Who is willing to share there religious journey as to why you decided to turn to god or why you turned away from God?

[Zigzagwigwag]

I am a Christian but I want to hear your story sometime, so share your story and I'm happy to share mine with anyone who asks

[BCRanger10]

I was born and raised Catholic and continue to practice the faith today.

My sister talked me into going on what was called the Steubenville Catholic Youth Conference when I was heading into my junior year of high school. I had a conversion of heart of sorts there and became interested in being Catholic on my own.

I went to a Catholic college and met some friends who were proponents of the Traditional Latin Mass. A few years later, one of them got married and invited me to his wedding, which was at the parish that I attend now.

My faith life has changed and matured a great deal since then (2015).

[_no_one_]

My parents were not religious in the least. They don't even share the same religion, therefore I was never really encouraged to participate in any religious activities. So, while I am an atheist, I appreciate religion and have a different viewpoint on it.

[Andres77]

I grew up in a Christian home.
Dysfunctional, we didn't have all the right answers.
I rebelled against every rule.
My life hasn't been easy.
Others have to deal with far worse so while my life shaped my views when I compare myself to what others have dealt with I consider myself fortunate.
I'm still rebellious.
There are things I don't understand.
I'm not "religious". Those people make me sick.
I won't push my beliefs on anyone... you have to follow your own conscience.
But I don't believe others "stuff" either.
So while they rail against God they judge and hate me for believing in God.
I believe what I believe.
So do you.
I'm not judging you for your beliefs but it's oh so en vogue to judge Christians for our beliefs. We're all going to die. We hope we're all right. Some of us are, some of us ain't. When we find out it'll be too late. Judging me now will get you nowhere. I do believe in God. I don't have all the answers. I struggle with stuff daily. I can't deny His existence. If you avoid the self-righteous religious folks the path to believing in God is gentle. Those that hate God are mean and vindictive and insulting and the biggest bullies I've ever experienced. Trying to MAKE me deny God... why? They're hiding from something and to attack a believer somehow makes them feel good. Doesn't make sense. I simply can't deny His existence... and even though I don't understand why's and wherefores He's bigger and more powerful than me so I'm trying to learn. I'm not perfect, I never will be in this life. I'm not better than anyone else but you God haters are not better than me either. Here's a thought. Convince or coerce? Convince... you give what evidence you feel is sufficient to prove your point and let me decide. Coerce... you're forcing me... and it's probably not for a good reason. There were "missionaries" that coerced, I can't deny that. A lot of evil stuff was done in God's name. Lot's of damage too. Just because someone says they're a Christian doesn't mean they are. Bottom line: no one has proof of what happens when we die. Some of us are going to be surprised, some won't. God is real. I struggle against Him. I'll find out what will happen when it happens. Just leave me alone.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Amen :)
Thank you so much for sharing that..
It speaks truth and your heart has been placed in gods hands...
I pray you overcome your struggles as we all try to overcome our own

[Andres77]

Thanks.

[DJB72]

I can't share my whole story here - not enough space.

I always believed in God. Then in 1985 my brother died in a road accident. I spent 9 months hating Him for "taking" my little brother. Then in the November I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a figure standing by the window. He walked over and reached out to offer me His hand and I saw the scar through His wrist. Right through.

We talked about my brother and what had happened. He showed me how my dad and grandad were praying for me and how He'd been with me every step since the accident. And how I'd spit in His face and keep walking every time He helped me stand.

I've never regretted accepting Christ that night 37 years ago. My walk has been anything but easy, but I know with absolute certainty that my God is with me every step I take.

Sometimes I post stuff on here that could easily be perceived as ungodly. It probably is. I'm forgiven, not perfect. I get things wrong. Badly, sometimes.

But I've seen some incredible Love shown to me and through me over the years.

[Zigzagwigwag]

thats amazing
everything will work out in the end and stressing about your imprefections with yourself with the family and with god with everything in your life god is here and has been and always will be with you
dont worry about your past or your future rest and allow god to guide you through life every step until you are called home to the father the earth will hate you and its people will hurt you but god loves you and never wants to see you in pain.
he feels our pain and holds us close so we can love him forever as he has loved us from the day he formed us in the womb of our mothers knit by his loving fatherly hands bless you and all you have been through will soon come to pass

[normalice]

Was raised by Puritans who taught that every single thought should be selflessly turned towards the service of God. When I left their house the options were to either go nuts in a world that didn't accommodate people for wasting so much time or consider the possibility that my parents were wrong. I eased into the latter.

