Fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

[TsubasaKamen]

Hi, I am having an issue that I can't seem to shake. I am a professing Christian. I believe that I got Baptized with the Holy Spirit at the age of 19 after I received Jesus Christ into my heart as my Lord and Savior, and acknowledged His Atoning work at the Cross as my justification from since through repentance. At first I was going real strong in the faith as a new believer. I had such a heart and love for Jesus, it was a true love, and I knew He loved me with the same kind of love. The problem is, over time I started getting entangled with things that would normally be considered possessions or objects that glorify the flesh and not the Spirit. I got into anime, a big one that I am virtually obsessed with is Sailor Moon, which I've been told has Satanic symbolism in it, and was encouraged by other Christian believers to not entertain my mind with that anime. I honestly don't see the problem with anime, and am so tied into it anyway that it wouldn't just be as quick and simple as a snap of the finger to turn away from it. I am literally obsessed at this point, and own a lot of anime merchandise. Today a deliverance minister visited our home, he was invited over by my parents because they felt that there were evil energies (evil spirits - demons) in the house, and I knew they were tying the oppression we have been feeling here with my anime stuff. One of those things is a Sailor Moon S Wall Scroll that I have on my wall in my room. My parents are convinced that there is something evil about it and that it should be taken down. This deliverance minister didn't detect anything wrong with me but said that he felt that the Holy Spirit was telling him to lay hands on my head to undergo a brain rotation. Basically he said that he heard from God that my brain was off its axis a little bit which was causing psychological problems in my life. He knew that I had a past with fears, anxieties, and suspicious behavior. At first I said, I didn't trust people putting their hands on me, and he said that it was fine for me to make that decision. I then felt that God was telling me that Satan would love to hinder this deliverance minister from delivering me from damage to my brain, so I consented to it, and allowed him to lay his hands on my head. He prayed the following prayer for me: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command the brain to rotate to its proper position. I command in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that the North be North, the South to South, the West to West, and the East to East. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command the biological and electromagnetic frequencies of the brain to be restored. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command all damage to the brain to be restored. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command the nerve cells in the brain to regenerate and I also command the neurons to fire properly. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command all nerves in the brain stem going into the spine to work properly and in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command any and all damage to the nerves in the spine to regenerate in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command all fast traffic between the left and right hemispheres to cease and normal function to be restored, etc.

This prayer proved to be useful, because immediately after he took his hands off my head and finished the prayer, I instantly felt the pressure and heaviness on my forehead area lift off, and my mind felt clearer. The problem I am having is that I am in a carnal relationship with a girl who is 100% Atheist, and I am too much of a coward to tell her about my Christian faith and that she will need Jesus in order to be delivered from being eternally separated from God in Hell. When I talk to her, I talk worldly, as if I have to perform that way to keep the relationship going. I feel that I am compromising my faith when I do this, and am putting Christ to shame. I feel, in many ways, that I have a vagabond spirit attached to me. Basically I feel like a bastard... like I have no Heavenly Father who loves me, and I feel like I am aimlessly wandering around in life with no real sense of purpose or destiny. I have dreams to study Chiropractic, and have been diligently been hitting the books to get all the requires under my belt to start studying in a Chiropractic College, but in many ways i feel like I am always seeking spirituality but never fully able to achieve it. I dislike this emptiness that is inside of me. I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and have that sincere and genuine love I once had for Jesus Christ. My biggest pass-time and passion is anime, and my parents seem to frown upon it, knowing that there is everything from magical spells, to homosexuality in it. (Sailor Moon has homosexuality in it.) Jesus said you can't serve two masters. You will either love one and hate the other. Can I truly be happy and fulfilled with my passion and love for anime while at the same time leading a Baptized, Regenerated, Life in the Holy Spirit? Or are the things I am allowing in my life, and the compromise of it all, putting me in a state of emptiness and spiritual starvation?

[Jingo Jaden]

Would I be wrong to assume pentacostalism to be your denomination?

Either way, I'll answer with some history. As I find contextual studies of the bible a great tool to get answers out from it and I got nothing better to do now.

Either way, speaking from a reformed position, items and possessions are items and possessions. The problem arises when one idolizes them. I could have a corkscrew which I adored to the point that I had indeed made it an idol, shows can be much the same. If a show goes to the point that say, it challenges your love for God, IE, say if I would have liked the character Trigun more than Jesus Christ, or be more amazed with the story of lucky stars than the gospel, ect. Then yes, considering such honestly and concluding from them will do much in the ways of realigning yourself. Can't speak much for the deliverance minister who did not detect anything wrong with you given that A - You're a sinner and B - Some sins I think you will admit go beyond a direct command of Jesus Christ. That's not to say that it can't have a purpose if you look at the life of Augustine, who spent most of his years, however excellent his mind was, in relative depravity, but God brought him out of it, and if you know God works in your life and feel his work, then I have little doubt there will be a purpose to your sins. There was a purpose to even Menassa, known as perhaps the worst king of Israel's errors and he was brought to the lowest of the low and repented. And he had sacrificed a child at a pagan idol which testifies how loved that line of people were.

However, here is a thing that has been the single most bothering aspect to me from listening to this and I mean that in an inquisitive state. All too often I encounter Christians who think that evil spirits exists under ever rock and generally are of pretty benign characters. Evil spirits as the bible describes them are powerful, mind-controlling to the extreme and seek any opportunity for self destruction for either man or beast. Now, again, as a reformed person I belive we are kept from the nature of the unpardonable sin which was levied against people who were so perverse in their religiosity that they ascribed miracles which they had witnessed. If a person would see Christ curing the sick, making the blind see and raising the dead and then conspire with others in a room on how we can get rid of him, that's a good indicator for being under the nature of the unpardonable sin more than merely words or thoughts alone. One would be entirely certain that no man speaking under the spirit of God can disparage or curse the name of Christ, but much the same, one cannot truthfully and sincerely affirm him as the Messiah, the resurrected one and the son of God other than by the spirit of God. A person which makes say a Joeseph Joestar doll has not done anything which merits suddenly an evil spirit to take possession of such in much the same sense that Justin Martyr, probably one we can consider a fan of the pre and post Socratic philosophies in Ionia 'nowadays Turkey' Greece and Italia had his scrolls of them, probably not all of them entirely God centred with lesser issues. Now it's entirely likely that he had some Christian synergism to those phillosophical methods and that's not unlikely as Plato and more recently Aristotle have both kinda become important in terms of creating terms for ones ontology, but nevertheless some of the teachings would way past any kind of perfect Godly teachings yet he would still teach them. And as the bible makes reference to certain people clawing for truth, well, that's certainly what Plato and Aristotle did and both achieved strong, but different conclusions. Both meriting ones time. Either way, Justin Martyr found both a purpose and a hobby/job. He was kind of a wandering philosophy-minstrel. Paul was a tent-maker. That's how he made a living as he did not want to profit earthly from his ministry. Paul probably was somewhat of a savant in terms of tents given that prowling between all from the rocky and cold Anatolia, to the marshes of Illyria, to the warm and dry plains of Greece ect which all could merit different designs so I doubt it would be wrong to say he knew and probably liked some outdoors activity. Jesus was a carpenter. Augustine certainly had a love for the art of speech which he utilized to his final days, though in different ways. Now, I will say that these things have kind of a divide between anime which often has immoral sides to itself, but so did Greek philosophy. Plenty of unbliblical aspects. Take the strong side of Plato against his weak side. His concept of the perfect world had some merit, and his ontology and concept for existance was remarkable for his time, but when he ask for proof of this, well, he states that if we just search and feel hard enough we will find it which is not satisfactory. Then take Aristotle, one of the great universal scientists of the ages who came with concrete evidence for his positions, but when you'd ask him why all is so, he starts to talk of a God which spends all of eternity contemplating his own navel. Or just creates because that's what he does which satisfies none other than perhaps a couple of the Ionian naturalists. I have little doubt Justin Martyr would have picked up on this and appealed to the citizens of the empire on exactly why he thought that both had merit, but in their language one could find to a greater degree the perfection of Christ. I mean he would be acutely aware of how Paul won over many Greeks who worshipped the unknown God and told them he had a name, which introduced the only other strong ontology, that is the Christian 'in the sense of fulfilling the old testament' one and the Greeks to a great degree liked that. They saw answers which they had searched for in his preaching and indeed had some of the questions that had gnawed on their conscience laid to rest. Now, anyone who knows about his ministry in southern Greece knows that things did not initially go as well as planned. On the left side you had attempts at synergism with new converts who thought they were going to behave like they did with their old religions. I mean they'd come to the communion table and there was WINE there so they must have thought that getting drunk to achieve some kind of communion, or mystical closeness to God as they would with Bacchus was the deal. Paul wrote his 'stringent' letter to them which we sadly no longer have, and I wished we had it because if you've picked up on the difference of tones between first Corinthians when he is fuming, and second Corinthians when they have accepted and repented of their ways and that he is joyful for and on their behalf, well, that's the reason for that. On the other hand there were a threat on the right, which would be a very Jewish-centric approach and indeed added the one precept that in order for salvation to be effective, one would have to adhere to the old law. Paul was not beyond stringent language and told them that instead of circumcising themselves they should go all the way and emasculate themselves. So the bible is not beyond Paul's fury to those who perverted the message of the gospel. He chastised them for thinking themselves as basically super-apostles and anathematized them. That is, saying they were cut off from Christ. No doubt some did repent and go back, I mean, in the reformed tradition we get much of our church discipline from Paul's example, and the reason why I said I don't fear too much for your soul is that you seem to recognize what you're doing and why there is something wrong with that. Had you no indications of such I would be worried and it just has the tone of a drama that will convince you in itself.

