Heaven Help Me! Save me from myself!

Yes, God is omniscient everything.

Is it your Lord that keeps you sane or is it you stopping to do what you've been taught is right? I'm not sure I asked that right. Maybe I mean: Is it your religion that keeps you doing the right thing, or would you do the right thing even if you didn't have your faith in the Lord?

The Sunday school teacher was raised with a good moral base (so says the family) but wondered so far off the right path while appearing to be a "good person" Did her faith fail or did she fail her faith?

(I think it's the later but that's just my few)

few is view.... even spell check thinks it's funny to have me spell weird. Good thing I catch it a day late and a dollar short.

Some faiths or religion do teach things that others see as wrong (like when young ladies are harmed because a man finds them attractive) but you are right that most teach goodness. But can we be good with out religion?

I love what I've heard of your views and thoughts. I love what you post about things. Just so you know, I do hear you and appreciate all you get me thinking about.

That said....

I find my faith (which isn't in the main religion because I'm really not sure it's written as it should be) gives me a peace and direction but I think it is my job to keep my behavior in line. No devil makes me do it, and no God makes me not do it. I am responsible.

I try not to worry about who's in control of the over all settings or what comes next. I try to make my life the best that it can be for me, my friends, and my family. Maybe if I life my life in goodness then any after life there may be will be blessed.

Did I make sense?

Hi again, I like the way you think as well, I'm sure you're doing fine. Blessings.

What of those who say they have turned to a faith after committing a crime? Can their faith fix what ever caused the issues they faced to start with? My cousin said the devil made him drink and drive. He got out of jail "saved" Two years later he is back in trouble. Two hours after church he went to a bar. Four hours later he hit a small child playing near the road. God had let him down, his father says. I say he let himself down. Now he's asking for heaven to help him again.

I am not religious but spiritual. To be religious is to accept dogma that can have you believing in delusional things such as devils ane repentence. All good and evil are part of us and should be seen as a continuem. To be spiritual in my mind is to be without dogma.

Dogma is the ruin or religion. That we can agree on.

Darn Skippy!!!!!!

First let me thank you for telling your story. Then let me tell you that you are showing wonderful signs of goodness and intelligence. Keep up the good but hard work.

I am of a Natural faith not a christian faith. When I changed from what I was raised under I had to cut ties with it not ease away because like you I felt I could never live up to the teachings. Too many things my pagan soul couldn't agree with.

Recovering from both the addiction of a religion and a substance can be hard and throwing in depression and such... You have had a lot to over come. I'm glad you have found peace.

The funny part is that if I through this story before a Christian, they would likely insist it was God saving me anyways. haha.

Faith (no matter the path) doesn't make a person good or bad. I think it's the person. And you are right that people shouldn't use their religion to hide behind or as an excuse.

Very well said and I agree. Some of the greatest people know that religion is out done by personal faith.

Always good to hear from you!

Tami

You seem like a pretty good mom and person to me!

Namaste-Anora

Thanks sweetie and ya know I just adore you as well!

You have more then demonstrated that you are a good person... after all look at how hard you work at trying to help those girls and you have yet to run over that woman with a car (That alone must have taken a lot of work)

You do very well.

I think our morals aren't as tied to faith as some folks think it is. A lot of the answers here illustrate that.

Amen Sister--- sing it; sing it! Sister Anora speaks the truth. I don't blame Paganism when I screw up and I don't give it credit when I do the right things. I think that the mistakes/good stuff should be laid where it belongs; on OUR shoulders.

Going to church doesn’t make one a Christian any more than living in a garage will make one into a car. I know that sounds like a dumb statement, but it is to provoke one into thinking.

So many call themselves a Christian, but are not. Others may possibly be, but have no respect for God, His word (the Bible), or how one’s conduct or the lack thereof reflects on all of the rest of us.

Accepting Jesus into our lives and hearts, isn’t meant to be a fire escape from judgement in the after life, but many have that outlook as they begin “trying” to be a Christian – no wonder so many fail miserably. They trust more in themselves than the God who provided their salvation.

Developing a ‘relationship’ with the Lord, is important, and being involved in church is good and ok, but does not guarantee continuous right living.

The trouble that we make for ourselves is “trying” to live up to man made, or what are known as Christian standards.

The more one pursues a deeper level of intimacy with the Lord, the more of His nature, intertwines our own.

As we acquaint ourselves with Him through reading His word, and prayer and worship, we are more and more strengthened within with the power and or strength to not do wrong. It doesn’t mean we never will, but it does really help us.

It is true that we are to be responsible for our own doings and not blame people, things, and our upbringing, or our parents, etc.

Priests and ministers are not exempt. It may very well be possible that many of them were not truly born again, as Jesus taught one must be, and therefore, they had no power within to overcome the sin/wrong doing.

It says in Proverbs, that those who will confess (to God) their sins and forsake them, ‘shall’ find mercy.

So if we’ll just seek to move into truly loving the Lord, and never mind all of the standards and expectations, it’ll be a lot easier to live a Christian life.

Hope I’ve shared something that has helped.

God bless.

Classy-

I am not returning to the Christian faith anytime soon. It's full of indoctrination, much like the speech you so eloquently gave about having a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus never visited me, I didn't hear from God's own mouth. What I did hear was a lot of the same rhetoric you are using right here and now to defend your faith.

That was our point. It doesn't matter what one's own "religion" teaches, it's up to the person. Dogma, doctrine, so called teachings, whatever do not even enter into the equation here. It's about the person. It's about not defending the teachings or dogma of religions saying things like "That's not what we teach" or "I don't know how a person could do that of this religion". It doesn't matter what the religion, you can't look at that when looking at the person.

Namaste-Anora

Thank you all for your thoughts on this subject.

I've come to think that it's about personal responsibility. I'm not sure a soul can be saved.... unless it wants and works to be.

Dogma? Misuse of teachings?

I was merely sharing my personal spiritual experience and what bought fullfillment to me.

There is no dogma or anything else here, unless you are going out of your way to be offended at it all.

I'm just a peace loveing, happy person, and have explained why.

Maybe your offense with all of this has affected your spiritual ear from hearing God's voice.

I am really not interested in religion. I dumped that a long time ago, and found the truth that has set 'me' free.

Have a good week.

Classy-

Your original response to me sounded more like a "come to God" (Your God, Jesus) speech than just sharing. If you were sharing, I have no issues with that, but you came off as if you were trying to say that the only way to "God" is through "Jesus", and I don't believe that. In fact, many do not believe that.

Namaste-Anora

Maybe my presentation wasn’t the greatest, but I submitted what my life was about (spiritually speaking) and the reasons behind it.

I ‘do’ believe what the Bible teaches, and I’m sorry if it crosses personal beliefs, but it does say that Jesus is the way to heaven. It also shares many prophecies concerning the times we’re now in, and one of them, is that “many” will depart from the faith taught therein.
Again – just sharing from my own personal lnowledge base.

Have a good week, and keep smiling.

Classy-

You've missed the point of this conversation completely. You are once again saying that the only way is your way (the way of the Christian bible). And no, we're not in the end times. I really wish Christians would stop blaming everything on Satan and end days.

And to be honest, if Satan came down right now I bet you'd deny you were a Christian. If the Gestapo came to your door you'd probably deny Christ. I mean, his own followers in your bible denied him, do you think you're better than they were?

The entire point of this thread was to say "Let's all accept that other's may have a different view on how to get to paradise and they are all valid".

Namaste-Anora