Can someone tell me

[raven1]

How is it possible to trust God exists when you don't know he does. My pastor says I have to trust Gods promises of salvation to be saved. Ummm how can I trust the gremlin isnt under my bed if I don't know he isn't there ready to eat my toes. He said every doubts to some degree God exists but they push it away.

He also said rational people look at evidence and choose atheism, Christianity or some other religion, or agnostism.

Then he said if I am rationally thinking and agnostic I won't be saved but since I get get enough evidence to prove God exists I am not a rational agnostic. What ??????? (what if my OCD caused my agnostism)


And someone said it is faith and I don't have faith. I don't want to go to hell. Now I feel like I need to obsessively search apologetics to find out what I am. What if I haven't searched enough to know if I am agnostic and going to hell.

Someone please help me make sense of all this.

 

[tripletiger1200]

Choose to stop saying you're agnostic. Choose to resist the doubt. Choose to place your trust in Jesus Christ, for salvation and strength through the struggle. You may not be able to control your doubts, fears, and emotions (few of us can) but you don't need to. Just choose, and choose right. You can still do that.

 

[gracealone]

Hi Raven,
Searching obsessively is the compulsion. Do not do that or you'll perpetuate the OCD. I guarantee it!
What is the "homework" you are supposed to be doing in therapy right now? And... more importantly are you doing it?
Also, have you told your therapist about the forums and what they do for you? I mean have you explained the kinds of things you ask on them and the kind of answers you get back. She really, really needs to know about this. Share it with her... please!!!
I still don't think you understand just yet how to effectively treat the disorder. For example; when I wrote about my vomiting obsession, you immediately reassured me that I wouldn't "croak". Although that was very sweet of you, it shows that you don't really understood how to help me through ERP or you would have told me the exact opposite. You might have offered up; that I'll probably not only vomit in public but all over some poor indivuidual and that maybe it would even be projectile spewing right in their face. Then just after that I'd probably drop dead right in my tracks. That is how Exposure therapy is done. Exaggerate the fear to the point of absolute absurdity. Stare it right in the face and imagine it doing it's worse to you. Dont' run from it, argue against it, check whether it's true or not or ask people to help you to figure it out. Doing those things feeds the OCD. You have to acknowledge that or you won't get better.
So... how would you do Exposure to your obsession? When the therapist said, "you might as well start planning on going to hell", she was giving you an example of how to do exposure to your obsession. Sounds mean but she obviously "gets" what needs to be done here.
I know.... I'm tough on you, but really it's the OCD I'm being tough on. I want it to stop picking on you because I love you.
Mitzi

How is it possible to trust God exists when you don't know he does. My pastor says I have to trust Gods promises of salvation to be saved. Ummm how can I trust the gremlin isnt under my bed if I don't know he isn't there ready to eat my toes. He said every doubts to some degree God exists but they push it away.

He also said rational people look at evidence and choose atheism, Christianity or some other religion, or agnostism.

Then he said if I am rationally thinking and agnostic I won't be saved but since I get get enough evidence to prove God exists I am not a rational agnostic. What ??????? (what if my OCD caused my agnostism)


And someone said it is faith and I don't have faith. I don't want to go to hell. Now I feel like I need to obsessively search apologetics to find out what I am. What if I haven't searched enough to know if I am agnostic and going to hell.

Someone please help me make sense of all this.

 

[raven1]

I need to know if I am Christian or agnostic though. That is the most important thing to me
I have heard I may find out I am one after I stop obsessing.