Good evening!

[daisygirl]

Hello all, my name is Emi. It's nice to meet you!
I'm currently a student living in Midwest America... not quite the bible belt but near enough as it makes no difference. I was raised a Catholic, and attended a private Catholic school until my 7th grade year. Following that experience, I began drifting. Drifting through life, away from friends and family... and God. As I began to learn all the things that were kept from me (aka evolution, other scientific principles not in line with the church, general exposure to different types of people and religious experiences) I began to doubt the Lord more and more. These past years through junior high and high school have been difficult to say the least. As a junior last year, I reached out to my parents about seeing a counselor, which they obliged to. A christian one. She's been lovely thus far, and keeps religion out of our conversations (which I appreciate greatly!) However, as we've been working through my 'issues' (social anxiety, depression, etc) I find more and more that there's something in my life missing. Life is difficult to live for me, and there's really not a thing wrong. She advised me to reconsider my position on God, and I had been thinking the same thing myself. I love the community centered around the Lord and a vast majority of the true christians I've met with (Southern Baptists with my grandparents and Catholic churchgo-ers from my family church) have been incredibly inspiring and the most genuine people I've met. I'm interested in finding where I stand in the world of religion, but trying to convince myself of a magical man in the sky who controls the earth and everything on it has been difficult. I'm desperate for help, from anyone about anything. Thanks for reading and I look forward for the wonderful guidance I trust I'll find here

TL;DR: I need help finding where I stand on religion. The concept seems like a help in my life but believing in anything greater than myself is difficult for me. I wish it wasn't.

 

[Revoltingest]

Greetings!
I know nothing of religion & spiritual matters,
but I can offer something inspiring.....

 

[columbus]

Welcome to RF daisygirl!
Glad you joined us.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Welcome @daisygirl.
Start some conversations here, and hopefully we can help rather than confuse.

Or maybe a little of both!!

 

[Skwim]

daisygirl,
If you're looking for comfort and solace in your life right now I suggest you forget about evolution, other scientific principles not in line with the church, and those religious experiences that may give you reason to doubt your faith or parts of it. You're evidently not ready to confront them---and perhaps you never will be. This isn't necessarily bad; a lot of good folk go through life by putting challenging issues on the back shelf and letting their religious faith guide them. We're all different. Some people have the strength to take on conflicting issues and can put their biases aside and give their inquiries a fair hearing, but most are not. In time you'll come to better know yourself and your needs, and will be better able handle these issues. My suggestion is to not push yourself too hard right now. Keep an open mind and keep on learning.

BTW, welcome to RF.

.

 

[Deeje]

Hi there daisygirl, and welcome. Please refuse the bacon....our RF baconologist is fixated on it. I'll offer you something more appropriate.

The best way to answer questions is to ask some. Perhaps the "magical man in the sky who controls the earth and everything on it" was not the correct implication in the first place. You have a lot to put down before you pick up anything new.

Fire away, and don't expect the truth to be found in obvious places......that is too easy. We have to dig...sometimes deeply to find the treasure.

Happy digging.

 

[Terese]

Welcome to RF Daisygirl!

 

[The magical volleyball]

I'm an atheist and I think you should talk to "god" or anything you want. We humans can talk to anything. And talking and saying out loud what you want from life, what you want to fix in your life is very therapeutic. I take drives in the country talking to a momento of a lost friend when I'm conflicted. I know she's not there and can't actually hear me but I like to pretend she is and imagine what she would tell me.

 

[sun rise]

... I'm interested in finding where I stand in the world of religion, but trying to convince myself of a magical man in the sky who controls the earth and everything on it has been difficult. I'm desperate for help, from anyone about anything. Thanks for reading and I look forward for the wonderful guidance I trust I'll find here
...

Welcome to RF. Your introduction helped me to start to know you. One thing that struck me: "magical man in the sky".

I can only speak to what has inspired me not what your path is. I don't believe in a sky daddy but I do believe in God. I'm not a Christian, for what it's worth, since I don't accept Christian dogma.

