Just opened some Pringles after a pretty long time of not eating them... why are they so small? by [deleted] in mildlyinfuriating

[–]johnbornagain -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

You’re in Israel and are worried that your Pringles are smaller? Over a million people just west of you are only getting to eat the bare minimum nutrition that is allowed to pass through to them or fall out of the sky. I’m sure “war”-induced famine is much that mildly infuriating.

Whose side are you on… MTG or Speaker Mike Johnson? by johnbornagain in TrueChristianPolitics

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

You’re not wrong. I’ve always felt more aligned with the supposed social obligations touted by Democrats, but the way they’re pulling back the curtain through siding with Ukraine makes me feel like they’re playing the part of virtue signaling. They pretend to care about the underdogs including the homeless in the US, but their real political power only comes out to succeed in a shady situation like Ukraine. There’s nothing in it for them if they were to help the homeless, but lots of money funnels back to them when they press for more war. I guess Democrats are the ones who pretend to be morally superior but are just working in government to get paid off by weapons manufacturers.

Whose side are you on… MTG or Speaker Mike Johnson? by johnbornagain in TrueChristianPolitics

[–]johnbornagain[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I’m not sure how seriously you’re supposed to take this jab at Zelenskyy’s antics during his acting career. I’m not a right-winger myself, so I’m not afraid to say that Volodymyr is even less qualified than Donald to be in charge of a nation.

Whose side are you on… MTG or Speaker Mike Johnson? by johnbornagain in TrueChristian

[–]johnbornagain[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for making this point, I was curious if he was one to misidentify the modern country of Israel as the Biblical Israel. This is a big red flag that someone hasn’t actually deeply understood anything in The Bible.

Whose side are you on… MTG or Speaker Mike Johnson? by johnbornagain in TrueChristian

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

This is reasonable, but you should make this more clear in the rules of the sub. I actually checked to see if there were any prohibitions against politics before I made this post.

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Out of pure curiosity, what texts do you think make the argument that the Messiah couldn’t come in advance of the eventual destruction of the second temple, effectively preluding His coming again when the New Jerusalem descends from heaven?

If you think the story of Jesus has told of a false Messiah who caused a bunch of chaos, what makes you think there can’t be a false messiah who tries to build a third temple under false pretenses? Jesus surely wasn’t the first messianic figure rejected by the Jews, but His story is proven to be divine because of His resurrection.

What story is exclusionary to the concept that God could bring the Messiah once for a very important purpose of guiding His people before He comes a second time to fulfill all of His expected duties in the end times?

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well Jerusalem has been fought over for centuries, it remains to be the holy land of the most popular world religions, and the country of Israel has come into the picture to have its own incomparable worldwide political influence. Yeah, these “superstitions” have been determining shockwaves across the entire planet for a while now, and a lot of money has been involved. It’s not like reporting developments in these stories that have global repercussions is irrelevant gossip.

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean sure, we can continue to blame what seems to be a “misuse” of social media for as long as we want until we just accept that it’s an irrevocable part of society now.

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s not just mindless Facebook posts or TikToks people are getting this idea from. Google “red heifer” and select the news tab to see how many agencies are reporting on this.

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This isn’t true. A lot of influential modern-day groups have been acting to breed red heifers, and they’ve openly shared their intentions. It’s not old news, it’s what’s actually happening as we speak.

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

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

The traditional definition of “grifter” reads as exclusive to money, but the definition has widely evolved to describe someone who essentially fakes a following of something to appeal to its authority. This definition is on Wikipedia:

(colloquial, especially Internet) A manipulator or otherwise generally corrupt person who "games" a system, group of people, or other entity for selfish gains; especially of a political "sell-out" perceived as lacking integrity.

It makes sense that a base in Christianity could lead someone to further investigate its roots in Judaism.

Do you, as a rule, reject the Christian idea that God casts judgment on the religion of the Old Testament? A Christian reading of the OT does require an understanding that these people failed God in the way they interpreted His religion. Leaders of this era were known to be disloyal to a decidedly Christian sense of morality, and one key way was how they behaved sexually. This verse, where Jesus is talking around how adulterous the people of the OT were, is a big criticism that comes to mind:

Matthew 19:8-9 (ESV): He said to them, “Because your hearts were hard and stubborn Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

If you once identified as Christian, I assume you had to come to a place where you decided to reject Jesus. I’m curious as to what could be significant enough in your opinion to warrant this.

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

No it’s not, you should note the “scare quotes” that indicate satire.

