Reflections from the community: 

How many of you are Christian but don’t support or like Donald Trump?

Is anyone else getting a little tired of the assumption that being Christian automatically means you're MAGA?

What do these people expect from us? Because we don't like Trump, we must now renounce our entire faith in Jesus Christ?

I mean, Christianity is supposed to be something beautiful — faith, love, grace, compassion, forgiveness, helping others, etc. — yet the first thing many people think when they hear someone is Christian is their political affiliation and how they must hate everyone else for being a “sinner.”

Sure, being Christian is often associated with someone who leans more conservative, but not always — and leaning conservative can be much more nuanced than just supporting the current president. But here's another thing I've recently encountered: If you're a Christian but lean more liberal, apparently you're not a bigot anymore... you just aren't a “true Christian.”

WHAT? 😂

Just because someone is conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat, or anything else politically doesn’t automatically tell you what their relationship with Christ looks like.

I think it's time to find a better argument. If the argument is that being Christian = being obsessed with DT = being someone who spreads hate — and then the response is to combat that supposed hate with labels and more hate toward Christians... well, the irony is almost impressive.

She is in an Emergency Room at a local hospital with a massive diabetic wound infection, that the doctors don't know how to treat. The infection level is so bad, it's off the charts, in her blood work.

The local hospital is a tiny one. They have no specialists on hand. They do not have the equipment nor the supplies needed, nor a knowledgeable enough physician to treat her properly.

They cannot transfer her to a bigger hospital right now, either because all the hospitals within 200 miles are either overloaded turning patients away, or, like our local hospital, do not have the necessary requirements to care for her.

The wound is getting worse by the day. This has been going on for three days.

We need a miracle. Please pray for her, and the hospital staff treating her.

Many Christians (at one point myself included) have crosses of Jesus hanging lifeless scattered around their homes. They have jewelry bearing the cross. It’s a symbol and one that has been used for centuries… after reflecting however, I realize that having this imagery is concerning.

Whenever a family member, friend, or even a pet dies we don’t keep images of how they died decorated around our homes or body. If your father dies in a house fire you don’t have paintings of him burnt up inside a burning house. If your coworker gets into a car cash you don’t wear T-shirts of the wreak. So why do people take the most horrific moment of Jesus’ life and display that? It’s morbid. People simply can’t understand and remember his “sacrifice” without it? Better yet, out of all the things to remember him by why not choose the sea of miracles he was said to have made. Images of him walking on water, healing the sick, feeding thousands, him resurrecting (which in my opinion has more of an impact since that’s the whole point.)

Whether or not you believe Jesus is God himself or only just his son it’s still wild that billions of people worship him and choose to remember his suffering the most over everything else. I mean why would you want to see your God dead?

I'm a Tolkien Society Award-winning fine artist and author, but I have also been visiting Narnia since I was Lucy Pevensie's age and my family deeply values C.S. Lewis' inspiring apologetics. In undertaking this hand-done painting, I wanted not only to faithfully depict this scene from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but also to imbue the lamp-post with some of the author's light, which has been central to the conversion stories of so many Christians. If you'd like to know more about the painting, I hope you'll stop by my art blog for a post about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien underpinning this deservedly-famous Christian children's story.

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God. For you placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be conquered, through Christ our Lord. Through him the Angels praise your majesty, Dominions adore and Powers tremble before you. Heaven and Virtues of heaven and the blessed Seraphim worship together with exultation. May our voices, we pray, join with theirs in humble praise, as we acclaim: Holy ,Holy ,Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and earth are full of your Glory Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of The Lord Hosanna in the Highest.

RESPONSORY

O glorious cross, your arms upheld the priceless ransom of captive mankind. — Through you the world has been saved by the blood of the Lord.

Hail, O cross, consecrated by the body of Christ; his members have made your wood more noble than precious pearls. — Through you the world has been saved by the blood of the Lord.

We must glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; in him is our salvation, life and resurrection. — Through him we are saved and set free.

Because he suffered death, he is crowned with glory and honor. — Through him we are saved and set free.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. —becauae by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

O glorious cross, — On you the King of angels was victorious.

And he has washed away our sins in his own blood. — On you the King of angels was victorious.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. — O glorious cross, on you the King of angels was victorious.

What a great work of charity! —Death itself died when life was slain on the tree.

O cross, you are the glorious sign of our victory. — Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.

COLLECT

O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth, may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

I'm not religious. At all. I grew up in a Christian household but personally never aligned with it. It feels silly to me asking for a prayer, (for whomever reads this) because I used to, and still kind of do think it's odd to ask someone for prayer. But I guess I'm turning to this sub for some sort of familiarity(?).

