"Giving up" with Christianity

[LightWork]

I'd like to know what other people think on this subject.

I've basically been exposed to various forms of Christianity for a few years now and nothing's ever hit me about it. I'm far too logical and my heart lies elsewhere with my beliefs. My beliefs, however, are not completely structured as of yet as I am always learning. My Christian friends are urging me to go to Church, try different angles, etc, because i do show interest, as you can't knock it until you at least look at it. But, after three years...nothing. It's just not for me.

I'm now being told I've "given up" with the religion when I ought to try harder. I guess this is coming from their biased points of view, as they would obviously think they are right and don't want to see me cast into hell. But do you think there does come a time where it's a good idea to pack in looking at a particular religion? They evolve and change from church to church, let alone country to country. Looking at it personally, I feel it's very unproductive to pursue it anymore, but I'm being told otherwise.

Thoughts?

[freddy]

I think you have to decide for your self in the end.I to grew up being told I would be going to hell If I did not go to church. Well after thinking for my self and several books and this site along with others. I have come to the conclusion, there is a little bit of truth in any religion. But when man get hold of it, they twist it, an turn it to try and control your pocket book with that great line. See if you where giving your money to God This would not be happening to you now. Bullsh#^.
If you want to be with your friend go with them to church. Just act saintly. Just like most of the people in the church you know, acting all sweet. Then driving home they give you the finger because you cut in front of them comming out of the parking lot. Yeah great bunch of heathens they are.

[Acting Like Godot]

You don't have to go to church to find God. Generally he's just everywhere.

[Mato Kinze]

Originally Posted by freddy

If you want to be with your friend go with them to church. Just act saintly. Just like most of the people in the church you know, acting all sweet.

Why would you give up your personal integrity and lie to a friend just to be with them in a place you feel uncomfortable and disconnected - or worse yet, judged? Your own sense of Truth and moral guidance will provide a much more fulfilling Spiritual experience than trying to "fake it till you make it."

Lightwork,
I went through a very similar process throughout college. I was raised Presbyterian - went through confirmation and everything. But it wasn't for me, it was for my family because that's what I was "supposed" to do. Christianity in general never helped me connect or feel spiritual in any way.

So, when I was in college I did what a lot of youg people do when they're out ont heir own for the first time - I experimented. With lots of stuff admittedly, but most importantly for me today, I experimented with religion. I set out to purposefully find a religion that I could believe in.

I tried eastern religions like Zen, Dharamaguptaka and Mulasarvastivada Buddhism - 'cause it was a good way to pick up chicks and gave me lots of good opening lines in bars: I tried Hinduism - 'cause the Hindus seemed pretty liberated what with the whole "Kama Sutra" thing: I tried Taoism - 'cause it seemed like a pretty laid-back ideal: I tried Judaism - 'cause a good friend was Jewish and I admired her and thought there might be something to it: I tried Islam - 'cause I liked the idea of a book with 114 chapters increasing in length as you go (I'm kinda a step-by-step learner).

I also explored other versions of Christianity. The statement from God to Joseph Smith where God says to him, "As you are, I was. As I am, ye shall be," made me feel like maybe we could all be devine in some way. That resonated with what I had garnered through Buddhism and smacked of the Tao pretty heavily...

In the end, what I found was like Freddy said, "...there's a little bit of Truth in every religion." I figured out that religion and spirituality are NOT the same thing - that religion is simply a means by which one connects to Spirit. Mass religions are methods by which MANY people have connected to Spirit in similar ways. They've all gotten together, compared notes and said, "Hey, this stuff works. We should share this with others 'cause it's REALLY cool!"

If you take time to look at the message and not the messenger, if you filter out the dogma and inconsequential trappings, you'll start to see the commonalities in all religions. THAT is the Truth.

Then let your Heart guide you to where you need to be, not your head. The head is for gathering information only. It is the Heart that should be used to make decisions.

Good luck.

