As an Evangelican, I find it hard to stay faithful at times.
Well mostly a lot. I'm an evangelican teenager, and have not been baptized. Each month I see young people like me getting baptized. Some even 3 years younger than me. Whenever I see someone getting baptized I feel I'm being left behind. Following your religion is hard, especially if your a teen. I find it hard to follow what a true evangelican has to do. In the religion I follow you cannot wear pants, no drugs, no alcohol, cannot watch television, no concerts, no sex, no swearing, no jewelry, no make-up, we cannot have short hair, and we should not listen to world music. Isn't this all hard for a teen to follow? I promise each day that I will become a better evangelican, but I always fall victim of things like I mentioned above. Even so, I still believe in this religion and I hope one day I could get baptized. I do not want to be left behind. I want to go to heaven one day and live there for eternity. Would you try your hardest to go to heaven one day? Would you stand name-calling, stares at the way you look, and would you resist temptations just to be close to God one day? Maybe if people were more worried at the future and where you might end up, there would be less crime.
Because if everyone wants to go to heaven one day, then a lot of things would change. The world would be more peaceful because people will think twice before committing a crime.
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Good post. I see your point but I have to make a comment on the last part. I think even criminals want to go to heaven. A lot do. In prisons and such you see churches built in them and I bet there are criminals who would go to church everyday because they want to be close to god. Also, just because people do crimes doesn't mean that they didn't want to be close to god. There are poeple who commit crimes for example because they want to help a family member who is really sick and can't get the money because they are too poor so they would probably rob a house/bank. Yes, it would sounds good if more people who want to be close to god would make this world less violent but the way some situations are set, god doesn't seem to be the things they are thinking about right now.
=D
It sounds like you are strong in the faith part of your religion, in that you really believe that by doing (or not doing) these things it will earn you a place in heaven. In this culture, living by the rules you described would be hard for any woman at any age to do. If you lived a time and/or in a place where that is all you knew, then it would be much different. But doing those things here is a real test of your faith. So it's really a matter of, do you really think that this is the exact religion you believe in? Or do you think there are ways other than this one to be who you want to be?
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/kariskoett
"All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else."
-Buddha
I applaud you for your faith, for wanting to be able to follow all those rules!
But here's my question...do you follow the rules to be able to go to heaven, or do you follow them to be a better Evangelican?
I'm a Methodist myself, and my church emphasizes that the path to heaven lies in accepting Jesus Christ as your savior and accepting him into your heart. It doesn't matter if we sin or break a few small rules...we'll be forgiven, and those sins won't bar us from going to heaven. Also, not being baptized won't bar you from going to heaven...baptism for us is a public declaration of your faith.
I'm wishing now I knew more about your denomination right about now. Sadly, I know only what I've experienced first hand at this point. But if you're finding it too hard, perhaps you should explore other denominations...you may find one that matches you, or find a specific church that best nurtures your faith. However, if you're happy where you're at, and you truly feel led to stick to those rules, I encourage you to do your very best!
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
Look. You should want to not do those things because you love God, and you feel he loves you. Of course, there are a lot of those rules that are sort of silly. Like the long hair one.
Sometimes it takes being broken to understand God even more. I'm not saying Sin. I'm saying don't let Religion get in the way of Christ. Love shouldn't be conditional, and God's love isn't. You cannot do anything to earn God's love, it is free.
If you think going to a Concert, or drinking, or whatever will lead you astray, then maybe you should questions your beliefs. Do you want to be dogmatic? Or do you want to experience Christ? Remember, he hung out with prostitutes and sinners. He preferred them over the clergy.
Good luck to you
I couldn't have said it better! And clearly, I didn't. XD
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
I am assuming that the evangelical religion sets those kinds of boundries so you can be closer to God. That kind of makes sense to me, but I myself would find it hard to be an evangelican.
Now I understand the no sex, and drinking... but no TV, make-up, or concerts, short hair, Why? It kind of seems like that religion wants you to conform to their system.
-Amanda-
It's a religion of culture and tradition. The beliefs and "rules" are not all about being closer to God. If we say these things about Evangelicans, we have to say these things about the Muslim relgion and the "rules" they set about their dress and prayer life, the Jews and their eating habits, the Buddhist monks, etc. etc. etc. It's deeply rooted in tradition, which is okay. It's still a decision one has to make: Why am I living this way, truly? If tradition and that culture is something that matters to you, then have at it. That's the way you want to believe. I don't watch TV because I don't have one, because I don't want one, because I know that it will make me a bum and want to watch TV all the time. I don't own a microwave because I like to be more self-sustaining and use as little energy (other than my own) as possible. I grow out my hair so that I can donate it every 2-ish years. Other people just like it longer. I don't like to drink a lot of alcohol because I know what it makes me do and feel like. Same with smoking. So maybe realizing why those rules are in place, and honoring them as more than just stipulations for getting into heaven (more they are there to protect you), then perhaps it will be easier. I live in this way out of choice, not so much out of faith. But I find that not having these things provides me more time and space to appreciate God and goodness. The skirt thing I couldn't do myself, but they are cooler in warm weather, so whatever. I think you get my point.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/kariskoett
"All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else."
-Buddha
GOD IS A MYTH as OLD as MAN!
Do you honestly think some imaginary magic dude cares whether you have long or short hair? Whether you drink or not?
The people who make up these religions put in these 'controls' in order to force your subservience to them! Cant wear pants? LMAO thats just funny! Hey wait a minute....isnt the internet similar to TV? You watch a screen....lol
Now as was pointed out earlier some of these 'controls' are rooted in the past and may have made sense...2000+ years ago! The Jews with thier Kosher butchering actually made alot of sense in an eon without refridgeration, a ban on pork was smart before government inspections put an end to hookworm(trichinosis).
Dont sweat religion, its only a control sanctified by the government to keep the peons in line!
“Isn't this all hard for a teen to follow?”
What is it which you truly want to know?
“I always fall victim of things”
Who or what is making you to become a victim?
“Just to be close to God one day?”
How much closer to God do you wish to be?
Believe you need to look around yourself in order to understand why you are trapped in thought!
Your essential nature is knocking at your door, isn’t it? when will you have lived enough human suffering?
If one wants to come in touch with “God” there is no other way than trough one’s own inner self, this realization only would already make one to easily realize to get baptized is of no importance!
If you don’t fancy to answer my questions, that’s alright, still try to answer them for yourself...
:-)