I'm 17 years old and I'm struggling with my religious belief and I'm not saying there isn't a higher power its just hard for me to see it in my life. I can easily see how someone who was not educated in Sunday school question god, but I've been going to Sunday school and what-not my entire life and the fact that I'm still questioning my belief in god... is there something wrong with me?

No, there is nothing wrong with you! I'm 19 years old and was supposedly "saved" when I was 4. I grew up in a conservative Christian home. I didn't take my faith seriously until I was about 15/16 years old when I started going to a Bible study aimed specifically at students.

I am in the same boat as you! I look at other people who share my faith and they are always talking about how God has provided for them, or they have heard from God. I feel so unimportant and un-spiritual compared to them, and I wonder why God isn't working in my life like that. Also, every time I go to pray, there are always doubts in the back of my mind that tell me that God isn't real.

It might be a good idea to become more active in your faith. Debate creation and evolution online. Go to a youth conference, "one thing" confrence, International House of Prayer, or LifeFest. If you play an instrument, take up playing worship music for your church. Go to a Christian concert. Get a Bible concordance and study controversial subjects in the Bible. Talk about your religious beliefs with friends and family. You could go to youth group, or a Bible study specifically created for young adults. All these things can help deepen your faith and get rid of the doubts you have about religion and a higher power. The best thing you can do, is to be persistent. Combat the doubts, and realize that they are lies, it's all about disciplining your mind. It's really difficult, I'm still in the process of doing it. If you need any help, I'd be glad to help you!

Thank you I'll try maybe a concert or something of that sort. In anyone's opinion what type of christianity or religion should be right for me? I'm very confused.

Do you mean what denomination of Christianity? What are you basic fundamental beliefs? I'm Evangelical but I currently go to a pentecostal church. I've been to Catholic, Lutheran, methodist, and baptist services.

Well I'm going to a Methodist Chruch and I haven't been to another church except the church of later day saints. I didn't fully understand their aspects of beliefs.

I don't really understand the church of latter day saints either. Is there a youth group or a student ministry in your church that you can go to?

Not really its hard for me to get out of the house and do something like that my adoptive parents really don't let me out of the house at all.

You could go online to Christian teen websites. You could always pose a question to your parents and ask if they would allow you to check out a youth group. Zjam is interactive Christian teen radio, check out their website. Or, like I said, you could always dig deeper into your faith by reading the Bible, reading books, and using a concordance. Is the methodist denomination not one that your beliefs really align with? Are you looking for another denomination or religion?

Metal - what's up buddy?

Dude, I can totally relate to where you are coming from. I became a Christian later in my life and the first 4-5 years were hell for me because I doubted the secular world's take on reality and I even questioned the Christian perspective on reality that I was hearing. So where do you go from there?

I began to wrestle with a lot of issues and doubt was about the only thing that was a constant for me. Little by little, though, I kept reading the bible and looking at it from the perspective of "does this stuff really make sense?" Can it be true? Of course, I did rely a lot on others who had looked at this stuff a lot longer than I had but not to the detriment of my own mind and own thoughts, you see.

Coming to true faith is not something that is finalized on a Sunday School quiz and punctuated by a gold star. Genuine belief in God is something that I believe God brings about over the course of our life. So on the one hand we can relax about not having a lot of things figured out. On the other hand, the bible is that book which is meant to be wrestled with. Read it for yourself. Ultimately, doubt is healthy because it reveals that there is something in us that is incomplete and in need of maturing. Faith is one of those things... it has to be matured and doubt can be the beginning of that maturation process.

I'm speculating here and correct me if I am wrong but you've no doubt had some setbacks in your life. You've been adopted. Without knowing your circumstances, being adopted carries a certain amount of pain... and questions. Why would God allow my life to go the way it has gone? I have been through some rough spots like this in my own life and it is very difficult. But I have over the course of my life come to realize that God's ways are very different from ours. You don't have to come to that conclusion now but I am merely pointing out that time and understanding are very helpful in coming to terms with the pain we face in our lives.

If you have any specific questions that are bugging you, I'd be happy to try and answer them. I have studied the bible for 9 years now so I have some perspective to offer you.

Go easy, metal.

I was raised in a rather strict Catholic home and did not have a choice when I was younger.I think not having a choice makes many young people rebel against what is force fed to them.

As I got older I began to question what I had been taught(which is normal and healthy) and studied various religions.

It was then that I found a place that brought me peace and inner strength.

Arm yourself with knowledge and then you will be able to find a belief that is right for you.We are all seeking an interpersonal relationship with our higher power.

