So what now?

Okay I have grown up in a Christian household. But since I was 18 I stopped going to church.
I am finding it hard to believe that everybody who doesn't believe in Jesus Christ is going to live in eternal suffering. I believe in God and through only my faith in Christianity do I continue being a Christian. To me Christianity is about love and acceptance. Jesus Christ was very loving and accepting and that's what I strive to be.
So am I still a Christian even though I am questioning the very core of Christianity?
I find it harder and harder to believe that God sends everyone to eternal hell for not believing in Jesus Christ.
I guess my "Christianity" has developed into this...I believe in God and that God is in all things, all the time. I believe God created life...and that if the scientists are right about the "Big Bang", then that's how God must have created life. I don't think we can concieve God's plan, so I wish all the Philosphers would stop trying (taking a Phil class right now). I don't know exactly what happens after death. And I don't know if Jesus Christ is the only way to God.

Okay but then there's my family members who have directly experienced God. And they are Chrisitian, so maybe that proved Christianity wasn't wrong? And I'm talkin about a near death experience that my Aunt experienced, plus other things from other family members. So that's my proof (but only since I've felt the need to have proof by our questioning society).

So am I still a Christian?

What does everyone else think??? What should I make from this?

 

Who cares? That's just a label. Don't let other people pin you to certain beliefs. It's your life, your path, walk your own way.

 

Fortunately, Christianity (like other world religions) does have a line of demarkation. There are certain things that you must believe if you wish to consider yourself a part of the historic Christian faith.

In short, you must believe that Jesus Christ is divine, that He was crucified for our sins and that through Him we have everlasting life. IMHO, the Apostle's Creed is the line. If you agree with it 100%, then you are a Christian. Disagree with any of it, and you are not (clarifications are in parentheses):

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell (read: the realm of the dead i.e. Hades, not the buring lake of fire).

The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (meaning universal, not Roman Catholic) church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Amen.

Christ says He was/is (in John chapter 14). It is good to know, though, that Romans addressed the question about people who have never heard:

In Romans 2:11-16 it speaks about those who have never heard the Law of God and how they will be judged according to the law that is written in their hearts. The Law written in their hearts is the knowledge of right and wrong. Perhaps God's judgment of those without a proper knowledge of Him is included there where it says that they will be judged according to their own consciences that "bear witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them." All I know is that God will do what is right and the only way to have your sins forgiven is through Jesus.

Also, remember that God is a just God. We know that whatever He does is right. When it comes to those who have never heard the Gospel, He will do what is right, whatever that is. But as for those who HAVE heard, we have heard the gospel and He will judge us according to how we respond. He is calling us to repentance, to turn from sin and come to Him.

Well, like I said above, if you agree with the Apostle's Creed (given the clarifications) then you are a Christian (a baby one maybe, but still a Christian). But the number one thing to remember is that it is okay to have doubts. Doubting when you have reason is natural and cannot be condemned. Just remember to remain reasonable in your search for answers.

 

Well I was hoping for some more replies. Especially from fellow Christians. Aren't there any Christians out there who have actually doubted and got through it??

 

i follow christ's teachings as explained to me through communion with god and the holy spirit. i DON'T swallow whole the exclamations of men.

 

And that is good. We should all do that.

However, there are tenets to the historic Christian faith. If you do not agree with these tenets, then you are, by definition, a non-Christian. I don't know if you agree or disagree, but the early church fathers and the apostles told us what they believed. As they are part of the foundation of the Christian faith (with Christ as the cornerstone), then any doctrine or creed which is contrary to theirs is heretical to the historic Christian faith. If you disagree on the essentials, then you are not Christian. This is why Mormons and JWs are not Christians. They deny the essentials of the Christian faith (in those examples, both teach that Christ was not God incarnate).

 

To tell you the truth, I am a born catholic in doubt right now. College is what put me in this doubt about religions. Since I have been in doubt however, I have been more depressed, lost, and feeling alone, so it is up to you in what you believe, yes it is hard to believe in something that you cannot see with the eye, thats why you must see it with the soul.

 

i am a member of an ELCA (lutheran) church...
& glad to be a parishioner...
as to the centrality of creedal statements - i say (& hear) the words we repeat... & sorta see these words as MY koan... to be lived with, breathed with, worked with - with waiting until i can grok in fullness if so needed...
once martin luther was asked about christ being "truly present" in the eucharist (the bread of the communion service/mass), & he responded "christ is in the bread, above it, & below it!"


