Still a lost sheep

[tsubasa]

Thank you to both of you for your words about having a relationship with God. In a sense the relationships that you describe are very different from one another. But so what? You are very different people, and so it is no surprise to me that you relate to God in different ways. As tsubasa writes, it doesn’t have to be all singing, all dancing. It can be at any level: intellectual, emotional, conversational, musical, praising, or whatever is needed at the time and is appropriate to the person and to God.

Thank you. I personally have a mix of an 'all singing, all dancing' gut based relationship and a reasoned, intellect based relationship. Both are equally valid and represent my dual theology - complete trust in God and developing my own ability to interpret and read His word.

tsubasa suggests some different ways of behaving towards God: reading the Bible, using study guides, respecting God’s judgements, trusting in God, communicating with God on an intellectual level.

Effective communication has to be two-way. In other words, it is not just about how a person communicates with God, but also about how God communicates with the person. I appreciate that Christians say that God communicates with everyone in a general way, for example by revealing to them the wonder of creation or through the words of the Bible. However, if we are talking about a personal relationship with God, that means God communicating on a personal basis.

Spot on. But the more you engage in the activities that I listed, or others which help to build your faith, the more you will find He will communicate with you.

You need to be open to seeing him and hearing His message. He doesn't give everyone a burning busy. More often than not, it's subtle communication. A sudden thought shift. Feeling compelled to turn to a specific Bible passage. An old friend getting in touch after a long time. These are all ways for God to get in touch and make himself known to you.

tsubasa, you say nothing about how God communicates on a personal basis. You say that if I have belief in God, respect for God’s judgements and trust in God, then I have a relationship with God. I have to say that is sounds rather one-sided unless God responds in some way. I would not call it a relationship unless it was two sided, and that implies God responding.

As I said above, God does respond. Just not always in the way we expect, or want. For example, I am looking for a job. I have been praying for a job for months, and not getting anything back from God. I've been close to giving up on teaching all together. Then I got a phone call last Wednesday from a school asking if I could do some supply. I felt a push to say yes. So I went, did the supply, and after school the teacher offered me a post. It's only 1 day per week, but it's something. God just needed to set it up and get me in a position where I was ready to see his response.

To give an analogy, a teenager might speak or talk to a picture of their favourite singer, yell at them, cry and laugh, study them, respect their judgements and trust them. Would you describe that as a relationship? The teenager might, but I certainly would not, because it is all one-sided.

But the picture of the singer isn't omnipresent. It isn't omnipotent. It isn't working the teenager's life all the time, whether or not (s)he wants (or is able) to see it.

Take care, brother.

 

[losthope]

Thank you.
You wrote this:
the more you engage in the activities that I listed, or others which help to build your faith, the more you will find He will communicate with you.
You need to be open to seeing him and hearing His message. He doesn't give everyone a burning busy. More often than not, it's subtle communication. A sudden thought shift. Feeling compelled to turn to a specific Bible passage. An old friend getting in touch after a long time. These are all ways for God to get in touch and make himself known to you.

During my time as a Christian in the 1970s I engaged in all of the activities that you mention. But there was still no communication from God.

Also I have no awareness of God trying to communicate with me in any of the subtle ways that you suggest. As far as I am aware, God did not get in touch or make himself known to me in any way whatsoever.

You tell me that I need to be open to seeing God and hearing God’s message. Please, tell me how to be open to God in this way. It sounds to me as if you are telling me to keep my spiritual eyes and ears open. But I have no spiritual awareness at all. As far as I know, I do not have any spiritual eyes and ears. So I need a lot of guidance about how I personally can see and hear what God does. It is no use telling me how you did it unless it gives me some information about how I can do it; I want to know how I personally can discover my spiritual nature and then open my spiritual eyes and ears – assuming that I have any.

I may be wrong, but sometimes I think that perhaps I am being blamed in some way for not having my spiritual eyes and ears open. Please, I was born this way. I just do not seem to have any spiritual side to me at all. I do have a possible explanation for why I have no spiritual side, but if the explanation is right, faith in God is a delusion.

You also wrote this:
As I said above, God does respond. Just not always in the way we expect, or want. For example, I am looking for a job. I have been praying for a job for months, and not getting anything back from God. I've been close to giving up on teaching all together. Then I got a phone call last Wednesday from a school asking if I could do some supply. I felt a push to say yes. So I went, did the supply, and after school the teacher offered me a post. It's only 1 day per week, but it's something. God just needed to set it up and get me in a position where I was ready to see his response.

