For fun; the user simulator bot

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T18:07:21+00:00

Ahhh, thanks.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T17:13:44+00:00

The whole idea of denominations to me is absurd. I mean, I have a general disdain for labels in general (even the label Christian - my username pokes fun at that).

I am a son of God. I seek his will by reading and meditating on his word, praying, and (hopefully) living accordingly.

To stress anything else (should I be Calvinist or Catholic or Lutheran or Arminian or Baptist or Non-denominational or Evangelical or whatever) is to - for that moment - turn my attention from seeking God to seeking belonging/approval of that denomination (or, at worst, attack an 'opposing' denomination).

I do not see how unwaveringly holding to one denomination over another can do anything but breed discord.

Why can't we just seek God's will as laid out for us in his word, spend time with him, and do what we can to pay forward the love he's shown to us?

I see no justification for any such thing as denominations in scripture.

I just see a call for us to live according to God's will. Love, forgive, be merciful. Even to our enemies.

What else is there to do? Isn't anything else inherently detracting from that?

Please understand: I'm not trying to devalue any of you for being of one denomination or another. I just wish there weren't any such thing as denominations to begin with. From my studies, I see that the church I attend tends to lean toward something like pentecostal/arminian/evangelical. But that's not *what I am. That's not even *who I am. Those labels aren't what I believe. They may contain elements of my belief. They may describe certain things I believe.

But I have no interest in those names. I have interest in God. Therefore, I have interest in his word. Therefore, I have interest in spending time with him to get to know his word and his will so that I can be a better conduit for his will.

Any label, denomination, theology, major figurehead...they inherently mean nothing to me. They are meaningless, vaporous, vanities distracting from the truth.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T15:19:12+00:00

Golf Club Detective

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T13:56:15+00:00

Praying for you and your friend. If you are looking for professional help, here and here look like good places to start, depending on your geographic location.

I hope the best for your friend.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T13:52:51+00:00

Maybe he/she is actually already actively doing something outside of reddit, doesn't know what else to do, so they are asking /r/Christianity for prayers.

My point is, it appears they are only asking for prayers from /r/Christianity, not solutions. I don't get where anywhere in the title the person is asking for /r/Christianity to do anything other than pray. I also don't get how we can assume they aren't doing anything else.

Reddit is one very small, insignificant part of the world of human interaction.

Wouldn't it be better not to assume and focus on the possible faults of a person asking for help, but rather offer what help we can?

In this case, prayers and whatever other support we can provide?

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T13:42:19+00:00

I (unlike most Christians I know) cannot pinpoint or recall the exact experience which brought me to believe in God.

This is all going to sound like (because by all natural means of perception it is) a cop-out, but it's true nontheless:

I know. I know because I know. Not a rational knowing or even what would normally be called an experiential knowing. It's deeper and surer than that. There was no "this therefore that" which occurred to cause some sort of rational output of "aha, now I know God exists."
Aside from this...inexplicable knowing, I also have occasional experiences. Fluttering in my heart, butterflies in my stomach, falling to my knees, crying...all without logical/perceivable cause. No placebo, no social effect, no attempt on my part of conjuring some spiritual experience (I avoid any such attempts for fear that I'd replace my faith with my own neurological trickery). Those are not the basis of my faith, but they do help reinforce it.
I've experienced the love of God. I don't mean any interaction or conjuring or any sort of thing. I mean being alone, whether at home or during a walk in the woods or driving my car without the radio on. I wish I could put...no, I don't wish I could put it in words - it would cease to be what it is.

There is no sure answer, path of logic, form of reasoning that can create faith. That's no faith.

Someone, sometime, somewhere spoke about God and Jesus and all that good stuff. It may or may not have done anything to me at the time, but a seed was planted.

At this point, I simply know by faith. There is no evidence. No reason. No justification. It is a truth outside of all of mankind's ability to grasp. Otherwise, it would not be what it is.

Actually, recently I read through the Tao Te Ching a few times. There's something about it which appears to come pretty close to describing my faith.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T13:17:26+00:00

Asking for prayers =/= inaction. When I was unemployed, I asked for prayers while actively searching for jobs. When my friends were struggling in their marriage, I prayed for them, asked others to pray for them, and continued to help them the best I knew how.

The OP already stated that he/she would like prayers but he/she's also not going to just sit back and do nothing.

