Not sure where I fit in

[VintageRoses]

Hi

Im new here and feeling a bit confused about my faith.

I grew up in the christian faith as a child but as I grew older I steered away as I was unsure what I believed.

In resent years certain things have happened that have made my faith grow again and want to learn more as an adult.

I have read my way through most of the bible, I didn't want to do it as part of a group or programme as I wanted to work my way through it and figure things out at my own pace in my own time.


This has led me to even further confusion.

The thing is I am absolutely certain there is a God and I believe Jesus was here and was the Son of God, BUT... and this is the thing! I just don't believe ALL of what is written in the Bible.

I just don't believe how the earth was created and the Adam and Eve story etc. I do believe there is a god but I just don't think thats the way it happened and I can't get away from that, there are other stories that I just 'don't understand / Believe' and can't get passed in my head.
I do however find great comfort in the Bible and yes there is a lot that makes sense and I that I can apply to myself and my life.

I have just started going to Church again but I do feel like a bit of a fake / half Christian and Im unsure where I fit in or if I fit in at all
I am trying to keep my distance at church at the moment as I do feel like a bit of a fraud and unsure if I should open up about my faith to others?

So what does that make me If I believe in God / Jesus but I cannot except a significant amount of the Bible?

Thank you for your help

 

[prophecyistrue]

Hi

Im new here and feeling a bit confused about my faith.

I grew up in the christian faith as a child but as I grew older I steered away as I was unsure what I believed.

In resent years certain things have happened that have made my faith grow again and want to learn more as an adult.

I have read my way through most of the bible, I didn't want to do it as part of a group or programme as I wanted to work my way through it and figure things out at my own pace in my own time.


This has led me to even further confusion.

The thing is I am absolutely certain there is a God and I believe Jesus was here and was the Son of God, BUT... and this is the thing! I just don't believe ALL of what is written in the Bible.

I just don't believe how the earth was created and the Adam and Eve story etc. I do believe there is a god but I just don't think thats the way it happened and I can't get away from that, there are other stories that I just 'don't understand / Believe' and can't get passed in my head.
I do however find great comfort in the Bible and yes there is a lot that makes sense and I that I can apply to myself and my life.

I have just started going to Church again but I do feel like a bit of a fake / half Christian and Im unsure where I fit in or if I fit in at all
I am trying to keep my distance at church at the moment as I do feel like a bit of a fraud and unsure if I should open up about my faith to others?

So what does that make me If I believe in God / Jesus but I cannot except a significant amount of the Bible?

Thank you for your help

many people are raised believing in God yet they have never been born again, have you ever been born again!

 

[leftrightleftrightleft]

Christianity is a very, very, very broad religion with so many views and sects. Different Christians can have a wide range of views on the events throughout the Bible. If you have faith that Jesus is God who saved you from your sinful nature AND strive to live out a Christ-centered life both morally and spiritually then I would label you a Christian.

Don't worry too much about what people think of you at your church. If they judge you or say you're doing it wrong perhaps talk to your pastor or consider finding a new church or different denomination that is more accommodating to your type of faith and worship.

Also, please try to read the Bible as well as other external writings by both Christian and non-Christian authors. I think its important to learn and seek a well-balanced knowledge base for your faith.

 

[whale8jonah]

Hi VintageRoses,

Don't worry, you really are not alone in being a Christian questioning some parts of the Bible in some ways, and certainly not a fake, a fraud or a half Christian! Here's an example - on our profile page in this forum, there's an "origin of life view" section with many options - I'm sure there are many Christians with various views - not all the Creationist Adam and Eve view that's put forward in the Bible!

I spent a part of my life as an atheist, and I had some real difficulties in accepting the Bible - I could only see circular arguments; usually ending up with being told about 2 Timothy 3.16 which says that all scripture is God breathed. At the same timeI remember getting infuriated that these Christians could always counter my anti-Christian arguments by quoting the Bible! To cut a long story short, God helped me to 'jump in' to the Bible, to accept it, or to accept that in time I might accept the bits that at that time I didn't.

As a young Christian, I still had lots of questions, especially about parts of the Bible I was having difficulty accepting. This answer (to most of them) I still remember...does it matter?