But if you've been raised one religion it's hard to look at any others and take them seriously. I spent a few years looking at other types of Christianity but it didn't seem like anyone else was really taking them seriously, either. So I abandoned religion altogether and watched in horror from "the other side" as hypocrisy after hypocrisy was exposed yet religious people did nothing about them. Christianity became pretty much the exact opposite of everything I was taught in the span of a decade as they succumbed to a sort of political bloodlust that didn't even make any sense. And that no one was held accountable, but instead rewarded, kind of cemented to me that the whole thing is probably made up as a proxy for self worth to help those who want their failures to be valuable collectively feel better by tacit agreement that they'll all just pretend they are successes.

[Sonorous]

I was indoctrinated into Christianity from birth so I can't say for certain that I actually truly believed in it since I didn't have the option/free will to not believe in it. But when I did start to really question it (years after hearing people mock it in school), I was probably around age 13. And I believe that decision was because of the obvious mismatch with my former "beliefs" & reality. And upon further inspection (thanks to creators on YouTube) I could really find the flaws of the religion.

I didn't know what I was after that, but I knew I wasn't a Christian. It didn't help that I couldn't even talk about it with my own mother. As a result, it took a long time to figure out who I was. I didn't know for sure until I was about 19 years old. I discovered that I was and still am an agnostic who is only an atheist when confronted with religion.

Now, I do recognize the utility of religion & how it can be more harmful than good for primates like us to not live in a delusion. But I'm still no fan of dogmatic ideology in general. So I'll always view more open & scientific ways of thinking more. And I have no problem with "ideology." It just basically means "way of life." I just disagree with certain ways of life.

[Anonymous]

You do understand that from an atheist point of view, one doesn't turn away from god?

Anyway, I'll give you my journey. Was raised religious. Had some experiences when I was young which cemented my believe in the supernatural. Went to a christian brothers school, had a comparative religion class, excelled in sciences. The more I learned about different religions, the more objectively I could see some of the faults in my own.

At college, I met lots of people and new viewpoints. Realised that I had some definite hatred and bigotrys against gay people that I could not justify and began to realise my particular religion was more than a little flawed. At the same time, the scandals in the church began to come out, and I realised hypocrisy and abuse were rampant in the church.

I formally decided to leave the church and started looking at different religions for something that answered my spiritual needs. Got side tracked by Rabbi Eli Rips and his mathematical codes in the bible. Believed it because he was a Rabbi. Why would he lie about stuff in a maths paper? Eventually, as I got closer to converting to judaism, I looked up his paper.

It was total bullshit, I had a maths degree and it took only minutes to realise he was lying, probably because he felt like it was for a greater good.

I had looked at most of the big religions. Found them all wanting. I couldn't reconcile my youthful experiences with my now materialistic scientific view of the universe.

I read Carl Sagan's book The Demon Haunted World. In it, he mentioned that audio and visual hallucinations were not as rare as people think, and it wasn't a sign of craziness. And with that, I had a perfectly adequate explanation for my youthful experiences.

There was no god. Only a dogs breakfast of a messy brain that was capable of being fooled by itself. No god, and no reason to believe in one.

[Zigzagwigwag]

It was capable of being fooled by the devil himself

[Zigzagwigwag]

The devil is the one fooling everyone, he lied to eve and then both her and Adam brought sin in gods once perfect world

[Opinion Owner]

Maybe that gives you some comfort to believe that, but Genesis is a ridiculous book with two different creation myths in it. Most christians haven't read the damn thing and realised how stupid it is.

[Zigzagwigwag]

I have read the whole bible and my faith still stands firm in God

[Effably]

I was never much of a believer. Never saw a reason to believe in it. All the same I gave it a shot. 12-14 year old me read the Bible, the new and old, the Quran, snippets of the Torah. Reflected, asked questions to myself and others and came away with not a single reason to believe other than the belief others had. The studying it was kiddo me's version of showing respect.

But you know that God is omniscient and omnipotent. If I do not believe and God exists it is simply because God did not want me to believe.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Yes, god is still sharing for you to hear him calling you home, he is waiting for us all to lobe him as he lobes each and every one of us

[Zigzagwigwag]

Love*

[Zigzagwigwag]

Loves each*

[devilman666]

@Zigzagwigwag how do you know this?

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Have you really read the whole bible, it is all in there...
All in the big book

[devilman666]

I have, have you?

[devilman666]

Also, the fact that the bible says it doesn't make it true. I could tell you all about what the book of mormom says, but that doesn't mean you should believe it.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Yes, that is how I can tell when you do you not understand the meaning of what is in the bible

[devilman666]

Even if I wanted to believe in God, I can't until he draws me to him. This isn't according to me, this is according to the bible.

