Dear GOD!Do you really expect me not to have sex with my girlfriend? Do you really expect me to not love my father for his sexual orientation? Do you real expect me not to have fun, not to drink and not to eat meat? Do you really expect me to surrender my whole life for you? Seriously god, you are not the center of the universe. Please stop taking over peoples lives. YOUR CREATED THEM - YOU DO NOT OWN THEM!!!
Benjamin, Sydney/Australia
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April 7th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Ben, God created you, sent you forth to experience ALL there is.
God gave you free will to do as you see fit.
He is watching, he loves you and is patiently waiting for you to come home when you are done.
God is not controlling your life… YOU are.
Everything that goes wrong or right is your doing.
The sooner you stop blaming others including God for what seems wrong the sooner your life will turn around.
Look not outside yourself for the answers, seek within.
Ask for help and it shall be given!
April 9th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Dear Ben, surrendering your life to God is not easy. But it’s worth it. I did it and I’m proud of it. If you ask why do you have to? Well, because He gave His life for you - yet, He’s not expecting you to return the favor. Mickey’s comment is true, God is not controlling your life, YOU are. And this is just another decision you dont have to make if you dont want to. Everything that happens in your life is because of your own doing. But God is always there for you, whenever you need Him.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:52 am
I believe in God, and even though its hard and often times i fail, i try to live my life for God and I have a lot of fun. I drink on occasion but i never over do it, i eat meat and enjoy it, and i try to love others because who am i to judge. He created me and gave me so much, so how can i deny my creator?
April 9th, 2008 at 7:36 am
The sex thing, yes, but that’s just because he wants you to save yourself for your wife. It will be well worth the wait.
About your father, he doesn’t say you can’t love him. Actually you are supposed to love him. His sin is as with any other sin although a more difficult one. I don’t know one person who is not guilty of some sort of sin, but we still love them and should. We’re supposed to show them Christ’s love and compassion. You can love the person, but not accept or love their sins and actions.
You can have fun, but why does fun have to be associated with doing bad things or things that are borderline wrong? The people in the Bible drank. It doesn’t say you can’t. It just says don’t get drunk. When you lose yourself and control of yourself.. that’s what God doesn’t want. About eating the meat, after the new covenant and Jesus came.. He is all we need. There is no longer any need to hold on to the old laws because that would be useless because we can’t obey all of them. It’s impossible, but instead we hold on to our faith in Christ Jesus who has come to die for our sins. He is who we live for and why we live. Not to be held in bondage by laws that we can’t follow… not to say we shouldn’t out of love because of what Jesus did on the cross, but just that following the laws is not our way to salvation. Jesus is.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
i am at peace with who i am, i may happy, i am in love. I believe in what i believe and i believe that live does not need to be handed over to him inorder to feel the happiness i feel right now. im just sick over everyone else telling me what God wants me to do.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
that my life does not**
April 10th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Benjamin - the real question is, do you really want God to answer those questions? Most people in the world believe that creation equals ownership - where do you think we get that idea from? Why does an artist feel like he has the right to have the thief that stole his painting arrested? because humans have an instinctive feeling that the creator is the owner.
The real issue is - you don’t want help from anyone else. If we want help from anyone, we have to accept it from those that disagree with us as much as we accept it from those that agree with us. Otherwise, you just want people to tell you what you already know and believe. That is just a waste of time. People tell you what God wants you to do because they want to help you. Your response indicates that you don’t want people to disagree with you - you just want them to rubber-stamp approve everything that you are doing. Take it from experience - even your girlfriend will tire of this and leave you sometime.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:33 am
“I have come that you may have life and life more abundantly.” That’s what God said…He didn’t tell you what to do, he gave you a free will to do what you choose to do, he created you that way, to make your own decisions. You’re not a baby and he knows that, he wants you to make your own decisions like the grown man you are. However, everything we do, whether good or bad, has a consequence. The reason God says you shouldn’t do something, such as having an sex with your girlfriend, is because the consequences are severe. This of it this way, we are all on the journey of life…some take the road that gives them pleasure and instant happiness, however if they were able to look over their entire life they would find that it was a sad one, and unfortunatly it leads to a terrible thing (Hell. You can deny ht truth of Hell, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. I could deny the fact that I have a quiz on Friday but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to come); Then there is the path that does not seek joy from outside things, but has the unending joy of the Lord, which is there even in bad times, it may seem like everything isn’t going right at the moments you’re living because you don’t go for the things that are instant gratification, but when that person looks over their life, they find that their life was a good, a really good life, they lived it more abundantly and the reward in the end is worth even all the worst struggles that the world could possibly throw at you, but this reward comes with a relationship with Jesus. Life is hard, and you can live it your way and have seemingly a great time or you can live it for God and live life MORE abundantly….God gave you the choice, he’s not going to make it for you nor is he forcing you either way…though he does want the best for you.