When that's said, you can't fix in others what is twisted in yourself. The whole fix the log that is in your eye thing. If you're attempting to convert while remaining ultimately unfaithful to the word, well, the atheist friend would pick up on that. There is a common error to think that as the bible describes those with no faith as fools to mean they are stupid. No, if one reads the greek it plainly describes that to them the bible seems foolish, or Moronus, which is where we get the term moron from as without faith that's what one will generally take away. Preaching on Christ's love, which includes his precepts on marriage and relationships and covenants not to be confused with our modern take on it to someone in which you are essentially violating that with is not going to bear fruit most likely because there is hypocrisy of the soft tone afoot. Now, what do I mean by that. I would not say that drunk who preached about the dangers of alcohol would be a hypocrite, but whereas you may of righteous love for Christ and her want to proclaim the message, you of flesh over-write the precepts of Christ's perfect standards, and those are hard standards to follow no man would deny and on top of that lie both to her and yourself. Now I've been there so I have some idea of what that entails. Either way, the reason you feel like a bastard is because you're behaving like one which again I say with no personal malice as once again been there and still in some ways am there. I will now speak presumptuously because based on your tone as I think, you would be willing, to in full surrender to Christ offer yourself and your desires up as a sacrifice to him which is part of the calling to the cross. We sometimes fear the new being when we are losing our old and this truth be told generally takes some time, it's called regeneration for a reason. Generally in the heart of the matter I've seen extraordinary sinners who identify by Christ alone and despite their multitude of imperfections desire herenestly to be his on his terms, and I've seen others who while not quite so overtly sin on the other has an anthropocentric gospel, if they have something in conflict with Christ, they want Christ to affirm it or it is no big deal or thou shall not judge. Which they eisegete to no end. Either way, perhaps this situation will bring you to full repentance and change now or later, but ultimately your love for Christ which I feel alive in your spirit stands losing to your love of the flesh, but the flesh will decay and you seem sober in your understanding of the situation so you must work on loving Christ's message, not just for the sake of loving it, but because it is ultimately the best thing for you and society. Work on it and I have little doubt you'll end up on the right side. If Christ is irresistible to you then you will never fall from him, because he's the one lifting you up and he never fails.

As far as anime goes. To a degree I chart things on both an historical and biblical level in terms of material. And given some of the violence and immoral acts committed by others you find in both I don't see anime as some kinda soul-crusher. Our depravity does that fine on it's own in whichever form it takes, but if we are given faith as a gift by God through the holy spirit, and by such is handed to Christ. Well then we are his flock. I am reminded of Alfred the great, a ruler forced into many wars by my ancestors. Guthrum was a viking and by any accounts, whatever you've heard of him. He was worse. He had the practical military understanding of what terror could do mixed in with a wrath and delight of suffering that just spread tales of unspeakable atrocities committed against the mid-south of England. Now Alfred, being in the far more dire business of war which it is incredibly easy to act unchristian or going against the warnings of John the Baptist did after many set backs eventually win, corner Guthrum, and Guthrum who was certain that his time was up wanted a quick death in battle, but to his surprise was given very lenient terms. Why was that? Because Alfred acted on behalf of the prince of peace. Guthrum was stunned and inquired even after a long discussion if he too one day could serve the prince of peace as he had seen the greatness of Alfred which was not merely his own, and 60 days later he was baptised with Alfred nearby. It's one of the most celebrated moments in English history because it shows on how even a fairly negative trait, that being the trait of war, can have a righteous end to itself. Anime will never likely gain any similar level of importance or effect and is strictly speaking in the realm of entertainment, even though entertainment can influence for good, but it has the reverse effect of having a very eastern take on what evil is. So when they encounter a strong ontology like Christianity and they don't quite get it you find some rather odd series or moments based on that, including symbols that are abused to no end, but symbols without honesty towards their original concept are not quite what they once were in the same sense that I'd argue no fiction has ever captured the person of Christ quite right. We are quite used to the white and relatively Latin version of Christ, but if we were aiming for accuracy it would probably look like a non-arabic Palestinian Jew, either way not taking fictional things too seriously is a consideration one should have, secondly not taking negative influences on oneself, say if I saw another person steal on tv that would not in itself mean negative fruitions towards me. Daring to have some fun once one is above such things, making Christ the main influence and not be taken by the viles of the worlds which will only increase. Again, just be careful on the idol bit in regards to anime and if you feel yourself negatively influenced to the core, take a break.

Either way, consider and make your main goal that you are to be the new being who lives fully in Christ. Sometimes it may merit sacrifices, but a time and place for everything. John Calvin repented rather organized when he adopted his ministry, but was honest enough to not that even giving up such things which was hard enough he felt some depraved impulses pretty much just after. John Knox lived in pain with a stomach illness, but preached some of the most fiery sermons known to man but also some of the most scholarly ones. If you get near instant high standards like Paul after a repentance, fantastic, if not, just have a main goal outlined and work diligently, don't excuse yourself, don't think that the reason because you sin is because your brain is malfunctioning as such is extremely rarely the case, be honest to your own failings and ask Christ for the rest. You will be given it, and best of all, your struggles will have a meaning to themselves which is why some persist and if they do pray for them to have a purpose that will glorify his name. No words can separate us from the love that is God.

I will pray for you on top of that, if you want some more advice either openly or privately I'll be around.

- Jingo.

[IPv4]

This deliverance minister didn't detect anything wrong with me but said that he felt that the Holy Spirit was telling him to lay hands on my head to undergo a brain rotation. Basically he said that he heard from God that my brain was off its axis a little bit which was causing psychological problems in my Life.

I think the deliverance ministers brain axis is off a little bit.

[shooraijin]

Moved to Christian Growth.

[Kraavdran]

Hey!

Before I begin, I want to commend you. You really seem to be thinking things through and, it seems, are earnestly seeking what God wants. Understandably, things can get quite confusing at times... especially when you throw in other people and their prejudice (whether correct or incorrect, I don't know). This being said, I don't have much advice, per say. After all, you know the situation better than any of us, so ultimately, I think that it is best for you to consider the situation and decide the best course of action. That being said, I'd like to highlight some things, from an outside perspective, that might clear up some things.

Ok, so here are some things that I see at play. First, the obvious one: many Christians inherently dislike things. This is true for medicine (even chiropractic was considered evil and demon-producing by many in the past 100 years), entertainment (consider all the backlash against Harry Potter, Pokemon, D&D, video games, etc), and pretty much every other aspect of life. Reading your description of your parents and church, the prejudice against anime may be at play.

At the same time, I don't know your situation. I admit that anime (or anything) could potentially be an idol. But so can witch hunts (ie: searching for evil in everything), or doctrine, or even one's view of God. To be honest, I can't give you a straight answer for your situation. But I can suggest some things to consider: What place does anime have in your life? Is it entertainment, something that can be really enjoyed? Or are you using it to fill a certain spiritual void? Is anime the reason you don't share your belief with your girlfriend? What are some ways that anime has changed the way you view the world and act in it? When you sit in quiet and meditate on how anime influences you (perhaps along with prayer for guidance, asking God to make clear that which is good or bad) what are some things that stir in your heart or mind? I'd be curious to hear the things you thought about during this time, if you care to share (or pm).

You mention serving two masters. I've often heard that verse misused. So, I would like to challenge your use of it, if you don't mind. Is anime really your master to the same degree that God is? If so, what does that look like?

I must admit, I am fairly skeptical of deliverance minister's role in identifying stuff. So I can't really speak much about that whole instance. Although, that may just be my bias. I do recognize that there is an energetic/spiritual level that many Christians don't acknowledge... but I also recognize that there are a lot of snake oil salesmen. Also, my knowledge of neurobiology gets a little irritated at some of the things he says, but that is really a minor thing. I just wanted to state my biases so that you can understand where I am coming from and acknowledge that I might not be correct in that decision to not take what he said as fact.

Another bias I have, of course, is that I don't believe that anime is inherently sinful or evil. To be honest, I don't think that most things are inherently entirely evil.


So, that was in terms of anime and Christianity. Another element I see is your feelings of disconnection (lack of zeal) with God. Please correct me if I'm wrong about that. Just a few points there... First, it is common for people to be "on fire for God" when they first believe. After all, this belief system is new/fresh/exciting and there is a considerable push towards immersion in one's belief. That is good, it gets you rooted. But, I don't think that it is a sustainable thing to have that much zeal 100% of the time. I know that many others (especially those of a more charismatic persuasion) would disagree with me there. But, the notable thing that I would mention here is to not constantly compare your current self to the "igniting" self. I think that that is a recipe for failure. Zeal/enthusiasm is good, but I think that it must have a balance of depth. And, of course, it will have ups and downs.

To this end, I would also like to ask you what you mean when you say, "i feel like I am always seeking spirituality but never fully able to achieve it. I dislike this emptiness that is inside of me. I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and have that sincere and genuine love I once had for Jesus Christ." What exactly would this look like to you? And some things to consider... What does "achieving spirituality" look like for you? Are there obstacles preventing you from achieving this? If so, what and how might you overcome them? Or, perhaps, are you expecting something that is not good/healthy? Or, perhaps, unattainable (ie: perfection)? In terms of the Holy Spirit, what do you expect "being filled with the Holy Spirit" to look like? Is that sustainable? Is it good? Is it genuinely attainable for mankind on earth? Or, perhaps, is your view of the Holy Spirit tainted by expectations? What is the Holy Spirit's role in life? Is it something that magically makes all obstacles and bad feelings go away? Or something deeper and more meaningful... like a guide?

