I grew up in relatively evangelical christian schools and thus I grew up as a Christian.
However, it was in the summer of 2009 that I really started to question my faith.
At first I was scared of the idea of the idea that maybe my religion wasn't right, and I couldn't believe I could start to doubt something I had always been taught was right. However, once I stepped out of that shell and really opened my mind to other possibilities, I have been extremely liberated. I have not given up some of the main teachings of oJesus such as love your neighbor, so on and so forth, but I do not believe in god the way christianity does anymore.
Upon research, deep thought, and talking with my mentor, I have seen the possibility and what I believe to be truth that we all have an inner god within us. It is simply a matter of killing back the ego enough to allow that inner god to present itself in you.
I do not believe that many of the "sins" or "temptations" are bad. They're merely human impulses that are completely natural. Thus I see no reason why we should be punished for acting according to how we were made.
To put it simply, I believe that to be a good person, and have a good life after this one, you must kill the ego, and live for love, and love everyone.
It is a constant effort.
Keep going. Sprial out.
Love is the ultimate answer...it is the WHY? Every person has their own path, only you can know what is right for you. Dont be guilt tripped into believing anything, life is too complex and too big for old answers. Help generate new ideas and new beliefs that fit your view of the world. Do not let fear rule your life, make your decisions for you. Fear is at the heart of religion; Love is at the heart of spirituality.
ReplyDeleteReligion is an establishment of rules and regulations to keep a certain group of people in line. Catholicism is a religion. Islam is a religion. Hinduism is a religion. Although many atheists will scream and protest this truth, even ATHEISM is a religion. Many people have turned the faith in God (the one and only god who created the universe) into a religion. Many ministers have declared that you either follow their rules, or you go to Hell (which DOES exist). This makes me sick. TRUE Christianity is a constant desire to have a personal relationship with the one and only God. It is a close friendship with the creator of the universe and is soley based on love. It isn't about following a list of rules. When you have true love for the creator, you'll find that you WANT to do what's morally right. The closer you grow in your relationship with God, the easier living a moral life will become. It becomes natural! This is why so many "Christians" lose faith in God. They never had a true relationship with Him. They got to the point in their lives where they falsely believed that Christianity is about obeying a long list of rules, or they go to Hell. No wonder so many people hate Christianity! They have the completely wrong understanding of it! It's truly sad. Ask any real, honest Christian who has a real, tangible relationship with God, and you will find someone who would rather DIE than disown God. Why? Because they have had a taste of what it's like to be loved by the one and only god in existence! When you truly discover the love and FORGIVENESS (not condemnation!) of God, nothing else no longer matters. To discover God's love, however, you must be willing to SEEK after Him. He very rarely will reveal himself to those who consciously block him out of their lives.
ReplyDeleteIt's ironic that to supposedly liberate yourself from the belief in God and to "open your mind", you have to "kill your ego". Why is this ironic? It's ironic because the very act of living a life devoted to following the Lord requires you to kill your ego. When you tell God to his face, "I know more than you. Faith in you is old fashioned. You don't truly exist. I am MY OWN GOD.", you aren't killing your ego. You're FUELING your ego! You have gotten to the place where you believe you are wiser than the very being who created the universe. Killing your ego is to tell God, "I am a sinner and I am not perfect. Please forgive me for my pride and for my selfish living. Please, make me pure, just and upright, and loving just like you are. Thankyou for your forgiveness and your love." Once you truly "kill your ego" and you set your life straight with God, only then will you know TRUE liberty. Trust me. I turned my back on God most of my senior year of high school because i wanted to do things my own way. I was enjoying sin too much. It was the worst year of my entire life. NOTHING in life brought me joy. I have since asked for forgiveness, am actively seeking a close relationship with the Lord, and am searching for his purpose for my life. NOTHING has ever brought me more peace or joy in life. NOTHING ever will.
ReplyDeleteChristianity is a religion no matter how much you claim it's merely a relationship, because if christianity is just a relationship then so is islam, judaism, catholicism, so on and so forth. christianity is nowhere near as unique as you seem to think it is...
ReplyDeleteThere are so many little quirks and celebrations that christianity has that they took from other religions. if any religion is the copy cat, its christianity.
