#Most of the time punishment comes in the form of shunning and threats of being thrown out of the village | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

skinfeeler · 4 years ago

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on spinoza and his contemporary courtiers

benedict spinoza, to any cosmopolitan with any academical acumen at all, reads as extremely normal. for the time however, he might well be called prescient. in a sense, he did nothing special: he simply steadfastly and without apology applied all methods of histiography to religious texts considering them as sources like any others, and it could be said that he helped pioneer the idea of a text as not simply containing itself but also everything about and around it. i’ll spare you the derrideanisms and the pithy barthes quotes, but this unfettered approach of what real scholars now consider self-evident was enough to unify the contemporary organised religious societies against him both in terms of shunning and censorship. if there is such a thing as an atheist virtue, i believe it must be ‘irreverence’: when they insist something is special and beyond the regular methods of philosophy (that chief of sciences), we must deny them. i believe that spinoza exemplified this.

the unfortunate thing is that he first laid this out in his tractatus theologico-philosophicus, a work in which he perhaps optimistically believed that if the authorities at the time could respect philosophy being utilised in service of religion — as descartes, who simply believed his philosophy to make a more robust foundation of religion than ‘aristotelean’ scholastics — they could respect it for its own sake. to this end, he still spoke of ‘god’ when in his ethics, he spoke of ‘god or nature’. the entire work is an extremely obvious double-layered obfuscatory work, and those who believe that it’s a ‘theological work’ should maybe learn what a determinate negation or sublation is— the thing is, given that maybe now, aspects of his thought have (in some locales, conditionally) been integrated in some strands of religious thought, the fact is that at the time he was universally reviled as an atheist, and in many communities (across all religions) in which the disenfranchised (including all children) have no access to, way of knowing about, or are taught faculties to engage with and ‘progressive’ and philosophically ‘sophisticated’ attempts at theology like those based on spinoza’s philosophy, he still is reviled as such, so he’s ours, you can’t have him, fuck you.

even so i must ruefully acknowledge that he still took on one facet of contemporary organised religious thought both before and after he started to strategically align himself more with protestant interests: while he rejected supernaturalism, he never really rejected the clergy, which manifested in one specific idea: he posited that while the truth is complicated, the masses (the laity, if you will) ultimately need guidance and simple truths that apply most of the time, and that spiritual impetuses are good enough for those who can’t do better, that it’s not necessary try to make them think for themselves. this much was the ineluctable product of his prior and lasting belief in the necessity (and thereby authority) of clergy and meant to validate it. maybe this was a tactical consideration, but it was a poor one, because his thought endures: i have had many people say the same to me. “oh, skinfeeler, people crave frameworks and not all of them can do what you can.” no note of what might happen if we might all try and emancipate people into postmodern notions of thought which may be a bit more difficult but will ultimately not leave the most disenfranchised of us behind, or of the fact that maybe many people are incapable of thinking in abstract, complicated ways exactly because organised religions have damaged them in that regard or punished them for trying, of course. no, it’s all spineless lack of ambition and a barefaced denial of epistemic injustice.

the thing is, these people when they speak to me never imagine themselves as the hapless laity. no, they are speaking to me cleric to cleric, sage to sage. they imagine themselves the parent, not the child. the thing is that even children are so much smarter than we give them credit for. someone who thought themselves a pedagogue told me that in their field it has become so obvious to me that children can ‘reason like adults’, just with a lot more glitches and heuristics in their thought. on the nose this looks very charitable and egalitarian, but why that second clause? do adults not have glitches and heuristics in their thought? what nonsense to insinuate they don’t. i have spoken to so many adults in my life, especially female family members who were never even given a chance to articulate what they meant to in discussions or to formulate their thoughts into something tangible and real. when i speak to them, however, explain certain methodologies of thought with patience, eventually they can work with them. what i like even more, though, is when they speak to me in their own language, their own philosophies defined on their own terms that reveal themselves as they manifest through such conversations with me: and in my experience, just about anyone can do this, the masses have wisdom if only you’ll let them. those spinozists i speak of are simply the other coin of the people who tell them they aren’t fit to work with the book, and they are just as wrong.

it’s superiority in the cloak of benevolence, pure and simple. i’ll admit to having been seduced by it myself at points: should we be surprised when all my arguments for people’s emancipation are met with lavish and glib praise of my ostensibly unique and special faculties? here i’ll say, now and forever: i’m not. i’m not special. there are, of course, people who are so broken that they can no longer work with anything but truisms, people who are stuck in feedback loops of the psyche from existential fear, internalisation of bigotries, the works, where they are not able to escape and use that which all of us have been endowed by, but this is not a transcendent or qualitative issue, it’s circumstantial and contextual: it was caused by something. this, however, tends to form the second line of defense of religious spinozists: “yes, what these people do to each other, their women, their children is horrific, but they don’t do it because of their faith, they do it because of the ways they have been damaged and what they may or may not rightly fear to happen if they neglect to speak as they speak or do as they do unto others and especially those they are in power over, such as parents unto children.” (which is to say, abuse those their religion has put them in a position of power over, impress them into their religions, dominate them.)

this obviously ignores the fact that even such things as defense mechanisms and threat models are codified in a certain way and not only of traumatic but also intertwined ideological nature as of course, exploited by those who are most powerful and least in danger in these communities. following from candid sociological analysis to real and actual values, you can never excuse the entanglement of personal anxiety about faith and existence with the practices of say, child abuse, such as the account of that one mother i read who admitted that when she saw the ‘spiritual hollowness in her son’s eyes’ her own faith was fading away for her— what a horrific and unforgivable thing to say about your own apostate child for not going along with the song and dance that you believe he must, even if ultimately she realised that to integrate others into her own sense of safety and certainty like that was unconscionable. unfortunately, most parents will never be allowed by their congregations to come to such conclusions about their families that make up these congregations, or in the case of the congregation that expelled spinoza and had him shunned, not by the religious state that needed the congregations that made it up to not allow behavior that disturbed larger and common religious precepts that bound together the contemporary civil religion.

regardless, respecting those objections i have compromised, at times, to paraphrase across various conversations i’ve had:

“if you say so, very well, but then decisions on what should happen in the future with regards to nations, and congregations, and families should be in the hands of the disjunction of those sets of people who we regard as qualified, with our conversation left without (but about) those others, with the hope that neither civil religion or more conventional organised religion will eventually be undone and unable to produce such tragic cases. we will respect their pain and lot in life and seek to understand where it comes from to be able to undo it and not have it be visited unto others, but we won’t factor it into our ultimate understandings and judgements, since as you say, they are unable to partake. of course, none of this requires ‘repression’ and in fact that is more often than not counterproductive and sociological considerations of what cause such outcomes are paramount before any particular action taken, with absolutely none of this belonging to the state or any other organised repressive organ as working through clerical or parental authority, as with any form of disenfranchisement.”

this is never taken well— i suppose there is some incredible nuance somewhere i must have been missing when i still entertained such deeply dehumanising, nonsensical, and unambitious notions at the behest of my religious contacts, or maybe they just didn’t like what they saw in the mirror.

#turns out that when you take away people's agency you take away their agency.#atheism

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tardistimes · 5 years ago

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Change: Chapter One

Summary: In the aftermath of X-Men: First Class, Moira MacTaggert struggles to regain her memories but perhaps with the help of Nick Fury she may come closer to discovering the truth.

Fandoms: X-Men (Prequels), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel (Comics), Agent Carter

Word Count: 2,200

At first, Moira found the conclusions her partner and supervisors had made impossible to believe. That a man could somehow make her forget months of her life, by using superpowers. It sounded... well, it sounded ridiculous.

Then Levene showed her the tapes. They confirmed the few facts her supervisors did know about her missing months – that she had joined some kind of secret task force, that she had worked alongside people with incredible and unbelievable gifts. Levene described the meeting where Charles Xavier had read minds and Raven Darkhölme had transformed into Agent Stryker. Then he showed her security footage of the hallway outside the meeting room. Where Levene froze at the water fountain as Moira looked around, apparently talking to herself.

“Afterwards you told me that he contacted you,” Levene explained. “That somehow you communicated telepathically.”

The second tape showed the parking lot where Moira had driven to fetch the mutants and the Agent Stryker, the mystery agent her supervisors refused to talk about.

“I lost you after that. You told me you had to do something important and that, while you were gone, I should try and keep McCone off your back.” He continued, a touch of reprimand to his voice that he didn’t really mean. Levene was used to Moira running off on her own and leaving him to run crowd control. It worked well that way and Levene knew it. He was good with people, good at smoothing down riled up supervisors and reassuring concerned citizens. Moira was good at jumping into dangerous situations feet first and wangling her way out of them.

“And you didn’t see me until last week?”

“No, I did see you one other time. We went on a mission to Russia.”

“I went to Russia?” Moira blinked, stomach churning as the entire situation became even more unsettling. To forget a few conversations was one thing, but to forget weeks of her life and covert operations abroad was another. The sense of violation deepened as it finally sunk in that this had really happened to her.

Levene explained that the task force had picked up a new recruit by this point, someone called Erik Lehnsherr who could apparently control metallic substances. “I didn’t really see his powers in action though. Xavier managed to make our team invisible somehow. He said it was an illusion he made them believe so we could get through the check points.”

“And I didn’t tell you what had happened when we met up?”

“You gave me a rundown, but nothing more than I’ve already been able to tell you. That you got involved in recruiting mutants and hunting down a guy who was trying to kill humans. Then you disappeared again and I didn’t hear anything more about the task force until the Cuba incident.”

Moira hummed, pressing her cold fingers to her lips. “McCone debriefed me about that. As much as he could anyway.” He’d disapprovingly told her how she had stood on a beach, in the middle of two warring nations, defending the mutants only to be nearly killed by one for her troubles. When they’d had that conversation she still had the marks around her neck from where Lehnsherr tried to strangle her.

The agency continued to ask her questions about what happened on that beach, regardless of the well-known fact that she couldn’t remember any of it. It seemed inconceivable to anyone, Moira included, that this could actually happen.

“Well, you have all the information that I do on that. I didn’t see you again until you called me over to your apartment a few days later.”

Moira kept pressing Levene for more details over the coming weeks and months, but he could never find anything new to tell her. She kept trying though, telling him it was so she could try to understand more about her thoughts and actions during those missing months, to piece together the case so they could work out if the threat still existed. What she was really waiting for was something, anything, that would trigger a memory and help her remember. Some insignificant phrase or word which would bring everything back. Something more than flashes of light and that godforsaken kiss.

The kiss disturbed her more than she cared to admit. And not just because her bosses had immediately jumped on one of her few remaining impressions of those missing months as a way to further undermine her. Her memories from the Hellfire Club were still there. She knew that mutants existed and she knew that Xavier was apparently the foremost expert on them. That was why, according to her application for travel, she had flown to Oxford to meet with him.

The extent of his powers, demonstrated to her through the tapes and Levene’s descriptions, painted a portrait of a very powerful being. One who had no problem altering people’s perceptions, communicating telepathically, wiping months of memories away – and he certainly had no reservations about using that ability. She remembered the emotion behind the kiss and knew how deeply she had cared for him. How badly had her judgement been impaired that she had fallen for someone who apparently had no qualms about invading her mind, the one part of her that should be hers alone? Had her feelings even been genuine? Did she have free will during that time?

When she was alone she questioned everything. Her motives, the people she had sided with, her instincts, her thoughts.

At work she needed to keep her head high and walk the corridors confidently, otherwise she risked having her job pulled out from beneath her. Her superiors eventually accepted that she remembered very little of what had happened. The tests showed there was no brain damage and, coupled with their knowledge of Charles Xavier’s abilities, the conclusion was drawn that she would never remember. With that acceptance, however, Moira found that all of her hard work establishing a position for herself at the CIA appeared to have been undone. Even though she hadn’t exactly gotten people to like her before the incident, there had been a level of begrudging respect. She’d proven herself multiple times to be capable of more than secretarial work. But now wherever she went there were whispers. About the hormonal woman who had fallen in love with a mutant.

She was shunned by most of her colleagues, but then that wasn’t really new. Now, instead of listening to the run of the mill sexist jabs, she got a little variety by having her every decision questioned because her mind didn’t work properly. Because she was damaged. Levene stood by her like he had done since they’d first been partnered up, and he always jumped up to defend her.

Levene, who was now in the unique position of being one of the few people to meet Charles Xavier, still remember it and was alive to tell the tale.

With time Moira knew she could restore her credibility among the ranks, as long as she didn’t show any more weakness. And Levene’s long-winded speeches about her patriotism and bravery, which arose every time Moira got a snide comment by another agent, couldn’t hurt. Except, a month later they would still just laugh and say she was protecting freaks.

Time passed. Her paranoia settled but the CIA’s didn’t.

“I’ve decided to pull you and Levene off the case,” McCone said, slapping the file she had just delivered back onto the desk after a polite glance. They’d been investigating a man with potential communist affiliations for the past three weeks.

“But sir,” Moira started,” we’ve nearly closed it.”

“I think you would be better suited to a different assignment.”

“Sir…”

“Especially after what you went through. To be frank MacTaggert, we’ve been discussing it and we think it would be in your best interest to take a leave of absence.”

She tried to speak but he cut her off. “Just take a few months.”

He tried to interrupt her again when she opened her mouth but she spoke loudly over his attempts. “I’m perfectly capable of doing my job.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of Moira.” He said, using the same tone he reserved for the secretaries.

