Starting from scratch...

[XPres]

Hi CF! I just recently found this site and was very impressed by all the great insights on here, and I hope to use it to help answer some of the (many) questions I have about Christianity.

I grew up going to a PCUSA church that I now, as a 17 year old high school junior, want to leave. My family is nominally Presbyterian in that we go to church mostly because it's just what we've always done; my parents and my younger brother have never seemed to care about growing in their faith or really living as Christians. And the extremely generic and watered-down view of religion that our church has suits their attitude very well. As a result, I never came to know God or understand faith, and for a long time I thought this was because religion simply wasn't for me. I would go through cycles where I would try and fail to get better by praying, reading the Bible, etc. and then conclude that I didn't need it in my life, only to realize that in fact I did and try again.

Eventually I realized that this kept happening because I was involved with the wrong church. PCUSA, at least the version I know, is too focused on being accepting and generic to really even be considered a religious organization. It's more like a glorified community service club where the members are there for everything but real Christianity. Nobody seems to care about the bread and butter of the faith. In fact, part of PCUSA's platform is something along the lines that you're not even expected to believe the Bible to be true! So, naturally, I became frustrated and now want to look elsewhere for a better fit.

I feel that I'm basically starting from square one since I never really came to know God in the first place, so I have a lot of questions for other threads in other forums. And I would be open to looking into any denomination of Christianity that could help me grow in my faith (hence why I registered as a "seeker"). I just need to figure out where to start, and I know there are many on this site who could help with that in addition to my own research.

 

[Winken]

Super presentation! You may want to visit "Christian Advice," or "Non-Denominational."

 

[XPres]

@Winken Thanks, I'll take a look at those.

 

[John Hyperspace]

I feel that I'm basically starting from square one

Emptying of the proverbial cup is something few are given the ability to do. You're off to a rare and sincere good start. Godspeed, brother.

 

[look4hope]

Impressive intro, @XPres.

You'll fit right in CF.

 

[Deadworm]

X-Pres,

Welcome. You articulate your outlook very well for a 17-year-old. I am a Princeton Seminary grad (MDiv), and so, have experienced the PCUSA mentality firsthand and also found it dissatisfying. To get the most value out of this site, I suggest you first try to identify and list in this thread (1) your burning questions about biblical teaching, church history, Christian apologetics, and controversial ethical and doctrinal questions and then list (2) the experiential issues that most intrigue you (e. g. the power of faith and prayer, meditation, spiritual gifts, psychic abilities, paranormal experiences , coping with various types of people, etc.). That way, we can slant our responses to your needs and interests rather than get bogged down in a quagmire, debating each other on your threads. You might also share your current views on college selection and career preferences. (I was a college theology professor for many years and a United Methodist minister for many more years.) Such information could give us a better sense of what makes you tick and help us slant our responses to who we sense you are and the paths you hope to take.

 

[Imnotjokingwellnotmostly]

Pleased to meet you! Praise God, may he bless you!

 

[XPres]

X-Pres,

...To get the most value out of this site, I suggest you first try to identify and list in this thread (1) your burning questions about biblical teaching, church history, Christian apologetics, and controversial ethical and doctrinal questions and then list (2) the experiential issues that most intrigue you (e. g. the power of faith and prayer, meditation, spiritual gifts, psychic abilities, paranormal experiences , coping with various types of people, etc.)

Thanks for the reply. I'll try my best to answer that within my limited knowledge:

1. My biggest question would be how exactly Jesus' death on the cross atoned for the sins of humanity. This has stumped me for a long time and I feel it's a huge road block. What confuses me is why God would send his only son to Earth as a sacrifice on behalf of humanity when He was the one demanding the sacrifice in the first place. It always sounds to me like He basically made a sacrifice to Himself to save mankind from His own wrath, which doesn't make any sense. I also don't understand how a sacrifice would atone for humanity's sins anyway. Why would God demand that someone die, or that animal sacrifices be made, to make up for sins? Why not something else?

Another important question: why did God allow sin to be part of human nature? Couldn't he have just created humanity without the ability to sin, eliminating the problem in the first place? I have no doubt that we're sinful creatures by nature--there's proof of that everywhere--but how did that come about?

I also want to know more about the doctrines associated with the main branches of Protestantism (Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, any other important ones I can't think of off the top of my head). I've done research on this so no specific questions here, but it would be nice to have an overview.

