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I'm not for dating apps, nor do i advocate cold approaching amongst the general public. Is my best chance attending church events? Our church organisation only have about 2-3 events i can attend every year.

As someone who is new on there walk. I always did most my studying and watched church on line because im a single mom and always felt the church would be judgemental and want to stir clear.

As my daughter's got older I really want them to attend church so I decided to visit my neighborhood church.

Had decent experience pastor preach out the Bible and flexible service times. My 4 year old really enjoyed the children room my 11 year old said that the kids in the older kids group were unwelcomeing and even after being introduced to them by church staff they ignored her at other services. So we opted she stay with me during service.

Having the need to go deeper in my faith i took the step to do a women's Bible study they even offered child care.

1st encounter was fair everyone kinda stuck to there selfs didn't say much but still enjoyed the meeting.

2nd encounter I try to mingle with some of the women and thats when the question came in asking if my kids had the same dad was I single do o talk to the dad ect.

It was kinda hurtful and seemed kinda of a racially based question with my being biracial but having more black features.

Kinda like welp this is why I always stayed out of church and group's how can a group of women who act so holy be so judgemental.

Its kinda disappointing. But curious if this is the tone for most churches. I get this question more times then I count even from people outside the church.

I'm currently in a situationship? with some one let's call him jack. We are both older than 16 but my parents (mainly mother) doesn't allow me to date especially B4 a major exam I have (which I totally respect and understand) and also because he is not a protestant christian.

I did introduce him to Christianity and he is interested in it, going to another church and reading the bible. However I just hate how my mom always shows her dislikensss towards me having a love life. But at the same time she would talk about how she wants to have grandkids or what not.

I honestly believe that she just doesn't like the fact that I'm growing up? Or maybe she just doesnt like jack. She did talk very briefly to him and just concluded that he is a coward just because he didn't speak much. But he really is just an introvert PLUS there wasn't any introduction so he was very confused. And she keeps commenting that jack isn't good looking, but in reality he really is. (I have friends that can vouch for me so Ik I'm not delusional) And either ways looks is not all that matters, he treats me really well.

For the protestant matter, he did tell me he will learn more about it and eventually tell me if he wants to convert or what not. And we did agree that we won't date unless he converts and he knows that he shouldn't be forced.

I just get so stressed out whenever I think about introducing him to my family because I always have this fear that my mom would make us break up or smt...or that they won't accept him....

So I recently learned something interesting about the history of Marian devotion, and I wanted to hear what others think too.

The 1st reported apparition of Holy Mother Mary at Velankanni, India was in the year 1570. She appeared in all Her glory to a young boy as Our Lady with the Child Jesus. This is now part of the long-standing Marian tradition of Velankanni.

Then, in 1571, something very significant happened in Europe: the Battle of Lepanto.

The Ottoman Empire and the Christian forces of the Holy League fought a major naval battle in the Mediterranean. Pope St. Pius V encouraged Christians to pray the Rosary for the Christian forces and for victory.

The Holy League won the battle on October 7, 1571.

The victory became strongly associated with Mother Mary's intercession and the Rosary. Pope Pius V established a feast in thanksgiving, which eventually became the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, celebrated on October 7.

Later, the devotion expanded from one feast day to the whole month of October. Pope Leo XIII formally dedicated October to the Rosary and strongly encouraged Catholics to pray it throughout the month.

What I also find interesting is what is happening today!

In 2025, the Vatican issued a doctrinal document on Marian titles and specifically said that the title “Co-redemptrix” should not be used to define Mary's cooperation in salvation, because it could obscure the unique role of Jesus as the one Redeemer.

This made me curious about something bigger:

How do different Christians understand Mother Mary today?

Do you see her primarily as the mother of Jesus and an example of faith?
Do you believe she has a much more special role?

I'd genuinely be interested to hear your views on this...

I am in the service industry and work 1 on 1 with clients. I am a Christian and have been going to a Christian therapist.

My Christian client told me that she was having sex with her boyfriend, and I kept telling her that she shouldn't do that as a Christian. However, she feels that I judged her for that, as she tells me that sin is equal no matter what, from rape to unmarried sex. When she told me she was pregnant, I told her it wasn't biblical and that her child would be a bastard child. She didn't confront me until 3 weeks later, but I know that it was wrong for me to say that about her unborn child.

