Hello

[Mensch]

Hello everyone!

I have been for a few years in a weird and self contradictory situation. I am an atheist and no, I have not come here for trolling. I have come to ask you for help. I was brought up Christian, but my parents and I were never that religious. I decided that the Bible was not true and moved on to other beliefs. I kind of went through every new age stuff there is out there.

After a few years I gave up on everything, every belief I had and decided to live only on what I knew for sure. I didn't know God for sure either, so I've been calling myself an atheist ever since. I have read some passages in the bible. Mostly the bad ones. I just can't believe in anything that is in there. Children being killed for disobeying and what not and the whole concept of Jesus paying for our sins instead of God forgiving us without having to torture someone pure and innocent. I just can't accept any of that.

However, after I gave up on all the things I used to believe in, this feeling hit me. I could feel it in my heart, even now while writing this. A few months later, I ran randomly into someone on youtube who kind of made me a believer again. I still couldn't understand why the Bible was the way that it is, but I prayed and asked for forgiveness. That feeling would get stronger and stronger, but after a month or so I gave up again on my belief. I would not even be here if I didn't have that feeling... It gets overwhelming. I feel like some pieces are missing. I feel the need to surrender to God. However, faith doesn't work for me and my mind won't let me have faith in anything. I also doubt prayer works. I don't see any possible way God can intervene and change things only for our sake. It can change you, but it can't change the environment we live in.

I can't even say the words "Praise the Lord" or "God" out loud, but when I listen to songs about Jesus and God I feel pretty happy and feel the need to pray. Once I have done that, I feel weird and self contradictory. I've been living like this for over a year now and I just don't know what to do. I go out and criticize anything related to God, but when this feeling hits me, I go back to Him.

I wanted to create my own God, to imagine mine, so that it wouldn't have anything to do with the Bible or any other religion. I just can't. My heart / feeling is asking for Jesus.

Sorry for the very long post, but I had to get it all out of my head or better said my heart. Any ideas how to either remove that feeling - which I have been trying for so long - or to turn a "doubting machine" like me into a believer, which I now find 100% impossible? :gah

 

[evenifigoalone]

Welcome
Some of the questions involving practices in the OT can be hard to understand. Many can be explained by specific situations and by the fact that times and society were different back then. Even so, there are some things I simply don't get...I find I just have to accept that God will reveal the answer to me in time if I keep seeking, and that the Creator of the universe knows what He's doing far better than I do. Have you ever looked into apologetics?
I hope you find this site helpful.

 

[farouk]

M: Hi good to see you here.

The bottom line is always my sins and yours.

It's not necessary for sinners to be punished for the eternal consequences of their sin. Hebrews for example in chapters 9 and 10 tells us of the wondrous provision of the sacrifice of the sinless Lord Jesus Christ, on the behalf of all who repent and believe.

 

[Speculative]

Hi Mensch--Welcome to cfnet. It appears to me that the Holy Spirit is drawing you to Him. I've gone through many seasons of doubt also--I'd recommend continuing to seek God in His word and prayer and not feel you have to believe or understand everything right away. Keep seeking and He will draw you to him.

 

[Mensch]

Hi Mensch--Welcome to cfnet. It appears to me that the Holy Spirit is drawing you to Him. I've gone through many seasons of doubt also--I'd recommend continuing to seek God in His word and prayer and not feel you have to believe or understand everything right away. Keep seeking and He will draw you to him.

Hehe, I thought it was the Holy Spirit too, but I am not sure...

 

[Sparkey]

Greetings Mensch!

"Any beast can cry over the misfortunes of its own child. It takes a mensch to weep for others' children." -- Sam Levenson.

I like your name. You probably know that it has a Yiddish origin, right? Basic meaning includes being a "stand up guy". Sounds to me like the Lord is giving you a 'leg up' for your namesake? By the way, I hope you consider yourself to be very welcome here, as a stranger, as a friend, even as one who sometimes struggles. We have all been there. Many (self-included) still are involved in the struggle that comes with finding out who we are and who we will be.

 

[Sparkey]

It gets overwhelming. I feel like some pieces are missing. I feel the need to surrender to God. However, faith doesn't work for me and my mind won't let me have faith in anything. I also doubt prayer works. I don't see any possible way God can intervene and change things only for our sake.

There are two things that come to me as I ponder what you've said here. One would be the idea that comes from the discussion that a man had with Jesus himself, "I believe. Help me in my unbelief."

Another includes the "taste and see" test that the Lord invites us into.

Psalms 34:4-14

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.​

Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.​

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles​

.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.​

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.​

Fear the Lord, you his holy people,

for those who fear him lack nothing.​

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.​

Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.​

Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.​

 

[Mensch]

Greetings Mensch!



