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Not believing in God! Outcast?
- Mar 29, 2008 at 7:31 AM
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- Comments (13) Total Views (236) Everyone can see this journal post.
Ok, I made a post recently asking, "why do you have to believe in God?" I think that this may have offended, appalled, or maybe even angered some people. Please listen to my explanation.
Well to be quite honest about it, I was brought up in a passive Baptist home, and I am married to a Methodist. He was raised very religiously, and we were even married in a church. I guess it isn't that I don't want to believe in God, but that I begged, prayed, tried, went to different churches, and I even am raising my childrent to believe in God, but I feel that my prayers were never answered. I used to pray that I could just believe, but nothing ever happened. I figured that if He wouldn't answer that simple prayer, then what's the use. I have tried, pretended and participated to be a christian, but the I never believed. What do you do in that case? It's not that I don't want to believe, it that I can't. And don't worry, I'm not offended. I know that a lot of people probably think I'm terrible, but I am finally just being honest. What would you do?
Comments:
i was raised way very very christian. i fell away from it. started to fall in love with wicca/ paganism. studied everything i could think of (including satanism, which is a big joke, hey guys let's do everything they do only BACKWARDS YEA!!) and still found myself going back to wicca/ paganism. so that's where i am, and i think i'm staying here.
i don't think the problem is always 'do you believe in god?' sometimes i think it's 'do you believe in our religion?'.
Thanks you guys, for your supportive posts. I sometimes feel as though I'm an outcast especially in a small town.
Wendi
EverythingInLife.com
Open your heart to Him. Look around you and say to yourself...this is a good day. Thank you, God, for the warm sunshine, my healthy children, and my many blessings. Sometimes, He lets us go through some rough patches, allowing us to feel "alone" (that He is absent), so that we look deeper into ourselves for the answers we're seeking. We find that "alone" is a place we get where we are really more open to "hearing" what He's been saying to us all along. He may not be saying what we wanted or expected to hear, but He may be pointing you in the direction you should be going.
Example: My husband and I raised four children. I loved them dearly and was a stay-at-home mom...but when they were grown, I wanted to "do" something with the rest of my life. I was convinced that I did NOT want to work with children, but wanted to do something else. I prayed, and asked that He point me in the direction that He would have me go. "Put me in the place where I can do the most good".
The next day I got a call from someone at the high school our children had graduated from, asking if I might be interested in being a substitute teacher at the school. Hahahaha...who says God doesn't have a sense of humor? So, I worked as a substitute high school teacher for the next three years, until He sent me down a different path, rescuing animals.
My prayer for you is that you stay open to the thought that there is indeed a very good God, who looks out for you, loves you, and wants you to find that "something" that will confirm your faith in Him.
i don't think the problem is always 'do you believe in god?' sometimes i think it's 'do you believe in our religion?'.
I have been there, too. I would say that I am spiritual (believe whole heartedly in God), yet I balk at being "religious". The various "religions" each have their own ways of worshipping, practicing, praying, etc. They tend to say "our way is THE way to do it". I don't believe it. Those practices are man-made. The people who follow them do so because it's either what they were taught, or what they are comfortable with, and that's wonderful for them....but don't tell me that the way other people "practice" isn't just as good. Personally, I talk to God all day long...kind of like having a friend in the room. I'll see a beautiful sunrise, or listen to the birds sing, and mentally thank Him for sharing those with me. When something bad happens, I'll ask him to help alleviate the pain those affected are feeling. When I suddenly have what Oprah calls the "Ah-HA! Moment", I'll say to Him, Oh THAT's what you were trying to tell me! OK, now I get it.
So, yes, I see where many people balk at the "religion" part of being a believer.
I feel the same was as the writer of this journal.
I have done all the right things, yet the connection is never made. There are just too many unanswered questions.
I saw your post on another mommies journal and so that's what led me here. I think the first thing to realize that it's not about being a religious nut...it's about a personal relationship with Christ. If you can't get personal then of course nothing will work for you. Think about the things that make up a good relationship: communication, spending time with that person, loving that person through everything good or bad, not giving up on the other. Then think about what you can do to get these things into a relationship with Jesus.
Communication: Can you open up more to Him through prayer. It doesn't have to be an elaborate prayer, but it does help if you commit to pray and not just when you cry out for help or understanding. Prayer is more than just asking for things as well...it's praise (like the other mommy said...thank Him for the blessings you have), it's worship, it's a lot of things and what's most important prayer shouldn't be a barter. Meaning I'll do this if you will only do this God. I will give up this sin if you make me well. Or I will not do this again if you would only show yourself to me. God doesn't work on our conditions.
Spending Time: This is very important. This is where my fault lied before I believed in Christ whole-heartedly. I was like you and was a Christian only in name because I didn't want to disappoint my parents. I grew up Methodist as well...and frankly I've never gone back to that church. So what I did was opened up my Bible. I started reading and learning and finally retaining what the Bible tells us about God. I never really retained anything or wanted to learn because it just didn't make sense to me. So I would pray everytime I opened the Bible that the Holy Spirit help me to understand what I was about to read. You know what I got SO much out of it and it would end up answering my questions or problems that cropped up that very day. It was amazing! I would recommend starting with the Book of John and recommend getting either a New International Version or New American Standard Bible to read because at first the KJV Bible had too many old English words for me. Here's a link so you wouldn't even have to buy a Bible... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%201;&version=49;
Loving through good and bad: We all go through hard times but we can't blame it on God. Bad things just happen...it's a fact of life and what we do with those bad times makes or breaks us. I've heard of people blaming God for catastrophes, or saying if God was so loving why would this bad thing happen to so many people. We live in a fallen world. God wanted us to have everything...He made the world perfect for us but it was because we are human that the world became like it is now. Through the sins of Adam and Eve...the world was changed. It's just human nature to want to question everything...Eve questioned whether or not she could become like God because of Satan's words...look where it got us. We all have our own personal sins that can make things end up very bad for us...it's no fault of God. But I'm a living testament that He can help us pick up the pieces!!
Not giving up: I think you have this one in the bag! :-) It's obvious you would like to know Jesus but you just aren't there yet! I had to hit rock bottom to finally be "there." My prayer is that you won't have to hit rock bottom because it sucks. LOL, I will pray that God will show you His wonderous ways. I know what it's like to go from not knowing God to praising His name for everything. I would never go back.
The simplest way to sum up everything I've said is in these verses. Please read them a couple of times and really think about the words.
Romans 10:8-11 (I recommend reading the whole chapter really.)
8But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
Here's a link to the whole chapter... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2010;&version=49;
Lastly I just want to say that your not a bad person. I'm not offended in the least with anything that you have said. I understand where you are coming from because 7 years ago I was in your same situation. Keep asking God to come in and please take some time to really get in depth with the Bible. Like the verse says..you won't be disappointed! :-) I know I haven't been!!!!
Let me know if you have any other questions. I even made up a group here on Cafemom to answer Bible questions and questions about Christianity so I welcome any ?'s you have!!
Amy
I didn't see your other post either. There is nothing wrong with not believing in a god! You need to find a way to be comfortable with who you are and if that includes finding a religious belief then I would advise researching different beliefs and finding one that suits you. Here's a great site to get you started.
There are many "religions" that don't believe in a god, Buddhism for example. I wish you well on your journey and hope you can find a belief that suits you!
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- mellie369
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