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Lost faith
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31-08-2019 9:10pm#1Hi folks,
I don’t really know why I am posting this, perhaps to get it off my chest or just look for thoughts on my situation, if people ever felt the same etc
I always held my christian beliefs as my compass in life, i always did my best for others and showed a helping hand when I could, I remember through my twenties i was quite a happy chap, I was never an avid mass goer and partied like many did my age but always believed in the man above and that force was looking out for me and I did my best to always live with the do unto others philosophy, I was very popular with my peers because I was a positive, confident, decent person to be around and never spoke ill of people. I could look in the mirror and feel proud of myself. I would give my friends the shirt off my back if it would help them.
Then a couple of things happened to me that completely shattered my faith, perhaps depression creeped in also, deaths of close relatives in quick succession, and i had a couple of incidents with close relatives that showed me the vast majority of people including close relatives don’t share my world view of things and are only really out for themselves.
The above changed me, like a lightbulb going off in a bad way, i began to scoff at the idea of there being an afterlife or there being something more than life here and took the view that we’re basically smart animals, who when it comes down to it would step on their neighbor to get ahead. Ive become far more guarded and closed off, I’ve carried that view since then but I feel an emptiness, like I’ve lost a piece of myself, there is depression in the mix but I think the root of it is a loss of faith. To add I’m now in my early forties.
Anyone else ever feel that way?2
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All across the western world as society has moved away from Christianity, there has been a large increase in depression and suicide. It is the biggest killer of men under 45.
In this world there is the physical and the spiritual. Our human spirit lives in the body God gave us and one day it will leave this world.
Christianity says the Devil tempts us, just like he did with Jesus for 40 days in the desert. It can be difficult to deal with those negative thoughts, but as Christians we are meant to cast those negative thoughts out.
I do believe the change in your personal happiness since you were in your 20's is due to your loss of faith. Without that higher purpose and spiritual connection then why bother anymore.
By joining a bible based church and seeking out Jesus for help, I believe this will put you back on the right direction and will give you that inner peace and happiness. But be mindful, we live in a world that has so much evil going on and a society that has been increasingly hostile to Christianity that could throw you off track again.0 -
" I was never an avid mass goer" That's probably were your problems began ...without the sacraments and strong prayer life you lack the spiritual protection against evil forces that is constantly trying to bring you and everyone else down ...is like going to battle without a sword or armour and vulnerable to all sorts of attack.0
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I'm not religious. I don't go to church anymore.
You can be a good person without going to church.
And don't worry what your relatives think. It's your life at the end of the day.0 -
tonybtonyb wrote: »Hi folks,
I don’t really know why I am posting this, perhaps to get it off my chest or just look for thoughts on my situation, if people ever felt the same etc
I always held my christian beliefs as my compass in life, i always did my best for others and showed a helping hand when I could, I remember through my twenties i was quite a happy chap, I was never an avid mass goer and partied like many did my age but always believed in the man above and that force was looking out for me and I did my best to always live with the do unto others philosophy, I was very popular with my peers because I was a positive, confident, decent person to be around and never spoke ill of people. I could look in the mirror and feel proud of myself. I would give my friends the shirt off my back if it would help them.
Then a couple of things happened to me that completely shattered my faith, perhaps depression creeped in also, deaths of close relatives in quick succession, and i had a couple of incidents with close relatives that showed me the vast majority of people including close relatives don’t share my world view of things and are only really out for themselves.
The above changed me, like a lightbulb going off in a bad way, i began to scoff at the idea of there being an afterlife or there being something more than life here and took the view that we’re basically smart animals, who when it comes down to it would step on their neighbor to get ahead. Ive become far more guarded and closed off, I’ve carried that view since then but I feel an emptiness, like I’ve lost a piece of myself, there is depression in the mix but I think the root of it is a loss of faith. To add I’m now in my early forties.
Anyone else ever feel that way?
Looks like the faith you had was faith in yourself rather than God.Just read what you wrote. It's all about what a great bloke you were.
