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Oh boy, a religion thread <_<
Remember to keep discussion civil. I'll be monitoring this heavily - empyrean. |
I know a lot of people here do not believe in God, so if so, I don't need any derogatory responses about Christianity. Hopefully some Christians and non-Christians can help me out here.
So anyway, I've been struggling with my faith lately. I was a Christian since I was born, but lately I've been questioning Christianity more and more (especially since I'm in college now). I kinda miss the days where I blindly believed in God.
I've read the Bible a couple times, and when I think about it, all of it seems so fake. Like Noah's ark, men growing to be 800 yrs old, and Goliath. What makes Christianity different from other religions in retrospect? I used to laugh at other religions because they were "stupid" but is Christianity really any different? It's so hard to believe sometimes. Is there really a heaven and hell? Is there really a God? When I do something bad, why am I beating myself up over it? Is religion just something created by man to establish moral codes?
Have any Christians went through this phase I'm going through? I really want to believe in God, I really do. I just find it so hard to do so lately. I feel myself degrading slowly morally, which is alarming me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a bad guy, in fact, I would say I'm a pretty good person. I don't cuss, I don't get into fights, I am a really kind guy. I'm not looking for a reason to do things looked down upon in the Bible. I just want to know whether spending my life "serving God" is a waste of time and I should just live life to the fullest.
So, any advice on how to get through this phase? Or what to do?
Please lets have a civil talk. I don't want any bashing or insulting. I appreciate your opinions, no matter what they are, as long as you can tell it in a civil manner. thanks!
 
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16934 Posts
You're limiting yourself by only asking for help from Christians; this severely cuts the amount of types of responses you're going to get, as Christians who have gone through the faith-questioning phase are obviously going to have a certain type of response.
To prevent yourself from being intellectually disingenuous, I'd solicit responses from both Christians and non-Christians, and personally weigh their opinions. Only then can you actually make a fair judgement about what's best for yourself and how to overcome this crisis - even if it means giving up your ingrained Christian beliefs.
Good luck.
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On June 21 2011 17:11 Empyrean wrote:
You're limiting yourself by only asking for help from Christians; this severely cuts the amount of types of responses you're going to get, as Christians who have gone through the faith-questioning phase are obviously going to have a certain type of response.
To prevent yourself from being intellectually disingenuous, I'd solicit responses from both Christians and non-Christians, and personally weigh their opinions. Only then can you actually make a fair judgement about what's best for yourself and how to overcome this crisis - even if it means giving up your ingrained Christian beliefs.
Good luck.
yeah, you're right. ill edit the main post.
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if you dont believe in god, then dont. it shouldnt be a matter of wanting to believe or not
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I am of the Catholic Religion (and the Jewish one), so although I am not Christian. I hope this can help you out.
All these stories are not meant to be viewed from a realist understanding. While the stories may seem far-fetched, unnatural or unbelievable in this day and age. They serve multiple moral purposes or form an interpretation of how things begun.
In reality, you're not meant to serve God, but simply to love him and accept him as a part of your guidance? Is there a God? Is there a Heaven or Hell? That's how you want to interpret the whole religion. There are different degrees of faith and because you are not living more independently, so is your thought-process.
Feel free to use your faith and the bible as heavily or lightly as you want. To blindly believe and "serve" God is probably not what they teach you in your church classes (mine didn't).
If I recall, Gallileo had several run-ins with the church when he proved that the Earth revolved around the Sun and not vice-versa. The church was furious of this heresy, but Galileo showed, via discourse (or in writing), that both Science and Religion can work in a sort that one guides and answers questions we can't physically prove (or disprove) and another aims to show the inner-workings of it all.
Huge paraphrase on my part, but the point being; I don't see why you can't both Love and pray to your God while also living life to your fullest. God put you here to do as you please, so long as you remember what you've been morally brought up to understand about your world and the inevitable afterlife. Like the parallels of Science (knowledge and education) and Religion, you can live your life seeking both.
Hope this helps.
As for: "is this phase"? It's more of a maturation. You're not distancing yourself from Christianity, just placing it some place where it fits and can help you lead a happier life.
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how can you be catholic but not christian
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Consider the old testament a collection of stories you learn lessons from rather than literal accounts of events.
In all honesty, you're the only one that can affirm your faith, but if you need a way to strengthen it...
... Don't go to bible camp.
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For many the term usually refers to Christians and churches belonging to the Roman Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See.[3] For others it refers to the churches of the first millennium, including, besides the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Assyrian Church of the East.[4][5] And for others again it refers to "adhering to the catholic faith as it has been inherited from the earliest Christians ... seeking to restore the faith and order of the primitive church",[6] as claimed by the Anglican Communion, various Lutheran churches,[6][7][8] and other Reformation and post-Reformation churches.[9][10]
arent all of those christians?
