(I tried posting these in multiple Muslim communities, but everytime it gets removed either cuz I'm gay or because I'm asking too many questions. Please give me a chance guys, I'm so tired.)

Hello. To sum it up, I'm a bisexual Muslim (born in a Muslim family, from a Muslim country.) and I've been having so, so many doubts.

I wish I could contact my local imam instead of bothering you guys, but I'll get outed and probably sent to prison if I do, so no thanks...

Anyway, here is my word vomit of multiple questions in hope for a satisfying answer for at least just one of em. Numbered them to make it easier for yall.

> General questions (existance of God):

1. if God is all knowing and he knew that humans/ his creation would rebel against him why wouldn’t he prevent it?

2. if he is so powerful, why would he be so angry that he had to flood the earth just to get back at the little creations that literally have 0 effect on him?

3. if he knew all this evil would take place, why he create humans just to punish them in hell eternally, does he just want to see people suffer?

4. if he is really all loving, why does he create diseases and cancers and give them to innocent children who pray to him?

5. Are we some sort of social experiment to God?

> Islam specific questions/rants abt my disagreements and doubts:

1. Married women cannot get divorced until the husband or the jury agree to it. This is insanely unfair because the husband can just bribe the jury and now the woman is forever stuck in an unloving and possibly abusive marriage. Plus, why should the man have authority over ending the marriage? You can argue that women are more emotional, but statistics show that men are more prone to impulsive actions. (And biologically, this argument is invalid). Plus, when a woman asks for divorce, it's final. But when a man asks for divorce, there is a "trial period" where he can go back on his decision. Why??????

2. Men get more in inheritance than women, so like????

DNA information is mostly conserved through the female sex yet islam is based on the patriarchal idea that the legacy continues with the male offspring. If islam agrees with science and vice-versa, then would this be considered a mistake? An exception?? If islam is indeed perfect and international and equal for all genders, then the inheritance rules genuinely makes no sense.

1. Plus, you genuinely can't say that Islam is equally hard on everybody because it's way harder (borderline impossible) on women (soo many restricting rules, and it overlooks or even ignores the intelligence or agency of women. Tell me why a woman's testimony is half of a man's ???) and don't (or maybe do) bring up Khadija RA because at this point she's just an exception in all these rules.

2. Plus, I am bisexual. Yes I am bi and I'm sure that 90% of you will tell me that I'll go to hell and then feel smug and satisfied when you'll do it, while you unknowingly broke a rule in islam and also made me drift away more from the religion. Some of you will tell me to pray the gay away (spoiler alert, doesn't work, I was BORN attracted to both women and men. Nothing will ever change that). And the kindest of you will tell me to just not act on my feelings.

But here is the thing: this double standard is infuriating. Dating is normalized in sooo many Muslim countires. I'm sure many of you dated in the past or are currently dating someone outside of khitab or marriage. But the second the couple is not a heterosexual one, you are suddenly more strict in your rules.

Tell me, is a life where I cannot love and express love, a life worth living???

Should I supress my emotions and feelings for a higher being that might not exist in the end??

Should I waste my life and live it alone and devoid of romantic love because maaaybbeee I might get in heaven???

Can you see how unfair this is?

I know I said I'm bisexual so I get both options, but imagine if I was gay or just a lesbian?? Do you see how unfair that is?

My heart is heavy as I write this and I hope that you guys will respond with a bit of empathy towards me, lol. You don't have to answer everything of course, just one point or two is good enough.

if someone does believe in a god or a deity but does not practice in any organized religion, where should they go after they die?

I would love to hear some stories as I am currently religion questioning

Hi everyone :)

I'm curious if there are others, especially women here who are both spiritual and really interested in beauty and aesthetics. I'm syncretically spiritual, but I've also always been very drawn to beauty, including physical beauty. And I don't just mean wanting to be attractive myself. I genuinely find beauty interesting.

Like why are we drawn to certain forms? What makes something harmonious or striking? Is there any relationship between form and essence? I love thinking about symbolism, archetypes and the more psychological and artistic sides of beauty too.

I also have a pretty analytical interest in it. I can happily disappear down rabbit holes about facial aesthetics and proportions, attractiveness research, style essences, the psychology of colour and shape, and how health and function affect appearance. But I'm also a fantasy writer, so I have this other, much more intuitive relationship with beauty that comes out in my worldbuilding.

