I know the type of churches you're referring to... they feel like motivational speaking with a religious slant. Very marketing focused to try to draw in a younger, more modern crowd. Large emphasis on music and video production. Much of what they teach is very shallow and the truths they deal in are the same as you might find from any motivational speaker. IMHO very little of substance to be found there.
I recommended checking out Pentacostal churches. I'm not Pentacostal but I've had friends who are and their churches tend to be much more traditional and wholesome. In my experience the people are all very friendly too.
Good luck to you. I hope you can find what you're looking for.
It sounds like a reference to the John Lennon song where they fantasize about a godless and hedonistic utopian socialist society.
These people think godlessness and hedonism are heaven on earth when in reality it creates hell on earth.
What does a non-Christian look for in a church experience? I'm curious.
I've recently been trying several churches but still haven't found one to convince me to attend consistently. I am a devout Christian though, so my reasons are almost certainly different than yours.
I'm right there behind you at 39 years old and single.
I regret not looking for a partner when I was in my 20s. For various reasons (my own fault), I didn't really understand or appreciate how fulfilling it is to have an deep relationship with another human being or how rewarding it can be to have a wife and kids of your own. I've been living a selfish, self-centered life but now that I'm financially and professional successful, I'm beginning to realize what I'm missing.
In order to start a family at this age, practically speaking I'd need to find a partner in their late 20's or early 30's at their oldest, meaning a ~10-15 year age gap. Additionally, I would want to find a traditional Christian woman, most of who usually marry young (which is good advice for young women).
It's just so much more complicated to try to start a family at this age. My advice for young people, particularly young Christians, is to find someone you love and marry young. There are many reasons for this beyond the reasons I've listed above.
Competition is a natural part of being a man. Modern sport is just a replacement for the more brutal, warlike competitions that men would engage in during ages past. These are natural things for men to be interested in, and they have many advantages such as teaching self-discipline and encouraging physical fitness.
The problem isn't playing sports or watching sports, it's escapism. If you're obsessed with sports as a way to avoid your problems and neglect other aspects of your life, then it's a problem. This is true for all forms of escapism, whether it be movies, television, food, videogames, etc. Escapism is okay in small doses but it is very easy to fall into a cycle of constant escapism which can make you end up filled with regret for a wasted life.
Jon Stewart was cut from the same cloth as Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher and many other self-styled "old school liberals". Some of them play the game of being fair, balanced and reasonable but they're essentially fools who can't draw lines of correlation between the people they support and the disastrous outcomes that follow in their wake.
They all think large government and authoritarian government are completely unrelated, so they continue to vote for larger government then act surprised when government continues to grow ever more authoritarian.
They all continue to support mainstream Democrats and then act surprised when Democrat constituency groups -- who are utterly insane -- continue to grow in influence and power.
They balk at the most extreme aspects of identity politics but can't seem to draw any correlation between the influence of these groups and the politicians that they continue to support and put in positions of power over and over.
Some of them are more well-intentioned and honest than others, but they're essentially the blind leading the blind, with no actual political wisdom or insight. People -- particularly young people -- just liked them because they were charismatic and witty. Now those people are growing up and realizing there's no wisdom underneath all those layers of charisma.
Do you know who doesn't prioritize black survival?
Blacks (as the vast majority of black murders are committed by other blacks) and Democrats (who coral them into the inner cities and keep them poor and dependent for generation after generation).
“Evil cannot create anything new, they can only corrupt and ruin what good forces have invented or made.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien
Not entirely true, but mostly true.
EDIT: In reality, this isn't a direct quote but a paraphrase of two things J.R.R. wrote in his books:
"No, they eat and drink, Sam. The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own. I don't think it gave life to the orcs, it only ruined them and twisted them; and if they are to live at all, they have to live like other living creatures." -- The Return of The King
For the Orcs had life and multiplied after the manner of the Children of Ilúvatar; and naught that had life of its own, nor the semblance of life, could ever Melkor make since his rebellion in the Ainulindalë before the Beginning: so say the wise. -- The Silmarillion
Slavery was a universal part of human society until the rise of liberal democracy throughout the world. Predominantly white, western nations were the first in history to ban slavery en-masse, yet get all the blame for it's existence in the first place.
