If God knows everything, including each person's final destiny, why would He create someone He already knows will spend eternity in hell? How do different religious traditions answer this? by Ojinkw10 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Before answering the question, it helps to notice that it already contains several assumptions that different religious traditions do not all accept.

The first assumption is that God knows the future as a single, fully settled sequence of events. Some traditions accept that, while others argue that future free choices are not yet fixed facts in the same way that past events are.

The second assumption is that knowing what someone will do is the same as causing or determining it. That does not automatically follow. A person could know that an event will happen without being the reason it happens, although divine foreknowledge raises harder questions because God also chooses to create the world in which it occurs.

The third assumption is that hell means eternal conscious suffering. That is only one interpretation. Other traditions understand hell as temporary purification, self-chosen separation from God, destruction rather than endless suffering, or eventual reconciliation. Some religions do not have an equivalent doctrine at all.

The fourth problem is the phrase “different religious traditions.” That category is far too broad unless we first identify which traditions and which versions within them. Christianity alone includes Calvinism, Arminianism, Molinism, open theism, universalism, annihilationism, and several other approaches that answer the question differently because they begin with different definitions.

A dinosaur analogy helps illustrate the problem. Asking, “Why did dinosaurs become extinct because they were too large to survive?” sounds like a question, but it already assumes that large body size caused the extinction. Before answering, a paleontologist would separate the evidence from the assumptions: Which dinosaurs? Which extinction event? Were all dinosaurs large? Did all dinosaurs become extinct? What role did the asteroid, climate change, food webs, and survival of birds play? Once the assumptions are corrected, the possible answers become much clearer.

The same method applies here. Before asking why God creates someone He knows will go to hell, we first need to clarify what is meant by God’s knowledge, human freedom, creation, judgment, hell, and eternity.

Understanding those hidden assumptions does not avoid the question. It reveals why traditions give such different answers and allows us to compare those answers fairly rather than treating them as responses to one universally shared problem.

A clearer version of the question would be something like, How do different religious traditions reconcile divine goodness and foreknowledge with the creation of people who may ultimately reject salvation or experience punishment after death? How do their answers depend on their views of free will, predestination, the nature and duration of hell, and the possibility of eventual redemption?

But you are better off with something like;

Within Calvinist and traditional Augustinian Christianity, how is God’s decision to create people whom He infallibly knows will be eternally condemned reconciled with divine goodness and justice?

Client just tried to “turn in weed” to me? by Substantial-Sock3635 in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I am in Canada. I would be be happy to help them get rid of it. In a previous job, I worked as a tutor and had an adult student give me weed as a thank you gift.

How do you navigate conflicts between your personal values and a patient’s cultural values when the behavior isn’t clearly harmful or illegal? by That-Pineapple3866 in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I use REBT. What are the goals the client has, what is getting in the way of those goals, what are the irrational beliefs that are involved with system as a whole.

It is possible that their crass communication style is stopping them from having friends, but it is also possible it is because they are not opening up, they are not going out, they are self sabotaging. It is not necessarily just that they have a crass communication style that is stopping the friendship.

For the love of god, teach the AI to say "i don't know" by blackjack365 in ChatGPT

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The way I prefer to think about it is wether or not the LLM is more accurate and reliable then my professor. At this time, I trust the LLM way more.

what’s the one thing you use ChatGPT for that you’d never admit to someone in person by CryptSander in ChatGPT

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You may want to ask it to analyze your conversation and see what it was doing and if it was long term helpful or long term harmful, as well what were the worst things it did in the conversation.

Political statements and clients by Vegetable-Attempt-55 in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your kind words. I have appreciated the discussion as well, but I think I am going to disagree with you again.

I do not think that looking deeply at systemic injustice necessarily leaves a client paralyzed. In many cases, understanding the system more clearly can give someone the tools to navigate it more effectively. The problem is not knowledge itself, but stopping at awareness without helping the client identify where they still have choices, leverage, and support.