John 6:44
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

[Effably]

Kindly note we are different people. I don't mind you two discussing and all but I am neither of you.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Amen

[devilman666]

@Zigzagwigwag therefore the fact that I am not a believer is God's fault. He hasn't drawn me to himself yet.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Yes, I do understand we are different people
Thank you for sharing your story
I'm sorry for this discussion which is taking place as replies to your open and honest insight into your own faith journey

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666 he is waiting for you to let him welcome you home

[devilman666]

Read john 6:44 again. I can't welcome him until he draws me to himself.

"NO ONE can come to me (Jesus) unless the Father (God) who has sent me draws him (to me)."

[Effably]

Zigzag. I mean that me and the guy you are arguing with are not the same. Some people smh.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Oh, my bad I'm sorry
And please you can call me Angel

[CountessSarah]

I was raised loosely christian. We sang hymns and participated in christian festivals in my school, but my parents didn't seem too concerned either way. It wasn't until I got older that I even realised how odd it was that my school did some of the stuff that it did.
In my early teens/late pre-teens I was interested in religion as a topic, and I thought I had all the answers. Listening to Youtube discussions and participating in forum discussions, I quickly found that my arguments for my faith could not hold up to the counterarguments from atheists, and that my fellow theists were all remarkably dishonest in discussions - Avoiding questions, using threats and fallacies. Eventually I realised I cared whether or not what I believed was true, and was no longer able to remain a theist.
My encounters with theists haven't changed at all in that time, I still find them all remarkably dishonest, and it is that inability to defend their position that makes me a gnostic atheist.

[call_me_scar]

Atheist here as for me well my first doubts were in some culture class as a freshman when I learned of other beliefs and how old they were compared to my own which was christianity. Then around junior year I wanted to learn more about the world like god but in the process I learned that their probably is no god as their was multiple plot holes in my belief and moral implications that just can't be justified like hell or the flood which is just genocide so over the course of a month trying to justify my belief to myself I just stopped and that felt good

[Zigzagwigwag]

I was looking for god my whole life, looking for a obvious sing he existed and why I believed and if I even had faith he was real..
It is apart of our DNA to question if there is a god and Question god himself...
I found myself having a extraordinary spiritual experience which probed his existence beyond all doubts

[Zigzagwigwag]

Sign*
Proved*

[devilman666]

What was that extraordinary spiritual experience? How can others have such an experience? Can you use your extrodinary experiences with God to prove his existence to us?

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Its simple, I confessed my sins one night at a youth camp after walking away from the worship in disbelief, I found myself overwhelmed by painful memories of being alone and I choose to go back inside as I didn't want to feel alone any longer
As I walked inside it was as my heart was lightened and all my pains washed away making me feel weightless, as I walked I Gabe control to God and I was no longer in control of my movements I began to run before falling to my knees, in prayer I cried as I prayed in a unknown language known to believers as tongues and scinve that evening I have never been spiritually the same, I had a respect for God and devoted my life to living for him and spreading the god knows of salvation

[devilman666]

Hahaha if that's true then why did God abandon me? I was 12 and alone, I kneeled, I prayed, I cried, I begged for a sign. I spent days doing this, just wanting to know the truth and feeling so alone that I didn't know what to do. This lead to me nearly attempting suicide, and it wasn't a God, but my own inner strength that saved me. I refused to curl up and pass off my pain to others.

So why did God abandon me? I respected him, I needed him, I prayed to him, I begged for him, yet I was alone.

[devilman666]

It sounds to me like you have feelings from being part of the community which you have confused with coming from God. You were indoctrinated into a community and so when you feel alone, you run to the community that made you feel safe. When I feel alone, I have no one to run to except myself. In both cases, God did nothing, it was just our own feelings and choices, you might not have felt in control, but that's just because you were in an emotional state, we never feel incontrol when our emotions are leading us.

[call_me_scar]

Gonna have to second the devil man on this one your story zig just screams emotion and that's not evidence you can have a overwhelming feeling that your partner is cheating on you but that doesn't mean he/she is

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
The book of Job in the bible...
I ask you to re read it...
It may give you a new light and spark your faith
Please, listen to me when I say that god is with us when we are at our weakest...
He didn't want you to give up and he doesn't want you to feel like you lost trust in him because he wasn't there, he felt your pain and I understand life gets tough but give god another try...
Read the book of job in the bible

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
I always rebelled against the thought of god and went to church for the cookies and only the cookies, didn't listen while on my phone during the service...
God called me that night and I told you my spiritual journey had changed forever because before that I was running away from god just like you are now

[Zigzagwigwag]

It wasn't a human experience such as the emotion from thinking a partner is cheating one you...
It was other worldly, from a spiritual world not from this world

[devilman666]

The book of Job? You mean the book where God and Satan have a betting match about whether or not this poor man who has done nothing wrong will succumb to physical, emotional, and psychological torture and turb his back on God? Yeah I've read it many times. Why the fuck do you think this is a good story? It literally shows that God is okay with neesless torture, pain, and death. It treats his entire family as property of his, killing them just to torture him, and then giving him a new family as though that is fair to him, and completely ignores how unfair it is to the children who were killed just to torture Job. It's like punishing a child be smashing their xbox, and then buying them a new one, except instead of an xbox, it's an actual person that they loven and instead of a punishment, you're doing it just for enjoyment.

