Anonymous
Post 02/02/2014 00:37     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
Anonymous wrote:It is a great comfort to know that whatever sins you may commit in your life, you can still get into Heaven by truly atoning at the end. It is he who is rich with such faith that I believe the parable of the rich young man applies to.

Thinking you will get into heaven by a last minute decision that your entire life was a mistake, but it's okay because you accept Christ, is as likely to get you into Heaven as through the eye of a needle. If there is such a thing as Heaven, you will be judged by what you did, whether you did it because you believed in God, because you believed in Good, or just because you were good without even thinking about it.



Or someone bought an expensive indulgence for you and some monks prayed you into heaven
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2014 16:44     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
It is a great comfort to know that whatever sins you may commit in your life, you can still get into Heaven by truly atoning at the end. It is he who is rich with such faith that I believe the parable of the rich young man applies to.

Thinking you will get into heaven by a last minute decision that your entire life was a mistake, but it's okay because you accept Christ, is as likely to get you into Heaven as through the eye of a needle. If there is such a thing as Heaven, you will be judged by what you did, whether you did it because you believed in God, because you believed in Good, or just because you were good without even thinking about it.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2014 10:29     Subject: Re:Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
I was very evangelical growing up. Went to Assembly of God churches, which are somewhat Pentacostalish and Southern Baptist churches. Really believed that I had unsaved family members who were going to hell and was extremely distressed about it. Believed in the whole 6 day creation story. Suffered a major loss that made me question God's justice and mercy. Then in high school I wanted to know why our science teacher skipped the chapter on evolution and started reading myself. I felt that I'd been lied to. Ended up leaving faith entirely for over a decade. Found myself in the pews of a Catholic church one day. And found myself going back over and over again, looking forward to the thoughtful homilies. I've recently lapsed again and haven't found a faith community in my new city (where Christianity tends to the very conservative side) that I'm happy with. Working on that.

I think for my parents evangelical Christianity was a real comfort with lots of absolutes and no confusing gray areas. They outgrew that when we got older and have settled into a still conservative, but more mellow faith. There was a lot of hypocrisy in the community and a fair number of money grubbing pastors as well as genuine, non-scamming church leaders as well. You just have to be wary. Try to find more personal outlets for your faith - I second the poster who recommended C.S. Lewis. I also found the Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything to be a really nice book on life, God and spirituality that may open you up to the idea of a more loving, less damn-all-the-sinners-to-hell God as taught in the more evangelical churches.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2014 23:20     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes. Well, fundamentalist thought I am not quite certain of the differences. I grew up with a strict, literal interpretation of the Bible and believed that for a while. Or at least I tried. I have journal entries begging Jesus to find the "peace that passes all understanding" that people talked about.

But over the years I've realized that I just didn't have the deep abiding faith in the Bible that is required to truly surrender. And because fundamentalism tends to be quite all or nothing, well, there's no where really to go.

That said, the church I grew up in was a horrible, negative place and I am better off w/o the people who shunned me. Really. There are some very sweet souls that I do keep in touch with and I know they pray for me and I honor that. My mom is still very much in the faith and she believes as 8:32 does that I'll come back one day because she doesn't want to believe I spend eternity in hell, which is a legitimate fear for her. But I have just as deep of faith that hell doesn't exist so I just smile, nod, and we talk about other things.

Your church may be better equipped to counsel you and your questions so that you come to a place of peace. That's what it's really what's it's all about. Finding the peace. I'm happy to say that I have found it, even though I am not in any religion nor do I even really believe in any god. Certainly not the God described in the Bible.

Good luck on your journey.

I think you are confusing God with the God you were taught about in the horrible church in which you were raised. There is a difference.


I'm referring to the God described in the Bible, which I'm pretty familiar with. That god is a sociopath.

No disrespect intended, but I disagree. I don't think God is a sociopath, I think people don't understand what is written, misinterpret, especially when we look at God like he is a person. When you understand God metaphysically, understand that He is not a person, is perfection (whole, wanting nothing) than we can better interpret what we read. We have to go to God directly, stop relying on what other people say and how THEY interpret the Word. We are to study in Spirit and in Truth.


