OpenChristian

Hello friends, I'm in my mid 20's and this is my first time exploring religion.

I was raised in a somewhat non-religious family.

I started wanting to explore my personal beliefs more a few years ago and became agnostic.

Within this last year I have started exploring Christianity a lot more.

I even started regularly attending church 10 months ago.

I love the church, I love the community, and I love the teachings of Jesus and wish to live like him.

The only thing holding me back from fully converting, getting baptized and taking communion is actually the bible itself.

I have such a hard time "believing" in it.

Especially as a very scientific person.

I can't get past a lot of the stories in the OT like the talking burning bush, or Noah's arc, or all of the mysteries and miracles.

I believe strongly in evolution, I believe dinosaurs existed, and the miracles just feel fictitious as I thumb through my bible.

This cognitive dissonance is my biggest hurdle because it makes me question if what I believe in and love about the NT is even real.

I know, the whole point is to just have faith in it; but I am REALLY questioning myself.

I don't know if I can ever believe in it, but I have loved the journey I have been on in the past year. It's like the closer I get to wanting to be baptized, the more I struggle in belief.

I want to be Christian, but at times I feel like my brain just can't do it, almost as if it wasn't built to be religious.

Is this normal for late in life Christians?

Should I just stick it out and contintue to do what I'm doing and hope God eventually guides me into having a stronger faith?

With how much I struggle with this inner battle, I feel like getting baptized or taking communion would be heretical at this point.

Before I say anything, I wanna apologize for ANOTHER political post and the length!

I’m sick and tired of other “Christians” giving us a bad reputation.

Trump manipulated Christians (mainly Evangelicals) into voting for him, and I'd add that it's also about consumerism.

Evangelicalism, being so closely tied to American patriotism, sees a “strong” white billionaire as the ultimate symbol of leadership.

I become enraged when I see other “Christians” go on and on about family values, love, and appreciation when they can’t even appreciate their neighbour or hold up their family values.

What happened to helping the poor and needy?

Sitting with sinners?

I understand that the increase in crime is scary and the opposition to abortion, but you need to look beyond that because America isn’t a Christian nation- It’s a nation where you’re free to be Christian.

If someone chooses to get an abortion, they have the right to do so, even though we disagree.

It’s heartbreaking to see that many of my fellow brothers and sisters became so hateful.

Why can’t we just learn to tolerate each other?

Last night I read a comment from someone on Youtube regarding how, if Homosexuality is an unchosen orientation, then pedophilia can also be classified as an unchosen sexual attraction or orientation.

I'm irritated with the constant comparisons between Homosexuality and Pedophilia.

If it's TRUE that pedophilia is in fact an innate "orientation" or sexual attraction whatever then society should do everything to keep those individuals from expressing those attractions and therefore harm children(which I agree with 100%) .

They followed the same logic that if pedophiles are able to recognize their attractions are wrong and go to therapy, then so should homosexuals go to therapy, because its just a sexual deviant of the same sort.

Does anyone else on here get so annoyed with this like irritated?

I guess I'm on here just venting.

Some brothers argue about the Supper, because they consider that the bread and wine are not symbols or representations of the body and blood of Christ, but should be understood literally, as it is written in the Bible.

Something similar happens with offerings: many maintain that they are not a command or an act of obedience, since it is not explicitly ordered in Scripture.

According to this perspective, the offering should be given voluntarily, when they feel happy and grateful, without any obligation.

A small group from my church is Opinions on street evangelism? planning to go out soon to do street evangelism and I kinda agreed without really thinking about it. I suppose I felt like I just should've

The thing is that I'm not sure if I like the concept. I think that if God wanted someone to come to him then he'd set pieces in place to draw them in. Trying to go out to random people and just going "Hey do you know God? You should repent now!" Feel more like interfering and forcing God onto people

Like I've seen a few clips of those "Christian Youtubers" who do things like that and honestly I get embarrassed from watching. If you're gonna approach someone and take time out of their day then you should respect them and know when to stop.

Plus I'm pretty introverted aeound strangers and I don't like going up to people unless I have to😭

Last week we had someone show up on this sub and express regret for voting for Trump. I’m still wrapping my head around the responses. 

Let me explain... 

I am an addict and a member of several 12 step programs. (12 step programs were derived from the Oxford Groups which was a  movement to live out first-century Christianity.) I was raised Catholic which later as an adult didn’t work for me and as part of my religious healing in recovery, I came to know a very down-to-earth and real-world Jesus. 

Shame NEVER motivated me to change. Only love did that. When I arrived in the 12-step rooms, people loved me until I could love myself. They said, “Hey, we’re so glad you’re here! Pull up a chair and listen and share. We’re here for you.” They showed me grace and that’s what allowed me to change. 

Here’s what they didn’t say... “What were you thinking? How could you have done that? Didn’t you realize how that would affect everyone around you?” 