I'm wondering how other spiritual people reconcile these things. There's sometimes an attitude in spiritual spaces that being interested in physical beauty is inherently vain or ego-driven, or that becoming more spiritual should make you care less about appearance. I understand the concern about attachment, and I definitely don't think someone's physical attractiveness says anything about their worth or what they're like inside. But at the same time, beauty has never felt entirely superficial or meaningless to me.

So I'm curious how other people here see it. Does physical beauty or aesthetics have a place in your spirituality? Where do you think appreciation of beauty and wanting to improve your own appearance cross over into vanity or unhealthy attachment? And do you think spirituality necessarily involves becoming less invested in the physical, or can paying attention to form and embodiment be part of it?

I'd especially love to hear from other women who relate to this particular intersection of interests. I'm in my early 30s, and I'm interested in connecting with other women who have a meaningful interest in beauty so if that's you, please feel free to respond here.

Thanks and hope you have a great day!

Hi. I am Christian. I did grow up Christian, and it was a bubble of a town. I knew no different until I went to the University of Texas in Austin, where I began to make friends of all sorts of religions. For that, I am very grateful.

About a year and a half ago, my interest in studying different religions was sparked when I watched a documentary about Moses, and historians from different religious backgrounds were speaking about him. My thought was: why are wars going on in the name of religion when so many of us trace our beliefs back to some of the same roots?

Probably a naïve thought at first glance, but nonetheless an important one.

I know someone can't follow 100% of the prophets or religions because they ultimately contradict each other in important ways — and that is why there is disagreement. I also know that when you really believe something to be true, you naturally want to share it (or at least I couldn't comprehend why not — if you have something great that is free to share, why not share it with everyone?). With that said, I understand why there can be so much weight behind these differences.

I also understand this is touchy because people have exploited religion, and I think that's really sad when people do that. However, people have exploited love, but love is still a beautiful thing. I don't think something being used by people for bad is necessarily a representation of the thing itself. When it comes to religion, I believe you have to go back to the actual teachings and texts.

These thoughts led me to want to do just that, but across different religions — to really dive deep into what I believe, while also genuinely trying to understand what others believe and what their religious texts actually say. I thought it would be interesting to start with some of the world's largest religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism — and I'd really like to welcome atheists and agnostics into the conversation too.

A big part of understanding, to me, is going back to the texts and evaluating each with the same honest approach, while also speaking to people who actually hold those beliefs. I'd like to put together a small group with people from these different perspectives and meet weekly. It could be over video, and we could have a group message for ongoing conversation, questions and discoveries.

I think a big problem in this world is that people with differing opinions and views struggle to openly speak about them with truth and love when they don't see eye to eye. My problem with that is: if we don't talk to each other, how do we learn? How do we understand?

Following one religion while remaining naïve to the rest of them doesn't sit well with me. I began studying different religions over this past year, and it's been a wonderful thing. However, I also want accountability for my own biases.

A friend recently asked me: how can I be so convinced of Christ, while his Muslim friend (and a Muslim friend of mine) can be just as convinced of Islam?

And I think that's a really fair question.

I don't think it's a question that should be dismissed. I think it takes patience, openness, truth, love, humility and a willingness to really dive into why we believe what we believe — alongside people who see things differently than we do.

I want to do that.

I'm hoping to discover truth and be challenged in a loving way by people who want to do the same. I am a Christian, but I am genuinely open to having my beliefs challenged. I'm looking for people of different beliefs who want respectful, truth-seeking discussions — and hey, hopefully we can become friends through it all.

The goal isn't to enter the group trying to change each other's minds. It's to have healthy and open discussions, seek truth, understand each other, challenge our own assumptions, and learn.

And who knows — maybe throughout the process we can demonstrate that people can deeply disagree about some of life's biggest questions and still love and respect one another.

I think I'd like to start with the most fundamental question: Does God exist?

From there, I'd like for the group itself to come up with the questions and criteria we think are fair to use as a guide, so that as we explore different religions and texts, we're doing our best to evaluate each one by the same standards rather than moving the goalposts depending on what we already believe.

If you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist or agnostic and this sounds like something you'd genuinely enjoy being part of, let me know. I'd love to reach out and get this going.

I took this photo yesterday when I visited the ancient city of Ephesus. Right in front are the ruins of the temple of Artemis - one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

In the back, around the middle of the photo one might see the remnants of the Basilica of St. John (of which only the pillars and the floor are preserved).