I've kinda touched on this idea, but I figured that I'd ask one last question that directly challenges a concept that you have. What is God's purpose, to you? Is He there to make your life "feel good" and make you happy with life? Or is that even the wrong question to ask... perhaps the question should be "What purpose am I to God?" To that end, how does God see you? Do you see God as judgmental or strict? Or do you see Him as loving and accepting? Rather, do you *feel* that God is judgmental or strict? Or do you *feel* that God is loving and accepting (no matter our shortcomings, as long as we are earnestly trying to do the right thing)?

There are really tough questions and topics. And, at least my experience with dealing with similarish heavy topics, you can't expect everything to be better overnight. As you learn/grow, it is important to also be ok with where you are. Not being ok with where you are can result in stunted growth (paradoxically).

I humbly admit that I don't fully understand your situation. So, it is very possible that these ideas do not apply. But, I think that (and hope that) they will help you sort out some things and help you serve God as best as you can. At least, I hope that this post did not confuse you further (at least in the long-run). Regardless, I will be praying for your situation, for discernment and (ultimately) peace. I am also willing to chat (on this thread or pm) if you'd like to talk/discuss/soundboard/etc further.

[TsubasaKamen]

My view of God's Purpose for me is absolute and total Transformation. The Transforming of my Mind (Sanctification with the Holy Spirit) and the end result - The Transformation of the Body (The Glorification of the Body.) I do not believe that Baptized Believers in Christ with the Holy Spirit should live a defeated life, being overwhelmed and weighed down by their issues and problems. I believe that The Born Again Believer in Jesus Christ should be Victorious in every area of his or her life. It is true that Demon spirits can oppress Believers, and they will without question, but to live in a constant state of despair, so that even the light you know you have in Christ seems dimmed to the point where it is no longer illuminating to the heart, that is not what I call, or should call, "Newness of Life."

Anime is not a religion to me. It is an obsession, yes, but it is not a religion. Except it is true that I always have to make a reference to a specific anime at least three times a week whenever I am illustrating an idea or concept in reality.

I am constantly feeling like I am unable to Transform. I feel like no matter how hard I try or what I do I will always feel like a vagabond. Aimlessly wondering through life without any real purpose or destination. In other words, I feel like I am cursed to just waste my life away, with several dreams, but no way to turn them into realities. Barricades in the spirit prevent me from achieving success. I always come up against some form of negative energy that disables me from being able to use my brain for the betterment of myself. Text anxiety for instance... text anxiety will create fogginess in my mind which will impair me from being able to use my brain, for once again, the betterment of myself. I also have a hard time achieving because I lose interest too easily. I can't stay focused on anything but what I watch on the Internet, whether it is anime or a Television Series that I am into at the time. Anything that pertains to the betterment of my future, it's like I can't commit to it.

Obstacles was the word you used. I am always being barricaded by obstacles that interfere with my advancements and success. Because of this I have bought into the idea that the Illuminati is behind it, but refuse to research the topic because I am not a full fledged conspiracy theorist. But it wouldn't surprise me if there was some form of demonic subjection/bondage going on.

I know that there will be ups and downs, but sometimes I feel that I am always down, and it seems like something beyond my control is subjecting me to these lows. Demons... fallen angels... Satan... I don't know, I just feel like I am not bringing myself down. It feels more like I am being brought into these low states of mind by oppressing spirits or according a psychiatrist... clinical depression.

Also to finish this reply message to what you wrote above, it would seem that I view God as a wrathful God who is angry toward my sins... and will not stop being angry toward my sins... until I completely come out and be separate... But can I? I am so hooked and absorbed by my interests and passions that I feel there is literally no turning back, even if I wanted to.

[Kraavdran]

Just some things that I'd like to note before I share my experience and/or what I think. First, I just want to say that I recognize that you feel stuck and are going through considerably testing times. Second, you seem to be aiming for what is good. And that, I think, is very important. So, despite this tough time, I want to commend you on having God as a goal, despite going through a rough time.

So, here is the vibe that I get from you. Please correct me if I'm wrong. You view God as more judgmental/wrathful towards you and that any sins you may commit incure wrath. In this way, you feel stuck because, inevitably, sin happens. This part of your story sounds quite similar to a friend of mine.

However, despite this view of God, you see God's purpose for you (and the rest of mankind) as Glorification of the body. After all, your narrative states that "Baptized Believers in Christ with the Holy Spirit" should not live a life with feelings of defeat, overwhelm, and with heavy issues/problems. "The Victorious Christian Life" is the phrase that some traditions call this.

And so, in this way, you view yourself at fault. If I understand correctly, the reasoning goes: "Those allied with God do not suffer these things. I suffer these things. Therefore, I am not allied with God." Is that right?

I'm going to try to reply from here very carefully. I am not certain where the line is between "theological discussion" and "Christian Q&A." But, please keep in mind that the rest of my post may not be accurate. It just reflects what I have learned over similar issues/themes. And, of course, if the mods think that this would be best discussed through private message, I'd be happy to comply. With that out of the way, here it goes:

The first thing that I noticed in your reply was that your view of God may not be encouraging good things. My friend, the one who viewed God in a similar way as you described, had significant feelings of shame (the unhealthy form of guilt that does not encourage change and is often misguided) as a result. Additionally, focusing only on the wrath of God encourages unhealthy fear of Him. To a certain degree, I had a similar view. I believe that this is not good. It encourages us to find reasons to doubt our connection with God. It magnifies the gap between us and God and focus on that... instead of the light He gives us... instead of the encouragement He gives us. And, unfortunately, many churches do not do much to describe God with a better metaphor.

Now, I want to make it clear. I'm not telling you how to think or live. I am just presenting my thoughts and how my friend (and I) learned a better system for us. In that, I hope that you can derive some benefit. Along those lines of thought, I have found an analogy of God that dispelled some of the toxic beliefs that I had about God. And that is the metaphor of God as soil. By imagining God as soil, we focus on His more nurturing side. "God is love" begins to have more meaning than just something we were told in church. If God is like soil, then He is all around us... always present and unable to withhold His nurturing qualities. He provides nutrients and water for us, but also helps us stay grounded during storms. There is nothing we can do, as plants, to push Him away. After all, God is love. And He loves us no matter what.

What are your thoughts on this so far? Which view of God seems to best describe Him? Which one produces encouragement to do His will?

The second thing that stands out, to me, is your view of the "victorious Christian life" as a instantaneous transformation that makes it so that no struggles will occur. This is, of course, a theological topic that probably would be best not discussed in a thread. But, I just wanted to challenge you on one thing. This focuses more on giving yourself grace, rather than directly change your expectations. What if you saw the sanctification process as a long-term process that continues through your whole life? In other words, what if you viewed yourself as a person who is constantly growing and becoming better as God works in you? Perhaps this just goes back to the metahpor of God as soil. I think that expecting perfection from oneself just sets you up for failure and despair (not to mention self-doubt). I know those feelings of despair and self-doubt quite well.

The third thing that stands out is your focus on your interests and passions. My friend also felt like the things she liked and found interesting were contrary to Gods will. And, unfortunately, she suffered from some bad health during that time. At her worst, she was prepared to give up everything. However, this was less about trying to follow God and more about desperation. Around that time, she didn't take care of herself very well because she feared that things that she enjoyed were "evil." Now, like I said in my first post, I don't know your situation. I can't tell if your interests/passions are unhealthy... or if you are like my friend in that regard. I think that only you can really discern that... like I said in my previous post... although I recognize that it is really tough.

One last question, if you don't mind. What would the, as you say, "Newness of Life" look like in your life? In other words, if you woke up tomorrow to find that everything was "just as it should be," what would it look like? I'm not sure if I completely understand your expectations.

I think that I'll end there. I'm interested to hear what you think about these things.

[TsubasaKamen]

Basically, what I am experiencing here is a immobilizing and paralyzing pressure in the air of absolute and total Anti-Love. Without the Love of God being poured into our hearts it is impossible to even have a sense of happiness and joy. What does the Scripture say... It is true that He (The Holy Spirit) who is within us is GREATER than he (Satan) who is in the world. Satan is regarded in scripture as the Prince of the Power of the "Air" - The God of this World that works within the children of disobedience toward God. Saying that, it is apparent to me that the amount of Satanic energy that is in the air all around the world, which is manifested in one word... Antisemitism... hatred for the Jewish People, which is the spirit of Satan, it would seem that the oppression that this stimulates and forms causes me to feel suppressed by these conflicting and opposing pressures to my heart.

I often talk about Character Transforming/Transformation in my YouTube videos. I talk about how it is a gradual, step by step, day by day, procedure. The first step is recognition. Realizing that you have weaknesses and infirmities in your Outside Character, and that the only way to be who you want to be in life (Transform) it is both expedient and important that one initiates the developmental process. I do not believe that Newness Of Life with the Holy Spirit is a one moment transformation like the Glorification of the Body will be. I believe that Sanctification with the Holy Spirit assures correct and righteous thinking, which in turn cuts off the Old Nature - the Nature that was once subjected by sin and death.

I have a different concept of God than my parents. My parents view virtually everything that is considered carnal as a sin. Even going to see a head doctor (a psychiatrist) to my parents is SIN. But I look at what works for me. If Psychiatry helps me get back on my feet... then it is no longer a sin to me, but a blessing. A blessing that God used in my life for the healing of my self. I draw anime... and am quite decent at it. Can I honestly say that this God given artistic ability is a sin against God? How could any talent be sin toward God? Talents are divinely given to each individual on Earth for the purpose of shewing forth uniqueness and difference. For this reason anime is not a sin to me... like some have told me... because anime is what inspired me to draw anime in the first place.