P.S. It seems to me that you are reading bit of the Bible but not the parts that would really help you with what you’re going through. Try the New Testiment, like Hebrews, Romans, James, 1 and 2 Peter, etc. Try them…
April 10th, 2008 at 6:57 am
God doesn’t WANT you to DO anything, he wants you to know him, and he wants to know you, he wants you to CHOOSE him, if he was trying to control your life, he would, he is after all GOD….he isn’t forcing anything on you, and he loves you father more than you do…
April 10th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Hello,
My name is Snejana Farberov, and I am a reporter for the Columbia News Service, carried by the New York Times News Wire to 400 papers around the country. I have stumbled upon this Web site a few days ago, and the concept behind it really fascinated me. I am looking to write an article about new ways in which people connect to God and find spirituality in their lives using modern technology.
I would like to have the chance to talk to people from this Web site about their spiritual experiences that broguht them to this unusual forum. Please e-mail me if you’re interested at sf2345@columbia.edu.
Best regards,
Snejana Farberov
April 10th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Everyone has made some good responses. I agree with most. Ben is in a tough spot, he wants to live the life that he is living, and he is happy living that life.
God wants us to have the best possible life. I think that we find glimpses of happiness in many of our own endeavors because they are very similar to the life that God wants for us. Ex. Having sex with current girlfriend. God created sex, he wants us to enjoy it, but without the commitment of marriage it will not be as fulfilling as the sex that God created.
Jesus came so that we would have “life and have it abundantly”. We are meant to live the fullest possible life. I believe that following the way of Jesus is the way to that life.
As far as your many other qualms with Christianity, I think that it is up to God to judge, but it is up to us to love one another. So whether sinner or saint, we should love everyone. “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”. So it is us that need to love one another in order to make perfect the plan that God has for us and this world.
Good luck, you are tackling some tough issues.
referenced John 10:10 and 1st John 4:12
April 10th, 2008 at 9:01 am
as an atheist (hence the name) I can’t really relate… And for me religion in any form is strange to me…
One thing I do love about most religions (christianty included) is how everyone’s free in his own interpretation of it. How you’re allowed to ‘bend the rules’ or even break them as long as you do so in seeking a higher goal of some kind…
I applaud Benjamin for going against the common policies, and wish him all the best in pursuing his personal happyness.
And to the guys who responded; you’re lovely in how easy-going you are… The term Religion 2.0 comes to mind if you catch my drift…
April 10th, 2008 at 10:46 am
the idea is that you get what you want in-sync with what God wants. when that happens, you don’t run across the problem of having people tell you “God wants you to do this!’ because you’re already there.
on another note, if you have people bugging you about the decisions you’ve made in life, then perhaps they do care. maybe they are being self-righteous and expect you to live to their standards. if you’re not going to live according to God’s standards, then why on Earth should others hold you to them? Seems rather silly, doesn’t it? However, it is rather foolish to tell God to get out of your life. It’s something nobody has figured out how to do in the history of the world. No matter what you do or say, you have to answer for your actions eventually. Sad and infuriating? Yes. But nevertheless true.
April 10th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
If it will comfort you, i can tell you, all that trashy stuff around god is about to finish.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
I think your getting the wrong idea about my thoughts.
Im 20 and currently attending a Christian collage. Im studing teaching, this involves Christian studies subjects.
I was brought up in a secular home with baptist extend family. Im a pretty humble and open guy. Although im only 20 ive seen alot of Europe, the UK, Singapore, Thailand, New Calendonia and have plans to teach in India later this year.
Ive been with my girlfriend since I was 16 (almost 5years), she is my true love, my soulmate. We have made our own commitment to each other and made our own decisions and commitments in regard to our sexual relationship. Unlike most kids, Ive grow up with a homosexual parent. Like most kids tho, ive still lead a pretty normal life. i hardly drink, i don’t have promiscuous sex, i don’t do drugs. i am a happy health person, with what i think to be a bright future.
My environment has shaped my beliefs…
I am not atheist, i guess you could say im almost agnostic. I am a spiritual person, I AM NOT CHRISTIAN.
I believe in a higher power. If you would like to call him good, cool. If you would like to call him jorge, thats also cool. I dont care what hes called but i do believe we were created by “something”. I do not believe ‘God’ is human like, i do not believe jesus is the son of god, i do not believe in Satan. I do believe that praying to this god can help us. I do not belive that he expects us to surrender our life to him.
