What led you to God?

Brian,I am sorry for your pain, since I can sense the bitterness in your words, probably against any number of people that you have seen, read, or heard about, who have not really lived out the "true Christian faith". If it helps any, I apologize for any and all Christians who have misrepresented the faith Christ (God Himself) gave us.Please remember that there are those who SAY they are Christian, but you wouldn't know it otherwise - then there are those who don't even have to tell you they're Christian, because you've probably already guessed it, by how much they love and care for others - not that non-Christians are incapable of that, but my experience, and the experience of many people smarter and older than myself, show that the resources Christ gives us (Scripture, Tradition, and the teaching authority of His Church) allow us to be infinitely more humble, loving, and helpful toward others, if we will only follow His example. It seems you have encountered many who have not fully applied Christ's example to their lives, in the right way.Also, as much as I hope I am wrong, consider this a fair, friendly warning: Unless the views you have against God, Christ, and His body (His universal, worldwide Church) change significantly, be prepared for some pretty stormy seas ahead, in which you may very well get tossed and turned and possibly even find yourself banging dangerously against the rocky shores (if you aren't already), because you have no anchor to keep you stabilized when those storms hit. You may want to check the latest "news and weather report" of the world, and take appropriate action! It's not looking good out there for those without a strong faith!Why do I say that? Here's a little story that may help explain it:http://www.threestepstothefountain.com/why.htmlOne4Truth

Faith,Very well stated. Short and succinct. Being a little, or a lot more long-winded, I hope you don't mind me adding a bit:God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.OK, enough for now. I feel better! : )””” In Christ ”””
One4Truth

OK, I'm still pretty new here. Can anyone tell me how to get the quote in the little box? I don't see it anywhere?Anyway, to quote Ifan:The implication is that it is looking good out there for those with strong faith. Having strong faith in God means you enjoying seeing people killing one another, polluting the environment, and treating one another badly, etc. and so forth? How is that?---------------------------------------------------------------------OK, Ifen, I really don't enjoy doing this, but let's have at least just a LITTLE intellectual honesty here, or our communications will be short-lived. I am not sure you will be able to accept this request, since this may require you to admit that you have a serious resistance to a certain degree of Truth in your life, which ultimately means there may be a certain degree of yourself you have not YET been ready to face squarely. I pray, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth and Love, that may change - even as you continue reading this.If you are not, at this moment, opening yourself to that Truth - the absolute, objective Reality that exists all around you, and within you - then you may be better off stopping right here.Otherwise, Holy Spirit, come!First, a little about me you might want to know. Here's a quick way to figure me out: I'm not just another Christian from one of 33,000+ "denominations" out there. I am one who quotes THE authoritative truth, from THE authoritative Church that God (Jesus Christ) Himself established here on earth, and gave His Absolute, Undeniable, Ultimate Authority (for further evidence and explanation go to http://www.threestepstothefountain.com/step3.html).That being said, here's just a brief (?) glimpse of what God, through His Church, OFFICIALLY teaches us on these matters, and has consistently taught in it's essence, for the last 2,000 years:1. The 5th commandment: "You shall not kill""Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being."For LOTS more details on this particular topic: http://www.kofc.org/un/publications/cis/catechism...2. On pollution, and abusing our natural resources:Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection. For each one of the works of the "six days" it is said: "And God saw that it was good." "By the very nature of creation, material being is endowed with its own stability, truth and excellence, its own order and laws." Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God's infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.3. Treating one another badly (against Commandments 4-10):Where do we start? Scripture, that hopefully all self-professed Christians, and many other religions, can agree on? First, let's start with Commandments 4 through 10:The apostle St. Paul reminds us of this: "He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."Or, as Christ Himself put it: "Love one another, even as I have loved you." (Hmm... How's THAT for a tall order!?)And for a much, much fuller picture of what the world, and relationships, would look like if we all accepted the divine authority Christ gave His Church, spend a little time here: http://www.kofc.org/un/publications/cis/catechism...OK, let's see what you do with that Ifen. I'll try to be back soon!One4Truth changed display length of urls to fix page width, please use the peek function to see how this was done. -The QueenThis message has been edited by AdminAsgara, 01-14-2006 07:37 PM

Dear AdminAsgara,First of all, with all due respect, I'll have to pass on the "Queen of the Universe" reference - it is too close to "Queen of heaven and earth" and my beliefs are that that position has already been taken - permanently, along with "Ark of the New Covenant"! You may want to look into that a little. : )(Catholic Magazines & Religious Articles | Catholic Answers)Secondly, thanks -to everyone - for the quote tips. I'll have to take some time to familiarize myself. As for the other links AdminAsgara gave... Great! Thanks! So, like, does this mean I'll get a notice if my post happens to hit the top of the list of people to be voted off the island, uh, I mean website?One4Truth