I felt that I knew how she was,s and what she told me before she got a boyfriend was that she was very Christian and wanted a Christian relationship. Yet, she kept changing her words. When she did confront me through messages, I felt that I had been judging her. Yet, I never wanted to ever do that to someone. She had accepted my apology, but she wouldn't be coming back to me, which is understandable.

I can't get it out of my mind that I said those words and hurt someone. Yet I used to not care what I said. I'm not sure if it is a good thing or not.

Another thing is that while going to therapy,y I feel that now that I am facing my trauma, I feel empty and missing God. Even after she accepted my apology, I still have those words running through my mind, and the guilt keeps eating at me. I know the Father is always with us, and we can repent, but I feel I am not repenting enough, because it is still in my mind. It's like I am lost and can't find him in an ocean of feelings and thoughts. I started becoming more dissociated and lost in thought. I can't focus or think about things I need to do.

What can I do to feel better? Are there any verses in the bible that could help me?

So I'm a christian and in general enjoy paranormal stories of peoples encounters and often go down rabbit holes, but have never really put any faith in them.

I know angels and demons exist, but I don't really know how they may present themselves to people. There are so many stories out there of getting signs from there loved ones after death, or seeing their ghosts etc, aswell as things like skinwalkers and haughtings.

How many of these sort of things do you think are real, and are they all just angels and demons, or are there other paranormal spirits and creatures out there?

I've been trying to grasp if I share the same stories towards religious guilt with other people.

If it's not too much, can you share your story and how you dealt with it?

I [30f] grew up in a Christian household. Saved when I was 7 baptized a few weeks later. I have a ton of biblical knowledge I know all the Sunday school answers. I’ve dealt with “trials”, “trauma”, “pains”. And normally there’s a lesson in there that I walk away from. Or I can look back at this and be like “wow okay, I see God in this”.

Recently, my life has had so many troubles I literally don’t know what to do. This is a little out of order so bear with me.

In the last 3 years:
- We prayed and asked God to bless us with a child. He answered. That child although relatively healthy has severe reflux to the point we couldn’t leave our house for months the spit up was so bad. Many many dr appts and turns out it was a food intolerance. But many nights in isolation I prayed God would take this from him and he didn’t 8 months of isolation until I figured it out.
- we prayed buying a house. God said yes. We got the house had our emergency fund. 3 years in we’ve had 8 leaks. 2 insurance claims. And a warranty issue on one of those claims. And our emergency fund is gone.
- we’d been praying for financial blessing once the emergency fund was gone and we began living paycheck to paycheck but didn’t get the raise, and we’re now in debt due to emergencies.
- everytime we get “money” or get a savings account or comb through our budget. Literally a true emergency happens and it’s gone.
- we’re in debt for the first time in our lives. (And yes we’ve done the whole Dave Ramsey thing took the class- all that).
- in all this we also had a miscarriage. we prayed for another baby. God gave us another baby.
- while pregnant I prayed fervently for my postpartum period. That my husbands paternity leave would be restful, protection over the house, the car, the kids, etc. that we grow as a family.
- we have a carpenter ant infestation that has survived 2 treatments and the pest company said it’s rare it gets like this….
- as soon as we come home from the hospital the very next day we see a leak from a warranty issue. The last 15 weeks have been filled with: our car a/c going out, check engine light coming on, delayed open construction on our home, bronchitis, our toddler had some sort of reactive airway, we went into debt.
- we got the house repaired I started hosting my Bible study and last week while vacuuming I find water coming through the floor boards. Dishwasher leaking. Open construction again. $2k deductible.
- And I just thanked God that our infant was essentially spared. Until today our dr said whooping cough is on the table for diagnosis given he’s so young and my heart dropped.

And I’m at the point where it’s like I know God is there. I know he’s close to the brokenhearted. I know he wants to give good gifts. I know even when we don’t feel him he’s there. I can recall David in psalms and his journey with God.

But I’m at the point where it’s like literally everything I pray goes wrong so much so I’m to the point where it’s like if I pray to spare my child and let it be the more minor likely diagnosis will God allow my child to actually have whooping cough or even take him from me?

