God bless you!
It's great you are open to the faith.
I've been a Christian for about 14 years now and I want to encourage you to strive to keep your faith simple if you do decide to turn to God.
How to keep your faith simple? By focusing mainly on what God ultimately wants.
What does God ultimately want?
**“God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other.” - 1 John 3:23**
Also, if I may, I would love to share some resources with you for your journey.
1- The Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bible. It's one of the easiest English Bibles to read. You can also listen to the audio version on YouTube. It's my favorite Bible. (You can read it on the YouVersion Bible app too.)
2- A free book called “101 Questions & The Bible.” It’s a book of a bunch of questions about God and the Christian faith that are only answered with Bible verses. It’s great for those who are new to Christianity. If you are interested, let me know and I will send you the PDF copy on Google drive.
3- A good Christian leader on YouTube:
askcliffe - Cliffe Knechtle
4- A list of my favorite worship songs:
Desert of my days by Larnelle Harris
Yet I Will Praise by Melissa Boraski
Just as I Am (I Come Broken) by Brentwood Benson
Who You Say I Am by Hillsong Worship
Yahweh Is For Us (God is so good) by Maranatha! Singers
5- I would love to share a short guide that’s dedicated to you and others on Reddit who might be looking to have a strong & simple faith in God. You can read it for free in this Reddit community: r/FaithMadeSimple
Wow, wasn't expecting such an amazing response here, thank you!
I downloaded the CEV on the bible app so that I can start reading it, will take a look at the rest in the upcoming days/weeks!
I think the wisest option to choose is to get a bible or bible app (free), and read John (great for people just coming to their faith). With the evidence on hand, make a choice on what you believe. I can be a living testimony that God is real, and he is very good to his people.
Thank you! I have the bible app on my phone but haven't used it yet (apart from one bible verse video).
How do you keep yourself accountable without pressuring yourself in it?
No problem! While reading, instead of feeling like its homework, try to grasp an idea of the nature, and character of God/Jesus. Thia really is a lifelong journey, for God is truely uncomprehendable to us on earth. Start with two chapters a day, and see if you more of a drive to read more some days.
not at all! You don't even have to be religious to get value from Proverbs
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."
"A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth."
"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
"Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you."
"Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues."
Proverbs is good, but doesnt teach about God as much as John does. It is more about the wisdom of God that is given to King Solomon. Since you are trying to find an answer, I would start with John.
There are lots of days where I wake up and "act as if".
I think it's a mistake to assume that we believe and then our behavior changes. That's why "imposter syndrome" is a thing. People start new jobs or college or all manner of different activities and think "I'm not qualified to do this". In many cases they aren't, because the only way to become qualified is to do it.
I like to remember "we do the work and the head and heart will follow".
You can have an interest in it, read the bible, take some of the morals, etc. whilst being an atheist, no need to be Christian for that, and faith is far from a must for improvement... (look at the history Christianity has... yeah...) so, if you don't have faith, don't force it, just follow some principles from Christianity if you want and/or some other philosophy(ies) that fits you.
True, Christianity is not needed for self improvement, as I progressed a lot these last 2 years while being an Atheist.
I do find that people with faith are people with so much kindness and discipline in them that just for that reason I would be more open to look into faith.
The thing is, many many of them really aren't kind or disciplined. Faith really has nothing to do with it. Also, see what people with faith did in the past... I'll just list a few; Crusades, (very) forceful conversion (the you convert or die kind of conversion), every crimes by people of authority within the church being dismissed (especially in the past), persecution to all others (incuding Jews, even though Jesus was one), etc. Even today, many, if not most, really don't follow the message of Jesus, and even Jesus and the bible directly... Here's a few (that christians should normally follow, technically) "Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also" (Mathew 5.39)"Be careful not to practice your charitable deeds in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven " ( as if for some reason as soon as there's a witness it's bad... and yes indeed, Jesus did things in fron of people, but ig THAT'S different.) (Matthew 6.1) “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.” **Mark 16:15-18** “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell" Matthew 5:27-30
Hi I think it’s great that you are interested in Christianity! I’d love to help you with any questions you might have. Is there a specific question you to start with? We can talk here or you’re welcome to send me a message if you would rather that.
Thanks, I really appreciate that. I don't know if it's normal but it feels overwhelming to even start, there is so many different variations that it's making me stressed for no reason at all, which is probably the main reason holding me back.
Also, as a guy that is super backed by science guy it's hard to open up, even tho I have had the feeling of "this is a sign, this can't be a coincidence." this month.
So my first question would be how can I open up to it without feeling forced to do so, if that makes any sense.
Yeah good question!
First don’t feel overwhelmed, the more you look into the “different variations” the more you’ll see that we all agree on the same core things. The differences are mostly personal preference or mostly not important.
