Odd Ability It Seems I Have

Does it seem beyond odd that I, as an empath would have a father, who was a sociopath?

Your question is “ is it beyond odd”. I would say it would be” odd” if at least one of your parents were “ not” of the anti-social personality disorders! My father is a covert narcissist and my mother is borderline. I spent most of my life confused, afraid and codependent. I hate ,and I mean with utter passion, hate when people hurt others. I hate gossip, and bullies. I go “way” out of my way to help the underdog and I will not listen to gossip. If my parents start psychologically twisting my mind, you would think I was a psychopath. I have no tolerance for games. I feel other people! I feel everything ,and I believe this is how empaths are created, we were born sensitive and the unjust lives we received as children threw our sensitivity into overdrive. I believe we can only be like us because of these tortured lives we lived. I hope this doesn’t sound to “ crazy” ,I have a deep passion for this subject. Thankyou

How do I reconcile Christianity with all of the odds that seem to be against it? How can I continue being a Christian in today’s world?

By FAITH..Let me elaborate that..I don't know about the odds you are particularly talking about. But Faith has always been the key to pilgrims across ages.The religious leaders of Jesus's time kept asking for 'SIGNS' to prove to them that He is the Messiah. He never gave them one. But Peter, one of disciples of Jesus confesses that He is the Messiah. Which was not by any external signs. Jesus says 'It was revealed to Him by God’So here's a key. A spiritual revelation. It is a good “HEARING”.Faith comes by hearing and hearing by Word of God. You have a listed a variety of things on which your understanding is built. All these are good. But amidst all this, do you ‘hear’.Great crowds heard Jesus preach. But only a few 'heard'. Many did not hear nor understand.Jesus said of them - ‘ “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’Good hearing ofcourse starts with the person being born-again.Jesus said, 'You must be born again’In Ezekiel, we read the promise,“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”This is again about born-again and the new attitude that such a man tends to have. A spiritual birth wrought about by God in a man. This results in ability to appreciate spiritual things.Man by nature is blinded and deaf to appreciate any thing ‘spiritual’.So the first question to really ask yourself is 'Am I born-again​’.So it's primarily not about reconciling and continuing to be a Christian. But being a man born of God, with an ability to view and appreciate spiritual realities. From that view point, you will be able to better and answer better to the 'odds' that are against it.So knock at the heaven's door. Plead the God of heaven and earth to grant you repentance from the world and receive the change of mind.Having said all this, many a times a born-again again shall get into questions and confusions. So you might as well just be here. My suggestion is to feed your soul more than intellect. Feed your faith more than your reason. Though reason adds on to faith, every thing is built on Faith.

I have an odd way of feeling the emotions of others and projecting them as my own. Is there some way for me to emotionally shut myself off from others?

As Jill Grant said, it is empathy. Some of us are more aware of these emotions and sensitive to them than others. I know I can feel a lot. Throughout my life I have struggled with this. For me it has been a gradual learning process. I do remind myself of the separation, like Jill suggested. On other levels, though, that mentality does not help. Talking with therapists, being compassionate for myself, and choosing with great discernment the people I am close with have helped. It may help to allow yourself alone time to recharge, reflect, rest, remember who you are without others involved constantly. I’m definitely still learning how to manage this sensitivity - and also, how to make sure I am also not projecting MY ideas or emotions onto others and getting all of that mixed up, and making choices as if all of that stuff is true.Like Andrew Landen sort of said, spiritual life helps. Having perspective helps - we have this one life to live, so notice if this kind of issue is really weighing you down.This issue may seem simple to some, but I think many more human beings are fnding it in themselves, and it is perhaps a really healthy evolutionary step we are taking together. We can learn to use these tools in positive ways.Developing one’s intuition can be very positive. Empathy like this is a form of intuition. Some might even say psychic ability. We don’t have any trusted guides or institutions around psychic abilities in our society, and they are in fact cast out as both dangerous and fake, so this can be a tricky path. But if you are curious, there are well meaning and sometimes very skilled teachers for this available.If your challenge around having this experience ultimately comes down to anxiety and/or anger, talk with mental health professionals to manage those feelings. Forms of meditation, yoga, and mantra can also help. Take care of yourself, learning new tools to find peace if necessary.I had a lot of turmoil and trauma early in my life. I’m not sure whether those experiences are what honed my empathic awareness, or if it’s something I would have had regardless. I do find that my high sensitivty and empathy seems somewhat linked to my trauma pain. This may not be the case for you, but it is something to consider. Sometimes horrible challenges also provide us with unique gifts.