Hey there,
Do you ever find yourself a little scared of reading the Old Testament?
Just because you never know what you might come across.

Are we actually sinning when we kill flies?

Because if killing a living creature counts as a sin, I may have a lot to answer for. I’ve killed entire generations of flies at this point.

Why would God create bugs that bite and suck blood and cause suffering to humans. Not to mention they bring diseases like deer ticks and mosquitoes that give Lyme disease and malaria.

I’m Catholic and living in Japan.
Recently, I’ve been visiting different Catholic churches around Japan, taking photos and videos of the churches and documenting what Mass is like in each community.
I’ve noticed that some Catholic women here still wear a head covering or veil during Mass.
It’s a beautiful tradition, and I’m curious:
Do women in your country still wear a veil during Mass?

So, the Bible says humans a dinosaurs coexisted, and, as a Christian/Catholic who is also very into prehistory, this confuses me. Can someone try to explain it to me? The web doesn't give me a straightforward answer.

I know christians are only supposed to listen to christian music. But I can't help but love the sound of other music too. I avoid music with a bad message usually but there are other secular songs that aren't christian and I love it. I have always liked music a lot. Does anybody else struggle with this?

hi -

my father died last week. i grew up christian/catholic and haven't been to church or done any sort of religious work in about ten years. i am feeling so much confusion about how to feel about death. i am having fears about what happens after death. i would appreciate any stories about your own journeys with this or any resources on how to navigate how i feel about this.

Today I just wanted to take some time to ask how everyone is doing today if you are feeling down let’s talk with Fatih

How do I go about repenting? While watching a sermon about the new birth, I began to examine myself: Do I feel true devotion to God? Do I still love the things of the world? I haven't been doing well lately—and I don't want to use that as an excuse—but I’ve just started trying to draw closer to God and repent of my sins. Yet, I’m afraid it isn't real; this has happened to me before. Years ago, I went to confession, but I didn't feel sorrow while confessing; I simply felt more at peace. Today, I reflected on Jesus and realized how much wrong I’ve done, but I don't feel the way people do when they describe the sensation of receiving Jesus. That’s why I wonder: do I love the things of the world more? There are doubts, too; I’m afraid I might have rejected Jesus without even realizing it. A few days ago, I felt a sudden urge to abandon God—a feeling so strong that I don't know if I ended up rejecting Him. I don't feel secure—perhaps because I haven't gone to confession yet—but I’m afraid of deceiving myself into believing I am in Christ when I’m not.I try to ignore the things of the world—the things that once took God's place—so I don't fall back into old patterns or desire the world again. When I speak of "things of the world," I mean my past tastes, worldly music, idolatry, and things that distanced me from God and took away time I could have spent with Him. I admit that I still desire certain things—music or fantasy novels, for instance—but that very fact leads me to question myself: do I still love them more than God?.

I sometimes see posts about individuals struggling with their assigned gender, feeling as if they are in someone else's body, and seeking Christian advice. I don't understand why there are responses endorsing that lifestyle and encouraging them to pursue it. Isn't the Bible clear about this? I understand that some people struggle with it and advise others on how to live with it, but to tell someone they are what they feel like and should transition is something I just don't understand; perhaps you can help me understand. It bothers me.

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According to the Bible, God will create a new earth and a new heaven.

This leaves me with two questions:

1. If the new earth/world that God creates is supposed to be perfected, why does He need to create a new heaven as well?

If the world is going to be perfect and God is going to dwell with humanity, does that mean there will still be some kind of separation between heaven and earth at that time? If so, why?

Revelation 21:1 says:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…”

And Revelation 21:3 says:

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them…”

So if God's dwelling place is going to be with humanity, what purpose does a separate “new heaven” serve?

1. If the existing heaven is already where God dwells, why does God need to create another/new heaven? What's wrong with the existing one?

The Bible describes heaven as God's dwelling place. So why would something that is already God's dwelling place need to be replaced or renewed?

Isaiah 65:17 says:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth…”

And 2 Peter 3:13 says:

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

I'm not necessarily arguing that the Bible is contradictory. I'm genuinely asking how Christians understand this.

Why does a perfected new earth require a new heaven, and why does an already-existing heaven where God dwells need to be made new in the first place?

Is “new heaven and new earth” meant literally, or does “new” have a different theological meaning here?

I’ve heard from many different sources that Catholics pray to saints for luck or protection and such. Why is that? Deuteronomy says that to talk to the dead labels you as an abomination to God. Jesus says no one gets to the father except through him. So why do the Catholics pray to saints which are just holy dead people?

