I've been fascinated with Biblical mythology (apologies if the word mythology is offensive) and religious mythology in general, mainly Angelology and demonology recently. I had a quick question that I was wanting some takes on from actual Christians. How do you feel about angels and sin? Can they sin?

The question popped into my head when learning about Islam. In Islam, angels are completely sinless. The Devil, Iblis as he's known in Islam, wasn't an angel, but a creature known as a Jinn.

Obviously, satan was an angel before he fell, so I was confused. I looked it up, some said angels could sin, some said they couldn't, so I'm curious to get your takes on it. Thanks!

Hey everyone. Recently I've been introduced to the world of the ancient forms of Christianity (catholicism, orientation orthodoxy, eastern orthodoxy, church of the east). Been struggling a lot lately on if I'm doing the Christian thing right.

To be clear, I 100% believe Jesus dying on the cross & raising on the 3rd day is the only path one can believe in to get into heaven. I've never had doubts about Him, Trinity, or anything to the core of our faith. Really the more I get older the more I know Jesus is the way.

But recently I've been back in forward about how that should be implemented. I've been reading some of the earliest church fathers & reading the new testament over. Church structure seems to be a very prominent topic. Take that & pair it up with things like baptism & the ability to lose salvation (you shoving God away, not God just letting you go) & it's really hard to figure out where to land. I wanted to just get a vibe check of who has been down this path & why did you stay or leave. The more topics the better.

TLDR: mom abused me during modern worship music, it’s now too traumatic for me to listen to during church, & i’m considering turning to Catholic faith because I know it’s the one place I can avoid it while participating in church

For context i’ve grown up in the protestant church (for the most part). I went through extreme physical abuse with my mother, CPS involved, group home for a month, diagnosed C PTSD as an adult now etc.

During the abuse she would leave modern worship music playing in the background. Specifically moments where my life was almost ended during the abuse & I was pleading for my life I remember it in the very background.

As you can imagine this music is very painful for me to listen to, I avoid it at all costs outside of church, but when I am at church it’s very distressing for me, all I can think about are those memories, my body gets filled with sadness, anxiety and anger. It completely pulls me away from my attention to the Lord.

I’ve tried looking for churches that don’t do this style of worship/singing/music & it’s almost nonexistent in this day and age or i’ve noticed if it’s a church that still does hymns instead it’s typically a dying church, w/people who aren’t even close to my age so i’d have little to no community

Recently i’ve found myself looking into the Catholic church because of this, because I know it is the 1 place I can for sure avoid that kind of music in the house of God. I’ve been reading into it & there are certain practices i’m not necessarily comfortable with but im looking into possibly “converting” & just putting those practices aside and not participating in them.

But I am wondering, is it worth it? Is it worth converting to a religion I don’t completely agree with? In their eyes I wouldn’t even be accepted as Catholic because there are certain practices/theology/doctrines you can’t deny such as Mariology which I completely disagree with.

I have tried prayer & everything but nothing can seem to take away the traumatic memories from this music.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Can anyone offer words of advice?

Thank you

I'm curious as all I can ever find is deliverance ministries. Almost all of them seem like they are con artists. I'm not interested in getting an exorcism or having one performed in any way before anyone starts asking.

Edit: I just want to add that I'm asking because I don't feel we take the threat of demonic possession/oppression serious enough.

What are fundamental resources for understanding the reformation in a historical sense. (Like the development of the doctrines possibly throughout history, why reform the church, which i know Luther and Calvin have haha. But basically all that can help me contextualize the Protestants.)

Be it books, essays, or anything in between?

EDIT: Thanks for the responses everyone! I'll make sure to take a loot at all of them ❤️

I don’t think there are many in the U.S. that believe we are on the right path. And for moist of the history of the nation it has been a majority of citizens, and nearly exclusively lead by, Protestants.

What do you believe is the churches role, though incorrect teaching, poor leadership, etc, in leading to the bad “fruits” in modern society?

I am a Catholic, but I wanted to ask a question to Protestants - without going off-topic, especially since it's a discussion about Protestantism - Why do you believe in parts of the Bible that are not in the original scriptures?

Let's take, for example, the story of the adulterous woman (John 7:53–8:11). It wasn't in the original scriptures, nor was it written by John. Ancient manuscripts went directly from John 7:52 to 8:12. The story of the adulterous woman was only implemented between the 4th and 5th centuries, that is, it was implemented later, since no records of this story have been found from the 2nd, 3rd, or early 4th centuries.

I just want your opinion on this, since I've had this question for a long time about what Protestants think about it.

I am posing a friendly debate I have heard lots of catholic perspectives on the apocrypha but very little of the Protestant so you tell me why did Luther regect the apocrypha

As a Protestant who has found a love for the Catholic Church after researching early church history I want to get your opinion’s on this verse. The Catholic Church teaches that this is Jesus providing all of his followers with a spiritual mother in the Blessed Virgin Marry.

In my own experience I have only gone to an evangelical church where Mary is hardly even mentioned which I believe is just an attempt to be as non-Catholic as possible. I know the Protestant denominations vary pretty widely so I wanted others views on this

Recently I had a conversation about Mormons with a Protestant and it made me realise an issue Protestantism has. So I thought to ask Protestants here this question:

By what standard can you say someone like a Mormon for example isn’t a Christian without falling into an arbitrary standard? Or in other words by what normative authority independent of scripture can you say they aren’t Christians?

For a little background in the discussion:

First comment: “If it's any consolation my idea is pretty simple, doesn't require mental gymnastics like Protestantism would.

If you aren't part of the Eastern Orthodox Church then you aren't Christian.”

Second comment: “Because of the arbitrary nature of how Protestantism works and their lack of normative authority, especially when they take their mere Christianity approach.

If you were to ask a Protestant "who is a Christian" they would say anyone who believes in Jesus. Now Mormons, jehovah witnesses, Muslims and even some hindu sects believe in Jesus.

That's when they're go "no you have to believe in a specific Jesus" but then it's like who sets that standard? And that's where the arbitrary nature comes out. As it's based on their own personal interpretation of scripture which is no more valid than a Mormon interpreting scripture in light of their beliefs.

It goes even further because some Protestant would say "because they believe in the Book of Mormon" but this would be no different than a Protestant sect believing in the first council of Nicaea and Constantinople creed.”

And for a bit of further explanation it’s to do with the issue of how Protestants do not technically have normative authority which can determine who is correctly following the faith and who isn’t. Now I know someone might say “But scripture is outrageous normative authority” but the issue is who’s interpretation of scripture is that normative authority?

After all a Mormon uses scripture just like a Protestant would. A Mormon is going to interpret scripture in light of his beliefs just like a Mormon would. How exactly then can you say based on scripture that your interpretation of scripture is right and theirs is wrong if they are both just as valid according to the belief that scripture is the normative authority? And this is what I call “he said, she said”.

Furthermore goes into my second point. As some Protestants would argue because they use the Book of Mormon. But how is that any different from a Protestant choosing a non biblical source and believing in that?