“I never said I was ashamed.”

“Of course not. But…” He paused and took a minute, leaning back in his chair and forming a temple with his fingers. “Given what you went through, we thought it would be appropriate for you to have some time off. To help you deal with your feelings.”

“I have no feelings about what happened, sir. I don’t remember it.”

“You never know. Some R&R might help you with your memory loss.” McCone said, trying to pretend that he was doing this for her benefit.

She took a deep breath. “Sir, don’t drop us off this case.”

“I’m sorry Moira, but I really think it’s for the best.”

She was costing Levene his career with this bullshit. Every time they got anything close to a half-decent case it would be snatched away from them before they could close it. And they always used the excuse that it was because she wasn’t in her right mind.

Levene never complained, he would grouch about McCone and the rest of the CIA for how they treated her. He wouldn’t complain about her or request a new partner. He liked working with Moira and Moira liked working with him. She liked being his friend and having dinner with him and his wife on the weekends. She liked having someone around that she could actually trust. Someone who didn’t think she was weak. But she couldn’t keep working like this. And she couldn’t allow Levene to be punished for his loyalty to her.

“I didn’t want to have to do this,” Moira said, shaking her head. “I’d hoped if I stuck it out things would improve, but I see now they never will. I am an excellent agent. And one day when you realise what an ass you are, you’re really going to regret this.”

McCone’s genial expression abruptly fell away with her words and the scowl she was more comfortable with reappeared. “Now look here MacTaggert...”

“You have left me no other choice. You can leave Levene on the case. I quit.”

Pulling her jacket back she removed her gun from its holster and pulled her badge from her belt. She set them both on his desk.

“Moira,” he said with a smile as she stood. “You don’t have to quit. I told you we’ll give you leave. Paid leave. And you can come back as soon as you feel ready. We’d have to ease you back in of course, maybe put you on desk duty for a little while…”

She shook her head. When she had been made an agent she had hoped things would finally get easier, that she wouldn’t have to work twice as hard as everyone else to get half as much respect. And yet, no matter how much she sacrificed, she knew now that she would never rise any higher in their esteems. It seemed futile to keep trying.

Not confident that she would be able to refrain from calling McCone worse than an ass if she continued to speak, Moira turned swiftly on her heel and walked out. McCone half-heartedly called after her, but she had no doubt her resignation would be met by more celebrations than regrets.

Making her way into the break room she collected her bag and purse, stopped by HR and then made her way straight to the parking garage. There was nothing important at her desk and she wouldn’t give the other guys the satisfaction of seeing her pack up her stuff.

Moira was going to be better than they ever would. She just didn’t know how yet.

She’d talk to Levene later, he’d gone home already but she wanted to call him before McCone did. He deserved to hear about her decision instead of getting a blunt notice from the agency saying he’d have a new partner by next Monday.

As she shoved her key into the lock of her car she found herself pausing for a moment, her anger ebbing away. Taking a deep breath, Moira tried not to panic as her unemployment suddenly dawned on her. She was more than qualified for plenty of jobs, and maybe this time she could find one without so much bullshit.

Yanking open the door she threw her bag onto the backseat. A voice stopped her before she could get in.

“Moira MacTaggert.”

Turning she spied a tall man, cloaked in the shadow of the stone pillar he leant against. Her eyes quickly spied four men evenly spread out around him, hands behind their backs in the picture of obedience.

“Yes?” She said hesitantly, wishing she hadn’t thrown her purse into the car so hastily. Her back-up weapon was in there.

Stepping forward so she could see him clearly, the man shot her a tight-lipped smile. “I’m sorry if I startled you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nick Fury.”

He paused, casually placing his hands in his pockets. “Tell me. What do you know about S.H.I.E.L.D?”

#moira mactaggert x charles xavier #moira x charles #x-men first class #marvel cinematic universe #agent carter #nick fury #s.h.i.e.l.d #formerly abandoned fic #editing old chapters #ideally finishing this

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raccoon-of-doom · 6 years ago

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Father's Day is today and it's that time of the year lads -- time to talk about the different forms of parental abuse. Source.

There are many types of abuse, not just physical abuse, sexual assault, and neglect. There's also mental, verbal, emotional, financial, and spiritual abuse.

Reminder: This list is a starting point to bring about discussion. There are many more ways a parent can be abusive to a child.

Physical Abuse

Intimidation – Bullying by standing over, looking down, or getting “in your face” and refusing to back off.

Isolation – Limiting ability to escape from or abandoning in dangerous situations.

Restraint – Confines by blocking a doorway, locking doors with no key, or tying up.

Aggression – Hitting, kicking, punching, arm twisting, pushing, beating, shoving, biting, slapping, striking with an object, shaking, pinching, choking, hair pulling, dragging, burning, cutting, stabbing, strangling, and force feeding (including overdose or misuse of drugs).

Endangerment – Verbal threats of killing mixed with physical violence and use of weapons.

Mental Abuse

Rage – An intense, furious anger that comes out of nowhere, usually over nothing, startling and shocking the child into compliance or silence.

Gaslighting – Lying about the past to intentionally making a child doubt their memory, perception, and sanity.

The Stare – An intense stare with no feeling behind it.

Silent Treatment – Punishment by ignoring for long periods of time.

Projection – Parents dump their issues onto the child as the child did it.

Twisting – When confronted, parents twist the truth to blame the child for their actions.

Manipulation – Making a child fear the worst such as abandonment or rejection.

Victim Card – When all else fails, parents play the victim card to control behavior.

Verbal Abuse

Extremes in Volume and Tone Voice – One way is to increase the volume by yelling, screaming, and raging. The second is complete silence, ignoring, and refusing to respond.

Intimidating Words – Swearing and threatening language come easily when a child refuses to do what the parent wants.

Intense Manner of Speech – It is argumentative and demanding with frequently interruptions, talking over, withholding key information, and interrogating.

Personal Attacks – Common examples include criticizing, name calling, mocking responses, defaming character, berating feelings, and judging opinions.

No Apology – Parents refuse to take responsibility, become hostile, invalidate or dismiss feelings of the child, lie, and conveniently forget promises or commitments.

Blame Game – Anything that goes wrong is the child’s fault. Accuses child of being too sensitive and is overly critical of reactions.

Browbeating – Typical sayings include: “If only you would…, then I won’t have to be this way,” “You don’t know how to take a joke,” “The problem with you is…,” and “That (verbal abuse) didn’t really happen.”

Emotional Abuse

Nitpicking – Whatever is important to the child is minimized in comparison to the parent’s agenda. The parent belittles accomplishments, aspirations, or personality in front of others. Teasing or sarcasm is commonly used to degrade and mock.

Embarrassment/Shame – The parent shares private information without consent or exposes some shameful event. Constantly being reminding of shortcomings, often in a passive-aggressive way.

Increased Anxiety – It is easy for a child to become anxious when questioned about every move, motive or aptitude.

Excessive Guilt – Parents claim that they should be the most important person in the child’s life.

Insecurity – From being held to an unrealistic, unattainable or unsustainable standard. Then when the child fails, they are treated as inferior.

Confusion – Being treated as an extension of the parent, not as a separate person.

Alienation – Belittling friends and other family members to convince child those people are unimportant.

Anger/Fear – Parents generate anger in a child using of intimidation, threats, frightening behavior, or destruction of treasured possessions.

Hostility/Rejection – Parents refuse to acknowledge worth by withholding love to create a threat of rejection.

Financial Abuse

Forbidden Access – To the child’s money or possessions that were given as gifts.

Stealing – Parent steals, defrauds or exploits the child financially.

Assets – Demands that all financial gifts or inheritances be placed in the parent’s name. Opens bank accounts in the child’s name without knowledge.

Bills/Credit – Puts bills or credit cards in the child’s name without knowledge.

Budget – Puts child on a strict allowance with impossible expectations thereby setting them up for failure.

Spending – Punishes a child for spend their own money.

Career – Forbids child from earning money or receiving an education.

Sexual Abuse

Grooming – Doing an unwanted or embarrassing sexual act designed to catch a child off-guard and create a feeling of trepidation.

Molestation – Unwanted touching of private areas either the child touching or the parent touching.

Sexual Exposure – Forcing a child to look at the parent’s private areas while the parent engages in a sexual act.

Threatens Abuse – Dangles the possibility of abusing another person in order to bully the child into doing uncomfortable sexual acts.

Inciting Fear – Child submits to unwanted sexual acts out of fear that the parent will hit, leave, humiliate, or punish.

Destroying Principles – Escalation of sexual grooming to now include watching pornography with the child.

Rape – The FBI defines rape as “Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” Most states have laws that expand on this definition saying that sex with anyone under the age of 16 or 18 is considered to be rape.

Sadistic Sex – This includes: immobilizing a child through drugs or alcohol, administering pain during sex, typing a child up, physical beatings, choking, psychological torture, burning, cutting, stabbing, and murder before, during or after sex.

Spiritual Abuse

Dichotomous Thinking – Dividing people into two parts: those who agree with the parent and those who don’t. The parent makes fun of, belittles, and shows prejudice towards other’s beliefs.

Elitism – The parent refuses to associate with people or groups they consider impure or unholy.

Submission – Requires that the child completely adopts the parent’s point of view. There is no room for differing opinions or questioning their authority. Name calling, chastising, and the silent treatment are common maneuvers into compliance.

Labeling – The child is taught at people who don’t comply with the parent’s beliefs are seen as disobedient, rebellious, lacking faith, demons, or enemies of the faith.

Public Performance – Demands perfection and happiness from the child at all times. Religious activities such as attending church have extreme demands, excessive expectations, and rigidity.

Legalistic – Strict adherence to the parent’s rules and regulations are commanded with absolute statements about insignificant issues such as hair color or clothing.

Segregation – Estrangement from extended family members and friends outside of the religion. This includes shunning, alienation, or persecution.

Blind Obedience – Is expected from the child to the point the child is expected to worship the parent.

Abuse of Authority – Parents use their spiritual authority as justification for why the child should completely submit.

Fraud – Parent engages in criminal misconduct or covers up the transgressions of others in the name of their religion. This includes covering up sexual abuse, physical abuse, financial felonies, and misdemeanors.

0-5 items in any section may indicate that a person is being groomed for abuse at a later time. Be mindful of any further escalation.

5 items or more in any section indicates abuse. Getting counseling for the abusive behavior is highly recommended.

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wyvernseeker · 6 years ago

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Here are my drawings of my character Magdaline Pazcha-Kollus and her weapons, the Megiddra (with it’s upgraded form) and the Cyber Angel.

When I came up with this character, I had first looked at the movie God’s Not Dead. While I utterly disliked the movie (due to how it makes all atheists to be evil and all Christians good and utterly makes Christians look terrible by doing this), I did like the character Kara (played by Cassidy Gifford) even if the movie didn’t develop her all that much and tried to make her the Eve tempting main character Josh away from God. Because of that, I decided to base a character off her, somewhat.

Keep in mind, what I have of Magdaline’s bio is not based off the bio of Kara’s actress. Anyways, here it is. Magdaline is a citizen of the theocracy of Ecclesia. Born and raised in Cathedral City, the capital of Ecclesia, Magdaline and her mother have face quite a bit of persecution from the citizens of the city who know that she is an illegitimate child. What is known by her mother Bethany and isn’t know to those people and even Magdaline herself is that Magdaline is the illegitimate daughter of Issactalis president Aurum Stadion, conceived years before he met his wife and love of his life Argenta (Aurum used to travel the world trying to learn more about cultures, met Bethany and thus Magdaline was conceived, though he didn’t know about her for years). Due to her illegitimate status being recorded in the dossiers of her, which are looked at by officials of the country for those who may pose a threat and undermine the theocracy, Magdaline and her mother have faced shunning all throughout Ecclesia due to word of mouth.

When she became old enough she decided to join the peacekeeping force of Ecclesia, although she still faced scorn and derision, especially from the Supreme Leader Pius Eckhart and those close to him. While as a peacekeeper she fell in love and had a relationship with Abel Zephoram, although as he fell further and further into the thrall of Supreme Leader Eckhart their relationship fell into decline and disrepair before coming to an end. In addition to that, Magdaline learned ex-Ecclesia peacekeeper, family friend of her mother’s and her own personal mentor Radames Blaze was a member of the Movement Of Reforming Ecclesia which seeked to remove Supreme Leader Eckhart from power, topple the theocracy of Ecclesia and instigate either a democracy or Republic in place of the theocracy, Magdaline opted to join with him whilst serving as an inside man (or woman) to the rebel fighters, having the desire to topple a system where people like her are punished for the circumstances of their birth as well as one that she saw inherently corrupt.

Magdaline was present during the terrorist attack orchestrated by Aurum Stadion during the World Festival when she was in attendance. During the commotion at the stadium where it took place, Aurum saw her and realized she looked like his old love Bethany Kollus and as a result sent an informant to gather info on Magdaline, which let him know she was his daughter. As a gift of sort for his illegitimate child, Aurum sent to her one of the first perfected models of laser blades made in Issactalis, which Magdaline christened ‘Cyber Angel’.

The first image in this post is the first drawing I did of Magdaline. I felt like giving her an outfit based off a nun but in hindsight I think the outfit doesn’t look too well designed, and as a result when I feel like redrawing her I’m gonna fix it alongside her hairstyle. As for the second drawing, that is what I envision Magdaline would look like in what I would dub “Season 4″ of my series. The reason the Cyber Angel is seen in this one and not the first was because I hadn’t come up with the idea of giving her a laser blade yet, though she does get it when she still has the nun-like outfit in my story during Season 1.

