I definitely go through periods where I feel somewhat disconnected. And I know that's my doing alone.

When I subscribe to the notion that God is Love, then it comforts me during these times. I am always connected to the feeling of love.

God is love....thanks for the reminder!

I was raised deeply Catholic. Was the cantor at mass.

Left the church when I went to college. Turned to Buddhism. Still like it.

Converted to Islam when I married. It has everything I liked in Christiantiy but not the things I couldn't reconcile with.

I'm in a pretty good place right now. Want to study my faith more.

I never felt so accepted since converting to Islam. I feel very lucky.

Believing in a creator is not doing the genuflecting in church, nor the constant reading of scriptures often translated to serve those in power at the time. It is the living and the doing of it that is most important. The languages were so far remote at the times that the bible was being put together that very few had a true understanding of the languages used. It was hundreds of years before the words highlighted in red in the bible were even translated from scrolls. Then some scrolls were included others not. But the basic belief of what the massage is , is what is important.

Do what harms no one.
Do what you can to help when able.
Care for your body in which resides this spirit.
When in doubt, trust the above.

With modern science we are constantly finding new forms of humans that existed long prior to biblical times other than Adam and Eve. Even that has variations based in different continents. First Man and First woman, the ability to have free will of one own mind and actions. They are found in many cultures, some warped to fit the needs of the religious leaders. Some "translated" to fit the need of those that corrupted their use. Jesus died for being prosecuted for heresy, speaking on behalf of God, as God at times. Moses did the same, but didn't get the same result. He instead lead the people to the promised land based on the instructions given him, but did not follow them. Exiled himself for his own doubts.

But in almost all forms the similarities of the story are the same. The teaching basics are the same. It is the "Spirit" with in you that is closest to that of the creator, honor that and you will do fine.

It took a long time of my fathers researching the origins and translations of the various versions of the bible and related scrolls. to decide how it fit to and within our own verbal teachings here on this continent without the benefit of those that raised themselves on pedestals as religious historians. I guess this was his sort of OCD, but in doing so, he made it ours also. He was Native raised in Native ways, but taken from his home to "Learn" the ways to take the savage out of him. Funny because our family tree mostly had farming and fishing tribal history from his side.

Testing us to each sermon, each discussion with the Priest that came to dinner after Sunday. Punishment for missing any answers.
Putting us in catholic school and through the rites of the religion to show the world he wasn't savage, nor his children.
The Creator knows you are human and can be hurt, so take care of you and you will take care of the other's easier.

For some here, myself included, learning to recognize that love of ones self is the hardest. But it is that that will give you strength.
I have to practice telling myself, I am here because God/Creator wants me here for some reason. Because I have surely tested his resolve...and lost.
Still here.
Jewells.

It's sad, isn't it jewells1, that we struggle so much to love our selves with the total essence of love found in the Triune God?!

Yes, as an individual and a patient and as a hospital chaplain and ordained minister, too. I still am a substitute preacher once a month, and it keeps me honest.

One of the best approaches to God and suffering is something I learned in Alanon, the support group for friends and family of alcoholics. It's a 12 step spiritual program in which it is required to acknowledge a Higher Power, the God of our understanding. That understanding of ours is expected to change and grow as we recover. From time to time we are expected to "fire our notion of God" and replace it with something more real that works better.

It is "our notion" of God, not God that we must fire. It's a great way to approach the fact that, as the scriptures' notion of God changes from book to book as humans grow, so it should be in our individual lives.

Despite all I learned in my home as grandson and son of ministers, in my own daily prayer life, on retreats, in weekly Bible studies, and finally in seminary and in pastoring and chaplaincy, I still preach from this simple but always real point of view.

Hope that helps.

I have issues with God and don't understand a lot of things. I've never been as involved in it as you have. I don't like a lot of the things religious people say. That's the main reason I have issues with it. Like, "everything happens for a reason" or "it's all part of God's plan." Really? So murder, rape, torture, etc happen for a reason? God planned it? Great. Whatever happened to free will then?

That is the stuff that I don't like about it. So, I have to try to ignore people when they say those types of things. I always get so angry over it. It's like, they don't think through what they are actually saying.

Some things they might think happen for a reason. People can always make up the reasons to make themselves feel better. Like, "oh I got fired from my job for a reason and something better is coming my way." "It's all part of God's plan." But in reality maybe they just got fired because they did something wrong. You know? People make the reasons to feel better. But, I don't like thinking that God causes everything to happen because, if God causes things like murder and rape, how can God be good?

This is something I struggle with A LOT.

Lovealice, I'm with you.

My mother's family has been religiously rapid cycling since the Luther Wars. A simple fact we have verified through public records in Germany. Garnering clues from my father's less recorded clan indicate the rapid cycling might pre-date the Christian era.

Religious conflict confuses me mightily, but I genuinely believe my relationship with God by whatever name is the golden thread of my life. As I feel it, God is big enough to wear all our contemporary names and many lost to contemporary awareness.

Many bad things are committed in the name of God.

In general, I think it's important to realize that we are not the end all and be all- there's a force greater than us.

Islam's God is a lot more abstract and I like that.

I don't think God would want us to have any bad feelings toward God. Not because God needs us but because the belief can help us somehow.

Interesting points in Judeo Christian scripture that are overlooked in the cherry picking reading of them that goes on so often:

1. the Book of Job, where a man actually confronts God angrily on why humans suffer
2. the Book of Lamentations--speaks for itself. It's not just about the power of positive thinking
3. the crucifixion in all Gospels--Jesus sweats blood the night before his ordeal, and on the cross cries out about feeling God has abandoned him

Without even going to outside sources, which is totally legitimate, too, a reading of just the traditional books of the Bible allow us to question suffering and God without beating ourselves up for it.

Boy do I have questions to those who spout those cliche words. Given the history of battles in the name of God and the Name of God being used to start battles.
Also being a child of abuse from a toddler I never knew that there was a difference in the good and bad of man/woman, is just was. I attribute that to free will, not evil, because evil to me is a whole different thing. But people can do evil things by choice. Some by sickness, some by ignorance. Only a few call on true evil to give them a hand.
So believing in an all loving God, makes sense if you remember that people in your life may not choose to do what is right. That is their choice, sometimes inflicting their choice on those around them. God didn't plan their actions they did with their brain and the free will they have. How we survive it says a lot about how we use our free will.
One thing is important though, to stop the cycle of abuse, one must know what was abusive and what was ignorance, then choose to learn the alternatives.
LoveAlice, a nice name in the simplicity of it. You will sort what it means to you and then live the results of the choice. Hopefully like many here you will put that as a groundbreaking step to start again.
There will always be those that don't choose to do it, they will forever be stuck and recycling their pain and anger on others.
The first step is to say it , then do it. Remove all from your consideration that can not also do this. Which may be bloodline family at times.

My heart, what a discussion.

Jessica in a simple answer, Yes, from my past and the recent loss of a very healthy 51 years old to a very aggressive cancer. Boy was I pissed at God....but she can handle it.

Wow! Love the responses. I believe the greatness and ways of God are so extraordinry it's unfathomable here in this life.Yet, we still believe!

I love my daughter, but I know that when she gets older, I won't be able to protect her from harm.

Will she say, "How could you let that happen to me?"

If that happens between two humans, the explanations of God is infinitely more difficult to comprehend.

Every car has similar parts, but the manuals are specific to the make and model. Same with religious texts. Creation myths, power struggles, afterlife...

Just make sure to keep your oil changed.