Faith Crisis

[Caedmon]

As of late, I've been experiencing a lot of doubt. I've been having some agnostic thoughts. There are a lot of things going on in my life, and I have a lot of questions about Christianity that I can't find answers to, like why did God order the ancient Israelites to slaughter the Amalekites, even their infants, and why are people eternally damned for sin? Does not compute. I'm serious guys, I'm not playing around here. I'm having serious doubts. I can't let go of my faith. I can't live without it. It's just been with me too long, and I depend on it. But I am struggling like I have never struggled before. Please help.

 

[Dream]

Caedmon, you are in my prayers.

I know there is probablly somebody much more qualified to answer your specific questions, so I won't give you an unsatisfying answer.

Just keep praying, brother.

 

[traviscatholic12]

As of late, I've been experiencing a lot of doubt. I've been having some agnostic thoughts. There are a lot of things going on in my life, and I have a lot of questions about Christianity that I can't find answers to, like why did God order the ancient Israelites to slaughter the Amalekites, even their infants, and why are people eternally damned for sin? Does not compute. I'm serious guys, I'm not playing around here. I'm having serious doubts. I can't let go of my faith. I can't live without it. It's just been with me too long, and I depend on it. But I am struggling like I have never struggled before. Please help.

Although I'm unsure of how to answer your first question, the second one I'll make an attempt at. It all happened because of the fall of man out of Eden. When Adam and Eve decided to disobey a direct order from God, they forever " tainted," us with sin. Not a very good answer I know, but I'm trying my hardest. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Epiphanygirl]

I have found it hard to understand why God has let things happen, the evilness mankind (did,does, and is still doing) One could go insane with thinking on it.
I have realized that it is not for me to question God's actions/inactions, but rather to submit to His Will. It has helped to see that through such grief and sadness, there always seems to have a better outcome. (When God closes one door, He opens another) Life's lessons are never easy, how we handle them shapes are soul and heart to do better, to be better Christians.
I sympathize with what you feel, I've been there. I trust in God, and I trust in your faith in Him to lead away from what you are feeling now.
May I suggest that you open your arms to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray and meditate on this, it helps!
I will keep you in my prayers as well.

 

[Carrye]

I don't know enough about your first question to comment either.

The second one, to build on what Travis said, people are eternally damned because of justice. God is entirely Good. Any spot of evil cannot be in the presence of Good. God did not make us evil, and so that is our own doing. We are only good insofar as we are His Creation - not because of any of our own merits, or any instrinsic property of ourselves.

Also to the 'eternality' of your question, as it's been explained to me, any sin against God is an infinite offense. When we sin against each other, there's a certain temporality as we're finite creatures. Because God is infinite, a sin against Him is an infinite offense. This infinite offense demands infinite payment. This eternal and infinite 'payment' is hell.

 

[ZooMom]

Keeping you in prayer, Joe.

 

[nyj]

Joe,

Here is an answer to the first question (sorta... it speaks about the Midianites). http://www.christian-thinktank.com/midian.html

Also for reference:

http://www.tektonics.org/lp/outrage.html

 

[Veritas]

Joe,

Here is an answer to the first question (sorta... it speaks about the Midianites). http://www.christian-thinktank.com/midian.html

Also for reference:

http://www.tektonics.org/lp/outrage.html

Ah, the male brain at work.

 

[Veritas]

What you're experiencing, Cademon, is quite normal. All believers go through these phases. You know the old saying, "there can be no faith without doubt"? And so you are going through this difficult and incomfortable stage of your journey which will no doubt visit you againt at some point. Trust that the Lord knows all things and is with you even when you don't think He is.

Just last week as I read Roy Schoeman's testimony of his completion of Judiasm to Catholicism (post-messianic Judiasm as he calls it), I was struck by one of his statements. He said that when he was having this tremendous spiritual experience in the presence of God, he was allowed to "see" certain things. A couple of things stuck out to him; one was that when he didn't feel God's love, in reality he was "surrounded by an ocean of love". I have really meditated on that, and try to visualize an ocean all around me filled with God's love. Because of His immense love for us, there are many things we don't understand such as events in the bible that you describe. In the fullness of time, all things will be made manifest and we "will know even as we are known". Don't despair, but take your concerns to God in prayer. He's listening!

