BartInLA said:

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Grew up Missouri Synod Lutheran. Alter boy. When I was 27 I had several miracles and these can't easily be explained. I have a PhD but my atheist F-I-L says they are coincidences. One is definitely not a coincidence so that is really the main reason. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm in Mensa and after 35 years I have no other explanation. It may seem weird but that's the main reason among others.

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I was raised as a Christian and wandered away and became an agnostic/atheist.
Then I decided I was going to read the Bible. And read everything I could. Became convinced that the Bible story is true.
And then I had a Jesus encounter that was very powerful.
Now I have a sense of peace and joy I have ever had. The Holy Spirit is real.
I pray all people will come to know the Lord.

I don't buy into personal experiences as a proof of or evidence for Christianity. They are far, far too subjective and not described as essential in any portion of Scripture. For you Christians who differ, how do you characterize someone who believes but has had no significant or unique personal experience? That seems to run counter to everything we are taught throughout the Bible. It is belief and following Christ that saves, not a personal experience.

The reason that I'm a Christian is, first and foremost, my understanding of and belief in the historical reality of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. My faith in that reality is buttressed by many other factors, perhaps most significantly the historical reliability of the OT historical accounts, all of which lead inescapably to Jesus Christ.

I have had personal experiences, but they are not what my faith is based upon. I've had similar experiences at Aggie football games (which at one time actually was a source of doubt for me, lol. My experiences at Aggie football games were much more profound than any I had had as a Christian.)

KingofHazor said:

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I don't buy into personal experiences as a proof of or evidence for Christianity. They are far, far too subjective and not described as essential in any portion of Scripture. For you Christians who differ, how do you characterize someone who believes but has had no significant or unique personal experience? That seems to run counter to everything we are taught throughout the Bible. It is belief and following Christ that saves, not a personal experience.

The reason that I'm a Christian is, first and foremost, my understanding of and belief in the historical reality of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. My faith in that reality is buttressed by many other factors, perhaps most significantly the historical reliability of the OT historical accounts, all of which lead inescapably to Jesus Christ.

I have had personal experiences, but they are not what my faith is based upon. I've had similar experiences at Aggie football games (which at one time actually was a source of doubt for me, lol. My experiences at Aggie football games were much more profound than any I had had as a Christian.)

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When did you become a Christian?

TPS_Report said:

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When did you become a Christian?

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Good question, but, unfortunately, I cannot give you a specific answer to that since I have had no "salvation experience".

I was raised by Christian parents and thought I was a Christian until jr. high or high school when I first started encountering questions to which I could find no answers. I eventually rejected Christianity (or thought I did) but then started slowly returning to it as I discovered answers to my basic questions. However, I still had significant doubts about the truth and trustworthiness of the Bible until well into my adult life. Those doubts kept me from truly developing as a Christian or growing in my faith.

Fortunately, God allowed me to meet some folks that answered my remaining questions. Rather, to be more accurate, talking to them made me realize that I was considering the questions from the inside-out. Correcting that perspective was what actually removed my final doubts.

So, in a nutshell, my becoming a Christian was more of a long process rather than an event.

KingofHazor said:

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TPS_Report said:

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When did you become a Christian?

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Good question, but, unfortunately, I cannot give you a specific answer to that since I have had no "salvation experience".

I was raised by Christian parents and thought I was a Christian until jr. high or high school when I first started encountering questions to which I could find no answers. I eventually rejected Christianity (or thought I did) but then started slowly returning to it as I discovered answers to my basic questions. However, I still had significant doubts about the truth and trustworthiness of the Bible until well into my adult life. Those doubts kept me from truly developing as a Christian or growing in my faith.

Fortunately, God allowed me to meet some folks that answered my remaining questions. Rather, to be more accurate, talking to them made me realize that I was considering the questions from the inside-out. Correcting that perspective was what actually removed my final doubts.

So, in a nutshell, my becoming a Christian was more of a long process rather than an event.

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Understood. Thanks for the reply. If I may, what were those final remaining questions?

TPS_Report said:

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KingofHazor said:

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TPS_Report said:

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When did you become a Christian?

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Good question, but, unfortunately, I cannot give you a specific answer to that since I have had no "salvation experience".

I was raised by Christian parents and thought I was a Christian until jr. high or high school when I first started encountering questions to which I could find no answers. I eventually rejected Christianity (or thought I did) but then started slowly returning to it as I discovered answers to my basic questions. However, I still had significant doubts about the truth and trustworthiness of the Bible until well into my adult life. Those doubts kept me from truly developing as a Christian or growing in my faith.

