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If you didn't think God existed and had questions


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as to whether or not He existed, what book would you recommend?(other then the Bible).

 

Let's say you have NO clue about God/Jesus, the story of how it all began, who wrote the Bible, and you wanted someone to convince you that God really does exist.

 

I am looking for this type of book.

 

An easy read, and maybe a book on different perspectives from different people.

 

Suggestions?

 

Thank you

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Guest janainaz

I think this is the problem - looking for evidence of God in a book. Why does this society always need a book? God is meant to be felt and experienced through us, not merely by reading about someone else's account of who He is. You could ask 100 people and get 100 different perceptions and answers about who/what God is and expects. If someone has no clue about God, he/she is not searching from within. God is God - he's spiritual and how does he continually get reduced down to words on a page? Was that really His only way to communicate with us? Books have not been around for very long in comparison to man. How did all the people who preceded the level of communcation we have today come to understand or experience God?

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Well, I cannot begin to know God, if I don't understand ANY of it. I am confused over God/Jesus, (the differences), who were these people who are in the Bible, etc.....

 

It is hard to explain.

 

Thank you to all who have recommended books so far:grouphug:

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Well, if you truly want to be convinced and believe then I think you also need to consider the arguements against God/Jesus. Once you have all the facts before you then you will be able determine what makes the most sense to you and what you believe. The following book disputes many of the other books listed here: Challenging the Verdict: A Cross-Examination of Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" (Paperback) By Earl Doherty.

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I don't know of any books but if you do decide to go to the Bible I strongly recommend reading the New Living Translation (it will usually say NLT on the spine). I find this so much more readable and understandable...that alone might answer some questions. I use a New Living Translation that is for kids...the verses are the same but it has kid friendly introductions to each book...I find this helpful also.

 

Your library or bookstore might have a selection of NLT Bibles if you don't have a specifically Christian bookstore in the area. Also, don't feel like you need to start at page one and plow straight through.

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There is a Catholic author/professor who gives wonderful talks on tape and has written some very good books. I don't know any of the specific titles that might be helpful, but a quick search on amazon would probably give you lots to choose from. His name is Scott Hahn.

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I How did all the people who preceded the level of communcation we have today come to understand or experience God?

 

People wrote and spoke at a very high level prior to the New Testament. Perhaps you mean "frequency" by "level". Presumably there were sermons. One could imagine many modern books as simply printed sermons, could one not? We aren't talking revelation, but education.

 

As to the OP, why not read the Bible?

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People wrote and spoke at a very high level prior to the New Testament. Perhaps you mean "frequency" by "level". Presumably there were sermons. One could imagine many modern books as simply printed sermons, could one not? We aren't talking revelation, but education.

 

As to the OP, why not read the Bible?

 

I don't want to go to the Bible because before I do that, I would like an understanding of WHO these people are exactly in the Bible, why should I believe in what the Bible says, is the Bible real, is God/Jesus one in the same and if so are they human, or were they human, are we just worhipping something that doesn't really exist, why do we put so much faith into something that we have never seen, and why should we live our lives by the word of God, instead of just living our lives the way we feel comfortable with, how do we know that when we die, it is like before we were born, just NOTHING, or why do we believe there is some kind of heaven? Why do we put all of our faith on ONE book?

 

These are just the questions I have(some of them). I hope I do not start a religion debate, that is not what I am seeking.

 

I am just looking for answers that I can find in a very simplified manner.

 

I grew up Catholic, but slept during services:tongue_smilie:. Now, I want to find out all I can, so I can start living my life.

 

I hope that makes sense.

 

And thank you so much for all the suggestions!:grouphug:

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Mere Christianity is awesome, and very easy to read, and short. Each chapter is a self contained subject, so you can think on one at a time if you want. And he is not writing to influence you towards a certain denomination. It's just about the basics of christianity.

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It depends on how you like your information.

 

Blue Like Jazz is primarily narrative. It is contemporary.

A Reason for God by Tim Keller is a combination of story and reasoning. It is contemporary.

Mere Christianity is a logical approach to the question. It was written a number of decades ago.

