How many of you defined yourself as a 'Bible-believing Christian' at one time but don't any longer? Why?

Question

There seems to be a misconception among people who post on this particular part of Yahoo Answers that if you receive Jesus in your heart and say the Sinner's Prayer and live the sanctified life in a 'Bible-believing Christian church' that you will be completely fulfilled, satisfied and, if not happy, at least content for the rest of eternity.
This was not my case.
Nor was it the case with many people I have talked with.
Before you say, "Oh, then, you were not truly a Christian" or "Then you let Satan deceive you into leaving" consider this: I lived that life for over ten years. I prayed constantly. I read the Bible constantly. I went to church 3 times each week. I kept a prayer journal. I went on retreats. And I was miserable. I prayed my way all through the point where I left the church.
And I feel it wasn't until I left the church that I truly found God.

Discus...

Answer 1

I am with you 100%. Not only was I miserable, but lonely. I also felt this pressing burden of guilt...because I didn't "feel" the way everyone else claimed to feel. I began to study christianity in depth and the more I studied and the deeper I went....the more sure I became that it was not a religion I could ever fully believe in nor participate in any longer. I personally don't think that christians are satisfied or happy. I see them as miserable too, look at the horrible way they treat those of us who have left? Look at how hostile and angry they become when their faith is questioned. I believe it is because it mirrors how they feel inside. Deep down they know they are living the greatest lie ever told.

Oh, you are right about another thing..it is very hard to find God in the church.

Answer 2

I was forced to go to church as a child and I just up hated it. I felt stuffy, almost being squeezed when I walked into one. All the fancy stuff, candle sticks, etc just didn't seem right....why would God, a simple man, want such riches around him?

I pretty much led a good life but one that I considered atheist for the most part till I was about 28. Then God shook up my world with 3 showings to prove to me he was real and his word was real.

I still do not attend church or do any functions with them for I believe the church, not all, but many if not most have been corrupted by Lucifer himself.

For one....why would the modern day pope speak such words as he has? Why would the great John Pope the II sit on a throne chair that had a carved upside down cross in it? Is that not the sign of Lucifer? Why do I see these TV ministers giving the hand symbol of Satan when they are doing their prayers?

The Bible speaks of many false prophets....and I believe that was a major one Jesus was warning us of. Its why its not a "needed item" to be part of heaven. To me its Lucifer's perfect tool to use against us and to group us together into masses so he can later exterminate us later during the end days.

I believe for God has personally shown me. But I follow the book...not the building nor the man standing in that building. For even God say put nothing before him.

Answer 3

When I was a young kid I went to church. However as my intellect increased and I began to read the Bible more in depth I began to see way too many inconsistencies within it. And upon asking the priests about these things they were unable to answer my questions. Couple this with how evil so many Christians were and I stopped considering myself a Christian around age 10. Since then I've become a very happy mystic while voluntarily putting myself through trials of fire over and over again. My faith is well forged.

This didn't prevent some of my more fervent Christian friends from trying to save me. And I took their challenge once and attended their church and saw many of the same evil things that I saw before. And this particular Christian Church had prophets that came in to speak and deliver messages to people. And in the greatest of ironies, they said that I had been on the right path to the shock and horror of my friends. Upon playing the audio tape back, the words were seamlessly missing from the recording though everyone in attendance heard them.

So with the challenge complete, I went back to my mystic life in accordance with God's will.

Answer 4

Only Calvinists teach that if you claimed to have been a Christian and gave it up, then you were never one to begin with. Most other Christian theologians would have problems with that statement because the decision is made by a frewilled self-determined individual that seemingly knows what theyre getting into.

The problem I sense with most that say they have walked from God and/or church is they have very earthly reasons or they simply say like you "I just wasnt happy." With many I know they were simply operating under their parents faith when they were younger, grew older, and found they had no faith of their own, therefore, they left. The Bible describes that faith of those who accept the Gospel with joy for a time, then when they sun hits hard and theyre exposed to the elements, it withers and dies.

