I'm 13 and I'm confused on god and stuff.?

Today at school. A lot of kids were talking about jesus and stuff. And I told them I'm not really sure if I beleive in following the bible and the existence of god,ect.


I wasn't being mean or loud or anything, just normal. And A lot of kids were like ';omg your gonna burn with satan'; ';you're going to hell'; ';you need some jesus'; ';go to church'; ';the devils got you'; And it made me feel really bad. My family goes to church and i act like i believ in god around them but i really dont. I just dont want to tell them yet.





I started joking around saying ';omg there may not be no hell! and if there is a hell,and ';god'; wants to send me there for doing something Me, a human, was deisgned to do, think for myself, then so be it, but i wont be something im not';


And everyones reaction was the same way saying I've got satan in me and i need prayer.





But why would I even be sent to hell?


I'm confused on how a man who's raped peopel killed people stole and hurt other people, who has damaged other poeples lives permantely forever. can \find out he has cancer and will dies in 6 hrs, and he can ';repent'; and be accepted into the great and wonderful heaven were everything is perfect.





While a man who's lived his life helping other people giveing back to the cumunity,donated to charity,helping the poor,being a loyal husband a great dad. but is told about christ one day and doesnt beleieve it, and doesnt give any mind to it and moves on with his life. will be sent to burn for eternaty in the pits of hell for ever!??????





And if there is a god that controls ur after life, how do we know if christ is the right one, and not Budda, or that other statue with a million arms.????





And why is everyone get so much madder and forceful with you when u say ur atheist? a jew or someone who worships budda will equally go to hell too right? so howcome whenever an asian says i worship budda they dont get ';your gonna go to satan'; but someone who says they're christian does?





And what religion was there before christianity? like before mary gave birth to jesus? in the stories they say angels come to her and say ';god sent me'; but what god if there was no christianity???


mary just let some random thing give her a baby????





its not that i want to b atheist i want to beleive so i can fit in with the other kids in school. but i cant force myself to believe because god can tell im just pretending and i dont truely beleive!


help!I'm 13 and I'm confused on god and stuff.?
Lucky,


I was 13 when I became an atheist.


I wasn't bullied because of it, well, in fact I kept it to myself until I was older.


But I live in Brazil and I believe that if you lived here the other kids wouldn't take it so seriously. America is different. Americans take religion too seriously. Unfortunately.


Follow your heart, no, your brain. If you're so smart at such an early age you'll have a bright future.


Did you know that we atheists call ourselves Brights nowadays?





Do not believe ';to fit in with the other kids'; don't do it to yourself. You're better than them. You have the option of not letting it out until you're older. Then nobody will care if you're atheist or not.





Hugs from South America.





p.s. I have a copy of Dawkins' The God Delusion in .pdf format and I can send it to you if you want.I'm 13 and I'm confused on god and stuff.?
Even if the child had sinned for 100 years of a long life, why would a loving father send that child to hell for eternity?





Either God is not a loving father, there is no hell (i.e., the Bible is wrong), or...





...there is a simpler answer...
If you're not sure whether or not there is a God, you're agnostic. I pretended to continue to be religious around my parents for a few years too; eventually, it comes out.
You should not take on a belief just to fit in.
Scare tactics like that are popular among the younger crowd. Don't believe in something because of fear.





You should also realize there is more than one religion, and that you don't need to follow any, or even believe gods exist. It certainly does not make you a bad person.





I'm an atheist too.
In the end, you have to believe what you personally believe. Don't let anyone force their beliefs on you. I was raised Christian, and I'm looking into Judaism and Islam.
There is a great book you need to read by J. I. Packer, KNOWING GOD
Some things are worth more than fitting in, though it may not seem that way to you right now. They get angry at you because they would prefer that no one ever question their fantasies. It's their problem, not yours. Please don't let truth be determined by fear of schoolyard bullies. Reality doesn't work that way.
Dont do it just to FIT in. Do it because it feels right. If your mind is telling you it isnt real then trust yourself. People should accept you for you, as a person! Not for your beliefs. Those who shun you for thinking differently from them have no buisness among society.
God give you a choice. Just like Satan he choose to be a devil and live in hell instead of heaven. You still have a chance and pray to the Holy Spirit for help in your faith.
Ohh. I get it. Your confused. Do you know why? Read all the books on Chemistry in one day, and come back to me, and ask the same question. You wont understand everything in life. You are not God. You will learn more when you get older.
Welcome to what you face when your not a christian. Its not much different when you get older but just know that all christians aren't like that. Don't be afraid to be an individual and thinking for yourself.
Welcome to being a teenager. The fact that you are questioning is actually a good thing because no matter what religion you eventually decide on as the right one for you (if any at all) you will have come to it with real thought.





