Belief in God

So, I really enjoy writing about religion, especially interfaith dialogue and characters finding or losing or testing their faith.

However, this is complicated by the fact that I am a Godless Heathen™. I have no idea what it feels like to believe in God. I'd like to hear your stories: what's it like to believe in God? what's it like to find God? to lose God? to be born into a religious family? to find a different God than the one you used to believe in? (I'm talking any type of Higher Power™ here.)


edit: I'd just like to add that I don't want anyone to be offended by this post or any of the responses that it gets. This is for research, people. If you want to debate, there's a usergroup for that.

Ha. I have some killer ideas for you here. I've been all over the scale...and as soon as I get a little more time here tonight I will tell you all about it!

Well, I was born into a Christian family and I go to church every week and get prayed for every night and stuff. I didn't actually become a Christian until I was ten, and it's not easy.

If you want, I can PM you with all the 'dirt', as it well may be. It can get quite complicated sometimes.

I love the trademark symbol after Godless pagan, that's really great.

Of course, I should be mortally offended by your making a joke out of something so serious... but I do the same thing.

As I tell you what it feels like, don't feel I'm patronizing you. For me, belief in a God is very relieving. I'll give you that.


Probably a lot of people can tell just from the way I write/act here on YWS that I'm religious in some nature. I believe in the Christian God, known as Elohim, Yahweh, Jehovah, and God, by a lot of people. I suspect that this God "feels" different than other Gods.

I've been a believer for as long as I remember. I can't remember a time when I didn't believe and trust in God.

For me, it feels as though a huge burden has been taken off my back. I believe the verse that reads, "All things work together for good for those who trust God." Where can I go wrong with that kind of information?

The Bible says that the sum of our existence is to glorify Him. Basically, I see our lives as TV shows that God watches for fun. I'm pretty sure that after a few trillion years, it would get to be kind of boring to be an omnipotent, omniscient God.

I think that's why He created us with free will. Any writer can appreciate how when you make a good set of believable characters, the story almost writes itself. That's what I think God did.

Now that notion really bothers a lot of people. A lot of people don't want to think that God could be glorified by all the evil that goes on in this world. I don't think he is. Everybody knows the basic Adam & Eve story. They were tempted to arrogance by Santa... no, Satan... and then the world was sent into an irreversible state of sin.

It was our ancestors' fault.

That notion really bothers even more people. They say that it's not fair. I agree with them, but it doesn't bother me. I don't think God has to be fair. He's God... I'm just a little man. Who could care less?

But I find security in Jesus. Don't think I'm trying to be preachy, that's just where my solace comes in. The belief for me that God sent his own Son here to die for me is what puts my troubled heart to rest.

I have peace. I get it from God. Not from drugs, music, books, girls, or booze. So yeah... it feels really neat.

I don't really worry about dying, either. I believe I'll go to heaven when I die, so I have lost my fear of dying. This really bothers my mother, as you might imagine, but I seriously have lost all fear of physical harm. When I put the pain and discomfort of this life in perspective with an eternity in heaven, it just becomes very minimal.

No fear... I never thought anyone feel that way until I convinced myself that God was really in control and that I'd go to heaven when I die.

Again, I'm not trying to be preachy. This peace and lack of fear could all be from a serious self-delusion... but it works for me. And in the long run, if I die and all of what I've thought wasn't true... at least I was happy while I was here, and for the most part, I was a better person because of it.



There is a common stereotype of the Bible-believing Christian. That of a sappy-happy, goody-two-shoes, Timmy the Righteous character who never thinks bad thoughts or gets angry at people.

I fall about as far off that scale as anyone can. I wear black all the time, I play in a heavy-metal band called The Skullgrinderz. I want to get a full-back tattoo. I want to dye my hair orange. I've almost been arrested for getting in a brawl in a public restroom. I had to leave my last church because the people there thought I was a horrible kid and a bad influence for their kids.

I'm just that way. I don't think I'm sinning against God by doing any of it. And if I have, then I know that He forgives me. Again, it's peace.

You can't stereotype all the people who fall under the category of "God believers". There are plenty of people out there who would read my little blurb right here and decide I was an agent of the devil trying to spread confusion and lies. That's their problem, not mine, and they can take it up with God.

For now, I just live my life like I'm a character in God's TV show of life. I hope when I get to heaven, I can rewind it and watch the best parts again and again. I get a kick out of remembering them now. I only hope I'm as ironic when I get to heaven.


Again, I'm not trying to convert anyone. I'm not trying to spread the "good news". The question was: "What is it like?" I answered as best I could.


**And I'm sorry if there are a lot of punctuation and grammar errors in this, but I really didn't want to proof-read this since it's really, really long.

O.o

Wow. Long post scotty, lol.

Let's see... I was born into a Christian family, raised in the Christian faith, and while I did become a believer (accepting Jesus into my heart and all that jazz) sometime in middle school, my father, with his constant pressuring, actually ended up pushing me away for a while. I'm not sure whether or not there was a time when I didn't believe, but there was certainly a time when I didn't consider myself a Christian. Got interested in tarot cards, runes, studying other religions, stuff like that. I still do it sometimes. *shrugs*

But... at the same time, there's part of me that just can't shake it. I finally went back to Him after a very deep depression -- not saying "Oh, God cured me!" or anything, though perhaps He did, but rather I needed Someone to help me, needed to find any way to keep moving on, and decided to try Him again.