I am happy, im a comfortable with who i am. Yes i believe different things to you. I’ve studied alot of cultures and religions. More than most (i am high schools subjects; society and culture & religion studies to thank for that). What i believe may not be right, what you believe may not be right too. I believe that as long as your happy and it doesnt hurt anyone else than it doesnt matter what you believe.
you do not need to reach out to me, i do not need to be save, i do not have unresolved questions for God, i do not have to surrender my live to him.
Christians keep telling me what GOD wants me to do. I believe he does not what me to do those things.
This is my prayer; show your true colors. Be strong and True to yourself!!!!!!
April 10th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
sorry for the spelling mistakes, its late here.bedtime
April 11th, 2008 at 2:18 am
benjamin,
god loves you whether you believe he does or not, or whether you want him to or not.
as far as not needing anything, why did you write what you did on this site, then? you’re right, there is a “creator”. i would suggest you ask him these questions and really expect him to answer. if he wants anything to do with you, he’ll answer and you’ll know it. if not, you’ve wasted nothing.
peace. jon
April 11th, 2008 at 3:15 am
Dear Ben,
The only person that expects you to be able to do those things completely Is the man made church. Is that what God wants you to do YES.Can any one person completely give their life to an anthropomorphic being NO. The truth is And I quote COME AS YOU ARE. Christ spent plenty of time with the beggars prostitutes gamblers thieves and just all around sinners. You have to look at faith NOT RELIGION. It’s not an easy process and it WILL take time. I could sit here all day and rattle off a million different things to believe in and to put your trust in but if I talk you into something and make it real pretty and tell you it will be okay your just as able to be talked out of it. Thats why you need to find whats right for you. GOD just wants us to do our best. Dont use it as an excuse when you do something that you see is bad but try your best. I’ll agree that the bible is a very good book and has alot of insight into Humanity and spirituality,but it WAS written by man albeit onlookers of the events but men none the less.Not as CHRISTIANS but as HUMANS we try to live good lives worthy of a gracious afterlife but look around do you really know anyone that is worthy enough to go to heaven or even bless water for that matter. I don’t but what I do see everyday is someone doing something to help another or even just bring a smile on someones face , and to me thats really what God wants from us. Just live your life Ben what you do is between you and God. You will know when your doing the right thing when your life becomes peaceful. Now go find that peace , and don’t be mad if it takes awhile.
Be blessed Ben no one has given their life completely to God. But everyone is most certainly trying to be the first.
Rev.
April 11th, 2008 at 5:09 am
Many of you are too concerned with what God wants that you have not allowed yourself to ask the question: What does Ben want?
April 12th, 2008 at 4:11 am
No offense Ben, but I think you would be better served by asking “Dear Self” instead of “Dear God”. Why ask him questions if you don’t desire answers. I’m not talking about answers from any of us, including myself. God does own you. He has the right to snuff out your life in the blink of an eye. But he is loving and patient. I think you will only find satisfactory answers to your questions when you realize that the question, “What does Ben want?” is ultimately irrelevant. It becomes light-years easier to surrender your life to God when you realize you are living on borrowed time.
April 12th, 2008 at 6:21 am
Look Benjamin, I’m kind of like Wikipedia, I want what well organized groups of people say I want. If you think my demands on you are out of line then you’re hanging with the wrong crowd. Did you really expect to go to a Christian college and not have to often hear about Christian ideologies? So as long as you’re around Christians then yes, I do want those things from you and you should fear hell until you die.
Don’t like it? Find a better way to describe me and some followers and I’ll be putty in your hands. It worked for Islam, didn’t it?
April 12th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Dear GOD!
I am not God but if I could imagine his answers, it would go something lijke this.
Q. Do you really expect me not to have sex with my girlfriend? A.I asked everyone to make a commitment to there spouse before sex. Marriage is a covenant and Children the by product of sex. The problem is unwanted children outside of Marriage. People get very hurt when relationships end, so do children.
Q. Do you really expect me to not love my father for his sexual orientation? A. No, Love your father as much as you can, I do.
Q. Do you real expect me not to have fun, not to drink and not to eat meat? A. No, why. Whats wrong with eating meat or drinking alcohole (moderation or at least try and be careful) What has eating meat got to do with my laws to Christians. Have fun, but dont offend others while doing it.
Q.Do you really expect me to surrender my whole life for you? A. I dont expect you to, I would like it. Your life is over so quickly. I am forever, but thats why I have given you free willl.
Please stop taking over peoples lives. YOUR CREATED THEM - YOU DO NOT OWN THEM!!!
