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Has anyone gone from Christianity to Wiccan or some such
Posted: Aug 21, 2015
other faith? I have found no comfort at all in "God" the last 36 years. I am just wanting to find something that will comfort me.
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Yes - MT
[ In Reply To ..]I left the Christian faith recently and have been researching buddhism. I was born catholic and recently started questioning everything I was ever told about everything. So many lies I was told by my parents, including about religion. I did feel comforted for a short while, 6 months or so before my mom got sick, but none before or since. I just want to live a compassionate life, love and do for others, and live my life day to day. I can do that without organized religion. I'm not sure if I am an atheist, so I guess that makes me agnostic.
I have the same questions!! I grew up going to church and being told - sm
[ In Reply To ..]by my parents that as long as you believe in God, it does not matter where you go to church, but there are so many things in the Bible that I think are just a bunch of hooey. Too many to name, but I have been so severely depressed, had nothing but horrible things happen and I, like you, just want to live a compassionate life and find comfort somewhere. I have been very disappointed in organized religion, so I am studying the Wiccan faith. They say it is not anti Christian, but I just am having a hard time in anything "Christian" right now.
I was told the opposite - MT
[ In Reply To ..]I was told that only Catholics could go to heaven and only if they go to confession and did not have mortal sins. My mom said that other faiths, other christian denominations could not go to heaven even if they believed in God and Jesus. I had such a hard time believing that. Church was about being afraid, believing there was an old man sitting in judgement, keeping track of my sins. Nothing about loving God or loving one another. Too many things just don't make sense.
I agree totally!! The church keeps talking about a loving God but then - sm
[ In Reply To ..]if you do this or that, you burn forever. Supposedly his followers will be rewarded but it has not happened to me yet. Way too many things are iffy to me. I really hate how they say we all deserve to go to hell. Ummm do not blame ME for what some people thousands of years ago did. Yep so many things do not make sense.
Actually, it does not say that. - sm
[ In Reply To ..]That is mostly just anti-Catholic nonsense, much of which stems from outdated second-grader understanding.
Most kids in your parents' generation only had a few years of catechism. Their understanding was not very sophisticated, just as their understanding of math and everything else was not very sophisticated. They went on to advance in math and other studies, but not in religion. They then passed that second-grade nonsense on to you.
That level of understanding isn't accurate and it is not all there is.
So what does it mean when they say "a wretch like me?" - nm
[ In Reply To ..]ridiculous
That is from a song, and it is not even Catholic. - Suggest you listen to the rest of it.
[ In Reply To ..]Suggest you listen to the rest of the song, which is actually pretty much an affirmation of God's love for you.
How sad that you can't see past one phrase of it.
Umm saying saved a wretch like me is NOT a loving comment - sm
[ In Reply To ..]and if you think it is, you are very strange and must be a bible thumper
Agreed none of it makes sense. Too much is - open to anyone's interpretation SM
[ In Reply To ..]and everyone looks at things a different way. So many different faiths or belief systems, you could go to a dozen different houses of worship and talk to someone but end up with a dozen different interpretations.
And, as always, the idea of some superior spirit sitting in judgment of the mortals it supposedly created, kind and loving but giving mortals free will to decide what they want to do, and supposedly knowing all, then must have known how the free will thing would turn out in the long run but still creates everything and allows it to run its course with misery and suffering in the world. Makes no sense.
Nobody has any idea why we are here, what will happen after death, and there is nothing to go on. No wonder so many are lost and confused, everything in a mess in the world, there's nothing for certain and no direction except a book that any one person can interpret any way they want.
That's why I have a hard time with the whole thing. After death, going to the kingdom of heaven. And what do we all do up there? Sit around and play cards all day? Worship at the feet of the supreme spirit? It's going to be awfully crowded up there. All dressed in white robes? So the robes are made by spirit seamstresses, in everyone's size? What about streets of gold? So many feet up there, who cleans the streets when they get dirty? Seems like it's going to be another form of what we've got here.
I get tired of hearing it all piled higher and deeper. Different than whatever each person was taught as a child, then you see the real world out here.