I see many hard-core Trump supporters as addicts. They’re at step one: “We admitted we were powerless over [deceit], and that our lives had become unmanageable.” Forgiveness and amend-making doesn’t come until steps eight and nine. 

God is good and the grace is REAL.

My plan when it comes to people who regret their Trump vote is to be there for them. And I will say, “Hey! I’m so glad you’re here! Pull up a chair and tell me about you and how you came to vote for Trump. I’m here for you.” 

Some Context:
I watched a group of pastors debate Trumpism this week. I think the ones that irked me the worst were the ones pretending to be neutral, and saying, “We’ll see.” about whether democracy will be dismantled.

One called Trump a “kingmaker”. One admitted Trump seeks power but the real mistake was that people keep reacting to him. So they were treating resistance like a problem.

Niebuhr had a warning about this. Democracy falls because good people hesitate. Bonhoeffer too. These pastors sit back all detached and analyzing it like a game... frustrating.

That frustration led me to write this essay and I posted it on the group, and now I'm just sharing it with anyone who might find it interesting.

Curious if others have seen the same cowardice out there.

_______________________________________________

Reinhold Niebuhr warned that the greatest moral failures do not come from the wicked but from those who refuse to act against them. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that silence in the face of oppression is itself oppression.

What do we make of those who say “We’ll see” while authoritarianism is in the processing of taking hold, democracy dismantled, and power is bent toward a single man?

Somewhere along the way, it seems resisting evil became secondary to standing back and analyzing its strategy. Some admire how well it’s working, as if morality is measured by effectiveness.

But morality isn’t about whether something succeeds. It’s about whether it should.Yet I hear:-“Trump is just a kingmaker.” As were Caesar, Napoleon, and Hitler. What exactly are we praising?-“We’ll see in 2028.” We saw in 1933. We saw in 1939. We see it now

Proverbs 24:10-12 warns against standing idly by"If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?"

This is active language that demands intervention, not observation or passivity.

Niebuhr warned that democracy doesn’t fall because evil is too strong. It falls when those with the power to resist decide it isn’t their responsibility. They hesitate, analyze, and wait for someone else to step in.

In The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness, Niebuhr wrote:"Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."

Democracies do not sustain themselves. They require vigilance, resistance, and a refusal to assume that the worst will never happen. Niebuhr argued that the “children of light” (those who believe in justice and democracy) struggle because they assume reason and goodwill are enough. Meanwhile, the “children of darkness” (those seeking power for its own sake) understand how to manipulate fear and self-interest to weaken democratic institutions.

In Moral Man and Immoral Society, Niebuhr expands on this. He argues that individuals may act morally, but groups, especially political and economic elites, serve their own interests, mostly at the expense of justice. Power does not restrain itself out of principle. It is only checked when it is met with resistance.

Waiting to see what happens is very real permission. Neutrality and perceived wisdom becomes a costume for what's underneath.

James 4:17 removes any excuse for inaction"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Knowing the right thing and doing nothing is its own moral failure.

Bonhoeffer, who resisted Hitler while German Christians convinced themselves he was just another leader, put it even more bluntly:"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." (Letters and Papers from Prison)

The Christians who stayed silent in Nazi Germany made it easier for power to consolidate. By the time resistance became obvious, it was nearly impossible.

Trump’s grip on the GOP, the purging of civil servants, the restructuring of government to serve one ideology...none of it is a hypothetical. It's certainly justified with "we need to balance our budget" or other Christian ideas.

The FAA union president just confirmed that essential staff were fired with no evaluation. USAID is in shambles, and people are now dying in other countries so we can improve our budget. This suffering is framed as a necessary sacrifice. Ask yourself: for whom and to what end?

It's a strategy and not an accident. When the government no longer works for the people, the people beg for an alternative. Any alternative. It's manufactured crisis and control and how authoritarian power consolidates.

Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, veterans’ benefits, VA staffing, worker protections dismantled. Gas and grocery prices still high. Meanwhile, they’re picking fights with Canada and Mexico instead of solving anything. Canada was not on anyone's radar 6 months ago. Another example of manufactured chaos.

Is Christianity about sabotaging trade, destabilizing allies, and joking about annexing Greenland?

The play is obvious. It's about handing billions to the ultra-wealthy and leaving the rest to fend for themselves.

Overcoming something requires movement. It requires resistance.

The demand for authoritarian power isn’t new. In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites demanded a king so they could be “like the other nations.” They wanted strength, security, and a leader who would fight their battles. God, speaking through Samuel, warned them:
“He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots… He will take your fields and vineyards and give them to his attendants… You will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” (1 Samuel 8:11-18)

They didn’t listen. And when they suffered under that king’s rule, they had only themselves to blame.

