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A brief bit about me. I am in my early twenties, was raised without religion, family is not keen on religion. I've recently been exposed to Christianity and have been stricken with fear of hell, and now I am hedging my bets TRYING to believe.
I have been reading more and more about Christianity, and what I've deduced is that all you need to do to get into heaven is accept and believe that Jesus is the son of God and died for our sins.
It seems that once we have accepted Him, he gives us the power to overcome sin (not fully, but to an extent).
When I ask how I can see and believe in Jesus, I am frequently told to seek him and read the bible. Jesus reveals himself in the bible. What that REALLY sounds like to me is that the more you read the bible, the more BRAINWASHED you become, and then you "see" or "experience" him.
What I have always fundamentally believed is that there is some sort of higher power. I believe in the natural laws of the universe, karma, etc. because I have seen them work out myself.
It really seems to me that Christianity (and other religions) are merely extreme guilt trips and fear mongers.
A brief bit about me. I am in my early twenties, was raised without religion, family is not keen on religion. I've recently been exposed to Christianity and have been stricken with fear of hell, and now I am hedging my bets TRYING to believe.
I have been reading more and more about Christianity, and what I've deduced is that all you need to do to get into heaven is accept and believe that Jesus is the son of God and died for our sins.
It seems that once we have accepted Him, he gives us the power to overcome sin (not fully, but to an extent).
When I ask how I can see and believe in Jesus, I am frequently told to seek him and read the bible. Jesus reveals himself in the bible. What that REALLY sounds like to me is that the more you read the bible, the more BRAINWASHED you become, and then you "see" or "experience" him.
What I have always fundamentally believed is that there is some sort of higher power. I believe in the natural laws of the universe, karma, etc. because I have seen them work out myself.
It really seems to me that Christianity (and other religions) are merely extreme guilt trips and fear mongers.
What do you guys think?
The Bible is a set of 66 books. They do all have a common theme--the fall of man from God's grace, and God's redemption plan -- Jesus. That takes some time to understand. It takes some study.
The main point of Christianity is that you can't do it on your own, so you need a savior. You can say that's a guilt trip if you'd like. You can try to live by karma and hope you're good enough for whatever creator you think will manage the afterlife.
...snip...
What I have always fundamentally believed is that there is some sort of higher power. I believe in the natural laws of the universe, karma, etc. because I have seen them work out myself.
It really seems to me that Christianity (and other religions) are merely extreme guilt trips and fear mongers.
What do you guys think?
I think hell-threat is Christianity's chief trump card for putting butts in the pews and dollars in the collection basket.
Hell and original sin are religion's biggest lies and those who promote them are either evil or brainwashed.
Realized that so many religious folks will tell you that it is not only their God but there in trepidation of their God is correct and all others false or lies. They can't all be right but they can all be wrong. What's wrong with you being agnostic?
Once you realize that you don't find God in a book or in a church you are on your way to what the Christ said about "the truth will set you free". You find God within yourself, once this happens, you find God everywhere you look, everything you focus on, for there is no place that is separate from God. This is what the Christ meant when he said the kingdom of God is within you. Jesus understood what it meant to enter the activities of this world with a new sense of reality, with a penetrating spiritual vision which see through the effect to its cause and knows this cause to be good. You could say that the Christ practiced "spiritual common sense", which is so rare and so creative that they mistaken him for God.
IamtheReckoner, it's your path to follow, you can choose to follow other peoples paths or your own, you can choose to follow that innate voice with you, or you can follow the voices of others, just listen to that God within.
Once you realize that you don't find God in a book or in a church you are on your way to what the Christ said about "the truth will set you free". You find God within yourself, once this happens, you find God everywhere you look, everything you focus on, for there is no place that is separate from God. This is what the Christ meant when he said the kingdom of God is within you. Jesus understood what it meant to enter the activities of this world with a new sense of reality, with a penetrating spiritual vision which see through the effect to its cause and knows this cause to be good. You could say that the Christ practiced "spiritual common sense", which is so rare and so creative that they mistaken him for God.
IamtheReckoner, it's your path to follow, you can choose to follow other peoples paths or your own, you can choose to follow that innate voice with you, or you can follow the voices of others, just listen to that God within.
Jesus isn't experienced through reading the Bible, any more than a solar eclipse is experienced by reading about it.
Anyone saying the Bible is the way to sense and experience Christ simply has it wrong. They are probably clueless, and not a worthwhile source for direction. Their personal problem though doesn't invalidate the possibility that Jesus can be experienced.
If you want something to fail, depend on lousy sources and examples. If you really want to give something a fair chance, seek on your own, free of interfering influences.
Last edited by Thoreau424; 06-14-2018 at 01:23 PM..
This past Saturday night a meth head came into our townhouse community. And as I saw him walking down our street wearing only undershorts, I thought God is everywhere you look.
He tried to force his way into my house, and I thought God is everywhere you look.
He wrecked patio furniture at several townhouses, and I thought God is everywhere you look.
He smashed a window and broke into one townhouse and stole property, and I thought God is everywhere you look.
What I have always fundamentally believed is that there is some sort of higher power. I believe in the natural laws of the universe, karma, etc. because I have seen them work out myself.
Truly, it does not matter what we think. What matters, is what YOU feel is right. The Right Thing To Do. NO ONE can ever tell YOU what is right or wrong. No one can tell YOU, what to believe into. You will go mad in short time, listening to everyone who has naval.
The ONLY way out, and you can find that in any religion, Christianity included, is to find the truth within.
Within your-Self. It is to be found nowhere else.
I think hell-threat is Christianity's chief trump card for putting butts in the pews and dollars in the collection basket.
Hell and original sin are religion's biggest lies and those who promote them are either evil or brainwashed.
I agree. What do you mean by "original" sin? As opposed to a new definition of sin? Thank you.
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