This is a good question. Not only for what this website is about, but the answer to this question is also an individual quest. No one has more control over your life than you do. Any answers should speak to who you are inside, not curcumstances.
I believe in God. I believe God is in control of his creation. I believe Jesus Christ is his only son; sent to redeem us from a horrible condition evidently present in every man, woman, and child. I have seen that the things we know to be right, we do not do. We desire God, but we do not always seek after him. We want answers, but do not often accept them when we find them.
I have found power to change these things in Christ Jesus. It is not a cliche. We all have biases that make up the world from which we think, act, and live by. It is impossible to remove all bias because we all live experiences. You would have to remove each and every one of them. It's simply not ever going to happen. So don't let anyone betray you by saying you can look at something completely objectively. Everyone brings to the table a set of beliefs, suppositions, and assumptions.
The good news is that it is OK. It is natural. It is a God-given design. No one should have your perspective. You lived a very real set of experiences that have contributed to the amazing person you are. No one else has. That is a valuable tool and resource for you. You have some things to share with others. Yes, you are amazing. It doesn't matter who yet sees it or believes it. There is certainly one who does: your God who created you.
We can't choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we react to them. The bias and the worldview that we want to have is that one that is made up of both our experiences, our knowledge, and the wisdom that provides the understanding of what those mean in our everyday lives. I believe this connection to come from God as he reveals truth in our lives through his Word and through his Holy Spirit. Experience alone doesn't yield truth. Experience can sometimes be deceptive. But it can be a teacher. Ultimate truth comes from God's Word. There is safety there.
It is OK if you are not yet sure if God's Word is God's Word. Is the Bible really true? Is Jesus really the Son of God? Those are very good questions. And no matter how hard a person believes in the answers he or she has to those questions, the person on the other side must make their own decisions about what he or she believes.
Faith is gathering the evidence and committing to a belief. God doesn't do the believing for us. He gives us ample evidence for us to have faith for the rest of the way. My bias is from an Evangelical, Catholic perspective. My bias assumes the God of the Bible is living, active, and real. My bias is from the perspective that Jesus Christ was a physical manifestation of that God. These biases have come as a result of hours and hours of study, prayer, and experience. My wife would be happy to testify to the work I've put into this ladies and gentlemen!
Now whether or not you come to that conclusion is essentially up to you. What this website seeks to do is to provide the equipping to form your knowledge of God for the purpose of deciding what you think about him. This site seeks to provide the encouragement to seek him out on a daily basis without judgment or demand. Finally, once you have made a decision, this site hopes to provide empowerment if you so desire to go out into the world and share that which you have learned, experienced, and witnessed.
I am a minister of the gospel. I am currently Evangelical. I am in love with my God, my wife, my son, and those who God sends to be equipped, encouraged, and empowered. I am a student and a teacher. I am a writer and a reader. I look forward to learning more about all of these subjects. Peace and love in your adventures. I hope you find this site useful. Amen.
Love in Christ, Saints,
