How to return to Christian beliefs?

[ANewLifeIsMine]

Maybe the title of this thread is misleading.

I am middle aged. As a child I was Christened and went to Sunday School.

In my early youth my parents vehemently decided that suddenly they did not believe in God, and we were taken out of Sunday School and no longer attended church, with the exception of Christenings, Marriages and Funerals.

It would be true to say that my childhood was difficult. It was one of those upper middle class childhoods whereby your DCs are a badge of honour. We were brought out and displayed to make my parents look good, though as parents they were hands off, unless we did something very right that they could show off, or very wrong for which they could admonish us. Religious beliefs were scorned.

However, I feel strongly that God has never left me. I believe in the God my Grandparents spoke of, and the valuable lessons I learned through them e.g. do unto others.

I believe that God is in everything, not just churches.

My own relationship with God has been remote, but I have always felt that he is with me.

I see my return to faith as a very personal thing, I neither want, nor need, to go to church. As I said, I believe that God is everywhere.

How do I return to my Christian faith? In a chaotic world, how do I learn more about the lessons of the bible?

I do not want to go on a formal course. As I say, my relationship with God is very personal. I'm asking; how do I enhance, enrich and grow my faith further? How do I pray, for example?

Apologies for the length of this post. I'm serious about this and would be grateful for any serious answers.

But none of those say he me the man Jesus do they. They variously discuss Jesus Christ (so after he ascended where I think it would be agreed he had become different to the man Jesus)

it mostly talks actually about God and receiving information directly from the Father

At this point Paul was channelling the spirit- it’s almost like he was a Spiritualist.

I Corinthians - Paul literally talking about seeing God after he was born again seems to have been hit with an ego explosion - he’s greater than all the other apostles, seems to quite literally have a god complex “I am what I am”

Yes

@OMG12,

"At this point Paul was channelling the spirit- it’s almost like he was a Spiritualist."

The only thing is how are the Spiritual Church discerning between Spirit and spirits? That is, which is in unity/is at one with God? I'm not a member of The Spiritualist Church - I don't know.

You’ll have to ask a spiritualist. But usually any tradition that contacts spirts has a mechanism for protection and ensuring/identifying what they are contacting

@OMG12, it just gives me a feeling of unease, I know too many people who have been deeply disturbed by dabbling in occult practices. Some extremely frightening experiences by all accounts. Not somewhere where, I personally, would wish to venture light heartedly. I feel much more secure in Christ.

Oh sorry, I didn’t realise there was just one God of the bible. Adonai/Lord.

The God of Israel goes by many names @OMG12, including the ones you've mentioned - Yahweh/YHWH/Jehovah ("I am who I am"), El Shaddai (God Almighty), El Olam (everlasting/eternal God), El Elyon (God Most High), El Roi (God who sees me) + a lot of others. Same God, different meanings. Then we could add all the names for Jesus too - Emmanuel (God with us), Saviour, Redeemer, Deliverer, Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach, Lion of Judah, Cornerstone, Chief Shepherd, Counsellor, Rabbi/Teacher, Prince of Peace etc etc.

Elohim (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים, romanized: 'Ĕlōhīm), the plural of אֱלוֹהַּ‎ (ʾĔlōah), is a Hebrew word meaning "gods" or "godhood". Although the word is plural, in the Hebrew Bible it most often takes singular verbal or pronominal agreement and refers to a single deity, particularly the God of Israel. In other verses it refers to the singular gods of other nations or to deities in the plural.
(Wikipedia)

I can understand that. Unfortunately too many people wander into (what they think) are occult practices without adhering to some vital basic safeguards or knowledge of what they’re wandering into.

There’s some interesting research over the origins of El and Yahweh:YHVH originating in different cults and then both being included into the Hebrew Scriptures to appease both.

we could be here all night about Elohim

YHVH is the unpronounceable name of God

Ehyeh means I am

The names of gods in the OT are likely a result of the amalgamation of many different belief systems/stories.

any tradition that contacts spirts has a mechanism for protection and ensuring/identifying what they are contacting

@OMG12 How is this possible when even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light? He is the father of lies. Spiritual discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

And yes, you have ruffled some feathers, although I am sorry if my posts come across as combative.

The names of gods in the OT are likely a result of the amalgamation of many different belief systems/stories.

What are you basing that assumption on @OMG12 ?