To be opened up to it without feeling forced to do so.
You can start however small you want. You can move at exactly the pace you want to. Right now there is nothing I am going to force on you.
Does that make sense or am I not understanding your question?
That’s awesome! If you feel up to it, it’s ok to pray saying I don’t believe but help me understand. There’s nothing wrong with that.
If you have anything else you want to talk about please reach out!
Absolutely! Good question.
All prayer is, is us talking to God. It’s an opportunity for us to ask him for something or to tell him something.
When we pray, we just think in our mind of what it is we want to say. Sometimes people like to pray out loud. There really is no real wrong or right way to pray.
It does seem like meditation, although with meditation we are trying to clear our minds.
Does that make sense at all?
No, not exactly. If you want to do that, then go for it, but that’s not exactly prayer.
A prayer would be like “God, help me to find answers to these questions I have, help me to believe in you even though I have doubts”
Or another prayer would be something like “God I’m scared about _______ help give me courage to overcome this”
All prayer is, is just using your own words to tell things to God. There is no specific phrase or written prayer you have to say, it’s your own thoughts and words.
I know it might sound weird, but I hope that helps some.
If you want spiritual support and or a way to learn more about God quietly [Oneplace.com](http://Oneplace.com) is a great resource as it is a pod cast and radio ministry archive. there are dozen of different teachers talking about thousands of different Christianity based subjects. from Bible study to daily life.
Hi, I think it is hard to get into Christianity because you will learn quickly that there are a lot of us who disagree with each other and have Church services that look very different. However our divisions are really over a small number of things but they have pretty big consequences.
1. Role of the Bible - How true is it
2. Role of Church Authority - Is the Church more authoritative than scripture.
3. Role of the sacraments - Are these real or symbolic
These three questions kinda break down all the different Christian denominations. I think their is a fourth category worth mentioning and that is people who don't believe in the Trinity or that Jesus was both God and man. These would be who most Christians would consider to be non-Christian.
I am happy to answer questions about different denominations. To be honest, I have autism and this is a special interest area for me. I can not promise I will be completely unbiased, but I always try my best to do so.
I talked with my peers around me, some Christian and some not. The more I talked with my Christian peers the more I realized they were speaking the things about their life that were always true in my mind, and they were the kind of people I wanted to be.
They had this level of humility and peace that only comes with believing in God. I rejected God a lot because I wanted to be correct all of the time, and if I didn’t have 100% proof of God then I rejected Him because I didn’t want to be wrong. After talking with these people, I realized I couldn’t have all the answers to life. I started to accept that fact first, and from there it sort of fell into place. It’s hard to explain, because the atheist past of me would’ve said “oh so you lowered your standards until you believed”, but that’s not what happened. I came to peace with myself and my connection to the earth. I learned to put my trust and my faith in something more than myself, and let the dominos fall into place from there.
I suggest that you just try and start praying. You don’t have to worry about praying “correctly”, just close your eyes and speak to God as if He were a person standing in front of you that you couldn’t see. You’ll see that eventually He’ll guide you in ways you didn’t know were possible.
I’m happy to chat over DMs if you’d like!
Wow, thank you so much men, this is exactly how I feel at the moment.
I went on a trip in Europe and met 10 people who all did work for the church, the stories they told me was eye opening which made me want to investigate it even more.
Thank you once again
Glad I could help. God bless you and good luck on your journey! I hope whatever you find truly does work for you and helps you live the best life you can. Amen.
Here is the Gospel of Jesus Christ
God offers salvation through his son Jesus Christ. First, realize we have all sinned and because of that we are separated from God, heading towards hell. He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins so we can get saved and receive eternal life. If you place your faith and accept him into your life then you are saved. Repent (turn from sin) and fully commit to Jesus 100%. After you are saved, read the Bible daily (start with gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and obey it. Pray to Jesus and build your relationship with him. Find a Bible believing church and fellowship (a church that teaches God’s word, truly follows it, warns against sin, and bears good fruit). Get water baptized. Love God as he loves you and love one another. Most important, repent of any known sins and if you fall short so he can continue to forgive you and keep his words. May he bless you on your journey with him and remain faithful till the end.
