struggling with my faith-issues?!?

Question

ok-so I am one confused person right now.Grew up,parents christians,rebelled against it,anxiety/depression led me to think about christianity and for the past 2 years I have gone thru phases of being v.faithful to my faith as it were,to pretty much forgetting about it completely.
I love lively worship,I do believe the basics but here are my probs:
-non christians going to hell-all my mates/some family members are going to hell then and I refuse to believe that-i think it is a v.unlogical silly idea and only god knows their fate
-the whole every sin being equally bad and punished for- so rape and swearing are equally sinful?WHAT?
-homeosexuality being wrong and homeosexuals going to hell-again their cld still be lots of love in a gay r'ship+gay people can be amazing characters v.undeserving of hell!
-sex b4 marriage being wrong-sex strengthens a r'ship,brings it closer,is important and again,def not worthy of goin to hell for in my view!

any thoughts/opinions welcome!

Answer 1

Faith is the confusion of premises for conclusions

Answer 2

When you were a child, you did not understand why your
parents let you do one thing and not another, but now
you understand - even more so with the God of the
whole universe. I believe in Jesus because he
spoke to my heart specifically and still does - for 30 years
running. No, I don't understand everything, I just know
and believe Jesus.
Sex is actually better in a relationship when saved until
marriage. The sexual compatibility thing is a myth - putting the "cart before the horse" idea. Get the "horse" right (the
relationship right) then the sexual compatibility (the "cart")
will be right! - dicipline is very good for it!
I know this from experience.
I don't have time right now to discuss the other
topics. That is a start.

Answer 3

Step back and ask yourself if you really know all of your mates are going to hell. Any attempt to ponder this question will indeed leave your head spinning! This is b/c it isn't our place to wonder about this. Only God is the perfect judge. We have the promise that God will judge everyone honestly and just. I also think your idea on sin is slightly skewed. I don't think it is the actual act of sin so much as sin itself. What I mean is swearing or rape, although we punish it differently here, really is still classified as "sin". If you swear...you've sinned, and if you rape...you've sinned. Sin seperates us from God since sin cannot be in His presence. So maybe God punishes it differently in hell as well, however, neither act can be in His presence. Being a homosexual does not automatically send you to hell. This is such a huge misunderstanding of the Christian doctrine. Homosexuality is a sin, just as swearing, and just as rape. Someone may be born with a disposition torwards homosexuality, however, it is ultimately a desire one choses to fulfill. This is why it is a sin. God set a relationship aside for a man and a woman. They choose not to follow God's rules and go with whatever floats their boat. However, homosexuals still can experience the love and forgiveness of Christ. His salvation is a FREE gift to all. It too is ultimately a choice many refuse to make. Pre-marital sex does in no way bring a relationship closer. In fact more often than not it adds to more hurt when the relationship comes to an end. Knowing somebody intimately is a gift God gave us, and therefore should be reserved for marriage, just as He has instructed us. This too, however, falls into the same category of sin. Although God has said to refrain from sex until marriage many people chose to fulfill their own selfish desires and indulge in sex. Also think about how special the gift of sex would be if you were to wait for the person you were married to. It would make that relationship so much deeper. One last thing...how can you decide who is and is not worthy of going to hell? Is that not God's place? Maybe you have indulged in some of this sin, and hold the views you do, so in a way you can justify your acts. I don't know, however, I know I did! It wasn't until I surrendered my life entirely to Christ that my views were changed to be in line with His. Hope this helps...feel free to post again if you have anymore questions

Answer 4

Hi
I would look at things from a different angle. When you become a Christian the Holy Spirit comes into you and a change begins, you become a new a creation. God created Adam perfectly and that's how he wants to change you. Adam had no worries, no sickness, no pain and a perfect relationship with God. When people see this in you they will be drawn to you and want what you have. Don't worry about what they are like or how they behave because if they become "born again" (sorry I don't like that term much) God will change them. Do you remember how many perfect people Jesus hung around with ?......absolutely none !! He never condemned any of them, He offered them life and that is how we should be.

Hope that helps

Andy

Answer 5

I had trouble with some of those issues too, but you have to remember, God is who He is, it's His world and therefore His rules, He knows what is best for us all and He doesn't ask you to be perfect but to trust Him. If you try to make God and the Bible into something that you can believe in without feeling uncomfortable with it, you will be disappointed. Maybe you are concerned that you have to push away certain people who don't fit the Christian way of living, but the opposite is true. Love all, accept all, judging is not ours to do. I think you need to re visit the basic doctrine of salvation too, nobody said homosexuals would all go to hell, they have every chance to accept Jesus, and yes they are capable of love, and we must love them, but anyone who becomes a Christian must try to live the way God intended. He never said it would be easy, and he never said that if you get it wrong he will be disappointed and turn away from you, in fact he is pleased with every little step you take and like a loving parent will be there to pick you up every time you fall.
You can't honestly expect to pick and choose the parts of the bible that you like. Either God's word is true, or it's not.

