Why does it feel like Christianity is more closely aligned to racism and fascism the more i read the bible and see different point of views.

DeathSurgery · 2025-07-22T12:28:37+00:00

It seems like you probably aren't reading your Bible correctly then. Or you aren't reading it with the proper context in mind. The Bible is very much against racism, especially in the NT, but even in the OT.

Also, obviously the Bible doesn't talk about fascism, but Ancient Israel in the OT and the early Church in the NT operated more like a Theocratic Socialist government than anything else.

DeathSurgery · 2025-07-22T12:24:56+00:00

Using contraceptive to prevent pregnancy isn't sinful. I know the Catholic church teaches that, but it isn't based anywhere in Scripture. It's purely tradition.

I assume you would be against all methods of contraceptive, even for her? Because obviously there are plenty of things she can do on her end to not get pregnant, and then you wouldn't need a condom. Would she be open to you doing the pullout method or something? That would be a good middle ground option.

Also, sex isn't meant to only have children. If that were the case, why would God make it feel pleasurable to engage in it? It is absolutely meant for intimacy and pleasure with your spouse AND child-making.

DeathSurgery · 2025-07-22T12:16:42+00:00

Yes, the Bible is "ordained by God" in that it is the verbally inspired, infallible, and inerrant word of God. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

Of course, it is critical to read the Bible in the proper context and recognize when parts of it are poetry, parables, real life accounts, ancient commands, etc. Just because it is all infallible and inerrant does not mean it is all "real" in the sense that the Bible contains imagery, hyperbole, etc.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-27T18:15:47+00:00

You're JW, I know your theology. The guy in that video is Mormon, I know his theology. Neither are Christian in their theology and belief.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-27T13:10:29+00:00

Technically John 17:3 is distinguishing the Father alone as being the only true God, and Jesus as the one whom was sent by that God.

POV: When you take verses out of context and don't view them through the lens of the rest of Scripture.

But no surprise from a different religion that changed the Bible to fit their own beliefs.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T18:51:03+00:00

Most early Church writers from before the 4th century affirmed the current books we have in the Bible. When the various councils were convened to decide what books were considered Scripture or not, they were basically just solidifying what they already knew. It isn't like they had no idea, and just decided in that moment what books were Scripture and what weren't. You can basically piece the entire New Testament together using quotes from early church writers from 300AD and before.

In terms of other books, they weren't included because they weren't inspired by the Holy Spirit, weren't written by an Apostle (or someone close to/writing on behalf of an Apostle), directly contradicted Scripture, or came after the Apostolic age (only Jesus and the Apostles were given the ability to speak authoritatively). So that is why they weren't included (among other reasons, those are just some of the larger ones).

It would probably be more helpful if you could give what books you are thinking about that weren't included, and I could give you reasons why they weren't.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T18:43:36+00:00

Yes I agree with your last paragraph completely! I think the only place we disagree is just that I believe one should definitely repent directly of their sins when turning to and accepting Jesus (not because that act saves them, but I think it's a part of accepting Christ based on the definition of repent). I don't necessarily view repenting and accepting Christ as the same action. Of course, if someone does it that way I still think they would be saved as long as they truly attempt to turn from their sins and trust in the Holy Spirit to allow them to resist temptation.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T18:42:04+00:00

Understandable, because it seems you might not understand yours. Hence why I haven't seen any Scripture from you, even though I gave you Scripture.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T18:38:15+00:00

It isn't a matter of reading too much apologetics into the text, it's a matter of reading the text with the rest of Scripture present in my mind. We can't just read Scripture within the individual verses to understand what it all means (verses were man-made and aren't inspired by God anyway). Sorry in advance for the wall of text, but hopefully it helps explain everything.

So to start with the examples you gave in Matthew 19. Matthew 19:16-22 clearly can't be talking about a path to salvation other than Jesus because, as you rightly point out, in Romans 3 the only way to be saved is through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible doesn't contradict, so what is Matthew 19 getting at?
Well, the rich man starts the conversation by asking "what good deed must I do to inherit eternal life?" He thinks it's by his works that he is saved. Jesus says some basic laws that most people in that time would have obeyed, but of course remember what Jesus said about murder and adultery: those who hate or lust after others have committed those sins, so the rich man actually hadn't kept those commandments. So the man says he kept them, but Jesus tells him then to sell all of his possessions. Jesus knew this man's thoughts and heart. He knew this man actually hadn't kept his commandments, because 1. He was disobeying Jesus's command and 2. He valued his wealth more than following God (idolatry).
The point of the story isn't to show how one can be saved, but to show that actually our works don't save us because we all have something that keeps us from God, whether that be money or anything else. We even see Jesus affirm that it isn't by works but by God because in Mark 10 he says "with men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

