Questioning Christianity

[GR4PHIXX]

I have been struggeling a lot recently. I have been a Christian for a while now, but recently, I have been questioning Christianity. Many core Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions. The world is worse than it was when the great flood happened. Why hasn't God done something about all the horrible things going on? I don't hear of anyone talking to God like in the bible. Why don't things that happened in the Bible happen anymore during the days we are living in?

 

[JVAC]

I have been struggeling a lot recently. I have been a Christian for a while now, but recently, I have been questioning Christianity. Many core Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions. The world is worse than it was when the great flood happened. Why hasn't God done something about all the horrible things going on? I don't hear of anyone talking to God like in the bible. Why don't things that happened in the Bible happen anymore during the days we are living in?

First off, the causes of all the bad stuff are Satan and ungodly men. The church is charged with living in the darkness bearing the light of Jesus Christ to the world. Now God has done something about all the awful things, he sent us his own son, Jesus, to be with us and show us the way, and we crucified that Son, however through him we are given eternal life. Even though we hated and despised God, he still chooses to save us, and whoever comes to Him.

-James

 

[MakeMeAServant]

I have been struggeling a lot recently. I have been a Christian for a while now, but recently, I have been questioning Christianity. Many core Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions. The world is worse than it was when the great flood happened. Why hasn't God done something about all the horrible things going on? I don't hear of anyone talking to God like in the bible. Why don't things that happened in the Bible happen anymore during the days we are living in?

Some pagan religions may have had some of the same type of beliefs or customs as Christianity, but core Christian beliefs do not come from pagan religions. Core Christian beliefs come from God Himself. Although the Bible was written down by men, every word of it was inspired and authored by God Himself (read 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Why doesn't God do something about the awful sin that men and women are engaging in and the excruciating pain they are causing others? Not because God couldn't do anything about it, but because when He made humans He gave us a choice of whether we wanted to serve God or Satan. All humans serve one or the other. ALot of humans chose to serve Satan and sin, which usually causes other people and sometimes themselves alot of pain. But God wanted to give us each a choice so that if we loved Him it would be because we chose to do so, not because He forced us to love Him and live for Him without hurting others. However, God is getting ready to do something about the sin and pain in this world. At God's appointed time, each individual human will be judged and punished for his or her sins, unless that person has chosen to turn to God and asked Jesus to cover his or her sin with His blood. Throughout the New Testament, Christians are warned that they are going to face trials and hard times for serving God. But, ultimately through everything Christians go through God promises to turn whatever happens to them bad or good into something good for those who love God (read Romans 8:28). For example, remember how Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but God let that happen because God knew that if it did happen that He could help Joseph ultimately become a powerful official in Egypt and save enough food to get not only himself and his own family through a major famine but also most of the rest of the world! God lets Satan do bad things to us sometimes because in the end God can use whatever evil happened to us to do something incredible in our lives -- to make us something we would never have been without that experience -- to help us help others -- to heal us in a way where we can have no doubt left in our lives that there is an awesomely powerful God who loves us so much that He would give His life for us.

I'm not just spouting off rhetoric from some old archaic Bible verse. I'm living proof that THE THINGS THAT THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT HAPPENING STILL HAPPEN TODAY. For example, Jesus still heals people emotionally, physically, spiritually. Jesus still can take what Satan does to us that is so evil and devastating that we think we can never heal from and use whatever we went through for good. For example, I was sexually, physically, and emotionally abused for about 25 years of my life. Besides the emotional pain (and pain from rape, beatings, starvation, and getting only an hour or two of sleep) that made me feel like I would rather die than live, I suffered such a severe injury that I have been unable to physically function as a normal human being for over 10 years and have been in such excruciating physical pain that I didn't think I would be able to live each day. Honestly, I don't know how I survived all of that. It felt like I wouldn't. I turned away from God for a while because I just didn't understand why He could let me go through something that devastating. I felt like God didn't love me.