It is a wonderful journey and I think you will find what you are looking for.
Below is a link I think you may find helpful!

The Progressive Living Field Guide to World Religions (http://www.progressiveliving.org/religion_frameset.htm)

Many families fail, "CHURCH" is not where you learn your faith, it is merely where you go to worship together and to have fellowship, Faith is learned from the teaching we are suppose to be getting at home from our families, and from the life they lead in that faith.

For those without that faith at home, it comes from being friends and being around others in a daily life with those faiths

Many families fail, "CHURCH" is not where you learn your faith, it is merely where you go to worship together and to have fellowship, Faith is learned from the teaching we are suppose to be getting at home from our families, and from the life they lead in that faith.

For those without that faith at home, it comes from being friends and being around others in a daily life with those faiths

I'm not sure exactly what you mean but I do understand the first part where you talk about, but I don't fully understand the last part.

God loves you very much, and He wants you to know Him. God is
What the bible says, He is the way the truth and the life everlasting.
Get a bible that is easy reading so you can understand it. He wants to have a relationship with you and as you read His word you can
Start. God likes to talk to us thought His word. He also wants us to talk
To Him in prayer. You can say and ask God for anything you want,
Tell Him you want to know Him better and to give you better understanding of Him. Don't hold back in talking to God, He knows everything anyway, He wants you to give your heart to Him and to
Trust Him. As you read His word and pray or talk to Him, He will
Become real to you. The bible and prayer can set you free from doubt.
When you pray and read the bible you are spending time with
God the love and power over all things. He has the answers.
As far as what bible version to use, I suggest the Living Translation.

The Lord Bless You, Maggie 3

You are struggling with the issue of "faith".

There is only one way to gain faith.

Experience helps some things, but it does not necessarily produce faith.

Training prepares the mind and heart to receive faith, but by itself doesn't produce faith.

The answer is here:

Rom 10:17
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(KJV)

So we see that knowing and thinking about the Word of God produces faith.

A word of caution; there are groups that prey on people who are in your condition of questioning.

Your only safeguard against them is to know what the Bible says so you can tell if/when they are lying to you.

I'm 17 years old and I'm struggling with my religious belief.... is there something wrong with me?Hello Metal:

Dude. 17 IS the age when you start questioning everything. If you DIDN'T, there'd be something wrong.

In the beginning, when people didn't know where we came from, they made up stories about it. THAT is how religious belief was founded.

In my view, since we now KNOW where we came from, religion is no longer necessary. But, it's more than that. Not only is it NOT necessary, the world would be a lot better off without it.

excon

Excon: I imagine you are referring to the modern 'scientific' idea of where we came from. But if we all KNEW that these scientific theories were 100% correct, there wouldn't be more agnostics and religions that doubt it, than scientists and evolutionists who support it.

If we all believed in evolution, how boring would the world be? Not only that, but it will NEVER happen-most people have a feeling that there is something more to life- that we are more than just a chemical mishap- and for good reason. A lot of scientists have studied the 'god genes' of what makes a person spiritual. Science cannot prove, or disprove the existence of a god, but most would conclude that if there was a god, he/she/it has given us the ability to communicate with he/she/it, through the simple fact, that there are so many spiritual people.

But if we all KNEW that these scientific theories were 100% correct...... most people have a feeling that there is something more to life- that we are more than just a chemical mishap- and for good reason.Hello jaime:

No, jamie. The people who KNOW things, KNOW the theory is absolutely correct. Modern medicine would not exist were it not for evolution. These days, there's NO reason at all to believe religionists poppycock... People believe it, because they DON'T want to believe that we ARE a family of great apes. It offends their godly sensibilities. It turns their world upside down, so of course, they deny it...

Bu, if God made us, why did he make us look sooo much like apes? Why would our DNA be a 98% match to chimp's? Why would he have us touch our private parts to have sex? Wouldn't God just have us touch our fingers?

Nahhh. We're apes, all right. That bothers you, huh? Bummer.

excon

Hello jaime:

Nahhh. We're apes, alright. That bothers you, huh? Bummer.

excon

Boy! That's a dismal assessment if I ever heard one.

From "in the image of God" to an ape. No wonder Atheists are in such a tiny minority.

Hello Metal:

Dude. 17 IS the age when you start questioning everything. If you DIDN'T, there'd be something wrong.

In the beginning, when people didn't know where we came from, they made up stories about it. THAT is how religious belief was founded.

