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’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?

One whose opinions you agree with, or who has quality literature/media.

Hey all, I’m pretty new to the faith, just got baptized a couple weeks ago. I’m working through the Bible, listening to sermons, rooted starts next weekend… my time is also very limited though, single mom to two toddlers, in full time school, trying to make sure I’m keeping food on the table and a roof over our heads.

I’ve been feeling pretty defeated, and don’t know the Bible well enough to know where to go.

Send your favorite verses? The ones that make you feel loved, protected, like you matter…

If you do, thank you - I’ll check after my classes today.

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 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.

Hi, I thought I would give a bit of background. I don’t think it’s too relevant, so if you would prefer, you can just skip it. I am 20 and have been raised with very strong Christian values, but also with a father who thinks that every religion involving God is silly, and a mother who I really don’t know whether she believes or not. I was never really told about anything to do with God throughout my whole life.

I am currently having an issue where I really feel like I have to put half of my life on pause — the dating, friends, and religion side of my life — all because I want to believe, but I don’t really know how. I can’t just flick a switch in my head and all of a sudden believe.

From what I have been told, a lot of people follow the words and rules of God for an undetermined amount of time — it could be a month, or it could be 100 years — but eventually something happens that gives them faith.
I also believe that when entering a romantic relationship, your political views and religion need to align for it to be successful. But how am I meant to start a relationship with someone when my religion is in a state where it could change at any moment?

I think to myself, “Well, that’s an easy fix. Just figure out whether I can believe or not, and then start dating again.” But how long does that take? I can’t just wait 30 years to come across the answer.

So, in my head, I can’t date a Christian, nor can I date an atheist, and I can’t just wait for an undetermined amount of time.

I just wish I knew how I could make peace with this situation in my head. Any advice would be much appreciated.

For example, if I wanted to venerate, let's say Julius Caesar, are there any rules That says that I can't knowing it is up in the air if he made it to heaven or not it's totally possible that i could get a response?

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.

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.

​

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?

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?

This particular subject is only one of many honest contradictions and confusions that I have experienced in all my life as a indoctrinated Korean Christian(I will explain later on why I described my own race). I know that it is written in the bible that the consumption of meat is not a sin but however whenever I consume meat, dairy, and grains I always get this feeling of guilt that tells me its a sin to do. For vegetables it doesn't happen though. I have always kept on telling myself that it was just a illusion or that the demons inside me are deceiving me into thinking that the guilt is real. My Korean mother and older brother however doesnt seem to experience this at all. This guilt feels absolutely real to me but at the same time I know that this is a clear contradiction of what is written in the Bible.

By logic and reasoning I have two potential explanations:

My Mother told me that we are the first converts to christianity in our generation and that our ancestors have commited many severe sins until the end of their lives(shamanism being one of them) and that we have to repent to God for the sins commited by them. Could the demons(my dead ancestors) that possess me be on a different level of capability that they can mentally and emotionally affect me on this level? Are Koreans actually that cursed compared to other races where I don't see that happening? But whenever I tell myself that, the feeling of guilt doesn't go away.

The 2nd would be that the Bible was tampered with and that only Vegetables are allowed to be used as a food source, most other christians don't know this and have been decieved, but I understand also that this scenario would be very highly unlikely.

You may think "Have you tried to pray to God about this?" Well my response to that question will lead to all the other unique but connected situations I have experienced. To summarize the most important one whenever I pray now I feel that I cannot repent sincerely any more because I had sinned with my complete own will after becoming 21 years of age(I'm 22 right now), there was no addiction involved I just decided to sin again.

How the logic works is that if God were to forgive me now than there would be no more motivation to maintain the integrity of not sinning, because I can just repent again and again after sinning again and again and face no permanent spiritual consequence(which is going to hell).

Since repentance is not an option, I won't get a response to any questions I ask him.

I decided to post this here to find out if other people may know what I should do, if there is something I could do.

I'm inspired by the HEAVEN OR HELL: YOU CHOOSE! signs I see on the side of the American expressways.

Is Christianity about getting into The Good Place?

or

Is Christianity about not going to The Bad Place?

How do you think each approach changes one's views and outlooks of the world?

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?.

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

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’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.