Replies (80)
🫂
Come back bro 💜
God bless.
FWIW when it comes to theological viewpoints, I generally side with the Orthodox Church.
I think the division isn't necessarily strictly religious. Its about hope... Religion inspires hope that things will improve, that tomorrow will be better. It doesn't have to come from religion, but it can... I think surrounding yourself with people who believe in a better tomorrow is great. I think bitcoin is also hope. Open source, decentralization, these things inspire hope for me. We don't HAVE to accept our circumstances, we can know tomorrow will be better and work towards it.
Those without hope are truly lost.
I have a similar upbringing, and haven't been religious since I was a kid.
Of the two couples who my wife and I get along with best and respect the most. One couple are devout Mormons and the other is "secular". In my life faith doesn't seem to have a measurable effect of who is and isn't a good person. But everyone defines "good" differently I guess
Part of coming back to Christianity for me was realizing that I had been living as a Christian more or less the whole time I was allegedly an agnostic.
Then seeing how those morals/principles had shaped my life for the better and seeing friends without them struggling.
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I love the traditions and still follow most of them, the beautiful churches, the smell of candles and livani, but after going back for a few weeks in a row, I realized I don’t like our religious leaders or the structure anymore.
I am soon to be baptised Orthodox (Greek parish) here in UK. God bless
Totally relate to this. A lot of church goers are happy to share values while still figuring out the details. Like me.
The Orthodox Church is pretty based.
Jesus is my hope in this world. What he did can’t be taken away from me. Nothing physical stored here, in the end, is of any importance.
““Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
Matthew 6:19-21 NLT
I appreciate and share your dilemma.
How do I feel complete in purpose and community without mythology?
I love religion and the shared morality to rely on. It provides such comfort and purpose to everything. Humans are wired to seek it.
That is until I stop fooling myself it’s not simply mythology (which is not hard to do right?). And then I can’t unsee it. And more importantly that the overlords of these groups are just run-of-the-mill political megalomaniacs disguised to be pious. It doesn’t take much to see they don’t believe any of what they preach.
And ultimately the comfort we derive is like a drug the group dispenses to us which feels great but we also become quietly complicit with their hidden agendas (pedophilia anyone?)
Call me negative. I try my best not to be. But I don’t want to drink that kool-aid again. It’s left a void that may never be filled. But it’s my void, maybe even as some would say my cross to bear to be true to myself
Amen,,, Amen,,,,
Very similar experience. Been going to church regularly for almost two years. I will be getting baptised in the next few months and I started to read the bible.
I use to be that athiest that always quoted science papers and studies. However, overtime I realized that science was mostly predetermined results based on fiat grants and outright bribes. Effectively, that "religion" had to be destroyed first so I could open up to other possibilities beyond the normal human experience.
You got it backwards….Jesus found you.
I went to church whence
I lost it when I was young
I too feel the urge
#haiku
what a great message.
I always was drawn to the prodigal son story growing up. I've now lived out that story and have gotten more and more involved with our Roman Catholic Church each year for the last 4 years since I found Bitcoin. I feel like one of the main reasons I didn't like the church was its relationship with money.
So many Bitcoin maximalists have gone down this route and I am deeply grateful.
What you believe, how you behave, what you think about all do make a difference on who you become. And it is the ones with hope, a direction, a telos, a light that stand out in the midst of the darkness.
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What a deep and honest reflection. 🙏
And you’re absolutely right it’s not just about traditions or morals, but about living faith, about truly feeling God’s presence in your heart. Because believing isn’t just an idea; it’s a real spiritual experience that transforms how we think, act, and live.
God still speaks today, but only those who genuinely draw near to Him can experience it. It’s not enough to hear about Him; you have to live it. If you truly want to know God, I invite you to visit the Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International. There, it’s not about empty religion, but about having a personal experience with God feeling His Word, His power, and His love guiding every step.
Once you have that encounter, everything changes: your mind becomes clear, your heart renewed, and your soul finds peace. ✨
As you said, the alternative is darkness but in God, there is light, purpose, and hope.
“A tree is known by its fruits”
“Wisdom is known by its children”
I decided to go back to the Church after a long time away mainly because I wanted my kids to grow up with the experience.
My wife and I looked around a couple of churches before going back, wanted one that was theologically based, small, and family oriented. We found one.
