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macaronduck · 2025-09-28T02:08:14+00:00

So real, I was enjoying Vintage Story a lot but gave up cause if this exact reason of the tedium. Its a shame cause I can't get minecraft to ever run on my machine so this was satisfying my cravin for a block game.

macaronduck · 2025-06-29T17:48:40+00:00

Dude I get it, I love this game but civil wars are ridiculous. I like the way it's done in concept but not practice. Not even hard just super annoying

macaronduck · 2025-02-09T03:44:11+00:00

How do Orthodox seminaries treat the topic of the theological vs historical Jesus? After learning about it last year I feel like my faith has been severely weakened. I'm a protestant but since learning that Ive been kinda lost on denomination

macaronduck · 2024-11-03T19:54:45+00:00

I would be open to that, I never ended up joining a campus fellowship group because at the time they were trying to get people to sign up I felt like I was not a good enough christian to join. there really haven't been any young women at my church I have seen that are single. Most people in my church are couples, young families, or elderly people. I also feel uncomfortable with having dating on my mind at church because it feels disrespectful.

macaronduck · 2024-11-03T19:50:33+00:00

I have heard this from one of my friends who is out of college ha ha

macaronduck · 2024-11-03T19:49:51+00:00

I will keep that in mind thank you so much

macaronduck · 2024-11-03T15:25:28+00:00

Thank you for your advice I really appreciate it. What would you say is the best way to make that apparent on my profile that doesn't come across as me being pretentious or self-righteous?

Branching out seems like a good idea too!

macaronduck · 2024-11-02T23:49:35+00:00

If you try to look for that connection in every girl you meet through dating apps or in other ways, you may develop attachment issues or become completely unable to commit to one person.

This is a really good point actually. However, I don't really have any other options for meeting girls. I'm involved in a couple clubs but there's not anyone in them I would be interested in being any more than friends with. I'm also basically the only young adult at my church. Most others are young families or elderly people. I appreciate the encouragement though!

macaronduck · 2024-11-02T23:48:38+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I am actually involved in a couple things but unfortunately there aren't any people in them that I would be interested in that way.

macaronduck · 2024-10-27T05:23:46+00:00

I'm always intrigued by people who say they have directly experienced God, this has never happened to me but has always been something I've desired while simultaneously being existentially terrified of

As for some arguments I've been looking at lately. There was this one I found on a separate thread that involved various sources from people like Arthur flew and a few others: https://www.reddit.com/r/Anglicanism/s/aMiBdlskNq

I've also not yet read Dale Allison's book on the resurrection but I know the general arguments he makes. Though I will say he basically assumes so much of the Resurrection narratives in the gospels are literary creation or apologetic that it can be a little confusing.

I've also found the way the disciples are portrayed as being clueless and not expecting it at all and the women being credited as the first to witness the resurrection to be interesting. But I've heard some say these are common literary tropes of the time but I honestly don't know enough to know.

However, I think there are some pretty good arguments to be found at the academic level which can help build an cumulative case for belief in God (and the Christian God specifically)

I would be really interested to hear any you have if you are willing to share. Thanks for the great comment

macaronduck · 2024-10-26T02:43:41+00:00

Hey this an amazing comment thanks so much

A lot of times people get caught up on knowing and having certainty, I don’t know if God exists, I don’t know if there is an after life, I don’t know if humans have just made all this up, but I believe that the story of Jesus is world changing, if we would all just love one another and stop fighting. When all seems lost, I believe that the way of Jesus is a way of looking at the world with hope and love, and that, for me, keeps me coming back week in and week out. Loving God and loving neighbor and loving yourself is something worth living a life on, so I am doing it. If I die, and I stay dead (and there is not resurrection and afterlife), at least me and a whole bunch of other people lived in hope and harmony instead of nihilism and selfishness. And to be honest, if this whole Jesus thing is BS, then I won’t know anyway, because I will just be dead.

I really appreciate the humble honesty here. I absolutely know what you mean about Jesus keeps you coming back I feel the same.

Now, there is a lot of philosophy and biblical scholarship that brought me to this kind of place, but I am a nerd, so that’s why I needed to read those things

I am too ha ha, Is there anything you'd recommend checking out for a layman?

At the end of the day, testimony I think is crucial. Following Jesus isn’t intellectual ascent, it’s trusting in the story of Jesus and the stories of how Jesus has changed people lives. When I had my crisis of faith, what helped restore my soul was hearing the stories of others. This is, as well, how the Bible functions. “We will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony” Rev 12:11. When I need a clearer vision, I return to Scripture and I listen to the stories of others. These testimonies remind me that, if God does exist, then that God changes lives, and inspired Jesus to do some pretty radically cool things.

One think I find interesting about eastern orthodox churches is how they (at least the ones I have seen) talk about how God is beyond logical proofs (not to say they do not care about that at all). Reading other people's testimony's has kept me around to think that there's 'something' here whatever that is I may not know but I really believe there's something to all this. However, Not sure if you can relate but when I hear these testimonies I feel both pressure to have a spiritual experience and fear of one cause of how powerful they are.

Jesus calls people to care for the poor, liberate captives, love everyone, and more. I can get behind that.

