I just want to know the truth.

[Anon442]

I want to believe in God, morality, and so many other things that have to do with religion but there seems to be so many flaws in every religious system. Why is this God better than that one, why be against gays, and I'm not so sure about abortion anymore either. So many things and there's so many beliefs but I just want to know which one is right. There has to be an ultimate truth. I feel like if I was a Christian and went to church I would be selfish because I'm just trying to find inner peace for myself and that doesn't sit right for me. Although I feel that if there is no god and no real meaning to my life then it's not worth living. So what is your advice to me? Please respond and ty in advance for any input.

 

[Anon442]

Just thought I'd add a little more. It seems selfish to me that a lot of chirstians say be good and you'll get into heaven. SO you're just being a good person so you'll get into heaven? What about loving your fellow man? Isn't that what really matters? But I have a problem with atheist too because almost all of the atheists I've talked to come off as pretentious intellectuals. Plus I'm not even smart enough to be an atheist because I don't understand evolution. I just feel so lost.

 

[wiggsfly]

Even as a Christian I have asked many of the same questions. The one that gets me the most is the rejection of homosexuals. Although I'm a straight male I have known many gay friends and they can believe just as well as any straight man.

As for the search for God, from what I see of Christians and in fact followers of many religions is that they are not following God (or whatever god they should follow). Instead they are just using God as a way to get to heaven. This is the true Christian hiocracy. God wants us to worship him for what he already has done for us not what he will do. Heaven is just an extension of our life with God, not just some place to go when we're done hear.

Now it can be said that most Christians due truly believe in the existence of God. Where they go wrong is in failing to recognize his place in our lives currently. There is always the mentality of "why stop now when we can rerpent later." Please don't look at this as a representation of the whole though. In fact there are many Christians who don't think like this at all. My personal view for example is that I don't have to worry about heaven or hell at all. Instead I know that God created me and has sacraficed himself ffor me. I will live my life in thanks for what he has done. This includes both my life on Earth and the one I will eventually livev beyond Earth. As for going to hell, there are many versus that list hell as being without God. One way to look at it is this. We all go where we choose to go. If we believe that we will be with God we will A.) live our lives here accordingly with the presense of his spirit, and B.) live out eternity in his actual presence. If on the other hand we believe that there is no God and that death is the end we will in fact die permentantly when we seperate from this world. We will receive the end that each athiest claims he will receive throughout his or her life hear. So in essence both are right and we get to choose which right we want to follow.

As for your comments it sounds like you've already discounted yourself as an athiest by acknowledging a belief in God even though you don't agree with the church on Earth. Acknowledging God and believing in him is really the only reqirement to be a Christian.

Anyway, I'm getting tired so I hope this post is somewhat coherent

 

[Hitch2astar]

It seems selfish to me that a lot of chirstians say be good and you'll get into heaven

This is what they say? I'm sad to say this but please don't listen to all that 'a lot of christians say'... if a lot of christians were right, the world would be a better place. Although they could do wrong while speaking right, but unfortunately they don't speak right in all things either.

You dont get into heaven by being good (although of course you dont by being bad either). That's what most Catholics and most non-Christians believe. There's only one way into heaven, and if you really know that way you're compelled to be good. It's like a child who is dearly loved by their parents and knows it wanting to please them by being good etc. If you know who God is and what He's done for you and what you mean to Him, you can't help wanting to be like Him. But good works follow salvation, not cause salvation.

That is to say, you're not a good person in order to enter heaven but because of who you are, when you know you belong to a good God. It is part of your identity in Christ.

What about loving your fellow man? Isn't that what really matters?

You can be sure God cares about that. Jesus gave the two biggest commandments as 1. Loving God. 2. Loving others (see gospels)

And one shouldn't be "against gays" but against homosexuality, according to the Bible. There's a difference. Many Christians differ on that however. You can hate someone's actions, lies, desires, addictions etc, though some explain away homosexuality as being natural. The Bible clearly states that it is unnatural. I see it as a spiritual bondage, one of the biggest lies of Satan that so much of humankind has fallen and is increasingly falling for. There are many testimones of Christians who were once homsexuals who were convinced they were born that way but later came to Christ and were healed - that is, they were set free from the lie they believed and the spiritual bondage they were in. It is related to the confusion of identity.

Although I feel that if there is no god and no real meaning to my life then it's not worth living.

If you know this, you're closer to the truth than you believe and most people.

 

[Annoula]

friend...