I want you to know that it took several years and alot of help from Jesus and His people here on earth, but Jesus healed my memories of all that abuse by 5 people over about 25 years and Jesus is healing my physical injury after 10 years of doctors being unable to even find what was wrong with me and how to treat it. I am very close to being completely healed physically compared to having no hope of ever living a normal pain-free life. 1 Peter 1:3-9 tells us that God has a spiritual shield of His power around us when we go through abuse/suffering so that our souls are not destroyed if we have faith in Jesus. Maybe that is another reason why God can bear to see us suffer on this earth. We know that Jesus cried when His friend Lazarus died from illness because He sympathized with Lazarus having to suffer so much, but when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead Jesus used Lazarus' suffering to let other people (including Lazarus) see how much trouble Jesus will go to for us because He loves us! Jesus also promised that we would not go through our suffering alone, but that He would always be there with us. I realized when I came back to God and let Him start to heal me that Jesus had been there in my suffering/abuse with me all along shielding my soul from permanent harm when I believed in Him. There was nothing that happened to me (physically, emotionally, or sexually) that Jesus could not completely heal (although it did take some time because I couldn't process all that Jesus could do for me in three seconds). God even shielded me physically with a wall of angels around me that my ex-fiance could not break through when he was about to kill or hurt me very badly, and God shielded my brother and sister from developing very serious injuries during severe abuse that took place in their childhoods also.

God didn't stop there. He didn't just shield and heal me. He took what Satan had done to me and turned it around so completely for good that I would never change what happened to me. Because I went through all of that abuse and pain and then Jesus' healing of me, I have been able to talk to some of my family members who were abused in the same way I was and who had also turned their backs on God thinking He would never help them. I am getting ready to talk with 4 abusive members of my own family who hurt me so badly all those years to help them get healing from the terrible abuse that was committed on them as children. Jesus helped me to forgive them and to see how much they were hurting too, and that in itself was a miracle because I hated them and could never have forgiven them on my own. Because I had gone through abuse and understood how they felt and how Jesus could help them, several members of my family have been healed or are healing from the abuse that happened to them and from abusing others. Because of what I went through, I have been able to minister to numerous people who are strangers, friends, family, co-workers, etc about the amazing love and healing power of Jesus. Some of those people were about to commit suicide, and now they are ALIVE again in their very souls ministering to others in a way that I can't even believe. I didn't and couldn't have healed them. Jesus did it. If you want some other examples of how Jesus still works miracles, my grandmother was physically healed of cancer, a man from my church was raised from the dead, the gifts of the Holy Spirit (described in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14) have been flowing into me and my friends and family and people I have ministered to or just prayed for secretly, God supplied me and my husband's financial needs when we were desperate for necessities like medical care and a place to stay.

As for your specific question about whether God talks to us or not these days, God has talked to lots of people I have been talking to on CF, not always in an audible voice like all people in the room can hear, but in a voice called the Holy Spirit that each individual person who believes on Jesus can hear directing them, teaching them, and comforting them in their own mind if they are open to Him doing so. John 14:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit acts as a comforter to Christians' hearts and that the Holy Spirit teaches us all things about God and what Jesus has said in the Bible. There are also spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit choses to bestow on certain Christians as He choses (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). For example, the Holy Spirit spoke to me in my own mind and guided me into the exact city I needed to live in to get the kind of medical care I needed (which is an extremely rare specialty that no doctor where I used to live practiced), guided me to the right doctor even when I did not want to go to that doctor at first, guided a Christian prayer minister who helps people heal from abuse and did not know me at all to talk to me about healing from abuse when I didn't know I even needed to, guided me to marry my husband (who lived 13 hours from me and hadn't seen me but once in about 13 years when he called to resume dating me) who has taken care of me despite all of my emotional and physical struggles. But I believe that God mainly speaks to us through us reading the Bible, which is His direct word to us, and then the Holy Spirit helps us understand God's words in our minds and put what it says to do into practice. So, just so you can see, God does still speak to Christians in various ways. God usually only sets bushes on fire (and stuff like that) as a last resort, like for when people God wants to use in a big way are being really hard headed about accepting Him and doing what He asks. Take Moses for example. Do you really need God to set a bush on fire, or would you be okay with God convincing you He is real by speaking to your mind and heart through the Holy Spirit and the Bible?

