h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've become very disillusioned with the Christian faith. Which is a big deal for me because the church is part of my life and I always felt 'yeah, this is right'.

It just went, like that, when I was flicking through the bible, which I admit I don't do that often, and something clicked, or rather fell out of place, and now I feel incredibly empty and sad, as if I've lost something really precious.

I hope it's just a phase because I couldn't bear to lose it altogether.

How you tried reading some of the Christian Mystic books. "The cloud of the unknowing" is a good one to start with. Others are THE CHRISTIAN'S SECRET OF A HAPPY LIFE and THE GOD of ALL COMFORT By Hannah Whitall Smith, ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL and THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL by Saint John of the Cross, and once you understand the mystics you can lookinto studing "Kabbalah" which is part of the Jewish mystic and will teach you more things.

Also read the "Screwtape letters" it's a book containing the letters from one demon, offering advice to a new demon tring to damn the person that he is assigned to. One of the letters addresses the problem your are dealing with now.

Don't worry to much everyone goes through times of doubt, just ask yourself, way down in your heart, what do you believe.


Mostly Harmless

P.S. If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them.

Mostly Harmless,

Thankyou very much for your interest. I haven't read most of the books you mentioned, except that before I read your post I went out shopping and happened to buy the 'Screwtape Letters' (which I have been reading for much of the afternoon and I must say it lives up to my expections). Which is a happy coincidence, so I have come to the conclusion that you are telepathic I was always a big CS Lewis fan and I also have a great big list of books I should read, and this one came up. (I also brought Blackadder and an Alice in Wonderland print. I can't yet see how they're related, but give me time and I'll find a connection.)

I appreciate your offer of trying to answer questions, I couldn't possibly ask our vicar because although he is very friendly he trivialises everything and he doesn't always give the impression of having a clue what he's on about, although I'm sure he does really. He's retiring next year though. Our deacon, who I could have asked, has left to work in a prison, which I must admit seems a very nice thing of him to do, but I was sad to see him go all the same.

I'm not sure these are the questions people can help with though, they're more of the ones no-one knows the answer to so I just have to work them out for myself.
Things like 'if miracles exist, why do they only happen to some people, and does that mean God loves the rest of us less', and awkward questions like that.

It was reading Corinthians which really bothered me, with all that about drunks never possessing the kingdom of heaven, women being there just for men which implies they have no other purpose, not seeking wisdom and if you get married then it automatically followed that you can't think for yourself but do everything for your spouse.
That all goes against everything I understood it to be about. I thought that the religion was about the search for truth, that God still loved people going through difficult times, that he loved us all as individuals not as labels. I know any religion needs rules but I thought that being a Christian was all about helping people and being nice to them whoever they are, and the general tone here seems to be keep away from the 'undesirables' and go about your set business. Maybe I misunderstood before, maybe I misunderstand now.

This has been a long post so I'll sign off now, but thankyou for taking an interest

Good Morning (afternoon or evening, as the case may be) Dastardly,

I have been and still get confussed over some of the passages of the bible or other religious text. Some things you must keep in mind about the bible is that it was written very long ago in a different culture, some of the books of the bible were written over 5000 years ago. There have been many translations handed down and I sure some of the translators had there own agenda and there have been some mistakes (even honest mistakes due to lack of understanding of the culture and language).

The bible does not contain all of the religious text written by the early christians and disciples. It's kind of like tring to work a 2000 year old jig-saw puzzle without all the pieces or even being sure what the puzzle is supposed to look like when you're done.

You got to love a good challenge,

Mostly Harmless

Here are some of the answers I promised you, I will post them one at a time to keep the posting short. I'll do more later. If you need clarification on a topic let me know.

Q: ”I was reading Corinthians which really bothered me, with all that about drunks never possessing the kingdom of heaven, “

A: I’m assuming that you are talking about 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 10, were it list who will not inherit the kingdom of God. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” But I think that 1 Corinthians 15:50 says it better ”Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” In other words, if you let the cares, worries and/or pleasures of the world and your body become more important then the pursuit of a relationship with God, with getting close to God, then you will lose the kingdom. But even if you are/were one of the ones mentioned of 6:9,10 if you let go of the world and turn to God (the way King David did many times in the Old Testament) the Kingdom will be yours.


Mostly

Q: women being there just for men which implies they have no other purpose, not seeking wisdom and if you get married then it automatically followed that you can't think for yourself but do everything for your spouse.

A: “1 Corinthians 14: 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.”

When you read Corinthians, you read of a church with a lot of problems. I can imagine reading the scriptures of a church where people where jumping up and speaking in tongues or prophesying while the sermon was being preached, where there was disputes over spiritual gifts, where people where interrupting the sermon to ask questions….. Not a pretty picture. So Paul really came down on them, and told them to behave. v33 “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” He set up some rule of conduit/behavior for the Corinthians to help with the church service, not to prevent women from learning about God. In the Old Testament it refers to priestesses (female Priest) and Jesus taught Mary at her home while Martha served the guest and Jesus said that Mary chose the better thing. God wants women to know her too.

Beware of people who take scripture out of context. I can make the bible say almost anything.

Mostly

Q: That all goes against everything I understood it to be about. I thought that the religion was about the search for truth, that God still loved people going through difficult times, that he loved us all as individuals not as labels.

A: Your thoughts are correct; God’s love and the difficulty of the times that someone goes through are not related. Jesus was crucified, did God love Jesus. Read the book of Job in the O.T. God thought very highly of Job, he even bragged about Job to Satan, Job 1:8 “Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, Lazarus was a homeless beggar but went to heaven and the rich man had everything he wanted on earth but went to hell.

And God loves us as individuals, the bible says that God has numbered the hairs of your head and not one falls out without God knowing it. If God didn’t love us as individuals would he take the time to know that???


Mostly

just 2 add my views. (which i am apt 2 do)

Have u tried reading 1 of those explain it all bibles or the ones which r really modern. Maybe even a youth bible might help.

whatever happens hes always there and you can always pray.

hey maybe u should get 1 of those WWJD/PUSH/FROG bands and a fish (obviously not a real 1 u might get in trouble if u tried 2 wear a live fish round ur neck or stick 1 2 ur car)

lizza

Hi Dastardly,

Just thought I would drop by to see if my responses to your questions were helpful or not. If you wish, I can try to answer the other questions, or least least point you in the right direction or you can tell me to go away. I here if you need me to be here.

Mostly

Yes, you have been very helpful, and I'm extremely grateful to you for taking the time to explain things to me. I apologise for not posting before, I don't always check my postings in the right order.
Thankyou so much

Oh, and no I haven't tried a modern bible. Maybe I should. Mine is a traditional one, with the occcasional pretty photo.