Having A Hard Time With Religion Because Of People

Page 4 of 4 [ 51 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4

ChrisVulcan
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 361
Location: United States

07 Oct 2010, 2:56 pm

blackmetal83092 wrote:
My entire life I've had a hard time with my religion, Christianity, because the people involved were typically very ignorant and egotistic. I'm wondering if I'm the only one. I love being able to feel close to the Divine, but whenever I try, I'm usually rejected or mistreated by the people involved, and then I start having trouble being able to be close with Divinity. I'm not able to worship, pray, or read my bible because every time I do it conjures up angry feelings and memories of those people. Am I the only one?


No, you're not the only one. Lots of people have issues with religion because of the other people involved.

People suck, and that's actually a biblical point of view. "...every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood." (Genesis 8:21) No matter what group you're dealing with there will always be ignorant and egotistic people. Period.

On the other hand, some cultural environments are more prone to this than others. Keep searching for a church where this phenomenon is less of a factor, and eventually you'll find one. I will encourage you to keep searching and trying to get closer to God. If you can't find a group that is not as ignorant and egotistical (among other things) as a whole, you might be interested in online sermons. I personally like the ones at blackhawkchurch.org (when I get around to watching them).


_________________
Well, I was on my way to this gay gypsy bar mitzvah for the disabled when I suddenly thought, "Gosh, the Third Reich's a bit rubbish. I think I'll kill the Fuhrer." Who's with me?

Watch Doctor Who!


CaptainTrips222
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Mar 2009
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,100

09 Oct 2010, 4:51 pm

blackmetal83092 wrote:
My entire life I've had a hard time with my religion, Christianity, because the people involved were typically very ignorant and egotistic. I'm wondering if I'm the only one. I love being able to feel close to the Divine, but whenever I try, I'm usually rejected or mistreated by the people involved, and then I start having trouble being able to be close with Divinity. I'm not able to worship, pray, or read my bible because every time I do it conjures up angry feelings and memories of those people. Am I the only one?


No. The number one cause of Christians becoming athiests, is other Christians. I tried to believe also, but when I saw the people who believed the strongest blatantly violated the very tenants they threw at me, then denied it, my faith plummeted. It's gotta be bull****.

If it gives you a sense of well being, and enriches your life, continue to believe, but don't look to your fellow Christians for ethical behavior.



techstepgenr8tion
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Feb 2005
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 24,528
Location: 28th Path of Tzaddi

10 Oct 2010, 1:30 am

Same. Then again for me it was less about being mistreated or mocked and more about going somewhere that the topic is supposed to be the ultimate, most serious and grave topic possible - salvation vs. perdition, and where everyone just treated it like a social club and the priest's homilies were about as bad. I felt like a complete alien for seeing that and considering it utterly strange while everyone else just lived it as if they couldn't see anything bizarre about the picture.

At this point I have to admit, while I'd consider myself a believer my beliefs aren't wholly biblical. A lot of it is taking what I've observed about reality, bouncing it off of various world religions, could just be my catholic upbringing but I'm abstractly somewhere in between Christian and Gnostic with some interesting beliefs on free will, the nature of creation, and the nature of God's interaction with us as well as what every inch of each one of our lives ultimately means.

I've had it even suggested that I should go to some theosophical clubs - can't bring myself to do it. Going to church in the suburbs is bad enough, the thought of hanging with the power crystals, egg timers, and black helicopter crowd gives me even bigger chills. I'm more than happy to read books and theories by great minds and theologians/philosophers, I just want to be sure that I'm getting something that smells credible.