 

[Filia Mariae]

Caedmon,

You are in my prayers. I don't know enough about your first question to answer it, but in regards to the second, I think it is important to bear in mind that hell is entirely self-imposed. God is not sitting around waiting for us to screw up so He can get us. Rather, He is offering His mercy so that we will turn toward Him. I strongly recommend you read C.S. Lews' The Great Divorce to answer your question about hell. It's short, it will take you a couple of hours tops.

 

[geocajun]

As of late, I've been experiencing a lot of doubt. I've been having some agnostic thoughts. There are a lot of things going on in my life, and I have a lot of questions about Christianity that I can't find answers to,

Caedmon, what is it that is going on in your life, which is causing you to question Christianity? You can PM me if you don't want to talk here. My PM box is always open

like why did God order the ancient Israelites to slaughter the Amalekites, even their infants,

Jewish tradition holds that the Amalekites were "eternal foes" of Israel. Israel was attacked by the Amalekites on several occasions who killed their weak and elderly women, and then God punished them for attacking Isreal, by ordering Isreal to destroy them, however the attempt to completely eradicate them was unsuccessful.

and why are people eternally damned for sin?

Its important to remember who is damning who. God says "Do thus like thus if you love me" and we, burdened with free will, may choose to turn our backs on God, and do our will before His. Man sends himself to hell. God tells us how to get to heaven.

Does not compute. I'm serious guys, I'm not playing around here. I'm having serious doubts. I can't let go of my faith. I can't live without it. It's just been with me too long, and I depend on it. But I am struggling like I have never struggled before. Please help.

Although its hard to see it right now, these periods of struggle are good for your in the long run. You will be a stronger Christian when you get through this.
The most important factor in getting through this, is remembering that you cannot arrive at faith on your own. God gave you the gift of faith, and will continue to sustain you in it.
You need to keep praying, and asking God to help you come to know Him better.
Like I said, my PM box is always open if you would rather talk in private anytime.
Peace

 

[AMaximus]

Does not compute. I'm serious guys, I'm not playing around here. I'm having serious doubts. I can't let go of my faith. I can't live without it. It's just been with me too long, and I depend on it. But I am struggling like I have never struggled before. Please help.

Hang in there bro. As for having for having agnostic thoughts...I've been there too...kind of like...when things in your life around you are falling apart, you start questioning where the truths of God are in your life. It sucks...trust me...but you'll pull through.

 

[Miss Shelby]

As of late, I've been experiencing a lot of doubt. I've been having some agnostic thoughts. There are a lot of things going on in my life, and I have a lot of questions about Christianity that I can't find answers to, like why did God order the ancient Israelites to slaughter the Amalekites, even their infants, and why are people eternally damned for sin? Does not compute. I'm serious guys, I'm not playing around here. I'm having serious doubts. I can't let go of my faith. I can't live without it. It's just been with me too long, and I depend on it. But I am struggling like I have never struggled before. Please help.

I have struggled with the same questions before, and I believe alot of people do. Faith is a gift Caedmon and though you struggle now, I do not think that you will lose it. Hang in there, praying for you too.

Michelle

 

[ukok]

I don't think there are many christians who would claim that the thought had never crossed their mind...'what if ?' or 'why did God allow this ?'...sometimes for no reason whatsoever i suddenly have a thought spring into my head and i have to discard it mentally, tell myself that i will not be led into doubt by evil...it isn't called faith for nothing, Caed..true faith goes above and beyond...turning to our Lord in our misunderstanding and confusion. From what i have witnessed of your faith, i would say it wouldn't be lost without quite a fight!

God Bless.

 

[Markh]

Perhaps that old testemant event is historically not accurate.

 

[Freedom&Light]

Caedmon,

I'm sorry you're having this period of doubt. It's hard! :hugs:

Re: Your first question. We, of course, will never know all of God's logic.