Seriously god, you are not the center of the universe.
My Children recognise me as there God, as there everything. I have given you free will. Seriously, You are not the centre of the universe. You are more than welcome to go your own way, but there are consequences for your choices.
All my love
The big G
April 13th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Nice response Marcus. I think you nailed that
April 13th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
i love how the people on the forum are 90% christians, i love how open the people on this forum are to other ideas and beliefs, i love how people on this forum reply to prayers as if everyone is praying to the same god. i am praying to the Christian god, otherwise known as my devil.
my god loves me and everyone else for our choices and beliefs,…. whatever they maybe.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Hey mate,
I’m 20, from Sydney, have sex with my girlfriend out of marriage, have a gay mum, eat and drink whatever I like… we’re heavily on the same page. I believe in a higher being same as you man, don’t care what it is and don’t really care.
How lucky are we to live in this city, have the freedom to be whatever we like and get away with it (most of the time).
Ben’s just sharing his ideas everyone, quit converting him.
Keep it real lemon peel
April 14th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
its always good to know, that your not alone.
its also great to know that we dont have to be the same. all clones of one another believing the same things.
April 14th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
hey you’re allowed to eat meat, who said that??
and you’re allowed to drink and have fun, you just cant get drunk and thats only because
god knows best and when people are DRUNK they do stuipid things.
you shouldnt become obssesed with alcohol thats all.
an not having sex with your girlfriend, yes that is fustratign when you love
someone and want to express yourself i feel the same way with my buy, but remmeber
in the end its worth it and you guys will aprreciate each other more and will leats likley seperate think
about it as somehting to look forward to in the future and pray to god to help you cope
with it and try do other things to keep your mind of it maby???
and yes god kind of does own us and is kinda the centre of the universe, hehe but yes i know your fustrated.
he just wants whats best though in the end try think of it more positivly, but no where in the bible does it say we cant eat meat???
i dont get that and we can drink just not smoke….
April 14th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
as apart of the seventh day adventist Christian religion they do not eat meat. this religion is all around me.
not everyone is an a-typical Christian. half the people on the forum seriously piss me off. so closed minded and uneducated about beliefs and ideologies other than their own.
April 15th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Let us pretend for a second that there is no god…
*VARRRRROOOOMMMMMMMPH* (sound of problems disappearing)
April 15th, 2008 at 12:40 am
hi ben,
it does say in the bible that we cant eat meat, just in the old testament, but it was changed in the new. just to help you along that point.
i wanted to ask you, whats the point at the end of the day. if you do believe in something greater that created us, then whats the point of our lives after that. because i personally dont see any point in life if every few decades we have a war, and progress. then have another war and progress. then some world super powers come and take over the main world economy and then spoil it with more wars.
my point is that if that is the basis of human life on earth, then why.
but i see you on all your points. who on earth wants to keep hearing that god wants you to do this and that, when you havent even see this dude before. im not suggesting that you try to look for him or that you go and jump into the abyss of religion, but just think for yourself what life is supposed to mean.
and seriously to all the christians who are posting, read up on your biblical facts before you say things that dont even make sense. i am very disappointed with the standard of theology being shared.
and i am a christian too, i just think that everyone has their own voice and that we cant force anyone to believe something that they didnt want to.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:49 am
Ben,
I’m with you. What you’re saying reminds me of a line of thought I’ve had recently based on a poem written by Rumi (who was writing in Afghanistan in the 15th century… not particularly modern). The line I’m thinking of says “Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.” To me, it seems like if God made us, he should be taking care of us. It makes less and less sense that he’d create us (if he did) just to impose a set of seemingly arbitrary, strict rules that go against the human nature we were created with.
I think you should have sex, have fun, love your father… and hopefully if God did bring us here, he’ll be good enough to take us home. That’s just my take on it. I don’t think your wrong for asking those questions or feeling that way.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:52 am
i was gonna say something about the responses here being very christian led but Ben beat me to it. I’m not a christian. but I feel what Ben is trying to say. a prayer message in the form of question does not necessarily means it must be answered… and especially not from born-again christian evangelists citing psalm and verses of the bible. Ben’s rethorical questions are his prayers and let us respect that.
peace
April 15th, 2008 at 8:10 am
You’re going to hell
April 15th, 2008 at 9:03 am
imagine if you will that guilt is not from God in any way shape or form.
Who is it from now?
April 15th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Yeah.Have fun,drink and do whatever relaxes you but dont eat meat becose annimals suffer in slaughterhouses and dont do anything what can be bad for others.
