I am an agnostic. I used to think that I was a Christian when I was a little kid because I was taught that simply saying the prayer and doing the motions would "save" me. Bad experiences with overly-religious people etc. really turned me off and made me realize that I really didn't believe. Nevertheless, I still feel a deep longing to believe in a god of some sort. Were any of you atheist or agnostic like me and later came to be Christians? If so, what was it that persuaded you?
2007-10-20 00:16:20 · 11 answers · asked by turan21 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
To ChaLaRier: Don't be offended by my saying so, but your comment about having a personal relationship with God was something that I heard all through my life growing up and it makes me angry. HOW does a person have a relationship with a being that you can't even see or touch? How does God communicate back to you? I've never truely felt god's presence in my life and it seems like my prayers result in nothing.
2007-10-20 00:47:23 · update #1
To Everyone: I am only interested in responses from Christians or people with postitive comments. I not looking for people who bash God or Christianity, but real honest answers with people who have had real experiences.
2007-10-20 00:57:52 · update #2
Excuse me but you were never an atheist.
2007-10-20 00:20:24 · answer #1 · answered by Leviathan 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Greetings. I have a REAL life experience that persuaded me to become a Christian--and everytime I feel down or doubt I recall this experience. I wasn't an atheist or agnostic... I was just a lukewarm, middle of the road pretender. This happened over 20 years ago. I was at the time a mainframe computer engineer. This particular weekend I was on call and had to go to the Texaco Oil Refinery to service their computer. It was approximately 2:30am. Before going to the site I needed to stop for gas... I pulled into a 24hr self-serve station and after filling up was walking towards my car there was what appeared to be a vagrant reaching into my car... I quickly ran over grabbed him and whirled him around only to be confronted with a gun... I said take what you want. He exclaimed since I was so tough he was going to take me out. He held the gun to my head and squeezed the trigger--nothing happened. I again grabbed him--we wrestled for a minute then he kneed me in the groin--I backed off and he placed the gun in my stomach--I said Lord please protect me and give me strength. He fired the gun again--and again it didn't go off. I punched the guy in the face jumped in the car and sped off--I lifted this prayer up out of fear and desperation--Lord is this you; is this a sign? I looked in the rear view mirror and this would be robber started firing the gun towards me... and the gun fired several rounds without a problem. That was a significant "real life experience" that was convincing enough to me that God is real... I don't place any credence on luck, fate or happen-stance. It's all REAL. I do need to relate this to you... it's not the experiences or signs that should persuade you--but your faith. Faith in the knowledge that God truly loves you enough to have sent His Son to die on your behalf. Be blessed in the Lord and the power of His might!
2007-10-23 04:51:35 · answer #2 · answered by Pastor Glen 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have a great deal to overcome, but the longing in your heart is the indication that God does want to have a personal relationship with you. He wants you to know you are loved and cared for by Him.
Yes.. I had a personal experience... many of them which at first I didn't recognize as Jesus knocking at the door of my heart or even as God responding to my mom's prayers to keep me alive until I had the chance to hear the message of Christ.
For me it was finally giving allowing God to be my source of strength in order to quit drinking. That was six years ago, and even then I was reluctant to really know Him.
I eventually took that leap of faith and with all sincerity I admitted my need for Christ and accepted Him as the rule in my life.
What else persuaded me? I also had negative experiences with people who went to church. And then I had some amazing friendships with some folks who are really devoted to Christ. The difference was so stunning that I began examining the possibility that those who had been so "hypocritical" and awful were in fact not in a relationship with the true God.
It is the difference between someone who has read about, or is vaguely acquainted with someone, and another person who is that particular person's best friend.
That is the difference between going to church, reading the bible with head knowledge.... and really knowing God.
2007-10-23 01:41:39 · answer #3 · answered by thankyou "iana" 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thanks for your honesty Turan..... I was raised to believe in God too but until I had a real experience of Him, I believed in Him about as much as I believed in Santa Claus! But I had a very traumatic time in my life after my son was born with very severe cerebral palsy & was dying from having multiple seizures all the time. The only person I could turn to at that time was Jesus because there was nowhere else to go. So in sheer desperation, not believing for one instant that He'd answer me, I cried out to Him & He answered me. Not only did He answer me in an audible voice but I also physically felt His hands on my face, wiping away my tears. I can't explain it any more than that. By the way, my son didn't die. He's now 18 & the fact that he is still alive, the doctors call a miracle! :) Hope this helps you find your way to Jesus. I'll be praying for you that Jesus makes Himself real to you in a way that you'll know is true. Bless you
2007-10-20 01:44:09 · answer #4 · answered by Rhonda D 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's a pity that Christians have put you off religion. We are all human and often do and say silly things, so don't expect to get answers from watching people who call themselves Christians.
Why not rather read up on the principles of the Christian faith, and if you wish, other religions? Let that decide it for you, because in any religion or denomination there will be people who you don't agree with.
2007-10-20 00:31:23 · answer #5 · answered by Amelie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are correct in that think that it takes more than just saying a prayer and doing the "motions" would "save" you. It takes a relationship with God. The only way to obtain this is to truely want God into your life. You must believe that God (not a god) is real. You must believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he was sent to pay for your sins. You must ask that the guides and directs your life through the Holy Spirit. Only then will you be saved. Only then will you be a true follower of Christ.
I wasn't persuaded to become a Christian. I decided one day that I wanted to have this personnal relationship with God. I wanted to be heir to the place inwhich his son is preparing for me. My life is not always been easier (the Bible never said it would be) but I know that God allows only that which I can handle and nothing more.