You being a great guy has nothing to do with God, salvation, forgiveness and knowing Him.
You need God and to find faith in Him.0 -
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I'm not religious. I don't go to church anymore.
You can be a good person without going to church.
And don't worry what your relatives think. It's your life at the end of the day.
A Good person is a very important part of any christian but only half way there its also important to look after the spiritual side of things .
The mass and prayer provide important spiritual gifts and protections against evil attacks ,
It states in the bible 1 Peter 5:8 King James Version (KJV)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour .
if you haven't got spiritual protection through prayer or the sacraments no matter how nice a person you are , you will be very vulnerable to attacks by evil entities .. like a lamb without a shepard walking amoungst wolves0 -
I'm not religious. I don't go to church anymore.
You can be a good person without going to church.
And don't worry what your relatives think. It's your life at the end of the day.
I go to Church and am not religious.
You can be a good person anywhere but if being a good person was enough to get into heaven then Jesus need never have died and rose again.0 -
You realize the good outlook on life and the sowing good seeds the god stuff gave you was the advantage not the god stuff.
Being as good as you can be is the trick, the god stuff is just a way of translating the message.
It has since been taken over and abused for greed or power.
The message is the only thing that holds value.0 -
Hi tonybtonyb,
I just wanted to let you know that there's nothing wrong with realising you're agnostic or perhaps even atheist (probably the soft kind) – or the idea that we as humans are, essentially, smart animals. That doesn't mean that we're ruthless and step on each other. On the contrary, mankind's strength has been its ability to work in communities, tribes, families etc. We're not just smart animals, we're social animals.
To help you deal with the void you may be feeling, you may want to look at the ideas of "loving kindness" and of secular humanism. If you examine them with an open mind, you may find one or the other (or both) helpful with regard to what you're going through right now.
I wish you all the best and hope you find your way to happiness.0 -
I was in the Saguenay area of the Province of Quebec (French speaking) , Canada in August. I was in a substantial twin spire church one Sunday where there was no priest assigned and Mass was conducted by 8 women and 1 man. My wife checked this out and found that in small towns where there is a shortage of priests it is perfectly acceptable to conduct Mass without a priest participating. The Canadian church hierarchy, Cardinals and Archbishops have given permission for lay persons to conduct Mass. I do not know how confessions are handled. I checked church postings in 4 small towns and found that no priest was presiding over the local church, in a large town La Malbaie with two churches the smaller of the two did not have a priest assigned. The Quebecers were as religious as the Irish up until the 1960s', it is a place where the Irish intermarried heavily and are now fully integrated, French speaking and irreligious. It is stated by the Quebec Premier that 40% of Quebecers have Irish blood. The names of the towns were Sacre Coeur, Tadoussac, L'Anse St Jean. From what I saw women will play an increasingly dominant role in the Catholic Church. Has anyone seen anything like this in Ireland.0
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You will always find your faith again if you want to.
God turns his back on no one0 -
There's no harm in losing your faith, I lost it in my teens, haven't looked back, I'd say there's a good chance I ll never find it again, and I'm okay with this, but I am open to finding it again, and I've no problem with others believing. Just live a happy and fulfilled life, look after yourself, your loved ones, and your fellow human beings as best you can. Best of luck op0
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tonybtonyb wrote: »I was never an avid mass goer and partied like many did my age but always believed in the man above and that force was looking out for me and I did my best to always live with the do unto others philosophy
Faith is something that has to be fed constantly because it will be tested. Remember the parable Jesus told about the farmer scattering seeds? Some where instantly taken by the enemy, others where crowded out by the concerns of this world, some where choked by the weeds that surrounded them, whereas others grew and produced a great harvest, 30, 60 times greater. The world, the enemy will always attack your faith. You have to nourish it with scripture but also being around fellow believers. Jesus predicted that many would fall away in the last days, and you can see this happening even now. You cant allow yourself to fall away, you have to battle for your faith. Its easy to fall into despair and unbelief when bad things happen, but Jesus also spoke about building your house on a solid foundation when the storms of life come because those houses built on sand will be swept away.0 -
tonybtonyb wrote: »Hi folks,
I don’t really know why I am posting this, perhaps to get it off my chest or just look for thoughts on my situation, if people ever felt the same etc
I always held my christian beliefs as my compass in life, i always did my best for others and showed a helping hand when I could, I remember through my twenties i was quite a happy chap, I was never an avid mass goer and partied like many did my age but always believed in the man above and that force was looking out for me and I did my best to always live with the do unto others philosophy, I was very popular with my peers because I was a positive, confident, decent person to be around and never spoke ill of people. I could look in the mirror and feel proud of myself. I would give my friends the shirt off my back if it would help them.