God is within you, so if you look closely in your soul you will find Him there.

but this is a procedure that needs studying, doubting, investigating, and of course a lot of spiritual effort.

because we are christians it doesn't mean we are good people. so don't trust everything you hear or see.

if you are interested in christianity you may want to investigate the early church and the early church fathers.

God bless you.

 

[Honibee]

Anon, asking at a forum like this, you'll get as many different answers as the questions you have.

There IS ultimate truth- and it is found in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. He sees your searching heart, and hears it's cry.

Scroll down to the very bottom of this screen where you'll find a tab called 'Be A Christian'. The moderators have explained the process of salvation very well.

We don't need to be perfect to come to God. But once we express faith to receive His grace, our lives change by HIS power as we submit in obedience to His will.

Check out the tab. I thank the Lord in advance for His faithfulness in seeking AND saving the lost- those who hunger for truth. Bless you!

 

[Deb7777]

I want to believe in God, morality, and so many other things that have to do with religion but there seems to be so many flaws in every religious system. Why is this God better than that one, why be against gays, and I'm not so sure about abortion anymore either. So many things and there's so many beliefs but I just want to know which one is right. There has to be an ultimate truth. I feel like if I was a Christian and went to church I would be selfish because I'm just trying to find inner peace for myself and that doesn't sit right for me. Although I feel that if there is no god and no real meaning to my life then it's not worth living. So what is your advice to me? Please respond and ty in advance for any input.

Hi Anon, for christians Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. If something goes against his teaching we need to submit to his Wisdom. We become Christians because we love Jesus and believe he is the Son of God. Being united To Jesus gives us a life that has meaning for us and leads us to the Father in heaven, our homeland. Jesus is leading us home. If you can accept Jesus as your Lord and Master, you will be a disciple of his in this world. In this thread is a false interpretation of what Catholics believe, I invite you to go to the Catholic Forum and read up on the Catholic faith under FAQ, the Catholic Church claims Jesus Christ as its founder where other denominations go back to a short history with a human founder. By being in union with our Lord at the moment of death will a person be welcome into his kingdom. We strive always to be in union with the Lord in our daily life with him being our light and strength, God bless.

 

[USABOB]

You may find some of the answers you seek at www.tomorrowsworld.org I wish you luck on your journey.

 

[hlaltimus]

I want to believe in God, morality, and so many other things that have to do with religion but there seems to be so many flaws in every religious system. Why is this God better than that one, why be against gays, and I'm not so sure about abortion anymore either. So many things and there's so many beliefs but I just want to know which one is right. There has to be an ultimate truth. I feel like if I was a Christian and went to church I would be selfish because I'm just trying to find inner peace for myself and that doesn't sit right for me. Although I feel that if there is no god and no real meaning to my life then it's not worth living. So what is your advice to me? Please respond and ty in advance for any input.

HI, This part of your statement jumped out at me:

"I feel like if I was a Christian and went to church I would be selfish because I'm just trying to find inner peace for myself and that doesn't sit right for me."

If you think that your going to Church with a motive that is self-advantaging is selfish, then go right ahead and be selfish! You have God's blessings on it because He was the one who said, "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?" Ezekiel 18:31
He, the Lord, said there "why should you die" and thus was appealing to their sense of self-preservation. He was saying, in essence, "That won't be any good for you! Come over here and get in on what will be good!" You have tons of questions right now, I did too. Take them all one at a time with an open mind and a honest heart that says, "Lord, if you really are there, I would sure like to know." Forget about universal coincidence...There absolutely has to be a God and you can find Him but you must find Him in the truth. When you do, that will be the first step on a road that has the words "HOPE" written all over it.

 

[Anon442]

Hi thanks for the input everybody. I am technically a Christian, because I was baptized Catholic, but I haven't been to church in over a year. I usually go on Christmas, and Easter though. It's just that there are a lot of things I'm not sure I agree with the Christian religion on, like gay marriage (I'm for it. at least i think i am) and I'm still undecided about a lot of things. And then I get upset about not knowing the true meaning of life, and I get confused about what's right and wrong, because so many people have so many differing opinions and usually both sides make valid arguments. This depresses me.

Some days are really bad for me. I just don't want to get up in the morning sometimes, but most days I'm able to function. I feel selfish, because I know so many people are less fortunate than me, like soldiers fighting in the war that's going on now, and people in poor countries, but I just can't help the way I feel sometimes.

 

[Annoula]

Anon...

life is something like "the matrix", the movie. have you seen all three of them? i did. i liked them.

we live here in this world, which is not the true world.
religion tries to show people the real world. each religion interprets the real world in a different way, but there are also some similarities.

you just have to start your own investigation about life, this world, religions etc.

we may inherit beliefs, a faith and whatever else, from our parents, our society, our culture, but we have to go through our own personal journey of investigation.

