With the recent murder of the CEO of United health, I’m disgusted to see how many people are celebrating someone being murdered. A man with wife and children. As a Christian I feel that regardless of how you feel about somebody you should NEVER wish death upon somebody or celebrate their death. It’s absolutely vile. I pray I’m not alone on this.

I guess the real question I wanna ask is, how do you deal with people like this? Do you ignore them?

but rather mourns, weeps and pleads for them to repent wouldn't you agree?

I’m gonna be super straight forward. I’ve been a follower for 2 years and have had bad anxiety about salvation, it’s been so bad that sometimes I realize that I’ve almost lost my way, I’ve confused the “simple” message of why we follow God, it sometimes makes me wonder like, what ARE we following for, what do I have to do

MAIN POINT 👇

What I’m confused about, i always hear ppl say that faith in Christ, that he died for our sins, is what gets us to heaven. But then there’s things that say, but if ur lukewarm, you can’t go to heaven, if you aren’t completely on fire for him then you can’t be saved. If you don’t love him in your heart you can’t be saved, if you don’t forgive you can’t be saved.

And my confusion is that, I don’t know for 110% fact that I truly love Jesus, my mother used to say “only you know what your heart loves” but I don’t? I THINK, I love Jesus.. but I don’t know for SURE that what I think, is what God sees in me. Bc I could “love” Jesus, just bc I’m scared of going to hell. I could “love” Jesus because I know that’s what saves me.

I’m just worried I don’t have genuine faith. I feel like I’m basically screwed, I’m 20 years old and turned to Christ at 18 because I was curious to why my friend who was a Christian, was happy all the time..

Idk what to do anymore guys. I’ve asked people almost every day since the day I became a follower, am I saved. I just want that confidence and security, but from what the Bible says, it’s not just faith in Jesus, you also have to have a certain love and fire for God to be able to be saved from an eternity in pain

If anyone can decipher my terrible comprehension skills, please help me.. I want to be happy and confident in my relationship with God.

As a medical student, I’m constantly blown away by the extremely sophisticated way the body functions.

The harmony of different cells working for the ability and maintenance of a larger organism. The intention of certain tissues to fulfill a specific purpose, and when that purpose isn’t fulfilled, disease results.

The more I study it, the more I see God’s signature.

We all see the Bible as God’s word. I’ve found science is a tool to understand God’s word in Creation.

What are some things where you see God’s word in science?

I'm 14 (M) discover Jesus 3 months ago and told my parents yesterday if anyone has atheist parents who is a Christian any tips (please don't say try to convert them)

I have heard almost every Christin creator online say that they are almost 100% certain that the rapture is going to happen on September 23rd this year.

I brought up the “No one knows the day or the hour” argument, until someone said that the verse was taken out of context and is actually talking about when Jewish rabbis referred to Yom Teruah as the “feast where no one knows the day or the hour,” because people literally had to watch for the new moon’s appearance in order for it to happen. So people think Jesus may have been alluding to the Feast of Trumpets when He used that phrase, not the return of Christ. So apparently the Feast of Trumpets is sometimes called the “day and hour no one knows” because its start depended on eyewitness confirmation of the new moon appearing, which could have been at any time within those days.

Any insight on this from anyone? It’s all over social media.

IF YOU LOST EVERYTHING, WOULD YOU STILL WORSHIP GOD!

As the title says, I’m struggling with my atheism. I never ever thought I would say this. I grew up very Catholic, went though Catholic school K-12, Mass 5+ times a week until I was 19, now 29. I started learning about science and things changed for me. I stopped believing in God and grew to hate every form of religion. My husband isn’t a believer either but doesn’t understand why I scoff at any mention of God in movies or tv. I think I must understand a little more now why I felt this way...