Sounds harsh, but does it matter if the Earth was created in 6 days, or though evolution? Does it matter if it was an angel that freed Paul from prison or a soldier with a bright lamp? Does it matter if...? Would these answers separate you from the love of God? Does it negate wheat Jesus did for you on the cross? No!!!

Obviously for some questions it does matter (e.g. is Jesus really the Son of God?), and it does matter if you question (doubt) the power of God, that he *could* create the world in 6 days, or that He *could* send an angel. God says in Psalm 32.9 "Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding" so it's good to question what you read, to think about it...and pray about it! Ask God!!!

Here's a point to ponder...what does God think about the Bible? Jesus read and studied the scriptures during his time on Earth...and he accepted them...(!) (that's the clincher for me, I can scientifically accept the accuracy of the new testament, and in that I read the Son of God accepting the Old Testament. Plus faith...)

Sorry this is so long; perhaps if you have a specific question you could post it here? Anyway...please don't feel that you're half a Christian...you believe in Jesus!

with love from your brother in Jesus,

Paul

 

[Galvanized]

Vintagerose,

You will find this useful. It is an email I received recently as a result of a question I had looking for good books that discuss evolution. You will find a good resource here:

------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------

Dear Ricardo,

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to email us. My name is Liz and I am a member of Ray & Kirk's ministry team. They have entrusted me to answer some of the e-mails that come into the ministry.

Thank you for your e-mail and for your interest in books we recommend that deal specifically for creationism and against evolutionism.

We have a number of such books that may be helpful, though, as you may know this is not your area of expertise – evangelism is.

Here are a couple items we have on your topic of interest:

Nothing Created Everything book
Nothing Created Everything
Intelligent Design vs. Evolution book Intelligent Design vs. Evolution
Evolution: A Fairy Tale for Grownups book Evolution: A Fairy Tale for Grownups
How to Know God Exists: Scientific Proof of God book
How to Know God Exists: Scientific Proof of God
You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can't Make Him Think book
You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can't Make Him
Joe Average DVD
Joe Average
Beyond that, I highly recommend the following web-sites that are devoted to this sort of defense for the truth:


Answers in Genesis - Creation, Evolution, Christian Apologetics

Creation - Creation Ministries International

CARM - Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

Hope that helps, and if you are not already signed up for our Weekly Updates and would like to be, simply enter your e-mail address at the following link or click on the banner under my signature.

Newsletter

This is a great way to stay connected with the ministry.

Please listen freely to our two main teachings “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” and “True and False Conversion” found at Home.

Watch our LIVE “On the Box” show M-F 11:30 AM PST at the address below:
On The Box on USTREAM: Living Waters presents "On the Box," with Ray Comfort and the Living Waters team. High Quality video of the show is available each d...

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You can also get answers to tough questions, view WOTM Episodes, and check out our site on Hollywood, blasphemy, and God through the links below my name!

And check out all of our other sites at the following link:
Our Websites

 

[Mr Dave]

Hi

Im new here and feeling a bit confused about my faith.

I grew up in the christian faith as a child but as I grew older I steered away as I was unsure what I believed.

In resent years certain things have happened that have made my faith grow again and want to learn more as an adult.

I have read my way through most of the bible, I didn't want to do it as part of a group or programme as I wanted to work my way through it and figure things out at my own pace in my own time.


This has led me to even further confusion.

The thing is I am absolutely certain there is a God and I believe Jesus was here and was the Son of God, BUT... and this is the thing! I just don't believe ALL of what is written in the Bible.

I just don't believe how the earth was created and the Adam and Eve story etc. I do believe there is a god but I just don't think thats the way it happened and I can't get away from that, there are other stories that I just 'don't understand / Believe' and can't get passed in my head.
I do however find great comfort in the Bible and yes there is a lot that makes sense and I that I can apply to myself and my life.

I have just started going to Church again but I do feel like a bit of a fake / half Christian and Im unsure where I fit in or if I fit in at all
I am trying to keep my distance at church at the moment as I do feel like a bit of a fraud and unsure if I should open up about my faith to others?

So what does that make me If I believe in God / Jesus but I cannot except a significant amount of the Bible?

Thank you for your help

Hi, welcome to the site

I just don't believe how the earth was created and the Adam and Eve story etc.

Neither do I. Neither do most Christians. That's a perfectly acceptable position to take. Feel free to ask questions you have regarding these topics, it's better to ask and find some responses than hide them feeling like a fake (which you're not). I'm happy to have a PM conversation with you if you want, or you're welcome to post in the relevant areas of the site

God bless.