Good Luck!

 

[Anon442]

Hi Annoula. Yes I've seen all 3 Matrix movies. The first one remains my favorite. That is an intesting way of thinking about all of this. Thanks.

For me if I'm going to follow the christian belief system, then I have to be firm in my beliefs, and that goes for any belief system I may choose, but the problem is I don't understand religion or God enough to really believe in any of it. But I can't be an atheist either because I don't fully understand atheism. So I'll probably just remain a seeker for the rest of my life. I'll just have to learn to be comfortable with not knowing and I think I will one day get to that point.

 

[Annoula]

Anon...

nobody was born with a strong faith.

i think in Christianity we need to build our faith a tiny brick at a time. this is how steady buildings are built.

don't worry if you don't get immediate answers to your questions.
we are all seekers. we always seek for something more than what we have.

a greek poet said that the journey towards a destination can be even more important than the destination itself. (i don't think it's valid for Christianity, but i like it in general)

it is not always the answers that are the most important. it is the effort we placed on finding these answers. the time we consumed, the weariness we trusted on them.
so keep being a seeker and first of all a good observer ... this life is full of surprises and these are what make it worth it.

take care Seeker!

 

[Johnnz]

For me if I'm going to follow the christian belief system, then I have to be firm in my beliefs, and that goes for any belief system I may choose, but the problem is I don't understand religion or God enough to really believe in any of it. But I can't be an atheist either because I don't fully understand atheism. So I'll probably just remain a seeker for the rest of my life. I'll just have to learn to be comfortable with not knowing and I think I will one day get to that point.

You are maturing intellectually and you need a reasonable basis for your belief. That's great. So did I many years ago.

There are several components for a soundly based faith.

One is having a worldview, a set of beliefs that best explains life here on earth. The Universe Next Door by James Sire has long been recognised as a worthwhile read in this area.

We need to know how reliable our information about God is. Less Strobels books The Case For .... are well presented and have good bibliographys.

Someone such as C S Lewis can stimulate you to think about God and Christianity applying reason and imagination to extend our understanding of Him. His collections of sermons and essays are valuable resources.

This is just a start. There are many good books, tapes and resources for Christians who do not want a brain dead faith.

John
NZa

 

[Deb7777]

Hi thanks for the input everybody. I am technically a Christian, because I was baptized Catholic, but I haven't been to church in over a year. I usually go on Christmas, and Easter though. It's just that there are a lot of things I'm not sure I agree with the Christian religion on, like gay marriage (I'm for it. at least i think i am) and I'm still undecided about a lot of things. And then I get upset about not knowing the true meaning of life, and I get confused about what's right and wrong, because so many people have so many differing opinions and usually both sides make valid arguments. This depresses me.

Some days are really bad for me. I just don't want to get up in the morning sometimes, but most days I'm able to function. I feel selfish, because I know so many people are less fortunate than me, like soldiers fighting in the war that's going on now, and people in poor countries, but I just can't help the way I feel sometimes.

Hi Anon, don't worry about having it all figured out, the Lord wants you to have a relationship with him. As regards to certain positions you might have now, give it all to the Lord if you see there might be conflictions, ask him to help you see things through his eyes, its a process and the Lord wants you to be at peace and keep pursueing the truth for which he truly is. The truth will always set a person free but it could hurt at times or be a struggle to conform to the truth. One day at a time , don't get overloaded, the Lord will help you, all he ask is for you to seek after and pursue the truth and the life God can give to a person. Will it be easy, at times yes, at times no, but forward is the word, even baby steps in drawing closer to your Creator who loves you unconditionally and wants you to be with him forever. When you're struggling say a simple prayer to the Lord, Jesus I Love You, Jesus I need You, he's there!. Your were baptize Catholic go to your local parish and see if they have a program in getting refreshed on the teachings of the Church. I'm sure an appointment to talk to a priest will be a great blessing. Come on over to the Catholic Forum here and enjoy the fellowship, praying for you and for all those who might be seeking our Lord by reading this thread, thank you for posting it and God Bless.

 

[Anti Existance]

I have just the thing for you =)

http://www.near-death.com/antonette.html

Enjoy!

 

[Phospho]

I want to believe in God, morality, and so many other things that have to do with religion but there seems to be so many flaws in every religious system......

Anon, you are right, there are MAJOR flaws in ALL religous systems.

However, true Christianity IS NOT a religion, in this it is different from all the rest. It is a living relationship with the living God. Religion is man's ideas about God, and they always have things wrong with them.

