As a Christian - My Frustration with Christianity.
I have already written extensively about why I am not attending any local Church. I don't want to cover that topic again in this thread.
I have been frustrated with Christians both in my real life realm and on the internet.
For this post I am not going talk much about Christians in my real life. I don't currently have much connection to them anymore. I want to talk about Christian in my online life.
I have been to lots of Christian forums and social medial sites. The one thing I think they do a poor job on is Love and support. They like to talk back and forth about various theology issues, and other life and political issues. But they don't spend much time giving support to each other. As a result many people find themselves blocking or ignoring each other. The is an awful testimony to the rest of the world!
I when I first joined those sites, I was looking for love and support. I thought to myself, this would be a good place to maybe meet a Christian girl. Perhaps find someone to date. Wrong! Naw, if you want that you might be stuck with a dating site of some kind. Even then you might not find it.
Even if I couldn't find that sort of love, I thought I still needed Christian love and friendship. That is apart of the whole thing we call the Church. But that rarely happened, and it never lasted. Once again this is not a good testimony to the rest of the world!
As a result of these issues, I found myself on various secular sites. Eventually on some mental health sites. The reason why, is as I'm walking this journey we call life, I require love and support. So I find myself on sites that do that even though they don't necessarily fit into my belief structure. This poses yet another challenge. Cause I must use a different kind of love for those that are outside of my faith, as I do for those that are inside of my faith.
I think even the unbeliever finds him or herself in a similar situation. Where it is like I must support those that are not like me sometimes. Same goes for all the other various faiths we got on here.
People must love People, cause we all share the same planet. I appreciate that this site has been gracious to me.
@tryingtosurvive2024 well thank God we have this site 💖 hopefully here you'll find what you need💖 as for different religions just remember everyone has different perspectives, and to always show love and kindness to everyone who comes out way no matter what our differences may be💖 gives you a giant tiny hug 💗
@Tinywhisper11 💖💖💖What some people don't think about is this. In the English language we only have 1 word for love, and it is the word love. But the Greek has multiple words for the word love, each with various definitions. The New Testament of the bible is written in Greek. So when it gets translated over to English it loses the richness of the depth of love that is actually in the scripture. The Christian writer C.S. Lewis wrote a book called "The 4 Loves". He takes you through 4 different ones and explains the depth of each one. The book I own is 141 pages long. It's a good thing to study.💖💖💖
@tryingtosurvive2024 yeah I guess there are many different kinds of love 💖
@Tinywhisper11 Yes, friendship is a kind of love. Romantic is a kind of love. There is the love you have for your things. There is the love you have for Animals. There is the love you have for God. It really goes on and on. But they are different.
@tryingtosurvive2024
I completely understand your frustration with the lack of love and support in online Christian communities. I've had similar struggles in finding a community that truly feels like home. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack, and it can be really disheartening when it doesn't work out.
One of the things you said that resonates with me is the idea that our humanity and need for connection transcend our differences. I've found that sometimes the communities that feel most authentic to me are the ones that don't necessarily share my exact beliefs or background, but rather share my values and passions. Your point about needing to find support and love from other sources, even if they're outside of our faith, is really insightful. It's a reminder that we don't have to fit into one specific mold or category to find connection and community. Sometimes it's the unexpected places where we find the most meaningful relationships and support.
@charmingMelody4812 💖💖💖
@tryingtosurvive2024
Hear you one has to remember God only one that perfected and all loving. We found same as you both online and most times offline too. A lot of ones call self christian are only what we call Sunday Christians they do not really fellow Christ they give us all a bad name.
Yes lots of fighting over things that really not matter too.
What one is to remember God took one human flesh came as a baby lived taught and died for us and rose from the tomb. His grace saved us when we truly believe in Him.
So many Christians show no real love to brothers and sisters in Chrst. Also not to unbelievers. Sadly this not what bible teaches at all.
Love is to be core of ones life. We get what your saying we did not lose our faith even when ones who called themselves Christians. Abused us in almost every way.
So we see others even ourself as flawed. That why we believe in Christ is it not.
We been to many christian chatrooms and forums. Like ones your talking about. We also been hurt in churches offline. Due to having mental illnesses and physical disabilities. But there is hope we found offline a very good church were people accepted us just as we be.
