IS GOD REAL? HOW DO YOU KNOW?

by still thinking 778 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Berengaria

  Low-Key!

  I feel exactly the same. I never even think about this crap until I come here and see one of these threads.
• 

  Berengaria

  Of course no one here would chose to believe something not true on purpose knowing it is not true. Would they?

  You tell us, would you?
• 

  N.drew

  You tell us, would you?

  I try not to. I know of some people, unless they are not people, I don't know, that do. It is possible to believe something you know is not true. The brain has the capacity to lie to itself. Of that I am sure. Unless I'm dreaming. Haha I think I am not dreaming.
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  Low-Key Lysmith

  When I got to the point that my doubt had resulted in full-blown guilt, I prayed more earnestly and whole-heartedly than I ever had before. I prayed with an open mind and an open heart, PLEADING for God to show me and HELP me believe. I didn't ask for signs or proof, but for Him to really help me feel His presence and that I truly WANTED to believe and to have a relationship with Him. This went on for a little while until I simply began to not believe anymore. Once I finally accepted it, my life began to get infinitely better from that point. I began to take PERSONAL credit for my accomplishments and feelings, as well as my transgressions. I finally felt free. I knew that all of the good feelings and love that I had to give were truly from ME and not channeled THROUGH me by God. Morally, I became a better person. I began to drop my prejudices and mysogenistic, cheauvanistic feelings that I had learned from the Bible. My superiority complex began to fade away, as did much of my fears and almost all of my guilt. I'm a much happier, healthier, more productive, more moral person than I was when I was a Christian.

  Maybe God just didn't like me from the start?

  Just MY experience, of course, but I'm sure there are folks out there that have had similar experiences.
• 

  sizemik

  The truth that makes men free is, for the most part, the truth which men prefer not to hear. - Herbert Agar
• 

  SweetBabyCheezits

  LowKey: I'm sure there are folks out there that have had similar experiences.

  I was waiting for you to say that for a while now...
• 

  Low-Key Lysmith

  I don't get it. ?
• 

  sizemik

  I'm sure there are folks out there that have had similar experiences.

  VERY similar . . . I prayed for months, sometimes through tears, and pleaded night after night . . .

  I began to take PERSONAL credit for my accomplishments and feelings, as well as my transgressions. I finally felt free.

  Likewise . . . I also learned that I was the only one who could truly forgive me for my transgressions. I am the only one who knows the truth about the reasons why . . . and whether or not I had done all I could, and whether I was truly remorseful. Having another persons forgiveness to appease your conscience is meaningless, and sometimes even an excuse in advance. Remaining true to self is far more difficult . . . but freedom and peace is also found there.
• 

  tec

  I understand what you are saying here tec...but when we are doubting most...isn't that when we need gods guidence and support. For you, he helps you to overcome your doubt by 'speaking' again....most, if not all of us don't seem to get that reassurance.

  I don't think Christ speaks to me to help me overcome doubt at all. I think doubt prevents hearing, so that is kind of backwards. I don't doubt that He is, or that He is speaking to me, or that He will speak to me if there is something I need to hear or that He wants me to hear... so I have enough faith TO hear. I just sometimes doubt myself as time passes.

  I guess that kind of sounds at cross purposes. It makes sense if you can separate doubting yourself, from doubing Christ and/or God. I could not do that on my own without His help, and I do understand the struggle between that seperation.

  Maybe God just didn't like me from the start?

  I doubt that. But perhaps you did not know God from the start? I say this only because you said this:

  I began to drop my prejudices and mysogenistic, cheauvanistic feelings that I had learned from the Bible.

  Did you think that this was God... that these prejudices and mysogenistic feelings represented God? Because this is not Him, and if you thought it was, you might not have been able to see OR hear God to begin with... through the image he gave us to know Him. (Christ)

  I don't mean to criticize or anything like that. Just something to think about (if not you, then perhaps someone else)

  Peace,

  tammy
• 

  Low-Key Lysmith

  So, tec, earnestly and honestly pleading with an open heart isn't enough?

  Those negative attributes that I mentioned were the result of how I had been taught to worship God from birth. I thought that was what I supposed to feel, according to my interpretation of God's book. JWs teach you to be cheauvanistic, mysogenistic, and to think you're better than everybody else. I realize that these are not attributes of the god you worship, but when it's beaten into you from birth, you really can't help it until you make the decision to change.

  I truly wanted a relationship with him. I just never got an answer.