a religion thread.

i'm just curious. i'm not an extremely religious person. i do believe in God, or atleast i want to hope there is one. by i don't have that 'blind faith' a lot of people have. we don't go to church. i didn't grow up going to church, though when my parents were growing up they did go. my dad was raised Catholic and his sisters went to a catholic school. i'm not sure, but i believe my mom went to baptist church, again not sure. i did attend bible school a lot as a kid and had a lot of fun. and went to church occasionaly with friends. i just think maybe since my parents came from different religious backgrounds they didnt want to force anything upon my brother and i and let us make our own decisions. which, i guess i never did. like i said, for the most part i do believe. but i also like to question everything. thats the scientific fanatic in me, lol. like the Big Bang theory and Evolution. all that is fascinating to me. and then i feel guilty, lol. thinking if there is a hell, that i'm going because i dont have that blind faith. i do sometimes pray (in my head) when things are rough. but church is just not for me. i guess i'm just very laid back and want to believe in my own way, and not be forced or judged. i don't know.

what's everyone eles thoughts? anyone like me and sort of lost i guess?

well I am gonna be the first person to come out and answer this....

I guess i Do have that faith your are talking about...the blind kind...but I don't consider myself blind. I have read the Bible. I believe wholeheartedly what it says. The Bible, defines Heaven and Hell, and clearly states more than once that those places are real, and that there is only ONE way to Heaven. Through Jesus Christ-God's son. You have to ask him in your heart. I didn't always believe this, but I was searching, and someone invited me to church and I kept going for two years asking questions seeking answers and one day I (don't laugh) just felt God tell me I had a choice and I needed to choose him. I really could go on and on about this...but to me God is so real. I love him, the relashionship I have with him I can see and feel. I can see God all around me....I don't need proof anymore...although I can see the proof now everyday.

I am an odd mix of athiest, agnostic, with pagan leanings, that believes in karma, reincarnation, ghosts (in the sense of leftover energy), past lives. I certainly don't fit under any one label. LOL I just try and be the best person I can be in the NOW and we'll see what happens later.

i think a lot of people are in the same boat as you corey. i would say if your curious about God, Jesus his son and maybe want a more blind faith, try a church in your area. i would say the ones that seem to teach straight out of the bible would be a more non-demoninational church. seems to be more upbeat and offer a lot for the kiddos. i love science!! love love love. but when it comes to my creator there is nothing scientific about it...to me. yes, Jesus can be proven in history, so can biblical facts so as far as what happened in the Bible i don't really question it. i read the Bible and take it for what it is. i guess i don't have much to offer up other than the fact that when i accepted Jesus to be the ruler of my life at a young age, i have never once doubted his love for me or his presence in my life. He's just there and that is not really something that can't be explained. if you have more specific questions...feel free to pm or something. oh and just had to add that God isn't really mysterious to me...i guess a lot of people have this 'all mysterious God thing'...i don't have that. Jesus is like my bff...i talk to him like i do everyone else.

Yes and no. I don't really go to church, but was hoping to once my mom moved here but that hasn't happened yet (she's been reluctant to join a new church). My DH is not a church goer - he was partially raised Catholic, but not regularly, so he has this avoidance thing when it comes to church.
When I was in college, though, I studied religion and tried out a few of them. I seriously thought about Judaism (loved the focus on the study and knowing of the faith and its doctrines through and through) and Buddhism (I am of the belief that "the oneness" they believe envelops and is within all of us is like God), but I think I settled down on my roots of being plain-old Protestant. Congregational is what I was in the East, but here in Ohio there's not really Congregational and so Presbyterian is close enough. I do know that there is God - I have felt His presence personally. But it was always the practice that has been my biggest question mark.
I do pray on occasion, usually when I think of someone who's going through rough times. But I also feel like I should go to church, to make things "right" between God and I. And I also feel like I shouldn't be judged or forced into believing a certain way - I have gone to a couple of churches to try them out and got turned off by some of them when the members got too stifling and in my business.
At the very least, most times I go to Easter and Christmas Eve services each year.