And I find that I want to moral things for myself, for my own self-edification; not for some impersonal god who's going to send me to hell if i dont believe in him.
As kev said, it truly is all about love.
i know christianity works for you. that's great. it really is. but i believe everyone needs to question their faith. because if they do, and that is still the right religion for them, then questioning it will only make it stronger. if it's not, then you'll find something new that makes you even happier and more complete than you ever imagined before.
Ok, let's say that Christianity IS a religion. Fair enough, I won't pursue an argument in that. In all honesty, it really doesn't matter in the long run whether it is labeled as one or not. My point was to show the difference in Christianity to other religions - which focus on a set of rules.
ReplyDeleteChristianity IS, in fact, unique. Why? Because every other relgion in the world focuses on one's self. How can I EARN my way into eternity? What acts can I COMMIT to improve my afterlife? You see, that is where my point in Christianity not being a religion comes into play. TRUE Christianity is about the Lord's forgiveness and love, NOT what we can do. We cannot EARN our way into eternity. Whether you think so or not, there are morally wrong things in this world and they are called sin. No one is perfect and everyone has sinned. It's just a fact. God is not an impersonal being. He knows that everyone sins, he understands how hard it is to live a moral life, and he has offered a way for us to be saved from the punishment for sin (the punishment being Hell). He sacrificed his son (which you already know) to pay the penalty and to take the punishment for our sins. We don't have to pay that punishment. All we have to do is choose to accept to believe that He is who He says, He did what he says He did, and to love and follow Him. That last part is where people like yourself say, "No thanks." Many people don't like the idea of believing that there is someone out there who is greater, more powerful, and more in control than we are. It's all about humanism. People want to feel that they are in control and want to consider themselves their own god. However, it only takes a short while for one to suddenly realize that we aren't in control of anything. Our lives are but a whisp of smoke. No matter how one may try, no one can stop death. Fifty years after you die, it's unlikely that anyone will remember who you were. As sad as it is, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we have no real control over our lives. So why pretend that you're greater than you really are? If I'm wrong and I die and I simply cease to exist, well at least I lived a moral life that had a purpose. But if I'm right... you get the idea. As that Kev guy said and as you have said, it IS all about love. Accept and believe God's love, love Him in return, and love others. That's what God wants from his people and is what Christianity is ALL about. Unfortunately, many many people in this world (particularly the U.S.) profess to be Christians, yet they miss it all. They are the ones who change Christianity simply from a relationship of love into a set list of rules.
Finally, as I have stated before, I HAVE questioned my faith. For most of my senior year, I did things my way. I wanted to be my "own, inner god". It brought me nothing but isolation and depression. I felt like there was a hole in my soul, if that makes sense. I didn't feel complete and I felt utterly lost. I didn't know who I was. I got to the point where I realized that the only way I could ever feel complete, have an identity, and a PURPOSE in this otherwise meaningless life, was in God. He restored me, brought me joy and peace again, and is showing me that the more I "kill my ego", the more fulfillment my life will have. I don't live in a self-concocted notion that I am a god and that I have total control over who I am. I have a peace, a hope, and a joy that I could never have had on my own. Hope this all helps and isn't too confusing!
I don't know if this will even matter or not but that's what today's church has done, they've made Christianity into a copycat religion, including celebrations and such. My family stopped celebrating Easter, because it was derived from a Pagan holiday called Ishtar. We celebrate passover and resurrection. Today's Christianity is so copy-cat, so I am genuinely trying to sort out truth and deceit. In all honesty, my parents (who are pastors) don't even have a sunday service anymore, because it's not the New Testament, Biblical way. They met in home churches, which is what we are doing. So I guess where I'm going with this is true Christianity is not a copy-cat, just read the Bible to find that out, but the Church has skewed God's word so much that it has become just like other religions.
ReplyDeleteOh sorry also i wanted to give you this link just *in case you were curious about the Easter thing...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract1.html
I say do what you love! Spirituality is the most intimate part of you and no one has a right to say whether you are "wrong" or right". Everyone is different. No one can tell you what is best for you. You only know that in your heart. Keep on!
ReplyDeleteOK, so then marc. you've questioned your faith, and have come back to Christianity, and it's filling that hole you felt. Great! I'm happy for you I really am. I questioned my faith and realized that it just isn't right for me.