Then a couple of things happened to me that completely shattered my faith, perhaps depression creeped in also, deaths of close relatives in quick succession, and i had a couple of incidents with close relatives that showed me the vast majority of people including close relatives don’t share my world view of things and are only really out for themselves.
The above changed me, like a lightbulb going off in a bad way, i began to scoff at the idea of there being an afterlife or there being something more than life here and took the view that we’re basically smart animals, who when it comes down to it would step on their neighbor to get ahead. Ive become far more guarded and closed off, I’ve carried that view since then but I feel an emptiness, like I’ve lost a piece of myself, there is depression in the mix but I think the root of it is a loss of faith. To add I’m now in my early forties.
Anyone else ever feel that way?
Thank you for this post!
Doubt is a normal part of the Christian walk. It is easy to become tempted with what the world is excited about and forget that we already have all we need in Jesus Christ.
As I started to write this post, I prayed for you as I sense that this post is genuine.
When I read the title of your post, I wondered. What have you lost faith in? Jesus Christ? Or did you lose faith with church?
A few more questions for you that will help me.
1) Are you coming to Jesus and trying to know Him better? - I'd love to encourage you to read the Bible, in particular the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus says that if we come to Him He will not turn us away, He says that He is the answer to true fulfilment and joy in life (John 10:10) because we'll stop chasing after the fickle and fleeting pleasures this world chases after (Ecclesaistes 2:11) and find true satisfaction in Him. Jesus told His disciples that if they trusted in Him, they would have a lasting hope when He rose again from the grave and that nobody can take that away from them. (John 16:22).
2) Are you meeting together with other Christians who can help you? God tells us that when we meet together that we can love and support one another to know and love Jesus better (John 13:31-33, Ephesians 4:15-16) Even if you don't want me to send you a Bible, I can maybe put you in touch with a good Bible teaching church where people can get alongside you and help you to know Him more.
Finally a few thoughts in conclusion:
I'd love to help you in any way I can to come and know Jesus better. Here's a few things I want to at least offer you.
1) If you don't have a Bible already, and if you're willing, PM me, I'd love to send you one.
2) If you want to find a Bible believing church let me know what town you live in and I can probably find somewhere nearby where you can go to to find people closer to you to ask these sorts of questions to in person, PM me and I'll send you some details.
3) If you're not ready for the other two steps and you just need someone to talk to about the issues, PM me and maybe we can arrange a Skype conversation.
There are two things you can do with your doubt. You can either run closer to Jesus Christ, or you can run further away from Him. I'd like to encourage you to run closer to Jesus and I want to help you to do that.0 -
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one world order wrote: »All across the western world as society has moved away from Christianity, there has been a large increase in depression and suicide.
Thats a rather big claim to make, got some peer reviewed data to backup such a big claim?
Suicides certainly happened in the past, but they were very, very often covered up for the shame they'd bring to a family. Shame Christianity told people they should feel. So instead people never said a word about what happened.
Much like all that abuse that happened while western society was so obsessed by Christianity, as Ratzinger would have said...keep shtum!0 -
Thats a rather big claim to make, got some peer reviewed data to backup such a big claim?
Suicides certainly happened in the past, but they were very, very often covered up for the shame they'd bring to a family. Shame Christianity told people they should feel. So instead people never said a word about what happened.