I agree - MT
[ In Reply To ..]Although when I asked my mom where all the "good" people go when they can't get into heaven because they're not catholic, she told me to stop asking so many questions. So according to what she learned and tried to teach me, only a few will get in. What happens to everybody else? Purgatory? That might be pretty crowded. Do we all just bide our time and pray and wait in line until God decides we're worthy? I read something recently that said heaven is here on earth. Love others, enjoy nature, live each day as if it is your last. People like my mom spend their time praying and believing if they say enough prayers and rosaries and novenas and follow all the rules, they will get into heaven. It makes me sad sometimes, but if that's what works for them, I respect that, but it doesn't work for me.
Nothing wrong with seeking - Pretty normal, in fact
[ In Reply To ..]There is nothing wrong with seeking. It is not particularly radical or unusual, either. Lots of people do it. That is why there are comparative religions courses at Catholic universities. There is a lot of value in every tradition.
Your problem is that you think your mom's spirituality is all that Catholicism has to offer. Nothing could be further from the truth.
You said you "just want to live a compassionate life, love and do for others, and live my life day to day." That is a good goal. I would just ask you how you are living out that goal if you are on internet boards bashing a faith you seem to know little about and never practiced? How is that "doing for others"? How is it "compassionate" to drive others away from a faith that might suit them?
You are not here complaining about things Wiccans or Buddhists believe. I can assure you that all faiths, including those, have people whose understanding does not go beyond third grade. If you had been brought up Wiccan or Buddhist by a parent whose focus seemed childish or superstitious, you would be looking for something else right now, too.
I don't think she's bashing at all. - Don't understand why you say that.
[ In Reply To ..]I have read and re-read it several times and I don't see anywhere where she's bashing or complaining, and especially nothing where she's trying to drive others away. To me, it just sounds like she's saying she doesn't understand her mother's practices, she accepts them, but they're just not relevant for herself.
I saw a program on TV called The Key of David - and it made sense to me. The show
[ In Reply To ..]encourages you to research things for yourself. It's not something you watch once and instantly believe. You have to be active and research. All their literature is free, not like some of those TV preachers who do nothing but beg for money.
They have a website called thetrumpet.com
Research is good, but ... - sm
[ In Reply To ..]The combined theology, experience, and guidance of the world's main religions ... thousands of year's worth ... Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism, Catholicism and other mainstream Christianity, Islam, and all the rest ... are of no use to you, but the supposedly prophetic doomsday-political TV pronouncements of one man who was excommunicated from the Church of God "make sense"?
Really?
If you are the OP fine. But if not, I was trying to share - what helped me. Much of the Bible
[ In Reply To ..]is prophecy and it's tied to politics and current events.
Nope. That was not me and I am the OP - nm
[ In Reply To ..]h
My prayers for you. Remember, to God we are all - individuals. You are important,
[ In Reply To ..]even though you haven't found your purpose in life. Neither have I, but I'm trying.
Spirituality has nothing to do with organized religion.
To: "Research is good, but" - Re: Key of David poster
[ In Reply To ..]A person's religious choice and/or decision is very personal. Why do you feel the need to not only criticize her choice, but also mock her for it? Is it because you are a "devout Catholic" or a "good Christian" and therefore superior?
Ditto that. - NM
[ In Reply To ..]NM
I'm not sure how this will be received.... - But I feel I must speak up.
[ In Reply To ..]I agree about organized religion. Let me tell you my story. I was sort of brought up Catholic, but my family didn't go to church regularly. A lot of things about Catholicism scared the beejeebers out of me, especially as a kid. But then as a young adult I was introduced to the one true comforter in the person of Jesus Christ. Of course Catholics believe Jesus died for our sins too, but from their teachings I never got the message that I co actually have a PERSONAL relationship with Jesus. Not to say that NO Catholic has a personal relationship with Him, just that I didn't get that message from them. I don't say my life has been perfect sinc being introduced to Him, but I feel at least I alway have a Friend going through things with me, AND BONUS....I am assured of a home in heaven.....NOT because of anything I have done but because of what He did for me! All I had to do was accept His gift! If you are interested, get a bible and read the gospel of John. Anyway, that's my story. Tried not to be too "preachy", but you seem to be seeking and hurting. Hope this helps :-)
Catholics DO believe in a personal relationship - with Jesus Christ
[ In Reply To ..]The fact that you do not know that they do does not mean it does not exist. If you didn't stick around long enough to discover that they believe that relationship exists, you would not know about it.