ReplyDeleteyou filled your hole, now I filled mine.
Nothing wrong with that. I respect your beliefs, but you cant tell me your right and im wrong because you dont know. neither do i. noone REALLY knows the truth.
and yeah megan, that's really respectable of you and your parents. I love people like that who actively seek to become more and more enlightened. That's what I'm all about. I try not to give an opinion of something until I know more about it.
I remember learning about the whole Easter thing senior year in highschool.
do you still celebrate christmas?
Lol it's pretty crazy! No we're not celebrating Christmas as a family this year. My brother and his wife will still celebrate it with her family, but our family isn't... Its been kinda hard to let go of all of the tradition, but that's the price you pay for following what you believe!
ReplyDeletethat really is extremely respectable of you all.
ReplyDeleteI know you won't believe me man, but I DO know. I have experienced God and I know with no question in my mind that He is real. He has revealed Himself to me through the miracles he has worked in my life. I can share about them, if you desire, but that's your decision. If I have offended you in anything that I have said, I apologize. It wasn't intentional. I have simply been answering your questions and sharing my personal beliefs. If you don't like it, let me know and I will no longer bring it up. I would find that a little strange though to be honest. I remember you saying that you love to debate and argue and I have read arguments that you have had with others in the past. You made it seem like you enjoy talking about this sort of thing, so, though my intention hasn't been to have an argument, I haven't held back on anything that I have said. Like I said, though, if you're sick of hearing my opinion, let me know and I will no longer express it to you. I'm not here to talk to someone who doesn't want to hear what I have to say. So yah, no worries if you're done with this topic!
ReplyDeleteOK, prove to me beyond a reasonable doubt that god exists.
ReplyDeleteAs you and I both know, there is no one exact way to PROVE God's existence. I won't even go down that road. However, there is overwhelming EVIDENCE that God exists. The first and greatest of which, is creation. How can all of it happened by mere accident? Even for the big bang theory to have worked, there had to have been certain particles of whatever floating around. These particles would have (supposedly) reacted with each other and created the first signs of "life". Ok... so where did those particles come from? My point is this: everything had to have been created by something with uncomprehensible intelligence. The balance of life is far to delicate to have happened by accident. Not only that, but what about ideas and physics? Music, math, gravity... the list goes on. How did those just HAPPEN to come into existence? Simple. They didn't. They were created. As cliche as it is, it honestly does take more faith to believe that everything happened by accident than it does to believe that everything was created with a purpose.
ReplyDeleteI have some evidence that I have seen and experienced in my own life as well. The first is me. When I was born, both my mom and I nearly died. Yet, for some reason, our lives were spared. I believe for a purpose. I have a reason to live and it's not for my own selfish desires.
Another piece of evidence. Up until 3 years ago, my grandpa on my mom's side was a very bitter, grumpy man. He is a retired marine - enough said. One night, 3 years ago, his pancreas simply stopped working and started releasing toxins into his body. He went into unstoppable fits of vomitting and fever. My grandma rushed him to the hospital just in time. If he had arrived even an hour later, he would have died. They did emergency surgery, yet the doctors said that he had almost no chance of surviving. They basically said that my grandpa was going to die (a bitter, unhappy man). While my whole family was fearful and in complete shock, I had this sense of peace come over me. Although the doctors said he wouldn't live, I KNEW he would. I had no fear in my heart whatsoever. I believe fullheartedly this was God speaking to me. I even told my grandmother on my dad's side not to worry, that he was going to be alright. Well, 6 months of recovery and rehabilitation later, my grandpa was released to go back home. He was completely healed and healthy. Not only that though, through that experience God had changed his LIFE. He now smiles, he now laughs, he now has a purpose, he now enjoys life, and he will tell you himself that only God could have done it. You may not consider this good enough evidence for you, but I KNOW in my heart that God exists and these all point to his existence. I have more stories like this if you would like to hear them. My hands are just cramping up from typing lol
-Marc-
Well I'm sorry, but if you cannot prove it, then you cannot KNOW you are right.
ReplyDeleteI KNOW that I DONT know if I'm right. Noone will ever really know the truth until it's all over.