What's a good comic to start reading?

mcpwns · 1 month

My Top 5 Book Reccomendations:

Action Comics: Chronicles the early years of Superman and is a great introduction to the character. A great jumping off point into the world of Superman and his mythology.
Wonder Woman: The current run is probably the best run Wonder Woman has ever had. She battles mythological deities and creatures to protect the our world from the Olympian God's.
Aquaman: A great light hearted run for the character. Aquaman is the best he's been in years with a clever writing staff and a likable cast of characters.
Justic League: Pretty average as far as comics go, but for a new reader it's a good place to start. You get to see Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Cyborg come together as a team and battle the most powerful forces in the DC universe. If you aren't sure what you want to read, pick up Justice leage and get a feel for the characters.
Demon Knights: A team book that takes place in the middle ages. It's a great book of swords, sorcery, and epic battles. It's not your average superhero comic book, but it's one of the best books to come out this year.

All of these series are only 7 or 8 issues into their run so it will be easy to catch up at this point. If you have trouble hunting down any of he issues you can buy digital copies and store them online at comixology.com. Best of luck!

mrcrowder · 1 month

I will look into that. I know there is a Korean church in the area, but not sure about Chinese. Thanks for the tip!

MrCronkite · 1 month

Here's my rainbow WWJD bracelet, I keep it on my keys because it doesn't fit on my wrist. It's about the only proof I have.

MrCronkite · 1 month

Just wait a while and it will go away. Gay marriage is probably one of the top 3 favorite topics to debate in r/christianity. I am a homosexual christian and even I think it gets old really quickly, but it's something people want to discuss and talk about. What usually happens is one person asks a question or puts up a post about homosexuality in the christian faith that gets a lot of attention (being a hot button issue and all). This inspires a lot of people to post about it. Give it a while and it will die down and go away for a few weeks. I usually respond to one or two posts, but after that I just skip them. Eventually people realize that the discussion is going in a circle and everyone moves on to different topics.

scubadivingzoo · 1 month

Thank you for your kind words. I think it's a shame that people so often feel afraid or discouraged from sharing their ideas and beliefs just because there is a chance someone will dissagree. I like hearing other peoples ideas. I frequent r/christianity a lot, but I also read most of the posts in r/islam, r/buddhism, and r/deism. I find that one can study other peoples beliefs all day, but nothing beats actually reading and participating in discussions about it. As far as those that get angry over other people's beliefs I think Donald Millar said it best when he said:

Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don’t believe in God and they can prove He doesn't exist, and there are some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter, and honestly I don’t care about that.

scubadivingzoo · 1 month

I think Deism has some really good points. I think Deists are correct in that God is too vast of a concept/being to be fully grasped by man, and I think it foolish to try to limit God by trying to force him into our limited theology.

I think the book of Job hit the nail on the head when the author wrote

"Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea." -Job 11:7-9

I believe that is why the Christian religion (and pretty much all other religions) requires one to have faith. Deep concepts must be told in parables and stories in order for man to understand the truths that God reveals. When God speaks to Moses he tells him in Ex 3:14 that "I AM WHO I AM" and Moses simply understands that this is a God who is.

Now I subscribe to the Christian faith because I believe Jesus spoke truth about God and how we should live our lives. In this way I would say that God is active and does care about his creation. I would also say that God does reveal truth about himself to us, rather than simply leaving us with nothing but a vast universe to gaze at and wonder.

Summary:

I Do Believe

God Exists
God Created The Universe
God Gave Humans The Ability To Reason
God Is Beyond Human Understanding

I Do Not Believe

God Is Inactive
God Is Distant
Miracles Cannot Occur
God Does Not Reveal Truths About Himself Through Religion

scubadivingzoo · 1 month

As someone who is a Christian minister by profession I can maybe give you some hint of what he might do. I would guess that he will probably just try to understand what you do and do not believe. From there he will probably throw in some ideas of his own to see how you respond. Depending on his personality he could go hell fire and brimstone, or he might just want a nice theological discussion. I wish there was a cover all answer, but ministers are made up of so many differenty types of people it's almost impossible to predict how they will respond to a situation like this. Just be respectful and honest, his intentions are good even if he doesn't respond in a way that we would hope he would. Best of luck!