Personality-wise, Magdaline is someone who is driven, meticulous, calculating, somewhat manipulative, at times egocentric and most important of all compassionate, all of which due to her rather unenviable childhood. Due to her childhood and her time under Radames’ mentorship Magdaline has learned to be compassionate to those who go through rough times and have been dealt bad cards in their lives. However she can be calculating and manipulative in how she deals with people both allies and enemies. Also due to her experiences, she has a driven and meticulous personality, though at times she is capable of rolling with the punches, so to speak. As a defense mechanism she can be rather egocentric and prone to arrogance, which at times screws her up as well as what she plans.

Magdaline’s first name is so because on a Christian radio station my brother listened to one time, I heard someone who was calling the station for one of the programs was named Magdalene. However, I chose to replace the second-to-last E with an I because that’s how I thought it was spelled (silly me, right?) though I do intend to keep her name as such. Pazcha comes from the word for Easter, which in modern times is seen as when Jesus Christ was crucified only to rise from the dead three days later. Kollus is supposed to be a sort of play on the world colosseum, which is a synonym for stadium.

Magdaline’s weapons of choice are a magic gun called the Megiddra and also later on a laser blade called the Cyber Angel. Magic guns like the Megiddra are the one of the oldest types of magiteck weaponry in the setting of World Storiya. They are designed to look like flintlock pistols but are powered by a type of magic crystal which condenses mana into a hard, bullet-like form which can be fired, although it can’t be fired too much in one setting lest it overheat. Said crystals are injected through the bottom of the handle of the gun which opens up and can be closed. The Cyber Angel is a perfected magiteck laser blade weapon designed in Issactalis by Aurum Stadion and the Issactalis Magiteck Military Weapons Development Team. This type of weapon also uses mana crystals to work, though unlike the magic guns solidifies mana into a type of plasma-like blade for use that is capable of cutting through metals with ease. Both weapons also have mythril in their construction to make them work easier due to the properties of the metal in question.

Never thought I’d have so much typed for a character in a side story (albeit one of the main players in the side story about Ecclesia). Anyways, like and reblog if you enjoyed the drawings and the long description.

#original post #original character #my artwork #wyvernseeker's art #magdaline pazcha-kollus #magic gun #magitech gun #magiteck gun #magiteck laser blade #magitech laser blade #laser blade

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wxldchxld · 6 years ago

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Headcanon Rewrite: Witches and Hospitality

I told myself I’d forever leave witch rules and law but here I am, about to throw this out there.

It should first be noted that witches have very few laws. Like, set in stone, you will receive punishment if you behave in this manner. This is because there’s a lot of self government in family groups, covens, and clans. And for those clans a part of Fenris’ United People, he is the ultimate authority. This is a lot less messy in most of the verses I participate in, because more often than not I play in a non-modern society (primarily Game of Thrones and The 100).

But they are a close knit society that has been around for several thousand years, and as such they share a lot of core values and societal rules. You won’t be officially reprimanded unless you’re a child, but shunning and very---heated conversations among witches is a real thing. If you’re exceptionally rude, covens can consult with one another to either transfer you to a different coven without your consent/request or cast you out. So manners matter among witches.

The most notable of which I’ve said before is productivity, and I’ve touched on hospitality before but never gone into it in the depth I’d like to.

Witches expect to be welcomed. Whether they’re appearing on the doorstep of another witch or not. It doesn’t matter the time of day. It doesn’t matter how wealthy the person there is. The expectation is that if another witch comes knocking, you accept them into your home.

Because of this expectation they’ve also formed this very strange belief about the doors. They believe closing your doors brings terrible luck, stifles magic, and makes people dislike you. So witches live their lives with their doors open, and generally use spell and other non-magical means to keep the temperature in the house from being unbearable in extremely hot or cold weather.

However there’s a sort of unspoken agreement that you don’t have to give something that might hurt you. So if you don’t have food to spare, you aren’t expected to give it, and if someone asks or attempts to take something you cannot spare then they’re the ones that have broken a social rule.

In return for being welcomed into a home, the traveling witch is expected to bless the family either through magical or other means. Being if they have food to spare where their hosts have none, they’re expected to give what they can. More often than not blessings are magical though: spells meant to bring good fortune. They also engage in songs and rituals to either entertain or assist the host.

Non-witch travelers are not exempt from this either. Witches believe that magic itself favors hospitality, and while other witches are supposed to actively bless the host, it’s believed they’ll be blessed in some degree anyway if they welcome non-witches into their home. This extends to people as well as animals. Witches like Beck especially are thrilled when animals wander into her home, and she often greets them, talks to them, and provides minor healing or a warm place to rest by the fire for a while. However since witches tend to agree with witches and sometimes non-witches are considered a threat, it isn’t as big of a deal if they are denied when they come knocking.

Witches tend to hex or curse people who deny them hospitality or behave poorly as guests. They’re very easily offended by this sort of rudeness, and so long as the hex isn’t serious or the curse isn’t directed toward a forbidden party, there’s really no punishment for the repercussions of being a bad host/guest.

#told y'all i'd rewrite this #hc

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badpadfoot · 7 years ago

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Holding Out For A Hero (Nothing But Thieves)

{So immediately when I heard this rendition of the CLASSIC bop I was like, this is not a damsel in distress calling for help this is a villain, a powerful one, begging to be stopped. SHE is the one causing the fire and flood and only a mythical, Herculean hero can stop her. She's raging at the Old Gods (as she's a goddess herself) for their silence and their brutal punishment of her sister. The more they don't intervene the wilder she becomes until we reach the start of the story when a "white knight" appears to challenge her, and ultimately save her from herself. She's holding out for this hero and has all of these ideas of who "he" must be in order to defeat her. I've always loved stories where the Great Hero is assumed male and at the last moment joke's on everyone cause they're not and that's exactly why they can succeed. Also definitely was thinking of Te Ka's form of the "woman scorned" from Moana and the idea that even the wildest and most broken of hearts can be healed with a little love. Hope you like it! Thanks for reading! (Also sorry it's not under a Read More, I'm mobile and will cut it once I get back to a computer!)}

Chaos. She surveyed her surroundings and found death at every turn. The sky with its red black hue gave the scene a ghostly glow, like dying coals. Screams echoed around her, the sounds of women and children wailing, the tamest animals stampeding in pure fear as fiery rocks rained down, scorching any creature within five feet. Torrential rains and wind ripped up trees long rooted and tossed them like discarded twigs. Lightning streaked through the sky, setting homes and fields ablaze despite the oppressive rain. Her storm was raging, ferocious, unyielding and unforgiving.

Her focus came to a pair of young girls, an elder and a younger. One, the younger, was desperately trying to support the other but her legs were weary and Chrona watched as they were trampled by fleeing soldiers.

Guilt tore through her and in that moment she was no longer the harbinger of destruction that stood atop the ruined castle, she was a more youthful self, scared and clinging to her sister’s arm as the girl dangled over the very pit of hell.

“Chrona!” she screamed, a creature too foul to describe gripping her by the waist, dragging her down. “Please!”

Chrona gripped a dagger in her hand, one meant to end an eternity of suffering before it began, but it shook as she looked in her sisters eyes. Just as she steeled herself to do the deed the beast gave a savage tug and Chrona felt her sisters thin fingers slip through her own. She screamed, a soul splitting sound, as the girl fell into the abyss, her final expression filled with judgement and despair.

She roared in pain at the memory and lashed out at the soldiers, casting down shrapnel and lava and sheer celestial rage until their blood mixed and pooled on the burned earth.

“Is this what you want!” She yelled to the ever quiet heavens, “You think me crushed!? Defeated!? I will show you crushed! I will show you defeated!” Chrona’s lip curled at the deafening silence.

“Are you so frightened you will not even help those who worship at your altars! You look on as they die, viciously, and you speak nothing, you send nothing, you do nothing! Nothing! “

The last word cut through the cacophony of noise and all who heard it trembled, fearing some winged hellbeast was on the horizon.

Then, she saw him. Riding through the chaos, a knight in starlit armour, sword glinting and whistling as it sliced through debris and foes like summer berries. He rode on a horse the color of bright flames and indeed in its wake it left burning hoofprints. She thought of the wise woman’s words, that her end would be at the hands of Phaethon’s rider, and her resolve and rage only deepened.

‘Let him come,’ Chrona thought bitterly, ‘And I will add his blood to the rivers that have been made this day. Should he succeed, I have known my fate.”

As rider and steed galloped towards her she whispered to her blades, waking them with the promise of fresh kill. They sizzled in her hands but did not burn; their loyalty was to their provider and none else.

Finally her enemy stood before her, a mighty being that lesser deities might cower in sight of, but she was Chrona, Mother of the Flaming Storm, Master of Chaos, Temptress of Death. She would not cower easily.

“To stand in my presence is to court death,” she snarled, but the would be hero said nothing, only lifted his sword and stepped forward.

She lunged at him, her blades as hungry and feral as she had become, and the ring of metal on metal was clearer than any bell. Strike after strike she came at him but he was faster than she’d thought and parried each blow with little difficulty. This, she thought, would be her last battle, for though they had long slept deep within her regret and remorse dulled her senses with each swing. By chance he knocked a blade from her hand and, seeing her madness grow, made quick work of dispatching the other. Chrona howled and called for her weapons but they had been lost in combat and so no longer held any allegiance to her. She leapt back, teeth bared, and held herself for a moment as the white knight spoke.

“End this!” he shouted, his voice gentler than she imagined, “Mistress Chrona, Lady of the Shunned, Vengeful Sister I beg you bring an end to this horror!”

Curiosity crept at the edge of Chrona’s mind; what mortal left alive would know that title? She had destroyed that city and all who had fled with the knowledge of her sister’s misdeeds. Still, she was sure he was mortal as he possessed no exceptional energy, save for what radiated off the sword and armour, and if she could not take the day then she would take her enemy with her. She gathered her energies, once noble and respected now twisted black with despair, and channeled them into a blast that would level the ruins to rubble.

“NO!” Cried the knight and he rushed forward, the full force of the shot ricocheting off his god-made armour back to it’s originator.

Chrona flew back, limbs splayed, and felt her skull hit the marble archway with a sickening crack. She stumbled, trying to regain her stance when she felt cool metal and the bite of a sharpened edge at her throat.

“Impudent wretch,” she hissed, her eyes glassy but fierce, “How dare you-”

The words turned to ash in her mouth as the knight removed his helmet, and there stood her first devotee and mortal lover, a woman, Damopheis.

“Please my Lady,” Damopheis pleaded, tears streaking through the grime on her bronzed face, “End this, or I must end you.”

A deep sadness welled up in Chrona’s heart as she took stock of what her righteous anger had wrought. The city was on the brink of utter obliteration, fire consuming what feet and falling stone had not already destroyed. The winds whipped about them and in her love Chrona saw the foil of her evil.

“Damopheis,” she said in a hushed voice, “My sweet Damopheis you returned to me.”

“My heart has always been with you my Lady. But yours is dark and unfamiliar. If this,” Damopheis gestured broadly to the wreckage, “Is what it has become, I will not hesitate to carve it out.”

Calm washed over Chrona despite the threat. The guilt of her sister’s fate still hung heavy on her immortal soul but hatred and vengeance no longer consumed her. She looked to the far off mountains where sat the Old Gods and was sure all divine ears were bent towards them.

“Release me, my love, I will do no more harm.”

Damopheis held the blade a moment longer then stepped back quickly, in case the goddess’ wrath resurfaced.

Chrona straightened her spine and with her mind reached inward, through the sludge of pain surrounding her energy right to the very core of her being. She marvelled at it’s purity in the face of such sin as hers. Then, like a fresh well she pushed it up, up, and out, arms stretched to the sky, and slowly life began to return to the land. The rains turned from battering to soothing, the fires began to dissipate and the earth shook as new flora burst from the ground, thick and vibrant. The injured found their wounds healed and their hearts comforted. Even the dead were revived, for they had not been long departed from their bodies and even Death in his halls could not begrudge such an awesome and selfless display of cosmic power.

Chrona noticed as her feet became rooted to the marble floor, stone creeping up her body as she poured every drop of her power into the act. She heard Damopheis shout as though from leagues away but kept to her task until only her head remained untouched. Then, Chrona looked her lover in the eyes and finished her work, a grateful smile frozen on her face for all time.

____________________________________________________________________________

Damopheis wept openly as her Lady sacrificed herself to undo what she had done. It had not been easy to trade blows with one she had once, and truly still did revere. But she had been chosen by the gods and she would not have anyone, mortal or otherwise, do any harm to her beloved goddess.

She clung to the statue, her tears rolling down the marble face as if the piece itself was crying. Since Damopheis had left her island city she had yearned to hold her Lady, to touch her gentle face once more. Now she cupped the cold stone and searched, frantically, for the life and love that had once enchanted her so. Thinking this would be the last time she beheld her Lady’s image, she bent forward and pressed her warm lips against the statues stiff recreation before turning homeward.

Then, a bolt of lightning flashed through the sky and in a moment the marble began to melt away. Frozen stone slowly became warm flesh once more and Chrona breathed deeply, as if for the first time.

