#Faith and Intellect

[tmarshconnors]

"You don't have to give up your intellect to trust the Bible. You have to give up your pride."

Robert Charles Sproul was an American Reformed theologian and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. He was the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries and could be heard daily on the Renewing Your Mind radio broadcast in the United States and internationally.

Theologian and Author: R.C. Sproul was a prominent Reformed theologian and author known for his extensive work in Christian theology. He authored numerous books on theology, biblical interpretation, and Christian living, including notable works such as "The Holiness of God" and "Chosen by God."

Founder of Ligonier Ministries: Sproul founded Ligonier Ministries in 1971, a Christian educational organization dedicated to teaching the Reformed faith through resources such as books, conferences, and broadcasts. The ministry is named after Ligonier Valley, where it was initially established.

Teaching Pastor: He served as the teaching pastor at St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, where he was influential in shaping the church’s theological direction and providing teaching and preaching that emphasized Reformed theology.

Popular Speaker and Teacher: R.C. Sproul was known for his engaging teaching style and was a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars. His teaching reached a wide audience through radio programs, such as "Renewing Your Mind," and his teaching series were widely distributed.

Reformed Theology Advocate: Sproul was a staunch advocate of Reformed theology, emphasizing doctrines such as the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of understanding and teaching core Christian doctrines. His work contributed significantly to the spread of Reformed thought in contemporary evangelicalism.

[optiwashere]

Huh, I didn't even realize it'd been a year since BG3 came out until I opened tumblr this morning. Kinda wild. I didn't think much of the game's release: I like Larian's games, and I like the BG series. I wasn't ever going to skip the game, but I didn't think I'd play it at launch because I was busy working on a novel in 2023 and not doing well financially.

Thankfully, circumstances left me with a little bit of extra money last year just before launch and it meant I could spend on a video game. I needed a pick-me-up after said 2023 novel failed to go anywhere, and BG3 was right there. Like most CRPGs, I played it in basically every moment of free time that I had and did as much as I possibly could in one playthrough.

It's so odd how these small happenstances can snowball into coming back to fandom, finding some friends I might've never met otherwise, and writing a lot of fanfiction along the way. I'll probably have something more interesting to say/share when it's the 14th, AKA when I sat down and wrote my first fic for this fandom.

Anyways, it's been a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to more years to come 💜

[fujii-draws]

hey fujii do you wanna hear about a silly little thing i thought of earlier. so you know how in red/blue rescue team, eevee used to be in the "naive" category, whereas in explorers of sky, it's in the "jolly" category? it made me think about ribbons, specifically because of how the rescue team personality test describes the naive trait.

in rescue team, the naive type is described to be someone whos highly curious, and someone who likes rare things. their cheerful and carefree make everything fun for the people around them, but they also have the flaw of being childish, never sitting still, and always being on the move. (it also says that they might be selfish but i dont see that applying to ribbons tbh..)

it seems so oddly fitting for ribbons because her personality does show those traits in particular. she's a silly little thing and her bright cheery personality, and she is childish to some extent. and of course, can't forget her curiosity. especially with how curious she got when it came to dusknoir. and of course, we can't forget about the *actual* definition of naive. naivety in the sense of choosing to believe that dusknoir, despite how his aura flared with malice, bared no ill intent. to think that someone who is so great, so wise, so kind and caring could ever be capable of shattering her world apart.. that was naive. because she believed he was what she thought he was, and because it was her naivety that nearly got her and aimilios killed. you'd think she'd have learned from the drowzee incident where two kids displaying trust in a spur-of-the-moment stranger who coincidentally showed them kindness in their misfortune was a mistake, but i suppose that's what being a naive little child does to you.

(anyways im sorry if this sounds incoherent and out of the blue. have a good day)

DONT YOU DARE APOLOGIZE FOR THIS. THE JOLLY AND NAIVE NATURES FIT MY GIRL SO WELL. (Unhinged rant in tags)

[astro1derland]

In today’s transits, the Moon 🌙 and Venus 👩 align in a conjunction at 15° Scorpio ♏️. Our sense of emotional wellness and functionality aligns and seems to be one with our ability to relate, connect and look beautiful in an intense and occupying way. See all the ways you have malfunctioned today. Look beneath the surface today. Find a deeper meaning today.