After a couple of months of going I told my wife yesterday that I am pretty sure I am becoming more religious. As in my faith is becoming stronger, I am considering getting baptised etc.
Just go regularly and see what happens. For us it was only positives.
Hi sorry to bother !! We just needed a little boost for our Geyser. it’s for my son 🙏🏻 thanks so much!! Have a blessed day.
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Organized religion came about as a tool to control the masses—how they think, behave, and then ask for money to keep the operation afloat. See: history of the catholic church.
That’s not to say there arent benefits of belonging to a community of positivity-minded people. it’s a social phenomenon.
You can have a radical, state-of-the-art spirituality that will provide you with a deep and eventually everlasting peace and real joy without attending religious services. That’s how i operate, and find a healthy connection with others outside of any religious circle.
Thanks for your openness and sharing your thoughts. My Christianity is core to my worldview and I think it is truth. However, even if I’m wrong, it has still greatly added to the quality of my life simply for the reasons you mention. I’d say plug back in for a bit and see what happens.
Christ is for you brother. Stay humble
Christ consciousness is logical; the mind abhors a paradox, yet anthroposophy (spiritual-science), per Steiner, converges the two rationally, neatly, optimistically and lovingly... And in the end, it's all love. Spiral out 🌀
(open invite to be a guest on the pod, anytime too nostr:nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7cnjvghxjme0qy2hwumn8ghj7er9wd3ksmm0d35kueeww4ej7qpqqex7yjtuucs6ac49kjujdgytrjsphn5a4pdscu2w3qlprym4zsxq0tmqvm ) 🧡
I've had the same experience. I have recently reached out to an old friend from work.
He is Christin, lives scripture.
We've been meeting for breakfast every other thursday at 0600 for and hr or 2 before work. He has a church and is opening a second on the 26th. Hes only like 30 or something.
I was have this same conversation with him yesterday, was the first time bitcoin was brought up.
I explained how it brought me to reach out to him. He seemed shocked but not interested.
We talk more about theology n Jesus so we passed right over it.
My wife and I feel the same way as mentioned about religion.
The sycronocity of what has been happening for me lately is in deniable.
I feel like I've been on a drifting row boat, going somewhere but no destination.
Now it feels I'm on a speed boat and and need to find the destination.
I'm not saying I found Christ either.
But I am on some similar path.
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I share your experience. Raised in Europe, I couldn’t connect with Christianity. Drawn to science and logic from an early age, I rejected religion as unnecessary. Even now, I struggle with the concept of self-sacrifice as the highest virtue. I see great danger in sacrifice, as determining the right cause feels like an unsolvable puzzle.
However, after living in the US for many years, I’ve noticed that the best people I’ve met are religious. It’s clear they draw strength from their faith. While I’m not a believer, I genuinely feel they have something beautiful in their lives that I can’t access. I don’t envy it, as I don’t believe faith can be forced. Still, it makes me wonder if they are closer to the truth than I am and whether I’ll ever reach that understanding.
Read the Bible
Logic is a superset of science. Religion is not a subset of science. But religion is still logical. Very logical. It’s just that religion is not amenable to interrogation by repeatable measurements, which defines science. But that doesn’t mean religion is devoid of logic.
Bitcoin can humble a man, Jesus Christ can melt the ego. I believe there's a connection there. 🙏 If love really is about virtue, he's number 1. 💯 Amen.
It’s ironic that Truth points us back to the things we have observed being true in our lives. I have also made my way back to God and Bitcoin pointed me there.
Dang this is some deep stuff as someone who’s Atheist raise catholic, but love being around religious people. I always say I have the moral compass and ethics of them than those that live in darkness.
You can just try and see. And keep trying.
Great Conversation
With respect
Its hard not to find any conflict in the world that isn't religious in origin that goes back through the ages
Heinous crimes against humanity done in Gods name
Morales and Ethics are just good stable family values that are easily taught by example from strong minded individuals that come together
We are Stewards of this earth, Man was granted dominion, right,?, yet it is squandered throughout all denominations. We live in a constant state of submission. Leaders, ministers, rulers etc despite Romans 2:11
Man uses God to fulfil his dreams and justify his actions
We were created from the dust of the ground yet ruled by imaginary creatures of the mind, legal fictions and ideas that are not from nature, that are more nearly methods than things.