This last weekend, something happened that changed inside of me. The last few months even, have been making me question what I really believe now. This past Saturday, I was in Colorado visiting a friend for her wedding. I’m from Missouri and was away from my 4 year old son and my husband. Because of this, my already awful anxiety was affecting me more than usual. During the rehearsal dinner a young man outside lost control of his motorcycle and crashed, subsequently ruining his ability to walk. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard much information about his current condition. That night, as we headed back to our Airbnb, I silently had the most intense panic attack of my life. I couldn’t stop thinking about that young man, the condition of his legs, how he was barely 18 and would have a lot of trouble learning how to live life differently. That is if he survived.

This led me to think about how much I craved my sons presence, his little fragile body in my arms. Safe and sound. I lost it. I got so worried I wouldn’t make it home to see him again. The panic struck me like a brick wall and I felt like I would never escape. Like I was falling down a never ending pit of agony. And then, it hit me. I felt a calming in my chest, like my heart had been reminded that there’s no need to beat harder than necessary. As though, my anxiety never existed. I did something I hadn’t done in ten years. Something I thought I would never do again. I prayed silently to myself. I immediately felt better, safer. Like something or someone, somewhere was reassuring me that I would make it back home safely to my son. To my loving husband.

The next day, at the wedding, I met one of the bridesmaids. It almost felt like a sign that she would even mention that she has to lead her bible study on Sunday. I had a sudden urge and without any restraint mentioned to her that we should talk at some point that night. I mentioned my atheism and that I was feeling something different inside myself. She agreed and met up with me a short time later. We sat alone at one of the empty tables and she asked me if I was ready to talk.

I just piled it on her. Explaining my rough childhood. Losing my father in a tragic fire at the age of 10, witnessing a massive tragic tornado that took nearly 200 lives when I was 19, then losing my faith and turning my back on it for good. And then I mentioned all the things that have worked in my favor the last few months, almost too good to be true. Like someone or something, way more powerful than myself, was guiding things that way. Helping me, giving me a break from all the trials I’ve been through in life. I lost it. It’s worth mentioning, that I’m not a cryer. It’s hard for me to produce tears and let myself be vulnerable. While I told her these stories, tears were streaming down my cheeks.

She stopped me and said, “I think that fact that you’re crying right now, tells me that you believe in your heart that this was God. I believe God brought me to you tonight. We were meant to meet, for me to help you though this.” I lost it even more. It almost felt like I was fuller inside. Like I was suddenly filled with warmth. In those moments she and I developed an amazing bond. I know in my heart we will be friends for life. We’ve been talking since about how I’m feeling.

However, I’m still so unsure. I don’t know if He is really there. I feel like there’s a bond I need to heal. Like I need to research more and learn from others who have been in this situation before and are now active Christians. Where do I go from here?

I’ve been reading a book called Science in the Bible. I like it so far. But, perhaps I’m not ready to pick my bible back up just yet. It’s also worth mentioning, that I haven’t been able to get rid of the Bible I’ve had since 7th grade. Coincidence? Or, was I subconsciously still faithful? I thought about talking to a priest, but I don’t exactly agree with how the Catholic Church is ran. They didn’t exactly help us with the grieving of our fathers death. They damn near avoided it like the plague and I never forgave them for that. But, I have learned about Baptist’s from my husband who grew up with Christ in his heart. While I grew up with fear.

I suppose I’m asking, what stories or books or verses do you all have for me to consider for this journey? When will I know that this is my true path? How will I know that God is there for me. How will I truly feel it?

I’m also worried about my husband. Does he feel this way but is too worried to talk to me about it because I have such harsh feelings toward Christianity? Will he think it’s silly for me to be thinking this way again? And if he supports me in this decision, which he will for sure, will he just start believing for the sake of keeping me happy? That seems unfair to him. I just still have all this worry and doubt in my heart. I don’t know where to start or what to do.

If you read this far, thank you so much for reading. It took a lot of courage for me to write this out and reach out to others who will understand.

TLDR: a series of events have lead me (an atheist) to believe that I might believe in God again. But I need help removing all doubt.

Edit: thank you all so much for all your kind words. I’ve been reading and responding as much as I can. I have a lot of researching and healing to do.

