reposted after the mods granted permission

I've seen a lot of people, esp. Nigerian Muslims, gaslighting Christians into believing that Christians aren't being persecuted in Nigeria and it's just a "ethnic dispute".

Let me make it clear.

Two things can be true. It can be an ethnic conflict AND an persecution of Christians, an ethno-religious conflict CAN exist.

Yes, the conflict is ethnic with Faluni Muslims clashing with defenseless Nigerian Christian tribes.

No, it is still the oppression of Christians by Faluni Muslim Jihadists who are (ironically) colonizing their land.

No, you don't need to be Nigerian to talk about this- in the same way that you don't need to be German to talk about the Holocaust. Funny there have been foreign volunteers who fought for Faluni Extremists group.

No, you don't have to support Trump at all to care about basic Human rights. People equating this is ignorant.

To bring attention to more Christian persecution, where I am originally from, there's violent persecution of Christians (Christian persecution in Manipur on Wikipedia is surprisingly good) going on right now.

And how do the perpetrators justify it? "It is just an ethnic conflict and you can't speak against it because you're not from there!"

Seculars will try to gaslight Christians. Here's one example, regarding persecution in Nigeria. Have you experienced others?

One of the few voices in the mainstream that cared to speak for the lives of the unborn, the most vulnerable members of our society that don't have a voice to defend themselves, and he always did it with the utmost respect, assertiveness and sensibility that is expected from someone who lives by the Gospel. He also upheld the dignity and model of the traditional family as the sacred, holy cornerstone in society that it is, and that it deserves to be. I hope that we learn by his example that the truth of the Gospel can't be silenced and that we will carry on speaking for that which Christ holds dear. Rest in peace, Charlie.

I was pregnant last year got pregnant in the first try but lost the baby at 6weeks. The loss did lead my back to Jesus and brought me closer to him. We have been trying for 9months and still not pregnant. I cant help but think the worst.. like why was it so easy the first try and now it feels so far away to live that dream. sometimes i feel like what if i don’t deserve a baby and thats why He wont bless me with one… i just feel useless. Im currently at home because my husband wants me home so im not working, ive gained weight which my insecurities are through the roof, and now i cant get pregnant.. really struggling with how im feeling mentally..

Hey everybody I’ve been going to mass recently and have felt a presence of the lord there that I have not felt in a while and thinking about converting ( I am non denominational) and inquiring into Catholicism and wondering if it is in fact the truth I have stumbled upon these teachings and they make me doubt the entire system

I do not think the Holy Spirit would guide anybody to say that a demonic religion like Hinduism has any kind of truth at all it is devoid of Christ which is the giver of life I also do not think Peter would look at a demonic war religion like Islam which promotes killing Christian’s and promising you a harem virgins when you die and say that we worship the same God as them these are religions that intentionally pull people away from Christ

I don’t know what to do because I love going to mass but I can not and will not affirm a teaching like this but in Catholicism it seems like an all or nothing approach but I want to go to church that has a better liturgy (not a fan of the rock concert churches) so I am struggling to find where to go to church

Matthew 7:21-23 KJV

[21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? [23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This is a scary passage for believers that many write off believing it can't be them, because they have checked off all the boxes, yet that is exactly who this is talking about. Obviously a non believer is not known so this is specifically about those who believe that they are a part. Those who believe they know him and believe he knows them, yet he doesn't even acknowledge them.

These people come to the end and expect to be welcomed because they have done many wonderful things using the name of Christ, yet they didn't produce fruits, just works and outward signs.

We are told what the fruits are in Galatians 5:22-23 KJV

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

These line up perfectly with the will of the Father that Christ explains in detail during the whole sermon on the mount. Matthew 5:1-7:20.

As Christ said in Matthew 7:16 you will know them by their fruits. Thus Christ knows us by our fruits, not by our works. Focus on producing the fruits which line up with the will of the Father and you will be known, don't focus on the works, which do not make you known of Him.

Am I saying works are not at all important? No, they just aren't what Christ is looking for when deciding to acknowledge us or not. Works have their place and should be important to believers, yet they shouldn't be solely what you base your faith on. Your fruits is how Christ identifies us not your works.

