tell their followers not to stray, but didn't mine do the same? And the book does not add up for me at all. There are so many things that contradict each other. Preach the word, run from those not equally yoked. Do not kill, take no prisoners. God is the same, constant, and perfect, the one who knows all past and future. Why create man flawed, yet in his image ( and this perfect God displays some really imperfect human emotions) to sin, to send a savior to pay for sin that could have been left out of the plan in the first place? People will argue that free will and blah blah. To me it is a way to keep order. Keep the people fearing the consequences of hell and eternal damnation, but also give them hope, just a small amount (by the skin of their teeth). It keeps the order. It gives us a standard to live up, and excuse when we don't with a cop out with the fact that someone else paid the price, and some real esteem issues, because we will never live up to perfection but keep trying to. All the while we are not living. We just go through the motions. I watched Religious last night by Bill Maher. Wow, I would recommend that. It crushes me to believe that I have believed something untrue, and now I am so confused, but I also feel more freedom and excitement that I ever have before. I hope you find the answers that you need and seek, and I wish all the best to you.
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Old 05-20-2013, 04:48 AM
 
9,945 posts, read 4,899,086 times
Reputation: 742
Quote:
Originally Posted by janaeaspie77 View Post
I have had some major issues myself lately. I was Christian as well, but I don't buy it all anymore. I started looking at other religions and exploring them, and was convinced that they were cults because they tell their followers not to stray, but didn't mine do the same? And the book does not add up for me at all. There are so many things that contradict each other. Preach the word, run from those not equally yoked. Do not kill, take no prisoners. God is the same, constant, and perfect, the one who knows all past and future. Why create man flawed, yet in his image ( and this perfect God displays some really imperfect human emotions) to sin, to send a savior to pay for sin that could have been left out of the plan in the first place? People will argue that free will and blah blah. To me it is a way to keep order. Keep the people fearing the consequences of hell and eternal damnation, but also give them hope, just a small amount (by the skin of their teeth). It keeps the order. It gives us a standard to live up, and excuse when we don't with a cop out with the fact that someone else paid the price, and some real esteem issues, because we will never live up to perfection but keep trying to. All the while we are not living. We just go through the motions. I watched Religious last night by Bill Maher. Wow, I would recommend that. It crushes me to believe that I have believed something untrue, and now I am so confused, but I also feel more freedom and excitement that I ever have before. I hope you find the answers that you need and seek, and I wish all the best to you.
You don't buy what Jesus taught as in first-century Christian teachings, or don't buy what modern-day clergy teach as Scripture when not really found in Scripture, but teaching 'church' traditions and customs of men ? - Mark 7 vs 1-7,13; Matthew 15 v 9. People should have major issues with clergy teachings that are not what the Bible really teaches.

For example: the non-biblical teachings of hell and damnation as forever pain.
Contrast the difference between the biblical hell and the non-biblical religious-myth hell.
The myth hell which is falsely taught as Scripture is forever in pain
The Bible's hell [ Hebrew word 'sheol' ] is not forever and not pain.
Clergy often use the permanent myth hell as a scare tactic to control people by using such horrific fear.
KJV translated the word 'Gehenna' in English as: hellfire. Gehenna was a garbage pit.
Nothing burned forever in Gehenna but was destroyed in Gehenna.
So, Jesus used 'Gehenna' as a fitting symbol for: destruction.
Jesus talked about the choice between life and perishing. Perish would be the same as: destruction.- John 3 v 16
2nd Peter 3 v 9 also gives the choice between repenting or perishing [ being destroyed ]
That is why Psalm 92 v 7 can mention that the wicked will be destroyed forever, not in pain forever.
Also, temporary biblical hell itself ends up gone forever in a symbolic 'second death' - Rev. 20 vs 13,14
Please notice everyone in hell is 'delivered up' out of hell. That would mean resurrected out of the Bible's hell before emptied-out hell is cast vacant into 'second death' for vacated hell [sheol ].
If hell was a forever place, then Jesus could Not have been resurrected out of hell.- Acts 2 vs 27,31,32; 13 vs 30,37
The day Jesus died he went to hell; the stone-cold common grave of mankind.
Jesus taught the dead sleep in death. Not in pain at death- John 11 vs 11-14
So, Jesus would have believed he would be in a sleep-like state until God resurrected Jesus out of hell.
Jesus could base teaching the sleeping condition of the dead from the Hebrew OT Scriptures which teach sleep in death.
[ Reference: Psalms 6 v 5; 13 v 3; 115 v 17; 146 v 4; Ecclesiastes 9 v 5; Daniel 12 vs 2,13 ]
After Jesus ascended to heaven he was given the keys to unlock biblical hell. - Rev. 1 v 18
Some resurrected to heaven [ Rev. 20 v 6; 5 vs 9,10], but the majority or mankind [ John 3 v 13 ] will be resurrected back to physical life on earth during Jesus coming 1000-year reign over earth.- Acts 24 v 15; Rev. 22 v 2
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Old 05-28-2013, 06:11 AM
 
3 posts, read 3,809 times
Reputation: 14
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Originally Posted by Ajeck View Post
I figure I should follow up on this topic as I’ve come to a decision in the past week.

