Chapter 25: Back To Normal

The Deltaverse was just a fantasy or what-if thing but now going back to a more normal grounded story.

NYX VOSS 12/24/2021

Dawn questioned her, "So if there were other multiverses out there you would assume one has a version of you called Red or Red Nyx? And she starts the plan and does get powers from hell and she destroys the other universes. Sounds like a lot of ifs and ands. Wait, that's not a word right?"

Nyx shrugged Dawn was confused lost in thought now, "Hmmm. . .But okay. I guess this is proof there are no alternate realities. But I guess it's semi-fun to speculate."

"Exactly," Nyx said nodding her head enthusiastically

"But let's get back to normal things. The whole story or Red arc is just expanding and looking at that what-if scenario, correct?"

"Correct," Nyx smiled.

"Okay, you also, let one of your friends from work a girl called Demetria Starforge start reading a work of yours?"

"Yes, I am nervous but also excited so far they're enjoying it."

"Okay, what about-" Dawn paused looking down at the clipboard she held and the questions. "Ah, this one to bring the people back up to speed some things have happened. Yes, you left the Bible study but you also had some heart-to-heart conversations with Christian friends.

"Yes, I have recently had some."

"Shall we go over them? Look at them?"

"Sure," Nyx said.

Discord convo with Elias Miller:

11/24/2021

Elias Miller: Hey Delta - I'm really sorry to hear you don't want to come to Bible study anymore, I hope your decision doesn't have to do with the Bible study I led on Monday :( Please reconsider leaving the chat though, since it is the main way we all communicate with each other - we still can schedule game days and get-togethers through there. And, we'll always be glad to have you join us if you're willing every now and then (like for the Christmas get-together), We'll miss seeing you :(

11/25/2021

Nyx: I mean I kind of always knew I was going to leave part of it was partly due to the Bible study. Not all of it. After thinking it through I was like you guys are going to make steps to grow closer to your god and change things around BIble Study to do so. I decided I don't want to be part of that. Because I don't want the Christian God. It was bound to happen either way. This just seems like a good opportunity for me to leave the group. I see your point about not leaving the chat group I'll think about it.

11/25/2021

Elias: Hmm, I think I understand. And I do hope you decide to stick around in the server. Although may I ask something - it seems like you believe that God exists, but at the same time you don't want Him. Yet, you're fine with the rest of us pursuing Him... If you're willing to share, why is that?

11/27/2021

Nyx: When I was one of you. A believer I would say, "Yes he does exist." But I was young and nieve and had no way to prove this besides a testimony-ish of sorts. But after leaving I want to say no but I haven't done any research to say a solid no or he doesn't exist. My no or me saying he doesn't exist is built from my emotions and memories of events where I blame God. Do I want a God in my life to give me rules on how to live my life? No, I don't want to. I am not a slave. Why I am fine with you guys pursuing a god? Eh, I was really against Christianity several months back but I have been able to tolerate its followers better compared to outright blocking on social media and unfriending.

11/28/2021

Elias: No worries, I hope your guys' Thanksgiving was nice! And thank you for sharing your perspective, I really appreciate it. I know what you mean, and I can't say that there is any single silver bullet argument or research to prove the existence of God - I believe there is a lot of research that strongly points to Him, but it's up to the individual to attribute those things to Him. If there were such an argument or proof, then there wouldn't be a need for faith, would there?

Elias: Your decision about what you believe is up to you, none of your friends or family members can or should make that choice for you. And I certainly won't try to change your mind, if you're set on what you believe - but if you're willing to satisfy my curiosity, I'm simply wondering: what is it that makes you believe that God's law is so restrictive, or that it makes His followers slaves? Aren't laws and rules at least somewhat important?

Elias: If I'm being overbearing or anything, let me know and I'll drop it - but if you're willing to chat, I would really love to just hear your perspective on things in better detail, that's all.

