Why do you believe in Jesus?

kelly1

I'd like to ask fellow Christians here two questions please.

1. how did you decide that Christianity was .for you?
Why not Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or new-age?

2. Do you ever doubt God's existence and if you do, what stops you
drifting off? i.e. is there one belief that you can cling onto which keeps
you grounded in times of doubt?

You tell me your answers, then I'll tell you mine!

God bless,
Noel.

JimiTime

kelly1 wrote: »

1. how did you decide that Christianity was .for you?
Why not Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or new-age?

I don't think that there is any denying that for me (and likely for most), that my upbringing had a huge influence on my Faith. A person born in Sodom would likely have become a sexual deviant, a person born to a faithful family in Israel a worshipper of God. I can't deny the 'accident of birth' scenario. My parents were Christian, both raised Catholic, but both non-denominational. Go figure, its what I am now. I still needed convincing though, and went through a bit of teen angst for a few years. God wasn't that important to me again until I reached 21. There was a few FACTS:) that were/are imovable for me. They were my starting points.

1. We are created beings, the earth and life has been designed. I'd heard the alternatives and tbh, they made no sense to me no matter how intellectual they sounded it came down to the simple fact that we could not be a cosmic accident.

2. Following on from point 1, the question arises, who or what designed us. Are there any clues? Well yes there were to me. I Love, therefore who/whatever designed us wanted us to have this incomparable feeling. The diversity of the creation and what it does to me emotionally. All the beauty of nature moves me. The diversity in foods and flavours. All of these things rather than being like a pill I swallow just to keep me alive are all things that give me this happy feeling.
So what does this tell me? It tells me that who/whatever designed us wants us to be happy.

3. The flaw. I observe all these things, but then I also suffer bereavement. My father died, my brother in law is killed just 2 weeks after the birth of my nephew. I see famine, sufferring etc. So how does this add up? I ask, is there any 'religion' that explains such things adequately? What is it I need to see? I suppose i am seeking an explaination as to why we seem to have been created by someone who wants us to have such great happiness, but that lets us suffer so much also.

4. Eureka. To cut a long story short, The biblical explainations make sense. The bible also contained fulfilled prophecy, such as Daniels prophecies, the Prophecies of Jesus' birth and death and the destruction of Jerusalem. All and all, Christianity spoke to me. it gave me the info, it also gave me hope.


So thats a quick summary. hope its what you were after:)

2. Do you ever doubt God's existence

There have been moments tbh.

and if you do, what stops you
drifting off? i.e. is there one belief that you can cling onto which keeps
you grounded in times of doubt?

TBH, I don't think i've ever had real doubt. More like moments of petulance in hindsight. However, the personal knowledge that we have to have been designed is the basic truth from which it can come down to for me. Contrary to the many arguements floating about, its simply the way it is for me. However elaborate the alternatives, its the only one that makes sense. Then as far as I am concerned, Christianity is the only thing that makes sense from then on.

You tell me your answers, then I'll tell you mine!

Looking forward to it.

kelly1

Thanks Jimi.

Anyone else? Did anyone have a conversion like Saul or something much less dramatic?

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

kelly1 wrote: »

1. how did you decide that Christianity was .for you?
Why not Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or new-age?

I don't remember being asked if I wanted to become a christian, forcefully baptised before I could speak. Too young at the age of six to know what I was doing when I recieved my first holy communion. Also too young at the age of 12 to know what I was doing when I was confirmed. As a child you are intimidated into it. Simple as.

As an adult you can chose the right path for you. I guess most people are in the same boat, most are their religion because of their upbringing...

kelly1

Of course up-bringing/environment starts us off with a particular religion but people begin to think for themselves when they grow up.

So I'm asking why do the Christians here remain Christian. Why do you believe Christianity to be true?

It would be stupid to follow a particular religion just because we're comfortable with it. We must be satisfied that it's true.

Biro

Theodore Rapid Sugar wrote: »

I don't remember being asked if I wanted to become a christian, forcefully baptised before I could speak. Too young at the age of six to know what I was doing when I recieved my first holy communion. Also too young at the age of 12 to know what I was doing when I was confirmed. As a child you are intimidated into it. Simple as.

As an adult you can chose the right path for you. I guess most people are in the same boat, most are their religion because of their upbringing...

As I understand it, the question was directed at Christians.

CerebralCortex

Biro wrote: »

As I understand it, the question was directed at Christians.

Which can be roughly translated as you're annoyed by his statement.

Dave!

Or maybe he just wants to stop the forum going back to the way it used to be (Christians not being able to have a discussion without it going off on tangents because of atheists)

philologos

kelly1 wrote: »

I'd like to ask fellow Christians here two questions please.

1. how did you decide that Christianity was .for you?
Why not Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or new-age?

I did look to the Qur'an before really looking in the Bible. However when I consulted the Bible, I found that God was infinitely forgiving, and that God had given me a personal salvation that no other faith grouping could have ever given to me. Any other religious leader, such as Muhammad, Krishna, etc as far as I can recall, they never took the punishment for my personal sins. Jesus of Nazareth did. I'm eternally grateful for that.

kelly1 wrote: »

2. Do you ever doubt God's existence and if you do, what stops you
drifting off? i.e. is there one belief that you can cling onto which keeps
you grounded in times of doubt?

Yes I do, as every Christian does at some point I believe. However, I merely have to remember the sacrifice of Christ, and the quote from Paul to Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith". There is a constant theme in the Gospels that faith will make you well. How on earth do you expect to be saved from the lowest situations you will ever be in if you do not have faith? This can be one of the hardest things to do though, and I do understand that. I do think that Jesus is worth fighting for even in an increasingly secular world though.

kelly1 wrote: »

You tell me your answers, then I'll tell you mine!

God bless,
Noel.

Looking forward to it Noel

BrianCalgary

When I looked at other religions I discovered that other leaders / founders of other faiths were all dead.

Whereas in Christianity you had Jesus, with very wise teachings who put someone else ahead of Himself (the Father) then scarificed Himself for the good of everyone esle.

He claimed to be God incarnate and lived up to that billing by being raised form the dead after the three days. He also backed it all up by performing the miracles He did perform.

I never doubt the existence of God.

kelly1

Thanks Brian.

What about you PDN? Why did you turn from atheism to Christianity?

CerebralCortex

Dave! wrote: »

Or maybe he just wants to stop the forum going back to the way it used to be (Christians not being able to have a discussion without it going off on tangents because of atheists)

Sorry.