Religion

I am a Christian and proud. I'm not a strict Christian, I believe in being friends with God and that some of the Catholic sacraments don't mean anything God if you're not a real believer. I respect other people belief's and it can be fascinating to learn about that, but at the end of the day, I believe God is the game Master

 

GM God, huh, Brookie? Interesting....

Okay, it is all my fault. I started the little mishap in the WNU, but I didn't mean to!

Oh, my opinion on door-to-door? It is annoying to me. I minister in ways that present themselves before me. I am not in-your-face, I am just honest. And that is important. You have to believe in what you are telling someone about. You have to love people enough to share with them what you know. For me it is hard because I am actually pretty shy. Stop laughing Brooke. I really am. That is why I could not do door to door. Also because if it is annoying to me, well, why would I want to subject others to it. I treat people the way I want to be treated (I try anyway) so no door knocking for me.

I am an Evangelical Christian...meaning I tell people about my faith because Christ asks it of me. But like I said, I am not rude about it or anything like that. I am just not afraid to talk about it and share it and help people with it, etc. And I am still learning as well. I have been a Christian for a long time, but for about 10 years I have been really dedicated to Christ. I am a natural skeptic. I love science and I love how my love for science compliments my faith. My faith did not come easy. So I do not expect it to come easy for anyone else. I remember my questions. I am like the kid in class who always has her hand up and the teacher is rolling his eyes because it is another question. But I think God likes me to ask questions. The answers seem to be in the most interesting places.

 

I didn't laugh... until you told me not to laugh I ask a lot of questions to, as you know. And I don't seem to get answers when I want them, they come when I don't realise it, which is rather annoying.

 

Sometimes it is annoying. But it is because we are not patient. But when the answer comes, it is such an obvious thing. It is hard to explain it to someone who has not experienced it. God does not verbally speak to me, or anyone. It is more like knowledge, or things just stick out in places where they shouldn't. For me, usually, I all of a sudden know something I did not know a moment before and it is during prayer. Always during prayer. I know it is hard for some people to understand, and believe me, I completely relate to you on that because I have not always understood it either. Christians have Spiritual Gifts and mine, one of them anyway, happens to be knowledge. Luckily, the other one is wisdom. LOL. They usually come together anyway. But I just know things. Some people might call it psychic, but my connection is the Holy Spirit, not some other spirit so there is a huge difference. I am definitely not psychic! It is not like I can walk into a room and know everything about anything. It is all up to God. Not me.

For example, I was led to pray for someone and I did not know why but I knew that it was important to pray for this person. Well, later on, I found out that during the time I prayed for them, they were going through family stuff and seriously needed prayer. I am not saying who it is. It is nobody on the forum or close to me. It is someone I do not even know personally. I am not boasting that I did anything personally. I am okay that God uses me to help others. In fact, I love helping others and I am honored. Even if it is not for spiritual reasons. Anyhow, I just wanted to illustrate an example of what happens sometimes when you obey God even though you do not understand. I have learned that Yoda is right ...sometimes there is no "why." Not immediately, anyway. A lot of times I find out why and sometimes I do not.

That is a big part of Faith...trust. I trust that my car is going to not explode when I start it up in the morning. LOL. Really, I do not have any enemies who would do that to me. But my point is, people live on faith and do not even realize it.

I am supposed to be in bed. But I wanted to make one more statement or two. One of my best friends in the whole world is a Jehovah's Witness. And I joked around with him and told him he was the first JW I ever let through my front door. I hope that does not cross the line here. I worry about my friend Sean because of my personal beliefs. If you are a Christian, you know why. But I will not say much about that here. Sean was the best man in our wedding. He got mad (jokingly) because Dan and I are going to name our first son Anakin (because he wanted to name his first son Anakin). He is not even married nor does he have a girlfriend. LOL. Poor Sean. He is such a wonderful person. I trust him with my life. He introduced my hubby to me and kicked himself for it because he liked me. But my point is, I know Sean will not celebrate holidays because of his beliefs. So I will call him on his brthday and tell him that I am "commemorating the anniversary of your birth." LOL. He is a disfellowshipped JW and not a very good one but still follows the beliefs. Like I said, poor Sean. They mistreated him in his Kingdom Hall I think. He is a great person. He has to grovel to the Elders to get back in and I am not sure he wants to. It HAS been about 15 years. So when I basically tell him "Happy birthday," sometimes he will laugh and say "* u." But say the actual word. But normally he saves that for Dan. Of course Sean knows we are teasing him. He bought me a birthday present one year a month late, but, no it wasn't a birthday present! And he used to have Tahnksgiving and Christmas dinner with my parents and us, and accepted the gifts. So the line is blurry with him. We are on a very persona friendly basis so we can tease each other without being disrespectful. I know other Witnesses though and they would look down upon that. So it is a person by person basis. Sean is also a major SW fan and if

 

I think God has a sense of humor and we were not born with sticks up our butts, so we need to remove them Meaning, don't take everything so seriously. I am the first to say I have this problem. Somethings ARE serious. But, yeah, I can joke about my "religion" (I prefer to call mine a relationship). Even my pastor tells some good ones.

 

I feel that way about just about everything. I honestly believe that laughing, especially with close friends, makes things better. Earlier this week one of my best friends and I were both in bad moods about school stuff when we went out for dinner, and by the end of the dinner we were cracking up and felt better and more able to function.

 

Why was my post edited?

 

I think you might've used a word that you need to star completely out.

