Christianity: A realization

[Terin]

I have recently wondered why people are hesitant to consider becoming a Christian, I have come up with a few things:

1.-They felt like they were being pushed into it by some overbearing bible-thumper.

2.- They had a few bad church experiences.

3.- (This one might anger a few) Other religions are easier.

Ok, as for one, you have to understand something, not every Christian knows how to witness. Alot of them think that the only way to convert is to either scare them to Christ (which is comepletely wrong) or Smother them with so much "Good News" that they feel like the person witnessing just stepped out of a care bears show, and is disenchanted from reality. I speak on both of those accounts from personal experience. I was raised a Christian, and in my teens I, like most others began having doubts. This lead me to my 3rd reason above, but I'd like to cover the 2nd before I get into that. I just got off of the phone with my sister, and she told me she had tried church a few times, but couldn't afford to donate to the collection plate, and the members of the church gave her bad looks. Well, those, my friends, are not model christians. She said she felt unwelcomed. I asked her how many other churches she had tried, and she said quite a few. Now, maybe I'm just lucky at finding good churches, but I have NEVER recieved dirty looks for passing the offering tray. I would also like to point out that I know a couple who are religeous and have been searching for a local church for the past year, so don't let a few bad ones throw you off course.
With that out of the way, let me get to my third reason: Other religions are easier. With scientology, it's proof, with wicca, it's flexibility. It is my belief that those are wrong reasons to believe in something. If I molded a belief structure to meet my needs, would I be better serving my fellow man, or indulging in my own selfish ways? If I required proof in order to believe in something, then there would be no reason for faith, and there would be no spiritual connection, and it wouldn't be a religion. Please bear in mind I'm not intending to slam anyone for believing in something besides Christianity, these are my personal beliefs, yours are your own, I just hope to inform you of a side you haven't seen before, and if not, then I cannot help you.

As previously stated, I started having doubts about Christianity as a teen, and I found myself rigorously searching for some facts that would solidify my faith. It wasn't until later I realized that it would only turn my faith into logic and fact. True, that would make Christianity a much easier concept to grasp, however, this isn't what I believe God wants, otherwise he would take a much more direct (physical) approach to us. See, if we could prove God's existance, then we couldn't have faith in Him, it wouldn't be our choice, it would be a fact. He has given us the freedom to believe what we will, and he intends to keep it that way, so therefore, I believe that God's existance will never be proven.

Also I believe that some people (mostly christians) view sinning as a problem. Well, for the most part, sinning as a whole isn't. It's when we choose not to ask for forgiveness that it becomes a problem. Think of it as using the restroom, that's not a problem, but if you choose not to flush when you're done, you will have a problem. Now, I'm not saying that we can all go out and sin as much as we want, and my bathroom analogy doesn't work well with that. This is why we have laws and a conscience. Anyway, I'll get off of my lil soap box. Oh, and one more thing that makes me believe that people are more hesitant to accept Christianity as their personal belief. It's too mainstream, and they want a "sleeper religion". *gets off his lil soapbox*
Ok, I'm done, and if I've offended anyone, know that I wasn't persecuting you, and, yeah, my belief structure clashes with yours. There's nothing I can do about it, and I'm certainly not going to change my beliefs so that I won't offend you, that's simply absurd. I apologize. Oh, and God loves you.

[Silver Adept]

What, then, do you say if someone has doctrinal issues with Christianity?

[Therin]

Indeed. And what about those of us who have lost, or don't believe in, faith?
I've been to church a few times, with Lanfear, and the only thing I got out of it was this: "How can these people sit here and listen to this?" I mean, to me, it sounds like a complete crock designed to control society. I don't remember exactly what he was talking about, but mainly I go on impressions anyway, and the impression I got was this: "I will protect you and love you forever, no matter what you do, so long as you devote your lives to doing my bidding and your minds to thinking my thoughts. I will be your guardian, but only if you in turn willingly give me complete and utter control over everything about you." All religions seem that way. That's why, if you haven't noticed, I'm not religious. I'm not sure if there's a word for that. At first, I thought I was atheist, then it was agnostic...Now I just have no idea.

Anyway, I've probably just gone and offended most of you...I apologize. But, as Terin said, I'm not going to change my beliefs to make you feel better. I mean no harm, and I do not want or expect to convert anybody away from any religion, I'm simply expressing my thoughts on the matter. Feel free to poke as many holes in them as you like. Maybe I'm just too teenaged to be religious.

