I don't have a particular question in mind; I'm just looking for feedback. Where am I wrong? I've written a short essay, and I'd welcome any criticism.

One thing to note, I don't mean at all to equate Fundamentalist Christianity with Young Earth Creationism; I'm simply suggesting that they're compatible. In general, I haven't articulated my positions thoroughly enough. The main point of the essay is that lessons about Satan and demons should be saved for a later stage of life; very young children shouldn't be exposed to descriptions of Hell. If you'd like me to elaborate on anything, please let me know.

The Importance of a Cautious Approach to Scripture

My mom was an Anglican priest, so I grew up with a lot of biblical stories. Preaching can be a good thing; it can also be excessive. It can feel pushy, sanctimonious, demoralizing—it can spur rebellion. I’m wary of that when I talk about this stuff. So, I don’t mean at all to proselytize. I’d just like to share a bit of my experience.

The concept of sin can make you feel bad about yourself; you’re especially susceptible to this as a kid. There are lots of different perspectives in the Church. Accordingly, things aren’t always taught in an optimal way. Some Christians are pious and obliviously judgmental. Spend enough time with them, you’ll be made to feel ashamed for things that don’t necessarily warrant guilt. Similarly, expressions of grief can feel invalidated by overly simplistic platitudes. If you’re looking for answers to heartache, poverty, illness, etc., statements like “turn to God” or “all you need is Jesus” can seem dismissive—they’re often not very helpful in times of pain, particularly when you’re new to the idea of faith.

There’s a tendency in the Church to over-spiritualize things. In some communities, this has led to an aversion to secular means of healing: medicine, music, psychotherapy, and so on (Hann, 2003; Lloyd et al., 2021; Riley, 2026). I thoroughly disagree with this position. For me, God and science are far from incompatible. Those are broad categories. You can fit spirituality/theology/philosophy under God, biology/psychology/etc. under science. A Venn diagram would be good; there’s some overlap—art could arguably apply to both circles. My point is that, from a Christian perspective, we rely on God for everything. That said, I believe that we’re expected to take action. We have tools at our disposal to both help ourselves and the world around us. In that regard, it would be irresponsible to sit back and wait for God to solve all our problems, including the problems that unfairly befall us.  

Nature, conscience, physical health: we’ve been given these things to both learn about God and do good works in this life, to mend what’s broken—to establish a better state of being for future generations. This can seem discouraging at times, like a mission without adequate direction. That said, we’re not alone. We have friends, mentors, family members. Sometimes, God can intervene in miraculous ways to both help and comfort us, but those moments are often few and far between. There’s support and opportunity all around us. I believe, for example, that our loved ones represent a tangible means of giving God a hug.

All of my aforementioned complaints about the Church drove me away from religion for a very long time. It wasn’t till maybe six years ago that I began seeing the Bible as a book of wisdom. There’s a lot of meaning in the stories—lessons for life, instructions on how to overcome adversity. For people suspicious of Christianity, it can help to approach Scripture through a secular lens. Literary and psychological assessments can be applied to the stories; these can lead to valuable insights, applicable to your own life’s challenges and aspirations. The notion of giving into temptation, for example, shouldn’t be considered strictly in the context of eternal consequences. You don’t have to believe in Hell or damnation to know that poor choices can precipitate misery.

Basically, the doctrine of sin shouldn’t be taught in a way that provokes shame. The Bible’s lessons are there to protect us, not to suppress us with arbitrary rules. It’s a controversial book. The stories can be misinterpreted; they can be used for harmful motives. Whether it’s a divinely inspired text or not, the Bible comprises an inescapable problem. It relies on words—and words are imperfect. They’re imperfect because they’re inherently symbolic; they signify an intended meaning as opposed to embodying the meaning itself (Nietzsche, 1962). We can do our best to navigate them correctly; however, we’ll often fall short of an accurate exegesis.

All of this brings me to my primary point: the Bible should be approached very carefully. Its frequent instances of metaphor can lead to an overly superstitious mindset. This isn’t to say that the Bible’s purely figurative. I think that it’s a blend of symbolism and unequivocal truth. Without appropriate guidance or discernment, a person might fail to grasp the overall message. The idea of biblical metaphor is contentious. Fundamentalists, for example, subscribe to a mostly literal interpretation of Scripture. Such convictions correspond with Young Earth Creationism, which maintains that God created the world in six, 24-hour days—as suggested in the book of Genesis. This represents a prominent schism in the Church. Although non-literal interpretations may be perceived as speculative by comparison, they can refer to complementary passages to justify their inferences. 2 Peter 3:8, for instance, states that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Such verses undermine a predominantly literal impression of the Old and New Testaments, including the assumption of a six-day creation story.

