Christians, why do you believe?

Mesquite,

I don't feel that mixing a Christian religion with what I would call a pagan religion is wise. They are in conflict with each other in that respect.

Christ is the foundation of Christianity. Isn't a man the foundation of Buddhism (Buddha)?

If you two wish to debate this, please move it to another thread. I set up some fairly specific guidelines for posting here. I'd ask that you kindly adhere to them. Thanks.

Questioner,

I apologize for getting off topic here. I will gladly adhere to your guidelines.

Hello Everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Back to Christianity I'd like to say that I am a Christian and a very happy one. Through my studies of God's word, I have learned to be content with today even if worldly stuff seems negative. There have been times when I couldn't pay my bills, but I knew that everything would turn out better, and it did. There were times when my heart was broken so badly that I looked as if I aged 10 years! By holding on to my faith, knowing that God knows my needs and cares what happens to me, I came through those times and have become wiser for it. My faith is strong enough that I actually understood exactly what was happening at the time and what I could do to get back on track. It was much, much more than common sense, or intuition or anything that I could have learned without faith.

I find the most comfort during those times in nature. I live in the woods which by the way are quite beautiful this time of year. I find a spot away from the house and just kneel down and pray, always with tears and sincerity, because those have been the worst times. When I open my eyes, the woods seem so calming, and I know that through Jesus, God has heard my desperate cries. My heart is filled with a strange feeling of overwhelming comfort.

I am an artist and often wonder at God's ability to paint the most beautiful sunsets, and every intricate vein on a single leaf from a tree. I wonder at how nature fits together so harmoniously. It inspires me.

Being this way, I have never felt a need to search out any other way. I have everything I need through Christ. From my shoes, to my relationships, even to understanding politics, and religions.

Each time a choice is given to me, I choose what I will do. The wiser I get, the more I find that I should allow God to influence every single decision I make. The more I do this, the better I feel, and the more knowledge I am given.

I know this was probably too long, but it's really hard to explain to people who haven't had similar experiences yet.

Thanks for the info non-denom. One question I'd like to ask you:

How do you feel you know when god is inspiring you, or communicating to/guiding you? Is it something that you just "feel" and interpret it as god, or is it different than that?

I can only describe it as a conviction. You know it in your mind and it agrees with your emotions and also with your concience,(or what I know to be the Holy Spirit). All at the same time. It's not always "good" feelings like the first time I held my child in my arms, or the feeling I get when I look into the sky it night, sometimes it's empathy for someone who is ill, or when I knew my son at age 15 was headed down a terrible path, which by the way it turns out it was a very bad path. I can sense things that most people can't.

You can say it is a greater awareness and a greater understanding of life in general. I see it in my children. The oldest found Christianity at the age of about 3. My daughter at the age of about 15 and my youngest, age 18,(the problem child), has recently began to doubt his belief in evolution. That is very exciting for me. It is my dream that they will all be baptised together in a river somewhere. After that, I have to dream a new dream for them.

I just want to say that your questioning has been a blessing to me.

Momma Angel, that is quite an accusation to the Buddhist religion. Pagan?
A course in Comparative Religion should be in your future!

Do you speak as a "wise" person?

Sunlover,

As a Christian, any religion that does not base it's belief in the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was sent to the world to save us from our sins is, of course, going to be a considered a pagan religion. That's just a logical thought process there.

I said I don't know much about it but I believed it centered around a man (Buddha)?

And, let's not get off topic. This is Questioner's thread and I don't want to hijack it.

Momma, you just did hijack it, yet again.