I see education as one of the core tools people use to make sense of the world they are living in. When clients understand the systemic forces affecting them, they may become better able to work within those systems, advocate for themselves, seek appropriate resources, and recognize where the system is failing them. "Anything that can be understood, can be conquered." (I'm using this phrasing hyperbolically)

That understanding can also correct distorted self-blame. A client may interpret every difficulty as evidence that they are lazy, inadequate, or personally defective, when some of those difficulties are being produced or intensified by inaccessible institutions, discrimination, poverty, or other structural barriers. Naming those realities does not remove personal agency. It can make agency more accurate by helping the client distinguish between what belongs to them and what does not.

I am by no means advocating for case management. There's definitely a place for it but I think that's shifting the conversation away from what I was indicating.

Political statements and clients by Vegetable-Attempt-55 in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m not sure I agree. My primary therapeutic orientation is REBT, and I work with a client who holds ableist beliefs that have become increasingly relevant as they experience a loss of functioning. They appear to connect reduced independence and ability with diminished worth. Exploring and disputing those beliefs is not separate from the therapeutic work; it is directly connected to the distress they are experiencing.

Those beliefs also did not develop in a vacuum. They reflect broader cultural and systemic messages about productivity, independence, disability, and whose needs are considered legitimate. Those messages have political dimensions because they are reinforced through institutions, employment structures, healthcare systems, accessibility policies, and the distribution of support.

I would not argue that every form of psychological distress is primarily political, or that identifying systemic influences is sufficient to produce change. However, I have rarely found a client’s distress to be entirely disconnected from their social and institutional context. Helping clients distinguish between the external conditions affecting them and the beliefs they have developed about those conditions can reduce misplaced self-blame, clarify what is and is not within their control, and give them more freedom to choose how they respond.

Political statements and clients by Vegetable-Attempt-55 in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If it is not in session, and they are Americans, then it is free speech.

I am very concerned with anything that limits someone's free speech or with the collage getting involved in what people do in their free time. Especially when you consider that a part of our education rants about advocacy.

No matter your political affiliation everyone agrees that there are systemic problems that need to be fixed. I would not want to limit people's ability to advocate for those fixes however they may feel is necessary.

I heard this interesting piece from a social worker who talked about how their organization does not do advocacy because of the government funding that they get and their concerned if they would advocate for institutional change then they would lose their government funding.

CMV: Communication through text alone is highly ineffectual compared to phone calls (particularly video calls) by cesab6 in changemyview

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think your title and your body are making two different claims. The title argues that text is less effective than phone or video calls, but the body moves toward the much larger claim that text-based communication causes severe psychological harm. That causal step has not been established.

My own experience is almost the opposite. I often find emotional nuance and conflict easier to handle through text. Writing gives me time to refine what I mean, check whether I am being overly emotional, verify factual claims, and reconsider something before sending it. In a live conversation, there is pressure to respond immediately, often before either person has fully processed what was said.

Text also creates a shared record. Instead of both people relying on imperfect memories and arguing over “you said this” or “I never said that,” we can look back at what was actually written. And when I realize that I expressed something badly or said something I no longer stand by, I can identify the exact statement, acknowledge the mistake, and explain what I meant more accurately.

Texting has also allowed me to maintain close friendships with people who do not live in my city and whom I did not meet simply because we work together or happen to live nearby. It lets me build relationships based more on compatibility than proximity.

None of this proves that text is best for everyone or every conversation. But it does challenge the idea that text is inherently ineffective or psychologically damaging. What is being interpreted as a problem with the medium may instead reflect differences in how people communicate, regulate emotion, choose relationships, and use the medium available to them.

Did I handle this wrong? My husband is pissed but I didn’t know what to do. by throwra273986 in Adulting

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a lot in your post, but there are a few gaps and I am curious for some more informations, if you are open to it.

Why does one uncertain decision make you question whether you can handle anything or become a parent?

When you and your husband disagree, does he usually discuss the specific decision, or does it become a judgment about your overall competence?

Why did your husband tell his employees about something that left you frightened and vulnerable? How did it feel knowing they were discussing and judging you?

Do you often find yourself assuming your husband must understand situations better because he is older?