Hope someday you can find same. Yes the church is broken sadly bible talks about this too.
Hope and pray you not lose your faith in Christ. Due to ones who call selves Christians. Acted very unloving and lack compassion for others.
God bless you
@stormieandpaws I agree with you. 💖💖💖
@tryingtosurvive2024
we met many who clam to be Christians but not acted Christ like. this also was most of ones who abused us too. but we still have strong faith but it hard at times too
@stormieandpaws I had been to many different "Christian" forums. Back in 2022, I came across one that really made me scratch my head! I saw someone make a post about something saying unless you get water baptized you won't have a body in heaven. Then He gave several verses from the Bible. But the verses didn't sound anything like that to me. So I read them in context, and still they didn't sound like to me. Then I took them to work, and asked a couple people there to examine them, and they didn't sound like that to them either. And yet, the people who commented below carried on a conversation for pages on end about it.
Later I wrote a post, and most of the people didn't focus on what I was trying to say. Instead someone wrote me a comment saying "Paragraphs are your friend". I figured He meant that I should of broken it up more. But it took me several back and forths with him to get him to tell me what was wrong with my one paragraph. It was simply because it happened to fill up the screen on his phone!
I would of been happy to have split that paragraph up for him, if he would of just told me, upfront, what was wrong with it. However that website wouldn't allow me to edit something after I posted it.
To be clear most of my paragraphs are split up by thought. Anyways I tried to point out that I came across another post, that was one huge wall of text, and yet for someone reason nobody was complaining about that post. Just to give you an idea how huge it was, I printed it out on a piece of paper. That person's one paragraph took up the entire sheet of paper, and I had to use a ruler to help me follow along with it!
I also saw people thumb up a bad comment. For example, I received a comment that was both nice and mean at the same time. The first paragraph was ok, but the second one was awful. Yet people thumbed it up. I got a hold of one of those people and asked them why they thumbed it up. They told me that it was because they agreed with the first paragraph, and they admitted that they didn't even take the time to read the second.
After about 5 months of this, that site drove me nuts. Finally I had to quit it. BTW things were worse than what I'm describing as examples. There were a lot of strange Bible interpretations, enough to make my brain hurt.
@tryingtosurvive2024
fully understand we been to many thing get us is the taking out of context making it say what one wants it to say. we heard things like we been a christian since birth then as more they say due to parents christian or due to was baptize as a baby or even due to i always went to church. but no personal accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. so we not believe what they say saved them.
we been to many Christian chatroom and sadly most only wanted to fight over none salvation matters. many like do animals as in pets go to heaven. is the earth old or young. one that really get us is that one can lose their salvation and other one is after your saved you never sin if a true believer.
so yes we get what you saying too but bible teaches clearly many things that others seem to not really read at all. so we asked few of them were they got information they believing sadly many of them said on youtub listening fallowing some other person many not even real pastors sadly. so our question was have you read the bible most said no. either was from church they go too or online some place but not on own reading bible asking God to make it clear to them personally. not even looking up verses that were used and reading them in context.
just blindly following other humans
find that so sad as that misleads many
@stormieandpaws You named some of the top ones. Personally due to my learning disability I have never read the Bible all the way through, but I have an audio Bible that I have listened to over 5 times! (Gen - Rev) My idea was to just let God speak to me through the words going into my ears.
I was amazed at all the strange ideas people came up with on Christian forums. Most of those ideas never crossed my mind!
I am not saying that using an audio bible is the best way to read the bible. But one thing it does good, it does not allow you to take anything out of context. The bible scrolls do not have Chapter and Verses markers in them. While these do make it easier to find things in the bible, they also make it easier to take the bible out of context and misapply things.
Recently I bought a new paper bible, and a new audio bible. Currently I'm in the process of copying the audio bible over to the compute and tagging the mp3s. I have decided to start using the NLT. The main reason is my learning disability. I feel that smoother and easier to read it is, the better my brain will process it.
