My search for God is making me ill

[Im_A]

here's a verse that i don't know if it will be helpful for you or not. here it is:

Exodus 33:17-23

17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."

18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." 21 Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."

i found this verse while reading the book, "A New Christianity For A New World" by John Shelby Spong.

here is an excerpt sometime after this verse in the book itself:
A New Christianity For A New World pgs. 62-63 by John Shelby Spong

But beneath this amusing level of literalness, the ancient writer was pointing to something far more profound than our literal minds could ever imagine: he was asserting the common human experience that mortal men and women can never see who God is but only where God has been. We see God's tracks. We visualize and experience God's effects, not God's being. We never see God as a disincarnate or separate Self.

i found this part very thought provacating for myself as well and i hope it helps you out as well.

the point is, instead of trying to find God, just try to see the "tracks of God" and see where God has been. and then, hopefully, and i suppose adding in my own faith, i have the hope, the faith, that someday, i will find "God", even if it means me dieing to wait to see "God" beyond what my mind, and beyond what others' mind dictates as God.

i hope this has helped you out in any way. May God bless you! <><

 

[matthew241006]

the point is, instead of trying to find God, just try to see the "tracks of God" and see where God has been. and then, hopefully, and i suppose adding in my own faith, i have the hope, the faith, that someday, i will find "God", even if it means me dieing to wait to see "God" beyond what my mind, and beyond what others' mind dictates as God.

i hope this has helped you out in any way. May God bless you! <><

Thanks, this did help.
I would say that I see God all around me. In the flora and fauna. In the stars and so on.
I really *do* believe in *a* God. My problem is pinning down the specifics of His identity.

 

[Im_A]

Thanks, this did help.
I would say that I see God all around me. In the flora and fauna. In the stars and so on.
I really *do* believe in *a* God. My problem is pinning down the specifics of His identity.

i think what you have is a good thing.

i think it's good that your having a problem pinning down the specifics of His identity. i hope your not offended by that.

reasoning is, here's an analogy:
if horses had gods, their gods would look like horses. (taken from the book i quoted from above.)

and something i like about that book i quoted from is, he deals with the existential issue that we as humanity deals, and oddly enough we see in Adam in the Garden. here Adam was in the Garden of Eden, having dominion over every animal and everything, and being able to directly communicate with the Divine. yet, Adam was still alone.

so i wonder if that existential issue pops up for us. i've been down my own road to where my search for God, even while still being the Christian that i am, lead me ill.
i could give examples, but i dont' want to belittle your situation so i'll only give them if you ask for them.

my opinion is just be careful as best as you can to try to pinpoint God to an exact definition. my opinion is, it is very dangerous to create God in our likeness, because then we aren't trying to find God cause we are only looking at ourselves. and all the theological standpoints are still being debated about after councils have time and time again tried to resolve them, only leading to, well no resolvement, people being killed, a reformation that was either good for the evolutionary process of thinking for the human mind, or the killing factor for Christianity because now it is so fractionalized that it is actually scary.

you dont' want to create a mechanism of thought that may appease the needs NOW, but not be substantial for the remainder of your life, in my opinion at least. cause there's that so tempting thought to think God is just like me, a human being, doing things i do, so i can finally get rid of this problem that i feel all alone in this world. i have felt this existential problem, my whole entire faith. i've tried to substitute that problem with theories of God being like me, alcohol, nicotein, and now i'm coming to the point that i have to embrace the very same thing that Genesis story teaches us. to follow a "God" that i will never see His/Hers/Its face clearly but i will only be able to see the movements and the footprints. trust that the ancient people had something going, but also acknowledge the differences, and move along. i see Jesus as the purest and most fulfilled of this unseen God, this unseen God that takes no form, but is a spirit, a force, love or whatever human word we can use to describe "God". but when i see my fellow human beings that are Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, pagan and agnostic, living this way of life that was passed on from the Jews, that Jesus stood by i have faith that i'm seeing the tracks of God, and even with the fellow atheist believers, when i see them living a life that seem to show "fruits" of the Spirit of God and a life that is "accidently" fulfilling the second greatest commandment of Christ, i can see more tracks of God as well.

if you would like me to, i'll keep you in my prayers.