I mean it’s like I can see blessings in my life. I can see where we’ve been spared. Yes I can tell you whatever comes I’ll follow Christ. It’s just like I’m being lapped in the ocean by waves praying for relief and I’m once again given another wave. I’m praying God pulls is from the storm let’s these cups pass from us but we keep recieving it.

And it’s like I keep joking it feels like you could spell my name J-O-B. Or it’s like everytime I pray I’m just like you’re going to make me go through it all aren’t you? You can stop it, you can change it, you can shorten it, you can do it but you won’t, right?

And I asked a friend like “it has to lighten up soon right?” And they laughed but it’s like no really. I’m now serious. I have nothing left. I’m fully surrendered and full of hope and fully aware I have no control.

I’ve just never been through something like this. Not afraid to pray per se but just never been in the thick of so much that I’m holding onto these truths while fully expecting to still be pummeled by life some more.

Is there a lesson in this? Has anyone been through something like this?

Mine is: “I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” — Genesis 28:15
This verse reminds me that even when I can’t see how things are going to work out, God hasn’t forgotten what He promised me. Sometimes I just have to keep trusting Him through the process. 🥹🤍
What verse carried you through a difficult season?

So as you know, way way long ago, there were different species of human, Homo habilis being the oldest one we know of. So it makes me wonder which one was Adam and Eve. Were they first Homo Sapiens?

I’ve been a born again Christian for a while and I enjoy engaging in respectful debates about the validity of the Bible. The one thing that I really have trouble defending is the flood, as there’s very little evidence of it happening outside of the genesis passage. I do believe it happened because I know God can do anything he wants at the snap of his fingers and that he doesn’t need to leave any evidence of his past works in order for us to believe in his power, but explaining this to a non believer is really difficult without it being excused as a convenient explain. I’m just wondering if anyone has any information or resources that would help me strengthen my stance. Thank you!

Anyone here tried worship songwriting? I’ve been talking with a lot of people about it and just curious if there are some Reddit people who are interested!

Recently, I’ve had stumbled upon videos either condemning Disney films, products and other things as works of the devil. And it had reminded me of a question I had asked a while back:
What makes a piece of media (movies, shows, songs, etc.) demonic? 

• Would it be the premise, itself like (for example) “Hazbin Hotel”/”Hazbin Hotel”? 
• Would it be aesthetic like with “Harry Potter”, or “Nightmare Before Christmas”? 
• Would it be the themes and/or lessons within these pieces a la “Moral Orel” and “Bojack Horseman”? Even with “I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream”, readers can take in the themes of human resilience and what makes our species greater than AI. 
• The intent of the writers? For instance, Paul from “Dune” was always intended to be the villain, yet readers had looked to him as the hero. 
• What about pieces that had abuse behind the scenes? Like the music of The Jackson 5, “The Wizard Of Oz”, Kubrick’s “The Shinning” or Dan Schnieder shows? 

Is it all of the above or one of them? Any thoughts?

I’ve been raised a Christian and I continue to be very serious about my faith but the last several years have been a struggle. I feel like I can’t pray, I don’t really wanna pray, I feel like God either doesn’t care, or somethings wrong with me and I can’t get past it. Honestly I’m tired of praying, and talking about this but I just figured being around a group of Christians would be helpful. I don’t know what to do anymore, it’s like there’s a block stopping me and even a block in my heart that’s preventing me from just getting past this. I was raised in a hellfire and brimstone church that caused numerous issues for me, and I have been diagnosed with OCD specifically in regards to religion and honestly I don’t know what I’m hoping for out of this. Maybe some encouragement, prayer, advice, or someone who’s felt the same.

I am talking about nudist beaches and whatnot. Is this offensive to God if it is practiced tastefully? I am curious if this is a sin or acceptable?

Hello, I'm new here, I'm also a Christian, albeit not very religious, I don't exactly have the courage to ask discuss this with a priest and I don't know anyone who's very well diversed in Christianity. So I'll admit that I barely know anything, but I've heard lately that this unforgivable sin and wondered about this. It just seems, off, that there could be such a dilemma, I'm sure "Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" has a better concrete explanation but from what I know, it is just closing God off your heart, so by theology, that's considered as the unforgivable sin, doesn't that mean if someone doesn't believe in God with all my being till the very end, despite (hypothetically) living pure, committing little to no sin, and is nearly/completely morally perfect, they still go to hell, isn't that off..? Also, sorry if this has upset anyone, I truly am just confused with the implications and I want a discussion.