Corey - your views are a lot like my boyfriend. So, you are not alone

danagirl82 said:

well I am gonna be the first person to come out and answer this....

I guess i Do have that faith your are talking about...the blind kind...but I don't consider myself blind. I have read the Bible. I believe wholeheartedly what it says. The Bible, defines Heaven and Hell, and clearly states more than once that those places are real, and that there is only ONE way to Heaven. Through Jesus Christ-God's son. You have to ask him in your heart. I didn't always believe this, but I was searching, and someone invited me to church and I kept going for two years asking questions seeking answers and one day I (don't laugh) just felt God tell me I had a choice and I needed to choose him. I really could go on and on about this...but to me God is so real. I love him, the relashionship I have with him I can see and feel. I can see God all around me....I don't need proof anymore...although I can see the proof now everyday.

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dana!! this is perfectly stated. that's exactly how i feel about my relationship with God!

Gosh, it's been a long journey for me (still is really). I was raised in an agnostic family, but I thought about faith and purpose a lot growing up. I finally came to the conclusion that either this world is one big cosmic coincidence or there is some power behind it. No matter which option you hold as true, they both take some measure of 'blind faith'. I can remember many late afternoons as a teen sitting on the beach, looking out at the ocean and thinking, there is no way this could all have happened by accident. Once I resolved that in my own mind, I set out to discover who or what was behind it all and how that was relevant to me. My journey has brought me to put my faith in Jesus. I came to faith by a series of very thought-out, careful steps, but God was patient with me and waited for me to get there. I suppose from others looking in, it probably appears that I have the 'blind faith' you speak of.

I will pray you find the answers you are looking for.

lizzyfizzy said:

i think a lot of people are in the same boat as you corey. i would say if your curious about God, Jesus his son and maybe want a more blind faith, try a church in your area. i would say the ones that seem to teach straight out of the bible would be a more non-demoninational church. seems to be more upbeat and offer a lot for the kiddos. i love science!! love love love. but when it comes to my creator there is nothing scientific about it...to me. yes, Jesus can be proven in history, so can biblical facts so as far as what happened in the Bible i don't really question it. i read the Bible and take it for what it is. i guess i don't have much to offer up other than the fact that when i accepted Jesus to be the ruler of my life at a young age, i have never once doubted his love for me or his presence in my life. He's just there and that is not really something that can't be explained. if you have more specific questions...feel free to pm or something. oh and just had to add that God isn't really mysterious to me...i guess a lot of people have this 'all mysterious God thing'...i don't have that. Jesus is like my bff...i talk to him like i do everyone else.

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I was sitting here trying to formulate an answer in my mind and then I read Lizzy's and all I gotta say now is ditto what she said. to me, it's not "religion". It's RELATIONSHIP. He's my creator, my LORD, my guide, my Daddy, (abba father) my friend (BFF, lol Lizzy!) and He's always there, always with me always in me, ever present help in time of need and I don't know what i would do without Him. My church is non-denominational and sounds a lot like what Izzy described above ... just a bible believing family of people that love the Lord and each other. I LOVE my church family so much and they are always there for me. I would never consider going anywhere else.

Let's see. I was baptised, communed (I guess that's what you'd call it?), and confirmed as a Catholic and so was Jordan. 3 years ago my mom (raised Presbyterian) converted to Catholicism.

Growing up, I went to church every sunday. I read at masses. I went to sunday school. But I always questioned things. When I was about 16, my church started saying a prayer at the end of each mass, and I absolutely disagreed with it's purpose, and that really turned me off to organized religion. Then I got a job, and worked saturday nights and sunday mornings, and just stopped going. When I went to college, there was no Catholic Church, it was held in an auditorium, and I really disliked that.

Jordan, is very strong in his faith and beliefs. He goes to church almost every sunday. I go whenever we are with either set of parents, and occasionally I'll go with him on my own.

