/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.11028861]

I started to believe in God recently and I had some questions about Christianity. I see Christianity talked about often here so I figured this would be a good a place as any.
1 When you're praying and reciting the prayers mentally, is it ok to think about the things you're praying for like forgiveness or the salvation of others, or should you only focus on the words of the prayer?
2 Beyond prayer and reading the bible what are some good ways to develop a strong connection with the Lord?
3 dinosaurs, they weren't mentioned in the bible but a lot of animals weren't mentioned in the bible, what do you think about their absence in the bible and is there anything significant in it?

[Anonymous No.11028886]

>>11028861
Not a christian, but I am experienced with self hypnosis. The feeling you are looking for is greater if you can tie it into a physical feeling. Request the son to be there with you and seek revelation. Experience the splendor.

[Anonymous No.11028900]

>>11028886
0 sum contribution

[Anonymous No.11028922]

>>11028900
Not my fault you can't do the math.

[Anonymous No.11028924]

>>11028861
1. Yes, that's fine. If you're sincere in your prayer and you aren't praying a false god like Mary or some saint, you're good
2. idk, church, worship (singing, etc.), fellowship with other believers, enjoying God through his creation
3. idk, I'm a little skeptical about the 6 literal days thing but I respect people who believe it and prefer to be around them. ultimately there are more important things to worry about

[Anonymous No.11028939]

>>11028861
>Beyond prayer and reading the bible what are some good ways to develop a strong connection with the Lord?
Silent contemplation, fasting, vigil, abstinence from sex, masturbation, drugs, alcohol, porn, junk food, soda or other sugary drinks, sugar in general, possibly meat if you care (I'm not vegetarian myself, but I have read many convincing arguments in favor of it). Get lots of sunlight, exercise and devote yourself to some cause or mission that you feel strongly about. Get a gf and marry her, and have kids. Get closer with your family, especially your parents. Family is the absolute core of any Christian practice. If your family isn't Christian it's fine, just be a Christian and be nice about it. Your actions will speak for themselves, and if you embody the Christian ideal people will respect you regardless of their beliefs.

[Anonymous No.11028953]

>>11028861
1. Prayer shouldn't be rote recitation. "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do" (Matt. 6:7). Say to God what you feel and ask for what you need. To answer your question specifically, yes, I think you should think about the things you're praying.
2. Go to church, fellowship with other believers, participate in the sacraments. The importance of this cannot be understated. Partake of communion/the Lord's supper. If you are not yet baptized, make it a priority.
3. Dinosaurs have no religious significance, and so are absent from the Bible. This is not significant.

[Anonymous No.11028993]

>>11028861
Congrats anon, you're on your way to experiencing the joys of the Lord. I was like you a couple of months ago.

1. Pray sincerely at first and don't focus on the words just yet. Focus on the words when you're trying to learn a Psalm by heart or any other Holy passages from the Bible.

2. Following the Lord's law and asking him to guide you. Cease from worldly ways, for they will lead you astray. I also agree pretty much what this anon said: >>11028939

3. While the Bible doesn't directly cover dinosaurs, I believe the Book of Enoch gives us clues on their creation, reign and ultimately, their destruction. I know the Book of Enoch isn't canonical, but it does support and lends credence to some things in the Bible. Namely, on the idea of Fallen Angels, Nephilim, and how sin was further spread into the world. See: http://genesis.allenaustin.net/dinosaurs.htm

[Anonymous No.11029020]

>>11028861
2. Become Christlike

“If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”......You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.


>The King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

[Anonymous No.11029180]

>>11029020
That passage really struck me.
Thank you everyone in this thread I feel really
reading all of this and I find it hard to want to be a part of the sacraments because i feel there is a lot of corruption in church.

Or that there would be a better way to serve God.
What is important in finding a church that's right for you, I was raised catholic and I want to know if all denominations offer the same thing or what. I feel most likely to go back to a catholic church if i go.
when i did i didn't feel like i got a lot from church, is there anyway to get into it or really feel in it?

[Anonymous No.11029232]

>>11028939
*abstinence from EXTRAMARITAL sex

[Anonymous No.11029253]

https://infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/contradictions.html

Organized religion is a scam.

[Anonymous No.11029258]

>>11028861
What made you believe op?

[Anonymous No.11029261]

>>11028939
>Silent contemplation, fasting, vigil, abstinence from sex, masturbation, drugs, alcohol, porn, junk food, soda or other sugary drinks, sugar in general, possibly meat if you care
What about 4chan

[Anonymous No.11029309]

>>11029258
I started praying and reading the bible and it all
started to make sense. I was unhappy about a lot of things beforehand for stupid reasons and I realized that
there is a lot more to be learned from hard situations than there are from easy ones.
I realized when i was truly happy I didn't want anything and during those times mostly i was a christian and i felt right about life. And going back I feel so much better. Every day has been better since I started praying and believing in God again.

