Do you believe in a higher power?

[Lobelia]

Much is done in the name of God and religion that makes me cringe, but I know this is because of the corruption of people who have selfish agendas, and not because they are being guided by God.

Loud, attention-seeking caricatures, who claim to be the poster children of Christianity, embarrass me. I want nothing to do with their intolerance and money-grubbing.

I'm not those people, but I find that sometimes I keep quiet about my faith, for fear of being lumped in with the above. In being cowardly, I am contributing to the problem, because the above-described people are successful in getting all the notice, & they end up being the ones associated with Christianity. So the cycle continues.

There are many unashamed atheists on this board. I am taking a step here to be unashamed, myself. I am curious if there are others like me, here, who are believers in some way or another.

I didn't attend church much at all as a child, but I've always felt the presence of God in my life, for as long as I can remember. I'm not affiliated with any particular church any more, because I can't find a good fit, and I am a terrible skeptic about church leaders. Regardless, I am a Christian, but not a very conservative one, I suppose, since I am a firm supporter of gay rights. I can't be bothered with dissecting the Bible, either, and people who try to prove arguments with Bible quotes irritate me a lot. I'm ok with not committing to a lot of nit-picky details. The message of love and kindness is the important thing, IMO.

So that's me, a pretty vague Christian of sorts, but a firm believer in God and his Son. Are any other believers on this board, whatever you higher power may be, who are willing to raise your hand?

[LynnieD]

I too do not go to Church, and haven't stepped in one in years....
I was raised Presbyterian and went every single Sunday to services, then was in choir, was in the Youth Group, went to Church Camps, etc...
My father was an Elder in the Church, my mother--the organist. We participated in every going function there was...it was sickening.

One Sunday morning, we were all getting ready to go to Church and my father was not. He said he wasn't going to Church that day....and he never went again. I have no idea what happened, but to go from one extreme to the other was completely bizarre. Still baffling...

Anyway, I am 'spirtual', not a church going individual.....and I don't think I will ever be into an organized religion again. I doubt it.

[A*O]

I believe in God, ie a Higher Power. Not sure about whether or not Jesus Christ was His human manifestation, but I absolutely agree with the message. I am, however, puzzled by the two very different Gods we are told about in the Bible. In the Old Testament we read about a terrifyingly vengeful, unforgiving, inflexible God who punishes anyone who steps out of line. In the New Testament we read how that same God comes to Earth to teach love, forgivement, tolerance and peace. I've never been able to get my head around that one, and despite asking many people, including a rabbi and a Catholic priest, I still haven't been given a credible explanation.

[Elise]

^^I'm not trying to push my beliefs on you, but I had very similiar questions myself until I started reading a translation of the Qu'ran & it really cleared up many things for me.

[Barbara]

I was raised a Catholic and going to church was the most boring event of the week for me. I went to a private Catholic elementary school where we said an Ave Maria before beginning the lessons in the morning and then an Our Father when the lessons were over. It was nothing more than a ritual to me, as a Catholic I never felt I had a relationship with God.
Growing up, as a teenager I fancied myself an agnostic, but generally thought nothing about religions and had no precise beliefs.
Then one day in December 1999 I was talking about the Bible with a "friend" (a weirdo actually, but God bless him ) and I felt what could only be God's presence. For no reason in particular I felt overwhelmed by love, like a warm sea of love. I know it must be weird to read something like that if one's never experienced it.
I then joined a local evangelical church (evangelical churches are not really the same here as in the USA, even if the denominations are the same, for example mine could probaly fit into the pentecostal category) and took some Bible courses, began to read the Bible and all. I have been lucky enough to meet lots of non-judgmental fellow believers in that church (what with me having had an abortion, having a boyfriend vs being married, etc...). I do not attend church regularly because almost everybody there is a family or a single parents with kids, so our preoccupations are most of the time not the same, and I'm not gregarious enough to need my weekly christian fix I could find another church but I don't feel that need.
I do pray to God, and sometimes things that happens look very much like answers. God knows exactly the way I work, he knows not to be subtle with me, if there is a way I'd better not go, He needs to slam the door right in my face because otherwise I won't understand. And believe me, He does
So, in a nutshell, I believe in God, I believe that Jesus Christ is His son who took our sins on the cross and gives salvation, and my biggest worry is what paradise will look like

PS: love ya God

[A*O]

Hmmmmmmm there's another problem - according to what we are told Paradise is full of Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslim suicide bombers with ther virgin concubines. Party on dudes.

[Barbara]

Shucks! I'll ask the permission to hibernate for all eternity and dream sweet dreams then

[Karizma]

Yes i believe in Higher Power, the Creator of this universe. I believe all humans have one God and He is the same God we all pray to, but we give Him different labels.

[A*O]

^^ I agree. Yay!

[Karizma]

^^ I agree. Yay!

[drama_queen]

I believe in God.

[Lil]

No I do not believe in a higher power. I believe life on earth is a happy biological accident, and that we should all try to look after each other and the planet the best we can because it's all there is.

[LynnieD]

Yes i believe in Higher Power, the Creator of this universe. I believe all humans have one God and He is the same God we all pray to, but we give Him different labels.

Yea, that sounds about right. I like that too...

[SVZ]

There is a great episode in Futurama where Bender gets shot out into space and meets 'God'.

And he asks him, so why don't you fix the war on Earth (or something like that) and God goes...'Earth? What's that?'

[B.C.]

I believe in one God=The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.