Evidence that demands a Verdict is a logical approach with more specific data bits than Mere Christianity

 

One thing you might want to consider is attending an Alpha course http://alphausa.org/Groups/1000065342/Alt_Home_page.aspx This course is an introduction to Christianity for people who aren't Christians and is a safe place to learn and ask questions. They have a search engine and you can enter your zip to see if there are any near you. I tried my zip and got 10 different churches. It is something used across denominations that embrace orthodox Christianity. There is more info on their website about what attending an Alpha course is like.

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Case for Christ-Lee Strobel

 

:iagree:

CS Lewis is very heavy, where as Lee Strobel is very easy to read. He was a journalist whose wife became a Christian. When he was grilling her, she told him to use his journalistic skills to dis-prove Christ and the Bible if he thought he was right. What he discovered what everything pointed to Christ and the Bible being true. He is an amazing read.

 

The other thing I would look into is Josh McDowell's "A Ready Defense." It's split into categories and is easy to maneuver. It's like a "best of," all his books. It talks about how the Bible was canonized and what it went through to become the book it is today.

 

However, I would sit with each of these books (or whatever book you choose) AND the Bible, so you can see that the authors are legit. All too often, we seek answers from man, and he isn't in line with the Bible. That's how you fall into cults and false religions, or legalistic churches that abuse you. If you're a non-Christian seeking the truth, I agree you should know how the Bible and the various denominations came about, but you also have to recognize the Bible is the final authority on Christ. If an author or a church do not line up with the Word of God, they are not from Him, and should not be counted as a full representation of the Lord.

 

Blessings!

Dorinda

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Guest janainaz
People wrote and spoke at a very high level prior to the New Testament. Perhaps you mean "frequency" by "level". Presumably there were sermons. One could imagine many modern books as simply printed sermons, could one not? We aren't talking revelation, but education.

 

As to the OP, why not read the Bible?

 

No, I don't mean frequency.

 

We have access to as much information as we desire. We have stopped looking within for answers to our questions. Instead, we look to others to tell us what they have found to be true. Before the Bible was written, was God's creation able to communicate with him? Did he reach out to his own people in other ways to prove his own existence? I believe that he did, and I believe that he still does.

 

The Bible did not call out or cry out to me. My own desire to know God cried out and I began searching for him. I did read books, I read the Bible, I've read many books. I've read some great books. But most of those books attested to things that I've learned through life and through relationships about God firsthand. I read something, process what I know to be true in my heart about God, and then decide to digest it as truth, or not.

 

Anyone who gives a sermon about God, is no different than myself. I believe we all have access to knowing him. I don't need to rely on another man to explain away to me what is readily available through this life - people and creation cry out.

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I don't want to go to the Bible because before I do that, I would like an understanding of WHO these people are exactly in the Bible, why should I believe in what the Bible says, is the Bible real, is God/Jesus one in the same and if so are they human, or were they human, are we just worhipping something that doesn't really exist, why do we put so much faith into something that we have never seen, and why should we live our lives by the word of God, instead of just living our lives the way we feel comfortable with, how do we know that when we die, it is like before we were born, just NOTHING, or why do we believe there is some kind of heaven? Why do we put all of our faith on ONE book?

 

These are just the questions I have(some of them). I hope I do not start a religion debate, that is not what I am seeking.

 

I am just looking for answers that I can find in a very simplified manner.

 

I grew up Catholic, but slept during services:tongue_smilie:. Now, I want to find out all I can, so I can start living my life.

 

I hope that makes sense.

 

And thank you so much for all the suggestions!:grouphug:

 

My DH was like you and wanted to have answers once and for all. He had the same questions you do and had read up on most of the other religions (He's read the Koran along with other documents about Buddism and Hinduism that I can't remember the names of). He was a non-believer when we got married. He seconds the books I've recommended to you, along with the Bible. :grouphug:

 

Blessings!

Dorinda

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Guest janainaz
Oh my, so many books to look into. Any one consensus of which one you would choose for, let's say, to turn a non-believer into a Believer?

 

A BOOK does not turn a non-believer into a believer in God.

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Guest janainaz
So what does?:grouphug:

 

If the Bible is the sole word of God, and if it's alive, and if it's the one way that God has chosen to communicate with his people, why is it a book that must be picked apart and studied? If you take it literally, you will walk away believing that the God of love burns and tortures the creation that he died for. If you study and look up the words, you find that there is an entire other meaning behind those words. Do a study on the word 'hell'. You will find the reasoning of why the Catholic church chose that word.