Much like all that abuse that happened while western society was so obsessed by Christianity, as Ratzinger would have said...keep shtum!
This is part of why I asked the OP the following question.When I read the title of your post, I wondered. What have you lost faith in? Jesus Christ? Or did you lose faith with church?
They are two different things. When I read the words of Jesus Christ I stand amazed at His words. He speaks with authority when the rest of the world fails to do so.
The key question when it comes to Christianity is what do you make of Jesus Christ, not so much about what people do.
What people do is often sinful, and often falls short of God's purposes. It is worth pointing that out to be clear. Jesus tells us we all fall short (sometimes in catastrophic ways) and need to repent and submit to Him.0 -
tonybtonyb wrote: »Hi folks,
I don’t really know why I am posting this, perhaps to get it off my chest or just look for thoughts on my situation, if people ever felt the same etc
I always held my christian beliefs as my compass in life, i always did my best for others and showed a helping hand when I could, I remember through my twenties i was quite a happy chap, I was never an avid mass goer and partied like many did my age but always believed in the man above and that force was looking out for me and I did my best to always live with the do unto others philosophy, I was very popular with my peers because I was a positive, confident, decent person to be around and never spoke ill of people. I could look in the mirror and feel proud of myself. I would give my friends the shirt off my back if it would help them.
Then a couple of things happened to me that completely shattered my faith, perhaps depression creeped in also, deaths of close relatives in quick succession, and i had a couple of incidents with close relatives that showed me the vast majority of people including close relatives don’t share my world view of things and are only really out for themselves.
The above changed me, like a lightbulb going off in a bad way, i began to scoff at the idea of there being an afterlife or there being something more than life here and took the view that we’re basically smart animals, who when it comes down to it would step on their neighbor to get ahead. Ive become far more guarded and closed off, I’ve carried that view since then but I feel an emptiness, like I’ve lost a piece of myself, there is depression in the mix but I think the root of it is a loss of faith. To add I’m now in my early forties.
Anyone else ever feel that way?
Just a couple of observations on the highlighted bits from my own experience. Being kind and helpful to others is rewarding in at of itself. Quite often it also attracts kindness in response which also makes you feel better in yourself. Once you become guarded and closed off you're denying yourself this and also reducing the type of social interaction that we all need. As an early fifties bloke I'm well aware of how easy it is to slump into the position of a grumpy cynic but it really isn't that rewarding and can as you say become a bit depressing.
I'm a lifelong atheist myself so faith was never part of the mix, but if you reckon re-connecting with religion helps you, by all means go for it. For me, always having some kind of goal, regular outdoor exercise and making a point of having a few laughs with friends and family seems to do the trick. Like everyone else I'd imagine, there's always ups and downs.0 -
Neither of these two things is actually bad.tonybtonyb wrote: »close relatives don’t share my world view of things and are only really out for themselves...
we’re basically smart animals..
Its always good to remember that most people are neither for, nor against, you - they are mainly looking after their own interests. Once you understand and accept that, its not such a bad thing at all.0 -
Neither of these two things is actually bad.
Its always good to remember that most people are neither for, nor against, you - they are mainly looking after their own interests. Once you understand and accept that, its not such a bad thing at all.
Good point. In my opinion, we're goaded these days, largely by social media, to care far too much about what people think about us. Chances are that most people don't think about us at all most of the time and of those that do, most do so on the basis of time we spend with them in real life interaction.0 -
Thats a rather big claim to make, got some peer reviewed data to backup such a big claim?
Suicides certainly happened in the past, but they were very, very often covered up for the shame they'd bring to a family. Shame Christianity told people they should feel. So instead people never said a word about what happened.
Much like all that abuse that happened while western society was so obsessed by Christianity, as Ratzinger would have said...keep shtum!