God Bless you! <><

 

[united4Peace]

i think what you have is a good thing.

i think it's good that your having a problem pinning down the specifics of His identity. i hope your not offended by that.

reasoning is, here's an analogy:
if horses had gods, their gods would look like horses. (taken from the book i quoted from above.)

and something i like about that book i quoted from is, he deals with the existential issue that we as humanity deals, and oddly enough we see in Adam in the Garden. here Adam was in the Garden of Eden, having dominion over every animal and everything, and being able to directly communicate with the Divine. yet, Adam was still alone.

so i wonder if that existential issue pops up for us. i've been down my own road to where my search for God, even while still being the Christian that i am, lead me ill.
i could give examples, but i dont' want to belittle your situation so i'll only give them if you ask for them.

my opinion is just be careful as best as you can to try to pinpoint God to an exact definition. my opinion is, it is very dangerous to create God in our likeness, because then we aren't trying to find God cause we are only looking at ourselves. and all the theological standpoints are still being debated about after councils have time and time again tried to resolve them, only leading to, well no resolvement, people being killed, a reformation that was either good for the evolutionary process of thinking for the human mind, or the killing factor for Christianity because now it is so fractionalized that it is actually scary.

you dont' want to create a mechanism of thought that may appease the needs NOW, but not be substantial for the remainder of your life, in my opinion at least. cause there's that so tempting thought to think God is just like me, a human being, doing things i do, so i can finally get rid of this problem that i feel all alone in this world. i have felt this existential problem, my whole entire faith. i've tried to substitute that problem with theories of God being like me, alcohol, nicotein, and now i'm coming to the point that i have to embrace the very same thing that Genesis story teaches us. to follow a "God" that i will never see His/Hers/Its face clearly but i will only be able to see the movements and the footprints. trust that the ancient people had something going, but also acknowledge the differences, and move along. i see Jesus as the purest and most fulfilled of this unseen God, this unseen God that takes no form, but is a spirit, a force, love or whatever human word we can use to describe "God". but when i see my fellow human beings that are Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, pagan and agnostic, living this way of life that was passed on from the Jews, that Jesus stood by i have faith that i'm seeing the tracks of God, and even with the fellow atheist believers, when i see them living a life that seem to show "fruits" of the Spirit of God and a life that is "accidently" fulfilling the second greatest commandment of Christ, i can see more tracks of God as well.

if you would like me to, i'll keep you in my prayers.

God Bless you! <><

 

[~InHisHands~]

and something i like about that book i quoted from is, he deals with the existential issue that we as humanity deals, and oddly enough we see in Adam in the Garden. here Adam was in the Garden of Eden, having dominion over every animal and everything, and being able to directly communicate with the Divine. yet, Adam was still alone.

I think this right here is the key.

 

[pistachio]

Tattedsaint worded it so beautifully.

yet, Adam was still alone.

Genesis 3:8
[Adam and Eve] heard the sound of Jehovah God walking up and down in the garden at the breeze of the day. And the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of Jehovah God in the middle of the trees of the garden.

Even though we don't see God, many of us sense His existence and presence.

Galatians 4:6
Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

 

[Bain_Adaneth]

You shouldn't call God evil....that's a real bad thing to do...first of all....you haven't searched for him enough...the way that you're doing it is searching for which religion is good for you...you're looking for a way to make you feel better....and Yes, God does do that...but it helps if you're a Christian first....if you go on searching the way you do...you'll go crazy....trust me I've been there.....you have to challenge the bible.....ask yourself why don't you believe the bible and then take your reasons and challenge the bible with them.....how you do this is ask people to help you find the answers and read the bible to find the answers....if you have any questions...I'm here...so you can PM me...

 

[Bain_Adaneth]

Oh...yeah...being a Christian, Jesus said we will have sufferings....so gotta know that....but with God and Jesus there is joy beyond suffering....and life eternal with God...more than we can ask for.....

 

[Exonoesis]

"My search for God is making me ill"

Yeah, it'll do that.

