losing my religion?

[Spooky_Eli]

for a while now I've been havening serious doubt's about my religious beliefs, as long as i can remember I've believed in God & the bible, i was raised as a baptist Christian. God created the world, the bible was the one true world of God, atheists chose not to believe in god so would burn in hell, gays & lesbians chose to be gay and therefore would burn in hell etc.., and that was the way it was.. till it wasn't, i was 10 when i started to find myself attracted other boys & since then i've been struggling with the fact that i was gay(to the point of thinking of myself as bi until i accepted i was fully gay), and i know it's not a choice but thats what my mom seems to think the bible says it is so over time i've began to crow a bit disconnected from my faith and its teachings but i still kind of think there's something maybe.. ldk.
what do i do? do i keep believing in god? do i look into ToE? something else?

[Merk]

Well, I just wrote something here, and as I tried to tap reply, my phone clicked something else. Now I retype.

I myself am straight,but I don't believe that the being gay is a sin worthy of hell. I like to think our Lord is forgiving when it come to this. I believe the concept of gay being a sin comes from our perspective of perversion. If your love it true of heart, and not rooted in perversion, I believe it is not a sin. Our faith is a measurement of our morality, as long as you don't abandon your morals and faith in God, he will set us on the right path.
I myself have never been to confession, as the church I visit does not have a booth, and while I don't know your environment, I can only say it may be a good idea to talk with the father of your or another church, see what they say.
God is a guide to follow, I don't believe who one loves dictates the Lord's love for you, unless you try to shut him out, even then, I believe the guide will still be offered.

I have struggled with porn in the past, and sometimes still do, I know it's wrong, I don't try to excuse it to myself, but it's hard to admit to myself, and even more so on here... Perversion is one of the devil's strongest tools, it's hard to get our once your in.

May the Lord bless you, and help you through this time of struggle.

I sat here for a few minutes to decide weather or not to include the part about myself in this, I choose to do so. Stay strong.

[Phosphene]

swedeam do not feel bad for questioning your faith. You're not the only one who's done it, and you're certainly not going to be the last one who does. Sexuality and religion are definitely a moral dilemma that a lot of LGBT people face, but does it really have to be that way?

When it boils down to the question of "Am I going to hell because I'm *insert sexuality here*?", God loves everyone and judges your heart and character. Simply having physical attraction and nothing else is sinful, but genuine love is selfless and not merely for your own benefit.

Nowadays, religious people are becoming more accepting of people identifying as LGBT, so although there will always be some who condemn them, there is nothing stopping you from worshipping God if you choose.

I can't tell you what to believe or what not to. That's up to you. Just remember it doesn't have to be one or the other. So some Christians will say you're sinning/should be ashamed/are going to hell/etc... do you have to listen to them? No. And anyhow, the Bible also says we shouldn't judge each other, so you wouldn't be the only one sinning ;) Being gay doesn't make you a bad person; live how you want to live, and do so genuinely.

[Vilnius]

Well first let me say, your relationship and belief in God belongs to you and no one else. Don't let anyone tell you that you're wrong for being who you are or that your beliefs are invalid. Also, remember that the Bible has been translated and edited for rulers' approval over time, and you are within your right to interpret it how you wish.
I similarly questioned my faith when I was younger and if you ever want help or advice you can always ask. Just stay true to yourself and let us know how it goes. :)

[Dalcourt]

It is strange to me how people always blindly follow something and condemn others who don't toe the line and suddenly if they realise they don't toe the linethemselves anymore they get all upset.

If you are a Baptist and what to stay a Baptist in your believes you have to stick to the believe that you go to hell.

You can't just go about changing bits and pieces of your religion to your gusto since then you would start creating your own individual religion that is most convenient to you.

If you don't want to believe that you go to hell you have to convert to another religion that caters better for your needs or whatever.

If you identify with a certain religious group you have to share all the believes of it. It would be like when I said I'm a Catholic but don't believe that Mary was a Virgin. This is an essential part of this religion and if I call myself a member of this religion I have to believe in it fully.

