Latest posts of: lookingforanswers

S-Sorry.

I'll answer the questions I posted, and yours...

1 - I'm doing a project for school and wanted to get a wider range of views and answers instead of just those from people in my family and my area.
2 - I have, but as I said, I'd rather have a range of answers instead of just those from people who go to my local church and others nearby.
3 - No, I'm not quite sure what I am - my family are Methodists, but I hope my own beliefs will become clearer in my answers.

The Afterlife
• Do you believe there is an afterlife? If so, briefly describe it – e.g. eternal paradise, reincarnation, etc. - I think there's some kind of afterlife, as I believe that the soul isn't something that can simply die. However, what happens to the soul after the body dies, I'm not sure.
• Is there a Heaven? If so, what is it like and how do you get there? - I think if there is a Heaven, it could be a sort of your soul in a way joining onto and becoming one with God. However, to get there, I don't think it's simply a matter of doing the oppisite of going to Hell. I think there must be some sort of middle ground - a second chance to prove yourself.
• Is there a Hell? If so, what is it like an why does one get sent there? - I think that Hell is the soul being completely cut of from everything else for all eternity - from all other souls and from God. I think to get there you must have lived a terrible life - not just one sin or many very small sins - and then continued doing this if given a second chance.
Prayer
• How does prayer make you feel – e.g. relaxed, happy, nervous, etc. - I don't pray often, but when I do it makes me feel like I'm not completely alone. I feel that I've been given some support.
• What do you usually pray about? - Usually when I pray it's because something's happened, usually to a friend, member of family, or a country or nation where there hase been some kind of diasaster.
• When and where do you usually pray? - I prefer to pray on my own, but I don't think it's all that important when and where one prays. I pray every morning with my school as well.
Jesus and God
• What do you think God is like? Is Jesus the same, or are there differences? - I believe God and Jesus are different in some ways. I think Jesus has human traits like anger and sadness, and God is the force that puts it all into action, if that makes any sense...
• What do you think Jesus looked like in his human form? - Jesus was a Jew. He wasn't like he's portayed in many Western pictures - pale skin, flowing blonde hair, etc. Also, if I remember correctly, his family were not incredibly wealthy matierely, so I expect he only wore simple robes and so on.
• Will Jesus come again? - Not in the form of Jesus - in many ways, God has come to earth in many ways already. All people have a tinge of God in them, but some people know how to use it.
• Is God a physical presence? Or some sort of spiritual force? - I think he's more of a spiritual force that puts the universe and all things in it in motion - life, feelings, etc.
Personal
• Why are you a Christian? - I think that life and the universe can't just be a coincidence. There must be a greater existence out there - God seemed to be the answer.
• Are many of your friends, family and the people around you Christian? - Several of them, but not all. My grandfather takes sermons in a local church, and his side of the family are fairly "religious", but other than that, most of my friends call themselves Christian but never practice their faith.
• If you had a problem, would you ask God for help? What sort of help could he give you? - If I had a fairly significant problem, I would ask God for help – but the help I think I would receive would not be physical – I think God gives us courage, hope and guidance.
Problems
• What is your view on homosexuality? – I don’t believe homosexuality is a sin or an illness. I understand that many people don’t agree with it, but personally I see no problem at all.
• What is your view on abortion? – In certain cases – if there is a risk to the mother or child, or if the mother is very young or in a terrible financial situation, etc – then it’s the best option. If not, and there is no reason for abortion, I don’t agree with it.
• What is your view on current wars? – So few people even understand what most wars are for. If I pray for a war, I pray mostly for those caught in the crossfire.
Worship
• Do you regularly attend church? If so, what is your church like? – I’m often away from home, and when at home only go to church from time to time as we live quite far away from the nearest one. The church I go to at home is very modern, with an electric guitar and a drum kit replacing the traditional organ. However, when I’m not at home I go to a small chapel. There are only a few of us, and the room is small and sunny, on top of another building. There’s a great sense of peace.
• Do you believe the Bible is entirely factual, or are some of the stories metaphoric? – Though I think some of the stories are factual, some of them are probably metaphoric – the story of Adam and Eve, for example, I believe to be a metaphor for human sin and their gullibility and habit of going being easily led astray.
• Excluding church, do you worship any other way? – Not really. As I’ve said, I pray when something goes wrong, and sometimes at other times – for example, I’ll doodle a picture of a cross or something on exam papers when they’re very important, for God’s guidance.
• What are your views on the saints? What makes a person a saint? – Many people with the qualities of a saint go unnoticed. To be a saint you don’t need to be a member of the clergy or eve very well known – you just need to have made a positive impact in other peoples’ lives, sacrificing many things for others.

I’m sorry if none of that made any sense at all. I find it hard to put my feelings and beliefs into words. It certainly makes no sense to me. O_o