Why didn't I succumb to the Christian faith?

Question

I was born into the Methodist denomination of the Christian faith. Sunday school, Choir and Confirmation followed. In my twice or three annual attendance, I enjoy the hymn singing and being well indoctrinated, I can normally say the communion prayers without once looking at the manual. This from a person who has not regularly attended church as an adult. Says a lot for the power of propoganda.

Answer 1

I was very much encouraged by my parents to find my own way, be my own person and for that I am most grateful to them. For a number of years as a youth, I attended an evangelical Sunday group and although I have what I think is a deep understanding of the christian faith, I never really bought into it. I am fairly well convinced that somebody who lived 2000 years ago died a violent death for denouncing the corruption of the religious, political and military leaders of the time and that those ideals gave rise to the christian faith. But therein lies the most contentious point - that this enlightened individual was telling us we don't need self-righteous big-wigs lording it over us, yet from this message a whole new breed of religious zealots were born, who proceeded to enslave minds with their twisted dogma.

Brian (Life of - MP) was so right and probably remains the most accurate reconstruction of that moment of history - by a country mile.

Answer 2

There are many who can read an instruction manual and quote it inside out but when it comes to actually doing anything they prove themselves to be totally inadequate.

This indeed does say a lot for the power of propaganda since you prove the point well, that not everyone who might profess a faith actually follow it. The same goes for politics, economics and science - not everything they promise is delivered either. The difference is only in which propaganda you want to believe in.

There are many people who pass exams and get degrees and have not the slightese common sense - these just like yourself are simply book readers and don't really know how to implement what they read.

So what point do you think you are proving?

Answer 3

Because you were taught about a religion. Faith is something else. You learnt about christianity, it doesnt make you a christian. If God wants you He will give you faith.
What we learn in childhood about god is like being taught about the roads that lead to the big city, learning about a map. You know the way but you have never been there. Its up to you when you grow up and start to think to decide to travel there or not. Some people get there without a map because they hear someone calling them. Others use the map they were given. Many choose neither.
Are you glad or sad? Do you want to take a look at the city?

Answer 4

You can learn hymns, attend church, learn all of this church related stuff, but just because you learn about something doesn't mean you absorb it. I grew up going to church all the time, sunday school, etc too. I'm not Christian, though. I'm an agnostic. I'm perfectly happy that way and i'm glad I wasn't able to absorb or believe what I learned in my church days.

Don't try to force yourself to believe or become something you're simply not. Sure people will tell you you're going to hell, etc. But no one knows that for sure, it's just what they believe.

Answer 5

The Christian faith is very hard for a rational person to succumb to! The very beginnings of the religion are based in insanity and has evolved to hightened levels of non-reality based thinking. Whatever a christian cannot explain, he just says it is because he does not need to know the answer...which amazes me because the book that they believe in says that a wise man questions everything! I was raised in the Baptist church <<

Answer 6

Because you never heard it. Anymore, a "mainline Protestant" church is an unlikely place to actually hear the gospel.
So I'll tell you: God loves you (and all the other humans across all time) and wants to spend eternity in fellowship with them. However, God wants that relationship to be based on requited love: He loves us, He wants us to love Him. This means He must give each human the freedom to choose--even choose wrong, even choose to hate Him instead. That is "sin." His solution is to take care of the sin Himself, making a relationship with us humans. (Religion is us humans deciding for ourselves what we'll do to make a relationship with God.) Jesus dying on the cross atones for all sin. Now, all the human--any human--need do is simply believe God when He says that that one event is sufficient for all sin. Trust Christ. Don't call Him a liar. That's the gospel; it's good news because it's very simple. Even a child can believe. No human must know or do anything--only trust God and quit calling Him a liar.
And if you have trouble with that, it is because your ego is tripping you. No, this does not do anything for one's "self-esteem" (pride.) But then, this IS God we're talking about here.

Answer 7

You have not opened your heart to God. You things, you have been told the Ttuth, but you have been hard hearted and do basically lip service without any real meaning. Try reading John 3:3-6 and Ephesians 2:8-9 and ask Jesus into your heart

Answer 8

I grew up in the methodist church too. And I had to come to a point for me to get it. That point was realizing God wants a relationship with me. He doesn't want me to know the bible, or hymns or silly rituals. He wants me to know HIM. I learned that when I finally turned to him and not the stuff he made.
Do you really want to know him? Then ask. If you believe there is a God, it's not to silly to search for a relationship with him, huh?

Answer 9

One can only take so much, huh? It's easy to fall into it when you're a child. Most children believe in Santa because their parents told them how wonderful he is. It's the same with most religions.

I'm so glad I was brought up in an agnostic household.

Answer 10

Enjoy life and not worry about some man made religion love God, and have faith in him, he does not care, or ask you to go to a church, just Love him, trust him, and have faith in him.