Yeah, kinda puts that book into a new light, right?

[devilman666]

Turn*

[devilman666]

I'm not running away from God. I tried to run to God and I found nothing. Now I am walking on my own two feet, in whatever direction I see as valuable. I don't see value in chsaing ghosts or gods, so instead I chase the things that I can see hold value. To say I was running away from God would be to imply that I know he exists. Until God calls me and tells me he exists, how can I know? He called you and showed you the truth, why not me? Does he love you more than he loves me?

How do you know these feelings cames from another world?

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Oh, sweetheart...
Every sin can be forgiven
Except one which is the sin against the holy spirit
God allows the devil to test us and see if our loyalty is in God or not...
It benefits us all, we are tested and tried just as Jesus was as we are his people we are rejected by this world just as he was...
It was a good thing for you to know that bad things happen to gods people just as bad things will happen to the people who belong to the devil...
You understand until judgement day there will always be this battle between god and Satan until the second coming and God wins bringing his people home to a new world without sin

[devilman666]

If by tested, you mean tortured, then sure. Go ahead an let me torture you the way Satan tortured Job, we'll see how long your faith lasts. Torture can be enough to break the human mind, and faith is just part of the mind.

Ah yes, entire families of christians are murdered just as a test to the one surviving member. That is totally moral of God, because murder is okay when God does it.

You can't argue with someone who literally sets double standards, you will pretend like it's a sin for us to commit murder, but somehow it's not a sin for God to commit murder? You're just making excuses.

How will the world be without sin? Does this mean humans who go there will choose to stop sinning? Or will they be forced to stop sinning? If they are forced, then how? How do you stop humans from sinning?

[devilman666]

Also, why isn't murder a sin when God does it?

[call_me_scar]

A bet 5 xp points she won't answer it in a satisfactory way

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
The world will be perfect without sin.
And you can only go to heaven if you choose to stop sinning...
Therefore your next to questions are invalid as you must choose to believe in god and the old testament is out ruled by the new testament as Jesus gave two new commandments to love the one true god and love one another...
All sins are forgiven, the ten commandments are morals...
The one sin that is unforgivable is turning to worship the devil

[Zigzagwigwag]

Of course I won't, only you know the answer you wish to believe in your heart and mind...
I can only inform people about god but I can not make you believe if you do not choose to believe

[devilman666]

"YOU'VE BEEN A BAD GIRL JENNIFER, SO I'M GOING TO MURDER YOUR BOYFRIEND AND FORCE YOU TO GET AN ABORTION AS PUNISHMENT!!"

...

"DAD WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? I LOVED HIM!!! I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO DESERVE THIS"

"YOU THINK YOU'RE SMARTER THAN ME? WELL I WAS THERE WHEN YOU WERE BORN, SO YOU KNOW NOTHING COMPARED TO ME! NOW SHUT UP AND GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

"Oh, well I guess that makes the murder okay. Thanks dad, I'll go to my room now"

"Wow, what a good girl I've raised, she deserves two new boyfriends and pair of twins to replace the people I murdered!"

This is basically the story of Job. The father killed innocent people in order to test his child, then when the child gets upset you just scream at them that they know nothing because they aren't as old as you are.

[devilman666]

God in the story of Job:
1 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? 8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, 9 when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, 10 when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, 11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? 12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, 13 that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? 14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. 15 The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. 16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness? 18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. 19 “What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? 20 Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings? 21 Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years! 22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail,

[devilman666]

23 which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? 24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? 25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, 26 to water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert, 27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? 28 Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? 29 From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens 30 when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen? 31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s belt? 32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasonsor lead out the Bear with its cubs? 33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth? 34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? 35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? 36 Who gives the ibis wisdomor gives the rooster understanding? 37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens 38 when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together? 39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions 40 when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? 41 Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Job 39

1 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? 2 Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? 3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. 4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. 5 “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its ropes?

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
I'm a 17 your old Christian and guess what I'm pregnant...
Do you think by abortion it would make me a good Christian because I don't, I find it awful to kill a life or a potential life...
So I will keep this baby and raise it well

[devilman666]

6 I gave it the wasteland as its home, the salt flats as its habitat. 7 It laughs at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver’s shout. 8 It ranges the hills for its pasture and searches for any green thing. 9 “Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will it stay by your manger at night? 10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness? Will it till the valleys behind you? 11 Will you rely on it for its great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to it? 12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain and bring it to your threshing floor? 13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork. 14 She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, 15 unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. 16 She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, 17 for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. 18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider. 19 “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane? 20 Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting? 21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray. 22 It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword. 23 The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance. 24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. 25 At the blast of the trumpet it snorts, ‘Aha!’ It catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.