[Anon No.11029743]

>>11028861
Hello Brother Anon! You've found Him, finally, He has missed you so.
>1)The purpose of prayer is a lot like meditation, to set your mind at ease and focus more clearly. For example, before typing is read from the psalms "The lord is our shepherd, to lay me in the grass that is soft, and sit beside us as we drink from clear waters" I remember without Him I felt so lost, choosing grass that was think and hurt myself, drinking from a toilet in a jail cell. I can now with such ease let His words take my body and tell you that anon there is no wrong way to pray, like silly questions they say. If you do it for no other reason than to justify actions you know are wrong than the prayer is just for yourself and not God.

>2)Enjoy his creation, Live on his Earth and treat all that's around you with the same respect you should show yourself. Heaven is hard and takes lots of work, but Pagans and Atheists have just as much right to share in His divine delight. But frankly, you will not hear the voice of the Lord, unless you're truly blessed until you read His Gospel and the *whole* rest of the works. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John set up the act using OT as the undeniable proof that this Man we know as Jesus was the true Son of God. The Acts and Epistles help to show how this word can be heard and employed by everyone. Don't do this for vanity or some ulterior motive. Heaven is hard, but enjoying our time here is our real job.

>3)I remember in Lutheran school I had asked this same question and was told "What are you asking? Don't question God" This left me quite sore for quite a long time, so to find an answer that is not in The Bible I looked at the other works that He has given us to conclude that in His seven days, there once was a time when there was no man, only beasts that laid out the grand plan. Monkeys were put here some time after all that, to toil as soulless and feel no real pain. When the monkeys were ready as God did suppose, He breathed His soul into us and went back for a rest. It didn't take long though for the Creation to ask: "Hu, ya know, I can do better, I think. I'll put on some clothes and eat what I please because there is probably so much outside the Eden Walls. Now look at Mesopotamia, the gardens long gone, because all we could do was fight Him for more, more, more.

Christian theology is no more complex than taking a step back and thinking "I'm such a mess; even though everything perfect in its own unique way; Two Hydrogen, One Oxygen is all some life demands, but we're his chosen, He gives us these tests, to see if His Kingdom is fit for our eternal rest. I could, If I want, I suppose to do a lot of harm and ill things and claim Deus Vult, but that is just using His Powerful Name to justify Your actions only in vain.
Any more questions please ask away, anything unclear just tell me up straight. True Christians need not hide behind thin faux walls to justify their sinful actions. They know they are monkeys given a gift

[Anon No.11029797]

>>11029743
Non-Practicing Catho That's how my Dad had baptized me with direction from Grandma, yet later in life Moms new love in life said: "This boy must be raised the Protestant way!"
This was where I first understood what my Dad had taught me in pre-school. But being forced to stand humiliated in front of my teacher when I could not find it in me to remember one line exactly as it was written in our little kids Bible Books.
Now later in life I don't know quite exactly what is in store, so I have yet to be 100& confirmed into Catholic indoctrination, but I still give it a try, 2018 is a wonderful time! All you need for Him to come through to you is read His Words Carefully for the hold the Truth. I suggest a Guideons Bible and Dictionary to really get the meter on time (^: Have fun within the context of the lines, pronunciation is all received and our language was formed long after He spoke, yet somehow these truths all made it quite intact. If you ever feel hurt by what God has done, remember how He made His Son carry a cross so heavy you don't know, and yes even He dropped it 3 times,

[Anon No.11029821]

>>11029797
you know.
I apologise for me speeling I know it looks crass, but I'm so filled with joy at how true the verse is Luke 12:11,12 "11 When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
Don't double-think so hard, gut feeling and that unease you get forcing opinions and defending your arrogance are all melted away when God is allowed in.

[Anonymous No.11029836]

>>11028861
Question three. Forget it. Biblical literalism is for retards, whether they be Christians, atheists, or... eghhh... gnostics.

[Anon No.11029837]

>>11029821
If your friends have a question, you would hope they would ask? So always be ready to show what you mean, because every Truth that we live under was first written down, not in the Holy Bible but probably by some Man who just was akin to the world all around him, back then though they didn't exactly know how to use them. Christ Jesus was sent to form a new covenant and show all creation just how much He does love us.

[Anonymous No.11029879]

>>11028861
>converted from atheism to straight up contemporary religion

you're doing it wrong anon

but if you're baiting me, good job.

[Anonymous No.11029892]

>>11028993
>I was like you a couple of months ago.

[Anonymous No.11029900]

>>11029836
That's not what the bible says, heretic.

[Anonymous No.11029926]

>>11029837
Thank you, I really appreciate your words and sentiment.
When I did go to church, I didn't understand why we would sing or what the significance of it was, how should I get into it at church and what's the best way to help convert are comrades on earth who've fallen out of or don't believe in Jesus?

[Anonymous No.11029940]

you guys all sound dumb

[Anonymous No.11029946]

>>11029926
>he's actually serious

got damn son, there are other ways to get over trauma

[Anonymous No.11029959]

>>11029940
>>11029946
think what you will, I feel my life has meaning.

