"Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” -- Jesus Christ
The important thing to remember is that this present darkness is only temporary. We are playing on a spiritual battlefield with temporary flesh and blood "avatars" that will be replaced with better permanent ones when the battle is over.
So, we shouldn't make eternal decisions based on what amounts to a temporary "video game" where bad stuff is allowed to happen for long term reasons.
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Hey Stan. I am not making this decision lightly. I still hope and long for salvation, whether in this life or in the end. I am just saying that after considering several things -- things observed in the world around me, and observed in the Bible -- then I can no longer label myself a Christian because I do not believe it anymore. I still look back on several of my encounters with God, and wonder if they really were encounters with God. I hope so, but if not, then they can be explained by my mental illnesses. Thanks for quoting scripture and trying to encourage me. I greatly appreciate your boldness and passion.