Greetings!

[Amaranth]

Hello all. I'm a 31/F from FL who recently accepted Christ. I always identified myself as 'raised Christian', had a cursory belief as a child, but strayed from the path in my teens & 20s. In that time, I dabbled in everything from Wicca to LaVey Satanism to agnosticism. I was very dissatisfied through that period of my life, and have been through much pain at the hands of others and my own poor choices. I cried out to God in sheer desperation, for relief from my pain, but since then (in the past several months), I've also been seeking the correct path that God wants me to follow. With so many viewpoints & interpretations out there, even within what I always considered 'orthodox' Christianity, I have many questions and concerns. I'm willing to accept God on His own terms now, even if some of His ways seem confusing and honestly, perhaps downright unfair to me right now. I'll listen to all comers and pray for the discernment and wisdom to heed the correct advice. I used to live in a world of strife where it was just "Christians Vs. Heathens', with me being the 'heathen', but now I feel like I have to contend with differing opinions within the Christian community....(Hyper Calvinism?, The conention over 'Emergent' Christianty'? 'Discount Grace'? These are just a couple of new terms I've come across).

I thought it was all pretty simple at first: Accept the fact that you are a sinner who needs forgiveness, which God provided through his Son Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Then cultivate a relationship with God and strive to resist further sinning through help from God. Do I have it wrong? Is there more to it?

Predestination, which I read about earlier tonight, especially freaked me out a little. I didn't know much about it, but it seems like a terribly unfair concept (God dooming people to hell before they are born? Do I have it right?)- Makes me feel insecure in my own salvation. I am willing to accept even the harshest truths now, I'm not going to go for sugar-coating if it isn't the truth.

Sorry I introduced myself with so many questions and concerns right off the bat. I just started attending a church, but don't know the pastor quite well enough yet to request one on one time, and I'd also like differing takes on this issue so I can pray about it and decide for myself.

-Mandy

 

[Spitfire]

Predestination is one of the most hotly debated issues on this forum.

Stick around and you will surely hear plenty from both those who uphold predestination as a logical consequence of God's omniscience and those who disavow it in favor of what they call "open theism."

 

[Dena]

Hi Mandy, welcome to TOL.

 

[Amaranth]

Thanks for the welcome. Maybe trying to tackle a a theologically thorny issue like predestination is something I should hold off on as a new Christian, but I'll definitely listen to what other's have to write about it here. Right now, I'm most concerned with knowing God on the most fundamental levels.
Since I volunteer for a charity that provides Christian books to prisoners (Christian books of varying and sometimes conflicting theological viewpoints), I've gotten exposed to some of these ideas and maybe I should just start with the basics. I've always been a thinker and into logic and spirituality, (the logic part is probably why I find myself attracted to theology) but now I need to switch those gears over to a Christian worldview.

 

[Spitfire]

Since I volunteer for a charity that provides Christian books to prisoners (Christian books of varying and sometimes conflicting theological viewpoints), I've gotten exposed to some of these ideas and maybe I should just start with the basics. I've always been a thinker and into logic and spirituality, (the logic part is probably why I find myself attracted to theology) but now I need to switch those gears over to a Christian worldview.

Everyone seems to agree that it's about accepting that Christ is your savior who died for your sins and those of the whole world. And while some will insist that really is all there is too it, those same people will then embroil themselves in fierce debate over what exactly it means and what one must do (or not do!) in order to "accept" Christ, and what has happened with all those in the world who will not be "saved." That is where things immediately start to become more complicated even before all the controversy over what each word of scripture really means and what to do when contradiction is perceived.

You need to pray. Vain is the help of men. And decide for yourself who seems to plead the strongest case.

 

[Stripe]

:wave:

Welcome to TOL, Mandy. Predestination is child's play for us.

 

[Dena]

Thanks for the welcome. Maybe trying to tackle a a theologically thorny issue like predestination is something I should hold off on as a new Christian, but I'll definitely listen to what other's have to write about it here. Right now, I'm most concerned with knowing God on the most fundamental levels.
Since I volunteer for a charity that provides Christian books to prisoners (Christian books of varying and sometimes conflicting theological viewpoints), I've gotten exposed to some of these ideas and maybe I should just start with the basics. I've always been a thinker and into logic and spirituality, (the logic part is probably why I find myself attracted to theology) but now I need to switch those gears over to a Christian worldview.

Perhaps you do need to start at the beginning but you shouldn't let go of your curiosity and quest for logic just because you are now a Christian.