Redditor_Please · 1 month

Southern Baptist's come to mind, but I don't think they even take scripture as literally as they sometimes claim they do. I would say that there aren't many who would claim a 100% literal reading of scripture, but I don't know any figures off the top of my head.

Personally I don't think it's possible to take the entire bible literally. For starters there are conflicting teachings and claims that create a paradox for anyone who thinks every single scripture is to be taken as the literal and infallable word of God. For example, in the first two chapters of the bible there are two different creation accounts with a different order of events. If someon were to take a 100% literal view of every passage then they have a problem right out of the gate. An allegorical reading of the same passage eliminates that problem and simply views creation accounts as a way the author/authors of Genesis establised the theological foundation which scriptures build upon. The account sets up the truth claims that God always existed, God created the universe, once mankind recieved knowledge of good and evil they chose evil, and the chance of perfect earth was lost when man chose evil. That's just one example, the bible is full of stories that proclaim truth even if they are not historical or scientific. Jesus Christ was a big fan of parables and teaching messages through stories that are most likely not based on actual events.

Redditor_Please · 1 month

It depends on how you view scripture. If you aren't a practicioner of the faith then it's completely optional whether you accept the claims the bible makes about truth and morality. If you are a practicioner of the faith you have to answer some questions. Is the passage literal or allegorical? Was it was written for a specific person or audience? Was it written to be a universal truth? What would a commandment of this nature have meant at the time and place of it's writing? Things like this must be factored into declaring something "wrong" or "right" according to scripture.

Redditor_Please · 1 month

Ruth and Boaz come to mind as well as Moses and Zipporah. Zipporah even redeems Moses when he fails to circumcise his child, thus saving his life. I will say that the bible definitely records more marital/relational problems than it does perfect love stories. This might be due to the fact that the idea of marriage on the basis of love often took a back seat to marriage on the basis of social class and land distribution. You will notice that most commandments on marriage are about providing, protecting, and respecting, while loving almost seems optional.

hoffer175 · 1 month

Action Comics

hoffer175 · 1 month

Demon Knights

hoffer175 · 1 month

Allow me to introduce you to the insane world of Japanese Spider-man. It was probably one the strangest incarnation of Spiderman since Spider-ham.

azcolumbia · 1 month

I thought a similar thing. I think this woman was brave for keeping it. It might not be ideal, but she still chose to raise a child as opposed to taking a quick fix.

guiltythrowaway22 · 1 month

Gay male christian here. I'm going to assume you are not a troll and treat this seriously. I advise you to visit the Gay Christian Network and read up on the issue. There are several sides to the issue, and it is helpful to figure out where you stand. Some people think you can be "cured" or change. I don't think this is a good mentality because sexuality is extremely ingrained in who we are. I've seen people go into depression when they seek to change their orientation and cannot do so. If you hold this view tread carefully and don't beat yourself up if things don't go like you think they should.

Other people think homosexuality is natural and cannot be changed. I think this is a healthier mentality to approach the issue, but that is strictly my opinion. This camp is split between those who do not believe homosexuality conflicts with the christian faith, and those who think that homosexuality is natural, but that gay people should seek celibacy if they chose to follow the path of Christianity.

I would find someone you trust to talk about this. I've lost a lot of good people because they bottled stuff like this up and went down a dark path. I would also try to figure out where you stand on the issue and know why you believe the way you do. Don't let anyone ever tell you that God hates you, or that you are somehow beyond God's ability to love you.

Edit: Here's the GCN's youtube channel. I find that they are very helpful resources when I work with young people in a situation like yours. There are other perspectives out there, but I like these guys because they speak from experience. I think it is good to get a perspective on the issue from other gay christians as opposed to those on the outside looking in.

buylocal745 · 1 month

I'm not opposed to liberation theology, but we need to remember to keep it in context. Christ did not expect for there to ever be a perfect society, or that his teachings would ever lead to peace on earth (John 18:36; Mark 14:7; Matthew 10:34-39). I don't see anything wrong with liberation theology as long as we recognize that ultimately our goal is to reflect the love of Christ, not to set up a perfect system of government or a classless society of peace and harmony.