Also, I'm not really sure what to think of Catholicism...Like I said in the OP I'm open to any form of Christianity, but from what I've read the Catholic church has some doctrines that don't seem to have any basis in the scriptures. If someone could explain things like the veneration of Mary, saints, and the idea of purgatory, that would be helpful.

2. I'm not sure exactly what you meant by "experiential issues," but right now I'm just trying to get to know God and establish a faith I can build on. Meditation, "spiritual gifts," etc. aren't really on my radar.

As for my college/career plans, since you asked, I want to study science or engineering and pursue a career as a military officer. I'm a naturally curious person; I always want to understand how things work and learn about the world around me. I'm always asking "why?" and looking for answers, and I'm never really satisfied until I understand what I set out to understand. So that gives you an idea of my thought process. Thanks for your time!

 

[sunshineforJesus]

Hi and welcome to C F

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Hi CF! I just recently found this site and was very impressed by all the great insights on here, and I hope to use it to help answer some of the (many) questions I have about Christianity.

I grew up going to a PCUSA church that I now, as a 17 year old high school junior, want to leave. My family is nominally Presbyterian in that we go to church mostly because it's just what we've always done; my parents and my younger brother have never seemed to care about growing in their faith or really living as Christians. And the extremely generic and watered-down view of religion that our church has suits their attitude very well. As a result, I never came to know God or understand faith, and for a long time I thought this was because religion simply wasn't for me. I would go through cycles where I would try and fail to get better by praying, reading the Bible, etc. and then conclude that I didn't need it in my life, only to realize that in fact I did and try again.

Eventually I realized that this kept happening because I was involved with the wrong church. PCUSA, at least the version I know, is too focused on being accepting and generic to really even be considered a religious organization. It's more like a glorified community service club where the members are there for everything but real Christianity. Nobody seems to care about the bread and butter of the faith. In fact, part of PCUSA's platform is something along the lines that you're not even expected to believe the Bible to be true! So, naturally, I became frustrated and now want to look elsewhere for a better fit.

I feel that I'm basically starting from square one since I never really came to know God in the first place, so I have a lot of questions for other threads in other forums. And I would be open to looking into any denomination of Christianity that could help me grow in my faith (hence why I registered as a "seeker"). I just need to figure out where to start, and I know there are many on this site who could help with that in addition to my own research.

Hello XPres. Welcome to CF!!

You sound like me at the same age: my family attended a PCUSA church (sporadically and without much attentiveness or conviction), and I became fully awakened to a fuller, biblical sense of Christianity at age 17. (Although for me, we're talking a few decades ago ... )

Peace,
2PhiloVoid

 

[XPres]

Per @Deadworm 's advice, I started a thread in Exploring Christianity with my first question:

The fundamental question: How did Jesus' death atone for our sins?

 

[Adstar]

Hi CF! I just recently found this site and was very impressed by all the great insights on here, and I hope to use it to help answer some of the (many) questions I have about Christianity.

I grew up going to a PCUSA church that I now, as a 17 year old high school junior, want to leave. My family is nominally Presbyterian in that we go to church mostly because it's just what we've always done; my parents and my younger brother have never seemed to care about growing in their faith or really living as Christians. And the extremely generic and watered-down view of religion that our church has suits their attitude very well. As a result, I never came to know God or understand faith, and for a long time I thought this was because religion simply wasn't for me. I would go through cycles where I would try and fail to get better by praying, reading the Bible, etc. and then conclude that I didn't need it in my life, only to realize that in fact I did and try again.

Eventually I realized that this kept happening because I was involved with the wrong church. PCUSA, at least the version I know, is too focused on being accepting and generic to really even be considered a religious organization. It's more like a glorified community service club where the members are there for everything but real Christianity. Nobody seems to care about the bread and butter of the faith. In fact, part of PCUSA's platform is something along the lines that you're not even expected to believe the Bible to be true! So, naturally, I became frustrated and now want to look elsewhere for a better fit.

I feel that I'm basically starting from square one since I never really came to know God in the first place, so I have a lot of questions for other threads in other forums. And I would be open to looking into any denomination of Christianity that could help me grow in my faith (hence why I registered as a "seeker"). I just need to figure out where to start, and I know there are many on this site who could help with that in addition to my own research.

Well i hope i see your questions and get the chance to share the thoughts i have with you XPres.. Welcome aboard

 

[faroukfarouk]

Hi; good to see you; God bless His Word to you. John's Gospel is a wonderful book of the Bible to get to know well.

 

[Clintos]

Hello, God bless you.