[theresa-of-liechtenstein]

also like i’m still annoyed about the “oooo. but do you like engineering??” incident bc that statement isn’t restricted to People Of A Certain Age/Generation, the girl who told me that yesterday is fully two years younger than me. and the underlying issue is what annoys me is that someone younger than me can be so patronizing and it really does imply that it’s unimaginable that my frail female mind could possibly enjoy something as manly and strenuous as engineering. fucking dumb sorry

[katyspersonal]

since you've been playing elden ring, do you have a favorite npc so far?

Haha, my pace at discovering more of Elden Ring is SNAIL slow. And I don't mean moderately fast snail-like mobs in ER, I mean real life snails. xD So, my knowledge is still lacking. But with what I DO know, I think I can pick a favourite already!

This might come off as a surprise, but this...

...is...

...SELLEN!

Honestly, so far I liked her the most! She gives me very strong Imposter Iosefka vibe (in the scenario if after having made enough Emissaries, the Imposter also joined with them to be several small ascended people hiding in a trench coat pretending to be one BIG ascended person…). Whereas she is still, of course, a unique and interesting character on her own! It is just this kind of a female character after knowledge beyond human plane that reminds me.

I am particularly fond of the madman/woman/person characters who want to know the eldrich truths of the universe, no matter how horrifying they are and no matter what taboos they have to break, and what they have to give in exchange. I also can respect the type of 'scientist that is not above trying their own medicine' because, again, she becomes The Orb herself xd Her sassy and blunt attitude is also very appealing for me, she is a confident character with a very certain motivation! I do also enjoy how no matter what scroll she is given, her reaction is that she is familiar with this sorcery, so she is already very educated!

I've posted my analysis how in Bloodborne, Willem and 'original' Choir (from which only Yurie remains) prioritise ascending humanity and leveling with the gods as people, whereas the Choir as it is later tries to TRANSCEND humanity, and will break any taboos, just like Mensis too. In there, I actually sympathise with Willem's side and see Choir as reckless and desperate fools. But in Elden Ring, for some reason, I actually sympathise with the ideas of Sellen (and her teachers, Azur and Lusat) more instead, whereas seeing how Caria family goes about the glintstone teachings as kinda weak. Not REAL researchers. It is very funny and I can't even explain why I am so inconsistent all of a sudden; doesn't help that Rennala herself gives strong Willem and Yurie vibe! Truly, the magic of narration can make EITHER side feel more sympathetic than the other o_o"

Also, I've learned that initially her Witch's Glintsone Crown was named Grana Glintstone Crown, but it was patched out!

I feel like developers initially did want to make Sellen as important as someone who had her own school and the crown made in her likeness was a common wear too, but it never picked up because… well, her line of studies contradicted with Caria's family agenda and restrictions too much? It is one thing to just explore rocks from space, but completely different one to try and BECOME one! But I decided to go with 'they retconned the idea' rather than with 'they obscured the idea'. I mean, how exactly people would follow this "school"? They'd just become rocks lol. It is not really studying the object when you become the object.

I also honest to god cannot recall this particular shade of green glintstone anywhere else - not in an environment, nowhere on Graven Scholars, and there are no spells or staff associated with this color. So I feel like it is artificial and created BY her; would go with theme of her experimenting with turning people into seeds of a star. Heck, maybe this glintstone also had an… organic origin, too. So it cannot be turned into a weapon (unlike staffs of Azur and Lusat that ARE made from existing cosmic material), but only serve as cathalyst for intellect and sorcery of THE caster.

Also I just gotta say, I really appreciate how in these spheres everyone is always having the both horrified and awe-full expression, but she looks really blissful and calm x) She actually gave a realistic, adequate estimate towards how much she wanted to become one with the cosmos xD Lore says that even Azur and Lusat were devastated when they witnessed it, so she is arguably MORE of a madwoman than those two. Love this about her so much.

Honorable mention: so far, Nepheli is my second favorite. Her design definitely beats everyone else's amongst NPCs yet, but also she is just really appealing character. Badass warrior with two axes with great honor and will to go on no matter what, who is also very sensitive and compassionate at heart, is in touch with her vulnerable side, grieving the fallen, strong but not invincible… It is a very good example of how TO write a strong and badass female character; the power is not to be a solid brick that never cries but to be able to connect with one's insecurities and still get back up. Her being heartbroken when her father figure turned on her was very moving, for some reason this way she feels stronger than if she just got up and kicked Gideon's ass and hated him forevermore after that. I just live for this balance of both big muscles but ALSO a big heart.