A special thank you to those who gave me advice on talking to my husband. I talked to him at lunch today and he was so supportive and kind. He told me he’s never really been a hard atheist like I was, that he has always been agnostic to say the least. This made my heart feel so full. I felt in that moment that God had guided me to my husband years ago because He knew he would be a good guide for me through this journey. My husband was so encouraging, and happy that I felt this way.

My next step is to talk to my mother in law, who has been trying to talk to me about God for years. Of course, I wouldn’t have it. She has never been pushy just suggestive. I’m actually super excited to talk to her about it when we see each other again.

Thank you all so much!!! I promise I will keep reading all your amazing comments as often as I can and respond as often as I can. I’m so thankful and blessed to have found such an amazing community on Reddit.

So I Prayed for wisdom and guidance yesterday, I dont remember praying for wisdom specifically before. Guidance I have in the past. I wake up and start the day normal go to work ect. Randomly throughout my shift a get a trucker that came to pickup a load (normal) he leaves and says god bless you. I say god bless you man and he leaves. He walks back to his truck then turns around walks back in the door and tells me hey read this verse, names one, then says another one or two then says god bless you and leaves again. Now i cant remember the last 2 he said but I wrote down the 1st one. Im not even joking the bible verse he told me is literally my biggest struggle and hit the nail on the head. Now i‘m kinda freaking out and don‘t really know what to do.

I was always sensitive growing up, even being raised in an Atheist household and being part of a militant Atheist group. Now, three years after accepting Christ, I have found I am very emotional about Jesus. I mean, EMOTIONAL. When I listen to praise songs, I may start crying for no particular reason. Something may remind me of scripture, and I literally almost tear up. I have even gotten emotional even when I have just UTTERED the name of Jesus.

Today was crazy; there is a heatwave and so in my non-ac church, we didn't have the lights on and my pastor decided to let us pray together and individually instead of holding a service since it was very hot. I am praying and praying and I'm just a little sensitive, nothing out of the ordinary. Then, I put some music on my phone and listen through my earbuds and I start to get very emotional, then I was close to sobbing. Then, someone put a hand on my back and it was over for me- I was sobbing so hard I needed to cover my mouth so I didn't wail out (some other women were also crying as well) but I trembled and wept and could only say 'Thank you, Jesus.' periodically. That has only happened once, probably a year ago but never that strong or as long as it lasted. It never made me shake and cry and wail like that.

I've asked my pastor, but he didn't have much to say about it and although he promised to answer my question, I still wanted to know why I get so emotional and figured Reddit might have a clue. My body just reacts to what I'm hearing, but I don't really feel the Holy Spirit as I did when I was praying, but I'm not going to rule it out, obviously. Any Ideas?

TL;DR - I get very sensitive/emotional over most things Christ-related, enough to make me cry. I went to a prayer service today and had to stop myself from sobbing and wailing too loud because I was that emotional, but I don't know why exactly it happens.

Thanks for reading.

Edit: Thank you all so much for your love and blessings. Your own testimonies to this feeling helped me understand my own, as being a young, teenage believer. You've made me feel understood as I needed to be. Thank you all so very much! I pray over each of you and hope to meet you all one day in the glory of our God's throne room.

I removed them all just now. I think it’s to easy to enter them with one click and be taken down the rabbit hole.

Has anyone else done such a step and do you have any other advice?

Lately I’ve been struggling with how distracted I feel when it comes to my faith. Prayer feels rushed, Bible reading feels unfocused, and even when I try to slow down, my mind doesn’t really follow. It feels like I’m going through the motions more than actually being present with God.

I think a lot of it comes from how overstimulating life is now. I’m always consuming something, and doing more spiritually hasn’t really fixed it. If anyone’s dealt with this and found something that genuinely helped, I’d appreciate hearing what worked.

P.S. I ended up reading staying still in a distracted world by a. a. morgan as suggested by one of the comments and it helped me lots with finding my path again so for anyone who can relate to this post I would recommend checking it out.

