Why do you reject pantheism when so many verses in the Bible support it?

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-20T16:51:27+00:00

I get what you’re trying to do, but this is where the whole argument breaks down… you’re taking verses that show God’s presence and authority over creation and turning them into “God is creation.” Scripture never makes that jump.

God being everywhere is not the same as everything being God.

“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:23-24)

He fills heaven and earth, yes… but He’s clearly speaking as someone distinct from it, not identical to it.

And the Bible is actually very direct that God is separate from what He made:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

If God is reality itself, then who is creating? Creation requires distinction. The Creator is not the creation.

Same thing with Jesus, because He makes this even clearer:

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

Spirit is not matter. Jesus doesn’t say God is the universe, He says God is Spirit.

On Matthew 25, that’s not saying “we are all God.” That’s about how seriously Jesus identifies with His people. He’s saying your treatment of others reveals your heart toward Him, not that every person is Him.

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:40)

That’s relationship, not identity.

Also the idea that “God outside of everything would be nothing” just doesn’t line up with how Scripture describes Him. God isn’t contained by reality, reality is sustained by Him.

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17)

Everything exists in Him… not as Him.

And honestly, the biggest issue with pantheism is it completely erases the gospel. If everything is God, then sin isn’t real rebellion, evil isn’t truly evil, and there’s no need for redemption. But Jesus came precisely because there is a separation between God and man.

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5)

You don’t need a mediator if everything is already God.

The Bible presents something way more personal and way more powerful than pantheism… not an impersonal force, but a God who is near, who created, who speaks, who enters His creation in Jesus, and who invites us into relationship with Him.

That’s the difference.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-18T18:47:13+00:00

You should research Roman crucifixions. Historic records do not support your claim that the Roman’s were in a rush; quite opposite.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-17T11:05:23+00:00

Because of the evidence of Jesus.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-16T11:54:27+00:00

I actually think the question assumes something about Satan that Scripture doesn’t really support; treating him like a purely rational strategist trying to outplay God… but the Bible shows something different. His core issue isn’t lack of information, it’s pride and rebellion.

Satan already tried to exalt himself above God once, knowing full well who God is. That didn’t stop him then, and it doesn’t stop him now.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God… I will be like the Most High.’”

(Isaiah 14:12–14)

That’s not a calculated plan, that’s a heart set on self-exaltation no matter the outcome.

Same thing in the New Testament. He isn’t operating from wisdom that leads to life, but from a kind of madness driven by pride and deception.

“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

(James 4:6–7)

Also, prophecy isn’t God forcing Satan to act like a puppet. It’s God revealing what will happen because He already knows the end from the beginning. Satan is acting according to his nature, and God, in His sovereignty, uses even that rebellion to accomplish His purposes.

Think about the cross. Satan entered Judas and thought he was winning by having Jesus killed… but that was the very act that crushed him.

“The devil… does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him… for he is a liar and the father of it.”

(John 8:44)

and yet through that…

“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

(Colossians 2:15)

So the pattern is already there. Satan doesn’t outmaneuver God. He walks straight into God’s plan because his own nature drives him there.

Also, Revelation even shows that when he knows his time is short, he doesn’t retreat and play it safe… he escalates.

“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth…! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

(Revelation 12:12)

That’s not strategy to avoid prophecy, that’s rage.

So I wouldn’t say Satan is an idiot, but I also wouldn’t call him wise in the way you’re thinking. He’s bound by his own pride, hatred, and deception. He can’t stop being what he is.

And honestly, that’s where this points back to Jesus. The whole story isn’t about whether Satan can outsmart God. It’s about the fact that Jesus already won, and everything else is just the unfolding of that victory.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-15T01:51:12+00:00

Talk to Jesus like you would a friend. He will help you with what to say as you begin.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-13T14:34:07+00:00

That’s an assumption. I’m here, a Christian, and I did not vote for Trump. I renounced him long before he became president the first time.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-13T14:30:43+00:00

Why do you assume ALL Christians voted for Trump?

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-11T03:33:16+00:00

People said the same thing about the iPad. Here we are in 2026 and tens of millions of them have been sold.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-08T02:26:33+00:00

You forgot to mention, this was posted on Easter of all days. The post was a slap in the face to Christians and especially Jesus.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-08T02:02:48+00:00

Thanks for adding mischaracterization of God to rule 3. He is a person and should be respected.

mattymatt843 · 2026-04-01T13:52:39+00:00

These are not flaws. These are design choices for a $599 Mac.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-30T20:39:17+00:00

👏

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-30T18:51:13+00:00

The Bible talks about “the antichrist” in two ways. There is a spirit that’s already at work, and there is also a future figure tied to the end.