[tovaicas]

I was talking abt this in dms w/ a friend but I’ll post it here bc it make me bewildered angry

there’s this chain of sidequests in the convictory you have to do for a tt card, and while I don’t remember the details 100% it basically revolves around a guy who has realized there’s a pattern to drawing larger dragons (to slay for glory, the dude doing it lost his house and is trying to get his honour back); you start with small ones, and eventually draw bigger and bigger ones as you go.

and over the whole course of this quest chain this surprisingly self-aware npc slowly realizes that this is happening bc the dravanians are collecting their dead to mourn and grieve them just as they do. And he slowly realizes that the dragons he’s killing feel genuine human pain and grief and emotion just as he would, and he really starts struggling with the idea bc it directly contradicts everything the halonic faith has taught him abt dravanians.

It’s a surprisingly well-written and emotional chain of sidequests and it made me really really excited, bc there’s the direct implication that what the halonic faith teaches to keep the war going directly contradicts the actual lived experience of every single one of ishgard’s career soldiers (which is most of the populace, but especially the dragoons who literally wield dragonbone in their lances) and the idea that every single one of them will eventually realize what they’re fighting is human in at least some manner, but you’re not allowed to talk abt it bc that’s heresy. how many of ishgard's heretics are soldiers who abandoned the war bc they realized what they were fighting wasn't a mindless beast? how many of them are people who have been taught to fight from the day they were born with the expectation that they would be fighting mindless beasts but were slammed with the reality they're killing people just like themselves? how many of ishgard's soldiers have deluded themselves into not facing reality bc that's Just Easier than having your whole worldview upended and facing the fact that what you were taught was a complete and utter lie that you can't talk about with anyone else on fear of death or worse? how many ishgardians talk abt this only in whispers behind closed doors?

and then they crashed all that development into a wall bc the npc does absolutely nothing else with his development and goes straight back to killing dragons for the glory and further refuses to wrestle with the moral implications he's been forced to learn like. you literally had everything set up and just train crashed it into a wall like????

[maslimanny]

Blind faith cannot grasp Truth, because it does not grasp anything at all.

Intellect cannot grasp Truth, because intellect is finite and Truth is infinite.

Only the eye of the soul, its inner wisdom, can grasp Truth and know it as she knows her own self.

For she is Truth.

[angelkwill]

Taste and See

Trying to explain the unexplainable,trying to fathom the unfathomable,trying to intellectualize the spiritual,it’s a chasing of the wind. But when we lean into His presence, we find rest.With a weary heart, we can lay our burdens at His feet.It is in the having of nothing there is the gaining of everythingfor His Kingdom and righteousness are before us. Taste and see that He is…

[anakinh]

me sending shit to my dm for a high fantasy campaign: here’s a paragraph-long backstory and like 2 lines on where I’m from

me sending shit to my dm for a sci-fi campaign: here’s a 3 page lore document on the character and her homeworld. i have down the government, her exact genealogical record, her criminal record, the planet’s average surface temperature, how far away it is from the sun, the form of government, and its orbital period. The world lore part is longer than the backstory.

[nartml]

All the proof one needs to see that this fandom is unserious asf 💀

ROUND THREE

UCHIHA SASUKE vs TENTEN

Reasons for submission under the cut

Sasuke

he is trying so hard to do what he is supposed to, even succeeding at it, only for everything to be a lie

he's authentic and driven and he doesn't care what other people think, if he believes something he will go ahead and do it, unafraid of paying the price

Sasuke was right about everything

he went through so much and never gave up, it's very inspiring and means a lot

Fortnite Sasuke

despite everything he can't help but love

his relationship with Itachi is one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful sibling relationships, genocide aside it's very relatable

he looks just like Mikoto.....

he's beautiful!

he has so much compassion for others and will do what he can for them, but still does not compromise his own beliefs and goals to do so

he's so personal to [submitter] and has been the sole reason of making it through hard times

love is stored in the Sasuke

true heroine or the Naruto series

all his outfits slay

the whole manga wouldn't even exist if it weren't for him

kind, compassionate, driven by love, fucking iconic

trans masc icon and legend

the revolutionnnn

he is an emo icon

a communist

a transgay legend

[submitters] family is generationally effected by genocide so Sasukes justice means the world to [submitter]. Sasukes love means EVERYTHING to [submitter]

he is full of love

very strong

excellent gay representation

owner of the worlds most special eyes

the most relatable Naruto character

a snarky lil bitch :)

he went thru so much & gets too much hate for someone who only wanted revenge for his murdered clan

cat boy

femme fatale

kept going despite all the trauma he went through

flawless observation skills

analytical, intelligent

never let anyone push him around or manipulate him

full of love and kindness

pacifist at heart (refuses to kill innocents)