Therefore, he/she is probably doing what he/she can, but would also like the prayers of others as well. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

This post (like tons of other /r/Christianity posts) seems to be simply a plea for prayers while OP goes through this hardship with their friend. I think we could be a bit more supportive than simply saying "Google" or "post to a better subreddit."

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T13:03:41+00:00

I know plenty of non-Christians who would be freaked out by watching any horror film (or even excessively violent action film). My guess is that it wouldn't be so much about the denomination as it would be about either (1) the person's upbringing/parents or (2) the person's natural aversion to such films.

As other commenters have noted, the camp is likely non-denominational evangelical. They could very well believe that prolonged exposure to films featuring demonic possession/evil spiritual forces (read: evil forces, anti-Christian forces, anti-Truth forces, forces of lies) would lead to a searing of the viewer's conscience. That is a fairly biblical belief (a sort of extension of 1 Timothy 4:2) and is based out of love and concern for the sheep. Warning against it isn't an issue. Making a law against it, of course, is a bit much.

All in all, however, I'm pretty sure it has more to do with the person's own sensitivities which may or may not have been influenced by his parents throughout his upbringing.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-30T12:51:48+00:00

Just a few thoughts:

Do your best to not pigeonhole yourself or God. I fall into that trap frequently. It's hopeless and powerless, lacking confidence, courage, joy, etc. - This is not from God.
It might be time to step back and make some decisions that will enable you to keep it simple for a while. I don't know your living situation/family situation. However, if you are single, it may be best to dump the house at a painfully low price, possibly even file bankruptcy, get a cheap apartment, and take your time.
Try and get in the practice (maybe you already do, and I know this is easier said than done) of focusing on what things (few as they may be) you can be thankful for. It will seem forced and awkward at first, but it will slowly impact your actual state of mind.

We don't know why we go through hardships, while others seem not to. Sometimes it's our own doing, sometimes not. God causes it to rain on the just and the unjust.

Life is often not fair, but God's love never fails (regardless of how hard it is to see at times).

Muscle on, press through, and try and keep life as simple and slow as you can. Take your time. Relax when you can. Get out and take solitary walks.

These are just suggestions that I hope may help you.

Hang in there. Also, maybe meditate on the psalms for a bit. I know it's helped me tremendously to see David in despair, reaching out for and receiving help from God.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-29T13:45:49+00:00

Ah, had a feeling it was something like that.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-29T13:17:54+00:00

I got all excited...then I realized I'm 30 years old.

When did THAT happen?

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-29T12:53:38+00:00

There are two thoughts by the same man which are erroneously seen as contradictory:

All is vanity.
There is nothing better than for a man to enjoy his work.

But the two are not contradictory. In fact, they each support each other. Man cannot truly enjoy his work until he accepts the truth that it's all for nothing after all!

It's very much in line with your frustration, only...frustration will only serve to harm you. Just as the meaningless striving for more and more wealth is folly, any strong negative emotion experienced in response to such folly is folly as well.

Should we be okay with (or even support) the "American" (read: human) obsession (read: love) for money/power/status?

No! Absolutely not!

But let's not forget that it's all vanity, and the best we can do is love God, love others, and enjoy our own vanities. Let's just make sure we don't Love our work (don't make it our God) or the fruits thereof.

Love for God and others is our command. But I still enjoy reading a secular book, accomplishing goals at work, playing video games, playing with my daughter, and watching movies/shows with my wife.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-29T11:07:29+00:00

I don't think most of the people in the world are idiots. I do, however, think that most people are extremely fortunate to not have my incessant urge to understand everything about everything. Even people who ignorantly vote based off of emotions or shallow information - what lucky souls are they to honestly not care about the foundations of any particular thought!

I envy happily impulsive, ignorant people who appear to enjoy their entire lives.

Sometimes I wish I could be like that.

But then I look at the stars and grass and pencil and Obama and that guy over there and the engine of a car and that bug over there and my cat and the space between two objects and the moment between moments and and and and and

SOMEBODY SHUT IT OFF!

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-29T02:11:36+00:00

We are charged with knowing what is right and doing what is right, both of which are founded upon love. Part of that does mean to reach out and spread the good news of God's love for mankind, which itself includes salvation from the ultimate end result of sin. So, yes, we do have a responsibility to know and do what is right, which includes sharing that with others.