Its just us
Thats why we (all equal) were granted Dominion
Time to just be man that is living, and get busy taking back dominion.
heads-up: we looked for a lightning address on your profile but could not find one... u can get a free one at
https://rizful.com ... and then reply back to this comment so we can zap you.
Watch "The Chosen" (Season 1, episode 1) and see how you feel. Maybe this monumental series about Jesus is also for your. For my wife and myself like going to church but better, since it's not boring and really brings us closer to Jesus.
Religion is just a group of people that promise they won’t tell each other to face reality.
🕯️
Growing up in a community that takes care of each other is important. I don’t think religion is the cause of the morality, its community. Growing up in a small town where everyone knows each other will have the same effect.
Yeah nostr:nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7cnjvghxjme0qy2hwumn8ghj7er9wd3ksmm0d35kueeww4ej7qpqqex7yjtuucs6ac49kjujdgytrjsphn5a4pdscu2w3qlprym4zsxq0tmqvm , there are many ways to build a grounded, positive life — religion’s one of them, but what really matters is having a value set that keeps you steady. The right people around you make all the difference. I like to think that this can be achived by working on projects where we share similar values. If you’re into building solid crypto projects around yoru belief and want actually using crytpo as real money, check out CryptoGetsReal — that’s exactly what we’re about.
Belief in a higher power (and or a higher purpose) is entirely logical. Doesn't have to religious, but must be something bigger than the individual. Something beyond ones own grasp. With it, life makes sense. Without it, life doesn't make sense. And in its absence, without fail, the result is despair. The logical choice is to adopt it.
Being a Christian in a state school prepared me to be a bitcoiner
Thank you 🙏🏻
Very thoughtful and thought provoking
I need some more faith in my life
We are born with no software. It's installed through our parents and surroundings. Once you hit 15- 18 you have to start building your own values and why it's important to start developing your own philosophy and why you should have your own values.But you are right without proper upbringing I don't know how you could even understand basic right from wrong doing . I to grow up in the traditional Greek Orthodox family but I'm far from believing blindly in everything. 🧡
Jesus said “you would do greater miracles than mine”. He is not asking anyone to find him or follow him. He taught you lessons in self love and self discovery. People often seek God and love in value systems, religions, cultures and ideologies. You will never find truth or your own true self in any of these paths. Meditate, reflect upon your own self, resonate with nature, respect your body and connect with thoughts and emotions of love, discard fear and greed… it is all possible without anyone around you for baby-sitting you.
You don’t need Jesus or Church. Jesus will need you.
Your story is very similar to mine. Was Raised very religious and attended a church that i never really connected with. As a teen I rejected it all but the values stuck with me. As a father, I came to the same conclusions you have.
Values, ethics, & positivity are all tools to help you stay centered in the chaos.
Church goers seem to have more of this than most.
Find a church that has that vibe you and your family resonate with and you’re giving your kids the foundation for success.
Church is not everything, but its something for sure.
🧡👊🏻🍻
This^
Similar vibes man. Christ is King.
Cheers bro. Tried to zap but saying hello since it didn’t work.
🧡👊🏻☕️
Cheers ☕️
Tried to zap but didn’t work.
Great show!
🧡👊🏻🍻
Zapper no werky
Your life is not an accident with no purpose. It didn’t come from spinning nothing billions of years ago. Morality, love, joy, etc does not come from evolution of nothing. You were created in the image of God with a purpose. Christ is King.
Secular people i know are some of most positive people i ever met. Grounded, no bullshit, ready to change their minds when presented with data, living best possible lives as they think its their only one.
"I'm not saying I've found Jesus. I haven't.
But more and more I want to be around the people who have."
I've been saying this for years: "I'm an atheist, but I find myself more comfortable in the company of religious people."
Atheism used to be very important to me. But then covid lockdowns occurred and I found myself opposing the oppressive regime alongside people who were, for the most part, religious.
However, I think it's perfectly possible to have an ethical backbone without a religious upbringing. I have thought about what you have been proposing here myself. I had (and have) many atheist friends who are ex-Muslims (because I am an ex-Muslim myself). This is a simple example, but it had made me wonder about the same thing: When we played pool, even if we didn't see the result of each other's shots, we could trust each other, whatever the result was. If they scored a shot and really meant that ball to be scored, even if they didn't say it out loud, I would trust them. And they would admit to not having the called ball if they failed to do so. These friends were ex-Muslims and I wondered maybe being brought up in families where these were taught as values had a part to play. But I met religious people who cheated over simplest things and I got to know many atheists without religious upbringing who were more trustworthy than people with a religious background or people who were still religious.