Sorry but I do not find such stories helpful at all. To me it seems that you are giving God the praise for doing something that happens to all sorts of people regardless of whether or not they are Christians. Especially as you had to wait for months. In my more cynical moments I would describe that as spiritual neglect, rather than help from God. I am also looking for a job, and I am sure that eventually I will find work, but so far there is no sign whatsoever that God has been involved in any way, and I am not expecting God to intervene. Though if God does intervene, I will be contacting a lot of Christians very quickly!

When I wrote this: "To give an analogy, a teenager might speak or talk to a picture of their favourite singer, yell at them, cry and laugh, study them, respect their judgements and trust them. Would you describe that as a relationship? The teenager might, but I certainly would not, because it is all one-sided."
your reply was this:
But the picture of the singer isn't omnipresent. It isn't omnipotent. It isn't working the teenager's life all the time, whether or not (s)he wants (or is able) to see it.

It could be, as far as the teenager is concerned. More seriously, I was using the analogy to explain the difference between a real two-way relationship and a one-sided non-relationship.

I appreciate that you regard God as always there and all powerful, but that is not my experience. If God is omnipresent, why have I not been able to find God despite two very real attempts to be a Christian? If God is omnipotent, why has God not done something in my life during the times that I trusted God and made myself as open as I could be (in my own strength) to whatever God would do with me?

I can only think of four possible answers to those questions that are consistent with my experience.
1. God does not want me (my name not written in the book of life).
2. It is not yet the right time for God, for me to be saved.
3. I lack spiritual awareness and so cannot know God.
4. It is all delusion.

Taking these four possibilities together, my only hope of knowing God is to wait (#2) or to pray for spiritual awareness (#3). Well, over the years I have done plenty of waiting. And in recent months I and many others prayed for me to gain spiritual awareness, with no result

If I take all the evidence of my life together, it is pointing me to numbers 3 and 4. To put it another way, if most people were like me, spiritual experience of any kind would probably be thought of as a form of mental illness. I say this to try to explain to you just how far away from knowing God I seem to be.

 

[tsubasa]

I want to start by saying that no-one is ‘blaming’ you for not having your spiritual eyes and ears open. If my post made you feel that way than I apologise most profusely and ask you to understand that I didn’t mean to.

During my time as a Christian in the 1970s I engaged in all of the activities that you mention. But there was still no communication from God.

Also I have no awareness of God trying to communicate with me in any of the subtle ways that you suggest. As far as I am aware, God did not get in touch or make himself known to me in any way whatsoever.

I may be wrong, but I do think you’re letting your previous experiences hold you back. Maybe you didn’t get what you were looking for in the ‘70s, but that was a while ago. You are a different man now to the man you were then.

You tell me that I need to be open to seeing God and hearing God’s message. Please, tell me how to be open to God in this way. It sounds to me as if you are telling me to keep my spiritual eyes and ears open.

I can’t. I don’t have all the answers. For a long time, I thought that I was a bad Christian because I couldn’t answer all of the questions posed of me, but in truth there are some answers that only God has. I personally just keep an open mind. I concentrate on Him. I think about Him. I look for Him. When my baby nephew comes round to play, and he laughs, I don’t hear him moving his vocal chords to express amusement, but a miracle of God. Personally (and any Christian can only talk from his or her own experience) I think it’s about a mindset. You need to be openly thinking “I am going to see God in this” and then make a conscious effort to do that.

I want to know how I personally can discover my spiritual nature and then open my spiritual eyes and ears – assuming that I have any.

We all have them. God gives us all the opportunity to see and experience Him. We just to need get rid of any hang-ups we have and fully embrace.

Sorry but I do not find such stories helpful at all. To me it seems that you are giving God the praise for doing something that happens to all sorts of people regardless of whether or not they are Christians. Especially as you had to wait for months. In my more cynical moments I would describe that as spiritual neglect, rather than help from God. I am also looking for a job, and I am sure that eventually I will find work, but so far there is no sign whatsoever that God has been involved in any way, and I am not expecting God to intervene. Though if God does intervene, I will be contacting a lot of Christians very quickly!

