What makes you believe?

[Amazon D]

I may be wrong but i do believe that there is one thing that is a major factor. I believe that it is in the love of God Himself that makes the difference. Which begs the question why does it make the difference? I believe it is in the motivation and also the major difference that love itself makes. Duty or reward or any other reason can not ever make someone WANT to be with that person. Loves desire, wants to please the one i love and i desire to be with the one i love.

so true yet for some like myself we just take baby steps to this understanding. Learning not to do wrong was a first for me. Learning to help others was another and to give all for those in need. Worrying not for all things here on earth is another. Giving up the ego me, the self, that is that hardest thing to do. Yes i am willing but i get lost in my own past. one day i do dream of loving God as God loves me but until that day i am taking baby steps.

I have learned not to do wrong and have learned about giving stuff because stuff never makes one happy and we are to help our brothers/sisters in need. I have given up earthly desires such as relationships, but surrendering the ego me, the self, my thoughts and feelings towards things around me has been the hardest thing to do. I want to do this and let God have the whole me, but right now that is still the next step waiting for me ahead. When i do that i will know i truly love God.

[Del]

M2MtF2FtM,

Many forget the Bible says We love him because he first loved us.

Everything about the gospel should come back to glorify Jesus. Since you are well on your way it is the Spirit of God that makes that change. In that manner no flesh can glory.

Jesus said Look out at the fields they are already white to harvest. The good Lord already knows who loves him and who doesn't. The reason for letting your light shine is to show that you are not ashamed of him or his word and because that is how the new ones are brought in. When a person shares the word of God the sheep know the shepherd's voice and follow. Most of today's visitations are just to bring people in so the pastor doesn't have to get a job and work for a living. But, if those people are already in a church where the good Lord wants them that is sheep stealing which is an abomination in the eyes of God. They in effect take away a person from a place where the Lord may want them and it may rob that babe in Christ of his salvation.

It is admirable that you are coming forward in due season.

[Amazon D]

M2MtF2FtM,

Many forget the Bible says We love him because he first loved us.

Everything about the gospel should come back to glorify Jesus. Since you are well on your way it is the Spirit of God that makes that change. In that manner no flesh can glory.

Jesus said Look out at the fields they are already white to harvest. The good Lord already knows who loves him and who doesn't. The reason for letting your light shine is to show that you are not ashamed of him or his word and because that is how the new ones are brought in. When a person shares the word of God the sheep know the shepherd's voice and follow. Most of today's visitations are just to bring people in so the pastor doesn't have to get a job and work for a living. But, if those people are already in a church where the good Lord wants them that is sheep stealing which is an abomination in the eyes of God. They in effect take away a person from a place where the Lord may want them and it may rob that babe in Christ of his salvation.

It is admirable that you are coming forward in due season.

Del i am confused about the stealing sheep from a church thing. How does that statement, come from my reply? Also i am far from admirable. I am so low that i am barely able to feel deserving to be anywhere near most who follow and love Yahshua.

[SarahM777]

so true yet for some like myself we just take baby steps to this understanding. Learning not to do wrong was a first for me. Learning to help others was another and to give all for those in need. Worrying not for all things here on earth is another. Giving up the ego me, the self, that is that hardest thing to do. Yes i am willing but i get lost in my own past. one day i do dream of loving God as God loves me but until that day i am taking baby steps.

I have learned not to do wrong and have learned about giving stuff because stuff never makes one happy and we are to help our brothers/sisters in need. I have given up earthly desires such as relationships, but surrendering the ego me, the self, my thoughts and feelings towards things around me has been the hardest thing to do. I want to do this and let God have the whole me, but right now that is still the next step waiting for me ahead. When i do that i will know i truly love God.

Please by no means does any of this mean that somehow "I've made it or that i am so much further along than any one else" I too at times seem to still be crawling and at other times it seems like i have taken two steps forward and one backwards.

