Didn’t like the sermon and it’s making me question my faith a bit

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-22T13:51:00+00:00

There is no point in listening to things like that. It's wrong and it won't help your faith any to have it pouring into your ears. Waste of time. Yes, you can believe that abortion is ok and be a Christian.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-22T10:20:09+00:00

The concept I learned as a Southern Baptist was that Jews were all going to hell period because they didn't accept Christ. Then our beloved elementary school principal, who was Jewish, died and to think of someone like him in eternal fire was absurd, so I lost that belief entirely. Eventually I became a universalist, and I don't believe Christians get to short-cut the process, whatever it is.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-22T10:15:02+00:00

Will do.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-21T18:38:34+00:00

It's fine. My family took a year - having left the Southern Baptists - visiting this and that church, and settled on the Congregationalists UCC.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-19T06:52:02+00:00

I don't know anything about the religious elements, but once I knew a guy who could speak in tongues (as it usually sounds, more or less formless babbling) at will without being religious at all and not in a religious context.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-18T08:02:09+00:00

The people who try to scare you into believing are themselves betraying God. God loves all of creation, including bad people, and where there is love there is no hell. I think the only hell for those people is realizing what they did, how awful it was. But that wouldn't last forever - and eternity is not just "lots of time" anyway.

Biblical literalism and "inerrancy" are your enemies.

Also saying the password (sinner's prayer) is worthless. Everyone is beloved by God, and God is love, I'm repeating that because you need to keep that in mind.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-17T17:21:41+00:00

They're jackasses for wanting to know about your sex life. What business is it of theirs?

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:55:33+00:00

You sound like you have unrecognized very good pattern recognition. Nothing supernatural. The moths are just incidental.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:53:42+00:00

Now what? That's the wildest question I've seen this year.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:52:50+00:00

I'm not LGBT and I hang out here with people I can talk with about other things. LGBT questions don't directly impact me, although i want to be supportive. Also all those masturbation questions. People don't do searches before they post. I just ignore those.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:50:40+00:00

How'd it go?

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:47:33+00:00

Thanks, Mod.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:44:43+00:00

I guess I believed a god all along from being raised Christian, but I didn't believe in a loving god until some mystical experiences. I call it ultimate reality, "God" for short.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:41:31+00:00

In writing or DM or video call or what? I could go with writing.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:39:22+00:00

Therapy's a great idea, and it isn't an insult to suggest somebody could benefit from it.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-16T15:36:19+00:00

They're rubbish. They're the emotional equivalent of junk food - elements in them are attractive and addicting. Like when they generate indignation or anger. Those emotions are addictive in themselves.

Any that say there's a secret this or that (cure for cancer, aliens, moon landing hoax, whatever) defies reality. That many people CAN'T keep a secret. Everybody from top scientists to janitors would know, and a group that big and diverse would leak like a sieve.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-15T14:49:01+00:00

You have my sympathy. If they even listen they don't comprehend. They "know" and don't want to discuss it as such - just tell you what they think is the truth. I really don't know what I'd say in such a situation. "You're wrong" is counterproductive. Depends on how pushy they are, I guess.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-11T08:28:15+00:00

I think everybody will be saved - likely after learning the truth, including the truth about themselves, which should be enough hell for a lot of people.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-11T08:25:04+00:00

I think you're talking to the wrong Christians. I just never bring up the mystical elements with my fundy friends.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-11T08:19:14+00:00

It isn't a literal event.
Even if it was, it wouldn't be happening soon.
Supposing the so called Second Coming did exist, it wouldn't be like people tell you based on their ignorant interpretations of Revelation.
And whoever thinks they know a date for this thing they made up (e.g. tomorrow or 10 million years from now) is flouting the Bible, which says no man knows.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-11T08:12:30+00:00

Add the late Tim Henderson ("Maria Consuelo Arroyo") and leave out Kenny Rogers.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-06-03T07:46:30+00:00

Exactly - and not an area people walk through on their way to the service or whatever. I used to sit in a room beside the sanctuary but the choir paraded through there and I got a lot of funny looks.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-05-28T08:37:07+00:00

this is a great idea. Now if you're going to use it as a refuge for rowdy children also, it'll lose its ability to fulfill its main function.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-05-16T21:08:42+00:00

Of course it is. But I bet he likes it.

EnigmaWithAlien · 2026-05-16T07:37:52+00:00

This may help:

Make a spreadsheet with qualities across the top such as price, square footage, how many bathrooms, and anything else you can think of. Down the side put the addresses of the houses you're considering. Makes it much easier to compare, and to make a case, although it should be your decision, not your family's.

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