Is it possible/really confused?

Question

I come from a athetist family who believe religion was an evil brain washing cult which i think until recently i also believed. I am not very happy at the moment doing things that well i shouldnt be and something is telling me to turn to god. Is it possible for me to become religous without going to chruch and reading The Bible etc?

Actually i meant by just reading the Bible not, not reading it..

Answer 1

Try reading the New Testament. Ask God to reveal Himself to you. You don't have to go to church, but a good Bible-believing church will be a great blessing to you. You really need the fellowship and support of other believers. They will answer some of your questions and pray for you. You'll find yourself wanting to have different friends and church is where you'll find them. It's a good sign that you are feeling bad about sin. That is called repentance (changing your mind about sin). Some Christians may be praying for you. If you know any, ask them where they go to church. Try visiting a few churches. Jesus loves you. He died for you and rose again. He's coming back soon. Ask Him to come into your life. You won't regret it. I'll pray for you. I also came from a non-religious family and became born again in my late 20's. The Lord has done so much for me. God bless you.

Answer 2

Yes it is....You know what you conscience tells you...Follow it.. That little voice in your head that tells you what you should do, in my opinion is god...So what is God....I do not beleive God is anything like what the religeons tell you...Religeons were created to control people.... I do not beleive God is so petty that he/she would sit there and watch you daily...I do beleive that if you follow your conscience, and try to do the right thing all the time, then you are following God..Because God gave you the ability to think..

There is no sin in any religeon that I am aware of about poluting. So would your conscience tell you not to pour the waste products (insecticides, used motor oil) in your garage in that stream near your house....Religeon wont tell you that.

I do not think organized religeon is wrong, I just think it is misguided....The Bible is a great fable, but it was written by people...People have a great imagination...The earth is millions of years old, it is clear we came from ape like creatures...here is no way it was created in 7 days five thousand years ago...

I think what is even more interesting is the stance on homosexuality...Now I will admit that I am homophobic. I do not feel comfortable around them, nor do I want them involved in my daily life..But, that is my problem. .But is written in most religeons that it is a real sin , but yet most religeons who also say love thy neighbor...

Sorry about the rant, but I was raised Catholic, and out grew it.

So to answer our question, yes you can turn to God without going to church, reading the Bible, ECT.

Answer 3

Thanks for asking a good question, Hollister. It sounds like God is drawing you, and as Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." To respond to God's summons, you can begin by listening and reading about God. In fact, by asking your question and reading this message, you have already begun to respond. If you really want to experience the happiness that God has planned for you, turn to God and believe his good news.

I'm going to be straight with you, Hollister: Repentance is not optional. Repentance is not a requirement for regaining God's grace. It IS regaining God's grace. You have to die to yourself to have his life grow within you.

If you decide to become a child of God, you will find yourself wanting the help of his Church and reading in the Bible, beginning with the gospels (you might start with Luke, who is an excellent writer and addressed a cosmopolitan audience). You will also want the sacrament of baptism, by which new Christians are born of water and the Holy Spirit.

You are asking the right questions, and Jesus is the answer.

Answer 4

Of course you can be "religious" and not read the bible or go to church. It depends on what religion you want to follow. Start doing some research and see what religion makes the most sense to you and which you are drawn to. There is a plethora of beliefs out there. Go and find your path. Just remember, despite what some may tell you, ALL paths are valid and lead to the Divine. Brightest Wishes and Blessed Be!

Answer 5

Being "religious" and "going to church" wont make you a christian any more than going to an auto shop will make you a CAR.

God isnt after "religious" people. He actually has some rather harsh things to say about "religion". He calls you to be reconciled to HIMSELF...NOT to a church or to a "religion".

He died to pay for the penalty of sin..which is DEATH and separation from God for eternity. He paid the price for every human being who has ever lived. He only asks that you take Him at His Word that He accomplished FOR You at the Cross, what you could not do for yourself, and to BELIEVE that you are now forgiven and reconciled to Him by believing what He has said.

The Bible is Gods book to you, with specific instructions for today in Romans thru Philemon. If you dont read those instructions, you wont know what transpired the moment you believed, and you wont grow in your faith. "Faith comes by hearing , and hearing by the Word of God".

God wants you to come to Him and place your trust in the finished work on the Cross. He has reconciled you to Himself and asks only that you BELIEVE HIM and enter into what He has provided FOR YOU. He wants to live His life in and thru YOU.

Gods instructions to us and His testimony about Himself and how he has dealt with mankind thru the years is contained in His Word. God SPEAKS to us today thru it...so yes, its important that you read His Word.

Answer 6

Yeah...because you have a feeling of what is right.

Many atheists say their children will never go to a church/temple because it's brain washing. And no offense, that is what your parents have done by teaching you religion is a brainwashing cult. They should've let YOU make up your own decision.

Answer 7

The ONLY way to know who God and Jesus are is the regular seeing, hearing and study of God's word the Holy Bible.

Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT!

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Answer 8

"Is it possible for me to become religious without going to church and reading The Bible etc?"

Sure, you can act religious all you want. But that will not give you a personal relationship with God, only the appearance of spirituality. That is called "acting the part" and is not genuine.

If you wish a personal relationship with God, the Bible gives you the Who, and the how, as I have illustrated here...
http://www.schneblin.com/studies/pdfs/getting_past_the_guard.pdf

If you wish to fellowship and grow in this relationship, you find a church that helps you grow strong.

But if all you seek to do is "put on a pretty religious front" for others, you can do it, but it will not be real and self-justifying. In fact, Jesus gave a parable that compared the attitude of the religious vs. the individual with a penitent heart in Luke 18,

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Answer 9

Yes, it's called Deism. God yes, religion NO.

But just fix whatever you are doing that makes you feel bad. You don't need a church or a god to do that. If you are doing things you shouldn't be - then STOP doing them. Problem fixed - Hollister Hottie Happy Again.

Answer 10

yes you can but the Bible is hard to understand by yourself. its alot easier if you have a group of people , a good church, to help you understand it.