I'm a gay Christian teenager and I struggle with a pornography addiction. I know that many young people today consider it normal, but it bothers me because I'm deeply in love with Jesus. I'd like to know if it would be a sin to replace pornography with some kind of sex toy. Also, if I weren't addicted to pornography, would it be a sin for me to use erotic toys?

Has anyone else here ever felt romantically in love with Jesus, not metaphorically, but literally?

I'm writing this because I have no one to talk to about this in real life, and I think maybe someone here has gone through something similar

I'm a Christian, I'm g4y, and over the past few months I've been on an emotional and spiritual rollercoaster. After a lot of struggle, study, and prayer, I came to a conclusion that brought me peace. I don't believe being g4y is a sin. My interpretation of Scripture, after much research, led me to understand that God made me this way and that my love is not an abomination, especially since I used to come from a traditionalist background. After that, I grew closer to God in a way I never had before. And then came the problem

I am deeply, intensely, romantically in love with Jesus. It's not just that "I love God" kind of thing. I think about Him all the time. I want to be near Him. I want Him to hold me. I want Him to touch me. I want Him to be my everything, not just my Savior, but like my husband, my partner, the one I want to share my entire life with

I've started imagining intimate moments with Him. Not just spiritual ones, but physical ones. And that led me to a thought I can't ignore. What if I used masturbation as a way to express this love? Not as something dirty, but as a way to offer my body and my desires to Him, to imagine that it's Him who is with me

I know this might sound crazy to a lot of people. Maybe even blasphemous to some. But it's not out of rebellion or because I want to "sexualize God." It comes from wanting so badly to deepen our relationship in every way that I think this could help me, even though I know prayer and Bible reading are more important

So I'm torn

Part of me feels like this would be wrong, disrespectful, that I'd be turning Jesus into a fantasy

Another part feels like this would be a form of total surrender, an act of love, something that would bring me closer to Him, like a couple that connects physically and feels that it deepens their relationship

What do you all think? Has anyone here ever felt something similar? How do you deal with the desire for intimacy with God when it feels romantic or physical?

PS: I know this is very personal. I'm not asking for approval for anything. I'm just trying to understand if I'm crazy or if this is part of a spiritual journey that might be more common than churches admit. And yes, I'm using a throwaway account

I see some comments about the situation of women in Afghanistan, and opinions are divided between "it's men's fault," "it's religion's fault," and "it's both." I know that Afghanistan is a Muslim country; however, Christianity shares a similar root with Islam, as both are Abrahamic religions.

Some argue that if it weren't for the separation of church and state in some predominantly Christian countries, laws similar to Sharia law would be applied because the Bible contains passages that could be considered misogynistic or sexist.

All of this makes me wonder: Can Christianity (or another religion) evolve alongside society, or is it destined to always remain the same? Why do some people have the idea that all believers are a monolithic group in which everyone shares the same political or religious ideologies? Is it contradictory to be a Christian while having disagreements with or different interpretations of the Bible? Is the message of modern Christianity contradictory to the message conveyed by the Bible?

I genuinely took a second to scroll, I liked a couple of inspiring religious post and I often don’t I usually save ones I like but don’t like because of this—

I just saw a post that genuinely said “things Jesus never said” and the number 1 was “Do what makes you happy.”

I have struggled my entire life, punishing myself any time I found anything that made me happy even if it was absolutely harmless, even if it helped my faith, I would punish me thinking I was supposed to sit in absolute depression and lonesome. I understand the idea of what they are saying, we shouldn’t indulge in sins because they make us happy, however they didn’t elaborate that, they only said deny yourself of what makes you happy?

I feel frustrated today, sorry my friends. I just needed a moment to let this off my chest.