The Bible tells us we’ll be sinless on the new earth. But since we sin because of free will, it seems that free will would no longer exist.

It also says He will erase our former memories of the earth (Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:4).

It’s terrifying to think about. Losing my sense of identity, everything that makes me me. Would I still even be myself? At times I wonder if I’m truly one of God’s children, given how much fear, doubt, and anxiety I carry. But Christianity is about faith, after all…

Maybe that’s where faith comes in. Maybe it’s less about God taking away my identity and more about Him restoring it to what it was always meant to be — healed instead of erased. I don’t fully understand it, and honestly.. it terrifies me. I want to trust that whatever He has planned will be far better than what I can imagine.

I support the idea of peace to all people i don’t want to see others perish and die no matter is your muslim jewish or heck even Hindi or satanic i love all people and hope for the best but i can’t get behind Israel’s actions i don’t believe common day Israel is biblical Israel and that an im a descendent of Abraham by my faith…Am i wrong for this?

Mine is when I’m swimming in the ocean with goggles and a wave crashes over me, and I watch, it’s like time slows down, it’s a beautifully simple yet complex motion that happens over and over and I can’t get enough. (Hope this post aligns with the rules, still learning the ropes of the app.)

I see people, Christians distraught at the possibility of Trump losing. Why? What has he done but increase hatred and division. It seems he chose a few political agendas to back that Conservative Christians have chosen as their pet loves and that made him Gods man on the planet. But what fruit has he shown? Meekness? Kindness? Gentleness? Self Control? Is America in a revival? Is America turning from sin. All I saw his presidency do is turn Christians including my parents into cynical finger pointing haters of which they weren't before. Repentance and revival is the only way to save America. Materialism and Self-Righteousness have been the governing Spirits however.

The young couple from America was killed by a gang in Haiti. As a Christian, I struggle to understand why God allowed this happen. Throughout many sermons and through education it has always been told that if you do something for God he will honor it and protect you. Someone please help me understand why Christ allowed this happen ?

News article is below :

https://news.google.com/articles/CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iY25ld3MuY29tL25ld3MvdXMtbmV3cy9hbWVyaWNhbi1jb3VwbGUtbWlzc2lvbmFyeS13b3JrLWtpbGxlZC1nYW5ncy1oYWl0aS13aWZlLWRhdWdodGVyLW1pc3NvLXJjbmExNTM5MjXSAStodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYmNuZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FtcC9yY25hMTUzOTI1?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

Whenever I pray I often find myself talking to God respectfully still but not very formal. Is this a bad thing or something I should change?

Edit:

The responses here have been incredible, thank you all so much for replying, I pray it has encouraged you as much as it has me that God is faithful to His word, and to every one of you if you follow Him with all your heart. God bless every single one of you who took the time to comment, and mingle with each other as a family, and encourage one another. I have tried to respond to every comment I have received.

Please, apologies if I missed any of you.

I have sent a thank you to all people who gave me awards, and even a couple silvers. Thank you for honoring Christ this way, and bless you for loving my Savior through my humble words to all of you. Thank you for honoring my Lord and God, who saved me from my sins, and many of you. Thank you all so much.

May God bless you with His presence in a fullness you have never known with a peace, and comfort of the Holy Spirit in the fear of God, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit's love in your hearts! Amen!

I would like to pray for you all, please join as you see fit before God. Come be with your people Lord Jesus, we all desire you above all, and worship you as the true, and Living Almighty God who holds the stars as grains of sand in His hands, and is not the great "I was" but the great I AM, who bore our sins on that tree for everyone here, who you blessed through this post. We thank thank for your love Father, and let the Fire of the Holy Spirit come to those who are to minister to your people in the work you have for them. Father, please, bless your people, and let us know how much you love us in the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we all pray. Amen.

