I was thinking about the real reason why many people fall away from churches and Christianity. I honestly don’t think it has much to do with the truth about reality or anything like that. I don’t think it really has much to do with verses which they object to in the Bible. No, I think the leading one is really sexual desire and how Christian marriages are supposed to work. I think no matter how you read it, you’re really not supposed to masturbate or have sex outside of marriage. The problem is that once a child starts going through puberty around 13, and the average age of marriage in the United States as of 2022 for men, that’s like a whole 15 years where the person is just supposed to suppress any sexual thoughts. I think this is one of the more laughable parts of Christianity. Unless they’re a sage, I don’t think anybody actually follows this. The problem is that the elders are usually older men, and they were probably no better themselves in their youths, lecturing to younger men about the dangers of lust.
I think the “conservative” interpretation is really the most biblically sound. You’ll sometimes have people say that masturbation is fine as long as you’re not conjuring up an image of another woman or you’re not looking at images of another woman. Which, again, is laughable. Honestly, I think the best way to handle is to preach what the Bible says officially, but don’t be so quick to judge others for watching porn in privacy of their own room if you ever stumble upon it. The realistic alternatives are desperation, which can lead to lack of self-control, and fornication. I think just stressing more on not committing fornication, rather than masturbation, is the most realistic path. Christianity, as well, also gives an individual time to repent, so as they get older, if they’re a true believer, I think God will forgive them.
The other is that you really aren’t supposed to get divorced. One can separate, but to remarry while that person lives is considered adultery. Except, we all know there’s plenty of decent reasons to divorce. How many times you hear the same story is that a woman stayed in a violent marriage because she thought it would be displeasing to God. This is another one of those things were if you begin asking questions, Christians will start shuffling their feet and looking away. This is especially true is more liberal churches.
One could just answer, well, marry young. One, I don’t think that’s a great idea, for reasons I probably don’t even need to list. Two, unless you have some special circumstances, good luck finding a woman at 18. It’s just a stupid thing to say. Preach the Biblical message that divorce is not supposed to be celebrated, and should only be initiated if one has just grievance, but don’t go about making a show to others that this person is divorced and deserves excommunication.
I dislike it too when non-believes of Christianity say because Christians often do so-and-so, then they’re not true believers and are hypocrites. It’s like the Bible never claimed to make all those who read it saintly. It also has figures even like King David who committed deeds which greatly displeased God. If the greatest King of the Jews can incur God’s wrath, then what does that make you? The Jews were never perfect. Christians, too, in the Bible are never perfect—they’re still human beings. And think about it too, would God find more pleasing someone who believes into Him and at least makes some efforts to live up to His moral standards, or someone who just stands around mocking His people? I don’t think this is a particularly hard question. I think anyone who professes belief in Jesus and his divinity is all that’s really required to rightly label someone a Christian.
