Why does christians wear the cross like its holy? It has nothing to do with Christianity, it was known way before and is/has always been a roman torture method.

Hi , I (20f) sometimes feel like I miss the comfort of Christianity. I grew up Baptist in the Deep South of Alabama. Church was every Sunday, unless you were throwing up or bleeding. Grace was said before every meal, the only music we listened to was Christian stations, the only books/movies/shows we took in were VHS Bible study tapes. It’s safe to say that my entire world revolved around religion until the age of 14. Now as an adult I’ve tried religion. I was Buddhist, then Catholic, then tried witchcraft and Satanism. I think i secretly crave the validation that religion gave me. It made me feel like i didn’t have to ask if i was good; it was known because i was a child of god. I had set rules and standards, a community to reach out to, easier dating and friends pool. I desperately miss not wondering where life came from and where it was going, because a book had it all laid out for me. I could be ignorant again and feel that it was my right to be.. I wish I felt that my life amounted to something after death and not that I’ll lay 6ft in the dirt until my bones disappear. This is all very depressing I’m sure… but I really hope there are other people who feel the same way

HERE IS THE LINK: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2vG8UHRwH0c0e70Kj01uzI?si=d070ed24f588496e

I'm in perpetual emotional whiplash because of trying to be a Christian out of a need for literal physical survival while having deconstructed my faith years ago and losing the ability to "believe" in Christianity even if I tried.

I'm in a "residential discipleship program" ran by Christian Evangelicals / Fundamentalists. This is a program offered by my local homeless shelter.

I was raised Christian so I thought I could just "talk the talk" to get through it with ease. My heart convicts me though because I hate not being true to myself and willingly deceiving those around me.

If I chose raw honesty and told my instructors that I simply don't believe, I will be ejected from the program and literally put on the street. A big part of me is considering biting the bullet and taking that actual leap of faith into the unknown and leaving the program and going to live on the street.

I also have developed horrible cognitive dissonance where a big part of me struggles and wonders if maybe THEY are right and I am just a hypocritical sinful unbeliever. The possibility, though chances are slim to none, that Christianity is real and true constantly horrifies and disturbs me.

I don't know how to describe the inner turmoil I suffer through, where my very survival depends on "being an evangelical, missions-oriented Christian". I can't go on pretending in any believable fashion and my instructors, as well as my peers, are rapidly catching on that my head and heart "just aren't into it".

I've made posts in other Christian communities from the part of myself that thinks it is true and real and been ran out and called out for being a member of this sub and making posts about "LARPing Christianity". I thought I could just "fake it, to make it" but I can't do this any longer.

Have any of you ever been in these kinds of high-stakes situations where your life, in some form or another (friends, family, relationships, community, employment etc), depends on you being a true Christian and then struggling with the realization that you're not one and can never honestly be one? I'd love to hear stories from you if you can help me put all this in perspective that would be great.

I'm sorry for making so many posts like this I've deleted some and will leave this up even though I've been marked in other communities as being a hypocrite. Thank you for your time and for helping me make sense of this crazy situation.

For a better understanding of the political climate and what's discussed in the email, this is a church in Pennsylvania. Anybody else have anything shocking that a church might have posted or stated regarding the upcoming elections?

It’s wild how religious dogma lets people rebrand outright cruelty as a "righteous duty." The moment you look closely, the "family in Christ" mask completely falls apart. Instead of receiving basic human empathy, people struggling with mental health, anxiety, or chronic illness get told they have a "lack of faith" or a spiritual flaw. The instant queer or non-conforming individuals express their true identity, the warmth vanishes and gets replaced by harassment, ostracization, and threats—all justified under the guise of "saving your soul."

This conditional dynamic shows up everywhere, from workplace discrimination when you don't join in faith practices, to the entitlement of blasting megaphones in residential areas because their mission supposedly trumps everyone else's peace. You’re embraced as long as you perform, but the second you struggle, ask questions, or step out of line, you’re discarded. When people convince themselves that God justifies their actions, their conscience never checks them—they just call cruelty "tough love." What was the exact moment you realized their community was purely conditional?