[devilman666]

26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? 27 Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high? 28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold. 29 From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar. 30 Its young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there it is.”

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Job stuck by god and it shows no matter what we go through we can do the same...
Being pregnant at 17 is scary as heck but I am willing to do whatever my life was planned and written in the book which peter hold waiting at entrance of heaven for the day I lives this awful world and say I am home

[devilman666]

@Zigzagwigwag in this case I don't think it matters what I think. I wasn't saying anything about you stop stop taking it so personally, I was comparing what God did in the story of Job, to an aweful parent. God killed people, innocent people, even children. And for some reason we're supposed to think this is a good thing? He spent two full chapters just gaslighting Job to make the poor man feel guilty for something he didn't do. He spent two chapters trying to make an innocent man feel guilty for being punished when he did nothing wrong. That's just abuse, plain and simple.

[devilman666]

Why the hell should we stick by an abusive God? 🤔 he literally abused Job, it was gaslighting and manipulative abuse. If your father treated you the way God treated Job, you'd report him to the police or CPS

[call_me_scar]

5 hours with no response winner goes to devilman

[Zigzagwigwag]

God is the winner in the end my dudes
Have fun in hell xx

[call_me_scar]

Lol I just got 2 free ham sandwiches I dont think your god gives a fuck about this

[Zigzagwigwag]

I do...
Now I crave ham...
Damn pregnancy cravings and people who mention food to me

[call_me_scar]

You do yet you threaten two people with hell simply for disagreeing also the ham good

[call_me_scar]

Also hell is one of reasons that I stopped believing as its quite a stupid idea

[Zigzagwigwag]

DUDE I NEEEEED HAMMMM

[call_me_scar]

I dont have anymore here's a song by bug hunter though if that helps
https://youtu.be/jPTMODFFd7M

[Zigzagwigwag]

As a music student I can respect that song
My music teacher would love it

[Manchild2018]

I fully believed in the Catholic religion for much of my life then in my 30s I found out that the Christian holidays were all originally Pagan. After I found this to be true I became more Agnostic but then as time went on I realized all organized religion was the problem because it is controlled by bad people. I now believe in God again but I don't really consider myself a Christian just I believe in a Creator.

[Manchild2018]

@Zigzagwigwag Could you please tell me yours now?

[Kaneki05]

Never was one for god, Following facts and science. And then I would never morally agree with a god that makes a world full of death, harm and other things, god is all powerful and all loving and all knowing so he could stop it and not done it all. But the fact he did and hasn't stopped it shows even if he did exist.

I would not deem him a good god.

[Zigzagwigwag]

May I tell you someone I learnt from asking myself why god allows us to hurt and suffer

[Kaneki05]

You may but i doubt it will suffice an answer since i haven't got one all my life from many religious folk or god himself (If he did exist).

[Zigzagwigwag]

In the beginning God made a perfect world and gave humanity the choice to follow him or follow our own path and humanity rebelled against him.
Adam and eve choose to start the rebellion against god and brought sin into gods perfect world which mad this world imperfect.
God gives us a choice to use our pain and hurt to find comfort and have faith in him as our loving and good father he sent Jesus to die on the cross so that we may be united with god once again.
I understand you find that no one has all the answers, which is true nobody has the full knowledge that god has so no one can fully understand it.
A bible verse that describes your journey so far states if you search you will find, if you ask you will be answered and if you knock and the door will be opened.
I pray that you find your way to god in
his good timing

[devilman666]

Here is a verse from the Quran

Ghafir, the forgiver, verse 40:
Your Lord says, ‘Call on Me and I will answer you; those who are too proud to serve Me will enter Hell humiliated.’

So therefore Allah is the answer, He is the one true God!!!

[Kaneki05]

yeah literally none of that changes my point of: that I would never morally agree with a god that makes a world full of death, harm and other things, god is all powerful and all loving and all knowing so he could stop it and not done it all. But the fact he did and hasn't stopped it shows even if he did exist.

