why do so many christians assume...?

Question

why do so many christians assume that i've never been sincere in my prayers in asking god to reveal himself to me? i hate to come across as arrogant or enlightened but you leave me no choice. i have spent the better part of my life praying, believing that if i got what i prayed for it was because of divine intervention and if i didn't it was just god's will. if you want to know why i lost my faith, it wasn't because of some traumatic experience in my life. i've never really lost anyone who was close to me. and i've never dealt with any struggle that i couldn't come to terms with. i simply just found no reason in believing anymore. it took something i wasn't willing to do most my life, mainly out of fear, and that was to question whether or not god really exists. in the end there wasn't reason i could come up with to believe that he did. so here i am.

italian stallion, why is it sad? maybe because you've been taught to believe it's sad? or do you really believe that people can't be happy not believing what you believe? that's sort of a close-minded view, don't you think? and that to me is sad...

pianist, look, he's not testing my patience. i didn't get fed up with god. i just don't believe he exists. i didn't get fed up with santa clause or the easter bunny either. i just don't believe they exist.

eirama, did you even read what i wrote? i never said anything about the world "evolving" around me. i never made any claim about losing a loved one. all i'm saying is stop assuming people haven't sincerely prayed, just because they don't believe what you believe. got it?

kazmania, oh i get it. someone has to have a rotten lot in life to come to the realization that god doesn't exist. thanks for pointing that out.

hisgloryisgreat, i prayed to spiderman. i said oh spiderman, reveal yourself to me... yeah, because that's how i was taught to pray. you're about the 13th person to answer and that's the best crappy one-liner you can come up with?

Answer 1

Personally I haven't assumed anything about you, but thanks for the honest account of why you are where you are now.

Cheers :-)

Answer 2

Yeah, that's actually why I completely lost my faith at one point. I had always kind of thought that the Bible sounded like a book of fairy tales, and that made me start to doubt the existence of God. So, I asked Him to reveal Himself.

Well, He didn't.

That actually caused me to become an atheist when I was thirteen, and I did not come to Christianity until just a few months ago.

I think the reason God didn't answer me was for two reasons:
1. Because the "proof" I wanted of His existence was set ridiculously high.
2. Because I NEEDED to spend nearly thirteen years searching. Now, because of that, my faith is VERY strong.

Perhaps you're the same way. Perhaps not. I don't know how old you are, or how long you've been searching. But don't give up.

If you haven't read any books by any Christian apologetics, may I humbly suggest that you give it a try? A good place to start would be Lee Strobel, and from there you can explore the works that he quotes as sources. I'm afraid his books are more of a cursory overview more than anything, but from there, one can dig deeper. Josh McDowell, Ralph Muncaster and John Ashton, M.D. also have some very useful books.

By the way, I don't believe in God out of fear. I believe in God out of love. How could I NOT love an entity so powerful, yet so loving?

Answer 3

I'm not sure I understand the first part of you question, but I do believe that if you were in the faith, and you asked God to reveal yourself to you, you were being sincere. I do encourage you, however, to think about exploring the facts on why we know He existed. As a Christian, I asked the same wuestion "why should I believe, where are the facts?" The books "The Case for Christ, The Case for a Creator, and The Case for Faith" really helped me out. They are all written by Lee Strobel, a previous aethiest who actually was looking for proof why he shouldn't believe in God, and found much more proof why he should. I think it's common for people's faith to lose their fire because of doubts and worries, etc. But I do think that books such as these can help us respark our faith.

Answer 4

I will issue this challenge:

Go out into your own back yard late at nigt wit a flashlight. Lay on your belly, and observe the life--the plants, insects, worms, whatever. Listen to the sounds around you, and try to understand what they are--mating calls and dead give aways to predators.

The next day, go back out to your back yard with a magnifying glass. Again, lay on your belly, and closely study an ant, a leaf, any other bit of nature that you can find. Notice how each bit is perfectly designed for it's purpose.

