/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

>>702577

I'm worried that I'd take advantage of the communtiy aspect of the church, which I desperately crave to be involved in. I'm all alone in this world aside from my Mother and God. I don't think I could ever wholeheartedly accept that Christ absolved me of my sins, or a small handful of other Christian values. Can faith be developed? I used to have a great deal of faith but recent times have taken most of my faith from me.

>>702580

>I'm worried that I'd take advantage of the communtiy aspect of the church

That isn't "taking advantage", if you mean that in some sort of pejorative sense. That's you, as a human being, seeking what is very much natural to it. It's a good thing, even without faith. Not everyone who goes to Church has faith, and that's ok.

>accept that Christ absolved me of my sins

You should be aware that there are different theories of atonement, and different interpretations of the significance of his death on the cross based on which denomination you belong to, and even within denominations different Church Fathers interpreted this doctrine differently. Don't stress over this, with time and study you will familiarize yourself with the Christian worldview. I'm sure you already have some idea in your mind of what this worldview is, but I would advise you not to take it for granted that your current understanding is correct. You may have many misconceptions, and only time and patience will bring you to more knowledge.

>Can faith be developed?

Absolutely. I mean, in a sense it's more of a gift, at least I see it that way, but are actions do lead us to it. I didn't have it for a long time. It took a lot of different things for it to finally dawn on me, like study, reflection, examining viewpoints of other faiths, reading of the scriptures, seeing my own flaws and imperfections etc. C.S. Lewis actually helped me a lot with that, his fiction even more so than his nonfiction. I think I was just "ripe" for faith once I finally got around to reading Lewis, and a lot of things connected for me that didn't connect for me before.

You might be called to the contemplative life. Ever considered becoming a Monk? It's hard work. You need to pray 7 times a day every day along with doing chores to maintain your monastery, but it's a life separated from society and gives you structure and meaning.

>>702597

lmao OP is just getting his feet wet with Christianity and you're telling him to be a monk? This board, man…I'm sure you mean well but wow

>>702601

Thomas Merton went straight from atheism to becoming a Trappist Monk, one of the most disciplined orders within Catholicism. There is no "getting your feet wet" in Christianity, you either devote your life to God or you do not. Stop spreading modernist tripe like the idea it's ok to visit Church and "get a feel" for it like you're shopping around for a social club.

>>702602

Whoa take her easy there, fella. You have to exercise some discernment. It's pretty obvious from OPs post that he isn't ready for something that extreme, I'm just adjusting my answer to his circumstance. Those circumstances could change very quickly, he could be hit with sudden inspiration or soaring faith, but until that happens I'm just offering him advice that seems reasonable and adapted to him. I think telling him to become a monk is way over the top given what he said. The Apostles didn't go around telling everyone to give up everything and become a monk, they preached patience and persistence in faith.

>>702567

> Could I call myself a Christian?

A Christian is someone who believes Jesus to be the Son of God, and who follows His commandments. If you don't meet these requirements, then you're not a Christian.

>>702580

> Can faith be developed?

Yes, definitely:

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

- Romans 10:17

I recommend you to read the Bible daily, and to pray to God daily. You can ask Him to help you grow in faith.

I also recommend you to focus on this verse:

"If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

- John 7:17

Faith is something I definitely struggled with. I've watched quite a lot of debates between Christians and atheists, but it only builds intellectual faith (which is definitely not a bad thing, but it's not enough). I believe saving faith to grow mostly as a result of experience.

>>702567

You can call yourself a Christian if you can safely say the following:

>I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

>And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, Begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made:

>Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man;

>And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried;

>And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures;

>And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father;

>And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.

>And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets;

>And I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

>I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.

>I look for the Resurrection of the dead,

>And the Life of the age to come. Amen.

If you disagree with any of these propositions, you should not claim to be Christian.

>I acknowledge the same god that they do but just not in name.

What does that even mean?

>>702567

My advice would be to go to your priest/minister/whatever religious authority you have and talk to him for a bit. Get his email and set up a date where you can go over problems you're having. That's what I did when going to church the first time anyway (also secular upbringing) and he was very nice and set a lot of things straight