PLEASE don't allow yourself to be discouraged by the type of kids that don't question their beliefs because it is easier for them... It is this unquestioning belief that makes sheep instead of shepards.....





I went through an intense period of questioning before coming to the religious beliefs I now hold. And I struggled to stay where I started.... It didn't work.





Take care of yourself, and keep thinking
The God Yahweh knows that every human goes through a period of doubt in His existence especially at a young age like you are. Yahweh also recognizes His children who don't realize they are His children, which you sound like to be. You will get wiser as you get older and will slowly change your mind about God.
Diligently seek God, and you will find Him. I guarantee it. Get into his word, go to church, surround yourself with people who are 100% convinced that Jesus is Lord. You'll stop guessing and begin believing. You're 13. That's not far off from Jesus when He started working in His purpose. Jesus was 12. Don't try to believe to fit in. Believe to stand out. Jesus has called us to be distinctively different. That means that you don't dress like everybody else, you don't talk like everybody else, the way you treat your neighbor is different from others. You love, you forgive, you live like Christ.


But in order to live like Christ, you have to know Him. The only way to know Christ is to read the Word of God.


The Bible says, ';the Lord is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him.';


The thing is that people want God to show himself to us, in some miraculous way. But God wants us to search for Him. God wants us to do the work. He wants people who want Him. If God showed Himself to us, we'd be like robots. We'd do everything He'd tell us, because we'd have undenying proof: visible proof. But God wants us to really want Him and desire His presence. Think about it. When you want something you go get it. If you want a car, you'll work to get it. But what about God? If you really want God, you'll go get Him. You'll do what you have to do to find Him. And its so amazing because on the journey to find Him you'll begin to discover His love for you. Then you'll believe. And when you begin to believe, pray to Him and tell Him. God will not ignore you. You're His creation and He loves you.
Oh, sweetie, kids are cruel. Ignore the people who are nasty, which is easier said than done. You are a smart kid--thinking for yourself.





The questions you've asked--about how a person who does good work but doesn't believe would go to hell while a person who does evil but repents on his deathbed goes to heaven--is one that puzzles many non-Christians. If there is an afterlife, shouldn't your deeds matter more than your beliefs?





You don't have to be an atheist, an agnostic, or a believer. You only have to find the path that is right for you. There's something called BeliefNet (I forget if it's dot-com or dot-org) that has a Belief-o-Matic that will help you find the religion that most jibes with your beliefs.





Gandhi once said (and I'm sorry I don't have the exact quote), ';I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.'; Remember that when the little Jesus freaks are taunting you.





Good luck.
Wow..your a bright 13 year old..I'm 26 and still confused with my faith..your still young sweetie and believe what you want..continue to go to church since your a minor and your parents will make you but when your old enough and still have the same feelings..look into other religions..who cares what your little classmates say..you are at the age where you are going to be picked on for being different..continue to expand your religion options..
my dear, children are to young to comrephend or understand religion. Im just telling you the truth. im 20, and I barely have a toe hold on it.





Still I would like to commend you on altready seeing the tremendous illogicity in the modern Christian religion. as well as your identification of other possibilities that the bible dosent account for.





Christianity gets less stupid... but overall its over burdened with people like your friends.





Ignore them, and ignore religion. When you turn 18 then start really looking into it to decide if you are religious and what religion you are.





Spend the next 5 or so years being a kid.





Mary was Jewish, and the ';Christian'; God is the God of the Jews.
The reason a murderer can repent and get to heaven is the same reason YOU can repent and get to heaven. All people are equal in Gods eyes. And all sin is equal in Gods eyes, no sin is bigger than another.





Watch these videos.....





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S4e8tagn…





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BZqxeRlk…





The second video is the best but to understand it you have to watch the first one.
you seem to be quite intelligent for a 13 year old, and the fact that you are curious and questioning is a very very good thing.





The bible does not make sense, and people who follow it just pretend like all the silly and evil stuff isnt there.





dont let people try to make you feel bad, stupid kids will try to do that.


When you get older you wont have to put up with that sort of thing.





Your parents should be proud, you seem to have a very solid grasp on things
While 13, if you truly hate Jesus the way you say you do, you come to the right place to make it known. Here on yahoo there is a very large family of Jesus haters. You should feel right home.





The death bed repentance you spoke of, is completely man made. NO one can live their life like the devil and when they are almost dead just say I am sorry God, and all ends well. Far from it, there is the judgment where all deeds and words shall be judged.
This is great. You're thinking about spirituality. You're so far ahead of your friends who are just repeating things they have been told. Apparently the fear of going to hell is the only thing that keeps them being Christians.