 

[Galvanized]

Hi, welcome to the site

I just don't believe how the earth was created and the Adam and Eve story etc.

Neither do I. Neither do most Christians. That's a perfectly acceptable position to take. Feel free to ask questions you have regarding these topics, it's better to ask and find some responses than hide them feeling like a fake (which you're not). I'm happy to have a PM conversation with you if you want, or you're welcome to post in the relevant areas of the site

God bless.

I guess that's okay if you're willing to go on with it despite the inherent contradiction of such an existence/belief. (To live with such beliefs represents the highest level of mediocrity to me.) I myself, if I were to accept such a premise, would find it hard to believe in Jesus if important sections of the Bible referred to by the Apostles and Jesus Himself weren't true or "figurative". PM him if you don't want any interesting answers to your questions. This is your Red Pill, Blue Pill moment, VintageRoses. I forget which color was the good one though.

 

[Emmy]

Dear VintageRoses. God gave us 10 Commandments, and Jesus gave us 2 Commandments, which say all what God told us in His 10 Commandments. In Matthew, chapter 22, verses 35-40, Jesus told a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Straightforward and easy to remember. A good way to start: treat all you know and all you meet as you would love to be treated, with kindness/love, friendly and nice to know, and forgiving, rather than always insisting that you know best. God will see your sincere efforts to love/be kind, and God will approve and bless you. God will also know that you love Him, because you follow His Commandments to love your neighbour ( all others, friends or not friends) as you love yourself. Jesus will give you His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will give you His Love, too. Jesus told us to " ask and ye will receive," and we will thank God and share all Love and Joy with all around us. People will notice and treat as the same, life will become more enjoyable. You will slowly, but surly, change into the child/daughter which God wants : loving selflessly and finding life abundantly, as Jesus promised us. Love is a Christian`s weapon to overcome all enmity and opposition, Love will lead us on to God our Heavenly Father, and Jesus will be waiting to lead us back to where we came from: He is our Saviour and the Way. We will be changed and loving followers of Jesus, and everything we say or do, will be in Love and Charity. I say this with love, VintageRose. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[razeontherock]

The thing is I am absolutely certain there is a God and I believe Jesus was here and was the Son of God, BUT...

I just don't believe how the earth was created and the Adam and Eve story etc. I do believe there is a god but I just don't think thats the way it happened and I can't get away from that, there are other stories that I just 'don't understand / Believe' and can't get passed in my head.
I do however find great comfort in the Bible and yes there is a lot that makes sense and I that I can apply to myself and my life.

I haven't read your replies but hopefully others have said what I'm about to:

there's no way to apply the things you're expressing concern about. What we can apply ourselves to, is "having an ear to hear" the point of these stories, and also to do the work of understanding them the way the original audience would have. (This is called hermeneutics)

And if you do that, you won't really "fit in" with most Churches. Which is ok!

(Romans 12:2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind"

Christians should "live in the Epistles." That's what's applicable!

 

[zaksmummy]

When I returned to Christianity after 10 years away God spoke to me very clearly and this is what he said:

Isaiah 55v8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

For me this means that I needed to go and discover who God is and what he thinks, because the purpose of believing in God is not just to get into heaven, its to know and cultivate a relationship with him so that we become more like him - "Be Holy as I am Holy".

This is the challenge for all of us, so you are not alone.

 

[lesliedellow]

I just don't believe how the earth was created and the Adam and Eve story etc. I do believe there is a god but I just don't think thats the way it happened and I can't get away from that

In the particular case of the opening chapters of Genesis, most Christians outside of America do not believe they are literally true. They are understood as saying something about God and his relationship to man, but so far as a scientific account of creation is concerned - that is simply absent, and couldn't very easily have been present given that the scientific project wasn't due to get under way until many centuries into the future.

For some reason, America alone in the western world seems to be a bastion of creationism.

As to where you fit in denomination wise, I don't live in America (I suppose I am guessing that is where you reside) but Catholics, Anglicans and perhaps Methodists would probably be relatively free of creationism. When I started out on my spiritual journey, I barely qualified as a theist, let alone a Christian, but the Anglicans tolerated me, and I am a lot more orthodox now.