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On June 21 2011 17:25 Legatus Lanius wrote:For many the term usually refers to Christians and churches belonging to the Roman Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See.[3] For others it refers to the churches of the first millennium, including, besides the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Assyrian Church of the East.[4][5] And for others again it refers to "adhering to the catholic faith as it has been inherited from the earliest Christians ... seeking to restore the faith and order of the primitive church",[6] as claimed by the Anglican Communion, various Lutheran churches,[6][7][8] and other Reformation and post-Reformation churches.[9][10] arent all of those christians?
According to Richard McBrien, Catholicism is distinguished from other forms of Christianity in its particular understanding and commitment to tradition, the sacraments, the mediation between God, communion, and the See of Rome.[1] According to Orthodox leaders like Bishop Kallistos Ware, the Orthodox Church has these things as well, though the primacy of the See of Rome is only honorific, showing non-jurisdictional respect for the Bishop of Rome as the "first among equals" and "Patriarch of the West".[17] Catholicism, according to McBrien's paradigm, includes a monastic life, religious orders, a religious appreciation of the arts, a communal understanding of sin and redemption, and missionary activity.[18]
Don't cherry-pick. You can be catholic without being Christian.
In principle, Christianity is built solely on the Holy Scriptures, the written Word of God. The Bible is our only infallible rule of faith, being sufficient to give us the sure knowledge of the Gospel for our salvation and holiness.
Roman Catholicism demands submission of the intellect and will to the doctrines taught by the Roman magisterium (the Pope and bishops). It is claimed that the Catholic Church derives its doctrines from the "sacred deposit" found in Scriptures and Sacred Tradition. However the faithful cannot verify these doctrines by referring to the original sources. The Scriptures are inaccessible because only the magisterium is able to establish the authentic meaning. Similarly the contents of Sacred Tradition can only be known through the magisterium. Roman Catholicism is mental and spiritual slavery to the Vatican.]
You have Google, use it.
No more on the topic, I don't want to discuss something you can look up on your own
Just help the guy instead of nit-picking my stance or view of my own religion.
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id rather not, i think ill just go watch some proleague instead
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please back to the main topic haha! i appreciate your input though Legatus and Torte
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I gave you input, I'd like to hear what you think.
(bedtime)
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On June 21 2011 17:22 Legatus Lanius wrote:
how can you be catholic but not christian
You aren't ness. Christian if your Catholic fyi...
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well dude, what kind of advice do you want? just ignore anything anyone has taught you and ask yourself if you really believe in any of this? you can be a good guy and a bad guy no matter which path you go. you wont become some being of darkness if you stop believing and you wont necessarily waste your time practising your religion if it makes you happy.
just pick whichever makes more sense to you, or whichever makes your life more happy
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I don't understand. If you think something seems fake why push yourself to believe in it? No one needs religion to be a good and moral person. Sometimes it helps but it certainly isn't necessary. You can stop being religious without becoming a horrible person, which is what you seemed to be saying (feel free to correct me though). In the end believe what you want to believe, it's your life.
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Hi,
I'm not really Christian so I may not offer much help. I'm actually Muslim.
Anyways, I understand how you feel. As far as I know this happens to a lot of religious people especially these days where you have people bashing religion almost everywhere. Although it's a bit easier for me seeing as I live in the middle east where practicing your religion (Whatever it is) isn't frowned upon.
My only advice to you is to actually study your religion thoroughly from various sources. Being of a different religion I can't tell you that your religion is the 'right' one but all what I can tell you is to study your religion and then make a decision. Form your own opinion from your own beliefs and not from what people tell you. You will either end up not believing...OR you would end up being a better believer.
Hope this helps.
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Canada1637 Posts
My advice would be to continue to educate yourself as best you can on Christianity as well as other religions, and also atheism. Clearly you were/are quite ignorant (you have to start somewhere, don't take that as an insult), fortunately you've realized that and have the balls to admit it (laughing at other religions or whatever). Have an open mind.
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Morals are subjective, I never believed in a god past the age of maybe 8 and I've never killed anyone and I don't try to hurt people for no reason. Like someone else said earlier, you can be a good or bad Theist or a good or bad Atheist.
My advice? Try and look at things from an objective view, not a subjective one.
edit: changed 'Christian' to 'Theist'.
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Hey,
I was raised Catholic/Christian, but I haven't really been to church in at least half a decade.
I went through a very similar situation that you did. I wanted to sit here and believe in god, but I just couldn't force myself to. I was always forced into religion by my parents and that probably didn't help my situation. You cannot make yourself believe in a god or not. If you have doubts that there is no god then there is nothing wrong with that. I agree with some of the other posters. Study your religion and decide yourself what you want to do. Just make sure no one makes the decision for you.
My advice to you would be live your life to the fullest. That doesn't mean go out and buy hookers and drink the night away. That means go out, make friends, have a good time, do things you never thought you would ever do. Do whatever will make you happy. But the most important thing is to treat others with respect. Even if you don't believe in the stories from the bible you can believe in some of the messages that it portrays. You seem like a really nice guy. Just stay who you are and don't waste any day. There are too few of them as is.
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EPT
