Thank you for taking some time to express your feelings. And I am sorry to hear you have had some bad experiences with these things. I know that can be painful, and discouraging. But let me encourage you to re-exmine things for just a bit, and I think that if you are honest with yourself, and you really want to find out truth, that you will find it. Seek and you will find. I must clear up some things that have been said in your message. “I agree with you that people define God based on what they believe him to be. But isn't that what you do as well? Your image of God is based on the traditions of early mesopotamians known as the Israelites.” The point I was trying to distinguish here was belief vs. truth. It is not our job to define God, for God can speak for himself. And he has. He has revealed himself throughout history… and first and foremost to the Israelite people. Just because God, chose one group of people to reveal himself to first, does not mean that that group of people made him up. There is fact after fact to support historical claims made throughout the Bible. It is not about how you or I want to define God. God is. And it is simply up to us to discover who he is, not to determine it. “ This tradition of beliefs changed and evolved to suit people's needs, and eventually we have a branch of this tradition ending in evangelical christianity.” Christianity is not centered around tradition, nor did it evolve out of it. Christianity is about having a relationship with God, through the person of Jesus. Traditions are handed down from word of mouth. Jesus was a real person. The things that he did, that are recorded by historians in the Bible, actually happened. They are also confirmed through many other sources that are extra-biblical. We can look at this later. But the point is that Christianity is based on the fact of Jesus walking the earth and dying on the cross, and raising from the dead, which also is confirmed by other extra-biblical sources. “ I know because I used to be what people called a "religious fanatic". But when I looked into it, I mean REALLY looked into it, christianity is just another religion.” This is where I know that you are simply not being honest. Every person that has really studied Christianity, looking with an open mind for what is true, has come to the same conclusion. I am someone who has really looked at Jesus, the gospels, the evidence. I know others who have done the same. Take a man by the name of Josh Macdowell. He set out to do what you claimed you have done. Have you been to Israel? Have you seen the scrolls? Have you studied Greek and Hebrew, reading History as it was originally written? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t. I know Josh did. And after setting out to show all the contradictions in the bible, and to prove that Christianity was just ‘another religion’, He became one of the greatest advocates or Christianity, authoring many books on his journeys. Maybe reading some of his books can help you with what you have been through. “When I failed to see even one occurance of anything truly supernatural in my life, I began to wonder if I was just brainwashed.” This is what I think this is all about. Because you failed to recognize the work of God in your life, you wrote it off as false. Your Life, my friend, is not about you. Think on these things. “ I used to be quite the "christian apologist", one of those people who can give you 100 reasons why the bible must be true. But you know what? Can't be proved.” The question here is, what can be proved? I am not sitting here and going to tell you that I can beyond a shadow of a doubt tell you that I can prove the Bible is true. But I can tell you that I show you evidence for it’s truth just as much as or better than anyone can show me evidence for the existence of Caesar, Alexander the Great, or even Christopher Columbus. Do you know that George Washington was president? How do you know that? Do you actually know anyone who knows him? Who met him? Are you simply basing that knowledge on historical text evidence? Maybe even archeological evidence? Jesus Christ has the same evidence for him, and every scholar knows it. There is not one educated scholar out there who denies the existence of Jesus. Sure they differ in opinions about who he was, but they all know that he – was. “ Know what else? These concepts of heaven and hell, angels, demons, the Holy Spirit, a man-god named Jesus who dies for the sin of the world, and God creating the world in 7 days... do you know how ridiculous that sounds to people who don't believe?” It sounds pretty ridiculous to me that a group of people could let a man take over their nation, convince them to hate Jews, and proceed on killing over 6 million of them. That sounds absolutely ridiculous to me. But it doesn’t mean it’s not true. My perception of things does not change fact. “What's even more ridiculous is the fact that I had to believe that everybody who does not believe in Jesus is going to spend an eternity in hell. This is a huge ignored logical contradiction! I mean, supposedly, God is perfect, and I'm slime. Actually, I can be a real dick sometimes, but I would never send anybody to hell for eternity just because they chose the wrong religion! But according to the bible, God will. How does that make him perfect? Now I know why whenever I shared my faith people laughed at me.” This is where I know you are not a theologian, and that you really didn’t take the time to look into things, and really understand them. Before you question God on how he is fair in what he chooses to do, read Job 38-42 and answer the questions God has for you. Job was a man question why God did things they way he did as well. When you have answers to the questions God asks of you, then you can come to him and make claims on his view of Justice. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts, not our thoughts. My finite existence cannot begin to understand the one who created it. “ It seems like some crazy made-up story. Maybe that's because it is. The bible is not perfect. Even when I was a christian I knew that. But those apparent contradictions were always cleverly explained away. Well there's a better explanation. If this was a book inspired by God, then there would be no contradictions. The contradicitons are there because it was a book written by men and inspired by their own motives. How am I supposed to believe that the God that designed the universe expects me to believe that he authored or inspired a book that is full of mistakes? And how I am supposed to believe that if despite those mistakes, if I don't place my faith in the God that is described in that book, I go to hell forever? How am I supposed to believe that?” Again these issues come to my original question. You ask, ‘how am I supposed to believe that’. I tell you – it doesn’t matter if you believe it or not… just like it doesn’t matter if you believe that you are going to be completely okay if you hit the ground without your chute. Believe it or not, if you don’t open your chute, and you meet solid earth, you will die. Your beliefs to not define what is real. What is, is, and you will have to face it sooner or later. Doesn’t really matter what anyone believes… how they justify things…. Even if they don’t like how things actually are. All of it is vanity. That fact is that there is an ending to all of us, we live, and then we die. And no matter what excuses you make, what believe you have, what you think is fair, or how you validate it, you will stand before God and give account for yourself. No one has to take my word on this, not at all. You will see for yourself when you have lived all your life. When the last jump is made, and the last breath is taken. Then it is just you and God. And everyone who has read this is now responsible for what has been said. Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the light. Believe in him, and you will have eternal life. Reject him, and go ahead and enjoy the drunkess, drugs, and sexual fantasies you have. Because after your done, Your done. Now everyone who has seen this will be held accountable. When you stand before God, and you say ‘but I didn’t know….I thought it was…’ God will make you remember this day, and say to you… ‘I tried to tell you… but you said no to me.’ I wish you all the Best wishes in life. Chuteless, LuvToFly – See you in the kingdom… and I hope to see all of you there as well. Be safe, and God Bless.