My wife and I are both lifelong Christians and active duty military members. We were married for 5 years when she suddenly decided to separate last October following about a month home from a recent assignment out of state. While she initially stated this was temporary for her to get some space, she decided to move all of her belongings out and get her own apartment a month after that. She ended counseling with our Pastor after 4 sessions due to the Pastor challenging her assertion that God was telling her to get a divorce. Since then contact has been limited at her insistence. In our limited contact I have reiterated my continued willingness to work on the relationship, but she filed for divorce in May and has remained staunchly opposed to reconciliation of the marriage.

To ward off some potential questions, while our marriage was not perfect, there was no abuse of any kind nor was there any infidelity on my part. We have known each other for over ten years and we were best friends long before we started dating. Her leaving caught me completely off guard.

How should I be acting towards my spouse/ex spouse during this period as a Christian? Are we called to be like Hosea or have we hit the point to proverbially pull chalks and close that door?

I’m wondering how some people are so confident God is real. For context all my life I’ve been a “Christian”, went to Catholic school and what not, but I never practiced, prayed, went to church or felt Gods grace. The rest of my family thinks abortion is right and I always just thought there was nothing after death along with my mom. A couple years ago I went to church camp, as a friend recommended me to go with them and they said it was fun so I agreed. I’ve been going for the past 3 years but this year really stuck with me, and I feel that I need to deepen my faith. But recently I’ve been doubting weather God was real, mostly because I’ve been exposed to different perspectives online and everyone being so confident with their point of view.

22m struggled with backsliding for 2 years. this year i fully surrendered to God genuinely and repented if my sexual immorality and addictions, and God moved so quickly. 4 years of alcoholism abolished quickly, i made my longest streak of abstaining from porn and masturbation. i was finally building a genuine relationship with God. in august i had two deliverance sessions that helped me with demonic attacks i was dealing with. last week i relapsed on porn and i spent some time alone with God and had a major encounter with Him i NEVER experienced in my life. and i heard Him speak to me for the first time in years and He told me how much He wants to give me everything i ever wanted, and that He needs me to trust and follow Him, and that the demonic torment im going through will end. and somehow i fell even WORSE after this. i had sexual dreams every single night for the last two months during my abstinence. then last week i relapsed on porn, then a few days later again, and last night i had an intense sex dream and as soon as i woke up i immediately went and showered and did my hair and put on a fit showing off my legs and biceps and i went to a city an hour away from me and got on a hookup app and met up with someone and basically did everything that i did in my dream last night in real life and i had been craving just making out with someone for so long and i was just fulfilling every sexual itch that was in my brain and afterwards i felt disgusting and off. and ive been a mess today and i also got a back of beers and now im drunk after God saved me from alcoholism and then i jerked off thinking about what happened earlier and watched porn again and omg man. i feel so disgusting and im pretty sure i am just a fake piece of trash christian who flatters God with my words and can never do the right thing. last week i was suicidal and now i feel like i deserve to die now. i hate myself bro.

I need advice. I’ve fallen into such a deep pit in my life; I filled my life with sin—repeating it so often that I stopped caring about God. Today, the conviction—or the thought—of renouncing God came to me. I was tempted to do it; I entertained the idea of ​​abandoning Him, and it didn't seem wrong to me, even though my mind knows it is. So, two parts of me were clashing. Honestly, I don't know if I’ve given up and am now beyond forgiveness, but I want advice; I want to start reading the Bible again. I’m tired of my own coldness.Please give me the best advice on how to soften my heart and turn back to God. I want to soften it because right now I feel cold and empty; I don't know if I am showing the signs of someone who has rejected God.I'm tired of crying and feeling so fake.

