(January 6, 2016 at 10:28 pm)Old Baby Wrote: I "came out" to one of my best friends last Sunday about my non-belief. She seemed understanding but very concerned. We talked for about 3 hours and then parted ways. Tonight I called her because I was concerned about how she was taking the news. She became emotional and started preaching to me about how I was like Adam in the Garden of Eden, who didn't want to submit to God, so I've been thrown out of the Garden and now I can no longer hear God's voice. She said that Jesus Christ is my only answer now, and that I would never have my questions answered until I submitted to Jesus Christ because he's the only way back to God. I calmly listened and then said, "Ok well thanks for the witnessing", then politely said goodnight.
I know she means well but it still hurts because I feel like our relationship is irrevocably broken. I explained in depth why I began to struggle and question my beliefs, but she did not acknowledge the rationality behind this. The idea is that I'm completely to blame for my failure to believe, that I'm unreasonable for asking God to show himself to me, and now I'm the only one who can repair my relationship with God by throwing myself at Jesus' feet. I told her that I didn't want anything to change between us but she said that she couldn't promise it wouldn't, but she's praying for me.
She told me that she had always looked up to me, but now I only feel the judgment.
Maybe your feeling of judgement from her is actually guilt on your part. You are the one who chose to change not her, so why wouldn't you expect her to react differently towards you, it's only natural.
GC
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.
