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Post by bobfromacctg on Mar 19, 2008 10:31:31 GMT -5
I'm a believer because my life changed radically overnight due to my conversion. My family reluctantly agreed that something had happened because there was no other explanation for the changes, other than God had touched my life.
That was 30 years ago and while there are lots of things I do not undestand about my faith, I can not go back on it, simply because of what happened to me.
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Post by gdgross on Mar 19, 2008 11:02:24 GMT -5
Most of the time I'm a believer. Sometimes I'm an agnostic. I was raised as a pretty conservative Christian and I "prayed the prayer" a hundred times as a kid. I generally try to follow what Jesus says, although I have not yet gouged out my eye or sold all of my possessions and given the proceeds to the poor.
I generally believe the Bible is inspired by God, but I can't follow all the way to inerrancy and infallibility. I have a friend that refers to me as a "post-evangelical agnostic Christian."
The thing that attracts me to Jesus the most is that it's so unlike anything I see in the rest of society. Love your enemies, pray for those who abuse you, if you want to be first you must be last - it seems ridiculous but it resonates in my soul like nothing else does - even if I don't live up to it.
Christians need to do a better job of being sympathetic to those who don't believe, however. Sometimes I have a really hard time believing. Sometimes it's easy. I think a lot of Christians have this simplistic attitude, like, "just believe the Bible. That settles it." No, it really doesn't. We can come down really hard on unbelievers for not believing sometimes. But what we fail to realize is that some people can no more believe in God than we can believe the sky is green. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense.
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Post by Dave on Mar 19, 2008 11:18:04 GMT -5
I'm a believer because my life changed radically overnight due to my conversion. My family reluctantly agreed that something had happened because there was no other explanation for the changes, other than God had touched my life. That was 30 years ago and while there are lots of things I do not undestand about my faith, I can not go back on it, simply because of what happened to me. would you be willing to share what "happened"? i find this fascinating.
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Post by bobfromacctg on Mar 19, 2008 12:37:35 GMT -5
Exactly .. . Sometimes it just doesn't make sense.
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Post by bobfromacctg on Mar 19, 2008 12:40:05 GMT -5
I'm a believer because my life changed radically overnight due to my conversion. My family reluctantly agreed that something had happened because there was no other explanation for the changes, other than God had touched my life. That was 30 years ago and while there are lots of things I do not undestand about my faith, I can not go back on it, simply because of what happened to me. would you be willing to share what "happened"? i find this fascinating. Thanks but not in this forum. I simply do not have the energy.
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Post by wizer on Mar 19, 2008 12:42:57 GMT -5
I used to be a nonbeliever but I changed virtually overnight. I had an experience that can only be described as spiritual, or religious, but it was a sign from a higher power that cannot be denied.
It turned me into a believer, and yes, I will talk about it here...
The other night I was doing laundry and as I was about to throw my underwear into the machine, something caught my eye...I held the underwear up to the light, and I found myself staring at a shit stain that looked unmistakenly like the image of the Virgin Mary. I was being sent a message that I could not ignore.
If you want I will post the picture here.
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Post by Magalucia on Mar 19, 2008 13:00:24 GMT -5
I used to be a nonbeliever but I changed virtually overnight. I had an experience that can only be described as spiritual, or religious, but it was a sign from a higher power that cannot be denied. It turned me into a believer, and yes, I will talk about it here... The other night I was doing laundry and as I was about to throw my underwear into the machine, something caught my eye...I held the underwear up to the light, and I found myself staring at a shit stain that looked unmistakenly like the image of the Virgin Mary. I was being sent a message that I could not ignore. If you want I will post the picture here. I call bullshit! You don't do your own laundry.
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Post by Magalucia on Mar 19, 2008 13:04:17 GMT -5
I think faith is beyond logic. I don't mean to say that faith and logic are mutually exclusive, but either you have faith or you do not. I don't believe anyone can be convinced to have faith, not real faith. I don't have faith. If I ever had it, it was lost long ago. To be perfectly frank, I wish I did. I would like to believe there is a larger purpose. I would like to have faith that there is a loving force watching out for me. I just don't.
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JC
Full Member
Posts: 205
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Post by JC on Mar 19, 2008 13:09:39 GMT -5
I think faith is beyond logic. I don't mean to say that faith and logic are mutually exclusive, but either you have faith or you do not. I don't believe anyone can be convinced to have faith, not real faith. I don't have faith. If I ever had it, it was lost long ago. To be perfectly frank, I wish I did. I would like to believe there is a larger purpose. I would like to have faith that there is a loving force watching out for me. I just don't. that is exactly how i feel.
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Post by bobfromacctg on Mar 19, 2008 13:14:03 GMT -5
The problem is that most people do not understand what that means or how that "watching out for me" process works. In my mind, thats the biggest confusion / expectation that happens in Christianity.
And I certainly understand your problems with that.
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Post by wizer on Mar 19, 2008 13:21:21 GMT -5
I call bullshit! You don't do your own laundry. I have too now. Casey refuses to wash my underwear now that it has religious significance.
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Post by bobfromacctg on Mar 19, 2008 14:29:23 GMT -5
I used to be a nonbeliever but I changed virtually overnight. I had an experience that can only be described as spiritual, or religious, but it was a sign from a higher power that cannot be denied. It turned me into a believer, and yes, I will talk about it here... The other night I was doing laundry and as I was about to throw my underwear into the machine, something caught my eye...I held the underwear up to the light, and I found myself staring at a shit stain that looked unmistakenly like the image of the Virgin Mary. I was being sent a message that I could not ignore. If you want I will post the picture here. Fre: This is the reason I do not have the energy to respond.
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Post by Dave on Mar 19, 2008 14:54:57 GMT -5
i don't blame you. thanks for sharing what you did.
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Post by wizer on Mar 19, 2008 19:47:50 GMT -5
Fre: This is the reason I do not have the energy to respond. You think I was joking?! Fine!
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Post by murdock on Mar 19, 2008 19:49:52 GMT -5
Fre: This is the reason I do not have the energy to respond. You think I was joking?! Fine! that looks like cum.
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