Need to clear thoughts (+afterlife bit)

[Momo-P]

There's three things on my mind, and I really need to get them out.

A- Recently I watched a show on anime. It was just fun to watch, but unfortunately they mentioned hentai...and showed it. I mean, actually animation of the sex scenes. Some of those shots are still in my head. I want them out...

B- Someone was insulting God earlier and I couldn't back down. I know that's a good thing, but basically it was a case where I think I should've walked away. It was almost a debate of sorts...they made me think things that bothered me and made me very annoyed and uncomfortable. Basically ripping apart God's rules in the Old Testament (like how God approves slavery "so He must be nuts" and how the Bible approves of stoning people for various reasons) and saying Christians can't have any happiness and all this stuff. I could've argued, but at the same time, I do think it was situation where I needed to leave for my spiritual sake...now I just feel dirty and uncomfortable because of it.

C- When I was younger I said some stuff that was pretty weird. Like talking to my dead uncle (he had just died) and...ya. I just feel uncomfortable with it. I don't remember a lick of it, but my parents claim I said and did things that were very odd considering...also his daughters are now older and with kids and the one's child even says he talks to him (like addressing him by his full name).

This just bothers me because people go to heaven or hell, we don't linger on earth. While I suppose there's nothing to say God WOULDN'T approve of relatives addressing little children, I mean...Jesus talked to Moses didn't He? Course He was Jesus, but didn't Saul or someone even try and communicate with somebody and succeed (despite getting in trouble)? So ya...I don't think there's anything to say it's impossible, but it still just bothers me. I know God exists and love Jesus very much, and I know He's the right way for...well...various reasons. I mean, not only is there too much evidence in what believers have witnessed and said, but even science and history holds up. Because whether people can talk beyond the dead or not isn't really talked about much in the Bible...it just creeps me out heavily.

So...ya. Prayers please. Also if anyone knows for certain on that last subject, I beg of you to please give me an answer because that really creeps me out. I use to find it comforting, but now that I desire to know more about God, it bothers me to be unsure on what He says on the subject.

[Ashley]

Wow, lots of stuff here. I\\\'ll try to be as concise as I can.

A- Recently I watched a show on anime. It was just fun to watch, but unfortunately they mentioned hentai...and showed it. I mean, actually animation of the sex scenes. Some of those shots are still in my head. I want them out...

I\\\'ve had things like this happen to me, too; such as seeing a horror movie without knowing it was a horror movie and being haunted by that imagery. I\\\'ve found the best way to deal with this is just to simply ask God to remove it from your mind--you know, \\\"take every thought captive\\\" (2 Cor. 10:5). The Lord knows you didn\\\'t MEAN to put that stuff in there, so I believe He\\\'ll have mercy on you (actually, I\\\'m pretty sure He\\\'d have mercy on you even if you DID mean to put it in there...but that\\\'s another topic for another thread).

B- Someone was insulting God earlier and I couldn\\\'t back down. I know that\\\'s a good thing, but basically it was a case where I think I should\\\'ve walked away. It was almost a debate of sorts...they made me think things that bothered me and made me very annoyed and uncomfortable. Basically ripping apart God\\\'s rules in the Old Testament (like how God approves slavery \\\"so He must be nuts\\\" and how the Bible approves of stoning people for various reasons) and saying Christians can\\\'t have any happiness and all this stuff. I could\\\'ve argued, but at the same time, I do think it was situation where I needed to leave for my spiritual sake...now I just feel dirty and uncomfortable because of it.

It\\\'s good to feel a loyalty to Christ, and as a consequence, it\\\'s natural to feel offended or upset when someone makes extremely ignorant or inflammatory statements like that. However, blowing up at them is 1) not Christ-like, 2) not obeying the \\\"love your enemies\\\" bit, and 3) only liable to make them make MORE inflammatory statements/see Christianity in a negative light. I believe the better approach is to try to remain calm, and begin praying for them right there in your heart. After all, James warns that the tongue is capable of great destruction.

Now, as far as feeling \\\"dirty or uncomfortable,\\\" ask yourself why. Is it because you feel like God is disappointed in you for thinking doubtful thoughts? If so, that\\\'s not biblical--our Lord did not rebuke Thomas for doubting him, and in other places Jesus promises to answer all who call on him. If this isn\\\'t the reason, what is? Take some time to meditate on this and ask the Lord to give you His peace and reassurance.

C- When I was younger I said some stuff that was pretty weird. Like talking to my dead uncle (he had just died) and...ya. I just feel uncomfortable with it. I don\\\'t remember a lick of it, but my parents claim I said and did things that were very odd considering...also his daughters are now older and with kids and the one\\\'s child even says he talks to him (like addressing him by his full name).

Children do strange things, and we ALL have done things we feel embarrassed about before we came to Christ. But you have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, redeemed and made pure--basically, you\\\'re a new person in Christ! So don\\\'t let your past try to trip you up; you\\\'re no longer the same person you were back then!

This just bothers me because people go to heaven or hell, we don\\\'t linger on earth. While I suppose there\\\'s nothing to say God WOULDN\\\'T approve of relatives addressing little children, I mean...Jesus talked to Moses didn\\\'t He? Course He was Jesus, but didn\\\'t Saul or someone even try and communicate with somebody and succeed (despite getting in trouble)? So ya...I don\\\'t think there\\\'s anything to say it\\\'s impossible, but it still just bothers me. I know God exists and love Jesus very much, and I know He\\\'s the right way for...well...various reasons. I mean, not only is there too much evidence in what believers have witnessed and said, but even science and history holds up. Because whether people can talk beyond the dead or not isn\\\'t really talked about much in the Bible...it just creeps me out heavily.

The incident you\\\'re referring to with Saul was when he tried to contact Samuel through the Witch of Endor (1 Sam 28:3-5). There are some scholars [and I agree with them] who feel that, in light of later biblical teachings (such as what you mentioned), this must have been a sovereign act of God as an exception to the rule. Which means, I think, that either your cousins are confused/delusional/making it up, or that there is some sort of spiritual activity going on (i.e. from demons, the occult, dark forces, etc.); I don\\\'t know enough about the situation to make further judgment, but I do know that the Lord is bigger than all of these.

So...ya. Prayers please. Also if anyone knows for certain on that last subject, I beg of you to please give me an answer because that really creeps me out. I use to find it comforting, but now that I desire to know more about God, it bothers me to be unsure on what He says on the subject.

On that last sentence...of course we desire to know more about the Lord, but I think on some issues we will just have to be content to be lacking. Believe me, I could cite many a theological issue I\\\'ve wrestled with, with Scripture heavily backing both sides, but to which I still have no answer. But don\\\'t let lack of knowledge be a stumbling block to your faith--continue to seek the Lord and walk with Him, and He will continue to reveal more about Himself to you. I just say this so that you won\\\'t be disappointed later in life when you bump against even more difficult questions seemingly without answers. A dear friend of mine recently admitted it was just these sort of problems that led him to become an atheist--he couldn\\\'t believe in a God he couldn\\\'t fully understand, and I just don\\\'t want that to happen to you.

p.s. please excuse all the random \\s; it is a side effect of the proxy server I have to use at school

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Well said! I don't really think there's anything that needs to be added to Ashley's answers, other than to say that you shouldn't feel like asking questions is a sign of weak faith. If anything, the desire to seek out the answer, and the belief that the answers God provides are going to be better than your preconcieved assumptions, is a sign of great faith!

and yes, I'm praying