Question for fellow Christians?

Question

Have you gotten to the point in your faith that you are so sick of hearing the "good news" that you are ready to throw in the towel? I grew up hearing this all my life, had no choice in the matter, I was even forced to go the college of my parent's choosing because of their strong faith. I was extremely active in christian activities throughout school, high school and college. I went through a period after all of this in which I hadn't been to church in ages, not sure about my beliefs and extremely resentful that most of these choices had always been made for me as if I never had a say in the matter. I'm just wondering how many other people out there are like me? I'm beginning to pick up the pieces now but I feel like this shook my faith more than it built it because I was not encouraged I was forced.

So many wonderful and helpful answers, thank you all for your thoughts and encouragement, I know it's going to help me forgive and find my faith again.

Answer 1

Sound like your parents, however well meaning they may have been, have acted more like dictators than guides. You are an adult now and have to make these choices for yourself. Begin to study and seek out what you believe and try to understand that your parents thought they were acting out of love and concern for you. Find the positives...did you get a good education that you can build your life on? Were you protected from many of the harmful things we often do to ourselves? Then seek out your own answers to the questions you have. If your parents give you grief then remind them that the Bible says to "teach a child in the way HE should go and he will not depart from it" and that if they taught you properly then they should have faith that you will make the right decisions. You do need to get rid of the anger though, that will only serve to hurt you in the end.

Answer 2

No matter what happens, just remember one thing. Jesus is always with you. You can talk to him through prayer. And He never ignores you. When I have problems, I talk to Him. There is something I figured out. You know, When God closes a door, he always opens another door. That means: Sometimes when something turns out badly, there may be a better way through. God could create streams in the desert. Remember, He will make a way for you. Have faith, just like the first answer said, Jesus' story never gets old. And, don't think that God doesn't know anything about technology or what, he knows! I often unplug my computer. My computer is very old, so it often breaks from unplugs. But every time it crashes these days, I pray for it to stay normal after I unplug it, guess what, it didn't broke after I unplugged it for about ten times! Life is short, pray hard. And if you're heading in the wrong direction, God allows u-turns. You couldn't ever imagine that...
God, the creator of heaven and earth, would come down into the world of sinners and die for their sins. There is no other god that will do such a thing. By the way, I am only twelve. I live in Thailand which is flooded by Buddhists. However, may God bless you.

I will pray for you too.

PS: Like a man, a man can be both a father, husband, and a brother. Then God is also.

Your brother in Christ,
Mark

Answer 3

Sometimes you have to disconnect from a church,( for a while that is). I did, but for many reasons. The biggest being doctrine about the rapture. But going back you what you addressed, the good news thing has been overdone. Salvation is good news, Jesus is the best news. Now go at your own pace but in the privacy of your room continue reading the bible. Don't allow yourself to be pull this way and that way. As long as in your heart you don't pull away from God, everything will work out in the end. And don't let others measure your faith for you. Good luck and stay in the faith.

Answer 4

I was not raised Christian, so I never went through what you did, but I do sympathize with your position. When I've taught in Christian schools, I've always told my students that they can't get by on their parents' faith. When you're a child, it's sufficient to think like a child. Your parents say that spaghetti must be served with garlic bread, and that's fine - that's the "right" way to do it. Sooner or later, though, you have to examine your faith and either make it your own or reject it. If you don't, then the first time your faith is tested, it will crumble.

It's a remarkably uncomfortable feeling, I know. What you're going through is necessary, though. Just examine what you've been taught, critically, and decide what you do believe. Don't simply accept Christianity because that's what you've been taught, but don't simply reject it for the same reason.

And good luck!