[Minosheep]

Lews, I love you. You usually have exactly my thoughts on any given subject, and you just always seem to put them more eloquently than I ever could.

Terin, here's one thing I noticed about what you wrote: There's nothing in there suggesting that maybe people don't believe in what you believe. As the quote goes, "There is more than exists in your philosophy." Something to that effect, at least.

[Tenshiai]

Maybe if I explain to you why I'm not anymore christian you will have you're question answer. I don't find others religion more easy...islam and judaism are kinda hard to follow. They most sacrifying themself very much.


For my part, I was already a catholic fervante at the point of going from my full liking every Sunday to the church. I was so often there that the priest knew everything about me and my life. Someday I was reading my new will and saw some...discordance on it who very disturb me. Then when reading the bible... the same thing again some discordance and all of them are in the same religion but describe a very different god... It's stay in my mind about sometime but I don't care to much about it. I followed study in social science and then I discover why and when religion was made... That first shock me and then make me cry...yes I did cry about this.

I decided to explore of another field and to require more information on various religion and philosophy to discover that in all those people who practised there always affirmed the same thing and was to even plug by their liver which could be only the single way not having known anything other. When they wanted to get information about another religion they judged it in function of their own. But that, is only the people I know...

Then after all this, I decide to believe in a god but in a god that is universal and will not judge us by our religieon but by our good will. I have faith in something invisible and powerful that create life.

Their so many reason that someone change of religion or become atheist. I wish that my little story give you some. In short, my reason was because I find some fact and mistake in the bible, my study, what I discover in my search of information to the college.

Funny, because what I told here only few people know this about me...even my bros BWS-1 didn't know I think... If he do he's the second one to know except all of you who will eventually read it here lolol

hum...demonic... I owe you a glomp lolol I'm waiting the right moment to give it to you ^_~

[Terin]

do his bidding? hehe, like he's going to tell you to go kill someone
He'll love and protect you forever if you BELIEVE in him. You aren't being controlled. I'm not a big bible-thumper who is focused on God 100%, I live my own life, I play video games, hang out with my friends, do normal stuff. You don't get brainwashed or anything like that. Tenshiai, Catholics are a little TOO into it, those guys, with the brainwashing? Eh, I won't speak for them. Look, I've been to a few churches where the pastor seemed like he was pouring it on a little thick, and maybe he was, but you know what? I didn't go to that church again. What it sounds like to me is that you were exposed to to the type of christian that has a "holier than thou" complex, which is what my sister Meghanne ran into, and yeah, those aren't very good christians. Yeah, not every christian is going to be some bible-thumping perfect angel, and not every church is gonna work for you.
Anyway, I love you all and wish you a happy new year.

[Minosheep]

Happy new year, Terin. Oh, and before I forget...

*sneaks up behind Tenshiai and delivers an uber-glomp*

[Silver Adept]

Happy new Year to all, I'll be in Pasadena for it, but anyway:

I think you didn't answer my question fully, although the answer to Lews's might be an opening point. What about people who have issues with the doctrine of Christianity?

[Nogrick]

There are so many different shoots off of Christianity, that it is often hard to find something that might fit you personally. My main problem though is that through time, different groups of christians, mainly catholics, have taken out, and added parts to the bible just to fit their needs. That is kinda creepy. But there are those out there that have taken things as they have seen them and that's good.

I was raised catholic, went to a catholic school and for most of my life went to church almost every day. And back then, I was a pretty good catholic. But as soon as I hit high school, the catholic church didn't seem so inviting anymore due to it's history. And by that I mean the history they don't tell you at catholic school. As far as I've tried to search for anything to believe in, I have found only one thing. I don't know what it is that made me, or what it is that I'm supposed to do. And because I don't know, I have no right to try and tell anyone else what to believe in or to even say that there is an all mighty being that created me. I just don't know, and there is no way for me to know until I die.

You can be a christian, he can be a muslim, and she can be some other crazy religion that makes her wear a mohawk. In the end none of that stuff matters. We are all people of the Earth and we should treat each other as such, and not try and see who is right spiritually. That's how I feel.

Now I'll give everyone a hug.

[reaper]