I greatly disagree with organized religion. I just don't like it. I have my own relationship with God, and that is all that matters to me.

ETA: My father is very serious in his faith. He was actually in the Seminary to become a priest. I think that his attitude towards faith (he was kind of extreme, we didn't miss church as kids unless we were practically on our death beds) had a great deal of influence in my own beliefs. I was forced to go to church as a child, and now as an adult, I choose not to.

Corey...I believe that a lot of science theory and Bible theory go hand in hand. Who says that GOD didn't create the universe THROUGH the Big Bang? SOMETHING started the Big Bang, why wasn't that God? Also, evolution is an obvious scientific fact, we can see it every day in everything around us, people are evolving with each generation (Americans average 1 inch taller now than they did 50 years ago). Does this mean we came from monkies, no, I don't think so, there's a missing link for a reason (it doesn't exist) but evolution as a natural process is irrefutable.

Also, I believe that when it says God created everything in seven days..who says they were human days? How does one define a God day? It could yanno, be billions of years like the scientists think.

Anyway, that's my roundabout way of saying that God and science are not mutually exclusive. God made you the way he did on purpose, filled with questions and wanting to figure stuff out (he made me the same way) the choice lies in deciding that you don't know all the facts, you can't physically prove God but you're going to believe in him anyway. And I believe that when you start down that path, God makes himself known to you and proves himself in a number of ways.

I am one of those who is very grounded in my faith. I attend church every Sunday and I read my scriptures and pray daily. I can't seem to make it through the day without doing it, so I do. It seems to make my day a little brighter and easier to bear. Plus, I truly feel that when I invite the spirit into my life each and every day, that I will be able to make the right choices and will be able to do my best in not only serving him, but also my family and community.

I serve in my church duties without hesitation simply because I know it's the right thing for me to do. I love to serve others and take any opportunity to do so. I truly believe that God hears and answers my prayers on a daily basis and am thankful for the relationship that I have with him and with his son Jesus Christ.

I hope and pray Corey that you're able to come to find the answers that you're looking for in your life.

thanks girls for your insight. i forgot to add, that there was this guy that kept coming to our house asking us to attend his church. he would come out every weekend. i don't like to be pushed, but i'm very friendly and not rude. DH and i talked with him and one day, he asked us if we had invited Jesus into our hearts and to forgive us for our sins (or however he put it). so, i humored him. not thinking much of it. but being way to nice to say no, lol. he recited and i repeated after him. when we were done, he said not be be surprised if a feeling of peace came over me and i felt 'right with the world'. i was skeptical. but you know what? i did get a feeling of peace. i was very surprised. and a little freaked, lol. but amazed. so maybe, in my own way, i do have a peace with God. i do believe overall that there has to be a Creator of us. i just like to learn about other ideas and theories. but i also believe that i don't have to attend church to be a believer. that the part that makes me wonder. am i wrong for not going, if i do believe? i just don't think i'd fit in, lol. i've been to a few services. i don't like a lot of singing, some is okay, but i've been to afew where it seemed all they did the whole time was sing sing sing. i went to the service of the preachor that married us. i know him from growing up and he lived near me. his arre very nice. he read from the bible, and told stories that related to what he read, it was very calm and laid back. thats what i like. not a lot of shouting and yelling, lol. i went to one of those 'holy roller' sermons (i guess thats what they call them?) while i was in Alabama with Chad once. Scared the CRAP out of me. they sung and then it started to storm and the lights went out and this lady kept talking in tounge and shouting Hallelujah! freaking wierd, i'm sorry, lol.

We used to go to a FourSquare and now a Worship church, both are very laid back and welcoming and more like school than screaming. They normally have more rockin music too It's imperative that you find a church that speaks to you, otherwise you won't want to go LOL

Traci i like the way you think! Col, you too. i don't like to be told how to be or how to believe, i guess. we have talked about going to church, but i doubt we will.