It doesnt sound like you have a problem with God, it sounds more like you have a problem with his people. As a believer one of your primary functions in life is to team up with other believers and do Gods will. I dont know why you were miserable with your old church, but one should not be finding misery in the company of fellow believers, (unless they are totally off the path, so to speak) but even if they were, then it is simply finding a church wher eyou more belong but it doesnt sound like that is your goal at all. It sounds more like youve sworn off the church itself! It may be a case of you loving the world more than God, therefore in your quest to find happiness, you actually found Satan and are more pleased with him?

These are all possible answers to think about but whatever happens I really hope you come back to Gods people (your people) and help in serving God and your fellow man because there is NOTHING else more important in life then doing those 2 things and the church is the only thing attempting to do Gods will!

19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -Matthew 28:19

Answer 5

Unfortunately there are bad people in churches there are also good people . Salvation is a personal talk with your creator just you and him not anyone else. I believe if a person accepts him in there heart they will be saved. But i dont even believe what the baptist church i go to does. I believe people can absolutely lose there salvation by turning there back on him . There is scripture to back this up and one verse that says If ye be lukewarm and Neither hot nor cold i will spew you from mine mouth.

Answer 6

I spent the first 17 years or so of my life going to church, studying the bible, etc. and I came to realize that through all of that I never actually felt anything powerful or awe inspiring from it. It seemed to me that it was just a bunch of desperate people grasping for anything that could give them the illusion of meaning and importance to their meaningless, unimportant lives. I moved away from it and came to embrace the simplicity of meaninglessness, the importance of unimportance. I have been much happier since. Life to me is all about a walk in the forest, hanging out with my dogs, swimming my way through human affairs without splashing anyone else along the way.

Answer 7

My experience was very similar. I grew up being told we were christians. I knew had to talk the talk of being a good christian but I did not know how to feel the feelings I felt others were experiencing... namely happiness. It wasn't until I to had "given up" that I found a god or a belief that I could process from my own understanding. I lost my kids from drugs I lost everything. The amazing thing was even though I had lost so much I was on this incredible journey of self discovery that eventualy brought me to an unconditional love for myself. Once that self love blossomed for me, I had this awakening, one that to this day is indescribable for me. I was very uncomfortable with the christain religion because of the judging I felt was happening among my "believing friends' and from god 'itself'. I felt I was doomed to hell. I feel so free of that fear now. Jesus was an incredible teacher of how we can live, if only we choose to do it every minute of everyday.

Answer 8

Me.

I talked to "God" daily and really and truly felt that I was speaking to HIM, the god of the Bible, the Lord, etc etc. I prayed, I thanked, I confessed, all those things that a true Bible believing Christian does.

Just because I've moved beyond relying on my feelings as a trustworthy way to ascertain the truth value in a claim or concept and have allowed myself to accept reality as it is (which involves acknowledging the fact that gods couldn't possibly exist) doesn't mean I didn't qualify in every way as a Christian back then.

Answer 9

I'm not one of those persons, referring to your first question. Reading your "testimony" I see a few problems that would lead me to believe you never were saved to begin with.

1. You say you read your Bible and went to church often. Sorry my friend but "good" works are just filthy rags to God. I know many nonchristians that read the Bible and go to church on a regular basis.

2. You seem to think you could get something out of being a Christian such as getting a satisfying life. I'm not saying there isn't a positive change in our earthly life when we become a Christian but you don't get saved to have a "good life". You become a Christian because you are a filthy sinner that can't work his way to heaven and dishonors God daily and deserves the Hell that he is on the path too.

Answer 10

This is highly possible. God doesn't promise us that we will have no trials or tribulations in our life. In matter of fact, he tells us that we will still have stones that we stumble on and how we to shall be persecuted. Salvation is not a ticket to bliss on earth. Salvation IS entry to eternal bliss and happiness, only after we die do we truly live. I am glad that your relationship with Christ has grown, after all, that is what you should be striving for, a relationship with Christ! Church is a place for fellowship and support with fellow Christians, but if you can not find that at the Church you went to, then it is good that you made your choice. Maybe someday you will find one, it can be wonderful. For now, you are learning about your savior and that is what he wants, a relationship with you.