You are asking some very important questions. However religion and faith are too very different things. The Holy Spirit drew me to him at a very young age . . .seven. It was then that I realized that I was a sinner. "For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." Romans 3:23. And if I was a sinner I needed a Savior. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16. I couldn't do anything to save myself. I learned that salvation was a gift from God it is not of works that I had done because then I would get the glory for saving myself---not God. "For by Grace are ye saved, not of works lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9 I wasn't looking for God but He opened my eyes in his infinite mercy and saved me. I will pray that your questions and concerns are answered soon. God Bless.

Another great post here with some great comments. I am glad that I spent enough time in this forum (I usually don't) to see this thread.

We all prefer to laugh and have a good time. I've learned in my 45 years to cherish the sad times just as much. That seems to be when I learn the most about myself and those around me. Its a good thing to be lonely and a little sad every now and then. Don't be afraid be thankful.

I'm at a point in my life where I am religiously confused to say the least. I question religion on a daily basis. I would love to get more in touch with a religion but it's not working out for me. For every positive religious aspect I think of it seems as if I can find 2 negatives. A lot of aspects about religion really bother me and very little of it makes sense to me. I am in no way an athiest, at this moment in my life, I believe in a creator. I know that there is a reason that I wake up every morning and I believe things happen for a reason. I believe there is something out there that is bigger than me and that things don't happen in my life "just because". I also question the concept of hell a lot. I'm not so sure that I'm sold on the idea of hell being a fire filled land as it is painted. I'm not sure that I believe the stories in the bible, I believe that the bible is a book of morals maybe with stories to teach us. I very rarely go to church with my family anymore because I find myself sitting in a pew trying to come up with reasons that contradict what our preacher is saying. I also find church commical at some points, I have a feeling that some people go to church to be seen and put on a show. I have a huge issue with all the organized religions and how many religions believe they are the true religion. My aunt firmly believes that my great grandmother is burning in hell right now because she was a different religion that she was, to me, thats insane. I could go on and on about my issues with religion but at the end of the day I feel that if I had some type of faith I would feel better about my life and where it was heading. My question to everyone is when did you find your faith ? Were you just raised in church and that is why you go or was it a specific moment in your life when things finllay came together and you knew it was the right thing for you ?

 

 

I know what your going through man, I have been there for about 4 years now. I believe there is a high power but I'm not sure what it is. One of my biggest issues is I don't believe in creation. I think humans evolved. I've currently been studying about Hinduism.

I was sick one time and happened to have a big ball game coming up. Me and my mom prayed in Jesus name that i would be healed of my symptoms. I honestly believed I was going to be healed and I was. I was saved when i was younger but i felt like I needed to do it again. I did and i read Gods word and try to understand it and try to spread the good news of Jesus to people. I wish some people would open there eyes and see what there missing out on and realize that some things there doing is wrong. I really cant make myself believe that we evolved from monkeys. Imo evolution is garbage and is just another way the devil is tring to seperate us from Christ.

Freak...what is your thoughts on the Bible?

Freak...what is your thoughts on the Bible?

 

Just for some background in this before I answer your question, I grew up in a very religious household, I was baptised and raised Methodist. I also attended a Free WIll Baptist church for a while with my father after my parents were divorced. So my opinion on things doesnt come as stupidity (for lack of a better word) to the bible and christianity

 

I have a hard time believing everything in the Bible to be true. I believe there are things that are true and things that are not and I actually feel this way about all religions.

 

I actually have a very strong belief in Karama hence why I've been looking alot at Hindiusm: The effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well. It is cumulative.

 

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend btw.

Freak, thanks for the note on Sean. Real Sad.

 

Don't mean to be hard on you so bare with me.

 

You mentioned that you was raised in a Christian home and experince two types of Religion, and now you are involved or looking at a very different type of Religion. Can you share some "problems" that you have with the Bible?

 

2nd Timothy 3:16 says "All scripture is God Breathed". One problem I have with folks is they want to "pick and Choose" verses that fits their belief system. I don't mean this just for you. I've used that term on here a lot and on my debates with Preachers that I've had. Even my boys will pick/choose scripture.

Freak, thanks for the note on Sean. Real Sad.

 

Don't mean to be hard on you so bare with me.

 

You mentioned that you was raised in a Christian home and experince two types of Religion, and now you are involved or looking at a very different type of Religion. Can you share some "problems" that you have with the Bible?