Let's face it what Jesus so often talked about goes against typical normal human behavior and thoughts. Forgive someone who is beating the heck out you? Right..... It is more normal to want to get the opportunity to extract revenge. Pick up your cross and follow Him. Right ......... Somehow it sounds like i have to die some where along the line. Etc etc etc.....

It's almost like He took everything we hold dear and how we usually think,feel and react and pulled it inside out and backwards. It goes against what we have been taught and how we think and feel.

If you think about it coming to the point of understanding that we are stewards of what we have and that we really do not own them is really freeing because the stuff no longer owns us
If you think about about it it doesn't really make sense that you can see so many people spend the entire week even to the point of working multiple jobs to get things that are not really needed. Only to come home and spend the entire weekend running to take care of all the things that is not really needed and in a couple of years these things end up on a shelf only to never be used again.

Del i am confused about the stealing sheep from a church thing. How does that statement, come from my reply? Also i am far from admirable. I am so low that i am barely able to feel deserving to be anywhere near most who follow and love Yahshua.

You are in a very good spot. It is one of those paradoxes that does not seem to make sense on the surface. One of the greatest promises that Yahweh gave us is that He will never cast out a contrite spirit. But the only way to reach that point is to be able to compare who and what i am to Yahshua and i find in my own life that i too do not feel worthy to even carry His shoes. Even to the point at times that to be with Him for all eternity even at the furthest point away in the smallest hovel is so much more then i deserve. It is in that place that we can start to understand it's not about what we can do as we start to realize that we can't do it on our own. It then becomes what He can do through us and it's at that point we are actually far closer to Him then we realize.

M2MtF2FtM,

Many forget the Bible says We love him because he first loved us.

Everything about the gospel should come back to glorify Jesus. Since you are well on your way it is the Spirit of God that makes that change. In that manner no flesh can glory.

Jesus said Look out at the fields they are already white to harvest. The good Lord already knows who loves him and who doesn't. The reason for letting your light shine is to show that you are not ashamed of him or his word and because that is how the new ones are brought in. When a person shares the word of God the sheep know the shepherd's voice and follow. Most of today's visitations are just to bring people in so the pastor doesn't have to get a job and work for a living. But, if those people are already in a church where the good Lord wants them that is sheep stealing which is an abomination in the eyes of God. They in effect take away a person from a place where the Lord may want them and it may rob that babe in Christ of his salvation.

It is admirable that you are coming forward in due season.

Del,

Please correct me if i am wrong but isn't the main functions of a pastor to be two fold. First to spend time in prayer to seek God's leading and two to feed the sheep. Wasn't the function of the elders to do the administration of the church and for the elders and lay people do the visitations so the pastors could devote their time to prayer? It seems to me both the elders and lay people have abdicated their responsibility and have placed it on the pastors shoulders so much so that the pastors can no longer function in the way they were intended to.

[JulyaOrina]

       Let's see...  I was raised Apiscopalian, which is to say just as Catholic; half the guilt...  I was an alter boy, had confirmation (mainly so I could drink the wine), and was comfortable in my faith.  Until I became a teenager.  In retrospect much of it was due to being uncomfotable whith the changes happening to a body that I was already uncomfotable with, but I became a rebellious youth.  The church accepted me as I was, but those of the congragation would make snide comments on my hair, dress and behavior.  These are the people that would hear the surmon about loving thy neighbor...  And, cut you off in he parking lot.  This was when I lost my faith in orginized religion...  I became agnostic.  I became a scholar of theology.  I read the Koran, Tibetan book of the dead, mythology, astrology, and wiccan texts...  It wasn't until I read, "A Tiger's Fang", that I found my concept of divinity...


Okay, so, "A Tiger's Fang" is comparable to Dante's, "Inferno"; only one mans journey through the realms of heaven, with a spirit guide.  There is room for all religions in this view.  And, all are alloted their place; based on their beliefs.  For, all teachings are in essence the same, at the base level; treat others with dignity, kindness, respect, and love...  All are a piece to a greater puzzle, and even Science is a part of that (as the Naturalist's also believed).  And, all religions have been written and interpreted by man, who by nature is fallible.  By whichever name you call divinity, the faith and moral fortitude is what is the crux of it all.


