is it normal for a teenager to slowly lose his faith?

Question

i've started to ask myself does god really exist? what if christianity was just a stupid idea someone came up with way long ago when we were'nt born? i used to pray every night before going to bed and now i feel as if i'm praying to myself and that there is no god to here me. PLEASE HELP ME GET MY FAITH BACK

Answer 1

Your faith is your faith, that you question your beliefs from time to time is good; i was bought up as a Christian, attending a church school. Since that time it has left me with a belief structure, but i would no longer consider myself a Christian - or a believer in any faith per-se - i believe in an overall power, but i do not believe that he governs my existence or cares how i worship - or if i worship him. I live by a code of ethics that i set for myself.

Good luck and i hope that you can find a way through this that makes you happy at the end.

Answer 2

First, I have this fear that this is going to get lost is the long list of responses to your question. I ask that you keep reading in spite of that. - Qeustioning your faith is a normal part of being a teen. You begin to question and rebel against authority, and lets face it -God is the ultimate authority figurs.
Second - one of the previous answers suggested reading the holy books of other religions. Please don't do that. It will only muddy the issues. Most especially, don't read any of the satanic suggestions. The one thing you DON"T want to do is give satan an "in" into your life.
Third - when you're struggling with your faith - go to the source - The Holy Bible. If you're like me (and I'm in my 50's) I sometimes get bogged down in all the "thee's and thou's". Try reading "The Message/Remix by Eugene Peterson. It's written in everyday language, and reads more like a letter from a friend. It's true to the Bible, just an easier read.
Lastly - I don't know where you live, but if you're in central Ohio, there's a Christian alternative music station - RadioU - 88.7 FM. It's not gospel or church hymns or even Amy Grant - it's rap, hip-hop, ska, and whatever the current trend in loud music is. Only, it's without the hate, sex and profanity that's in secular music. If you can't pick up RadioU - it's also carried on some other stations throughout the country - it is also simulcast on the internet at RadioU.com. Give it a try. My son listened to it through his teen years, and I feel that it helped keep him on track.
Sorry if it sounds like I've been another parent, lecturing you.
I wish you hope. I wish you strength to hold fast in the face of adversity. Most of all, I wish for you the touch of the Master's hand to gently carry you back to His side.

Answer 3

Questioning your faith is a natural thing to do and part of intellectual growth. You're not born believing in a god, it's something that's taught to you. As you enter your teenaged years, it's quite common to question all avenues of authority, including religion. Many people can go through this time and find that their faith has been strengthened. After all, how do you know what you believe unless you test it?

Now, for the flipside, you may be turning into an agnostic or an athiest. As scary as it sounds, especially when you're taught that athiests are wrong, foolish or evil. I lost my faith at an early early age and I never looked back. It's not uncomforting to think that there is no one out there looking out for me, or gives me unconditional love. Quite the opposite, as I like my unconditional love upfront where I can see it and appreciate it.

Answer 4

I'm far from being a teenager. I'm 59 years old (how did I get so old) and there are times now that I find myself wondering if God really exists. When I hear and see what happens in this world to children and other innocents, I know that's not GOD's will. That's when I begin to doubt his existence.
Then I look at the beauty of the world around us, I mean like nature and animals and can't believe that God didn't create it.
I still believe God exists, but I think that at times we do have our doubts.
For me, no faith means no hope and I don't want to think that way.
Good luck in getting your faith back.

Answer 5

Think about yourself and the people around you. Could they have really just come from some amoeba billions of years ago? You could have, but would that amoeba have made you the way you are now, even knowing what faith is? Our minds, bodies, and hearts are gifts from God and he gave them to us for a reason. Continue believing in God and he will hear your prayers. Continue praying and you God will give you the confidence you need and the faith you desire. Continue being who you are and the reason we have what we have will become clear...

Answer 6

I think it's normal that we all go through some doubt about our faith, especially in the teenage years. But if we're open to the Spirit of God and ask Him to help us, He will. The Bible says that "he who comes to God must believe that He is." You obviously believed at one time. Ask God to help you and to reveal Himself to you personally and to help you renew your faith. You didn't lose your faith. It's good to question things. God didn't make us robots but gave us a mind and an intellect He wants us to use. And keep praying - you're not praying to yourself. He hears you. And I'll pray for you too. God Bless! :)

Answer 7

It is perfectly normal for teenagers to start questioning and doubting what they have been taught. It is a stage where you are gaining your own independence and creating your own ideas to become an independent adult. Most teenagers go through it and you have to be willing to do the work it takes to find out for yourself what the truth really is. It is a bit scary at first, but if you don't find out for yourself, your faith was never that strong to begin with and you need to stand on your own to make it that much stronger. My suggestion would be to research, study, pray, and come to your own conclusion. Good Luck.

Answer 8

Yes, I am positive there is a God. What does it hurt to believe anyway. We each have a soul that has come to earth many times in many bodies over time. We keep coming back until we learn lessons that God wants us to learn. Someday when we learn enought on earth we will stay in heaven (the other side) with all our loved ones who passed on. It is a beautiful place full of love.

Maybe you are on earth to learn forgiveness or compassion or being honest or family realtions or love or helping others or maybe the multitude of things you learn when disabled. The list is lolong but make sure you are here now learning all your can so that you don't have to be born over and over and live many lives some which may be super hard. Super hard meaning poverty, disabilities, mental illness, racial indifference and more. Each time you come back you may be a man or woman of any race.

Please don't ask if there is a God, too many know for fact. Ask the pope, buddist priests, ministers, nuns, mediums, psychics, etc. They know for fact. Continue to pray it helps your life and others you love. God may not answer every prayer since you are here to learn certain lessons. But he will never abandon you.

I am in my 50's now. I never believed as a kid or teen and slowly started believing in college. Joined a church and realized it only did me good. But it was not until a couple years ago MY EYES OPENED UP. I got the courage to talk to a Meduim (well-respected and a real one) to connect with a brother that died. I not only got to talk with him but also learned about my spirit guides. Now I am on a pursuit to read all I can on spirituality. I had the medium tell me things that honestly only GOD could know. It was amazing. Even told me I had a foreign object lodged in my ear. Went to the ear doc and yes I did and they removed it. I can go on and on. But instead please read now on the subject. Read all Syvia Brownes books starting with "The Other Side" I highly recommend her. Or try Rosemary Altheas books, she is great too. Please do it. IT CHANGED MY LIFE and it can change yours too.

Answer 9

God is there, with you, He is here with me, but if you look outside your window what do you see? A tree? A bird? A Clear Sky? God is there too.
Religions were invented by people, not by God...there is a difference....Seek for God trough passion, inside the hart of suffering people, the hungry, the prisoners...all of those who are in distress.

Trust in God and let Him feel the void that you are feeling inside, by accepting this moment of your life as a passage, a bad storm, a hurricane. In a couple of week you'll be looking back at this and you'll realize that it was meant to be to create something else.

I Learned the best lessons from my worst experiences, but you must be willing to accept...live the moment in the present..count your blessings everyday..count them...do not be afraid...

Answer 10

Good question and yes it's perfectly normal. It shows you're growing up and maturing and questioning all the things that you've been trained to believe. Remember a few years back when you stopped believing in Santa Claus? Same sort of thing going on now.

Not everybody believes that there is some mystical being up there in the sky so don't worry about not believing in it. You've been trained to believe since you were young without anyone giving you any proof. Now you're getting older and smarter you're looking for proof. The bad news is that there is no proof so it's a question of belief.

Believe it or not. Just like Santa Claus :-)