What's new

Longest Thread Ever

Guys.. has anyone faced faith failure? Doubts in your belief? Or do you know of anybody who has?


How did you deal with it? How did you come out of it?


Would really love your input.

raises hand.....

I walked away from a church and a faith I was raised in a few years ago. Hardest thing Ive ever done, those close to me didn't understand, however it was the best thing I've ever done for myself.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using JazzFanz mobile app
 
Kudos to you Mrs Jason.. whether you were right or wrong is for the future to decide... but good on ya taking a leap of courage.
 
raises hand.....

I walked away from a church and a faith I was raised in a few years ago. Hardest thing Ive ever done, those close to me didn't understand, however it was the best thing I've ever done for myself.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using JazzFanz mobile app

I believe in god, its his fan club I'm not so crazy about. I'm all for religion but in my case I prefer it to be one on one.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using JazzFanz mobile app

Thank you very much for your very honest input.. this is where I'm at as well..


I've certainly faced my fair share of "the fan club" who goes to church and praises God, and yet treats other people like ****. It didn't use to bother me, but a recent incident is pushing me over the edge...


I'm still deciding what to do / where to go next... I still do believe in God, but yeah,.. it's not easy.
 
Guys.. has anyone faced faith failure? Doubts in your belief? Or do you know of anybody who has?


How did you deal with it? How did you come out of it?


Would really love your input.

Of course bro.

God doesn't change, but your Faith does.

If I'm in a spot where I'm like "I believe in God, but WTF is going on right now?" and I feel cloudy or confused, I know that I need to spend time in The Word and praise God.

So then Faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. -Romans 10:17

One thing I like to do is read The Psalms out loud.

You can't reason your way through Faith, look inward, or any of that BS. Faith is a force, it's something that you can possess, It's more than just a belief in something, and it only comes from God.

I could go on about this a lot, but wouldn't want to be preachy about it.

Have you ever heard of Bill Winston? Youtube some of his sermons on Faith if you haven't.
 
Of course bro.

God doesn't change, but your Faith does.

If I'm in a spot where I'm like "I believe in God, but WTF is going on right now?" and I feel cloudy or confused, I know that I need to spend time in The Word and praise God.

So then Faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. -Romans 10:17

One thing I like to do is read The Psalms out loud.

You can't reason your way through Faith, look inward, or any of that BS. Faith is a force, it's something that you can possess, It's more than just a belief in something, and it only comes from God.

I could go on about this a lot, but wouldn't want to be preachy about it.

Have you ever heard of Bill Winston? Youtube some of his sermons on Faith if you haven't.

That's one way to do it.. but at the end of the day after all that's said and done you're still left with this "But do we really know for certain?" doubt. How do we know David didn't just "make/dream up" the Psalms, for example...

May be there was a God who created the Universe, but how certain are we that it was a Christian God?

If he is merciful, why doesn't he reveal himself to us more often, and to more of us who hasn't seen/experienced? Wouldn't that be a good way of ensuring we have a relationship with him?

Etc, etc, etc...
 
Thank you very much for your very honest input.. this is where I'm at as well..


I've certainly faced my fair share of "the fan club" who goes to church and praises God, and yet treats other people like ****. It didn't use to bother me, but a recent incident is pushing me over the edge...


I'm still deciding what to do / where to go next... I still do believe in God, but yeah,.. it's not easy.

My decision had everything to do with the fact that I could not support or be a part of something that preached love and acceptance but practiced judgement and intolerance. I lost someone very close to me because of it and watch daily as people I love, good people, are denied the love, acceptance and respect they deserve "in the name of God". It's just not right.
 
That's one way to do it.. but at the end of the day after all that's said and done you're still left with this "But do we really know for certain?" doubt. How do we know David didn't just "make/dream up" the Psalms, for example...

May be there was a God who created the Universe, but how certain are we that it was a Christian God?

If he is merciful, why doesn't he reveal himself to us more often, and to more of us who hasn't seen/experienced? Wouldn't that be a good way of ensuring we have a relationship with him?

Etc, etc, etc...

I dont follow you.

Not looking to debate anything, was offering encouragement.



£¥£ Retiring at 20,000 £¥£
 
You see that's the dilemma of faith and religion. Religion may look like it's about community, but it is actually about the faith and relationship between you and God. If people and personal experiences let you down on its legitimateness, you should remember that even if no one remembers the right way to comprehend the religion's original philosophy , it'll always be there regardless of the communities and religious leaders that are taking it away from its route or use it as an exploitation tool.
 
My decision had everything to do with the fact that I could not support or be a part of something that preached love and acceptance but practiced judgement and intolerance. I lost someone very close to me because of it and watch daily as people I love, good people, are denied the love, acceptance and respect they deserve "in the name of God". It's just not right.