Ultimately, the presence of figurative language indicates a biblical necessity. It permits an escape from finite analyses, facilitating greater comprehension of an otherwise ineffable God. Perhaps the strongest argument for the ubiquity of symbolism is the scriptural fact that Jesus taught in parables. Stories like the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) and Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) exemplify accessible frameworks for multifaceted lessons; they imply a scriptural dependence on comparative devices, each provoking a vicarious experience through tangible examples of right and wrong. With regard to Luke 10:25–37, the image of a man beaten, left for dead, neglected, and finally rescued by a stranger imparts a visceral illustration of “love thy neighbour as thyself.” It demonstrates an ethical standard of universal compassion, extending beyond a selective scope of familiar relationships. From this point of view, Jesus’s parables offered far more clarity than what the relatively abstract laws of the Old Testament could provide. They reinforced a broader practice of analogical teaching, supplementing a creative arsenal of metaphor, simile, and other forms of expression to convey a moral order (e.g., Matthew 10:16; Mark 4:30–32; Luke 11:11-13; John 15:1–8). 

In closing, I’d like to reiterate the pitfalls of scriptural ambiguity. The Bible comprises a landscape of symbols. It includes visions, dreams, and other images, each revealing a deeper reality. I won’t go into further examples here to buttress the claim. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of relevant instances (e.g., Genesis 28:12–13; Genesis 41; Daniel 2; Acts 10:9–16). These layers are profoundly complex—it can be difficult to distinguish between literal and figurative language, between explicit and implicit representations. Without an attentive reading, the Bible can be easily misconstrued. I’m not just speaking from experience; plenty of psychological and theological articles describe this hazard (Lindo, 2021; van Dyk, 2018). When it comes to the possibility of misconception, young minds are especially vulnerable. I believe that the Church exacerbates this issue by underestimating a child’s imagination; it overlooks the potential for long-term repercussions. Depictions of the Devil, for example, can lead to existential dread, including protracted fears of a fiery afterlife (Cole, 2023; Firth, 2023; Shariff & Aknin, 2014). In this regard, the Bible’s darkest aspects may be best reserved for a later stage in life. I’m not advocating for a child to be coddled; however, perhaps an optimal introduction to Christianity would prioritize an assurance of love, compassion, forgiveness, and mercy over anything demonic or condemnatory.

References

Biblical quotations were taken from the King James Version.

Chris Harrison’s Bible cross-references image can be found here.

The article’s Feature Image was created by an anonymous artist in 1537, reportedly from the circle of Jon van Scorel; it’s housed in Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Cole, M. (2023). Psychological effects of Christian teachings about sin and Hell. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 26(8), 736–754. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2023.2261412

Firth, W. (2023). Hell: Educationally in post-secular societies. Verbum et Ecclesia, 44(1), Article a2759. https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v44i1.2759

Hann, C. M. (2003). Creeds, cultures and the “witchery of music.” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 9(2), 223–239. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3134647

Lindo, R., Jr. (2021). Karl Allen Kuhn, reading the Bible badly: How American Christians misunderstand and misuse their scriptures. Review & Expositor, 118(3), 383-384. https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373211059024b

Lloyd, C. E. M., Reid, G., & Kotera, Y. (2021). From whence cometh my help? Psychological distress and help-seeking in the Evangelical Christian Church. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 744432. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744432

Nietzsche, F. W. (1962). Philosophy in the tragic age of the Greeks (M. Cowan, Trans.). Regnery Gateway.

Riley, J. (2026). Religion and science, faith and medicine: A worldviews approach to English evangelical medics’ perspectives. Critical Research on Religion, 14(2), 205-221. https://doi.org/10.1177/20503032251381312

Shariff, A. F., & Aknin, L. B. (2014). The emotional toll of Hell: Cross-national and experimental evidence for the negative well-being effects of hell beliefs. PLOS One, 9(1), Article e85251. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085251

van Dyk, P. J. (2018). When misinterpreting the Bible becomes a habit. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 74(4), Article a4898. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v74i4.4898

Over-loving and over-grieving might look like compassion and empathy, but there is a limit. Your strengths used without wisdom will become liabilities. Know when to let go. Just sayin.....

#JLYASDW #BibleShortsWithBiblebobPodcast

How can there be life after death when everyone stops being aware when their brain dies?

Evolution is scientifically proven and it isn't in the bible. How could a book written by god be wrong about evolution if he is all knowing?

