Christianity, is it child emotional abuse?

Originally posted by sacgamer25

Originally posted by Akragon
reply to post by sacgamer25

 

Do you believe every word?

Yes I do.

Seriously... every word is correct?

reply to post by 547000


Thanks for describing your stigmata experience. What do you have in mind when you are finished with university?

About 3 years ago, I experienced some things that seemed to validate Christianity. I was an atheist before that. So I went to an Eastern Orthodox church for 2 years and tried to learn as much as possible. I wanted to be a monk. Looking back, I wanted to be a monk because I knew my faith would fizzle if I wasn't trying really hard. I was too old to be a monk anyway, but I'm glad I didn't make any long-term commitments of any kind because my faith fizzled.

So whatever you have in mind, be sure you aren't forcing yourself. Also hopefully you have a relationship with a spiritual father (i.e. somebody who is further down the Catholic path and can give you advice - not necessarily a priest).

reply to post by cloudyday


I realize I am not pure as I need to be to be a priest. I too wanted to be a monk. But I've decided to just be a lay person, though ever since that experience, I've not been interested in most of the things people pursue in life. I don't have any aspirations to be rich or to search for a girl or any of those things. In all likely hood I'll get a job in computers, give what I don't desire to charity, and live a simple life. I am interested in doing good works dedicated to God, like being charitable to the poor, being kind to those who are hated, etc, developing virtues and being the salt of the world. Self-control is the hardest thing for me. I hope that once I join there will be opportunities to do these things in church. I cannot physically do these things on my own because I am disabled. I do have contact with another catholic on ATS.

When I don't pray at night it doesn't feel right.

Originally posted by SuperiorEd
... A brotherhood of believers has the power to unite people in a common bond ....

edit on 20-12-2011 by SuperiorEd because: (no reason given)

Yea, thats called a cult
(man you people are scary)

reply to post by 547000


547, I hope you find peace of mind. Thank you for sharing your "stigmata" experience, and some of the personal things you disclosed. I admire you for being a thinker and not just an impulsive youth.

I want to give you a couple of tidbits to add to your files. You are still an adolescent. The male brain is not fully developed with frontal lobe (judgment) synapses all in place until 25, or even later is some cases. You are in a difficult stage of life, going from youth to adult, and it's a natural, biological process. Every person is individual and unique; there are some people who arrive at "adult" maturity very early due to having been forced into it (having to parent one's parents, for example); and there are others who never complete the process to have "adult" maturity.

Your parents are wise to discourage you making any life-long commitments at this stage of your life. They may have good reason for not training you to any one faith. Have you spoken to them about their 'lax' discipline? Have you spoken to anyone aside from them or here on ATS?

Your experiences are quite extraordinary, and may be completely legitimate. Nevertheless, they also describe symptoms of acute anxiety, depression, sensory misfires, or even possibly a bioneurological problem. It might be a good idea for you to explore other "causes" of your "stigmata" than divine intervention. Just so you're not missing anything that may be simply a matter of an adjustment disorder (college is HARD, and not just the classes), a twisted thought process or paranoid delusion, or a physical malfunction of the nervous system.

I mean this with all due respect. My son is turning 21 in a few weeks. If he came to me and told me he was experiencing these things, I would be acutely concerned. Just saying. Get some help, please, for your own sanity and peace of mind.

Once you've exhausted ALL OTHER possible sources of your discomforts, THEN it is safe to say "yes, it was a genuine stigmata, a divine intervention." And if so, I wish you all the best in your journey as a seer.

reply to post by wildtimes


Now here's the thing, if it was visible, them people would believe, but since it is the invisible kind, everyone thinks it is hallucinations..

Since I have shared this with my parents and doctors I have had to take medication, because it is a hard thing to swallow. Regardless of medication or not, I can still feel the water/blood. This was even before I understood the theological significance of them. Even today, as I learn more, I am surprised by how well it fits in with the faith; I don't think my subconscious planned this. I am afraid if I keep telling my doctors they'll medicate me for life because anything beyond naturalism is hard to accept. My thought process otherwise seems perfectly fine. I can still think clearly and sanely, and I have gotten As in all my classes so far. I am not consumed by religion: I still do things like go to movies and restaurants, read books, watch TV, play video-games. The only thing different is my moral values and my respect for God. I have taken up prayers, started fasting, and removed all the sinful actions as I can.