It doesn't make sense, because it's not intended to make sense. The entire racism narrative in the USA and the West is intended to divide people and create unrest so that Marxists/Communists can overthrow liberal democracy and institute their own regimes in their stead.
This isn't exactly a secret. Look up Yuri Bezmenov and the 45 Communist Goals by W. Cleon Skousen. I'd say most people are just idiots who follow whatever ideology satisfies their personal ego or desires, but the objectives and end goals are undoubtedly Communist.
Insightful observation. I think you're probably right.
They will criticize both sides as long as there's nothing substantial at stake because it makes them look reasonable and buys themselves credibility, but when the chips are down and taking a position really matters, their true allegiances will manifest clearly.
Women are easily deceived.
Biblically speaking, this is because women were created as a helper/companion for men.
Evolutionarily speaking, this is because men need to the ability to seduce and keep women in order to procreate.
In either case, this means it makes sense for women to be more susceptible to suggestion and less inclined to challenge or question everything they hear. I believe Jordan Peterson identifies this as the "agreeableness" trait. Unfortunately, agreeableness doesn't make for truth-seeking or leadership, both of which require the willingness be disagreeable and go against the flow if required.
PS. Sorry in advance for any triggered women. This doesn't diminish your value as a person in any way. Men and women have equal value in the eyes of God but different roles and strengths. We are all just playing the roles we are given.
I’d say the fact that something as simple as a romantic breakup can make you bitter and angry towards all women rather proves which perspective is the more mature and rational one.
Yes, I would say “hate the rape, not the rapist”, but this takes an incredible amount of maturity and understanding that most people simply don’t have, especially when you’re the victim and struggling with all of the negative emotions that come with that.
There’s also the mystery and power of forgiveness, which again, most won’t understand but which plays a huge role in all of this.
I'm all for detaching yourself from modern media and refusing to fund the enemy -- kudos to you for that -- but doing it simply because people in it are black or brown or female is an over-reaction. The Left weaponizes all sorts of things against the Right, but it's a bad move to let them shape your morality and values even if it's in the opposite direction. You're still giving them control in the end if you do this. We should be on the side of truth regardless of what our enemy does.
Also, maybe my memory is failing me but I can't think of a single gay character in The Expanse.
Maybe I'm just a mature adult who understands why things don't always work out.
I also don't view people as representative of some group rather than as individuals.
Unfortunately many people here are guilty in both regards.
Almost all of the women in my life are wonderful people. Even my worst encounters with women were nowhere near as bad as described by the OP. I've been rejected and hurt by women before but this is just an unfortunate part of life due to our broken human nature. I don't blame them personally, and I'm not so myopic as to assume all women are at fault for the flaws of a minority. Women are not a hivemind any more than all men are a hivemind.
OP's comments reek of immaturity, frustration and anger that's is manifesting as bias against women as a whole, which is utterly irrational.
You're not missing much but if you're a fan of science fiction, I definitely recommend The Expanse. The first season can be difficult to get through but it really picks up towards the end and just gets better from that point on. The budget also increases so some of the tackiness in the first season goes away.
He knows how to accurately portray women.
None of the female characters are the least bit likeable, a tiny handful have a small sliver of minorly redeeming qualities but are still like all the rest; insufferably arrogant, full of themselves, totally assured of their own perfection, dismissive and condescending towards every man they come across, and repeatedly make the same bone headed mistakes and fall into the same traps over and over without ever learning a thing, growing as people, leaning even an ounce of humility or introspection, or becoming even slightly likeable.
If this has been your experience with women, I feel sorry for you. This hasn't been my experience at all.
That isn't actually the problem. The problem is forcing people to get the vaccine. You can create all the experimental medications you want, just be honest about them and don't force or pressure people into getting them... THAT'S the problem.
We might as well ban non-Christians from voting too, while we’re at it.
In fact, we should only allow Protestant Christian men to vote. They are, after all, the only group in the world that consistently votes for liberal values.
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You see, your racist and sexist “solution” isn’t really a solution because it’s built on gross generalizations that don’t actually get to the bottom of the matter. The better solution would be to actually understand why these voting patterns are harmful and make sure preventative measures are codified into law. Property ownership was one such measure that we sadly did away with. Replacing it with anti-liberal policies isn’t going to solve anything for a multitude of reasons.
I’d love to be wrong about the slippery slope for once.