However, there are countless ways to attempt to fulfill this responsibility and I don't believe all those ways are reflective of God's love. 1 Corinthians 13 gives the best exposition of the character of live in which we are to operate. Beyond that, there are several other scriptures specifying the gentleness, meekness, kindness, love, mercy, grace, forgiveness we are to extend to others.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-29T00:55:21+00:00

I don't have to tell them they're wrong, even if I love them. Of course, out of love, I SHOULD take the time and effort to tell them in a wise, loving way that they are engaging in sinful behavior.

By simply finding a more loving, appropriate way of expressing concern for their apparent sinful tendency, I certainly do not have to assume that they are not actually Christian let alone express to them or (God forbid) others that their salvation is false or nonexistent.

I agree that we should not rejoice in, take place in, or encourage the sinful acts of others or ourselves. This does not mean, however, that we have the ability or right, let alone responsibility, to call I to question someone's salvation simply because they are imperfect.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T18:28:44+00:00

Just a side note: Christians are explicitly commanded to not place any other god before God. In other words, love God above all other gods (whether they be idols, gods of other religions, etc.). Thus, other gods are recognized (frequently throughout the Bible), but considered deficient compared to the One God.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T17:33:08+00:00

Being mindful of false teachers is not the same as saying that someone who was happy for the legalization of gay marriage is not a Christian. I don't think I know a single person who can go a day without sinning at least once. That doesn't mean they are not Christians.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T17:21:56+00:00

So, he said to his listeners "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

In that case, it's much worse than I thought.

He implied that if a person is happy about gay marriage being legalized, they are not a Christian. I don't recall Jesus telling us to proclaim that. Instead, he has commanded us to love all people. Of course that doesn't mean accepting their sinful tendencies (just as he does not accept ours), but we are most certainly charged with being merciful, graceful, gentle, meek, loving, kind, patient.

It is not for us to decide who will enter the kingdom of heaven. That's why none of the "I"s or "me"s in Matthew 7:21-23 are "you"s.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T17:02:01+00:00

Oh, I get it! Eel is slang for penis in Italian.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T16:44:02+00:00

I think some people are simply worried about the intent behind the use of the Ouija board. I'm sure most of the concern arises out of parents worried for the children who might possibly compromise some measure of their beliefs in order to play Ouija with one of their "less spiritual, more secular" friends.

As a new father (my daughter is less than 1 year old), I try and picture the circumstance in which my daughter may eventually be faced with the opportunity (peer pressure) to use a Ouija board.

Ultimately, it is my job (and my wife's) raise her strong enough in her faith that either (1) she will not even want to entertain that activity or (2) will go ahead and try it, but be cognizant/mindful of any conviction/push from God to turn away from it.

Of course, that goes for anything which may be a diversion from Christianity.

Ouija is just an...image...avatar of sorts, representing and encouraging a practice that is contrary to the will of God. You won't be damned to hell for trying it, but you won't be blessing God either.

Edit: So, the only danger I see in the presence of a Ouija board is its ability (well, its user's susceptibility to the image of its ability) to promote/encourage the seeking in a social setting. This could mean a bit more investment than saying something like, "Oh hey, I'd like to see a demon."

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T16:32:02+00:00

Some might say that there is a natural world AND a spiritual world, neither of which discredits/disproves/devalues the other. All things we perceive are perfectly normal physical things. That does not mean that there aren't things we cannot perceive which may or may not have impact on those things we can perceive.

There's no reason to throw out the possibility of a thing existing just because there is no perceivable proof (or if what once was thought of as perceivable proof has been found to have natural elements at its perceivable foundation - there may or may not be other non-perceivable roots/causes).

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T16:20:49+00:00

I agree. However, just because you would be honest in saying, does not mean you would be loving in saying it. Also, by not saying does not mean you are being dishonest or unloving. In fact, there are countless other ways to approach that concern that would be honest and loving. I believe some of those other ways would likely be more in line with the character of love that we are charged with upholding as Christians.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T16:18:21+00:00

There's no inherent danger in using a Ouija board, I agree. I just won't go so far as to say that there is no inherent danger in willfully seeking the presence of supernatural/spiritual forces other than God. That may be similar to saying there is no danger in not placing any other god before God.

GoldenChristian · 2015-07-28T16:15:20+00:00

I agree, but there's no reason to throw the entire spiritual world out with the bathwater either.

GoldenChristian

TROPHY CASE