@tryingtosurvive2024
we use the audio bible too to us really you learn more by listening to the bible read to you then reading it. in truth it same as reading it as your getting the real truth not what others tell you.
this might be helpful the a bible translation line from most word for word to less word for word. wss interesting to us as many will only use the King James Bible. but it not the most word for word translation.
we downloaded then uploaded be audio bible because of rules on 7 cups. we use mostly the AMP translation for us it easier to understand. we have many learning disabilities some due to the abuse. so to listen to the bible is ok and can help a lot as most can not read the names of some people in bible and well get it right how they say them lol
but yes many out there have no clue what bible really say they never read it sadly this world wide issue too.
@stormieandpaws My dad went to bible college, and He knows about bible translations. Personally I like to stay away from the King James. A lot of people think it is the most accurate and they came up with different reasons why. But I have observed, that the people who come with the oddest ideas are always quoting from the King James. I think that old style of English causes them confusion, and they don't want to admit anyone that they really don't understand what they are reading! Christianity Today once rated different Bible versions for accuracy and readability. They rated the King James at a 12th grade reading compression level. I wonder how many people in the USA, actually have a 12 grade reading compression level.
What I think is so interesting about this is, even if the King James is the most accurate. If you can't understand it, then it really doesn't do you any good.
This brings up another question in my mind. Can't the holy spirit enable us to be able to understand it? The mere fact that the holy spirit isn't making the choice to enable more people to understand makes me wonder if maybe it is because it isn't the most accurate. Anyways, I heard that even the people who originally translated it, admitted that it wasn't done perfectly. They just did the best they could with the resources they had at the time.
Anyways I don't want to ever argue about Bible translations. I'm just sharing my experiences and the information that I have been exposed too.
@tryingtosurvive2024
understand that too also no two laugues can be translated one for word either. due to the fact each one has a different in letters and number of words. truth is that Holy Spirit is one that make God written word understandable to people. so not really matter what translations one reads as when one prayers asking Holy Spirit to teach you. then He will if you have a heart set on knowing truth. so many read bible as just a book. but God word say it living by Holy Spirit how it living and within us as we read God word. we even as a 8yr old read bible first time all the way through. God make it understandable to us even with reading King Jame bible. but yes if you study the translations and look into how they was translated. you see the King Jame bible was first in Latin from that translated into English. newer translation they translated from the Greek and Hebrew. so yes it more word for word too.
even with all the learning disables we have we through Holy Spirit can understand it. but we believe it layered and in this life time we never learn all of it meaning and fully understand it. that why every time you listen or read God word something new is learned. we love that about God He give us a little understanding at a time then builds on that too.
we first understood the gospel at age 3yr we could tell you what it met and why He died for us. some people say that impossible but it not. we believe God gave us understanding at very young age as if was our faith that kelp us going as a child in the abuse. we know we was loved by God and cared about fully too. even with no one in family caring about us at all. so it was God grace kelp us going in the darkness we lived in.
@stormieandpaws Here is my take on this. The Holy Spirit is mysterious. I have observed that those that claim to rely on The Holy Spirit to lead them usually get all messed up, and misbehave, and treat others badly. That has been my experience. But those who rely on the scriptures tend to make more sense. Remember it is the God the Father, Jesus the Son, and The Holy Spirit, three in one, created the scriptures. Whenever you find yourself relying on something outside of the scriptures, that gives room for the Devil to deceive you. He can look like an angel of light, and make you believe that you are being guided by The Holy Spirit, when you are not. There are people in the Church who say things like "God is better than His Book". That is an extremely dangerous thing to say, because He wrote His book for us to get to know Him and follow Him.
@tryingtosurvive2024
thay what pastor talked on today as we want to know Christ deeply and personally. then read your bible and prayerfully as you read your bible ask Holy Spirit to teach you truth of who Christ is and how He lived. also to know the power of God one has to be in God word. also to join in Christ suffering one has to know Him and walk as much as you can as He walked.