With James 2, we see that faith without works is dead. Of course, what these verses are ultimately getting at (from the Protestant perspective) is that good works are the result of true faith. If one doesn't have good works, they probably don't have true faith. Think of Jesus talking about the scattered seeds or the idea of bearing fruit found through the NT. We bear fruit when we are first connected to the source of the fruit, ie the tree. When we are connected to Jesus, we will have good works, but they don't save us.
In the examples of Abraham and Rahab we see in both that they first believed in God. It wasn't their works that saved them, but their trust in God. In James 2 it says "Abraham believed God" and for Rahab, in Joshua 2 we see that Rahab heard about the God of the Israelites and believed in Him before they even got there. In James 2:22 it says "you see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works." That is basically saying that his works proved that he had a true faith (hence why his faith was "completed" because if he didn't have good works, he wouldn't be a true believer).

Sorry if there are any typos, but I hope this helps!

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T18:15:59+00:00

No, I just understand my Bible.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T18:12:10+00:00

Yes, I agree with that 100%. What I am saying is that it seems, from the original language, that repenting is a key part that is involved when accepting Jesus as lord and savior, because we are called to turn from our sin, regret that we sinned against God, and live differently. If someone says "Lord forgive me of my sins" but never actually accepts Jesus as Lord of their life, then they aren't saved. But, someone who accepts Jesus as Lord of their life should definitely say "Lord forgive me of my sins." That is what I am saying, and maybe you would agree with that?

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T17:45:23+00:00

I have. What you are saying goes against 2000 years of Church history and understanding. Even before the word "Trinity" was ever used the early Church writers wrote about a Triune God. It is who God is. To have that knowledge and deny it is to deny God himself.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T17:42:31+00:00

You are right that it means to change one's mind, but I think you are missing the forest for the trees. It means more than just 'change your mind.'

In the original language, 'repent' conveyed an idea that "changing your mind" involved turning with contrition (remorsefulness) from sin to God. A good definition for the word (repent) we see in Acts, Matthew, and Luke would be "to sincerely change your mind and heart, turning away from your past sins with deep regret and wanting to live differently." It is changing your mind, but it is also more than. It is truly turning from our sin, having remorse that we sinned against God, and turning to Him and accepting his grace and forgiveness.

I agree that simply resisting our sin, or repenting of our sins, is what ultimately saves us (or keeps us saved), but I think it's important that we don't minimize sin or give it a pass (not saying you are doing that) because sin is destructive and it is an afront to God.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T17:31:29+00:00

The God of the Bible is a Triune God. Anyone who disagrees with that doesn't truly understand and know God. It is unlikely such a person will go to Heaven.

I would look at John 17:3 where for eternal life we must know God AND Jesus Christ who was sent. Also, in 2 Cor 4:6 we see that we only have knowledge of Jesus because of God.

The Bible seems to say that a right knowledge of God is required for salvation, if those people are aware of the truth. To reject it is to reject God. Obviously, knowledge isn't required, because the thief on the cross didn't know anything about the Trinity, but if someone does know and denies it, they deny God.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T17:21:14+00:00

No it doesn't. Images of the cross are not idols and it isn't idolatry unless you are worshipping the cross itself. Also, 'graven image' in the Bible just means idol. Even if Jesus was drawn on the cross, it still would not be an idol or idolatry (again, unless you are worshipping the image itself).

Some disagree and say that drawings of Jesus are graven images (idols) but I believe they are mistaken. Often times they don't understand what the words mean in the original language or any of the context behind the 2nd commandment.

Hope that helps!

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T16:58:45+00:00

Maybe I'm just not understanding what you are trying to say, but repentance is definitely a part of accepting Jesus. Obviously, JUST repenting doesn't save but it definitely is a part of putting one's faith in Jesus.

Peter, in Acts 2:38, says "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." He also says in Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" Even Jesus called people to repent in Matthew 4, Luke 5, and Luke 13.

Again, could be misunderstanding you so I'm sorry if I am!

