I am confused about where I am at in my beliefs?

Question

I was raised catholic but they wouldn't baptise my son because he was born out of wedlock. I still have catholic guilt. I've lived the last 23 years trying to abide by the do unto others rule. I have not attended church in 23 years, but believe that I have a good working relationship with God. I recently read the "Left Behind" series and it has me questioning if my belief is enough to keep me from hell. Are there others out there like me? Any who would like to discuss these issues without preaching?

Answer 1

One thing that saddens me most about religion is that it teaches us to believe in JESUS yet forgets to teach us that he is our saving grace! JESUS died for you, me and your child! There is NOTHING you can do to redeem yourself, that is what JESUS did for you! remember that GOD has more Grace than we can ever begin to understand. HE loves you and your child so very much, no matter what you have done or will do in the future. A dedication of your child to the LORD is all that is nessasary right now. ( which you can do right where you are standing) allow your child to make the choice to follow JESUS when they are at an age when they understand right and wrong. your child is closer to GOD than any of us adults are. remember JESUS was not baptised until he was 33 and began his ministry. And Sister just by the simple fact that you are concerned that you may go to hell should tell you that you are not going to hell! GOD wants to be around those that want to be with HIM! GOD IS GOOD!!! Praise the LORD for his LOVE!! GOD bless you and your family.

Answer 2

I hope that you will take this as a serious answer, and consider it.

I believe that you would be better off without religious belief at all. Notice that you're not doing any of the official ceremony stuff, and you've worked out a decent ethic without it. You sound willing to think about the relevant issues. I think you're acting in a respectable way without having to resort to religion.

At the same time, you're telling us that you have religiously-based guilt as well as anxiety about going to hell (apparently the product of having read a religious book recently). Some of that guilt has to do with your son, who is surely more important than is religious belief.

I suggest that you consider getting out of this entirely, and living a life focused on nature and the people who you love. I'll leave it there, since you asked for no preaching. Best of luck.

Answer 3

Well...I was born to a Mother that had NO religious tendencies whatsoever. At the age of eight I asked to go to Church of Christ (COC) and she consented. I continued until my teen years when I discovered my personal inabillity to reconcile the COC's liturgy (or lack thereof), and converted to the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). In fact, I actually attended a LCMS seminary to become a Pastor for a couple years after I graduated with my Bachelors degree. Left the seminary when I saw the completely pathetic lack of standards for selecting seminarians. I roamed for a couple years, eventually becoming a catholic (with a very SMALL "c") after reading the church's renewed stance after they published Vatican II. Although I'm part of the church, my heart isn't there.

I bore you with this to share with you a conclusion that I've reached. Christianity (the act of following Christ) was divinely inspired. However, the religious branches (Presbyterian, Catholic, UOC, whatever) that were structured around this core belief are driven by man. Since man if faulted, they are faulted. I believe the key is to find a path that takes you personally closest to Christ...as he originally was. Not were man has taken us. Find the church that gets YOU there.

The Catholic church was structured originally to meet the needs of largly uninformed and uneducated lay persons. Hence, the ever present reciting of verbatim prayers, etc. This isn't the case anymore. I wish the church would reform...I truly believe they have much to offer. If they don't, I will be departing soon. The catholic church guit you feel is common. I promise you won't burst into flames if you bypass the church and take your problems to God and the Scriptures directly...go there. Find the church (Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, etc.) that will take YOU down the path...personally. Explore.

To deny your son the sacrament of baptism when his consenting parent desires it to be so is offensive. I believe you have every right to be angry, and the fact you are is a testiment to your desire to be a good faith-model for your child.

It's may sound odd, but true. I've learned how to interpret and read the original Koine Greek that the New Testiment was written...read and personally handled many very old scrolls and text. The more I learn.....the less I realize that I really know. If I can be of any help, let me know.

I think I've rambled enough.
Hope I helped in some way.

Answer 4

I think you still need more than just your beliefs if you want the full glory of Heaven...

I have not read the "Left Behind" series... saw a couple of the movies... thought they were pretty good for fiction...

but then, I have trouble with understanding the Rapture.. I THINK that I read that when Jesus returns there will be two people standing in a field and one will disappear...

but I also THINK that I have read that He will cleanse the world of all wickedness...

to me, that would suggest that all righteous people would still be here on earth... and the unrighteous people gone... with the earth changed in a twinkling of an eye so that all evil would be gone...

I think you should read your Bible (or at least the KJV, I'm not familiar with what Bible is used by Catholics)... read, ponder, and pray...

I am not too familiar with the Bible either.. since I have not read all of it yet...

I do believe that the Bible is the word of God (with a few mistakes that have crept in here and there over the years).. but I believe it more because of the Book of Mormon than by reading it myself.

Answer 5

In my opinion, it's not about being in church every sunday, or whenever. It's about your personal relationship with God. Now, I've never read the books, but I've seen a couple of the Left Behind movies, in the the first movie, even the preacher didn't get taken with the others. So it's really not about how much church you attend. It's all about your relationship with God. At least that's how I feel.

Answer 6

I don't know any thing about the Bible or Catholic or any other religion.I just know that we should all treat each other with respect. The do unto other as you would want to be done is the way I live don't need no Man to tell me how to live.I don't think there is a heaven or hell think about it.Church today is a money maker they want a credit check before you can join most churches these days don't think it is right.

Answer 7

the Catholic religion is famous for the guilt issue..i was raised Catholic as well. From what i have learned if you have asked Jesus to live in your heart you don't have a thing to worry about...I would get my child baptized at an Episcopalian Church since it is very close to the Catholic religion and then you can feel settled in your heart that your child has been baptized. I know how easy it is to get confused about religion because the religions all teach that theirs is the Truth...just follow your heart and ask Jesus to guide you...how can you fail with that?

Answer 8

Please consider the very real possibility that the Left Behind series if pure fiction, based upon pure mythology. There is no Hell, and your having a son out of wedlock is not a "sin". If you live by the golden rule, you are a good person. If there is a God, he/she/it won't punish you because you violated some stupid rule that was created out fear of something that isn't the real God.

Answer 9

I was raised Baptist, then I visited a methodist church for awhile. I have read a great amount of information about many religions and have come to one conclusion. Just about none of them are following the scripture completely. What I have been doing is reading the scripture on my own, praying to God for guidance and understanding and coming to this forum to test my faith. I teach my children what I read and they believe in God and Jesus and they are good kids in general. I try my hardest not to be predjudiced but I see most organized religions as nothing more than a modern day temple not unlike the one Jesus turned upside down for all the pomp and money handling going on. I think if you have lived your life in a Christ like manner and have remained faithful to God then he will remain faithful to you. And your son is just as much a child of God as one born to married people. You should not be riddled with guilt over that. Do you not think God values you and your child enough to forgive you of that sin?Hope this helps some.

Answer 10

I'm not religious but I am spiritual. I think that belief has to be interpreted for yourself. I think that everyone has something inside of them that tells them this is the right thing to do. If you follow that voice, try to be a good person, and be true to the person you are, no one can judge you. I don't think it's baptism that keeps a person from or takes them to heaven, it's the person they are and the choices they make.
I can't help you find your way, it's a tough, personal journey, I can only hope you find the answers you need. It's normal to question your religion, if you didn't you wouldn't grow as a person.