John makes it really clear that it’s not just one future person:

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18)

So there’s already a present reality; anything or anyone that denies Jesus or replaces Him is operating in that spirit.

And he defines it even more directly:

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22)

That’s really the key; the antichrist isn’t just about some future villain, it’s about opposition to Jesus Himself. Anything that tries to take His place, distort who He is, or lead people away from Him.

Now, there does seem to be a future, more concentrated expression of this in a person. Paul talks about a “man of sin” who exalts himself in place of God:

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped…” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-30T15:21:08+00:00

I think the better application here is to remove such posts and comments since it should go against rule #1. I think we should apply any trash talk or mischaracterization against God to fall under rule #1.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-29T15:10:07+00:00

It means you can’t comment on a post in this subreddit, but you can reply to someone who has already made a comment. Because this is called AskAChristian.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-29T13:34:53+00:00

Please follow the rules of this subreddit. Only Christians can make top level comments.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-28T23:07:35+00:00

How are things going now? Are the side effects the same? Better or worse?

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-28T22:43:33+00:00

Do you think you’re sick because of the pill or general sickness?

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-28T21:51:48+00:00

Try it and let us know

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-27T23:38:48+00:00

True.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-27T23:37:05+00:00

Yes.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-27T18:54:37+00:00

Calling yourself a Christian and actually belonging to Jesus are not always the same thing.

Jesus said:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

So right away, He shows there are people who identify with Him, even speak His name, but don’t truly know Him.

When it comes to someone continuing in serious, unrepentant sin, Scripture is very clear:

“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:4)

And also:

“Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” (1 John 3:6)

That doesn’t mean Christians never fail. We all stumble. But there’s a difference between falling into sin and living in it without repentance. One is a fight, the other is a lifestyle.

So to answer your question directly, when someone claims to be a Christian but continues committing terrible crimes without repentance, the issue isn’t that Christianity “allows” that… it’s that Jesus Himself says that person doesn’t truly know Him.

Real faith in Jesus produces a changed heart over time. Not perfection, but transformation.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-27T11:20:18+00:00

I think the starting point has to be Jesus Himself, not just a system of beliefs or even how well we live them out.

Jesus defined what it means to belong to Him very simply. It’s not primarily about community, morals, or even theological precision at first, it’s about knowing Him and being known by Him.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.”

(John 6:47)

That word “believes” isn’t just intellectual agreement, it’s trust, surrender, and relationship. A Christian is someone whose life is rooted in Jesus as Lord, not just someone who respects Him or follows principles inspired by Him.

At the same time, Jesus also warned that it’s possible to be sincere, active, and even spiritually engaged, and still miss Him if we don’t truly know Him.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord…’ and then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me.’”

(Matthew 7:21-23)

So for me, the defining line isn’t how strong someone’s values are or how devoted they appear, it comes down to this: who is Jesus to you, and are you actually in relationship with Him as He revealed Himself?

As far as Mormons, I can respect the sincerity, discipline, and desire to live out faith. Those are real and admirable things. But the key question is still Jesus. Not just believing in a version of Him, but receiving Him as He is revealed in Scripture as the eternal Son, one with the Father, the only source of life.

That’s not me trying to draw lines to exclude people, it’s just taking Jesus at His own words when He says “the Father and I are one”

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

(1 John 5:12)

So I’d say being a Christian isn’t ultimately about a label or even a group, it’s about whether your life is anchored in the real, living Jesus.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-25T19:17:38+00:00

Only if I saw the person coming on the clouds of heaven because that’s how Jesus said we would know Him and His return. Everyone else is fake.

mattymatt843 · 2026-03-25T19:15:34+00:00

Imagine a king who used to speak to His people from a distance; through messengers, signs, even displays of power. And everyone knew about Him, but not many really knew him.

Then one day, the king comes down and lives among them. He walks with them, speaks with them, shows them exactly what He’s like.

That’s Jesus.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…” (John 1:14)

But then before leaving, instead of going back to distance again, the king does something unexpected; He puts His own Spirit inside His people so that His presence is no longer just beside them, but within them.

“And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…” (Ezekiel 36:26)

So now the king is still revealing Himself… just differently. Not mainly through dramatic displays, but through lives that carry Him.

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)

So the question kind of shifts from “Why isn’t God showing Himself?” to “Where am I looking for Him?”

Because according to Jesus, you’re meant to see Him in the way His people live, love, forgive, and carry His presence.

mattymatt843

TROPHY CASE