True, for better or worse, I think people feel they "need" God (a god) less. However, the more I've learned about any subject, the more I realized I didn't know. Hunting for instance. 10 years ago, I thought I knew quite a bit about hunting. Today, I feel I hardly know anything, but I know 10 times what I did then. Knowledge is fantastic. Pride in knowledge is what gets everyone, especially Christians in trouble.
I really don't have an answer for this other than I haven't taken it upon myself to open the book or attend church. I lived with my dad the majority of my life... We never attended church but he would read us bible verses from time to time, he had the 10 commandments of the wall, and that's where my faith formed. We were poor growing up and my dad could not afford to drive 30 miles to town to attend a church that suited us. He bought me a bible before he passed away and I haven't opened it yet - When the time comes I will.
I know people that would home church for the reasons you've just said. Not everyone is able to attend church all there live but if possible then i'd say you should be apart of the body of christ. Again in having a relationship with Christ the holy spirit will gide you in that direction. I went 15 years without going to church its a choice. I understand the whole (time) thing to, i've been there where i just didnt want to open it but i bet once you do and really get into it. Surely it will change your outlook on what we have said here today. God bless you my friend
When you do, do me a favor... ok, two. First, when you do get around to opening it, start with the new testament. I tried 3 times to read the bible from the beginning and just couldn't do it. I found the NT much easier to get through. After I read that a couple times, I was then able to get through the OT. I'm sure it's not the same for everyone, but don't give up if you are stuck in Genesis. 2- I've found that a quick simple prayer before I read helps me engage better. I typically just ask for clarity or wisdom as I read and interpret the bible. It might be something like, "Jesus, please help me to clear my mind as I read the bible. Help me to understand your message and what it would mean for me." If something hits home or I connect with a particular verse, I'll typically pray at the end too. Most often for change in myself.
amen to that!! If i may add,,also a journal comes in handy as the lord shows us things. Totally 100% starting in the NT
There is no such thing...it is all BS.....all religions have been created by men to control others..........religion was the first political system.......take some ancient world history classes.
Have you never learned from someone you didn't agree with? Sometimes a critical viewpoint can stir a further look into beliefs.
I have and do all the time. I was simply pointing out the fact that almost every single post he's ever made has been negative or rude. I actually love talking in an open and engaging manner. Especially about religion. Like you said, it provides an opportunity for me to really examine what my own beliefs are and why. Someone who says, "it's all BS, take a history class" or "it's in the Bible so I believe it", is neither open, or engaging IMO.
I'm afraid I don't see Hoytee's comments as designed to stimulate critical discussion. Since I'm posting though, I will take this opportunity to mention that it is possible to believe in a Creator, a God, and not accept the Bible as the "Word of God." There are, as it turns out, millions upon millions of us who believe in a creator, but are not Christians. Sometimes I get the feeling that some Christians see themselves as the only true "believers."
I have to agree with the true believers, I have witnessed Christians who feel they are more enlightened than others, yet they are the most judgemental, one would think they would understand that it is not for them to judge. There is really one being that decides if you are going to hell or not.
Although the sentiment and reasong makes sense (in regards to growing gaps), I personally think we think are "learning" more but theories make such drastic assumptions about our existence/universe. Taking the theory of evolution and the big bang for example, it's not just a miniscule chance - it's thousands and thousands of miniscule chances and unexplained pieces over and over. It's like the more they try to explain the more unknowns and more pieces to the puzzle there are. To me, that makes me believe in God even more. It's to the point that how some can accept these assumptions and theories as being the answer over an answer that can't be explained by science (God/Creation) it tells me that more and more people try hard not to believe because they simply don't want to. Believing in God and feeling like there is more of a purpose to life than just chance and survival makes these secular beliefs a system of faith in their own. Just my 2 cents on why those gaps are growing.
Count me as one who believes in God, but I don't put much "faith" in the accuracy of the Bible. Maybe it's my own ignorance of the subject but it seems like it's been changed and interpreted too many times over the last 2000 years. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I can respect people who have a strong unshakeable faith and can accept the Bible as the literal Word of God. But I don't understand why some people have to accompany their expression of faith with a knock on science. My chosen career is in biological research and it's always plain to me that people who make those kinds of comments really don't know very much about science at all. Why not just rest on your faith? I have a very strong faith which includes a creator who is still in the process of creating. The earth is not finished. The universe is not finished. I believe in a spiritual world coexistent with our physical world with some overlap. Luckily for me, there are no detailed descriptions of the creation, so there is no conflict between my beliefs and science. Of course science cannot prove the existence of the spiritual world or the soul. So I rest on faith there. There is no heaven or hell, but there is an afterlife where one becomes closer to and possibly one with the creator. People who are particularly evil may be dragged away by demons. (If you saw the movie "Ghost," that's kind of the idea.) I don't know what happens to them afterwards. There is not a focus on sin although we do have cleansing rituals. One ritual is very similar to Christian baptism where one gets immersed, but we do it a lot, not just once. It's best if you do it in the ocean, but a freshwater lake is okay if you are too far from the ocean. When it's too cold like now, a shower will do as long as you say the words and have the right attitude. This cleanses you of the residue of the things you have done which you shouldn't have done and makes it possible for you to continue to lead a better life. The idea is to lead a life which would meet the approval of your ancestors. They can communicate to you their approval or disapproval, since it's possible to communicate with those who have gone before. It's not like a conversation, it's by feelings. May The Sheep Be With You
I have no problem when the science is sound. Believe it or not, the Bible actually agrees with sound science. I know science itself cannot prove there is a God, but as a Christian, I believe God Created the universe and placed a set of rules and laws so it maintains and regulates itself (hence scientific laws). What I have a problem with is when science uses a method proven to be questionable/incorrect as a base assumption for other theories. For example, lava that they knew was formed in 1986 but according to dating methods still used today when they dated it 10 years later (1996) their method showed it to be 350,000 years old. So even though that method proved to be wrong, they still use that method to say how old lava and rock formation is.