What more can I say? How can Sailor Moon be a sin for wickering the fundamentals of the Bible in S (Season 3?) Does not the wickering of these fundamentals in the Bible draw those who believe in the Bible back to the original source? When I watched Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica for instance... it reminded me of the fight between good and evil that's presented in the Bible, so naturally I took to the anime even more. Even when watching anime, Christ always gets the Center with me. Magical Girls or Puella Magi's fight against witches and familiars in portal dimensions within Earth. Three things. 1. The Magical Girls symbolize Saints or Holy Angels that warfare and fight against the Witches and Familiars (2. which represent Evil spirits/demons or Fallen Angels), and finally, 3. It is Biblical that principalities, powers of darkness, spiritual wickedness, is all around us, and in higher places (The Universe.) Just like the Witches and Familiars, Fallen Angels and Demons live in the shadows of this world waiting for opportune times to afflict the Saints of God and of Christ with oppression and temptation.

I like your metaphor about God being as soil, and that he is all around us, but what if he was all around us in all His Wrath? Surely if that were the case... there would be no escape, because even in the depths of Sheol... behold... He is there.

Newness of Life to me - Character Transformation - The Renewing of the Mind - is in all essence to live a life like a Warrior. Standing against the wiles of the Devil whenever he makes an attack and ALWAYS coming out on top. Sometimes I feel like I am a Brat in the Kingdom of God, the littlest upset makes me shake and whimper. These weaknesses in my Outside Character does not shine the Power of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is no weakling, and neither should His Saints.

[Xeno]

Shocking idea coming through: maybe anime is just meant as entertainment and there is no underlying subtext, you're mearly finding things that don't exist by seeing small similaries and jumping to the conclusion that they're connected.

Sailor Moon is a show from the early 90s, made by a Japanese studio for a Japanese audience that did well enough to spur several sequel series, a live action series, and a remake. There is no symbolism or occultist ties in it outside of taking the zodiac and using it as a basic concept.

Additionally, Allah is not a "moon god," he is God. The same God the Jews and Christians worship. Allah is the Arabic word for him, not unlike YHWH is the Jewish. The star and crescent is the symbol of Islam, much like the Star of David is for Jews, and the crucifix is for Christians. You're seeing a lot of parallels that don't exist either because you want to see them or you're having ideas fed to you that make you see them, but they aren't there. If you like Madoka or Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z or Macross or whatever then watch it. If you don't, then don't. This anime is sinful horse is so dead that I'm pretty sure it's just dirt anymore.

Edit: Yes, autocorrect, I definitely meant "Davod" and not "David."

[Nate]

How can Sailor Moon be a sin for wickering the fundamentals of the Bible in S (Season 3?) Does not the wickering of these fundamentals in the Bible

Wicker is only listed as a noun and an adjective in the dictionary, and I don't think you're saying that Sailor Moon has turned the bible into wickerwork.

Urban dictionary defines wickering as "The act of dousing yourself in one third of a can of LYNX deoderant in a vain attempt to emulate the icy cool effect of the Graham-like man in the advert." Which...doesn't really make sense in the context of the sentence either.

I'm confused.

At any rate you're just attributing motivations to Naoko Takeuchi that frankly just aren't there. She did not sit in her apartment and go "Aha I will use my comic about teenage girls turning into superheroes and fawning over cute boys and use it to make broad statements about the nature of Christianity and the Bible." What she did is basically what things like Final Fantasy or Ah My Goddess do with Norse paganism. "Whoa this Yggdrasil thing sounds cool, I'm totally putting that in my manga." "Oh man, the god Odin is really neat, I'm going to make him a summon in this video game." Final Fantasy is not trying to make any statements about Norse theology by putting Odin in their game. They are going "This is a cool dude on a six legged horse who is going to cut your enemies in half, woooo!"

Sailor Moon S may have used the word "Messiah" but Naoko Takeuchi was not basing anything on Jewish prophecy regarding the Messiah, nor is Sailor Moon portrayed as the daughter of God or the second coming of Jesus or equal to Jesus or whatever. In fact, "messiah" is not even a word exclusive to Christianity anymore, just like how "bible" can now mean "really important text," like if a professor says "This is the bible of (profession)" they are not stating that the manual or book is a holy text divinely inspired by God. They are just saying "This book is extremely important and useful." There's the Holy Grail, but at no point is the Holy Grail in Sailor Moon implied to be the cup Jesus drank from or even related to Jesus in any way. It's not even like the Holy Grail has been central to Christianity anyway, it didn't really gain popularity as A Thing in Christianity until the King Arthur legend.

Like honestly the closest I can remember Sailor Moon ever coming to commenting on Christianity is in one episode of Sailor Moon SuperS where Tiger Eye poses as a lost and depressed man who has heard the voice of God so he can get close to a nun at a Christian church to see if she has the Golden Dream Mirror. There's a single line when the team shows up and does their roll call where Sailor Mars says "Even though it's a rival to the shrine..." and that's it. And she's not even speaking ill of the church, she's just saying "This building teaches a different religion than the one I live in but I'm going to protect it anyway." And this didn't happen in the manga so it's not like this is a thing that Naoko felt strongly about, and it was probably just the anime team going "Well Rei's a Shinto priestess so maybe it'd be kind of amusing for her to comment on this being a different religious building."

[Kraavdran]

To be honest, I don't think that I'm tracking with you when you were talking about "Anti-Love" and "Antisemitism." Perhaps because you are using terminology that I am unfamiliar with. Which is fine, but please allow some clarification on my part. Are you saying that you feel like Satan is preventing you from feeling God's love? And, in that way, you feel suppressed/oppressed?

So, it seems that you also view sanctification as a process and not a instantaneous event. I think that we can agree there.

I have a different concept of God than my parents. My parents view virtually everything that is considered carnal as a sin. Even going to see a head doctor (a psychiatrist) to my parents is SIN. But I look at what works for me. If Psychiatry helps me get back on my feet... then it is no longer a sin to me, but a blessing. A blessing that God used in my life for the healing of my self. I draw anime... and am quite decent at it. Can I honestly say that this God given artistic ability is a sin against God? How could any talent be sin toward God? Talents are divinely given to each individual on Earth for the purpose of shewing forth uniqueness and difference. For this reason anime is not a sin to me... like some have told me... because anime is what inspired me to draw anime in the first place.

Having studied psychology, this hits close to home. And I just want to affirm you in that. Some people live in fear, viewing "demons" at every corner... and they set up a constricted world where they feel threatened. I don't think that that view is healthy because it may prevent you from going to a doctor who can help you... but it also sets up your worldview for fear which hinders personal growth (and, I think, spiritual growth). Reading Romans 14 helped me understand people who think that things are evil when I don't think that those things are evil. And, more importantly, how to deal with those people. In understanding and care... and of course, respect.

Hearing you talk, it sounds like you have already reached the conclusion that anime is good because you find encouragement (and enjoyment) from it. From what you have described, it does not sound like it is holding you back on your spiritual journey. Is this a correct evaluation? I see that you even draw parallels from anime magical girl anime and biblical principles.

I like your metaphor about God being as soil, and that he is all around us, but what if he was all around us in all His Wrath? Surely if that were the case... there would be no escape, because even in the depths of Sheol... behold... He is there.

If God were not like soil (primarily a nurturer), then there would be no hope for mankind. He is all around us, and He is good. I do not believe that God's wrath will ever be all around us. Soil, it its pure state, will never harm a plant that it holds.

Newness of Life to me - Character Transformation - The Renewing of the Mind - is in all essence to live a life like a Warrior. Standing against the wiles of the Devil whenever he makes an attack and ALWAYS coming out on top. Sometimes I feel like I am a Brat in the Kingdom of God, the littlest upset makes me shake and whimper. These weaknesses in my Outside Character does not shine the Power of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is no weakling, and neither should His Saints.

I must say, I am a bit confused. Earlier in your post, you say that sanctification is a process and that we do not become perfect overnight. But here, you say that when our mind is renewed, we will always persevere against temptation. It also seems that this belief in being able to "always come out on top" against the wiles of the Devil is hindering growth. After all, if you expect constant victory, but hit a few stumbling moments, it is quite demoralizing. So, I'd like to challenge you on that thought and ask you: How might you be encouraged to do better if you did not expect perfection, but instead focused on the journey itself. And, when stumbling happens, give yourself grace (and try to look for God's grace, rather than wrath). Does this ring as true or good?

Additionally, while blunt, I think that Nate makes some good points about what anime is trying to do. They often take character concepts, names, situations, and magics from different legends/religions/etc because they are really cool (consider the name Daedalus vs the name Steve... which is cooler?).

[K. Ayato]

Yep. Rule of Cool.

[TsubasaKamen]

Sorry for not quoting, but this is for the first replier. I once wrote something concerning all the wicker that's in Sailor Moon (S) in relation or correspondence to the Jewish and Christian/Messianist Bible. It's actually on this Website somewhere, but the thread got closed down because it abrupt(ed) confrontation and dispute that got too heated up for the Administration of this site to allow it to stay open. In it I address a series of things that correlate between the plot of Sailor Moon (S) and the fundamentals of the Bible. I will go over them really quick to give application to the meaning of this message.

The season begins with Rei Hino, Sailor Mars, having a visionary dream of the world's end. A time of destruction and desolation known as the Silence. Without going into the amount of detail I went into in the original article/message I will just simply say that the Silence correlates with what is known as the Seven Year Great Tribulation Period, without there being a set number/amount of years in the time or dispensation of the Silence. Even so, it is without argument that the Silence in Sailor Moon (S) is comparable to the Tribulation Period, as both relate to a time of destruction and desolation, but in their own meanings to the term "destruction" and that both events usher in a New Age, which is also a fundamental presented in both Sailor Moon (S) and refers to the Rebirth of Sailor Saturn - Hotaru, and what is called the Millennium in Revelation Chapter 20 and other Passages throughout the Old Testament in the Holy Bible.