I feel I should clarify that I disagree wtih organized religion for myself. It's not my cup of tea, but it is for oodles of other people. I just don't think anyone has gotten it right yet, and prefer to believe and have a relationship with God in my own way. I go to church sometimes because it's how I grew up believing, and mostly to appease our parents and Jordan (which is not the right reason to go to church, I know).

Religion fascinates me. Something so personal and so intimate, but yet so alleaching, so powerful, so regimented... I love it. How people react to religion and faith fascinates me as well.

I am very clear in what I believe and how I live my life accordingly, so hearing abt other religions is just one more thing to talk abt, but I know for my sister, who is not particularly anything at the moment, any discussion of faith and religion turns her off immediately. I guess she feels religious discussion = proselytizing. I always send out very religious Christmas cards, i.e. must mention Jesus, because that is a reflection of me as it is my card, but I know my sister purposely sends out very generic 'Happy Holiday'-esque cards to avoid any possible offense to the recipient who may or may not agree with a religious card's message. To me, a Christmas card says, 'Hey, I picked out this card 'cause I like it. Isn't it cool? I love you!' To her, a Christmas card says, 'Hey, I picked this out 'cause it's the best & you must like it, too. Is that cool? I love you!'

Fascinating.

It's also been interesting for me when it comes to religious things and my fiance. Although we were raised in similar middleclass Midwestern families and neighborhoods, our personal beliefs are very different. While mine have evolved and changed as I got older, his have, mostly, stayed exactly the same as they were when he was a kid. Actually, he went to his pastor several months ago to discuss baptism as I am a 'dunker' and he is a 'sprinkler.' He was very concerned that if our relationship were to continue to get more serious, what would we do if we had kids and was one way bad or evil? I'm not sure what exactly the pastor said, but it seemed to calm him down.

What will happen is our kids will be baptized when they are infants, as is his tradition, and then when they are old enough, I will explain to them that I don't believe in infant baptism, and if they are so inclined, they will be baptized again as youth/adults in the manner which I believe. To me, their infant baptism is just another photo opportunity & a nice way to get the family together to celebrate the baby, but I know to FI, it means they are a new believer in Christ. Similarly, I know he will find a second baptism when they are old enough to verbalize their faith much like a glorified bath & just another photo opportunity, but to me, it means they are a new believer in Christ. Either way, two baptisms or one when they are babies will not hurt them, and we will both be satisfied that our personal beliefs were taken into consideration.

I understand the lost feeling when it comes to church, though, Corey. FI loves traditional hymn + choir + doxology church like he attended growing up, but I love contemporary modern technologically-advanced worship that uses various ways and techniques to get the message across, so we've had a VERY difficult time finding one church to attend. We've seriously discussed attending two different churches, which FI has said is not an issue for him, but I still don't really like the idea. At the moment, we don't attend any church together, but he does usually take his son every other weekend to his church. I don't know what we will do as time goes on. I keep praying for a miracle.

I was born (baptized) and grew up in a Catholic church. I had my first holy communion and confession and all. Then at a certain time in my life (high school years) my mom basically became athiest (long story), we all stopped going to church, and I had a lot of time to think. Then when hubby & I got married we found a church to fit how we felt. So now we attend a non-denominational church since we believe in the bible and not religion. There's no rules, no pressure, no "strange" feelings that hold a lot of people back from ever trying a church. In fact my neighbors went to our church one day (for something that their little boy wanted to go to with our kids) and they were scared to go to church because they had only gone to church once before with a friend and they didn't like the feeling of not knowing what to and not liking some stuff and then after going to ours they loved it!

I was born and raised conservative Christian (Church of Christ denomination, to be exact). My mother was/is a christian and my dad was not (he is now, looong amazing story if you want to hear it, PM me). Anyways... my mom, sister, and I attended the church for 20+ years, but I never felt that my faith was my own. It was my mom's, or my minister's, or the elder's. But I never had a real relationship with Jesus.

When I was 20, we left my childhood church. It was an ugly parting for many reasons. Mostly because the church leaders were VERY legalistic and miltant in their leadership and it was a very oppressive place with little room for growth. The mentality was sort of, "You believe what we tell you and you don't ask questions". It wasn't healthy.