~



of course, i am still developing my own pet heretical schism, the gnostic redeemer zen lutheran church NA, Ltd. (a mahayanist christian geist panentheist fellowship)
(contact gnrm23 for details ...)


~
if you enjoy the fellowship but have difficulty uttering creedal statements without them getting stuck in your throat , consider joining a church of a more ummmm liberal bent - quakers, UU, unity (of course, some might say these folks "aren't really christian" - & some of the members of those congregations might agree, hehheh...
~
or even farther afield - sufis, bahai, swedenborgians (new jerusalem), reconstructionist judaism, subud...
wicca/goddess worship is growing in america...
(as is mormonism & islam...)

check out huston smith's book _why religion matters_ for in interesting aplogetic for joining "something" - heh...

 

Hi there!
My experience is that of being christian, then having to re-evaluate my acceptance of christianity that was brought about by seeing the hypocrisy and nastiness demonstarted by fundamentalist christians at a christian chat forum.
Holy Cow! were my eyes opened after I studied theology and the origins of christianity, which made more poignant the christ saying "know the truth and the truth will set you free."
There is a truth. A real truth. It is not the 'truth' that religions tell. It is the truth that the "kingdom of god is within you!" Only those who seek the truth will ever find it.
Those who accept a truth as it is given to them by others accept false truth.
To find the real truth ~ ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened unto you. For everyone that seeketh findeth.

Do your own searching.
Don't follow any guidance other than your own intuition.
Be prepared to seek where others fear to go.
Rule nothing out.
Allow the scales to be removed from your eyes and see.
Know the truth ~ and the truth will set you free!

Just so you know where I'm coming from ~ I am no longer "christian", nor am I affiliated with any organized religion. The truth set me free of all that, and I am indeed 'born again' with the most beautiful realizations that truth has to offer.

Enjoy your journey

 

of course one of the things about being a member of a congregation is the lord's promise: wherever two or three are gathered in my name, i am there...

right?

 

im having trouble with that part too. *sigh*. i wish it didnt have to be so difficult. it probably isnt so difficult. we'll probably find out someday just how easy it really is. but for now i am totally confused

loopie

 

Take heart. We know that God is understanding and just. It would be unfair for Him to condemn someone who never heard the Gospel. As God is not unfair, God will not condemn them for simply not having heard. However, they will be judged by their own conscience. Look at Romans 2:11-16:

For there is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous. For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

Do you see what the author is saying? You don't have to hear the law in order to keep it in the same way that a person who doesn't know the seatbelt law obeys it when he puts on his seatbelt. That he hasn't heard is irrelevant. The same goes for those who have never heard. They will be judged by the law written on all our hearts. Their conscience will bear witness and their thoughts will either accuse or defend them.

 

i like it. i understand. that's eyeopening. thanks alsharad, thanks...

loop

 

Sunshine Daydreams, it sounds like you've got the important stuff down. Alsharad, thank you for posting. You said what I wish I could have said.

You may want to look into some different churches or ministries in your area. Try to meet as many different Christians as you can. Sometimes the Jesus you see in other people is what it takes to keep on keeping on.

 

Of course, the law of the conscience is no more able to save than the law of Moses. The purpose of the law is to drive us to our knees before God, who is manifest to all through creation. (Rom. 1:18-20)

 

Agreed. Salvation is always through Jesus Christ. The essentials are that we recognize our sinful nature and that God must save us. We must beg for His forgiveness and ask Him to rescue us from our sin. Christ is the mechanism through which we are saved. It is His sacrifice that cleanses us.

This is how people before Christ were saved and it is how Christians are saved. Christ is the mechanism through which all are saved and if you have been told that, then you have all the information you need. The choice (and the responsibility for that choice) is yours. However, for those who have never been told about Christ and for those who can never possibly be told, God will deal with them justly.

 

Thank you so much for everyone's responses. I went to church today for the first time in years. And I feel a bit rejuvinated. I've decided that I am still a Christian, and I still believe. I want to grow in my relationship with Christ again. May God be with me through this quest for truth. God bless you all!

 

bless you on your journey. never stop asking him questions...i think he likes the company.

 

When I was young I had some doubts. As I got older God started to show His hand when I ask Him to help me. All I can say is Jesus Christ is ALIVE. He is a God of wonder and miracles. I have heard His voice. He is the living GOD.

 

So are you, at least a part of the body of christ just like jesus is.