Quote:
Originally Posted by rubicon
This big puzzle you speak of confronts us all. I left home at the age of 17 believing I had been conditioned to think and act a certain way. I vowed to strip myself of all previous dogma and to begin again as sort a rebirth. Like you I have studied and stayed open to and respect every ideology, except that which we broadly define as evil. People like me (pragmatic, naturalist, objective leaning, science based) cannot enter faith as a child because we cannot surrender ourselves. so what makes us good makes us bad but that is our DNA makeup. I do pray and I do obey the 10 commandments because my senses tell me these are good things to do. I do not lie or steal or covet my neighbors goods because my senses tell me they are bad things for me and for society and most importantly I always wanted to set good example for my children. I advanced my education my career. I sacrificed and suffered pain and disappointment in silence. these are things good parents do. My mother once told me that of all her children I had the purest heart ...lucky for me it was over the phone at the time and for obvious reasons. Just as a mother knows her children's heart I suspect a God of love knows his childrens' hearts and in knowing their heart he will know their destinations , if that be the truth
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Can I ask? Did you start off RC by any chance?
I appreciate your sharing and I'm always interested in the paths people have been on. You sound like a very good person. I have a book by Andy Stanley that I lend out called "How Good is Good Enough?"
It's very interesting. Basically it comes down to we can't be good enough. That's why Christ came. Only he was able to keep the whole Law where we could not. Only He was able to satisfy God's attribute of Justice. Only He was able to satisfy God's wrath over sinful mankind. Somebody had to do it because we were ALL destined for judgment because we have ALL broken God's law. You break a law here, you go to jail. You break God's law, you go before the judge and suffer the consequences which basically is a Godless eternity or what we normally call Hell.
Your description about being objective, pragmatic, science leaning etc...is also a description of my son. He is a Neuro Scientist Ph.D and is a very very strong Christian. I could tell you stories about what he's up against in the Science World. He's definitely an oddity in today's world but in yesteryear, it wasn't uncommon to be a Scientist and a Christian. Many well known Scientists were Christians back in the day. Today it isn't normative.
Keep in mind tho...we are NOT all God's children. Only those who are called by His name and are following Him are. We are all his creation but not all his children. I would suggest you read the whole book of John . Read one chapter a day and you'll be done in three weeks. And pray over it. it could be life changing for you. If you consider doing so, I'll be a prayer warrior on your behalf. We'll see if God shows up big and strong in your life and you will envy no more because He will be a reality to you.