does anyone have a problem reading the Bible or exploring their religion? i want to read the Bible but i don’t wanna read something i question or don’t agree with and then it sets off a new theme for me. for example i can’t watch any videos of atheists because i’m afraid i’ll become one or start to question God (i don’t have any problem w atheists it’s just not who i am). i want to kinda explore my religion because i want to understand it more but at the same time don’t want to mess w my mind. any tips?

If you organize your life around avoiding things because you don’t want to feel distress or have an unpleasant experience, you’re going to have a hard time recovering from OCD.

Yeah I'm a Christi an and I tend to avoid it bc if I have a question I feel like I dont believe or wont

I think doubt is normal in our faith walk with God. In fact, I firmly believe God is not offended or afraid of our questions and/or doubts. I think all Christians struggle with some form of doubt throughout their walk, as do I, but for me, I always try to go back to what made me believe in God in the first place. My experiences with my Heavenly Father and the evidence of His fingerprints in my life are what keeps me grounded in the midst of my doubts. Having doubts does not make God any less real nor do your doubts equate to atheism. Also, have some grace for yourself. Even those in the Bible struggled with doubt in some form. After all, we are natural beings created with the free will to choose a supernatural God. God fully understands that it can sometimes be difficult to have 100% faith all the time. It’s why we ask Him to grow our faith and the growth happens as we consistently spend time in prayer and relationship with Him. These fears could be an expression of your OCD or it could be normal doubts that all Christians face in their walk, or both. Either way, if as a Christian, we truly believe that our faith is not religion, but a relationship with a loving Father, then open communication of our thoughts, feelings and doubts is key in building a healthy relationship. So whether it’s your OCD or normal fear/doubt, I guess the advice remains the same in my opinion. To conquer OCD and/or inevitable doubts of faith, don’t avoid it - bring your doubts to God and lay it before Him knowing that He won’t be upset or that you are becoming an atheist. Be open and honest about it with Him. Be open, even about your OCD. Lastly, practically speaking, if you read something in the Bible that you question, there are tons of resources online that explain biblical context. Personally, I really like the Bible Project. Check them out on YouTube. They break down certain aspects, stories, themes, meanings, etc in a fun and easy-to-comprehend way that is strongly grounded in research. Praying for you. May you have a deeper revelation of God’s undying love for you and may that cast out any fear or doubt. The Word says nothing can separate you from His love. You can believe in that!