My Crisis: Is my God really not real?

[Drake Dun]

Actually, I'm going to leave off on submitting that to FSTDT. I felt bad when I hovered the cursor over the submit button, and I'm learning to trust those feelings. I wouldn't think the less of anyone who didn't share my qualms, though.

[Beneath the Shadows]

My Crisis: Is my God really not real?

Depends. Do you believe in said God? If yes, then no. If no, then yes.

I personally do not believe in your god. I'm a pagan. I believe that your god is nothing more that an almagamation (bad spelling, and possibly wrong word) of numerous pagan gods. BUT... if you believe in said god, who am I to tell you that you're wrong?

[JCC]

Originally Posted by Magila

JCC, no body forced any one to believe in god, believe in what your minds see's that is true.

Not only are you ignorant of common sense, you don't even know the history of the spread of Christianity. Bravo.

[Maxim_Macabre]

By the sword and the flame.

[Magila]

I have to reply.

I'm Not christian.

My Religion goes pretty well with science.

My Sacred Book that is thousand years old, Tells me who is my creator, and to prove that he Talks about the Expansion of the universe, about the uniqueness of Finger prints, About Volcanoes in the sea ( i am pretty sure they had diving suits in that time, yeah ). And a lot more that proves my point.

And i do not want to discuss it for obvious Reasons.

There is not ONE thing in science that Contradicts with my book or teachings, and i am pretty happy with that

Drake Dun, My first post had indeed many mistakes, Consider the first one as Troll material, I'd like to see your feedback on my second post, i made my point, as long as there is an end, there is a start, saying other than that is just a proof of atheistic Stubbornness.

P.S : don't go all philosophical on me please.
Like a guy who wants me to prove him that his room did not disappear when he left it.

[JCC]

Originally Posted by Magila

There is not ONE thing in science that Contradicts with my book or teachings, and i am pretty happy with that

Oh for the love of me.

[Magila]

Originally Posted by JCC

Oh for the love of me.

if you meant evolution, then no, it's not even proven.
other than that, i don't see any contradictions.

[mindless1]

Originally Posted by GothicChristian

Last Sunday night at church, my youth pastor taught a lesson that went way over the heads of the kids around me (not because they're stupid, really, just because they're all a lot younger than me and aren't quite on my level) it was about how God has picked the people who are going to accept him and go to heaven. Which completely blows the whole "Free will" thing all to pieces, as well as the "God wants everyone to go to Heaven" and "God loves us all equally" thing to pieces. He also mentioned in the lesson that we don't have to do anything at all to get into heaven, not a thing on our own. But, we have to trust Him, right? That's having to do something, which means that the Bible lies, which also means that God lies.
When I asked about all these things, they didn't give me a straight answer; they couldn't.
Somehow, all of this has me thinking that I've been brainwashed my entire life, and it was done so well that I completely overlooked some obvious things. God is supposed to be all seeing, all knowing, and all powerful. If He really wanted everyone to go to heaven, He could just make it that way, He already knows who is going to accept Him, but He does nothing to change the decision of those who won't accept him.

So, my religion has fallen apart, as well as my belief in God.
I have no idea what to do now, it's like everything has lost it's meaning. My faith was the only thing that has kept me going this long, and I've been thinking about this since Sunday.I feel so lost now, am I really such a weak person that this is my breaking point? I've lost friends, I've lost family, I've lost homes, and that didn't break me, but now that I've lost God I feel like I can't go on? How does that work?

I know it would be reasonable to talk to my parents or some other person in my life, but it wouldn't work. My dad would get angry at me, my mom wouldn't understand, I'm not close to the rest of my family, my pastor wouldn't be able to answer me, and the only person I could talk to at school, my guidance counselor, wouldn't get it either. It would probably make her head spin if she found out I wasn't as sure of myself and what I believed as I seem. My friends wouldn't get it either, most of them are atheist and I don't believe any of the religious ones have ever had this problem. I don't have anyone to go to about this, otherwise I wouldn't be posting this.
I just need some help.