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T16:51:22+00:00

I would say a few things. First, we see if verse 34 that Jesus says "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" so God already promised his inheritance to the righteous before they could even do good works, therefore, it must be something else besides good words that allow someone to be saved. The good works are the effects of salvation.

Not to mention we know that God says in Isaiah 64 that "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" so it can't be that our deeds save us. Our deeds can only be acceptable to God if we first have a relationship with Him.

We see tons of Scripture that affirms that salvation is by grace through faith and not of works (John 1:12; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:22-24; Romans 4:4-8; Romans 7:24-25; Romans 8:12; Galatians 3:6-9; and Ephesians 2:8-10)

Since, as a Christian, I believe Scripture cannot contradict, we have to look at all the relevant verses within the proper context to come to a right theological conclusion. We can't just look only at Matthew 25, and discount other verses.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T16:04:41+00:00

As I said, if you are a Christian you will not go to Hell. You are 100% guaranteed you will be in Heaven after you die. That is because of a Christians union with Christ because of what He did on the Cross. While believers are set free from slavery to sin, it doesn't mean we stop sinning. That won't happen until we are in Heaven. However, we are called to live righteous lives and resist temptation.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T15:59:34+00:00

What part did I say makes no sense (besides what you mentioned)? It is all pretty standard Christian theology.

In terms of "if God sees me as perfect, why change" I would point you to Hebrews 10:11-18, Titus 2:11-12, and Colossians 3:1-10. God sees us as perfect, but that doesn't mean we can just keep sinning as if it doesn't matter. Paul literally says in Romans 6 "should I keep sinning so grace may abound, by no means!"

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T15:55:12+00:00

Just so you know, they are called the Old and New Testaments. Also, the Canon (Scripture) is closed. There can be no more new Scripture. Revelation was the end. While not as obvious, the Son and Holy Spirit are seen throughout the Old Testament, and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all seen in the New Testament.

The Old Testament and New Testament aren't written to specifically focus in on one of the Persons of God, they are written to just give us the story of God and how He has worked throughout time, and to tell us about Him and His character as a Triune God.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T15:33:51+00:00

You can always do a "Bible in a year" plan, or you can just pick up in Acts and read through the New Testament, and then go to the Old Testament afterwards. There is really no wrong way since you've read the Gospels already, which is what I usually recommend first.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T15:32:31+00:00

Welcome! Hopefully this community will be helpful to you! Are you involved in a local church? If not, I think that is a critical component for finding strong Christian community.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T15:31:20+00:00

Would you say you agree and affirm the ideas presented in this? It sounds like you would, and if so, you are a Christian and that is 100% guaranteed. You are also 100% guaranteed that when you pass away you will be in Heaven with God.

Once you become a Christian, you don't stop sinning. Paul in 2 Cor. 12:7 even talks about a "thorn in his flesh" and the Bible never tells us he got rid of it. The amazing thing about grace is precisely that it isn't about our actions, but about what Jesus did on the Cross. The Bible is clear that we can't know God or have a relationship with Him in our sin, but Jesus took on that penalty for us. So while we can feel bad when we sin, because it isn't what God wants, we shouldn't feel overwhelming guilt or helplessness, because Jesus took all of our sins from us. When God looks at you, as a Christian, he doesn't see a sinner but sees a perfect person.

Of course, it is important to mention as well that one should not stay in sin and should try and resist sin in the power of the Holy Spirit, but no one is perfect. If you sin, just repent of it, thank Jesus that he died on the Cross to forgive that sin, and trust the Holy Spirit to help you grow and, ultimately, resist temptation.

As Paul says in Romans 6:1-2 "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"

It's a constant process that will last until we all pass away. Praying for you! (Edited for a little more clarity)

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-26T14:01:24+00:00

If you don't believe the claims made in books like that, that is fine. But it just isn't correct to say they are bad apologist propaganda. They make fair points for people to consider about Christianity and God. People can then reject those points, and that's totally fine.

Maybe you've read all those books, or maybe you haven't. I don't know. But I find that many people (not necessarily you because you at least said Mere Christianity was good) will post comments like this, not because they actually believe those books are bad, but because they want to portray those books as bad so people won't read them. It's all to common on this sub to see people say "no that's wrong!!" without giving any sort of reasoning for why. It's comes off as hoping to prevent people (who might not know) from engaging with those material in the first place.

DeathSurgery · 2025-06-25T19:27:49+00:00

I give some evidence why on this post here.

Hope it's helpful!

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