So i started reading the bible

I don’t ascribe to any faith. In the past I’ve waffled between agnostic (thinking there is a higher power) and atheism. But I feel like I’m lacking something. My parents didn’t raise my brother and I with any religion and I feel like I missed out. They are Roman Cath. and Mormon who both believe in God but didn’t teach us anything about life and how to live a “good” life. My ethics class I’m taking now has made me aware of some of this stuff and made me question my life. My bf is methodist and I’ve been to church with his parents twice now (thats the only 2x, Easter & X-mas, I’ve been in my life). It was kind of nice and comforting but at the same time I had so many questions and was confused about everything. But with the SZA and meds things just slip out of my mind leaving me more confused. So I bought a life application bible study book and started reading it. I printed a daily reading list off the internet and am on day 4. I’ve only got more questions.

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It will be interesting to see what happens.

I was ‘raised’ as a Christian - my mother’s religion. But received no religious guidance at home or at church. The most I remember is my father starting to go to sleep in church and my mother poking him in the ribs with her elbow before he started to snore. And occasionally ‘taking Communion’ which felt very uncomfortable to me and to my parents.

I gave it up at 13 or 14. When I’ve read the new testament since then I soon become very carried away and crazy about it. It plays into my past eating disorder. I stay away. It plays into my craziness.

There are other religions. I looked into Buddhisn but the practices are based on a set of customs that I haven’t grown up with in my own culture

At most, I think about Christianity’s one sentence teaching - God is love. And then I wonder what that means.

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hi skims…i am one of jehovahs wittnesses,and if you are comfortable with it,i might be able to answer some of your questions with use of the bible…but it is up to you and what makes you feel happy…let me know…

Jehovah’s witnesses used to come by my house and drop off the Watchtower.

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I read that it’s a mistranslation when it says “it’s the number of a man”.

Some bible’s have “it’s the number of man” and not “a man”.

six nuetrons, six protons, and six electrons, the carbon atom.

I suppose john was just crazy hallucinating those things when he wrote that, all of revelation is a hallucination that john was having.

Crazy that they wrote that though, the numbers of the carbon atom, perhaps they had atomic microscopes back then?

Another crazy verse is where it says “the circle of the earth”, whoever wrote that knew the earth was round, it also eludes to the expanding of the universe in one part talking about “stretching out the heavens(sky/universe)”, it just sounds like the universe beginning at one point and expanding when it says that.

My fave verse though, truly my favorite, don’t know if it’s true, i want to believe it for sho, “no more tears” it says. I really hope that verse was true, “no more tears.”

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Another one, Job 26:7 “He stretches out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth upon nothing.”

At the time that was written as far as we know, no one had been to the far north to know there was nothing there but ice (empty), and somehow he knew earth was floating in space “hanging on nothing.”

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i was brought up ’ sith ’ , pretty much kill everyone lesser than you , decimate planets, ravage the universes…blah blah blah…it’s a family thing.
take care

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skims,it takes personal effort and the bible to answer your questions…but worth the time.
just like you and i god has a name…it is jehovah…psalms chapter 83–verse 18

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Yes, the sith is very weak.

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be mindfull my young one !?!
take care

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I remember going to church as a kid, with my father. I liked the fancy costumes that the priests were wearing, the glittering crosses, the icons of saints, the basic religious art work was dazzling , such an eye catching experience.
As far as believing Christ and saints, the concept of Heaven and Hell - well I just could not get into those things, too complex and confusing for a small mentally ill child to handle - but believe it or not I am somewhat spiritual. I am drawn to the sky,stars,trees and nature in general

I have seen what religion do to people, it gives them more courage in life cause they think they are connected to god but meanwhile makes their heart hard, takes away their natural intelligence and puts some belief instead of it, don’t be fool, find some of firm believers and watch them closely how they live and you will understand what religion do to their hearts, don’t be fascinated by their beautiful sayings and words, they actually inject hate in human’s heart. from a friend who has tried almost any religion on earth and has ruined his life because of this mistake, take care

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I would draw a difference between religion and spirituality. I can almost agree with you on a lot of what religion does, but what Jesus taught was spirituality and personal faith in God. The ultimate “church” he talked about was the body of believers, not a man made organization… In fact Jesus harshest words to anyone during his entire time on earth was towards the religious leaders - said they taught doctrines of men, and were a generation of vipers.

Rather than get caught up in the individual religious aspect, why not look directly to the spiritual aspect and apply that to to our daily lives?
And then at that point there’s nothing wrong with going to a church, and we are even told to test what we hear there to see if it really lines up with what Jesus taught.

1 John 2;27 sums this up:
“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will[ abide in Him.”

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I have heard such things alot that we regular human are culprits and not great religious leaders and even there was a time that I believed that but now these are excuses for me, now you think for yourself that you are a true believer and I am not or otherone is not and hate and pessimism starts here, these are just tricks of evil( if ever existed), for me a regular human who lives with what he understands is more more precious than one who has magnificent bunch of beliefs, ordinary people are far better than believers, for me anyone who says that I know the ultimate truth is a trickster cause there is a long way for human to reach that point if it is ever possible, the only messiah for me is " kindness between human" and not an individual who says I know the ultimate truth.

I would agree on the ultimate truth because no one has that spiritually speaking…and i have certainly come into conflict with churches over many things, how women are oppressed by some, not allowed to be leaders, or disrespect for nature when the bible teaches respect and care for her - and the fact nature/earth are female anyways. then the whole thing about aliens and angels thats way too much to get into where we have disagreed. Like you say, these arguments take away from the “kindness to human” issue.

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that could be the case, yet there is only so much too destroy.
when in the end you might only realise that the destruction was self inflicting

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“and the lion shall lay down with the lamb and eat grass”. Yeah right. I agree with some of the basic concelpts as regards human behavior ans what we should b like but I am angry with god if there is one, and furious with men and women for either turning a blind eye or getting actively involved. We r all guilty to some extent, just some take it to extremes.

I am Catholic, and sometimes have issues with God. I have read most of the Bible, and have attended a lot of Church, and would be happy to answer any questions that I can.

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My dad always said “Be spiritual, not religious. Religion will get you killed.”

I was raised Lutheran, though oddly enough my dad was more into church than my mom. When I was young I believed in God, though that faded when I got older…like Santa Claus. Now, I’m agnostic/atheistic.

Even if there is no God and religion is some big lie, it still teaches strong morals. If you follow just the commandments (with the exception of a couple religious based ones), you’ll live a pretty honest life. If everybody followed those morals, the world would be a lot nicer.

Personally my problem with religion in general is: Why? As in: Why should I believe in this one? If you look at it, the main reason people have a religion is because their parents believed in that religion or their friends believed in that religion. Then all you’re doing is giving in to peer pressure or blindly following other people into their religion. If I choose a religion for myself, which one? And what makes any of the religions truely any different…it’s like choosing a favorite color.

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it was written by many people… imo that is one liability
and from what i understand some context of it has changed over time.

if there would be an universal guide book, why not say create an undestructable pillar with text on it
that was/is clearly understandable by anyone.
why are some things left on their own interpertation or perception.

yet i do agree with some points, i have accumelated