So we left while I was in college and I myself didn't go back for several years. Then my mom asked me to try a new church she wanted to visit. It was amazing. It was like a lightbulb turned on and I thought "THIS is what christianity is supposed to be like. THIS is how Christians behave. THIS is what its all about". That was six years ago and I've never looked back. I have grown in my faith more in the last six years that I did in 20 at my old church. Its just such a different experience that mine growing up.

I go to church every sunday (and wednesday night) and attend small group bible studies and church fellowships and ladies retreats and its just so amazing. I learn more and more every day about my savior Jesus Christ and I love watching my children grow up in the kind of spiritual environment that I never had. At six years old, my son Cameron has a stronger faith that some adults I know. Its so amazing.

So, I guess thats my story. Its an unfinished one, obviously. But there it is. If you're curious about faith (not religion, per se) my biggest suggestion would be to try out as many different denominations and churches as you can. They are ALL so different and you'll find your perfect fit.

Just never keep searching. You'll be in my prayers.

lizzyfizzy said:

dana!! this is perfectly stated. that's exactly how i feel about my relationship with God!

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Thats awesome! :wub:

Traci - I am SO with you on the first post. My father was a devout Christian and a scientist at heart (a historian that loved to study science, theology, archaeology and astronomy) and reconciled the two just the way you explained.
Corey - I'm going to agree with most and say try out different churches and eventually you'll find the right one for you. I'm still looking for mine, but I know it's out there. There's a reason there are so many different churches and sects and ways of practicing - there is no one-size-fits-all way of practicing your faith. Some like to scream it on high, some like to keep it on the down low. I'm sure God recognizes many of the different ways people practice their faith in Him - He made us each unique and I'm sure knows that the way we believe may be just as unique.

My Dh feels pretty much the same way you do Corey. He can't quite believe but he can't quite not believe. He's into the science but is the first to point out many people have just replaced Science as their God and believe it every bit as blindly as the most devout religious person.

I've always believed in the Divine. I have questioned the nature of the Divine and the many many ways it is worshipped in the world, but never the fact that it exists. I am a Wiccan because the Divine has come to me as the Goddess, the Great Mother, all my life, first as Mary in my Catholic upbringing & then with older faces like Bridget, Eris and Hestia as I realized Catholicism didn't fully encompass what I believed.

I believe that if you are quiet in your mind and open your heart to the Divine, He/She will find you and speak to you in the way you are meant to hear. That might lead you to a church, a Jewish or buddhist temple, a mosque or pagan open circle or coven or even to just sit quietly on your own from time to time & know the Divine is with you. I don't think God/dess particularly cares how you worship as long as you are kind person who acts from love for others.

I totally have to reply agiain after reading all of this...and just say i think there are alot of legalistic christains who claim to love and cherish Christ, but hold on to some really non biblical veiws. I think "religion" not the Bible - God's word, and the legalism of religion is sadly what keeps so many people from coming to KNOW the love of God.

I am a youth leader and I am always telling my students, Christians are not all supposed to be the same, look the same, act the same, like the same music...but we are all supposed to love Christ, and show his love to EVERYONE, no matter what they believe, we are supposed to be Christ like...so anyway there is some of my two cents....

Growing up I went to church and my parents said it was the most important thing while they both lead horrible lives every other day...I kept going to church through my teen years and then I just stopped. I guess I was just tired of all the fake good/nice hypocrisy I saw and knew was happening. I know people sin but it was more then that...to me I just felt like I didnt need to show everyone that I had faith in order to have it. I do not think God expects you in church every Sunday praising him so long as you do it everyday and try to live the way he asks you too. So while I was baptized in a Lutheran church and still have Lutheran beliefs I do not attend church. Cant stand being in a church, being expected to wear my "sunday best" and being judged if I didnt. Ive read the bible the first time when I was about 8 years old and many times since then and I do have a very strong faith. Its been tested many times and I have questioned why on many occasions but I still believe.

can I just pop in here and add........how wonderful it is to have all of us here discussing our differences as friends and everyone being so open , not afraid to voice their personal beliefs? It's truly a very special place here on this board where there is no condemnation or "my way or the highway" or "you're going to hell because you believe......". I just think it's totally cool how well we all gel together and just love each other yaknow?