I believe that faith is a very personal thing; that divinity will communicate directly to you (though at times that communication may be in an indirect manner).  There was a time that I had a group of friends, when we would go hiking, before we'd start out we would post questions in our minds to the divine; and throughout the hike they would be, "ah ha" moments when answered.  We referred to those moments as, "Divine Realizations".  There have also been a lot of times throughout my life that I've dreamt about places, times, things, and situations years before they happened in real life.  I refer to these times as, "Divine Affirmations", letting me know that I am where I need to be on my path.  I have had some most recently starting on the path to transition...  These are  the reasons that I keep my beliefs in spirituality, but I do not subscribe to a one size fits all doctrine of organized religion; for in the bible it is said that, "Where ever two or more are gathered in the Lord's name, there too is his house".

To me the ultimate is the realization that we are all energy, energy is in all things, it does not die, and as such all things are connected.  There are varying degrees of responsiveness to each frequency, but we are all one.  There are those more in tune to the frequency of animals, plants, humans, quasars, quarks, et cetera, but is is noticeable in each and everyone of us.  That is why I hold the belief that, "Though there are many paths to the top of the mountain; some are long, some are hard, but they all get there eventually.  You just don't want to be the person running around the base of it, telling everyone that they are on the wrong path."

I subscribe to the belief that I am where I need to be based on my faith in that.  I can choose not to pay attention to what I'm given to work with, or I can take each day as it comes, and adjust my actions based on the stimuli I perceive...  But, that's what works for me.

[Maddie Secutura]

I love the level of conviction you all have.  My mother has the same conviction and wishes I would accept a relationship with her god (the Christian one).  I told her I would do that when Zeus also appeared to me.  I'd like to actually be able to debate this point and proselytism is not an option.  I have two rather specific questions that elaborate on my original post.

The first is this: If someone were to assault your beliefs and tell you outright that your god does not exist, how would you defend your faith?  "His love led me to believe in Him" is far satisfactory as it is circular logic in that it assumes a priori the existence of God. 


The second is this: Is your faith necessary for morality?  Can a rational being develop a moral compass through reason alone?  Can you "act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law"  without an incentive like eternal life?  My answer to this is yes, you can.  Logic, if it is true, is will be the same no matter whose brain it comes from.  If the Categorical Imperative can be reached with cold unfeeling logic and still provide a positive moral compass then an incentive is not necessary.

[Randi]

Late to the party, sorry. I was raised in an evangelical Nazarene church and while they have a great number of things that are positive I do not totally agree with their doctrines.
When I was very young I would have dreams with glimpses of things that would later happen to me. After adolescence, I struggled for years and went to a service held by a missionary from Africa who asked for those with any question or need to come forward so as I wanted to know if it was real I went. I was last in a line of people and he studied me closely as I was the only one who asked to know if it was real. When my turn came he told me to lift my hands and thank God for what He was about to do. The man then walked away from me about twenty feet, lifted his hands toward me and I felt what was like being hit with a bolt of electricity. I saw what I will call visions and came away knowing it is real. Many will read this and just conclude that I am a quack-that's ok too. We all have to find our own way but I consider myself most fortunate to have recieved the confirmation I was looking for.

Randi

[Del]

Del,

Please correct me if i am wrong but isn't the main functions of a pastor to be two fold. First to spend time in prayer to seek God's leading and two to feed the sheep. Wasn't the function of the elders to do the administration of the church and for the elders and lay people do the visitations so the pastors could devote their time to prayer? It seems to me both the elders and lay people have abdicated their responsibility and have placed it on the pastors shoulders so much so that the pastors can no longer function in the way they were intended to.

Sarah,

Even that has been perverted. In the book of Acts it was the Shepherds, so to speak that prayed and appointed the ones to do the administration. Today it is reversed and the administration votes in the shepherd. This is wrong. The Lord should control who the pastor is and whom he sends or brings.