Fortunately, God allowed me to meet some folks that answered my remaining questions. Rather, to be more accurate, talking to them made me realize that I was considering the questions from the inside-out. Correcting that perspective was what actually removed my final doubts.

So, in a nutshell, my becoming a Christian was more of a long process rather than an event.

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Understood. Thanks for the reply. If I may, what were those final remaining questions?

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I don't remember them all, but most related to science vs. the Bible.

One I do remember was the age of modern humans. There seems to be overwhelming scientific evidence of humans 100,000 years old, and probably a lot older than that by now. Yet the Bible, if taken literally, would indicate that God created modern humans only 6-10,000 years ago. The was reflective of my overall perspective that the Bible and science couldn't be reconciled and, between the two, science was more to be trusted.

Some Christians today can separate their faith from Biblical literalness, particularly the literal interpretation of the first parts of Genesis. I've never understood that view, then or now. If any part of the Bible is untrustworthy, then it is all untrustworthy. Or, another way of expressing my view, what is the objective standard for determining Biblical literalness?

KingofHazor said:

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TPS_Report said:

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KingofHazor said:

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TPS_Report said:

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When did you become a Christian?

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Good question, but, unfortunately, I cannot give you a specific answer to that since I have had no "salvation experience".

I was raised by Christian parents and thought I was a Christian until jr. high or high school when I first started encountering questions to which I could find no answers. I eventually rejected Christianity (or thought I did) but then started slowly returning to it as I discovered answers to my basic questions. However, I still had significant doubts about the truth and trustworthiness of the Bible until well into my adult life. Those doubts kept me from truly developing as a Christian or growing in my faith.

Fortunately, God allowed me to meet some folks that answered my remaining questions. Rather, to be more accurate, talking to them made me realize that I was considering the questions from the inside-out. Correcting that perspective was what actually removed my final doubts.

So, in a nutshell, my becoming a Christian was more of a long process rather than an event.

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Understood. Thanks for the reply. If I may, what were those final remaining questions?

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I don't remember them all, but most related to science vs. the Bible.

One I do remember was the age of modern humans. There seems to be overwhelming scientific evidence of humans 100,000 years old, and probably a lot older than that by now. Yet the Bible, if taken literally, would indicate that God created modern humans only 6-10,000 years ago. The was reflective of my overall perspective that the Bible and science couldn't be reconciled and, between the two, science was more to be trusted.

Some Christians today can separate their faith from Biblical literalness, particularly the literal interpretation of the first parts of Genesis. I've never understood that view, then or now. If any part of the Bible is untrustworthy, then it is all untrustworthy. Or, another way of expressing my view, what is the objective standard for determining Biblical literalness?

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So are you saying you believe everything in the Bible?

TPS_Report said:

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KingofHazor said:

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TPS_Report said:

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KingofHazor said:

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TPS_Report said:

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When did you become a Christian?

---

Good question, but, unfortunately, I cannot give you a specific answer to that since I have had no "salvation experience".

I was raised by Christian parents and thought I was a Christian until jr. high or high school when I first started encountering questions to which I could find no answers. I eventually rejected Christianity (or thought I did) but then started slowly returning to it as I discovered answers to my basic questions. However, I still had significant doubts about the truth and trustworthiness of the Bible until well into my adult life. Those doubts kept me from truly developing as a Christian or growing in my faith.

Fortunately, God allowed me to meet some folks that answered my remaining questions. Rather, to be more accurate, talking to them made me realize that I was considering the questions from the inside-out. Correcting that perspective was what actually removed my final doubts.

So, in a nutshell, my becoming a Christian was more of a long process rather than an event.

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Understood. Thanks for the reply. If I may, what were those final remaining questions?

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I don't remember them all, but most related to science vs. the Bible.

One I do remember was the age of modern humans. There seems to be overwhelming scientific evidence of humans 100,000 years old, and probably a lot older than that by now. Yet the Bible, if taken literally, would indicate that God created modern humans only 6-10,000 years ago. The was reflective of my overall perspective that the Bible and science couldn't be reconciled and, between the two, science was more to be trusted.

Some Christians today can separate their faith from Biblical literalness, particularly the literal interpretation of the first parts of Genesis. I've never understood that view, then or now. If any part of the Bible is untrustworthy, then it is all untrustworthy. Or, another way of expressing my view, what is the objective standard for determining Biblical literalness?

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So are you saying you believe everything in the Bible?

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You bet.