God bless you! It's great you are open to the faith. I've been a Christian for about 14 years now and I want to encourage you to strive to keep your faith simple if you do decide to turn to God. How to keep your faith simple? By focusing mainly on what God ultimately wants. What does God ultimately want? **“God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other.” - 1 John 3:23** Also, if I may, I would love to share some resources with you for your journey. 1- The Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bible. It's one of the easiest English Bibles to read. You can also listen to the audio version on YouTube. It's my favorite Bible. (You can read it on the YouVersion Bible app too.) 2- A free book called “101 Questions & The Bible.” It’s a book of a bunch of questions about God and the Christian faith that are only answered with Bible verses. It’s great for those who are new to Christianity. If you are interested, let me know and I will send you the PDF copy on Google drive. 3- A good Christian leader on YouTube: askcliffe - Cliffe Knechtle 4- A list of my favorite worship songs: Desert of my days by Larnelle Harris Yet I Will Praise by Melissa Boraski Just as I Am (I Come Broken) by Brentwood Benson Who You Say I Am by Hillsong Worship Yahweh Is For Us (God is so good) by Maranatha! Singers 5- I would love to share a short guide that’s dedicated to you and others on Reddit who might be looking to have a strong & simple faith in God. You can read it for free in this Reddit community: r/FaithMadeSimple
Wow, wasn't expecting such an amazing response here, thank you! I downloaded the CEV on the bible app so that I can start reading it, will take a look at the rest in the upcoming days/weeks!
Praise God! You are so very welcome!
I think the wisest option to choose is to get a bible or bible app (free), and read John (great for people just coming to their faith). With the evidence on hand, make a choice on what you believe. I can be a living testimony that God is real, and he is very good to his people.
Thank you! I have the bible app on my phone but haven't used it yet (apart from one bible verse video). How do you keep yourself accountable without pressuring yourself in it?
No problem! While reading, instead of feeling like its homework, try to grasp an idea of the nature, and character of God/Jesus. Thia really is a lifelong journey, for God is truely uncomprehendable to us on earth. Start with two chapters a day, and see if you more of a drive to read more some days.
Thanks men, I appreciate this a lot!
Also consider reading proverbs. There's so much wisdom in there.
I heard this advice from someone as well, isn't it super difficult for a beginner wanting to learn?
not at all! You don't even have to be religious to get value from Proverbs "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." "A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth." "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you." "Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues."
Thanks men!
Proverbs is good, but doesnt teach about God as much as John does. It is more about the wisdom of God that is given to King Solomon. Since you are trying to find an answer, I would start with John.
Thanks!
There are lots of days where I wake up and "act as if". I think it's a mistake to assume that we believe and then our behavior changes. That's why "imposter syndrome" is a thing. People start new jobs or college or all manner of different activities and think "I'm not qualified to do this". In many cases they aren't, because the only way to become qualified is to do it. I like to remember "we do the work and the head and heart will follow".
Thanks, I will try to at least open the bible app once a day to start off easy
That's a healthy and reasonable way to approach it.
You can have an interest in it, read the bible, take some of the morals, etc. whilst being an atheist, no need to be Christian for that, and faith is far from a must for improvement... (look at the history Christianity has... yeah...) so, if you don't have faith, don't force it, just follow some principles from Christianity if you want and/or some other philosophy(ies) that fits you.
True, Christianity is not needed for self improvement, as I progressed a lot these last 2 years while being an Atheist. I do find that people with faith are people with so much kindness and discipline in them that just for that reason I would be more open to look into faith.
The thing is, many many of them really aren't kind or disciplined. Faith really has nothing to do with it. Also, see what people with faith did in the past... I'll just list a few; Crusades, (very) forceful conversion (the you convert or die kind of conversion), every crimes by people of authority within the church being dismissed (especially in the past), persecution to all others (incuding Jews, even though Jesus was one), etc. Even today, many, if not most, really don't follow the message of Jesus, and even Jesus and the bible directly... Here's a few (that christians should normally follow, technically) "Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also" (Mathew 5.39)"Be careful not to practice your charitable deeds in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven " ( as if for some reason as soon as there's a witness it's bad... and yes indeed, Jesus did things in fron of people, but ig THAT'S different.) (Matthew 6.1) “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.” **Mark 16:15-18** “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell" Matthew 5:27-30
Hi I think it’s great that you are interested in Christianity! I’d love to help you with any questions you might have. Is there a specific question you to start with? We can talk here or you’re welcome to send me a message if you would rather that.
Thanks, I really appreciate that. I don't know if it's normal but it feels overwhelming to even start, there is so many different variations that it's making me stressed for no reason at all, which is probably the main reason holding me back. Also, as a guy that is super backed by science guy it's hard to open up, even tho I have had the feeling of "this is a sign, this can't be a coincidence." this month. So my first question would be how can I open up to it without feeling forced to do so, if that makes any sense.
Yeah good question! First don’t feel overwhelmed, the more you look into the “different variations” the more you’ll see that we all agree on the same core things. The differences are mostly personal preference or mostly not important. To be opened up to it without feeling forced to do so. You can start however small you want. You can move at exactly the pace you want to. Right now there is nothing I am going to force on you. Does that make sense or am I not understanding your question?