Now, you said that my story wasn’t something that inspired you, which is fair enough. So, can I ask what exactly is it that you want from God? You said that this sort of thing happens regardless of whether one is a Christian. Of course it does. God works His wonders for all, hoping that He will convince people of His existence. He doesn’t work exclusively for Christians. Again, what would be the point of creating these people if He wasn’t going to care for them? Non-Christians are His children too. Also remember that God has His own time frame. It doesn’t matter that it differs from mine, so long as His will is done.

I appreciate that you regard God as always there and all powerful, but that is not my experience. If God is omnipresent, why have I not been able to find God despite two very real attempts to be a Christian? If God is omnipotent, why has God not done something in my life during the times that I trusted God and made myself as open as I could be (in my own strength) to whatever God would do with me?

I wonder, are you trying to “be a Christian” rather than find God? Because they are two very different things. Finding God has to come first, following His word and conforming to the rules of a religion comes second. Otherwise you are following a set of rules for no real reason. Following the Commandments doesn’t help you to see God. Turning the other cheek doesn’t help you to see God. What does help you? It varies from person to person. My epiphany, admittedly, came from music. After years of “being a Christian” and following the rules I heard a song, and then God touched my heart. Everyone has a different epiphany, and it will come at a different time. There are no steadfast answers, I’m afraid.

I can only think of four possible answers to those questions that are consistent with my experience.
1. God does not want me (my name not written in the book of life).

I don’t believe in the notion of the Book of Life. I find it difficult to believe that God would create someone and then not want to save him/her. He creates us all to be His children, we just have to accept him.

2. It is not yet the right time for God, for me to be saved.

You’re obviously being stirred for something, mate. Maybe it’s time for you to begin your journey to God, even if it take a while for you to reach your destination.

3. I lack spiritual awareness and so cannot know God.

I believe that, anthropologically speaking, we are all built with spiritual awareness. That's why religion has flourished in some form in every culture. You have that awareness, mate, even if it's buried inside.

4. It is all delusion.

Not in my experience, but I may be wrong. I think that the testimony of so many people shows that God is not a delusion, but that's a personal interpretation of the evidence presented.

I want to apologise if I'm not giving you the answers that you want or if I'm not being overly helpful. All I can do is speak with you from my experience, from my heart, and hope that God is guiding my words.

 

[losthope]

Thank you for your contribution to this thread. I do appreciate that you are speaking from your experience, from the heart. I do not know if God is guiding your words. If not, than it would be great if God did guide the words of someone soon, so that God could reach me through those words.

I had not thought that you were blaming me for failing to use spiritual eyes and ears. Some Christians have blamed me, but you are not one of them. I must admit that when I first came across the expressions “spiritual eyes” and “spiritual ears”, I was completely mystified. I find it difficult enough to conceive of the idea of a person’s spirit. But the thought of that spirit (whatever it is) having eyes and ears of some kind was even more strange to me. Whatever did it mean? I think that now I do understand the concept of the spirit, and spiritual eyes and ears. But I remain convinced that I have absolutely no awareness of these things. And I have no idea how I could possibly get acquainted with my spirit in any way, let alone use it to receive “spiritual communications”.

I wrote this: “During my time as a Christian in the 1970s I engaged in all of the activities that you mention. But there was still no communication from God.”
Your response was this:
I may be wrong, but I do think you’re letting your previous experiences hold you back. Maybe you didn’t get what you were looking for in the ‘70s, but that was a while ago. You are a different man now to the man you were then.

Absolutely right, my previous experiences are holding me back. They happened, they are my main experience of Christianity, and they had a major impact on my life. I agree that is was a long time ago, and that I have moved on since then, but the length of time can also be considered in a different way. For example my prayers of the 1970s, and the prayers of the people who knew me then and prayed for me, have still not been answered more than 30 years later. Besides, in recent years I have found a possible explanation for why I cannot have any spiritual experience while most other people do experience them, and that is something else that can hold me back.

Even so, in April this year I was able to put those past experiences to one side and come to God afresh. Not with all of me, but with part of me, so that part of me believed and part of me was not yet ready to believe. But I asked God to work on those other parts until all of me believed. Unfortunately it did not happen, and instead I now have all of me unable to believe again.

