So confused about religion :/?

Question

I am 13 years old and I am having trouble with religion. My father is an Atheist well thats what he says he is but I dont believe that because he stil says grace and was raised catholic.My mom was raised Methodist she believes in god but not on a daily bases. I have never gone to church I always have wanted to but I am so confused about my belief in god. Sometimes I believe there is then I take my dads side and believe there isnt. There has to be something out there and there has to be something out there to bring me joy and comfort. I think religion is incredible but I do not know where to go from here
and deciding my main religion
please help me!

Answer 1

You really need to learn more about who God is and isn't. If you are referring to the Christian God, I have a few suggestions for you. Start by reading the Bible. Begin with the book of John in the New Testament. It gives you a better understanding of who Christ is, why he loved us so much and sacrificed his life for our sins. Also pray to God. Ask Him to reveal the truth to you. You seem to be very sincere in your search, so if you ask Him, He will help you.

Third, find a good youth group. There are lots of churches w/kids your age that hang out, learn about the Bible, and have fun. I grew up in a great youth group and had a blast! I really recommend both Baptist churches and non-denominational churches. Ask around as well. You may have friends that attend a youth group that they like.

After you do all of this, you will have a better understanding of God. You can then make a decision of whether or not to follow Him. Let me assure you that if you choose to follow Him, you will have His peace in your life...no, life will not be perfect, but you will have a relationship w/the perfect Creator.

God bless and email me if you have questions.

Answer 2

Sorry that you are at a crossroad like this.

You said it straight from the heart when you said,' There has to be something out there' .

Missstep, there is! He is God. He is very present and He desires to have a relationship with you and He has waited forever for this time that you would come to know Him.

Missstep, God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to go all the way to the cross and shed His blood that you, Missstep, would know that your sins have been forgiven.

God desires that you would trust in Jesus Christ as your personal SAviour, that you would BELIEVE that you DO need to be saved and that you would make a decision to follow Christ as your Lord.

Missstep, if you ask Jesus into your heart, He will come in to your life and guide you in all your ways and give you a place in heaven with Him for all eternity.

Salvation is a free gift through Jesus Christ.
All we have to do is accept it and follow Him.

Its a promise.

Answer 3

I'm sorry about your Dad. Like many people raised in the Catholic Church, he may have become angry about some of its rules. Perhaps he was hurt by the Church (yelled at by nuns, etc.) when he was in school. Perhaps he doesn't really know what the Church teaches -- believe it or not, many Catholics don't! Or maybe he is offended by some of the Church's past actions, like the Crusades or the Inquisition. Many Catholics, including me, had difficult experiences growing up in the Church before Vatican II, which was a huge 1963 Council of bishops that reexamined many of the Church's approaches to life. Your Dad might need to be reacquainted with his own Church!

Your story also reminds me of that of my wife. Her parents were not churchgoers, but she felt very drawn to religion. Each Sunday, when she was your age, she insisted that her parents drive her to church. She drew great comfort from her experience there, which helped develop a faith that has been crucial many times since then.

I think it's funny that your Dad says he is an atheist but says grace at meals. Sounds to me that he also wants to reconnect with the Church but isn't sure how, and isn't willing to be hurt again. Spiritual wounds are the hardest to heal.

My advice? You and your Dad (or you alone if he won't come) need to start exploring churches. Attend Mass or Sunday services at a variety of churches. Check out their programs. Find out if the community is alive or dead -- whether it has programs to help others or whether it just exists to provide Sunday services.

Good luck! God be with you -- He already is!

Answer 4

It takes more than simply knowing Jesus is the Messiah to be saved; even the Evil One knows Who Christ is.

The Bible and the Catholic Church don't separate the "works of faith," preceded and caused by grace, from salvation . You can have all the faith in the world, enough to move mountains, but if you don't have charity, you are nothing.

The Catholic Church and Her Bible condemn the idea that one can work his way to Heaven on his own merit or that God "owes" a person for doing the right things.

All our works get their merit only from Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. We can do "works" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the rest of our lives, but without Christ's grace, they are nothing. Works have no merit in themselves -- and faith without works is not enough. We are saved by grace alone -- a grace that we accept neither "by faith alone" nor "by works alone," but "by faith that works in charity" (Galatians 5:6).

Answer 5

Dear 13 year old,
I am so happy that you have an inquiring mind. Yes, there is something out there and that something is a loving God who seeks us out because he loves us. God created us to have conversation with us on a daily basis. We are created in God's image. God created all things but we are the most dear to Him since he created us in His image. He sent Jesus into this world to die for our sins. This is a free gift and if we accept this gift by asking God to forgive us of our sin he will and then we can pray to Him daily for joy, comfort, blessings and much more. I pray that you will come to realize that God is real and that He loves you. I will be praying for you to find the truth. Love your friend in Arlington.

Answer 6

There is nothing wrong with being confused about religion. I was too at a young age and to figure out what I believed in and where I was more comfortable with my parents let me go check out different churches and different relgions. In the end I stuck with what I was baptized in which is Catholic. So it all depends and its something you have to search for yourself there really is no set answer.

Answer 7

Ask your good Christian friends how they like their churches. Hopefully you'll find one with a good pastor and interesting sermons for young people, and that will help you focus on what direction God would have you go.

Answer 8

You're still young, you don't have to decide anytime soon. Read up on different religions, study science, learn things. You have plenty of time to choose what you believe, so don't worry about it too much.

Answer 9

Why must there be something out there?

What of the people dying of starvation in various parts of the world? Surely there must be food for them!

But there is not, and they die.

That is the reality of the universe. For me it is better to accept the reality of the universe as best we can tell it and make the best of it that I can, rather than live is some delusional world where some deity is going to come in at the last minute and make everything right.

They say that faith can move mountains. They are wrong. Faith can not even move a feather.

Answer 10

Always keep in mind that there are TONS and tons of choices out there. There is no one single religion that is going to work for everybody. Be wary of people who say "You have to follow THIS religion (my religion), because it's the true one." They ALL claim that.

I would suggest researching the different religions of the world. Read up on what they're about. Find one that makes the most sense to you and gives you something to work with. That's what I did when I was 13. I would suggest starting with this site:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm

You may not end up sticking with the same religion for the rest of your life, but you learn from your experiences.