Live and learn that is you on this planet who need to find truth alone.God,if exist will not punish you if you dont beleve to him blindly.Or in other way-he is satan.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Don’t misunderstand the catholic/christian God with any idea of God, Ben.
Religions can be wrong. But the existence of God is independent from all religions. If your negation of a particular religion separates you from the belief of God, you’re mixing concepts. Of course, that’s what priests want: that you decide between them or nothing.
Don’t become an atheist for playing their game.
It’s like the existence of the blue sky. We may know it’s just blue ozone, or think it’s just a blue screen. If you approach it, you don’t touch it.
People may have different theories…
But it exists.
April 15th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
good point ’some-one”
spirituality and belief is completely different from being religious.
being apart of a religious group means being told what to do, how to do it and who here on earth is better, more powerful and close to god.
religion loses sight of basic and fundamental beliefs and focus’s on shit that doesnt even matter.
my prayer exactly.
oh and grey. fully behind you. its a prayer. the questions are not for you (the public) to answer. its a prayer to ponder on, question and thinkabout.
“Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.” beautiful!!!!!
April 15th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Sorry Benny.
Didnt realise this was your rhetorical sook.
But- dont please blame God.
Why ask a question that doesnt need an answer, why over the public internet where comments can be left?
“Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.” Brilliant if only lacking self awareness and personal responsibility.
What happens if you dont ask to be taken home or you ask the wrong person to take you home, or are you still a Child?
Responsibility? Hmmm?
April 16th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Yeah, God doesn’t have the power to control you. It’s your choice, your will to live however you want. But on the other hand, if you choose to be Christian, there’s going to be a commitment you’ll have to carry. And commitments are rarely easy. The whole living a righteous life is not for yourself, but for the glory of God- if you believe it.
But more specifically about your struggles- I can’t say anything about you relationship with your girlfriend because I don’t want to give ill-informed advice. But as to your father, God/Jesus specifically tells us to love people- regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender, or whatever. Christians are called to love people unconditionally. But as you may have heard, it’s as the saying goes- “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” Drinking- I can only say, as long as it doesn’t cause you to do any wrong/immoral stuff, I say it should be okay. Lol, and I don’t know where you got the part where you’re not allowed to eat meat.
Stay cool man
April 16th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I do not believe God has told you not to do any of those things, maybe man interpreting God, but not God. Just live with love in your heart and act based on that love.
God does not need control, nor ownership. A son is not the property of his father.
April 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
God created you, and as you say he doesn’t own your life. God created us to be free, but freedom comes with responsibility.
You are free to choose, to act… I don’t know why you have all those interpretations. Maybe you were taught like that, but I’m a catholic and I’m sure I wasn’t.
About your father, God showed us to love each other as he loves us, after all.
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I am appalled at the number of people on here, people who call themselves believers, who show through words and attitude such a lack of respect and love for others. I believe in a God who created us as free thinking, independent, loving individuals. Why would you want to be the first to cast stones at a happy man simply practicing his God-given right to question life. An unexamined life is one not worth living. We, as evolved intelligent living specimens are able, I would like to think encouraged, to make our own decisions to live our own lives, and I only wish that more people would show Ben the courtesy he is showing all of you. I don’t believe God created “religion” to teach people to judge, or preach, or criticize the way others live. Hold yourself to your own standards, celebrate your own faith, but understand that the world is full or rich free thinking happy people who don’t believe what you believe and be happy for them. Faith is a very personal thing, an idea, a feeling, everyone needs to reach on there own. Be happy that you have found yours but realize that your ideals aren’t law. This is a beautiful forum where all kinds of people can come together and share happy sad deep profound interesting moments with others. Don’t ruin it with your judgement preachy pedestal posts, acting like its your Christian duty to save all us poor unenlightened simpletons. The world is full of great religions, moving faiths, and awesome people. Get a clue!
Ben you are beautiful :o).
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Okay… can’t believe I read through all of that!
Ben, I think others have made some good points, and some not so good points… I will encourage you to do one thing.
Read the gospel of Mark for yourself. Ask yourself, who is this guy Jesus? Is the stuff in this book actually true? If it is… what does that mean for me?
Hope it helps…
Matt
June 28th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
she no belief me
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:37 am
Did God told you all these things, or other people? Did God himself or his so-called servants? Stop putting words in someone’s else’s mouth, and start living guided by your reason, your heart, and less by what others say, who ever they are, and by your personal instincts.
Wake up!
September 4th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
actually, god likes them smell of burning meat
EAT IT
September 13th, 2008 at 12:01 am
I agree - why should we? We love God and everything, but can’t we live our lives the way we want to?
October 18th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Touche