Ooh...lots of great answers! For me, any of the stories that you girls share about your relationship with God always seems to reaffirm my own. Thank you!

I do the organized religion thing. It works for me because I think of God as just as I would an earthly father...with rules and guidelines that make home a great place to be and keep us from getting into too much trouble. Organized religion makes it easier to share and administer those guidelines. Maybe some of us learn a little faster when we have friends who can help us learn them rather than trying to discover them all on our own.

I think that just as God seemed to constantly be in the lives of not just individuals but "his people" in the Bible, I think he does that now. I think he finds certain people who make good leaders to help others to know his will and plan of happiness for them. We need Moses, Elijah, Noah, and Daniel today as much as they needed them then, and we need to hear the imortant messages of our day. Adam wasn't instructed to build the ark, and Noah wasn't the one to free the house of Israel...what can we learn from God TODAY that is relevant and saves us and moves us closer to Him?

And I'm totally with Traci in thinking that God and science are not mutually exclusive. I'm convinced that God uses the laws of physics to carry out his will (ie...organizing the world and giving humanity a place to flourish). I think miracles are just "unexplained" events that seem to defy our human understanding, orchestrated by One who understands the laws of the universe better than any of us do at this time.

And while I'm Christian, I LOVE learning about other faiths...I can see where so many of them are actually sister religions...with the same Creator in the beginning, breaking away and evolving into a new religion but with many of the same ideas and objectives...just with different names.

I love reading all the narratives about the Great Flood, and while some say it's evidence that the story was ficitional, I say it's evidence that the story really happened and the legend was passed down through generations in many of the break-away cultures.

Simultaneously, I believe that some text in the Bible is figurative rather than literal. For example...40...it's used for the flood, for the years the Israelites wandered in the wildnerness, for the number of days Jesus fasted and prayed, etc. It is easy to see that 40 could easily be used as the number to mean "a lot of"...just like we say there was "a ton of" something or a "million" of something.

I love learning about the various native cultures who seem to have practiced a form of Christianity...with lists of commandments, beatitudes, and a Redeemer who will return.

I believe that God could easily have organized other worlds/planets for his children as he has done on earth. I don't know that people from other planets have actually been to earth, but I think it's definitely within the realm of possibility.

Okay...I've rambled enough. I'll just say that as relgious as I am, I find so much to learn all around me that strengthens my faith every single day. And like Lizzy, I feel very close to my God. I developed that relationship as a teen in a very difficult situation...the only father who really loved me. Prayer became a lifeline for me then, and it has never failed me.

I was raised in a very religious, legalistic, VERY conservative Missionary Baptist environment. Now, I have NO problem with anyone who believes that way, but I just knew in my spirit growing up that there was more to having a relationship with God than what they taught me. They were very afraid of learning more about the Holy Spirit or having any questions about the accepted beliefs. I never doubted that God was real, and I accepted Jesus as my saviour at a very young age, but I wanted more. lol. When I left home, I moved to northern California to live with my dad and started going to Assembly of God and non-denominational churches. There, I found the true relationship with Jesus that I had been seeking my whole life. They taught me about freedom in worship, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and just living in the presence of God every single moment. My life was completely changed through prophecies, healings, and amazing works of God in my own life to heal the deep hurts that I had from my childhood. I have never looked back! God is as real to me as my children are. I may not be able to see Him, but He speaks to me and guides me every single day in every decision that I make. He has brought me through the most difficult times in my life as well as the really incredible ones.

Wow, that was really long. lol. This is just something that is very personal and special to me.

