What was your journey to faith like?

[QUOTEThe fun of it? Hundreds of thousands of people's lives are on the line. If you could make it rain over the wild fires you'd be a genuine hero][/QUOTE]
True enough but I cant guarantee I can pull that off again. I don't claim to be able to cause change everytime. Sometimes nothing will happen and the answer will be no. I always tell those who wish my help not to rely on my abilities since they may not work. Usually it does work but there is always the chance it wont. Last thing I want is someone relying on my healing while scorning standard medical attention for example. While I am willing to try and heal people they still should check into the hospital and get treatment. As the saying goes... god helps those who help themselves.

Agathion said:

Finally should prob clarify... its not my power, its his.

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You don't find it funny that God allowed you to control his rain control power to protect you from getting wet while running to an appointment, and yet God leaves a billion people without clean drinking water?

You can't do squat, it's all in your imagination. And I'm not just picking on you, it's the same with everyone that claims they have magical powers or can control God's powers sometimes.

Tell you what, try as long as it takes to get one thing on video, show it to the world, and you'll be famous. You can't, because people can't control rain with their brain waves.

Demonslayer said:

I agree with this idea. I don't believe in any God but I haven't much to say about the deism idea.

"Maybe some being started all this, the end" What is there to argue?

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There have even been some atheists and/or scientists who've come around lately and admitted that a laissez-faire God can't be ruled out.

The trouble is when people start pretending to know the God's name, God's life story, who God impregnated, specific things God said, ideas God had, God's moods, etc.

Theists sure do seem to know a lot about God's personal business!

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That's why those are the only two reasonable positions. All the rest are from "divine" revelations, misperceptions, legends & myths, or are just outright made up--meaning all such religions are based on 100% hearsay, at best.

I grew up with a general belief in Christianity. We went to church for three years (Presbyterian), then never again. I went to church to "find a nice guy" after a break up, met a friend from high school, then became a Christian a few weeks later after watching that campy 70s movie "Thief in the Night," about the rapture. I was basically scared of being left behind, which is probably a common reason to "get saved." It stuck until I started questioning a literal and inerrant Bible. I went from conservative to moderate to liberal Christian.

Thirza Fallen said:

I grew up with a general belief in Christianity. We went to church for three years (Presbyterian), then never again. I went to church to "find a nice guy" after a break up, met a friend from high school, then became a Christian a few weeks later after watching that campy 70s movie "Thief in the Night," about the rapture. I was basically scared of being left behind, which is probably a common reason to "get saved." It stuck until I started questioning a literal and inerrant Bible. I went from conservative to moderate to liberal Christian.

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Yeah fear, of being left behind, or the ace-in-th-hole, going to hell, is a primary tool of Christianity (the shadows of which are even there in liberal Christianity). Fearing the Lord goes back to its Hebrew roots in the O/T. The ever pervasive carrot and stick.

Strategic Philosopher said:

Then I came to rf and was thought the truth about the pasta god.

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There is also an Ice-Cream cult here.

Strategic Philosopher said:

The spaghetti monster forever has my allegiance.

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Just keep that saucy creature away from my Pristine Vanilla.

Senseless said:

Have you stayed in the faith you were born in? What made you look for something else? What's it like to know that 'this is it'? Etc.

Just curious as to how bumpy the road was.

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I believe I still have an affinity for the denomination I was raised in.

I believe I never looked for anything else. I was happy practicing religionism. God kept working on me to change to spiritual understanding but I didn't make much progress until I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

I believe it is comforting to know this is it. It feels like home.

Strategic Philosopher said:

I care little for fake gods and cults.
The spaghetti monster forever has my allegiance.

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Rats! I am gluten-free.

Strategic Philosopher said:

You must have done something to upset the spaghetti monster in a past life.
Pray the sin away. You must repent!

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The wrong sauce maybe?

What is my "faith journey" like? I can answer it in one word: "rocky".

It was hot in here instead , not nice as well .

Senseless said:

Have you stayed in the faith you were born in? What made you look for something else? What's it like to know that 'this is it'? Etc.

Just curious as to how bumpy the road was.

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My journey to my religion was short but my journey to God has been long...

I was not raised in any religion or with a belief in God. Both my parents were fallen away Christians so I never saw the inside of a Church. I did not ever read one page of the Bible. I heard later from my mother that my dad, who died when I was 12, had become an atheist. I think my mother retained her belief in God and at age 60 she became a Baha’i.

During my first year of college I heard about the Baha’i Faith from my older brother and two weeks later I declared my faith in Baha’u’llah... I just knew it was true because of the teachings and the fact that the theology of progressive revelation made sense. However, I never thought much about God back in those days.

I quickly fell away from the Baha’i Faith because I had so many emotional problems I had to work through and that took a very long time. I also got very busy for over 15 years I was in college. But by then I had all but forgotten the original zeal I had about the teachings of the Baha’i Faith...

But then I started to have more problems and I got really angry at God. That went on for about ten years until finally I stumbled upon a forum called Planet Baha’i and started posting to many deepened Baha’is who straightened me out by explaining that God was not punishing me. That was in January 2013 and it was at that time I decided to give the religion and God a second chance. It has been a long journey back, but now God and my religion is the most important thing in my life.

When I first became a Baha’i and for most of my life, I believed in Baha’u’llah and I believed God existed, but now I know my religion is the truth from God for this age and I know that God exists. There is a big difference between believing and knowing.