i have some questions

Originally i am an orthodox christian, but I didn't pay too much attention to my spirituality up until 2 months ago. That was when my best friend invited me to go to church with her. I hesitated, because she is spanish and her church is a bit different. Besides, I wouldn't understand anything anyway. But she insisted, so I went, and I had been going ever since. I accepted Jesus as my saviour, and for a little while I felt something wonderful. But then it disappeared, and I never felt it again. I totally started believing in bible and everything, but now i have so many doubts. For example, at that church they are totally against astrology and psychic stuff. They say it comes from Satan, and if you believe in it, you let it lead your life instead of God. When i heard the priest say that, i started rejecting everything he says. That's because my mom's major hobby is astrology, and it's something I grew up believeing in. Besides, they also say that
being gay is totally unacceptable, and if you're gay you'll go to hell for sure. That also shocked me, since a lot of people in my school are gay ( it's an art school lol) and some of them are my friends. They are really nice people too, I can't imagine them going to hell! And my friend says she doesn't attend school dances or listens to gangsta music ( she only listens to christian music). She even prays before eating and before going to sleep.
I just feel like i can't be that perfect, and I feel bad attending that church . At least I don't do drugs, don't smoke, and don't attend drunken parties. I mean, I love that church and I already regret all the things I just said about it, but that is how I fell. But they also say doubts come from Satan. They also say that first you should believe, and then you will "see". Omg, for the past month or so this problem is the only thing i've been thinking about. This really really bothers me, because I still believe in God, but not in the bible i guess. I don't want to go to hell though!

So should I have fun with being a teenager ( i'm almost 16), or should I start reading the bible again and be more like my friend?

 

Think For Yourself. Be You.

Go With Who You REALLY Are and Do Not Deny Yourself.

Religion and Superstition is a trap to enslave you of your TRUE freedom.

You should run from slavery.

 

wow. thanx. i just needed someone to tell me it's okay to be myself.

 

You should. There is a lot you can enjoy, experience and offer when you are true to yourself.

If you like something that no one else does. Don't deny it. Enjoy it.

If you dislike something that everyone else likes. Don't deny it. State it!

You are unique.

 

Can't agree with you more, Libertine.

 

Holy shit, now there is a chance for world peace!

 

Man, I never had anything against you, I was just trying to prove a point. I no longer remember what that point was... but um... shit I'm fucking hungry.

 

Don't look here for Christian spiritual guidance... Don't be fooled by the Christian forum name. The people here are mostly pagans and atheists.

 

You should read the bible and understand that hell is not God's prision, but it's existance without him. To seek out psychics and astology is to say that you do not have faith in God to provide for and guide your life. It is a choice against God to attempt to control your own fate through secret knowledge of the future. As far as being gay, God does not hate those people. Not anymore than he hates the man who cheats on his wife or sleeps with anything that moves. The issue is repentance. Some have sexual temptations toward the same sex, some have temptation towards large numbers of sexual experiances and so on. It is relative. What is not relative is the consequence for chasing temptation and in turn walking away from God. God does not hate. He mourns over those who turn there back on him and his way. Because he knows what existance without him is. Even if they are "really nice people". As far as listening to only christian music, that is a personal choice and not in the bible. What you must watch out for is what the bible calls "the doctrines of demons". You will recognize these doctrines by their opposition to love and all things good (hence, gansta rap). I personally don't own a christian album, but I have 4 translations of the bible. About praying, look at it like this: could time be better spent doing anything other that having a conversation with the eternal creator of all things. We all should pray more. About being perfect, no one is or can be according to the bible. We are self serving and dark if you subtract the light.

Read the bible and then decide what you should do from there. At least the Gospels. That nagging feeling you can't shake is God begging you to save yourself from a life of empty pleasure chasing and dead end spiritual pursuits. He loves you. It's not "beleive and then you will see." It's see because you believe. I can deduct that from your post. You see the goodness around you, challange yourself and see if you dissagree with anything the bible has to say about the things you inherently know to be good. Try to disprove the book.

Also, do not look at the people at the path, look to the path.

You'll be fine.

