Brainwashing? Christianity seems to be taking weird steps, here at least.

[Rhyfelwyr]

If you follow God for the purposes of salvation then that is vanity.

Nothing makes me happier than knowing that if I do something I do it for God's glory. I won't lie though, I am God-fearing. I know if I abandon Him then He'll force me back on track. It's just a case of going through the stages. At first you have the 'fire', then it seems a struggle as you try to do the hard part and live as God wants you to. However, God gradually builds us up in a way that is more pleasing to Him, so we rejoice in serving Him.

Say not the Catholics. In any case, some of the most moral and sensetive people I have known have been atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews. How can you do a single good deed with a heavy heart? Grudging charity is not charity at all. Life should be fun, I don't believe for a second that God wants us to be miserable, that path only leads to hating life.

Who could say that changing your life to avoid sin is easy? It's not easy, and it's not supposed to be easy. I know it's a matter of doctrine, but I believe that God will make us persevere to the end. Step by step God will work to change us so that we hate sin, and so we can gladly serve Him. Although our righteousness can never be more than rags, I'm delighted to know I serve God if I think I do something 'good', however sometimes it's difficult. Indeed, it often seems impossible to be selfless. For example, I let my litttle brother on my PC today to play RTW for a few hours. He wanted to play it more, but I didn't let him, even though I'd played it for longer than him. I know this wasn't showing a good example of the righteous life, but I did it anyway because I wanted to get on with my Seleucid campaign. Gah, there's really no excuse I know.

The Bible teaches that life is the greatest of all God's gifts.

I did two things yesterday, I went to Church on my own and I had dinner with my family. I enjoyed both, I smiled I laughed, I had FUN. I think you over intellectualise your faith and you reject the emotional aspect of it. I'm not the sort of christian who sings happy clappy songs, sways side to side, and then collapses in an ecstatic fit on the floor but even I think your faith should be something you enjoy.

I'm not saying it's not hard for me sometimes, more often than I would like in fact, but at no time have I ever felt that God has wanted me to be miserable.

The emotional aspect is what it's all about. The emotional aspect comes through reading the Bible, praying, and building a relationship with God, not by taking joy is wordly things. Eternal life is the greatest of God's gifts, this life is just a test.