In today's setting I have personally seen those whom the Lord has sent be voted out because those on the board had money and didn't want to give to a man that would tell them the truth. The others on the board didn't want to lose their tithes if they left so they agreed with them and voted the man out. The innocent blood of that flock will be on their hands at the judgment seat since they voted out the one whom God sent.

I have also seen these boards vote out a man sent by God for other reasons. In each case the sheep (flock) knew the shepherd's (preacher,pastor) voice and knew God had sent him and yet he was voted out by the administration for one reason or another. Since the flock were in no position to follow that man they were stuck with the one men (administration) wanted.

The pastor, or shepherd whom the Lord sends should be the leader and head of that flock. When administration votes them in or out they are no longer the leader or head. Just another voted in pawn that will preach withing the guidelines of their doctrine or denomination or be voted out.

Sadly, the world has forgotten that the leaders were sent by God by the working of his Spirit and not voted in.

Peter was sent by the Spirit of God to Cornelius. Philip was sent by the Spirit of God to the eunuch. Paul was met by the Lord going to Damascus. The Lord picked his 12 disciples even though 1 would betray him. (Which shows that even when a man is chosen he can sell the Lord out but the Lord already knows)

The list goes on and on about the Spirit of God leading the church.

The pastor should pray for the flock and lead them. But the administration should be the part of the flock being led. In no way controlling. The waiting on tables should not override the prayer, reading, teaching and preaching.

Just another one of many reasons why the miracles have ceased from the mainstream of that which is called Christianity. The good Lord is not going to honor that which goes against his word.

I hope this clears up what I was trying to say young lady. Sometimes my wording leaves a lot to be desired.

[Del]

Randi,
Though I am nobody, I believe you.
I don't see you as a quack.

[Maddie Secutura]

Late to the party, sorry. I was raised in an evangelical Nazarene church and while they have a great number of things that are positive I do not totally agree with their doctrines.
When I was very young I would have dreams with glimpses of things that would later happen to me. After adolescence, I struggled for years and went to a service held by a missionary from Africa who asked for those with any question or need to come forward so as I wanted to know if it was real I went. I was last in a line of people and he studied me closely as I was the only one who asked to know if it was real. When my turn came he told me to lift my hands and thank God for what He was about to do. The man then walked away from me about twenty feet, lifted his hands toward me and I felt what was like being hit with a bolt of electricity. I saw what I will call visions and came away knowing it is real. Many will read this and just conclude that I am a quack-that's ok too. We all have to find our own way but I consider myself most fortunate to have recieved the confirmation I was looking for.

Randi

Well shoot if I had something like this happen to me, I'd be hard pressed not to think something was up.  Why can't we all get stuff like this happening to us?  I once went to a Catholic youth conference when I was in high school.  During the Adoration, they took the Eucharist around and a lot of people kept having these reactions to it.  As for me, I felt like I missed something.  Everyone else was crying or resting in the spirit but I kept wanting to experience something and nothing ever came.  You can get hit by a truck and not even have to see it coming before it hits you.  A truck is real and if the power of Christ was real, surely something would have happened to me, yeah?  But as it stands it didn't.  I was still left questioning, doubting.  I shouldn't have to first accept something in order for it to be real to me.  Isn't it stated that God wants us all to have a loving relationship with him?  Well you can't have a loving relationship with someone you won't reveal yourself to.  I can't date someone purely through match dot com and I can't get involved with God through second hand accounts.  If I'm getting the silent treatment then I'm probably already condemned as you would put it.  If that's the case it doesn't matter what I believe.

[Del]

Maddie,
I personally have felt similar in times past. There were times when I saw others act as though they were feeling the Spirit of God and I was missing out. There were times when I questioned what was happening. If I loved the Lord why didn't he answer or reveal himself?

