Christian tropers, join together!

No relation to anyone else's comment here:

Curiosity struck me and I want to hear people's thoughts. This must be a silly question, please let me know if there's something critical missing from it that I haven't realized.

The question: If someone has committed the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (whatever it is, in whatever form), but later experiences something like a near-death experience and consequently changes completely as a person, what does that imply about the original blasphemy? Is this actually even possible, if unlikely?

Catholic troper here! Just out of curiosity, does anyone have any advent traditions they'd like to share?

No I mostly just do the lighted candles and the calendars when I was a kid.

Agnostic Troper here, but I go to Christmas Eve service with my mom when I can as part of our family tradition.

Okay, so I'm reading a chapter of Saint Young Men. Here, Jesus is called in for a jury duty...for the trial of Cain for murdering Abel.

The catch is that Cain repeatedly admits that he did kill Abel...who is Cain's attorney. Abel's defense for Cain is that there is no way Cain killed him, because he is such an adorable little brother.

The chapter concludes with Cain being proven guilty and Abel cheering him up, saying that there is still the supreme court.

....Even by the standards of this manga, it was a bizarre episode. XD

Edited by dRoy on Dec 20th 2018 at 4:53:18 AM

That is so blasphemous.

It's Japan, Christianity isn't much of a thing there.

That's rather bizarre, both in the theological sense and in the judicial sense.

God has a sense of humor. Just look at the platypus.

So, I've been feeling kinda bummed again. Feeling unhappy in this life and longing for Heaven. I've also started seeing a therapist again. Hanging out in this thread a little might help me feel better.

I've found a local-ish church that I *really* like

Sadly they're not local enough for it to be feasible to attend, as an Uber from where I am in Haslet to where they are in Mansfield is about $50 one way, but I can still listen to their podcast of sermons and donate to them on Patreon.

Yeah distance is a real issue. For when picking a church.

That is a big issue.

I wanted to get some advice from people here. My mother wants me to go to her church with her, but it's just leaving me angrier at organized religion, every time I attend.

I've watched people who I thought were loving and compassionate starting to preach fire and brimstone sermons and delivering messages of unquestionable faith being the only way to go. I don't to be endorsing those messages, but I don't want to disappoint my mom either.

Why is God mentioned in both Bullying a Dragon and Do Not Taunt Cthulhu? Is it because he is slow to anger? I sure would never want to test where that line is though!

-sighs- I need an advice, spiritual, psychological, etc. Head up, though: I'm NOT being objective and rational in my opinions below.

I'm sure you all have moments that you can't live up to the standards Jesus said we should live by. For me it was just forgiving my enemies, but now I have another struggle.

As stated in Matthews, hating your own brother and expressing it is tremendously sinful. But goddamn it, I am convinced that my little brother is practically a psychopath (or more clinically, antisocial personality disorder). It took me a lot of effort to type that sentence without at least half a dozen curse words, by the way.

Ideally, I should pray for him. But damn it, I almost feel as if my heart is hardened, either by God or Satan, and I don't want to pray for him. Doesn't help that after he came out as an atheist, he passive aggressively makes derogatory and condescending comments about Christianity.

My whole family from my father's side and many members of mother's side are Christians, to make things worse. Hell, my dad pretty much spiritually disowned him and I feel that mom did the same.

Honestly, even thinking about him makes me angry. As I stated above, my emotion most definitely clouded me as I typed this post.

I feel similarly almost all the time these days. Hard to live up to Jesus' teachings when A) the world increasingly thinks you're an idiot who can't think for himself for doing so, and B) you're just so damned sick of people in general that you hardly have love to spare for anyone outside some of your immediate family*.

In regards to your brother, I'm very tempted to just say "fuck him", but I'm not sure that's the advice you need, and whatever that is, I'm unable to provide.

Keep praying about it, and remeber that the Gospel message does sometimes cause division. You aren't supposed to hate your fellow Christians, being in conflict with a nonchristian is different. Loving your enemies does not mean you have to like them. It means you don't stoop to their level.

Edited by bookworm6390 on Jan 7th 2019 at 12:13:40 PM

You might want to get specific, cause a few passive aggressive remarks can be pretty normal for someone in a new ideology. Ask anyone who has heard "I'll pray for you" in High School or "I hope God will forgive you". Is he a teenager?

Is it worse what it seems like from what you wrote? If that is the situation I would pray in your shoes but I am legitimately having trouble understanding what the major issue is here.

Edit: Nevermind, I read it again. If I'm reading it right you probably don't want to give specifics because of his extreme anti-social behavior and his comments aren't the main issue correct? I'd suggest praying about it and try to get an intelligent priest or blogger's content up for him to view. I'd suggest maybe a progressive christian or someone like "formerly fundie" on Patheos.

Edited by Wildcard on Jan 7th 2019 at 11:56:42 AM

So, I was just recommended a video series called "The Unedited Truth" by my mom, apparently inspired by someone who saw his favorite celebrities doing things that were "signs of Satan". which she claims will answer my questions about Christianity and God or something like that. I told her I would watch the first episode and see how I feel (which still wasn't enough for her, which I shouldn't have been surprised by).

I do not expect to get anything out of these videos. I fully expect to have my time wasted. I expect to walk away thoroughly unimpressed. As per the norm with my mother's suggestions.

I really don't think Karen Prence should be condemned for working at a private Christian school, and the media is being senationlistic about this and acting like it's a new thing.

Not any media I've ever seen, apparently.

The news media and twitter has apparently.

I barely use Twitter anymore and I don't watch the news, so...

I sometimes envy people like you.

You can easily follow my path. You can buy my home video series in which I explain how for just $99.99 (plus shipping and handling).