Damopheis felt her tears flow again, this time from joy as she threw her arms around the goddess’ neck, vowing to never leave her side for all her years to come. Chrona’s vow was much the same and they stayed like that, clutching each other, laughing and weeping, for some time after.

@diversetolkien

#my art #my writing #fantasy #fantasy writing #mythology #Old Gods #Fantasy Friday

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jagadeeshkrishnan · 3 years ago

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[26/08, 10:10 PM] 98 41 121780: Awesome Without Allah: Why These Muslims Are Leaving Islam And Are Proud Of It

How a North American group is building public support for those who seek to leave, or have left, the Muslim faith.

For the past few days, the hashtag #AwesomeWithoutAllah is trending on Twitter. Ex-Muslims across the world are celebrating leaving Islam and sharing with ‘twitterati’ their happiness on being free from the shackles of Sharia and acquiring newfound freedoms which they could only imagine before.

Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA), a non-profit organisation, is spearheading this campaign online as well as offline. It has put up billboards at various public places. “Nearly one in four Muslims raised in the United States have left Islam,” reads one. “Godless. Fearless. Ex-Muslim,” it adds.

One of the goals of EXMNA is to reduce discrimination faced by those who leave Islam. It promotes secular values and is working towards making religious dissent acceptable. The initiative was founded in 2012 by Muhammad Syed, a human rights activist.

Islam is a one-way street as far as its affiliation is concerned. It allows, no, insists, on converting people of other faiths. But no one can leave it for the punishment decreed by Sharia (Islamic law), for apostasy is death.

And killing someone for leaving Islam is not a mere disturbing theory. It is regularly enforced across the Muslim world and that includes even the Western nations where Sharia is not the law. Where the state is not Islamic, zealous Muslims take it upon themselves to punish those who ‘stray’ from the path of Allah. Last week, two Muslim men were arrested by the authorities in the UK for plotting to kill a female relative who had renounced Islam.

"This is why @ExmuslimsOrg works to normalize dissent in Muslim communities. This is why we run campaigns like #AwesomeWithoutAllah," tweeted Sarah Haider, executive director at EXMNA.

In such a scary environment where apostates have to live in constant fear of getting killed, what the organisation is doing is quite courageous.On its call to trend #AwesomeWithoutAllah on Twitter, many ex-Muslims have shared their stories on why they are happy to leave Islam. And it should come as no surprise that most of them are women, given their secondary status in the religion.

Nik, a co-founder of Ex-Muslim Support Network of Australia and who goes by the Twitter handle @HereticalGray, explains why she is awesome without Allah. “Because no child should be forced into a hijab/niqab. Because my worth is not determined by a cloth. Because by removing my hijab, it does not mean I am an immoral person that deserves to be raped. Because I believe everyone has a choice,” she tweeted.

“Now we are free to enjoy life as we want. Our minds are free to think what we want. Our hearts are free to love who we want. We are no longer under the commands of some narcissistic demanding being,” tweeted Yasmine Mohammed. Her profile reads: think outside the kaaba (which is depicted in form of an emoji).

‘Unapologetic Madow Lover’ (@gabariskufilan), an honour killing survivor, says she left Islam for feminism. “Because as a radical Black feminist, I can NOT be simultaneously Muslim and feminist. I choose women’s liberation. I love to travel solo, wear whatever I want without victim blaming and support LGBTQIA rights," she tweeted.

"My mother wanted me dead for removing hijab & leaving her house. She endlessly prayed for God to kill me from the moment I left & honestly believes I'm going to die soon bc "allah listens to her prayers"," tweeted Jinan Murtad, a Muslim-turned atheist, sharing her deeply personal story. “Its been 2 yrs now, I'm still alive & well but mostly #AwesomeWithoutAllah," she added.

The best part about leaving Islam, according to Meriem who recorded a video for the EXMNA campaign, is that she doesn't simply pray or fast anymore. “I am breaking free from a toxic, abusive and patriarchal environment,” she said, adding that, “No one can force me to wear something, or do something, or feel something, or be something that I'm not.”

Zara Kay, a Tanzania-Australian, tweeted a picture with her dog. “I am #AwesomeWithoutAllah Because puppies! No more feeling like I shouldn't touch dogs because they're najis," she gave her reason. She is getting a lot of abuse and threats on Twitter for coming out as an Ex-Muslim. But she is not deterred.

“I woke up to 30 messages in my inbox, people wishing death to me, calling me a bitch, talking about hellfire, or wanting to kill me. This is exactly why we need to keep fighting,” she tweeted. She also posted screenshots of some of the abuses coming her way.

In all the backlash that the 'Awesome without Allah' campaign is getting, EXMNA executive director Sarah Haider said she was 'amused by the many "omg it's the end of timess!!!" comments by believers in response to our billboards and the trending of #AwesomeWithoutAllah. I have good news! It's not THE end of times! It's the end of A time — the end of a time of religious privilege, abuse, persecution."

"If #exMuslims speaking up about their persecution, legalized murder in 12+ countries, their jailing & torture, myriad other horrors they face due to Islam makes YOU uncomfortable, it's because you can't bear to look at yourself in the mirror, have some shame!," EXMNA founder and president Muhammad Syed tweeted.

It's not just women who are speaking out and coming out of the closet. Muslim men are also doing so in droves.

Sohail Ahmed, an Ahmadi Muslim by birth, says that 'the best part of leaving Islam was in no longer having to defend verses of the Quran where the inequality of men & women is baked in.

Ali Malik, who is an atheist now, tweeted that is awesome without Allah 'because how independent, human, humble and compassionate it made me.'

"The best part of leaving Islam is to be free from mental shackles." said Abdullah Sameer in a video he shot for the EXMNA initiative.

Alireza Azami posted a photo with the hashtag showing his middle finger.

Supporting these voices of dissent, Ali A. Rizvi, a Pakistani-Canadian and author of The Atheist Muslim, said that Muslims are not immune to reason, secularism, and enlightenment. “We normalised lapsed Catholics, secular Jews, and ex-Mormons. Now it’s time to normalize ex-Muslims,” he tweeted.

Islamic theology has no love lost for the non-believers. It decrees unrelenting hostility towards kafirs. The believers must shun all kinds of relationships with them and if they are to be engaged then that should be done strictly out of necessity. They cannot be accorded any position of respect.

Even saying words of respect to them is not allowed. Not even in their death. To ask dua for them is haram. Their places of worship are places of the devil. Their festivals are haram. They are physically detestable and untrustworthy.

It is no wonder then that when a believer leaves Islam and becomes a non-believer, it is considered a great affront to the religion. That's why the punishment for apostasy is nothing short of death.

If some ex-Muslims are daring to come out in the open and speak against the problematic aspects of their former religion, their dissent not only must be fiercely protected but also promoted.

They are doing a great service to humanity and even Islam itself. Criticism and dissent is the first step toward reform. And Islam needed reformation yesterday

Jagadeesh krishnan

Psychologist and International Author

[26/08, 10:11 PM] 98 41 121780: அல்லாஹ் இல்லாமல் அற்புதம்: இந்த முஸ்லிம்கள் ஏன் இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறி பெருமைப்படுகிறார்கள்

ஒரு முஸ்லீம் நம்பிக்கையை விட்டு வெளியேற விரும்புவோருக்கு அல்லது வெளியேறியவர்களுக்கு ஒரு வட அ��ெரிக்க குழு எவ்வாறு பொது ஆதரவை உருவாக்குகிறது.

கடந்த சில நாட்களாக, #AwesomeWithoutAllah என்ற ஹேஷ்டேக் ட்விட்டரில் ட்ரெண்டாகி வருகிறது. உலகெங்கிலும் உள்ள முன்னாள் முஸ்லீம்கள் இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறி, ஷரியாவின் பிடியில் இருந்து விடுபட்டு, தங்களுக்கு முன்பு கற்பனை செய்து பார்க்க முடிந்த புதிய சுதந்திரங்களைப் பெற்ற மகிழ்ச்சியை 'டுவிட்டர்' உடன் பகிர்ந்து கொண்டாடி வருகின்றனர்.

வட அமெரிக்காவின் முன்னாள் முஸ்லிம்கள் (EXMNA), ஒரு இலாப நோக்கற்ற அமைப்பு, இந்த பிரச்சாரத்தை ஆன்லைனிலும் ஆஃப்லைனிலும் முன்னின்று நடத்துகிறது. இது பல்வேறு பொது இடங்களில் விளம்பர பலகைகளை வைத்துள்ளது. "அமெரிக்காவில் வளர்க்கப்பட்ட நான்கில் ஒரு முஸ்லிம்கள் இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறினர்" என்று ஒருவர் வாசிக்கிறார். "கடவுள் இல்லாதவர். அச்சமற்ற. முன்னாள் முஸ்லீம், ”அது மேலும் கூறுகிறது.

EXMNA இலக்குகளில் ஒன்று இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறுபவர்கள் எதிர்கொள்ளும் பாகுபாட்டைக் குறைப்பதாகும். இது மதச்சார்பற்ற மதிப்புகளை ஊக்குவிக்கிறது மற்றும் மத எதிர்ப்பை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளும் வகையில் செயல்படுகிறது. இந்த முயற்சி 2012 இல் மனித உரிமை ஆர்வலர் முஹம்மது சையத் என்பவரால் நிறுவப்பட்டது.

இஸ்லாம் அதன் இணைப்பைப் பொறுத்தவரை ஒரு வழிப் பாதை. மற்ற மதத்தினரை மாற்றுவதற்கு இது அனுமதிக்கிறது, இல்லை, வலியுறுத்துகிறது. ஆனால் ஷரியா (இஸ்லாமிய சட்டம்) விதித்த தண்டனைக்காக யாரும் அதை விட்டுவிட முடியாது, ஏனெனில் துறவறம் மரணம்.

இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறியதற்காக ஒருவரைக் கொல்வது வெறும் குழப்பமான கோட்பாடு அல்ல. இது முஸ்லீம் உலகம் முழுவதும் தவறாமல் அமல்படுத்தப்படுகிறது மற்றும் ஷரியா சட்டம் இல்லாத மேற்கத்திய நாடுகளையும் உள்ளடக்கியது. அரசு இஸ்லாமியமாக இல்லாத இடத்தில், வைராக்கியமுள்ள முஸ்லீம்கள் அல்லாஹ்வின் பாதையில் இருந்து ‘வழிதவறி’ வருபவர்களைத் தண்டிக்கிறார்கள். கடந்த வாரம், இஸ்லாத்தை துறந்த பெண் உறவினர் ஒருவரை கொல்ல சதி செய்ததாக இரண்டு முஸ்லீம் ஆண்கள் இங்கிலாந்தில் அதிகாரிகளால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டனர்.

"இதனால்தான் @ExmuslimsOrg முஸ்லீம் சமூகங்களில் கருத்து வேறுபாட்டை இயல்பாக்குகிறது. இதனால்தான் நாங்கள் #AwesomeWithoutAllah போன்ற பிரச்சாரங்களை நடத்துகிறோம்" என்று EXMNA இன் நிர்வாக இயக்குனர் சாரா ஹைதர் ட்வீட் செய்தார்.

துரோகிகள் கொலை செய்யப்படுவார்கள் என்ற பயத்தில் தொடர்ந்து வாழ வேண்டிய ஒரு பயங்கரமான சூழலில், அந்த அமைப்பு என்ன செய்கிறது என்பது மிகவும் தைரியமானது. ட்விட்டரில் #AwesomeWithoutAllah ட்ரெண்டில் அதன் அழைப்பில், பல முன்னாள் முஸ்லீம்கள் தங்கள் கதைகளை ஏன் மகிழ்ச்சியாக பகிர்ந்து கொண்டனர் இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு. அவர்களில் பெரும்பாலானவர்கள் பெண்கள், மதத்தில் இரண்டாம் நிலை அந்தஸ்து வழங்கப்பட்டதில் ஆச்சரியமில்லை.

நிக், ஆஸ்திரேலியாவின் முன்னாள் முஸ்லீம் ஆதரவு நெட்வொர்க்கின் இணை நிறுவனர் மற்றும் @HereticalGray என்ற ட்விட்டர் கைப்பிடியின் மூலம், அவர் ஏன் அல்லாஹ் இல்லாமல் அற்புதமாக இருக்கிறார் என்பதை விளக்குகிறார். ஏனென்றால், எந்த குழந்தையும் ஹிஜாப்/நிகாப்பில் கட்டாயப்படுத்தப்படக்கூடாது. ஏனென்றால் என் மதிப்பு ஒரு துணியால் தீர்மானிக்கப்படவில்லை. ஏனென்றால், எனது ஹிஜாபை நீக்குவதன் மூலம், நான் பாலியல் பலாத்காரம் செய்யப்பட வேண்டிய ஒழுக்கமற்ற நபர் என்று அர்த்தமல்ல. ஏனென்றால் அனைவருக்கும் ஒரு தேர்வு இருக்கிறது என்று நான் நம்புகிறேன், ”என்று அவர் ட்வீட் செய்தார்.

"இப்போது நாம் விரும்பியபடி வாழ்க்கையை அனுபவிக்க சுதந்திரமாக இருக்கிறோம். நமக்கு என்ன வேண்டும் என்று சிந்திக்க நம் மனம் சுதந்திரமாக உள்ளது. நாம் விரும்பியவரை நேசிக்க எங்கள் இதயங்கள் சுதந்திரமாக உள்ளன. நாங்கள் இனி சில நாசீசிஸ்டிக் கோட்பாடுகளின் கட்டளைகளின் கீழ் இல்லை, ”என்று யாஸ்மின் முகமது ட்வீட் செய்தார். அவளுடைய சுயவிவரம் பின்வருமாறு கூறுகிறது: காபாவுக்கு வெளியே சிந்தியுங்கள் (இது ஒரு ஈமோஜி வடிவத்தில் சித்தரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது).