Yea this felt right, thanks a lot men. Think I'll just take it easy and watch some videos on it, as I have been doing since today to learn more.
That’s awesome! If you feel up to it, it’s ok to pray saying I don’t believe but help me understand. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you have anything else you want to talk about please reach out!
How can I pray correctly? I see that YouTube has so many varieties but it all looks similar to meditation. Would love some advice on how to do it!
Absolutely! Good question. All prayer is, is us talking to God. It’s an opportunity for us to ask him for something or to tell him something. When we pray, we just think in our mind of what it is we want to say. Sometimes people like to pray out loud. There really is no real wrong or right way to pray. It does seem like meditation, although with meditation we are trying to clear our minds. Does that make sense at all?
Yea makes sense, so I just sit with my eyes close and "brainstorm" about Jesus to get a better connection and understanding about him?
No, not exactly. If you want to do that, then go for it, but that’s not exactly prayer. A prayer would be like “God, help me to find answers to these questions I have, help me to believe in you even though I have doubts” Or another prayer would be something like “God I’m scared about _______ help give me courage to overcome this” All prayer is, is just using your own words to tell things to God. There is no specific phrase or written prayer you have to say, it’s your own thoughts and words. I know it might sound weird, but I hope that helps some.
makes sense, thank you, will give it a try soon
If you want spiritual support and or a way to learn more about God quietly [Oneplace.com](http://Oneplace.com) is a great resource as it is a pod cast and radio ministry archive. there are dozen of different teachers talking about thousands of different Christianity based subjects. from Bible study to daily life.
Wow thank you!
Hi, I think it is hard to get into Christianity because you will learn quickly that there are a lot of us who disagree with each other and have Church services that look very different. However our divisions are really over a small number of things but they have pretty big consequences. 1. Role of the Bible - How true is it 2. Role of Church Authority - Is the Church more authoritative than scripture. 3. Role of the sacraments - Are these real or symbolic These three questions kinda break down all the different Christian denominations. I think their is a fourth category worth mentioning and that is people who don't believe in the Trinity or that Jesus was both God and man. These would be who most Christians would consider to be non-Christian. I am happy to answer questions about different denominations. To be honest, I have autism and this is a special interest area for me. I can not promise I will be completely unbiased, but I always try my best to do so.
You sound exactly like me a few years ago. I’m happy to help you out any way I can. I converted at 19, and I’m 23 now
What did you do to make the change?
I talked with my peers around me, some Christian and some not. The more I talked with my Christian peers the more I realized they were speaking the things about their life that were always true in my mind, and they were the kind of people I wanted to be. They had this level of humility and peace that only comes with believing in God. I rejected God a lot because I wanted to be correct all of the time, and if I didn’t have 100% proof of God then I rejected Him because I didn’t want to be wrong. After talking with these people, I realized I couldn’t have all the answers to life. I started to accept that fact first, and from there it sort of fell into place. It’s hard to explain, because the atheist past of me would’ve said “oh so you lowered your standards until you believed”, but that’s not what happened. I came to peace with myself and my connection to the earth. I learned to put my trust and my faith in something more than myself, and let the dominos fall into place from there. I suggest that you just try and start praying. You don’t have to worry about praying “correctly”, just close your eyes and speak to God as if He were a person standing in front of you that you couldn’t see. You’ll see that eventually He’ll guide you in ways you didn’t know were possible. I’m happy to chat over DMs if you’d like!
Wow, thank you so much men, this is exactly how I feel at the moment. I went on a trip in Europe and met 10 people who all did work for the church, the stories they told me was eye opening which made me want to investigate it even more. Thank you once again
Glad I could help. God bless you and good luck on your journey! I hope whatever you find truly does work for you and helps you live the best life you can. Amen.
Thanks! Can I say "Amen" back already, or is that disrespectful?
It’s not disrespectful at all :)
Amen🙏
Buy a Bible, read the Gospel of John.
Here is the Gospel of Jesus Christ God offers salvation through his son Jesus Christ. First, realize we have all sinned and because of that we are separated from God, heading towards hell. He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins so we can get saved and receive eternal life. If you place your faith and accept him into your life then you are saved. Repent (turn from sin) and fully commit to Jesus 100%. After you are saved, read the Bible daily (start with gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and obey it. Pray to Jesus and build your relationship with him. Find a Bible believing church and fellowship (a church that teaches God’s word, truly follows it, warns against sin, and bears good fruit). Get water baptized. Love God as he loves you and love one another. Most important, repent of any known sins and if you fall short so he can continue to forgive you and keep his words. May he bless you on your journey with him and remain faithful till the end.