 

So why on earth would God instruct a book to be written that could lead people to believe things about him that make him into a beast? The Old Testament claims that God wanted entire generations of people wiped off the earth - genocide. Would that be ok today? Would it be ok for us TODAY to wipe out another race? If it's not ok today, if it's not love today, it was not love back then. So maybe, all of the Bible is not the word of God. Maybe there are pieces in it, that are. But if God wants me to accept all those things about him, He's going to have to show me in real life that he's as much a monster as the Bible can make him out to be.

 

I base my belief in God on what my life has accounted for thus far. Love is unexplainable. You can't see it, you can't touch it, but you know how powerful it is, you know how it makes you feel so complete and whole. You know it's power to heal. You also know the effects of things that are not love and you see the power to destroy. I don't need to reference my Bible to know what is good and beautiful. It's in me, because God is IN me. Just like Jesus used the vine and the branches, He was in God and God was in Him. There was no seperation. If I extend a hand of love to someone, they expereience God in me because they experience love. Yet, religion complicates it. Jesus simplified it and he meant to unite people into one, not seperate them into categories. The Bible is helpful and wonderful, but only those words that breath life. If it does not breath life, if it's not understandable to a CHILD, I dismiss it. The kingdom of heaven is supposed to be received by a child. Children live from the heart.

 

It's ok to read books, it's ok to read the Bible, but if you rely on the Bible as the key to your relationship with God himself (He's God!!), you're in a relationship with a book, not a being.

 

I have read the most beautiful quotes by people - written today, in this period of time. God speaks through all of us and in a sense, many of our life stories and journey could be made into a book of the Bible. But just like today, people misinterpret God's actions. If a building burns down and 25 people make it, God is praised for saving them. But what about the 50 that died in the fire? People interpret things wrong about Him today, and I imagine they also did it back then. So just like today, if someone speaks something that feels off to me, that feels wrong, that feels misunderstood, I ponder it in the heart that God created and decide for myself if it's truth.

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Case for Christ-Lee Strobel

:iagree: Excellent choice.

 

I wouldn't discount the Bible for not understanding it, though. If God exists, it is not some cosmic secret. My own journey began by asking, "What is truth?" after reading the gospel of John, chapter 4. The New Living Translation (NLT) is a very read-able version of the Bible for someone who is approaching it for the first time as an adult. The Jesus you meet in the pages of the Bible is a radically different character than Sunday school Jesus. You just might be amazed at how much you like him.

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Guest janainaz
Perhaps a better way to phrase it' date=' is that for many, a book as been the means used by God to bring about belief in Him.[/quote']

 

This may be true for some, and that is grieving to me.

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I am afriad this thread is going HORRIBLY OFF TOPIC! :confused: We can recognize other ways to seek God, etc., but that isn't what the OP asked, and I don't think it's helpful to be disparaging. :001_huh:

 

Can we return, please, to good book suggestions for people seeking God and Truth? :)

 

Thanks! :grouphug:

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Now, I want to find out all I can, so I can start living my life.

 

:grouphug:

 

I really hope you don't wait to live your life until you find the answers to your religious questions. Finding those answers can take a lifetime . . . and sometimes we find different answers at different times.

 

It sounds to me like you are both looking for "factual" information (who wrote the Bible? How do Christians describe God and Jesus?) and seeking to convince yourself that God exists.

 

There are lots of books out there with the factual information. Personally, I don't think books are the best place to seek a conversion.

 

Have you considered trying some spiritual practices? Prayer? Meditation? Labyrinth walking? Attending a variety of religious services? Religious music? Pondering?

 

I could be misreading this, but I feel a hint of desperation in your posts. There really is no rush. I've lived with questions and I've lived with answers. There are pros and cons to both.:)

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:grouphug:

 

I really hope you don't wait to live your life until you find the answers to your religious questions. Finding those answers can take a lifetime . . . and sometimes we find different answers at different times.

 

It sounds to me like you are both looking for "factual" information (who wrote the Bible? How do Christians describe God and Jesus?) and seeking to convince yourself that God exists.

 

There are lots of books out there with the factual information. Personally, I don't think books are the best place to seek a conversion.

 

Have you considered trying some spiritual practices? Prayer? Meditation? Labyrinth walking? Attending a variety of religious services? Religious music? Pondering?