God has done so many of the things for me and others I know that the Bible talks about. And the Bible says that God is no respector of persons (which means He doesn't pick favorites). If you follow what God asks you to do (which is described in the Bible), God will show you He is real and change your life in such a drastic way that you will never be the same again. You will be so much better than before that you will never want to go back to your old life. Before you give up on God and make the biggest mistake of your life (trust me, I did that and will never ever give up on God again no matter what happens to me because I know now that God can deliver me and heal me from whatever does happen!), just start reading your Bible a little at a time and see what it says and try to do what it tells you to, so you can test and see for yourself whether God is real or not. The Bible says that if you seek God with all your heart you will find Him. Don't just try to believe in Christianity because other people tell you to. Seek and find God for yourself. If you don't believe that miracles in that Bible still happen today, then read what the Bible actually says (I would start in the New Testament with Mathew and read that before the Old Testament) and start asking God to show you that He is real today and can do miracles in your own life. The Bible says that we have not because we ask not. But there are rules for how to ask and what to ask for, so you've got to follow them too. I encourage you to ask others what God has done for them too. I would be happy for you to PM me and we can talk more if you want. I will pray for you that you will be able to seek God with all your heart and find out the truth for yourself. And I praise God that you are trying to seek the truth right now.

 

[Anti-Fear]

Well let me tell you my perspective. Until about 12 I didnt know much about God. Then I thought I was either atheist or gnostic. Now I belive in Jesus Christ. How come?
- God showed mey influencing events around me that he hears.
- Example: something bad happens when I do something bad.
- Example: something good happens when I pray.
- Christianity is NOT based on ancient paganism. In Europe they converted some pagan holidays to Christianity, but its still Christianity
- You don't know how bad the world was during the great flood compared to world now.
- Bible says that we should not focus on physical fortunes or misfortunes but that our spiritual needs should come first.
- The fact that world is a crapy place makes sense because its like that because of the way people fell when Even at the forbidden fruit. That means that individually as well as collectively we bear results of sins we commited and others commit.
- Bad things must happen because sometimes we need to see them to contrast to how good we can be and our brothers and sisters can be.
- Example: if you live in a sheltered , financialy stable life, you dont know how bad it can get. You also don't know how bad the people can bee unless you see them.
- To see how good world can be, you need to see the bad of the world.
- fixing the bad things in the world takes away our own willpower to make things better altough sometimes God does interfere.
- Even in the Old Testament, God only shows himself and talks to very select few. He doesn't talk to every believer but to those he has chosen.
- Many things that happened in Old Testament still happen. Other things don't have to be done by God because he sent us Jesus Christ

Here's a good way to think about it if you doubt. Think that if God really didn't exist then your prayers and meditations on him would be useless, so you have nothing to lose. Just pray to God as if he's not simply some authoritative figure in heaven far away but ALSO as a close friend who knows everything , loves you and wants to hear.
Ask him to help in your belief and you will become more keenly aware of the ways in which he molds he world around us.

I have been struggeling a lot recently. I have been a Christian for a while now, but recently, I have been questioning Christianity. Many core Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions. The world is worse than it was when the great flood happened. Why hasn't God done something about all the horrible things going on? I don't hear of anyone talking to God like in the bible. Why don't things that happened in the Bible happen anymore during the days we are living in?

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

I have been struggeling a lot recently. I have been a Christian for a while now, but recently, I have been questioning Christianity. Many core Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions. The world is worse than it was when the great flood happened. Why hasn't God done something about all the horrible things going on? I don't hear of anyone talking to God like in the bible. Why don't things that happened in the Bible happen anymore during the days we are living in?