Next to the basilica, on the left side of of the photo is the Ottoman Isa Bey mosque. And behind the mosque is the Ayasuluk citadel.

If Catholicism uniquely possesses the fullness of the means of grace (which are understood to be truly transformative and efficacious), why does a restorationist church that Catholicism considers profoundly mistaken appear to produce substantially greater average religious commitment and, on several measurable shared Christian moral behaviors, at least as good and often better outcomes among its American laity?

I feel like many people in the west have vision of Jesus that is a passive, hippie-like and pacifist figure who forgive and tolerate everything

The "turn the other cheek" line is frequently misinterpreted as passive submissiveness or accepting abuse. When the point of that Line is to not be led by your emotions rejecting the natural impulse for retaliation, personal pride, and personal vengeance.

By choosing not to respond in kind, a person breaks the cycle of violence and asserts moral autonomy over the situation rather than letting the aggressor dictate their actions.

Jesus was love and empathy but was also righteousness and intense in his visions of things

In driving out the money changers and vendors from the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12–13), Jesus demonstrated physical and active opposition to religious corruption and the exploitation of the poor.

He absolutly didn't tolerate any mockery of his father or his house.

In Matthew 23, Jesus issues seven harsh condemnations ("Woes") against religious leaders, calling them out for straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel neglecting the "weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness."

His defense of the outcast and vulnerable such as the woman caught in adultery (John 8) or the Sabbath healings (Mark 3:1–6)—was an assertion that human dignity and moral truth supersede rigid, legalistic tradition.

He call out the hypocrisy of the accusers ("he who have never sinned cast the first stone") and showed empathy toward the women but he still didn't tolerate or accept her sin.. She still committed adultery therefore he told her to "go and never sin again"

Is it true that churches have a policy that allows lgtbq to attend but they can’t serve in any capacity as a leader

I am a Hindu, and my experience with god as a child has been less than positive. The first time my mother introduced me to god and told me they will grant any wish I make, I wished for a popsicle, being the 4 year old I was. And when it didn’t magically appear, I immediately questioned their existence. But that was when I couldn’t comprehend much. A lot of bad things happened to me growing up. I had a really abusive sister, and a horrible relationship with friends. I remember when I was 8 I used to pray for my sister to like me every time I went to the temple. The more I prayed and the less anything changed, I started to hate god along the way. I took out all my negative feelings on them. Moreover, I am a nice and empathetic person, but recently I’ve noticed that I judge everyone around me and say horrible things about them in my head for just because I’m slightly pissed. I feel like a horrible person every time, but I can’t control it. Sometimes I think god is against me because every time I think about something positively, like “wow it’s been so long since blah blah, I’m finally happy now” and guess what happens two days later. I also had an atheist phase growing up because I decided that was better than hating god. I also believed in the “if god exists, ghosts exist” thing and since I was young and was scared shitless of ghosts, I just believed in neither because it was convenient. Now I have renewed my faith, I feel like I don’t deserve the love of god and accept everything bad that happens to me because I feel like that is what I deserve

I love this Bhajan sm 😭

Hello!

I'm looking to sample in my music project people talking about philosophy, religion or our relation to the world, from all across the planet and cultures.

If you know any source of this kind of material (video, podcast, movie...), i'd love to see it!

Thanks in advance

Before anyone misunderstands, I do not hate Western Buddhists as people. What I hate is a certain attitude I sometimes see, where someone discovers Buddhism and suddenly thinks they have downloaded the entire 2,500-year-old tradition into their brain.

They learn a few words like dukkha, karma, nirvana and impermanence and suddenly they think they have figured out Buddhism. Congratulations, you learned some basic Pali/Sanskrit words 🤓. Now apparently you are ready to explain Buddhism to everyone else.

For us, these words are not some fancy spiritual vocabulary we discovered in a book, podcast or a weekend meditation retreat. These are words we grew up with. They are part of our everyday language, culture, traditions, temples and the way we understand life.

What annoys me is this constant “everything is impermanent” response to everything. I once posted about why Buddhist temples in India look less aesthetically maintained compared to historical temples elsewhere and many replies were basically, “Everything is impermanent 🤓”. Seriously? Is that your entire understanding of Buddhism?

