r/Christianity

my life is disgusting and gross, for context im a girl and im 16 and ever since I was 5 ive been exposed to sexual content from a abuser and I was abused until I was 14 and I continued to put myself into bad situations because of that and like I feel so so disgusting because I finally realised what has been happening my whole entire life is not fun or just making money its disgusting and abuse and horrible and I was finally getting a second chance because my mum was moving me to a high school were they support your mental health more and you get more freedoms such as no school uniform and the school starting at 10 am instead of 8 am and it being more relaxed than my current super strict school but they rejected me because my grades were to ''good'' im literally a c student idek what they are talking about and my mum asked them to re consider so I had to take a depression test or somthing and they said I dont show enough depressive symptoms to be let into the school and im so so sad everything was going to be good but im not sick enough to be let into the school??? It dosnt make sense bc im literally in anorexia recovery rn but im not even allowed into the school? I feel like my life is over and my whole body just feels disgusting.

Title says it all

I’m a non denominational christian and I own a rosary. I like to hold it will I read my Bible sometimes. Is it spiritual wrong for me to own one. I think of it as a holy fidget spinner.

I've been a Christian my whole life. I grew up in church, I know the verses, I know the answers you're supposed to give when someone asks how your faith is.

But lately I've been honest with myself about something: faith feels exhausting.

Not in a crisis way. I'm not doubting God exists. I just - don't feel close to Him. I go through the motions. I pray but it feels like I'm talking to a ceiling. I read Scripture and nothing lands the way it used to.

And the weird part is - I feel guilty for even saying this. Like I should just try harder. Pray more. Read more. Be more.

But I'm tired of trying harder and ending up in the same place

I don't think faith is supposed to feel this hard. Or maybe it is and nobody talks about it.

Anyone else been here? What actually helped?

Hi, I am 20yrs old an have suffered 13+ years of SA from my uncle who made me believe God wanted men to abuse and marry children.

He tried to tell me it was selfish for woman to get abortions and if they were raped (like I was by him) then God wanted it to happen. But when I had a pregnancy scare I didn't have a right he said I was getting an abortion no matter what.

Thankfully I would never have too, as I was never pregnant anyways. But my cycles stopped permanently afterwards and I'd have to deal with hormonal issues and in the future may not be able to have kids due to it.

No, matter how much I prayed nothing would end. I would do what I had to. And for several years turned my back against God. I came back but feel indifferent. I got myself out of that situation, no one helped me. But my family tells me God pathed the way. Which is hard as they kinda sat around and didn't help me either.

I tend to have different perspectives and none of this is meant to offend ofc. But, I don't believe God actually helps us in the way we think. We are his kids, so I feel hes well like a parent. You wouldn't become a doctor and say the entire reason is because of your parents. There support and guidance helped.

But you put the work in. I feel like thats what God is. Hes a proud father watching his children succeed after giving them the hope and passion they can do it. Or dropping little signs and people along the way to help guide you through life. But is proud of what you did, and not that hes the one that did it.

I am really sorry, I am not trying to sound crazy or like a horrible person or something. I am just trying to figure this all out. 😞

And this idea/feeling is what's helping me get through everything.....

I told the lord I would stop I told him I would get on my feet again with his help and I keep failing him…….. every time I say “I’m done lord I’m going to live for you” I go to the bathroom and sin and fall into my lustful mind

So, I’m a believer in God. I’m a virgin and I’m trying to practice celibacy. As well as stay away from relationships because I’m not into marriage or dating at the moment.

I’m trying to stay celibate and since I’m not getting in any relationships the future how do I control my lust? Would it be ok if I pleasure myself by just thinking of my own body. I’m attractive to my own body because I find it beautiful. Should I buy some type of sex toy?

I am posting this because too many people in this subreddit seem completely uninterested in reading scripture properly and understanding the history of Christianity. When looking at the modern landscape of American Evangelicalism (including the sorts of churches the USA pushes out to places like Central and South America), especially the version broadcasted by mega-churches and media ministries, it is easy to assume it represents an unbroken line of ancient Christian tradition.

