(September 21, 2015 at 4:18 pm)Redbeard The Pink Wrote:(September 21, 2015 at 9:32 am)Rekeisha Wrote: My mother's stepfather was a preacher. He was an angry man. (not saying that your father is) She felt like Christianity was bondage too. After she got out of her mother's house she didn't regularly attend church until I was in junior High. She now has a real relationship with God and does not feel bound like she did when she was under that man's rule. My pastor also was a preacher's kid. In college he would talk people out of their faith in Christ. Then He met Jesus while he was in college and has lead our church for more than 20 years. It is not religion that keeps me in this faith it is a relationship with God. Through Jesus sacrifice on the cross for my sins and the grace of the Holy Spirit that keeps me in this relationship.
We need an emoji of a smiley setting a straw man on fire.
My lack of belief has nothing to do with my father. He's a good man and he did his best to raise me to be a moral man and a critical thinker. Ironically enough, I'm of the opinion that he more or less succeeded on that front. My atheism has nothing to do with familial rebellion. I'm too old for that petty teenage shit.
At what point did I say I felt like Christianity was a bondage on my life? I probably do think that in retrospect, but at the time I was happily and wholly devoted to worship, ministry, and study. Most of my doubts were restricted to young childhood and very recent years; throughout my teens and early twenties I was intensely devout, passionate, and sincere in my belief. I regularly engaged in prayer ministry, mission work, "spiritual warfare," the whole nine yards. For many years there was no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Gaud was real, that I was going to heaven when I died, and that I was doing good work in the name of my home-boy Jay-Zeesus, with whom I regularly spoke both through scripture and through personal revelation. I was practically bathing in Kool-Aid.
I, like you, was indoctrinated. The influence of christianity in my life had left me disappointed, depressed, and fearing for my mortal soul. Then, my critical thinking led me to embrace Reality, and once I began my personal relationship with Reality, I was truly reborn. Now, I lead a happier, much more fulfilled life. I'm less depressed, less anxious...it's like I'm a whole new person. Reality did that for me...it saved me from my ignorance, and it can save you, too. Will you accept Reality as your personal Lord and Savior, Rekeisha? Will you do it right now? Will you forsake your idols and become a disciple of the Truth?
I would pray for you, but I think I'm actually following God on Twitter, so I'll probably just hit him up there and ask him to reveal his fictional nature to you so you can begin your relationship with Reality and start undoing all the damage that religious indoctrination has done to your critical thinking skills. If he responds to me I'll screen-cap it so you can see what he says.
I wasn't saying you father was like may mother's step-father, like a posted in parentheses . I was just giving you example of people who grew up in Christianity walked away and then truly found God. If you were depressed and disappointed with Christianity that may be because you were not following God. That does not mean that those who believe in God do not struggle with these things, but it isn't because they are following God but seeking to control their own life. I see God freeing me of anxiety and enables me to lead a fulfilled life although at times it is difficult. If you began to doubt wither you were saved the Holy Spirit would have reassured you of that reality. Since it would seem that you didn't receive that reassurance that leads me to question, not your devotion to Christianity, wither you actually knew God.
Did you do things for God or did God lead you to do thing and you accomplished those tasks through His grace and power? Did you find that you loved people more because of you knew God? Where you experiencing victory over your sins through the power of the Holy Spirit? Were you humble in spirit and saw that you needed a savior more and more? Could you identify the specific sins that God had saved you from?
I don't fear reality because I know the one who controls it. Since I don't need to follow God on twitter to know what He wants I will keep on praying for you and allow God's will to be done.
