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skittles2004 wrote: I'm losing my mind here(hmm that seems to happen a lot) I've read the bible and studied it, i've gone to almost every meeting of church, and all i still hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH!!! i dont know if its because i would rather watch NASCAR or doing my homework. But why is church so BLAH! Anyone else feel the same???
It appears that you need to settle down and quiet down your mind.

skittles2004 wrote: I've read the bible and studied itI agree that it helps to know the stories well. There's some very difficult translations out there, though. I don't suggest getting abridged versions, but there are areas of the bible that come over a lot more plainly than others, and translations that are far less obscure than others.

Have you tried reading a short self-contained section like the Book of Jonah, for example? It's brief, it's got a start, a middle and an end, and the message is fairly clear. It might take you an hour to read it twice and write a paragraph back about where you got to before the BLAH started. You never know, you might take it all without getting bored or distracted at all. Try it, and come back and tell what happens. And tell us whose translation (or which version) you used.

Well, Skittles, do you WANT to be interested and do you have a desire to follow your religion? If I remember a previous post of yours, your mother is a regular chuch-goer, is that right? Is it the religion itself that turns you off, or just your church, or what?

Or no religion at all. Organized religion is, in my opinion, hypocrisy at best and dangerous at worst. I grew up in a religion that spouted tolerance, acceptance, family, love, faith, and all the usual rigamarole. When it came right down to it, they had a choice to make. Protect me, a 15-year old (at the time) or another of their "own" that had done wrong. They turned their backs on me, to protect, hide and lie for a man who had no business being around children.

I believe, wholeheartedly, that a person's walk with God is a personal one, and never subject to the teachings of a church whose very existence is hypocritical. Every religion thinks "it" is correct. Who can say who is right or wrong in how you worship? Only you can.

Skittles, I've read the whole bible, too. More than once. I don't think there's a thing wrong with reading the bible. It's organized religion; ANY organized religion I have a problem with. It's not something I would worry about a whole lot right now. You are still very young, (I know how much kids LOVE to hear that, sorry!) and you will come to the conclusions that are right for you in time. It took me till I was in my late 20's before I was able to make the decisions about religion that I did and be at peace with them. Give yourself time, explore all your options, (there are a whole lot out there) and don't make any choices until you are comfortable. Perhaps you will find a specific religion that is right for you, perhaps you won't. But no one in the world can make the decision of how you worship except you, and even you can't do it yet. It'll come. Don't sweat it, and don't fold to pressure from anyone.

canaan wrote: The term 'organized religion' confuses me. Does that mean you prefer disorganized religion? Or simply that you pick parts of all religions that you like and make your own organized religion?Surely, organized religions are those which retain the authority to excommunicate dissident believers. The choice of punishment for dissidence differs from one organized religion to another, but stoning is popular, as is ear-clipping, buring at stakes and (in The Real God Authorized Me To Occupy Canaan, Incorporated, registered religion of Arkansas) all who refuse to acknowledge that "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren" are technically liable to become catmeat.

You need to try other churches, Skittles. Some of them are extremely fun and progressive, the sermons actually help you deal with life, instead of being boring and disconnected from reality.

I used to go to a church in Boulder, for example, and sometimes we would go in blue jeans and go out and clean up an area, like a small stream, all while singing songs! We had hayrides, and went Christmas Caroling together inthe Winter.

skittles2004 wrote: I'm losing my mind here(hmm that seems to happen a lot) I've read the bible and studied it, i've gone to almost every meeting of church, and all i still hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH!!! i dont know if its because i would rather watch NASCAR or doing my homework. But why is church so BLAH! Anyone else feel the same???
Why do you continue to go to church?

Skittles :-6

Many folks today face the same situation and feel as you do. I have a couple of suggestions. There are some good Bible commentaries out there that make a lot of sense.

There are also some very interesting books written by some very good Biblical scholars. Some of them are very hard to read; Crossan for example but worthwhile and some are easy to read Marcus Borg, John Spong or Matthew Fox among many. They may indeed add a whole new dimension to your thinking in terms of Christianity. They are written for the world today and not for a long time ago.

I faced the same situation as you so I choose an academic career in Biblical translation and interpretation and in Biblical history. There is some history there. However, the Bible is generally midrashic and makes great use of metaphor. What an eye opener.

Shalom

Ted :-6

Jiperly :-6

Not at all. I am talking about good scholarly works and not the nonsense of the Da Vinci Code.

Shalom

Ted :-6

Religion is optional. And very interesting. But optional. So perhaps the best advice (?) I can give is, you pays your money and you takes your choice whether to follow it or not!

I think that what young people are finding in the churches today is a lack of action. They are used to TV and video games where there is constant change and it comes quickly. Also, our culture has taught them that church is where you go to get saved or to grow or whatever. They aren’t taught that church is one of the places where believers go to give. It isn’t there to be consumed like everything else. To avoid boredom in church, establish a relationship with God. View the church as a place where we are working out a vertical relationship…horizontally. It isn’t what other people do there that counts. It is what we do there that counts. It is what we do there because of who we are.

skittles2004 wrote: Another problem i'm not allowed to miss a day of church or go to a different one. My mom called me a church hopper when i decided to go to first assembly!Wow, bummer! Do you go only to the worship service, or do you go to Sunday School? There's not much you can do to liven up worship if it doesn't interest you, but you can perk up SS by asking difficult questions. :sneaky:

skittles :-6

Perhaps it is time to get together with some of the other young folks in the congregation and find out how they feel. That may give you and them some options to discuss with those in the leadership of that congegation.