12/01/2021

Nyx: Some of Christian God's rules are either narrow-minded (limiting the person) or making the person think a certain way on topics. And the Christian God suggests or commands his followers to do some ridiculous and outrageous stuff IMO. Genocide. Supporting slavery, women's rights in Christianity is. . .better than Islam for sure. But still, some hardcore extremists do still believe wives submit to their husband's things. Christian? Non-Christian? What's the difference? This is what we were made for right? If we're going off of Christianity to choose God or not to Choose God on this earth. I have chosen not to choose him. I also made a promise not to follow the Christian God and I like being honorable and a woman of my word so I'll keep my word, and will not break my word. But this season of change coming to the Bible study seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to leave. I was already thinking about it for weeks. Seemed right when the change is happening the transition of the group dynamic.

12/02/2021

Elias: Hmm, honestly, I can't see how God's rules are being narrow-minded or restrictive (I know, shocker). Like, consider this: we have plenty of rules in the U.S. against crimes like murder, theft, rape, etc. By putting these kinds of rules in place, is the government narrow-minded for limiting people? Not really, I don't think many people would disagree that our population needs certain defined boundaries. Or as another example, a mom who puts down rules for her little kids (don't touch the stove, look both ways before crossing the street, don't follow strangers, be respectful to the elderly, etc.) is protecting her kids and guiding them in the right direction - I wouldn't say she is being narrow-minded and restrictive, right? Maybe you have a more specific idea that I'm not really getting at, though, since my analogies are kinda limited.

Elias: And as far as genocide, supporting slavery, and women's rights, I honestly cannot think of any place in Scripture where the Bible supports or commands any of those things - if anything, all I see is how God's laws and commandments protected people and elevated slaves and women in a time when they were considered "less than human". People who forced other people into slavery or mistreated their slaves were liable to the death penalty, and women were given protection through God's law that prevented them from being mistreated or abused.

Elias: You'd be 100% right to say that people throughout history have used and quoted the Bible to support genocide (e.g. through conquests), slavery (e.g. plenty of slave owners in America grossly misused Scripture like Philemon to support their treatment of their slaves), mistreating women (e.g. by ignoring passages that address men, and abusing passages that address women - in actuality, husbands are held to a higher standard than their wives, and certainly have no right to enforce that women submit to their husbands.), and tons of other skewed things. That's absolutely true. But, that's on the people, misusing and misinterpreting the Bible because it was just a higher authority they could abuse to justify their actions - people still do it, all the time. But that doesn't mean their actions are a truthful or accurate reflection of what the Bible actually teaches.

Elias: Anyways, I hope my perspective makes sense, at least. I do respect your decision, and I also appreciate that you're willing to share your thoughts with me as well :) And, I really hope we can all still hang out with you during game days and stuff outside of Bible study, I miss the memes.

Elias: Yikes, sorry for the long message :)

Discord convo with Friday Harrison:

12/22/2021

Friday: Something we have talked about and I feel a tad stupid for not even asking this before, so I know you really dislike Christian bullies. All the people that claim to be Christian, but then treat others like garbage. Have you ever been personally bullied or hurt by someone like that? (Or had to watch someone you care about be hurt in that way.)

12/22/2021

Nyx: Online stories in atheist communities, about their interactions and how Christians made fun of them, and how they were treated poorly. Then long ago before I was a Christian or before I joined Christianity I wore the name Christian just because it was the religion of my parents and was online and I did bully people on Google+ and do look back I feel bad about it. I posted verses that blatantly told them they were wrong. Googled up verses against them also I think one of them was a sensitive person and was part of the LGBTQ+ community and was struggling with their identity/sexuality.

12/22/2021

Friday: I see. Is guilt something that makes you feel unworthy of being a Christian?

12/22/2021

Nyx: Yes. I still haven't decided if I want to go back to the promise to follow god forever, so far I am not.

12/22/2021

Friday: Do you think there are people worthy of being a Christian?

12/22/2021

Nyx: I wanted to say, you guys. Your family and the Millers. But no one is worthy, right? Everyone is a sinner. Everyone falls short. Maybe just Kody Kim Lee xd. No one is worthy.

12/22/2021

Friday: You are right. Grace is only grace because no one is worthy of it. By definition, it has to be undeserved.