I like your name. You probably know that it has a Yiddish origin, right? Basic meaning includes being a "stand up guy". Sounds to me like the Lord is giving you a 'leg up' for your namesake? By the way, I hope you consider yourself to be very welcome here, as a stranger, as a friend, even as one who sometimes struggles. We have all been there. Many (self-included) still are involved in the struggle that comes with finding out who we are and who we will be.

I know it is German for "Human being" or "Man".
"I believe. Help me in my unbelief." - You have no idea how much I've said that. :D
I suppose the best I can do is wait and see what happens.

 

[Sparkey]

I know it is German for "Human being" or "Man".
"I believe. Help me in my unbelief." - You have no idea how much I've said that. :D
I suppose the best I can do is wait and see what happens.

Yes, your namesake is originally German. Yiddish is is also based on the German language.

"taste and see"
"wait and see"

That does seem the best course, as does continuing to ponder and wonder and prepare, for the One who has issued the the invitation is ready.

 

[jasoncran]

sparrow, Yiddish isn't based on german only

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish_language

mensh is simply the german word man.

 

[Sparkey]

sparrow, Yiddish isn't based on german only

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish_language

mensh is simply the german word man.

"Be a mensch," does not include a concept of being a "stand up guy" ?
Thank you for the correction but I was aware that Yiddish was not solely based on German; it, for instance, is not a German dialect. I'm comfortable with the descriptive, "Moshe German" more-so than with technical terms and would say it's a language, especially after 1945. Without citing or knowing proper linguistic evidence, it's about as similar and intelligible as Dutch is for Germans. And Dutch is considered a separate language.

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensch for more
I don't know this but am quoting from above, "In Modern Israeli Hebrew, the phrase Ben Adam "Son of Adam" (בן אדם) is used as an exact translation of Mensch.[citation needed]" Are you a contributor? If not and if you'd care to, I'll list the citation you provide there.

 

[jasoncran]

yes, it is but well my uncle was called mensch. in context that meant a good jew. jesus would be mensh

 

[jasoncran]

oh well. mensch welcome and well keep asking. God will answer that.

 

[Sparkey]

The search [conducted] for Mr. Twilliger

Quoting Mr.Twilliger:
"The name of the piece being 'HUNT' trying to symbolize my internal search for that something my heart and soul lacks. Something which i sadly cant find and probably never will.. but will never give up trying to find."

This character, "Mr Twilliger," is the name of a friend that I met on another forum, many years ago, before I joined here on ChristianForums.net

Here is a video montage that I created. He knew me as "grandpa".
[video=youtube;RYlQ0Xdsdn0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYlQ0Xdsdn0[/video]

 

[Claudya]

yes, it is but well my uncle was called mensch. in context that meant a good jew. jesus would be mensh

The word "Mensch" has a rather positive connotation in German. The Jiddish word probably even more so than the German word.
If you are a Mensch you are a person that is not perfect, but capable of compassion, selflessness and forgiveness, and also able to admit your mistakes.
There's also an opposite word "Unmensch" - (un- is a common prefix of negation, like in English) which means something like "cruel selfish person".
Another compound word is "Mitmensch".. that's hard to translate literally, but a "Mitmensch" is like "a fellow human". If I call someone a Mitmensch of mine that means I identify with her/his needs and consider her/him my sister/brother in mankind.

 

[jasoncran]

interesting. I had thought that throughout the ages that the gentiles influenced jews.

 

[Claudya]

Sure, all kinds of nations influence each other whenever they meet.
The Germans had a very devastating influence on the Jews some time during the last century.
But at least we could enrich their language.

 

[jasoncran]

I wouldn't say that.

they did some of that but Hebrew didn't die, unlike rome. improve the Holy language of God?

german. bleah.

from your language that Holy name is Jehovah, when its reall Yahweh.

pronounced close but nothing alike in the picto meanings of Hebrew.

 

[Claudya]

I wouldn't say that.

they did some of that but Hebrew didn't die, unlike rome. improve the Holy language of God?

german. bleah.

from your language that Holy name is Jehovah, when its reall Yahweh.

pronounced close but nothing alike in the picto meanings of Hebrew.

Not sure about how German speaking Jews pronounce the holy name of God. But the rare times we christians pronounce it, we call Him Yaweh, too.
Only Jehova's witnesses call Him Jehova. Everyone else want to distinguish themselves from them and thus call Him Jaweh.

german. bleah.

Ach Du bist doch nur neidisch. :p

 

[jasoncran]

actually. I will correct that error
genesis 22

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen

Jehovah-nissei, Jehovah-shalom, to name a few found in the kjv.

sarcasm my german friend. I wanted to be stationed in Germany during the cold war. I almost went. but they changed their mind.

I have a list of man languages

1) Hebrew
2)russain
3)german
4)English
5) celtic and its variants
6) roman, Italian, Spanish
7) Chinese
8) Japanese

wus language

1) French.