The God pill

ginsu

ginsu

Kingfisher
Other Christian
Today i admitted to myself that there is an inescapable pull towards god, something that started nearly 10 years ago looking back

In the smallest ways and growing gradually, now i see the pace of it, and because i'm already 60/70% of the way there i know its unavoidable

So while i am not yet there i know what's ahead of me in the future, since everything happened in this way so far i will just let things unfold naturally

One way i would describe it is like getting caught at the top of a sales funnel / inverted pyramid I had tons of room to move around in, live the way i want, think the way i want

As time goes on the pyramid / funnel narrows, the space in where i am totally free to do as i please narrows. Some ideas / behaviors are lost because i can't convince myself that i can keep on doing it and you invest / buy into it

Its learned through experience and seeing the suffering it can lead to when indulged in, the good way to life is pretty straight and narrow

I have had some very hard times dealing with health problems in the past and still struggle today, that's also why i train everyday, eat healthy and do what i can. Because i know i have to compensate for the inevitable ups and downs that i endure throughout the years

i was just thinking over some things and why it is that i always manage to pull through, i feel as if nothing can ever kill my spirit because of those hard times i have had in the past, i can take several months of agony all the while patiently waiting for things to get better

Each time becoming more confident in my ability to bounce back from rock bottom

Anyone that's been severely ill knows its torture, exhausting and hits your spirit hard, but i never thought about giving up. a lightbulb went off

Its not so much that I'm heading towards meeting god for the first time. I'm only discovering that he was there with me all along during those hard times.

After this realization I started to cry, i thought all this after one of those nights where i got 4 hours of sleep again due to these health problems that come up once in a while. All we can do is keep going

Now i don't remember the last time i cried, it could be more than a year or so, so it seems significant.

As someone who went from understanding the benefits of religion/faith objectively for maintaining stable society, but who couldnt empathically understand what it was like for someone to have faith. I tried it, by asking people but i just didn't get it.

To starting to feel something, i have a different perspective on atheists now. They live in a completely different reality. You can't expect or tell someone to simply believe in god. Its like telling a color blind person to simply see color. Connections need to be made inside that person and its not something they can do themselves by snapping their fingers or wishing it was so. I know because I tried it.

Thank you for reading.
 
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Coja Petrus Uscan

Coja Petrus Uscan

Crow
Orthodox Inquirer
Gold Member
God again shows he loves Uganda. This time by burning a man-made structure full of prophylactics.



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redbeard

redbeard

Hummingbird
Catholic
Gold Member
gent said:
I finally attended a Latin Mass this morning. I found an SSPX chapel near me. It was a very great experience, even though I didn't understand the Latin / have access to a Missal. It was full of young families, all the women wore veils, hardly anybody was wearing masks, and it was packed at 7:30am in the morning. It definitely felt like somewhere I could "fit in". Contrast that with some Novus Ordo masses I attended which were basically just all elderly people.

However after the mass I started doing some research and realized they're technically not "in communion" with Rome, which is a bit concerning. Maybe it would be better to find a different Latin Mass in light of that?

In general I find a lot of the different options presented by Christianity to be kind of confusing(EO vs RC, Trad vs Modern, Protestant vs Catholic, etc.), especially since there are people in all of the groups claiming they are the one true faith. I understand the reasoning behind it. I understand that Jesus established one church and that there can only be one truth. But at the same time it's very confusing for someone like me who doesn't have the time to research into all of the various debates and theological issues going on. I just want to worship my creator and receive his grace.

Anyways I will keep praying and asking for guidance. I think it was a good idea to stick with the faith I was baptized / raised into. I consider myself very lucky to have gone through that as a child already so I can more easily return to the faith.
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It's complicated, and annoying. All you need to know now is that SSPX masses are valid, but their jurisdiction is questionable. If it's a choice between not going to mass and going to an SSPX chapel, go to the SSPX chapel. Just be cautious about what they say regarding the hierarchy.
 
T

Tippy

Kingfisher
Other Christian
I have only recently returned to my faith. But some old questions come to me - why does the lord allow children to die? Is he doing so to reward them in heaven as part of his plan? Or are such people victims of Satan? Or is it the Old Testament God punishing them for sins of previous generations?


Also, what are we to do with contradictory passages of the Bible? Isn't it true you can read this text how you want?

Any answers to this would be helpful with easing my doubts.
 
G

Gasman12

Pigeon
Catholic
Tippy said:
I have only recently returned to my faith. But some old questions come to me - why does the lord allow children to die? Is he doing so to reward them in heaven as part of his plan? Or are such people victims of Satan? Or is it the Old Testament God punishing them for sins of previous generations?