I've been saying this for years: "I'm an atheist, but I find myself more comfortable in the company of religious people."
Atheism used to be very important to me. But then covid lockdowns occurred and I found myself opposing the oppressive regime alongside people who were, for the most part, religious.
However, I think it's perfectly possible to have an ethical backbone without a religious upbringing. I have thought about what you have been proposing here myself. I had (and have) many atheist friends who are ex-Muslims (because I am an ex-Muslim myself). This is a simple example, but it had made me wonder about the same thing: When we played pool, even if we didn't see the result of each other's shots, we could trust each other, whatever the result was. If they scored a shot and really meant that ball to be scored, even if they didn't say it out loud, I would trust them. And they would admit to not having the called ball if they failed to do so. These friends were ex-Muslims and I wondered maybe being brought up in families where these were taught as values had a part to play. But I met religious people who cheated over simplest things and I got to know many atheists without religious upbringing who were more trustworthy than people with a religious background or people who were still religious.
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I think that’s quite natural if you are getting older, as we all do.
I am very glad to have come across this post. I do not know many Christian people. There are those who might be officially Christian, but they have no real relationship with their religion. It is similar with Muslims, because many identify as Muslim but have little connection to the Quran.
I was speaking with my wife and expressing my sadness that I can only think of one man who truly calls himself Christian and actually follows some Christian practices. He is extremely kind and even fasts.
She asked me why I felt sad about that. For context, we are Muslims. I told her that it is better to have more Christians than people who have no moral compass at all.
Please do not misunderstand me. There is only one God, not three. But religious people, tend to care about others and strive for justice, mercy, and the general good.
By the way, I am also a highly rational person, and from my wrestling with the Quran, there is nothing that makes more sense than the idea of a single, all-powerful, and merciful God. It was the Quran that inspired me to become more interested in math, chaos theory, and the simple yet powerful ability to ask questions in order to understand — something people often avoid because they are afraid or do not want to admit the limits of their knowledge.
All in all, please go ahead and read the Bible. Do not think that morality has become obsolete. From my understanding, morality, justice, and honesty are what raise human dignity and bring true peace and satisfaction.
I must confess I’ve been going through the same process in the last year. In my case it’s the good old Brazilian catholic upbringing resurfacing after years of agnosticism. I’m stepping back very slowly, but it has been very emotional and actually satisfying, so I totally understand your point.
And yes, since I started this process, I’ve been in a much brighter mental space.
I love Eastern Orthodoxy though I myself am not (yet). Disproportionately have the best posture towards the world of any group of people I've met. The more Orthodox writers I read and the more Orthodox people I meet, the more sure I feel that they are walking the path of truth as demonstrated by the fruit in their lives.
If Greek Orthodox isn’t your cup o’ tea, consider Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, or Roman Catholic, or Russian Orthodox. Christians disagree on a lot of things, but when centered on Christ, those are the people you’re talking about wanting to be around. I’m LCMS now (didn’t grow up that way), but still find a lot of community in a mixed group of homeschool families that have Christ at the center of family life - Anabaptists, Episcopals, Catholics, non-denom fundies, and even Charismatics. Perhaps not ideal, but is anything ideal in a world awash in sin?
FYI, Christians the world over hold to “one God, three persons”; three gods is a certainly heretical view. That specific distinction definitely matters to us Christians. Cheers bro!
Grounded in what, exactly? The Science(tm)? “Natural Law”? humanity? Source truth has to originate from something other than nothing.
Years ago I took a job at a hospital and part of my orientation was for what you would probably call a ‘mission statement’ — and a Greek Orthodox priest talked to my small group for about an hour. It was very informal and wide ranging. I was extremely impressed by this man and if that’s what is happening in Greek churches…. sign me up!
Your raw honesty resonates deeply.
Raised in an Italian Christian family, I rebelled in high school, wielding Nietzsche’s superhuman and Bacon’s tabula rasa to break free from dogma, diving into atheism, nearly nihilism.
