Religion free from Fear (soul, hell, genesis, churches)

[cityhopper]

I should start of in saying I do not come hear to fight but just to express some general feelings and confusion I have felt. I was brought up in a Christian household attending churches of various Christian doctrine but mainly baptist. As I got older, my regular church attendance died off. I always felt myself questioning the organized group of religion and I suppose in turn those questions placed a void in my belief, faith and so forth.

I suppose what has really bothered in most recent years is that I feel that religion (as taught to me within the church and household) had a very strong tone of fear. Do this, going to hell. Do that, going to hell. Say this, going to hell. Do not do this or that, going to hell. Your soul will be condemned because of this or that.

Just in general, the teachings were so steadfast in all the things that lead to some form of punishment that I suppose I never learned to attach my religion and faith in how to live righteous, prosperous, and free from worry (of fear). From time to time, I find myself needing to pray and sincerely hoping its not in vain due to all of my confusion in the organization, the business of church, some of others interpretations and teachings of it.

I don't want to step over my boundary here, but to some regard, this cloud of fear is a bit of a theme in other forms of religion outside of Christianity.

I want to have balance, faith, and a place to repent (if you will; moreso, be free and open) but I DO NOT want to find myself living in fear of "you name it" because "they say so". Is this just me, does anyone else (particularly those brought up in a Christian household) feel or have felt this way?

[Sir Les]

Originally Posted by cityhopper

I should start of in saying I do not come hear to fight but just to express some general feelings and confusion I have felt. I was brought up in a Christian household attending churches of various Christian doctrine but mainly baptist. As I got older, my regular church attendance died off. I always felt myself questioning the organized group of religion and I suppose in turn those questions placed a void in my belief, faith and so forth.

I suppose what has really bothered in most recent years is that I feel that religion (as taught to me within the church and household) had a very strong tone of fear. Do this, going to hell. Do that, going to hell. Say this, going to hell. Do not do this or that, going to hell. Your soul will be condemned because of this or that.

Just in general, the teachings were so steadfast in all the things that lead to some form of punishment that I suppose I never learned to attach my religion and faith in how to live righteous, prosperous, and free from worry (of fear). From time to time, I find myself needing to pray and sincerely hoping its not in vain due to all of my confusion in the organization, the business of church, some of others interpretations and teachings of it.

I don't want to step over my boundary here, but to some regard, this cloud of fear is a bit of a theme in other forms of religion outside of Christianity.

I want to have balance, faith, and a place to repent (if you will; moreso, be free and open) but I DO NOT want to find myself living in fear of "you name it" because "they say so". Is this just me, does anyone else (particularly those brought up in a Christian household) feel or have felt this way?

Hi..
Not that this would make you feel any less fear...But to know what causes the fear...(and we do) that is half the battle won...

Jesus says "Do no more sin, and be forgiven"...So we have word from Jesus that sinless people have nothing to worry about!
For Judgement is not for the righteous...it is for the others Jesus mentioned...

Now in doing what is righteous...we have word from God, about our conduct here, and why God made us...
And Jesus clearly mentions to us through scripture..."Those who do the will of the father, shall enter heaven"...that means we have to not only listen to Jesus, who is the word of God, but also to the master builder who sent the word through Jesus...about the Garden, and sowing of seeds, and tending and keeping all the living things God made in Good contention, and under the laws , covenants, and precepts upheld, to the letter of the law, nothing changed, nothing profaned, nothing altared.
Because God does not change!
And so the verything is this....God is truth...truth does not change!
And if we follow the truth...then we will eventually have what God promises....eternal life.

How that comes to be is in the doing...and a real Christian Does what God asks....Tending and keeping the garden..and not profaning anything God made...seeing as everything living is part of the truth about God...then to say anything God made and said was good, or is clean, and is used in the garden precept and or principle entities that create the unions that participate in the making of this reality and sustain it...are to be addressed as helpers!

So why is it most Professing christian faiths...repute certain plants from being sown?.
If we read the Genesis...Where does God say he made weeds?
And even if he did, did he not say they were good? were they not in the garden?...Did God not bless them and sanctify them, and the whole creation?...here is where Christian testing becomes a hard road to follow....

Knowing they prohibite certain plants...is in my mind anti Eden, ..and because God wants us to take care of all things...all plants must be in order to feed other things...and they (Plants) do certain functions for the whole...So one cannot mindlessly just remove something like a plant from existance...saying it is bad...for that is profaning something God said was Good.
Here is the problem...and the solution is, if it is bad...do not touch it.

