hello everyone,
I just joined the forum a couple of days ago, met some lovely folks in "Introductions" and was advised topost here. So I think I could do worse than repeat what I wrote there, just to get the opportunity to meet some more of you lovely folks in Computerland
My name is Dave. 28 years young as of yesterday. I live in a middle-sized town called Leicester in the centre of England. I'm just about to start a Masters degree in Creative technologies (hiding from the "real world" in education forever, or at least the aeon). My spiritual/religious/psychological is, like most, varied with highs and lows. I was raised a Catholic, wooed by evangelical Christianity's depiction of a real, personal Jesus, ever unsure of the fact I was already meant to be "saved". Moved away from home to London, spent sometime church hopping from Charismatic, Pentecontal, Prosperity gospel, Reformed Basptist et al. Became a member of a staunchly conservative Calvinistic Baptist church in the Capital. Worked doing sundry things around the church convinced it was all spiritual and drinking in the mixture of Scripture (or should that be BIBLE- AV, half-truths, separatist wranglings and downright (though well meaning) lies. Then one day my mind snapped. It was as if the world had gone mad. I went to the only place I knew that could help- the church. Needless to say things did not improve. Seven years pass. I try to maintain my mental health and keep God and the Bible at a distance. I was literally at times scared to read the Bible. I tried to occupy myself, but laziness, pride and all manner of distasteful habitual sin had me.
One day, through chance (NOT), or my own Free Will (NOT) or the foresight and Grace of my Father (hmmm) I browsed my way to bible-truths. I was captivated by what I read and just devoured pretty much all of Ray's articles. Straight way God seemed to impress on my heart that Hell really was a hoax, that He IS love and that all (including my late father ,who departed this life when I was four) ) would finally know and enjoy their wonderful gracious Creator. A weight of alienation, fear and guilt that had burdened me most of my adult life disappeared. I saw things clearly for the first time. That was a little over a year ago. Since then I have read a wide range of Universalist literature, but keep being drawn back to this site. I plan to re-read The Lake of fire series, which it blew me away on first go, as I sense there is much depth contained in those papers, and much truth yet to be applied to my life. God has given me the privilege of sharing the "Wider hope" with friends within and out of the Church. But I am conscious that Truth must, in Mr Smith's words, be "internalised" until it will be any use to others. Well, it's been a bumpy ride (and a lenghty message). But with Such a Saviour I wlecome the future whatever it may hold and look forward to meeting brethren with different stories from all over the globe.
Well, I wish you all well, and look forward to chatting with some of you folks on this crazy old world wide web.
Peace. And quiet.
Dave (conrad)
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Topic: new kid from Engerland (Read 4945 times)