Christianity and Suicide

[Godscreated]

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As I explained it's hard to give you a path when I do not know what it is that troubles you. I asked you to ask questions and/or tell me what it is you seek. To give you random advice would be of little use when I do not know what is bothering you, you do not understand or what you seek. I'm more than willing to help in what ever way I can. It's too bad we live on opposite sides of the country. I will suggest this, find a good Bible teaching Southern Baptist church in your area and start attending Bible studies especially those studies lead by the pastor. Smaller church can have their advantages if lead by a pastor who is seminary trained in the inerrancy of scriptures. Larger churches are less personal in many ways but usually have well trained pastors. Attending Bible studies is a great first step especially if you use them as a learning experience and not so much questioning the teaching. Questioning can come later when you've started to learn about the scriptures and how to study them. Studying the Bible is no easy task because so much of the scriptures from OT to NT are related. A good Christian book store is another place to start if you know what you are looking for, the stores carry books from different denominations and can confuse you as to what the Bible teaches. I'm not saying that different denominations teach different paths to salvation, most protestant churches agree on the way to salvation. Again ask me questions or tell me what's going on with you that keeps you from God.

GC

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When did I say that anything troubles me? I am perfectly content without religion. If anything is troubling me right now at all, it is government paperwork that I am trying to deal with, but that's not related to this concern at all. That doesn't mean I am not in a position to listen, since listening is how we learn anything from others. All I am doing is offering an ear if anyone wants to convince me of anything. You seem to want to convince people of something, so I am giving you that chance. However, my past is behind me, so I don't see how that is relevant at all. I'm looking to the future now. If you want anything to do with that, it's entirely up to you at this point.

If you want to know what I seek, it is the truth. If anything you believe involves the truth, I would like to know why it is true. That would be important to me.

As for the Southern Baptist idea though, I've studied the bible with people of that denomination (and other denominations) before back when I believed. I also still have a good friend who belongs to that denomination who was working his way up to leadership in his church before we met in the military. We keep in touch often and still occasionally discuss religion. He knows his stuff, but I remain unconvinced. I will say that I've had nothing but good experiences with this specific group of people, though.

I'm not going to start sifting through a Christian book store, though. I'll leave it to people who remain convinced of a belief to present that belief to me. I'm surrounded by Christians every day, so it's not like I'm avoiding this. Everyone is being given their fair shot and I will hear them out as long as they remain civil about it. You are a civil person, so the door is also wide open for you as well.

 Why did you leave the church, if you do not mind me asking.
 I want to tell you something that happened to me several years ago that is only one of many things that allows me to know God is real. As I was reading the Bible, the book of Exodus, I read that God told Moses to tell His people I am, I am who I am. Of coarse I've read this many times before but this time I started wondering what God meant when He told Moses this. I prayed for an answer to this question every day for a long time. I wasn't getting an answer so I assumed God did not want to reveal this to me at the time and maybe never, so I quit asking and moved on to other things to pray about. We had began a Bible study at church that Henry Blackabee wrote, (probably spell his last name wrong) and it was to last several weeks. In the middle of this study we were to meditate about what we were learning and as I set in the middle of my bed doing so, with my mind completely clear of any thoughts I heard a voice very clearly say, I am the truth. I knew even after months of not even thinking about my prayer it was answered. God told me that He meant for the Israelites to know this, He is the truth. I went to my knees and thanked God for the answer. It took a long time for me to realize what this encompassed besides God doesn't lie. Here is what God was saying, for Him to love He had to be the truth, for Him to be just He must be the truth, for Him to be righteous he had to be the truth, for him to be sinless He had to be the truth, for Him to care about everyone He had to be the truth, for Him to be good He had to be the truth, for Him to be savior He had to be the truth, for Him to be forgiving He had to be the truth. I think you see what I'm saying, for God to be all the things He claims to be He has to be the absolute, objective truth. God could not be who He is without being the absolute truth. God opened this up to me through a prayer about Moses and what God told him. God answered my prayer about a man and his conversation with God several thousand years ago, a Bible story. Not only was God confirming that He is real but the story in the Bible is real and I got to learn so much more about the one who saw fit to give me eternal life through Jesus. I knew then that God had looked down through the ages and saw my needs and saw fit to answer me in His own time a time made for me. This may sound strange to you and in a way I hope it does so that you might think on it for a while, it is a true story that delights my heart every time I recall it, which is often, like last night. So I decided to share it with you. have a good rest of the weekend if you get this before the weekend is over.

GC