How to Start a Support Group on Beliefnet
Saturday September 29, 2007
Categories: How To
When the new Beliefnet community launches later this month, there will be dozens of ways you or your group can use the site. Here are a few ways Support Groups can take advantage of the new tools. Are you looking...
Filed Under: support groups, test cases
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My adult daughter has come to me with the belief that there is no Jesus Christ, because He did not write any of the words in the Bible Himself, even though many of the passsages are words that He has spoken. She says that she believes in God, but not His Son. I am a new Christian and have told her all the answers I have, but of course mine are the foundation of my own belief, and that will not work with her. I need to dispute her fact of there is scientific proff of the monsters and the cavmen from our passed being first, but no proff of Jesus, other then words being passed down one from another, and then written in the Bible.
What she says I believe, is what she tells herself as an "excuse" not to believe, and I want to prove her historically wrong...She says she gets peace from statues of that bald, little fat man that sits with his legs crossed smiling, and please forgive me, but I do not know his name. She says that he has calmed her temper and she meditates to bring peace into her life. When I asked her why she could not pray to the Lord and let Him give her the peace she searches for, she says there is no such person or being...When it comes to being a real, we disagree on who is and who is not real, and I need some real facts to come back with, because we are talking about my daughters soul.....
Thank you all for your help.
I wouldn't worry too much. Your adult daughter believes in a God whether she lets herself believe or not. God is omnipotent and can and does manifest anywhere and everywhere. If that statue of the little fat man gives her peace so be it. Every religion has its own prophets who are sons of God. We all are. She needs to believe in herself first, as do you. We were all young once and liked to taunt our parents about religion. Sounds like to raised a normal adult daughter.
Your daughter is correct in her assertion that the red letter words assumed to be the words of Jesus in the King James Bible were never spoken by Him. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John never met Jesus. These gospels were written 40-120 years after His death. Furthermore, we have no original copies of these gospels, and the early copies that we do have contain contradictions. The 4 gospels were written in ancient Greek; Jesus spoke Aramaic. There were 32 translations before the King James Bible came about. A great deal of the KJB hopelessly distorts the words of the Christ.
This is not evidence that Jesus didn't once walk the earth... it does mean that one must look far outside of the KJB to find out who Jesus was, and what he taught. There are many fascinating scholarly works, translations directly from the ancient Greek to modern English, translations on other early Christian texts, etc that bring one closer to the actual Jesus.
Perhaps your daughter would be curious about that exploration. I know that it made Jesus more real for me. I also could not get past the mindless irrationality of studying the KJB as "the word of God."
TO PATRICIA LEE
concerning your daughter and her difficulty in believing in jesus christ. tell her its ok to be sure that you believe in the right thing. but to believe in a statue or an idol is foolish. why not ask her to pray to our heavently father and she will discover the son also through the holy spirit.
sharon.
Patricia,
Your own knowledge of Christ is the best evidence for your daughter. Your example of faith, combined with joy in that faith, will capture her thoughts more than factual evidence presented outside the Bible. Make it personal to her - ask her if there are no books written about her life, does that mean she never existed?
As for the disciples knowing Christ - I am positive that they knew Him and were best friends and followers. They believed the gospel of the Kingdom of God. I can tell you details about my amazing grandmother who died 40 years ago. I can witness the fact that I definitely knew and loved her, and can quote her from the age of 3. Everyone in my family - and in my cousin's families - quote the woman. She was a walking saint, and I want to be like her when I grow up - I'm only 52... She lived her life according to Jesus Christ, and I want to be like that. To live so purely and lovingly, that I reflect that on people I come in contact with. One day - when I see her in God's Kingdom - I want her to know what a powerful witness she was. Just like Christ's examples to us....
Another thought - I spoke to a teen Bible study and had two boys enact a fake argument. Then I stopped it and had all 15 students write what they observed. Every single one wrote something different! It was amazing. Some saw the emotional side, some the logic side - just like all four gospels tell something of Christ from a different perspective, but NONE of them contradict the others. How powerful is that?
Keep setting the right example. Her worship of Buddha, or whatever the fake it is - the false religions - is wrong. It is against all that Christ taught. Love her, but keep on telling her about Christ's promises and blessings that He bestows on those who are faithful to Him.
Your sister in Christ,
Joyful
First of all, the statue your daughter describes, is Buddha. Buddhism is an eastern belief, but one that espouses, hard work, honesty, right living and meditation. To be Buddhist, one must be kind to everyone, always, not too dif from Christianity, really. I was Buddhist for a few years, until I became Catholic. If you need some help, may I suggest "Shepard's Chapel" It's on TV, a wonderful man named Pastor Arnold Murray helps us to understand GODs word in it's entirety. He speaks Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew. You can't put anything by this man. He's truly a man of Christ. He's out of Arkansas, but don't hold that against him. I'll try to get the phone # tomorrow and put it up here. There, I've just set my DVR to record tomorrows show, Channel 8 on our cabel in Tucson, AZ, I think it's only on cabel, sorry about spelling??? Comes on at 5am out west, try to find it. He won't entertain any questions about different faiths, Like Catholic versus Baptist, or a specific church, pastor, he says, let's just learn the truth and let the chips fall where they will. This guy is so good, he will set you and your daughter strait, no offense. He cuts straight through all the BS in the various Bibles, and tells us what was actually said! Good Luck and God Bless you both, Rebecca
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