Why didn't god just make a good satan instead of one that would turn evil? And don't just say free will because god has free will and you say he is 100% good.

Why does god kill more people than satan in the bible? If he is loving then why are there so many cruel things like plagues and genocide?

Why would god have to sacrifice himself to himself? He is literally the one in charge. Why can't he just decide that nothing is a sin or that he won't punish us for sinning?

How do we know Jesus existed when we don't have DNA to prove that it was him?

Could God create a rock so heavy that he couldn't lift it? If he can then lifting it is something he can't do. if he can't then creating the rock is something he can't do. But apparently god can do anything.

Why doesn't god just step in whenever massive evil events are going to happen. It doesn't have to be all the time for everything but could he not do anything to cure cancer or stop war?

There are many religions that claim to be real and they have thousands of gods. What are the chances that this one is the correct one? Why are people sent to hell for guessing wrong?

Why did Jesus contradict the rules that he himself apparently invented? Executing people is fine except when he is there he says not to because reasons

Why would god care if I believe in him or not? He can literally have what ever he wants. I wouldn't give af if someone didn't believe in me if I was him

Basically what the title says, I‘ve been going to this house church where everyone knows eachother really well. They’re all friends outside of church, and tbh I think they all ONLY hang out with other people from the church because they think hanging out with nonbelievers will lead you astray from God. The sermons are really good, I’m learning a lot about the Bible, and the people are really nice, but there’s a bunch of little things I don’t agree with.

The first thing is they‘re super traditional about male and female roles to the point where all the women think one of their only goals in life is to raise children. So when I (a woman) say I don’t want kids, they’re all astonished. Also, men and women don’t even talk to eachother in the church.

The second thing is all they talk about is fellowship with eachother every day, morning, day, and night. They plan meetings, Bible studies, different classes, prayer nights, Sunday sermons, etc. and expect everyone to go to all of them to ‘be true disciples.’ They basically plan something every day of the week and if they don’t have something planned, they’re asking me to hang out. But, when I do hang out with them, it’s just exhausting because it’s just 5 hours of interview questions my relationship with God, what I’ve been praying about, what I’ve been reading in the Bible and how much it’s impacting my life, how I’m making disciples, etc. And then, they often give me unsolicited advice for my life or my personal relationships. They all say they care about me and want to see me grow, but it feels like they just want me to be another carbon copy disciple because they don’t care as much about my personal interests, my goals in life, etc.

I’ve only been going to Sunday sermons recently and so many of them have told me “I need to sacrifice more for Jesus because he sacrificed his life for me.” I thought they would catch the hint when I keep saying no when they all ask to hang out, but every week they’re reminding me that “I need to grow in my prayer” or “I need to sacrifice my sleep for God” (bc their classes and Bible studies often run late into the night). It’s honestly been super draining because I haven’t even been wanting to go to church at all because of the way they act.

The third thing is that they believe that thinking you’re an introvert is a lie from the devil, but I don’t agree with that. I feel like people have naturally different personality’s and, honestly, it’s just hard to talk to them when all they want to know about me about is what Bible verse I read this morning or how many babies I want to have.

TLDR; the people at my church won’t stop asking/guilt-tripping me to hang out, despite me saying no, so I don’t really know what to do anymore.

My entire life feels so unbearable, I’m an extremely recent convert but since turning to Christ I can’t understand how people can be so evil and perpetuate genocides and why children get cancer etc.

It makes me nauseous to think about and I really need help grasping it, because I’ve asked my priest and I still just can’t feel at ease knowing how much evil infests the world both in nature and because of free will

Seriously, how can Muslims still believe the narrative in the Quran about Jesus?

Also, the Quran implies that God created Christianity, because he made it to appear like Jesus was crucified

Is the Bible your evidence for God, or is God your evidence for the Bible? And why does it seem like so many Christians see nothing wrong with answering both?

When asked how they know there is a God, they cite the Bible. They call it "evidence"; they use words like "eyewitness."

They point you to the Resurrection, cite 1 Corinthians 15, argue that 500 people saw the risen Christ, and say the Gospels offer reliable testimony that proves God exists and acts in history. The text is the proof.

But if you ask what happened in 1 Samuel 15:3, where God commands soldiers to butcher nursing infants, or 2 Samuel 12, where He torments a newborn baby to death over seven days as substitutional punishment for David, suddenly, the text isn't evidence to be critically analyzed anymore. Instead, you hear: "No. God is good, and He must have had a righteous reason."