In my view, since we now KNOW where we came from, religion is no longer necessary. But, it's more than that. Not only is it NOT necessary, the world would be a lot better off without it.

excon

I hate to disagree with you but I find a few things wrong with the statements being made.

Religion didn't come from stories. It came about to fullfil a basic need and hunger in the minds of humans that could fill a gap. There also has been proven a god area of the brain. It could be that without it evolution may not have taken place at all. And with religion there came rules and those were handed down as rituals that gave us an understanding of time and the past.

As far as the world being better off without religion. No my friend. Science is just as bad as any religion. They both have factions and they both have their in fighting going on. So I for one don't "believe" that science would leave us any more unmolested then religion does.

As per your statements before "theory" is the religion of science.

Excon:

You are assuming that such a thing bothers me. I have my beliefs and you have yours. Let me change this around for you:

People who KNOW these things KNOW the Bible is absolutely correct.
The Bible stated many scientific facts before science could catch up. These days there's no reason at all to believe evolutionists bs... People believe it because they DON'T want to believe that there is a God that they may be accountable to, that we are a family descended from the first 2 human beings. If offends their "scientific" sensibilities. It turns their world upside down, so of course, they deny it...

But if evolution 'made us' why are our eyes on our head? Why are there clearly defined species? Why do we touch our private parts to have sex? Why not our fingers?

Nahh... We were created all right. That bothers you? Bummer.

Your arguments, actually did not disprove any existence in God, in fact, you may have done the contrary.

Who decided how we have sex? Did the first creatures decide to touch their privates and reproduce? How did they know what to do before they all died off, in order for the species to survive?
How come we didn't all get wings, because clearly that would give us the best advantage? How come there isn't so much chaos, instead there are separate species of animals?

Your theory says that life comes from non-life, which is against the law of biogenesis. Your theory also says that intelligence comes from non-intelligence, how does that work? The computer I'm looking at has a maker. If I devoted my life and my education to creating a computer, could I do it? Yeah. If I devoted my life and my education to creating an ant could I do it? Uhh, no. If we can look at a computer and know as a fact that someone created it, why not the ant, considering the impossibility of any human being creating it- let alone, chemicals and random chance. Take that a step further, could we create a human being in the most ideal conditions, and give it life, with the intelligence of 10 scientists combined?. no. And if, somehow, we did, oddly enough, we would just prove that it takes intelligence to create life.

Hello again, J:

Ok, you convinced me. I'm going to church tomorrow.

excon

Hello again, J:

Ok, you convinced me. I'm goin to church tomorrow.

excon

I know it was cold. I didn't know it was THAT cold ( wink ).. lol

One should be wary of religion. Each one is nihilistic, and views life with contempt. Consider "Christianity", which for the most part manifests itself as an appeal to immortality, and completely overlooks the true profundity of life. It offers fairy stories instead.

If you are to know anything, know this. Kant showed us that if we are to experience something, we must experience it in time. It is impossible to have experienced something, without a time during which you have experienced it. Time is dependent on change. The only way we experience change, is through time. In a state of immortality time would be meaningless, as a fraction of infinity is also infinite. Much as we know that space is finite, so must time be also.

You must die one day, otherwise you could not have lived, and when you reach the age of 30 (like me), you will see no difference in the instant that brought you there, and the instant that brings you to where you are now.

Hello again, T:

Ok, you convinced me. I'm not going to church today.

excon

I'll thank you to keep your Stalinist rantings to yourself. "I'm not going to church today"... STALINIST!

One should be wary of religion. each one is nihilistic, and views life with contempt. Consider "Christianity", which for the most part manifests itself as an appeal to immortality, and completely overlooks the true profundity of life. It offers fairy stories instead.

If you are to know anything, know this. Kant showed us that if we are to experience something, we must experience it in time. It is impossible to have experienced something, without a time during which you have experienced it. Time is dependent on change. The only way we experience change, is through time. In a state of immortality time would be meaningless, as a fraction of infinity is also infinite. Much as we know that space is finite, so must time be also.

You must die one day, otherwise you could not have lived, and when you reach the age of 30 (like me), you will see no difference in the instant that brought you there, and the instant that brings you to where you are now.


Hello Tokugawa,

I can't agree with your first paragraph. Religion offers us hope for something better after this life. Anyway, it does for me.

What you say about Kant is correct. There is no doubt that his arguments are profound and casts doubt on most metaphysical arguments.

As you say, the problem which prevents us from developing any sort of knowledge beyond what we know about this world is the inability of our mental capacities to go beyond experience. When we try to build a bridge from what we know about this world to the metaphysical world we run into all sorts of problems. This is why we have some much disagreement when it comes to religion. People put forward their ideas about God based on what they understand. And what we all understand happens in time and space.

