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Afraid of Christianity!
I'm a christian, have been my whole life.. but all of a sudden.. I fear it! I quickly walk past the pictures of Jesus in my living room, i can't bring myself to read the bible or anything.. i suspect im feeling guilty about several things in my life, so obviously i should just confess,, but i cant bring myself to do it! I cant pray anymore! Something is holding me back! What do I do? I dont want to lose my religion compltely!
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Want to answer more questions in the Miscellaneous category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Spirituality?
First you have to figure out what's making you fear it. Have you commited sins you think you're unworthy for being forgiven about? Have you not been proud about your religion and feel ashamed?
Well you have another thing coming!
God does not want us to fear him, but he loves it when we pray and if you just prayed once to talk to him things would get a whole lot better. Maybe you haven't spoken to him in a while and you feel guilty about it. Although he doesn't always answer our prayers when they're for selfish needs I think he'd be glad this was in your prayers. He can make it so you're unafraid.
But I know how you feel, I had sinned recently, and I don't know why but that one just through me off and made me afraid. Afraid when there was no need to be afraid. But Jesus died for your sins, so there is no need to be ashamed of yourself as long as you truly repent and truly believe he died for your sins.
Now when you say you CAN'T pray... what exactly do you mean? Can't or won't? I think you feel badly about something you did and that burden makes you feel unworthy. But when you pray you can give that burden to Jesus, he'll take it away from you.
When you say you don't want to lose your religion completely, do you mean you wouldn't mind losing some of it? If so, figure out which parts are scaring you and which parts you're okay with.
Confess to God what you've done. You don't want this burden attacking you ever again.
Much Luck.
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You cannot have a sincere faith without a time of doubt. There is no guilt in Christ, and it is only our self-criticism that brings us shame. We are no good to ourselves or God or anyone else when we waste time carrying a burden that is not ours to carry. Sin does separate one from God, but it is our choice. Sin is what we believe to be the affront to the nature of God. The resulting chasm between opposing forces is energy against itself. Something needs to give. Something will or the whole will suffer. The physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual parts that make up our soul are interconnected. Our development is stunted when we are unable to achieve harmony between the faculty of our soul and the functions that soul expresses in life. You have done or thought or felt something that is contradicting another held belief. Only you can explore the contradiction and the opposing belief/action or belief/belief to validate whether or not it is enough to stir you into further considerations or changes. Either way, you will not be at peace until one of the contradictions or both give way to something new. You may forsake something or many things in life in order to gain new and more fitting systems of thinking. Growth requires almost constant evaluation and shedding of the old or useless skin we have outworn. The newer one emerges only when we have the nourishment in our being to produce it and the sensibility to wear it proudly.
The Greek root of the word shame is scham, which refers to a skin that is used to cover the exposed, vulnerable parts of a person, specially what is seen as shameful. When we shed some of our old assertions, we may feel exposed. Our new skin of belief has not yet been tested in the new day. Can the new you take the heat or will burn with shame? Shame is not sin, it is the belief that we are condemned. Who condemns you? If you believe in God, then believe that no other has the power or moral superiority to cast judgment and your shame is self-enforced. Some believe that shame is the face of suffering or injustice, but it is not so. Job suffered greatly and he was a good man in God's eyes. Friends eventually deserted and condemned Job, believing that he must have deserved his suffering for some offense against God. When Job cried out to God for an answer he got one we would not expect. God neither condemned him nor did he give him a reason for his suffering...He reminded Job that God was above questioning, but He also condemned Job's friends for trying to blame Job. God knew Job was blameless. The moral of the story is that God wants us to know that good people do suffer and that it is wrong to assume that they deserve it or that God is allowing it as a punishment. Why God allows seeming contradictions is not something He gives us an answer to. God apparently presumes he knows better than us...ya think? So, contradictions, questions, sin, doubt, pain, even if you feel shamed, anything in or of this world, does not separate you from God. You are not losing your God...your God is simply bigger than you once believed. Don't think you have avoided Him by hiding from a picture or keeping shut a book. God is bigger than you or I have the ability to contain him in our minds and worlds. If not then He is not God...maybe the idea you need to shed is that you or someone you knew had God in a jar. You were in that jar and now you want out...you don't have to worry about leaving him in that jar...Once out you may find you need to keep backing up in order to come closer to seeing him.
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I also recommend the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but I'll go one better and recommend a movie about a book. No reading required (unless you're still setting up your DVD player) and the movie is even fairly entertaining. I'm talking of course about "Conversations With God." Basically, it floats the idea out there that life is an ongoing conversation with God and the times in which you think He isn't speaking, are actually times you aren't listening or may have trouble hearing because of issues and concerns in your life. Also, read Footprints if you feel so inclined and try to keep in mind that whatever you're going through now, it will pass with time and God will always be waiting to pick up the conversation where you left off. Don't stress, though you may lose sight of God, He never loses site of you. Feel better.
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try going to church. ask the pastor some of these questions. theres also a a book called 'chicken soup for the christian soul' that will really help you
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