u/Ok-Crab-3616

hi everyone! so i’m a christian and i’ve also been a 911 dispatcher for a couple years. i work in a decently sized city that has a lot of protestant christian churches.

since i’ve worked here, ive noticed that SO MANY churches call us to have homeless people removed from their property. and i have the whole context because of course i ask them all of the safety questions.

it’s often not because they have weapons, or because they’re committing crimes. often, when i ask what the person is doing, it is simply the fact that they are sleeping on the property or camped out near the building and the staff wants them gone. or they are worried their presence will make other people uncomfortable.

i try not to judge, and im wondering if anyone can offer me another perspective on this. but why are churches calling the police on the less fortunate to have them removed because it is an inconvenience to them?

some verses i am using as a basis:

“I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you visited me… The King will reply, Truly I tell you, Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:36-40)

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves..” (Philippians 2:3)

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:46-47)

“For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and needy, in your land.’” (Deuteronomy 15:11)

“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14: 13-14)

i’m a 22 YO woman. i live in california. i’ve been working since i was 16 years old, never been without a job. i wont say exactly what i do, but i will say that i am inside the same room all day, for 10-12 hour shifts, often without a lunch or break.

i quit my last job doing something that i actually really enjoyed because i wasn’t making enough money to live on. i made like $900 a paycheck. i’m making nearly 3x that some weeks. i was working with animals, outside all day, running around, speaking to people face to face. now i am in the same room day in and day out, working 45-50 hour weeks with little face to face contact with people.

i have honestly become incredibly depressed over the past 6 months or so. i’ve gotten a lot of medical care for symptoms like constant headaches, excessive sleep, lethargy, body pain. ive also considered seeing a psychiatrist to be put on meds to essentially numb myself so that i dont care. sometimes i’ve felt suicidal but i can’t bring it up because i know i’d risk my job. i can’t help but feel that it’s probably related to a sedentary lifestyle at work and my disdain for my job. i thought more money would be worth it but every day, im just looking to see whether i am able to leave early.

the issue is that i can’t quit because i rent an apartment and have people relying on me to pay me share. i am a college student and have to pay tuition. there aren’t many high paying jobs around me that allow me to have some freedom and get out of my little box. even outside of work, i just feel depressed and dread going back to work soon. my whole life just feels like one big loop, like i’m just doing the same thing week in and week out.

we’ve been together for 1.5 years. when we first met, we could kiss and talk for hours. i remember us once kissing for like an hour straight in his car while we were watching this barn owl hunt. it was one of the most peaceful and wonderful things that i’ve ever done. i love physical affection, hugging, kissing etc. sometimes, he used to just lean over and kiss me randomly.

one day, a couple months into dating, he told me he never liked kissing anyone else but loved kissing me. he told me he’d never felt like this about anyone. i was glad, because as i said, i physical affection is my love language.

fast forward to now. over time, he’s enjoyed kissing less and less. he still kisses me when i leave for work and stuff, but if you saw the kiss it is comical. he doesn’t close his eyes, just leaves them open and staring into nothingness. there’s no “smack”, it’s just him placing his lips onto mine then pulling away. we NEVER make out, and don’t kiss unless there’s a specific reason to like leaving the house.

ive tried to bring it up to him but he just says kissing isn’t his preferred way of affection. i asked him why he doesn’t like it, and he just says it’s the germs. i asked him if that’s how he’d be kissing me during special times like a wedding someday, and he said no because that’s very specific.

i’ve literally had dreams about kissing my boyfriend for real. they were the happiest dreams id had in a while; feeling wanted and loved. i don’t want to pressure him in to something he doesn’t want but i am craving something ive not had in a long time. i can’t imagine going the rest of my life with no real kisses.

tldr: my bf doesn’t like kissing and no longer gives me real kisses, just open eyes and placing his lips on mine.

i have body dysmorphia and have braces, a messed up jaw, weird eyes, etc. i feel hideous all the time.

due to this, i feel like i can’t wear cute things or own cute things. i don’t feel like im stealing them from pretty girls, i don’t feel like the usual explanations i see. i don’t know what it is. i just feel disgusting with my face and body putting pretty things on it.

it feels like that saying “putting lipstick on a pig” you know???

i have body dysmorphia and have braces, a messed up jaw, weird eyes, etc. i feel hideous all the time.

due to this, i feel like i can’t wear cute things or own cute things. i don’t feel like im stealing them from pretty girls, i don’t feel like the usual explanations i see. i don’t know what it is. i just feel disgusting with my face and body putting pretty things on it.

it feels like that saying “putting lipstick on a pig” you know???

i’m a 22 year old EO catechumen. i’ve been in the church for approx 6 months.

i used to be pentecostal, and in that church women were allowed to preach and lead groups. of course in the orthodox church they cannot have any position of authority or help at the alter.

in addition, i’ve noticed there are a lot more male catechumens and younger men in general. they have weekly groups where they discuss theology, and i recently learned that they also have a men’s group chat where they share verses and prayer requests.

the women don’t really have anything like this. there’s only like one other woman my age there, and the women do not really gather. we have like a “tea and talk” group but it seems to be inconsistent, about meeting times. there’s also a women’s “walk and talk”, but i’ve spoken to women there before who aren’t interested in things like theology. i’ve literally been pulled away from that talk by an older woman who took me to a room of girls and said “you don’t want to sit and listen to the men’s talk, you know how it can get”.

i’m just feeling saddened regarding women’s role in the church, and how we’ve kinda been pushed onto a back burner. i can’t even make friends at church because there aren’t really any women my age there.

i’m a 22 year old EO catechumen. i’ve been in the church for approx 6 months.

i used to be pentecostal, and in that church women were allowed to preach and lead groups. of course in the orthodox church they cannot have any position of authority or help at the alter.

in addition, i’ve noticed there are a lot more male catechumens and younger men in general. they have weekly groups where they discuss theology, and i recently learned that they also have a men’s group chat where they share verses and prayer requests.

the women don’t really have anything like this. there’s only like one other woman my age there, and the women do not really gather. we have like a “tea and talk” group but it seems to be inconsistent, about meeting times. there’s also a women’s “walk and talk”, but i’ve spoken to women there before who aren’t interested in things like theology. i’ve literally been pulled away from that talk by an older woman who took me to a room of girls and said “you don’t want to sit and listen to the men’s talk, you know how it can get”.

i’m just feeling saddened regarding women’s role in the church, and how we’ve kinda been pushed onto a back burner. i can’t even make friends at church because there aren’t really any women my age there.

i’m a 22 year old EO catechumen. i’ve been in the church for approx 6 months.

i used to be pentecostal, and in that church women were allowed to preach and lead groups. of course in the orthodox church they cannot have any position of authority or help at the alter.

in addition, i’ve noticed there are a lot more male catechumens and younger men in general. they have weekly groups where they discuss theology, and i recently learned that they also have a men’s group chat where they share verses and prayer requests.

the women don’t really have anything like this. there’s only like one other woman my age there, and the women do not really gather. we have like a “tea and talk” group but it seems to be inconsistent, about meeting times. there’s also a women’s “walk and talk”, but i’ve spoken to women there before who aren’t interested in things like theology. i’ve literally been pulled away from that talk by an older woman who took me to a room of girls and said “you don’t want to sit and listen to the men’s talk, you know how it can get”.

i’m just feeling saddened regarding women’s role in the church, and how we’ve kinda been pushed onto a back burner. i can’t even make friends at church because there aren’t really any women my age there.