 

2nd Timothy 3:16 says "All scripture is God Breathed". One problem I have with folks is they want to "pick and Choose" verses that fits their belief system. I don't mean this just for you. I've used that term on here a lot and on my debates with Preachers that I've had. Even my boys will pick/choose scripture.

 

Alabama Larry, I feel that Freak and I seem to be in a similar place in life when dealing with religion so I'm going to throw in my 2 cents on the bible subject.

 

Please bare with me as I ask you to hear me out, be open minded and not judge me because I see things differently than you.

 

Some of the stories in the bible to me are a little too far fetched to be believable. Men losing their strength because they had their hair cut, people parting seas,turning a couple pieces of fish and bread into a meal that fed many many people just to name a few seem a little far fetched. They just seem like fairy tales to me. I'm not sure that at this point in my life I'm willing to base every decision I make in a day on what a book of stories says.

 

This has nothing to do with what you asked freak but you seem very strong in your beliefs,I respect that and would love to hear what you have to say about this.

 

My 1st main problem with religion is church. A preacher asks for a testemonial, an awkard silence occurs, then the same people stand every srevice, say the same things and cry. It bothers me and I dont know why. The altar, why do people need to go the altar to pray ? I sometimes feel as if it is show. Wouldnt god hear my prayers from my seat the same as he would at that altar ? Things people say at church. "I can't wait till the day I can finally meet my jesus and leave this hell we are living in." Then the same person ten minutes later will ask everyone to pray for her cousins friend who is dying. Why ? If this life we are living is so horrible why would you wan't someone who is dying to live ? Why wouldnt we all just end it now because what we are living in is hell ? I often leave church when I attend feeling frustrated, confused, depressed and farther away from christ than the day before.

 

Just another thought...People bother me who claim abortion is "doing gods work" or "playing god." How is abortion anymore playing god than having a surgery to save your life ? If god intended you to make it through your injury or sickness you wouldnt need to have surgery. Just the same as if an unborn baby was meant to live then god could intervend with the parent of the child and change her mind on her decision to have an abortion.

 

A lot of things bother me. Please dont be offended by the way I think. I really respect truly religion people and love talking and taking advice from the ones who are open minded enough to speak to me about it.

Also something that I think about daily is the amount of religions that are offered around the world. There are too many religions to choose from. If there is one true religion it seems to me that an awful lot of people are going to be going to hell because of the way they were raised. I think there is a religion that believes that you are reincarnated as a cow, that sounds crazy to me, but who am I to tell those people they are wrong ? I dont know that they are wrong. I pray a lot of nights. I don't know who I'm praying to but I hope that there is some higher power that is hearing those prayers.

I’m sorry for the length but here is the general idea of some of the things that I question. My wife and I talk about these things a lot. She actually took an objective class on the New Testament in which is taught from a non-religious viewpoint. I have flipped through her books and here are some of the things we have talked about that are confusing. I am aware of the fact that much of Mark is in Matthew and Luke and they share a lot of common verses but it’s the differences that I question when these books are supposed to all tell the same story.

 

Matthew 2:14 says that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus left for Egypt after Jesus was born, but on the other hand Luke 2:39 said they went straight to Nazareth.

 

The apostles are different based on which book you are reading. Mark and Matthew use the same lists, but Acts and Luke are slightly different.

 

Matthew 2:14 says that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus left for Egypt after Jesus was born, but on the other hand Luke 2:39 said they went straight to Nazareth.

 

In Matthew 27:32 it says a man named Simon carried the cross, but in John 19:17 Jesus carried the cross.

 

Also I understand the making of the Bible was a long process, and there was a council set to choose which books were included, which were left out. Since none of the New Testament was actually written during the life of Jesus; how is it that generations later a council could be chosen to determine what we are to learn as Christianity. I actually decided to look the date up. The Catholic Council of Carthage in 397 A.D. chose the books of the Bible. Then you have the Dead Sea scrolls which were hidden 30-40 years before many of the books of the bible were ever written. You understand that most of what the gospels include were probably passed down by word of mouth, if they weren’t passed down by word of mouth then why not use the original documents rather than stories interpreted by others. Another things is the last words spoken by Jesus on the cross, if you look those up you’ll notice they are different. I would imagine if your going to tell a story about the Savior shouldn’t the last words, which is the pinnacle of his life and his work be the same? People are famous for the last words they speak, why are his different based on who’s account you read?