this call come through relaying of God not ones flesh or things others have said bible said or even God personally said to them. many on you tube are like that they tell you they personally heard from God but when you text by God word what they said it not agree with God written word then it not from God but from devil we hear all the time people say i listen to this or that online and offline then ask them did you test it by scriptures. most say no sadly many do not even read their bibles how can you know God if you not know His written word
pastors at church we go to now say test me by God written word do not just take my word on what God says also we never go to a church were the pastors not tell you were what they preaching on is in the bible as that can mislead so many people when they just take a pastors or even another' person word at what God word say
so many who claim to be believers only go to church sometimes never pray and never read God word or only pray when no other thing works pastor talked about we all have one passion in life chose your carefully that really get deep to the point to us
@stormieandpaws " read your bible and prayerfully as you read your bible ask Holy Spirit to teach you truth of who Christ is and how He lived." Is that necessary? I never prayed that, and yet I understood who Christ is, and how He lived. The Bible tells me that in black and white. I'm not saying that I completely understand it all, but it seems redundant. Like you can't understand the Bible unless you specifically ask God to help you to understand the Bible. When you ask Jesus into your heart, what happens? As far as I know, He forgives you and comes inside of you. Then you have the Holy Spirit in you. Once that happens then He should help you to understand the scriptures. This makes me scratch my head.
Now I think I need to do an internet search to see if there is anything in the Bible that tells me that I need to first pray before I can understand the bible. Because I can't think of any scripture support for doing a redundant thing. With that being said, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with praying like this before reading the scriptures. However I'm not so sure that it really helps anything either. The reason why is the Holy Spirit is already inside of you, and also word of God is also written for us from God.
I did an internet search and here is what it says about praying before reading the Bible.
Google AI
- Seeking God's guidance:Praying before reading helps ensure that the reading is not just an intellectual exercise but a sacred encounter with God, seeking His wisdom and guidance.
- Cultivating humility:Acknowledge that human wisdom is limited and that God is the source of all truth and understanding. This helps to avoid imposing personal biases on the text.
- Preparing the heart:Prayer helps to quiet the mind, focus the heart, and create space for God's Spirit to work during the reading.
- Specific prayer verses:Verses like Psalm 119:18 ("Open my eyes...") are frequently used in prayers to ask for spiritual insight and understanding. James 1:5 ("If any of you lacks wisdom...") reminds us to seek God's wisdom and guidance when encountering difficult passages.
@tryingtosurvive2024
it not really to understand the word of God it more asking Holy Spirit within you to help you see were what you read can be apply to your daily walk with Christ as faith in action. as that different for each of us as we each one of a kind created by God. also many who not saved can read the bible understand the bible but not accepted it as the one and only word of God.
it state that even the demons know truth of who Jesus Christ is in bible too. so yes with that they can mislead even believers. it partly why believers fight over some things as believers too.
even demons quote God word can find that in Mathew 4:6 and Luke 4:10 when they tempted Jesus Christ. Jame 2:19 also state demons know God word. even as believers we can be mislead by flesh and demons.
so why pray before reading God word is that yes we have Holy Spirit within us. if we truly accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. this is far more then just saying words too. it truly turning to God within ones heart. we known some who have prayed asking God to forgive them but they did if just in case the bible was true. they did not really believe in their heart. some even joked about it said things like i accepted Jesus Christ just in case the bible true so i not end up in ***.
so why one prays before reading God word is to ask Holy Spirit within to teach you truth of God word and how to apply it to your life personally. but also asking Him to guard your mind and heart in that you not be mislead by demons coming as angels of light. also by others who themselves are mislead too.
you see both everyday too. were people will say believers read bible even but lack wisdom of truth of God word. you stated it black and white truth is that not true many many have taken verses out of context to fit how they want to live to fit their personal wants and other things even. it why we have so many different types of Christian churches too. due to sinful nature we still have after being saved. that in it self can mislead us even make one twist God word to fit ones life style too.
no one know full truth of God word who human only one that ever did was Jesus Christ as He God and man. so the praying as one reads God word is more of asking Holy Spirit to give you understanding to guild you in God word. that why it state God word is living and active by power of Holy Spirit.
so even a believer can be mislead when reading God word sadly we known many that have been and are being. we even learn how we yourselves was mislead in past by others using God word.
not sure if you know about the Bahia faith as we was mislead by them some years ago. as they believe their founder was return of Christ. in that they use bible verses to prove that even. yes it sounds true and many Christians have been mislead by them. what really sad is the ones we met that Bahia know the bible better then most Christians. but were mislead in end. we was mislead by that belief/faith but in time God showed us how they was twisting His word to fit what they believed.
