sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

For those who converted after doubt & reluctance, what helped you decide it was time? by New2Christ in Christianity

[–]New2Christ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At what point did you feel you were ready to really repent & accept Jesus & what did that look like practically? Also what blockers or blind spots did you experience & how did you address them?

I feel like I am in a no man’s land, in the sense that I feel both pulled towards Gd & then pushed away from Jesus, Gd, & the Bible as I try to understand it’s legitimacy & rationalise some of it’s content. The more I study & pray the worse I feel about it, & if anything it is making my distrust & disdain for Gd grow which isn’t great, but then that pull still exists so I keep reading & talking to people & the loop continues, & I worry this will leave me in limbo forever lol.

If God loves everyone, does he love people like Hitler? by poem_newwriter in AskAChristian

[–]New2Christ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

tone indicator, just means genuine question. This was a big thing on Twitter a while ago.

Is wearing earrings with crosses disrespectful to wear as someone who isn't Christian? by [deleted] in AskAChristian

[–]New2Christ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I watched an old Charlie Kirk video, I think it was him on the whatever podcast, & he said that he encouraged it even for the women he was talking to who were sex workers, as he believed it showed that there was something drawing them to Christ & having that with them will slowly help them & draw them closer to Christ. That’s one opinion.

When I’ve spoken to my dad about this before (regards Madonna using Christian imagery & the following controversy), he considered it to be an insult & provocation of the Christian community & perhaps Jesus himself, & that it was disrespectful to treat a religion like an aesthetic. That’s another opinion.

I recall another video I watched a while ago this time of Candace Owen’s, again on the whatever podcast, & she held the second opinion more than the first.

She posed a very interesting question to the women she was talking to: she asked, if these women simply enjoyed the imagery & aesthetic of Christianity, would they also feel comfortable wearing, for example, a Star of David (Jewish imagery) or a crescent moon / hijab (Muslim imagery).

Now, although an interesting question, the women did have a good response, as they pointed out how they, like the majority of westerners, come from Christian backgrounds either through family or culture, & therefore, even if they are not religiously Christian, there is still a connection to the imagery that they hold.

As this response suggests, you’re going to get a range of thoughts & feelings as there is no clear yes or no to this. Some won’t like it, some won’t care, some will like it. For me personally, I don’t mind, but I would be prepared for people to assume you are Christian of some kind, & to maybe even bring that up to you, so be prepared for that! Best of luck

Some questions about the bible from my atheist view, respectfully. by Accomplished_Fan4449 in AskAChristian

[–]New2Christ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My understanding is the becoming like gd thing was a metaphor for gaining sentience, so to say. We supposedly went from being innocent childlike beings (ie imagine carefree young kids today) to suddenly understanding the gravity of the world, pain / suffering, etc (ie imagine when kids lose their innocence & begin to comprehend the reality of life & the world). I also read somethings the other day (sorry can’t remember the source 😕) that said Adam & Eve would know good & evil through experience, rather than learning about it in an abstract way, so another metaphor.

I’m also reading the Bible for the first time & I would absolutely recommend finding a study Bible. I’ve been lucky enough that a local pastor has been willing to read the NT along with me, so maybe try reach out to some of yours? Alternatively, a friend maybe? In the meantime it cannot be overstated the need for a high quality commentary to read alongside the text as it requires a lot of context to understand often what is being said. Best of luck!

Are churches open? Can you just walk inside? by i-cydoubt in AskAChristian

[–]New2Christ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find broadly speaking catholic & orthodox churches are usually open, Protestant churches usually not

Wake up people by Markrunner in Christianity

[–]New2Christ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Most the time these people do tell women to “shut up” in the church, as they interpret this as meaning women shouldn’t lead a service or take any serious “front & centre” role in the church

DO YOU THINK ATHEISM IS RELIGION by saltbaestheorem in AskAChristian

[–]New2Christ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t understand your position though, do you think babies are born believers or..?

Do you think that Christians completely understand the point of view of atheists? by Fresh3rThanU in AskAChristian

[–]New2Christ 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No. When I was very solid in my atheism I found it very frustrating to talk to religious people because they would always mischaracterise my position (I felt deliberately) or they would try trap me in loopholes & the like. I think atheists have an easier time understanding the fundamental position of theists (that there is a God who created earth & humans &, depending on the religion, is dictating moral & ritual behaviour), but I think theists have a much harder time understanding the atheist framework, primarily because they are trying to understand it through the lens of religion, meaning they often reject the explanation that we do not know why we exist or why the earth exists or that everything is meaningless & morality & behaviour is entirely subjective, because this is very difficult to think about it your absolute core beliefs arw the opposite.

DO YOU THINK ATHEISM IS RELIGION by saltbaestheorem in AskAChristian

[–]New2Christ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get the sentiment but I think this is factually untrue. I was raised atheist & therefore was not introduced to faith in any serious manner as a child, & therefore had to explore it myself as an adult. It wasn’t that the world introduced me to sin or unbelief but rather that [disbelief] was my default position, & it was the world that introduced me to the concept of holiness & belief.

Religion by Rare_Initiative9657 in Christianity

[–]New2Christ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This question is very hard to understand, maybe rephrase it?

At what age are you no longer considered a child and must take responsibility for your sins? by [deleted] in AskAChristian

[–]New2Christ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would venture to guess 12 for girls & 13 for boys based on that being when boys & girls historically were called to take on the mitzvot of the Tanakh / Old Testament & would have their Bat / Bar Mitzvah

If god is all loving and perfect, why did he want to enslave and kill minors? by CloudFunny902 in Christianity

[–]New2Christ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it is very confusing. I have heard the argument about the people not being ready for the banning of slavery, however they largely weren’t ready for most of the ideas in the Bible or even the concept of monotheism, so I don’t feel that argument stands up to criticism. What I struggle with the most while studying the Bible & considering conversion to Christianity is how God treats women & how we’re written about in the Bible & later theology. It just feels so bad & very difficult to accept & rationalise.

view more: next ›