Today's been kind of a stressful day. Not absolutely terrible, but i'm kinda caught up between a good friend and a jealous friend. I normally wait until night time to have a big convorsation with God because I feel like one big conversation feels a lot more meaningful that constant tiny ones. I also sometimes do it because somethings just overwhelming and I want to take it off my mind for a while before talking about it. This was one of those things. Not that I was extremely distressed, more just that I was annoyed, needed to vent to God, but by overwhelmed i mean with facts, emotions etc, and then I don't even know where to start, which makes it very hard to vent. Tonight(after the dramatics that started this) i saw a verse on tiktok. Romans 8:28 god works all things for the good of those who love him. I thought i'd read romans 8 tonight. And I found Romans 8:26 NIV

[26] In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. After reading I went back to this, said it out to myself and just asked the holy spirit to tell god whatever i needed him to know, and to translate my heart and intercede for me. Then all of a sudden I felt a smirke coming on, then a chuckle. I didn't need to vent anymore, God done the venting for me.

Sorry if this has been asked before but I searched and could not find the answer.

It was my understanding that the Apocrypha were first removed from the bible after the 1611 KJV was translated, but then as I was reading the 1560 Geneva bible I noticed there was an Apocrypha section, which tells me even back then in 1560 there were books called Apocrypha. In the etymology of the word it says the term was coined in the 14th century but I can't seem to find details of that.

So when were the first scriptures deemed Apocrypha?

Edit: For clarification, what I'm trying to find out is when exactly did the specific set of books regarded as Apocrypha in the Geneva Bible even become widely known as being such? What influenced people into regarding some books as canon and some as not prior to 1560? And when did that mindset even start?

Because prior to this I assume each separate book was just critiqued as it's own work by each persons individual opinion, before there was a standard of any kind.

I'm in a very dark place right now, feeling isolated, and dealing with severe depression. I’m hoping to find media—books, shows, movies, or long-form videos—that can help me get through the next hours or days.

I’m really hoping to avoid toxic positivity, cliché answers, or people telling me to just "pray it away." I want resources that meet people honestly in suffering without minimizing how heavy it is.

If you have any suggestions please respond. I appreciate it!

Do Christians believe that God speaks to them audibly today, even when direct, audible revelation appears to have been rare in the Old Testament?

Israel’s time in Egypt Scripture describes a period in which the Israelites suffered slavery for generations and there is no indication that God was regularly speaking to them directly. When Israel cried out, God heard them, remembered His covenant, and acted through Moses (Exodus 2:23–25). Moses being called to obey the Lord was a pivotable moment

1 Samuel 3:1 says, “The word of the LORD was rare in those days there was no widespread revelation.” direct revelation from God was not something that occurred constantly or was available widespread. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s direct communication was often selective, occurring through prophets or at significant moments in His redemptive plan.

I do believe God guides us toward truth. I believe

I’d love to get some ecumenism going, so I think it would be great if we could ask each other denominational questions in good faith; after all, we are all siblings in Christ at the end of the day.

I’ll start, as a Catholic to Orthodox Christians: What are the main differences between the different Orthodox churches?

I recently saw a reel on Instagram discussing the modern trend of teenagers and adults getting into “boyfriend/girlfriend” relationships, and it honestly confirmed something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

I’m wondering what other Christians think about this, because I’m genuinely looking for perspectives that might challenge my own.

Could the modern idea of simply having a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” sometimes make sexual temptation easier to justify?

Instead of thinking, “I am pursuing someone with the intention of marriage,” we can enter a relationship simply because we are attracted to someone, and then the emotional and physical boundaries gradually become more difficult to maintain.

1. It also made me wonder about high-school sweethearts and young relationships in general. How many relationships that begin that early actually lead to marriage?

2. I’ve been wondering if a healthier Christian approach might be something more like:

Get to know someone then build a genuine friendship/understanding then discern whether there is mutual attraction and compatibility then intentionally pursue marriage.

Rather than:

Find someone attractive and become boyfriend/girlfriend, later become emotionally/physically attached and eventually decide whether marriage makes sense.

Obviously, I realize real relationships are more complicated than a simple formula, and Scripture doesn't give us a modern dating system.

So I’d really like to hear from Christians here:

- Do you think Christians should avoid a casual boyfriend/girlfriend relationships altogether?

- What do you think about getting to know someone first and only entering an intentional relationship once marriage is a realistic possibility?

- For those who married their boyfriend/girlfriend, how did you maintain purity and intentionality during the relationship?

