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I've wondered that from time to time. It's somewhat unresolved for me, but it's not a huge deal. Regardless, I never pray to Jesus, I always address my prayers to God. Though I do believe I'm able to do so through Jesus' sacrifice.

It's all good, I get it. Besides, I'm slowly wanting to dissociate myself with Christianity, what with the reputation it's getting. The only reason I haven't is because from time to time people will tell me, "I don't like most Christians or religion, but you seem pretty cool."

This was what had chased me away from Christianity originally. I hated being lumped in with that reputation of Christians being anti-science, anti-woman, anti-homosexual, unthinking, spiritually lazy, etc. But you know so what if people want to lump me in with a group. The act of generalization is something we are all ingrained to do from birth. We see a few things of a collective whole and quickly induct that this small portion must represent the whole. When you start looking at the bigger picture of things, then you can start making sense of things such as 9/10 times what you see in the news regarding people representing a group is not those that are the most reasonable, moderate, or intelligent but those who are going to put on the best show, usually by acting like a jackass.

A rough estimate of the number of Christians total in the US is 252,666,391. This is roughly only 12.6% of all the Christians in the world. When you only are looking at Christians in one town or even one state (usually expressed as "all the Christians one knows"), this percentage drops significantly lower.

Governments hate being responsible for any screw ups on their part. Why because if a government screws up they loose the favor and trust of the people who keep it establish thus risk loosing the power they hold and whatever perks come with it. It will look for any scapegoat it can find which recently is now religion. Before it was the atheists, before that it was the Jews, before that it was the Irish, before that it was the Catholics, and before that it was the British. Now don't get me wrong there are a few wars that are actually caused by religion but these are relatively few. Most wars usually have more material motivators such as land, wealth, threats to keeping land, wealth, and power, etc. It's stupid to fight over who's god is better or who's more in God's favor. Most world leaders are aware of this, most people are not. This fact has been taken advantage of in the past and even still today so those in power can get people to do what they want.

So why should I care if someone is going to generalize, stereotype, and mock me because of what my religion is when these people are looking at a small picture of the religion and a skewed perspective of history that's often to paint one's nation/tribe in a favorable light? I accept the heritage I inherited when I came back to Christianity, the good things and the bad things. I can't deny that which happened in the past. While I'm not responsible for those things in the past and there's nothing I can do to change the past, I have inherited this past, the good and the bad by accepting Christ. I can be a voice in my community so we can learn from past mistakes and keep the Christian community true to the Holy Spirit by speaking up when I see injustice, hatred, thoughtlessness, and ignorance being peddled as the "word of God" or "God's will" because I know these things are contrary to the God I know. I can do this not because I worship the Bible or any Creed, but because I have a relationship with Christ.

Agreed

The only issues is from there a lot of Christian end up bad talking me. I just left another guild because I was tired of being talked down to for my untraditional beliefs, and I've been called a liar, false prophet, and so on. It's kind of a double edged sword.

@Chieftain Twilight:

Having read what you wrote, you are right in that the environment in which one receives God is key. There's a parable in the Bible (book of Matthew??) about a farmer sowing seeds and how some of them land on the path, some land on thorns, some land on stones, and some land on fertile soil. After I first read that passage within my own Bible study group (literally a month ago) my first thought was: Only a quarter of all those who are given the word of God actually take to it, a quarter were never ready to begin with with, and half eventually wander away from it entirely.

I still find those odds unsettling, but so true. Even in Biblical times, people were more concerned with--or rather, distracted by--the superficial and transient than that which was deep and enduring.

In the story where Jesus talks about Peter being "Peter" (a rock) [I'm really bad at citing], He talks about making a confession before God. [It's the passage where he tells his disciples not to tell anyone he's the Christ] But that confession can only be given through the Holy Spirit. So, no human being can show you or bring you to the light. All you can do is continue being open and continue on your journey. Everyone is different. I feel like I was the seed that fell on thorns, constantly distracted by the trivialities of life along my way.

I will say that when I started doing yoga last year, I felt even closer to God somehow. I started to see my body as a temple that was in need of nourishing, strengthening, and discipline much as I do for my mind with school and my soul with Bible studies. My first year in college I shared a room with a Jewish atheist and a Muslim (we were like the UN!), and the devout faith of my Muslim roommate in her diligent prayer and fasting motivated me to become more deeply connected with my own. So, I'm a huge believe that exposure to people of other faith can help one on their own journey to find the Divine.

The only thing I disagree with you on is that religion hinders faith. That's just people, any institution is where its leaders bring it (which might not even be in the direction of original intent). In all honesty, religion is a bus big enough for the whole world, and the Holy Scripture is the map, but don't be afraid to take the wheel because there's no designated driver. Just follow the map and follow the Spirit, and you'll get where you need to be.

Namaste!!!