I really do not know what to believe in

[organic born]

Originally Posted by sohappy

It's the close minded ones that oppose Christianity or other religions with other spiritual beliefs. You are free to adopt different practices and beliefs according to how you feel without having to throw your original religion away or label yourself in any way.

Religion is a collection of images. Are these images usable? If we're trained to think they are, then in those ways they will carry resonance based on the other images we'd be adding to inventory. But if the spell breaks and they're no longer applicable then it's best that one moves-on into fresh territory.

[Morpheus]

Originally Posted by jlhbr100

I ws raised Christian (Catholic specifically), but for years now I've been unable to unable to make up my mind for more than several months at a time whether I'm Christian (Methodist, at the moment, specifically) or an agnostic atheist.

I used to believe in theistic evolution, but I've been questioning how exactly that adds up with the Bible and is actually correct. I also think that strongly thinking the universe and humans existing without a divine purpose is nonsense doesn't make that true. Even as a young Christian, "everything's so pretty/complex" was less of proof of god and more of a very subjective opinion. The universe is billions of years old. That's plenty of time for nature to work itself out to what we see now. I've also known for a while that people don't think there's proof of the Israelites ever being in Egypt and I looked up that again and that view seems plausibly supported. (But then again, there's also a lot of people who swear up and down Jesus never existed and also try to give historical reasoning for this position)

The best I reasoning I have to be a Christian is a possible first cause argument, me thinking that if there was a god, the one described in the Bible makes the most sense, and perceived personal proof. But I am uneasy with believing in religion without much scientific defense among my belief. Also, I can't disregard the fact that the god of the Bible might make sense to me just because I was raised to think Christianity was true.

I don't know what to believe and I'm frustrated at this point. Can anyone give me their thoughts on this please? Thanks in advance.

A key link is about Time, jhbr. With respect to Eternity, the greater reality and Truth.
Science, since Einstein, tells us that time really doesn't exist, and we know that Space and Gravity are related with it. I've posted conclusions, here.

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=51113

So, you are on track with your perception of theistic evolution.

No, it's not that complicated. A thought experiment which I've posted involves reducing the ages of evolution, from the beginning of the Universe, down to just a minute or two.
What becomes apparent is, "intent".

Any Creation indicates, also, indicates a Creator of it.

Regarding the situation of the Israelites, there are now a number of archaeological finds to show that Biblical narration is true.

[JOHNTY]

Greetings,

And welcome.

Personally, I am thankful I now how no religion. I gave up on that years ago because none of it made sense to me because they never provided enough answers to my many questions. Basically it was a case of 'You have to believe in what we say and not question it' - that wasn't enough for me.

I've been a lot happier since I decided to search for God in my own way - with no dogmatic strings attached.

You don't have to look very far to find God - God is everywhere and in everything because everywhere and everything is God.

Happy hunting my friend..

[revolver]

Originally Posted by JOHNTY

Greetings,

And welcome.

Personally, I am thankful I now how no religion. I gave up on that years ago because none of it made sense to me because they never provided enough answers to my many questions. Basically it was a case of 'You have to believe in what we say and not question it' - that wasn't enough for me.

I've been a lot happier since I decided to search for God in my own way - with no dogmatic strings attached.

You don't have to look very far to find God - God is everywhere and in everything because everywhere and everything is God.

Happy hunting my friend..

That's just how I think, religion could never do it, so yes we have to do it for ourselves.

[Song]

I was reared in the Baptist religion, was agnostic by my 20s, and now consider myself a full blown atheist.

The Biblical god (both the OT & NT versions), to my mind, is nothing more than a fairy tale. While it's as clear as crystal to me now, after decades of being constantly indoctrinated with the notion that there is a Big Guy in the Sky who alternates between being vengeful / warlike, and eternally loving and forgiving, wasn't all that easy a notion to give up.

After giving it up, I cannot get it back; and I have actively tried to do so.

My agnostic stage had me believing that there is a Creator of some sort in existence, just not the Biblical one.

Now as an atheist, I do not believe that there is any sort of beneficial creator, god, or anything along those lines. To me, there obviously is someone or some *thing* directly behind the corralling of consciousness; this doesn't mean, however, that the *thing* is benevolent, or even malevolent, for that matter.

It may well be a neutral observer. What I do not believe, though, is that this *thing* necessarily is the end all & be all of creation.

If there is, or ever was, an end all & be all creator, it may have set things in motion and went about its business, or it very well may no longer exist at all. Whatever the truth of the situation, I doubt that *we* will ever be privy to it.

Christianity (as well as Judaism and Islam), as religion, is a product of ancient monarchical world-view. Bible was written by a several people living in that time and surrounded by this culture.

It was not written by God, not even by Jesus, so why would you take it too seriously at all?

I'd allow myself to paste here a related long quote from A.Watts:

"All Western religions have taken the form of celestial monarchies, and therefore have discouraged democracy in the kingdom of heaven.

Because you see, they have a religion which is militant. Which is not the religion of Jesus, which was the realization of divine son-ship. but the religion about Jesus, which pedestalizes him, and which says only this man, of all the sons of women was divine, and you better recognize it!

So it becomes a freak religion, just as it has made a freak of Jesus among natural man. It claims uniqueness, that what it does teach would be far more credible if it were truly Catholic. That is to say, re-stated again, the truths which have been known from time immemorial.

Every religion should be self-critical, otherwise it soon degenerates into a self righteous hypocrisy. If then, we can see this, that Jesus speaks not from the situation of a historical deus-ex-machina, a kind of weird, extraordinary event. But he is a voice, which has joins with other voices that have said in every place and time: wake up, man, wake up…and realize who you are!

Now I don’t think you see, until Churches get with that, they are going to have very much relevance."



In other words, don't "have faith" in anything... Believe only proven facts and your own inner-self. If you feel something is not right, it very probably isn't. Only deep down, within yourself, you'll find God. And when you do, you won't have doubts anymore.

I was raised as a catholic and soon realised there was much enslavement in not being able to question, and blindly accept belief in what has been mostly invented along the way.
Search for Truth and you will find it is strange at first. But you will not find it in orthodox religion which is a barrier to spiritual experience.
I see this post dates back to 2011,I hope you will find your path.

[Morpheus]

Does anyone recall the song by Dillon?

Aetherian? You are going to have to serve someone, like it or not.
By default then, you fall into the category of seving the chief rebel, which situation is addressed in scripture.

Which you percieve as "freedom". But, it is not.

biblehub.com/revelation/8-11.htm
"The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter ..."

"Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit."
From Revelation

biblehub.com/isaiah/14-12.htm
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son (star) of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"
Isaiah

------------------------------------------------------
"If a man's actions are not guided by thoughtful conclusions, then they are guided by inconsiderate impulse, unbalanced appetite, caprice, or the circumstances of the moment.
To cultivate unhindered, unreflective external activity is to foster enslavement, for it leaves the person at the mercy of appetite, sense, and circumstance." - John Dewey

Question your beliefs, why do you believe what you believe. Does your believes help or harm you?

[revolver]

Originally Posted by joyforlife

Question your beliefs, why do you believe what you believe. Does your believes help or harm you?

So called beliefs are fleeting things in my life, there here and then gone, I try not to cling to them.