Anyone found God/prayers but still reject organised religion?

[RoroNoa]

I feel lost. I feel empty. And sometimes there's something deep down in my chest that tells me to pray. To just cry and pray.

But I was brought up catholic in a school with creepy priests and mean nuns. Priests that preached doing the right thing whilst defrauding the school of money. Scandals etc.

And the whole bible thing doesn't sit right with me. It was written by men and I don't trust it or believe too much in there.

I don't like churches. I don't like judgement

But I feel like something is missing from my heart.

Can I ignore everything I was brought up with. Not have communion. Not have confession.

But just talk to God and try to do better in my life??

@RoroNoa

"I don't feel like I wnat to put a name to it though. I don't want to be a 'xyz' and live by the constraints and rules of an individual religion"

++++

Wonderful comment that I can totally relate to .

@Authorinwaiting One of my friends at the time was a Bahá’í and she gave me some material to read, but it was so long ago, I don't know where they came from. I read about Buddhism and Hinduism, but quite surface-level, this was the 80s so couldn't just Google these things!

The first book I read was Shirley Maclaine's 'Out on a Limb'. This might be a bit too New Age and woo-woo for some people, but what I got from this book is that we are free to do our own research, take a pick-and-mix approach if you like, which was a revelation to me at the time. (I mean, at Catholic school they obviously don't teach you that). She also looked into Eastern philosophies, which encouraged me to look into Buddhism.

One book I have come across recently and wish I'd known about at the time is Revelations of Divine Love, written by Julian of Norwich in about the 1400s. This woman lived in Norwich and had a severe illness in her 30s. As a priest was giving her the last rites she had a series of visions, or revelations, which she wrote down years later. Basically it was a near-death experience, but the God that she perceived was totally at odds with the God she had come to fear at church. This was a loving, non-judgemental God and more feminine than masculine. Now I don't know how easy this is to read, being written in Middle English, I have bought it but haven't started it yet. I originally saw a BBC documentary about it and it's on Youtube somewhere (Julian of Norwich - the Search for the Lost Manuscript) - it's a fascinating story!

My father was very spiritual, although not religious. He moved away from the religion he was brought up in. Every time he wanted to talk to God he would go for a walk outside. He often told me "God is everywhere and nowhere"

I think that you an op @RoroNoa are feeling the pull of the Holy Spirit. The bible says that God calls us and brings us into a relationship with him and that’s what he’s doing for you both. He is at the door of your heart knocking.

For me, it was a particular album that a family member kept playing, every time I’d hear it I’d well up. That was my “saving grace” moment

You don’t need to have all the answers now. Just ask God to meet with you and make himself real to you. You can also ask him for the Holy Spirit to lead you and help you understand him. I’d encourage you to read the bible stating in the book of John. because I promise you will hear God and feel him and realise he’s been calling you for a while. The call is just getting louder. I’d also encourage you to find a good church, doesn’t need to be catholic. Go around as the right one will help you with we’re you’re at.

You absolutely don’t need to attend church regularly to talk to God. Would suggest having a read about the hermit saints- they managed it living caves and in the desert!

Just be open in your heart and see what happens. Give yourself the chance to
meet God in other places, like the natural world or in doing things for others. Maybe you’ll end up in a church somehow, maybe you won’t. Both are fine.

I wouldn’t feel obliged to go on some sort of speed-dating church tour. If you don’t want to attend church now, don’t do it. I know well how one can feel like a believer among atheists and like an atheist among believers, so don’t push it if it doesn’t feel right.

Would recommend some of Rowan Williams writing about religion as well.

@Twiggylet, thank you. As I said I do attend church (and pray and read the Bible). I am Christian. 🙂

I feel this too OP, or similar. Brought up atheist but about 20 years ago really felt like God’s presence moved into me. Did various Christian spiritual practices that I loved. Really felt like God was there in me as a comforting, listening presence. I liked it. It felt like something that had been missing was now there.

Going to church got rid of all that. I just could not believe. I don’t think creation is good, I can’t believe god answers prayers because of all the unanswered prayers, I can’t believe god intervenes in the world because of all the terrible suffering, I found trying to discern god’s will etc a real head fuck, and ultimately I can’t rely on something else to sort out my car crash of my life.