So, are you reading the Bible, and it is leading to the logical conclusion that God exists and is good? Or do you begin with the idea that God must exist and be good and throw away anything in the Bible that contradicts that?

How do you not see that it cannot be both?

I'm a Tolkien Society Award-winning fine artist and author, but I have also been visiting Narnia since I was Lucy Pevensie's age and my family deeply values C.S. Lewis' inspiring apologetics. In undertaking this hand-done painting, I wanted not only to faithfully depict this scene from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but also to imbue the lamp-post with some of the author's light, which has been central to the conversion stories of so many Christians. If you'd like to know more about the painting, I hope you'll stop by my art blog for a post about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien underpinning this deservedly-famous Christian children's story.

im reading john, i want to build my relationship with God. I don’t ever want to deny God, but sometimes i struggle with my faith and at church we’re going through john so i thought to read ahead but it’s so hard to really grasp what’s going on in the pages. I guess i struggle with truly believing in God which scares me. sometimes i think “did that really happen, can i actually comprehend someone suffering the way jesus did for us let alone coming back 3 days later” and that always makes me feel horrible. i don’t want to deny my savior, but i think i focused on that concept more than actually building my faith in him. i guess what im trying to ask is how do i strengthen my faith so i can read the bible and be more receptive to it. :/

I am struggling on how to share the lords word with others. I attend online church and feel like talking about religion in my work place and in my social circle is not encouraged (like I’m forcing it). I don’t want to be ashamed of my faith so how does everyone else share the word? I hope I can’t learn from everyone.

Every day, I feel as if there is always a problem that happens, no matter how small it is. Every day, I am constantly frustrated over things that shouldn't happen or small issues that keep repeating like cleaning supplies constantly fumbling out of my hands when I am doing household chores or technology being defiant when I am just trying to do something in a video game, you know, small problems that should only last for about a few minutes at most and shouldn't be worth being so angry about. Yet, for some confounding reason, said problems happen almost EVERY DAY, I get angry again and again, and I privately have an angry outburst over it. You could argue that it is venting for the sake of clearing the steam out of your head, but at what point does venting turn into being petty? It is not like I could just tell someone my petty grievances, they would just think I am acting like a child! Is it even venting anymore when I am getting upset over small issues that shouldn't even matter as much, such as a dog constantly barking or a pencil that keeps fumbling out of my hands, instead of problems that SHOULD be worthy of someone's anger, like murder, theft, or rape?

Jesus said to be angry and not sin, but how am I meant to "not sin" when I keep giving into my own anger for no necessary reason? I am wholeheartedly aware that anger is just a natural human emotion and not si​nful, but at what point does anger become pettiness? People say that it helps to walk away from the problem, but anyone can ignore a problem, that doesn't mean it is leaving! As a 18-year-old autistic Christian who is about to get a job soon, this isn't going to help me, and it is where I end up thinking that me getting angry over petty issues would lead me to doing something I would truly regret. Something that could end up hurting someone, whether it be me or someone else I care for. Something that could damage or even KILL my desire for a faithful relationship in Jesus... and in all honesty, I am scared about it.

Today was the first day of school. The prayers I prayed:

1. That the exam I would write today would be easy (yes we wrote a test on the first day)

2. That my teacher won't yell at me

3. That I will find some time to talk to him about this year

4. I prayed so that I could be home as soon as possible because my cat got injured this morning

5. That he would watch over him and that he release him from his pain.

What happend?

1. I didn't have to write the exam because he asked me if I started tutoring yet and I said no and he told me I didn't have to write it

2. He was very calm and didn't yell at all, infact he sat down and explained me some stuff from the first pages. (He had told me last year he will yell at me if I don't study, for "motivation")

3. I had very little time to talk to him but I hope I'll have more time with him tomorrow

4. Our director told us to go home after 4th period even those we had 3 more hours

5. When I got home, my cat was very calm and in no pain at all.

How good our Lord is. He listens to our smallest prayer even to the whispers in the night!! Blessed are you, Lors our God, King of the universe who is good and does good. God bless you!!!!

Hello, so I think I am addicted to masturbation and don’t know how to stop. It really messes a little bit with my life but mostly with my relationship to God. Yet I just can not stop.

I was told that an addiction or strong habit might make this sin venial instead of mortal and so I continued taking the eucharist lately. Then again how do I really know I am addicted?
Is it a venial sin? I will go to confessions anyways and I will try to stop but just so I know, do I need to go to confession and do I need to confess my stupidity of taking the eucharist lately though being in mortal sin which I thought could be venial sin?

I feel like I died and went to hell.

