I am struggling with religion.?

Question

I know all Gods are one, but I am leaning more toward a spiritual path, and I am feeling like I am rejecting God by doing so. Tho it is a wonderful religion, my old religion harps on worshipping Jesus, and I do, but ... I guess I am just confused. I respect all religions, and I am doubting some parts of the Bible. I am so sorry to say that. Should I renew my faith or follow the path I have been travelling?

Answer 1

go the way that feels right to you. If that means being more spiritual then be it.
Try not to feel guilty about not worshipping Jesus as much, as the reason why you do is most likely because you were brought up in strict religious surroundings. I think it is more important to think about what you as a person believe, than worry.
If a God exists then I am sure he won't feel rejected, as it looks like you still plan to be pretty spiritual. If he does feel rejected then he is very thin skinned and has some serious ego issues.

What's important is that you are kind and a good person and happy with your belief.

Answer 2

As a pastor, I LOVE questions like yours, and would be happy to respond to e-mails.

I'll say this . . .

. . . stop looking for a "religion." You want a relationship with God, not a "religion." "Religion" is a box on a form, it's not who we are.

. . . . I'm a pastor, and I don't "worship Jesus." I follow a risen savior -- someone who was executed by the government, and who rose from the dead -- I worship the God of Creation.

I respect most all religions, and I respect everyone's right to question and wonder.

. . . and it's easy to 'doubt' parts of the Bible. Because no one has explained to you what the Bible really is -- a collection of books, poems, stories, and letters. So, of course, it's easy to doubt parts of the Bible -- some parts don't make a lick of sense.

There's nothing wrong with questions. I told a group of people yesterday while we went on a prayer walk before the service that I probably have as many questions as they do, and that questions are a lot more important than answers.

Godspeed you on your journey of discovery.

Answer 3

the saying:' ignorance is blessing' seems to apply perfectly your situation.

i can understand you sis, but your are on the right tract, keep going.

the true teachings of jesus and that which we see nowadays are very different. never mind you have to follow the trend.

i'll tell you a little story about the buddha
the buddha wanted to get enlightenment at any cost.
he was meditating and doing hardship everyday without eating.
he became so slim and sick that he was unable to continue.
he was passing by a river where he saw a little boy swimming against the flow. that boy could hardly swim and the torrent was strong. the boy's father who was on the shore told the boy that he must go with the flow and thus he can swim quickly.
the buddha also got the message that day.
so lesson to take: go with the flow.
no need to feel sad.
everything will happen when the time is right.

take everything you find that can help you in your path for truth and knowledge although it will be from a different religion.

Answer 4

The God thing came from early man's need to explain the unexplainable. What can be explained by science today couldn't be explained back then when JC was roaming the earth.
The stories and parables were written to propagate a way of life. At a time when morality was running amuck (like it is now) JC recognized as did Mohammed and others like him that people need direction and control.
The Bible and other books like it are based on a set of moral codes (stories of what happens to people when they are bad) that people need to live by in order to have an orderly society.
The problem with this is that some people take the books as literal, meaning that this stuff actually happened the way they say it did. Some people need to have crutches in order to think that they are happy. Some people have a problem with not knowing what happens after death.
Believing or not believing in God or whatever is totally based on faith that he exist since there is absolutely no scientific evidence to prove God's existence.
I do not deny that there was a man named Jesus Christ. The drawings on the wall are there. The records prove that he existed. He and his disciples recognized the need for order in society. Most would agree that society needs rules because if we didn't have rules life would really be more of a mess than it already is. So the books of the Bible were created including the missing books that didn't say the same things as the other books.
The early Roman Catholic church was the first editors of the Bible. They are the ones that threw out the books that didn't say the same thing as the rest of the books that are currently in the Bible today. This editing was done so as to not confuse the people about what it was they were trying to control society with.
Simply put the 13 books that were thrown out said that Jesus Christ was a mortal man, that he was married to Mary Magdalene, had children, that his death was staged, his resurrection was staged, and his decent into heaven on chariots was staged. The purpose of this was to mystify the whole story so people would be ouuuued and awwwed into believing a certain way and wa la....there you have it....GOD!
Now I don't condone throwing the baby out with the bath water mind you. Society needs order and rules and morals.
But to follow something so blindly for so many years and why is beyond me.
To think of all of the killing that has been done in the name of religion is just appalling and Christianity is at the top of the list of its fair share of killing people (Native Americans to name one such group) in just the last 200 years! And Islam too is killing in the name of religion and for what? Just because someone doesn't think the same as what you believe in? That is like killing someone because they don't like the color purple....now how stupid and asinine is that?
So God is a "being" that was created by man to give society control and order. Countries have been founded on that order and I am sure God will be around as long as there are people who swallow the story hook, line, and sinker.
As for me I was raised in the church. I am a Preachers kid. I do not believe in God. I don't begrudge those of you who do as that is your choice. I do however believe in being good, moral, and fair minded. And good morality by the way has nothing at all to do with God. As for where did I come from, where am I going when I die, I don't care. It simply doesn't matter to me. I am not a sinner and I will not be going to hell because it simply doesn't exist. Guilt and shame is a religious concept one that I do not embrace.
I know thru experiences that I have had that we are all connected, that nothing ever dies, and that birth, life, and death are simply cycles of life that everything goes thru.
You can chose to be happy, be sad (true medical conditions not included), be in love, fall out of love, go to school, better yourself, be a junkie, be a mentor, go to school, learn new things, stay where you are, be poor, be an idiot, be a leader, stay where you are, be poor, be a victim all of your life, be a sheep, get a job that pays better, change your situation, everything and anything you do in your life is your choice.
You are an active participant in your life and life is all about choices. Everything and anything you do in your life is your choice. You have a brain, use it.
And question EVERYTHING because that is how you learn.