[The Cloud]

In my opinion, there's no point in looking any further than yourself when looking for beliefs. You are likely being told to "try harder" by people that are trying to validate their own beliefs through you. If they can convince you of Christianity's validity, then they are right in believing in Christianity. My belief is that you should question your beliefs that you think need to be questioned, and forget about looking for answers where other people say they are.

Personally, I learned much of my philosophy from Friedrick Nietzsche and Ayn Rand. Does that mean that you should keep studying Rand and Nietzsche even if you aren't getting anything out of it, just because it resonated with me? No, that would be nonsensical.

If somebody suggests an answer, by all means give it consideration. I would suggest that you read "The Fountainhead." But if you don't enjoy and don't care about the message of the first 100 pages, there's not much point in reading further and you would be better served to start a different book. Three years is a long time to read a boring book that you don't care about. Maybe its about time for you to find a new author.

By the way, I personally am agnostic in that I don't believe that it matters whether or not there is a god. Just so that you can understand my bias.

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by freddy

I think you have to decide for your self in the end.I to grew up being told I would be going to hell If I did not go to church. Well after thinking for my self and several books and this site along with others. I have come to the conclusion, there is a little bit of truth in any religion. But when man get hold of it, they twist it, an turn it to try and control your pocket book with that great line. See if you where giving your money to God This would not be happening to you now. Bullsh#^.
If you want to be with your friend go with them to church. Just act saintly. Just like most of the people in the church you know, acting all sweet. Then driving home they give you the finger because you cut in front of them comming out of the parking lot. Yeah great bunch of heathens they are.

LOL This last part made me laugh so hard! You're totally right. I was born and raised Catholic but quit going to church about 10 years ago,and my dad just hates it. He always said all he wanted was for us to keep going to church (after my parents divorced)...but why would we all keep going just for him? Some people just dont realize that people should be able to think for themselves,and religion is like a sure way to make that NOT happen. It should be called brainwashing.

I got into an argument with a friend about this today. He said since i was born and raised Catholic,that i am still Catholic,and that i will go to hell for eating meat on Fridays during Lent. I told him "i dont consider myself Catholic anymore though" and he said "But you are still Catholic if you were raised that way" and i said "You mean someone can quit going to church for 10 years but still be that religion?" Was i supposed to do some ritual to rid myself of Catholicism? lol

Anyway,yeah i agree with everyone else here too...you have to think for yourself and do what you want as far as religions go. I also beleive there is only a little truth to all of them,and basically they all share that truth,when it all comes down to the basics.

[SonoranBob]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

I got into an argument with a friend about this today. He said since i was born and raised Catholic,that i am still Catholic,and that i will go to hell for eating meat on Fridays during Lent. I told him "i dont consider myself Catholic anymore though" and he said "But you are still Catholic if you were raised that way" and i said "You mean someone can quit going to church for 10 years but still be that religion?" Was i supposed to do some ritual to rid myself of Catholicism? lol

You've simply encountered the "Once Catholic, always Catholic" mantra. I'm surprised you're surprised. My father left the Catholic church long before I was born 51 years ago and to his dying day his Catholic relatives were still laying that on him. I heard it off and on throughout my protestant childhood.

It seems obvious that this is just a meme that exists to use guilt to bring Catholics back to the Mother Church whenever something goes wrong in their life.

The evangelical protestant version doesn't work as well for that purpose: "One saved, always saved". That leaves you right with god but in a more "off the hook" sense that isn't going to lead you back to the church itself. People say to themselves, "on the outside chance that there was something to my religious up-bringing, at least I'm covered there ... now, what debauchery can I find next? Bwuh-ha-ha!"

Seriously, all this presupposes that, protestant or catholic, if you leave the church you will become morally and ethically degenerate, the sky will fall, etc. When you leave the church you find that, au contraire, the sky does NOT fall and you become morally and ethically enhanced because you do good out of love rather than out of fear ...