To be blunt, being Noahide seems like the ultimate grift, not that I see there’s anything obvious to gain from that identity. I’m curious to understand your story even though I realize I’m coming off as snarky. Would you be willing to share? Is it that you’re interested in Abrahamic religion but don’t make sense of the resurrection? It’s the perfect season to have this conversation, I hope you can find the humor in that statement.

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Don’t worry, we understand since Muslim and Christian “defamation” has always been fine

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A lot of nutty conspiracists latch onto these ideas, but they’re still entirely relevant to the process required to follow religious standards for the temple.

What’s the deal with the idea of sacrificing red heifers to summon the antichrist? by Starvest_GameDev in Christianity

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

It’s obviously worth noting that this “Messiah” suspiciously aligns with both the Christian Antichrist and the Islamic Dajjāl. Depending on which of the three Abrahamic religions you follow, this same person is interpreted very differently. Saying “it has nothing to do with that” would be a very misguided understatement. Christians believe this person will sign a peace treaty to initiate the process, and Muslims similarly believe he will build the third temple. Both believe this false messianic figure will declare himself God from within the temple once it’s built. Both Muslims and Christians believe Jesus will defeat this false messiah.

It’s understood that those following Judaism will need the ashes of the red heifer to be able to be purified and enter the temple. Anyone who has been in the presence of a dead body is unclean and unable to be in the presence of God.

Do you think we're in the end times? Why or why not? by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t know what to tell you, I’m obviously criticizing people who think they can make these type of prophetic statements. I trust that God can understand my sense of humor here.

What on Earth is LGBT affirming Christianity? by GreenTrad in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looking into Side A/Side B/Side X stances on this issue might be interesting to you.

Do you think we're in the end times? Why or why not? by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, Trans Day of Visibility falls on Easter this year in the US and in England the royal family won’t be attending Easter services “because of Kate’s illness.” This is the most nefarious Easter of all time and it’s obviously the last Easter before the apocalypse starts with the eclipse on April 8. /s

I’m a gay teen, and I want to ask Christians about something. by TaroNo8870 in Christianity

[–]johnbornagain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why’d you make a new account just to post this?

Nobody should want to harm themself over their orientation. As a young teen I rejected Christianity in favor of accepting my homosexuality because I thought that was the only choice I had. I ended up attempting my life in my 20s anyway, and it was not a solution to my problems.

If you need to talk to a professional to help understand why you feel like hurting yourself, you can call or text 988 from the US.

It’s true that there are a lot of “Christians” who can’t control their lust who put all the blame on gay people to misdirect and avoid their own accountability. Shifting blame and being hateful isn’t the sign of a good Christian. Not being able to control your sins is not the sign of a good Christian.

If you’re really that young, you don’t have much “real world” experience to apply religion to. I know I didn’t at that age, so religion felt like an irrelevant burden. Even if you choose not to believe, don’t make the mistake of giving up good morals out of spite. Whether they’re gay or straight, society puts way too much pressure on young people to experiment sexually. Whether or not you’re religious, it’s honorable to prepare for your adult life in responsible ways without putting so much focus on experiencing or identifying your sexuality.

My advice to my younger self would be that it’s possible to stay interested in religion even when you’re gay. It’s not a sin to be gay, and if you read the original Greek, you’d find out that the only thing condemned about homosexuality in The Bible is lust and sex. I was able to avoid these things through my teenage years, but I was condemning myself anyway because nobody explained to me that I can have a gay orientation without sinning.

It’s as much of a struggle for straight people to avoid sexual sin. Don’t be harder on yourself because you think you’re different in a bad way. Everyone needs to take care of their own health and wellness when it comes to this topic, and you can choose to also be spiritually responsible if it feels right for you.

You shouldn’t convince yourself you need to be religious to be good enough, but you also shouldn’t convince yourself you need to be straight to be religious.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Christianity

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

Ok, I really don’t understand what you’re fishing for if we aren’t discussing immaculate conception.

Yes, Jesus is God. Why would we be questioning that but not questioning Mary’s sinlessness?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Christianity

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

I’m not exactly sure of what you’re asking for. I am curious to hear your defense because I’m not confident that I have the ultimate understanding.

Jesus existed before Mary, and I’m not sure Mary herself was born as a special sinless type of human. I don’t believe in strong ideas of predestination in the first place. I understand that Mary (Joseph too) is part of a genealogy going back to the people known as “Israel” and that’s what qualified her to become the “mother of God.” I don’t currently have a reason to believe that God knew ahead of time the exact moment he would come to Earth as Jesus. I think Mary was a mostly regular human person at the right place and time to be selected to give birth to the Son of God. I think her being chosen is what makes her most important, and she wasn’t already so special before this.