I understand you here, I have a similar feeling, I think I take it less literal. I see the Jesus, also as a symbol for love, which is is sometimes harder to see in the old testament. I think we need softness, sacrifice, love, to understand God, I think that's what it means. Not ONLY pray to Jesus. I pray to God directly. Saints. Mary. It's intermediary praying. And every souls has a different character. You can also pray via deceased family.Exit wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 8:43 am My only real gripe with the bible, and Christianity, is that it proclaims one has to go through the son to reach God. This is extremely disheartening to me. I can’t force myself to believe in Jesus dying for our sins and that to be ‘saved’ I have to. And I have tried! It just does not sit right with me. I would be a liar if I started praying to Jesus and not directly to God, I’d be trying to fool myself and I’ve never been able to do that nor would I want to. This is my main problem.
The other problem is being told, via the Ten Commandments, how I should live my life. I already knew those rules in my soul, my heart. If they aren’t written for those of us born with this intuition, who are they written for? The psychopaths? If so, what good will they do, the psychopaths aren’t going to take any notice. And the world is being controlled by them (my personal belief).
You seem to take it very literal. Jesus can also mean to say: to understand God you need to get close to me.
The 10 commandments is not the essence of Good living. It's the words, like you say, which we feel in ourselves. God's will in words. I think you need to see it in perspective.
Reading the bible doesn't mean reading 100 times the 10 commandments per day. It's part of giving words to God's creation. Like all the other texts. Just the 10 commandments don't make us grow as humans.
I could be wrong here. But I see this a lot, many people around me refuse to read the bible for in my opinion futile reasons. And they are extremely convinced about it. It's either obsession about some story. Or a belief. And based on that throwing all away.
Why should I read fairy tales? So Jesus can walk on water how does that work?
I know about Good and Bad why do I need the bible?
How does sitting in a church every week make me a good man?
So if I confess, my sins will be forgiven? That's easy!
And I feel I have zero impact on them. Close friends that I trust and they trust me I won't convince.
Let alone anonymous people on a forum.
I guess it's very personal. Free will.
I have been that guy for many years. And then it changed and I opened up.
Not because 1 person convinced me of something. Are debunked something. It's not just a rational calling.
It's also spiritual.
I can just say there is something there.