Let us continue. In order to prevent the Silence, a Messiah of "Salvation" is sought after, who when manifested, at the time three Talismans are brought into one place to shew forth the Holy Grail - which symbolizes Eternal Youth/Life just as Christ Himself gives the living waters of Eternal Life through applied faith in Him and His Sacrifice on the Cross. The Messiah of "Salvation" is indirectly pointed at as Sailor Moon, with Haruka seeing a glimpse of her Messiah-form, but yet, remaining doubtful and denied. The Messiah of "Salvation" corresponds with Jesus, Who is the Messiah of God, the Jews, and the Church. When I use the word "wicker" I mean it in the sense of that the inspirations behind Naoko Takeuchi Sailor Moon anime is without a shadow of a doubt an inspiration that was not given by the product of her own imagination, but through Jewish and Christian fundamentalism including the possibility of her inspirations coming directly through/from Satan.

Let's continue. Mistress Nine is the manifestation of Sailor Saturn's Dark-Messiah form. This corresponds with The Antichrist, who is in the same manner, an evil Messiah, who will be sent to the inhabitants of Jerusalem to take his place on the Throne of David in the Holy Temple to pose as their Messiah. Of course, the Jewish people will accept him as their Messiah, because they are presently waiting for their Messiah to come, and when He did come, 2,000 years ago (Jesus of Nazareth) they rejected Him and nailed Him to the Cross, fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament.

Furthermore, Mistress Nine (the Dark Messiah of Sailor Moon [S]) has a higher empowerment from a higher Solar System in the Universe who gives her - her power(s). This corresponds and correlates with the Antichrist of the Bible who will be empowered to do his signs, wonders, and miracles through the working of Satan. Pharaoh 90, who is the empowerment of Mistress Nine corresponds with Satan who is the empowerment of the Antichrist.

I go into a few more details in my analogy between the comparison factors of Sailor Moon (S) and the Jewish and Christian Bible, based on my own insights, which I believe are Divinely Inspired by the Holy Spirit, to give the ample reason why Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon series is the most popular of its kind, and that is because it was inspired by Jewish and Christian scriptural fundamentalism, which is the hottest topic on the Planet. Of course it would win her the fame and popularity that it has graced her with.

To the second replier.

Yes, I sense a sinister oppression in the air that subdues me from fully experiencing the Love of God. That is because I believe the air is intoxicated with Satanic and Demonic energies.

Anything that leads me to a closer relationship with God, whether it be a direct Testimony of God's Love and Grace to something that is stated in an anime or manga that stands out to me in spiritual profoundness, I see it as messages to the Transformed Conscience from God to energies and bless the soul and heart. Some Christians live in constant fear. That is true. And they block avenues out of their lives that could be helpful and resourceful to them, but they do this because they are afraid of losing connectivity with God. I on the other hand am not as extreme, though my love and expression for God's Word would seem to be quite contrary and opposite.

I like your response on the whole soil thing, I can now see your point, and believe you when you say that God's Wrath is only appointed to the Time of Judgment in the Last Day by Jesus Christ.

Transformation through Sanctification is a step by step, day by day, process, but it is also a continual strength. Weaknesses in the Outside Character or the Old Nature are disabled when one is Transformed from Glory to Glory. When the carnal body is Transformed in Glorification, when we become just like Him (Jesus), then there will be no more weaknesses and infirmities.

God bless, friends.

[Kraavdran]

ah, I must be the second replier. I'll try to reply too. And, similarly, please excuse my lack of quoting. I feel that these conversations are best suited to normal replies.

Based on your reply, it sounds like you are ok with anime, is that correct? We draw from different wordbanks to describe religious experiences/stuff, so I'm not sure if I am completely tracking with what you are saying. But it sounds like you are saying that you feel that anime is not only safe, but has added benefit of turning your mind to spiritual things (ie: towards concepts found in the Bible). Am I understanding that correctly? If so, am I correct to assume that your questions in the original post are answered satisfactorily?

Thank you, I'm glad that the metaphor of "God as soil" made sense. It has really helped me, I'm glad that I can explain it in a way that is helpful to you as well. Living in, essentially, fear/resentment of God is rather difficult. This metaphor helped me see Him as good.

In terms of Sanctification (slow transforming work on earth) and Glorification (instantaneous transformation after life on earth), it sounds like we have similar concepts. If I understand you correctly, you view sanctification as a slow process. So, in that way, we can't expect ourselves to suddenly "conquer all the sin in ourselves and live 24/7 in goodness." Do I understand this correctly?

[Davidizer13]

Is there any evidence that the author of Sailor Moon was influenced by Christian thought, like interviews with her, things she's done, etc.? Anything more than just a vague spiritual feeling? From a quick search online, she hasn't made it clear what religion she is - while her works have Christian symbols, they also use things like the tarot and Buddhist symbolism, and she herself got married in a Shinto-style wedding, which seems to be the default in Japan the way getting married in a Christian church is here, but none of which really pegs her down to anything.

The term Messiah comes from a Hebrew word for anointed or chosen, and while we as Christians associate it most with Jesus due to its being used in messianic prophecy, it's also used in the Old Testament to refer to the priests in the Temple (especially the high priest), the kings of Israel as God's chosen, or even to the Persian king Cyrus. In fact, the Jewish understanding of a Messiah as seen in the New Testament, as a heavenly, conquering king, was very recent, showing up around the time of the Maccabees and out of the various apocalyptic writings between the testaments. But the association in Sailor Moon is apparently tying back to the Christian understanding of it being Jesus, so run wild with that if you must.

But in the meantime, the concepts you've laid out - a chosen one destined to save the world, dreams of a disastrous future, an anti-chosen one to fight against, and a greater power behind the evil double - are pretty widespread throughout media, maybe not together always, but they're around in many more things than just this series. Is everything that uses them similarly inspired by the Holy Spirit, or is it just Sailor Moon? If so, have you considered that you're projecting that good quality on it because you like it so much?

Also, if the dream the heroine sees is of the Great Tribulation, isn't her goal to stop it, and wouldn't that be going against God's will as you understand it? If Christianity is the hottest topic out there, why don't more media that are explicitly Christian do as good as Sailor Moon? When you say that the Christian themes are mixed with Satanic influence, wouldn't that typically negate the positive in most people's minds?

[Kraavdran]

I'd like to add/reply to what you said, Davidizer.

You make a good point. Anime often has things (terms, concepts, themes, etc) from different religious or mythological sources. Greek/Roman and Christian seem to be fairly common (at least, those are the ones I've noticed most). Just because they have Christian names/themes/places/etc doesn't necessarily mean that they are promoting Christian belief/values/concepts/etc.. Conversely, just because they have references to the Greek gods and concepts of Roman religions doesn't mean that they are promoting these beliefs. In my mind, they are fairly neutral.

Although, I think that you take a bit of a cynical approach towards the original post. While the author did not necessarily mean to relate these Christian themes (just as Tolkien did not purposely write Christian themes in the Lord of the Rings series), I don't think that it is wrong to enjoy these aspects in the series. In reference to the original post, concerning questioning the spiritual safety of watching anime (particularly, Sailor Moon), I think that the fact that TsubasaKamen can see the good/encouraging aspects (whether intentional or not) does suggest that anime is, actually, not a detriment to her walk with God. If I understand the situation, that is.

[Davidizer13]

Although, I think that you take a bit of a cynical approach towards the original post. While the author did not necessarily mean to relate these Christian themes (just as Tolkien did not purposely write Christian themes in the Lord of the Rings series), I don't think that it is wrong to enjoy these aspects in the series. In reference to the original post, concerning questioning the spiritual safety of watching anime (particularly, Sailor Moon), I think that the fact that TsubasaKamen can see the good/encouraging aspects (whether intentional or not) does suggest that anime is, actually, not a detriment to her walk with God. If I understand the situation, that is.

Oh yeah, I'm not criticizing the OP for reading Christian themes into places they're unintentional, seeing as I do it sometimes, I'm focused on the degree to which it's been taken. It's not enough to have shadows or flavors of Christianity, it has to be divinely inspired. If the one show which can be tied back like that can have that degree of closeness, what about all the others that also have similar themes? What about shows that also have them but oppose Christianity? If it helps with their walk with God, I'm not going to oppose that, but I am curious about how deep that reading goes and what else might be tied up with it.

[Kraavdran]

Ah, I see what you are getting at now. Very good point.

[TsubasaKamen]

My final conclusion, and my heart knows it well, is that anime is thing of beauty. Created by the imagination of minds that demonstrate and portray a gift that only God could instill within them. Creativity is a beautiful thing, because God in His Creative work, created males, female, animals, birds, and fish, with utmost beauty and uniqueness. Anime characters are a reflection of God's Master Work as The Creator. It is God-like to create... is it not? Humans create under the limitations of this world and Universe. God Creates high above the heavens, into Eternity. The Angelic races for instance. Sailor Moon is a beautiful anime, and it will always be rich in its beauty. Naoko Takeuchi must have gotten her inspirations from wickerment of the Jewish and Christian fundamentals of the Bible, but it is unknown as to how she received these wickerments. Did she research Biblical fundamentalism and prophetic events? Did she get her ideas supernaturally from the one who counterfeits the Scriptures, Satan himself? Or is she in fact fascinated with adopted Western Christianity secretly? We will probably never know, unless it is leaked out in an Interview. But based on the comparison correspondences that I provided between the plot of Sailor Moon (S) and the fundamentals and prophetic events that are in the Bible, it is hard to dismiss the possibility of one of the three speculations being the accurate one. But to once again state my final conclusion on the whole matter. Whether anime will bring a soul into judgment, I am not sure. But one thing is for sure, there is beauty in anime that highlights and amplifies the Beauty of God from within my heart, and that beauty serves as a reflector of spiritual themes that bring my attention back to the original Source. Christ Himself.