[drhalsey1]

Well I grew up going to church (LDS/Mormon) and such off and on fairly regularly at different times in my life, until I was about 12 probably. Around that time does happen to be when I realized I was gay though too, so I disagree with a good portion of a lot of religions but would consider myself religious/spiritual still as I do believe there is something. If you want to talk about or discuss it feel free to message me.

[NewLeafsFan]

You are clearly facing a very difficult challenge growing up with parents and a church that is unaccepting of you and for that you have my sympathy.

I personally believe that religion, regardless of which religion that you follow, is important for your sole. It answers big questions for you, gives you a sense of belonging, and a purpose. For those reasons, I urge you to stay involve in your church. I don't think any Christian believes 100% of everything their church believes.

If sinners went to hell, non-Christians went to hell, etc, etc. How many ppl would actually be in heaven? I personally think that heaven is a lot more populated than most ppl think.

If you ever want to talk, feel free to PM me.

[Bluegrass]

A really good song comes to my mind.

[West Coast Sheriff]

for a while now I've been havening serious doubt's about my religious beliefs, as long as i can remember I've believed in God & the bible, i was raised as a baptist Christian. God created the world, the bible was the one true world of God, atheists chose not to believe in god so would burn in hell, gays & lesbians chose to be gay and therefore would burn in hell etc.., and that was the way it was.. till it wasn't, i was 10 when i started to find myself attracted other boys & since then i've been struggling with the fact that i was gay(to the point of thinking of myself as bi until i accepted i was fully gay), and i know it's not a choice but thats what my mom seems to think the bible says it is so over time i've began to crow a bit disconnected from my faith and its teachings but i still kind of think there's something maybe.. ldk.
what do i do? do i keep believing in god? do i look into ToE? something else?

I grew up catholic and at one point in high school loved my faith so much it made my parents more devout. I struggled to believe when studying evolution (which I didn't fully accept until I was 18), pondering the afterlife, looking at religious hierarchies historically, and constantly becoming more open minded to lgbt.

There was a several month long period of debating my love for Jesus and my changing understanding of the physical world. Since being catholic gave me some different views, I had to be able to support my beliefs logically. So when I stopped believing, needing to have the evidence and arguments to support my new thoughts I dived into Sam Harris and old Christopher Hitchens content. I eventually was one of those pretty devout atheists.
Being atheist really didn't change my life a whole lot. It made me look back on what I used to think atheists were and reflect upon that. But other than that, growing up with spirituality, having a connection to something greater is important to me.

Understanding energy tho has helped me recognize that I do have a higher power. Whether it's my decisions and choices that I live with as a result of, or things I have no control over. There is a bigger picture.

For me, God is God. Devout muslims, Catholics, Etc. when you love God, your heart is closer to being in the right place I think.
For me when I talk to God, it's the catholic God since he's the one I know and am most familiar with. But at the end of the day, God is God.
And if I go secular, I wasn't raised secular so I don't have a secular value system. Trying to follow God's will, isn't a question I have answered yet. And while I'm not a true believer of Christian doctrine, it's still part of my culture to me.

I appreciate religion for what it is, religions contain values and that's important. I've started praying to God again and asking him for the right things because I believe that it helps me to understand what's important, if there were a God, what would he want me to do. Prayer makes me calmer sometimes, gives me more gratitude and helps me fall asleep on occasion.

Hope this was helpful and good luck on your spiritual journey (they can get intense).

[nick_1999]

Your religious path is yours to take and explore, and yours alone. However, from my perspective, I was in a similar boat. I grew up Catholic and attended 12 years of Catholic school up til high school graduation. My high school experience really rocked my world. I believed in God up until about my junior year and then realized that I just didn't anymore. I didn't agree with a lot of the Church teachings and thought that their so-called "logical explanations for the existence of God" didn't make much sense for the most part. I blindly followed a religion that I didn't fully understand, and, now that I do understand it, it's not what I signed up for. And, trust me, that rocked my world. My faith took up a pretty decent chunk of my development and not having it anymore took some serious getting used to.

