wHAT RELIGION ARE YOU (IF YOU ARE) AND WHY, WHAT MAKES YOUR FAITH SO STRONG?

Question

I WAS BROUGHT UP A CATHOLIC, AND I WOULDNT CHANGE MY FAITH MY LOVE TO GOD IS STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Answer 1

Christian (Baptist)

This is why: (hope you don't mind, this is my testimony, it is the easiest way to express why and how I believe in such a wonderous God!


My journey to Christ hasn’t been the most conventional!

In a sense, I broke the mould in giving my life to Jesus as I come from a (very) non-Christian background, but I have experienced many significant things in my life that have influenced me in my decision to become a Christian.

One of these things, I believe, is that I attended Leesland Infant, a C of E school, in my early schooling years which encouraged prayer and religious teaching. I believe this set the foundations of a good relationship and understanding with God when I was to discover Him.
However, in August 1996, I moved to Lee-on-the-Solent, meaning a change of school and therefore far fewer teachings about Christianity and, I realise now, meant that I was not having as much involvement and learning about God.

Also, around this time, my Grandma suffered a brain haemorrhage. I really wondered why this had happened to such a nice person. I have come to realise with the help of God that it has happened for a reason, however this reason is not yet known to me, I have the faith in God that the situation I experienced as a 7 year old, and in which massive strain was put upon my family, has happened in a way that I can learn from it and input it to everyday life. I also now know that, one day, I will find out as to why it happened.

The real turning point in my life on a personal and spiritual level and the point of my initial relationship with God was when, at the age of 10, I was diagnosed with leukaemia.
The strain was obviously very difficult and challenging for everyone around me, but I managed to find salvation, although not a Christian or a firm believer, in God. While people around me with similar conditions were constantly trying to find someone to blame, I attempted, with all my heart, to blame no one. There was the ‘Why me?’ and ‘The doctors must have it wrong’ scenarios from me about the diagnosis, but this was short lived, I had to bear up and live with the fact, I had leukaemia. While people were blaming God, I thought, with the (very) little knowledge I had of Him, was that He could only possibly help me.
However, this did prove to be difficult and was not easy for me to think like this all the time, as a cancer sufferer, I was experiencing troubling and demanding times in my life and still had the question in my mind ‘Why is it me who is suffering?’
Despite this, I attempted to pray everyday, with the hope that God was listening and going to help me through the times that were mentally and physically challenging. I prayed for myself and the most important people around me, family and hospital staff, who had almost become like relatives in their approach to me and the amount of time I was spending in hospital.
I believe that through these prayers I received the bits of help that I required from God to get through each day I had to battle through the torment that I had everyday for over 3 years.
The presence of God, and His activity within my life, was felt most by me one afternoon when, on one of my random walks around St Mary’s Hospital, I Was walking past the Chapel. For a reason still unknown to me, I uttered a prayer under my breath that two sufferers, one of them a friend, of cystic fibrosis could just experience one day of their lives as normal as possible, as they are normally hampered down with pills, hospital visits and physiotherapy. The next day I found out that both had been temporarily discharged and allowed home. I realised that even when times seem to be at their lowest, God can still do extraordinary works and produce miracles.

I successfully completed my three year treatment, but towards the end, I started to drift from God. As it was, I didn’t feel as if I was a Christian and I wasn’t going to church, but I started to ignore Gods presence and stopped praying to Him as I had been previously. This was also due to the fact I had no Christian encouragement or environment access to be guided in the right direction. Also, on a personal level, I had felt I had lost three years of my life, and I wanted to start living as an individual, without any help from, well really, anyone. I had had enough of being told what I was and was not able to do, I had felt I had gained ‘freedom’ from my cancer, when in fact, I was not free at all.

For about a year and a half I had no Christian influence or perspective on life, and discussions with other non-Christians led to me starting to doubt the existence of God at all, and I had been convinced to accept that all the things that had happened during my treatment was all coincidence.

