i really want to believe in Chrisitainity?

Question

I mean, I think there are all these dimensions out there that we can't see and that's why every now and then you see like ghosts and stuff.
And it is easy for me to believe in God, but it's the Christian God I don't understand.
Whenever I ask my sister questions (I talk for hours and hours about it with her) and she just says she has no answers and to have faith, but these are basic parts of christianity that don't make sense to me.

I mean I don't understand why God would want me to always be stressed out over this. Why can't he just love me the way I am? I don't want to say I believe in Jesus as a way of bargaining because I feel like that's really insincere and wrong of me. I just want him to do what he wants to do with me and not try to play some game to get into heaven. I mean I don't even care about heaven. I just want to not make him disappointed

But then my sister says I'm being like influenced by satan. But my mom says not to believe in religion. ANd I'm so confused

Answer 1

I understand this -- not in exactly the same way, but close enough. I find there are a lot of good teachings in Christianity (many of which actually are compatible with other religions); also, I find the lifestyle advocated/followed by *GOOD* Christians (as opposed to hypocrites) appealing.

However, I studied the Bible too much to believe it, and I can't believe the literal claims of traditional Christians. I can't read the Bible without be reminded why I'm certain its not true. And, of course, I'm disturbed by the "our way is the only way" attitudes of many Evangelical and Catholic extremists.

It sounds to me like you're being pulled different ways by the influence of people in you life, so that you don't get enough of a chance to really determine what *YOU* believe on your own. You need to get past or away from their influence or learn to set it aside (which is easier said than done).

My instinctive advice is not to believe anything because you want to believe it -- i.e., not because it makes you feel good -- but instead to believe what actually makes sense to you. I don't know if its good advice though, or not, since this kind of integrity has cost me a lot personally.

Answer 2

I understand the confusion.First of all, God does love you (and accepts you) just the way you are - but he does not want you to stay that way. Just as a parent wants their children to grow and to learn more about life and to improve - so does God with us. He does not want us to stay a "Baby Christian" forever - but He wants us to get to know Him through His Word - the Bible.
Your sister is right about having faith - which in simple terms means to believe in something that you have no tangible proof of. We are to believe the Bible, by faith, even though we have not physically seen God. It should not be like a game, but according to the Bible, if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He was born of a virgin, that He died on the cross for the remission of our sins, that He was raised from the dead on the third day - that we would be saved. We believe that by faith - even though we have no tangible proof of that.
One place that I am confused is in your comment about being easy to believe in God, but not in the "Christian God." What do you mean by that?

Answer 3

okay the way I look at it is like this. if he is really what he is said to be, then he should understand why you dont believe. I dont get why anybody would go to hell for not accepting Jesus as their savior if there is no proof at all that it really happened. Actually Im not so sure about history books either but they both fall in the same category.

I ask myself the same, what if I just do away with the bible and just thank god every day instead of going to church. but noooo, we have to go to church, accept Jesus, hold until marriage to get some, etc and it just isnt worth it to me.

And by the way youre sister is nuts. When you start having evil thoughts then you might be getting influenced by satan. But if you just dont believe but are still a good person, I dont think he really has anything to do with it.

Answer 4

The only God is the Christian God. All other gods are false. Jesus is the only way to God. We were all born sinners. God sent His Son, Jesus to die for us, so that we can be reconciled back to Him.

God wants so badly to have a relationship with each of us, because He created us and loves us. But He provided the way to do that -- through Jesus. Any other way is not acceptable.

And anything that keeps you from believing in Jesus is of Satan.

Bandaid Girls answer is great. Read it and believe it.

Answer 5

"I don't want to say I believe in Jesus as a way of bargaining because I feel like that's really insincere and wrong of me."

It's not bargaining, or a game, or that [your works] / [your works + Jesus' sacrifice] gets you salvation. Just believe wholeheartedly and trust in Jesus' sacrifice for your sins, and you will be saved. It's one action that won't make him disappointed.

Then as a consequence, join a Christian community near you to grow spiritually.

Answer 6

My husband is psuedo-Christian, and may have the answer.

He follows Jesus Christ (hence, why he calls himself Christian) but discards the rest of the Bible, finding it fallicious and inconsistant.

He thinks that Jesus did exist, did live and die as said in the gospels. However, he feels secure in that God is with him in what he does and where he goes, as long as he constantly keeps himself accountable to God, and always prays and evaluates his decisions. Thus, he's exceedingly moral and most people think he's just a really good Christian.