[Anonymous No.11029969]

>>11029959
Have you read 12 rules for life by Our Guru Jordan B Peterson?

[Anonymous No.11029976]

>>11029969
nope

[Anonymous No.11029980]

>>11029976
You should. He's the smartest Christian I know of.

[Anonymous No.11029989]

>>11028861
>3

Evolution and the Catholic Church

Early contributions to biology were made by Catholic scientists such as Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and the Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel. Since the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species in 1859, the attitude of the Catholic Church on the theory of evolution has slowly been refined. For nearly a century, the papacy offered no authoritative pronouncement on Darwin's theories. In the 1950 encyclical Humani generis, Pope Pius XII confirmed that there is no intrinsic conflict between Christianity and the theory of evolution, provided that Christians believe that the individual soul is a direct creation by God and not the product of purely material forces.

In an October 22, 1996, address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Pope John Paul II updated the Church's position to accept evolution of the human body:

In his encyclical Humani generis (1950), my predecessor Pius XII has already affirmed that there is no conflict between evolution and the doctrine of the faith regarding man and his vocation, provided that we do not lose sight of certain fixed points. ... Today, more than a half-century after the appearance of that encyclical, some new findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than a hypothesis. In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies—which was neither planned nor sought—constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994, revised 1997)

283. The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers....

[Anonymous No.11029996]

>>11029900
Its what reality says

[Anonymous No.11030000]

>>11028861
I ain't got any answers to your questions. But I recommend Soren Kierkegaard for all your Christian interests

[Anonymous No.11030037]

>>11028861
>2

Mt 5:16
Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

Mt 25:34-36
Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'

[Anonymous No.11030144]

>>11028861
unrelated, but I'm about to read the bible for the first time. Anyone have any recommendations on which version I should read?

[Anon No.11030158]

>>11029926
We sing because it feels good anon, but in today's churches, it feels almost wrong. Trying to force emotion that is so naturally flowing. "Bless the Lord O my soul" sounded ridiculous until I realized how easily it stuck in my head and flowed like mature wine whenever I wanted. Singing I feel is the natural way to speak, but it doesn't really neat to have a certain beat. That's why I had said look for the meter, it makes life so clear.
It is up to God to bring His heard back, not you. The point of spreading His word and truth is that you lead by example and help when someone asks. Always remember where the truth doth come from and He will do the rest for you and your friends. Just relax, really man, Christian means nothing more than "Christ-like" If something seems off, just ask someone there is so much good knowledge to be had in this world. To turn the other cheek, means less "let others do as they please" but as I see it "don't let them hurt you again the same way" People will always cast stones at you my son but remember you take them for Him and to learn.

[Anon No.11030163]

>>11029959
Good response

>>11029976
listen to >>11029980
everything is given for a reason

[Anon No.11030211]

As a Christian, I must confess for those who do not know, to masturbate, smoke, and have a little vice is nothing that is inherently wrong. This is where your freedom of choice comes in because enjoying is not a sin; gluttony is. I'm taking a girl out on a date, she has fallen for me because I've shown her His light, I don't wish to make a fool of myself on first impressions, so I'll jerk off a night or two before to release stress. All for a reason, my son. Cigarettes cause cancer, but really what can't here in the 21st century, so to incense my body and send unconscious prayers up, just like Native Americans thought. "A life without some vice is not life at all" is a quote I first heard in this great movie here, the lesson it's taught is so simple yet lost. All is Quiet on the Great Western Front.

[Anon No.11030215]

>>11030144
Gideons, there's no hidden meaning, just trying to spread the Gospel and works along with the Psalms and Proverbs. Most versions come with a "For help in times of..." start that is a fantastic way to begin if lost.

[Anonymous No.11030248]

>>11028861
Catholic here
1.)Yes, that is encouraged
2.) Go to church often, talk with your priest/pastor

[Anonymous No.11030262]

>>11029261
Serious answer: It depends. Obviously stay off the NSFW/porn boards, stuff like /lit/ I would use in moderation. If it is consuming your life then stop, if you are getting your opinions and worldview shaped by us then stop, but as long as you are being smart I see no problem. Same goes for Internet/social media in general.

[Anonymous No.11030274]

>>11029926
Gotta listen to some chant man! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_FRuDCzlm0

[Anon No.11030282]

>>11030262
It truly is amazing to me, that something as simple as moderation is lost to us now.

[Anon No.11030288]

>>11028924
>6 literal days
A day to the Father is something awesome to us

[Anonymous No.11030292]

>>11028861
Dinosaurs and other animals weren't mentioned becuase the Bible is about the journey of the Israelite. We can only possibly think that dinosaurs weren't in Israel or Rome

[Anonymous No.11030296]

>>11030282
Indeed

[Anon No.11030323]

>>11030000
To deny the advice of quads is the highest form of heresy ~Leo XIII

[Anonymous No.11030350]

>>11030323
Quads do not necessarily signify truth - St. Maria Goretti.

[Anonymous No.11030428]

>>11030350
>Soren Kierkegaard
dubs do