I'll come back later perhaps and write at greater length. You may disagree with this, by my view of it is that God is in charge of "drawing people" - and how God does that is not yours or mine to know, but to be in awe of.

Holy Mystery, as I have often termed this here, comes to us in many ways. Personally designed to touch us. Sometimes in the way of people or churches. Sometimes in dreams or events in life. Sometimes through reading.

Churches may not be the only way....

The biggest problem with not being part of a church is that many times it takes fellowship w/ other Christians to keep the fire alive. Some (but I would argue a minority) can keep the embers of their love for Christ burning brightly without it, but most require that weekly infusion of passion.

I have become so distraught over the behavior of Christians lately that I find myself staying away from church. I am finding myself concentrating on the failings of Christians rather than on the love of Christ. It makes it hard for me to pick up my Bible, or do a study, or even pray. I miss the closeness, but it's me who has moved away, not Him. I have to find a way to reconnect with other Christians, to keep my faith strong, but it is hard when their hypocrisy is all I can see.

"I can't speak to the state of affairs in faiths other than my own. But in Christianity, we must change our frame of reference. We must stop making religion about historical events and where we'll go when we die. Instead, Christianity must be about how to live life to the fullest -- right here, right now, in this world."

Sounds like something from the Gnostics or the Palagian (sp) Heresy. As a reformed Catholic, I am drawn to the love of the Christ. The Charity of Christ.

This is just a fine examination of religion from a personal standpoint.

Not that you need it, but I hereby award you the Dayly Blog of the Day Award for this here TPMC site, given to all of you from all of me.

Something that has always struck me about religion, is that the codification of spiritual discovery into the accepted teachings of a church, inevitably loses much of the 'author(s)' intent during the process of translation. Churches and religions have come and gone, stayed and evolved for the large part of our recorded history. I agree with you that there is a very real impulse and need to move the focus of religion from the 'afterlife' to our real and present lives. Otherwise we could end up a bunch of rubes twiddling our thumbs, and quoting scripture while we wait for the rapture or reincarnation to take us to a higher plane, as our inattention to our world and lives, destroys this excellent experiment in consciousness.

I'm going to jump in here, CVille, hoping that Jesse will, as well, as I am sure our answers will be different.

I don't pretend that I have a complete understanding of the hows and whys of God. In fact, I would admit that I understand very little. I believe that God made us with an inability to be complete in this world. That we will always have a longing for more. And that what we are longing for is Him.

I have been an atheist. When I was an older teenager, the last thing I wanted to believe in was an invisible dude watching me do all the things I wouldn't have wanted my parents to know I was doing...and making me feel guilty about them. That followed me into adulthood. I was just having too much fun doing the things I was doing. Yet, having been raised to believe, I did have a nagging thought in the back of my mind about what if it its true? When I had children, I rationalized not raising them in church...they'll find God if they need him.

It wasn't until 9/11 when I knew that my son, who was in the Army might have to go to war that I knew there was no way I could get through it alone. That I needed back up. That if I didn't have the Invisible Dude backing me up, I wasn't going to get through it sane. I began praying for the first time in MANY years, and over a period of days, began to feel a glow of comfort so warm, that it was like being wrapped in a warm quilt and having my mother rock me in her lap. I began going to church, and it seemed that the Pastor had been peeking in the windows of my heart. He seemed to be speaking to me and me alone. Nearly everything he said, spoke to my deepest needs.

Within a month I accepted Christ and was baptized.

Since then there has been an ebb and flow in my relationship with God. When I stay in touch, He is with me always. My whole day seems to be spent sharing moments w/ Him, like I don't need to stop to pray, I'm in prayer w/ Him all day. When I pull back, like I have recently, He leaves me alone, per my request, that communing with Him stops. My life doesn't stop. I don't all of a sudden turn into a bad person...I'm just not as full. I begin to swear again, begin to be more self-centered, feel a little pissier...less like I have a servant's heart. I like the God-centered me more than I like the me-centered me.

I am not your typical Christian, I guess. I don't witness, per se, I just try to live my life in a way that I hope will make people want to check out this God-dude, or at least be a little less hostile to Him. I believe that, although it is God inspired, the Bible has been translated over and over from languages that don't have direct words that mean the same as ours, and leave open the possibility that those doing the translating didn't get it dead on... Whenever there is a difference in what I'm told it means, and what I believe God meant, I go with what I believe He meant. I believe in the God of love, that all we do in His name should be done in love. The very idea that God would condone torture, or not having health care in the richest country in the world, or starving people, or telling lies in His name, or forcing people to have babies they don't want, or giving people the desire for sexual intimacy then requiring them to not use it...these things make me crazy. I have to believe we need to err in favor of letting people work these things out with God Himself rather than us trying to work it out for them. I believe He knows our hearts. We need to concentrate on loving Him and each other, and let Him deal with us individually on the rest of it. If He wants you to stop doing something, and you are truly looking for what He wants you to do, He will convict you of that...you don't need me to tell you.

