Why does the addition of God have to make life so hard?

Question

As if supporting my friends and family (those remaining who were not murdered) and making the right life decisions wasn't hard enough, now I have to choose Jesus. More specifically, I have to choose Jesus out of all the other faiths.

For people who have been raised Christian or for people who have the right type of genetics, blind faith is a fairly simple task. For others, like me, it is nearly impossible. I would really like to believe in this Jesus guy but unfortunately the tellers of his story did not make a perfect story. No matter how much I would like to believe that the story (the Bible) is perfect, its errors, apparent falsehoods, and just plain lack of straightforwardness just keep getting to me.

The Bible says: "seek and you will find". Problem is, my friend had the same problem as me and he died before he believed in Jesus. Did his failure send him to hell? The same could happen to me and I'd be faced with this "thing" that cannot be tested by science.

What now?

Answer 1

Hey, hang in there! No one said being a Christian was easy...but that's part of why it's rewarding. You present a lot of issues and there's no space here to address all of them. So a few select thoughts:

1. Don't feel like you have to have "blind faith." We're humans, we have active minds, part of what we do is question and struggle. It's normal! The Bible itself is filled with characters who don't have "blind faith" but who really struggle to follow and obey God. As and example, check out the book of Jonah in the Old Testament (it's really short--you can read the whole thing in 20 minutes or so). You'll see that he is hardly a man of blind faith! There are plenty of examples from the New Testament, too--even Jesus himself, before his crucifixion, pleaded with God to spare him from the fate that awaited him.

2. Yes, you're right--the Bible does have contradictions, errors, etc. It may have been divinely INSPIRED, but it was WRITTEN by humans, who are fallible. I don't subscribe to the theory that the Bible is "infallible." It's Scripture, meant to be studied, prayed over, mined for meaning. But we are not to worship the Bible--we worship God and Jesus! I don't think it's heresy to point out the human errors that obviously exist in the text. No human document is perfect. The errors in the Bible are miniscule compared to the wealth of insights and truths that it contains.

3. Somewhat related to the above, you shouldn't expect the Bible to be "straightforward." Parts of it are, but there's also a lot of mystery in the Scriptures. But there should be mystery--LIFE is mysterious! Relax. Don't expect the meaning of the text to always jump out and hit you over the head. You have to think about it and pray about it.

4. As for the question of whether your friend has gone to Hell because he died an unbeliever...

There are lots of Christians out there who will say yes, he went to Hell. There are also a lot of Christians who think that's probably not the case. I'm in the second camp.

This is a complicated issue that can be looked at in lots of different ways. And the truth is, none of us really knows the answer. The long and short of it for me personally is that a loving God would not eternally shut any soul out of His presence. That's what God's grace--and Jesus' grace--means. Mercy and compassion towards the undeserving.

5. What now? Keep thinking, questioning, struggling, praying, worshipping, learning, growing. Being a Christian is not some quick-n-easy magical fix for life's ailments. It's a process and a journey, and it can be difficult. It's also extremely rewarding, and I wish the best for you.

If you want some inspiration on the Christian journey directly from the Bible, read some of Paul's letters (they make up a good chunk of the New Testament). Paul is a convert to Christ who travels throughout the Roman empire, starting churches and shepherding them along. A lot of his letters are meant to give encouragement to his fellow believers who are struggling with this or that issue. (Warning: Paul's writings are wonderful but can sometimes be a bit confusing--don't give up!) For some contemporary insight, check out some books by Marcus Borg or Philip Yancey ("What's So Amazing About Grace?", "The Jesus I Never Knew").

I'm praying for you.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Answer 2

OK, don't take the Bible or any religious idea so literally. Just because the idea works for some people doesn't mean it makes any sense to you.

God is the goodness that flows through the world. God is love. God isn't judgment, hatred, condescension, neglect, cruelty, boredom, disrespect, or depression. Check out the "fruits of the spirit" list in the New Testament. These are characteristics of happy people who do the right thing because doing the wrong thing makes them miserable.

Evil makes EVERYONE miserable. Do the best you can. Follow Jesus's example as best you can--he was kind, caring, non-judgmental, loving, and healing. Get into the SPIRIT of God, not the literal writing about religion. There's no hell, anyway, not like many "Christians" would have you believe.

Stop obsessing over things you don't understand. Just pick the principles that make sense and follow them. When you think you have that down, try something new. Spirituality is an ongoing process, and you don't have to believe stuff all at once--go at a comfortable pace and see what you believe after you've contemplated things for a while.

You might not choose Jesus. Personally, I believe Jesus is an absolutely wonderful role model, but I don't go to "Christian" church because they have too much garbage that isn't Christ-like at all. Just take a deep breath, relax, find people who are good examples (like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi were good guys) and read up, discuss, figure things out at your own pace.

Spirituality doesn't hurt! Sometimes you have to make tough choices, and sometimes, you'll be tempted to do the wrong thing, but overall, spirituality isn't as hard as you think it is. Don't be intimidated by something natural that's already a part of you.