‘Unapologetic Madow Lover’ (@gabariskufilan), ஒரு க honorரவக் கொலையில் உயிர் பிழைத்தவர், அவர் பெண்ணுரிமைக்காக இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறினார். "ஏனெனில் ஒரு தீவிர கருப்பு பெண்ணியவாதியாக, நான் ஒரே சமயத்தில் முஸ்லீம் மற்றும் பெண்ணியவாதியாக இருக்க முடியாது. நான் பெண் விடுதலையைத் தேர்வு செய்கிறேன். நான் தனியாக பயணம் செய்ய விரும்புகிறேன், பாதிக்கப்பட்டவரை குற்றம் சாட்டாமல் நான் விரும்பும் எதையும் அணிய விரும்புகிறேன் மற்றும் LGBTQIA உரிமைகளை ஆதரிக்கிறேன், ”என்று அவர் ட்வீட் செய்துள்ளார்.

"ஹிஜாபை அகற்றிவிட்டு வீட்டை விட்டு வெளியேறியதற்காக என் அம்மா என்னை இறக்க விரும்பினார். நான் போகும் தருணத்திலிருந்து கடவுளைக் கொல்லும்படி அவள் முடிவில்லாமல் பிரார்த்தனை செய்தாள், நான் விரைவில் இறந்துவிடுவேன் என்று நம்புகிறேன்" அல்லா அவளுடைய பிரார்த்தனைகளைக் கேட்கிறார் "என்று ஜினன் முர்டாட் ட்வீட் செய்துள்ளார். ஒரு முஸ்லீம் நாத்திகர், தனது ஆழ்ந்த தனிப்பட்ட கதையைப் பகிர்ந்து கொண்டார். "இப்போது 2 வருடங்கள் ஆகிறது, நான் இன்னும் உயிருடன் இருக்கிறேன், ஆனால் பெரும்பாலும் #AwesomeWithoutAllah," என்று அவர் மேலும் கூறினார்.

EXMNA பிரச்சாரத்திற்காக ஒரு வீடியோவைப் பதிவுசெய்த மெரீமின் கூற்றுப்படி, இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறுவது பற்றிய சிறந்த பகுதி, அவள் இனி பிரார்த்தனை செய்யவோ அல்லது விரதம் ��ருக்கவோ இல்லை. "நான் ஒரு நச்சு, துஷ்பிரயோகம் மற்றும் ஆணாதிக்க சூழலில் இருந்து விடுபடுகிறேன்," என்று அவர் கூறினார், "யாராவது என்னை ஏதாவது அணியவோ, ஏதாவது செய்யவோ, அல்லது உணரவோ அல்லது நான் இல்லாத ஒன்றாக இருக்கவோ கட்டாயப்படுத்த முடியாது."

தான்சானியா-ஆஸ்திரேலியரான ஜாரா கே தனது நாயுடன் ஒரு படத்தை ட்வீட் செய்தார். "நான் #அற்புதமானவன் அல்லா ஏனெனில் நாய்க்குட்டிகள்! நாய்கள் நாஜிகளாக இருப்பதால் நான் அவர்களைத் தொடக் கூடாது என உணர்கிறேன், "என்று அவர் தனது காரணத்தைக் கூறினார். அவர் முன்னாள் முஸ்லீமாக வெளிவந்ததற்காக ட்விட்டரில் நிறைய துஷ்பிரயோகங்களையும் அச்சுறுத்தல்களையும் பெறுகிறார். ஆனால் அவள் தடுக்கப்படவில்லை.

"நான் என் இன்பாக்ஸில் 30 செய்திகளை எழுப்பினேன், மக்கள் எனக்கு மரணத்தை விரும்புகிறார்கள், என்னை ஒரு பிச் என்று அழைக்கிறார்கள், நரக நெருப்பைப் பற்றி பேசுகிறார்கள், அல்லது என்னைக் கொல்ல விரும்புகிறார்கள். இதனால்தான் நாங்கள் தொடர்ந்து ப��ராட வேண்டும், ”என்று அவர் ட்வீட் செய்தார். அவள் வரும் சில முறைகேடுகளின் ஸ்கிரீன் ஷாட்களையும் அவர் வெளியிட்டார்.

'அல்லாஹ் இல்லாமல் அருமை' பிரச்சாரம் பெறுகின்ற அனைத்து பின்னடைவுகளிலும், எக்ஸ்எம்என்ஏ நிர்வாக இயக்குனர் சாரா ஹைதர் கூறுகையில், "ஓம்ஜி இது நேரத்தின் முடிவு !!!" எங்கள் விளம்பர பலகைகளுக்கு பதிலளிக்கும் விதமாக விசுவாசிகளின் கருத்துகள் மற்றும் #AwesomeWithoutAllah இன் போக்கு. என்னிடம் நல்ல செய்தி உள்ளது! இது காலத்தின் முடிவு அல்ல! இது ஒரு காலத்தின் முடிவு - மத சலுகை, துஷ்பிரயோகம், துன்புறுத்தல் ஆகியவற்றின் நேரத்தின் முடிவு. "

இஸ்லாமியர்கள் தங்களின் துன்புறுத்தல்கள், 12+ நாடுகளில் சட்டபூர்வமான கொலை, அவர்களின் சிறை & சித்திரவதைகள், இஸ்லாமியர்களால் அவர்கள் எதிர்கொள்ளும் எண்ணற்ற பிற கொடுமைகள் பற்றி பேசினால் உங்களுக்கு அசableகரியம் ஏற்படுகிறது என்றால், கண்ணாடியில் உங்களைப் பார்க்க நீங்கள் பொறுத்துக் கொள்ள முடியாது. சில அவமானங்கள்!

வெளியே பேசுவது மற்றும் வெளியே வருவது பெண்கள் மட்டுமல்ல. முஸ்லீம் ஆண்களும் கூட்டமாக செய்கிறார்கள்.

சோஹைல் அகமது, பிறப்பால் அஹ்மதி முஸ்லீம், 'இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறுவதன் மிகச் சிறந்த பகுதி குர்ஆனின் வசனங்களை பாதுகாக்க வேண்டிய அவசியமில்லை, அங்கு ஆண்கள் மற்றும் பெண்களின் சமத்துவமின்மை சுட்டப்படுகிறது.

இப்போது நாத்திகராக இருக்கும் அலி மாலிக், அல்லாஹ் இல்லாமல் அற்புதமானவர் 'ஏனெனில் அது என்னை எவ்வளவு சுதந்திரமாகவும், மனிதனாகவும், மனத்தாழ்மையாகவும், கருணையுடனும் ஆக்கியது.'

"இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறுவதில் சிறந்த பகுதி மனக் கட்டுப்பாட்டிலிருந்து விடுபடுவதாகும்." எக்ஸ்எம்என்ஏ முன்முயற்சிக்காக அவர் படம்பிடித்த வீடியோவில் அப்துல்லா சமீர் கூறினார்.

அலிர��சா ஆசாமி தனது நடுத்தர விரலைக் காட்டும் ஹேஷ்டேக்குடன் ஒரு புகைப்படத்தை வெளியிட்டார்.

இந்த எதிர்ப்புக் குரல்களை ஆதரித்து, பாகிஸ்தானிய-கனடியரும், நாத்திக முஸ்லீம் ஆசிரியருமான அலி ஏ.ரிஸ்வி, முஸ்லிம்கள் பகுத்தறிவு, மதச்சார்பின்மை மற்றும் அறிவொளி ஆகியவற்றிலிருந்து விடுபடவில்லை என்று கூறினார். "நாங்கள் கத்தோலிக்கர்கள், மதச்சார்பற்ற யூதர்கள் மற்றும் முன்னாள் மோர்மான்ஸை இயல்பாக்கினோம். முன்னாள் முஸ்லீம்களை இயல்பாக்க வேண்டிய நேரம் வந்துவிட்டது, ”என்று அவர் ட்வீட் செய்துள்ளார்.

இஸ்லாமிய இறையியல் நம்பிக்கை இல்லாதவர்கள் மீது அன்பை இழக்கவில்லை. இது காபிர்கள் மீது தீராத பகைமையை வெளிப்படுத்துகிறது. விசுவாசிகள் அவர்களுடனான அனைத்து வகையான உறவுகளையும் தவிர்க்க வேண்டும், அவர்கள் நிச்சயதார்த்தத்தில் ஈடுபட வேண்டும் என்றால் அது கண்டிப்பாக தேவையின்றி செய்யப்பட வேண்டும். அவர்களுக்கு எந்த மரியாதையும் அளிக்க முடியாது.

அவர்களுக்கு மரியாதை வார்த்தைகள் சொல்வது கூட அனுமதிக்கப்படவில்லை. அவர்களின் மரணத்தில் கூட இல்லை. அவர்களுக்காக துஆ கேட்பது ஹராம். அவர்களின் வழிபாட்டுத் தலங்கள் பிசாசின் இடங்கள். அவர்களின் பண்டிகைகள் ஹராம். அவர்கள் உடல் ரீதியாக வெறுக்கத்தக்கவர்கள் மற்றும் நம்பமுடியாதவர்கள்.

ஒரு விசுவாசி இஸ்லாத்தை விட்டு வெளியேறி, நம்பிக்கையற்றவராக மாறும்போது, அது மார்க்கத்திற்கு பெரும் அவமானமாக கருதப்படுவதில் ஆச்சரியமில்லை. அதனால்தான் துறவுக்கான தண்டனை மரணத்திற்கு குறைவாக இல்லை.

சில முன்னாள் முஸ்லீம்கள் வெளிப்படையாக வெளியே வந்து தங்கள் முன்னாள் மதத்தின் பிரச்சனையான அம்சங்களுக்கு எதிராக பேசத் துணிந்தால், அவர்களின் கருத்து வேறுபாடு கடுமையாகப் பாதுகாக்கப்படுவது மட்டுமல்லாமல் ஊக்குவிக்கப்பட வேண்டும்.

அவர்கள் மனிதகுலத்திற்கும் இஸ்லாத்திற்கும் கூட ஒரு சிறந்த சேவையைச் செய்கிறார்கள். விமர்சனமும் கருத்து வேறுபாடும் சீர்திருத்தத்திற்கான முதல் படியாகும். இஸ்லாத்திற்கு நேற்று சீர்திருத்தம் தேவைப்பட்டது

மூலம்

ஜெகதீஷ் கிருஷ்ணன்

உளவியலாளர் மற்றும் சர்வதேச எழுத்தாளர்

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smokeybrand · 4 years ago

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The Fallacy of Education

I think elementary school is necessary to an extent but everything I've ever learned after probably the third grade, was during summer break at the library and then all of the time when my family got a computer. I never really learned anything “new” in a classroom setting, from probably the fourth grade and forward. Sure, it's dope to have someone bounce ideas off but you can do that with anyone. You can do that online. Hell, I DO that online now. SO what the f*ck is the merit of going through the tribulations of “school?” Capitalism. Capitalism is the “merit.” School is designed to break your spirit as a youth and train you to be a drone in the workforce. The structure of how education here in the US has been built, is designed to acclimate you to a forty hour work week early on. It's built to make you yearn for holidays and the weekends. It grooms you to raise your hands to ask questions and punishes those who deviate from the assigned tasks. Free thinkers are shunned and the arts are almost always removed in one form or another. Creativity is killed in service to conformity because capitalism needs that in order to function. The second it's removed, the second people questions the status quo, is the second they understand the terrible conditions in which they've been forced to exist. But, if you're not smart enough to ask the right questions, then there is no threat to the current class system.

When i got to fifth grade, i went to a substantially sh*ttier school than before. We move into a worse ghetto than the one I grew up in for he majority of my life and that was reflected in this school's curriculum. These kids were morons. That wasn't there fault, the system had failed them because it was assumed they weren't worth the investment. We'd all end up being thugs and criminals because that was what our zip code dictated. When I got there, I kind of f*cked all of that up. These kids were reading well under their grade, the “smart” one rad at a high school level if I remember but i could read at a college level. Indeed, I was well into checking out Shakespeare and Dante by this point. That was too much for my teacher. He graded on a curve because the kids were so stupid and, after that fist test where everyone failed but me because I got such a high mark, told me flat out that there was nothing he could teach me. I became kind of a TA in that class and never turned in another assignment for the entire year. He just gave me As on everything and apologized profusely for not being able to adequately challenge me. It was difficult to see because I would tell this dude loved teaching and he had an opportunity to rally flex his passion with me but the system in which he had to work wouldn't allow him to do any of that. Because the system, itself, isn't built to educate. Imagine being an educator trapped in that cage? Now imagine being a student trapped in there, too, oblivious to the handicap you've just been saddled with.