 

Wow I never knew that stuff. That really answered a lot of my questions. So you mean everything will be okay as long as I love God? Do you think I should keep going to that church, no matter what the pastor talks about? And wow I agree so much to what you said about "That nagging feeling you can't shake is God begging you to save yourself from a life of empty pleasure chasing and dead end spiritual pursuits" because I never seem to get enough satisfaction from anything I do. I did feel so fulfilled once when I went to church for the first time and prayed with my whole heart. So you mean your sexual preferences don't matter as long as you don't chase them and turn away from God? And i should stay away from listening to gangsta rap? Thank you so much for telling me all this, I never had the courage to ask anybody else.

 

You aren't thinking for yourself again man but wobbling
just be man, u don't need anything or anyone telling u what to do
if u want to go to church go, be a vampire whatever
but whover said think for yourself, yes!
religion isn't your problem and that sitting on the fence will drive you mad, so 'just be'
you are perfect already, just realize it and stop running from one issue to another
"Pastors" opinion.....should that even be legal?

God bless, be YOU

 

So you mean everything will be okay as long as I love God?



You have to think of things within the context of eternity. The bible is very clear about the dichotomy between the “world” and God. If you love God, it means you understand that he loves you. If you understand that he loves you, it means that you understand that the instructional guide that is the bible is in place to help you avoid pain and suffering in the long run. Think of anything that the bible tells you to do or not to do. Then think of the results of that action in ten years. It’s all about changing from shortsightedness to long sightedness. The world offers quick fixes to pain. Boxes filled with snakes, but nicely gift-wrapped. Think about it.



Do you think I should keep going to that church, no matter what the pastor talks about?



No. Some pastors are whacked out of their mind. Know your bible. If your hear anything that contradicts the book, run. Unfortunately, a fair number of today’s pastors are consumed with the wrong motives.



And wow I agree so much to what you said about "That nagging feeling you can't shake is God begging you to save yourself from a life of empty pleasure chasing and dead end spiritual pursuits" because I never seem to get enough satisfaction from anything I do.



In the New International Version, it’s called the Holy Spirit. Most people call it a conscious. My bet is that you asked God to step into your life. So he has. Listen to that voice that tells you want is right in any situation. It is still considered thinking for yourself when a voice is personal enough to be heard from the inside. About satisfaction from what you do: I am 28 and I spent a good decade doing just about anything the world had to offer thousands of times. All it did was wear me out and leave a trail of broken relationships and hurt people. Trust me.



I did feel so fulfilled once when I went to church for the first time and prayed with my whole heart.



It’s all about eternal vs. temporary. Church is not flawless. The reason you went is. God honors that (your motives).





So you mean your sexual preferences don't matter as long as you don't chase them and turn away from God?



This is tricky. The bible is very clear about Adam and eve and his design for child creation. What I am saying is that different people have different battles to fight. I may not have to resist homosexuality, but adultery has been a huge struggle for me. What most people forget is that the bible says the “sin is sin”. From stealing gum to murder, all sin must be repented of. No value judgment is placed by God. The bible states that all are far from deserving eternity in heaven.





And i should stay away from listening to gangsta rap?



Old native American proverb – “each person has 2 wolves fighting inside of them, one evil and one good. The one who gets fed the most will win”. Pick your 3 favorite gangsta rap songs and print out the lyrics. Then write down the 3 qualities you hope to have as an adult. If you see a drastic difference between those qualities and the qualities glorified by the songs, ask yourself why exactly you like them. (If it’s the beat, I will give you hundreds of references to lyricless hip hop beats).



Thank you so much for telling me all this, I never had the courage to ask anybody else.



Nothing less for a young sister. Thank your Spanish friend.

 

To be honest,
I am never confident enough to trust my own thoughts, I can't tell which one of the voices in my head is right and which one is wrong. I just wanna listen to what people have to say about this and then decide for myself. I don't know, it's just that this has really been bothering me lately.

Thanks for answering my questions, friendlyghost i think i know what i am gonna do from now on

 

The Bible says not to lean on your own understanding... Why? because it is ultimately flawed. Rather lean on the understanding of the creator of the world.

