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

I don't know about most Christians but I have had a pretty rough life, tbh.

I was bullied horrendously all through school. I was sexually abused for many years. I was sexually assaulted multiple times, again at school. I suffered from eating disorders for over 20 years. My first husband was a womaniser and an emotional abuser, my second husband was a violent, emotionally abusive alcoholic drug user. 3 of my kids have ASD. We live in grinding poverty and now I have 2 life long illnesses which leave me in constant pain and completely exhausted amongst other things.

Despite it all, God is a strong presence in my life, helping me to cope with everything. If it wasn't for my faith, I don't think that I would have survived.

I think your thread is an interesting one OP but more from the angle of how do we feel about God when bad things happen to us.

I've always been to church but can only take 2 of my 3 DC as DS2 has a disability which means that even in the side room he's too noisy and physical to be there. That makes me wonder what I'm doing at church at all.DC1 also has a disability (different one to his brother) and I have experienced many times of deep grief for both my DC and felt very angry at the world. Sometimes I have raged against God but I think that if he does exist,he would understand and forgive as he would recognise my pain.

Don't be hard on yourself for not feeling able to pray or unsure if you believe.Hope you find the answers your looking for.x

I know some Christians who are outwardly as you describe but I'm sure they'll have their own problems. The most devout Christians I know grew up in abject poverty and are only marginally better off now (not UK before I get the no poverty here line). Many of them attend a church that I would regard as having a very evangelical way of worshiping.

Subtleplans, it's your post that I find insulting actually. You insist on making your point when the op has asked a curious question based on her own personal experiences. You listen to her struggle emotionally and respond like that? I stopped going to church because I couldn't bear to worship alongside those who were quick to take offense but never quick to follow the teachings of Jesus.

the post above, I mean

wha a shitty thing to say subtle

toad, that was also my experience. Evangelical house-churches and happy-clappy CUs are great if your life is going well. When my life went tits up I found traditional C of E worship much more rewarding and fulfilling.

So you post a glib and insulting post, defend your point of view all evening, and come back this morning to tell us that you are suicidal and it's our fault you can't find faith?

Maybe go and talk to a minister?

All of the Christians that I know are poor. But perhaps that's because most of the people that I know are. I'm not acquainted with anyone who's "white, middle class, privately educated, university graduates, plenty of money, nice jobs, one SAHM." Maybe it's down to your social circle?

The Archbishop of York is also a refugee (although not specifically because of his religion).

I don't post a lot but I wanted to share this. This man had a son murdered, survived an assassination attempt on him and his wife and had to flee his country because of his religion. Instead of losing his faith, he wrote a prayer asking God to forgive his sons murderers. When I think of his life and what he must have gone through, I almost get a tear in my eye.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1918728/The-Rt-Rev-Hassan-Dehqani-Tafti.html

in my experience where i live its usually the opposite. im a christian, ive seen so many people convert to christianity and God has totally turned their broken lives around... this is the way it was in the gospels too. christianity is for everyone, no matter what their circumstances... the middle class have their own problems they need God for even if its not financially

I agree with you to a large extent, though I think it's a particular kind of Christianity that educated, middle/upper class people tend to favour.

I was in the CU at uni (no longer in the faith...) , and it was populated and pretty much ran by privately educated, wealthy undergraduates, most of these young people were brought up in Christian homes. Id say although practising Christians still a minority in the overall uni population,students from wealthier backgrounds definitely made a higher proportion of the Christian population.

The type of Christianity favoured at Oxbridge/Redbrick unis tended to be very biblical based, evangelical, lots of study of bible etc...

Of course, background, or religion, doesn't really have a bearing on who may experience personal illness/family death etc then of course have a pretty hard life.

Saying this, the evangelical Christians did tend to have more success converting the more vulnerable students they preyed on (mental health problems, socially awkward) than the overall student population. There were some brilliant, lovely Christians I met who now have low paid jobs in foo banks, charities etc out of desire to help, but I'm so glad I'm out of it!

ancient thank you. Yes I find the chaplains helpful as well. There are some lovely ones here, have met the c of e one but dh has met the Catholic one and a Muslim one and thinks they are wonderful. An amazing ministry.

I haven't read the whole thread, but I would say that on the contrary, many people that have a cushy life and devote themselves to making money turn away from spirituality.
My family went through very hard times, it was our faith that kept us going.

I'm a christian. Had verry shitty things happen tl me actually. I am probably the oposote of the family in you're op. Christianity helped get me through the bad times.

When I was younger, I went to CU and also went to the sort of churches that CU's tend to be associated with, ie, lots of ministry time, emotional songs and so on. Nothing wrong with it, but after a while, it just wasn't right for me. I ended up at a far more trad church, and found that the old-fashioned service, requiring a less emotional, more contemplative approach was what I needed.

I suspect a lot of people in my situation stop going ro church, thinking they have lost their faith, not realizing that Christianity has always had many forms of expression.

I do hope you find some peace soon. Take it slowly and easy on yourself.

Oh stillliving. One step at a time. Would you like us to pray for you? It's easier to be prayed for, than to pray, sometimes.

stillliving I'm so sorry to hear you are feeling this way. I think most people who responded did so from the viewpoint of trying to defend themselves or Christians they knew but in mo way thinking you were being offensive. If you want to discuss it more in a safe place you are welcome over on the prayer or chat threads on the philosophy and religion board (can't do links as on phone) - all welcome of faith or not.

I'm so sad you're hurting. But actually I've found your thread encouraging, to hear of Christians living in brokenness and holding to faith, not out of desperation, superstition or lower intellect but because they have found that faith works. And that's what I have found again and again.

Thinking of you op. Feel free to PM if you want to talk off board. I've all the time in the world sat in hospital.

Adsy,

I sometimes have my doubts about the existence of God, but I simply know that Father Christmas is real. After all, who drinks the sherry and eats the mince pies?

Just to add in response to the Christian union stuff - I didn't attend my Christian union because I didn't feel I would fit in (non Christian parents, insecure self harming 18 year old, shitty upbringing).

Ime many students who attend cu see it as a really important way of meeting together and carrying on fellowship in the same way they did as the youth of their church. There are also many many Christians at university who don't go I imagine.