I cant give you the facts and figures you're looking for but I can say that since I came to Christianity my mental, emotional and even physical health have improved greatly. And I see it in my peers also. Theres a joy and peace there amongst Christians that is most definitely absent from my non- christian friends(I dont just hang out with christians and this is why I am in a position to see both sides of the divide). And its not like people who follow Christ dont have troubles, they do but the difference is that Jesus walks with us who have given our lives over to him. And thats like having a rock solid foundation that can stand any storm that comes. Jesus said he would give the "Peace that surpasses all understanding" to those who believe in him and that peace is something the world and the people in it, can never give. So when I hear that depression and suicide are on the increase as people turn away from God, I know its the truth, even though I dont see hard facts and figures to back that up. I know it because I see it all around me and I can see a big difference in those that follow Christ with their hearts and those who have chosen not to.0 -
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Mister Know It Not wrote: »Hi tonybtonyb,
I just wanted to let you know that there's nothing wrong with realising you're agnostic or perhaps even atheist (probably the soft kind) – or the idea that we as humans are, essentially, smart animals. That doesn't mean that we're ruthless and step on each other. On the contrary, mankind's strength has been its ability to work in communities, tribes, families etc. We're not just smart animals, we're social animals.
To help you deal with the void you may be feeling, you may want to look at the ideas of "loving kindness" and of secular humanism. If you examine them with an open mind, you may find one or the other (or both) helpful with regard to what you're going through right now.
I wish you all the best and hope you find your way to happiness.
Thank you all for your input, I’m glad I wrote my feelings down, It’s been genuinely helpful reading all of the different takes on my situation
To give a bit more context to my story, someone mentioned here about the message of Christianity is all that matters and I genuinely believed that and still do to some extent, the simplicity of it, be kind, be decent to other people, ask the question how would i feel if someone did that to me before committing an act of criminality or bad intent against another human being, if we all applied that the world would be a better place, it’s cliche but I genuinely believe it to be true.
Taking a historical overview I think where things went wrong is that people manipulated that message and turned it into having power over others and also turning it into great wealth/status for themselves, you only have to visit the vatican to understand what I mean therefore I’ve never had great time for organised religion and the man made structures/rules that go with it rather for me the message of Christianity is all that matters and we don’t need a church or a building for that, we carry that in our hearts and try to apply it in our day to day lives.
For me personally my issues arose through being seriously screwed over by people very close to me, family, and over money, my anger with that has caused me issues since and has shattered my faith, I guess when I was younger I was a go to person for help, a word of advice a helping hand etc and had no problem in helping people that needed it. The problem with me being decent and open was that it made me very vulnerable to people who aren’t at all like that, completely selfish beings therefore I said to myself never again is that going to happen to me, so i changed, I’ve become hardened and far less open now but I’m far less happier than I was and the anger I carry is a poison. The funny thing is the family members who I had the issue with are on the surface stand up respectable people, mass going etc but beneath the veil they are not like that at all and void of true decency, I began to see most people like that unfortunately, my problem is that I’ve let my view of them transfer to other people so I have become cynical and distrustful.
On reflection I don’t think I’ve lost faith in god rather in other people and that’s something I need to address and move on from, again I thank you all for your input it’s certainly made me think and get perspective on where I’m at in my life.0 -
So when I hear that depression and suicide are on the increase as people turn away from God, I know its the truth, even though I dont see hard facts and figures to back that up. I know it because I see it all around me and I can see a big difference in those that follow Christ with their hearts and those who have chosen not to.
With respect, that is your belief based on anecdote rather than fact or truth. If you look up studies in relation to causes of depression, loss of religion doesn't make the list. As for causes of suicide, the major cause is depression. I don't doubt that religious faith is a benefit to many people but to suggest it is a general cure-all for depression or any other mental illness is both misleading and dangerous.0 -
With respect, that is your belief based on anecdote rather than fact or truth. If you look up studies in relation to causes of depression, loss of religion doesn't make the list. As for causes of suicide, the major cause is depression. I don't doubt that religious faith is a benefit to many people but to suggest it is a general cure-all for depression or any other mental illness is both misleading and dangerous.