Answer 6

A few things strike me here. I am not religious so just ignore me by all means. However, I am not trying to belittle your or any ones choice to have religion in your life.

You love lively worship... If this is just the act of worship and the environment in which it takes place could this not simply be that you enjoy the company of the people around you at the time?

You believe in the basics....I believe in the basics of Christianity and much of what it teaches but I am not religious. Much of what Christianity teaches is to live an honest and decent life. I do that without having faith.

Because of all of the things you list that you do not believe to fit in with "the faith"....Is this not simply because at this moment in time you do not believe?

You often hear of people finding religion when they least expect it and it is clear that you want to have religion in your life. It may therefore be that you simply have to wait for religion to find you in a version that more fits with your own personal beliefs. This does not make you evil or a sinner. Does the Bible not teach that the lord is a shepherd? In which case if you belong in his flock he will ultimately find you.

Answer 7

i think these were social laws to encourage fidelity the survival of the race ect but if it was god i think it was more their ideas of what god wanted based on their predudice.
i don't like the idea of sin (i bloged about it last week if you want a look) i prefer unwholesome deads and i think its the effect they have on the doer rather than the victim that is the emphisis with "all sins are equal" although for the victim all sins arn't equil.
i think its your rebellion against this faith and doubts that have your following eratic but if you find a church (not all churches believe the same things and not all priests believe the same things) that agrees with your views and personality you would find it easier. i don't subscribe to the theistic idea of a creator heaven and hell but i understand the appeal as i was raised a christian and found the teachins at odds at a very young age so i can relate to a certain extent but you need to think about your beliefs and look at local churches for a match if christianity is the way you want to go.

Answer 8

You can't pick and choose which scripture to believe. I went through a similar struggle. This is some personal information, but I hope that it helps you. I have a cousin who is gay, but is one of the nicest, giving persons you will ever meet. She has devoted her life to working with the disabled and underprivileged. But according to the bible she is living a life of sin. Questioning God will get you into trouble and that is exactly what the devil wants. I can ask God to forgive my sin,whether it's murder...or stealing a candy bar ( not that I have done either) and he'll do it...isn't he awesome? We try to rationalize our sin to make ourselves feel better and hide the guilt. I used to rationalize my premarital sex too...we loved each other...we are gonna get married...what's the big deal right? Then I truly found God...We have both been saved, and are now living our lives as we should until we get married. Our relationship has never been better. Don't pick and choose your relationship with God. Put him first and all the answers will come to you.

Answer 9

If you are genuinely seeking answers, God will show you.
God doesn't want anyone going to hell. He didn't create it for humans but as I'm sure you know, that's where many will end up.
The penalty for sin is death and Jesus paid that price on our behalf as he died on the cross so that we could have close fellowship with God. Our family and friends are important to us so the thought of them ending up in hell can be distressing. The best way to help them, is to tell them what Jesus has done for them and why. They then have the information that they need to make the decision to accept or reject what Jesus has done for them. If they choose to accept and believe what Jesus has done for them, they become Christians and will go to heaven when they die. If they choose to reject Jesus, then they cannot enter heaven but go to hell.
There are a lot of lovely people who are homosexual however, as you know, God strictly forbids this way of life. We have to love the person and hate the sin. If we love them, then we will tell them about Jesus. Again, the decision is ultimately theirs.
Sex outside then realms of marriage is forbidden too. God gives us these guidelines for a purpose. STDs, unwanted pregnancies, paternity DNA testing - could all be avoided if sex was confined to marriage.
As one of the other answerers wrote, his ways are above our ways and his thoughts are above our thoughts. God can see the whole picture. We often hear about God being a God of love and that's true but he is also a God of judgment and he will not be mocked. It is hard to understand and accept sin being sin. If we grade sin to our suiting, how varied that grading would be! Sin is serious - serious enough for Jesus to die on the cross for.

Answer 10

Faith is a sort of product of a touch on your life you know. You can I suppose be faithful to faith but for what? So that part of your question I don't really understand because it doesn't correlate with my faith in Jesus.

The sin thing is like a great block with is inclusive of all sin. Any sin is a barrier. But the sins that you talk of are not the sin that cuts us off completely and forever in separation to God.

Unbelief is the only sin that separates us. As for the other sins they keep us out of fellowship unless we confess them and change our mind.

After we have knocked down the barrier of unbelief in our lives with the help and direction of the Holy spirit, then God expects us to try you know. Not just lay back and let the world wash over us.

Rejection of God is what holds people back from knowing him.

Answer 11

Sex is natural compulsion for ensuring continuity of human specy.Unless indulged in for reproduction, the sex is not for corporal pleasure it is a secondary benfit.You cannot take the secondary benefits without performing the primary functions.Perversion is definitely a crime against laws of nature and punishment is inevitable.What is a bigger punishment than sense of deprivation?This sense of deprivation shall be more antagonising in the next world just like burning effect of fire.If you are not treading on the actual path of God you can be treading through thorny confusion of wild buhes and rough undulations.