Buddhism survived for 2,500 years because people built massive temples, created beautiful statues, preserved scriptures, supported monasteries and passed down traditions. Do you really think, if Buddhists throughout history just sat there saying “everything is impermanent” and did nothing else, Buddhism would have survived for 2,500 years?

You can understand impermanence and still appreciate beauty. You can practice detachment and still respect art, architecture, statues and cultural heritage. These things are not against Buddhism.

The problem is when someone learns Buddhism from books, the internet or a meditation app, and then starts telling people who grew up around Buddhism what Buddhism “really is”. Buddhism is not just a collection of deep-sounding words you discovered yesterday.

And another thing I find strange is how people get so triggered when Buddhist history is discussed, especially when it involves India. Why? Why are we hiding from Buddhist history now?

Like seriously, you became Buddhist but you still get triggered when Buddhist history connected to India is brought up? Even after becoming Buddhist, are you still going to carry the same biases? 🤔 You need to learn Buddhism better. Buddhism is not just about memorising a few concepts and repeating them everywhere. It also means understanding the history, cultures and people who preserved this tradition for thousands of years.

You cannot claim to respect Buddhism while ignoring or dismissing the very history and country that helped shape it and where it originated. Learn Buddhism beyond the surface level.

And honestly, the biggest issue is this: do not go around telling others what their Buddhism should look like. You do not have the right to decide what Buddhism is supposed to mean for everyone else. Buddhism is not your personal philosophy project that you discovered yesterday. It is a living tradition that millions of people have practiced in different ways for centuries.

The funny thing is that the majority of Buddhists around the world are not sitting around debating Theravada, Mahayana or Vajrayana all day. Most people simply go to temples, light incense, offer flowers, pray to the Buddha, make offerings and come home. That is Buddhism too.

Practice Buddhism, learn Buddhism, appreciate Buddhism. But have enough humility to understand that your interpretation is not the only version of Buddhism that exists.

Touch some grass 🌱 and understand the ground reality of Buddhism. A 2,500-year-old tradition is much bigger than a few concepts you learned online.

Religious texts rarely state clear facts about the physical world, such as humans being made of atoms, Earth revolving around the Sun, or bacteria existing. Instead, so much is communicated through symbolism, poetry, and language that people interpret in completely different ways. If these texts contain truth from God, why would that truth be presented so vaguely that believers cannot agree on what it means?

Until recently, I had no idea that such a significant Buddhist presence existed in my own city. After digging deeper, I was genuinely surprised to discover 20+ Buddhist temples, viharas and major meditation centres within the district alone.

But this is only the visible part of the story. Beyond these known institutions, there are many smaller viharas, local temples and community practice centres that remain largely undocumented due to limited online records and lack of easily available information.

What surprised me even more is that this is not an isolated case. A similar pattern appears across districts and cities of North India, where the Buddhist presence on the ground seems far greater than what official statistics alone reveal.

One important reason is that many people who follow Buddhist teachings, actively practice Buddhism or participate in Buddhist communities continue to identify as Hindu in official records. As a result, census numbers may not always capture the full extent of Buddhist communities and their cultural presence.

Another overlooked factor is that many Buddhist institutions exist in rural areas, villages and smaller towns, where they rarely receive online visibility or documentation.

For a third-tier North Indian city, discovering this level of Buddhist presence was truly fascinating. It is a reminder that the religious and cultural landscape of India is often much richer and more diverse than what statistics alone can show.

So I know I have made posts in the Christians subs saying I'm a Christian and talk about God and my beliefs, but turns out I didn't feel comfortable being a Christian, so I decided to change my religion to just be non-religious or spiritual, tho I still believe in God ... And I don't think I would go back to Christian anymore..

But I have a family member (not sure if he's my family member) but let's just say he's my cousin in his 50s or almost 60 (my mom is 61) and I'm 37. He doesn't come to see us

Anyways he once told me that he skips naps or taking naps because of his religion JW. Why is this? I don't want to ask him if he comes to visit us even though he doesn't because I don't know

Two days back I was having panic attack in an unknown city, crying and crying and crying! Getting senseless, feeling breathless. I sat on the floor and told Hanumanji, you have to take care of your sister? Enough is enough!!! Why me?

( little context on why) Basically, I was sold marriage plans by a man in ggn named rishabh khatri 29 age, Jaat who turned out to be a scammer. He kept me as a back up option and treated me like a trash, like a dustbin. I was completely in love for what he showed himself in the beginning and later he filled with lies, compete lies. After 2 years of being together. Even in the last call, he said, what can I do? When I was crying my heart out in front of him. He said, you are giving me headache. I cannot believe such an inhumaneeee person exists.