 

[HolyGuardianAngels]

I have been searching for a few years. I've examined Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism.
Each has good things and confusing things.
Now I feel that I cannot believe one religion over another. It is making me ill, *very* ill.
I pray and ask for guidance, but I don't think my prayer has ever been answered.
Why is God doing this to me? Why is he failing to intervene in my descent into madness? I thought God was supposed to love me? I don't see that. I just see my mind being destroyed by confusion.
The inevitable conclusion I am coming to is that God does not love me. That I am destined for Hell. If so, then I might as well just get on with it and end my life as it doesn't really matter whether I keep searching or not.
Calvinists beleive that some are predestined for Heaven. I suppose the flipside is that some, like me, are predestined for hell no matter how hard we try.
How can I beleive in a God that has turned his back no me? Why God, why? Why have you forsaken me? Why did you fail to help me? I knocked, but the door was not open. I asked, but did not receive. WHY?
Perhaps God is really evil. He seems to be indifferent to my suffering. Perhaps he is enjoying my pain. He could end it so quickly. Lord I have begged you for help, but to no avail.

PLEASE HELP ME LORD

Believe me please, when I tell you The Makers cares . . . HE really does . . .


How about this . . . Instead, of increasing your level of sin as you said, " you might as well get on with it " . . .



DECREASE IT and EXPERIENCE GOD . . .


Recall, that HEAVEN is a place of NO sin . . . Therefore, HELL is the place of EVERY Crime . . .
Those in Hell absolutely HATE GOD . . . could you do that . . . Of course not . . . So, LIVE for Heaven . . .



Maybe write a nice long letter to Saint Nicolas and
tell him everything and ask for some things and actually mail it:

In Care Of: The North Pole . . .

" Lord I have begged you for help, but to no avail.

PLEASE HELP ME LORD "

Remember HE will NEVER leave you
nor FORSAKE you . . .






Merry Christmas !!

 

[Endure2]

I have been searching for a few years. I've examined Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism.
Each has good things and confusing things.
Now I feel that I cannot believe one religion over another. It is making me ill, *very* ill.
I pray and ask for guidance, but I don't think my prayer has ever been answered.
Why is God doing this to me? Why is he failing to intervene in my descent into madness? I thought God was supposed to love me? I don't see that. I just see my mind being destroyed by confusion.
The inevitable conclusion I am coming to is that God does not love me. That I am destined for Hell. If so, then I might as well just get on with it and end my life as it doesn't really matter whether I keep searching or not.
Calvinists beleive that some are predestined for Heaven. I suppose the flipside is that some, like me, are predestined for hell no matter how hard we try.
How can I beleive in a God that has turned his back no me? Why God, why? Why have you forsaken me? Why did you fail to help me? I knocked, but the door was not open. I asked, but did not receive. WHY?
Perhaps God is really evil. He seems to be indifferent to my suffering. Perhaps he is enjoying my pain. He could end it so quickly. Lord I have begged you for help, but to no avail.

PLEASE HELP ME LORD

well...
why are you so sure that your on your way to any hell? if you cant believe in any one religoin... if you dont know what to believe in...why do believe in this hell?

sometimes life doesnt give you answers, sometimes there is no set path of instruction, thats when you have to be a grown man/woman and make the best decision you can yourself and live with it and go on with your life becuase you dont have a choice...unless you want to wallow in this pit of confusion for no reason or benefit at all except for the sake of being emotional or profound...
no one is going to come fix this for you. and unless you want to stay just like you are...calling and crying, sick and tired, come to the best logical conclusion you can and move on. how many years are you going to do this?

your a smart guy...you should know your religion pretty well... and where has all this emotion thats making you sick gotten you?
your sick becuase your emotions are all jacked up...
do what you can do, make the best decision you can, play the cards you have because there all you got... and move on with your life.

i think you need live in reality, deal with what you actually have and can do... instead of wasting your time and emotions wishing and hoping life was diffrent or more profound.
what you have is what you got... you either play your cards and cash in on life, or you just never do anything and waste it all, live a miserable life, and never accomplish anything because the hand you got doesnt suit you.
hey... we didnt choose the reality we were born into, you just have to deal with it in whatever way works best.

take care of yourself.