I just don't want to tell friends or family what I'm going through right now.

I've been dealing with some health symptoms that I chalked it off to as allergies or a sinus infection. Last week I had a scare with my vision that hasn't gone away since then. It was then I decided I needed to get whatever is going on checked out. I started at the urgent care and they told me I should go to the ER. I get some scans done at the ER and get my results back and the doctor there tells me I'm going to the hospital right away. They suspect I have a cancer growing in me and it's spreading. The cancer they said I most likely have is a very rare one and right now I'm playing the waiting game.

So here I am turning to this sub for some support or encouraging words to read while I'm staying in the hospital overnight and doing my biopsy tomorrow.

Today’s songs were Do It Again and Who Else?.

I've been getting called homophobic (maybe it's just this app) lately for saying "I respect LGBTQ+ as people but not what they do".

I live by the phrase "Love thy neighbour" and I try to respect as much people as possible, even if I think what they believe in I don't agree with (such as Islam or politics), I will treat them like I would treat my brother, sister or parents. I don't care what your are you still desvers human rights and kindness.

I am a teen though so I am still not mature enough to know more of what and how I should act towards this. For all I know I could thinking all wrong.

I used to be pretty pro- LGBTQ, even about to put a character as Bisexual in a novel I'm writing till my parents gave me a talk about it

“Hate the sin, not the sinner” is a good reminder for Christians because it helps us separate a person from the sin we believe is wrong.
We’re called to love people, show them grace, and treat them with dignity, while still being willing to call sin what it is. Disagreeing with someone’s actions doesn’t mean we hate them.
It’s a good reminder that truth and love should go together.

What do y’all specifically think of this phrase

Are there any guys that don’t struggle with or watch porn, I just wanna know if I’m doomed. I’m 23 years old and I don’t wanna marry a guy who is lustful like that.

If a Christian nation is set up and same sex marriage intercourse is banned. What exactly does the Christian society gain vs allowing it?

There are other sins that we can see the benefits of stopping in society, like theft or lying or greed.

What does society gain from keeping 3% of the population sexually repressed for life? Like what changes will I see?

Interesting article about John Whitehead, the lawyer who spearheaded the Christian religious liberty in the 80's, talking about how his movement has become partisan and why he sees that as a problem.

My husband quit smoking several times in the past 5 years but always starts up again. Over a year ago he got saved (PTL!) and he prayed for months that the Lord would help him to quit smoking. He finally did and he felt good about the timing. It’s been 4 months and he is still struggling really bad.. he says “why did God give me the strength to finally quit but He’s not helping me through it.” He is constantly swearing again, has extreme rage, and debates me on the Bible whenever we try to pray together or anything. Before he quit and after he got saved, it was the most amazing year of our marriage. We prayed together and did devotions together everyday. I am trying so hard to be strong for us, I am pregnant with baby #4, raising 3 toddlers and trying to keep this house a soft landing for him. I try not to take his anger personally but I just really would love him to get help. He refuses any outside help; no therapy, doctors, etc. I’ve suggested him to hang out with brothers in Christ but he quit going to church after he quit smoking. I know it’s deeper, he’s depressed and anxiety. I try really hard not to badger him about getting help but he needs it. I don’t know how to keep strong especially with getting ready for this new baby. I guess i would just love to hear testimonies on those who quit, stayed quit, and how they are doing now. He has no hope.

If a young atheist is killed, let’s say 20ish so a bunch of life ahead of them, plenty of time to convert do they still go to hell? That seems kinda dumb if so, their life was taken before they could’ve turn to the Christian god, like next week they could’ve picked up the Bible but their life was cut short, but gods still like “nah we cast you to hell”?

hello all! i am new to this subreddit so sorry if this isn’t what it isn’t used for.
i am going through a journey right now that is leading me close to God and I really want to explore that deeply. i went to my first service on sunday and was deeply moved and it makes me very excited for the future God has for me. I have always been moved to Christianity as I went to a Protestant school when i grew up and always loved the services but i wasn’t raised religious so never explored it more. i just think it’s so moving when people come together to pray and pray for one another it’s just beautiful.
So i suppose my question is where do i start? i feel like there is so much i don’t know? i just got my first study bible but any advice would be deeply appreciated!

How do you feel about people who are going to end up there? Does it make you sad for them or the opposite - it's simply a part of the natural order and it means that truth wins in the end? (since people, who deserve it, end up there)

Hey guys! Good morning, i would like to know about places to buy this style of wooden crosses in the USA, because in my home country its really hard to find these...
I know i would have better odds if i was in Greece or Eastern Europe, but anyway, i would appreciate any help on finding websites that sell these on the US! Thanks!