 

thats the most ridiculous thing iv ever heard...simply because all christianity is about is understanding the creator from someone whos convinced you they know more than you (preacher) or from a book that is highly unreliable.

only when we lean on our own undertanding can we begin to learn about the creator/creation/god/ourselfs....
even if the creator speaks to someone directly...it it his own understanding he must rely on, his understanding of his expiriences. that is all he has.

we can continuously feed a dream because it offers slight comfort from our reality (the human condition), but in doing so we're blinding ourselfs with pre-concieved notions about how things are/work/have been/will be... pure truth can only be recognized through unbiased lenses, involved in immediate human expirience.

you realise jesusdiedforu that that by quoting the bible...)a book that alegedly is the word of the creator), and telling people to trust the creators understanding...your telling people they should not think for themselfs...that they should fall in line and believe what their told and act how their told? what kind of human beings would we be then?? shattered fragments who know not what or who they are...shattered fragments feeding a dream.

 

I will stop right there...

1) A person should not get what they believe soley on what a pastor preaches. Church can help a person learn. Just like a teacher can help a student. I have learned some information from pastors, yet most of what I know is from my own research of the Bible. I do not rely on "What feels right."

2) The Bible is not unreliable. That is probably the biggest misconception of the century. That belief that the Bible is flawed or errored is probably what holds most people from a relationship with Jesus Christ. Yet, when researched one can conclude that the Bible is more than words of men. The Bible states that it was inspired by God. That is a bold statement that needs to be observed. I believe evidence supports the claim that the Bible is inspired by God. The Bible is flawless and has no error. It is useful for teaching, correcting and rebuking. Believing otherwise is just following the biggest delusion of this world.

 

you realise jesusdiedforu that that by quoting the bible...)a book that alegedly is the word of the creator), and telling people to trust the creators understanding...your telling people they should not think for themselfs...that they should fall in line and believe what their told and act how their told? what kind of human beings would we be then?? shattered fragments who know not what or who they are...shattered fragments feeding a dream.

What I am trying to relay is that the Bible should be like a pair of glasses in which one should view the world through. Believing the philosophy of "What feels right" will go no where. There are some that murder because "it feels right." Where as the Bible gives us a sure foundation of how to live a solid life. It does not hinder us from life, but rather is a field guide to a successful life. Therefore, hands down the knowledge of the Bible surpasses the knowledge of self.

 

i think one should view the world through a pair of cleansed non-biased glasses. while i do believe there is many good things in the bible, i still find that it is jaded and biased. not the clearest set of glasses in my opinion.

 

iv done my research, iv concluded that the bible is no more than the words of men. perhaps some of these men were inspired by god...(any spiritual person is), but they interpret and communicate their stories through their level of understanding or lack there of, and through their interpretation of god, and of their expiriences. like all of us do/would.

look at us jesusdiedforu...both of us are inspired by the divine, and both of us have formed our own opinions about what divinity is. and both of us need to rely on our own interpretations. it is clear than mine wont work for you and yours wont work for me.

it really isnt about who is right or wrong....but rather its a personal matter...does my ideals, my belief system, create a harmonious existence in which i reside???

 

Continue to ask questions. Continue to develop your talent for asking questions. Keep asking until you get better, truer answers. Develop your talent for knowing which questions invite the more inclusive truths about the bigger picture.



Think of religion as a relationship, or better yet, as an open conversation involving everyone and lasting as long as human consciousness exists. As with all substantial conversation, there may be moments when one person or another presents an idea that is unacceptable, or uninspired, or poorly informed, or less than completely true, or speculative, or selfish, etc.



At one time or another, most people have been that person. Even today, some people play the role of that person, with absolute faith that their idea is "original."



Usually their idea is some variation of the suggestion that the conversation should either end altogether, or that the conversation can only exist, or should only exist, within the parameters of their understanding or their "personal vision."



There are three or four interrelated untruths presently discussed in the conversation that are the root of most of today's problems. They are: 1. God is an identity 2. Identity can be defined, and obtained, negatively (by what one hates or what one is not). 3. God favors the constriction, rather that the expansion, of human consciousness (i.e. "sexuality oriented morality is all that matters," or, "others' religion must be false") 4. All life can be reduced, objectively or subjectively, to a commodity, a trivial thing that is only as valuable as its individual providence.



The conversation continues, however, regardless of its form, regardless of whether anyone knows what it means, or if it exists, or how they are involved.



Believe it or not, everyone is a participant. The best way to be an informed participant is to ask questions.



Maybe not the clearest response ever but . . .