sought to destroy Konoha

serves cunt in all his outfits

friend of animals

killed Orochimaru because he felt like it

Tenten

her main jutsu is just throw so many knives at you and I respect that

her weapons mastery/sealing jutsu had so much potential and it never got the treatment it deserved

team Gai supremacy

[cats-in-the-clouds]

my sister got engaged and we’re all really happy for her but my bitter rain cloud of a dad (who naturally she told last) is giving her a bit of passive aggressive grief about it despite her boyfriend being like the best man of our generation (presumably either because he’s not catholic or because my dad sees them as young dumb unemployed people who aren’t ready for marriage or because he’s mad he barely has any real love with his own wife or something). so like pray for us? i wish i knew what to do

[ancientgoddessofegypt]

Astro thoughts : short n sweet <3 Jupiters Moment

Jupiter in the 1st - Beneficial factors play a lot with this group. However they have to work harder to get it. It is because their life is based of their beliefs, they have to work to maintain a certain mindset to keep the luck from straying away. Have beautiful spirits and are capable of anything, that is because they chose to walk that path & not by how easy it looks.

Jupiter in the 2nd - Needs peace & stability at all times. Good looking. Money making abilities are stagnant until they learn to grow with their consciousness. Not everything is what it seems, so try to be on the look out for something new and different. Thats when the luck begins. Take a risk, and use your intellect to get what you need.

Jupiter in the 3rd - Needs a lot more quiet time, hermit mode. Have gifts in astrology here. Some may op for a new path every few months or so. It's because their destined to know a lot in this life and go after anything that interests them at the moment. Could be open to trying new relationship tactics and going with the flow much easier. Have a different perspective than most & they dont keep quiet about it for long. Mature presence. Very odd but likeable at the same time.

Jupiter in the 4th - Royal family. Heritage & traditional values are stored in this vessel. Mysteries and traditional secrets from the family bloodline may come out at some time. This is a very special house placement because its so much to explore in a short time.

Have faith in your lineage, you're the one who breaks the code!

Jupiter in the 5th - Creativity flows through these cats like no other. Very special essence and can be well liked by almost anybody. This comes from their talents btw. If you're good at drawing, singing, dancing, acting, etc. You might catch a lot of attention on you at some point. This placement gives me Johnny Bravo energy. like you're capable of getting the girls to like you with just your looks and personality. Just dont get to happy, no body likes a super boastful guy ;)

Jupiter in the 6th - Unique flow when going after what they love. They work the hardest when its something they know is divinely ordered for them to achieve. They don't mean any harm, their just trying to get their needs met. Super optimistic when live seems to be in order and balanced. But when off balanced, it seems as if a fire has striking them and they become the great dragon. Don't stare at them to hard, they'll begin to overthink a lil.

Jupiter in the 7th - My my my, this is what I call a royal placement. Because this gifts an individual with a great sex life. Could be unattainable to say the least. You're not everyone's 'favorite' but your presence is also something that people want to receive. How that work? You have a value to you that keeps you at bay from onlookers that don't have nothing to give, but something to take. Be more weary with the company you keep, you don't know how good you got it, and how special you are.

Jupiter in the 8th - Very deep, raw personas who are captivated by the knowledge they receive in the dream realm. They have a lot of issues very psychologically, and this gets deeper with the maturing of their path. They have a light & dark persona but its given to sustain balance in this life & the after life. They have integrity and morals and most times it is based of tradition. Other times, their really a rebel, and go after everything they came for. Because what's a life to live when you can't live it freely?

Jupiter in the 9th - Free spirits and ultra loving character. Can be a bit of a know it all but thats fine. This house is their rightful home, so a lot of good energy can be bestowed on them from time to time. Great luck. Adventure is something they should seek from all ages of their life. It is good to have someone around when going on many great journeys of the soul. These people could be a friend you never forget.

Jupiter in the 10th - Likeable nature. Their personalities fit that of the audience they are naturally connected to. Very bountiful energy. Could look like they got it all going on, but deep inside you may not know the true darkness they carry. This is a capricorn ruled house, so they tend to battle some challenges here and there. But with great restraint & an amazing mindset to go with it they come back on top, each and every time.

Jupiter in the 11th - Sweet personas and balanced personalities. They could be in a lot of groups and can know a lot of people with just their smile and cool personality. They could end up being in groups where they are teaching something to a large mass of people. Could be very inspiring and open to anyone they meet.