I was raised in a traditional Roman Catholic home by my father ("traditional" meaning of the old pre-second-Vatican-council beliefs... ie: women must wear dresses and everyone's going to hell). I spent over 20 years having his religion shoved down my throat before I finally cut ties with him (oh, that still hurts to talk about, apparently). The horrible things he did to me, my brother, and my mother in the name of his religion could fill a book.

My mom, on the other hand, is Lutheran, I always liked going to services with her but it felt awkward. In addition to Lutheran and Catholic (modern), I've been to Jewish, Baptist, Buddhist, Pagan, Bahá'í, LDS, and Episcopal (I think that's what it was-- grandpa's church) worship services and talked to many of their members... I've also read books on world religions but no one religion fits me and I'm okay with that. I like bits and pieces of all of them and I've applied them to my life. I feel like I have a great relationship with God and I don't feel empty or lost... contrary to what some may assume (I don't mean you gals here, a convo like this has come up on other boards in the past and it's ALWAYS assumed that I surely MUST be sooooo miserable).

i agree with traci! there are so many different types of churches...gosh it's a bit dizzying to say the least that you def have to see what suits you. i would say that 'no...you not a bad person or wrong for not attending'. if i can make one thing clear, hear this: i hate RELIGION...i'm all about the relationship. so many people go to chuch just to go and get their sunday fill. don't get me wrong, i'm glad they go...but don't just go to say you go. kwim?!?! i go to get fed! learn more, love more and hopefully walk away with something i can apply to my everyday life. when your thirsty you drink, right? that's how i view it. it's not about the action of attending...thats bunk. a lot of 'christians' go every sunday and then are the first to flip you off if you cut them off. go to learn and discover your faith. imo, that's the only reason to go. you can also see sermons online at my church timberlinechurch.org. i cannot tell you enough how i appreciate how they 'teach' at my church, not 'preach'!

I'm exactly the same way Corey!

lizzyfizzy said:

i agree with traci! there are so many different types of churches...gosh it's a bit dizzying to say the least that you def have to see what suits you. i would say that 'no...you not a bad person or wrong for not attending'. if i can make one thing clear, hear this: i hate RELIGION...i'm all about the relationship. so many people go to chuch just to go and get their sunday fill. don't get me wrong, i'm glad they go...but don't just go to say you go. kwim?!?! i go to get fed! learn more, love more and hopefully walk away with something i can apply to my everyday life. when your thirsty you drink, right? that's how i view it. it's not about the action of attending...thats bunk. a lot of 'christians' go every sunday and then are the first to flip you off if you cut them off. go to learn and discover your faith. imo, that's the only reason to go. you can also see sermons online at my church timberlinechurch.org. i cannot tell you enough how i appreciate how they 'teach' at my church, not 'preach'!

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perfectly said girl!

I've been going to a non-denominational church here for a couple years now. It was actually miss leeandra probably 4 or 5 years now who first started talking to me about church etc.. I had never really thought about going before. I went to sunday school when i was little but never anything really consistent and i think it was more to just "go" you know?

I do like my church but being where I live, a small town, sometimes has its disadvantages. My church is really really tiny (15-20 people maybe) and there aren't alot of children. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be in a church where there are more people and people with young families like myself but there isn't alot I can do about that.. lol

The best advice is to just go try churches and see what you think if you are interested. I was always so nervous to go because I felt like you needed some kind of permission or something. It wasn't until after I started going that I realized how welcoming they are

Corey you're absolutely not alone in your questions and doubts and curiosity and fascination. I think it's part of a journey that most everyone goes through as they search spiritually for what fits and feels like home to them.

I was raised with a foundation of church and faith and my family (apart from my stepdad and sister) has always been strong in their faith. So I was raised going to church, vacation bible school, baptized and confirmed, and all of that. Looking back now, my grandma was at a place in her walk that I hope to be someday. Her faith was beautiful. But I used to think it was silly.

