Why should I try to force myself to believe in Christianity, Is that being honest with oneself?

Question

If I really just can't swallow all of it, and I can't, believe me, I've tried.

And if I'm familiar with the Christian religion being as I was born and raised in it, have gone to the churches, the bible studies,

If I just don't believe any of it, and if the Old Testament is boring, vile and sickening to me and beyond my belief that any all knowing God would ever author such horrid drivel,
what should I do?
Force myself? Pray consistantly to believe and swallow that enormous jagged pill as hard as I can?
Lie to myself? Isn't that being dishonest? That wouldn't truly be me if I were just going through the motions pretending even though all of it makes no sense to me.

Answer 1

Obviously you were unable to lie to yourself or allow something else to lie to you. Why not live with yourself the way you are? Why would you want to believe in something you see as unreal/fake?

Personally, going through the motions is worse than not believing.

Answer 2

cloe e,

Religion doesn't work for everyone. I remember learning how 'unlogical' the bible is. Religion only works for those that accept it all on faith and completely leave out all logic or common sense. If you understand that, then it becomes something different. Obviously, if anyone thought you believed all that biblical stuff, they would be insulting your intelligence. On the other hand having faith in something you don't believe is sort of like deceiving yourself.
What I believe is that their is a power greater than me (I don't completely control my life). A scientist would call that 'Mother Nature'. A religious person would call it God. I separate that belief from the bible. I think the bible is a book that can be interpreted by just about anyone to mean just about anything.
In other words, religion is about faith (which we all need) yet it doesn't work for me, so I keep the respect for nature, but don't buy into the bible in all ways. It's a tradeoff. You have to do what you have to do to keep your self respect.

Answer 3

I respect honesty more than someone pretending to believe. Remember Saul/Paul? He truly believed in the Jewish religion he followed, until God knocked him down litterally. But he always was true and honest in his beliefs, no matter how misguided it was. God can use that more than anything.
My suggestion is use the technique that David did, and if you know anything of the bible, it was he was a 'man after God's own heart'. He told God straight out how he felt, even the worst things. The trick was, he was open to God's response.
Remember the sinner and the pharisee's prayers? Jesus said God honored the sinner, who was straightforward in his sin and his intents instead of the 'religious' one who didn't really believed but pretended to.
My mom told me to ask myself why I believed, when I also grew up in a Christian home. I had to face the choice, and it is a choice. If you just have this feeling that it *is* real, but have a hard time going along with the 'program', then bring all this to God. Just talk to Him like He was someone whom you disagree with and ask for His side. But remember to be open, and give a bit of time. Just keep reminding Him of you're seeking answers and go about your life. Blessings.

Answer 4

Never force yourself as this is mere hypocrisy and is offensive before God anyway. This also is a mere delusion of many self proclaimed Christians who thinking because they did or said something they are saved. God is clear in His Word that unless a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of heaven and to force yourself to believe is to believe a lie. God grants no honor to lies. If your at all interested or your heart is burdened with sin then cry out to Him to open your eyes and to give you this life and desire and if He does you will know and you would not have to force yourself, rather your would flee to Christ in a heartbeat and never leave Him as you would have found that peace that passes understanding. Till that time be honest. Even in unbelief a person is in a better way than in a lie.

Answer 5

A kid doesn't like to eat vegetables. You have to make it look good, and even so, it's a struggle. Adults, however, can stomach these things because they crave them

I remember as a child hating the vegetable so much, I could even taste the metal of the pot they were cooked in, I could NOT stand them. I didn't even like potatoes, the only way I could eat them without gagging was to put ketchup on them. I could never do that as an adult, although I do use ketchup on fries on occasion.

In the same way, religion is like that. Whoever reads the entire bible in one sitting is only going to get a spinning head. It's too much, and I agree with you there. But you need to have a couple things going for you: The stomach for it, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, you may as well be trying to take a bath in sand.

Another factor is how badly your soul needs to understand these things. If you are living a comfortable life, what need have you for these things? "I came to cure the sick, not the healthy" as the saying goes. When you need it, it will be there.

All my love.

Answer 6

truly i will understand why human beings do no longer remember on God at present . throughout my middle age human being hood i will really say that i change into an Agnostic. Then I experienced a non secular Epiphany .It change into no longer merely in my ideas or completely emotional because , something really occurred contained in the actual international on the area of what change into occurring round me - to open my eyes . something really spectacular even as my veteran husband lay paralyzed from the neck contained in the wellness facility for 6 months in the previous he exceeded on to the great beyond . And certain i ought to fairly be truthful myself besides.

Answer 7

I think I'll quote the tragedy, Hamlet.
"And this above all, to thine own self be true."
Don't force yourself into something that's just not for you.
Everyone has their own opinion of what God should be,
and there's no need to conform to some drawn out 'this is the way it is' kind of ideaology for it. With so many people involved in something like Christianity, it's kind of a 'go figure' that there would be a ton of mixed messages. Only God knows, lol.

Answer 8

i am truely sorry you feel this way about it but i have to tell you religion is not what being a christian is all about. being a christian is having an actual living relationship with our creator!!! not a stuffy, boring place that has no life. we are here to walk and talk with the Lord, to get to know him as a savior and not some mean, impatient, judgmental dictator. he wants us to know him and to trust him, we need to know that it's not the place we go to or the people we know that dictates christianity, its our actual walk with him and what we do with our lives. when we finally understand his will for us and our purpose then the Bible comes alive for us and we finaly see what its all about!!

Answer 9

You should not be a liar or dishonest in your form of worship of God.
Pray that God will open your eyes to see and recognize the Truth...that's all....but only of course,if that's what you really want.

Best Wishes.

Answer 10

This is just a poorly disguised anti-Christian hate spew. So you don't believe it, move on and leave others be. Are you truly that immature that you need to mock those who do?