When i got to the seventh grade, i was put into remedial courses against my ill. We moved back to my old neighborhood ahead of my sixth grade year so I was able to return to my previous school where it was understood that myself and a handful of others were WAY too smart for our own good. They got us more advanced materials from the surrounding high schools and basically told us to teach ourselves. My then principal drove us over to a separate middle school because it was supposed to have better materials and more advanced courses than the neighborhood one. Our principal and the one in the middle school spoke, we all demonstrated our intelligence, and it was agreed we'd be placed in advanced courses in the coming year. When the new year started, I was not placed in those agreed upon courses. My zip code reflected the ghetto and not the bourgeois neighborhood this new school was in. They assumed i was an idiot, even though i was enrolled specifically for the more challenging curriculum, and dismissed my previous academic accomplishments without a word. My elementary school principal literally drove me over there and introduced me to that school's principal because she wanted to make sure the staff understood that i was wildly intelligent "for my age." Didn't matter. They saw a Meadowview zip and i was put into classes with a bunch of idiots. When i protested, they refused to change my schedule. It didn't take long for most of my teachers to realize I wouldn't be in such pedestrian classes but the administration refused to budge. I was ghetto trash and they didn't want to hear anything else, even if it was coming directly from the teachers in charge of me education. My science teacher literally had us coloring f*cking pictures as work assignments. I refused to do such ridiculous busy work, demanded that he teach me some sh*t and, instead, he suspended me from his class and threatened to fail me.

When i got to high school, i was wildly disillusioned by education and basically coasted my way through. I understood that i could learn more on my own and pushed to be home schooled. The way the that system works is you show up for in-class check-in on Monday and pick up a packet of schoolwork. You complete the school work through the week and turn it the following Monday. No classroom. No teachers. No fuss. All of my credits, and then some, and none of the the everyday baggage. I could excel at my own pace, which we have established far outstripped whatever the f*ck the curriculum is at any given time. Plus, I could return to proper coursework at any time. My plan was to knock out about three years worth of credits that first year and try to get into the off-campus internship with the State. It was called the Regional Occupation Program. I'd be paid to work for the State part time while accumulating proper work experience, and still have time to take some college courses at the local Community College. I'd still be able to come back and participate in all of the social sh*t like dances and games plus, I'd be able to walk the stage with my proper class. I'd be able to challenge myself, build toward my future, and still have that high school experience. But my mom refused. Everything i said here, I said to her, and she still refused. She's a slave to tradition and tradition dictated that i HAD to go to class everyday. The system HAD to be maintained. So i did and, as the years progressed, i went less and less. By senior year, i went just enough to keep the cops of her back and still graduated with a 3.8. I never one applied myself in high school and literally just showed up because cops, gym, and girls. Most days, i left early because f*cking why not? I wasn't learning anything. I wasn't being enriched in anyway. By my senior year, I had two Teacher's Assistant classes, two gym classes, Government and a creative writing course. I never went to that one because it was the last class of the day and Transformers came on halfway through it so I skipped it everyday. In order to pass, I just printed out a novel I wrote when I was in the eighth grade. He gave me an A, even though I was only there in person around thirty percent of the school year. I was writing high school level sh*t when I was thirteen. That's the story of my whole life and it didn't get any better when I got to college.

I thought it was going to get better when i got to college. It did not. I had toured a few campuses around my neighborhood and even sat in on a course or two. I went to a few College Fairs and even got accepted into a couple of HBCs. After a I graduated high school I opted to go to a community college that was near by. I' m poor so I couldn't afford a proper school and the scholarships available to me were all partial. I didn't want to have to split time between working and college so I figured if I got the core courses out of the way early, I could lighten the load and have an Associates to take into a part time gig or something later. I had actually gotten into Stanford and wanted to go but the cost of living was WAY too staunchy so this Community college plan was the best option. I lasted a semester. That sh*t was like going back to high school but i had to pay for it out of pocket. I had dreams of debate and lecture, of challenging a professor who could challenge me in return What I got was more of the uniform apathy that has dogged me my entire education career, only now it was driving me into f*cking debt. I love learning. I love reading. I love thinking. None of that I was even conducive to school here in the states. Often times, it was objectively frowned upon. From kindergarten to literally college, I was always under the gun in that sense. To this day, my curiosity is insatiable and I research everything. I want to know all of the things and the big sh*t like theoretical physics or the math necessary to infer the universe before the big bang, is absolutely tantalizing to me. I was frustrated with the stifling rigidity of school f*cking twenty years ago. I can't even imagine what it's like for kids nowadays.

The education system in the US is f*cking ridiculous. It's not meant to build intelligence or free thinking, it's an assembly line method designed to acclimate you to a forty hour work week. It's supposed to get you used to sacrificing the majority of your life in service to capitalism, busting ass just to get to the weekend or next holiday off, because that's how you'll live the rest of your adult life. They're not in the business of education or teaching life skills, they're in the business of manufacturing more cogs for the great machine that is the “economy.” Why the f*ck do I need to know Algebra 2 when I can't do my own taxes? Why the f*ck do we have to spend three weeks studying the Crucible when I don't know how compound interests works? Parents should play a part in this, for sure, but how difficult is that for them to do? They are victims of the same system and have to sacrifice their liberty in order to pay bills, after being bludgeoned with that same aggressive system necessary for them to abandon their hopes. A smart person is a difficult person to manipulate. When people understand, or even have the ability to comprehend, the scales fall from their eyes. We're seeing that now with the “Employment crisis” and how no one wants to go back to being underpaid and overworked after a the Pandemic showed the world for what it was. It's in capitalism's best interests to make sure the masses are smart enough to produce but dumb enough to never understand that they control the means of production. Why do you think everyone wants the kids to "get back into the classroom" when it's obviously easier to "teach" kids over zoom? When it's obvious that they learn more and understand better at home? When entire grade averages have increased considerably, over the entire country, since kids have been studying at home? Because that structure is more important than the learning. Every kid has a phone, computer, or tablet at this point. Internet is everywhere. There's no reason to have in-class learning, especially considering how many f*cking classrooms get shot up around these parts. Especially considering that there are more kids like me thanks to the ready-to-consume inf oration at our fingertips. This one got away from me but i really, really, hate the "education system" here. It's so boorish and archaic, f*cking obsolete, especially in the age of the information, so why go back to that broken system? Because capitalism needs drones not dreamers. It needs conformists, not thinkers. It needs ignorance not education.

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vestedbeauty · 4 years ago

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Guilty of People Pleasing? How to Stop (Even if This Is How You've Survived Until Now)

New Post has been published on https://vestedbeauty.com/guilty-of-people-pleasing-how-to-stop-even-if-this-is-how-youve-survived-until-now/

Guilty of People Pleasing? How to Stop (Even if This Is How You've Survived Until Now)

OK, so, it’s possible that my people pleasing way of life was just coded into me based on the stars and planets. I’m not personally really into astrology but a lot of people I love are. So, I’ve learned that I may be the Libra-est Libra who ever Libra’d. And apparently people pleasing is a thing for us.

But while I weigh that a bit (sorry, Libra joke), I’m going to go share my thoughts on this… trait? Flaw? Coping mechanism? Well, whatever category people pleasing falls into, let’s take a look.

It’s a Good Thing Puppies Are Cute

She’s nearly four now but Pickle has settled down a whole lot. (I’m currently working through a dog training course with her and the rest of the pack to see if we can end the jumping up on people nonsense.) When she was tiny, she did a pretty good impression of The Very Caterpillar. She ate through our slippers. She ate through our blankets. She even ate through the drywall in a couple of places.

“Pickle, it’s a good thing you’re cute,” we said, about a million times. And it’s true.

It’s the same with tiny humans. They smell bad. They cry and cry and cry. And they leave their parents exhausted to the point they can barely remember their own names. But on the deepest level there is, we bond with them to the point we’d give our lives to save them.

Still, it’s a good thing they’re cute.

In part, a baby’s cuteness is a way of people pleasing. We cannot function or even survive on our own. Our survival depends on our parents being willing to take care of us, even though we offer nothing in return.

Last One In Is a Rotten Egg!

Fast-forward a few years, and our world expands from our parents and immediate family outward to include friends, teachers, and a whole lot of people we’ve never met. Humans being humans, we start forming smaller groups.

Like it was programmed into us, we can get pretty ruthless as we sort through the crowd of humanity. Yes to this one, no to that one. We find best friends and second-best friends (remember that?), and we learn how to fit in.

But we also get some brutal lessons about living in kid society. We discover the pecking order, watching some kids rise to the top of the social order and others fall into a perilous place where they are practically untouchable.

The permanent rotten egg, the kid nobody seems to like – even enough to defend when human decency demands it. (I still think about some of the kids I grew up with who were socially brutalized, bullied, cast out. I hope they survived and healed, and while I’m glad I didn’t actively hurt them, I shamefully lacked the courage to befriend them.)

In this Lord of the Flies world, kids learn quickly how important it is to gather allies. Perhaps for the first time ever, they grasp the reality that if they piss people off, they will be shunned and thrust out into the cruel world on their own.

People pleasing becomes a survival mechanism. I believe that’s where it starts for many of us. We learn to walk, talk, and behave in ways that please our cohort enough to keep us safe.

Keep Your Hands and Feet Inside the Ride at All Times

It doesn’t take a genius to realize it’s crucial to fit into the box kid society draws for its members. Fit or face destruction.

So, we contort ourselves to fit. If some odd bit refuses to fold neatly into the box, we cut it off. Survival demands ruthlessness.

… Got a weird hobby? Not anymore.

… Have a weird freckle on the bottom of your foot? Shoes, forever.

… Freaky smart at some subject or another? No. Get a ‘B’ and live.

… Set your sights on a career that seems a little “extra”? Probably don’t talk about that anymore.

It’s not like that for everyone, of course. And there are pockets of welcoming hearts who’ll accept people as they are, thank goodness.

But I suspect this is when many people pleasers develop their modus operandi. People pleasing can look like:

Having a hard time saying no (or even wanting to)

Feeling gutted if someone’s displeased with you

Agreeing with what others decide because you know you can make anything work

Feeling like you’re responsible for other people’s emotions or experiences

Apologies… so many apologies… for everything

Conflict avoidance at any cost

A persistent craving for praise from others

Inability to admit or express “negative” emotions

Struggling to make decisions that impact other people

This nasty list makes sense when you understand that a people pleaser weighs the safety of every word, step, and choice. It makes even more sense when you realize they may have zero experience moving through the world in any other way.

When Enough Is Enough

As a young woman, I took all of this to the next level by choosing a very public life as a pastor’s wife for a couple of decades. Pairing my childhood fascination with Emily Post’s etiquette book with the deep desire to be a good example, I had that box’s contents under control. The stakes seemed to be of eternal significance, after all.

But I learned something huge, courtesy of one of many youth group outings that ended with dinner. It took decades for this lesson to register, but now I can’t unsee it.

“Kids don’t know diddly-squat about what’s good and what’s not good.”

Given the choice between filet mignon and a burger from McDonalds, pretty much every kid in every youth group we ran would choose the golden arches. I could rattle off a bunch of similar examples, but you get it. Discernment comes with age.

That’s why the nerd gets the girl… later in life. Once we can embrace our greatness, right in the face of a crowd that punishes outliers, we flourish. We can become who we were always meant to be. Not coincidentally, that’s when we also find deep personal fulfillment and a sense of finding and fulfilling our purpose.

Allowing some pre-pubescent ghost from decades gone by to dictate how you show up in the world just seems silly. That whole threat to expel you from society for not fitting in becomes laughable.

I mean, it’s not even a thing anymore, anyway.

Who, in the adult world, roams the halls of their home or workplace, shoving people into lockers? What adult taunts someone else about what they brought for lunch – or the fact that person dared to eat when people could see them? And what adult torments another adult for having a passionate interest in an offbeat hobby?

Ridiculous.

You’re Not the Boss of Me!

I’m half-obsessed with Scotland. Many of my family’s roots start there. I freaking love that place, the music, the terrain, the food, the whisky, the spirit of the people – it’s got my heart. Anderson there is like Smith or Jones in America. The Anderson crest reads “Stand Sure.”

Oh, the irony.

That hit me hard as 2020 came to a close. It was both the best and the worst motto I could imagine. These two words, I’d seen on a crest on the wall for as long as I could remember. But it wasn’t really for me.

Some people, as a new year approaches, choose a word for the new year to embody for them. I chose “Stand Sure.”

It felt dangerous. Like, I knew this was going to impact my whole “tread lightly” philosophy in life. I had absolutely zero ideas about how I’d possibly go about addressing my people pleasing. It was so ingrained in me, like when a surgeon refuses to cut out a brain tumor because the brain has grown around it. Or, like separating conjoined twins. This seemed like something I’d just have to live with forever.

MindFix Did the Impossible

I’ve done some woo-woo stuff along my personal development journey. That includes walking on fire, walking on broken glass, climbing redwood trees and jumping off (harnessed in!) to grab a trapeze, and SO many seminars. They all helped me grow. A lot. But during a long weekend in January, I got to work with the team at MindFix.

And it changed everything. But only in the areas where I’ve applied it so far (haha – only a few amazing, miraculous changes!)

Going in, I knew roughly that I wanted to work on this whole people pleasing thing. That’s it. I didn’t know how to even describe it. It felt embarrassing, vague, and permanent. In fact, we never actually discussed it directly. We worked on some other things. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that I noticed its absence.

I can’t even begin to explain how Erin and her team do what they do. I won’t even try.

But I can explain this…

I came to a realization that the SUPREME DIRECTIVE under which I’d lived most of my life… was proclaimed by a little kid. A little kid who’d choose a $.67 mass-produced burger over a delectable filet mignon.