However, in April 2005, three Christian friends invited me to a church-run youth group that ran on a Friday evening. I was really up for going, primarily for having a good time with my friends. However, once I had been going for a few weeks, and discussions every week about God, Jesus and Christianity in general, a small spark in my heart was starting to burn for Jesus in a way that I had not experienced before. I started having questions about God which I had not thought about before, I was starting to see Him move in all walks of life, in everything that I did or that I was seeing and I was overwhelmed that I could have His love also.

Due to this, in late September/ early October 2005, I asked my very good friend Sam if I could go to a proper church service with him. I was interested now, and I had some personal, unanswered questions that I thought God could answer. No one knew about these questions that I had, they were quite delicate, in a way, relating to the suffering I had encountered in my life. The main question, ‘Why?’

And the title of the course that was being undertaken at church?
‘What on earth am I here for?’

And the subject of the sermon that day?
Purpose.

I realised from that day on that I was here for a reason and that everything that happens does so for a reason.
I knew then that my suffering from my Grandmothers trauma to my cancer, it was for a reason. And additionally, the reason would be revealed to me, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next month, maybe not even in my lifetime, but I would find out. God would reveal to me soon enough, when He thinks suitable, and His timing is always perfect!
I also started going to Re:Genener8 (Brockhurst Baptist Church’s Youth Congregation) and the ‘Youth Alpha’ course really helped me learn about God more.

I gave my life to Jesus on 25th February 2006 and took the decision to be baptised on Easter Sunday of that year. I chose to give my life to Jesus because I knew He was involved in everything and that He never lets go, whether times are good or bad. Also, after finding God, my questions were answered when no one else could answer them and I realised that I wasn’t suffering because I was a bad person, as Jesus took all the shame of the world away through His crucifixion and resurrection.

Now I want to serve God in all I do, and I thank Him for saving me and for the many talents He has blessed me with, for example in leadership and working with children.
Also, I want to attempt to share the brilliant feeling I have when I encounter God and to let people know what it is like to be a servant of Christ and to lead them to Him, no matter who they are or what they have done, as Jesus loves us all the same!

Answer 2

Hi April,

I am a Christian,I have been to many churches with many different names. They all believe basically the same, yet some wont teach of facts, some don't practice what they preach, some sell their inspirations.

There is much I agree with and there is much I disagree with,
so I know I didn't get my faith through a building full of people.

My whole life is why I believe in my Heavenly Father. John 3:16 (age 10) Is the message I received from a man unknown to me in a Baptist church (1 visit)

Everything I went through as a child of hate and abuse As I grow and learn more and more, the things I have seen awe me. My faith grows and gets stronger. I see where His hand brought me out of all that pain. Things I was raised to be, I am not. I have escaped death, but not on my own.

I have seen the side of darkness, I know there is a hell.
I love the side of LIGHT. There is a HEAVEN.

Answer 3

I am a simple follower of Jesus. I was born again in 1996 and, indeed, was changed into a whole new person. The Lord works in my life often, though I wish I could have more of Him. I understand that in God everything is to be found. I believe in the bible literally though it takes study to understand the intent of what it means. "A workman rightly dividing the word."

I also believe we are in the end times, so I am waiting for Jesus to return! Hallelujah!

Answer 4

Strictly non denominational. I do not subscibe toa particular religious affliation. I am afraid that when a religion belongs to a large affiliation that human politics can get involved. I attend a small church that preachs out of the Bible and declares no denmomination at all