Some fundamentalist churches make a big to-do about it, so you hear a lot about it. That might make you think they are the only ones that believe it. They also might tell you that Catholics don't have a relationship with Jesus, along with claims that Catholics aren't saved and that they do not study the Bible, but none of that is true.
I wasn't saying that Catholics.... - don't have a personal relationship
[ In Reply To ..]with Christ, just that I never got that message out of it. Sorry if it came across that way.
Perhaps you were too young to hear it clearly. - sm
[ In Reply To ..]If you were only "sort of brought up" Catholic by indifferent parents, you probably never heard the message. You only heard the indifferent message your parents didn't understand, either. They clearly miscommunicated something -- probably superstitions -- if it scared you.
All of it, everything, is an intensely personal relationship with Jesus. Not talking about it in church, though ... living it.
No matter how long you search ... - sm
[ In Reply To ..]No matter how long you look, you really won't find comfort in any faith, philosophy, or system of thought. All of them are imperfect. They are just vehicles we use to guide us until we realize that it is not their purpose to comfort us, but our purpose to comfort others.
Whether you accept a deity or not, regardless of the path you choose, avoid doing so because of anger at parents whom you feel lied to you. Catholicism is not at fault for your parents' misunderstanding of it, any more than Buddhism or Wicca are at fault for the misunderstanding people have of them, and none of them are detestable because they are flawed.
Find your path, but try to remain charitable toward the one you left. Everything has value.
My story - anonie
[ In Reply To ..]I lost my faith in God for caring about me.
You need to stop thinking about being a witch or whatever you want to call it. You would open yourself up to a lot of grief.
At least take the Bible seriously.
My problem is not believing God for others needs, but my own.
I am not happy and have no peace with the way my entire life has turned out. Not feeling sorry for myself, but I have been having dreams about all the losses I have suffered, no matter what area of my life. No answers, just constant reminders of my failures and broken dreams and my heartbreak that I live with every day of my life.
Just please don't go to Wickan, witches, etc. nor to New Age.
I cannot find any church I feel comfortable in but am going to try it again though. I don't have that many years left and I would like to be at peace with my maker when I finally do move on.
I sure hope I am not disappointed in heaven. Scares me to think of dying alone which might happen to me. I want someone there with me. I don't think that is so much to ask.
I never let my mother be alone when she passed. My poor aunt died in a hospital without someone there and if I had been able to make a long trip to where she was, I would have been with her.
Just try again somewhere. Just don't get into a cult or some weird thing like that.
Am wishing you a whole lot of good wishes and hoping that you find something to bring you inner peace. We all need that in this world today.
Thank you!! I am the same with not finding peace. I have prayed - sm
[ In Reply To ..]millions of times over as my life sounds a lot like yours :( I appreciate your good wishes. I wish the same for you and if I could be there with you when the time came, I guarantee I would be. I am all alone too and it hurts SO bad!!
God is real - savedbygrace
[ In Reply To ..]I am sorry you feel that way. Perhaps you have been looking for comfort in the wrong places. At 21, I left the Catholic church to become a Baptist, best decision I have ever made. There is Hope, Peace Joy and comfort in the loving arms of Jesus, the only One who died for the forgiveness of our sins and rose again so we can have life and have it abundantly! Jesus is alive, waiting with open arms to welcome us once we recognize that we are sinners and that we need Him. Peace be with you!
I appreciate that, but I have to wonder why He only helps - sm
[ In Reply To ..]some. I know that he lets a lot of people go through outrageous things and still they have faith sometimes, but I just cannot get over feeling He has not helped me and won't. I was taught He can make everything better, but nothing good still yet has happened
no one knows why - savedbygrace
[ In Reply To ..]We will never understand how God works and why He let certain things happen. He is Sovereign, does what He wants, when He wants and how He wants. He does not owe us any explanation. This is an unemployed MT talking. I know I will find work soon because He promises to provide for my needs. As long as we are on this earth, bad things are going to happen to good people. Can you imagine how He, the Father abandoned Jesus on the cross? Remember that Jesus committed no sins, but He died a very painful and humiliating death. In this world, we are going to experience suffering because when it rains, it rains on all of us, the same goes for the sun. We just need to keep the faith. God bless!