It was 40 years before the Lord spake to Moses. In the Book of esther she said the king has not called me these 30 days. (If I remember right)

Sometimes the Lord will hold back just to see if someone will keep going. Just to manifest a true love for him at his throne where it really matters. It seems that those who hang in there through the silent times are greatly blessed when he finally does answer. Many times those who see him first and even receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost the easiest and quickest are the first to turn when the going gets rough.

A one way love does not work as you say. I have seen it all too often. He loves people and then they choose that which he hates. The opposite form of one way love.

I hope that you would reconsider. Many times the blessings come after we believe. For some that feel that the Lord has blessed or revealed himself while they were young (my case) it is proving that the work is by the Spirit of God. Most definitely not that they are special. It is where the Spirit of God has led them right where he wants them. Not necessarily where they want to go. Sort of what the Lord told Peter. When you were young you went where you wanted but when you shall be old another shall carry you where you don't want to go. That sort of dying to self and going where the Spirit leads.

I hope this helps.

[Maddie Secutura]

I love the level of conviction you all have.  My mother has the same conviction and wishes I would accept a relationship with her god (the Christian one).  I told her I would do that when Zeus also appeared to me.  I'd like to actually be able to debate this point and proselytism is not an option.  I have two rather specific questions that elaborate on my original post.

The first is this: If someone were to assault your beliefs and tell you outright that your god does not exist, how would you defend your faith?  "His love led me to believe in Him" is far satisfactory as it is circular logic in that it assumes a priori the existence of God. 


The second is this: Is your faith necessary for morality?  Can a rational being develop a moral compass through reason alone?  Can you "act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law"  without an incentive like eternal life?  My answer to this is yes, you can.  Logic, if it is true, is will be the same no matter whose brain it comes from.  If the Categorical Imperative can be reached with cold unfeeling logic and still provide a positive moral compass then an incentive is not necessary.

I find that I can do more good in this world not by following the herd but by acting through reason.  The truth is universal whether it passes through divine or mortal lips.  Of course you want to convert the non-believers, you've been taught to do so.  But the truth would be discovered even without missionary intervention.  The truth, by its very nature, can convince even it's harshest critic because all things will point to it.  I find it amazing and profoundly vexing that by saying I've fallen away from belief because I found it not to be true, those who still subscribe to it are immediately compelled to "save" me.

Hit by a jolt of electricity.  I can see why you would believe, Randi.  I thank you for answering the question.

Please follow this then:

Given A: An experience has led you to believe.
Given B: I have had no such experience.
Conclusion: I have not been led to believe.

However I do think we have reached the same end through a different path.  You talk of giving yourself up and being led down the proper path.  I have found humility in looking at our world and it's insignificance in the grand theater of the cosmos.  Forget delusions of grandeur thinking that we can achieve a moment of greatness on this fraction of rock suspended in space.  All we have is each other and because of that we must take care of each other.  And when we are dead we are gone but our actions while we lived left a legacy for those to come afterward.  Isn't this what should be?  We should not live in hopes that we will be blessed but for others that they might have it better than we did.  If this is true then yes I walk the path you talk about.

[Amazon D]

I never had no spark or electricty but what i did have was a slow change in myself that wasn't to do with anyone except my mother who prayed for me her whole life and still does. She is now 88 and i am her caregiver. her prayers have made wonderful things happen here for me. Its amazing how everything goes so right here with her living with me or driving in a car etc. Its scary how well things have gone. My transition has also been a blessing since it finally removed that nasty male sex drive and replaced negative male mental tapes with positive female tapes.

as for asulting my beliefs i surely could easily refute anyone because i have the rewards to prove it.

as for people being moral without God sure many many people are good and righteous and never knew God. I have a sister like that. She won't suffer any rath as i will for my wrongs i have done even though i do believe and have faith in above.

[JulyaOrina]

I edited updates on my post throughout the day, please re-read...

If I never had such experiences, I would believe in my own mind before all else.