But I think this is what it comes down to. If you're a person who believes only in what they see right in front of them, then studies and their results will be your idol, as it were. You'll dismiss anything based on faith. Faith will seem silly and childish, ignorant even. But Jesus said If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven you must be like a little cilld.... Im not interested in trying to be right and win an argument, Im interested in people finding real peace and joy in life. And I know the only real source of that joy is in a relationship with Jesus. And that to you may seem ignorant and narrow minded, and I get that because I used to think the exact same things. But then I read the scriptures and turned to God and he showed me things I didnt even notice before. I see people in real distress all the time, but they turn to things like medication and whatever else the world offers. This leads no place. I cant prove to you that turning away from God leads to depression and unhappiness, this is something that cant be quantified. All I know is turning to God and entering his rest brings a peace that does surpass all understanding, by its very definition it cant be comprehended by the mind, it can only be experienced directly. But I also know that you have to be willing to turn to God in faith, not based on studies or numbers, but on his promises alone. And I understand that this is the sticking point between those who believe and those who dont. I mean for people who do suffer from depression isnt it worth a shot, to see what would happen if they did turn to God? To see if theres any truth to all of this. Worst case scenario is that they can go back to the way before if nothing changes.0 -
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I cant give you the facts and figures you're looking for but I can say that since I came to Christianity my mental, emotional and even physical health have improved greatly. And I see it in my peers also.
I'm sure a Scientologist could claim the same very easily, it doersn't mean its good or true. Tom Cruise is a very happy chap and he is in many poular movies, but to claim Xenu has benefited him would be false.But I think this is what it comes down to. If you're a person who believes only in what they see right in front of them, then studies and their results will be your idol, as it were. You'll dismiss anything based on faith.
With all due respect again you have nothing to backup your belief what so ever, just because you feel there's a benefit doesn't make it so.
Many people in the past thought lead had benefits to them, as we know thats not true and in fact it had negative impacts. But by your logic they had faith it was good so thats grand so.And I know feel the only real source of that joy is in a relationship with Jesus.[/B]
Fixed your claim, now at least its accurate0 -
I see people in real distress all the time, but they turn to things like medication and whatever else the world offers. This leads no place. I cant prove to you that turning away from God leads to depression and unhappiness, this is something that cant be quantified.
So say you came across someone in great pain with a suspected broken leg, would you call an ambulance or tell them to have faith in Jesus and be cured on that basis. I'm guessing (hoping!) the former. Yet when it comes to mental health issues you become an expert and can state definitively that loss of faith is a cause and return to faith a cure? While I don't doubt that is your honestly held position, to my mind it is ill-informed, arrogant and potentially very damaging. Depression is a serious issue best handled with by professionals who have the necessary expertise and experience to deal with all the issues involved.0 -
tonybtonyb wrote: »Thank you all for your input, I’m glad I wrote my feelings down, It’s been genuinely helpful reading all of the different takes on my situation
To give a bit more context to my story, someone mentioned here about the message of Christianity is all that matters and I genuinely believed that and still do to some extent, the simplicity of it, be kind, be decent to other people, ask the question how would i feel if someone did that to me before committing an act of criminality or bad intent against another human being, if we all applied that the world would be a better place, it’s cliche but I genuinely believe it to be true.
Taking a historical overview I think where things went wrong is that people manipulated that message and turned it into having power over others and also turning it into great wealth/status for themselves, you only have to visit the vatican to understand what I mean therefore I’ve never had great time for organised religion and the man made structures/rules that go with it rather for me the message of Christianity is all that matters and we don’t need a church or a building for that, we carry that in our hearts and try to apply it in our day to day lives.