Now that I'm in college, I've practically decided that I am agnostic: if I can find proof or serious belief that God (or a god) exists, then I will, but, until that point, I don't see much reason in organized religion. If God exists, then he's doing his own thing and I think it's almost impossible for us as humans to correctly interpret it.

I know this might be a little radical for some people, but that's how my mind works. If you (or anyone else for that matter) wants to discuss my experience and thought process further, don't hesitate to PM me! Hope this helped some though!

[Spooky_Eli]

Well, I just wrote something here, and as I tried to tap reply, my phone clicked something else. Now I retype.

I myself am straight,but I don't believe that the being gay is a sin worthy of hell. I like to think our Lord is forgiving when it come to this. I believe the concept of gay being a sin comes from our perspective of perversion. If your love it true of heart, and not rooted in perversion, I believe it is not a sin. Our faith is a measurement of our morality, as long as you don't abandon your morals and faith in God, he will set us on the right path.
I myself have never been to confession, as the church I visit does not have a booth, and while I don't know your environment, I can only say it may be a good idea to talk with the father of your or another church, see what they say.
God is a guide to follow, I don't believe who one loves dictates the Lord's love for you, unless you try to shut him out, even then, I believe the guide will still be offered.

I have struggled with porn in the past, and sometimes still do, I know it's wrong, I don't try to excuse it to myself, but it's hard to admit to myself, and even more so on here... Perversion is one of the devil's strongest tools, it's hard to get our once your in.

May the Lord bless you, and help you through this time of struggle.

I sat here for a few minutes to decide weather or not to include the part about myself in this, I choose to do so. Stay strong.

@swedeam (http://www.virtualteen.org/forums/member.php?u=131168) do not feel bad for questioning your faith. You're not the only one who's done it, and you're certainly not going to be the last one who does. Sexuality and religion are definitely a moral dilemma that a lot of LGBT people face, but does it really have to be that way?

When it boils down to the question of "Am I going to hell because I'm *insert sexuality here*?", God loves everyone and judges your heart and character. Simply having physical attraction and nothing else is sinful, but genuine love is selfless and not merely for your own benefit.

Nowadays, religious people are becoming more accepting of people identifying as LGBT, so although there will always be some who condemn them, there is nothing stopping you from worshipping God if you choose.

I can't tell you what to believe or what not to. That's up to you. Just remember it doesn't have to be one or the other. So some Christians will say you're sinning/should be ashamed/are going to hell/etc... do you have to listen to them? No. And anyhow, the Bible also says we shouldn't judge each other, so you wouldn't be the only one sinning ;) Being gay doesn't make you a bad person; live how you want to live, and do so genuinely.

Well first let me say, your relationship and belief in God belongs to you and no one else. Don't let anyone tell you that you're wrong for being who you are or that your beliefs are invalid. Also, remember that the Bible has been translated and edited for rulers' approval over time, and you are within your right to interpret it how you wish.
I similarly questioned my faith when I was younger and if you ever want help or advice you can always ask. Just stay true to yourself and let us know how it goes. :)

It is strange to me how people always blindly follow something and condemn others who don't toe the line and suddenly if they realise they don't toe the linethemselves anymore they get all upset.

If you are a Baptist and what to stay a Baptist in your believes you have to stick to the believe that you go to hell.

You can't just go about changing bits and pieces of your religion to your gusto since then you would start creating your own individual religion that is most convenient to you.

If you don't want to believe that you go to hell you have to convert to another religion that caters better for your needs or whatever.

If you identify with a certain religious group you have to share all the believes of it. It would be like when I said I'm a Catholic but don't believe that Mary was a Virgin. This is an essential part of this religion and if I call myself a member of this religion I have to believe in it fully.

Well I grew up going to church (LDS/Mormon) and such off and on fairly regularly at different times in my life, until I was about 12 probably. Around that time does happen to be when I realized I was gay though too, so I disagree with a good portion of a lot of religions but would consider myself religious/spiritual still as I do believe there is something. If you want to talk about or discuss it feel free to message me.