[SarahM777]

I find that I can do more good in this world not by following the herd but by acting through reason.  The truth is universal whether it passes through divine or mortal lips.  Of course you want to convert the non-believers, you've been taught to do so.  But the truth would be discovered even without missionary intervention.  The truth, by its very nature, can convince even it's harshest critic because all things will point to it.  I find it amazing and profoundly vexing that by saying I've fallen away from belief because I found it not to be true, those who still subscribe to it are immediately compelled to "save" me.

Hit by a jolt of electricity.  I can see why you would believe, Randi.  I thank you for answering the question.

Please follow this then:

Given A: An experience has led you to believe.
Given B: I have had no such experience.
Conclusion: I have not been led to believe.

However I do think we have reached the same end through a different path.  You talk of giving yourself up and being led down the proper path.  I have found humility in looking at our world and it's insignificance in the grand theater of the cosmos.  Forget delusions of grandeur thinking that we can achieve a moment of greatness on this fraction of rock suspended in space.  All we have is each other and because of that we must take care of each other.  And when we are dead we are gone but our actions while we lived left a legacy for those to come afterward.  Isn't this what should be?  We should not live in hopes that we will be blessed but for others that they might have it better than we did.  If this is true then yes I walk the path you talk about.

Maddie,

I do apologize if i gave you the impression that why i believe is based on experience or feelings alone. We have been given one sign that all that Jesus said and did is true. It is the one claim that has been made that NO other religion has made claim. It is the one claim that took 11 scared and frightened men to be transformed into bold witnesses to even speak in the heart of the very city
where it took place where it could be discredited if it was not true within 2 months of it happening. It took a man who could not believe and within moments proclaim the same thing.
The sign was so profound they staked their lives and reputations on it. They never wavered on it as being a fact.  So much so that most of them died terrible deaths. They proclaimed they were eye witnesses to the one thing that no other religion can make claim to. And what is the sign that God gave us that it is true?

Late on a Thursday night Jesus was arrested, placed on trial and convicted before the high priests of blasphomey and turned over to the Romans to be convicted of a different crime as they could not put Him to death. After going back and forth He was finally tried before Pilot and was tried for proclaiming to be a king. He was then whipped and beaten His flesh turned into hamburger and was sentenced to death. He was made to carry the very instrument of His death to a small hill in Jerusalem. Where He was placed upon it and had spikes driven through His  hands and feet. Six hours later He died. The soldiers were so convinced that He was dead that they did something that is not normally done. They ran a spear through His side and did NOT do the one thing they would do which is to take a sledge hammer and shatter the leg bones. When they ran the spear through His side what looked like blood and water came out. Medical fact is that once death occurs the red blood cells and plasma separate. At this point there is nothing to convince me that He could have possibly still been alive. He was then buried in a tomb on the side of a hill and a boulder was rolled before the entrance. Roman guards were left to guard the tomb on the pain of death.

Early on Sunday morning Yahweh's guaranty that all that Jesus said and did was given. The stone was rolled away and Jesus stepped forth from the tomb. For the next 40 days He spent time showing Himself to be alive again. It was in those 40 days that it changed the 11 scared and frightened men to be able to proclaim that as the truth as they were eye witnesses to that fact. So much so that 10 days later in the very city that Jesus died they were proclaiming it.

People have tried to explain it away but NONE of the explanations that are used to try to explain it away do not and can not fit the time and circumstances which has led me to believe that it is the truth.

I do understand that this is just a synopsis, if you are wiling to check it out i would suggest 2 books that really helped me out. They were written by a man that started out to discredit the claims made and in the end he came to one conclusion that the facts point to only one conclusion Jesus is who said He was and He rose from the dead. He does go into far more detail and it is a fairly easy read and he does not use theology to prove it. The titles of the 2 books are Evidence that demands a verdict and More than a carpenter both written by Josh McDowell.

[Maddie Secutura]

Maddie,

I do apologize if i gave you the impression that why i believe is based on experience or feelings alone. We have been given one sign that all that Jesus said and did is true. It is the one claim that has been made that NO other religion has made claim.

...

