I'm a born-again christian single parent - AMA

[midwifeinthemaking]

Just that really - would love to answer any questions, dispel myths etc.

"I believe the bible is true."

So you believe women should not usurp a man's authority? And you obviously wear head covering?

Unfortunately OP if you are going to choose evangelical Christianity as your one true faith, you need to accept that it has some rather unsavoury parts to it. You can twist yourself in knots trying to gloss over them but to put it simply it’s much easier to be an evangelical Christian as a straight white man.

@chinateapot

So my daughter got cancer age 5. We’ve been lucky, she did well. But it was a world of pain for a child I consider innocent. I really struggle with the concept of prayer helping people recover. If a child dies from cancer does that mean people didn’t pray hard enough?

I guess what I’m asking is how do you square a benevolent god with children suffering like that? (including very young babies who surely haven’t sinned?? I suppose unless you go with original sin)

I appreciate the thoughts of those friends who are religious and have prayed for my daughter as I know it’s their expression of love and concern. But I don’t understand how they think it’s going to help and how it fits into a Christian belief system.

How incredibly tough, but excellent news! Life is messy and horrible I agree, and at times seems very unfair. I'm reading more about this at the moment. With the prayer, I have personally experienced the 'power of prayer' with a close friend whose baby was termed unviable, but there have been plenty of times when i haven't felt my prayer answered. I rest on the peace that our lives are already planned out.

"I rest on the peace that our lives are already planned out."

so why pray for change?

@00100001

"I believe the bible is true."

So you believe women should not usurp a man's authority? And you obviously wear head covering?

Please read previous posts :)

Jews don't believe that Jesus is the son of God... why would someone who believes in Jesus become Jewish?

I went to a Christian school who worshipped Jesus but was taught that he was Jewish so I don’t understand how Christians believe Christianity is the one true faith but worship a man of Jewish faith - it has always confused me I’m not judging.

The bible is not true. It is not true that it should be encouraged for daughters with no prospects of marriage and having children with a suitable husband to fuck their aged father to bore his seed.

It is not true that if a woman should sexually assault a man she must be put to death but the other way around if a man is caught to be raping a virgin he must pay the father by way of apology and the victim must marry her rapist.

It is not true that "God" is a positive spiritual guide for a child - do you think killing Job's family to prove a point to Satan was a kind thing to do? Is that the sort of guidance you wish for your child?

It is not true that a suitable punishment for going against god is the slaughter of children and the raping and aborting of pregnant women.

@00100001

"I rest on the peace that our lives are already planned out."

so why pray for change?

Fantastic question.

@00100001

"I rest on the peace that our lives are already planned out."

so why pray for change?

I guess I see his plan as more fluid than others may think. But to clarify, mostly prayer is giving thanks, asking for clarity on things etc.

@SquirtleSquad

The bible is not true. It is not true that it should be encouraged for daughters with no prospects of marriage and having children with a suitable husband to fuck their aged father to bore his seed.

It is not true that if a woman should sexually assault a man she must be put to death but the other way around if a man is caught to be raping a virgin he must pay the father by way of apology and the victim must marry her rapist.

It is not true that "God" is a positive spiritual guide for a child - do you think killing Job's family to prove a point to Satan was a kind thing to do? Is that the sort of guidance you wish for your child?

It is not true that a suitable punishment for going against god is the slaughter of children and the raping and aborting of pregnant women.

I'd appreciate if you read my previous post about not taking the whole bible literally

I have read every single post.

What are your views on abortion? What would you say if your daugher told you she was pregnant in the future and wanted an abortion? Would you support her through it?

I’m not trying to be antagonistic or horrible with this so please take it in the manner it’s intended.

I think you are not catholic, marriage is very much a product of the Catholic Church, there’s no marriage or ceremony of any description in the bible so why is so much weight put on it.

I’d add homosexual relationships here but I know I’d be banging my head against a wall.

But I stand with Jesus on on the way women dress - if a man cannot control himself while looking at a girl or woman he should pluck out his eyes.