Answer 5

Miss, your confusion is not the result of anything good....first of all throw out religion, as defined by secularism that is, and know this: GOD desires a relationship with people based solely on love... religion as I have defined it is man made...its about you trying to improve yourself through vain efforts that you do not possess the strength to achieve. GODs message in the bible is, come as you are I accept you. You see, JESUS CHRIST already paid the price for all of your sin, past, present and future. All you have to do is let GOD know that you want him and he will rush to you as a protecting father rushes to the defense of his daughter. Don't get me wrong the grace of GOD is by no means a license to sin. Heaven forbid... when you truly come to GOD he gives you a new nature by the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT whom you receive the moment that you genuinely receive and believe from your heart what GOD declared about HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. This is the only way...if there is any doubt in you about this go to your secret place and seek and ask the GOD of the HOLY BIBLE if what I am saying is true and if you are truly seeking the truth he will show you some way...He loves you, for you are the apple of HIS eye....GOD BLESS YOU AND LEAD YOU INTO ALL TRUTH

Answer 6

I've been in this exact same situation, and for me it was Hinduism versus my Christian heritage. What I found was that you cannot really adopt a new religion in full unless it is without cultural context, in which case it will leave you without a good frame of reference for morality or community (and most often will say that whatever feels good is good or that there is no such thing as good and bad - both of which are false even from the mystical point of view).

Christianity provides a path for you, it is the way of the Christian mystics. You will find Mysticism is roughly the same across religions, we just sometimes use different images and words. To see this side of Christianity, I highly recommend The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg and The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley.

Best wishes on your journey.

Answer 7

You are searching for God and that is remarkable in this day and age. At James 4:8 It says; Draw close to God and he will draw close to you.
Keep on reading the Bible, and as for Jesus Colosians 1:15 tells us that Jesus was created. God himself is eternal. He has a name, it is not Lord, which is a title, nor is elohim, which also means Lord. Some call him Yaweh, Jehovah is the most commonly used. Keep searching He will let himself be found by you.

Answer 8

I disagree with following your heart or your gut, often our emotions and feelings about things can be right but just as often they can be wrong.

I would objectively examine various religions including yours, not just from a beliefs point of view, but also from a historical one as well. For example you may agree with Scientology's beliefs, but on finding out that is was created on a bet between science fiction authors, you should mark it off as totally made up.

Contrary to what some people believe, believing in something does not make that something real nor does it change the facts.

Answer 9

while people first had questions yet no longer the technology to respond to them, we made Gods and those Gods took on the customary varieties. Then got here faith which replaced into the exploitation of the belief of Gods to regulate people. faith's stepped forward interior the comparable way that viruses stepped forward and those surviving immediately have self holding memes like heaven and hell and commandments which comprise "thou shalt no longer worship different Gods." people have self assurance such issues through fact they are indoctrinated at an early age to have self assurance them. Even people who're no longer indoctrinated are primed via their communities e.g. here interior the united kingdom you may no longer trip greater advantageous than a mile without seeing a church and OMG and Jesus Christ are undemanding expletives.

Answer 10

Follow your heart is what I say and keep asking questions!!!!! Keep seeking the truth - your PERSONAL truth. I had the same problem ....I chose spirituality which is an Experience over religion which is an Insitution.
You can still love Jesus and not subscribe to a particular religion. I love Jesus always have and always will.....