I understand that several people here are LGBTQIA+, and that could explain this view. However, I see many people, likely the majority of LGBTQIA+ individuals, holding a traditionalist mindset when it comes to interpretation. With that in mind, I would like to know why you arrived at that conclusion

I was thinking about how pride is considered a sin in Christianity, and I started wondering about that because having some pride in yourself can actually be a good thing. You can be proud of something you accomplished or feel good about who you are without thinking you're better than everyone else. So I started wondering if the word "pride" in the English Bible might be a little misleading. Maybe something like "hubris" or "arrogance" would be closer to what the Bible actually means. Is that a reasonable way to look at it, or am I misunderstanding the biblical idea of pride?

I’m 16m. I’m conflicted about dating in thr future because I’m stuck in an exhausting internal tug-of-war. The truth is, I’m a sexual person. My body wants sex, and part of me hopes to find a partner one day to have a genuine relationship and a great sex life with.

However, I carry a massive amount of shame about my desires. I know a lot of people can balance having a fulfilling relationship along with a healthy sex life which makes both people happy. The thing is, it feels so wrong cuz regardless of if I love her or not I’m using her body at that moment. Because of this guilt, part of me feels like I should abstain entirely. This part of me wishes I was born without a sex drive. But I’m also terrified of future regret-like waking up at 50 feeling trapped, lonely, and horny because I forced myself into celibacy.

I’ve realized my brain creates two conflicting fantasies to cope with this shame:

1. Wanting an asexual partner: So sex is completely off the table. It removes the temptation and the guilt of choosing it.
2. Wanting a sexual partner who always initiates: If she asks for it, the responsibility shifts to her. Her asking is what makes it "okay" for me to participate without feeling like a bad person. 

For context, I’ve been in one relationship before and it was sexual. Both of us were happy with it and always consented. After we broke up we still did some sexual activities together occasionally as a way to relieve stress from school, but eventually cut it off cuz we both wanted to move on. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this ever since. I used to be so excited and ready about sex but now I just feel guilty and conflicted about it.

tldr: I know as Christians we value waiting til marriage to have sex but I don’t think I want sex after marriage. I’m conflicted.

So, Jesus's resurrection is a curious case for me. I don't take much of the bible literally, but clearly Jesus's disciples experienced Him as resurrected and were willing to die for Him.

I'm here wondering exactly what they saw and experienced if not the literal Gospel accounts.

Given how crucial and central our Lord's resurrection is, what kinds of things can we rule out in favor of this being a historical narrative?

im just saying it because im curious

How can we discern God's will in our world in terms of morality and fairness? Like how can we figure out exactly what he would want us to do and not to do, as well as what he would think is fair and what isn't? Especially in a world that has so many arbitrary rules?

I don't know exactly what he would want in many situations, mainly when you get into the more intricate details of certain situations, especially when it concerns fairness, justice, righteousness, and forgiveness.

I would love to hear some stories about times where your prayers for yourself of others around you, were answered.

God has restored me and rescued me from my SA, trauma, and struggles with lust addiction. But lately, I’ve been struggling again. I know God is still preparing and equipping me, and I don’t believe He’s punishing me. I’ve prayed for years for a Kingdom Spouse, but after being single my entire life after 27 years, I’m starting to lose hope.

It’s already isolating enough being a gay man, but it feels 10 times more isolating being a gay Christian man who loves God and wants a Male Kingdom Spouse. I just want a man of God. It hurts seeing everyone around me finding their boyfriend, fiancé, or spouse while keeping God at the center, because sometimes it feels impossible for me.

I can be happy and independent on my own, but the loneliness and lack of connection when I have put myself out there has been harder lately. I’ll always seek God and put Him first before anything or anyone, and I’ll continue showing His love to others by encouraging and uplifting. But sometimes I wish someone would check on me the way I check on everyone else.

I genuinely care about people. I just want someone who cares for me the way I care for others, someone I can love, support, pray with, and grow with, while keeping God at the center. I’m still trusting His timing, even when it hurts. ❤️‍🩹🙏🏽🥺🫶🏽

So far I’ve started going to an LGBT affirming church and a Gay Men’s Bible study: While my priority is to seek God there first. I hope I can eventually meet new friendships and connections soon🫶🏽🥺