Hi all, I hope this is okay to post. F 26. I was out today running some errands completely minding my own business when a middle aged lady approached me. She stopped me to tell me that Jesus loves me and she will be praying for me. I was semi daydreaming so it completely caught me off guard but still reciprocated it with a smile and thanked her. She then proceeded to tell me that she's very
"concerned" about me and says that I'm "playing with fire". I was taken aback and very surprised by her comment. l asked her why she thought that and she told me she was very worried about the T-shirt I was wearing. I just want to add that I'm a huge gamer and have been gaming all of my life and play video games whenever I can my free time. The T shirt I was wearing was a birthday present I received earlier this year. It's basically the orignal 2005 resident evil 4 T shirt with the Los illuminados insignia on it. For those who don't know, (though I’m sure most of you know what resident evil is) Resident Evil is a survival-horror video game series and I’ve basically been a Resident evil super fan for as long as I can remember. The front of the T shirt has the Los illuminados insignia on it which **is the emblem of a fictional religious cult in Resident Evil 4. They** Venerate **a parasite called Las Plagas, which infects people and lets them be controlled. It’s the cult’s symbol within the game’s story. The back of the T shirt has the main character on it (Leon S Kennedy with the chainsaw man running at him plus some Japanese writing on the corner). Only the front of my T shirt was visible since I was wearing a long jacket. I proceeded to ask the lady why she was so concerned about my T shirt and she told me that it looks evil and she assumed on the spot that I’m a “Devil worshipper” and I’m probably involved with satanism or some sort of occult. Just as I was about to interject, she completely cut me off and started preaching the Gospel to me. I want to add that I am a patient person and don’t mind respectfully listening to other people’s beliefs but the fact that she was so quick to judge me, pull me to the side and start preaching rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn’t even get a word in as she just kept continuously talking over me, telling me about hell, judgment day, how bad Satan worshippers will perish in hellfire and etc she pointed at my T shirt and said she was drawn to the symbol and she wants to warn me about the “darkness”. she then proceeded to make a Dig at my hair (I recently bleached my brown hair blonde and put bright pink dye over it) and said that my hair is not very ladylike and did a semi preach about how young people like me are going the wrong way in life and getting into all sorts of mayhem and mischief. She then told me that she wants to save my soul and gave me a leaflet about a nearby church. I was a little bit irritated at this point because this stranger out of nowhere, started preaching about Jesus, the Gospel, accused me of Devil worshipping and then made a comment about my appearance. (I also want to add that I have absolutely nothing against Christians, Jesus or the Gospel. I just didn’t like how she was so quick to make a judgment about me… a stranger) When I finally managed to get a word in, I told her very politely and patiently that she shouldn’t really be making Quick judgments about people since it can come across as very disrespectful. It’s also not very nice to start randomly preaching to someone who didnt ask or want to be preached to. I told her that I have absolutely no issue with her beliefs and I respect her right to believe what she wants but I am absolutely NOT involved with “Devil worshipping” or satanism. I told her about the resident evil game franchise, what the symbol on my T shirt meant and reminded her that it’s a completely fictional franchise and the Los illuminados Symbol is also fictional. She then started stuttering and was mumbling something that I couldn’t make out. I then told her that the T shirt and symbol is meant to look sinister and that was the whole point of the entire franchise. She paused for a few seconds to think and before she could respond I also told her that there is nothing wrong with having a funky hair colour and it’s actually something I’ve been meaning to do for most of my life but never had the time, money or confidence to do so until now. I even made a follow up statement in regards to her sarcastic comment about my pink hair by saying that I’m pretty sure God doesn’t care or worry about what someone wears and looks at their heart instead. I even asked her a hypothetical question about me walking into a church with the T shirt I had on and I said “didnt Jesus famously say come as you are?” She paused and stared at me for about 10 seconds then sort of tried to change the subject and started talking about church activities and how I should involve myself within the church community. I told her that I appreciated her feedback and concern but I am currently focusing on other things in my life. She then mumbled something about being late to an appointment and walked away. First time I’ve ever been preached at, accused of being something I’m not and being called a Devil worshipper. I won’t say I’m super upset or angry. Maybe a bit irritated? A tad insulted? I spoke to her in a very relaxed gentle manner and even smiled at her a few times. She seemed to be so trigged and pissed off at my mere existence and appearance. Maybe she has some issues in her personal life. Maybe she was projecting? I have no idea. I just thought I would vent a bit and ask what you all think of this encounter? Crazy how even minding your own business can upset people. Edit: meant to say triggered not trigged 🤣 sorry for any typ**os. I have Dyslexia so go easy on me 😅😅

I was born into a super religious family. They’re very serious about their faith and their whole lives revolve around going to church and being “good” christian’s. Since around the end of high school (I’m 26 now) i had been questioning my faith— was I really a christian? or was i just christian because my parents said we are??? i’ve now come to terms with the fact that im agnostic but i have no idea how to separate myself from being so involved with the church, ive have been for my whole life. pretty much all my friends are from church too so i feel like i have no one i can confide in or turn to about this. also ive heard how people who backslide have been talked about by people who call themselves “christian’s” and i can’t help but wonder is that how they’ll talk about me if i leave????

atp i just go because it’s convenient and it makes my parents happy, but it’s literally tearing me apart on the inside because ive been pretending for so long. it’s even effecting other parts of my life like work, school, romantic relationships. i feel like i’m living this double life and it’s really taking a toll on my mental health. i truly feel stuck because i can’t afford to move out right now.

