Christianity

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Discussion about Christianity by Christians and those who are curious.

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Rule #1.1. The measure for what is considered Christian, as has been the case in the faith since the earliest days, will be the faith proclaimed in the Nicene Creed.

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I don't know how Atheists do it (feddit.uk)

submitted 1 day ago by Flax_vert@feddit.uk to c/christianity@lemmy.world

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How do you live in this world - filled with wars and chaos - with no hope of redemption or things getting better, and just thing "yep, this is all there is, life is good". As Christians, we have assurance, certainty and comfort in that Jesus is coming back to judge the world, destroy all the wicked and bring us to eternal life. Atheists don't have that. Even worse, some even prefer to insult this God. What's keeping me grounded in this life is the knowledge that God dictates when my life ends- not me.

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[+] Flax_vert@feddit.uk -6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So humans are just cruel for the hell of it? Not much more comforting.

"God helps those who helps themselves" isn't rooted in Christian doctrine.

God is Love. We can feel love. We make things better for those we love, but it's only easing the pain temporarily like a painkiller, not the solution.

Romans 8:18-25

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

We are suffering. Prophecy in revelation shows thing's will get worse. Putin has the nukes. They're going to be let off at somepoint.

[–] boywar3@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We are suffering. Prophecy in revelation shows thing's will get worse. Putin has the nukes. They're going to be let off at somepoint.

Then my question is: why were we created? Was it just to experience suffering? Why would a benevolent god decide "yeah, they need to suffer for awhile and then they get to be happy?" And before you comment something about it being necessary for some purpose of being saved or somesuch, again, why would that be necessary? Do we fundamentally lack something that is a needed prerequisite to experience some kind of end goal on God can perceive? If that is so, why not simply create us with that prerequisite, since an all-powerful being would certainly be able to do so?

The "prophecy in revelation" you describe further makes me question the purpose of things. If God is all-powerful, why have the worsening? Are we simply playthings for a bored and capricious divine being to torment so we behave in the afterlife he controls?

For that matter, what right does any being have to my worship and admiration? If I am supposedly created by God, then I was made in such a way as to be capable of demanding a reason for him to be the object of my worship.

So humans are just cruel for the hell of it? Not much more comforting.

I mean, is that so much worse than knowing an all-powerful being that you are ruled by created cruelty? Either god created everything or he didn't - with the understanding that if there is something he did not create, he is not all powerful.

I think it is much easier to accept that people are both capable of incredible evil and incredible good. Humans are cruel just for the hell of it has an obvious other side: humans are kind just for the hell of it too.

[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk -1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Goodness cannot be experienced without evil to begin with. Good needs evil to exist. "A while" isn't that significant really. Historians skim over lifetimes all the time. I really doubt Job - who if a real figure, died thousands of years ago, is still fretting over the 80 or so years where he had periods of suffering, now that he's in the Glory.

The "prophecy in revelation" you describe further makes me question the purpose of things. If God is all-powerful, why have the worsening?

God's judgement needs to be poured out. He is a Just God.

For that matter, what right does any being have to my worship and admiration? If I am supposedly created by God, then I was made in such a way as to be capable of demanding a reason for him to be the object of my worship.

God created you. You can say the same thing about romantic love to a partner or parental affection.

[–] boywar3@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

All of what you've said boils down to "God decides because he is God." You don't see any issue with that?

It doesn't sound the least bit disturbing to you that an all powerful being would actively choose to make people suffer when they are fully capable of not requiring it? The equivalent of a parent who beats the shit out of their child from ages 4 to 5 and then switches to showering them with affection doesn't sound like anything I'd like to engage with.

The whole "God created you, so that gives him the right to demand your worship" thing is also just plain creepy. If your parent beat and raped you, would you consider them worthy of your love?

Ultimately, I don't think you have asked this question in good faith. You don't seem interested at all in fully engaging with the responses people give, and seem more interested in picking specific bits out to latch onto that have (supposedly) easy answers.

So I'll leave you with an easy answer: you can believe in god and think we are all doomed or whatever, just don't make the lives of everyone else around you worse by being a dickhead. That's all Atheists ask of anyone, and I think its a reasonable proposition. As for the whole "this is temporary but heaven is eternal" angle, well, there are ways for people to take shortcuts there and they don't tend to do that, so clearly something down here is worth experiencing - maybe try to look for those things before wallowing in fear.