From my personal experience it seems if you seek God with all your heart you will find Him. I tried that and it was true.

reply to post by Akragon


If you are talking about translations I am not interested in that discussion. In all the translations that I’ve looked at the core of the message appears to be intact. So yes I do believe that every word in the bible is correct.

I spent over a year researching every passage that supposedly disagreed with science or that supposedly contradicted itself. I was unable to find any proof that anything was incorrect. After determining that there was no proof to refute anything in the bible, I concluded that God did indeed love me and all of us enough to tell us our history and help us reach him.

Simply said yes I have faith in God.

Originally posted by 547000
reply to post by wildtimes

 

Now here's the thing, if it was visible, them people would believe, but since it is the invisible kind, everyone thinks it is hallucinations..

Since I have shared this with my parents and doctors I have had to take medication, because it is a hard thing to swallow. Regardless of medication or not, I can still feel the water/blood. This was even before I understood the theological significance of them. Even today, as I learn more, I am surprised by how well it fits in with the faith; I don't think my subconscious planned this. I am afraid if I keep telling my doctors they'll medicate me for life because anything beyond naturalism is hard to accept. My thought process otherwise seems perfectly fine. I can still think clearly and sanely, and I have gotten As in all my classes so far. I am not consumed by religion: I still do things like go to movies and restaurants, read books, watch TV, play video-games. The only thing different is my moral values and my respect for God. I have taken up prayers, started fasting, and removed all the sinful actions as I can.

From my personal experience it seems if you seek God with all your heart you will find Him. I tried that and it was true.

Keep reading the bible, especially the New Testament, I recommend the NIV for someone at your reading level; it is currently the most widely used translation. Pray for the wisdom to interpret what you read. You will receive all the answers you are looking for. Please take time to read and understand the passages below. God has filled you with the Holy Spirit and he promises that the Spirit will interpret the word for you. Do not accept man’s interpretation without checking the source. Since God and the Spirit are one and the bible is God’s word, why would you want anything less than God’s interpretation?

My brother the church is full of Dogma, man's ways, many church traditions simply don’t agree with the bible and some actually directly contradict the bible so be carefull to always check the bible for anything you are told.

1 John 2:26-27
26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1 Corinthians 2:10
"But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God."

John 14:26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, HE WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you."

JOHN 16:13
"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH ..."
2 Cor. 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."

I imagine that many will call you and me crazy but continue to have faith and read your bible, you are not crazy. You have a love for the people in this world that few ever find. And you have a lack of love for the things of this world that few will understand. Your plan to live modestly and give your excess away is beautiful. I hope to be able to grow in my giving as my faith grows.

Mathew 7:7-14
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

With love,
Your brother in Christ

Originally posted by vogon42

Originally posted by SuperiorEd
... A brotherhood of believers has the power to unite people in a common bond ....

edit on 20-12-2011 by SuperiorEd because: (no reason given)

Yea, thats called a cult
(man you people are scary)

If you want to label people who love both their friends and enemies a cult then count me in.
If you want to label people who live modest lives and help others whenever they can a cult count me in.
If you want to label people who are more concerned with doing the will of God instead of following their own selfish desires a cult than count me in.

Proud family member of the brothers, and sisters, who believe in our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

reply to post by sacgamer25

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

THIS ^^^ is the only necessary passage for anyone to know and understand. Everything in that book, including this, was written down by PEOPLE with agendas, over the course of hundreds of years. You speak of the church being Dogma, and man's stuff.

If we are all part of one Divine act of grace, we must count on each other to help each other along...we are divine beings, incarnate now, simultaneously, on this planet at this time. The people who wrote the Bible were people, same as us. Why believe what they said some other guys said about what some guy who never wrote down anything at all said about his father being "God"? Why not believe what living people now say?

I am not part of any religion.

reply to post by sacgamer25

If you want to label people who love both their friends and enemies a cult then count me in.
If you want to label people who live modest lives and help others whenever they can a cult count me in.
If you want to label people who are more concerned with doing the will of God instead of following their own selfish desires a cult than count me in.