In April I did try putting my past experiences to one side and coming to God again, but it did not work out. That tells me that it was the wrong approach. So I will say thank you for the suggestion. It was a very sensible suggestion, but unfortunately it did not have the desired effect; it did not help me to know God.

You then wrote this:
I don’t have all the answers. For a long time, I thought that I was a bad Christian because I couldn’t answer all of the questions posed of me, but in truth there are some answers that only God has. I personally just keep an open mind. I concentrate on Him. I think about Him. I look for Him. When my baby nephew comes round to play, and he laughs, I don’t hear him moving his vocal chords to express amusement, but a miracle of God. Personally (and any Christian can only talk from his or her own experience) I think it’s about a mindset. You need to be openly thinking “I am going to see God in this” and then make a conscious effort to do that.

No Christian that I know of or have contacted, has been able to help me to find the answers that I am seeking. I have no criticism just because you do not have all the answers. As you imply, this is a problem that perhaps only God has the answer to. But so far God has not shared the answer with anyone.

You wrote about having a mindset to see God at work in all things. When I started to trust God again in April this year, I was surprised just how quickly I returned to some of my “Christian” ways of thinking. It just seemed to come naturally to me – but only for the first two days or so. After that it became more and more of a struggle to think in that way, until eventually it disappeared again. However, even in my most Christian moments I have never thought of seeing God at work in all things. Maybe that is one of those spiritual experiences that always pass me by. Or maybe it is simply a way of thinking that I am not yet ready for. Certainly it would be impossible for me to do it now, in my present state of non-belief.

You wrote this:
We all have them (spiritual eyes and ears). God gives us all the opportunity to see and experience Him. We just to need get rid of any hang-ups we have and fully embrace.

I appreciate what you are saying here, but I can only say that it is contrary to me own experience. I do not agree that we all must necessarily have spiritual eyes and ears. There are people whose natural eyes and ears do not function at all. Why therefore might there not be people like me whose spiritual eyes and ears perceive absolutely nothing? This means that God might not give us all the opportunity to see and experience God.

I agree that the problem could be hang-ups. But I am completely unaware of any hang-ups affecting my spiritual awareness either. I just seem to be a person with no spiritual aspects whatsoever. I am very much aware of how this limits me, because it is a kind of disability. But short of a healing miracle I do not know what I could do about it. Certainly I cannot get rid of any hang-ups, because as far as I am aware there are no hang-ups. Maybe you need spiritual awareness to become aware of these hang-ups – which leaves me still unable to access spirituality. However, no Christian that I have spoken to has mentioned any spiritual hang-ups that I have.

It is not only Christians who have noticed my lack of spiritual awareness. I have had conversations with Buddhists and with people interested in new age spirituality, and both agree that I seem to lack any kind of spiritual nature. Interestingly, just as many Christians have also told me, they suggested that I should step out in faith anyway and trust that spiritual awareness would come. But it did not come.

You wrote this:
So, can I ask what exactly is it that you want from God? You said that this sort of thing happens regardless of whether one is a Christian. Of course it does. God works His wonders for all, hoping that He will convince people of His existence. He doesn’t work exclusively for Christians. Again, what would be the point of creating these people if He wasn’t going to care for them? Non-Christians are His children too. Also remember that God has His own time frame. It doesn’t matter that it differs from mine, so long as His will is done.

I cannot tell you exactly what I want from God, except in general terms. I want to know God, to have a personal relationship with God, and I want to serve God. But the details of how those things might happen, I will leave up to God. Who am I to limit the ways in which God might work?

You write of God working wonders for all. Wonders? I have to ask what are these wonders that God works for all. Are there wonders all the time that I am not aware of? Or are you speaking of God’s wonders because of a mindset of seeing God at work in all things? If so, then I can understand why you say the things that you do. But I do not have this same mindset. Indeed, for me as an unbeliever it would be totally inappropriate for me to have such a mindset. So I do not see God at work. I simply see things happening, or not happening, and there are plenty of perfectly rational explanations for the events that I see. There is no need to involve God at all in order to explain them. All it requires is people making decisions and acting.

I agree that God’s time frame is not like ours. That is why I suggested later that one possible explanation for my failure to find God in the 1970s or in 2007 was because the time was not yet right for God.