 

I could be misreading this, but I feel a hint of desperation in your posts. There really is no rush. I've lived with questions and I've lived with answers. There are pros and cons to both.:)

 

 

Yes, that is what I was looking for:) You said it better then I could.

 

No, I have not tried any spiritual practices.

 

But why the premise that the OP should seek the Christian god? Are there no other gods to consider if you're considering believing in a higher power?

 

Good luck in your search OP. :)

 

 

Yes. Isn't there other God's that people believe in? Is there only "one" God?

 

I really do not want to cause a religious debate. Honestly;)

 

Everyone here has been so helpful. Thank you:grouphug:

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I would recommend a large bookstore, cup of coffee, a notebook, pencil and an open mind for soul searching. Attend different religious organizations and see if you feel at home. If you pray or meditate and search within yourself you will find what you are searching for.

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I would recommend a large bookstore, cup of coffee, a notebook, pencil and an open mind for soul searching. Attend different religious organizations and see if you feel at home. If you pray or meditate and search within yourself you will find what you are searching for.

 

 

I am actually seeking out a new Church now since our Pastor had to leave our Church, and it ended up closing:confused:

 

I have not been able to seek out a new Church that feels right.

 

I have so many unanswered questions, and unfortunately the Church I attended was not good for helping in that way. A lot of it made me doubt my belief in God.

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I think it is important here that we do not assume the seaarch is for Christianity - the search we are responding to is for God. I know many believe there is only one faith, and that is fine, but if someone cannot find God through Christianity, then there may be a better understanding in other faiths for them.

I struggled to be a Christian for years, and somehow equated my disbelief in Christ as a disbelief in a divine force/creator. It took much research and inner searching for me to accept and be comfortable that I can believe in a higher power - but in a different way that makes sense to me.

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Yes. Isn't there other God's that people believe in? Is there only "one" God?

 

 

Maybe you need to ask individuals about their God or deity equivalent and the path they took to get there. That would give you a broad survey of personal stories which would provide context for their recommended resources. People who think the way you do can't bypass their heads and leave their heart only to do the searching, as other people find best. With faith, though, heads only aren't enough. I think the personal stories would provide what your heart needs and the resources recommended by those you survey will provide what your head needs. When they are satisfied, they will hash it out and inform you at their leisure :)

 

Rosie

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The book I'd most suggest has been mentioned several times, The Case for Christ. But as you mention you're a former Catholic, I'd also encourage you to look at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Another poster mentioned Scott Hahn, and you can access his online Bible studies there. I want to link you to that page, and hopefully it will work: http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/.

 

Personally, I think the Genesis to Jesus study would be perfect for you. It will introduce you to the main movers and shakers through the Bible while giving you an overarching idea of theme. Also, it will give you links directly to Bible verses so that if you want to read it yourself you can, or if you want to go back later, you're able. You do have to sign up to read any of the studies, but it's free, and I believe I've gotten one email in about 6 months.

 

As background, I was raised an evangelical Protestant, went through a period of questioning and atheism, and am in the process now of becoming Catholic. I certainly understand your desire to read something beyond the Bible, and I'll encourage you to keep looking, definitely. There's a reason you're searching right now. :001_smile:

 

Also, there's a great blog by a woman who was raised atheist and began her own search, ultimately converting to Catholicism. Her blog started as a place to ask questions and process her journey, so her early entries might be of interest to you. She has a lot of book suggestions as well, so one of those might speak to you. Her blog is here: http://www.conversiondiary.com/.

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Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. He discusses his journey from atheism to Christianity. If someone is at the same starting point as Lewis was, his book could be very insightful.

 

I like Strobel's books as well as Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict (he quotes from Lewis). But for all practical purposes, Mere Christianity would be my #1 pick.

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A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken. This is his (and his wife's) personal journey from "paganism" (as he describes it) to belief in God. He addresses many of the questions posed in your original post, and goes into great detail of emotional and intellectual "sticking points" that were addressed to his satisfaction as he became more familiar with the Bible and theology.

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A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken. This is his (and his wife's) personal journey from "paganism" (as he describes it) to belief in God. He addresses many of the questions posed in your original post, and goes into great detail of emotional and intellectual "sticking points" that were addressed to his satisfaction as he became more familiar with the Bible and theology.

 

I withdraw my prior recommendations in favor of this one.

Wish I had thought of it. This is the one to start with.

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