You Don’t Know Nuthin’ about Nuthin’

That kid did her best to protect me. To her, safety depended on fitting into a box. Anything that didn’t quite fit should be bent or lopped off.

I’d outgrown her in every way. But I was still listening to her, so life apart from people pleasing felt dangerous. I still exhibited most of the symptoms above – and those behaviors were hurting me.

The work we did helped me go after this dragon and slay it. In realizing that kid version of me was just trying to help, but really didn’t know how, it opened a whole new possibility… just being me.

I could see evidence indicating it was safe to shut her down.

I have weird hobbies (drone flying, chicken raising, classic VW ogling, front yard gardening – just for starters). Nobody torments me over that. (I mean, can you imagine how insane that would be?)

My mate and I are flat-out weird (so much ink, in bed by 7, both creatives – and that list goes on). Nobody follows us, taunting us. (I mean, we did get called the perfect insult in the VW restoration world… Billy-Bob shade-tree Chip Foos wannabes – I can’t even tell you how many giggles I’ve had over that pejorative on our YouTube channel.)

Even my work life is strange (I’ve discovered that the way my brain operates is REALLY unusual. Some would see it as a huge plus; others would find it perplexing.)

And then there’s this one “flaw” that put me in danger of ostracism so much that I shut it down entirely… until I saw it differently and felt safe valuing it.

It’s my capacity to love, like geeking-out, human exclamation point levels of enthusiasm for certain people. (I always gathered that I was too sensitive, too excitable.) That one’s back in play big-time, and it adds incredible joy to my life. Like, one of my favorite things to do is to SEE someone’s greatness and then tell their story in a way that others see it, too.

If This Isn’t Irony…

So, “Stand Sure” is in play.

Undoubtedly, there’s still a little kid inside, desperately trying to keep me in line by pleasing people. But she sure seems quiet these days.

I did crack up, though, when a colleague mentioned that since the start of the year, I’d really started to own my own value. He continued, “I’m not seeing that people pleasing way you used to show up.” And that… that pleased me greatly.

Who knows what else is possible? The best is yet to come.

#people pleasing

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blankie-greenie-anon · 8 years ago

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So, uh, I’m just gonna list down some AU ideas for the fanfiction I might never finish writing or even start.

The series that are involved are:

Shounen Hollywood

Touken Ranbu

High School Star Musical

This is gonna be long.

Shounen Hollywood

Yakuza AU

Hollywood Tokyo is a small-time yakuza group with powerful members. They’re pretty much unknown in the underworld and have less than ten members.

The leader of the group is a man named ‘God’ who is referred to by his subordinates as ‘President’.

God is helped by Tesshi to manage the group.

The rest of Hollywood Tokyo are assassins who work under God. They are called ‘Shounen Hollywood’.

The members of Shounen Hollywood are: Kakeru (who specialises in hypnosis, drugs, and poison), Makki (a delinquent-turned-thug who is used by God for physical-force-related threats), Kira (a top-notch assassin who kills so cleanly he almost never gets blood on his clothes), Tommy (a vigilante inspired by the not-really-vigilante Tommy-senpai), and Shun (a sniper who carries an arsenal of weapons in his guitar case).

Other members are: Daichi (he’s responsible for supplying weapons to Shounen Hollywood), Ran (runs a cake shop and is often called to dispose bodies, which he does by baking them into the cakes he sells), Kou (an informant who can get information anytime and on anything), Tommy-senpai (a hit-man who has success rate of 99%), and Ryu (a bombing specialist).

Shima was once a member, too. He usually killed his targets by drowning them and making it look like an accident. However, he eventually joined the police force and is now attempting to hunt down Hollywood Tokyo.

Rock Band AU

Makki is the founder and leader. He plays the bass.

Shun is the one with talent and is responsible for making most of their songs. He plays the guitar.

Kakeru plays no instrument. He’s merely the vocals. (Every member is technically)

Kira is the pianist. He can use the keytar as well.

Tommy is the drummer.

They manage to get a contract with God and perform in Hollywood Tokyo every week.

Touken Ranbu

Underground Fighter AU

All the swords are underground fighters who fight to earn money.

The participants are owned by a single yakuza group made to fight for their entertainment.

The match-ups can be cruel. Kids could be forced to duel adults.

Frequent winners (who win more than ten times consecutively) are given luxurious services, such as big rooms and gourmet meals, so long as they keep winning. They are also paid and given chances to do security work for the yakuza.

With every loss, however, comes a smaller pay.

Those who win often but still lose once in a while are given a single-room apartment and average food.

Constant losers (who have a win-lose ration of 1:7) are stuck in actual prison cells and given horrible food until they win enough times to upgrade to better rooms. They have to get by with less then a thousand yen every day.

Suppose the participants actually lose enough times to be not be paid at all, they will be punished by becoming prostitutes every night until they finally win, or if they have decent fighting ability, they could be used for assassinations.

Human Auction AU

At a time when magic is something normal but can be performed illegally, people learn how to summon the swords’ human forms.

Soon, the swords are sold with their human forms as a bonus.

It was an outlawed activity as such an ability is only needed for the military.

However, precious swords are stolen from museums and sold in underground auctions amongst the mafia and yakuza.

They were either sold as slaves or as bodyguards.

Eventually, the Sanjou swords (who were very powerful) successfully broke out of the ownership and took over the group that bought them.

After that, they made it their goal to save every other sword from being sold or abused.

High School Star Musical

Magical Boy AU

There’s literally a post about it.

Here.

#BGA blabs #AU ideas #Shounen Hollywood #Touken Ranbu #High School Star Musical

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knightofbalance-13 · 8 years ago

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RWBY Vs. Angry Birds Movie

https://rerwby.tumblr.com/post/158372725684/negative-emotions-how-the-angry-birds-movie

I just watched the Angry Birds Movie for research. Easily the dullest movie I have ever seen.

Just a heads up about how mad I am right now.

I was illegally watching the Angry Birds Movie last year and I was shocked by its first 20 or so minutes. The cursed film actually managed a strong bit of world building that showed just what made the Angry Birds themselves so special in their setting.

... You can watch it on Netflix. I just did that. You could have just waited and watched it then. And I’ll show just how weak this “strong” world building is.

See, they live on an isolated island where negative emotions are pretty much taboo.

BZZZT!

That’s wrong. There have been numerous displays of negative emotions throughout the movie that are completely let go. The cake guy was negative by being in Red’s face about how late he was(hostility), he was negative when he lied about Red being late (malice), he was negative for criticizing him without knowing what he was doing (judgemental). The Judge was being negative by being hypocritical of Red’s anger while being angry himself. The kids from Red’s class where being negative by making fun of him. And so on. And not once are any of these people told off for acting negative despite the movie having a setting that revolves around no negativity. SO you’re either lying, you misunderstood the movie’s setting or the movie contradicts it’s own setting not two minutes in. I’d go for the third but I assume the first.

There’s not much of an indication as to the why of this but you get the implication that everyone just prefers it that way.

SO basically the “why” of the culture is not explained. See, the thing here is that RWBY actually EXPLAINS the “why” like the colorful naming convention of the characters (because the Great War tried to suppress art and individualism and the children are named after colors so they never forget what they lost.) or the difference of cultures between kingdoms (Atlas developed into the staunch, advanced military power it did because of how hostile the Atlas environment was to them or how Vacuo was made into the equal “you survive here, you’re welcome here” due to the cruel nature of the area and it’s seclusion from the other Kingdoms.) So how is the Angry Birds movie better in world building as you imply?

Red Bird Guy is singled out as being a problem to the community when a baby birb egg is nearly smashed as a result of his actions on nothing more than a bad day.

BZZZT!

Red has been singled out in the society ALL HIS LIFE! In the beginning of the movie, it is shown that the people around Red have been mocking, belittling and ostracizing him (again without consequence) since he was a child. So it’s not his reason he’s so angry, it’s everyone’s since they were the ones who placed the anger there and forced him to bottle it up until it became volatile. You are essentially victim blaming Red for not taking the abuse in silence.

And that leads me into my second point: You CANNOT suppress negative emotions! In fact, you CANNOT suppress emotions period! It is within human nature to have negative emotions, to be sad, angry, nervous ect and attempting to suppress emotions will either cause more problems in the long run as everyone bottles up their emotions until they fester into the worst forms possible and explode OR like in RWBY, people rebel and cause more negative emotions. For an example about how futile suppression of emotion is, I bring up the Anti Spiral from one of RWBY’s inspirations, Gurren Lagann. In that anime, the Anti Spiral attempts to suppress his emotions for the sake of all life but as he fights the heroes, his emotions break free and he begins acting more and more like them until it is clear that the two sides are very similar. There, the Big Bad tried that same tactic but ultimately failed. Just like in the Angry Birds Movie so RWBY just avoided that stupidity altogether.

Which is good because negative emotions can be very constructive. The show South Park is constructed around the negative emotion of anger but it is constructive because of WHAT South Park uses to anger you: it uses the ridiculousness of society and the unfairness of life to piss you off so you’ll be motivated to change things. Meanwhile, a show like say Dora The Explorer is motivated by positive emotions like happiness and silliness but are destructive because they don’t do anything but waste time. You call out RWBY for being Black and White and yet it has acknowledged the strength in both positive and negative emotions far more and far better than you have.

This is where we meet the main characters who all have their own version of, what else, anger.

If that’s true, how come there is never shown to be sadness management classes, of hostility management classes or nervousness management classes in the show? You say that the movie suppresses ALL negative emotion but you only ever talk about anger when anger only applies to two characters in that room at most (the yellow bird was more mischievous than angry) as well as in the show (Yang and Qrow). In the way of showing all emotions being suppressed as well as the way in that it relates to the show, you fail.

They are taught constructive ways to channel their emotions so that they can be assimilated safely back into the community

No they’re not. They’re being taught how to suppress and ignore these emotions so everyone can go around and keep pushing them around (mind you, Red’s fault is that people keep messing with him so much and the bomb bird’s fault is that sudden emotions make him explode as is shown in the movie). The fault is in the society and the movie even shows this and yet you think that they are the ones at fault. Now I know you’re lying.

What’s funny is, they aren’t entirely shunned by the other birds during this time. They’re still part of society but people are just weary of them.

No, they’re just being punished either for having a soul or having an uncontrollable physical attribute that everyone attributes to anger. And even then, people will still not try to help them avoid their problems and when it inevitably happens again, Red and Bomb will be blamed for being humanoid and not everyone else who ignored their problems and still push them around. Once again, victim blaming.

It’s hardly a totalitarian regime, nor is there a Big Bird Brother in place.

The owl judge who never once bothered to get Red’s side of teh story ever, even as basic logic would say that doing so is a good idea. Not to mention that two of the birds in anger management don’t have problems that reside in anger but rather physical functions or mischievousness. Yeah, it’s called crapsachirrine world. Look it up on Tv Tropes.

It’s just government-ordained therapy sessions for birds who get out of line. It’s really quite reasonable.

I don’t seen the cake bird or the judge or the Mime from before in that anger management class, nor do I see the cop from the yellow bird’s story nor is the manager in that class in her own anger management due to her own hostility. They all get scott free while two innocent people get punished because they’re different. Yeah, totally reasonable.

Now the culmination of the Angry Birds Movie’s third act is that sometimes you have to get angry in order to accomplish things, and they do so in order to steal their eggs back from the evil Jontron Pigs. But that’s besides the point.

I.E. “Now the movie goes entirely against what I have been saying up until this point and the moral of the entire movie basically shows that I have been lying this entire time and the one example I’ve been using actually supports RWBY rather than go against it but that’s beside the point.”

What I’m saying is that, in 20 minutes, the Angry Birds Movie built a world from scratch that showed that anger and negative emotions are looked down upon and are dealt with by society to make that society better.

And in those first two minutes that very premise is contradicted in two was with the cake bird being passive aggressive and a liar (in which being passive aggressive is still a form of anger) And in the first five minutes the leader of the entire group is angry and aggressive even more so than the protagonist. ANd throughout the time we are shown that this world has a severe double standard and is treated as being extremely wrong. And in the final ten minutes show that the anger can be constructive...which is reinforced by the previous forty minutes.

Your point has not a fucking leg to stand upon.

You’d think something similar would happen in a world where, you know, life-threatening giant monsters are literally at your doorstep and attack every person they can find. Especially considering those monsters are allegedly powered and baited by negative emotions.

Ironic considering the only Grimm who are considered a threat to the whole of humanity and the ones you show are Goliaths who are canonically smart enough to see that attacking humanity as a whole is a dumb fucking idea and doing so will just get them killed. Meaning that the Grimm you are using as examples of RWBY’s stupidity are the ones who are smart enough to not do what you say band the ones that would are the dumber, weaker ones that get one shotted by our inexperienced heroes.

And then there’s the fact that if you try to bottle up negative emotions like you are suggesting, the emotions will only fester into the worst kind of emotions possible or fester and rot into a mental illness in which EVERYONE will become a Grimm magnet and everyone will become so disabled by their bottled emotions that even Huntsman will be killed instantly and the Grimm will win. Congrats, you killed humanity in the dumbest possible.

Even though these assholes for some reason decide to wait and sit on their asses for decades before looking for tasty angry people.

https://youtu.be/GJGSywhNk8Q?t=10m58s

Dr. Oobleck: Ruby my dear. Not every Grimm is mindless. Or rather, not every Grimm is still mindless. You see, the Grimm before you are so powerful, so superior to the Grimm you’ve fought they’ve undoubtedly lived for hundreds of years. And in that time between killing humans and attacking our boarders, they’ve done one important thing.