I am a firm believer that a person doesn't find God but God find the individual in question. I am sorry that you feel the way you do. The fact that a part of you still longs for a relationship makes me believe that you were a Christian. That you did believe at one time and have stepped away. This drive that you have to reconnect is the Holy Spirit that still resides inside you. God is not about over-religious people, he is not about a church doctrines and guidelines and he is not even about reading the Bible (although it would better help you to understand who God truely is).
He is about a relationship. Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the Garden. Since the fall of man he has not able to make that connection with his people except through the blood of Jesus Christ. Through his blood you become a spot child and he is able to be apart of your life once again.
I think that you should re-exam who you are. I think that if you decide to truely commit yourself to having a relationship with God you will find that what you thought was how a Christian was suppose to be was only a facid.
How does one develop a personal relationship with the father (and no, I am not offend, I enjoy a little debate now and than). Easy, as Eric Clapton said to Larry King on Friday, he does it every morning and every night at the foot of his bed.
Now this does not mean that you have to sit and pray at the foot of you bed or that you have to pray in a certain manner. This means that you have to become one with his word. Once you have asked for forgiveness and asked that the Holy Spirit live within you than you must learn who God is through his word. Most people don't have a relationship with God because they don't know who he is or truely believe in what they did (which doesn't make the saved because one must TRULY believe and confess their belief). Some people walk around and are not even aware that God is trying to speak with them. They are so caught up with the day-to-day ways of the world that they don't even make time to sit and build that relationship.
Imagine if your boyfriend or husband was around you 24/7 but you never spoke with him or attempted to know who he was. How much would you know about him. The same applies to God. If you are saved, then his spirit lives within you. He word says that he inhabits the praise and worship of his people. It is not that God doesn't want a relationship with you but that he has given you free will and even though you may be (or at one time may have been) saved it is still up to you say "Here I am Lord. Your child, wishing only to know you better. Praises be to your holy name and praises be to the holy name of your son, my savior, Jesus Christ. I honor and worship you for you are great and greatly are you to be praised and woshipped." Only then, if is truly what you believe, will you develop the personna relationship with God like I have.
I will check back again to see if you have responded. Until then. God bless you and keep you safe!
2007-10-20 00:38:27 · answer #6 · answered by ChaRiaLer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you have just answered your question! Believin in a God is not to do with experiences...but feeling that a 'vacumn' inside has been filled.
Not by might nor experience but by touch!
Something or someone touched your Life that you believe that it is God!
2007-10-20 00:24:55 · answer #7 · answered by redzonecash 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I gave God a chance to rule over my life so that I wouldn't commit suicide.
That was over 20 years ago.
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-7rEUJP4lbqSbntikbR2aAw--?cq=1&l=6&u=10&mx=16&lmt=5
2007-10-20 00:51:42 · answer #8 · answered by Christian Sinner 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I prayed to God to help me with my drinking and I have been sober for 18 months, I thank God every day
2007-10-20 01:27:24 · answer #9 · answered by Candii 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I WASN'T REALLY AGNOSTIC, BUT I WASN'T A CHRISTIAN EITHER....WHEN I MARRIED MY EX., I FOUND OUT THAT HIS PARENTS WERE CHRISTIANS...AT FIRST, I WAS KIND OF LETTING IT GO IN ONE EAR, AND OUT THE OTHER, NOT REALLY LISTENING TO WHAT THEY WERE SAYING...
WE WERE MARRIED JUST A LITTLE OVER 3 MONTHS, AND I WAS ABOUT 4 WEEKS PREGNANT, WHEN HE JUST UP, AND LEFT...LEAVING ALL HIS THINGS BEHIND...
HIS PARENTS WERE WONDERFUL, TREATING ME AS IF I WERE THEIR OWN DAUGHTER...I NEVER WANTED FOR ANYTHING, WHAT EVER I NEEDED THEY WERE THERE...
ALL THIS TIME, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT JESUS, AND I STARTED TO LISTEN....A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, I WENT TO CHURCH WITH MOM, AND DAD SPENCER, AND THE LOVE I FELT POURING OVER ME WAS SO STRONG, THAT I KNEW I WAS WHERE JESUS WANTED ME TO BE....I GAVE MY HEART TO JESUS A FEW WEEKS LATER.....MOM, AND DAD SPENCER ARE IN HEAVEN NOW, AND I KNOW I WILL SEE THEM AGAIN...
I WAS MARRIED TO MY EX FOR 22 YEARS, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT ONCE YOU MARRIED, YOU MARRIED FOR LIFE....IT WAS THEN I ASKED GOD TO TAKE CONTROL OF MY LIFE, I COULDN'T HANDLE IT ANYMORE...I'VE MADE IT A MESS...
THAT WAS NINTEEN YEARS AGO...SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO I DIVORCED HIM....IN MARCH, I WILL BE MARRIED TO MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND FOURTEEN....
YOU MAY NOT SEE HIM, OR TOUCH HIM (JESUS), BUT I GUARENTEE YOU, THAT IF YOU GIVE YOUR HEART TO HIM, YOU WILL FEEL HIM (HIS LOVE) IN YOUR HEART...
SORRY FOR THE SERMON HERE! DIDN'T MEAN TO LEAVE SUCH A LONG ANSWER...GOD BE WITH YOU!
2007-10-23 13:49:52 · answer #10 · answered by eloise1945 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep digging for the truth. Don't ovelook all the errors/inconsistencies written in the Bible. It tells you a lot about who wrote the Bible! God is shown as a pervert who enjoys blood shedding and human suffering to the core. He even created a sulfuric burning fire to enjoy watching the vast majority of the humanity that he loves so much being tormented for ever and ever... so good luck!!!
2007-10-20 00:48:31 · answer #11 · answered by Opus 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