I've also read where you wrote it seems unfair regarding tragedy in families.
We also have a terminally ill child with cancer in the family. It doesn't seem unfair. There is no power of prayer there.
You say life is planned out but then there's a get out that it's fluid.. what a crock of shit. If, and it's a big fucking if, there is a god, god is a cunt.

you say you don't take the Bible literally, but claim it to be true.

Can you tell us what the difference is for you please?

With the prayer, I have personally experienced the 'power of prayer' with a close friend whose baby was termed unviable
So you think that the baby, let's call her Jess, wasn't viable but then people prayed and God made Sam live, but the baby next door, let's call him Jack, wasn't viable but then people prayed and God decided he shouldn't live anyway / wasn't listening / didn't get enough prayer points?

The "everything happens for a reason" is Def the stick in my throat point. Jack above died, it was for the greater good. Slowly and in pain bit hey ho, it's all good, God did it for a reason...

"I guess I see his plan as more fluid than others may think. But to clarify, mostly prayer is giving thanks, asking for clarity on things etc."

OK, so you said you had experienced the power of prayer regarding a seriously ill foetus. What clarity did you receive? What thanks were given? What was the manifestation of this "power of prayer"? How do you know it was a direct consequence of your prayer?

I'm interested in the question of whether God is interventionist

Do you feel God is or isn't interventionist?

How does prayer come into your answer / belief?

I'm Catholic, but stopped going to church about 1 year ago, for a number of reasons, and this intrigues me.

@toocold54 - From a basic Christian perspective Jesus was born to a Jewish mother and raised as Jewish. As the son of God, his teachings and interpretation of the faith form Christianity. Jews use the Old Testament as part of their holy scriptures but do not believe that Jesus was the son of God and are still waiting for the Messiah. Christians believe Jesus was the son of God and so use the Old Testament and the New Testament which contains the teachings of Jesus.

Then around the 7th century Muhammad came along and said no the Jewish and Christian interpretation is wrong, this is how it goes, and Islam was born.

Then around the 1800’s Joseph Smith came along and said Jesus was the son of God after all, but the bible misses out the bit where he came to America and Mormonism was born...

But one of them is definitely right, maybe.

OP - I haven’t read the full thread but if you don’t know that the Bible doesn’t deal with IVF.... I think you are full of shit

an.. you still haven't answered the question about your daughter's actions and negative consequences from men...

Hi OP I would like to ask how believing something is wrong or sinful is not judgemental? You don't have to be nasty or rude or stop loving someone to be judging them. I would love to hear how you see "judgement" as different to "thinking something is wrong". Even if your daughter feels loved she will still feel judged if she knows you fervently believe a decision she has made/relationship she has pursued/path she has taken etc is wrong or sinful. And that could be very painful indeed. Children need to feel fully accepted, not just loved. "I think what you're doing is sinful but I love you anyway" is still an awful awful thing to hear, especially if it relates to your sexuality/identity/major life choices! Let alone letting her know that she will end up in hell if she rejects God.

I have a best friend who is an evangelical Christian so I really do fully understand the wonderful peace you have found and how you long for everyone to be able to experience it but I find it so upsetting that anyone would impose a belief system on a child before they are old enough to decide for themselves, particularly one centred around sin and forgiveness, heaven and hell. The notion of sin is what creates shame, one of the most damaging and painful emotions in the human experience.

To the pp above - marriage existed in ancient cultures- pre-Christian, do definitely not something the Catholic Church invented

This OP is utterly deluded

The "everything happens for a reason" is Def the stick in my throat point. Jack above died, it was for the greater good. Slowly and in pain bit hey ho, it's all good, God did it for a reason...

I am an atheist but I get why people tell themselves that things happen for a reason. If someone is going to die slowly and painfully anyway I get why people would want to believe they are happy and at peace now. I would like to be religious for that reason as it is often so depressing thinking about all of the bad things in the world.