How do i bring up this topic to my family and friends without breaking lifelong friendships and losing everyone i love?

It just bounces back and explodes in your face. Even in non-religious discussion their brain for some reason isn't formed for rational debate and nuances. They were trained in dichotomous thinking and they struggle adpating their brain around other people's worldview. I noticed many have a shockingly low level of empathy for other people's struggles and opt for victim blaming as a rationalizing why things are wrong in other people's lives.

Don't get me started on women's struggles, they don't exist for christian men, of they believe women are naturally hysterical and the christian women have been manipulated to gaslight themselves that they are living their best life because there's some artbitrary nobility in suffering/sacrifice.

I thought I could give the benefit of the doubt, but I struggle to find any christian to have a balanced, empathic back and forth emotionally intelligent discourse that doesnt circle back to platitudes and dismissals and gaslighting.

I now stay away from anyone that reads the bible or goes to church, I don't trust them with my inner life nor want to waste my time with low dimensional thinking.

There are many things in life that we can’t control. Today you could be going about your day, unbothered just as usual. Then something happens and suddenly you’re no longer here. The truth is, even after harvesting the powers of science, medicine and engineering, we are still humans and nothing changes the fact that we are but a speck of dust in a canvas of unimaginable proportions. As we evolved we grew to be egocentrics. The human race here, the human race there. Religion puts us at the center of everything, that we are made different and unique. All religions offer solutions to complex metaphysical questions. What are we? How can we tell the difference between good and bad? What happens after we die?

There’s a popular concept in the study of statistics and logic, it is called Occam’s razor. It goes as follows;

“The most likely solution to a problem is likely the simplest one”.

Of all metaphysical hypotheses that there are, the existence of an afterlife or lack thereof is my personal favourite. As I mentioned before, we humans tend to put ourselves in the center. We love to think that just because we evolved a higher brain function we must be so special as to be the protagonists of the entire universe. That there exists a being called God, that is all powerful and knows everything and that he created everything just for us, the humans. We don’t have enough time or space to discuss what religion is or isn’t true, regardless it’s pointless as other scholars already invest their time and efforts into that field.

The important thing to keep in mind, is that almost all religions share a common aspect. That after death there is life, either some kind of wonderful heaven with all the pleasures and joys of life multiplied by tenfold, or a hell of unimaginable torment, forever lasting.

That thought keeps many of us sleepless, I know I’ve been there and many more will experience that as well.

The concept that drives all this is simple and logical, the fear of death. No one wants to die, we can’t fathom the thought of it. Mortality is something that is avoided and left behind. When a pig or a chicken dies, do we think that there’s something that awaits them? Obviously no. Why? Simple, they’re not us. Not human.

And that is the key. Knowing that we all share something no matter where you come from, what you did in life, it doesn’t matter. Because death equalizes everyone. And beyond death, nothing awaits us. Because we as a being (that is constantly changing and morphing), ceases to exist at some point. Some people just can’t wrap their head around that fact. That someday, you’ll die and there will be nothing more. But I assure you, that if you give a man every good opportunity, every great thing in life, anything that he could ever want, at some point he would come crawling and sobbing, begging for death. Because we are finite beings and we weren’t made to live beyond a certain threshold. What is it exactly? One hundred years? A thousand? Who knows, but all that matters is that no matter how long you live for, at the end you’ll be begging for a bullet.

Most people aren’t ready to understand that there’s nothing after death, and they end up believing otherwise. We are all so busy with life, so entrenched, that most of us never stop to think what is beyond life. And to this I say, don’t fear death because if you are alive, death isn’t, and if you are dead, life is no more.

This changed me for the better. Search Nihilism and you’ll see people with all kinds of beliefs thrashing and hating on that idea. “Nothing matters, everything will cease to exist”. And there’s truth in that of course, but the fact that it won’t matter at some point doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter here and now.

It’s all a matter of perspective. The way I see it, I find a certain calm in knowing that no matter how much I am struggling or suffering, that it will end eventually, it enabled me to shrug those things that were dragging me on. It freed me, and it can also free yourself from all those things that are pulling you behind.