I'm getting way off track here...The bottom line, in my view is, if you seek Him, you will find Him.
If you WANT to believe in Him, you will find a way. There will be no need to fake it. Faking it doesn't work with God. It all starts with prayer. Lots of it.

I believe with all my heart that He loves you, whether you believe in Him or not.

Faith based upon concrete evidence

The validity of God’s record of providing for his earthly creatures, yesterday and into the future
“faith follows the thing heard.”—Ro 10:17

Accurate fulfillment of its prophecies, (fall of Babylon, the rise of the Medes and Persians hundreds of years in advance. Builds faith in the reliability and assured expectation.
Faith is not credulity. Scientists have faith in the principles of their particular studies, basing new experiments on past discoveries, looking for new discoveries on the basis of proven truths.
The farmer planting seeds, has faith or an expectation, if proper procedures are followed the seeds will sprout and produce fruitage.
People have faith in tried and trusted friends.
Faith in the stability of the natural laws governing the universe actually constitutes a foundation for man’s plans and activities.
Cultivating faith produces results. Faith is strengthened.

(Romans 1:20) . . .For his invisible [qualities] are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable. . .
(2 Thessalonians 3:2) 2 and that we may be delivered from harmful and wicked men, for faith is not a possession of all people. . .
(2 Thessalonians 3:5) . . .May the Lord continue directing YOUR hearts successfully into the love of God. . .
(Galatians 5:19-23) . . .Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, 20 idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, 21 envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to these things I am forewarning YOU, the same way as I did forewarn YOU, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.

22 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

(2 Thessalonians 1:3) 3 We are obligated to give God thanks always for YOU, brothers, as it is fitting, because YOUR faith is growing exceedingly and the love of each and all of YOU is increasing one toward the other. . .
(Luke 17:5) 5 Now the apostles said to the Lord: “Give us more faith.. . .
(James 2:24-26) . . .YOU see that a man is to be declared righteous by works, and not by faith alone. 25 In the same manner was not also Ra′hab the harlot declared righteous by works, after she had received the messengers hospitably and sent them out by another way? 26 Indeed, as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
(1 Peter 1:6-7) . . .In this fact YOU are greatly rejoicing, though for a little while at present, if it must be, YOU have been grieved by various trials, 7 in order that the tested quality of YOUR faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being proved by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor. . .
(1 John 5:1-4) . . .Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God, and everyone who loves the one that caused to be born loves him who has been born from that one. 2 By this we gain the knowledge that we are loving the children of God, when we are loving God and doing his commandments. 3 For this is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome, 4 because everything that has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith. . .
(Jude 3-4) . . .Beloved ones, though I was making every effort to write YOU about the salvation we hold in common, I found it necessary to write YOU to exhort YOU to put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones. 4 My reason is that certain men have slipped in who have long ago been appointed by the Scriptures to this judgment, ungodly men, turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct and proving false to our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ.
(1 Timothy 6:9-12) 9 However, those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains. 11 However, you, O man of God, flee from these things. But pursue righteousness, godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper. 12 Fight the fine fight of the faith, get a firm hold on the everlasting life for which you were called and you offered the fine public declaration in front of many witnesses.
(Colossians 2:8) . . .Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry YOU off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ;

Faith cannot be taken for granted. To maintain a firm faith requires putting up a hard fight for it. Resist faith destroying conduct, shunning faith-destroying philosophies and traditions of men, and, above all, looking “intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus

A close friend told this shortly after our Christian country invaded Iraq. He was at Sunday service in the church he and his wife had attended for twenty-eight years along with their children. The preacher called on the congregation to pray for the protection and success of our soldiers as they did their duty in God's righteous cause and also for their families.
As they left the church and people shook hand with the preacher and praised his great sermon, my friend stepped up and asked if the following Sunday they could also pray for the people of Iraq. I don't remember the wording of the answer but the gist of it was “no”.
My friend then told the preacher that he would never set foot in that church again but would look for a church which spread the teachings of Jesus.
I don't think my friend had his faith diminished but he took one more step towards rejecting Christianity as taught and religion in general. I admired his reaction.

I talked about this very issue in my book and describe how it should be faith that drives people rather than religion. I have found that those who are faithful are worth investing time in while those who are religious only give me a headache. Too often I feel that people try to make a particular religion their church, rather than looking at the bigger picture: i.e. humanity. How much better this world could be if we weren’t so concerned with whose Jesus was better than someone else’s Jesus. If we quit nit picking and focus largely on how our faith can impact humanity, the world could be better place.