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Troubles with finding religion

So I grew up in the LDS church ("Mormons") and I was never very active in it, but I believed in God and Jesus and even that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I'm not even remotely part of the church anymore because of the way I've seen them handle things. In my opinion they hide child abuse and sex offenders just as bad as the Catholics. If you do something and then tell your bishop I think the bishop should tell you to turn yourself in and confess to the authorities. But that's another story.

My problem is that I can't find a church that gives me that spiritual feeling and reassurance that there is a God and the things Jesus taught are true. Everything seems fake and even when I read and study the Bible on my own I'm unsure about a lot of things. I know there's a God and Jesus died on the cross and came back from the dead and all the things he did isn't just a fairy tale made up by the System to keep their people in check. I still do have faith just not the spiritual feelings that gave reassurance.

Has anyone else lost their faith and how are you supposed to get it back?
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contrails · 56-60, M Best Comment
You'll find your way. Hold on to what you know is True. You don't need an "established religion" to be religious. Accept that all religions were shaped by imperfect men and women. Not all people in the Catholic Church or in the Mormon Church or any established religion are bad or evil. There are bad apples everywhere. Mind you, there are even atheist people who are evil. Likewise, there are good people everywhere.

Hold on to Jesus teachings: be caring, tolerant, loving, understanding. Quick to forgive and slow to anger. Jesus never explicitly called for a "new religion" to be created. Stick to Jesus teachings and you should be good to go, in my humble opinion.
Lostpoet · M
@contrails I understand that most Catholics and Mormons and other religions are good people, but why do these establishments protect the people confessing of causing harm? That I don't understand.
contrails · 56-60, M
@Lostpoet They think that protecting the "institution's reputation" is the priority. We know this has backfired spectacularly, but that's their reasoning. Another excuse I've heard is that religion is a "spiritual" matter, while laws are "secular", so they rather not get involved in "secular" matters. Or something like that.

FreddieUK · 70-79, M
Keep looking: they exist. Because most churches don’t wrap your whole life around it probably won’t be the same, but true faith in Jesus’ work on the cross and His resurrection is stronger than any controlling sect. I have always respected the way the LDS supported each other and easily see its attraction, but on the end it lacks the essential work of the Holy Spirit within it which brings God’s own love. I truly hope you find a new home.
eyeno · M
Started going church at four years of age and rarely do I go any more.
When I do go its because the Holy Spirit moved within and encouraged me to hear a specific message being preached that day.

During my time at church I've seen a couple Pastors fall from Grace, one can never be a minister ever again.
I felt a great loss and took it personally as my son and I were very close to his family.
Pretty sure he paid and still paying the price of the sin he committed. After all we live on an island with no escape or running away.

Justmeraeagain · 56-60, F
I came to the realization that I cannot be good, I cannot be spiritual ,I cannot even believe in God not without help... I believe studying the Bible does help, but sometimes you need some input maybe a commentary or just praying that your eyes will be open to understand what is being said
Maybe a translation that isn't so hard to understand like The new international version of the Bible?(NIV)
If I can advise start with the New testament what they call "the Gospels "
Matthew, Mark, Luke ,and John.
Because, that is the story of Christianity.
Lostpoet · M
@Justmeraeagain I agree and will do.
I went through this too
I went back to my roots and I'm better for it ...but everyone is different..you will find what speaks to you
“There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have relinquished belief only with regret. To this I reply: who wishes that there was a permanent, unalterable celestial despotism that subjected us to continual surveillance and could convict us of thought-crime, and who regarded us as its private property even after we died? How happy we ought to be, at the reflection that there exists not a shred of respectable evidence to support such a horrible hypothesis.”
― Christopher Hitchens, The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
@Lostpoet “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is the belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.”
― Richard Dawkins
Lostpoet · M
@BlueSkyKing There's evidence all around us some people are just morally and spiritually blind. Just read the parts about Jesus in the Bible and ask yourself if he didn't live a perfect life and he died for are sins as innocent as a lamb.

Although I say this my faith has diminished and I want to learn how to get it back. I've made this argument on here before that I'd rather live as a Christian and there being no heavenly rewards than to live like a heathen and there being no hellish punishment.

I don't follow Richard Dawkins.
@Lostpoet I was raised Roman Catholic. My first doubts was as a teen with the concept of "limbo". But if I looked into the slavery issue, I would have ditched Christianity decades ago. There is no justification of a human owning another human.
Try an Assemblies of God church. They don't throw guilt, they try to help build you up. Plus, their pastors don't put themselves up as prophets. They let their pulpit word & life speak for them.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@Lostpoet =
Has anyone else lost their faith and how are you supposed to get it back?

Not one person who has ever lived has ever had any real faith in the Jesus character because no one has ever done what he said a person with faith can easily do.

Matthew 17:20 (NKJV) = "So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

Luke 17:6 (NKJV) = "So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you."

His apostles were standing right there with him and they never showed that they had faith.
Lostpoet · M
@Diotrephes Didn't Jesus bring one of them out on water and he stood on water for a little while
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@Lostpoet People walk on water all of the time. Even you have done it.
Lostpoet · M
[Diotrephes] ice? 🧊
meggie · F
Don't you think religion is just a heart condition? Why belong to any church if your belief and faith is strong? Every church/religion judges others by saying they are the chosen ones.
Lostpoet · M
@meggie I think giving yourself to a religion is necessary you should donate at least part of your time and energy to help people.
EvilFairy · 18-21, F
maybe Absurdism is a perspective for you...

[media=https://youtu.be/Jv79l1b-eoI]
Ferise1 · 46-50, M
I feel like I’m falling into hell so I joined a church and I read the Bible but it’s just making me more atheist

 
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