Wasnt sure where to put this....

[NinjaWizards777]

but I guess it relates ENOUGH to UR that I could put it here.... :dontknow: feel free to move as proper.

Ok so in my months of "trial, tribulations and questioning of faith" one thing ive really kindof realized how arrogant so many christians are(and non-christians too really). Whether you fall on the ET side of the "fence" or the UR side, each side still likes to act like they have the FULL support of scripture and most of all they act as if they KNOW that they are right. As if its a matter of just being "enlightened" enough by God...and to believe otherwise...well golly you might not have been saved to begin with, partner!(sarcasimm, I greatly hate when people say that to me).  One thing ive realized about Christianity in general, or life in general...is that I DONT know if Im right. I dont know if Im right to lean towards universalsim, heck I dont even know if im right to believe in Chrisitanity somedays!

Now dont tune me out here...I believe in what the spirit of what I called on...Christ...Jesus...yesha...God who supposebly became flesh......I believe in what he did in my life when i gave my full heart to Him. I believe in Christianity...I also believe that I could very well be wrong about all my assumptions, and maybe half or all the time I thought I heard God it was somthing else entirely. . Maybe some other religion is entirley right and Im just entirely wrong? Maybe the absolute truth isnt even knowable to begin with? And I guess I get really disturbed and irked when most christians(ive been in the boat too) walk around in the clouds as if doubts, and the possiblity of them being wrong is just...OF THE DEVIL AHHHH GET AWAY SIN!!! I was actually talking to a christian the other day, trying to get her to see why I lean towards the idea of UR and so Im just asking her honest questions about the bible and our interpretations shes like "Its just best not to think".....what? really? is that what american christianty has been brainwashed to think? that truley examining our belifs and our ability to know "truth" is just a bad idea all together? How are we to grow?


And really, I think thats why salvation is more than likely universal in the end of ends or whatever of eternity...while I still believe in Christ and him being of God to pay for us.....because humans are stupid! I heard a quote somewhere and it was absolutley true "everybody thinks that they are right" ...and yet no one ever sees that. Very few people ever challenge why they believe what they do, and then when they do dont challenge their ability to be right about their new conclusions either.

Where am i going with all this? i have no clue. I guess the million dollar question is "How do we really know ANYTHING?" be it be about universal reconcilliantion, christs divinitiy, the bibles validity, Gods exsistence...whether the color green is in fact...green....whatever.

I know that it all comes down to God granted faith in the end but...idk. somedays I really feel like im just forcing myself to believe what Ive been taught to believe rather than what I really feel, and its hard to discern which of that is God and which is that is satan and which of that is just me

[IceDash]

I feel the same way, I have been looking for the truth for 13 years, I did promised God I will never question the bible ever again.


But the thought of hell still bother and question God's plan because God is perfect and he promised death will be destroy, if he destroy death, how come people still have "second death!!" it doesn't make sense to me.

[Doc]

but I guess it relates ENOUGH to UR that I could put it here.... :dontknow: feel free to move as proper.

Ok so in my months of "trial, tribulations and questioning of faith" one thing ive really kindof realized how arrogant so many christians are(and non-christians too really). Whether you fall on the ET side of the "fence" or the UR side, each side still likes to act like they have the FULL support of scripture and most of all they act as if they KNOW that they are right. As if its a matter of just being "enlightened" enough by God...and to believe otherwise...well golly you might not have been saved to begin with, partner!(sarcasimm, I greatly hate when people say that to me).  One thing ive realized about Christianity in general, or life in general...is that I DONT know if Im right. I dont know if Im right to lean towards universalsim, heck I dont even know if im right to believe in Chrisitanity somedays!

Now dont tune me out here...I believe in what the spirit of what I called on...Christ...Jesus...yesha...God who supposebly became flesh......I believe in what he did in my life when i gave my full heart to Him. I believe in Christianity...I also believe that I could very well be wrong about all my assumptions, and maybe half or all the time I thought I heard God it was somthing else entirely. . Maybe some other religion is entirley right and Im just entirely wrong? Maybe the absolute truth isnt even knowable to begin with? And I guess I get really disturbed and irked when most christians(ive been in the boat too) walk around in the clouds as if doubts, and the possiblity of them being wrong is just...OF THE DEVIL AHHHH GET AWAY SIN!!! I was actually talking to a christian the other day, trying to get her to see why I lean towards the idea of UR and so Im just asking her honest questions about the bible and our interpretations shes like "Its just best not to think".....what? really? is that what american christianty has been brainwashed to think? that truley examining our belifs and our ability to know "truth" is just a bad idea all together? How are we to grow?


And really, I think thats why salvation is more than likely universal in the end of ends or whatever of eternity...while I still believe in Christ and him being of God to pay for us.....because humans are stupid! I heard a quote somewhere and it was absolutley true "everybody thinks that they are right" ...and yet no one ever sees that. Very few people ever challenge why they believe what they do, and then when they do dont challenge their ability to be right about their new conclusions either.