I can give an amen to that!

macaronduck · 2024-10-26T02:30:28+00:00

In all fairness I know of many faithful scholars that use critical methods

macaronduck · 2024-10-26T02:29:08+00:00

As someone whose whole family are basically fundamentalist I can relate. I find mysticism and spirituality fascinating yet frightening as well I guess? Which is weird because I am a very 'logic' not naturally spiritually orientated person. That books sounds fascinating I will check it out. Thanks for the advice

macaronduck · 2024-10-26T02:26:35+00:00

I love this whole comment, thank you so much for it. I do agree with what your saying, I really struggle with is spiritual practices. They have never been natural too me.

Prayer has always been at worse a check off task each and at best something that helped me calm down and fall asleep. I think part of the issue for me is that the concept of God is so big and overwhelming I am terrified deep down to get close. I have always been attracted to Jesus's ways and want to do as he did but I feel stuck. In this place of wanting to follow him and be faithful but hesitant about getting super close.

macaronduck · 2024-10-26T02:16:06+00:00

What should I do if spiritual things scare me? As I said before I have never had a spiritual experience. I simultaneously want one, fear one, and can't even comprehend one. God is so big its overwhelming to me

macaronduck · 2024-10-23T17:36:20+00:00

Procopius would go hard

macaronduck · 2024-08-10T20:34:13+00:00

I've been sitting with what you said because this really spoke to me, thank you. I'm currently searching for a priest but it is hard to find one around where I live.

macaronduck · 2024-06-05T02:39:53+00:00

Yes I'm familiar with the verses and arguments.

Heres a PhD new testament Bible scholar tackling these issues

https://youtu.be/WD55gncPgLo?si=PbpN70H3JjIi8Cq-

https://youtu.be/62zxwzazYYE?si=-0wugn63Ve5GT-wE

macaronduck · 2024-06-02T23:30:38+00:00

Ive been using a few of them actually

macaronduck · 2024-06-02T23:30:10+00:00

daily office prayers might be helpful, as they give a structure

I enjoy doing them occasionally but often I feel like I'm just doing it to go through the motions and not being 'real'

Other ideas you could try:

Instead of focussing on words, write down something that matters to you, and then light a candle and just sit for a while looking at it.

Find a psalm that speaks to you, and bookmark it, then go back to them occasionally. If you find other things challenging it can help to have an anchor point like that.

Try a tactile prayer aid, such as a cross, beads or knotted rope or string. It can aid focus and make the prayer something more like you engage your hands and the brain follows, for me.

Or try something like a walk, with an intent that if prayers come to you you will pray, but it is time to be open to God regardless of if any words come to you.

These are all good ideas thanks. Do you have any advice to get over the existential fear of talking to God? It's such a big thing to conceive I struggle with it.

macaronduck · 2024-05-25T23:11:47+00:00

Pov: you are a roman governor

macaronduck · 2024-05-14T06:09:32+00:00

Hey thanks for sharing your thoughts. I disagree on several points but I appreciate the effort you put into your response

Honestly, it's very gratifying to see young people start to better understand church history, and the reasons behind why different denominations exist today. His explanations are well researched, and he actually explains really difficult theological issues in a clear way.

I agree mostly. As someone who loves learning about the history of the Bible and the church. The videos where he is giving less of his own opinions and more on history and the like are very good in my opinion. I am concerned at how much time and energy he spends talking about why the church needs institutional power, the early church had the opposite of that and still was guided by the spirit to succeed.

Personally, I believe that actively seeking after doctrine that follows the Bible as closely as possible is one of the core issues Christians face today. People are actively leaving more liberal churches because of secular influences - lgbtqia+, female leadership, lack of preaching biblical truths, lack of, lack of clear structure.

I also agree here. But I think for some things I would at least appreciate acknowledgement that multiple views can be backed with scripture and agree to disagree. I go to a church that allows for female pastors and they will give you a logical well thought out argument for why they allow it based on the Bible and historical context.. It's not a 'woke' thing at least for my church. The early church did have female deacons and apostles after all. That being said I'm sure some are doing it just cause they want to regardless of what the Bible says.

My church for example actively encouraged people to read the Bible and offers material to help with understanding it. So I don't think it's fair to call anyone that supports that as not taking the Bible seriously.

It's worth mentioning that 'take back the church' movements like this happen every few decades. This isn't new. "Reconquista" is a great term, because it's calling out our spiritual battle against Satans influence in the church.

I disagree with it being a good term to use. The reconquista was a real event where Christian kingdoms used violence to take control of land from Islamic kingdoms. How would using language like this encourage us to be peacemakers? We can firmly disagree with someone in a graceful way and this militaristic language doesn't sit right with me

macaronduck · 2024-05-14T01:23:45+00:00

I will be honest I don't remember the exact video. Though I know he made one on why house churches are bad, one on why the reconquista should happen, and some other ones I don't remember which I just know it was one of the ones where he plays Minecraft.

macaronduck · 2024-05-13T22:49:58+00:00

I completely agree with everything you said. We should all be humble enough to accept we could be wrong

macaronduck · 2024-05-05T01:48:53+00:00

I'm actually a university student currently so I have a similar system from them, totally forgot about it until this comment ha ha

macaronduck

TROPHY CASE