I was a Christian ... once. [moved from new member intros]

[Spectrox War]

I was once a Christian. I believed I was saved and that Jesus loved me. I began to question my faith. I found that there were things that were wrong in the Bible. I believed that all my questions would be answered by God eventually. But no answers came. My faith began to crumble as I realised that I had no rational justification for believing in any of it.

I feel that Christianity is wrong from various standpoints - moral, logical & scientific. I can't prove that God doesn't exist but I'm fairly sure he doesn't because all the evidence points towards atheism being correct.

 

[Matariki]

Its a shame that people don't take the time to study theology or apologetics these days. Welcome to the forums, hopefully being here will spark your interests in scripture. Even if you're not interested in becoming a Christian, use these forums as an opportunity to learn about the faith. Everything should be a learning experience and I'm sure that many of us will be happy to provide information from the Christian standpoint.
Enjoy your stay.

 

[singpeace]

I was once a Christian. I believed I was saved and that Jesus loved me. I began to question my faith. I found that there were things that were wrong in the Bible. I believed that all my questions would be answered by God eventually. But no answers came. My faith began to crumble as I realised that I had no rational justification for believing in any of it.

I feel that Christianity is wrong from various standpoints - moral, logical & scientific. I can't prove that God doesn't exist but I'm fairly sure he doesn't because all the evidence points towards atheism being correct.

Spectrox War,

I'm so sorry you had this experience. It must have been a terrible time for you. I'm glad you are here and hope that you make many new friends.

I have a couple of questions for you.

1. Who told you there were things wrong in the Bible?
2. What things in the Bible do you believe are wrong?

Welcome to CF. It's great to meet you.

 

[Mr Dave]

Welcome to the site spectrox

 

[Spectrox War]

Spectrox War,

I have a couple of questions for you.

1. Who told you there were things wrong in the Bible?
2. What things in the Bible do you believe are wrong?

Welcome to CF. It's great to meet you.

My answer:

1. I worked it out for myself mostly although I had discussions with Christians and atheists when my faith was dwindling. I felt that the atheists were being much more honest and down to earth. All the Christians could say to me was that I probably was never saved in the first place and that God doesn't give someone a gift and then take it away. I thought this was completely disingenuous.

2. Where do I begin?

a) Moral - OT supports genocide, slavery, killing of children by dashing their brains against rocks, women treated badly, racist, homophobic etc.
NT - Jesus believes in eternal Hell for just not believing in him and his message. Crucifiction is perverse - as if God sacrificing himself to himself for the "sins" of others somehow makes everything better. IMO it doesn't.
b) Doesn't make sense logically / scientifically - contradictions in the NT (especially the 4 resurrection stories). Which version am I supposed to believe? Evolution means that belief in God is no longer necessary to explain the diversity of life on this planet. It is at odds with the creation myth which by the way is the whole reason for Jesus' mission.
c) Unrealistic - it's full of far-fetched tall tales (talking snakes and talking donkeys) and the miracles I find absurd.

 

[FreeinChrist]

MOD HAT

Closing for review
​

 

[JCFantasy23]

MOD HAT ON


Thread has been moved to Exploring Christianity, please continue your discussion here, thank you.
​

 

[drich0150]

I was once a Christian. I believed I was saved and that Jesus loved me. I began to question my faith. I found that there were things that were wrong in the Bible. I believed that all my questions would be answered by God eventually. But no answers came. My faith began to crumble as I realized that I had no rational justification for believing in any of it.

I feel that Christianity is wrong from various standpoints - moral, logical & scientific. I can't prove that God doesn't exist but I'm fairly sure he doesn't because all the evidence points towards atheism being correct.

Do you have a question, or are you simply wanting to sit in judgment of our responses to your challenges?

 

[solarwave]

I was once a Christian. I believed I was saved and that Jesus loved me. I began to question my faith. I found that there were things that were wrong in the Bible. I believed that all my questions would be answered by God eventually. But no answers came. My faith began to crumble as I realised that I had no rational justification for believing in any of it.

I feel that Christianity is wrong from various standpoints - moral, logical & scientific. I can't prove that God doesn't exist but I'm fairly sure he doesn't because all the evidence points towards atheism being correct.

By Christianity here do you actually mean the denomination you were brought up in? Christianity doesn't mean a simple and literal understanding of the Bible. In my opinion the Bible has errors, but is inspired, just not in the way you were taught it was. Some of the moral teachings and doctrines of some denominations may go against morality, reason and science, but not all. Would you disagree with a morality that told you to love others and help those worse off, or a doctrine of creation that accepts evolution?

Maybe you believed because your parents or friends did, but now you have the chance to build your own foundations for faith. One must not only doubt, but doubt their doubt.

 

[Spectrox War]

Do you have a question, or are you simply wanting to sit in judgment of our responses to your challenges?

I do have a question. Why do you believe that Christianity is correct?

 

[Spectrox War]

By Christianity here do you actually mean the denomination you were brought up in? Christianity doesn't mean a simple and literal understanding of the Bible. In my opinion the Bible has errors, but is inspired, just not in the way you were taught it was. Some of the moral teachings and doctrines of some denominations may go against morality, reason and science, but not all. Would you disagree with a morality that told you to love others and help those worse off, or a doctrine of creation that accepts evolution?

Maybe you believed because your parents or friends did, but now you have the chance to build your own foundations for faith. One must not only doubt, but doubt their doubt.

So do you believe that The Bible (RSV version for the sake of argument) is the infallible message of God to us for all time? A God who is all-loving, all-just and all-knowing? From your response above it would appear that you don't think it is - in which case, why not just come up with your own philosophy of love and morality?