[Kaneki05]

I would not deem him good

[devilman666]

@Kaneki05 I agree with that sentiment. People blame it on free will, but does that mean we won't have free will in heaven? Or does it mean we will eventually corrupt heaven? It's nonsense, they act as though sin is just as powerful as God, somehow sin can create evil even though God is supposedly the only creator.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Sin was defeated by god with the blood of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is gonna come but and send the beast away for 1000 years after he defeats the beast and the devil and hell burns with the rest of the world...
It ends in fire...
The world will be destroyed by flame, sinners will die and never live again but god children will make the new world with god there home forever

[devilman666]

According to the bible, every human is a sinner

[devilman666]

I can quote the verses if you'd like

[Kaneki05]

Well the thing is longs if free will exists there will always be the free will to sin and go ageist god. So unless he forces you all to be robots, sin will always exist that's the fundamental flaw of the things he created in the first place. Should of just wiped us out and built robots if he didn't want sin.
And no doubt since god has free will he can sin too and no doubt if he created a thing that can sin he can himself.
Then if god knew everything that was gonna happen it's a paradox to the nature of all loving cause then he knew lucifer would turn on him and everything in this world would be as it is. He knew that in future after his creation of humans many will die from cancer, staving and other things and he though that's fine.

And him been all powerful means he can stop it at any time which yet he hasn't.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Because he wants us to have free will
All thing are possible with god...
If humanity stops sinning then sin itself stops existing

[Kaneki05]

No if humanity stops sinning, it means we no longer have free will since otherwise we would. It's a paradox to have free will then say one cannot sin though. Not even angels will stop sinning nevermind humans. There is no argument ageist my logic, through the many quotes of the bible and other religious text. There is not a single person who has ever come back with good answer counter my point of view.

All there is left is for religious people to go to the classic lines of "He has a mysterious plan or just trust in him" which in reality this means nothing to changing my conclusions.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Only fallen angels sin, and demons preform the devils biddings, you see heaven is pure and sin free, the angels do not have free will and answer to God and God alone...
Lucifer wanted to have that power that god had so he fell with the other angels who agreed with Lucifer...
But Lucifer will never be as powerful as god which angers him for everything Lucifer does to humanity God must allow it and that is why the devil is so evil...
He wants power which he simply can never have...
And he knows this

[Kaneki05]

Lucifer literally existed in heaven and chose to go ageist god of his own free will before he became fallen.

[Kaneki05]

Proof that sin can happen in heaven has already been seen.

[Kaneki05]

And again if there was no sin in heaven like you said which ain't true. But if that was that would prove you cannot commit free will in heaven.

[Zigzagwigwag]

This is pointless because you are wasting my time now...
You are taking me on a Mary go round of insanity

[Kaneki05]

Ah yes i see you have finally realised i am right and you have no argument ageist it. So just have to say i am crazy because you don't accept i am.

[Zigzagwigwag]

I'm mad, absolutely bonkers

[Kaneki05]

k? lol

[MrCommodore]

I was born into a Catholic family, I'm not overly religious, but still have faith in God, but I lost faith in the Roman Catholic Church (The Vatican organisation) a long time ago.

The crimes they have committed, the cover ups, and then thry expect the people to pick up the compensation bill. They are a disgrace.

[Agape93]

I'll give the short version.

When I realized that there are other gods and goddesses, ones that actually value their practitioners or align with me morally and ethically, I went with them. Especially since I view god as a capricious, mean minded and tyrannical asshole. When I have better ethics and morals than him, you know he's jacked up, considering I'm not a good person.

[Zigzagwigwag]

He considers the sins in our hearts as evil and so do I once we get rid of that sin through faith we can be with god...
He loves us all and no one can be truly god but him.
It is sin that cuts us off from good not ourselves personally but only sin stops us having that relationship with god
God loves you, and I pray you find that good in your heart to believe this and be with god

[Agape93]

I appreciate the sentiment, but I burned that bridge. I'm happier now, and felt nothing but loneliness and desperation when I was with your god.

You're welcome to him, I'm happy you're happy with him. But he's not welcome in my life.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Its okay, I'm sorry if I overstepped the line

[Agape93]

No need to be sorry, you didn't overstep anything. :)

[Dargil]

A number of years ago, when i was in a messy divorce and lost my job, I had an authentic salvation experience. That day changed everything.

[Zigzagwigwag]

God is with you xx

[Dargil]

He is indeed.

[Zigzagwigwag]

God has great plans for you, listen and go where the spirit leads you my friend, he is not done with you yet.