So since my last post I’ve continually examined scriptures, prayed and asked others for guidance. Though I can say I do have better knowledge of the subject, I still do not feel like I have progressed in strengthening my faith in a Christian God.

With such doubts I feel like I am lying to myself as well as others if I make the claim: “I am Christian”. I do not truly believe as I used to. I understand some think this doubt is “because of the Devil”. Taking such an approach means that every strand of doubt or analysis of faith is caused by Devil. More importantly… how can I trust a single thought I have if that is possible? I refuse to believe that a creator would not allow us to come to know him through attributes he has given us… such as logic. I would hope that doubt would be encouraged by a Christian God in order for us to truly get to know Him instead of blindly follow “what you are told”.

So after reading Matthew 7:7-8 I came to a final decision.
The words ‘seek and you will find’ kept running through my head. I thought to myself... “I am seeking… if the Christian God is the true then I will eventually find the truth.”

Frankly I don’t know what I believe anymore… but I can't force myself to believe something that I don’t.
Ajeck....I have put God on a shelf and let my faith dwindle. Let me tell you my story.....

I was raised in a Baptist church. I went to youth group, Sunday School, youth camps....but looking back I NEVER had a real relationship with God. Yes, I was saved, but did not nurture my relationship with him and let the world dictate to me what was right and what was wrong.

I married my husband....his parents attended a hell fire and brimstone INDEPENDENT Baptist church. This was my FIRST experience there.....and I will tell you it damaged me, and it ended up damaging what relationship I was trying to build with God. That church was so full of hypocrisy and judgement....not BIBLICAL judgement, man-made judgement.

For years we were "out" of church. My life was fine. Financially we were doing GREAT. I began to think "I don't NEED God every Sunday or Wednesday night.....we are blessed regardless". See....I was looking at what the WORLD thinks as "blessings".....not what true blessings from God are.

We began to have serious problems with our son....he began to walk down a very dark path. I scoured the internet for answers.....thought about counseling.....NOTHING seemed to be right. NOTHING I did changed anything. God had to show me that I could not solve everything, that there are things in this life that we need HIM to resolve, in his will.

And one day....God literally broke me. And when I mean BROKE....I mean falling to my knees in tearful prayer over my son, my ONLY son that I dedicated to the Lord when he was just a small child. The things going on were just TOO much for me to bear. It was GOD chastening me.....I have a very stubborn spirit and I am here to tell you it took a massive SLAP for God to get my attention.

I prayed earnestly....and honestly.....and BEGGED God to show me the way. I made a promise to him that I would give my son back to HIS will, and my life, if he would PLEASE touch him in some way....and show me the way to lead him.

I will tell you....its been AMAZING the answered prayers and the doors God has opened once I laid those burdens down on Him.....we have been lead to a WONDERFUL church (and of the 4 sermons preached, EACH ONE directly dealt with what I have been dealing with in my life...THAT is God). I feel a PEACE I have not felt in YEARS. I have had to resolve in my heart that there are things that are just too big for me......and I have had to deal with struggles with my own self. I will tell you.....IF you ever were truly saved, GOD WILL CALL YOU BACK. He will convict your heart.....he will intercede. How do I know this? Because I am living it as we speak. I have seen his faithfulness. I am living in his peace.

I KNOW God will touch my son's heart.....I KNOW HE WILL. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us" I John 5:14

Last night as tears flowed I begged my son for forgiveness.....to forgive me for breaking my vow I made as a mother long ago, when he was a tiny child, that I would raise him to KNOW GOD.....not drag him to church, not put him in VBS.....to SHOW HIM GOD'S GREAT LOVE. I didn't do that.....but my faithfulness has been RENEWED and I know that God will provide the answers, and I have prepared my heart for whatever those answers may be. What doors He opens, no matter how difficult, I will walk thru.

An amazing door has been opened for my son (VERY last minute) to be able to attend youth camp next week.....all, PLEASE stay in prayer for him that the Holy Spirit will continue to convict his heart. Pray that God puts that person in his path to lead him back to Him.....
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Old 06-03-2013, 05:24 AM
 
Location: Deep Dirty South
5,190 posts, read 5,314,327 times
Reputation: 3863
Don't worry. You are actually just becoming more enlightened.

This doesn't mean you have to jettison your faith completely or remove it from your life. Christianity contains a lot of wisdom, beauty and sound philosophy. This does not mean you have to accept every bit of it, or not find wisdom, beauty and sound philosophy in other sources and other religions.

If there is a god, god (IMO) can't be an exclusivist "keeper of the velvet rope." There is a way for every human to reach god and connect with god, and it isn't just one way. Or at least that is certainly not a god I would choose to beleve in or follow.

Many of us get along just fine and have fulfilled lives without deities.
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