Some people are born into healthy families, rich, great genetics.... Ect

Others are born with off putting appearances like me, genetic defects, prone to cancer, poor, primed for abuse

Why do some people have more challenges on their plate than others? Why do some people get happier lives while others have to put in twice the work just to survive?

Hope, love, life, etc, etc. It's written all over the Bible. I've heard it all before.

So, why am I so depressed? Why is everybody?

Can we please take a moment to talk about the real side of Christianity? Unfold your blinders. Stop with all the Christensen Lingo. I am a depressed Christian and most likely so are some of you.

Pray more, we get it. Read your Bible more, got that too. I love Jesus and worship Him faithfully. Yet, I am a fallen human being who feels. I feel lonely. I feel angry. I feel sad. I feel deep grief. It's not something we should just pray away when these are human emotions we're talking about. I just want to take a moment and have an open-ended conversation about being depressed and being a Christian. Feeling lost and being a Christian. What's your story? Do you feel this way too?

🥳🥳🥳

Started in July 2019, finished OT about a month ago. Just put down Revelation.

For anyone considering doing this, it’s so worth it. THERES ALWAYS TIME. I work and go to college, if I can do it so can you. During the summer I worked 5 days a week 2-11, would always go to a nice spot in the forest and read in the morning. If you can get yourself through 1 full book or half a book a day you will be all set 👍🏼👍🏼

If anyone has any recommendations about what to deeply study/ meditate on now that I’ve read the Bible, it would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Everyone,

Today we are announcing a change to the rules of conduct here at r/Christian. We hope that this post will help everyone understand the need for the change as well as what is expected with the new rule's implementation.

r/Christian is meant to be a space for Christians to come together for charitable discussion on a variety of subjects. We place a high value on respect here and we see the diversity of our community as an asset. In order to maintain a respectful environment, rules of conduct are required. Because we recognize that there are a variety of perspectives held by Christians on LGBTQ+ subjects, we've tried to allow those perspectives to be expressed here, only asking that they be shared in a way that is charitable and respectful. The harsh reality is that when it comes to LGBTQ+ topics, what we've been doing simply isn't working.

Effective immediately, we have added Sub Rule 5: “LGBTQ+ Inclusive.”

Here is the full text of the rule:

“This space is inclusive & welcoming of LGBTQ+ Christians. It is prohibited to question the character, faithfulness to God or sincerity of LGBTQ+ Christians.

Debate against the inclusion & equality of LGBTQ+ Christians is not allowed. This includes asserting that it's a sin to be in an LGBTQ+ sexual relationship.

While all Christians are welcome here, we ask that you refrain from voicing a non-affirming position in this sub in order to help us maintain an inclusive & respectful community space.”

While enforcement of this rule will be strict, our mod team's approach toward those who violate the rule will be gracious. This means even as we remove all content that violates the rule, we are ready to patiently remind those who forget about the change or who are unaware of the rule. With that said, anyone who repeatedly or egregiously violates, or refuses to comply with, any of the sub rules may be subject to a permanent ban.

Our goal is inclusion, not exclusion.

Please be assured that the rule is not an excuse to exclude or disparage people who hold to particular interpretations of scripture or ideologies, and it will not be used in that manner. This is a code of conduct rule for interactions within the sub, which has become necessary in order to maintain a welcoming, respectful and inclusive community atmosphere. Because we, like you, greatly value the range of views and experiences within the community, we understand how difficult it is to markedly exclude the expression of certain views which we know are important to many of you.

Our LGBTQ+ siblings have long been the victims of mistreatment within and without the Church. As a sub, we hope to embrace the full expression of Romans 12:10 “Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” We are making definitive space at the table for our LGBTQ+ siblings to be welcome here, without having to fight for their seat.

We realize that this change is controversial and that many of you may have strong feelings or convictions about it. For a limited time, to allow for your feedback, the new rule does not apply to the comment section on this post only. All other rules still apply, so we remind you to please be respectful.

Here are a few questions we anticipate you may have, along with their answers.