I can relate to you feeling of peace, perfection or whatever. I experience that thread of Divine in nature and meditation. Its great that you find it in the Bible. I am going to assume that you are not a fundamentalist and believe the literal interpretations. Because if you do then you are having to overlook a great deal to reconcile your beliefs that this perfect entity would meddle as he did in the Old Testament.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2014 22:45     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
Yes, doubt is fine, as long as it reverts back to faith. If not, you obviously didn't doubt right. Christian doubt is allowed to go in only one direction - back to faith.

People brag about their doubt - talk about how it strenghened their faith. But if doubt leads away from faith and the person feels freed from faith, no one wants to hear about it.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2014 20:21     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
Everyone has a crisis of faith sometime in their life. I have had several, and I am a strong Christian. It's totally normal. You don't have to upset your whole life. Wrestle with it, work through it, fight for your faith until it makes sense to you. God will honor that. Ask him to meet you, and he will. You are giving up too easy.

Os Guinness wrote a good book on doubt, think it is "God in the Dark." Doubt is part of faith -- the key is to work through it and you'll have a stronger faith on the other side. Giving up is the easy way out.

Any good pastor should be willing to talk with you honestly about this. If they won't, find someone else who will.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2014 20:18     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
Anonymous wrote:OP, please, go talk to other Christians outside your immediate circle. Or read some books...try some CS Lewis. You don't need to feel sick about this, or like you are weird or are betraying anything. Reach out.


I agree. Talk to your pastor about this. They will keep it confidential. Or read some Tim Keller. I find his books to be excellent in explaining these kinds of apologetics.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2014 13:33     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Jesus said "no man gets to the father except through me." There is no middle ground. Jesus is either God or he is insane . He doesn't give you wiggle room and you are either a Christian or not.


Except that Jesus was speaking to a very specific group of people when he said something probably similar (remember, the Bible was written by people not God. And translated by people not God) to that. Do you really believe a loving God would condemn people to hell for any reason, let alone for never having heard the name Jesus?

It's o.k. to actually think.


People who have never been exposed to God's gift are not held accountable. People who have are.


Then why the need to evangelize and "spread the word" and "harvest the souls"? If those in other parts of the world are exempt from the condemnation of hell since they've not been exposed, why is there always such urgency to convert others?

The fact is, if your Christian you believe Jesus is the ONLY means of salvation. You either are or you aren't.

Anonymous
Post 01/31/2014 13:01     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:True Christians have a personal relationship with God. Sometimes having a lifetime relationship you drift away. Life has a way of dissapointing and crushing people. That's often when you come back home. What other people say has nothing to do with the wrestling match you have with God. God likes the wrestling match and fights you easily with love like a parent with a child . If you really get to know God... You will always come back because in the end... Sin leads to death and it isn't even that satisfying anyway. On your deathbed you realize that all is vanity , there is nothing new under the sun and the whole excersize is chasing the wind. Nothing on Earth is equal to the love story of Christ.



There's gotta be a love story that is better than the story of Christ, that is, one that doesn't involve being hanged on a cross to die, then rising to sit forever in heaven threatening to torture for eternity anyone who doesn't adequately love you.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2014 09:32     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
OP, maybe the answer is just to become less involved at church. Find other things to do with your time and gradually cut back to participating in only Sunday services. Make new friends. Look for another job. If you have kids, sign them up for sports, etc.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2014 08:45     Subject: Have you been an evangelical Christian and left the faith?
Anonymous wrote:True Christians have a personal relationship with God. Sometimes having a lifetime relationship you drift away. Life has a way of dissapointing and crushing people. That's often when you come back home. What other people say has nothing to do with the wrestling match you have with God. God likes the wrestling match and fights you easily with love like a parent with a child . If you really get to know God... You will always come back because in the end... Sin leads to death and it isn't even that satisfying anyway. On your deathbed you realize that all is vanity , there is nothing new under the sun and the whole excersize is chasing the wind. Nothing on Earth is equal to the love story of Christ.


+1 I recently heard a wonderful sermon emphasizing God's love for each of us. A visiting minister at our church said the love of God--not the wrath of God--will strip away everything that stands in the way of a relationship between us and him.