yes we know after saved Holy Spirit within each believer. but still each us have sinful human nature too. that the battle within each of us. will be until we in heaven.
hope what we saying is clear as in wording due to our long time in abuse we have chronic traumatic brain injury. truth is TW we should be dead many times over, but God did not allow them to take our life. but had many near deaths
@stormieandpaws No matter what I pray He will only answer according to His will. Lately I'm lucky to get into the word at all. Lately I'm constantly frustrated with everything! I don't know why but God allowed me to have a learning disability that even effects my time with Him. But I've asked Him to remove it and He won't. So Just do what I do and hope it is good enough.
@tryingtosurvive2024
we to have learning disabilities that effected both reading and writing. but we also not believe in luck as for us that giving some other thing of chance in place of God allowing things to happen for in end His glory and our good. when we read this we thought of verses in the bible that show why we have things we do not want like learning disabilities. thought we share with you the verses as they helped us a lot
New to but testing out various socail media sites assisted some friends to meet apart the usual spheres usually group oriented 200-1000 revealed new spheres as music group genres group chats, chats around fields (musicans, engineers, etc.) Bests on searches🤞 @tryingtosurvive2024
@blissfulFlute808 I've been doing searches for 22 years. When I say I don't think I fit in, I got 22 years of online experience not fitting in. And I got 45 years of real life experience not fitting in. It's sad.
@tryingtosurvive2024
same here always felt like a outcast and unwanted in most cases
@stormieandpaws That is probably why we are both on 7Cups.
@tryingtosurvive2024
agree why we here but having issues of wanting to just run away before we can be rejected and cast out. this go back to grade school when a group of girls ask us to join them. we said yes but in the end it was to make fun of us and then cast us out of the group. for years that same group of girls teased us and was mean to us. we not fight with others if was teasing etc to us. but if they was picking on teasing others we end up getting into flights defending other kids. mostly the ones in special ED. seem everyone teased them we was in that room to but not all day.
@stormieandpaws I'm curious, why do you refer to yourself as "WE" are you male or female? I'm just wondering. Some girls are mean to each other. I don't understand why.
@tryingtosurvive2024
due to all the abuse from young age up we have DID so am a system. we did a lot of healing thanks mostly to therapists online we met through the years. first one we really worked with online was a counselor and pastor. he helped us so much over years we know him before he died. we still miss him a lot. then was a women we met online in same chatroom she a christian counselor too. they helped us for free and well that was start of our healing. we at first was still with our now ex hubby. seem odd but they helped us get away from him. they both live far away the male one was from NZ and female one is in Canada. we still have her on our face book. but not really talk to her any more.
then we have a friend a therapist online from TN. she helped us a lot for free too. so with all the help we now work as a team mostly so more then one of us inputting most the time. been over 20yrs since we started our healing journey. but it kinda been in stages due to how we was connected to some of our abusers. it different for ones with DID due to some alters have different types of connection to the abusive ones in our life. we had a lot of ones who was seeking love from mom. so they did not want to leave her and other family members. so took long long time in our healing journey for us to leave family.
we had one a 8yr old that was connected to our now ex hubby in a very unhealthy way too. so first few times we tried to leave she told him the plans. he stopped us with threats we know he carry out. so again took longer to get away even after we know we needed too.
we also had Christians say the alters are demons. the one counselor wrote a very detailed report on her studies of DID. she even give verses to support that God allows some to split to save them from the abuse that would have end their life or make them insane. but many believers think even ones saved can have demons within. that not true as far as what we read in bible. she helped us accepted each other and well that lead to working together. also big part of our healing too.
we every open about this all hoping in time others will better understand DID and stigmas will be dropped as others learn about this too.
@tryingtosurvive2024 I'm Muslim and I have been extremely disappointed from my culture as well.
The thing I learnt is it's good to keep culture and religion separate.
I was looking for role models to inspire me and I decided to choose the prophets and other wonderful people mentioned in the quran ...
It will take a while to make a compassionate society as our books teach us...