Deep down, though, he feels the universe is much greater than God was able to convey to people of olden times. How can you truly express the grandeur and size of the universe to people who didn't even have written language? Back in old testiment times. Then, it was word of mouth, so he had to make simple campfire stories to get the idea across. And so on, PM me for more details if you want.

But anyways, that gives him freedom to explore and joyously embrace all sorts of aspects of the world. He can learn of energy work (pagan stuff) though can only practice limited aspects of it, feeling others are wrong (determined through prayer and whatnot). He believes in other planes and spirits, as you mentioned in the beginning.

Basically, though, you have to decide what feels right for you. Is it right to accept a faith that tells you you're not allowed to believe in things that Feel true to your spirit? Who are they to say these things? Is it not God who ultimately needs to direct you? Personally: I say, seek God on your own if you are very serious and willing to make a long, hard journey. If it's not as important, but still of some importance, take a religion like Christianity. Be baby fed forever and protected in a cage. Much safer, easier, less painful. But less freedom. Your choice.

Answer 7

He does, he loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to leave you where he finds you. Come to him just as you are do not change a thing, that would be like getting healthy and then going to the doctor. What purpose would that serve. Come as you are and let God do a new work in you. If you just accept him in your heart and spend like 10 mins a day reading the bible, pray and Go to church where you can learn more God and the power of his word in you will do the rest. I promise do this for 6 months and you will have such a transformation you wouldn't recognize yourself. Just make sur you do your part and he is faithful and just to complete the work he has begun in you.
Be blessed

Answer 8

My thought is that the stress comes because you have to make a choice. We all do! The choices that we make in our daily lifes are what are of value to God. He experiences the choices along side us. He provides a path but it is up to us in how we choose to interact with other people, and that's because it's all about family.

The need to know is human, especially about knowing the un-seeable, but God can be known. That is an experience made purely at the individual level; between God and the individual and each of us have the capacity to know him, which then, in part, relies on faith to believe. Because of the fact that we live in a material world we are conditioned to live by proofs or facts. We rely on our senses to interpret our environment, to validate what is real or not, to base our decisions whether to go left or right. To God, what is material is a mere shadow to what is real to him.

We may not know of the reality in which God lives but it is possible to know him on a person level. He is antecedent to what is material and he is the cause to all personality.

To think of a God of this or that religion will inevitably bring one to a point of stress. Because on the surface they appear different, however when studied, they all point to the same God. There are many beliefs, which were instilled by man not by God. Many religions attribute many ideas created by men and have attributed them to be the word of God. In part, the people of the time needed those words in order to progressively grow inside spiritually. Over time, such things become of little value, just as it would be when teaching a child not to touch a stove. It’s meant for their protection. However, that’s silly now as I’m an adult. I have to touch the stove many times when cooking, it’s what I know about the stove and how it can hurt is what the child has yet to learn.

God doesn’t hide this from us. In the end, it’s about our living experience with others and being aware in which the fruit of the spirit manifests itself in our daily lives. To believe is to have faith in the one source to all things.

Answer 9

First know that God loves the saints and the sinners the same. Very much! Know that Jesus states in the Bible that no one comes to the Father except by me. Jesus died for your sin and my sin and unless we accept that He did that for us and ask Him into our hearts we can not be with God. God is a God of Justice and He can not deal with a person still in sin. It is not a game it is the truth and satan hates the truth and will do all in his power to convince people to stay lost. Life does not get easier when you accept the truth but God will always be there to help you through.

Answer 10

You can be spiritual without being "Christian". Meaning, you can believe, love, and listen to God without being tied or restrained by human-made dogma's and doctrines. I'm Inclusive Monotheistic, which means I believe in God, but that man can't really know all about God and that there may be some truths in the Bible, but man got his hands on it and screwed it up. God (male or female, take your pick) does love us, made us out of love, and wants to be loved in return. There as, I don't believe He or She will cast us into hell because we loved or worshiped Him (Her) in a different or wrong name.

Its a belief that can be very tolerant of all other religions, because I believe there are many paths to God, and each person needs to find his or her own way.

I suggest you just pray, talk to God, make a spiritual and personal connection with Him (Her) and tell Him(Her) how you feel. I've had great peace in my decision. (I used to be Fundamentalist Christian, as my family is now, so I know what you're going through).