I felt that way for a while. Who knows, maybe you were an - inspiration to a person who
[ In Reply To ..]overheard you say something they needed right at that moment. You might have helped them without knowing it.
I don't think we all are destined for some type of greatness. God knows I'm not. I don't know what my purpose is, but it might be something as simple as a smile to a child that saves him/her that day.
I'm going through a period of spiritual dryness. All I can - think of is bad stuff in my life,
[ In Reply To ..]nothing good. I'm 59, maybe that has something to do with it.
I believe in the spiritual world, good and bad. I believe there's a higher being.
Spiritual Dryness - Laurie
[ In Reply To ..]Hi 59,
I'm 62 and I too struggle with "keeping the faith." Surely, something worth having is worth working for. Eternal life, which is free; then there's the Apostle Paul whom the Lord chose to enlighten us regarding the spiritual things that get us to not only know the Lord but to partake of his multitude of blessings !!! Sounds hopeful to me. The mind, however, sees things differently. I see the mind and spirit like this: The spirit is oil and the mind is water. If you put both oil and water in a bottle and shake it up what happens - - it immediately starts to separate. Oil at the top (spirit) and water (flesh/mind) at the bottom. They can't be mixed. The mind is powerful and decisions and beliefs are based on this. Many get discouraged and frustrated. But, the spirit, that is, your inner self keeps seeking inspite of this. The spirit should rule the mind. If you get a chance to read the Apostle Paul's scriptures, preferrably King James Version (not revised), starting with Romans you can again open yourself up to Him with prayer and begin again. He is there waiting for you.
Buddhism - nm
[ In Reply To ..];
Thank you all for your input. I am definitely considering - sm
[ In Reply To ..]all options :)
My story - since you asked
[ In Reply To ..]After reading all the posts in this thread I realized again just how much people need comforting. Please don't dismiss the possibility that knowing the truth about Jesus can really help and comfort you.
The big issue is that "organized religion" as you say has morphed the teachings of the Bible into something that can make them money. That's why you haven't received any comfort. Because the teachings are not accurate, they can't provide any comfort. (2 Cor 1:3,4: 3 Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God.)
From the Bible's description, we are living in the last days of this world (2 Tim 3:1-5: 3 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power;+ and from these turn away.) Living in a world like this it's no wonder that people are not knowing where to turn, especially since there are so many who "appear" to have godliness, but really don't.
I was raised by parents who didn’t seem interested in any religion. I wasn’t really raised in a religion, but my grandmother on my father’s side used to take me to church. I always liked Sunday school classes where we learned about Jesus. I really liked who he seemed to be… and why shouldn’t I? He was a loving, calm, rational, compassionate, tender, sensitive, spiritual, and powerful person. He seemed like the best big brother you could imagine. He had a great relationship with our Father. When I attended the main church, they would “praise Jesus” and sometimes speak in a language that no one could understand, which I didn’t like because: A) What’s the benefit in speaking in a language that no one understands when we’re all there hoping to learn something, plus it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up; and B) From all I had read in the Bible, Jesus would NOT want people praising him, but his Father (John 14:28: 28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am.; and Mark 10:17-18: 17 As he was going on his way, a man ran up and fell on his knees before him and put the question to him: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?” 18 Jesus said to him: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God.) So this experience left me unsatisfied with the church in general, but not what I had read in the Bible.
In my mid teens I became disillusioned with school and the fact that people didn’t seem to be there to learn either. I started smoking pot and trying whatever drug anyone would offer, in spite of the fact that earlier in my life I had chosen a pretty firm stance against drugs. My immediate family was very dysfunctional, and I was really hoping to escape things I felt were out of my control. This continued for several years, during which time I met and married my first husband and had two daughters.