For me personally my issues arose through being seriously screwed over by people very close to me, family, and over money, my anger with that has caused me issues since and has shattered my faith, I guess when I was younger I was a go to person for help, a word of advice a helping hand etc and had no problem in helping people that needed it. The problem with me being decent and open was that it made me very vulnerable to people who aren’t at all like that, completely selfish beings therefore I said to myself never again is that going to happen to me, so i changed, I’ve become hardened and far less open now but I’m far less happier than I was and the anger I carry is a poison. The funny thing is the family members who I had the issue with are on the surface stand up respectable people, mass going etc but beneath the veil they are not like that at all and void of true decency, I began to see most people like that unfortunately, my problem is that I’ve let my view of them transfer to other people so I have become cynical and distrustful.
On reflection I don’t think I’ve lost faith in god rather in other people and that’s something I need to address and move on from, again I thank you all for your input it’s certainly made me think and get perspective on where I’m at in my life.
Being screwed over by people, is the result of people.
God speaks very clearly to the horrible ways people often treat each other.
I would recommend that you cut out the middle man and go straight for the source and discover Jesus and what He said in Scripture. Start with a gospel like John for example and then work your way up from there. Then when you're ready you can begin to be in fellowship with others again. I'd recommend finding a church where they always point to Scripture rather than to themselves. That's always a good sign.
God bless, and as I said previously, if you need a hand with anything just PM me.0 -
With all due respect again you have nothing to backup your belief what so ever, just because you feel there's a benefit doesn't make it so.
But you've completely ignored what I said. I said I have no studies or figures to try and convice you of anything. Let me play devils advocate for a moment though, what if all of this is true? What if depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, all those things are directly related to your relationship with the living Christ in you. And what if there is a God, heaven, hell, satan and what if Jesus came to the earth and everything he said was the truth. Suppose it was all true, what would that mean to you? Wouldnt it be worth putting aside all that yo currently hold onto to and at the very least investigating this whole christianty thing? I mean suppose you are a person who suffers from depression, wouldnt it be worth some of your time to pursue this, read the scriptures and seek out a bible study where you can ask questions freely? Surely if there was even the remotest possibility that it was all true that it would be worth checking out for yourself.0 -
So say you came across someone in great pain with a suspected broken leg, would you call an ambulance or tell them to have faith in Jesus and be cured on that basis. I'm guessing (hoping!) the former. Yet when it comes to mental health issues you become an expert and can state definitively that loss of faith is a cause and return to faith a cure? While I don't doubt that is your honestly held position, to my mind it is ill-informed, arrogant and potentially very damaging. Depression is a serious issue best handled with by professionals who have the necessary expertise and experience to deal with all the issues involved.
A physical injury then yes call an ambulance but feelings to the spirit such as worthlessness, depression and thoughts of suicide then faith has a huge role to play. It is why some people who through injury or illness resulting in a reduced capacity of movement can be the most positive people through their faith in Jesus and what he has planned for them after this world. It's not to say professionals don't have a part to play but having a relationship with Jesus is beneficial for mental health by acting as a barrier to what the Devil may throw at us.0 -
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theological wrote: »I would recommend that you cut out the middle man and go straight for the source and discover Jesus and what He said in Scripture. Start with a gospel like John for example and then work your way up from there. .
So you saw go to the source, but then you sight words written by a third party that were then edited over centurys?one world order wrote: »A physical injury then yes call an ambulance but feelings to the spirit such as worthlessness, depression and thoughts of suicide then faith has a huge role to play. It is why some people who through injury or illness resulting in a reduced capacity of movement can be the most positive people through their faith in Jesus and what he has planned for them after this world. It's not to say professionals don't have a part to play but having a relationship with Jesus is beneficial for mental health by acting as a barrier to what the Devil may throw at us.
This,
This shows your attitude to mental health,
Unhelpful, ill informed and in many respects dangerous.
This is a rather backwards attitude to mental health and its not helpful.0 -
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So you saw go to the source, but then you sight words written by a third party that were then edited over centurys?
People have responded on the editing point many times. It isn't true. We can compare thousands manuscripts and see that there haven't been significant changes to the New Testament or Old Testament manuscripts.
The authoritative source concerning Jesus are the eyewitnesses who saw what happened and who were with Him, yes. What other source are you suggesting is better?0
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