Today, the same people who claim to defend faith and freedom are demanding a ruler who wields unchecked power in their name. They want a political savior to crush their enemies, enforce their values, and punish the people they fear. History and scripture warn against this. When faith becomes about securing earthly power rather than pursuing justice, it is no longer faith, it's idolatry.

A question:

Will you reject what scripture warns against and place your trust in a strongman who demands your loyalty at the cost of truth? Or will you recognize that the pursuit of power for its own sake always leads to suffering?

History will remember those who resisted and those who enabled. What will it say about you?

I'll leave with this verse, another clear call to action and not passivity.

Romans 12:21"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

I want to get into theology, but I don't want to stumble about into something I don't find worthwhile.

Do you all have any recommendations?

Thanks!

ABOUT:

"Faithful America is the largest online community of Christians putting faith into action for love and social justice.

Our members -- Catholic, Protestant, Exvangelical, and more -- are sick of sitting by quietly while Jesus' message of good news is hijacked by the religious right to serve a hateful political agenda.

We're organizing the faithful to challenge Christian nationalism and white supremacy and to renew the church's prophetic role in building a more free and just society.

We raise our collective voices through rapid-response digital campaigns that tap into the grassroots power of Christians across the nation.

When corporations and religious institutions invoke a twisted definition of religious freedom to justify bigotry, we speak up.

When hate groups purport to speak for Christianity, we act.

When bishops embrace discrimination and partisanship, we stand with our plurality Catholic members to hold the U.S. hierarchy accountable to the inspiring words of Pope Francis.

We're sticking up for courageous Christian voices acting for fairness and freedom in every denomination and tradition.

We're fighting for social, economic, and racial justice, standing with the Black Lives Matter movement and upholding the Gospel's values of love, equality, and dignity.

Together, we're helping make a difference for immigrants, refugees, the climate, the LGBTQ community, and more.

Our Christian members come from many denominations and none, are both lay and ordained, and live in every state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

We are a Christian organization that is not affiliated with any institutional church, denomination, or other parent entity.

We are proud that Faithful America was originally founded as a project of the National Council of Churches in 2004, then later became a project of Faith in Public Life -- and we are also proud to now be a separate, fully independent, grassroots, 501(c)(4) not-for-profit organization."

This year, I’m trying something new for Lent, and making it a goal to watch 5-6 movies for the Lenten season. They don’t need to be strictly Christian movies, and I’m more looking for movies that will fit certain themes and aspects of myself I want to work on.

Here are some of the ideas I have so far:

(1) loving my family when we sometimes disagree and have tensions; (2) loving people who aren’t like me (don’t look like me, don’t vote like me, don’t pray like me, etc.); (3) overcoming hardship/keeping hope and faith in times of hardship; (4) loving myself; (5) working on bitterness

I look forward to any movie recommendations that fit these ideas (or any other ideas you recommend)!

EDIT: If you decide to leave a recommendation, I would really appreciate it if you could also give me a brief explanation as to why you think it’s a good fit for this. Thanks!

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are pigeonholed as liberal biases but don’t have to be. DEI principles unmask pernicious biases that favor the wealthy, protect White privilege and fear the immigrant. They do not ‘harm’ White people but point toward virtuous biases like care for the poor, racial justice and welcoming the stranger.”

“Love need not be confined to acts of self-renunciation, nor should it even be construed primarily so. Instead, we need to return to the roots of love in desire (eros). And, on the other hand, the erotic need not be consigned to reproducing natural patterns. Eros is an expression of, and aims at, freedom, the creation of the new. Love-as-eros seeks out connection and mutual satisfaction. And, potentially, it gives birth.”

For me, it's the idea that some Christians believe that Jesus spoke English, or that the Bible was written in English.

“The Trump administration, alleged champion of beleaguered Christians, is using its power to block the church’s work and its bully pulpit to undermine that work with false accusations. When Trump ally Michael Flynn said on X that Lutheran social service organizations are involved in ‘money laundering,’ self-dealing hatchet man Elon Musk chimed in and called the relevant federal funding ‘illegal payments.’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that cutting off funding to Catholic Charities was about combating ‘wokeness.’ Vice President Vance called refugees ‘illegal immigrants’ and accused the Catholic Church of looking out only for its ‘bottom line.’ Every quote in this paragraph is a bald-faced lie.”

"Christians know very well that it is only by affirming the infinite dignity of all that our own identity as persons and as communities reaches its maturity. Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. In other words: the human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings! The human person is a subject with dignity who, through the constitutive relationship with all, especially with the poorest, can gradually mature in ... identity and vocation."

Hey all,

As the title says. I'm having a hard time understanding the Christian beleif of Jesus and God.

They seem to be worshipped like separately? But Christianity is Montheistic.

It's so confusing.

Does anyone have any good resources (I'm not opposed to like Sunday school teachings for kids) that can explain this to me in a way it makes sense?

Link to Subreddit Post

Link to Subreddit Post