However, a historical look at its core tenets reveals that much of what defines modern American fundamentalism is actually a 19th and 20th century cultural product. Far from being ancient or "original," many of its most fiercely defended concepts directly contradict both the text of the New Testament and the historical practice of mainstream Christianity for its first 1,500+ years.

Here are five major ways modern American Evangelicalism invented its own theology:

1. Hyper-Capitalism vs. Primitive Communism

Modern American Evangelicalism has deeply fused itself with free-market capitalism, often treating wealth creation as a sign of divine favor (the Prosperity Gospel).

Historically and scripturally, the earliest Christian communities practiced a radical, voluntary form of communal living that aligns far more with primitive communism (note that I am certainly not referring to Marxism or any modern version of communism) than private capitalism.

In the Book of Acts (4:32-35), it is explicitly stated that the early believers "were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had... and it was distributed to anyone who had need."

Furthermore, both Jesus’s direct quotes in the Gospel’s and Paul’s epistles consistently warn against the accumulation of personal wealth. The early Church fathers viewed excess wealth as belonging to the community, not the individual, a concept deeply alien to the modern corporate theology practiced in the USA.

2. The Inerrancy Panic and Strict Literalism
   Fundamentalist movements often claim they are simply reading the Bible "the way it has always been read." This is historically false.

Ancient and medieval theological heavyweights like St. Augustine (4th century) and Origen (3rd century) openly warned against hyper-literal readings of texts like the Genesis creation account. They viewed scripture through complex allegorical, moral, and mystical lenses.

Strict biblical literalism and "inerrancy" were formulated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (most notably formalised in a series of essays called The Fundamentals published in the US between 1910 and 1915). It was not an ancient tradition, but a defensive, modern reaction to the rise of Darwinism and historical-critical Bible scholarship that aims to put scripture in context.

3. The Logical Paradox of Sola Scriptura
   The radical American approach to Sola Scriptura ("The Bible Alone") is frequently used to dismiss church history, councils, and tradition entirely. However, this creates an inescapable historical loop.

The Bible did not drop out of the sky as a completed book. The New Testament canon (the list of books deemed authentic) was debated and finalised by the historic Church councils in the late 4th century (such as the Councils of Rome and Carthage).

Fundamental doctrines like the Trinity or the dual nature of Christ were defined by bishops debating at the Councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD). You cannot logically claim the Bible is your sole authority while relying on the spiritual authority of the early Catholic and Orthodox institutions that gathered, preserved, and defined what actually belongs in that Bible. If you accept some elements that are not entirely biblical in origin, then why arbitrarily draw the line at things that are inconvenient to your modern earthly Babylonian politics?

4. The Invention of the Rapture and Modern "Tongues"
   Two of the most visually famous elements of modern evangelical culture, the Secret Rapture and ecstatic speaking in tongues, are incredibly recent innovations.

The concept of a "Secret Rapture" where Christians magically vanish from the earth years before the actual end of history was completely unknown to historic Christian theology. It was invented in the 1830s by John Nelson Darby (who ironically was from my home county of Wicklow in Ireland) and popularised largely in America.

While the New Testament mentions "tongues," the early Church historically interpreted this as the miraculous ability to speak existing foreign languages to preach to people of other nations. The modern phenomenon of ecstatic, unintelligible babbling as a required sign of the Holy Spirit was born directly out of the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California, in 1906.

5. Christian Nationalism is Idolatry

MAGA politics and Christian nationalism are not only toxic and divisive but deeply unscriptural. Christianity’s central message was universal rather than tribal. Jesus speaks about breaking down barriers between peoples, nations, and ethnic groups rather than elevating one above another.

Paul wrote that there is “neither Jew nor Greek,” reflecting the idea that all are equal before God regardless of nationality or identity. The early Church spread across cultures and languages precisely because Christianity was understood as a faith for all humanity, not the spiritual property of any one nation. Critics therefore argue that Christian nationalism fundamentally distorts the Gospel by merging it with exclusionary politics, nationalism and cultural supremacy in ways that contradict the universalism at the heart of the New Testament.

