To wonder if a lot of people who are Christians have had a rather nice life?

But yes, religion can be seen as the opium of the people, used by oppressors to keep people down, used by serfs not to demand their rights in this life. There is s dash of truth if course in it.

Op,

Whatever you do, or don't do, don't be scared of Hell. If there is a God, Islam recognises him as the compassionate, the merciful, Jesus told us to ask for mercy, the Psalms compare him to a mother hen with her brood under her wings. If we forgive our children if they do something silly, how much more would a God of that sort understand us.

And if you can't believe in God, believe in love. If you believe that there is nothing more important, deep down , than love, and you train yourself to act accordingly even when you don't feel like it, then you are doing the most Christ like thing you can do.

Don't forget also that to work is to pray, if you are doing your best. Prayer doesn't come in one form but many, and you can find the way that's best for you and discover you were praying all along.

I've been impressed by your responses, you have not got cross despite considerable opportunity.

And don't worry about feeling suicidal. Sounds an odd thing to say, but lots of us do. Go to see the doctor. And look after yourself.

Tunnocks, will light candles in my mind for you.

Tunnocks, so sorry.

Dear tunnocks. Have been wondering how you are getting on.

YANBU.

prayer and

Oh zing - you don't have to pray to be on the payer thread - we're there through the good and bad and it can be a lovely place to simply offload, so please do feel welcome to. Go easy on yourself - you feel hurt and bewildered, and need to heal. Don't beat yourself up for not feeling able to pray - and remember prayer isn't always sitting down intentionally saying words. It can be a thought, prayer can be a song or tears or a rant. Prayer is what your spirit is doing, and takes different forms for different times.

[Thanks]

I hadn't read the whole thread, didn't know the op had a hard time, I just thought what she said was ignorant. Will have to look back now and find out what made people so angry. Irritated maybe and this is Aibu but on the other hand it's hardly a cat shit in the garden thread.

waves back to mdh

you know I keep skimming the prayer thread, but I just can't bring myself to say "I'll pray for this or that". not yet.
it would feel insincere.

it is sad really
not being able to pray how I used to is unsettling.
like a wedge is driven between God and me, bit like a communication breakdown in any relationship.

Funny thing is that a lot of great things happened since and I have no problem giving thanks and being grategul for the help and the prayers that were answered.
is that weird?

Historically (puts history PhD hat on), there has been a tendency for practising Christians to move higher up the social scale. In the 19th century participation in any movement which denounced drinking, smoking and gambling and emphasised literacy (in order to read Bible) was not unlikely to move people up the social scale somewhat.

I have had a huge amount of unhappiness in my life. My mother was unstable alcoholic, I never knew my biological father, my stepfather was violence and committed suicide in my teens....I'll stop there because I realise I'm beginning to sound like an Eastenders plotline . I became a Christian when I was in my early twenties from an atheist / lapsed Catholic agnostic background. In my experience people become Christians from all sorts of the backgrounds. For obvious reasons I had to work through the 'Why does God allow suffering' stuff very early on. I actually think suffering is a bigger issue for atheism than Christianity. According to an atheist worldview this life is it. This life is all there is - if life deals you a terrible hand then tough - there is no afterlife in which wrongs can be righted. I think this is why there's actually a more noticeable correlation between atheism and affluence. Atheism is very much a modern western phenomenon.

For what its worth, I don't claim there is a tidy Christian answer to why people suffer. But Christianity does assume that God has given us to ability to chose, and to make choices which hurt ourselves and others. It also says that God hasn't left alone in our suffering - God became man in the person of Jesus and experienced the full range of human suffering - betrayal, torture, false accusations, death, even the sense of Godforsakeness. Also in my experience God can bring good out of bad if we work with him (I fully appreciate it doesn't always feel like that though). Personally I'm also not someone who feels the need to restrict the afterlife to people who die with 'Christian' stamped on their foreheads, because God is both merciful and just. I think there's hope for everyone.

Waves to Zing

Thank you gingerdodger

It is difficult to see where God is sometimes isn't it. It's why my faith isn't one simplistic lines of God makes things better for Christians. No. Shit still happens. One of the most powerful books I have read about faith and suffering is a book called The Hiding Place by Corrie Tenboom who was a Dutch Christian who hid Jews from the Nazis and ended up at Ravensbruck. Her account of her faith being unshakeable in the absolute hideousness of the Holocaust goes so much deeper than any pat answer possibly can.

God doesn't always stop bad stuff but is in the bad stuff ime. It's deep in the pain I find God with me - Alongside and suffering with me. Profound, illogical yes, but a faith that works and works again.

turgiday

that is what a lot of people struggle to understand and find hard yo accept.

it's our choice to decide whether to trust God despite anything that might/have happen/ed
it's not easy.

Not long ago I felt I was just incapable of praying because something I had prayed for a long time didn't happen and won't happen. I was angry and sad and disappointed.
I was sulking and felt betrayed by Him.
I know I'm wrong, but I still feel "stung".

it's hard to trust when bad things happen or things don't go our way.

I have no answer as I'm also looking for one.

(I do find myself praying every now & then, which is a nice surprise. but it's going to take time to believe in the power of prayer again..)

I don't believe that God is there for all of us. Many people have terrible things happen again and again in their life. Where was God then?

It is hard to generalise about Christians and their background and challenges and motivation of their faith (just as it is about other faiths or none). None of us can see into their hearts and what we know of their lives is just superficial often.

What I do know is that God is their for us all, rich, poor, healthy or unhealthy, happy or sad. The common part is that we believe God is calling us and we have to listen. It's not always easy and there are many obstacles on the way but also much fulfillment.

I am sorry you are having a difficult time OP,please be reassured that you are not alone and these times will test your faith, but can also strengthen it. You may need to find a faith community where you feel comfortable and happy.

PS Madhairday sorry you are unwell, hope you are better soon, your words are always wise.

I'm out pram shopping at the moment so cant post a link, but there is a bbc story about Maerdy (the place in Wales I made reference to) that you may be able to google.

Yes you might have ouryve. But it is true that in the UK amongst white people, poorer white people are less likely to be Christians.

YABU. I've known plenty of have had pretty tough lives.

I have come back to this thread to find Christian people still feeling "insulted", still having a go at the poor lady who originally posted. There is nothing wrong with her post in the first instance. OP I am praying for you and myself this day. Really, I cannot imagine Christ, who Christians are supposed to be trying to imitate would talk to this lady in such a hurtful way!!!