Answer 5

I threw in the towel when I was about thirteen . I heard the same line of B.S. over and over and over again .
One person being three people , heaven ( but no explanation of where it is ) , virgin births , dead people coming back to life , water opening up to let people through , etc., etc., etc .
I said , " Mom , I'm not going to church with the family any more , I just don't believe any of it " .
Mom said that she knows that I'm a very intelligent boy , and she knows that I've given it a lot of thought . She said that hearing more of the same wouldn't do me any good , so I may as well not go . That was about seventy-two years ago .
The Christian church has only a very small amount of literature written two thousand years ago by poorly educated goat herders and fishermen who were so superstitious that they were afraid of their own shadows .
From that tiny amount of scribblings , thousands of books have been written, and trillions of never-ending sermons have been said, How can so much be made from so little ?

Answer 6

This is roughly how it was for me as well. Humans have reaised their kids this way for time out of mind. It is only in relatively recent times that religion was viewed as a choice - we brush up against so many different religions and cultures in modern society that we know from a very early age we could, if we wanted, be something else entirely. That freedom is a new concept to humanity.

And so suddenly we want to escape what we were forced to accept. We wantt o rid ourselves of it and eventually start shopping for a religion that says what we want it to say. There are many problems with this. For one, religions can only be judged effectively from within. Another, if the truth is that we have sinful impulses then we are likely to choose the easiest religion we can just because it is the easiest. And so on.

I would suggest this. You have likely been raised like me and most other protestants - to see God in a very childish way. I can't believe in that view of God either. Your faith can grow up with you, however. Let me invite you to bring some of your questions to an Anglican priest, or to a Roman Catholic priest. Or, failing that, try reading he Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg or Reimagining Christianity by Alan Jones. Good stuff.

I hope you find what you are searching for!

Answer 7

Sometimes you don't appreciate something until you lose it.

I went along blithely believing a false gospel up until about the age of 43. The result of a false gospel; a false "good news" was a bondage that was hard to bear, and was psychologically destructive.

When I finally realized the true "good news" it was such a breath of fresh air it is difficult to describe. It was like heavy weights being lifted off of me, and I experienced the joy that comes with the true gospel that is beyond description for one who was in bondage for so long.

I must therefore ask you to honestly tell me what you believe the "good news" is, for I can't help but think you were forced into a false gospel. Then again, if you have never experienced the bondage and heartache that goes with false gospels, perhaps you therefore find it difficult to appreciate what you have.

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Answer 8

Church is something that can be forced on you by parents, not allowing you an opportunity to resolve your own feelings about the matter. I experienced this also. When I went to college, I rebelled and questioned.

God expects us to question. He gave us minds. After several years of doing everything I could to let people know I was not a bible thumper, I found that life was not worth living without God and my Saviour Jesus Christ.

I repented for everything I did while I was away from God. He forgave me, but I still find it hard to forgive myself after all these years.

We have to find ourselves in life. When we do, we can truly find God and realize His meaning in our lives. I could not live one day now without my Lord walking beside me. So, even though I fell away for a while, I am thankful that my parents gave me the opportunity to learn about Jesus as a child.

Answer 9

Your parents did their part before God in giving you the best of Christian education and "trying" to encourage you in showing you the better way, Jesus. But unfortunately, a parent's best efforts cannot save their child from hell if the child rebels and rejects all the wisdom and knowledge given to them. God sought me out as a young child and I have been seeking Him and spiritually growing for 20 + years. Oh, i've been through the fires, in the deep valleys of testings and sorrow....but, I have never grown tired of my Lord and Saviour. In fact, my greatest desire is "More Light, Lord....more Light." God's favor, love, and Grace is inexhaustable. There is no limit to it. So if one grows weary and quits the Christian race, they weren't ever running to begin with. You need to "count the cost" and decide what is most important to you, and then ask "is it worth your eternal soul?"

Answer 10

I recommend this with the least offence for the period of the crusades the commandments the place thou shall no longer kill regardless of if it mentioned you're able to kill a infidel regardless of if it is been replaced. yet whilst i grew to become into having that argument tell her what could we've completed if we by no ability fought against Nazi's or comparable human beings if each and every of the allied international locations had observed the commandments we would all be in chains and slavery you're very astounding god gave adult men the duty to guard our kinfolk against any enemy that threatens them.