Where am i going with all this? i have no clue. I guess the million dollar question is "How do we really know ANYTHING?" be it be about universal reconcilliantion, christs divinitiy, the bibles validity, Gods exsistence...whether the color green is in fact...green....whatever.

I know that it all comes down to God granted faith in the end but...idk. somedays I really feel like im just forcing myself to believe what Ive been taught to believe rather than what I really feel, and its hard to discern which of that is God and which is that is satan and which of that is just me

I hear you. I think the answer to your question is in John, chapter two I believe.

"No man has anything that is not given to him by heaven."

Your friend is just another lazy Christian like most are. She believes what she's told to believe rather than checking it out for herself. I'm not saying this is how ET got started (because there were other factors), but I definitely think it has played a large role in its propagation...

[sheila]

   Hello,

     The journey in my search to 'know' God has lasted decades.

     That seeking of truth,you speak of,is worth it. Many times

     over the years,I thought I had found 'the truth" or the right

      church, only to have Him lead me out of it.[I learned while

    there many lessons,too]

       Your seeking[please continue to do so] will be rewarded.

          It was 30 years for me.And I am still growing

    Just like our physical life,our spiritual life progresses to

   maturity. Just like as children,you learned there was no Santa

   Claus etc you will find responsible grown-ups you trusted; had

    told you a lie or myth..as tradition.

       Just as you crawled,fell,walked.ate grew.you will do the

   same in a spiritual sense. The most important thing I

   want you to keep in mind is that you are His beloved child.

     When you get there you will realize that He was watching

    you and with you the whole time,even though you were

    unaware.

        I am sure there are many,many people here,that can tell

   you of many wonderful ,and not so wonderful expierences

   they have had in seeking out their Father and truth.

       There are some churches out there that will have some

   truth[most do] but errors also. And they may want to prey on

  you[wolves in sheep clothing ] and lord it over you,and not

   treat you with tenderness.[just as predators in world]

       We all have expierenced some of  the things you spoke

   about,,Babylon means confusion..and the religious system is

   very,very confusing,Just as a child you learned by trial and

  error, sometimes you will make errors. Discernment is

   somewhat complex,in the physical as well as the spiritual.

  But you will learn,sometimes the hard way,sometimes not. 

    We all go through it,if we grow

   I want to encourage you to keep praying and keep seeking.

   You will learn from others,and the spirit will come teach you

   also . Great progress is made when the spirit comes to help

, for it leads you into all truth.

  Keep seeking,keep knocking

                                             Sheila

   

[jabcat]

   Hello,

     The journey in my search to 'know' God has lasted decades.

     That seeking of truth,you speak of,is worth it.

       Your seeking[please continue to do so] will be rewarded.

            Keep seeking,keep knocking

                                             Sheila
   

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls:

and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Matthew 13:43-45

God's blessing, James.

[NinjaWizards777]

well...its hard to keep believing much of anything when its obvious you cant KNOW really anything for absolute certain.

the fiber of my being believes in Christ...and that hope is not as black and white as "if you dont stumble upon the right set of belifs in this life, your eternally screwed!" but I still question, and its hard to talk to other christians that either A. Dont question and deems any questioning as sin  or B. Pretend like their not questioning even though deep down they are.

[jabcat]

Maybe recognize that your belief you do have does count for something.  IMO, God gives us any ability we have to believe, so as I see it, that means He is working in your life...to paraphrase one of the disciples, "Lord I believe, please help my unbelief".

God's blessing, James.

[sheila]

   I questioned at times, when a teenager I wondered if he was a myth. When He came to my room one night,I knew He wasn't

   I wondered what it was all about, I went out in all the churches trying to find Him. I would call out ,'WHERE ARE YOU
  THIS CHURCH SAYS THIS DON'T DO THAT' AND THIS OTHER CHURCH SAYS 'NO,DO THIS AND DON'T DO THAT"?

   Sometimes He would lead me to a church for awhile, then lead me out of it. Seems like I wandered forty years like the Israelites round in circles at times

    I gave up at times,that I would ever get to know Him and the Truth, but something inside would spur me on again to try
and find Him.

  Finally it was down to just me and the Holy spirit ..no church associations or any other. I concentrated on the red letters in the New testament and followed the direct word of Jesus...
  it wasn't but about a year and a half that I was lead to a wonderful place.

   Obey His word,keep them like a treasure..and you will find Him. He will lead you,He knows His sheep.

                                         Sheila

[Doc]

well...its hard to keep believing much of anything when its obvious you cant KNOW really anything for absolute certain.

the fiber of my being believes in Christ...and that hope is not as black and white as "if you dont stumble upon the right set of belifs in this life, your eternally screwed!" but I still question, and its hard to talk to other christians that either A. Dont question and deems any questioning as sin  or B. Pretend like their not questioning even though deep down they are.

Personally, I think that there is a difference between knowing something as in: being able to prove it empirically (head knowledge), vs. knowing something in your spirit (spiritual knowledge).

Keep asking, seeking and knocking. It's not like you can just hit "download" and know truth. It's a process of learning, experiencing.

[NinjaWizards777]

hmm, thats true