At 13 you're SUPPOSED to be wondering about stuff, and learning about stuff, you don't have to have all the answers. Even adults don't have all the answers, even though some of us like to pretend we do.





Before Jesus came on the scene, there was Judaism; Jesus was a Jew. Before Judaism, there were many other perfectly delightful religions and some that weren't all that delightful. Humans have been seeing Gods and Goddesses in all aspects of nature since the beginning of mankind. I believe all of the personifications of Gods and Goddesses are just as truthful as all the other personifications of Gods and Goddesses. There are thousands to choose from, you don't have to believe in the biblical God -- there are also a multitude of heavens associated with those other Gods and Goddesses.





Then again, as long as you are a good person, you don't really need to believe in any God or Goddess, or you can believe in something like there is a ';Great Mystery'; that we really don't understand, and it just is. The Great Mystery doesn't judge us, or make rules, it just permeates everything.





But, you're off on the right track. You're asking questions, you're thinking, you're questioning. I'm so proud of you for doing that.





You don't have to believe what your friends believe just to blend in with them -- you'll find there are people who will agree with what you ACTUALLY believe, and they'll respect you for being brave enough to be honest about your beliefs.





Any God or Goddess worthy of being honoured and respected and loved will respect you for actually THINKING about what to believe, and looking for the truth.





Good luck on your spiritual quest, dear one.
Ask yourself this question. Are you being honest with yourself? Do you think it is being honest by living a lie with your parents? Believe me, they will see through your dishonesty. There is nothing wrong with questioning. We all do that. You are at an age where you start to think for yourself. There is nothing wrong with finding out who you are.
You are very perceptive for your age. I got into many similar arguements at that age!





I am an atheist, but from a Christian's perspective, Hell is simply seperation from God, not necessarily ';fire and brimstone';.





At 13, you have plenty of time to ponder theology more in-depth. Look into Pascal's Wager-it's a Christian arguement that you already have a complete grasp of! That God could tell whether or not you really believed, and what God to believe in? By the way, the Goddess with all the arms is called Kali, the Goddess of Destruction.





Paganism came much before Christianity.





Don't believe in God to fit in. Be yourself. It will be better in high school, as some of the kids will have grown up some, and there will be a couple of atheists/agnostics to share ideas with. In college, however, you will meet lots of atheists!





Email me if you'd like to discuss this further.
I'll pray for you.
It's very sad that they think you will burn in hell... But, children are harsh, even religious ones. We are religious animals, but follow your heart, and you'll find the religion that's right for you. Don't conform just for the sake of conforming. If you follow your true will you can do nothing but live a joyful life. peace to you.
well we live in a predominantly Christian society here in the Western world, and unfortunately this kind of ideology goes to peoples' heads and makes them kind of arrogant and mean towards anyone who may be different. I think it's due to being brainwashed to believe as a child, and it's hard to get out of. Your doing the right thing by questioning and learning, I was in your shoes before and it was hard not fitting in around all those Christian kids, but in the end it payed off because I met more sincere friends and stayed true to myself. Stay strong and don't let them get you down. Just be yourself! It is the right thing to do, even if you do not follow a certain religion, to respect that person's faith or lack thereof. Something many Christians cannot understand..
You sound like you want facts on the religion you believe in. You should convert to Islam, I did and that was the best decision i ever made. I went trough the same thing and was atheist for awhile. I heard so many bad thing about Islam so i got curious to see what it was so i researched on line and went to the liberty and i got hooked on learning more about it. The religion made total sense to me. I kept recharging it for about a year, then i converted. I still kept it a secret from my family but eventually told them. They were mad at first but accepted that i converted and still treated and loved me the same. I hope this helps. If you want to learn about Islam Email me or chat with me on yahoo messenger. Mine is greenflowers777@yahoo.com
hahaha wow. first of all i would like to say i REALLY like you! haha please dont take that the wrong way either. its just that its so refreshing to hear a 13 year old question the ways of living. good for you! i was the EXACT same way.


ok the first thing that bothered me are these ';friends'; of yours. seriously, if theyre your friends then they wont freak out and hurry to not accept you if youre not like them! they should like you for who you are, not who you arent! the second thing, (im giving you gold here) do you REALLY think they are being good christians by scaring you? the answer is NO. they dont know god personally. they arent best friends with jesus. their father isnt moses! they dont KNOW who is oging to hell and who isnt. its up to god and god only who goes to hell. its completely natural to question these things. if people never asked, just listened do you know how bad things would be? if i told you to jump off a building because you would be accepted you would unless you questioned me right? right. ;)


so dont think youre doing anything wrong, ok? at your age kids are immature. i highly doubt that god came down and was like, ';oh yeah that friend of yours is going to hell...'; so dont pay attention to them. it kind of scares me actually that fitting in means believing in one thing. DONT GIVE IN! YOURE THE SENSIBLE ONE!