I do understand that this is just a synopsis, if you are wiling to check it out i would suggest 2 books that really helped me out. They were written by a man that started out to discredit the claims made and in the end he came to one conclusion that the facts point to only one conclusion Jesus is who said He was and He rose from the dead. He does go into far more detail and it is a fairly easy read and he does not use theology to prove it. The titles of the 2 books are Evidence that demands a verdict and More than a carpenter both written by Josh McDowell.

If you look at Aristeas of Proconnesus, he was a said to be a miracle worker who was one day found dead.  They locked his body in a room only for it to disappear.  He was discovered to be resurrected and blessed with mortality.  This tale was written in the 7th century BCE.  We can easily dismiss this as a mere tale, so what is it about the tale of Jesus, especially given the lack of third party historical records that makes us believe it's true?

Remember, I was raised Catholic.  I know all about the story of the Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles.  My disbelief is not out of ignorance but why it holds water.  I mean you have scientology which is dismissed as an absolute crock.  Granted it was written recently so the source is identifiable as fiction.  How do we know the Bible is inspired by a higher power?  You can say it makes predictions which come true later on in the same book.  However that generally occurs in any book written with proper literary literary technique.

Why did I have to take the red pill?

[justmeinoz]

For me it is a case of eliminating all those that don't work for me in some way.  The following observations are my own opinion, and I do not wish to denigrate anyone else's beliefs, because their life has been different to mine and they will draw different conclusions.

  At various times I have considered the merits of other religions, and looked most closely at Buddhism, Islam and Judaism.  They all seemed to be lacking something to make them complete for me on an emotional level, despite being satisfactory to varying degrees intellectually.

I have a distinct problem with living by the book of rules approach of Judaism and Islam.

Buddhism to me tends to put the God concept in the  "too hard" basket, and the lack of the concept of absolute good and evil makes moral question a purely intellectual exercise.  As I cannot subscribe to the idea of re-incarnation, karma has no real meaning.  Therefore why not just do whatever you want?

To me Christianity seems to have a unique revelation, that goes beyond that of Judaism and Islam, into a personal relationship based on faith and love in a way that no belief system had before.

I've run out of steam as it has been a long day, so may add more another time.

Karen.

[SarahM777]

If you look at Aristeas of Proconnesus, he was a said to be a miracle worker who was one day found dead.  They locked his body in a room only for it to disappear.  He was discovered to be resurrected and blessed with mortality.  This tale was written in the 7th century BCE.  We can easily dismiss this as a mere tale, so what is it about the tale of Jesus, especially given the lack of third party historical records that makes us believe it's true?

Remember, I was raised Catholic.  I know all about the story of the Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles.  My disbelief is not out of ignorance but why it holds water.  I mean you have scientology which is dismissed as an absolute crock.  Granted it was written recently so the source is identifiable as fiction.  How do we know the Bible is inspired by a higher power?  You can say it makes predictions which come true later on in the same book.  However that generally occurs in any book written with proper literary literary technique.

Why did I have to take the red pill?

I was unaware that you were raised Catholic but by the same token are you aware of the fact that i am an anomaly in that if you were to take a look at where i have been and the people that surrounded me and by what they did i Should Not be a believer. I should also define what i mean by anomaly. All i mean by it is that it is not the usual response the usual conclusion is to reject it outright. The other is by no means am i the only one there are others who have come to the same point of believing. Please none of the following is meant to be a pity party nor does it mean that my life is somehow so much worse than any one else. It is just the path that i have been on and it is what it is.
I was raised in the Lutheran denomination and was sent to school there. At age 5 i was sexually abused by my uncle on a Halloween night. My father was a real son of a gun. He was verbally abusive,a heavy drinker,not around much at all and he was two faced in that what he showed to those outside the family was a kind and caring person but not so if you were part of the family. In grade school (mind you a "Christian" school were most are suppose to be believers) I was ostrized from day one and i was often the brunt of most of the jokes. I was a sissy boy,->-bleeped-<-,etc etc. Not only did i get it from my classmates i even got it from some of the teachers. Most of high school even while being in the youth group most of my time was spent alone. I had remained "clean" through high school but afterwards i just jump off the deep end.