1. Why are you making this change without our input? This is a very controversial subject that is also deeply personal to many people here. Discussion of the subject can become volatile, even in the best of circumstances. The moderation team holds a variety of views on the topic, and we consulted with others who do, too, throughout the decision-making process. It has not been taken lightly. Ultimately, it was too important to leave up to a “majority rules” principle. We believe this decision represents the best choice available for our sub's unique goals.

2. Why is the change needed? Our sub's guiding value is respect. When respect isn't upheld, we lose sincere participants who grow weary of the mistreatment. Despite our existing rules, too frequently LGBTQ+ Christians and their affirming allies have had to face disrespectful opposition in order to participate here. While many of you have shared your beliefs in charitable and respectful ways, others have not and the repercussions are felt long after a bad comment is removed or a person is banned. Additionally, some beliefs are themselves inherently disrespectful and harmful, no matter how they are presented. These things impact the whole community and are dangerous to people's faith and lives. Something had to change.

3. What if I'm respectful? / How can I express my views respectfully? Some of you have always been respectful in expressing your views and we appreciate your consideration and compassion. However, this is the rule and it will apply to everyone equally. As stated above, at this time we will be allowing feedback, on this post only, to which the new rule does not apply. If you want to show us an example of how you can express your views respectfully, now is your chance to do it here in comments.

4. Can we quote the so-called “clobber verses?” The rules still apply to the use of Scripture and intention matters. Even if your entire comment is only scripture, if the intention is to circumvent sub rule 5, it will be considered argument by proxy and will be removed. Here are two examples: Quoting 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 in a general discussion about sanctification is allowable. Responding to an affirming or LGBTQ+ Christian with the typical “clobber verses” as a form of argument, rebuke or bullying, is not allowable.

5. How is this inclusive if you're excluding my view? Let's look at another sub rule as an example. For a while now, we've had a rule that prohibits the promotion of conspiracy theories. Community members who believe conspiracy theories are not themselves excluded from participation in the sub, but they are not allowed to share that specific type of content here within the sub. The new rule is similar. It is not a litmus test for participation in the sub, it is a code of conduct rule for those already participating. We aren't excluding or rejecting you, we are prohibiting specific content in order to better include the full body of Christ.

6. What happens when someone asks, “Is it a sin to be gay?” (and other similar questions) These types of questions are important for struggling LGBTQ+ Christians and seekers. At this time, we will respond to these types of posts with a pinned comment that reads as follows:

Christianity contains a wide variety of perspectives on LGBTQ+ subjects.

The LGBT Christian Resources website has information on the four most common views of Christians, both affirming and non-affirming.

In this sub, the rules of conduct prohibit the sharing of views that are not inclusive and welcoming of LGBTQ+ Christians and their relationships.

Please help us maintain a respectful and inclusive community.

See our full sub rules for more details.

I just can't stop on sinning as I always fall into temptation. My bodily flesh is just too strong but I know somewhere in my heart, I do not want to sin. Is there anyway out in here?

It just felt like whenever I sin, I would tell myself: "Gosh, aren't you gonna stop from sinning? You will never reach heaven because of that." I had been struggling too much that I don't even know how to get on to my knees as I just keep on falling over and over again. Feel that I dont change at all and just keep on sinning. Will God still save me? I want to reach God's hand but it just seems too far beyond my reach. :(

Today I went to a little store to get some soda for food and I wanted to share the Good News with the man that was running the store. But I got really nervous and just said “thanks, God bless you” and got out of there.

I feel s guilty and bad for It, I feel like I am such a failure, I should have spoken. I feel like now I can’t continue my day normally, honestly I am so coward.

I am a terrible Christian honestly, sometimes I am ashamed of the Gospel, but I don’t want that anymore :( Could you please pray for me? And if you have any advice it would be REALLY helpful.

God has made SO much for me and I can’t respond to him being coward.

I am new in Christianity and I’m just 15. My family is unconverted and that just makes me feel worse, like I have no support. They’d laugh about me or call me crazy or “fanatic”.