[Cubus]

I turned to God a few months ago. I've been raised Catholic, but as a child or teenager I've never thought about it seriously (like "why do you actually believe?"). I felt I lacked something. I am in good College, I have parents, who support me, but I wasn't really happy. I started praying. Now I feel better, it gives me consolation. I think following God's rules makes me a better person.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Amen.
I pray you continue to grow in gods spirit and learn to live like jesus

[REDHOTLINE]

I was borned in a muslim country all my family and our nation are muslims. All my life I lived being a muslim until. 5 years ago. That years I first searched my religion then other ibranic religions ( chris and jewishizm) now I am sure about the god but I am suspicious about religions.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Yes, as a Christian I tend to find myself wondering about other religious denominations and beliefs but I always stand firm in my own faith and I pray you do the same, stay true to god and try to live right by him
All things become clear in his good timing

[REDHOTLINE]

Islam said there was 120.000 prophets come to world to informate us about god.
First prophet was adam
Others
Noah , abraham , david... etc moses , jesus and the last one muhammed...
I take Islamic god describe is the best on the world.
No shape or space
No gender
No beginnig or the end
No power limit.
No borned or no born... etc
Christianic god describe is so different by branches. But commonly awkward and childish
Jesus commonly describe the god or the gods son. I read bible its like a fantastic story book.
Now I am suspicious all religions but I am going on worship to god like a muslim.

[Zigzagwigwag]

May I tell you the thing I hold to as guidance during living for God.

The people who seem wise on this earth are actually foolish and the people the world deems foolish are truly wise

[REDHOTLINE]

You are right 👍 nobody claim one of them is true religion or religions are real.

[Zigzagwigwag]

Because it all leads to one God.

[REDHOTLINE]

Probably yes thats right. Nowadays knowlegde and science There is no suspicion about exist a great creator.

[Zigzagwigwag]

The bible probes the big bang theory...
On the first day god said let there be light
And on the first day of the universe creation the big bang produced light due to the singularity
That singularity was God as there is nothing else in the universe like it

[Zigzagwigwag]

Proves*

[REDHOTLINE]

know bible quran and torah. They are the same tree's branches. All ibranic religions borned in arabic square and its only 5 millons km square but the world's continents and lands are 155 km square... For example your homeland australia. Humans arrived there and new zelland etc. 60.000 years ago and they never leaved there. why in australia never have any ibranic or one god religions exist and also American continens big asia and south of sahra deser africa?

[Zigzagwigwag]

It is written that after Jesus ascended to heaven god made his followers all speak different languages and those people spread across the world

[Zigzagwigwag]

Each person shared the word of god in that language given to them by god

[REDHOTLINE]

Its your thinking. For islam jesus muhammed moses abraham and other 120.000 prophes are only prophets.
For judaism jesus onlay are traitor and lier.
There is no this is the realty. And also romans never noticed him. Romans was good history and law wrighters. They noticed all important events and peoples. But there is none record about jesus in roman records and also local jewishes records. We only know he really lived on earth only owing to bible and quran verses. Othervise there is no evidence he was really lived or not.
And also your response not competelly answer my question. Its only youself thinking.

[devilman666]

The big bang theory was proven without the help of any God, you are merely changing your creation story to fit the evidence. Christians always do this, they rewrite the past in order to pretend that they had some divine knowledge. You and I both know that the people who wrote the bible had no idea what a singularity was, and they certainly weren't describing a singularity in genesis.

In all honesty, I suggest you read about the big bang, it wasn't an instantaneous thing like you seem to think, the universe spend hundreds of thousands of years cooling down after the big bang. In fact, it took around 380,000 years for the universe to cool enough to be able to produce light. It wasn't like flipping on a light switch.

[Zigzagwigwag]

It isn't myself, it is from the bible and 2000 years ago a man named Jesus was entered into the first known recorded censes in human history...
The place in which he was crucified can still be found to this day...
And I believe that his existence is undeniable.
I have however enjoyed talking to you and have enjoyed learning about other perspectives such as your own

[devilman666]

The first census recorded in human history? The first census ever recorded was in Babylon in 3800 BCE, meaning 4000 years before the death of Jesus. But go ahead and keep making up whatever nonsense you like.

[devilman666]

Where was Jesus crucified?

[devilman666]

Give me some evidence of Jesus' existence then, if it's undeniable. I'm willing to believe he existed as a person, but with that said we have little to no direct evidence of his existence, I've looked into it before.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
A day is one thousand years to God
Do the math and you will find god is Time therefore yes it is possible
Also, you said yourself when the bible was written they had know idea about the future development of the big bang theory nor did they know that later in human history we would measure space in lightyears but god said let there be light and there was light...
You my friend should read a bible and open your mind and heart to see the world from every perspective not just a close minded godless one

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Yes but you stopped looking and that was your undoing...
Keep asking, keep searching and keep knocking
Those are Gods instructions to all humanity in order to be lead to God himself

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Its in the bible...
Mark 15:22
"They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means 'the place of the skull')"

[devilman666]

Even if that math added up (380,000 years, one day is a thousand years, meaning 380 days, meaning just over one year for creation to be completed).

Why do you think God is Time? What does that even mean?

Who cares if God said "let there be light"? That's a story that we cannot confirm to be true. Again, you're just trying to make your religion fit into modern science.

