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Guys, I can’t always put my faith in Christ into words. I can’t always defend it as well as I should be able to. My knowledge of my faith is still very elementary. I suck with apologetics.
There’s switch that’s been flicked to the “on” position. No matter how much I question my OWN faith…no matter how tough it is at times…no matter what the science books say…I can’t shake it. Stick with me, here.
I say that God has grabbed ahold of me and isn’t letting go. You can call it whatever you want.
But Dawkins says…
My college professor said…
I’ve figured it all out on my own!
Good for Dawkins, your college professor, and you. Really.
Here’s what I’m saying: I didn’t do this to myself. I cried out to God one night and my life has been night and day different ever since. I’ve tried to shake the Jesus off of me - it doesn’t work. The scientists, quite honestly, make a lot of sense. Facts are facts, after all, right? I understand your arguments. You make extremely convincing points.
I don’t always understand God. I don’t understand everything in the bible. I have questions. I doubt. I’m troubled by a lot of what I read and see. Christianity pisses me off all the time.
Yet the switch remains on. Amazing. Call it what you want.
The joy of really truly knowing Christ and being in constant relation with the creator of this world is something that no meaningless joker on his stupid blog could possibly describe. I’m not here to shove anything down your throat. It’s always yours for the taking. I’m just a 28 year old punk with braces.
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Bill, I’m happy for you. Maybe you’ll always feel this way.
But maybe not. I didn’t go looking for doubts. I didn’t do this to myself. They just started happening to me one day. If that ever happens to you I hope people are there for you and don’t make you feel bad about what you didn’t do to yourself.
But Dawkins says…
My college professor said…
I’ve figured it all out on my own!
This sounds arrogant (and maybe they are) - but actually are you sure this is what they say? I think if you asked them “Who have you learned from?” they would give you a long list of people they admire, from whom they have learned much.
Sometimes Christians (not you necessarily) seem to think they are more humble than everyone else because they give credit to God (”it couldn’t possibly be me - it must have been God!”) I disagree that they are more humble. Anyone who gives appropriate credit to anyone else is equally humble, in my opinion, whether they believe in God or not.
If it’s an imbalance in the chemistry in your brain then I’m sure that there’s a pill you can get.
I’m kidding.
The most effective form of evangelism that I can imagine is to actually live a successful and happy life by the rules of your faith. Your example becomes your evangelism, not your words.
If that’s working for you then I’m happy for you. Really. To each his own.
Interesting fact about Skep, I still have a baby tooth (because the adult one came in sideways and is sitting in my gums above the roots of my other teeth, makes for a really cool X-Ray). Anyway, to correct it, they will pull the baby tooth, lasso the adult tooth and pull it through my gums down and into the missing tooth slot where it belongs. All of that will have to be done using braces, etc. I too much of a chicken-sh… uh.. chicken to do it. Plus I’m 30 and I will have a missing tooth and I will have braces for about 6-12 months. I mean the missing tooth thing isn’t that big of a deal, I’ll blend in with some of my fellow Hoosiers. Oooh zing…
Anyway, it sounds to me like you are excited about life and helping people make a change in their lives. I (obviously) think you can help people without the need for Jebus or any other supernatural personage. Look at some of the humanist things that many Christian missions perform and that I think you recently participated in. That’s humanism plain and simple.
In fact, the more I look at liberal forms of Christianity (those that still accept Christ as a person) are really personifying in Christ a kind of religious humanism (dum dum dummmmm). I had a discussion recently with a very liberal Christian and if you were to remove the religious language and the references to Christ he and I would agree on so many things.
I got nowhere with him on the fact that he was really some kind of moral relativist (which he denied) but he clearly rejected so many of the teachings of the New Testament oops I mean he had very interesting interpretations to almost actually rejecting certain things completely.
@hover
A God Pill? Nice… Do you have to swallow it with Holy Water? lol… I’m on fire today.
Helen - why do you point out Christians? It’s not CHRISTIANITY that makes people think they are more humble then others because of God, it’s who they are. God or ‘religion’ doesn’t have anything to do with it. It’s the person. Person, PERSON.
I love God, he is the love of my life. I wouldn’t be were I am not without him. Do I think I am more humble? No. I believe I’m blessed and a better person because I have God. I wish everyone knew what I felt. Humble because God does amazing things in my life? Well he does, and people can ignore it or accept it. What they chose to believe isn’t a burden I bare.
@Skeptigator, The God Pill (capitals are important) only works if you really believe in it.
I’m going to stop mocking now…at least for today.
Adam I don’t understand the question you asked me (feel free to rephrase it if you like) but thanks for your comment.
Bill- I hear you and I can’t explain it either, although you did well…God does take a hold of a heart and HE won’t let go..even when we think HE has, HE is still there. I love that I am good with HIM even if I doubt or question. HE doesn’t mind, and HE has answers for the asking!
Hover-nice pill theory…if there were a pill for this, I would be sticking it in every ones coffee!!
Darla, although I didn’t state it explicitely I actually meant the pill as a cure for faith. Faith being the chemical imbalance. Shush though. I won’t tell if you don’t.
I don’t know what to say. Fortunately, I found someone else’s words:
“How on earth can religious people believe in so much arbitrary, clearly invented balderdash?….The acceptance of a creed, any creed, entitles the acceptor to membership in the sort of artificial extended family we call a congregation. It is a way to fight loneliness. Any time I see a person fleeing from reason and into religion, I think to myself, There goes a person who simply cannot stand being so goddamned lonely anymore.” - Kurt Vonnegut
Ben, I’m wary of answers which are that simple.
I think people believe what they believe because they believe it’s true, not because it helps them be less lonely. Although it might have that ramification if it results in them becoming part of a community where people genuinely care about each other. (And if God is real and God himself helps them feel less lonely/alone)
The emotional support must also reinforce the belief as well. If someone feels loved and accepted in a church or a community of like minded people then they are unlikely to question the source of their belief. Why should they if it works for them. People tend not to question success or try to fix it.
Helen, I just don’t like it when people strike out at Christianity as the problem. It’s the individual people and not the ‘religion’ as the whole.
Adam wrote:
,
Adam, that may be your opinion but it’s not mine. I have a big problem with any belief system which consigns most of humanity to eternal damnation.
Well for me it’s not a belief system it’s a way of life. It’s the truth. Hell wasn’t originally made for man. It was intended for Lucifer and the fallen angels. However Satan wants to bring all the humans down with him that he can.
God doesn’t want that, but he won’t interfere with free will. It’s your personal choice whether to accept God as your Lord and Savior and in accepting him - accept his immense Love and the joy and comes into your life.
If you don’t accept it God will be sad, and you will join Satan in hell. It’s the truth. If you won’t accept it in life, you’re forced to accept it in death.