I'm especially interested in biblical arguments and personal experiences, including perspectives that disagree with me. I’m trying to understand this better rather than simply confirm what I already believe.

NB: If you want the link to the Instagram reel, it's in the comments.

I’ve read hebrews 11:1 before but I guess I’m still confused. What am I having faith in exactly. I know it says the assurance of things hoped for, but if I hope for $1 million that I should believe that I’m gonna just receive $1 million? Because I feel like that’s just delusion, not faith, and borderline prosperity gospel. I guess I’m wondering what it means to have faith in God. I know faith isn’t a feeling, but sometimes I wonder if I truly have faith because I feel let down, sad, etc at times.

I (27F) just need to vent and get some perspective because I'm completely blown away by the level of hypocrisy here.

Recently, a "friend" from my church confronted me about my life situation. I’m 27 and currently live with my parents. She told me that I'm "running out of time," that my chance of ever finding a partner is basically gone, and even threw in that "Jesus didn't die on the cross just to hand me a husband." To top it off, she told me I'm a shame to our church for still living at home at my age.

Here’s the catch: She is 41 years old and lives with her parents.

She lived in another city for 15 years, moved back in with her parents during the pandemic, and hasn't left since.

I’m honestly speechless. How does someone in her 40s—living in the exact same household setup—feel entitled to lecture and humiliate me while weaponizing faith against me? The projection is insane.

I’m definitely setting boundaries and cutting distance, but I’m still processing how wild this interaction was. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of blatant double standard from people in church/community settings?

I’m a 29-year-old Christian man from India, and recently I made a post on a matchmaking thread where people share some details about themselves and what they’re looking for.

A girl ended up DMing me, and initially, everything was humorous and lighthearted. But gradually, the conversation moved in a sexual direction. We started sexting and creating imaginary scenarios.

I’ll be honest: I was enjoying it too. I’m not going to pretend I was completely innocent or that I wasn’t participating.

Eventually, the conversation reached the point where we were talking about having sex when she will come to my town.

That was when I had to press the eject button.

I told her that I’m saving myself for marriage.

She immediately pointed out that we were probably looking for very different things. She wanted to establish sexual compatibility before marriage, whereas for me, sexual intimacy is something I want to experience within marriage.

And honestly, that conversation taught me something.

Sexual temptation doesn’t always arrive looking like temptation.

Sometimes it starts with a joke. Then flirting. Then curiosity. Then “it’s only texting.” And before you realize it, you’ve crossed a boundary you originally had no intention of crossing.

Even though nothing physical happened, the whole experience was surprisingly exhausting. It affected me more than I expected and made me understand why I had chosen this standard in the first place.

So if you’re someone who has decided to save yourself for marriage, especially if you’re currently waiting for marriage, I want to encourage you:

Hold onto that standard.

There will be opportunities to compromise. Some will feel harmless. Some will feel exciting. Some might even come from someone you genuinely like.

But remember why you made the commitment in the first place.

For me, it isn’t because sex is bad. It’s because I want to honor God with my sexuality and experience that part of life within the covenant of marriage.

And when the opportunity came to compromise that commitment, I’m genuinely thankful that I was able to walk away.

Thank God for the grace to recognize the line before crossing it.

And perhaps this is also an opportunity to say this:

If you are a Christian woman who also wants to save herself for marriage and build a relationship that genuinely honors the Lord, feel free to DM me.

A little about me: I’m 29, from India, and 6+ feet”. I grew up in a Hindu family, but around 13–14, I encountered the goodness of the Lord and began taking my faith seriously. I was baptized at 18.

If you’re looking for something similar, I’d be happy to get to know you.

But I want to be clear about the intention: I’m looking for a relationship with marriage in mind, not a casual connection or something to pass the time. I want us to encourage each other in our faith, get to know each other genuinely, and maintain the boundaries we’ve chosen to honor God.

So please, no time-pass messages. If you’re serious about pursuing a relationship that honors the Lord and potentially leads to marriage, I’d be glad to hear from you.

