I wish. Talking about my faith is still difficult for me but I know it is on the job description. "You can only keep what you have by giving it away."

Not specifically. You could probably manipulate her knowing her spiritual beliefs if that was your intent.

Mat: 5: 28

"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

I fixed your post, yw.

I'm not Catholic.

You can enjoy what you are looking at; just don't take the thought too far and alloq yoursel

f to indulge.

Pretty sure you need to repent and ask for forgiveness.

Jesus was too hardcore for you?

Don't you mean too softcore?

What? I was talking about my brain.

Lol. Too straight edge, lets say.

Your brain lust is a no no too i think.

Does it make it easier to bang church chicks now that you're part of the fold?

so, so wrong.

funny, but wrong.

That certainly could be considered a perk but at the Baptist church I attend they preach no sex before marriage. The official term is "church lurking."

Do you think that you became a Christian because the preponderance of evidence led you to think that Christian theology is true or because you felt unable to remain sober without believing in a higher power such as is found in Christian theology?

If it is the latter, do you think it is wise to have your new faith challenged by the atheists on 2p2?

A couple of years ago BigErf started a thread describing how he became a Christian, and it has many of the same elements as the OP's. Drug abuse, alcoholism, complete hopelessness...all miraculously cured by believing in Jesus Christ.

And then BigErf had to leave the forum because he didn't like some of the things he was reading and felt that he was losing his faith.

Now he shows from time to time to post whenever he's drunk or high.

This sounds like hyperbole, but turns out to be an accurate account of what actually happened.

Niiice questions/statements. Lemme think and respond

I don't know if it was either really. My thinking is very ambiguous and thus it is easy for doubt to creep in. I'd say I waivered mostly between agnosticism and Universalism before I got sober. I was desperate to change when I first got in the program and rehab stressed having a higher power other than myself as the primary concept to follow throughout a spiritual recovery.

I always thought just trying to do the right thing and living a moraly sound life would be enough for peace and happiness. When the program asked that I define a Higher Power to entrust my will to, I struggled to come up with a concrete being, power, entity, spirit of the natural world or whatever you want to call it. To me, spirituality was too abstract for me to grasp. I eventually began to go back to my religious upbringing and study Christian principles. For me, I had to "fake it till I make it." And I'm not saying I've made it by any means.

I don't mind having my faith challenged on this forum. That's what it is here for.

Well the 12 steps were originally formed based on Christian principles. However, sobriety and faith in Jesus Christ don't necessarily have to go hand in hand. There are countless oldtimers in the program with decades ofsobriety who prescribe to different faiths or a spiritual concept al their own Some just use the groupas their Higher Power. For me, my initial sobriety came before putting my faith in Jesus.

If you're trying to "fake it till you make it," and you haven't "made" it yet, doesn't it seem unwise to do things that will make your belief weaker, such as exposing it to the doubts and skepticism of the atheists and non-Christians on this forum?

I'm worried that by questioning your faith I would be encouraging your self-destructive impulses.

You sound capable enough to raise the right questions. Don't delude yourself, you're always going to have doubts - even the thickest pavements show cracks with time.

You can be spiritual in your own way without having to buy into all the organised religion nonsense and its crowd, and I'm sure you'll find people to support you even if you don't share a belief.