While I don't accept the Bible as truth, I do believe that parts of it are true. For example "21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." That, to me, says that God is to be found in my heart not sitting on a cloud in the sky. Scriptures from other religions have passages that say the same thing in different words.

When I was searching I became interested in figures such as St. Francis of Assisi, Ramakrishna, Rumi, Hafiz and other figures from many different religious background who were saying the same thing in different words once cultural differences were eliminated.

I know people who seek and find God in nature or in acts of kindness or in service to the needy, the "least of these".

So there are many many different areas of exploration for you to find your path.

I'll close this post with a link to an excerpt of one of my favorite movies, "Brother Sun, Sister Moon". In case you're not familiar with it, it's a somewhat biographical movie of St. Francis. This is the second part of the scene where St. Francis meets the pope. It's not history but it is wonderfully symbolical. I have to wonder if Pope Francis ever saw this movie given his actions since becoming Pope. To me, the true poverty illustrated is not literal lack of money but lack of attachments to possessions that possess us. I'm still working on that myself!

 

[Misunderstood]

Hello daisygirl,

Welcome and peace be to you. I hope someday you will be able to make since of all of this and find who you are. Life is usually difficult at this time in your life, I wish I could say it gets better, but not really, you just learn to cope.

I don't know if I can say I understand as I am a male and well into my fifties. But, I do understand about going to private schools and the questioning of what you are being told and taught. I went to a private Christian school 1st though 8th grade. I know how difficult it can be, the kids from the other schools can be so mean and make you question everything about you and your family. We were told we were going to the retard school and were freaks. You wonder what it is like on the other side and if you are missing out.

Anyway, I have seen many friends lose it after getting out of school, basically trying everything there is to try, but they found it didn't take them where they wanted to go. Some have been able to work though life and come to understand themselves and live a decent life.

If you feel I could be of some help just respond and I will help as best I can, from someone with a similar perspective, but has moved from school to a life I can cope with.

 

[shawn001]

A certain religion has been a big part of your life and your families and this has happened to other people as well. You moved away from that one religion and feel empty because it has been such a big part of your life. (What do I believe in now) Sometimes it takes the time to find something that fits you personally and you are comfortable with doing, not always what people are telling you to do and believe is right for you. It's your life and you get to choose your own path. Your young and have time to think and reason, what is the rush.

Have you thought about seeing a non-religious counselor? How is your current counselor helping you with anxiety and depression?

 

[The Holy Bottom Burp]

Welcome Emi/Daisygirl! I don't think there is much more to add, you've already had a taste of the massive diversity of religious opinion here on your opening post! Having read them I'm left with a feeling of spiritual emptiness, but somehow, deep within, a strange craving for a bacon sandwich...

 

[Rival]

Shalom and welcome. You will find many interesting conversations to be had here.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Hello all, my name is Emi. It's nice to meet you!
I'm currently a student living in Midwest America... not quite the bible belt but near enough as it makes no difference. I was raised a Catholic, and attended a private Catholic school until my 7th grade year. Following that experience, I began drifting. Drifting through life, away from friends and family... and God. As I began to learn all the things that were kept from me (aka evolution, other scientific principles not in line with the church, general exposure to different types of people and religious experiences) I began to doubt the Lord more and more. These past years through junior high and high school have been difficult to say the least. As a junior last year, I reached out to my parents about seeing a counselor, which they obliged to. A christian one. She's been lovely thus far, and keeps religion out of our conversations (which I appreciate greatly!) However, as we've been working through my 'issues' (social anxiety, depression, etc) I find more and more that there's something in my life missing. Life is difficult to live for me, and there's really not a thing wrong. She advised me to reconsider my position on God, and I had been thinking the same thing myself. I love the community centered around the Lord and a vast majority of the true christians I've met with (Southern Baptists with my grandparents and Catholic churchgo-ers from my family church) have been incredibly inspiring and the most genuine people I've met. I'm interested in finding where I stand in the world of religion, but trying to convince myself of a magical man in the sky who controls the earth and everything on it has been difficult. I'm desperate for help, from anyone about anything. Thanks for reading and I look forward for the wonderful guidance I trust I'll find here

TL;DR: I need help finding where I stand on religion. The concept seems like a help in my life but believing in anything greater than myself is difficult for me. I wish it wasn't.

