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Question

I have stopped really believing in God, and that scares me. I have always had faith in God and stuff, but I stopped going to church for a while and now I dont really believe in God because things have been going kind of bad for me. My question is how do I start believing in him again? =[

Answer 1

Know that I will be praying for you- I can tell you I went through a stage similar to you- however as I look back, I really never stopped believing, I was going through a crisis of belief- as the study Experiencing God talks about by Henry Blackeby- take a look at it , if you have never gone through the study- it changed my whole walk with the Lord. Just because bad things are happening does not negate the existence of God. When I went through the study, I was just beginning a journey of pain- a chronic illness, and my husband also was and still isnt feeling well either- this was quite a few years ago- however when I realized that God was taking me through this journey it really helped me in my faith. Satan will do anything to try and make your testimony non-existent. If you are saved, you can never lose your salvation but you can lose your closeness to the Lord- through bad times-or you can allow God to use the bad things to draw you closer. How do you start believing or having more faith? Pray, and then just listen. You will be amazed at what He may tell you. God is wanting you back- allow Him through whatever means it takes to get you there. God bless, if you can email me, feel free, to talk more- would love to encourage you in your journey back to God.

Answer 2

“Whenever people are certain they understand our peculiar situation here on this planet, it is because they have accepted a religious Faith or a secular Ideology (Ideologies are the modern form of Faiths) and just stopped thinking.”
Nothing of any importance can be taught. It can only be learned, and with blood and sweat.”
Robert Anton Wilson
Breaking with the church is a good first step to a real relationship with God. Study all religions. Read all the arguments pro and con for each one and like a buffet pick and choose the parts that make sense to you. Religion is a map (albeit a somewhat outdated one that only points out the permanent points of interest) Spirituality is the territory. Do not mistake the map for the territory! Once you get there it'll be different from what the maps tell you 'cause you'll have your baggage along and be looking at it through your eyes not anyone else's. God's waiting for you but God is very patient God has all of eternity and so do you.

Answer 3

I have been where you are. I know it is scary to change your fundamental beliefs, to move away from what you have always believed and been told is truth. Many people believe in God all their lives and take comfort in that belief, and that is wonderful for them. Some change their belief in God because of circumstances, or bad things & bad times, or because they come to believe that there is no evidence or reason to believe in God.

I hope you will not change a core belief in your life simply because you are having difficult times. Hard times come to everyone, Christian or not. That is not a reason to give up your faith, if you have real faith in God. I say this being an agnostic myself, not a Christian and not a believer in God. But my beliefs should not change yours.

You must do what is right for you in your own heart. You shouldn't let anyone else, including me, try to talk you into or out of belief in God. If a core belief in God brings you comfort and peace, hard times are not likely to change your beliefs in the long run. You will find your faith returning as strong as ever. Remember, faith can be a great tool to get you through those hard times.

It has been said by some that religion is "a crutch" something to lean on when you have nothing else to support you. And it is. But some people find a crutch very helpful, and some find it an absolute necessity in life.

Be true to yourself, and you will find your own way, with or without belief in God. My best wishes are with you on your journey to the truth.

Answer 4

What you might want to ask yourself is: What is the real reason you stopped believing in god. I use to be just like you, I was raised catholic, then bad things started to happen to me and "christianity" just wasn't doing it for me anymore. I started looking into other religions, nothing, none of these other religions were clicking. Then I started studying wicca. When I started this I felt like I had come home. Everything started to fall back into place. You need to do some serious research and some serious soul searching. I believe everyone finds their own spirituality in their own way. Maybe you are destined for a different path. Its up to you to search for that path.

Answer 5

I sense your confusion and search for faith and answers. It must be difficult trying to reclaim your faith.

Let's try an exercise. Reread your question and replace 'God' with Santa. (Seriously, please try it, I'll wait..............). Once a tiny child has discovered there is no real Santa - that it was a lie foisted on her by the parents she trusted, would it make sense for her to ask, "how do I start believing in Santa again?" Once the secret's out, it's not easy to get the cat back in the bag. That's why the freethinkers engender so much fear in the hearts of the Church.

Man’s mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension.
— Oliver Wendell Holmes

Answer 6

That's a question that only you can answer, man. I lost my faith a long time ago, and I started to figure things out for myself.

But if you don't believe in God simply because things are going bad for you, then would it be a fair statement to make that you only "believed" in God so that things would go well for you? Well, I'm sorry but no religion promises a completely smooth ride through life. That's reality. Some people lean on God to get themselves through, some people rely on family, some on themselves, and some others get through other ways. You're just going to have to take a long long look at yourself and figure things out for yourself. If that makes you uncomfortable, go and talk to someone you trust and someone who is close to you.

Best of luck.

Answer 7

Try reading miraculous stories. I'm sure you could find plenty online if you look.

I have a small one to share. Once I was feeling really low and that God was far from me. I cried and asked for a sign that He was with me and went to sleep. The very next day my favorite sheikh called from overseas. I hadn't spoken to him in over a year. He was the one religious teacher who made me feel that God was so close to all of us. After I spoke to the sheikh it struck me that this was my sign. I believe that God inspired him to call me and I certainly felt it was an answer to my prayer.

I really feel for you. I have had moments like that in my life too. I guess I can't really ask you to pray about it, since you're not really believing at this point, but how about sending a message out into the universe like I did? Seek Him out sincerely and look for the miraculous to happen. Hope that helps.

Answer 8

do you think things went bad for you because you don't go to church and beleieve in god? that is irrational thinking.
try to use logic here. Everybody goes through bad times the strong people rely on themselves and positive energy to punch through it. The weak type of person would rely on some kind of all knowing power because it makes them feel at ease like a crutch.

To think your world has gone bad for a bit is the work of a god is sad. Its called LIFE

Answer 9

Dear unknown,

i think the time away from God has probably mixed a lot of negative feelings and experiences into maybe how you may think about God right now.

My suggestion is to get plugged into a church that has good and solid Bible teaching. i think as you begin to refresh yourself with who God is-- you'll begin to love Him and believe in Him for who He is- and not just because you feel bad for falling away- or you think that you should.

You seem to be in a place right now where- your feelings about God can be easily swayed by how life goes- and that's not a very solid place to be. Because God remains the same whereas life is always unpredictable and has its ups and downs.

i encourage you to start by taking small steps. Maybe you can find a solid church in your area and start attending Bible studies, or get involved in a small group Bible Study. And just start learning about God again--- and you'll find that He is wonderful, loving, and understand how to handle bad situations in life in a Godly and healthy way.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions, or if you'd like me to try to reccommend a church to you. i'm a college/youth pastor.

Hope that helps. Kindly,

Nickster

Answer 10

It's normal to feel like you're fading away from God and your faith..I have gone through that many times in my life. You need to look back and figure out where your faith went bad..what caused you to lose confidence in God. Sometimes we naturally blame God for "not being there" or letting us down in certain parts of life, but we have to realize that God never gives up on us..and we shouldn't give up on him..look closely and you'll find him again.