--Bob

[erdtek]

Hi LightWork,

I think that one does not "give up" Christianity, but one "gives up" the beliefs of other people about Christianity. Christianity has its power, but it depends on how you understand it, how you feel it. And in many cases other people tells you how to understand it and feel about it and it may contradict with your understanding. If you tried it 3 years you see that it is not for you, then why don't you taste something other that you may like.

I think that many things in Christianity can be learned without even having heard of Christianity, they can be learned from everyday life, from other religions, books, near death experiences, and so on.

But do you think there does come a time where it's a good idea to pack in looking at a particular religion?

I think that it is best to look at your heart and not in a religion. In many cases religions try to tell you what is in your heart and they may manage to do it, but there also cases where it contradicts with your feelings. And this is absolutely normal, because nobody can tell you what is in your heart, except you. If you take the opinions of other people you may realize sooner or later that they may not work for you, if they don't correspond with your heart.

[joecooool]

christianity is a meme
Meme - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Old Soul]

ok is it "God" you are having issues with? or the structure of "church" or church itself? or perhaps christianity as a whole? I have issues with some of christianity too, but it does not thwart my faith in God, I also have issues with many other cults the JW's especially and sects and beleifs......... and this does not thwart my faith in God , and those who say you are condemed to hell are just "playing" God , not reflecting God BIG BIG difference

I think what many christians today forget is that the desciplies who followed christ and believed in him , never went to church , there was no "structured church" to go to eventually they ( Christ followers met in peoples homes) there was no brick building as we know it today called churches

Secondly what is church? is it not just a gathering of people who believe in God? how do you not know that this forum is not considered " fellowship" with Christ as the head

so you see , it is all about deffenitons, personally I beleive that those who do go to church regularly and never mis it or else be thrown into hell, are missing the entire message of what true " fellowship" or the message of Christ really is

You won't find God in church because "God" is the head of the church, even without walls and doors and windows... the people make up the worship and fellowship and this can be done in your back yard, in your home , where ever you go............

And those who say fellowship can not be anything outside of a sunday church service is WRONG! lol

don't let them get to you..... and Remember nobody can ever take away your "poem" so to speak, if you have faith........ you have faith

[Old Soul]

You don't have to go to church to find God. Generally he's just everywhere.

Or do you have to go to church to "fellowship" fellowship is not confined to 4 brick walls on Sunday mornings .....

[joecooool]

and fellowship, goodness, morality, happiness, love, understanding, etc.. is not confined to god belief, atheists have all of that too.

[Jennihul]

Just invent your own version, like I did. It incorporates whatever resonates with me. Screw the middleman. Totally unecessary invention.

My "religion" really loves Kabbalah and contains aspects of Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, LOA, and others.

Jennifer

[joecooool]

get your objective knowledge from modern mainstream scientific consensus

as for your subjectivity tailor it to whatever suits you best, whatever works for you.

just dont confuse your subjective ideas with objective truth

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by joecooool

get your objective knowledge from modern mainstream scientific consensus

Which is nothing more than the lowest common denominator of the subjective opinions of scientists subjectively considered to be modern and mainstream.

[joecooool]

first of all subjective reality is self refuting. its the same thing as saying you have no objective knowledge, which is saying you have no truth, and if you dont then you cant know if realty is subjective or not.

objective and subjective are used to describe what is self evident

the apple on the table vs. the idea of an apple in your head

if you want to use some unproven fantasy view of objectivity to put it on some unreachable pedestal then use that to fuel subjective reality then thats your mistake

but i know science is not an absolute truth, it doesn't confess to be. science is simply the best method we have of obtaining objective knowledge

science tells us what we know, and religion guesses at what we dont know

science can unite us, and religion divides us

besides if you want to say its all subjective therefore i get to believe in god, then i could equally say its all subjective therefore i get to believe god absolutely doesn't exist.

so subjective reality is
1-self refuting
2-supported by a unreal fantasy of objectivity
3-useless for uniting humankind


but it doesn't matter, my point is simple, everyone knows there is a difference between what is real and what is in your head. god has yet to be shows to be real, so therefore its all in your head.

god at this time is imaginary