I do not know you, but brainwashing yourself will not close the gap in this something missing you mention. One thing you need is to stay connected with your family, but because you don't agree with them about God you may feel estranged. Let God defend himself. It is not your responsibility. Also do not blame God, and do not be angry with your family about this whole thing. Concentrate on doing your best at things. Establish routines like making your bed in the morning. Healthy routines are a religious activity, and they prepare you to do good work. They work like bribes and get things moving inside you. You must treat yourself holistically, gradually, accepting yourself -- no guilt trips or wondering why you can't do this or that.

If people tell you what to believe, just ignore it. Nobody can transfer belief into you with talk. That's not how it works.

The 'Something missing' you mention is in all of us, and a little of it is a good thing. It should be a tiny internal pain or hungry feeling. Its not a punishment. When people promise that all pain will go away, they don't know what they are talking about. It isn't normal to be in a state of bliss. You can't sustain bliss, and bliss is a momentary death of the mind or sleep. Hopefully your pain is not worse than what other people feel, but you need to feel that something (small) is missing. This feeling is awareness. Children don't always have it, because they have not fully formed into aware people. If you have an extra measure of this feeling, then I understand why you have sought counseling.

Use smiles to control your feelings as much as possible, because while your emotions feel powerful and seem forceful they also follow your cues. Control your body language and facial expressions, because this is like taking the rudder of a ship. Even if your ship has a hug keel, your rudder can still turn it. You can sail into the wind by tacking. Be friendly, and exert energy to make people feel loved. Then that 'Something missing' in them will respond, and this will be good for you.

I am not a doctor.

 

[Corvus]

TL;DR: I need help finding where I stand on religion. The concept seems like a help in my life but believing in anything greater than myself is difficult for me. I wish it wasn't.

You don't need to believe in articles of faith to lead a happy productive rewarding life. You are a person who on the face of your post, is a seeker of knowledge and understanding. This is entirely a good thing.

Uncertainty is not be feared, it is the guiding principle of science and reason. Science does not claim complete knowledge on ANY matter you care to mention, there is always room for improvement or even overturning in any theory. Only religions claim absolute facts with entirely unwarranted certainty.

You will go far if you simply allow your mind the freedom to think critically, to evaluate what is put before it, using reason and logic.

You must read everything about that which interests you. You have to dig and delve to find truth, disseminating pure speculation or article of faith, of which abounds, from the gems of truth which are testable and demonstrable. You will encounter resistance within your peer network and family, if for example you renounce the doctrine of creation/creationism, embracing instead evolution by natural selection. Those who truly love you will not stop loving you, even if they do fear for you.

Just remember that it is fear of hell and hope of heaven, which drive people, the carrot and stick used to engender compliance. You are not a Donkey. I feel.

I speak as someone from a very traditional religious family. I understand to a degree how problematic this can be. Especially for those atheists/agnostics living in regions of the world which have a high percentage of church/mosque/temple goers. Which luckily I don't.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I find posts like yours rather sad.
Perhaps mostly because people feel pushed away from their churches because of details.
The Catholic church has absolutely no problem with science or with evolution. that mind set is now well in the past.
However I can well believe that some catholics still reside a long way into the past.
It is true that Bible belt religion is extremely reactionary and tends to believe in in all sorts of fundamentalist ideas, and in an absolute and definitive bible truth.

I am a very liberal Christian as are most ( but not all) Anglicans.
The Bible is undoubtedly one of the most important ways that we learn about our faith. It contains virtually the entire teaching that Jesus brought to us.

However..... Have you ever tried to remember the exact words that any one spoke or taught you when sitting for an exam.?

How about doing that 20 or 30 years later?... Difficult?... impossible?
The words in the bible relating to Jesus, were older than that when they were eventually written down. Not only that, none of those words were written by the people who had originally heard them..