ok now some of your questions:


i would be VERY suprised if jews went to hell, because well JESUS WAS JEWISH! that religion has been around longer than christianity. christianity wasnt created by god, it was created by HUMANS that wanted to follow god. so remember that. ok so know this about religion: no one is certain what is true and false. its created by people. the only thing all religions can agree on (in christianity at least) is that there is ONE god and that one god represents good and love and wants you to do good and love everyone as well. one of the greatest gifts we were givesn is our conscience. it tells us right from wrong. i believe that to be our one TRUE connection with god that we can be certain of. so follow your conscience and thats all we can do! all the stuff like ';good christians go to church every week otherwise your going to hell'; was created by humans and written down to keep people in the ways of the lord. but if you disagree with them, then dont pretend like you dont. do what you feel is right.


example: i am catholic and my faith teaches me that your sins will be repented only if you go to church and confess them in front of a priest. how do i feel about this? i think that i would rather ocnfess my sins in private to god myself! its more personal that way. it feels more genuine and real rather than saying them to some guy who sins too!





we know christ is the one, because of faith. god gave us faith an dhope so that we oculd believe in him when we feel like we cant. hold in there ok? dont give up just yet. youll find your own way of expressing love and your own version of YOUR religion.


mary didnnt just let anyone have her baby. people knew for hundreds and hundreds of years that ';the new king'; was coming. so when gabriel the angel tol dmary she was going to have a baby of god she knew who he was. so it wasnt some random guy, but that was a really good question.





so dont worry about being sent to hell unless you feel like you arent doing your part to follow god. for some people thats going to church and believing and for others its going to africa to help our brothers and sisters... god's children.


everyone has their own way and i wish you the BEST of luck finding yours..


and heads up: if those friends still dont understand you, i gurantee you there will be MUCH better friends later in life. you just have to look for them! you sound like a really awesome person!!





i can really relate to you! i was in your position EXACTLY just a couple of years ago. so if you have ANY ANY ANY other questions, or just want to vent please email me at : emily_wags@yahoo.com





im only 16 by the way... so its not like a creepy old guy trying to talk to you lol. i just feel bad for you. you really remind me of me alot! and all of us questioners need to help each other out. the world is cruel to us sometimes!!


good luck!
Hi Lucky, the only one who can make you believe is God himself. If you’re having trouble believing His existence, you can always pray honestly / earnestly: God, if you’re really there, please help me to know you’re there. It’s not that I don’t want to believe in you, I just have so many doubts. He’ll answer you in His own way and timing. I had the same doubts when I was about 11, and some other doubts when I got older, always go to Him for all my problems, doubts, and He has always been answering in his own unique ways and timings. For your other questions, they are questions with answers that demand comprehensive explanations. I do not want to simplify complex answers and lose its meaning / quality. You are welcome to email me at tzeechovet2@yahoo.com
I am not trying to push anything down your throat. This is what I believe based on the gospel.





1) The question about the fairness of salvation is something that a lot of people have. Since human beings first sinned in the Garden of Eden, all mankind has had a sinful nature. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. 2 Chronicles 6:36 says, “There is no man which sinneth not.”





We are all sinners. I will be the first to admit that I am. There are many things that I have done in my life that I am not proud of. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” - Mark 12:30-31 None of us have lived up to this, even people who think they are “good” have sinned and are in need of salvation.





Rom. 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus took the penalty of our sins, so we wouldn’t have to. When someone is born again they are sinless in the eyes of God, and that sin is no longer separating them for God. If you reject Christ, your sin will separate you from God.





2) I believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” -John 14:6 The claim that Jesus made was unique. No other religion has is. Jesus was resurrected from the dead and ascended to heaven. He took our sins away when He was crucified. There were many witnesses, and powerful testimonies from people like Paul. Paul used to a Pharisee who would persecute Christians and was a staunch opponent of Christianity. After seeing a vision of Christ, he changed his whole life. He dedicated the rest of his life to traveling around to preach the gospel.





3) Before Christianity was Judaism. Really I don’t see them as separate religions. Jesus was a fulfillment of Jewish prophesies about the coming messiah. The Old Testament is the part of the bible that the Jewish people also accept; we differ on if Jesus is the Messiah. So it’s not like before Jesus they had no religion.





4) You should have faith because you believe that what Jesus did for us is real, not what others think (positive or negative). Faith doesn’t always come right away. I know with me it didn’t. Ask God to give you faith.





Sorry for the length. Hope this answers your questions.