Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 30 replies, 30 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 7 months ago by
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- I can only speak for myself. I was raised in the church and my parents made me go. I vowed that when I got to college I wouldn't go to church. I was determined to do my own thing. Well anyway I did my own thing for a while but realized that I still was not happy. It was in that time that God spoke to me through other people, that I realized He is real. A personal encounter with God is what established my faith in Him. When I was younger the church told me all those stories about God, Jesus, and other things of the bible but I wasn't sure they were real. I know you've made up in your mind that the things of the bible are not fact and you are looking for a different answer. Once again I didn't believe all the stuff written in the bible but God confirmed the things written. Experiencing God is what proved, to me that the things in the bible are true. I know, but the bible was written by man? Knowing God for myself, has led me to believe that He did inspire those people who wrote the bible. I have a question for you. You say that you are spiritual, I just wanted to know what you believe in? I hope I answered your question.
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Name : Mike, Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, Age : 24, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I was raised in a non-denominational, non-religious household by a mother from a strict Roman Catholic household and a father from a strict Southern Baptist household. They were married by a Justice of the Peace and never made me go to a church of any kind. As a result, I have had the adventure of learning about many different religions and asking questions about all of them. It puzzles me that so many people can attest to aspects of their religion as if they are proven scientific fact (e.g., 'Jesus died for our sins') when there really isn't any proof that such things are true. I mean no disrespect to anyone of any faith by asking, but how can you say something is true if you don't have proof? Just because something is written in a book does not necessarily mean it happened, or that it happened just the way it was written. Please explain to me how you have developed absolute faith in your religion given lack of proof.User Detail :
Name : Tracy, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Spiritual but not religious, Age : 30, City : Edmond, State : OK Country : United States, Occupation : Electronic Banking Assistant, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I too come from a mixed religion household (Southern Baptist and Mormon) and as a result was raised without being required to attend church. I have for years counted this as a blessing, as it allowed me to view all religions on an equal footing and see many similarities without first having to overcome preconceived notions of what 'should' be based on my upbringing. I also have been free of religious doctrine regarding behavior and 'sin,' allowing me to develop my own sense of self-worth and behaviors without fear of recrimination or self-judgment.You are asking people to prove faith. Faith cannot be proven, it just is. You either have it or you don't. I have had personal experiences that have led me to believe in a spirituality (blessedly free from dogmatic rules and regulations), and though I have faith in my experiences and perceptions, I cannot convince you of the same. Faith is an individual expression. For some people it is ingrained at an early age. Others come to believe on their own. You find in yourself the faith to believe what you feel to be right (or what is right for you at this moment) regardless of the religion or lack thereof. Faith cannot by definition be proven, only demonstrated.
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Name : Doug25655, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : New Age/Metaphysical, Age : 39, City : Phoenix, State : AZ Country : United States, Occupation : Administrator, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Who are you to decide if something is worth believing for other people? Why do you care if I believe that Jesus died for my sins and as a result of that mankind may be reconciled with God? It makes me angry that some people who are not religious have the nerve to cast doubt on others who believe. As you weren't there when the Bible was written, who are you to say what did or didn't happen? Yes, I question my beliefs all the time. But don't you or anyone else tell me what I should believe in, and don't make me feel like I'm wrong or naive just because I believe in Jesus. Some things just cannot be explained. It's called faith.User Detail :
Name : Monique-M20337, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Pentecostal, Age : 16, City : Ft. Myers, State : FL Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,I once asked a co-worker of mine (who also happens to be a Baptist minister) if he would explain to me the difference between faith and knowledge. He answered me with a snippet of Scripture: 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.' It didn't exactly answer my question. I think for many of the most devout, there is an extremely blurry line between faith and knowledge. But religion is by definition a matter of faith, not knowledge. Faith is in many ways stronger than knowledge: While scientific theories can either be proved or disproved, God and the supernatural cannot be. The existence of Jesus seems to be a matter of historical record; but the notion that he actually rose from the dead is a matter of faith, since only a handful of followers claim to have seen him after his resurrection. Jesus certainly benefitted from a lot of good P.R.User Detail :
Name : Chuck A., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 41, City : Spring Hill, State : WV Country : United States, Occupation : AIDS Educator/Part-time radio announcer,That is exactly what faith is: being able to believe strongly in something without proof of its reality. I was raised similarly, with a Roman Catholic mother and Jewish father. My fiancee is Muslim, and me, I'm pagan, through choice of study of culture, religion and other hard facts. Thus, my faith is placed on hard history rather than stories that are claimed to be history (and may quite well be). In the end, true faith is whatever you believe in, not what others would have you believe.User Detail :
Name : Daniel27222, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Pagan, City : Guymon, State : OK Country : United States,You mentioned that your parents were 'strict' Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists, but you were never made to go to church. How do you define the word 'strict?' How was their faith practiced in your home? Faith is defined as belief that is not based on proof. You either have one or the other, but not both. If you have proof of something, then you don't need faith. For instance, I have faith that the Bible was written by man, but inspired by God and by faith I believe the Bible from the book of Genesis through the book of The Revelation. The Bible states, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus), that whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus)shall not perish, but have everlasting life.' I can't prove any of that, but I believe it by faith. However, unless God draws you to Him, you won't believe it either. I became a Christian 19 years ago and it happened in my bedroom. It's not something you're 'raised as', it's a choice you make. From the time the Lord saved me, my sons and I attended good Bible teaching churches as the Lord led. As a result, both of my sons were saved at a relatively young age. However, they were never 'made' to go to church, it just became a part of our lifestyle and they never objected to it. They were not brainwashed, but made informed decisions to trust Christ as their Savior. It was shown to them that based on God's Word, they were Hell bound, not because of what they did, but because of who they were: sinners.User Detail :