I have read the entire bible, I probably know more about the bible than you do, I studied it a lot as a teenager, I searched for God for several years of my life, and I found nothing but lonliness.

[devilman666]

I asked, searched, and knocked for long enough. I'm not going to chase after a God who abandoned me, just like I won't chase after my father who also abandoned me.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Um...
You do realise that the big bang theory has yet to be proven...
So you have faith in something with no proof...
Or did you believe in it so much it made it real?

[devilman666]

So where is Golgotha?

[devilman666]

Wrong, the big bang theory is basically proven already. I mean "proven" is a serious word in science, but all the evidence currently points towards the big bang theory being true. I can share the evidence with you if you'd like.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
If you knew more about the bible then I did...
You would also have known god was real before have a conversion with a 17 year old girl from Australia who has studied the bible since she was 4 years old and loved God just as long

[devilman666]

The amount of evidence we have for the big bang is truly undeniable, it started with scientists in the early 1900s making predictions and guesses, and then observations made with the hubble telescope supported these predictions.

[devilman666]

Please quote leviticus 25:44-46 for me

[devilman666]

I have studied the bible a lot, I went to christian school, and my study of the bible was a large part of what turned me away from Christianity. What kind of loving God would allow slavery, torture, and child sacrifice? Not only that but he actually killed people. He had a couple she-bears massacre a group of children because they laughed at a prophet.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Look, you say big bang I say god
You say god isn't proven to be true
I say the big bang isn't proven to be true
We never will see eye to eye unless you have a change of heart...
Because my heart is set of god

[devilman666]

I say big bang because we have a lot of evidence for it. The big bang is supported by science, God is not. Admittedly we can't prove the big bang, because as I said, "proven" is a very specific term in science.

Why the hell should I have a change of heart just because you are firmly set in your delusions? The phrase is called "agree to disagree".

[devilman666]

With that said, I love how you didn't even try to defend God's actions. You know he did wrong, but you're like my aunt and uncle, when my great uncle sexually abused my sister, you'll make excuses for monsters and predators, as long as they tell you that they will protect you. My aunt and uncle were afraid of getting kicked out of their home (they lived with my great uncle and great aunt), so they denied it, covered for him, and even blamed my sister when she tried to report it to the police, told her it was her fault and that she should just shut up about it. They wanted to hide it in the family and pretend it didn't happen. You are the same way, you defend God's attrocities and want to pretend they didn't happen, you want to keep God's immorality hidden.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Amen

[devilman666]

We just posted at the same time, so I ask that you read the last message I posted.

[devilman666]

You're afraid of getting kicked out of heaven, so you are willing to roll over and let God rape, murder, and abuse anyone he wants to, aslong as it isn't you. If he abused you, you'd turn away from him in a heartbeat, you defend him because you assume he'll never do these things to you. How would you feel if God gave you to me and allowed me to torture you however I wanted, for as long as I wanted? Would you still defend him even as you watched your own child slowly having their life taken from them? Would you hold strong as everyone you ever knew and loved either died or abandoned you? I don't think so.

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
I was r*pped and abused as a child but I run to God

[Zigzagwigwag]

I would never lie for a human being to get away with rape or anything like that, I would rather go through that pain again before allowing another person to be unheard and go through that pain.
Nobody believed me because I was so young not the authorities of this world so I went higher and god was the highest authority I could find so I read and found comfort in his words

[devilman666]

That doesn't answer my question. I said that if God gave you to me, and forced you to allow me to rape and torture you, would you still defend God? God was responsible for Job being tortured, he gave Satan permission. So if God gave me permission to have my way with you for as long as I wanted, would you still run to him after that? Would you run to the man/god who held you down and allowed a monster to have it's way with you? The fact that you were raped and abused doesn't mean that you hold God responsible, and that is important here. If God is responsible for your pain and misery, then will you really run to him? People are designed to avoid pain and misery.

[devilman666]

I'm sorry that nobody ever believed you, but if it makes you feel any better, I believe you.

With that said, would you lie for a God to get away with rape or murder or torture?

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
No I wouldn't lie for god to get as with anything
I would always be truthful no matter the consequences...
Even if the consequence was death

[Zigzagwigwag]

I would go through hel l and back for God

[Zigzagwigwag]

@devilman666
Do you mind talking in a DM with me please?

[Dayman343]

I come from a Catholic background but it was never drummed into me from the family, it was more the school trying to indoctrinate me but quite early on I started to question the whole ideology and I have been a atheist since.

[FunkyMonkee]

Very simple. I kept looking for proof that it existed and have never found any, especially in my most dire times of need.

[Tamera952]

Jezzsus scorned me by cheating on me with another man, & things haven't been the same since.

[Grond21]

I would love to hear your story