Good for you. This is the only way that institutions change. It has to be clear that exclusion will eventually threaten their existence.
 
You see that's the dilemma of faith and religion. Religion may look like it's about community, but it is actually about the faith and relationship between you and God. If people and personal experiences let you down on its legitimateness, you should remember that even if no one remembers the right way to comprehend the religion's original philosophy , it'll always be there regardless of the communities and religious leaders that are taking it away from its route or use it as an exploitation tool.

Yep pretty much this. Thanks for your contribution.
 
Good for you. This is the only way that institutions change. It has to be clear that exclusion will eventually threaten their existence.

But they'll always look at you as if there's something wrong with you though. They'll hardly ever look within themselves and admit anything.


But yeah, I'm glad Mrs. Jason shared that story.
 
But they'll always look at you as if there's something wrong with you though. They'll hardly ever look within themselves and admit anything.


But yeah, I'm glad Mrs. Jason shared that story.

Yes they will. Still happens to me to this day. Not everyone will have the eye (and heart) opening experience I was able to have. In the end I know I'm being true to myself and doing my best to be a good person, knowing something is out there but just taking it day by day and that is what gets me through.
 
[size/HUGE] fixed [/size];652352 said:
I wasn't raised with religion, but common sense morality owes almost everything to Christianity, so I was haunted by "belief" issues anyway. But, no, I definitely do not believe in a Christian god.

Any particular reason why it's the "Christian God" that you don't particularly believe in?
 
Bumpity Bump Bump . . . . .

So here's something to talk about. . . . . From Sir Kicky, no less. . . .

I have a few questions about this sentence.

1) Are you familiar with "Gone with the Wind?"
2) Is it your contention that females were so dominant during the mid 1800's in the South that men needed a hero to emancipate them from the overall culture?
3) Did you read this interpretation of the work somewhere? And if so, can you tell me where so that I may acquire copies for my amusement?
4) Do you believe that the primary problem with Southern culture is that it gives too much power to female dysfunction?
5) Is this the most accurate depiction of Southern culture in modern media?

I never read GTTW, but I've seen the movie. . . . maybe even twice. . . . so hell yeah I could be way off on my use of the Rhett Butler/Scarlet O'Hara finale.

My mother was pretty much another kind of woman from Scarlet. But she apparently had a favorite in the actor Clark Gable. . . . and probably watched this movie maybe once or twice too. Her husband pretty much dumped her about that time, leaving my mom feeling pretty much the way Scarlet must have felt.

My mom was not a high-society socialite at all, more of a floor-scrubbing maid to her husband and kids with. . . . mostly likely. . . . not enough time for her hubby, and a nagging disposition perhaps. . . . as my dad must have taken it. . . . compiling lists of things her kids needed and thinking that was essential conversational fare. . . .

I figured GTTW was about the end of a way of life, and Scarlet's loss of Rhett was a metaphor of all that. But the whole subject of crossed expectations in relationships, or different views of what "it's all about", is an eternal problem in all cultures and all relationships. . . . and how we can try to create a relationship worthwhile to both. . . or all. . . . is another eternal set of issues. . . . .
 
women who spend more than fifteen minutes getting dressed for the day, or for any event. . . . are pretty much off my radar, and I'm not on their's for sure. I think my wife buys one dress about every ten years. . . . and typically pads around the house barefoot, and has some ragged torn old sandals she'll step into if she goes outside. . . .I don't get dressed up for anything. . . . well, I'll take a shower and pull on some fresh clothes when I go to the bank, but that's about it. No high society around here, folks. . . .

I look on women who focus on their appearance and who perhaps may expect to attract or motivate some man because of their beauty as figures from the past. . . . High School Prom queens from an age ago. I remember one girl I dated in high school. A mousy little redhead who caught my interest because she could beat me at a game of chess. . . .. she would always remind me about the next school dance, and I'd always take her. She actually looked nice when she had a decent dress. I fell in love, well "puppy love". . . .but as the year ended and I was graduating, she dumped me. I was just floored. Eventually she let it out that she had needed me to take her to the dances because all her girlfriends were going to those dances. . . .

And ever since, when I see some female taking inordinate time out of the day. . . more than fifteen minutes. . . . primping her appearance and in any way trying to improve it. . . .I think in terms of Scarlet O'Hara. What for? That's just not essential to life and, well, . . .. it demonstrates a totally different value system from mine.
 
Well, except for my dislike of promoting offshore slave labor, Wal-Mart is a place I go once in a while. I've heard it is a fashion statement today. . . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uioRTQugJI
 
So here's another take:

Quote Originally Posted by babe View Post
Well, obviously you're too wrapped up in your special sensitivities guided by political correctness to just pass on some blatant sexist humor to tolerate the lower classes of folks like me. I've had my share of women in my life who are all wrapped up in their need to get acceptable results from their men, and I'll laugh at them and say "I don't give a damn" when I need to. Just to keep myself on task with an edge of sanity.

