Overwhelmed by religion

[PRmerger]

I just like to have child like faith.

You are commanded, tweetiebird, to “love God with your entire heart, soul, strength, and MIND.”

The “mind” part is where we need to learn our faith and to contemplate the Truths that have been revealed to you by Jesus Christ.

 

[tweetiebird]

Thanks for the help. I will always be open to what Protestants have to say. But I had no idea there were 24,000 denominations.

But I am going to actually read the catholic cathecism and take classes.
Now adays I dont know what I believe.

1. (Is the guy slaying people in the sprit" on TV a prophet of GOD or a crank? )
2. (Should I quit my job and wait around for the rapture to occur?)

(Here is something “funny” that happened to me today. There was a Jehovah witness who started talking to me , I could not tell if they were a protestant at first. I am not making this up they gave me a pamphlet. I could not tell the difference untill I looked on the back and saw the words Watch tower.)

 

[JRKH]

I guess I had a simple child like faith.

I dont know how to express this next point.

I can only say it in a child like way.

"When I was about 7 or 8 , I start to realize that Jesus was great and could perform miracles. As a little kid this set Jesus apart from others.

I never gave this much thought in 30 years.​

Now I flip on the TV and there is this guy waving his hand and people are slain in the spirit. I turn on another channel, and 75 people have just called in because they are healed. I find out I must get to the next camp meeting so superpastor can lay hands on me. I find out I must buy the anointed hankerchief to receive the touch of GOD.

I have to tune in at midnight to lay hands on the TV to receive the gift of tongues

---

Now here is what confuses me, now I have to take time to verify all this in the bible, I must turn myself into a 24 hour theologian just to study all the new claims protestants make.

I just like to have child like faith.

(P.S. I have taken sometime to see what other denominations think, there are like 24,000 denominations, and some dont believe in tongues, some do. Some wont let you in the seminary if you believe in certain things. Who is right?) Must I study this all for myself? )

This post moves me greatly. It is a problem for many and you have expressed it so very well.

You do NOT have to study all of this stuff for yourself. In fact for most of us, the more we study the more confusing it all becomes. Some are called to such study but most of us are not.

I too embrace the “Childlike Faith”. I too wish to “keep is simple” and so I go to the Gospels…
Mt 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Imagine - all of the OT summed up in just two commandments and these two are based in Love.
John 13:34-35 “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
A new command…Love…Love in a profound way…Love as a child might give to a parent…unconditional…simple…exuberant…plain…joyful…Love such as a parent might give a child, total…understanding…firm…guiding…suffering…sacrificial…all encompassing…
By our Love the world will know that we belong to Christ.
1John 4:7-8 7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.

And here it is all tied together…We are to love because God IS Love…

Seeking to Love in this way is more than sufficient to keep us busy without worrying over all the other matters of doctrinal differences, various forms of devotion and the many claims of the televangelist.

Simple…Love…Start here - and be at peace…If you are called to look into other things, the spirit will guide you. Not all are called to be apologists.

I second the mention of St Therese of Lisieux and her “Little way” that she also referred to as the “elevator to heaven”. She summarizes it as simply, “doing small things with great love”.

One past piece of advice. simply don’t watch televangelists…EWTN has some good programs and are Catholic. No hype…Just good sound advice. The program I like is Mother Angelica…I knew nuns like her…and her way is so firm but loving…

This probably does not answer all of you concerns but I hope it helps some.

Peace
James

 

[BrianGular]

Now here is what confuses me, now I have to take time to verify all this in the bible, I must turn myself into a 24 hour theologian just to study all the new claims protestants make.

You make it sound like reading the Bible is a chore. (Okay… Some books in the Bible can be a chore to read…) I think the goal is to know one’s faith well enough that we don’t have to pour over scriptures to validate 99% of what we see on TV. My favorite Christian radio program, The White Horse Inn, has the tag line, “Know what you believe and why you believe it.” I think this is good advice for Catholics and Protestants alike.

We need not be theologians. God’s revelation to mankind through the Word (a.k.a. Jesus Christ) has been revealed to us in the teaching of the apostles as codified in the Bible and church tradition. (Yes, a Protestant just wrote that…) It’s up to us to read our Bibles first, read what trusted scholars and teachers have written about the Bible second.

We’re talking about life and death, heaven and hell. A little serious study would be appropriate, don’t you think?

As for the accusation that Protestants are making new claims, it isn’t happening in mainstream orthodox protestantism. We rest on claims made centuries ago, including a 1500+ year history shared with the RCC. You can find wackos everywhere, including on the fringes of the RCC.

(P.S. I have taken sometime to see what other denominations think, there are like 24,000 denominations, and some dont believe in tongues, some do. Some wont let you in the seminary if you believe in certain things. Who is right?) Must I study this all for myself? )

It is absolutely 100% true that all that is required is a simple, childlike faith for salvation. It is also true that it is incumbent upon each one of us to study to the best of our ability. I have been doing an amateur study of theology for quite some time, even attending seminary part time for a season. One of the most important personal take aways from my study is that the whole of theology is gigantic. Most of us can only scratch the surface of all that is out there. So what to do? The Bible tells us to be ready to give an answer for what we believe. That is where our focus should be. We don’t need to understand the fine points of 24,000 denominations, but we ought to understand our own faith to the very best of our abilities. When we understand what we believe and why we believe it we have all the tools we need.