Name : Redeemed-One30117, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 54, City : Newport News, State : VA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,To Monique: I'm sorry if you took my original post in a negative light. I was in no way implying there was anything wrong with a person believing or not believing. I was trying to get different perspectives on where a believer's faith comes from. Some people derive their faith from what they have been taught as a child, others derive it from a personal experience. It was not meant as a personal attack on you or on your beliefs.User Detail :
Name : Tracy24871, Gender : F, City : Edmond, State : OK Country : United States,Most people feel they need a 'religion' to tell them what to 'believe' in order to be 'saved.' Religion seems to connotate church attendence, thus believing the church's interpretation of the Bible, Koran, Book of Mormon or whatever. With 50 years of church attendence of almost every 'mainline' denomination behind me, I am convinced there is only one thing right for me: I am spiritual and believe in a 'higher power.' I believe that higher power gave me a conscience. I don't need to believe what anyone tells me, written or spoken. What matters is and as it should be, in one's heart.User Detail :
Name : Carol S., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 57, City : Mountain Home, State : AR Country : United States, Occupation : retired,Faith is a gift from God. My proof is the peace and assurance I feel in my heart. If you get in your car every day and believe it will start when you turn the key, you have faith in the automobile industry. What kind of proof do you have that the car won't explode while you are driving? You are relying on the history of the automobile and testimonies from other drivers, as well as what the car dealership tells you. I'm relying on the Bible (God's word to man), testimonies from other Christiansand what I'm hearing at my church. I have had so many amazing things happen in my life that I have faith in what I believe. I have hope for the future and joy that I will spend eternity in heaven with God, my Father, and Jesus Christ, my savior.User Detail :
Name : Annie23902, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 50, City : Lawrenceville, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : copy editor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,We cannot believe anything with absolute certainty. There is no way of being absolutely sure the whole world is not a simulation in an alien computer, or a dream in the mind of God. We develop faith in the everyday world by experiencing it reliably day after day. Same goes for faith in a Faith.User Detail :
Name : Ian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 34, City : B/water, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,For someone who considers themselves spiritual but not religious, you seem to be contradicting yourself. What solid scientific, logical proof do you have that there is such a thing as 'spirituality'? From someone who lives in Los Angeles, where everybody seems to be 'spiritual but not religious,' I find it gets a little tiresome, as it suggests that they are two separate things. Most people who follow religions find them to satisfy their spiritual side. Although certain religions are higher in dogma than others, that does not mean there is not spirituality present in them. I think organized religion is so popular because people need to believe and understand what the ultimate truth is. They are curious to answer the biggest 'Why?' question, and to quench the frightening possibility that there is no reason for our existence and we are all terribly alone.User Detail :
Name : Collete, Gender : F, City : Los angeles, State : CA Country : United States,Although I agree to a certain extent that faith is without proof (Heb 11:1), yet the Bible tells us to make certain that we are in the faith.2 Cor 13:5 says clearly we are to test ourselves to see if we are of the faith. But your question is more about proving the claims of the Bible, than in proving that someone has Biblical faith. First of all, you need to read the Bible, and examine it, no matter your starting point of belief or disbelief. If you set out to prove once and for all that the Bible is false(you would not be the first), and are honest in your search, look through history and science etc. Did Jesus exist? Did He die? Did He rise from the dead? What significance does that have? Descartes, Kenyon, Josh McDowell are just examples of people who have done their own research, and come to their own conclusions. Start there, and from there, do your own work.It is tough work. Then you will be able to say that what you believe isn't based on what other people say, but on good solid evidence. Success to you.User Detail :
Name : Arnold Urbonas, Religion : Christian, City : Edmonton, State : NA Country : Canada, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,For me faith is built on one thing, logic. Because science and evolution could not answer all my questions about the origin of the universe, matter and life in general, I looked to other explanations. I saw that around me was a world that I did not create, and whose creation was not satisfactorally explained, and that simple existence of life was substantial proof that something made this. I saw the finished product of something inexplicable, and instead of assuming that things just appeared (because in my whole life, nothing has ever just appeared. Isn't that the first thing they teach you in biology, no abiogenesis. Life comes from life, things come from things). So, that was my first brick in the foundation of my faith. I've moved on, questioning along the way, not taking anything for granted. I've settled on a religion that bases faith on logic, and says throughout its text 'This is a book for men of understanding, if only they would see'. It says that God gave man logic as a means to find his faith. Because I know that I've questioned, I've argued, I've researched and I did not lie to myself, I can say that my religion is true. Of course I cannot call God before you to verify this, or show you that my religious text is true by going back in time or anything of the sort, but I used the best tool man has, the mind, to find something believable.User Detail :
Name : Hayat R., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Caucasian/Asian mix, Religion : Muslim, Age : 20, City : Islamabad, State : NA Country : Pakistan, Occupation : Journalist, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I have been struggling with this question myself a lot recently. The man I am dating is Christian and I am spiritual/agnostic. I am scientifically minded and believe in evolution; he believes in creationism. What I have come to realize though, is that both of us are putting faith in something that cannot truly be proven. How do I KNOW Aristotle existed? We have as much proof of him as we do of Christ. That Christ died for our sins, well, he could have believed that. The people who wound up following him believe it...I don't know...why do I believe that medicine cures me and not the sacrifice of animals? It is my upbringing that taught me to trust my testing methods, just as someone from the Hmong culture believes that animal sacrifice will cure what ails you.Its all faith.User Detail :
Name : victoria, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 35, City : san diego, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
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