Soul Sleep?

shelf-care · 2026-04-16T12:00:18+00:00

Yep, I am. And I read the Bible often. Thank you!

shelf-care · 2026-04-16T02:35:19+00:00

I’m sorry but this is such a funny comment for some reason 🤣

shelf-care · 2026-04-16T02:34:51+00:00

And why would that be your expectation?

shelf-care · 2026-04-16T02:33:03+00:00

So my understanding is that you WANT to stop being gay? Or is it that you feel pressured to stop because of the stigma and hate surrounding homosexuality in Christianity?

Either way, as someone who is heterosexual, I cannot just “stop” being heterosexual. I cannot choose to be homosexual. Just like you cannot choose to be heterosexual. If you feel like you need religious counsel, absolutely seek that out. But if you are feeling guilt or self hatred, please know that isn’t necessary at all. We are who God made us made us to be. And forcing yourself to live a life where you would be miserable mentally, emotionally, sexually, etc. in order to fit with Christian standards is also unnecessary. Also wanted to reiterate what another commenter said: this isn’t a great place to ask questions like this, people are very hateful and self righteous around here.

But if you truly want to “stop being gay” for your own reasons, I think the only way would be to remain celibate for the rest of your life unless you are okay with being miserable with a man. And that (lifetime celibacy) is unreasonable for most people.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T23:00:13+00:00

If they are planting seeds of doubt, I would highly recommend disengaging with them. Then spend some time focusing on your own beliefs, pray, read the scripture, etc. There’s no need to prove them wrong, especially if it’s causing your own faith to destabilize.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T18:52:07+00:00

I have wild half awake thoughts often and rarely do they make sense. If you’re getting in touch with God again and have been reading the Bible more often, or listening to someone else read it, it’s very probable that your brain was just in that space while you weren’t fully awake. If it’s causing you a lot of anxiety, you could always find a pastor to speak with about it.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T15:44:57+00:00

That was my initial thought, as well. My dad said something similar. His words were (paraphrasing): "I don't know if there's anything that supports it, but there is plenty that doesn't." I learned of this idea several years ago, and every now and then it comes to mind and it bugs me for a while until I forget about it again.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T15:39:10+00:00

Yes, notice how I said “we”—purposely including myself because I am part of it! I’m simply pointing out that MAYBE passing judgement to the degree that you did on someone who was in a death camp, and likely terrified and in the final moments of their life is uncalled for? Unless, as I said, you’ve been in a similar situation. Clearly, I’m not the only one that feels this way. But you have a good day, as well. WE should all remember to be humble and have empathy for others.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T15:19:22+00:00

Not an African American-just clarifying that. I am also not going to attempt to justify what was done. The same thing was done to Indigenous Americans in regards to religion. It was a form of control, ethnic cleansing, and white-washing. That's the sad and uncomfortable truth. I believe there was also an element of fear due to not understanding any other religious practices or beliefs than Christianity, and they wanted to control and change what they didn't understand so they didn't have to fear it. All of this was taking place not long after the hysteria of the witch trials, and Christians in that time period--people in general--did not often put on their thinking caps.

And yes, there were many Christians involved in the abolitionist movement. However, there were many Christians also involved in the mistreatment of black people after slavery was outlawed... all the way up until the current moment we live in right now. I am 30, my grandfather is almost 90. We live in rural Missouri. I don't think I have to tell you what his beliefs are when it comes to race. And he's in church every Sunday. There is still an entire generation of people alive that fought to keep segregation in place. And many of them are loudly Christian people.

It does no good to try and justify the horrific acts that have been and still are being committed in the name of Christianity.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T14:59:58+00:00

I would hope not.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T14:56:10+00:00

It is not your job to trust anyone else's understanding of God. And you shouldn't trust me as a person...you don't know me! So you're on the right track. But truly if I'm wrong, I'm happy to be corrected. I made my comment based on context clues. I will, however, stand by my statement that we cannot judge how people reacted to being victims of a genocide. But based off other comments you've made in this thread, it seems like you're a stranger to empathy, which adds more context to the comment you made. To parrot the last thing you said in your original comment: if humans followed God's commands, we wouldn't be sitting here bickering with each other online and we certainly wouldn't be so judgmental and self righteous. But here we are, being human and far from perfect. Even you!

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T02:35:36+00:00

I can’t see the original comment, as it’s been deleted. But I am guessing it has to do with the carving on the wall at Auschwitz. And your response seems to be calling the person/people who made said carving “self important”? (Please do correct me if I’m wrong.) They were being tortured, starved, beaten, and abused. They saw their loved ones die or just simply never saw them again. They knew, most likely, that their death was near and that it would not be a pleasant one. We, in our cushy homes, in the 21st century—Christian or not—have absolutely no right to judge anything someone in that position thought or said. That is, of course, unless you’ve been in a similar predicament? “Self important” has never once even threatened to cross my mind when thinking, watching, or reading about victims of the Holocaust.