[Ante Bellum]

I dunno about this Sailor Moon stuff, but your posts would be marginally (and I do mean marginally) easier to read if you let up on the shift key a bit.

[TsubasaKamen]

I dunno about this Sailor Moon stuff, but your posts would be marginally (and I do mean marginally) easier to read if you let up on the shift key a bit.

"No one really starts out kind. All we know how to do at first is want. We want food, we want attention... It's just natural survival instinct, I guess... But kindness is something that we all have to learn as we go. It's something that grows and develops slowly over time... The same way our bodies do..." - Tohru Honda.

[Ante Bellum]

Honesty doesn't go hand-in-hand with kindness, and the world doesn't wear kid gloves. You can ignore it as much as you'd like, but how could you ever hope to improve that way?

[Kraavdran]

My final conclusion, and my heart knows it well, is that anime is thing of beauty. [...] Whether anime will bring a soul into judgment, I am not sure. But one thing is for sure, there is beauty in anime that highlights and amplifies the Beauty of God from within my heart, and that beauty serves as a reflector of spiritual themes that bring my attention back to the original Source. Christ Himself.

That sounds like you have really given it some thought and have decided that anime is to be valued in the same way that art is to be valued. Although we might have reached the same conclusion through different methods, I'm glad that you are at peace with your decision.

While I think that your view of anime directly emphasizing the Beauty of God is a form of "over-spiritualization", that is an ok difference to have. And, at the same time, I'm glad that aesthetics of anime can point you to Truth. I'm glad that you seem at peace with this. Please keep us updated if anything changes.

Also, just a suggestion, you might want to start a new thread if you guys want to discuss honesty's relation to kindness and how the world works. I don't think discussing it here would be beneficial to the original post.

[shooraijin]

Candidly, I'd see the latter turning into something a little personal, so I'd prefer you didn't.

[Nate]

it is without argument that the Silence in Sailor Moon (S) is comparable to the Tribulation Period, as both relate to a time of destruction and desolation

No, sorry, it's not "without argument." You can't just assert your opinion as undeniable fact. Reasons why the Silence is not comparable to the Tribulation:

1) There are no trials/plagues, it's just straight up destruction. Revelation says pretty clearly that seals will be opened and mankind will be inflicted with pretty bad stuff.

2) The Tribulation eventually leads to the creation of a new Heaven and Earth. The Silence just leads to complete death of the world, no new creation.

3) The Silence can be prevented. The Tribulation cannot.

Three good reasons why the Silence is NOT like the biblical Tribulation. It's just a generic "the world is destroyed!" plot point that plenty of other TV shows/movies/cartoons have used in the past.

a Messiah of "Salvation" is sought after, who when manifested, at the time three Talismans are brought into one place

Yeah I remember in the Bible where the disciples had to find three Talismans in order to make Jesus appear.

to shew forth the Holy Grail - which symbolizes Eternal Youth/Life

BZZZZZZZT. Wrong! The Holy Grail in Sailor Moon does NOT symbolize eternal youth or life! It is, in fact, just a powerful weapon that Diana states has the power to save people. What DOES symbolize eternal youth and life in Sailor Moon is actually the Silver Crystal, as Sailor Moon uses the power of the Silver Crystal to create Crystal Tokyo and a new golden age of humanity with no death or sickness...and the Silver Crystal trapped in Chibiusa's body is why she's over 900 years old and yet looks like a child (in the manga, in the anime this isn't the case). At any rate, the Silver Crystal is the artifact that's really tied to eternal youth/life in Sailor Moon.

Oh, one more thing: the Holy Grail appearing when the three Talismans were brought together was ONLY in the anime. In the manga, the Holy Grail was formed when Chibiusa, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask combined their powers to save the other Senshi.

the inspirations behind Naoko Takeuchi Sailor Moon anime is without a shadow of a doubt an inspiration that was not given by the product of her own imagination

Naoko Takeuchi didn't make the anime. She made the manga. The anime was made by an animation studio and guess what? Naoko Takeuchi had very little input in what they put into the anime. In fact, it's famously known that she has always been really angry that the Sailor Starlights were turned into men in the Sailor Stars arc.

And it's not "without a shadow of a doubt" that she was inspired by something beyond her imagination. Like, it's literally impossible to prove that. Maybe she was, but you can't assert it as fact because you can provide no evidence except for your personal opinions, which can be debunked, which hey guess what? There's doubt! Not even a shadow of it either, just pure straight up doubt.

Let's continue. Mistress Nine is the manifestation of Sailor Saturn's Dark-Messiah form.

Nope, wrong. In the manga (which is what I'm going to be talking about since that's what Naoko Takeuchi wrote, and NOT the anime) Mistress Nine is a Daimon whose egg was implanted in Hotaru's body when Professor Tomoe was rebuilding Hotaru as a cyborg after she was severely injured in a lab accident. In other words, she's an alien being who's possessed Hotaru's body, much like how Germatoid possessed the body of Professor Tomoe.

Furthermore, Mistress Nine (the Dark Messiah of Sailor Moon [S]) has a higher empowerment from a higher Solar System in the Universe who gives her - her power(s).

So she has someone else who gives her power, thus this proves she's analogous to the Antichrist? What? That makes no sense. By that logic, Helios is also the Antichrist, since he draws his power from Endymion (Mamoru).

why Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon series is the most popular of its kind, and that is because it was inspired by Jewish and Christian scriptural fundamentalism

Uh, except Sailor Moon became incredibly popular before S existed. You realize that, right? Like, S is the THIRD arc of Sailor Moon. This means two other arcs came before it, those being the Dark Kingdom arc and the Black Moon arc. Neither of which have even passing references to Christian/Jewish beliefs. Those are what made Sailor Moon popular. S is considered by many to be the best arc, sure, and it was popular, but Sailor Moon didn't become popular because of S. It was already popular BEFORE this arc.

And the reason it became popular is because although she has no understanding of human anatomy, Naoko Takeuchi's art is really pretty. It was a bit of a combination of the magical girl genre as well as Super Sentai, a tokusatsu show that revolves around teams of warriors (you may know Super Sentai better as its American adaptation, Power Rangers).

On top of all this, Naoko Takeuchi only wanted Sailor Moon to last for one arc and wanted to kill off the Senshi at the end of the Dark Kingdom arc. She's been on record as stating she resents the fact the anime actually did kill them all off (though revived them), because she wasn't able to do that in the manga. It was also the anime studio that urged her to continue the manga because it was really popular, and she's stated that she really struggled to continue the series. Kinda like how Dragonball Z only continued past the Cell saga due to the animation studio begging Akira Toriyama to keep going. Of course then when he said "Nope no more" they just went ahead and did GT without him.

This is also why there's the Doom Tree arc in the anime, to give Naoko Takeuchi time to come up with more stuff.

Look, I'm not denying that the S arc of Sailor Moon takes some inspiration from Christian stuff. That's pretty obvious when you use terms like "Holy Grail." But again, the extent of that inspiration is similar to Odin in Final Fantasy: not inspired by the religion, just a reference to the religion because it's cool and foreign. It's not like this is unique to Sailor Moon, either, lots of anime has done this, including one very famous one that I won't mention due to rules of this site.

And I'm not even saying that you personally can't say "I see Sailor Moon S as being representative of Christian theology" because hey, lots of people on here do that! There's even lots of books writing about Christian themes in non-Japanese TV shows, stuff like The Gospel According to Peanuts and all that. It's cool to see those kinds of themes in our entertainment (I think it's a bit silly sometimes but hey). But recognize that a lot of personal bias goes into what kind of themes we see in entertainment, that there's Buddhists out there also saying "Man this [show/movie/anime] really expresses Buddhist themes!" or Hinduists saying "Man this plot is exactly like when Shiva beheaded Ganesha and Parvati threatened to destroy the world." People see what they want to see.

[TsubasaKamen]

I had trouble with the quotations of this reply. This seems like a mess, sorry for the double post. I hope this doesn't look too confusing. =/

it is without argument that the Silence in Sailor Moon (S) is comparable to the Tribulation Period, as both relate to a time of destruction and desolation

No, sorry, it's not "without argument." You can't just assert your opinion as undeniable fact. Reasons why the Silence is not comparable to the Tribulation:

1) There are no trials/plagues, it's just straight up destruction. Revelation says pretty clearly that seals will be opened and mankind will be inflicted with pretty bad stuff.

When I said comparable, I was referring to the similarities between both events. What is the first thing that you would think of or compare the Silence in Sailor Moon (S) with? If you do not say the Tribulation Period, but something other, I would find it hard to believe you. The Silence denotes the end/the Planet's desolation and destruction. The Tribulation period, although not a world-wide destroying of the Planet, still emphasizes desolation, in a spiritual sense, of that of the soul of those who do not make the Rapture. During this time, at the end of the 7 years, armies from outside nations surrounding the Land of Israel will bring the Holy City, Jerusalem, into near extinction. This brings the comparison between the two even farther.

2) The Tribulation eventually leads to the creation of a new Heaven and Earth. The Silence just leads to complete death of the world, no new creation.