Also, what are we to do with contradictory passages of the Bible? Isn't it true you can read this text how you want?

Any answers to this would be helpful with easing my doubts.
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A book I've read that would help you out is Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence. It will shed light on many of your questions.
 
Augustus_Principe

Augustus_Principe

Woodpecker
gent said:
I finally attended a Latin Mass this morning. I found an SSPX chapel near me. It was a very great experience, even though I didn't understand the Latin / have access to a Missal. It was full of young families, all the women wore veils, hardly anybody was wearing masks, and it was packed at 7:30am in the morning. It definitely felt like somewhere I could "fit in". Contrast that with some Novus Ordo masses I attended which were basically just all elderly people.

However after the mass I started doing some research and realized they're technically not "in communion" with Rome, which is a bit concerning. Maybe it would be better to find a different Latin Mass in light of that?

In general I find a lot of the different options presented by Christianity to be kind of confusing(EO vs RC, Trad vs Modern, Protestant vs Catholic, etc.), especially since there are people in all of the groups claiming they are the one true faith. I understand the reasoning behind it. I understand that Jesus established one church and that there can only be one truth. But at the same time it's very confusing for someone like me who doesn't have the time to research into all of the various debates and theological issues going on. I just want to worship my creator and receive his grace.

Anyways I will keep praying and asking for guidance. I think it was a good idea to stick with the faith I was baptized / raised into. I consider myself very lucky to have gone through that as a child already so I can more easily return to the faith.
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I and many others here attend an SSPX church. In short, I will say the whole "in communion/not in communion" deal is Rome's way of keeping SSPX in a sort of Limbo and to keep people from Tradition.. As redbeard mentioned, their sacraments are valid (Baptism, Communion, Penance, Marriage etc) What else do you need? If the sacraments are valid, and Pope Benedict gave them the blessing all of those years back, you have nothing to worry about. Nowadays, I don't concern myself with this whole "confusion" you mentioned and just go to worship God.

I understand your concern however because I was there when I was trying to find a TLM near me. I went off by what Google/Wiki told me (im assuming you did the same thing) and was honestly concerned. The way these liberal/conservative(Note NOT traditional) catholic sites made it seem, it was as if SSPX was in some schism...However, this SSPX Church was the only church near me doing the TLM unless I wanted to travel another 50 miles for a diocesan church. I took the plunge and went anyway and decided to start attending. it was Beautiful and immediately felt at home (compared to when I went to the N.O mass a few weeks before) I kept going, and my concerns soon vanished.

Other points I will make:

1) SSPX churches have THE best non-mask compliance by far. I've been to an FSSP church and found a few (but admittedly not many) mask wearers there, whereas every person who has been to an SSPX church has mentioned their surprised at no one wearing a mask. It goes without saying the diocesan church will have many mask wearers...

2) SSPX churches were some of THE ONLY Catholic churches opened last year during peak Corona virus time. This proves you can trust them in times of crisis.

3) If it werent for SSPX, there wouldnt be a TLM. You would have to depend on finding the unicorn "Reverent" N.O Mass.

4) The Priest work hard trying to save souls. They hold confession half hour/an hour before each mass.

Please, I would really suggest you at least keep going while you are discerning this. Try to talk to the people there, talk to the Priest for sure. The priest will clear up any concerns you have.
 
Emperor Constantine

Emperor Constantine

Kingfisher
gent said:
In general I find a lot of the different options presented by Christianity to be kind of confusing(EO vs RC, Trad vs Modern, Protestant vs Catholic, etc.), especially since there are people in all of the groups claiming they are the one true faith. I understand the reasoning behind it. I understand that Jesus established one church and that there can only be one truth. But at the same time it's very confusing for someone like me who doesn't have the time to research into all of the various debates and theological issues going on. I just want to worship my creator and receive his grace.

Anyways I will keep praying and asking for guidance. I think it was a good idea to stick with the faith I was baptized / raised into. I consider myself very lucky to have gone through that as a child already so I can more easily return to the faith.
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It's worth keeping in mind that the word "church" we see in an English bible means literally an assembly or convocation. In St. Paul's epistles he uses the word to refer to the Eucharistic assembly, and when he refers to Christians not currently assembled for the Eucharist he calls them "the saints" rather than "the Church."

In the 4th century, when the Church added the phrase "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church" to the Creed, the church organization was torn apart by schism. St. Meletius, the patriarch of Antioch presiding at the council, was not in communion with St. Damascus I, the bishop of Rome. How could they profess belief in one church if there were obvious divisions?