However, there are some other important points.

Firstly, Kant is not saying that this world is the only world. He is saying that we can't know much about the next world.

Secondly, Kant was a religious man so he wasn't going to leave it there. He develop the idea that God must exist through morality.

Thirdly, Kant inadvertently came up with a very good first cause argument.

Hello TUT,
I respect your observations and comments, and I often "lurk" here to see if you have written.
I do not recall Kant referring to "other worlds", although I am sure he must have contemplated them, much like Wittgenstein.

How could we express such a world? A world with no logic? No time or space? We cannot expereince it!

As far as I know, Kant was not explicitly religious. Myself, I am agnostic, bordering on deist, as I would have a hard time explaining existence without God.

The Bible is a fount of wisdom for those who know how to read it. It is a poetic history that has been corrupted by zealots, and if read properly, offers far more than those great men of Greece.

Fools of today read it word for word, not realizing how the ancients spoke. The laughable claims of "Christianity" can be expained by such folly alone.

For all this, I believe that Jesus lived as a man, and no more. A remarkable man who had no idea that he would alter the course of the planet, and I battle the church at every occasion on this issue.

ALL religion is nihilistic. "To the afterlife" they command, never ceasing, even for a moment to consider the greatness of LIFE in itself. The kingdom of heaven is AT HAND! It is HERE! It is called LIFE!

Feeble nay-sayers who despise their life, long for death (heaven). These we call "christians", although they have about as much in common with Christ as a pneapple has with a bicycle pump. They are acually followers of Paul.

Hello Tokugawa,

Yes, you are correct Kant does not make any reference to, 'other worlds'. It is now obvious that if I said Kant makes the distinction between phenomenal and noumenal you would know what I am talking about.

In trying to make philosophy understandable to everyone (not everyone has studied philosophy) I tend to corrupt the intended meaning. There is a massive amount of things I don't understand and I am sure that many people would be thinking, "what is the best way to get Tut to understand this?"

What you say about Kant as a religious person may also be correct.
There is a story that Kant's faithful servant, who was a deeply religious man was in a depressed state upon the realization of what Kant had written. Kant then realized he need to make amends. Possibly an apocryphal story.

To the young man who started this thread, life is beautiful. It abounds with great joy, great sorrow, great absurdity.

The thing is, I cannot tell you about life. I live my life, you live yours.

For advise, I would recommend against the ludicrous teachings of the mainstream American Church. Those fools who promise eternal happiness WHEN YOU DIE, in exchange for mindless obidience.

There are many beautiful possibilties, then again, perhaps we should not underestimate G-d.

To TUT-

What matters Kant's servant? Did he write a book that changed my life?

Yes, we resevrve the right to the thing in itself, for otherwise it would be an appearance, without that which appears. The world is made up of facts, not things.

The sum of all facts is the world. Facts exist in logical space... (etc Tractatus)

You want something more than 'religion' something deeper. Look to God for more spiritual than ritual.

What matters Kant's servant? Did he write a book that changed my life?

Sorry if this seems harsh, I do in fact appreciate your posts. I feel very passionately about the questions asked by religion. I also feel that religion fails us in many ways. We Philosophers are put on the sidelines by priests and scientists alike, perhaps this is the best place for us! From here we can view the laughable artistry of the former, and the deadly inanity of the latter.

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity," Thus saith the King, the teacher in Jeruselum.

I somewhat agree with Toku here. To the OP: many do not need a bible to live their lives and you may be one of them. Believe in yourself.

Nietzsche on Christ-

"What the 'glad tidings' tell us is simply that there are no more contradictions; the kingdom of heaven belongs to children; the faith that is voiced here is no more an embattled faith, it is at hand, it has been from the beginning, it is a sort of recrudescent childishness of the spirit. A faith of this sort is not furious, it does not denounce, it does not defend itself, it does not come with 'the sword'. It does not realize how it will one day set man against man. It does not manifest either by miracles or by rewards or by promises or 'scriptures': it is itself, first and last, it's own miracle, it's own reward, it's own 'kingdom of god'. It does not formulate itself, it simply lives, and thereby guards against formula".

Nietzsche notwithstanding, the apostle Paul had this to say.

1 Cor 2:4-5
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
(KJV)

So you see that neither priest nor philosopher had anything to do with establishing Christianity. It was established by Jesus Christ and spread by men full of the Holy Ghost who went about doing the same works that Jesus did.