Both good and evil are a setup

[VCR-2000]

I feel depressed. A lot of Christians say they feel "free" but I could not relate to such a thing why. I don't ultimately feel "free". I feel like I've been chosen to live in God's system without my own consent and when I die, I will continue living within his setup of things by only given the two choices of Heaven and Hell, either eternal submission with bliss OR eternal submission with pain and loss. We only have the choice to be either for God OR against him. Everything both good and evil (from Satan too) is part of the same setup. It makes me depressed. I used to be at least a "church" Christian growing up (My family was Roman Catholic) but I no longer have much of the same relationship to faith and any religions in general as I did growing up until I turned about 17.

I'm not necessarily looking for motivation or reasons I should get back, but I wanted a shoulder to cry on at least.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Many churches carry spiritual baggage leftover from the dark ages. Hard to shake it.

 

[VCR-2000]

Many churches carry spiritual baggage leftover from the dark ages. Hard to shake it.

What "baggage" do you refer to?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

What "baggage" do you refer to?

The worst is the idea of eternal life in torment, aka 'going to hell'.

 

[VCR-2000]

The worst is the idea of eternal life in torment, aka 'going to hell'.

I do believe there is some Hell. Are you an annihilationist?

 

[Kris Jordan]

I feel depressed. A lot of Christians say they feel "free" but I could not relate to such a thing why. I don't ultimately feel "free". I feel like I've been chosen to live in God's system without my own consent and when I die, I will continue living within his setup of things by only given the two choices of Heaven and Hell, either eternal submission with bliss OR eternal submission with pain and loss. We only have the choice to be either for God OR against him. Everything both good and evil (from Satan too) is part of the same setup. It makes me depressed. I used to be at least a "church" Christian growing up (My family was Roman Catholic) but I no longer have much of the same relationship to faith and any religions in general as I did growing up until I turned about 17.

I'm not necessarily looking for motivation or reasons I should get back, but I wanted a shoulder to cry on at least.

Hi VCR-2000,

I grew up in the Roman Catholic church but never understood the actual gospel message of salvation. I understood a lot of rules, regulations, rituals, and religion, but I had no clue about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through faith in Him.

My husband (then boyfriend) shared the gospel of salvation with me at the age of 20. It was then that I realized I was a sinner and was separated from God because of my sinful choices (not because of God in any way). I also, for the first time, understood that Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life in my place and died a sacrificial death on the cross for me so that I didn't have to go to hell if I would simply place my trust in Him for what He did for me. It was shortly after that when I (1) repented of my sin (by confessing it to Jesus and choosing to turn away from pursuing sin) and (2) trusted Jesus for my complete and total forgiveness and salvation by faith.

Once I did that, I was (and felt) completely free! Why? Because my sin had been weighing me down my whole life but then Jesus set me free from the bondage of sin in an instant. He gave me a new nature and the Holy Spirit to live inside of me and help me live for Him. I have been walking in the freedom of my salvation for the past 32 years!

So, I was just curios -- have you ever trusted Jesus for your salvation by receiving Him into your life by faith, having repented of your sin and trusted Him for all He did for you on the cross when He paid for your sin debt in full? He loves you more than you know, and died in your place so that you wouldn't have to suffer the wages of your sin (spiritual death in hell). He wants to set you free, but the choice is yours. He never forces us to surrender our lives to Him. Just remember what John 8:36 says -- "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I do believe there is some Hell.

There is the grave/hell.

Are you an annihilationist?

Yes.

 

[VCR-2000]

It's like God is almost cruel for creating mankind to begin with.

 

[John Helpher]

I don't ultimately feel "free". I feel like I've been chosen to live in God's system without my own consent and when I die, I will continue living within his setup of things by only given the two choices of Heaven and Hell, either eternal submission with bliss OR eternal submission with pain and loss.

What kind of choices do you think would make you feel free?

 

[John Helpher]

Duplicate

 

[Porpoise]

It's like God is almost cruel for creating mankind to begin with.

This kind of thinking will only lead to misery. It's like you're saying everything is bad, goodness itself is bad, existence is bad. If you keep thinking that God, creator and source of all goodness, and the one who created you, is not good, what kind of effect will that have on you? It's not good for you to dwell on negative thoughts. Suffering is not all that there is. The world is also filled with beautiful things, with kindness, and love. And there's you, you are not the product of cruelty. God made you and loves you. He knows the number of hairs on your head. Mothers sooner forget their child than God his children. Things are better than you think.

 

[VCR-2000]

This kind of thinking will only lead to misery. It's like you're saying everything is bad, goodness itself is bad, existence is bad. If you keep thinking that God, creator and source of all goodness, and the one who created you, is not good, what kind of effect will that have on you? It's not good for you to dwell on negative thoughts. Suffering is not all that there is. The world is also filled with beautiful things, with kindness, and love. And there's you, you are not the product of cruelty. God made you and loves you. He knows the number of hairs on your head. Mothers sooner forget their child than God his children. Things are better than you think.

Okay, I went too far and too harsh on it I guess.

 

[John Helpher]

Okay, I went too far and too harsh on it I guess.

Does that mean you're willing to consider there is a way forward with your life?