You are clearly facing a very difficult challenge growing up with parents and a church that is unaccepting of you and for that you have my sympathy.

I personally believe that religion, regardless of which religion that you follow, is important for your sole. It answers big questions for you, gives you a sense of belonging, and a purpose. For those reasons, I urge you to stay involve in your church. I don't think any Christian believes 100% of everything their church believes.

If sinners went to hell, non-Christians went to hell, etc, etc. How many ppl would actually be in heaven? I personally think that heaven is a lot more populated than most ppl think.

If you ever want to talk, feel free to PM me.

A really good song comes to my mind.

I grew up catholic and at one point in high school loved my faith so much it made my parents more devout. I struggled to believe when studying evolution (which I didn't fully accept until I was 18), pondering the afterlife, looking at religious hierarchies historically, and constantly becoming more open minded to lgbt.

There was a several month long period of debating my love for Jesus and my changing understanding of the physical world. Since being catholic gave me some different views, I had to be able to support my beliefs logically. So when I stopped believing, needing to have the evidence and arguments to support my new thoughts I dived into Sam Harris and old Christopher Hitchens content. I eventually was one of those pretty devout atheists.
Being atheist really didn't change my life a whole lot. It made me look back on what I used to think atheists were and reflect upon that. But other than that, growing up with spirituality, having a connection to something greater is important to me.

Understanding energy tho has helped me recognize that I do have a higher power. Whether it's my decisions and choices that I live with as a result of, or things I have no control over. There is a bigger picture.

For me, God is God. Devout muslims, Catholics, Etc. when you love God, your heart is closer to being in the right place I think.
For me when I talk to God, it's the catholic God since he's the one I know and am most familiar with. But at the end of the day, God is God.
And if I go secular, I wasn't raised secular so I don't have a secular value system. Trying to follow God's will, isn't a question I have answered yet. And while I'm not a true believer of Christian doctrine, it's still part of my culture to me.

I appreciate religion for what it is, religions contain values and that's important. I've started praying to God again and asking him for the right things because I believe that it helps me to understand what's important, if there were a God, what would he want me to do. Prayer makes me calmer sometimes, gives me more gratitude and helps me fall asleep on occasion.

Hope this was helpful and good luck on your spiritual journey (they can get intense).

Your religious path is yours to take and explore, and yours alone. However, from my perspective, I was in a similar boat. I grew up Catholic and attended 12 years of Catholic school up til high school graduation. My high school experience really rocked my world. I believed in God up until about my junior year and then realized that I just didn't anymore. I didn't agree with a lot of the Church teachings and thought that their so-called "logical explanations for the existence of God" didn't make much sense for the most part. I blindly followed a religion that I didn't fully understand, and, now that I do understand it, it's not what I signed up for. And, trust me, that rocked my world. My faith took up a pretty decent chunk of my development and not having it anymore took some serious getting used to.

Now that I'm in college, I've practically decided that I am agnostic: if I can find proof or serious belief that God (or a god) exists, then I will, but, until that point, I don't see much reason in organized religion. If God exists, then he's doing his own thing and I think it's almost impossible for us as humans to correctly interpret it.

I know this might be a little radical for some people, but that's how my mind works. If you (or anyone else for that matter) wants to discuss my experience and thought process further, don't hesitate to PM me! Hope this helped some though!

firstly, thank you, to all of you, for taking the time to respond to my dilemma. i'm still a bit mixed up about it all, but i think i'm just going take some time and figure things out in my own time, the stress of it is just way too much for me atm, (and P.S, Bluegrass i only remembered the song after i posted this lol)

[inactiveguy678]

I have lost it a few years back. It was gone completely when i was severely bullied. It was like God shouldn’t allow this type of thing to happen and it also wasn’t God who saved me from the bullies. As a bisexual I also think I don’t want to participate in a religion where being who you are and choosing who to love is considered sinful and an abomination.

if your parents are very religious good luck to you. Mine are but after years of arguing with them they gave up and finally relented.