Firat, a little history refresher. Noah and his family were the only ones even close to holy! Compare that to many who are Christians today. Also, demons actually came and had children by humans, which is definately not good either. The world is MUCH better now than it was.

As for Paganism, I know a lot of Christians celebrate pagan holidays like Christmas that were "Christianized." I don't celebrate them, but I don't think it is wrong as the motives are far different. As for other pagan influences, I cannot see what you mean.

God still does talk to people. The problem is one of faith. People don't have faith. We have too many divisions right now. Not only do VERY few have the mostly correct doctrine, but very few of them also have great faith. When more people know the truth, and more people have faith, we will see more miracles. "They are not for today" is an excuse for faithlessness.

 

[Captain_Scott]

Well, God promised never to destroy the earth with water again. He did do something how-ever. HE sent CHrist to pay for sinners.

as for christian beleifes coming from pagan beleifes....it is true that easter and christmas are dates that are close to pagan festivels...but that doesnt mean that the beleife is the same. Christianity is quite uniqe. I would suggest more research about this subject for you

take care

SS

 

[Iosias]

Many core Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions.

Such as??

The world is worse than it was when the great flood happened.

How do you know?

 

[Dad Ernie]

I have been struggeling a lot recently. I have been a Christian for a while now, but recently, I have been questioning Christianity. Many core Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions. The world is worse than it was when the great flood happened. Why hasn't God done something about all the horrible things going on? I don't hear of anyone talking to God like in the bible. Why don't things that happened in the Bible happen anymore during the days we are living in?

Greetings GR4PHIXX,

Well, at 16 you certainly have NOT been a Christian for "a while now". For instance, I am 59 and I was 10 when I accepted Christ. Every day I am learning. Sometimes I feel like I am just so stupid when it comes to the things of God. There are many great Christian men who have such a zeal and a knowledge of the Lord, it makes me ashamed.

I suspect part has to do with your hormones. Another part is the attractiveness of the world and your desire to see as much, get as much, partake of it as much, as you can possible do. Well, God isn't holding you back, but I can guarantee you that if you allow Him to be the guide, you WILL NOT BE ASHAMED, you will have joy unspeakable, you will have peace and you will have WISDOM, because you fear God and listen to Him.

Please present any questions you have to the forum. There are many wise counselors here that are more than willing to share their wisdom with you.

God Bless and "don't give up the ship",

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

 

[KennySe]

I have been struggeling a lot recently. I have been a Christian for a while now, but recently, I have been questioning Christianity. Many core Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions.

Peace be with you, G. I am glad you have posted on this forum, so that we may discuss these matters.

Here is a Christian website that dispells the many falsehoods that "Christian beliefs come from ancient Pagan religions.)
http://www.tektonics.org/tekton_04_02_04.html

The world is worse than it was when the great flood happened. Why hasn't God done something about all the horrible things going on?

God HAS done something.

he sent His Son, who founded His Church.

WE are here as God's instruments to do right. To feed the hungry, to heal the sick, etc.

Tom Beacher (I think his last name was Beacher.. something like that.) was having nightmares for over aweek. Something about the White House or Washington D.C was in some kind of major trouble and that he had some role in that, somehow. He could not figure out these dreams. His wife couldn't either as he and she did not work in or near D.C.

About a week later, on a jet, Mr. Beacher called his wife on a cellphone, to tell her that his plane was currently hijacked while in flight.

She told him that THAT very morning, two planes had hit the World Trade Centers. And he THEN knew what his dreams had been about! His hijacked plane was going to be used like those two, to destroy important buildings.

he and some othes took action.

he is the man who said those immortal words 'Let's roll." as he and the others were going to stop the hijackers.

That plane crashed in Pennsylvania, en route to Washington D.C.

So, GOD did do something, through Tom.

 

[gman]

Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.