It was an overnight change. I went from being a "good kid" to one very screwed up mess. At age 20 i met a young lady and we got involved very quickly. Within a week we ended up living together. At the same time i have a boss that is rather large about 6 foot 5 and about 250 lbs. who claimed to be Catholic. One night she asked to take my car and go to a Christian retreat. (Brand new at the time) She was only suppose to begone for about 4-5 days. After 6-7 days i am starting to wonder if she had actually just taken off. Just about the time i was to report the car as missing she returned and claimed that she had "found God" and was going to have to move out. The next day as she was moving out (my boss was there at the time) She started beating on me (I do still have a couple of the scars on my face from the ring she had on) To add insult to injury the two of them start making out in front of me. Due to the fact i had already been in abusive relationships i was in a very bad state.

I do need to leave for a bit and i do want to lose this so i will up date this later

[Amazon D]

I was unaware that you were raised Catholic but by the same token are you aware of the fact that i am an anomaly in that if you were to take a look at where i have been and the people that surrounded me and by what they did i Should Not be a believer. I should also define what i mean by anomaly. All i mean by it is that it is not the usual response the usual conclusion is to reject it outright. The other is by no means am i the only one there are others who have come to the same point of believing. Please none of the following is meant to be a pity party nor does it mean that my life is somehow so much worse than any one else. It is just the path that i have been on and it is what it is.
I was raised in the Lutheran denomination and was sent to school there. At age 5 i was sexually abused by my uncle on a Halloween night. My father was a real son of a gun. He was verbally abusive,a heavy drinker,not around much at all and he was two faced in that what he showed to those outside the family was a kind and caring person but not so if you were part of the family. In grade school (mind you a "Christian" school were most are suppose to be believers) I was ostrized from day one and i was often the brunt of most of the jokes. I was a sissy boy,->-bleeped-<-,etc etc. Not only did i get it from my classmates i even got it from some of the teachers. Most of high school even while being in the youth group most of my time was spent alone. I had remained "clean" through high school but afterwards i just jump off the deep end.

It was an overnight change. I went from being a "good kid" to one very screwed up mess. At age 20 i met a young lady and we got involved very quickly. Within a week we ended up living together. At the same time i have a boss that is rather large about 6 foot 5 and about 250 lbs. who claimed to be Catholic. One night she asked to take my car and go to a Christian retreat. (Brand new at the time) She was only suppose to begone for about 4-5 days. After 6-7 days i am starting to wonder if she had actually just taken off. Just about the time i was to report the car as missing she returned and claimed that she had "found God" and was going to have to move out. The next day as she was moving out (my boss was there at the time) She started beating on me (I do still have a couple of the scars on my face from the ring she had on) To add insult to injury the two of them start making out in front of me. Due to the fact i had already been in abusive relationships i was in a very bad state.

I do need to leave for a bit and i do want to lose this so i will up date this later

It seems to me the true believers are those like us who have been abused both sexually and physically and mentally and so we seek a greater power outside this world. We surly know we will never be loved here on earth by people and so we pray for that love from God above.  I could tell you stories that would also shock even your story. After i transitioned i had hoped to find another like myself who went thru the same and had true love to give but alas i have even long given up on that. It seems even here most of the TS want sex first without finding love. And as for the pervs who follow and stalk us well thats why i changed my appearence. I wish you well Sarah in your life and may your forever above finally bring you peace and love. I hope to see ya there 

[SarahM777]

So going on.

With my defenses down he ended up moving in and it too was an abusive relationship. Three different times he tried to kill me,he verbally and sexually abused me. He also made numerous threats upon the lives of my family if i ever went to the police. All of these people claimed to be either Christian or religious. There is no logical reason why i should ever want to be a "Christian" or that i should even be able to come to that point unless there is something more to it than claiming a title.

I do need to leave for a bit and i do want to lose this so i will up date this later