I can assure you that there are many other Christian churches out there not just the one.

Shalom

Ted :-6

Skittles :-6

You have a point there. However, no one but you controls your mind or your thoughts. That they cannot take away from you. Read as much as you can whenever you get the chance. Learn what you can and make up your own mind. No one can take your mind or your thoughts. You and you alone control that.

May you find the peace you seek.

Shalom

Ted :-6

skittles :-6

Go for it. If I can help just ask.

Shalom

Ted :-6

skittles :-6

Shalom is an ancient Hebrew greeting. It was pronounced both on meeting or greeting and as a good bye.

Essentially it means: peace, or peace be with you, God's peace be with you etc.

Shalom

Ted :-6

I kind of think that religion is also blah because now days it is so hard to trust in priest and preachers and church. I kept wondering; why do we have to give money to the church when the priest and preachers supposely work for "GOD"? God doesn't need money nor a place to pray because he is wherever you are which is what I believe. If you don't think that most of these churches are a joke; then answer some questions for me:

1. How do we as humans know that there was a such people called "Adam and Eve"?

2. Who wrote the bible and how do we know that it is the truth?

3. If there is a God, where did he come from and who made him?

When you think of these questions, the answers I gotten didn't make any sense. I mean I believe that there is something up above but do I know who or what it is; no, I don't. I know that the humans wrote the bible; all the bibles I ever heard of and each one mostly contradict the other and some just plain crazy. What I think is that before the bible was ever written; somebody believed that there was something "supernatural" there in the sky and couldn't put his/her finger on what it was but put faith in it hoping that it was good and that it would help him/her in his/her life.

Everypne has different beliefs and everyone should have the choice of what he/she want to believe but when looking in hind sight; there are many questions that need to be answered which no one has the answer to and probably never will as long as we are alive.

spot wrote: I agree that it helps to know the stories well.
Ahh, but that is the tricky part. Remembering that they are stories, passed down generation to generation before getting written down. And who can honestly say how many times each story was altered or amended?

True, the bible has some great life lessons and some wonderful ideas on how to live your life, but they are stories.

Example... 3,000 years before Jonah in the bible, the ancient Sumerians had the same story of a great flood that covered the earth.

The concept of "An eye for an eye" was originally thought up by Hamurabi in Bablyon. about 1500 years before Moses' time.

starlight wrote: there are many questions that need to be answered which no one has the answer to and probably never will as long as we are alive.
That dear boy is why they call it "Faith" you don't need answers as to why, just to trust that it "is"

It is difficult to read and understand the Bible without some background knowledge: the language of the writer, the audience for which it was written, the culture of the day, the history prior to the writers era, the accumulated fund of knowledge, the ability of the writer and his audience to conceptualize, the prevalent belief systems. The language is a very important issue. Without an understanding of what the author meant it is difficult to get the story.

We must also learn to understand the writing style of the ancients as well as their method of interpretation--called midrash which makes a great deal of use of metaphor.

The writers were tryng to write of their experiences and what they meant to them. This is a very difficult thing to write about. Mostly it requires the use of metaphor.

The Bible is composed of myth, legend, folk tale, short story, fiction, poetry, philosophy, theology and some kernels of history spread throughout. None of this is intended to denigrate the sacred writings for they have much truth to teach.

Shalom

Ted :-6

LOL Being a Christian is not about being religious. Jesus had less then good things to say about the Pharasies. Christ would probably agree with the statement religion is blah.

Peter rejected Christ three times. And I think he also sank when he looked down upon the water.

Even men of extrordanary faith lack faith at times.

Martin Luther according to my pastor once said that his biggest sin was lack of faith.

Lotto

http://com4.runboard.com/blifetheuniver ... ainchat.t7

MagicZ4941A

I'm not going to defend religion or individual churches, they are all man-made and highly fallible. But to paraphrase an old joke, "If your relationship with God is blah, then you ain't doing it right."

skittles, hang in there. I know it must be hard not to have anyone your age to relate to, but there are many wonderful churches out there that teach the word of God and have terrific groups of teens and young adults. Do you have friends that attend churches with good youth programs? Perhaps your mom would let you do some weekly activities with them. Get involved with one of your friends youth groups outside of your church services and then respect your mom and attend your church during services. And then when you are old enough to go to the church of your choice, you will already be involved in one and know a lot of kids your age and the transition will be seamless. I hope everything works out well for you. Remember, God is not religion or denominations. Keep your faith in Him, develop your relationship with Him, and don't let boredom with your church or hypocrisy of other people discourage you from having a life-altering relationship with the Lord. Good luck, dear.

Religion is Still bad for your health if you happen to live in Ireland, Israel,Iran,Iraq and even some parts of the United States.

Skittles, sounds like the church you are "forced" to attend is really really small. How many people are there usually on a Sunday morning and what denomination is it? Is there anything you can do to help out...I've found that when you get bored sitting and listening, it is often more interesting and stimulating to volunteer to help others...like the really young kids.

How old are you, by the way?

Sometimes the only way to improve your situation is to change your perspective.