Because they meant something different than modern people do when they said church. They meant the body of Christ, the faithful assembled to commune with God, not a worldwide organization. Christ is one, and therefore his body is one no matter how hard the bishops try to divide him. The Eucharist celebrated by St. Meletius expressed the same Christ as the Eucharist celebrated by St. Damascus. God is one, and therefore his body is one. But in the words of the Psalmist, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint."

I am happy that you've returned to church, and I hope you continue to resist the allure of pop apologetics.
 
Blade Runner

Blade Runner

Crow
Orthodox
Tippy said:
I have only recently returned to my faith. But some old questions come to me - why does the lord allow children to die? Is he doing so to reward them in heaven as part of his plan? Or are such people victims of Satan? Or is it the Old Testament God punishing them for sins of previous generations?


Also, what are we to do with contradictory passages of the Bible? Isn't it true you can read this text how you want?

Any answers to this would be helpful with easing my doubts.
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A type of mystery of randomness exists in the world, but it is partially because of the way we humans think, that is, our point of view. The mysterious part on top of this is that we have created minds, but still can conceive of the eternal, and beyond that, the good. We cannot say in every instance why something is allowed to happen, or not. Sometimes it is a test - we pass and fail these. Sometimes it is to bring forth long term effects, preferably for the salvation of those who know and love God - and to show how to love, which means to pay a price, at least some price (and usually that's through suffering).

It's curious that we know the rules, yet still complain (by the way, I don't blame anyone for complaining here or there). Why do down syndrome babies survive birth and live? Why was the man born blind? We have an answer to this, at least in part, from Christ himself: the works of God might be made manifest in him. Specifically in that parable, it was for that very purpose. But one can extrapolate it to mean that there are gifts in every human and I believe virtue coming from every difficult situation, struggle, work that proves itself to be a child of wisdom, virtue, and therefore God.

As far as "contradictions" you would have to bring examples, because usually what we bring to reading a text, without the mind of the Church, is our own mind and projection.

Best to you
 
J

Joe316

 
Banned
Emperor Constantine said:
Because they meant something different than modern people do when they said church. They meant the body of Christ, the faithful assembled to commune with God, not a worldwide organization. Christ is one, and therefore his body is one no matter how hard the bishops try to divide him. The Eucharist celebrated by St. Meletius expressed the same Christ as the Eucharist celebrated by St. Damascus. God is one, and therefore his body is one. But in the words of the Psalmist, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint."

I am happy that you've returned to church, and I hope you continue to resist the allure of pop apologetics.
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Looking for a "based", "true" church shows a juvenile believer looking for guidance in humans, as the red pill dictates. That's nothing to judge them for. I was struggling with that as well initially looking for that kind of echo chamber.

The people who like to see a pope in control of billions and him growing his power over them usually aren't Catholics themselves. And devout Catholics are not lesser Christians because they submit to a pope. Then there are Protestant megachurches: "I'm the 'senior lead special worship revival harvest pastor' of this church of 9000, that's why I'm a millionaire owning three homes." That makes Bible-believing Christians attending these churches not lesser Christians as well.

You seek God for guidance, then enter a church and accept the fact, that you have to assemble with other sinners. That you get preached and baptized by a sinner. And when you strongly desire a more convicted assembly, you might plant your own church, winning souls for Christ in the process.

In the end it's about growing the body of Christ, which grows with every saved soul. And that means you are meeting and serving unsaved children of God like Jesus did.
 
Knight.of.Logos

Knight.of.Logos

Woodpecker
Orthodox
I was feeling really down about the world last week. Last year I stayed strong, but seeing these vaccines rolling out and the Biden administration has made 2021 a much more difficult for me than 2020. 2020 was uncertain and kind of exciting in a way, but 2021 seems way more dark so far.

In my prayers, I found solace. This quote is relevant: "The righteous have no sorrows that are not turned into joy, as sinners have no joy that is not turned into sorrow." Though I am not righteous yet, I am moving in that direction, and by the grace of God I can turn these pains from the times into stronger faith and a willingness to serve God -- whether through my prayers or through my life, one day in the way that He wills it.
 
Gazza

Gazza

Woodpecker
Other Christian
debeguiled said:
I was trying to be funny.

He doesn't owe it to us or anyone else to share mushroom trips or anything else.

Was what I was getting at.
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As Christians I see no point at all in discussing drug use, especially if it’s jut out of curiosity as to the effects of the drug. What good can come of it, perhaps just a fellow believer be tempted into trying it if the opportunity arose?
 
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