I've been studying the sacred books of the major religions, and I've concluded that no religion has all the answers. I believe we can learn about the divine from every religion.
I want to believe in God, but I just can't quite get there. My religious friends say I analyze everything too much and we have to accept it by faith, but how can I know beyond doubt that God exists?
I've always been an active person, but last year I suffered a devastating spinal cord injury that's left me in a wheelchair. My wife tries to cheer me up, but I can't see any reason to keep on living. I suppose you'll say I need God, but right now I'm angry at Him for letting this happen.
How can I control my bad thoughts? I get to thinking about people who've treated me unfairly, and suddenly I have all sorts of evil thoughts about ways I can get back at them, and things like that. I know it's wrong, but what can I do about it?
My brother never wanted anything to do with God, and always got angry if we tried to talk to him about his soul. But now he's very sick and probably doesn't have much longer to live. Should we try talking to him about God -- and risk making him angry at us? Or is it too late, because God has already given up on him?
I know the Bible says the devil is real, but how does he operate? And is the devil as strong as God?
I know I'm supposed to tell others about Jesus, but I'm not a very outgoing person and I just can't seem to say the right thing. Does God still expect me to witness to others, like my pastor says we should do?
If I do something wrong after I've given my life to Jesus, do I lose my salvation? This worries me a lot, because I know I'm not perfect and I'll stumble.
Our son came home from college over Christmas and told us about a religion course he took. He said the professor scoffed at people who believed the Bible was God's Word, and said modern scholarship proves it's just a collection of ancient myths. It's shaken our son's faith, but what can we tell him? We're not Bible scholars.
As far as I'm concerned, religion is just a crutch for weak people. We need to be strong and rely on ourselves, and quit believing in something that doesn't even exist (namely, God). I'll bet you won't dare to reprint this.
I can understand how God might send hard times to people who aren't religious so they'll turn to Him, but why would He send hard times to people who are already close to Him? Religious people seem to suffer just as much as non-religious people, don't they?
I never gave much thought to God until I had a heart attack last year. My buddies laugh and say I turned to God just because I was scared, and that I'm not serious about it. How can I convince them that Jesus has really changed my life?
