Confused

[hoppy]

In the past 10 days I lost 3 friends. One was quite young. I been doing lots of thinking about death, christianity etc. Enough thinking to realize I just don't understand christianity.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.

[spot]

The answer, of course, lies in monergism. Praying into the teeth of God's righteous wrath isn't doing a blind bit of good.

[mikeinie]

I believe un Humanity, I cannot answer your questions on God, but I am very sorry for the loss of your friends and hope that you can find comfort in the memories of the time that you had with them.

[Carolly]

Im so sorry to hear about your friends.......life can seem so hard at times.Religion is man made......pray to YOUR higher power if that brings you comfort and dont feel guilty and you believe in what ever makes you feel comfortable with as its your life and shouldn't be controlled by others beliefs.

[jennyswan]

Sorry to hear about your friends. That must be rough!
I believe in a good God, a God that is a friend and a God that can hear you everywhere and not just in a decorated church. I always pray directly to God and not to statues or anything like that but to each their own.
Death always makes us look closely at our own lifes and beliefs I think, especially when it's close to home. You're suddenly made aware of your own immortality.
I think what's important is that you try to be the best person you can be and you make peace with what God is for you in your heart.
Anyway that's just my two cents

[Accountable]

Originally Posted by hoppy

In the past 10 days I lost 3 friends. One was quite young. I been doing lots of thinking about death, christianity etc. Enough thinking to realize I just don't understand christianity.
Somewhere, long ago, I read that the Christianity of today is nothing like the christianity of the early times, that it was hijacked by Todays christianity and considerably altered. The more I study on it, the more I believe it.
Didn't God say have no other gods before Him? so, why is it ok to pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints and who knows who else? didn't God also say He is a jealous God?
I was born and raised catholic. I just never could buy all that stuff or the explanations about the statues in the churches and plenty more. I pray to my God every day. Why isn't that right? Why must I pray to Jesus or through Jesus?
I hope I'm making sense right now. I just drank a bottle of vodka seeing off my 3 dead friends. I hope God understands because I don't anymore.

I've decided for myself that death isn't as terminal or as serious in the overall scheme of things as we'd like to believe. It's part of the journey, and we need to learn as much as possible along the way.

Of course if I'm wrong it doesn't matter.

[Clodhopper]

Asking humans to understand God is a bit like asking a bacterium to comprehend the planet, only more so.

We just have to hope He is a Being of infinite compassion and mercy.

[BHughesNC]

hoppy, I am sorry you lost your 3 friends. Death dooes cause us to reflect on our belief system, but I say to you "pray to God (The Father,the Son, and the Holy Spirit), the God , and Only God and He can answer your prayers.

God's Peace be on you!

Bobby

[hoppy]

Thank you all for your kind and comforting words. I've been reminded of a few things I had forgotten. Today is a new day. Onward.

[Ted]

hoppy

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your loss. Yes, it does make us face our own mortality.

You ask some very important questions that deserve to be answered as best as any human can.

Actually Christians do not generally pray to Jesus. We pray to the divine or God if you wish. We have been told that we can pray in Jesus name but the prayer is to God. You do not need to use the name Jesus if you do not care to.

When we speak of the divine we are speaking of a power beyond our comprehension and our language ability. Our language is not up to the task of defining or describing God. We must resort to metaphor. That is all we have. The Holy Trinity is in fact a metaphor for that which we do not understand. It represents the three ways in which man has experienced God. They are the three manifestations of the one God, if you so believe.

Death and suffering are part of life. A few years ago I lost an aunt, uncle and my father within the space of 7 weeks. God has never promised us an easy ride of it. What he did promise was to be there when we need Him for comfort and guidance. I recently read about an 11 year old lad that was hung by the Nazis during the war. Being so young he was not very heavy and hung on the end of that rope for about half and hour, conscious most of the time, before he died. When asked, where was God then, a theologian replied suffering on the end of the rope with that lad and guiding him through. I believe this is true. When I lost the three members of my family it was God that saw me through. Find the poem "Footprints" and read it. I carry a copy in my wallet but can no longer read it due to my visual impairment. It is indeed, a source of comfort.

Folks misunderstand the statues etc. in churches. They are simply physical aids to help folks pray to God. We often ask friends to pray for us. Folks also ask the saints, in heaven if you so believe, to pray for them as well. There is no real difference.

Generally in life there are more questions than there are answers. Our task is to live the questions and trust in the divine. Trust in God is not about right belief but about a relationship with God.

May God bless you and may your friends rest in His perpetual light.

I do hope this helps. No, I do not have all the answers. No one does. But I do enjoy living the questions.

Shalom
Ted