And we arrive at the begining of the bible.
Full circle...and if we do touch it...(in restoring it)(tending to the garden) and we do it in a certain light...SINLESSLY...we make holy ground..
Now that is where we stretch the imagination...and we USE MOSES and THE BURNING BUSH as a guide...
Now in putting this back sinlessly, and in making holy ground...God can put his foot down..or Christ can come up..
And that is what they fear...or they know they have sins and evils being done in their bent systems of idolatry...which brings the woes and the wrath...and they have turned it into a profiteering estate...
And these systems are polluting the creation...and the whole world is being decieved and is in essence supporting and doing the deeds done that are causing great suffering not only for other life, but human life aswell.
And so we have sickness, and suffering to curb the practices???...But they do not listen or see what they are doing wrong continually..even though the patterns are showing signs!...and they continue to pollute, and make more death with wars, and bad ideas in wealth and control of the people..making anything for sale even sin and evil have say...But not tending to the garden is big business these days!.
Letting them pollute the creation for a higher and higher price in food, fuel,healthcare, and living...and even dying...it all has a cost attached..and that is based on the Idol God said not to have... and Christ Kicked it out of his fathers house...and he did not even look upon it.

So we know that Christ was in contention to it, or of it, for it is brought before him, and asked about it...and he asks them to show him...but when it is produced from their pockets and purses...he looks up and away...and says "WHO's TITLE is ON IT?"...To prove he did not look...they answer Caesar's....Give it back to him, what belongs to him...but give onto God what belongs to God...(obediance of all the commandments) the one about Idolatry is being addressed in this part of Jesus's walk on Earth.

And because Jesus was proclaiming the freely given gifts of life from God...Rome, and the Bent Jews plotted his death, and those who followed the idea..were rounded up like cattle and slaughtered to silence the truth.


So as long as we do these things continually over Generations (uphold the idol and the evil and sin)...and we find some truth to the words...we can then try them out to see if they are true, put it down, and walk in the wilderness, and sow some seeds..for God and Eden....and when you become sinless enough...and sow those seeds they claim are bad or evil or weeds...You will find that they help feed the Birds and other living things...and when you find yourself being that selfless...You will see Good, and you might see GOD...for he loves the birds and feeds them...and he needs those seeds..

That is a true Christian would be a shamen of sorts.

"And they will turn their weapons into plowsheers and pruning hooks"...because that is the way to multiply the givens in partnership!

Do that sinlessly...and God will help us make new worlds!

The Fruits will show the muster of their deeds!...and a true tree of God is eternally grown!

I see a polluted planet bent on pollution devices, and Idolaty, greed, stupidity, and immorality, sin, and evil, on the brink of global warfare, eco sysntem colapse, and uncaring people doing it for Dollars....Not something God wants spreading into the universes....would you?

"Woe to them who harm the Earth"

Now a true Christian knows why!...Nothing to fear, if we do not have any sin.
But that is not the case with most..

So forgiveness is key to making a sinless estate...once forgiven, after repenting...Do not do the same things they do...we change!
And we Do what is right in those confines of what God asked of us all who will listen to the reason for our making...is to tend and keep the garden!
Do not let them lead you astray....with their promises of this or that...for it only leads to ruin and destruction....not only of the self/spirit/ but the planet itself.

Amen?

[Katzpur]

I think it's important where the focus is. If you are told throughout your life that you were born a sinner and that, in God's eyes, you are a filthy, depraved creature unworthy of His love unless you do a major about-face, that's how you're going to see youself -- at least until you've had enough of it. If you are told throughout your life that you were born pure and clean, as a beloved son or daughter of God and that, even though you will be sure to sin, any by sinning deeply disappoint Him at times, He will never stop loving you and wanting you to be His, you'll come to see yourself that way and will want to stay on the same path you're on.

I believe it's absolutely essential that we understand that there will be consequences for disobedience. God didn't just give us suggestions; He gave us commandments, and He didn't do so intending to simply turn a blind eye to our disobedience when it's time for us to stand before Him to be judged. What kind of God would make rules, tell us the consequences for disobedience, and then at the end say, "I was only toying with you. It doesn't matter what you did"?

I noticed your title: "Everyday is an opportunity for a second chance." That is exactly what Jesus Christ's Atonement means to me. It doesn't mean that one day I had a powerful experience where a wave of emotion washed over me and I became "a believer." It doesn't mean that all I have to do to be "saved" is profess Christ. No matter how devout a person may be, no sinner becomes a saint overnight. To me, Christ's sacrifice doesn't mean I'm saved because I believe in Him. It means that every day is an opportunity for a second chance. Every day, I'm starting with a clean slate. What an incredibly beautiful promise, to know that every day of my life is a new opportunity to be better than I was yesterday, to have my past sins forgotten if I fully commit myself to being obedient and faithful! I think it offers far more encouragement than the traditional Christian concept that "Christians aren't perfect, just saved."

Anyway, those are just my thoughts on the subject.

[cruxan]

the only thing to fear is fear itself!!!! FDR