But when the answer comes, it is such an obvious thing. It is hard to explain it to someone who has not experienced it.

This is sort of where religion starts to turn me off. How come some people get it and some don't?

I'm not trying to be disrespectful. I'm just curious.

 

I think it happens to everyone, but in different ways. And some people ignore it, thinking it's nothing.

 

It happens to everyone? You mean, the communication does?

 

The signs, the feeling of finally getting the answer happens to everyone. Sometimes it's a process, like little things can build the answer, or sometimes the answer is so clear and you can't see it. I believe that those who follow Christ get answers from him, I also believe he tries to point people in his direction so they finally see him, and ask for him to save them. But short answer, yes I think the communication of the answers happens to everyone, but it's different communication. I hope you understand what I mean Sometimes your answer is actually a question. It's confusing to explain, and I think I've lost my point.

So I'll say this, believe your intuition. Short, sharp and simple

 

To me, my religion is more of a lifestyle. Christ has called Christians to be representatives of His kingdom. I was raised in a Christian family and have seen no reason to turn away from it.

EDIT: Misspelling

 

There are simply too many aspects of religion that just don't make sense to me. For instance, the Christian belief that God cursed the Egyptians with ten plagues directly contrasts with the commandment "Thou shalt not murder", at least as far as I can see.

 

I read a post in the Senate a while ago that said that despite the same background and such, the god of the Jewish, Christain and Muslim religions isn't the same, it's three different gods. I can't speak about Muslim beliefs since I'm not overly familiar, but the Jewish and Christain god are very unsimilar. Jewish god (aka Old Testament god) is very similar to tribal gods or Greek gods and etc. The Jews believe in a Just god, not a good or kind one, but I think that he acts selfishly a lot in the old stories. It's a part of my religion I'm a bit (more than a bit) uncomfortable with, but it also makes sense to me. If god loves his "chosen people," where was he when Hitler massacred them? Well, he doesn't love them, because he's not good or kind. It makes more sense to me than a god who supposedly loves humans and yet allows horrible things to happen. (And for the record, there isn't a devil or hell - or traditional heaven, actually - in Judiasm.)

 

That makes sense, but how can a just god allow terrible things to happen? Does that mean that justice isn't kind? Then who does the justice serve?

 

The Old Testament God has never made sense to me. And just assuming -- as a lot of people do -- the bible is in fact the word of God and that the bible should be taken word for word, well -- how come the Old Testament God is more or less just a Judge and the New Testament God a God who supposedly loves His creations and only wants the best for them?

What changed?

I suppose it's indoctrinated into a lot of people that God has to love us. Which then brings up the questions where He is and why He's letting all this bad crap happen on Earth.

Tribal Gods make more sense to me period. The Celtic Gods for example. Even the Greek Gods.
You have a pantheon and each God has His or Her area to uphold. And even though these Gods have powers, they still act like human beings, according to myth. That's something I actually like. They might have God powers, but they're just men and women in almost every sense.
So they make mistakes.

Which would explain why our world is so chaotic as it is right now.

This is something I would choose to believe in, if I were actually capable of believing something I can't see or touch or feel. Besides nature around me.
Nature is the one thing I know for certain that gives all of us life. So nature is, more or less, the God I look up to.
Although I'd rather like to think of nature as a Goddess.

Without nature we are nothing.

 

I agree. The inconsistancies are clear. "Thou shalt not kill", and yet the Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea.

Then what's the point of having gods? Well, besides being models for extremely fashionable lines of armor.

I just don't believe in worship as a concept. If we assume, for a moment, that there actually is a God, why should we be required to serve Him in every way possible, and love Him with all of our hearts? If He was truly great, he would help those that He created in His image.

But if there's something that I revere above anything else, above nature, above life, even above Star Wars, it's humanity. Humanity is its own god. And we are the future.

 

Isn't there a saying that goes "Where there is good, there is evil?"

There should always be balance between good and evil, so if there really is a God it would only make sense that there is Satan/Hell.
Throughout history you'll find this balance everywhere.

So why not with God as well?

Plus, it's kind of interesting that God might really have an opponent.

 

Well, believing in God and believing in Satan/Hell comes hand-in-hand, in my opinion. Satan in the one who tempted Eve into eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil( which God had had forbidden and was the ONLY rule they had to follow ever) in the first place, which was the first sin. Ever since then, sin and hardship has cursed the human race. Satan isn't completely responsible for it, Eve is, but Satan was the one who tempted her in the Garden. We've gone downhill since then. God will eventually punish Satan and cast him into the Lake of Fire for eternity according to the book of Revelation.

Sorry if that was completely unrelated to what you were talking about, I get to rambling.

 

I hate the fact that according to the bible, it's Eve's fault that humankind was cursed with hardship and pain and bla bla.

Just to throw that in.

 

Why do you hate that so much? God gave them one rule to obey, and they broke it. God hates sin, and God judges sin. So He banished them from the perfect Garden of Eden and the world was cursed because of their sin.

 

About the inconsistencies.... I understand it that God, who created everything and everyone, has absolute authority over everything and everyone. We don't have to understand why He does what He does just as we don't have to understand why George Lucas did what he did with Star Wars. Everything works out for those who,love Him (Romans 8:28). As in the example of the Egyptians, I suppose that they didn't love Him and choose to help the Israelites and serve God while they had the chance. Thankfully, Jesus came to earth so we could be saved. Case in point, God doesn't have to explain His actions to us.

I sincerely hope I have offended no one. This is just my take on the topic.