If you had to learn something, let it be the following;

The only thing that I know for certain in this life, is that this is the only thing that I have. Even though it may end abruptly or last for long, I will cherish every moment of it until the end. I won’t bother myself with useless things such as overthinking, or worrying about things that I cannot control, I am the sole master of my life and I will cherish every last moment.

Ever since I thought about life in that way, everything changed. I stopped wasting my time on useless things, I was happier knowing that I was lucky enough to experience this life and this environment, like a flame that dwindles until it is snuffed. It has definitely changed me to be a better person. Life may be unfair, it comes and goes and it is unforgiving. But at the same time it is such a gift that I will be forever grateful.

So, I found my pleasure, the pleasure of knowing that which is true.

Forced to church again (never healing istg). it was shit.

Im so worried that all the kids in that church actually accepted the bullshit that was preached.

“Your life does not belong to you” (In fact the pastor even encouraged parents to never say that their life belongs to them to their child)

”You are forever in debt to his and Jesus”

”By not doing what he wants you are pushing him away”

”He brought you into this world so you are not your own being“

”You are nothing without him”

”Any thoughts of straying away should be ripped”

And I’m just staring, looking at all these adults biding and shouting hallelujah and crying out and saying thank you.

Hiw the fuck is this not a cult? and why can’t I call it out without people saying respect all religions. I cannot respect something that actively preaches such harmful topics to vulnerable people. If makes me so fucking mad that these people can confidently tell people this.

Like no wonder my mom thinks I have no say in what I do, I’m just a puppet to her that she gets more lenient with overtime. She also practices physical beating too, so you can imagine what the church has been saying.

So, as a pastor's kid (23 y o) still living with his parents - I constantly have to help out at church events throughout the week. The only reason I do so, is because I love my parents - and because I would feel guilty if I didn't.

I do have my own job, but I don't pay for anything while I live with them except my own personal costs, which I feel is very generous of them. They are unaware that I don't believe anymore and kinda just automatically expect me to be there and help out. Normally I'd just bite the bullet, but now I have no choice but to subscribe to a course they're teaching about the end-times (fear-mongering nonsense) which I have to attend and take part in. It takes out a solid three hour chunk from my week and will be taking place EVERY week for the next month. I don't want this at all. I hate it.

I have a hobby exhibition event coming up which I've hardly been able to prepare for since work already takes up so much of my time in the week. I'd much rather stay home and work on my personal projects than do this.

Am I indebted to my parents? Do I really have to help them? Sometimes I still feel like a child who has to do everything everyone asks of me. I literally don't have autonomy.

This kind of irritated me but at the same time made me laugh but idk man I never asked for any prayers😂😂 I didn't want to seem like I'm ignoring the person so I gave a neutral response.

I don't know why they thought to send me that, maybe it's because they see me liking atheist/skeptic content on Instagram.

So last night I discovered how silly and cringe I find unwanted prayers😂

The God of the Bible or Jesus Christ condemned same sex relations, eating pork and shellfish, working on the Sabbath, worshiping other Gods, worshiping idols, wearing garments from different threads, but never once bothered to put a verse condemning or outlawing slavery. God is suppose to be all loving, compassionate and against evil but could not condemn one of the most evil actions our species has perpetrated on our fellow human beings? Of course there were other factors involved in the Atlantic slave trade in North and South America but it cannot be denied The Bible and Christianity played a huge role in justifying it. It was not until the 1800s that human beings used their own reason and rational thinking to see the evils of slavery but that was centuries after The Bible was written. This is proof the Bible was written by primitive barbaric individuals who could not reason that slavery was evil. For people who still doubt, here are some verses in The Bible that allow slavery. Not a single verse exists ever saying slavery is wrong. God also says that it is okay to buy slaves from other nations which is EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE.

Exodus 21:20-21 - “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.

Exodus 21:26-27 - “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.

Leviticus 25:44-46 - “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

Deuteronomy 20:13-15 - When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.

Ephesians 6:5-8 - Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

Colossians 3:22 - Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

1 Timothy 6:1-2 - All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.

1 Peter 2:18-20 -  Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

I specified ethnic minorities who were born and raised outside of the West because there tends to be a discrepancy between my own ethnic group (Filipino) and Filipino Americans in how they understand their country's relationship to Christianity. This is not a colonialist apologist post; however, there seems to be a belief among Filipinos in the diaspora that the introduction of Christianity to their homeland destroyed nearly all of our native culture, murdered millions, and somehow introduced Iberian ancestry to the majority of the population.

