Christians only. I am a bit lost and trying to find my way.?

Question

I was raised as a Protestant but resented it and have not really practiced any religion since the age of 18. I now feel that I am being drawn back but have so many questions regarding the inconsistencies of the Bible and the Protestant religion (i.e. the versions of the Bible now actually being translations of men in power and fitting to their lifestyle). Where do I start to find my way back.

Answer 1

What a glorious question you ask! And what interesting responses you have received!

I can only tell you about my own experience. Perhaps it will prove helpful to you. I grew up in a Southern fundamentalist church and felt called upon to enter the ministry, but I simply could not reconcile myself to the authoritarianism of their reading of the Bible. At that point I had no difficulty believing in the infallibility of the scriptures; BUT I could not believe in the infallibility of any one person's interpretation of the scriptures. I probably would still be happy worshipping in that church if only they had not required me to say that they right and everyone else was wrong, that they were saved and everyone else lost, hell-bound.

So gradually my family and I worked our way out of fundamentalism into an evangelical church and then into a mainstream Protestant church. What I learned in this life-long process is that to commit to a church is NOT to follow Christ, but to commit oneself to Christ is to be at one with other Christians.

Here's what I've learned to do for myself:

(1) I read scriptures and meditate daily. (I'm answering another one of your other questions about Bible translations, so that's all I'll say about that here.)

(2) I worship with other Christians every week so that I do not become isolated from others.

Though my wife and I usually identify with one congregation where we can serve, we do NOT let ourselves become separated from others. From time to time we visit and enjoy the services of a mainline, downtown denomination; a loving, joyous, youth-oriented Methodist church a block from our home; a socially-oriented church that especially serves handicapped and socially ostracized Christians; a rural church where a good friend of ours is the minister; a fundamentalist church like the one we grew up in; and several local churches whose choirs present music that lifts our soul.

It's important to us to relate to ALL these Christians. Some of them welcome us and love us no matter how rarely they see us. One or two of them probably think we are heretical or unsaved, but they don't tell us. We see the Spirit at work in many people and in many ways, and that in itself is a blessing. What's important is that I see the beauty and meaning in all their liturgies, their hymns and choirs, their readings and sermons, and especially their prayers. Praise God from whom all blessings flow . . . .

(3) And I read.

Right now I'm reading Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris. Her experience with churches is not unlike mine -- nor yours. She now worships in the same little Presbyterian church that her grandmother worshipped in, but she is also an oblate of a Benedictine order. In her note on "organized religion," she recounts her earlier rejection of such churches, but now she says, "...they provide something more.... It is called salvation, but it begins small, at the local level, in a church that provides a time and space for people to gather to meet a God who has promised to be there. People are encouraged to sing, whether they can or not. And they receive a blessing, just for showing up."

Other writers have inspired me, partly by sharing their own similar experiences, but mostly by sharing with me their close reading of scriptures; for example, Marcus Borg (who would be called a liberal, a member of the famous, or infamous, Jesus Seminar) and Philip Yancey (who would be called an evangelical, associated with Christianity Today). I like to read first one and then the other of them. They would really disagree on some of their conclusions but they both enlighten me and open the Word for my own reading. For instance, I read Borg's Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time and Yancey's The Jesus I Never Knew, and I knew they were my brothers.

You might want to check out their bios on the websites I've listed below. Just sharing these sentences from those may give you an idea of where each of them came from, and why I identify with them both.

"Growing up in a strict, fundamentalist church in the Deep South, a young Philip Yancey was impelled to view God as an abusive parent—rigid, legalistic, angry, ready to bring the gavel down for one wrong misstep."

"Borg was raised in the Scandinavian Lutheran church in 1940s North Dakota, and attended Concordia College, Moorhead, a small liberal arts school in Moorhead, MN. While at Moorhead he was a columnist in the school paper and held forth as a Conservative."

How far they've come; how wise they are -- and how different. Brothers aren't always identical twins, are they?