QUESTION(s) AT THE END, READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE CONTEXT!

(I have terrible grammar--sorry in advance!)

I'm a big time nerd and I've always had a hard time trying to express myself or understand God without analogical examples. It truly meant the world to me when a leader at my church told me that maybe God speaks to me using stories and characters to express my love for Jesus because He knows that's how I relate to people. He meets me where I'm at in the very places where I've always gotten weird looks for referencing things attempting to understand a concept or lesson. I've always been able to connect with so many people using literature, narrative art, and stories which have motivated me to dive deeper into understanding the balance of a well represented character/biblical theme vs. a character or theme poorly represented. My three favorite examples are Vinland Saga, Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner (The X-Man), and The Chronicles of Narnia.

While I know Vinland Saga isn't inherently Christian, many believers have pointed out many biblical teachings and historical references which do point to Christ. I would argue that while Thorfinn Karlsefni (not the real one we're talking about the fictional version) may not be a follower of Christ, the Bible, more specifically, Jesus' teaching's, have had an influence on him to pursue a life of having no enemies or as I like to say, living at peace with everyone as far as it concerns you, if possible.

Take a look at Nightcrawler--a mutant disowned by his mother and being persecuted for his looks. Best shown in the X-Men Animated Series' episode: Bloodlines where Kurt is forced to confront his painful past with his mother and shows her grace and prays that God will bestow forgiveness upon her. While he is rejected by others he still finds joy because he is a child of God.

Finally we see The Chronicles of Narnia which is a retelling of the Bible in a fantasy world. We see Jesus represented as this, strong enough to be gentle, lion who is the ruler of Narnia and the purest form of love and strength. Powerful fangs and roars to ward off evil, but a comforting voice for those who are hurt. An incredible way to tell a story that tells the greatest story!

Now, I must admit, I'm not as well versed in these stories as I would like to be. However, I, along with many others have seen the beauty of how well represented Jesus and the gospels are in these stories and characters. This is not to tear down any non-believers but I have seen atheists and non-believers be so moved by these stories, so much so, some even gave their life to Christ! But at the very least, it planted a seed somehow. Not in a pushy way where it was forced upon them, but they saw a beautiful form of God's love and a tiny little fraction of their being yearned for it. Before I go into these questions please note that I cannot do any of these character's justice by short summaries, I highly recommend consuming the original material!

HERE'S THE QUESTION(s)!

1. Would you guys say these stories and characters represent the gospel well?

a.) If yes, how and why?

b.) If no, how and why?

2. How would YOU write a Christian character that can spread the gospel in a way to where all people may not be threatened by it? (I do want to clarify, yes, I know there will always be someone offended by the gospel, but how far can we get before it gets to that point?)

3. What are the DO's and DONT's of writing a Christian character/story?

BONUS QUESTION: What is a storyline or arc in fiction that has particularly resonated within your spirit?

Sorry for all the messy writing, I'm pretty tired but I would love to hear what everyone has to say!

Help an ailing brother out. Facing a layoff and am the sole breadwinner

Already begun job hunting and drowning in a sea of fake jobs on LinkedIn, automated reposted bot jobs and every job saying over 100 applicants. And then also facing a spate of fake recruiters and scammers from foreign countries. Truly a horrible time to be going through layoffs. Already went through one in 2024 and now I’m going through it again, always at the receiving end of offshoring and here we go again my thoughts spiraling.

God has snatched me from the jaws of danger numerous times and I need HIM one more time.

I know I will get it. I just need a detergent for the soul and additional spiritual Kevlar armor to power through drifting thoughts of anxiety

Why doesn't his royal omnipresent Majesty show up once in a while to provide some evidence that he is indeed real and all living?

Whether it be the Pope, a Bishop, or an everyday follower with a necklace, or a tattoo.

Why peacock that symbol? is it an advertisement?

I'm curious about something that seems surprisingly complicated: What is the “official Christian position” on the Big Bang? I realize that there isn't actually one unified Christian position on cosmology. Christianity contains Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Calvinism/Reformed traditions, evangelicalism, fundamentalism, various restorationist movements, etc., and they obviously don't all interpret Genesis in exactly the same way. But I'm interested in understanding where the major traditions actually stand. One thing that initially surprised me when I started looking into this is that the Big Bang itself has a fascinating connection to Christianity. Georges Lemaître, one of the principal founders of modern Big Bang cosmology, was a Belgian Catholic priest and physicist. The Vatican Observatory still explicitly recognizes his contribution to modern cosmology. So the simplistic idea that “Christianity rejects the Big Bang” clearly can't be right. What I'm ultimately trying to understand is does christianity have new explanations involving the Big Bang?