I think it is fundamentally intolerant of human beings to actually expect to educate and instruct other people who somehow fail to understand all you think you do. You have the process of coping with the problems in life inverted. You should work on your own failings and try to understand others and leave them the hell alone.

My higher criticism of Gone With The Wind pretty much reflects the girlfriend I had who cried when she watch that movie with me almost fifty years ago. I've never known what to think of women, really. I just think it doesn't pay to dance to their music, so to speak. I try to be nice, and will usually not bother them with my views unless it just gets so bad that if I don't say something I might forget myself and stomp on their little toes on purpose. That's what's so useful about the "I don't give a damn" strategy. . . . . it is a clear way out of an intolerable maze of crossed interpretations of reality and futile gestures of civility, with minimal damage.

Today's crop of intolerant bigots who pride themselves on being "progressive" are little different from yesterday's crop of intolerant bigots who prided themselves on being "right" somehow in some manner justifying their impositions of their ways on other people. The Ku Klux Klan mobs and the communist thugs who ransacked Russia in the 1920s running farmers out of their homes and seizing the land for "collectives" were of a common human sort. We have always used some ideal to justify our hate and abuse of others. Progressives and gays are no exceptions.

Hate is never going to be ruled out of existence by any crusaders with delusions of grandeur who believe they can make the world. . . and humans. . . . better.

Hate arises in the human heart with every idea of how to make the world better whether in terms of collective or personal aims. We cannot love without hate. You cannot make a mountain higher without digging a valley deeper. It's a yin/yang sort of thing perhaps. I cannot love the American experiment in human liberty without hating the dear old castles of Europe my ancestors lived in, and the feudal order of human society. You cannot love love your delusional ideals of a better world remade in progressive mantras without hating rednecks cruising the Southern woods with their hounds, guns, and fishing poles. You cannot think you are better somehow without thinking others are worse.

And I can't escape my own contradictions, either.

That's why the capacity to just leave other people alone is necessary to a good friendship with anyone. I might actually love ladies of culture and refinement who resort to the strategies of Scarlet O'hara for a lot of reasons or other human motives just as much as I hate them, but the fact is I will not succeed in any lasting or decent way if I try to change them somehow. That's why it can help to just say "I don't give a damn" and lecture to myself about why I can live without actually having to try to do something about it.

I believe the ideals of the American experiment in human liberty worked better for mankind than either the old feudal system of Europe or the new feudal system of progressive elitism/socialism now being "benevolently" imposed on the poor stupid humans you can't stand. I believe the fundamental right to think, speak, and feel is essential to people's capacity to achieve any of their individual goals, and that there is no better organization of society that can be achieved on a collective community, state, national or global level than can be achieved by putting premium value on "societal" goals, because the personal or individual ideals are closer to the reality of what we are.

Some have observed that all politics are local. . . but the more accurate statement is "All politics are personal". I'm just enough of globalist myself to love ideas about a "better world" somehow, but I realize people whose methods involve reshaping other people are never going to make it a better world. I can hammer away with my words on others, but unless I find something that others will choose to make their own, it's just useless ramblings of delusional mental exercise. . . . .

I've seen some examples of people whose ideals sorta took them over and pushed out personal interests and concerns even for their own welfare. Communist and even progressive ideologues can do that as well as any religious zealot. I've seen idealists go over the rim en masse for all kinds of causes seen as "for the good of others" or "to save the planet", and in almost every crusade of this sort, if you look for them, you'll see people using the movement for some personal gain. . . and in fact. . . . whipping up the sentiments via media or organizations to maximize their personal power and profit.

Alexander Solzhenitzsyn's observations on Russia led him to religiously believe the common Russian was the fundamental unit of goodness, a goodness that exists in fact only at the personal level, in the individual human soul. I think it is a universal truth, a human truth. It's the nature of human beings. No collective or social level of organization can rise above the free will or virtue of what people are as individuals.

Respect for that basic human free will is the best ideal we have ever conceived, or ever will conceive. Every ideal that tries to reshape basic human free will is an attempt to impose bondage on mankind.

Love people, hate people, love them and hate them at the same time, but leave them the hell alone.

And that, my dear, is precisely why I need to say "I don't give a damn."

This is pure crap.


This is the way I took ECTAP's response, and frankly, I thought that was a very reasonable response just as it stood. . . . .

probably, for the sake of friendship or something, the part about it being a joke was meant to just not hurt my little intzy wintzy feelings. . . . .
 
Back
Top