Alabama Larry, I feel that Freak and I seem to be in a similar place in life when dealing with religion so I'm going to throw in my 2 cents on the bible subject.

 

Please bare with me as I ask you to hear me out, be open minded and not judge me because I see things differently than you.

 

Some of the stories in the bible to me are a little too far fetched to be believable. Men losing their strength because they had their hair cut, people parting seas,turning a couple pieces of fish and bread into a meal that fed many many people just to name a few seem a little far fetched. They just seem like fairy tales to me. I'm not sure that at this point in my life I'm willing to base every decision I make in a day on what a book of stories says.

 

This has nothing to do with what you asked freak but you seem very strong in your beliefs,I respect that and would love to hear what you have to say about this.

 

My 1st main problem with religion is church. A preacher asks for a testemonial, an awkard silence occurs, then the same people stand every srevice, say the same things and cry. It bothers me and I dont know why. The altar, why do people need to go the altar to pray ? I sometimes feel as if it is show. Wouldnt god hear my prayers from my seat the same as he would at that altar ? Things people say at church. "I can't wait till the day I can finally meet my jesus and leave this hell we are living in." Then the same person ten minutes later will ask everyone to pray for her cousins friend who is dying. Why ? If this life we are living is so horrible why would you wan't someone who is dying to live ? Why wouldnt we all just end it now because what we are living in is hell ? I often leave church when I attend feeling frustrated, confused, depressed and farther away from christ than the day before.

 

Just another thought...People bother me who claim abortion is "doing gods work" or "playing god." How is abortion anymore playing god than having a surgery to save your life ? If god intended you to make it through your injury or sickness you wouldnt need to have surgery. Just the same as if an unborn baby was meant to live then god could intervend with the parent of the child and change her mind on her decision to have an abortion.

 

A lot of things bother me. Please dont be offended by the way I think. I really respect truly religion people and love talking and taking advice from the ones who are open minded enough to speak to me about it.

\

 

 

 

I agree with you 100% on this one.

Just another thought...People bother me who claim abortion is "doing gods work" or "playing god." How is abortion anymore playing god than having a surgery to save your life ? If god intended you to make it through your injury or sickness you wouldnt need to have surgery. Just the same as if an unborn baby was meant to live then god could intervend with the parent of the child and change her mind on her decision to have an abortion.

 

YOU choose to have your own life saving surgery. How much does choice does the baby have in an abortion?

 

Furthermore, using that logic, if God wanted you to get to heaven, then you would, regardless of whether or not you are a serial rapist. Otherwise God would have intervened and made you not rape people.

 

I don't think so.

I'm at a point in my life where I am religiously confused to say the least. I question religion on a daily basis. I would love to get more in touch with a religion but it's not working out for me. For every positive religious aspect I think of it seems as if I can find 2 negatives.

 

I am not going to tell you how to live your life, but don't reject organized religion because you can't find the perfect match. Committing to God is not about picking and choosing what you want to believe, it is about believing what is true.

I am not going to tell you how to live your life, but don't reject organized religion because you can't find the perfect match. Committing to God is not about picking and choosing what you want to believe, it is about believing what is true.

 

 

How do you distinguish between the truth and the lies?

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

 

It's tough being young and trying to figure out how life works and how religion fits your life.

 

I think I'm going to take Hearsays advice and keep asking questions. I love talking religion with people who are open minded enough not to judge me because I see things a little differently.

 

I was thinking last night and I've decided that for right now I'm just going to be the best person I can from day to day. Someone up above has a plan for me,I'll be looking for him but I'm not going to rush his plans.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

I think to be truley sold on a religion you have to be open enough to question your own beliefs. You have to be open enough to study other religions and respect thier beiliefs even if they differ from your own. If you can question your own religion in everyway shape form and fashion and at the end of the day, know that you can answer any question you might have thought and believe it to be true, then you have truley found your faith. If you can answer any question that someone else asks about it and at the end of the day you are not second guessing your answer then you have found your faith. I applaud those on here and everywhere that have that faith and relationship with thier higher power. If they day comes that I have that answer, and I'm still a member of the BGP community, I'll be sure to let you know. Until then, I'm going to study and learn and ask quesitons and debate and study some more until what ever it is to be finds me or I find it.