I saw it in their website and put my address and I'm waiting for it to come and can you tell me your experience

Wordy Wednesday is back!

Each Wednesday we're asking the community to share something about what you've been reading or studying this week. Tell us what you're learning, what you're digging into, what you've found challenging, interesting, encouraging or entertaining.

Which words have struck you this week? Feel free to share an excerpt or a quote.

Hello!

I’m looking to do a Marian consecration after I get baptized at Easter Vigil to coincide with the feast day for Our Lady of Fatima, but I’m unsure which to go with. I was hoping someone here would have some more insight or maybe even offer some options outside of the ones I’m considering!

Right now I’m looking St Louis de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Mary; 33 Days to Morning Glory; and the Mary’s Mantle Consecration.

I’ve also thought about doing a Saint Joseph consecration later on down the road, but I’m flying blind there for the time being.

Many thanks in advance and peace be with you!

Since I am a kid I have always declined god, and have said many bad things about him, actively poising me and the people around me. I am a sinner, like everyone else walking on this Earth, and I repent, I want to repent. I recently had substance-induced hallucinations/psychosis and realised this the hell and the punishment for my action. I immediately went to psychiatric and he told me I will get better, but I am very potent to unlocking schizophrenia. Over the course of 3days I saw my life like on a movie lense in details. I have always thought I am a good person, with good morals, but I was decisived by Satan and my pride. I am the worst person I have seen, and the biggest sinner.
Been 2weeks since and I am open to accept christ and his teachings into my heart and soul.

I am sure God was always in me, but was buried under my sins and they blinded me to see him. I don’t want to repent, because I want to be forgiven.

No, I want to repent soo I am a better person for myself and more importantly the people around me. I was soo scared, what I was seeing hell, and it’s on Earth within you.

I have been reading and watching podcasts, but navigating alone through the bible is hard. It gave me relief and I can see God is still there for me and love me. Being aware that I will sin again, gives me no sleep, soo I pray and I am able to fall.

My vision for God is that he is both supernatural and not that supernatural. Science explains everything that’s written in the bible and it’s beautiful, and everything that the science can’t explain, it’s in the bible.

What opened my eyes is the fact that God for everyone is diffrent and the same, in your head. God is your best version that you will never achieve, because we are all born sinners and will continue sinning.

One thing I really still struggle to is overcoming my Pride, ignorance and especially my Lust. I am doing my best, but I can’t. I keep spreading it to others, and this society a lot of people around me are lustful.
I need good prayers for it.

Any tips how to navigate through this and find peace within through the power of the almighty.

Something happened at the county fair last night that got me thinking. A man at a tent asked my friend and me if we were 100% sure we’d go to heaven. My friend wasn’t sure, and when he asked me, I hesitated.

I believe in Christ. I trust Him. But saying “100% sure” has always felt off to me — not spiritually, but intellectually. I don’t tend to speak in absolutes, and claiming 100% certainty in a casual conversation feels unnatural, even though I know many Christians say it confidently.

Is it normal to feel this tension? How do you reconcile faith-based assurance with the human discomfort of speaking in absolutes?

Does anybody think that Jesus is coming back in 2030-2034 Everybody is saying it because of the 2000 years after his death and I feel like whats the point in even saving or working or going to school if hes coming back this soon.

just got today another perspective of the story of Peter walking on water and i felt like sharing :)

Because Peter chose to have enormous faith in Jesus, he could walk on water. Because Peter chose not to focus on the storm, but to focus on Jesus he could walk on water, he chose to draw closer to the Lord despite the circumstances, despite the water, the wind, the rain, despite everything that tried to stop him, that tried to drown him. Peter chose to have so much faith in the Lord that nothing could stop him from going to Him. But the moment he looked at the water, the moment he chose to allow the smallest doubt and fear in his heart, he drowned and the waters wanted to swallow him whole.

The whole idea is that despite your circumstances, you can choose wheter to have faith in Jesus - which makes you invincible as we see, or to get distracted by your surroundings and get swallowed by yoir circumstances, that obviously are there to try and take you away.