I haven’t found any spiritual path as they all rely on you believing an external force will guide you. And I just can’t believe that.

I really miss that comforting presence though and I often really wish I could believe.

I'm agnostic. I was raised C of E.

My problem lies with the immense judgement that the church has. I would say I am spiritual, I love the idea of Guardian Angels walking with us, but with some Buddhism thrown in.

Anyhoo, when I pray I pray to 'higher power/higher being', the one', 'the universe', sometimes I even name lots of Gods, depends on how I am feeling,

Just go with what feels right. There's no right or wrong way to talk to 'something/someone' ...

x

You sound similar to me. I was raised in a Christian family. As an adult I have decided that I believe that there is some kind of greater being / creator, but I do not believe the Bible is the word of God, I don’t enjoy going to Church, I don’t believe that Jesus came back from the dead, I don’t believe in all the religious ceremonies etc. I have my own personal faith/beliefs and I do sometimes pray and get comfort in this.

If you really had to put a label on it - I am an Agnostic Theist.

Just have a personal relationship
with God, meditate/pray. You don’t need some other person to intercede on your behalf. Religion is a man made construct. Nothing to do with God.

I was brought up with some loose religion, went to Sunday School etc. I still have some faith, but I've had enough of church and church people. Some good work is done by churches, but it seems to me a lot of the people just aren't very nice. Often they seem to think going to church regularly absolves them from any responsibility to behave decently.

I prayed last night and asked for a sign that he is real and that he wants me to live a better life.

Today for just 5 mins on the way home there was a rainstorm and the biggest, most vivid rainbow I've ever seen.

Even writing this is making me think I've gone mad.

Logically thousands of people would have seen that rainbow and it would have been there regardless of what I said last night.

And even thinking of how the rainbow is a symbol of the Bible makes me angry. That God would murder everybody on earth then make a rainbow to promise we won't ever do it again.

Abusive much?

It's all so confusing 😭

God is not confined, defined or refined by the church.

Is class myself as spiritualist these days, I pray, give thanks, call in angels, guides, ancestors, loved ones, follow the seasons and celebrate solstices etc.
I work with Mother Nature and try to meditate there.
I do believe in the Christ light that’s within all of us, and in Jesus etc however I also believe in say Hindu gods and also work with Goddess Kali a lot.
I mentioned this on another thread today - I was brought up religious family and schools, turned away from it, then life went down hill, and May way back was taking Ayahuasca - which directly connects you to your spirit self.
Since then, I’ve been connected to source, and it gives me great comfort.

I have found that God and religion are two vastly different things. God created us in His image so that we could have a rich spiritual relationship with Him. Whereas religion is when humans created God in their image so they could manipulate and shape the kind of god they want to follow and "love". So religion... is a cheap substitute for God, and is a dependence on rules, dogma, biblical mistranslations galore and lacking input from God's Spirit.

As I said in another post, I have found that God and religion are two vastly different things. God created us in His image so that we could have a rich spiritual relationship with Him. Whereas religion is when humans created God in their image so they could manipulate and shape the kind of god they want to follow and "love". So religion... is a cheap substitute for God, and is a dependence on rules, dogma, and biblical mistranslations in order to please their god, and of course is lacking input from God's Spirit.

Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within. It is not in church buildings, or in religion. It is anywhere we are, because it resides inside our hearts. Inside the hearts of those who invite God in. There are no special words that are needed. No special prayers. Just sincerity.

God is Spirit. He promises to be with you forever. You don't have to twist yourself in knots to please Him. He loves you as you are and will help you grow spiritually as you learn to trust Him. He will guide your life as you learn that He can be trusted. I have learned the hard way, and am still learning, that He knows me very well, and knows much better than I what would be the best direction for my life. (Psalm 139) He can see what is around the corner, whereas I can't. He will have your back. He will help you get through the muck that has been created through all the mistranslations of scripture out there. He will help you begin to understand what He really intended to say... as He is the author of the original scripts after all! ~ <3

Have a look at the trypraying website or app if you want to talk to God. Open the Bible yourself and let God speak to you directly, try Luke or John.

I do the same. I don't believe in a God, per se, but instead believe in the collective energy of the universe that links us all.