Yet Kant’s take on Christianity as a moral compass stuck with me.
Now, maturity pulls me toward Zen’s calm, where Christ’s teachings oddly echo.
I love this blend of spirituality and tech in the Nostr and Bitcoin world.
Even if it risks some fanaticism, it’s precious that philosophy tackles innovation while keeping morality in focus.
Dialogue and debate are the foundations of knowledge and human progress.
Thanks again.
🧡🙏
#Nostr #NostrPhilosophy
LFG 👊🔥
I really appreciate it when more people believe in one God.
Now comes the part where we might disagree. No offense intended at all, and I don’t want to engage in any disrespectful discussion. I just want to share a small part of my view:
As a Muslim reading the Quran, I find it impossible to think that Allah could in any way be compared to humans. Allah is free from mistakes. Humans are the creation; we make mistakes all the time. Allah has no needs whatsoever, while we humans depend on food, sleep, family, happiness, and so on. We are completely dependent.
Allah was not created; we are the creation.
Allah is the Master, and we humans, all of His creation, can only come before Him as slaves. But Allah is a loving and caring Master, not to be confused with a human master.
When you count and reflect on the attributes of Allah, and then compare them with the attributes of humans, it becomes very clear that Allah cannot be compared to anyone or anything. His example is that there is no example for Him.
So first, comparing God with humans, to me, shows a lack of understanding of who Allah is.
Second, the Quran makes it extremely simple and comforting for me. I don’t have to struggle to understand how one God can be three persons or entities. It’s very straightforward: one Allah — that’s it, done. Nothing can be compared to Him. He knows everything, and He alone decides what will happen on the final day.
I also want to emphasize that the Quran comes to defend the Torah and the Gospel. So, I naturally have respect for people who believe in the Torah and the Gospel. With all due respect, I simply wanted to share the thoughts above.
The problema Is the monoteistic religión, the politeistic religión área More peaceful.
Thanks for the clarifications! One more brief one from me: Christians would say that we (humanity) were given the breath of life by God when Adam and Eve, our first parents, were created by God. Therefore, our personhood, and even our relational nature, comes from God first. Describing God as “One God in three persons” is a first principles issue. Our personhood is derived from Him, not merely a limited human description of Him.
So our disagreement remains, sure, but just wanted to clarify the Christian view. And as a fellow Nostr nut like me, I’d welcome a friendly real-life chat a sharing coffee together if ever we meet!
Sadly no
LOL on the last point - seems pretty accurate given events of the past few years (to name just the most recent atrocities).
On the soul and breath of life, yes, largely agree. Christians don’t consider any human “innocent” - we are all born with a sin nature - but God does still weave our souls together with our bodies such that like you said, we all have a bit of God’s Law written on our souls - our conscience. Active rejection and repression of the impulses not to hate, murder, rape, and steal however… that can twist one’s soul in on itself so badly that atrocities occur.
This really resonated with me…I have a Balkans upbringing. Australian-Croat and religion played a huge part of my up bringing. Not crazy strict but a definite belief in “God” going to mass on Sunday with the family and just embracing Christian principles and discipline from a higher power.
I reconnected with my faith in sth America after 20yrs of being embarrassed by my faith … like you nostr:nprofile1qqsqvn0zf97wvgdwu2jmfwfx5z93egqme6w6skcvw98gs0s3jd63grqpz4mhxue69uhkgetnvd5x7mmvd9hxwtn4wvhszxthwden5te0dehhxarj9ejx2an9d3hhqetj9ekxjtcdfgwcf having this foundation shaped my life for the better.
All of those that didn’t have this pillar are struggling in my world too.
I’m not a church goer - but if I see one and have time, I always pay a little respect and give gratitude - it has been a huge positive. 🙏💜
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Fully agree with you brother. I tell some people around me that tend to be more Catholic maxis, that it's not about what religion you identify with, its more of what kind of person that religion and its beliefs make you become.
I moved back to Turkey.
I take religion over communism any day.
Here people live their life's and don't push their ideology on you.
I live on a boat, and find my self in Greece quite often.
Hope to see you here.
We are here:
36.826650°N 28.311060°E
geo:36.82665,28.31107
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=36.82665%2C28.31107
It’s not bad or weak to go to Mass. Go and re-experience the presence of the spirit and the beauty of the word.🌅🙏☦️