Jupiter in the 12th - They feel things a lot heavier than most would like to believe. They see the world differently than their peers and this could make them the odd ball at times. Their personalities mesh well with artistic individuals because they've mastered the eye of sight. Meaning that their good at understanding things from a point of view only them and God could understand, but that doesn't mean that it can be explained. In other words, they are extremely complex to the human brain, not an individual you can describe. Very spiritual, very contagious energy. Bright speakers and just super angelic.

[empyreau]

Miquella felt his body grow cool, numb, unfeeling to the very air around it. It built up like an invisible weight and worked to smother him ever so slowly. No matter how just or pure one's intentions, the road to godhood demanded the very basest of its prospects—their body's flesh and blood. And there could be no new god without a consort. With his own blood, Mohg's body, and Radahn's soul the ritual had been completed and his godhood attained. From a body covered with and defiled by his blood to one awash in golden luminance Miquella was renewed. The stain remained, however, entangled with the very threads of his divinity.

He breathed the heavy air in and out, sinking ever deeper within it. With Mohg's body regenerated would it now be required of him to give of his blood and flesh for eternity? The throes of burgeoning godhood forever the mark upon his new age.

"The ritual I had performed on thee is most unforgivable and so I will not ask thy forgiveness." He could feel the contained heat from that eye sear into his own and still he continued to hold it. What, truly, was a god: a being to make others fall prostrate before it, or a being at the mercy of those who venerated it? To be reviled was simply the other half to being revered.

"Thy Mother of Truth demands, and thou craves," he said softly, like trying to push back a boulder with a feather. "Yet, somehow I feel that it is the reverse." He started to reach out a hand for he saw a spattering of blood upon one of Mohg's many horns but he paused as he watched it spread. A vision only. "This love . . . in what form does thou desire it be given . . ."

"... And mine it shall be," Mohg finished. And at last he looked upon the empyrean-turned-god, his eye narrowed with a fury held in restraint. For though a god Miquella had become, he was a hypocrite in Mohg's eye. For what compassion had he been spared?

Miquella had given no regard to Mohg's soul... It had taken time for him to manifest in this new body of his, granted to him by the Mother of Truth. Whether Miquella would have returned to him, he knew not. But where things stood, as it were, in Mohg's mind, he was nothing more than a tool that had seen its use, and been discarded.

"You have brought me great pain and humiliation in your quest, kindly Miquella," said Mohg.

"The Mother of Truth craves wounds. And there is none greater than that of abandonment... It has taken a great deal of time for this body of mine to regenerate, and a longer time yet before I have fully recovered. But I do not seek healing from you. No... You may rule the lands above while I make the lands below my domain. But I demand recompense, for I have been burned most terribly by your flame of ambition... As recompense, I would demand the love that you abandoned."

It was a bold move on his part. For who was he to make demands of a god?

[prickly-paprikash]

My favorite thing about Matt Reeves' and Robert Pattinson's interpretation of Batman is that you can see just how well this guy would slot into a family.

Nearly every other Batman adaptation in cinemas (barring Lego Batman) could never fit the Batfamily into their stories. They lack the empathy inherent in the core of Batman's persona. The man is obsessive, brooding, self-destructive, and dauntless. He's a broken genius consumed by his singular goal in saving as many lives as he can.

Snyder's Batman? Nolan's Batman? The campy Batmans of the 80's and 90's? None of them have that hidden, integral kindness that grounds Bruce Wayne.

This grimy, emo, grunge, wet, cryptid Battinson? He radiates anger and fear in equal parts. This guy is vengeance.

He's also such a bleeding heart. He never says it and rarely is he called out on it, but you can feel without any ounce of dialogue that this Batman would never kill. Even an indirect kill would horrify this Batman.

Batman treats life, every single life, as sacred. From the paragon of virtue that is Clark, to the most reviled monster masquerading as a man, to the only do what it takes to survive like Selina; this guy sees every life as worthy of a second chance.

Batman's the type of guy to reinstate Harley's doctorate and give her a show to thrive in. He's the type of guy who would defy all common sensibilities to defend a rogue alien like Kara. He's a paranoid wreck, but his faith in others is also endless.

Battinson is the type of guy to take in a grieving, lost, circus orphan and give him a new shot at life and family. He's the type to be impressed by a Gothamite rat who has the guts to steal his wheels and bring him under his wing. To build up a young spirit who has been inspired by his intellect and reputation.

The Batfamily is integral to the Gotham Mythos, and only Battinson (and ofc Lego Batman) have the heart to manage it.