In spite of these difficulties, the teachings of Jesus have come down to us, they are important to how we live our lives. But they are not "Exact" they have been put into new words , misremembered, and been subject to the prejudices of the re-tellers. Some of the teachings will be more accurate than others.

Both the Old and new testament are subject to the cultures and level of knowledge of the people who wrote them.
They are not "Lies" but the things they believed were often wrong, or as then unknown. All this "Knowledge" good and bad passed into the Bible.

It is not surprising that you have difficulty establishing the "Truth" when you are coming from a time that has far more knowledge than those Bronze and Iron age tribesmen, whose own knowledge of the world was based on myth and assumption..

Never the less Faith in God does not depend on "Accuracy" or "science" or "myth" It comes to us though the teachings of Jesus and the love of God.
Jesus did not tell us not to study science or that we should only believe in the Bible ( neither of which existed at that time.)

Jesus told us to Love God and one another, as God love us.
The rest is unimportant.

The churches have introduced only complications that bare no relationship to the faith Jesus taught.
It is these unsubstantiated complications that are driving people from the Faith, as they can not be reconciled with the evidence of todays knowledge.

Do not be pushed away from your faith, many people attending your church will be feeling and believing just as you do. In time the Church will move even further in reconciling faith in God,with the scientific world in which we live.

The Liberal churches are just one step ahead in this process, and in reconciling their beliefs with the love of God.

 

[Corvus]

Do not be pushed away from your faith, many people attending your church will be feeling and believing just as you do. in time the Church will move even further in recoiling faith in God,with the scientific world in which we live.

The scientific world has little need of Gods. Ethics maybe.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Greetings!
I know nothing of religion & spiritual matters,
but I can offer something inspiring.....

It is sure inspiring (more so with a non-vegetarian 'Shravana' month facing me), but when will it be ready to eat?

Welcome Daisygirl, let me see what all the pundits have advised you. Brickjectivity among other has a nice post there. Don't dive in but read about other religions too to give your thoughts a balance.

 

[omega2xx]

Hello all, my name is Emi. It's nice to meet you!
I'm currently a student living in Midwest America... not quite the bible belt but near enough as it makes no difference. I was raised a Catholic, and attended a private Catholic school until my 7th grade year. Following that experience, I began drifting. Drifting through life, away from friends and family... and God. As I began to learn all the things that were kept from me (aka evolution, other scientific principles not in line with the church, general exposure to different types of people and religious experiences) I began to doubt the Lord more and more. These past years through junior high and high school have been difficult to say the least. As a junior last year, I reached out to my parents about seeing a counselor, which they obliged to. A christian one. She's been lovely thus far, and keeps religion out of our conversations (which I appreciate greatly!) However, as we've been working through my 'issues' (social anxiety, depression, etc) I find more and more that there's something in my life missing. Life is difficult to live for me, and there's really not a thing wrong. She advised me to reconsider my position on God, and I had been thinking the same thing myself. I love the community centered around the Lord and a vast majority of the true christians I've met with (Southern Baptists with my grandparents and Catholic churchgo-ers from my family church) have been incredibly inspiring and the most genuine people I've met. I'm interested in finding where I stand in the world of religion, but trying to convince myself of a magical man in the sky who controls the earth and everything on it has been difficult. I'm desperate for help, from anyone about anything. Thanks for reading and I look forward for the wonderful guidance I trust I'll find here

TL;DR: I need help finding where I stand on religion. The concept seems like a help in my life but believing in anything greater than myself is difficult for me. I wish it wasn't.

Let me make it very simple for you---Pray. Simply ask God to reveal himself to you.

There is only 1 other requirement.

2 Chronicles 15:12 - The entered into a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul.
2 Chronicles 15:15 - All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him,

Good luck on your quest to find God.

 

[omega2xx]

Welcome Emi/Daisygirl! I don't think there is much more to add, you've already had a taste of the massive diversity of religious opinion here on your opening post! Having read them I'm left with a feeling of spiritual emptiness, but somehow, deep within, a strange craving for a bacon sandwich...

Bacon is not banned in Christianity. The best sandwich ever invented was the BLT.