 

[1Newcreation]

we are all God's children

Sorry I double posted

 

[1Newcreation]

we are all God's children

From a Christian's point of view this statment is not true, we are not all God's children, to be a child of God we must accept Christ.

John 1:12 "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God"

1John 3:10 "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."

Romans 8:14 'because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God"

1newcreation

 

[idner]

Pope Paul II made a statement after studying Islam from Islamic scholars. The statement he made was that to the path to God is more than one (faith). And the God of the the Abrahamic faith is the same God... Jews call Him Yahweh, Christians say God/Lord/Jehovah and Muslims say Allah. But all three are referring to the same God Abraham called upon.

Hmmm... I am not trying to debate this but I dont think the God in Jewish and Islam are the same. I heard alot of people who convert from Islam said its different.

But I am not debating about it

Well, for the topic starter, if u get confuse by learning about religion, why dont u have a prayer before u sleep : Jesus, please reveal Yourself to me. I want to know who You are and I want to know who the real You.
Well, Jesus say If you seek Him, you will find Him. Why dont you try?

 

[idner]

The God is the same of all the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), just different names are used to call Him. Yahweh, Jehovah or Allah. All three faiths have divine books with very similar passages meaning they all come from the same source. All three believe in all the previous prophets and messengers. Think of it as a continuation of the same religion from one prophet to another, from Judaism to Christianity to Islam. But lets leave this for another thread and time.

Well, its actually different though. Look at the characteristic of the God in Christianity or Judaism and Islam. We cant really say just because three religion claiming that they have Abraham faith we shall accept that. If we say that we have the same God, surely the God in three religion have the same characteristic.

Its not about the name used. Its just different language. God is english but if you go to Arab, they will say it Allah or if you go to another country, they use another word.

Reading some articles about the word Allah used in Islam and Allah used in christian in Arab would be interesting though . They used the same word, but refer to different God.

Anyway,... God bless you

 

[Zeena]

God's desire is for you to be whole!

And this is impossible with men, but with Jesus as the centre of your being He will make it so if you are willing..

Spirit, soul AND body!

 

[idner]

Well, have u ever noticed about the difference in Characteristic between the God in Jews and Islam? Then if you read through it all, you can take a notice though.

As I said before, learning about the word " allah " used in Islam and Christian would be an interesting subject since you will find what the word really means. If you really think they both the same, then have a read through the books from scholar from Islam and Christian as they will have good explaination

Jesus bless

 

[united4Peace]

From a Christian's point of view this statment is not true, we are not all God's children, to be a child of God we must accept Christ.

John 1:12 "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God"

1John 3:10 "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."

Romans 8:14 'because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God"

1newcreation

I am a Christian and I believe it to be true, there are other Christian's that believe it to be true also.

Feel free to disagree though.

I believe in One God, One Creator...and we are all a part of that Creator who loves all of us.
That Creator created not only us but the earth, and the sun and the stars as well, that creator didnt only Create Christian's, created Muslims, Jews, Pagans, Atheists, Wiccans, Hindu's, etc and loves them just as much

 

[Blesss]

Trust.....Hope....Faith.....

I will pray for you!

God Bless

 

[Zeena]

I am a Christian and I believe it to be true, there are other Christian's that believe it to be true also.

Feel free to disagree though.

I believe in One God, One Creator...and we are all a part of that Creator who loves all of us.
That Creator created not only us but the earth, and the sun and the stars as well, that creator didnt only Create Christian's, created Muslims, Jews, Pagans, Atheists, Wiccans, Hindu's, etc and loves them just as much

He does Love them just as much! For He can't help Himself! :LOL: He is LOVE!

BUT

They are not all His Sons, for there is Only One Son of God, Jesus the Christ sent from God, who was and is and will always be:God.

Romans 9:6-18
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; ) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

We become Sons of God through Faith in Christ Jesus!

John 1:11-13
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Nevertheless, as Christians we can and do see Jesus in ALL creation!

Ephesians 1:22-23
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

However, there still remains to be seen, the liberation of the world..

Romans 8:21
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

1 Corinthians 15:28
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.