However, the story you are referring to in 1 Samuel 15.

God is a just God, who demands exacting justice. The Amalekites had been battling and killing Jewish families for generations by this point (you can find references about the battles with them all the way back to Exodus). The Lord had ordered the complete decimation of several cities so that the land of the Jews could be safe.

Why include the infants? I dunno. Best guess is that when nations would battle each other at this time, they would take women and children as slaves, their best sheep and cattle , and the riches of the nation back. God did not want anything brought back- NOTHING. This nation was wicked and defiled God. He wanted no trace of them in His land.

The key to this section of scripture is less the war and more what King Saul did- which was to disobey God (by bringing back sheep, etc) and then later mocking God by claiming to bring it back for a sacrifice! Read Samuel's words to him later in the chapter about this.

Our God is a loving, Holy, wonderous Father. Who often told the early israelites to wage battle on key cities. That was a part of life then. But, then he showed His love for us by showing us mercy- He sacrificed Jesus instead of just wiping us all out (which He totally would have a right to do- especially modern day America!).

Feel free to PM me. I'll be praying for you!!

 

[MariaRegina]

As of late, I've been experiencing a lot of doubt. I've been having some agnostic thoughts. There are a lot of things going on in my life, and I have a lot of questions about Christianity that I can't find answers to, like why did God order the ancient Israelites to slaughter the Amalekites, even their infants, and why are people eternally damned for sin?

Dear Caedmon et al:

I took a course at the state university during the Summer of 2004 on western religious civilization.

This is what the good professor said:

[Please refute this information if you believe it is wrong, as this is taken verbatim from his class lecture notes]

The ancient Israelites were ordered to slaughter certain villages in a holy war of divine justice because of the abominations being practiced there. One of the most wicked and heinous crimes that cried to heaven for vengeance was their pagan practice of offering their first born son to their pagan deities, killing it, and then burying the tiny body under the doorstep of their new house.

This professor said that the Jews in reality didn't wipe out these people, but killed the men, took the beautiful pagan women and married them, raised the children to be slaves, and kept the riches and the handcrafted pagan gods, thus defiling themselves.

In order to explain the corruption in the Jewish people, the scribes wrote Deuteronomy with the blessings and the curses in hind sight during the Babylonian captivity. The Rabbis believed that the Jews were being punished for not keeping themselves pure, so Deuteronomy and other books were written to impress upon the Jews that they must be a pure nation. This helped them to prepare for the Messiah. "You will be My people and I shall be Your God."

Again, hopefully these class notes will help. So I am posing this question, is the above correct? Or did the good professor err?

If they are erroneous in any area, please do correct.

Thanks and God bless you all.

Lovingly in Christ our God,
Elizabeth

 

[Freedom&Light]

Yeah, that was the reason, but a few cities were ordered to be completely destroyed, including the Amalekites in this case.

"Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' " (1 Sam. 15:3)

There were a couple of others, but your prof is right overall- very few cities were completely destroyed like this.

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

/me slides joe a root beer float

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

Joe,
Though they have abated for now, much of my life as a person of faith has been plagued by doubts. At times it has been relentless- sometimes over specifics (why is there a hell?)and sometimes over generalities (is there a God at all?) Through the holy example of the lives of the Saints and the great grace of inspiration from the Holy Spirit and prodding from my guardian angel- I learned to swiftly and decisively deal with doubt the moment it appears. I immediately make an Act of Faith or say an Apostle's Creed. In the face of specific questions through these prayers I have been able to just be satisfied with not knowing the answer, and ask God to show me what it's all about if it is something I need to know- but if not, then I will trust in Him.

I highly recommend the book I Believe in Love by Fr. Jean CJ d'Elbee-- it speaks to us about how to gain holy confidence. The New Testaments speaks to us over and over again of the bold confidence we should posses in Jesus- that we are not only tryky and really children of God, but that we are also co-heirs in the victory of Christ. It's a pretty quick read, but well worth it!

God Bless! Take your questions and doubts to Adoration and sit there-- He will show you all that you need!

You're in my prayers!