Sometimes I find religion comforting, but other times the rigid unyeilding viewpoints of "this is good" and "this is SATAN!!" turn me right off -- sometimes I think my church wanders off into fantasy land and I can't shake the idea I'm watching The Church Lady on SNL.

When your bipolar members think you're sounding nuts - probably time to put down that book of Revelations for a second. ;-P lolz

My faith is always with me... I'm a Christian however I follow Gnostic teachings more....
I have had tests of faith especially when grief has hit however I think Faith gets me through when nothing else can

I'm a Christian, but my faith has really taken a hit and suffered as of late. Well...I guess it's not that I don't believe, it's that I'm pissed. I guess I can say it out loud, God knows anyway. I'm just pissed off. So, I'm not reading my Bible, not listening to my Bible on my phone, not going to church, no Bible studies, no devotionals, and no praying EXCEPT for praying for my son and sometimes other immediate family.

I really don't know what to do.

I guess this doesn't really apply to this topic. I'm sorry. Hope it's okay to air this. Just babbling and verbal vomitting a bit, I guess. Thanks.

I used to be a die-hard church-goer,but now i don't go to church anywhere but i still love Jesus.It's organized religion that turns me off.Everyone is always telling me that church is a good place to meet men,but the only "Christian" men i've met there have turned out to be head cases.Especially one who was divorced and kept confusing me with his ex-wife.He would actually say "My wife,i mean my ex-wife" etc etc.Another one was gay and wanted me to go to counseling with him.I'm happy just staying home,studying my Bible,talking to God and watching Christian TV or listening to Gospel CDs. My personality has improved a lot because of Him. I strive to show respect to those of other faiths,or no faith at all.

I always respect folks of all spiritual walks of life.

I struggle with my spirituality a whole lot. Every. Single. Day.

I like praying and I enjoy going to church. What I dont' like is when the dogmatic stuff comes...Did you know that one preacher told me that a woman isn't supposed to shave her head? So, when my short hair gets scraggly in the back, I can't shave the back fuzzies off? That makes NO SENSE.

So, I have this basic idea of God as an all loving father in the form of the Great White Spirit, the AA Higher Power, the Christian Father or Krishna who is an avatar of Vishnu.

But then, I'm taught that Jesus is the only way so I still pray to Jesus and I would be too scared to go ISKON, so I just sort of stay in this weird little bubble or contiuum (numberline) of my "faith" being in between worshipping a generic, all loving Father and Jesus................

I've struggled and struggled and struggled and this is the best that I can do.

I'm not a christian. I've searched for a religion that I could believe in, but I haven't found one. I consider myself a spiritual person. I can't tolerate the idea of a phishing and all powerful god, too much like my father. My higher power has no name, but is gentle and compassionate. I do not pray to this higher power, but I meditate to feel it's presence. I believe in being with that higher power is where emotional healing takes place.

Another thing i hate is when someone who knows i'm a Christian and bipolar tells me all i have to do is "bind and cast out the evil spirit of manic depression"....I love that one...or they say go without food for a couple of days and then get someone to put their hands on my head and yell back at the voices...btw i don't even let people i LIKE touch my hair

Well, considering that Pat Robertson recently told a woman , who's husband was cheating on her...she needed a good spanking, because she probably had been " disobedient ...it's kinda emabarassing to admit I am a Christian.

My belief is I Jesus , not dogma or set rules of a particular church.

and yes, I consider myself to be very Spriritual

Heh, heh!! Did Robertson offer to spank her!!!? To restore her to a place of faith!!!? Or just for the fun of it!!!?

I've believed in various things over the long course of my life, but my mental illness has played no part in it.


Sometimes I think that God is the Universe and all that is in it.
Well, actually, I even skip the step of defining it as 'God'.

But as one of my favorite, late authors says .........

It is the final proof of God's omnipotence that He need not exist in order to save us.
Peter De Vries

I sometimes go to church and sometimes not. But I am very spiritual and believe very deeply that even though the doctors and medications and therapy have helped me, it was my God that healed my heart and saves my life every single day. I pray and read my Bible and am christian, but I seem to get more from reading my Bible on my onw or listening to christian music and praying in my own home that I do getting involved in an organized place of worship. Too many judgmental people, just my experience. But man, do I love God. :)

I consider myself a christian, but a very liberal one...and I am often let down and dissillusioned by other so called christians and churches. I respect other peoples beliefs unless they are just disguised hate, and I'm set pretty firm in my own beliefs. I miss my church..the preacher is a bible college proffessor and I like how he does things...but I've been too sick to go for months now, and I havent been reading tthe bible or praying like I used to. I dont know if this has contributed to my depression or if its a side effect, but either way I want to get back on the spiritual path I was on last year.

I feel the need to clarify here.

I love my Lord and Savior Jesus ...it's all the extra dogma and stuff that can get tacked onto Christianity that bothers me

This is great thread. It sounds like a lot of us have similar ideas.

Let's try again-

This is A great thread. What is wrong with me?

Frank Viola has written a book called Reimaging Church, a spin off of his first book with George Barna called Pagan Christianity?, where they explore what has happen to organized religion that turned it from a dialoguing gathering, a living organism, to a pulpit/spectator audience, a dead organization.

To quote from Reimaging Church, "Richard Halverson writes, 'When the Greeks got the gospel, they turned it into a philosophy; when the Romans got it, they turned it into a government; when the Europeans got it, they turned it into a culture; and when the Americans got it, they turned it into a business.'" (45).

Forty seven million Americans do not attend religious services. There's a reason why Christians are dropping out and dropping into the home church movement to find other people who want to share with others their expression a growing faith with a loving, approachable God.