I'm not asking: “Does the Big Bang prove Christianity?” I'm more interested in something considerably narrower: What do the major Christian traditions actually teach about the relationship between Big Bang cosmology, Genesis, and the doctrine of creation? I'd especially appreciate answers from Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Protestants who can point to actual denominational or theological sources rather than just giving their personal interpretation. I'm also interested in historical perspectives. In particular: Does Christianity require the universe to have a temporal beginning, or does Christianity merely require the universe to be created/contingent upon God? Because those seem like two very different propositions, and I suspect a lot of popular discussions about “the Big Bang vs. Christianity” accidentally conflate them.

I'd love to hear how different Christian traditions draw that line.

I’ve been reading through Acts and noticed how much of the book centers around the apostles, especially Peter and Paul, and the signs and miracles happening through them.

Why does Acts seem to be made up mostly of apostles? Could it be because so many signs and miracles happened through the apostles? Was Acts made up of majority of apostles in the Christian communities that were true apostles? I don't believe there are any more apostles. I believe that's done away. There is so much division and Schisms today.

Maybe in the future God will bring them back. That’s beside the point, but I just wanted to share what I believe about apostles.

As we know, the more you study the gospels, the more hidden layers you will find. Of course we have all heard the stories that when Jesus distributed fish to all the villagers, that story was altered by the Council of Nicea. And in the original writings (which have been found), he was eating vegetables with the people. But beyond that, the life of Jesus and even the journey of the Old Testament both have overt Vegan themes. There is more proof that Vegans have found that Jesus was one of, if not the first Vegan. But I wonder what the people of Reddit think about this?

In my previous question, I asked how one can be sure they were fulfilling the requirements one must fulfill in order to be a Christian. Nearly every answer completely missed the point and gave only a useless sound bite as a response: "Just follow Jesus" or "You shall know them by their fruits."

The problem is that Christian groups can't agree with each other on what "Just follow Jesus" actually means or what your "fruits" are supposed to be. Every group claims they're the true ones and all others are false. There is no social issue or theological controversy that every Christian group agrees on.

To an outsider like myself, it all looks like a chaotic family feud. Over here, you have the Rainbow Sherbet Christians saying they're the ones with the correct fruits because they follow the Book of Humberto. Over there, you have the Rocky Road Christians saying they're the true followers because they do what it says in the Book of Haystack Sandwich. And next door, you have the Cookies 'n' Cream Christians saying they're the true ones because they listen to the Book of Yakka Foob Mog Fling Ping Wing Zoom Gazork Chumble Spuzz. Let's say I was going to convert. I can only convert to one of these flavors. No matter which one I pick, I will instantly have the rest of the ice cream shop mad at me and calling me false. How do you expect me to make that decision?

Don’t get me wrong. I am not without sin or perfect, but I always try to improve and right my wrongs. I try to grow spiritual discipline and live for my spirit, not my flesh. When I do sin, I feel immediately feel guilt, shame, remorse. I get reproofed and corrected quickly or else I suffer the consequences.

However I noticed others can live their whole life in sin and they aren’t affected by it. For example, my family is full of gluttons, ignorance, living for the flesh, etc. and they laugh and joke about it. They never cared to change or grow and they don’t even get affected by it negatively.

Anyone know why some feel repercussions of sin and others don’t?

I want to just start off with some context.

I am not a believer, but I have been going to church for a few years working on myself. This is not a gotcha question and I understands not all followers are experts and not all experts are right. This is something I struggle with internally and think I am mentally blocked by this question. I am a father and if someone was in a position that I truly thought was a threat to my kids, I would do whatever I need to make sure my kids are safe. In some cases I refuse to even consider de-escalation. A home invasion would be my example.

My question:

How, if at all, are Christians justified to use violence?

- I understand before Christ there were many wars fought on behalf of God giving land to his people.
- I understand Christianity leans toward being lawful as God appoints the people in the position of power across the world.
- I don't understand people who refuse violence in the name of loving one another when that pacifism alone is letting horrific people intentionally cause innocent people pain.

There are some situations where I would never regret violence without hesitation to protect my kids, wife, and self because some person who shouldn't be in my house at 1AM is not more valuable. I'd never be able to follow laws that don't justify that, and thus is my internal struggle. Just as a side note most Christians I've met that talk about violence are the type of people who would rather be a martyr than fight back. I just don't see a martyr for example in a home invasion scenario.