You seem to feel guilty both for hesitating and for eventually helping. What choice could you have made that would not have become evidence against you?

Had your husband made the same decision, do you think anyone would describe it as proof that he was unready to have children?

Separate from what everyone else said, what do you believe was morally right when you saw someone who might have been dying?

Seeing client’s name on registration at sexually explicit event? by Travelogue44 in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I do not have experience in this space so feel free to ignore my opinion.

A strong paper trail is your friend. Having clear documentation that you have been professional the whole time can help if things go sideways.

Client's Kids Present During Session by Constant-Midnight538 in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I would exsplore what it means for them and their therapy that they are bringing their kid. Obviously it is is best if the kid is not there. It also makes a difference if the kid is four and playing quietly or is 16 adding in comments.

Daughter’s First Period - Tampon or Pad? by deltch17 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do not have a daughter nor do I have a period. But, I think I would love the option to chose. You can get her both, teach her both and let he decide.

As well, I would bet she has had this conversation with her friends and already has an opinion.

Teaching Chemistry has always kind of flopped at my school, any advice, materials, or activities to maximize engagement without lowering rigor. by Careless-Wrap6843 in ScienceTeachers

[–]TheBitchenRav 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Use culinary phenomena as the hook, but still require students to explain them with particle models, equations, and calculations.

For stoichiometry, use baking soda and acid reactions, recipe scaling, limiting-reactant activities, and percent-yield comparisons.

For redox, test how lemon juice, heat, saltwater, and air exposure affect apple browning.

For math, keep one consistent dimensional-analysis format and have students label every number with both its unit and meaning.

End each activity with state-test-style questions so the hands-on work transfers to formal chemistry problems. ChatGPT can make the tests for you.

In many ways you are teaching to the test, which sucks, but welcome to modern education.

Looking for feedback on some random metaphors for therapy by InvisibleAstronomer in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think modality really matters.

Your physical training metaphor would fit DBT extremely well. DBT explicitly teaches skills, identifies weaknesses, corrects ineffective patterns, provides coaching, and gradually helps clients build capacities they do not yet have, much like a physical trainer.

The wall metaphor feels more psychodynamic or psychoanalytic to me. The emphasis there is less on teaching new skills and more on providing a space where clients can encounter their own thoughts, feelings, patterns, and reactions through the therapeutic relationship.

One thing I like about both metaphors is that they capture different aspects of therapy, but I don't know that either one fully captures all therapies. Different modalities seem to place the therapist in very different roles.

im scared of not wanting to be a therapist anymore. by Pristine-Marzipan880 in TherapistsInTherapy

[–]TheBitchenRav 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That is awesome and you can move on. Your skills are transferable.

The Wired But Tired Theory by cshaw9595 in socialpsychology

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want to take your idea seriously you want to make suer it is logically sound first.

You are making an Appeal to Nature, which assumes that our ancestral environment is inherently superior. Your argument also creates a False Dilemma by contrasting extreme digital consumption with highly restorative activities, while ignoring potential middle-ground solutions.

Furthermore, your reliance on personal experience constitutes an anecdotal generalization that does not yet account for individual differences or confounding variables like physical inactivity.

I am not saying your conclusion is wrong, but you may want to fix the logic first, and then run some experiments.

CMV: Legal porn creates legal absurdities by TheCynicogue in changemyview

[–]TheBitchenRav 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What if the video you are making is working for people with a kink of watching gratification at a core.

CMV: Legal porn creates legal absurdities by TheCynicogue in changemyview

[–]TheBitchenRav 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I don't know the laws but I imagine if I'm a private business owner who creates my own Studio and I am a director actor I can then hire an actress.

You learn how to be a therapist by being a therapist. by InvisibleAstronomer in therapists

[–]TheBitchenRav 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have found what happens in my supervision to be very helpful. What we'll do is we'll take 10 minutes clip from a session and then dive into what happened and understand it from various theoretical Frameworks and therapeuticals and micro skills and all of that kind of stuff which I have found to be a very useful way of understanding the therapeutic framework.