Question about shirk?

[Peaceandtruth]

Hello, I'm new to the board, anyways I once was a christian before some bad experiences which led me to leave christianity in anger; mostly because it seemed like christianity was full of confusion and that led me to give up on what I thought was God completely which led to some horrible decisions and getting involved in certain pagan beliefs. Anyways obviously because I was a christian I took up partners with Allah, the thing is that I grew up christian and I'm still in the age range of high school and college students and this is the only way I have known for all my life. Now I'm beginning to look into Islam [hoping to find the truth, and hoping to do this in a way that is in truth meaning that I don't accept this because I have problems with christianity but because it is truth].

Anyways my question has to do with shirk taking up partners with Allah which is the unforgivable sin, I know a lot of people like to say Allah would forgive this if you truly from the bottom of your heart repent and show that by committing to not do it again. My only problem with this is that when I read the parts in the Qur'an where it talks about how Allah will forgive all sins but taking up partners that seems to be a done deal to me, that seems to say to me that there isn't any forgiveness if you do so, I don't see where it says Allah will forgive you if your really sorry I only see the part where it says he will forgive any other sin but that which makes me think a lot of people are just making it up that the unforgivable sin is actually forgivable because they know a lot of the converts did this sin.

Anyways thanks to any who commit to answer this in truth, hopefully your answer will show me I'm not hopeless and doomed.

[siam]

In Islam, INTENTIONS are as important as actions. Therefore, those who have done shirk unknowingly, are not the same as those who do shirk knowingly. ----look at the story of Prophet Abraham(pbuh) in the Quran. He grew up in an environment of polytheists, but with the use of his intellect and pursuit of knowledge, he came to reject the polytheistic concept of God.

['Abd-al Latif]

When one becomes a Muslim all of his past sins are forgiven, even if he associated partners with Allah.

And Allah forgives all sins as long as you repent sincerely. Allah says, 'Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven' [al-Anfaal 8:38] and the Prophet :saws1: said, 'Allah will accept His slaves repentance so long as the death rattle has not yet reached his throat.' (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3537; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1425.) i.e. if you repent before your death then Allah will forgive you inshaa'Allah.

And Allah knows best.

[_ALI_]

Salam Peaceandtruth
You are referring to the following verse
004.048 إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا
004.048 Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed.
Al-Qur'an, 004.048 (An-Nisa [Women])
Text Copied from DivineIslam's Qur'an Viewer software v2.910
You must read it in context. Allah is addressing the people of the book here who took the sin of shirk very lightly. So this verse emphasizes the magnitude of the sin of shirk. It basically means that after we die, we would have many sins written against us. Allah can forgive any of those sins and give us an entry into heaven but He will never forgive shirk. It doesn't mean that if we commit shirk and repent before we die, we won't be forgiven. So if you have asked for sincere forgiveness for shirk which you committed, you will inshAllah be forgiven. But if a person dies while he is doing shirk, he won't be forgiven. Many companions of the prophet used to commit shirk but they asked for repentance after they became Muslim.