In conclusion:

If you strip away the modern additions of the 19th-century end-times charts, the 20th-century economic philosophy, and the more recent 21st century ‘Christian nationalism’ concept, you are left with a theology that is fundamentally an American cultural export. It is an interpretation of Christianity that is roughly 200 years old, masquerading as something that is 2,000 years old.

When I started hearing clips from podcasts featuring manosphere influencers, I felt like I was back in a church pew again. Sure, there is more profanity, more cigars, and more supercars, but the core doctrines remain the same. Hearing talk about high value women (code for attractive virgins or low body count “females”), avoiding 403s (slang for hoes), and men needing to lead because they are evolutionarily superior is just more of the same.

With this messaging being so popular in both camps, two things feel unsurprising to me. First, that young men are experiencing a “loneliness epidemic” in secular culture. I can’t imagine many girls grow up hoping to live a life that feels like a cross-over between The Stepford Wives and The Handmaid’s Tale. For many, they’d rather avoid the headache—can you blame them? Second, I am unsurprised that young men are being drawn to religion at a much higher rate than young women. As a former fundie, I can’t help but notice that Gen Z men seem to be drawn to Christianity more for the alpha, aggressive, patriarchal aesthetic of its religious offshoots than they are the teachings of Jesus — a humble and compassionate Savior — himself.

Read now: https://www.playboy.com/read/politics/red-pilled-guys-are-falling-into-a-christian-fundamentalist-trap

I know this is a generalization, but to me it seems to be a real dividing line between conservative Christians and progressive Christians. In terms of what each group focuses on I think it is accurate and explains the different interpretations of the Bible each group has. It doesn’t mean conservatives don’t care about Jesus or progressives don’t care about the OT or Paul, it’s just about the emphasis that they put on them.

Am I wrong?

I cannot believe in any kind of Christianity like this. This is not even touching controversial biblical matters of other social magnitudes concerning relationships. This guy has almost completely destroyed my faith. He harps in every sermon a little stupid piece about how getting saved means you have to change everything about yourself. Of course, he only means things he disapproves of. He does not preach the Bible in fact he thinks people who do follow the Bible or guys who have beards, are somehow not equal as humans to people who look like himself.

This is extremely scary. If this guy owned a business, he would be the most bigoted jerk who would violate EEOC all the freaking time.

I cannot support Christianity at all or related government issues if people cannot see past appearance or clothing.

In fact, I'm so angry about this that I have gotten political and I hope that jerks like this end up having zero influence over anyone including their own family because it's so destructive.

I have personally seen this pastor kick a poor woman out of the church whose husband was abusive and literally assaulted someone on Church premises. They labeled the woman as a troubled maker because the husband who lies told them she was "on drugs". I've seen them ask poor people to leave the church. I've seen him show extreme favoritism to anyone with as much or more money than he has.

I cannot go to that place and I am sorry that I ever spent any time there. Shame on Christian religious culture. Shame on people who pervert the Bible and use it to hurt others. I used to be like that, but I learned. What's his excuse?

The crusaders are a great example imo.

The Lord discourages murder and violence. I understand that wars are unavoidable, especially between two differently religious countries. But I'm not at all comfortable with the idea of those soldiers having engraved crosses on vehices, guns, and so on.

People carry the symbol of our God, Lord Jesus Christ, into deadly wars where people kill and get killed. I understand it when it would be in form of a normal cross necklace for example, but on a weapon? Please. The Lord discourages violence. And to not murder is literally one of the commandments.

Please do let me know what you all think! I am curious!

God bless you all!

(Just gonna mark this as politics. Take it down if its the wrong flair, mods! God bless you all too!)

I’ve been thinking about the language Christians use when describing unbelievers becoming believers.

Do you think the phrase “converted to Christianity” is the best way to describe it? To me, the word “conversion” can sound like simply changing from one religion to another, which could apply equally to Islam, Buddhism, etc.

Would “reconciliation to God” be a more biblical or accurate description? Since Christianity teaches that humanity originally had fellowship with the Father before the fall, reconciliation seems less like adopting a new religion and more like being restored back to God through Christ.

So would reconciliation be a deeper theological term than conversion, or do both serve different purposes?

What’s your take on this?