Hello Brothers and Sisters,
I was raised in church (ok not literally raised but you get the point) and for many years was forced fed the Kool Aid of religion. At one point in my late teens even thought that I was being called in the ministry and when I dropped out of the Christian college I was attending it was like I had rejected Christ himself.
For so many years I struggled. I never felt like I knew God, nor did he know me...but I was "saved" so it was all good. ha ha
Then after a painful divorce I decided to go back to college. I enrolled in an online bible college program and finished it. After this experience, I had more questions than answers!
Finally one day when googling "Hell" I came across this web site. You may have heard of it "Bible-Truths.com". ha ha
A co-worker and myself were talking about Dante's Inferno and he asked me some questions about Hell because I was considered "the guy who knew the Bible".
I absolutely BLEW my lid when I found this site! I was like "this can't be true, CAN IT?" But, I sat with my Holman Christian Standarb Bible in hand and kept following along, verse by verse...and something strange happened.
I got really, really, really angry. Not at God, not at Ray...but the religious system that had lied to me.
It honestly has taken me several years to heal and get over it. My brother is going through it now.
I wanted to share this because I did not know who to talk to about my anger and disappointment from having the truth revealed and exposing my beliefs that were obvious lies. I felt like my whole life was a lie, everything I had every prayed for was a useless waste of God's time and others. I just really went into a deep depression.
I continued to pray and study.
Fast forward to 2010. God has been faithful (DUH!). I have weekly conversations with my brother about God's truth. My wife is also a great support and encouragement. Yet I still have difficulties talking or even having relationships with many of my "Christian" friends. I have been ignored, called a heretic, cult member...and so on...which many of you have probably experienced too.
The point is that I have no more fear but I do get lonely. I am thankful to have this forum. I am also hoping that this is an answer to a simple prayer.