Don't let anyone ever tell you what to believe, or who you are. You are not evil for questioning God, we live in a New Age where Religion is becoming more indoctrinating, because you want to question your "God" doesn't mean that you will be losing God. I feel God exists in many different versions for different situations. I'm more agnostic, because I never think I'm fully right on things....though I can't prove it, I think of God more as a guidance for people on the earth realm. I also believethat there are other dimensions, a hell is a resting place for departed souls to gather confidence to enter life again, a Nirvana where there's truths and higher attainment, and then there is a sort of in between realm where ghosts and spirits inhabit travel from a dimension to the next, Earth is like the beginning---but of course I take everything even my own mind- with a grain of salt.

I left Catholicism about four years ago, I was pushed into Sunday School and although I don't consider Catholic School the worst, it's still a form of indoctrination, especially after 911. I don't beleive in any rulers, I don't give anyone or spirit that kind of authority over my own mind or the way I view the world.


For awhile I tried re-entering the church, our local church just built a new one in town. Though, I struggled with the same thing that you describe. I felt inspired, motivated, but then the Preist starts a sermon 'Then God will seperate the evil ones, the weeds, from the good ones and we will be like sheep-" and to me, all this is just blind belief- who ARE WE to say what God believes, Preists are men, men who don't know anything other than their books.....sorry if I've offended, I am just stating what I have grown to believe hopefully it might help you question or give some thoughts.


Just wanted to add: You can still be a Christian without following what the Priest says or anyone says word for word. I don't think you need to worry.

[Magila]

Hell ? a resting place ?

You believe that a slave who has been abused and disarmed of his rights all his life from a king who stole the money of people all his life and lived in a rich and happy life on the account of other people , won't see justice even after death ?

God is merciful, but do not forget that he is also a fair judge.

[mindless1]

There are probably lower levels of hell.

[JCC]

Originally Posted by mindless1

You are not evil for questioning God

No, but she is going straight to Hell.

[Drake Dun]

Originally Posted by Magila

Drake Dun, My first post had indeed many mistakes, Consider the first one as Troll material, I'd like to see your feedback on my second post...

Fair enough. I'll only handle one issue at a time, though, so let's talk about this stuff about beginnings and ends. If you want to go back to things like thermodynamics, we can do that afterward.

...i made my point, as long as there is an end, there is a start...

Let me make sure I understand your argument first. You're saying (1) everything that has an end, has a beginning, (2) the projected heat death of the universe counts as an end, and (3) therefore the universe must have had a beginning, which demonstrates that (4) the universe was created by an intelligent magical being.

Is that right?

[Magila]

Originally Posted by Drake Dun

Fair enough. I'll only handle one issue at a time, though, so let's talk about this stuff about beginnings and ends. If you want to go back to things like thermodynamics, we can do that afterward.



Let me make sure I understand your argument first. You're saying (1) everything that has an end, has a beginning, (2) the projected heat death of the universe counts as an end, and (3) therefore the universe must have had a beginning, which demonstrates that (4) the universe was created by an intelligent magical being.

Is that right?

Yes indeed.

[Drake Dun]

Well, I think there are problems with (1) and (2), but let me just concede both of those for the sake of argument. So we'll assume (3), that the universe had a beginning.

I'm still not seeing how you go from (3) to (4). It looks like several steps are missing in between. Would you care to fill them in for me?

[vja110570]

Originally Posted by GothicChristian

Last Sunday night at church, my youth pastor taught a lesson that went way over the heads of the........believe any of the religious ones have ever had this problem. I don't have anyone to go to about this, otherwise I wouldn't be posting this.
I just need some help.

[I shortened your post for the sake of saving space. I hope you don't mind.]

I believe that I can relate to your circumstances quite well. I experienced the same thing (even if the motivation for the feeling was of another nature) a few years ago. I tried to believe in the Christian Bible, I truly did. But I couldn't.

Atheism, to me, was very empty. For a time, I had no religion and i felt like I was missing out on something. I did my research.

I looked over the basic belief systems of different religions. I went along with the one that spoke to me in a very new and unexplainable way. I talked to my parents (though, I believe you said that that wasn't an option for you) and told them about what I planned to do. They were fine with it. I studied the religion for two years, each day bringing a new sense of fulfillment for me.

