Good grief, just look at all the books on the subject of spirituality, christianity...religion. People are supposed to sift through this information and KNOW what is true and what isn't. Even the different interpretations/translations of the bible make it difficult to know what is true and what isn't.
Yes, I know. People muddying the waters so the simple truth... look to Christ... gets lost. Then people have to try and sift through all that crap. Like this... like the christ-mythers.... just one more layer of mud, covering up the truth.
And then there are the poor buggers who have not even been exposed to christianity...poor them
I think you know how I feel about that. but again, this is yet another ex ample of the waters being muddied by the misteachings/lies/misunderstandings of men.You're right though, Still... it shouldn't be such an e x ercise to get to know God. But it actually isn't. He even sent an image of Himself to us, so that we could look to that ONE and see Him. See Christ, see God. But all the "e x perts" and "religious leaders/teachers" have muddied the waters with all their doctrines and rules and 'knowledge', when it really is as simple as looking at Christ. We are the ones getting in our own way.
My simple advice : just throw everything that everyone else says about God away. Then look at Christ. Listen for Him. It is so much easier to tell truth from lie when you actually know the truth. (Christ) It's so much easier to see how simple the truth is when the 'mud' in the water is gone. Throw even your worries away... and trust yourself to God. That's what I did. I share with you, because I did it, and everything became so much simpler with JUST Christ. I was wading through all the mud too, for a long time... but when I stopped listening to all those throwing mud in the water, and just put myself in the hands of God, things got so much more simple.
I'll share another story with you before I end this post. When I studied with the witnesses, and they introduced the trinity to me (to take it apart), I had no peace from the moment they introduced the idea. I searched that bible for proof that it wasn't true. Searched and searched and I got so mad because I wanted proof that it wasn't there, and couldn't find it. Then I searched for undeniable proof that it was true... and I couldn't find that either. I was soooo mad. The closest I've ever been to shaking my fist at God (and I think I might even have done that). Why don't you just make it simple???? If the trinity is true, why not just say so in black and white simple language (or vice versa)????!!!! Why don't you just tell me what you want me to do and believe and I'll do it!!!????
But you know what?
I was the one letting myself get bogged down in something that He had nothing to do with and did not teach. You can't prove something that doesn't e x ist... and if it was true, it would have been so easy to state it in black and white. (there are many who would argue with me, but I'm hoping that you're getting my point. I was listening to what other people were saying or arguing or debating (a non-issue), instead of just looking at Christ. Something simple that men had made difficult/mysterious... and that is not God's fault. Because the simple truth (Christ) was right there in front of me, and I chose to look around at all the 'mud' instead. I didn't know any better, but I asked for help, and I did get it... I had to stop listening to others first though, because that makes it kind of hard to hear from the truth)
Hope that helps at least a little,
Peace to you,
Tammy