And, like you, as I grew and learned more, I also questioned more and for a long time I let my intellectual doubts keep me apart from God. I tried so hard to intellectually come to a place where I could say I *knew* for sure, without a shadow of a doubt that He existed and that Jesus was my King. Anything less felt like it was "blind" faith and I couldn't understand it. And I couldn't get there with my own brain. Or with science. Or exploring every religion known to man. Or in exploring moral relativism.

Until I realized that my brain and that science and everything else were avenues for me to come to a relationship with God. That there are more answers through Him than there are questions. That all my questions didn't have to be obstacles in having a relationship with Him. And that all my seeking had an end in Him.

I agree with Traci 100% that science and faith are not mutually exclusive. 100%. In the end, science only explains so much. It canNOT explain everything. And I also realized that those who hold science as the end all be all are doing so with the same kind of blind faith that those who hold God as the end all be all do. For a long time I confused that with religion and I missed the point. For a long time I let all my questions keep me from really getting the answers because I turned to the "wrong" places to get them.

It has been a long journey, but I do feel confidently that I "know" now, even though there is a certain measure of blind faith involved (though it doesn't feel that way to me anymore), that there is a God. And that He loves me. And I fully accepted Him into my life and everything is different. In a good way. I'm completely different from the person I was 10 years ago. In a good way.

Everyone has a different story and my choice and my faith may not be their own and that's okay. But for me...I have a personal relationship with God. I accept Jesus as my Savior and I take steps in my walk everyday. We too have found a church home and I think that's hugely important on any one's walk in spirituality. It makes an enormous difference. When you have one, you want to go to church. It doesn't feel like the organized religion. It's different. For us, that's a non-denominational church with lots of music and teaching from the Bible every Sunday.

But if you don't find a church "home" or if actual church-going doesn't feel right I think that's okay too. Because, in the end, for me it's about my personal relationship.

Stacey42 said:

My Dh feels pretty much the same way you do Corey. He can't quite believe but he can't quite not believe. He's into the science but is the first to point out many people have just replaced Science as their God and believe it every bit as blindly as the most devout religious person.

I've always believed in the Divine. I have questioned the nature of the Divine and the many many ways it is worshipped in the world, but never the fact that it exists. I am a Wiccan because the Divine has come to me as the Goddess, the Great Mother, all my life, first as Mary in my Catholic upbringing & then with older faces like Bridget, Eris and Hestia as I realized Catholicism didn't fully encompass what I believed.

I believe that if you are quiet in your mind and open your heart to the Divine, He/She will find you and speak to you in the way you are meant to hear. That might lead you to a church, a Jewish or buddhist temple, a mosque or pagan open circle or coven or even to just sit quietly on your own from time to time & know the Divine is with you. I don't think God/dess particularly cares how you worship as long as you are kind person who acts from love for others.

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Wicca really fascinates me! i don't know much about it, but i think its very interesting.i've always been a nature lover and isnt' Wicca sort of about nature? not sure, sorry.

thanks again, everyone! its is very cool that we can all talk about this and keep it friendly. i was a tad nervous about starting a topic like this, but wow i didn't expect this awesome 'turnout' lol. its neat to hear everyones views. and i just dont think i'm cut out to attend a church. i think i'm happier on my own exploring my own relationship with God by myself. i think of myself as a good person to others around me and thats a big part of loving God. i still think i have some sorting out to do, but now i don't feel so bad about not doing that in a church setting.

thanks!
{{hugs!}}

i believe that i am a child of God, that you are a child of God, and that we ALL are God's children. i believe in his Son Jesus Christ and in His Atonement for the world as our Savior. l believe that He has a plan for all of us and that He wants us to be happy in this life. i believe that our greatest happiness in life will come from our families and friends and in being genuinely good people. i believe that the light of Christ is in everyone, it's just a matter of recognising it. i believe that all prayers are heard, weather out loud or in your head. and i believe that faith is a principle of action. we show we have it by acting on our beliefs, by doing unto others, and by praying for extra strength when we need it. i believe that life will continue beyond this life on earth. i have faith. and so can everyone. you just have to want it.