TheBobaDett · 1 month

"This is my fathers world" by Jadon Lavik or any version of Amazing Grace.

Dailyview · 1 month

Personally I would chose The Gospel of John as my favorite movie version of Jesus. I realize the Passion was a great film to help people realize the brutality of crucifixion and the suffering during the trial and death of Christ, but I would prefer that films focus on the life and ministry of Christ more so than Passion.

While not my favorite Gospel, The Gospel of John managed to follow the scripture as best as a film possibly could. The acting was decent throughout and my complaints are few. I personally would have preferred to see "The Gospel of Luke", but I understand that John is the most popular and makes the most sense to convert to film.

Phildo__ · 1 month

On of my biggest pet peeves is when someone (atheist or theist) quotes a biblical passage way out of context. I understand that not everyone has a grasp of the cultural, theological, and language differences that existed at the time of the writings, but sometimes people pull out a scripture and say it means something where just reading the entire chapter that it comes from reveals that that's not what it meant. It's important to know who wrote the book, who they were writting to, why they wrote it, and where in context the verse came from before it get's thrown around to back up whatever agenda you want it to.

koklo · 1 month

I have always been under the impresson that God is far too vast to be fully grasped (Ex 3:14; Job 11:7-12;), and I think it foolish to try to force or limit God into religion. A God that can be fully understood by human minds is far too small to be the same God who designed the universe (in my opinion). I am a Christian becasue that is where I found God. God revealed himself to me through Jesus in his life and teachings. I feel God's presence and a deep connection to God and the universe through my Christian faith. My only evidence is the connection I feel with God. I cannot make claims as to the validity of the beliefs of others, only that God found me through Christianity and that I am happier and at peace because of it.

DundahMifflin · 1 month

It can be hard to break bad habbits or start new ones. I had a similar situation happen to me back in the day, and I can relate to a lot of what you are going through. Here's my advice:

1) Try new churches out. There's no rule that says you have to commit to anything you visit, and you can always go back to your old church if you don't like what you find. I just think it's a good idea to separate yourself from a potentially hostile or awkward situations, at least for a while. Have fun, meet new people, and try out several different denominations and church styles, who knows.

2) Go to church with friends, or take friends with you. It's comforting to have someone you know you will know beside you, and it makes transitions easier, at least it did for me.

3) Don't beat yourself up over missing church. So you miss a few weeks, and you missed easter this year. God want's to spend time with you regardless of setting. The point of church is to provide a place where people can commune with other believers, worship God together, and encourage one another. When church becomes a duty or a task one does to meet some kind of guilt tripped social obligation the point of church is lost.

Stay strong, keep your chin up, and don't stress so much. God loves you and there's nothing you can do to make him feel otherwise.

oughton42 · 1 month

Not sure if it's a hymn, but Fred Hammond's Celebrate is the somg I'll be grooving to all day today.

zoobiezoob · 3 months

The biggest difference is where Blues originates. Blues started off as the music of the poor and marginalized minorities. It sprung up from the slave songs and developed during the times of racial tension in the American South.

Emo music generated as a branch of Punk-Rock in the 80's, and is the result of the angry white youth of American. It has become most popular among the suburban middle class youth.

Not to stereotype, but the problem with comparing Blues music to Emo music is in the connotation's that come with the word "Emo." Despite it's original purpose or definition, "Emo" has come to imply someone who complains because they are over emotional or have some kind of suppressed guilt that comes with having a lack of any true real problems. I'm not saying this stereotype is true, but it's what people think of when comparisons like this are made.

stefer · 3 months

The Lorax- By Dr. Seuss or Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. I can't pick between the two of them.

mrcrowder

TROPHY CASE

you'll need to login or register to do that

create a new account

login