You wrote this:
I wonder, are you trying to “be a Christian” rather than find God? Because they are two very different things. Finding God has to come first, following His word and conforming to the rules of a religion comes second. Otherwise you are following a set of rules for no real reason. Following the Commandments doesn’t help you to see God. Turning the other cheek doesn’t help you to see God. What does help you? It varies from person to person. My epiphany, admittedly, came from music. After years of “being a Christian” and following the rules I heard a song, and then God touched my heart. Everyone has a different epiphany, and it will come at a different time. There are no steadfast answers, I’m afraid.
No I am most definitely not trying to be a Christian rather than trying to find God. Finding God is my priority. I happen to have chosen Christianity as my way to find God.

I am absolutely delighted that you say that finding God has to come first, and following God’s rules comes second. You would be surprised just how many Christians have told me the opposite.

I have no idea what would be my “epiphany”. If anything. Probably not music, because even though I listen to music, play music and write music, it has no spiritual quality for me, and no real emotional quality either. But then, nothing seems to have much emotional effect on me, and no spiritual effect on me at all.

Originally Posted by losthope I can only think of four possible answers to those questions that are consistent with my experience.1. God does not want me (my name not written in the book of life).
I don’t believe in the notion of the Book of Life. I find it difficult to believe that God would create someone and then not want to save him/her. He creates us all to be His children, we just have to accept him.
You may not believe in the concept of predestination and therefore that some people cannot possibly be saved because they are predestined otherwise. But many Christians do believe in this. I also do not think it very likely that God has created me not to be one of God’s children. But while I agree with your conclusion, it is for a completely different reason from yours.

Quote:
Originally Posted by losthope 2. It is not yet the right time for God, for me to be saved.
You’re obviously being stirred for something, mate. Maybe it’s time for you to begin your journey to God, even if it take a while for you to reach your destination.
Well, I did try to begin my journey with God. Twice. In 1974 and again in 2007. Unfortunately I have not yet found God and so cannot begin my journey with God. I agree that it may take a long time to reach the destination after starting out. But first I have to get started, and to do that I must first find God. Or, more likely, God first has to find me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by losthope 3. I lack spiritual awareness and so cannot know God.
I believe that, anthropologically speaking, we are all built with spiritual awareness. That's why religion has flourished in some form in every culture. You have that awareness, mate, even if it's buried inside.
As I wrote above, I do not agree with you that we are all built with spiritual awareness. I have no spiritual awareness, and that means there must be at least one exception to your certainty. It seems to me to be playing with words to say that I have spiritual awareness but it is buried inside. An eye that is buried inside will not be able to see anything. However, I accept that most people do have something inside them that they call spiritual awareness, and that is why religion has flourished in most cultures.

Quote:
Originally Posted by losthope 4. It is all delusion.
Not in my experience, but I may be wrong. I think that the testimony of so many people shows that God is not a delusion, but that's a personal interpretation of the evidence presented.
If you are deluded, that means that even though it all seems real to you, it is not. I can understand how that can happen to millions of people, creating huge numbers of believers, for example to Christianity. I also understand why I would be excluded from this mass delusion. That is my personal interpretation of the evidence, but not just my personal interpretation. There are many strong Christians who recognise the possibility of mass delusion, but whose faith causes them to reject this possibility.

I note that you rejected all of my four possible explanations for why I failed to find God in 1974 and again in 2007. As far as I can see, your preferred explanation is a variation on #3, that I need to find some way of unburying my spiritual eyes and ears and to get rid of any hang-ups that are preventing me from being aware of God. And that brings us right back to the beginning of this posting, my difficulty in understanding the concept of spiritual eyes and ears, let alone doing anything about it.

Perhaps you can understand why I say that the next move is not mine to make, but God’s.

 

[Teke]

Thank you all for your contributions.

To Teke.
You wrote this:
My advice is to go experience God in worship. I'd recommend an Eastern Orthodox church because it sounds as tho not only do you need the worship experience, but some spiritual guidance from a spiritual father.
In other words, you need the full mind, body and heart experience of God with His people. ie. worship
Your mother the Church will teach you as she teaches all children of God.
Christian worship leaves me completely cold. During the time when I was trusting God in April and May I did my best to get involved in worship, but despite trying I just could not get involved. I think that I could relate to one or two lines of one of the pieces of Christian music, but that is all. The other people there might have said that they were having a full mind, body, soul and heart experience. Or maybe they were just enjoying the experience of worship in a way that I was not. All I know is that it did absolutely nothing for me.