But there are also kind people in the world - from all faiths - I believe in soul connections. I go wherever I feel there is goodness and wherever i find an opportunity to offer goodness from my end.
@tryingtosurvive2024, Hello. Much of what you've said and what others have said in their replies, resonates with me also. I thought I'd share an example, however, of a Christian community that I've found to be very loving, and for which I'm very grateful. To offer a glimmer of hope alongside the frustrating things many of us have witnessed.
I lost my Dad in 2021. He and my Mom were married 60 years. They are part of a church, and I have been relieved, impressed, so touched at how my Mom's church family has rallied around her; is supporting her far beyond the time of my Dad's passing. They call her, take her to breakfast, lunch, dinner. Pick up groceries for her. Take her to Dr appointments; to urgent care when the need has arose. They actively show love; not just talk about it. They demonstrate the love of Christ. Anecdotally, I think that is rare, but maybe there are many people who are succeeding at doing this in their communities, and we just haven't witnessed it for ourselves; alongside those who fail at it.
Just thought I'd share my experience and thoughts on this topic. Peace and blessings to all.
@Damaris62 My question for the Church you mention is this: Do they behave that way for everyone, or just for the people they like? The Churches I've been too can be very loving to those they like, or choose to be. The problem is they discriminate, and it's hard for me to figure out who and why they choose to discriminate against.
Here is a weird story for you.
My Dad was devoted to the denomination he was raised in. Even attended the Bible college they own. Graduated second highest in his class. That same denomination kept telling everyone they need more pastors. My dad was willing to serve, and yet they made it extremely difficult for him to get his pastor license. Once I did get it, they put him in a very very very small run down church that couldn't pay him enough to pay the bills. Already you get the feeling they don't want him! But why??? Due to the problems He was having with them, He ended up serving in a different denomination. Just for a short while until I was born. Apparently cause He was involved with them they evoked my Dad's license. He goes through some more junk, and ends up teaching a home bible study for years, without pay. During that time the head pastor asks my dad to fill the pulpit while He was gone one Sunday. My dad preaches a sermon, and that sermon was taped and sent to an old people's nursing home. Word gets around at the nursing home, about the sermon, and that tape quickly became the most requested sermon! And yet the head pastor never asked my dad again to fill the pulpit. This story continues, I sorta wrote about it in a 6 page document on why my parents no longer go to Church. In it I talk about how we attended one church faithfully for over 13 years. Walked in without a friend and walked out without a friend. How can that be?
@tryingtosurvive2024, Hello, and happy Saturday! I'm very sorry about your Dad's experience in the church(es) where he served. His perseverance is certainly commendable though.
I don't know everyone in the church my Mom attends. I'm unable to answer your question about whether they are that way with everyone in the church. I know the things I've heard the Pastor preach certainly invokes everyone to be that way toward everyone. We all know all people are flawed, so does everyone do it? No doubt the answer would be no, just by virtue of the truth that we are all flawed.
I only shared the story to provide encouragement. I'm sorry, it didn't seem to do that.
Peace and blessings to you.
@Damaris62 Experience or Bible: The word is more important than experience, because depending on who you are and what situation you are in your experience can be completely different from the next person. When I was attending a Baptist Church, that same Church had a school. The sermons the pastor preached were awesome, and I agreed with 90% of what I heard, and yet the Church wasn't friendly to me. Also I met a girl who had attended the school. I also had an old childhood friend that attended the school. He had a great experience at the school and was popular. She did not. She told me that other kids told her she wasn't a Christian because her home Church allowed dancing.
@tryingtosurvive2024, Yes, the Bible always supersedes experience. No matter what our experiences are, the Word of God is always true. This is why it is so important to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the Word of God and our relationship that we cling to above all else, so that if we have negative experiences we don't fall away. And we must know the Word of God to discern truth from error and so no matter what others do, we, ourselves, can walk in the truth and handle experiences with love and the fruit of the Holy Spirit, as God desires.
@tryingtosurvive2024 I think it is important to surround ourselves in as much as possible with people that hold similar values. This can be difficult on the internet but it has caused me to be more selective about where I hang out. 7 Cups has been very helpful in helping me develop as a person.
@soulsings good testimony. 😃
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