Truthfully...Do you believe in luck?

[My Own Eyes]

Originally Posted by Eliseus

Nope. God ain't real cause He doesn't make my life one big happy care bear episode, I guess. I been stumped and trumped!

I never said that I doubted if He is real, but I can honestly say that I do struggle with believing that He is good.

I was being sincere about my doubts and struggles, and God knows my thoughts whether I share them openly here or not. I spent years holding all my questions inside, and it accomplished nothing beyond making them fester and expand.

I truly believe that God prefers honest doubts over pretentious party-line parroting anyday. (Which is not to imply that I believe you are guilty of saying such, only that if I were to say the same things I would be)

Originally Posted by My Own Eyes

I never said that I doubted if He is real, but I can honestly say that I do struggle with believing that He is good.

I was being sincere about my doubts and struggles, and God knows my thoughts whether I share them openly here or not. I spent years holding all my questions inside, and it accomplished nothing beyond making them fester and expand.

I truly believe that God prefers honest doubts over pretentious party-line parroting anyday. (Which is not to imply that I believe you are guilty of saying such, only that if I were to say the same things I would be)

There's nothing wrong with a) believing God exists and yet b)doubting whether he is good or not.

But one would need to move beyond merely doubting, to getting those doubts resolved one way or the other, I would think.

You are not sure God is good. Okay. What is good? And who defines what is good? And by what authority? And why SHOULD God be 'good' according to whatever the chosen definition happens to be?

I use to believe in God, and I used to believe he was NOT 'good'. I believed that God was basically a tyrant who exploited people's inherent weaknesses to garner their support. (Of course, I did not believe God was a 'personal being' as most Christians understand Him, tho...)

As a result, I concluded that whatever God wanted, must also not be good.

So when God said 'be honest' I concluded that was a scam sold to the weak to keep them from getting ahead of others.

When God said 'be humble' that was another scam designed to keep people in slavery to others who held power over them.

In short, I followed what was 'good' to me, which was 'bad' to God...

Needless to say, my life was a wreck as a result.

But, something happened along the way...

I came to believe not only that God existed, but that He was as described by the Bible. As a result, I recognised my obligation to Him, as one of His creation... I recognised my obligations to Him as King of the Universe... And I recognised the offer He was making me - pardon for waging war against Him in my life.

I took it.

I basically realigned my priorities. I was no longer concerned with proving 'God is good' but now I was concerned with finding out 'how does God define good, that I may do it?'

(I probably fumbled trying to express what I am trying to say, hopefully I got it across, though...)

BTW, I used to have panic attacks too... they included audible and visual hallucinations as well... but I was delivered one night by the Lord, and haven't had them since.

[My Own Eyes]

Originally Posted by Eliseus

There's nothing wrong with a) believing God exists and yet b)doubting whether he is good or not.

But one would need to move beyond merely doubting, to getting those doubts resolved one way or the other, I would think.

You are not sure God is good. Okay. What is good? And who defines what is good? And by what authority? And why SHOULD God be 'good' according to whatever the chosen definition happens to be?

I use to believe in God, and I used to believe he was NOT 'good'. I believed that God was basically a tyrant who exploited people's inherent weaknesses to garner their support. (Of course, I did not believe God was a 'personal being' as most Christians understand Him, tho...)

As a result, I concluded that whatever God wanted, must also not be good.

So when God said 'be honest' I concluded that was a scam sold to the weak to keep them from getting ahead of others.

When God said 'be humble' that was another scam designed to keep people in slavery to others who held power over them.

In short, I followed what was 'good' to me, which was 'bad' to God...

Needless to say, my life was a wreck as a result.

But, something happened along the way...

I came to believe not only that God existed, but that He was as described by the Bible. As a result, I recognised my obligation to Him, as one of His creation... I recognised my obligations to Him as King of the Universe... And I recognised the offer He was making me - pardon for waging war aginst Him in my life.

I took it.

I basically realigned my priorities. I was no longer concerned with proving 'God is good' but now I was concerned with finding out 'how does God define good, that I may do it?'

(I probably fumbled trying to express what I am trying to say, hopefully I got it across, though...)

BTW, I used to have panic attacks to... they included audible and visual hallucinations as well... but I was delivered one night by the Lord, and haven't had them since.

I don't want to bore the rest of the forum with my story for the millionth time, so I will give you the short version. If you are the poster former known as Elias or Isais or something like that, you may remember me under my previous user name "Michlow", anyway here is my story in as few words as I can muster.

Didn't know God. Was shown a God of fear and Judgement, whose approval must be earned through constant vigilance and works. Came to the realization that either God was either bad and worthy of rejection, or as hence unknown. Spent most of a year angry and not wanting much to do with religious things. Began a new journey....

Originally Posted by My Own Eyes

I don't want to bore the rest of the forum with my story for the millionth time, so I will give you the short version. If you are the poster former known as Elias or Isais or something like that, you may remember me under my previous user name "Michlow", anyway here is my story in as few words as I can muster.

Didn't know God. Was shown a God of fear and Judgement, whose approval must be earned through constant vigilance and works. Came to the realization that either God was either bad and worthy of rejection, or as hence unknown. Spent most of a year angry and not wanting much to do with religious things. Began a new journey....

I thought you were Mich! I just didn't want to put my foot in my mouth if I was wrong (which, as you well know, is extremely rare! lol)

Besides these here issues of cosmic importance, I hope you are doing well?