Don't be put off joining a church with a predominantly elderly congregation.

I am a churchwarden in an evangelical Anglican church, with the full age demographic. My favourite service is the midweek one where I am youngest by at least 10 years. I love these people - they are so wise in the Christian faith. On a practical level, a younger person has so much to offer, and on a spiritual level, so much to learn. You also help keep the church alive, serving your wider community.

"Unfortunately too many people wander into (what they think) are occult practices without adhering to some vital basic safeguards or knowledge of what they’re wandering into."

@OMG12, in the interests of those asking questions like the OP, what would your advice be to those thinking of exploring occult (as in hidden) esoteric spirituality more safely, to avoid the kind of more disturbing 'dabbling' I talked about upthread? I mean people will be starting out as beginners to some degree. How can that be done safely?

Not thinking of this myself. As I said I feel most secure in Christ...but you did mention some important sounding safeguards. Might be good for those thinking of exploring to know more about this.

There’s lots of scholarly research around this.
Yahweh versus El

Look at the tales of Gilgamarsh etc etc

the literal demonisation of Babylon

Read (a lot), find a system that you click with. Make contacts with experienced practitioners. Learn spiritual
protection. Don’t just try summoning spirits.

This is a good place to start to explore western escoteric beliefs

"Read (a lot), find a system that you click with. Make contacts with experienced practitioners. Learn spiritual
protection. Don’t just try summoning spirits."

@OMG12, sounds like what the Christian church openly provides. 🙂 Where does the esoteric / occult element come in?

Fascinating.

I'm 100% atheist. I was forged from the atoms of the universe; and that's where my atoms will return.

I cannot explain why I have consciousness, but it disappears every night as I sleep and reignites when I awake. Til one day, it doesn't.

My genetics, presumably, have directed me to an understanding that it's in everyone's interests that I assist other humans rather than conflict with them. That cooperation is a better course of action.

Tho I can completely see why 'religion':

It provides behavioural and societal rules and frameworks. It encourages control and compliance over others. It provides a sense of 'who's in and who's out' -Tribalism. We like that. It subjugates 100% those pesky Wimmin. It gives weak people power and wealth.

There is and are no gods. No heaven, no hell. There are only atoms. Blue sky above us.

Oh, and I should have added, religion and, it appears, spiritualism, provides comfort against the existential crisis if:

Is this it?

Yes, it is. This is it. However much we so desperately need our little existences to MEAN more, we're still just a bunch of randomly, but cleverly 😉 arranged atoms slowing us a brief, bright trajectory across the universe.

We came from nothing, we will return to it.

Make the most of it; ignore the 'before' and 'after', however compelling they seem in the pursuit of 'meaning'.

That, you would need to find out yourself. Occult just means “hidden”., it’s not anything evil, that was bad PR from the established church. In fact much of it does have links to a Christianity.it’s up to the seeker to find it. Esoteric means for the few so most won’t click with it.

This seems like splitting hairs. What does it matter where the origins of various names come from? I know which God I worship, as did the writers of the Old Testament.
I like these verses -

"Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist."
(1 Corinthians 8:4-6)

I don’t agree with you 100% but you have put forward your position very eloquently

"It encourages control and compliance over others"

@Fordian

How do you reconcile this belief of your's with themes of unity within Christianity? Unity is the opposite of the tribalism you talk about.

"Is this it?

Yes, it is. This is it. However much we so desperately need our little existences to MEAN more, we're still just a bunch of randomly, but cleverly 😉 arranged atoms slowing us a brief, bright trajectory across the universe.

We came from nothing, we will return to it."

But those atoms don't disappear do they? They just rearrange...

We came from nothing, we will return to it.

Quite insightful @Fordian I wonder if you've ever heard Genesis 3:19, it's very similar -

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

"That, you would need to find out yourself. Occult just means “hidden”., it’s not anything evil, that was bad PR from the established church. In fact much of it does have links to a Christianity.it’s up to the seeker to find it. Esoteric means for the few so most won’t click with it."

@OMG12, yes, but how are you separating between what is exoteric and what esoteric? Within mainstream Christianity, each individual has a personal/individual relationship and engagement with God - they each have to seek Him. So how is that not esoteric?

Similarly what you are denoting as esoteric requires studies and safety precautions/practices and advice from experienced practitioners. There are books widely available. How is that not also exoteric?