By the age of 24 I had realized that enough was enough, and decided to quit using all drugs because I wanted to be a good parent to my children and have a better life, but I didn’t know how I could do it by myself. I didn’t think I had the strength. I lived in California at that time and I had been off of all drugs for about a month when a huge earthquake happened. About that time also several little girls’ bodies had been found in dumpsters every week for a few weeks. My anxiety was overwhelming. I had remembered reading what the last days would be like, not just at the scripture I mentioned above, but this: (Matt 24:3-7: 3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” 4 In answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads you, 5 for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. 8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.) The increase in these occurrences were a reminder to me that God had warned us about this time, and I realized that even though I was trying to get my life together, I still was not “right” with him; doing what he wanted. I prayed on my knees for the first time in many years, calling on the “God I believed existed,” telling him that I didn’t believe I could survive without his help “to know the truth.” At the time I was living in my grandmother’s house and the moment I finished praying and got up I saw something on the floor that was out of place. It was a small piece of thick paper with a Bible scripture on it. My grandmother had a little receptacle shaped like a loaf of bread that had several small papers like it with Bible scriptures on it that you could read one every day (it said “My Daily Bread” on the side), but this one had found its way to the floor near where I was praying. So I picked it up and it said “prayer can change things.” I thought that was an interesting “coincidence” and it piqued my interest to pick up my grandmother’s Bible to look up the scripture that was referenced on the paper.
At the moment that I was sitting with the Bible in my lap, there was a knock at the door. Guess who it was. Jehovah’s Witnesses. Now I know I’m going to lose some who would read this right here, but I hope you’ll at least finish my account. After all, it was a profound “coincidence,” don’t you think? Now, my OTHER grandmother (my mom’s mom) had always told me that Jehovah’s Witnesses only believed so many people went to heaven and that they were all competing to get in, so these were the LAST people I wanted to hear from at that moment. So, after he began his presentation, I interrupted with “I don’t believe what you believe,” which was actually kind of ironic to say, because only minutes before I was praying to God and telling him that I didn’t know what to believe. So instead of him politely telling me to have a nice day, he said, “well what is it that we believe that you don’t?” So I told him, “you guys only believe 144,000 people will go to heaven, and so you’re all competing to get in, and I think that’s ludicrous.” Again, instead of begging off, he said, “well that’s not exactly what we believe. We do believe that God has made an arrangement for 144,000 to go to heaven to rule with Christ, but the rest of us will live on earth forever” and he read me this scripture: (Psalms 37:29: The righteous will possess the earth and they will live forever on it.) My jaw just about hit the porch. I had never read that scripture.
The first thing that came to my mind was the scripture in Matthew that says: “The meek shall inherit the earth.” I had always wondered what that meant, because I thought for sure I was one of the meek. The idea of heaven never comforted me because, except for the bad people and things that happen, I LOVE living on Earth. It’s my home. It wasn’t a thought that excited me, to live as a disembodied spirit doing who-knows-what with my time. I like to HUG people. I like kissing. I like petting dogs. I like hiking, wind in my face, the smell of the ocean. That’s because people were created to live on Earth. That was God’s original plan, and it hasn’t changed. Earth is not some “testing ground” as some religions would have you believe. That lie is only told because they don’t have enough of God’s holy spirit to know and tell you the truth: We were always meant to live on Earth, and humans who become reconciled to God will be able to live on the Earth forever. Jesus’ sacrifice, the 144,000 chosen from the Earth to rule with Jesus when the time comes to bring the whole Earth back into harmony with his will, have all been necessary because one of the spirit sons of God decided he wanted some of God’s worship for himself. He made himself an enemy of God and an enemy of anyone who wants to serve God. Because he alienated our first human parents, it was necessary for God to make a way for now imperfect humans to be reconciled to him in order for them to be raised back to a standard of perfection again; therefore, at that time then deserving the gift of living forever, on Earth, in perfect health, never growing old again.
I know it’s a lot to swallow for some, because it seems so far from what other so-called Bible “teachers” have taught, but believe me, once you start studying the Bible with someone who really intends to help you understand it, and not just get your money, you will.