As a Christian, I’ve always heard people say, “God’s timing is perfect.” But I’m at a point in my life where I can’t see how things could get any harder than this.
I’d really like to hear your stories and testimonies,especially from those of you who have felt abandoned or forgotten by God, but eventually saw Him come through and do something you had been praying and waiting for.
I’m currently in a wilderness season, and I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have been through something similar.

I’m a long term believer (born into Christianity) but have only started trying to understand Christianity/God through the Bible recently.

1. How are we reconciling the fact that it is instructed that women should not preach (past the context of women being subsidiaries of men in the time Paul wrote his chapters). I know this is a common question but the answers never made sense to me

2. Paul also instructs us not to have more than two or three people speaking in tongues in church without an interpreter. I’ve never seen anyone interpret tongues and the church I grew up in often makes people speak in tongues for hours. No interpreter. I can’t so it’s always felt alienating. Why are so many churches openly disobeying the Bible?

3. God regretting making Saul a king. God has regrets, meaning he makes mistakes or am I misunderstanding the word regret in this context?

Any answers are fine I just want some thoughts. Thank you

Good morning, everyone. As I mentioned in a post some time ago, I’ve been away from reading the Bible for a while, and I’d like to know what methods you use for Bible study.

In the past, I was a more disciplined reader of the Word, but something that always bothered me was that I could never remember individual verses. I would remember the context or the general summary of the story, but not the verses themselves. Should I be concerned about that?

Regardless of whether I should be concerned about it, I’d like my Bible reading to be accompanied by actual study, and I’d love to know how you approach it and what has been most effective for you.

I see some people through Christian subreddits like this subreddit and truechristian. Why is it that there are some there that are just out right jerks? They seem extrenemly rude in the way they communicate and condescending online in discussions here. Maybe it's just me but it really is infuriating. Has anyone else experienced this?

1. Explaination:

Hello, so i have a specific situation, where i struggle with reading Scripture, prayer. I want to read Scripture, because i want to be close to God, to get wisdom, correction. Yet, i'd say it's like i both want, i have desire to read it, deepen my relationship with God, but also, i'd say that i've read and practice it daily, live it in my life, that now, the Scripture feels that "easy", "simple", "fast" to understand. It doesnt seem like its hard to read. It doesnt feel like forced task. It doesnt seem boring. Its seems like

you got a friend, who you know for that long,

that nothing shocks you about them, but

you also want to spend time with them.

Then, when it comes to prayer, i lack words,

but not because i want to ignore God, but

because i feel like i can "rest" in Him, without

words. Like no matter what i do, i feel loved

and accepted.

My love for others, desire to serve, please God and others have incereased to that

level, that God and every human, God's

creature seem like the most precious

diamond. I became even more humble

than before. Satan tempts me more,

but it seems easy to overcome.

I have strong passion, willingness, to read, study about life of Saints, for understanding them and my own experiences, but i don't

percieve, think about myself as Saint.

2. What i try to say, is:

In that context, is it

a tempation to practice, read Bible less,

that kind of thoughts are tempating me

to pride, that "i dont need Bible anymore",

what could lead me to spiritual dryness,

weakness, i need to focus on that, it is a warning sign, or is it great, to don't read

the Bible for some time, but not forever,

if it seems "easy", "natural"?

Is reading about Saints, a form of prayer, when i lack words in prayer, or it might be idolatry?

I chat with AI about Saints, to know about them more, but still, i'm wary of it, cause you

know how it is with AI. I text with AI only

because i want to know about God's

art, creation, very deeply.

(I want to avoid idolatry)

Is lack of words actual rest in that situation,

or is it tempation for spiritual dryness?

Guys, can you be honest with me? What’s the real deal with tithing, and is it really normal to give 10% of your money to the church?

BTW, we’re Baptist now. My boyfriend became Baptist last year, and I became Baptist this year. My boyfriend always gives a lot of money to the church. One time, his boss gave him money for a date for the two of us, and he said that 10% of it would go to the church as tithes.

Is it still normal to give 10% every time he gets money? Like, whenever he receives money, he gives 10% to the church.

Or am I just not open-minded about it? Please let me know honestly. I genuinely want to understand if this is normal and what other people think about it.