Answer 5

I was raised garden-variety Protestant.
Now, I'd say I'm a Christian who chooses not to align herself with any particular denomination. I think a lot of Christians in my generation are sick of denominational divisions.
I don't believe I have all the answers and I don't try to win anyone over to my way of thinking. I will fully allow that I could be wrong about things.
Through doubts and trials and struggles, one thing I have learned is that I would rather believe in God and in the hope of the Resurrection than believe in nothing.
Not having faith would change nothing about the way I live my life, but would bring a weight of futility and hopelessness down upon me. And even in the deepest moments of my uncertainty and doubt, there is this intense feeling of knowing that God exists and that He knows my name.
Some might say it's self-delusion. In this one thing, if it is delusion, I would rather be wrong and comforted than right and hopeless.
I am aligned with C.S. Lewis on this: that no one who truly desires Heaven will be denied. What that may mean for various religions and such, I won't presume to speculate. But, as I stated before, I am not so arrogant as to believe that my way is the only way to do things.
I'm a modern Christian, trying to cut through years of bureacracy and get back to the heart of my faith. I believe in loving others. Not just in some touchy-feely sentimental manner, but in honest, practical ways, such as providing shelter to the homeless, food to the hungry, and water to the thirsty - regardless of their nationality or religion.
I believe that the American church should expend less time fighting the theory of evolution and more time fighting poverty; that we should be less concerned with proselytizing for souls and more devoted to rescuing people from lives of intense suffering. Only after we have invested in the daily lives of others do we earn the right to be heard about our ideas of faith.

Answer 6

I was raised Catholic, and do consider myself to be a christian, But what I ascertain through the years of God teaching me through experiences is that, I don't need to be in a religion to know, and connect with God. And that goes for anyone, who is open to prayer and listening to the many ways God teaches and communicates with us. God does work in many of the religions, He knows we are not perfect, and neither are our religions. So he works in religions to communicate with many.
I have many reasons why my faith is strong, but before all that proof came to me, I always knew God was there in my heart and by my side, as far back as three, four years old, and I am sure before I was born. Our spirits have always had knowledge of God since the second God created our souls-spirits.

Answer 7

Greetings. For me, a powerful argument brings forth great instructions. It enables me comprehend that there are various distinctive suggestions and not purely one. it is likewise a place that human beings can deliver their ideologies to the front, and have it challenged. whilst you're solid, you come out frequently greater advantageous. It additionally enables human beings comprehend that purely one authentic faith won't have the ability to be frequently occurring in the authentic worldwide. There are billions human beings in this massive blue spaceship we call Earth. as quickly as we study to tolerate, settle for and inspire one yet another in our very own faiths with out leaping on a pedestal and say "i'm right AND whilst you're incorrect, YOU circulate to HELL". here in this talk board, somebody doing this could have a reaction from me and limitless others.

Answer 8

I'm a Spiritualist why? because over the years I have seen proof of how we exist after we pass from this life, I have studied other religions, and their holy books and found so much is man made and not the words of God.
I take you know that all religion including mine is man made, but as a Spiritualist i don't spend my time reading the words of man from a book. I'm glad that your love of God is strong, but have yo ever seen the true bible before it was poorly translated by man, did you know that their was nothing written about a Virgin Mary, it the true text it was young woman.
If yo take a good look at the holy books Gods words are there but often twisted by man proof of this is how he has used religion to kill in Gods name something God would never want, and if you want more proof then read the bible with common sense, think of what we know today, how could you explain the things we know and can prove today to someone a few thousand years ago without making the story more simple so they could understand.
So that's why I am a Spiritualist because we know and accept how we started we accept God, and his wishes to love and understand our fellow man, without asking for anything back.

Love & Peace

Answer 9

I was not brought up in any religious faith at all. From the age of 7 or 8 years I decided to believe in god. I have studied lots of religions and taken some of their wisdom and embroiled them in my life. for example I believe prophet muhammad and jesus are great teachers and his holiness the dalai lama is also a great teacher. I believe in reincarnation and learning about your higher spiritual self. by studying all different religions I have a greater understanding of people from different parts of the world and I feel that if everyone was to take some time to learn about different religions, the world would be a better place.

Answer 10

My faith is in the Spirit of truth that lives within me. That Spirit never lies and is never wrong. That Spirit taught me that Moses was very confused about GOD and not to believe a word he wrote. If you believe in the god of the old testament you do not yet know what unconditional love is. GOD has never recomended an eye for an eye.

Answer 11

Me, I was brought up a Presbyterian...although I did enjoy it, I'm not christian anymore. So I'd be considered a Noahide now. Remember that covenant G-d made with Noah that He'd never flood the earth again...well, yeah, I belong to that. Since we all came from Noah...I'm one because my ma wasn't Jewish. And I'm very happy about persuing this path now. I just have to start becomiong more observant.