religious ocd

@julianofnorwich Sure

@G C https://youtu.be/kBtuW4diYcw?feature=shared Here's a podcast I really like. They have of Bible teachers making the Bible less scary and more understandable to regular people.

@julianofnorwich Thank you

@julianofnorwich And what are your thoughts of like the rapture?? I think I want to believe it but I also don’t know it’s hard when like Christian’s have different opinions and that’s whay discernment is for. But like the Lord tells people different things so I just don’t get it if he said one thing to someone and then something different to another person

@julianofnorwich Yes yes yes!!! Lol 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I wasn’t sure how to respond to this post, because I know I have a tendency to want to “fix” people’s issues, and ultimately I can’t. But I’m a Christian who has been through theological deconstruction, and I find posts and videos like the ones highlighted here to be harmful, and even more so for someone struggling with religious OCD. You have to go on your own theological journey, and discover the ancient truths for yourself. The apostles (authors of the New Testament) would NOT have been familiar with the rapture, or “end times” as we think of them today (this kind of thinking is quite modern). Resources that really helped me: - Anything by N. T. Wright - BibleProject podcast and YouTube videos - Voxology podcast - This podcast episode on Revelation: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/st-matthews-bible-study-revelation/id1775520638?i=1000674058546 Best of luck. This was such a hard journey for me (I now understand this was because of OCD). Have courage and if possible find a community that has a more ancient (orthodox) understanding and practice.

@G C I no longer believe in the rapture because I researched it a lot and learned many Bible scholars do not teach it. But even that I have to hold uncertainty that I might be wrong. It's hard but it has helped me with my OCD. Here's a quote that helped me a lot: The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty-- Anne Lamott. The apostle Paul said we see as through a darkened glass. Anyone who says they understand God and the Bible completely and perfectly are lying because there is no way to do that. We do our best and deal with the uncertainty as best we can. And God gives us grace for the rest!

@julianofnorwich Uncertainty is so so hard I hate it

@G C I understand. Remember Peter was uncertain when he stepped out on the water as the storm was raging. But Jesus held him up and rescued him. He is with you in the uncertainty, he has never left you and never will. That much I know because even when I felt condemned and God abandoned me , he kept me afloat until the next morning.

@julianofnorwich What should I do I usually delete everything that brings me stress but then I feel like I’m just ignoring the facts and truths

@julianofnorwich By pretending they aren’t there then just focusing on other things instead might be a distraction

@G C I think you can delete whatever christian content is giving you stress. Remember Jesus doesn't reside in "christian content and influencers" He lives in you! So it's OK to ignore any content that's giving you stress right now. Do whatever makes you more whole and God will be there!

@Matt L. I've heard of the Bible Project. I need to get into it lol

@julianofnorwich BibleProject was a life-saver for me back during my scary season of uncertainty about God, the Bible, and my faith. Their videos are usually 5-10 minutes long and very easy to consume. I agree that we can’t fully understand God and the Bible right now; no understanding is perfect. But looking back in history and the tradition of the church helps us understand what the church has always believed, since the beginning, vs. what new interpretations emerged in the 1800s in America (rapture, dispensationalism, etc.). So there is no “best” or perfect theology or understanding; but there is definitely “better” or “healthier,” more orthodox understanding and interpretation. Navigating all this is even more challenging with OCD. I have so much compassion for it, as I went through it. What kept me going was just the simple idea that God is loving; so if something seems scary or off, there’s likely something I don’t understand about the context, and I eventually learned to be okay with it.

@Matt L. My totally non expert opinion is that dispensationalism fostered the growth of a lot of mental issues in the western church. Unfortunately! Thanks for chatting Matt!

@julianofnorwich I can totally see that 😔 it’s really scary stuff, and also hurts the witness of the church, by confusing what the Christian hope really is ☹️ Good chatting with you too