Hey, I belong to that "cult" already! And I'm not a follower of ANY organized religion. So there!
How about "brothers and sisters in HUMANITY"? Why do you insist CHURCH has anything to do with it?

Originally posted by sacgamer25

If you want to label people who love both their friends and enemies a cult then count me in.
If you want to label people who live modest lives and help others whenever they can a cult count me in.
If you want to label people who are more concerned with doing the will of God instead of following their own selfish desires a cult than count me in.

Proud family member of the brothers, and sisters, who believe in our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

edit on 21-12-2011 by sacgamer25 because: (no reason given)

Yes, you are a cult. Look up the definition.
Which is part of the reason organized religion strikes me as so ....what ever..... its just far too cultic.


When the man in the fancy robe says ......blah blah blah....
Everyone else in the room is required to respond with a specific (blah blah blah).....sorry man, thats just creepy

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by sacgamer25

 

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

THIS ^^^ is the only necessary passage for anyone to know and understand. Everything else was written down by PEOPLE with agendas, over the course of hundreds of years. You speak of the church being Dogma, and man's stuff.

If we are all part of one Divine act of grace, we must count on each other to help each other along...we are divine beings, incarnate now, simultaneously, on this planet at this time. The people who wrote the Bible were people, same as us. Why believe what they said some other guys said about what some guy who never wrote down anything at all said about his father being "God"? Why not believe what living people now say?

I am not part of any religion.

The people who wrote the bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit, writing only what the Spirit instructed. I do not expect you to understand what I am saying. If you want to understand you must start with faith.

You understand that there must be a creator.

You understand that love is the most important command from the creator.

So if the creator loves than have the faith that he used men to write us a book to tell us about our history and about himself, so that we might get to understand him better.

He also made it the number one bestselling and most printed book every year for the last century. Just to make sure you could find a copy.

reply to post by vogon42


Organized religion, when organized by man, is a cult.
Organized religion, when organized by God, is the truth.

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by sacgamer25

 

If you want to label people who love both their friends and enemies a cult then count me in.
If you want to label people who live modest lives and help others whenever they can a cult count me in.
If you want to label people who are more concerned with doing the will of God instead of following their own selfish desires a cult than count me in.

Hey, I belong to that "cult" already! And I'm not a follower of ANY organized religion. So there!
How about "brothers and sisters in HUMANITY"? Why do you insist CHURCH has anything to do with it?

I do not give credit to the church you are speaking of. I insist that God has everything to do with it. And I know that faith plus the bible provides a path to better understanding of the God you already believe in.

Originally posted by sacgamer25
reply to post by vogon42

 

Organized religion, when organized by man, is a cult.
Organized religion, when organized by God,.....

Is still a cult, and just as creepy.

Which would go back to the original topic about how this cult is emotionally traumatic for children.

reply to post by sacgamer25

This is a pompous and arrogant assertion that you can IN NO WAY prove to have happened, or to be the "truth":

Organized religion, when organized by God, is the truth.

Organized religions are organized by MAN seeking to understand the unknowable mysteries. One MAN in particular, Jesus Christ, had new (to his people) ideas. He talked about them, with abstract concepts, in a manner persuasive enough to convince a bunch of people a long time later that his stories were interesting.
Jesus was a MAN. Nice guy, meant well, had some great things to say. Did NOT write the Bible. Other men wrote the Bible.

reply to post by vogon42


Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. This is the wonderful benefit of free will. As a believer I must say though that I pray for you. I only wish for you to know the love God has for you, the way I know the love God has for you and me.

reply to post by sacgamer25

I do not give credit to the church you are speaking of.

What "church" am I speaking of? I am speaking of "humanity" as a whole....and for you not to "give credit" to others who follow the same exact principles you spout as good is hypocrisy. Blatant Bald HYPOCRISY.

The theory of evolution is it not a crime to lie to someone and to obscure the evidence to make the lie appear true.

Is it really knowledge when it is not true??

Should not the authors, teachers and whom ever created this lie to propagate their religion of humanism be jail for cerebral abuse, which in turn has begat countless crimes upon humanity.