Although you are right in what you say, I think it is worth pointing out that the comparison factors between the two are enriched even farther as both depend on a Savior to prevent the extinction of the Planet. In Sailor Moon (S) the Messiah of Salvation is sought after by Haruka and Michiru in order to prevent the Silence. The Savior, according to the anime, brings in the New Age instead, which concerns itself with the rebirth of Hotaru and symbolizes a New Age/Beginning. Much like the need of a Savior to prevent the Silence in Sailor Moon (S) a Messiah (Jesus Christ) is needed to Save the Jews from the invasion of outside armies or else the entire world would be destroyed. Why do I say that? It's as simple as this: If Israel goes... the whole world goes with it.

3) The Silence can be prevented. The Tribulation cannot.

Good point, except it is still true that the Silence of Sailor Moon (S) and the Tribulation Period of the Bible are the most comparable themes in history, even if they do not have a 100% unity in their comparison(s). Even so, good third point.

Three good reasons why the Silence is NOT like the biblical Tribulation. It's just a generic "the world is destroyed!" plot point that plenty of other TV shows/movies/cartoons have used in the past.

True, but I am referring to the inspirations of these themes. It is without question that the end of the world is a Biblical prophetic truth. Meaning, it originates with the Bible. Anything that deals with world destruction and desolation is in fact not produced by the imagination alone but is taken exclusively from the Bible.

a Messiah of "Salvation" is sought after, who when manifested, at the time three Talismans are brought into one place

Yeah I remember in the Bible where the disciples had to find three Talismans in order to make Jesus appear.

Much like the three Talismans appearing in one place in order to bring forth the Messiah in Sailor Moon (S) so will the Messiah of the Bible (Jesus) return to the same place at which He ascended with the Father to Heaven; namely, The Mount of Olives. Not the same message, but similar.

to shew forth the Holy Grail - which symbolizes Eternal Youth/Life

BZZZZZZZT. Wrong! The Holy Grail in Sailor Moon does NOT symbolize eternal youth or life! It is, in fact, just a powerful weapon that Diana states has the power to save people. What DOES symbolize eternal youth and life in Sailor Moon is actually the Silver Crystal, as Sailor Moon uses the power of the Silver Crystal to create Crystal Tokyo and a new golden age of humanity with no death or sickness...and the Silver Crystal trapped in Chibiusa's body is why she's over 900 years old and yet looks like a child (in the manga, in the anime this isn't the case). At any rate, the Silver Crystal is the artifact that's really tied to eternal youth/life in Sailor Moon.

I can agree with you on that, but it is indirectly pointed at that before Sailor Saturn went into the core of Pharaoh 90, she as Mistress 9 tricked Sailor Moon into giving her the Holy Grail, which lead to her spirit resurfacing (resurrecting in a sense, which is another comparison between the season (S) and the Bible) which, furthermore, lead to her rebirth. Because the Holy Grail did not produce an immediate rebirth, seeing how it was over a course of hours, I can see why it wouldn't be detected that the new creation of Hotaru as a baby would have anyhing to do with the Holy Grail. But in all honesty, I would have to re-watch the season in order to be able to produce a clearer and more concise description on this subject.

Oh, one more thing: the Holy Grail appearing when the three Talismans were brought together was ONLY in the anime. In the manga, the Holy Grail was formed when Chibiusa, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask combined their powers to save the other Senshi.

I am getting all my knowledge from the anime, so anything I say comes from the anime, not the manga.

the inspirations behind Naoko Takeuchi Sailor Moon anime is without a shadow of a doubt an inspiration that was not given by the product of her own imagination

Naoko Takeuchi didn't make the anime. She made the manga. The anime was made by an animation studio and guess what? Naoko Takeuchi had very little input in what they put into the anime. In fact, it's famously known that she has always been really angry that the Sailor Starlights were turned into men in the Sailor Stars arc.

Is that even lawful? To take someone Else's work, and tell a completely different story?

And it's not "without a shadow of a doubt" that she was inspired by something beyond her imagination. Like, it's literally impossible to prove that. Maybe she was, but you can't assert it as fact because you can provide no evidence except for your personal opinions, which can be debunked, which hey guess what? There's doubt! Not even a shadow of it either, just pure straight up doubt.

Let's continue. Mistress Nine is the manifestation of Sailor Saturn's Dark-Messiah form.

You're out to prove me wrong, aren't ya? There is only doubt if you do not believe. If you believe in what you believe, and have zero doubt, then you are left with total confidence in what you are saying, which may not be accepted by everyone who hears you, but if you know it's true, because sometimes it's hard to get people to see what you see. Jesus can tell you that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, but if you refuse to believe that, then there's not much He can do about that. It doesn't take away from the "fact" that there is no doubt in his Claim. Just as I know that the inspiration of Naoko Takeuchi in her Sailor Moon manga or the producers of the Sailor Moon anime did not get their ideas from their own creativity and imagination, but by the original source, and that original source is contained within the Holy Scriptures of the Bible.

Nope, wrong. In the manga (which is what I'm going to be talking about since that's what Naoko Takeuchi wrote, and NOT the anime) Mistress Nine is a Daimon whose egg was implanted in Hotaru's body when Professor Tomoe was rebuilding Hotaru as a cyborg after she was severely injured in a lab accident. In other words, she's an alien being who's possessed Hotaru's body, much like how Germatoid possessed the body of Professor Tomoe.

So how exactly am I wrong again when you are making your statements from the Manga while I am making my statements from the Anime? We are obviously going to be in disagreement because we are getting our understanding from two different things!

Furthermore, Mistress Nine (the Dark Messiah of Sailor Moon [S]) has a higher empowerment from a higher Solar System in the Universe who gives her - her power(s).

So she has someone else who gives her power, thus this proves she's analogous to the Antichrist? What? That makes no sense. By that logic, Helios is also the Antichrist, since he draws his power from Endymion (Mamoru).

Yes, the Antichrist in the Bible, according to 2 Thessalonians, is empowered to do his signs and wonders by the power and working of the Devil. The Devil serves as the higher empowerment of the Antichrist who actually gives the Antichrist his power(s). Mistress 9 corresponds with the Antichrist while the Devil/Satan corresponds with Pharaoh 90, because Mistress 9 also gets her powers from a higher power (Pharaoh 90.) Yes, Helios would also serve as an example as well. Also Mamoru Chiba would not serve as a "Satan-type" in SuperS because he is not an evil entity/life-form like Pharaoh 90 is, who serves as a better typification of the Devil.

why Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon series is the most popular of its kind, and that is because it was inspired by Jewish and Christian scriptural fundamentalism

Uh, except Sailor Moon became incredibly popular before S existed. You realize that, right? Like, S is the THIRD arc of Sailor Moon. This means two other arcs came before it, those being the Dark Kingdom arc and the Black Moon arc. Neither of which have even passing references to Christian/Jewish beliefs. Those are what made Sailor Moon popular. S is considered by many to be the best arc, sure, and it was popular, but Sailor Moon didn't become popular because of S. It was already popular BEFORE this arc.

In total agreement, except Sailor Moon, even since the first season, has always been passing references in it that originate from the Bible. Take the Dark Kingdom in season 1 for instance, Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia. Is it not true that evil spirits/demons are responsible for all the heartache and pain that's in the world? I am a believer that it is because of Demonic energies that energy in human beings is effected and drained. Demon spirits oppress the Saints. It is true that an evil spirit cannot possess a Baptized Believer in Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, but they certainly can oppress. Much like the Dark Kingdom, the four kings of heaven represent agents of the Devil who coexist with humans on this Earth (except they are invisible to the naked eye) and oppress and zap the energy from humans. Many anime deal with this same theme, I am aware, but what I have always been trying to get at is that the ideas behind many of the plot themes of Sailor Moon is not based on creativity and imagination alone, although it is indeed creative and fun, it is taken from the original source, i.e., "The Bible."



And the reason it became popular is because although she has no understanding of human anatomy, Naoko Takeuchi's art is really pretty. It was a bit of a combination of the magical girl genre as well as Super Sentai, a tokusatsu show that revolves around teams of warriors (you may know Super Sentai better as its American adaptation, Power Rangers).

On top of all this, Naoko Takeuchi only wanted Sailor Moon to last for one arc and wanted to kill off the Senshi at the end of the Dark Kingdom arc. She's been on record as stating she resents the fact the anime actually did kill them all off (though revived them), because she wasn't able to do that in the manga. It was also the anime studio that urged her to continue the manga because it was really popular, and she's stated that she really struggled to continue the series. Kinda like how Dragonball Z only continued past the Cell saga due to the animation studio begging Akira Toriyama to keep going. Of course then when he said "Nope no more" they just went ahead and did GT without him.

I will say, your knowledge and expressive passion for anime is quite admirable. I did not know any of that. I do see how without a reincarnation there would have been room to end the Sailor Moon series after the first season, but in a way I am glad they continued it. Because the magic of the series continued for what went on for 200 episodes plus movies and OVA specials.

This is also why there's the Doom Tree arc in the anime, to give Naoko Takeuchi time to come up with more stuff.

The Doom Tree, which was once the Tree of Life surrounded by ocean from the Planet Ail and An came from is also another comparison factor between the anime and the Bible. The Tree of Life is talked about in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Just like Ail and An feed the Doom Tree energy that they abstract from humans to gain more energy and life for themselves, so does the Tree of Life in the Bible heal and give preserving life to those eats of its fruit and apply its leaves.

Look, I'm not denying that the S arc of Sailor Moon takes some inspiration from Christian stuff. That's pretty obvious when you use terms like "Holy Grail." But again, the extent of that inspiration is similar to Odin in Final Fantasy: not inspired by the religion, just a reference to the religion because it's cool and foreign. It's not like this is unique to Sailor Moon, either, lots of anime has done this, including one very famous one that I won't mention due to rules of this site.