Right now... well, I still consider myself a Christian, still hold myself to certain boundaries (er... well... sort of. Very few...), still try to go to church every Sunday, and, to be honest, I do still love God with all my heart. I hate looking around at all the hypocrites who are judging others... Yes, I do believe Christianity is the one true way -- and I can see how that offends people, and I can see why they think Christians are stuck-up. Add to that the hypocritical, judging nature of many Christians -- which I also hate -- and I can see why it's a mocked religion.

So, er, that's the general stuff. If you really want to know specifics, please feel free to PM me. I've got a lot to say on the matter. ^^ And good luck with the rest of your research!

PM me...I'll tell you what I know...but I might get a little philisophical on you. XD Sorry, a little passionate about religion. If you don't want my story, I understand. PM me though if you do. I'm more than willing to share! XD

Jamie Bondage

Oh, there are a lot of things I could say that I think would help you out. ^_^ I'll be a dork, and say "PM me" though. It doesn't bother me to write about it in the forum, but I would rather just do it through Pm...

or maybe I'll PM you, or IM you even, haha.

Ha *feels weird to have starting a PMing craze*. I know it was drastically long, but I hope my info helped Meeps!

There, I PM'ed everyone - I think? - and I'd like to say thanks again for being willing to share.

Well, I just PMed you bac.

Remember, if it's not what you want, just tell me.

Okay, You basically left the field too wide open. I'll give you a go, but PM me any specific questions; that would make it a lot easier on me.

I don't mean this to sound preachy or judgemental; it's just what I believe based on the Bible.

I believe in God (Jehovah, The God Of The Bible). I believe He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for all humanity's sins. I believe He sent His Holy Spirit to inspire the redeemed and interceed on our behalf until Jesus returns. I have always been raised in christian home; my dad and granddad were both ministers, but that had nothing to do with my faith. Believing in God always seemed second nature to me, but I didn't always subscribe to that belief. It was like it was always there, but I didn't tap into it until I was about 14 (sorry, that probably made no sense).

When I was 15 our family moved from Indiana to Kentucky. This meant that my dad would no longer be the sole source of spiritual espousement in my life. Starting to attend a church where my family was relatively unknown gave me the opportunity to build my own faith. When my dad was preaching, everyone (myself included, I think) expected me to be a symbol of spirituality, and I was, but in symbol only. When the expectation fell I truly started to grow because I was the only one watching. The facade no longer mattered, the faith behind it did.

I have never (yet) struggled with my faith, but I claimed it only after I was serious about it. If it matters I was babtized for the remission of my sins and to receive the gift of The Holy Spirit; this is what I believe the Bible commands.

God is Love. We, as humans, are destined to fall short of God's perfect moral code, but God loves us enough to provide a way for Him to see past that. He sent Jesus to die so that anyone can be forgiven of their misdeeds. I think the true response to such love is love in return. All things work together for the good of those that love Him. I trust God with my life now and forever. I love Him, and I know He loves me.

I think this quote I penned last year reflects my sentiments:

"I am a Christian--nothing more needs to be said, for that should dictate my entire way of life."

Needless to say I still fall short of any kind of deserving God's love or grace, but that's where love comes in, isn't it?

Sorry if I seemed to ramble; the topic was too wide,

Blue

Meep: If you want to know what it's like to believe in God you should use this 'Believe In God Breath Spray'.

Failing that, there are plenty of books and websites out there dedicated to different religious beliefs. It may be worth reading through a number of them.

Sureal, I've read a bunch of sites (and lots and lots of religioustolerance.org), but mostly I've found they detail what they believe and why they believe it, but not what it feels like to believe. (They also don't tend to give their example-people (as in the Watchtower magazines, which I read fairly often) very realistic, human experiences. It's all propaganda, and therefore, not always very honest about the human emotions involved because they only show one side of the story.)

eta: Blue, sorry I just responded! I must've scrolled past without meaning to. Thanks, and I wanted to add that I left it wide open on purpose.

Born into a Christian family. I was baptized as a Protestant. My mom's side are all Catholics but I am no Christian. However I take an account of some of the beliefs the Bible shares. I'd be better suited as a Pagan (but I'm Agnostic). For a few years, I've read up on Paganism and Druidry. If I convert, Druidry may better suit my needs.

As to the question, "What does it feel like?" Well, my belief is that there are many forces at work, and not just one person wielding the ways on humanity. The sun, moon, wind, water... all these of elements are strong, and I typically "feel" them when I'm alone, walking through the forest or hiking. The moon itself is exceptionally powerful for it can move the tide of water, and fiddle with our common sense. Then, there's the "sixth sense," which is instilled in us, and animals too, for we are animals in our own right. That extra sense is acute in the animal kingdom, but my other belief is life after death, and I especially feel auras around me when I'm walking through cemeteries. It's like being watched constantly, and for that reason I'm very superstitious in them and treat the deceased with greater respect. So much, that I try and never walk on top of them unless I must, pick up trash, and nod my thanks to the Veterans. Negativity will reflect poorly on any person, and more so if you cross the deceased. Basically, it's karma.

Aside from my beliefs, I've used Christianity with my novel mostly because this religion ruled the lives of almost every decision produced in one form or another during the Revolutionary days. It's nice too because Christianity is like my inner protagonist, my inner villain.

I could contribute if you like, though I'd probably turn into a rant at the way my church has been treating me recently XD I shall PM you once I manage to work out what I'm trying to say.