Answer 3

Here's a little fact that really should get people to think. I like to repeat it often, because I think it needs to sink in: The world of finance today is 50 times the size of the real economy. We live in a society of mandarins. The system is completely detached from real production. Hard work, as you seem to have noticed is for suckers. We're sucked in to this paradigm where we view economic growth as some kind of panacea. I take the view that past a certain point, growth just sets you off to compete at a brand new level of materialism. It's keeping up with the Jones' on crack. Most of what we produce is junk anyway. Junk, drugs and weapons. The weapons are used to keep the world in line with the system. The shiny stuff is used to buy you, to make you feel like you need to continue, or else be looked down upon. For the most part, I think the occupy movement is a good thing, but I think most people miss the point when they're talking about the redistribution of wealth. They're missing the point, because they're still speaking from that materialistic, consumerist paradigm that is the problem in the first place. What we need is deeper than a redistribution; we need a deeper cultural renewal, a transformation of our core values and attitutes. The idea that accumulating stuff is the same as being a succesful human being has got to go. First off, it's not sustainable. The system is going to blow and it's going to make the housing crisis look like a picnic. Second, it's not making people happy, so what's the point? We need to develop a culture of contentment. And we need to develop a culture that doesn't admire people because they wear expensive clothes and drives big cars. How is any of that an accomplishment? There are plenty of ways humans can get a sense of fulfilment that don't have to do with accumulating wealth. If anything, it's a puerile dream, one we need to get beyond. Much more meaningful than that is participating in your community, participating in government in a meaningful way, striving for intellectual achievements... Helping a corporation make more junk cheaper? No wonder people don't feel fulfilled.

Answer 4

The Bible was written by man. The old Testament was written by Prophets sent by god; good, honest & trustworthy persons. Being men leaves room for error. For the most part the Bible is an honest & earnest way for man to follow if he wants to serve God. There are no falsehoods & as for straightforwardness; you must remember that it was written thousands of years ago. So there is a use of language issue.
There are some things that you must accept by faith alone. Science can neither prove nor disprove anything in the bible. They always come away with the same conclusion, They don't know. If you truly seek, you will find the answers you seek. But by starting out to disprove the Bible, you are already in a bind. Open your mind to the possibilities. Rather to believe & be proven wrong than to disbelieve & be proven wrong!

Answer 5

You don't have to choose Jesus if you don't want to. Jesus isn't twisting your arm and saying, "Believe In Me Or I Shalt Twisteth Thou Arm!" Why do you believe that you have to choose Jesus out of the other faiths? Why not be a Buddhist or a Rastafarian and grow dreadlocks and smoke weed all day and say things like, "Oh mon, dee weed is good, mon." That certainly sounds better than following Jesus to me! You don't have to be anything that you don't want to be as long as you're willing to pay the consequences in the end.

Answer 6

God, of course, was invented to help people explain the unexplainable. It's a sad thing that religion can become more a source of pain than of comfort. I'm not really sure how one manages to make ones self believe the unbelievable. It's not too tough to teach a child just about anything, but once one attains the age of reason, it seems to get a lot more difficult.

Answer 7

Hell does NOT exist, except as a small town in Michigan, USA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna

Christianity is a DISTORTION of history - watch the PBS Frontline special "The First Christians" and you will see that Jesus was not worshipped AS God until the time of the Emperor Constantine.

The way of dealing with the bible, ironically, is IN the bible: "Seek the truth, and the truth will set you free". It sounds to me like you have found the truth - peace be unto you. Sorry to hear about your murdered friends - unfortunately we have something in common there.

Answer 8

I do not believe non-Christians will go to hell just because the don't know Jesus. There are too many good Godly people who do not believe in Jesus and I just can not believe that my God would be so cruel as to condemn some one because of not accepting Jesus

Answer 9

Ignore what cardboard Jesus said. Obviously, you know deep inside that there must be something real to this Jesus guy. Or you would not have the concern you have of whether you will die without knowing Jesus and the consequences of that. First of all, let me tell you that I am sorry to hear that people close to you were murdered. I am Christian and I have been raised Christian. But, I have dealt with my own share of doubts. I am going to ask you to check out the book, The Case For Christ, by Lee Strobel. This book was written by an atheist man who tried to figure out if the bible and hence Jesus is real through evidence and talks with experts on the topic. By the end of his discovery, he becomes a Christian himself. I think that will give you the evidence you need right now. Second, I am going to ask you to pray. Pray that God can reveal himself to you. But, don't worry, all Christians go through this hard time and I pray that you will find the answers you need.

Answer 10

I agree. I spent years trying to find god but all I found was errors. I like that you pointed out that for some it is not an easy pill to swallow. It really isn't. I have a very grounded in reality sort of mind. When I read the Bible and things don't make sense, I'm like, WHAT? Starting in Genesis it doesn't make sense. I like being spiritual, I think meditation and stuff is good for you, but I can not believe in a god when it doesn't make sense.

Answer 11

do you know the story when Jesus cursed a tree (can't remember what type of a tree it was) he didn't wait for it to dry out there and there he walked away before it did. the same applies to you when you talk over some ( eg a problem to go away) don't wait for it to move right away carry on with your business and you'll see how the mountain will move without you even worrying about when it's going to go. it's much easier that way. your friend was his own individual and you don't know weather he went o hell or heaven. you should take your time and keep leaning don't be like the pharisees and seduces who knew the laws but didn't either believe or know God (they didn't even want to know him)