I would suggest reading the Gospel of John and the I John, all the answers that you are looking for that matter for eternity can be found in these two books. Other answers that you have that are very good questions but not detrimental to eternity, will be found in the other books of the New Testament - but again, I suggest that if you have a Bible, read the books of John. If you have other questions you can PM me.

Blessings!

 

[If Not For Grace]

My Belief in Christianity hinged on the Resurrection. No other religion I know of claims life after death on this earth, an ascension and another coming.

Did Jesus live--no doubt (history etc)
Did He Die---(Rome thought so)
Did He Rise--(Lots of eye witness accounts--history tried hard to uncover a moved body) The tomb was guarded, etc, Research this one, I came to the conclusion Jesus rose, therefore it was easy to believe He knew what he was talking about and to put faith in Him.

You do the research and see what conclusion you come to. If your God can come to earth, die and rise well then the rest is a piece of cake. I can reconcile any petty difference of opinion I may have with others regarding other scriptures/ideas/theologies.

Jesus said who He was, why He was here, and where He was going, He HAD the answers to all the tough questions and so far I can't find any reason to doubt it. So I'll bet He's coming back and is who He said He was. Simple really. If you buy he rose, buy the whole thing.

 

[Kazahel]

I want to believe in God, morality, and so many other things that have to do with religion but there seems to be so many flaws in every religious system. Why is this God better than that one, why be against gays, and I'm not so sure about abortion anymore either. So many things and there's so many beliefs but I just want to know which one is right. There has to be an ultimate truth. I feel like if I was a Christian and went to church I would be selfish because I'm just trying to find inner peace for myself and that doesn't sit right for me. Although I feel that if there is no god and no real meaning to my life then it's not worth living. So what is your advice to me? Please respond and ty in advance for any input.

I believe we all come from the Divine Father(God)and are all the Sons of God. We are equal to God in his Divine love but we have replaced this with our ego. I believe the ego has seperated us from the Divine and is like a veil keeping us apart. I believe in no sin. For how could a Son of God sin? Divine in His love.. it is impossible. Only to the ego is sin perceived from a Son of God.

I believe that we are all immortal because we are from the Father who creates life to live not to die. It would be illogical imo in Gods mind to create something to die, for creation is for extention not destruction. How could God create something that can die if creation is made from His love? For you create when in love and destroy when in hate. And it would ne senseless to create something to 'live' for a short time before finding salvation in 'death'. This must mean that we are immortal which means the illusion of death is simply that and salvation is now. Our egos make death and sickness not God for He is love and creation not destruction.

Some say that God is alittle hate but this cannot be so because Divine love does not know hate. It is impossible, for if you know something you must be apart of it and Diviness cannot be hatred in any form. For it is Divine, and God is Divine yes? I believe that Christ understood the true Father and not the jealous ignorant God. He understood the message because He knew he was like the Father who was like the Sons.

I basically believe that our salvation is in our brothers, no matter what their beliefs are or how they choose to live.

Anyway my advice would be not too stress about what to believe in because that wont help you find inner peace. hehe So relax and just try to smile and have fun. If you cant function some days then roll with that too.
I do.

 

[JEBofChristTheLord]

I want to believe in God, morality, and so many other things that have to do with religion but there seems to be so many flaws in every religious system. Why is this God better than that one, why be against gays, and I'm not so sure about abortion anymore either. So many things and there's so many beliefs but I just want to know which one is right. There has to be an ultimate truth. I feel like if I was a Christian and went to church I would be selfish because I'm just trying to find inner peace for myself and that doesn't sit right for me. Although I feel that if there is no god and no real meaning to my life then it's not worth living. So what is your advice to me? Please respond and ty in advance for any input.

A few items:

1. There is only one God. And He is described differently by every different group of people. Because of this, I suggest that it is best to rely on Him alone to reveal Himself. If you ask Him to do so, He will, and when He does so, it is wonderful.
2. I do not know that we are called to be "against" gays. I know that we are called to know that their sexual practice is sin, but only because of item #1. But I also know that I am called to love them, given that they are my neighbors, and not treat them badly.
3. The same goes for all others. There are so many sinful people who claim Christ who are basically on a Muslim Jihad, trying to cleanse the world of sin, that it is very easy for us to ignore the words of the Christ, who said that we must not share the cares of this world, we must not invest into this world, we must serve only the purposes of the Kingdom of God.
4. If we serve only the purposes of the Kingdom of God, we will have almost always have inner peace; if we serve the purposes of this world, we will lack inner peace, unless God allows us to remain ignorant of what we are doing.