And I'm not even saying that you personally can't say "I see Sailor Moon S as being representative of Christian theology" because hey, lots of people on here do that! There's even lots of books writing about Christian themes in non-Japanese TV shows, stuff like The Gospel According to Peanuts and all that. It's cool to see those kinds of themes in our entertainment (I think it's a bit silly sometimes but hey). But recognize that a lot of personal bias goes into what kind of themes we see in entertainment, that there's Buddhists out there also saying "Man this [show/movie/anime] really expresses Buddhist themes!" or Hinduists saying "Man this plot is exactly like when Shiva beheaded Ganesha and Parvati threatened to destroy the world." People see what they want to see.

Good point. I will probably go into a farther discussion on this after I have re-watched all of Sailor Moon again, which I plan on doing soon.

[Nate]

I was referring to the similarities between both events.

But they're not really all that similar? The Silence in Sailor Moon is a world-destroying omnicidal event. Everything dies. The Tribulation in the bible is really terrible things happening, but not everything dying. In fact the bible even says that during the Tribulation the people will long for death, but death will not come to them, they'll beg to die but they won't, just so they can suffer more. This is absolutely completely different from the Silence's "everything is dead, completely." Complete destruction is also vastly different from "really terrible things like famine and natural disasters."

The Tribulation is a bit like your little brother throwing your half-finished Lego model across the room so it breaks apart. The pieces will be picked up and put back together, and it'll eventually be even better than it was before. The Silence is more like your brother throwing the half-finished Lego model into a volcano where it completely evaporates and there is no hope of recovery. I hope you can see how these two things aren't really very much alike.

What is the first thing that you would think of or compare the Silence in Sailor Moon (S) with?

Nuclear war. The planet basically becomes a complete wasteland incapable of supporting life. Well except cockroaches because those things are practically immortal, but a global scale nuclear war where no patch of land is left untouched by atomic explosions is basically the closest we can get to "literally everything existing dies."

The Silence denotes the end/the Planet's desolation and destruction.

Which is why it's not like the Tribulation, because the Tribulation denotes the rebirth of the planet, because God will make a new Earth.

If Israel goes... the whole world goes with it.

Huh, Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire in 700 BC or so, and did not exist again until 1947. So I guess the world just didn't exist for 2600 years or so? I guess all history that happened between that time period never actually happened, since the world didn't exist. Weird.

Anything that deals with world destruction and desolation is in fact not produced by the imagination alone but is taken exclusively from the Bible.

Yeah except that civilizations that never heard of the bible also had legends or prophecies about world destruction so whoops, guess that proves you wrong.

Because the Holy Grail did not produce an immediate rebirth, seeing how it was over a course of hours, I can see why it wouldn't be detected that the new creation of Hotaru as a baby would have anyhing to do with the Holy Grail.

Because it doesn't. Saturn's rebirth is a result of her own powers and have nothing to do with the Holy Grail. Even in the anime, the Holy Grail was destroyed before Saturn appeared. That was the whole point of the scene where Sailor Moon kept yelling "CRISIS MAKE UP" but didn't transform. The Holy Grail had been completely destroyed and she couldn't use it anymore. She was still able to transform into Super Sailor Moon through the power of the other Senshi and the Silver Crystal, as well as her own strong pure heart...but the Holy Grail was already destroyed. So sorry, no, even in the anime the Holy Grail is not associated with youth or eternal life.

I am getting all my knowledge from the anime, so anything I say comes from the anime, not the manga.

Then that's the problem, because you're ascribing motivations to Naoko Takeuchi from the anime, which she didn't write. If you're going to claim that Sailor Moon the anime is influenced by Christianity, then Naoko Takeuchi shouldn't even enter into it, as she didn't write it.

Is that even lawful? To take someone Else's work, and tell a completely different story?

One, yes, if they purchase the rights from you. Two, it's pretty standard in the entertainment industry that if you create something and a corporation publishes it, the corporation also owns the IP, meaning they can sell it to another company that can do what they wish with it. It's why Dragonball GT exists; Akira Toriyama didn't want any more Dragonball, but the anime studio owned the rights to the property and were able to make more Dragonball series even if Toriyama wasn't on board.

Just as I know that the inspiration of Naoko Takeuchi in her Sailor Moon manga or the producers of the Sailor Moon anime did not get their ideas from their own creativity and imagination, but by the original source, and that original source is contained within the Holy Scriptures of the Bible.

Except you don't know that unless you personally spoke with everyone who worked on the Sailor Moon anime and every single one of them said they read the bible. Unless you did that, which I VERY highly doubt, you don't know that, and while it's still possible that they did, given Japan's religious demographics, it's probably pretty unlikely.

Yes, the Antichrist in the Bible, according to 2 Thessalonians, is empowered to do his signs and wonders by the power and working of the Devil.

So what? The fact that someone in the anime has power due to another being doesn't make them representative of the antichrist. I think you also don't know who Helios is, because you say he is an example of the antichrist but then turn around and say "But Mamoru isn't evil." Well, but Helios gets his power from Mamoru, so you can't have it both ways. If "gets their power from someone else" is a property exclusively of the antichrist, then Helios is basically also the antichrist and now Mamoru really is evil, which is nonsense. Since Mamoru isn't evil and Helios gains power from him, then "getting power from someone else" is clearly not a property exclusive to the antichrist, and thus Mistress Nine getting her power from Pharaoh 90 is not an example of the antichrist.

Is it not true that evil spirits/demons are responsible for all the heartache and pain that's in the world?

It is not true. I'd explain in more detail but I remembered you grew up in a Charismatic type denomination and that they do teach specifically that all pain and suffering is due to demons/evil spirits. In the interest of avoiding theological debate, I'll just say that other denominations of Christianity do not agree with this and believe that the Fall made the world itself cursed, and that pain/heartache are the natural state of things and that demons do not cause every bad thing to happen, the curse from the Fall is responsible for most of it.

Much like the Dark Kingdom, the four kings of heaven represent agents of the Devil who coexist with humans on this Earth (except they are invisible to the naked eye)

The Four Heavenly Kings were Mamoru's bodyguards, who were brainwashed by Queen Metallia into becoming evil. In fact, when the Silver Crystal appeared, they regained their memories and once again became devoted to Mamoru, telling him how to kill Metallia, and making at least one other appearance in another arc I think (I can't completely remember).

The Doom Tree, which was once the Tree of Life surrounded by ocean from the Planet Ail and An came from is also another comparison factor between the anime and the Bible.

Honestly I'm not really gonna argue with this one because the Doom Tree arc is only in the anime and it kinda sucks anyway.

[TsubasaKamen]

After spending some time ministering the Word of God to a friend tonight who needed a shoulder to lean on I have decided that I no longer want to engage in debate between my views on this subject and you own. God is dealing with my heart, and he wants to transform me by the Power of His Word. In order to do that I need to let go of pride and stubbornness, which is as the sin of witchcraft. I agree with much of what you are saying, and find no reason to argue any of the points that you made. Clearly you know more about Sailor Moon than I do, even though I love the series. You show this knowledge through your concise and accurate telling of all the themes that presented throughout various points of the series.

Normally I would be all for continuing this debate, but when I seen that there are lives out there that still need to be transformed, and that I, being a person who was Baptized in Christ with the Holy Spirit, can share the Word of Truth with them, it makes debates on who-knows-more about Sailor Moon pretty futile and unimportant. Even so I have a high respect for the knowledge, wisdom, and insight that you shed on your side of the subject. I want to be friends, if that's possible, because I love Sailor Moon and am pretty passionate about it. I make a lot of Sailor Moon related videos on YouTube as well which you can check out if you wish: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoRbP7 ... q0CNaqZslg

Also, here's a link to the Playlist of my Sailor Moon Recap Playlist Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn46-wT ... PXVNSWSa7F

I really value your insights, fire, passion, and knowledge on Sailor Moon, and would like to learn more from what you know of the series. I plan on watching through Sailor Moon as the Box Sets on Combo DVD/BD releases so if I have any questions, you will be the first person I come too.

Finally, I would like to say that there is a Blood Moon that will appear over Israel on September 28th of this month. One of the major prophesies in the Bible declares that the Moon will become Red like Blood just before the Lord Jesus Christ makes His Glorious and Powerful return to this Earth. This should tell us that the time of the end of the Church Age is coming to a close, and that we should be in a constant state of repentance and submission before God. I would not want a friend like you or myself to miss out on this Catching Up that will be conducted shortly after the final Red Blood Moon appears.

I do have a Sailor Moon question for you to start things off. I would like to know who your favorite SM Character is? If you would like me to guess, I will do that, too. I have always loved Sailor Mercury, Ami Mizuno, because I have a thing for short hairstyles on girls, and I also like how Ami has aspirations to become a Doctor like her mother, but also value the dedication and commitment (even loyalty) she has for her friends. Like in that one Episode where she is about to hop in a plane to Germany to study Medicine but at the last minute can't do it because she doesn't want to leave the other Sailor Guardians behind. I love how sensible and responsible she is, and think her shyness and introversion is quite cute.

If you ever wish to discuss anything on anime or Christianity, look me up. I am always up for a good talk.

[Nate]

One of the major prophesies in the Bible declares that the Moon will become Red like Blood just before the Lord Jesus Christ makes His Glorious and Powerful return to this Earth.

And as we all know, there has never been a lunar eclipse before in the history of the world, so that's how we can be sure that this is definitely a sign of the end times.

I would like to know who your favorite SM Character is?

Hotaru/Saturn. She's been my favorite ever since I first saw her. It's kind of a shame she gets the shaft in the anime due to the outers not appearing in SuperS. She's also the one who destroyed the Moon Kingdom to try and get rid of Metallia. The outer Senshi still retained their memories of that event, which is why they didn't want her to reawaken.