Another vitally important truth from the Bible that you are being lied to about: Hell is not a place of eternal torment for conscious beings. Back in the days that the Bible was written “tormenters” were basically jailers. The lake of fire that Jesus talked about, Gehenna, was the trash dump outside Jerusalem. Trash, and the bodies of some criminals, was burned there, and they kept the fires going constantly. Jesus used it as an illustration to teach about what will happen to those who refuse to submit to God’s standards and his rule: They will be destroyed, with no hope of return; unconscious, no pain, no emotion, no fear. (Rev 20:14-15: And death and the Grave were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire. – The lake of fire here is called the second death, meaning the one that there is no resurrection from. The “Grave” is what is called hell in the Bible, or Hades, or Sheol – it is the common Grave of mankind, the first death, from which the majority will be resurrected to be judged during the 1000-year reign of Christ, on Earth. If judged unworthy of life at that time, they will be hurled into the lake of fire, the second death, from which there is no resurrection. Notice also that this scripture is talking about a time at the end of that reign of Christ, when the judging will be completed and that death and the Grave will also be hurled into the lake of fire, meaning that death and the Grave will no longer exist; humans that have been judged worthy to live forever will never again have the fear of death hanging over them.) Some will balk and say “how horrible! I can’t believe that.” But really? What’s worse, eternal torture in flames or eternal destruction? Which is more humane? What do you really expect of the true God who IS love? God told Adam and Eve that they would die if they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Even if they lived for eternity in hellfire, wouldn’t it be a lie if they didn’t die? The lie is that anyone continues living in any way after being judged unworthy for life in God’s kingdom.
There is so much more encouraging information that I could tell you about the wonderful things that humans can expect from the new world that God will be helping us to create. Yes, as servants of God he will use our own abilities to make this happen, but only under his rule. You won’t see it under human rule and God is not interfering with human rule at this time as a means to address the wicked spirit creature’s challenges to God’s sovereignty. He has allowed mankind to prove that they can rule themselves, and it is pretty obvious that we have failed miserably. This is the main reason that God has allowed all of the injustice and atrocities that we see in the world today. But he has every intention of making it up to those of us with patience to wait out his time to bring it to an end, which is very near. He will “wipe out the tears from all faces” and will gift us with a world so beyond our imagination that the “abundance of peace” will cause our “exquisite delight.”
Sorry to write a book, but you asked this question and I could see that you need comfort and solid information to base your faith on. If you’d like to, please feel free to contact me through e-mail as I have so much more that I could show you to strengthen your faith and give you courage.
Please, any others who don’t like Jehovah’s Witnesses and just want to argue with me and try to take away my joy, I’d appreciate if you would refrain from contacting me. If you have legitimate questions I’d be more than happy to discuss them with you.
Universalist Unitarianism - might be what you are looking for
[ In Reply To ..]I was brought up in a very holy-roller Christian home but when I became old enough to question a few things, I started reading everything I could get my hands on about other religions. I was surprised to find that they all have a universal truth. God may have different names, Jesus may or may not be a part of every religion, but they all have the same basic values... namely charity, good will toward others, and just being a good person, to put it in simple terms. I decided to focus on those principles instead of focusing so much on Jesus. I do still love and believe in Jesus, but I no longer feel that he is the be-all and end-all of the spirit of God. There is so much more to it than that. I just don't think we are put on this earth only to spend our lives focusing on our own selves and getting into the Kingdom of Heaven by following the Bible word for word, which as so many have pointed out, is open to interpretation, as are all religious writings, particularly from ancient times. Because of my upbringing, there's a part of me that believes I won't go to Heaven unless I make Jesus #1 in my life. I'm okay with that, though, because I also don't believe I will go to Hell, if there is such a thing, because God knows that I am a good person. Bottom line, it's just not that important to me to "live forever" in heaven. It's more important to me that I spend my time on Earth in a loving and meaningful way. So that's my story!
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. - sm
[ In Reply To ..]No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
Jesus was either speaking the truth or telling a lie.
None of us is good enough to effect our own reconciliation with God, who is holy. Christianity is about God reaching out to man and accomplishing that reconciliation through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, where He paid the penalty for our sins so we can share in his resurrection, enjoy a personal relationship with Him here on earth, and have eternal life with Him in heaven. In this way, Christianity is unique among all religions. Other systems of belief rely on the works of man to attain the goal of either fellowship with God, spiritual redemption, enlightenment, nirvana, or some other lofty pursuit, but Jesus came to us and did the work that we could not do ourselves. Don't be deceived.
How do you believe when all you have is - Blind Faith
[ In Reply To ..]God gave us the Holy Spirit as the Great Comforter. What other religion has 3 in 1. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You can't do it on your own. Ask Him to show you how. Forget the other stuff, it is empty and phony. Don't care if anyone here gets insulted by that. Good Luck to you. I hope you find your way back home to Him, he is waiting for you. Grace and peace be with you and show you the way.
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