I still go to church on Easter and Christmas. Though it isn't my religion, I've always seen something very special in any religious service. It's also a way to keep some people who are less than open-minded from ranting at me. I still got confirmed. I've gotten communion a few times since converting. The magical part about it is that, for me, none of these things ever lost their ability to inspire me or lost meaning (though, the reasons for this probably come from my religion).

You could convert and keep it to yourself, no matter what you choose to do. You can still go to church and all. You'll simply see it in a new way and the feeling of desperately searching and entrapment will be lifted from your shoulders.

(Just in case you're wondering which direction I went from Catholicism, I am now a proud and happy Wiccan. I hope my story can help you find what you seek in this world!)

[PortraitOfSanity]

So you went from one bullshit religion meant to control people, to another bullshit religion meant to make money for someone.

Congratulations.

[exacerbatedpoet]

I personally am a Christian but in no way am I against the questioning of God. If you don't question then all you have done is blindly follow what you taught. Before you can believe and God and have a relationship with God, then you have to think "Is there a God?". If you done seriously think about what you have been taught and then how can you know whether these are your beliefs or the beliefs of the people before you ingrained into your head. After giving it some thought, I decided to be a Christian but you may decide the religion isn't for you and that;s perfectly fine. As for your parents, decide what you want to do. As for church, you can go but be careful. There are a lot of people who say what the want to say and use God as a justification. They may even dig up some scriptures to support what they are saying in an effort to provide "facts" for their bullshit argument when they can't provide logical. If you stay are Christian or go to church think critically and read the bible for yourself. I would really think about the existence of God. Oh, and letters to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris is a good book. Its written by an atheist and gives their argument.

[mindless1]

Christianity is indeed a funny religion. It is based so much on hypocrisy of the fact that there were other religions before it and will be others after. Self-teaching through experience even if you have a lacking one is better than basing your views on what someone wants to teach about their view on God, God....or the idea of some supernatural mute who has authority is just BS imo. But everyone's entitled to having their views, and I'm not going to go off on a tangent here, but you wouldn't be burned on the stake by God for not following the Christian perspective, it would be by Christians who burned 89% of women for being cursed demons and worked magic on the 'good' people.

[PortraitOfSanity]

Ummmm..... If they had burned 89% of women, we wouldn't exist as a species. We would have died out from inbreeding long ago.

[mindless1]

89 percent of the people they burned were women.

[Alarica]

that wasn't what you said though. 89% of those burned being women is very different to 89% of women being burned.

[mindless1]

I obviously meant otherwise.

[vja110570]

I must interject here. I think that people on here are content to think that Christianity is an evil religion. While it is not my faith you are degrading, I feel I must step in and try to clarify some things. Christianity is NOT an evil, corporate, take-over-the-world religion. The original ideas were to value others above yourself and to lead a cheerfully fulfulling life. The confusion comes in when people associate the essence of the religion with the church heirarchy. It isn't the religion that's gone over the edge, it's the government. The CHURCH organized the Salem witch trials. The CHURCH organized the crusades and the Inquisition. The CHURCH is power-hungry and needs to be fed. The CHURCH sends Bible salesmen door to door to try to convert people. The devout Christians are the ones that can be Christian while keeping it to themselves as they were taught to do by the Bible before the Inquisition deliberately interpreted it incorrectly. Those who serve the church (I like to call them Corporate Christians) are the ones who went about lynching people. They are the ones who go about hating everything they see.

Basically, you shouldn't direct your hate at Christians. You should direct you hate at the church heirarchy and clergy.

Thank you for your time.

[vja110570]

Originally Posted by PortraitOfSanity

So you went from one bullshit religion meant to control people, to another bullshit religion meant to make money for someone.

Congratulations.

No. I went from a subdivision of Christianity, which is meant to give people hope and teach them to value human life (the CHURCH is the entity that wishes to control people), to a Pagan religion based on respect for other systems and reverence toward nature. I'm not sure I quite follow what you meant by "another bullshit religion meant to make money for someone". Would you care to elaborate please?

[Solumina]

Wicca is a religion that was made up for the purpose of selling shitty books about it.