12/22/2021

Friday: Your sin doesn’t stop you from being a Christian. If you deal with porn and lust it doesn’t mean you can’t be saved. The beautiful thing is God doesn’t ask us to clean up our sins and our messes and then cone with him. He comes running to us while we are still buried in our filth. And even once saved the sinful actions in our lives don’t just vanish, they are still just as real as before. But God doesn’t cast us aside and label us a failure if we fall, He has endless grace for us, and since can never earn it or be worthy of it, we can never do anything to lose it.

12/22/2021

Friday: God also doesn’t define you by your past. If you have been the very thing you hate as a Christian bully, it doesn’t mean you can never be a Christian. God forgives the sins that you are committing right now, the ones you will commit today and the days after, and all the ones you have ever committed in the past.

12/22/2021

Friday: Luke 15:11-32 is a parable Jesus told about this exact type of thing. The prodigal son. The son literally told his dad he wished he was dead, took his money, then went and blew it all on prostitutes in a foreign country. Then he was so dirt poor even the pigs were better fed than him. He decides to come back to the father, feeling to unworthy to be accepted. The father sees him a long way off and comes running straight to him, and hugs him. Mind you the son is still covered in all the filth and mud and poo from the pigpen. He was disgusting, yet the father embraced him with joy and restored him to his family with rejoicing and celebration.

12/22/2021

Nyx: I'm not sure what to say right now.

12/22/2021

Friday: That’s okay. Take your time, I am not in a rush.

12/22/2021

Nyx: I know what you're saying is true I know it is because I was one of you but I left. I left. I separated myself. And I am not ready to come back and I don't want to at least not yet. And I shouldn't because I gave my word never to never follow god ever again. I don't want to break my word.

12/22/2021

Friday: You are trying to leave God, but He hasn’t left you though.

12/22/2021

Friday: May I ask, why do you hold so tightly to the promises you’ve made in the past? (One to follow God, one to never follow him, and another about never getting married.) I know the general reasons why people keep their word, I am just wondering what specifically motivates you to hold to yours.

12/22/2021

Nyx: Because I seek to be an honorable person a person of their word. My yes be/stay yes and my no be/stay no.

12/22/2021

Friday: But which is more honorable? To hold on to promises that conflict with each other, and to sit immovable in your own filth? Or to surrender up the choices you made then, and to follow the God of honor who crowns His children with holiness and righteousness?

12/22/2021

Friday: It is good that you wish to do good and be honorable, but you are attempting to do it without the source of all goodness and honor, God.

12/22/2021

Nyx: Without the source of all goodness and honor, God? Then yes I am. Plenty of other non-Christians also out there that are nice people too.

12/22/2021

Friday: So that is a key difference. Anyone can do nice or positive things, but it is with God that they can truly do good and righteous things. I’ll elaborate a bit further on this since this was something I honestly struggled to understand for a good while

12/22/2021

Friday: People who don’t have a relationship with God, can still do positive things. That is true. But they can never do it for the right reasons, and God never will count it as righteousness. Why? Because God looks at motivations. An atheist and a Christian can both give to the poor, but they will have different motivations behind it. A Christian and an atheist both can keep their promises, but for different reasons. Right now you are trying to keep your word so you can be honorable, so you can think and feel that you are a good honorable person. You are attempting to do good for the wrong reasons. To truly be righteous in our actions our motivation has to be for God, which is why we have to be in a relationship with him.

12/22/2021

Friday: And this circles back to why no one can earn salvation, and why all are unworthy. We can only do good when in a relationship with God, but our sin keeps us separate from him. It was why the situation is so dire God Himself took on flesh and died for us because we are so broken and so far away it was only through Him that we could be saved. Humanity had utterly doomed itself by its own actions, but God has offered us a way out of our own condemnation.

"So let me get this straight your friends got the last word in both conversations. And asked questions in both. Why didn't you reply?" Dawn questioned her.

"I was busy!" Nyx sat up to defend herself.

"Busy with what?" Dawn questioned.

"Video games. . ."

"And?!"

"They beat me I didn't know how to reply okay. Also, didn't feel mentally ready for the rest of the conversation. Maybe I'll continue it with them one day? Not sure."

"Okay, anything else you want to add?"

"Yes, my death was greatly exaggerated. It was just a memory or movie of a what-if the Deltaverse was real and a super evil me rose to power. I am still here. I am alive. ALSO, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!"