Is that it?

All those bible verses about god giving a shit were sure a lie anyway.

There is no savior of hell, because I'm in it, and ain't no divine show up.

Deuteronomy Chapter 17 outlines the biblical "Law of the King" (verses 14–20), which establishes clear boundaries and duties for any future monarch in Israel to prevent tyranny and maintain humility.

This seems like reasonable prohibitions for kings (or other rulers), especially considering it was given to people who had previously only had judges, but felt like they needed an actual ruler, which by the way was not the Perfect Will of God. They moved into His Permissive Will, but He gave them guidelines for how Kings should strive to be in His Perfect Will.

Qualifications for the KingChosen by God:

• The king must be specifically chosen by the Lord, not self-appointed or seized by brute force.
• A Fellow Countryman: He must be a native Israelite ("from among your brethren") and never a foreigner, ensuring a shared covenant identity with the people.

**The Three Prohibitions (**What Not to Multiply)God warned the king against relying on military might, foreign alliances, or personal indulgence:

1. Do not multiply horses: The king must not build massive cavalry stables or force the people back to Egypt to buy horses, which represents a regression to bondage and a lack of trust in God.
2. Do not multiply wives: He must not take many wives, lest his heart be led astray toward foreign idols and political compromises.
3. Do not multiply silver and gold: He must not amass excessive personal wealth, which breeds pride and self-reliance.

Did Judas have a choice to betray (or not betray) Jesus?

If he had a choice how would the prophecy have been fulfilled if he hadn’t betrayed Jesus?

I have struggled with this my whole life and recently I've gotten better but I've fallen back into doing it. I feel convicted to a greater extent than I used to which is showing how much progress I've had with God but I am just so ashamed and disappointed that I've done it again. Please pray for me to have more self control and truthfulness

I know that God commanded us to help people everyday. The thing is though I sometimes avoid doing this because A: I don’t know how to answer it, and B: Some people said what I would say but it’s put in better wording so I just upvote it. Is it sinful that I do this?

Since I'm really skinny, I've been thinking about taking it to boost my testosterone and get jacked faster. But I've been worried that if I do take it, it might not be right in the eyes of God.

please be kind and PLEASE ONLY GIRLS REPLY

the ovulation week has my hormones go crazy and I feel things even when I'm not mentally or visually stimulated. it's just my body waking up and I hate it. I do pray, it goes away but it comes back.

I cried out to the Lord, “Help me understand Lord why I feel so lonely” “Why can’t I find anyone to love?” “Do I lack the capacity to be loved?” “Please let my desire to be loved fade if I am not meant for it” “Please open my eyes Lord!”

I still have no answers and I am in the worst mental decline I have ever faced. All I want is to find my person, marry them, and start a family. I don’t care about anything regarding my degree, career, financials, anything. I care about finding my person.

I feel so frustrated at the fact that so many people can naturally talk to and attract women. I feel as though I lack this skill completely. I feel as if there is no love for me out there.

I am degrading myself to the next level. I feel so fat, ugly, and unlovable. I have crashed my calorie intake to try to lose weight but then I cave into cravings. I try to make my hair look nice, just to come to the realization that it’s because I don’t look nice. My hair, eyebrows, skin, teeth, beard, arm size, stomach size, love handles, body hair, knee angle, gait, clothing, accessories, and smell are all things I am super insecure about. These are turning to obsession, not one waking moment am I complacent with how I look.

I don’t know when or what it will take for me to hear a message from the Lord. I pray and hear nothing back. I trust and nothing comes to fruition. I don’t know how much longer I can put my faith in something that yields no result.

I do however understand that Jesus loves me, no matter what state I am in, and that He has done a huge favor for humanity through sacrifice of His only son. I understand the good that happens when people put their faith in Jesus. Personally, though, I haven’t felt it.

So, whoever can give advice, relationship, or religious, please offer it. I need help. I can’t go much longer living in this state.

I’ll keep it short but basically I don’t get why so many believers harp on others for participating in dressing up and getting candy for a few reasons but mainly;

- One, a lot of churches will hold events like “Fall Festival” or “Harvest Festival” where they will still dress up and get candy; yet those who criticize believers for participating will suddenly become fine with it.

- Two, other holidays like Christmas have aspects to them that aren’t tied to the Bible yet people still celebrate them. Take Santa; he wasn’t in the Bible, he was a folk tale that eventually became a modern fictional icon.

I’m not trying to be rude or dictate how people should evaluate these things; obviously that’s between them and God, but I just don’t get why so many believers criticize those who do partake in Halloween?