 

[CryptoLutheran]

So do you believe that The Bible (RSV version for the sake of argument) is the infallible message of God to us for all time? A God who is all-loving, all-just and all-knowing? From your response above it would appear that you don't think it is - in which case, why not just come up with your own philosophy of love and morality?

The notion of biblical inerrancy, the view that the Bible is in every instance an inerrant and literal record in all possible arenas of thought, is neither the universal position of Christianity nor even the most historically accepted.

It is possible to accept that the Bible contains errors--historical, or what not--and yet still be infallible insofar as it pertains to matters of the faith. The authority, therefore, does not come from it being in all ways absolutely correct in all minutia, but that it is an inspired record of God's historic relationship with the world through His activity with Israel, the Prophets and so on, and most especially (for the Christian) His activity of sending His Son, Jesus, for us and our salvation and the ramifications of this Event in human history.

This isn't a DIY Christianity, but simply a recognition that the Bible's holiness, inspiration and authority derive not from it's textual perfection, but from God's own activity and most importantly in that it presents and speaks Jesus--God's own eternal Word--to us as the Church, the community of faith.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[solarwave]

So do you believe that The Bible (RSV version for the sake of argument) is the infallible message of God to us for all time?

It depends what you mean by infallible. I believe the people that wrote the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit but that human error is in it too. Errors in science and history, and expressing the truth of God through their limited cultural experience.

A God who is all-loving, all-just and all-knowing?

Yes.

From your response above it would appear that you don't think it is - in which case, why not just come up with your own philosophy of love and morality?

I believe in Jesus Christ and that His teachings are amazing. Christianity brings me closer to God.

 

[drich0150]

I do have a question. Why do you believe that Christianity is correct?

Because God said so.

 

[Spectrox War]

The notion of biblical inerrancy, the view that the Bible is in every instance an inerrant and literal record in all possible arenas of thought, is neither the universal position of Christianity nor even the most historically accepted.

It is possible to accept that the Bible contains errors--historical, or what not--and yet still be infallible insofar as it pertains to matters of the faith. The authority, therefore, does not come from it being in all ways absolutely correct in all minutia, but that it is an inspired record of God's historic relationship with the world through His activity with Israel, the Prophets and so on, and most especially (for the Christian) His activity of sending His Son, Jesus, for us and our salvation and the ramifications of this Event in human history.

This isn't a DIY Christianity, but simply a recognition that the Bible's holiness, inspiration and authority derive not from it's textual perfection, but from God's own activity and most importantly in that it presents and speaks Jesus--God's own eternal Word--to us as the Church, the community of faith.

-CryptoLutheran

You wrote: "It is possible to accept that the Bible contains errors--historical, or what not--and yet still be infallible insofar as it pertains to matters of the faith."

This doesn't mean anything to me. It just feels like sophisticated double-speak. Surely it's easy for God to get everything right in his book if it contains the ultimate message for humanity? How does getting stuff wrong convince anyone other than the gullible?

 

[Spectrox War]

It depends what you mean by infallible. I believe the people that wrote the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit but that human error is in it too. Errors in science and history, and expressing the truth of God through their limited cultural experience.



Yes.



I believe in Jesus Christ and that His teachings are amazing. Christianity brings me closer to God.

Any more amazing than Socrates or Buddha who lived 500 years before Jesus? Are the stories of their lives less believable than Jesus? I for one find the miracles to be totally unbelievable.

You talk of the human author's limited cultural experience. Surely God actually chose to reincarnate himself in the Iron Age if the Bible's claims are true? It might have been better to wait until now and then at least we could get some well documented evidence for the claims. As far as I can see there are none outside the Bible.

 

[Spectrox War]

Because God said so.

Oh right. I'm a Pastafarian because the Flying Spaghetti Monster told me so. How do you know you have the right God? What about The Koran? Your answer is the worst I've heard so far.

 

[drich0150]

Oh right. I'm a Pastafarian because the Flying Spaghetti Monster told me so. How do you know you have the right God? What about The Koran? Your answer is the worst I've heard so far.

You seem overly eager to dismiss the easy answer because you do not know, or want to know God.

If YOU want to know if the God of the bible is indeed the right "God." Then simply ask Him to show you.

I know He is the "right God" because He has shown me.

 

[Spectrox War]

You seem overly eager to dismiss the easy answer because you do not know, or want to know God.

If YOU want to know if the God of the bible is indeed the right "God." Then simply ask Him to show you.

I know He is the "right God" because He has shown me.

I already have "known God". I used to be a Christian - a very passionate one. But a streak of honesty forced me to question my faith and as soon as i started to do that my faith crumbled. I prayed very hard. I felt sure the answers would come eventually but they never did. After a few months of this nonsense I realised I was just talking to myself. God was not there.

 

[drich0150]

I already have "known God". I used to be a Christian - a very passionate one. But a streak of honesty forced me to question my faith and as soon as i started to do that my faith crumbled. I prayed very hard. I felt sure the answers would come eventually but they never did. After a few months of this nonsense I realized I was just talking to myself. God was not there.

So because God did not meet you on your terms, He must not exist. I got an idea, why not send a letter to Prince Charles and demand that He meet you at you local Mc Donalds and see what happens. If he does not show up, and you efforts once again prove that you are speaking to yourself does that mean Prince Charles does not exist as well?

When we ask God to show Himself in our lives we are first shown the sin in our lives that must be attended to in order for this to happen. If you ignore this sin, then you will also ignore what God has to show you in favor of what you are demanding to see. God is always read to provide us with proof. It's just most times it is not the "proof" we want to see, or get the "answers" we want to hear.