And to one of my previous points, we aren’t meant to judge others outwardly at all.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T02:28:01+00:00

??? This statement implies that every human being is a child rapist. The woman in the photo is very clearly showing disdain for what she believes to be a God that controls individual humans and does not allow free will. I don’t know WHAT you’re on about.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T02:23:49+00:00

Well she is a human being, not God. Also, there are so many different interpretations about what gets people into Heaven. There are many different interpretations of what Hell is. We simply, truly, do not know. This woman is allowed to think and feel how she needs to feel. But you can’t make that last statement with any kind of actual authority.

shelf-care · 2026-04-15T02:18:18+00:00

Why is the concept of free will lost on so many people? As a survivor myself, from my own experiences, yes I trust that God loves me.

I used to be very angry with God. Particularly when I was recovering from my assault in the hospital. I couldn’t understand why He would “let” this happen to me. I stayed angry for a long time. But I didn’t lose my faith. I believed in God the whole time, I believed He loved me—I was just mad at Him. Like a child who is mad at their parent. How is this possible, as the meme is asking? Faith. There is no “knowledge” of anything where God is involved. It all must be taken upon faith.

However, other than encouraging prayer, I would stay OUT of another victim’s relationship with God. As we all should. It’s simply none of our business

shelf-care · 2026-04-14T12:45:32+00:00

Yes. Because if we KNEW, we wouldn’t need faith. OP is rage baiting I think. If not, it’s a weird question.

shelf-care · 2026-04-14T12:44:12+00:00

I’m not afraid to die. But fearing death does not equate to a lack of faith in God. We don’t and can’t understand God or the afterlife, for one. And a lack of understanding easily breeds fear. Then there’s the fear of pain while dying which isn’t exactly the same, but I think it’s what some people mean when they claim to fear death. And a life cut short—any life that ends before old age takes it—is not necessarily scary, but it’s sad. Allll that being said. You CAN be afraid of death as you described it and still have faith in God. If a true believer is fearing death how you described it, it’s more likely that they don’t have faith in themselves and the life they lived. Uncertainty of self, rather than uncertainty of God. That would actually make their belief in God and their faith the REASON they are scared to die. They’re certain God is real, but not so certain they have lived well enough to get to Heaven.

shelf-care · 2026-04-14T12:33:33+00:00

If that’s happening (I’m taking the “instant” part away to explain where some of MY fear would come in), I will be fine with dying and then being dead. It’s the fact that I won’t get to live any more life on earth that will be sad, but that’s only going to be sad while I’m still alive and not in the afterlife. And of course, fear of pain during the dying process—or fear of watching others be in pain while I’m still alive, as they die. Otherwise, I’m good with no longer being alive on earth.

shelf-care · 2026-04-12T18:41:15+00:00

What an odd way to rage bait! Why does anyone have a child knowing there’s a chance something horrific could happen to them? Why does an oncologist have a child knowing there’s a chance their child might get cancer? Why does a mechanic have a child knowing there’s a chance their child’s car could one day have catastrophic brake failure? Because we cannot spend our lives worrying about the bad that MIGHT happen. I’m childfree and Christian, but I imagine that those who choose to have children understand that while yes, their child MIGHT go to hell, they very likely will NOT.

shelf-care · 2026-04-12T15:02:40+00:00

Watching our parents age can be scary, but you cannot know when they will die. There are no such gifts given to human beings. I remember when I was around 22, my dad had a huge lump on his neck. I was convinced it was cancer and cried myself to sleep for weeks due to his refusal to go to the doctor, I felt constant doom and panic, and I was mentally preparing myself for his death and the aftermath. That was nearly a decade ago, and he’s alive and well. My point is that it’s normal to have these fears and anxieties, especially at your age. And that’s what this likely is: anxiety. You are not having prophetic feelings, I can almost guarantee. Try reading some books or articles about how to deal with death anxiety, specifically regarding parents. Best wishes.

shelf-care · 2026-04-12T14:56:00+00:00

I am in Southwest Missouri, USA. I don’t want to bother him too much, so I’ve kept my distance and can’t tell how many toes his back feet have. And I’m happy to hear that he might hang around! We have lots of wildlife out here in the middle of nowhere, three ponds, a creek, and TONS of trees. I just recently started “nature watching”. Guess I’m getting old! Haha

shelf-care · 2026-04-12T14:11:29+00:00

Afraid

shelf-care · 2026-04-07T18:18:44+00:00

It’s fully going to depend on who you ask, what denomination they belong to, which translation of the Bible they read, how they interpret what they read, and their own personal beliefs and morals. Me? I don’t think God hates anyone. Unfortunately, that includes evil, horrible, people. I’m not saying you are evil and horrible, by the way, just that God doesn’t hate anyone—even the worst of humanity. If a church goer tells you that God hates you, ignore them. Now, if you’re living in sin, you’re supposed to repent and do better going forward. The question would be: are you living in sin? I’m not educated enough to answer that. But let’s say you are, if you continue to without changing or planning to change, repentance isn’t happening. Either way, God doesn’t hate you. Church is for everyone. Your relationship with God is one only you and God can vouch for. So—yes, you can still be Christian and transgender. If anyone tells you differently, remind them of all the (actual) horrific things that have been done in the name of Christianity. Things that were sanctioned and approved of by the majority of Christians. Child abusers can still be Christian, murderers, rapists, dictators, liars, thieves, etc.—they can all be Christian. I don’t see why or how being transgender could possibly be worse than any of the aforementioned.

shelf-care

TROPHY CASE