I also asked for spiritual guidance from a spiritual leader who I had seen being effective at helping some other people. He prayed with me and it was completely the wrong prayer; no help at all.

You didn't go to an Eastern Orthodox church. I didn't hear one word on anything of eastern style worship that you mentioned. And there is a multitude of things you could have commented on.
BTW the only music in an EO church is the scriptures (Psalms) sung and chanted.

 

[Aprill]

Okay, reading this I could totally tell you a million reasons why you should trust in God, but then I realized something.. your post made me angry.


You are saying that you didn't feel that God answered your prayer...YES you were seeking him out, YES you did pray, YES you are important...but really:

I feel that is totally selfish. God doesn't always answer your prayers. I asked God almost 9 years ago to help me find a religion, help me feel faithful to him, help me serve him. I screwed up, I didn't get my answer, I went atheist, I was angry at God, he didn't care enough about me. I messed up badly, I lived a life FULL Of sin, and said God didn't exsist so it didn't matter.

Then, when I stopped trying to [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] God off, I found this man, Swoosh, in my life, showing me his faith, showing me his church's history, showing me and teaching me about Jesus. Yeah 7 years after I prayed...then it took 2 years to become baptized and confirmed.

God will come to you in time, not having trust in him because he didn't do what you wanted him to do...now that is crazy.

You wouldn't stop trusting your mom because she forgot to pick you up from school one day....

 

[RedBalfour]

I dont get why some people only consider the christian God as a viable option. There's a bazillion differnet options out there.

Just thought i'd chip in.

 

[jesusfreak3786]

The best advice I can give you if your are REALLY searching is to start a bible study with Jehovah's witnesses. If you really want to know the truth it won't hurt to try it. You can find them easy enough.....on your doorstep....or in the phone book. I had been searching for 9 years and finally found the truth with them, don't forget the truth is VERY important, "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." John 17:3

 

[RedBalfour]

Or you can use Wikipedia - for all your education needs about anything, ever

Who knows? You could even look up something pollythiestic.

 

[losthope]

To RedBalfour (posts 47, 49)

I agree that there are other options, and that a person could search for spiritual fulfilment in other ways than through the Christian God. I am certainly not going to throw up my hands in horror at your suggestion. The fact that there are several widely believed religions as well as many religions with relatively few followers suggests to me that there is not one religion that is true and all of the others false. I do not believe that there is only one way to God. In a sense I am more fundamentalist than the fundamentalists in this respect.

However, I am not going to investigate other options, for several reasons.

First, I have spent 41 years trying to find God through Christianity. I probably will not have another 41 years of life in which to try a different route.

Second, for so many people the Christian God has been right for them. Why not me too?

Third, where would I start? There are so many options, as you say.

Fourth, it could be that my problem is my complete lack of spiritual awareness. It could be my lack of spiritual awareness that separates me from the Christian God. But that same spiritual awareness also separates me from the other options. For example Buddhists and some New Age people also despair of me, because of my total lack of spiritual awareness.

You also mention Wikipedia. Yes, I know of Wikipedia, but I have never used it. It is unregulated and there is no easy way of knowing if what is put there is true, sensible, honest or whatever. As you might guess from my comments on the Bible to jesusfreak (below), I am certainly not going to put my trust in what I read in Wikipedia.

To jesusfreak (post 48)

You suggest that I should start a Bible study with some Jehovah’s witnesses. Over the years I have indulged in doorstep conversations, and in the kitchen conversations, with Jehovah’s witnesses. They have failed to convince me. Part of the reason is that their starting point is the Bible. They ask me to have faith in the Bible and from that to move to having faith in God. Many Christians have asked me to do the same, to have faith in the truth of the Bible and use that to find faith in God.

Sorry but that is not an option for me. I want to have faith in God, not faith in a book. And certainly not having faith in one particular version of a book. It is possible that once I find true faith in God that then I will begin to have the kind of faith in the Bible that many Christians and Jehovah’s witnesses have. But I will not do it the other way round. To me personally it seems sinful to go from faith in a book to having faith in God. And I have no intention of sinning in the hope that it will bring me closer to God. I am sorry if that offends people who have found faith through the Bible. All I can say is to remind you that God moves in mysterious ways, and that the way God moves for me may not be the same as the way God moves for you.