Answer 2

Religion is nothing more than how you practice your relationship to whom you think is your God. There is only one God. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Absolutely no other 'religion' claims to have a savior that is/was God that proved it by being executed and 3 days after dying came back to life. All other religions have dead saviors or dead profitts or make no claim to diety at all. Catholicism claims to be Christian but it's really only symbolism over substinance. Ask the average catholic how to receive salvation and check it against the Bible. Yes there are many people that believe the Bible has been wrongly translated. There are many places in the Bible that have been transliterated instead of translated. This has led to many different sects within the true Christian family. Protestantism started as a protest by Martin Luther against the Catholic church. Martin Luther didn't agree with the established church of the pope and what they were teaching so he defected against their teachings in favor of the Bible. Basic fundamental protestantism wants nothing more than to worship God the way God said to worship Him. They want a literal translation of the original Hebrew "Old Testament" and Greek "New Testament" writings. Unfortunately I have yet to find that literal translation. The only thing I know to do is to work with people that understand the original writings and study it bit by bit. The good news is that the basic path of salvation is not altered in the New American Standard version to the point that the truth does not come through. The KJV, NKJV, NIS and others I have found to be a little tougher to follow in translation back to the original Greek and Hebrew. My adivse is to buy a NAS study Bible. Read the gospel (first four books of the new testament) all at once as fast as you can. The next day read each of the four books as fast as possible again. The following four days read each book in order on consecutive days then read the book of Genesis each day for three days. You'll be very surprised when you are done with this. When you are done with this search out people that can help you translate the literal words of each of these books. by the time you are done with all of that you will never have to worry about what any organised religion tries to sell you. Seek first the Kindom of God and His righteousness. Study Jesus and the false prophets will rightly deminish, then you will know what it means to know the truth and to be set free.

Answer 3

Check out the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. It's translated from the original Greek and Hebrew.

Understand that the Bible was written at a much different time, and over a long period of time. While the OT may say one thing, then the NT says another, this may be due to the gap in time in which the OT and NT were written. There were different problems in society, and they had different issues to address. While some of these issues aren't relevant today (women can't be ministers, should be silent in church, etc.), the Bible still holds wisdom that surpasses all time. Interpret it as best makes sense to you, and read into everything you read from the Bible, because it is not meant to be taken at face value.

Answer 4

Well, first of all find a church where you feel all right, second, read the bible, take a moment on every day and read small sections, this is going to help you a lot, third, met new people in the faith that could guide you and finally, there are not inconsistencies in the bible, it is a perfect book from every angle you can see it. Interesting you mention the word religion, for me christian people doesn't take part of a religion, you know why?. Because following Jesus Christ doesn't demands you a lot of knowledge.

Answer 5

What made you decide to return to Protestantism? or to Christianity in general? Build on what you like about the religion and find a spiritual mentor to help you through the rest. You might consider Catholicism. As a religion it has a very strong in-built support system for those with questions and doubts.

Answer 6

I was raised in a stiff necked Protestant church and left for 15 years. I was called back and began attending an Evangelical church. It has opened my eyes and heart. Things have been explained in a way I understand. It's modern and fun and full of love. No hypocrisy!! Give it a try. If you don't like it, try something else. Just don't deny the pull because that's God's call to you. He wants you to have meaning in your life. Good luck.

Answer 7

I would find a Christ based, non-denominational church to start attending and there is a great true Bible study out there called Bible Study Fellowship International if you can find one in your city.
I pray that the Holy Spirit guides you to where you need to be. Pray, Pray and Pray some more.

Answer 8

when ever you find an inconstantsistancy ask God to explain it somehow. often you find that something that someone says or something that happens to you will then make it clear.

if you are unhappy with translations you could always try learning hebrew greek aramaic and any other language nessary and read the original texts yourself (i would love to do this but don't think i could manage it at the moment.) or you could use a number of translations and compare them as you go.

my advice is pray for someone or a group of people who will support you pray for God to guide you on what to do remember prayer is conversation WITH God so expect answers being a true christian is havinging a friendship with God. he loves you and heloves to hear your needs and your joys and sorrows he will comfort you and guide you and rejoice with you and correct you but whatever happens he will never stop loving you. If you can't hear God sometimes you have to consider is this because what he is saying is not what you want him to be saying.

God is with you trust him and he will lead you on the paths of rightiousness for his names sake. never forget this: GOD LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS AND THIS WILL NEVER CHANGE. IF YOU STRAY HE WILL DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO BRING YOU BACK BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU!!!

Answer 9

About 3 blocks down you're gonna want to take a left onto Be the Best Person You Know How...go straight on that for about 112 years and ya can't miss it

Answer 10

I constantly tried to be sure which faith grew to become into the superb one. there is not any such element. as quickly as I found out what grew to become into extremely interior the Bible, no longer in user-friendly terms the areas Preachers carry forth approximately, i found out that the Bible taught as a rule evil. that's a e book written with the aid of the comparable state of strategies that's in place interior the middle East today. in simple terms kill, kill, kill. So now, after dropping maximum of my existence attempting to discover solutions, i'm an Agnostic. If there's a God, He/She or in spite of isn't something like I extremely have been taught. If human beings weren't strategies Washed with the aid of religion, human beings would not be killing harmless human beings regular interior the middle East.

Answer 11

If you have a good Christian friend, talk to them. They will be glad to tell you. Anyone can backslide, and many do, but they find their way back into God's grace. If you know a pastor, or go to any church you choose, and they will counsel you. You are going to get a lot of smart alec answere on this, but pay them no mind, and keep your eye on your goal. God bless.