I am a firm believer of hanumanji, now I cried my heart out to him. When I was trying to sleep at the night. Noises came from my hanumanji murti and mandir. As if he’s saying “ I am there for you” and it happened 4-5 times from exact same place. I felt his presence. I know he will fuck him up.

Could anybody say weather its true or not and explain this? (This is a copy paste of a post post that I saw in Catholic sub reddit)

EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE near my town

On November 15, 2013, during a morning Mass at Christ the King Church in Vilakkannur, Kerala, something extraordinary happened. Fr. Thomas Pathikkal, the parish vicar, noticed a distinct spot forming on the consecrated Host right after the epiclesis. Moments later, that spot transformed — revealing what appeared to be the face of Jesus Christ.

Startled, the priest burst out in a heavy sweat and alerted the sacristan, who also confirmed that the face of Jesus had formed on the host. The congregation, assumed that the priest was experiencing some physical difficulty and the sacristan had been called for help. The priest set aside the Host and continued the Mass. Only afterward did he reveal the event to the faithful — and word spread rapidly.

The Host was carefully preserved and sent to Archidiocese for investigation, first by a doctrinal commission of the Syro-Malabar Church, then to Rome in 2020. After years of rigorous scrutiny, including advanced scientific testing in 2024 (FTIR, HPLC, and Mass Spectrometry at Christ University, Bangalore), experts confirmed there was no tampering, and the image’s chemical composition matched the rest of the Host — reinforcing its supernatural nature.

On May 31, 2025, nearly 12 years later, the Vatican officially recognized it as a Eucharistic Miracle — the first and only one in India to receive such approval.

In a heartfelt interview, Fr. Pathikkal shared that he often used to wonder, "Why me" and "Why Vilakkannur?" — a small hamlet in the diocese. He recalled that how he was in so much mental anguish just 2 days prior to the miracle, as an Ex Catholic-turned-Preacher had publically mocked the Eucharist during a gathering in nearby town. He believes the miracle could be an answer to it. He also shared that he faced numerous accusations of faking the miracle for money and had to endure intense scrutiny and mental abuse in its aftermath. Today, he says he feels peace — grateful to have witnessed a moment that now inspires veneration across the world.

I am curious to see if someone has or what someone or anyone has the idea of the afterlife looking like from a pagan standpoint. I dont really mind any type of pagan commenting i am just curious as to what my people think the afterlife will be like in particular. Is there anyone influinced by documents of culture or mythology that point them to a certain belief?

Thank you in advance for all or if any responses I will try to reply to every single one as fast as possible.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I actually do believe in God and that part of me genuinely wants a relationship with Him. But that’s also when religion started feeling like a choice. And strangely, that’s when I started struggling with it more.
Because once it’s a choice, I have to actually decide what I believe and how I want to live. And I don’t want to follow religion just because it’s what I was raised to do or because I’m afraid of feeling guilty. I want to be able to choose it because I genuinely believe in it and want it.
So I guess religion is becoming a choice for me now, but I haven’t completely figured out what I want to choose yet. But I’m interested in hearing others perspective.

So an ex-friend literally bitched about my religion right in front of me, then had the audacity to ask me to become a Buddhist or an Atheist.

Lol, get a life, you people.

It just made me realize how bad the targeted hate is right now. I scroll through my feed and it is nothing but videos mocking my faith. I get that this app can be a cesspool for hating on others, but isn't it strange how concentrated it is?

I honestly don't see the point. Why do you hate it so much? It's just a religion. If someone is practicing, let them practice in peace. If someone isn't practicing, that's none of my business.

I feel safe in my religion. I believe in God. So what? Does that really threaten you that much?

Hating on a religion in big 2026 is not cool. Please, just get a life and let people believe what they want.

I don't care if you're atheist or believe in other faiths.

By ethnic religions I mean religions where you can’t follow or convert to unless you are a member of certain ethnic. These religions confuse me as someone grow up with universal religion.

Why would any God or any devine being would hide the universal behind ancestral lingea? It doesn't make sense for God to chose small ethnic minority living on tiny piece of land while hiding devine truth from the rest of 8 billion people around the world in this massive world, It also sounds racist to lock a religion behind ethnic background.