Then, find a quiet place to think. Focus on the things that you observed. Then remove humans from the equasion--imagine that we never existed. Recognize the Earth for what it is...perfect and in a constant state of renewal. Then tell me that there is no higer power--no intelligence that we could never understand--at work.

Take a look at several different books...religious books from all religion as well as science. Understand that there IS soething.

Once you have realized that there is SOMETHING out there, interpret it for yourself. Don't rely on a single book or a guy in a robe at a podium to tell you what is true. Look for yourself. That's how you find God.

Answer 5

Yeah, people will assume they know you.

It's hard letting go of God, it seemed like if everyone believed then it must be true. But then you realize that believers in general don't know what they're talking about. Most Christians that I know in real life have never read the Bible.

The truth is I've looked into religion from both sides of the fence, and it's pretty clear which side's closer to the truth.

You're figuring it out, believe in yourself first, and you can figure the rest out with time.

Answer 6

I hope I'm not being to harsh when I say this but this the absolute truth.

SNAP OUT OF IT. THE WORLD DOSE NOT EVOLVE AROUND YOU.

How many people lose a love one ...a mom, dad, sister, bro, aunt, co- worker, best friend.....most ppl die at some point. But it is ok to grieve, but at what point does it become unhealthy??

My uncle, grandma, and grandpa died...dose that mean God doesn't care about me. you are not promised sunny weather...there is the winter and the fall too.

Answer 7

My opinion: Don't stop believing. God may be testing your patience. I have the same doubts once in a while, but when I do, I pray for help from God. Hope I helped...

Answer 8

I also prayed but now things are different. I feel sorry for your loss. Loss of faith. Because it is God's promise that He will reveal Himself to you when you seek Him.

He knows your life. You might not feel Him the way you wanted, but He is near. He will never leave you.

Answer 9

The difference between you and a lot of so-called christians, is that at least you are honest. A lot of people will say they believe, but their lifestyles boast of complete denial.

If you have any questions you can ask me, I will never lie or blow smoke up your butt. I know the word pretty well, and I love God with everything that I am. [e-mail]

Answer 10

You are in excellent company. Thomas, a disciple, even after following Jesus for three years. Even AFTER seeing with his physical eyes and ears indisputeable proof of His miracles, His mercies, His kindnesses, & His patience Thomas ocassionally questioned and doubted Jesus. I mean, he SAW Lazarus (dead & buried for days) walk out of his tomb at Jesus' command. He saw Jesus pray over a young boys' few fish and loaves of bread and they turned into enough to feed five thousand with multiple baskets of food left afterwards. Thomas saw Jesus walk on water, calm storms, touch lepers, the blind, the deaf, the demon-possessed, the mentally insane, the lame and saw them instantly healed and/or restored to good mental and physical health....yet Thomas STILL doubted.

And even as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross, he cried out to God when he felt a sense of abandonment and loss, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"

Doubt is one of Satan's most useful and cruel weapons. And he dishes it out extravagantly & uses it with panache.

Jesus once asked his disciples and his followers, "Who do you say I am?" They all said, "The Christ, The One True Messiah". He said, "Having been with Me, and seen the works of miracles of My Father who is in Heaven, how much more do you think My Father will bless those who have the simple faith to believe in Me without having ever seen His works with their own eyes?"

Jesus is speaking to us all the time. He promised it. When we see a glorious star-light night sky, a sunrise, the birth of a baby, a child's laughter, horses cavorting over green pastures, the flowers blooming, the vast oceans or the majesty of a mountain top...God is reminding us, "I AM here. I change not. I will never leave you or forsake you."

If He does not "feel" close, it is probably because He does not want you to remain a babe in arms, but He wants to watch you take your first steps; to see you dance, to see you soar. He loves you. He believes in you. And surprisingly, God understands your fears and your doubts.

Seek and you WILL find. He is only a whisper away.

Answer 11

I feel like that sometimes also. I have followed the bible as best as I can and have the worst luck with everything and it seems like I always have to work extra hard for things that come so easy for others. I have always prayed for everything.