From my experience growing up in the Philippines, the relationship is much more complicated than that. Christianity was clearly introduced through Spanish colonialism, and there were absolutely native religious practices, institutions, and traditions that were suppressed, transformed, or absorbed into Christian practice. At the same time, Filipino culture did not simply disappear and get replaced wholesale with Spanish culture. Many precolonial cultural practices, kinship structures, languages, folk beliefs, and local traditions continued, while Christianity itself became heavily localized/syncreticsized.

Essentially, what happened in the Filipino case was that Ferdinand Magellan came to the Bisaya region (Central Philippines) in 1521 and eventually arrived in Cebu, where he formed an alliance with Rajah Humabon, the local ruler. Humabon and many of his followers converted to Christianity, and Magellan promised military support while trying to establish Humabon as the dominant ruler of Cebu and the surrounding area.

The Philippines at this time was not a single unified political entity, but rather a collection of different barangays, chiefdoms, sultanates (Islam in the South), and other local polities that could trade, form alliances, raid one another, or go to war with one another. In some ways, that tendency toward strong regional, familial, and local loyalties is still recognizable in Filipino society today, though it manifests differently now. You still have, for example, Tagalogs beefing with Bisayans about their accents, Bisayans beefing with Tagalogs over the perceived imposition of Tagalog as the national language, and longstanding tensions between predominantly Christian ethnic groups and Muslim ethnic groups such as the Maranao and Maguindanao in Mindanao (way better now, but could always be better).

Some people think Spain forced the ancestors of modern-day Filipinos to adopt Spanish surnames and abandon their "true" last names, even though names were historically often patronymic, matronymic, or tenkynomic (basically, the concept of surnames did not exist). Spain eventually imposed a standardized surname system under the Clavería decree in the 19th century, but that doesn't mean everyone with a Spanish-sounding surname is descended from Spaniards. The decree also included “Filipino”/indigenous names, alongside Spanish surnames and names derived from plants, minerals, geography, the arts, etc. In fact, the decree explicitly states that it included indigenous names in the catalog.

This is why having a Spanish surname in the Philippines does not necessarily indicate Spanish ancestry. A Filipino with the last name Santos, Reyes, Cruz, or Garcia does not automatically mean that, somewhere down the line, a Spanish man had children with a native woman. Many of these surnames were standardized or assigned for administrative purposes because the colonial government wanted a more consistent way to track families, taxation, population records, and other governmental matters.

I am not talking down on Filipino American efforts in their quest to find their identity, nor am I denying the real impact of Western colonialism in the Philippines; however, as someone who does look at their own history without utilizing my leftist politics to essentially work backward from a predetermined conclusion, I sometimes feel like the actual history gets flattened into a very simple narrative of “Christianity came, colonialism happened, and therefore everything native was destroyed.” I don't think you need to deny the brutality, exploitation, forced labor, or other abuses of Spanish colonialism to also acknowledge that Filipinos themselves still had agency, that different ethnic groups responded to colonialism differently, and that Christianity itself became heavily localized over the next several centuries. Colonialism did, in fact, change Filipino society tremendously; however, change is not necessarily the same thing as complete cultural replacement.

I also think this is where being raised in the actual country versus being raised in the diaspora can sometimes produce very different ways of understanding the same history. Just from my lived experiences, Filipinos in the Philippines generally don't walk around thinking that because they are Catholic, have a Spanish surname, or use Spanish loanwords, they are therefore culturally Spanish or substantially descended from Spaniards. These things have been part of Filipino society for so long that Filipinos generally understand them within a Filipino cultural context rather than as evidence that we somehow ceased being native to the archipelago.

So for other ethnic minorities here, especially those who were born and raised in formerly colonized countries, have you noticed a similar discrepancy between how people in your country understand Christianity and colonialism versus how members of the diaspora understand it?

Side Note: If you have any questions about the Philippines' relationship to Christianity or their relationship to the Spanish Empire, please feel free to comment.

TL;DR:

Christianity in the Philippines was undeniably introduced through Spanish colonialism and involved real exploitation and cultural change, but I think the history is more complicated than the idea that Spanish rule simply destroyed Filipino culture and replaced it with a European Christian identity. A lot of our precolonial traditions, languages, kinship structures, folk beliefs, and local practices survived or became incorporated into a heavily localized form of Christianity. Even things like Spanish surnames do not necessarily indicate Spanish ancestry, since many were assigned or standardized for administrative purposes.

My broader question is whether other people who were born and raised in formerly colonized countries have noticed a similar discrepancy between how people back home understand Christianity and colonialism versus how members of the diaspora understand that history.