They’ve learned.

They’ve learned when they attack our boarders, they’re likely to die. That what lack in strength,m we make up for in will. And that killing one human, will only bring more.

I thought you guys were fans of the show and you distanced it. And yet you can’t seem to remember one thing about the show? Guess it’s more convenient for your bitching.

But yeah, you’d think that a society that has evolved alongside the Grimm would have found a way to curb negative emotions, right?

Mantle and Mistral tried that, caused this thing called the Great War. Killed millions, attracted Grimm from everywhere and that attempt was immediately repelled. Guess you missed that episode.

I mean Blake gets angsty on a boat and nearly dooms everyone,

https://youtu.be/-PE66fmjZ0I?t=1m40s

Yeah, this shows that Grimm just generally attack people, not JUST ones with negative emotions. So that Grimm could have attacked because it thought they looked like easy prey (which without Blake and SUn, they were).

and in volume 3, apparently things are always so on-edge that it took Penny’s robo-reveal for some beowolves to plow down guards at the edge of Vale.

And the apparent death of somebody at the hands of a celebrated warrior, and Yang kneecapping someone, and Atlas AKA Mantle with an entire army above their heads and owned Penny the Kill Bot and the previous Grimm invasion wit5h all the paranoia afterwards (9/11 anyone?).

Also, you act as though a couple of Beowolves just knocked on the walls and they all collapsed and not the fact that it was the GOLIATHS, Grimm the size of SKYSCRAPERS, are the one who lead the attack. Funny how you were able to get so much info and yet so little at the same time.

Shouldn’t Vale, Atlas, etc, have programs that teach you how to be happy?

Emotions don’t work that way, you can’t just be smiling and happy all the damn time. Positive and negative emotion go hand and hand so you need to suppress ALL emotion. And we all know how that works out. Just as well: Angry Bird’s narrative criticzed the world for acting like that was a possiblity and even if you disgaree with me on that, the characters in that world were still angry, just passive aggressive about it. You’re own example contradicts what you’re saying.

Maybe like, way more than a single annual festival to keep spirits high and celebrate all that good shit?

No matter how much you party, no matter how much you pretend everything is fine: there will be negative emotion still. It is a part of being human and to deny that is just stupid. Not to mention that constant partying means that jobs would be interrupted a lot more and people would have less inhibitions and responsibility as people keep stopping to party or be positive which would cause the civilizations to collapse as well as the fact that constant partying would be considered the norm and wouldn’t raise spirits because they’‘re not special anymore. And finally: This is all god damn offensive as fuck to depressed people, demanding they be happy when they are rightful sad or angry and would just cause more discourse.

It’s it weird, on a fundamental level, that they value violence and host giant tournaments where students regularly get maimed or die when the Grimm are flying like a mile away from their floating stadium?

Didn’t you just compare the Vital festival and tournament as a positive thing not in the very last sentence? Meaning that5 the tournament is a display of honorable combat rather than blood sport? What happened to that?

That’s what the vital festival is suppose to be: Honorable combat and friendly competition. It is obvious by audience reactions to unwarranted maiming and death that this is true and those only happened because Cinder was fucking with everyone. How convenient you forgot all that huh?

Iunno dude. Just seems like someone at some point would address how staying calm and avoiding public outbursts of negativity would be the best possible course of action.

http://roosterteeth.com/episode/rwby-volume-4-world-of-remnant-the-great-war

They did. It caused the Great War because people were pissed off that happened because we value our individuality more than our survival. Peopel fought and died and the only person who really won was Salem because people were dying.

Like this civilization had a WAR. Multiple wars I think! Did the Grimm not factor into those at all?

A. This means you KNOW about the great war meaning this bullshit is inexcusable.

And B. http://roosterteeth.com/episode/rwby-volume-4-world-of-remnant-the-great-war At 4:17 they address that by saying that Grimm that attacked people on the battlefield would be wiped out before returning to the war while everyone else got fucked. All because of emotional suppression.

How about those settlements outside the kingdoms that tend to last just a little while? Does no one go “hey, maybe this is a bad idea since negativity appears to be inevitable amongst large groups of people” or “maybe we just need to build a town that parties all the damn time!”

Because they didn’t like how things went in the Capitals so they decided to live on tehir own. The Kingdoms respect that and have people patrol the areas for Grimm like shown in Volume 4 Episode 12. And I don’t have to address the party one because one of my previosu points already has.

No they just like aimlessly wander into the wilderness with a few pitchforks and hope they don’t die lol.

Except for the fact that these people obviously know what they are doing seeing as places like the Village from the first episode of Volume 4 is a thing, which is said to be trading with Xion village meaning they get supplies and other things by trading items that they have that other people don’t, like cloth for clothing of vegetables from farms: all shit you can’t get in big cities.

Of course if you even wanted to use logic and real reasoning, this post would never exist. Too bad, all it did was make you look like an asshole to 90% of people while proving RWDE (the other 10%) are illogical assholes.

#rwde bullshit #rwby

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theonewiththeeyebrows · 8 years ago

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Grimm!AU -- Derek/Stiles edition

Stiles’ maternal aunt comes into town. She is severely sick, but she’s always been someone Stiles looks upto -- when she starts telling him about their family legacy he thinks she’s finally lost it. When Stiles hears his dad on the radio calling in a man hunt for a body, Stiles takes Scott and goes to the preserve to find it. They are attacked by a wolf-like beast and Stiles and Scott get separated. Scott swears he saw another beast like man with huge teeth save him. Scott starts acting strangely and Stiles suspects something is wrong. Then one day at school he sees Isaac Lahey woge during a confrontation with a teacher. Stiles is terrified and thinks he’s losing his mind, he goes to his aunt’s trailer and finds cabinets full of medieval weapons and torture devices, and books that look older than anything he’s ever seen before. His aunt had called him a Grimm. He finds more Wesen at school, when they identify him, they are scared and try to run. But he tries to befriend them, and does so successfully.

Erica, Isaac and Boyd are in bad family situations but they are a tight-knit group who would do anything to protect each other. They have an older friend, Derek who is the guy who saved Scott -- and is the one who tells Stiles what is happening to Scott because “Wesen abilities” are not a disease they cannot be passed down, you have to be born a Wesen. The only Wesen that can be created or destroyed are the hexenbiest and zauberbiest.

Derek - Mauvais Dentes – Derek, his sisters, his father are all Mauvais Dentes, his mother was Blutbad. His parents were shunned by the Wesens for marrying outside their communities, but were later revered when they proved that blood feuds don’t have to destroy families; that people are more than the reputations their ancestors gave them. Blutbads can be kind and caring, taking care of the weaker wesen in their communities (Talia was a Lawyer, but she and the kids volunteered with the Orphanages and Geriatric centers), and Mauvais Dentes can be gentle and patient (his dad was a pediatric surgeon). Derek meets a Seelengut named Paige at his school and falls in love with her, but she dies when a Musasat Al-Shabab targets her. She dies in Derek’s arms, while aging rapidly. Distraught Derek falls into bad company, through whom he meets Kate.

Kate seduces Derek. He tries to set up a rendezvous with her at his house, but she doesn’t show up. A few weeks later, he and his twin Laura are at an away game (he is the basketball captain, and she is head cheerleader), when they are called out and told their family home was burned down. The only survivor is their uncle Peter who was visiting with his wife and toddler daughter. (Derek is a Blutbad-Mauvais Dentes hybrid)

Paige was a pureblood seelengut, people did not take too kindly to a Mauvais Dentes dating a Seelengut. She was killed at the behest of a Mauvais Dentes ‘pack’ that was passing through town because Derek and Paige refused to let bloodfeuds come in the way of their love. And the Mauvais Dentes ‘pack’ was trying to create a marriage alliance between the Hales and their pack --- through Derek. Talia and her husband both refused right off the bat, because they wanted Derek to marry for love, but also because he was only 15 -- but they took matters into their own hands and direct a Musasat Al-Shabab her way. She dies in Derek’s arms, while aging rapidly. The Musasat Al-Shabab sells his formula to plastic surgeons in LA (not Beacon Hills).

Kate - is not a Grimm, but she is a human who hunts Wesen. She is from a long family of “Hunters” who know Wesen exist and believe that they must be eliminated -- their code is: “We Hunt Those Who Hunt Us”. She is Allison’s adoptive aunt.

Peter - a lycanthropic Blutbad that scratched Scott – he develops Lycanthropia a few years after the fire – the trauma causes a genetic mutation he had to trigger the infection that was latent in his blood. Laura and Derek try to help him, but don’t know how. He is the one who kills Laura, but it was not intentional. He wants to be put down so that he doesn’t hurt anyone else. Stiles and Erica promise to try and find a cure. He is currently housed in the Hale House reinforced cellar to prevent him getting out. Derek and his “pack” visit Peter all the time. Malia also visits when she is found and finds out she is his daughter. (Blutbad pureblood)

Scott – Human, but starts experiencing Wesen-like effects after being scratched by Peter -- this includes a sort of woged state when “primal”. This leads Stiles and Derek to conclude he may have had some Blutbad blood – but not enough for him to be Wesen.

Malia – coyotl – she was living in the preserve on instinct after the Hale Fire. She was found by an actual coyote pair and was raised by them. They kept her fed and loved. She thinks of them as family – she comes out of hiding when a group of hunters kill one of her parents on a hunting trip and the other when she tries to get revenge. Malia is found by Derek wandering around in a woged state. He tries to get her to turn back to human form. They later find out she is Peter’s infant daughter, who had left the house to play in the backyard when the fire happened. She got lost in the preserve and was then found by the coyotes. (blutbad-coyotl hybrid)

Lydia – hexenbiest. Strong, opinionated, very intelligent. She hates Stiles at first and tries to neutralize him as a threat. However, Stiles convinces her that he is more than his ancestry and that he won’t hurt a Wesen unless he has no choice. He just wants justice done. (hexenbiest-zauberbiest parentage, making her pureblood)

Isaac - indole gentile, -- father is an abusive human. His half-brother who was half-indole gentile and half-hundjager went off to war to escape Isaac’s bio-dad (Camden’s stepdad) and never came back home -- Isaac found it hard to understand Camden because although he was part indole gentile, he was a hundjager -- something is the opposite of an indole gentile -- where Isaac is soft and kind, Camden was strong and vicious -- Camden’s dad didn’t know he was born -- but he also didn’t care to be a part of their lives when he found out. Camden took it hard. Isaac’s mother dies in child-birth when he’s four. His sister was a stillborn. His father blames Isaac for their deaths because he found Isaac voged and crying and thinks he is a devil child. He tries to beat the devil out of Isaac. (as mentioned, human-indole gentile hybrid)

Erica - fuchsbau -- she has seizures, and is therefore shunned by the community -- her family owns a spice shop -- they haven’t really tried to find a cure for Erica, they think she is being punished for being a hybrid - half-human/half-Wesen -- her mother got teen pregnant before she married her step-father who is also a fuchsbau. Her family is killed by the Argents and the spice shop is left to her. (as mentioned, human-fuchsbau hybrid)

Boyd - dickfellig - his sister was kidnapped when they were younger. Boyd blames himself because he was supposed to take care of her but he was too busy playing video games. He tries to isolate himself intentionally. Derek convinces him he doesn’t have to be alone. That is how he joins the group of misfits. (pureblood dickfellig)

Parrish - zauberbiest -- one of the Sheriff’s deputies. He didn’t grow up in the Wesen world(he was an orphan who went to tons of foster homes, he is most likely a hybrid and only part zauber/hexenbiest). While he knows he isn’t human, he doesn’t understand what he is or what is happening. He is not phased by Stiles when he woges in front of him by accident. And that is because he didn’t grow up hearing bed-time stories about Grimms who kill Wesen. Stiles and Parrish form a mutually beneficial relationship where Parrish gets info about being Wesen and solving weird cases, and Stiles gets to be a part of the said weird cases. (status unknown: presumably pureblood hexenbiest-zauberbiest, but he could be a human-wesen hybrid)

Kira - kitsune - she is the japanese equivalent of a fuchsbau -- She has four tails -- tails have to be earned, this is something Stiles didn’t know. (pureblood kitsune)

Allison - another Grimm (who is a lot more deadly than Stiles because Stiles doesn’t kill unless he has to) -- she is an orphan so when she came into her powers she had no idea what was happening -- she was adopted by a family of “hunters” when she was a child -- the Argents know about Wesen and are intent on wiping them out, much like the Grimm, however, they don’t have the ability to see unintentional/emotional woging. So when they find out Allison can see the woging, and see how Wesen react to her, they train her up to be an assassin. When she meets Stiles and sees he’s a Grimm who is friends with Wesen, she starts thinking about her kills and how many of them were neccessary and how many were part of her family’s manipulations.

I haven’t really thought about who else/what I’d want to see here. All I know is that for a world I’ve created where people are meant be “pureblooded”, my characters are of mixed heritage (primarily).

#t writes #fanfiction #not!fic #t writes fanfiction #sterek #otp: sterek

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araitsume · 6 years ago

Video

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Prophets and Kings, pp. 653-660: Chapter (55) Heathen Plots

This chapter is based on Nehemiah 6.

Sanballat and his confederates dared not make open war upon the Jews; but with increasing malice they continued their secret efforts to discourage, perplex, and injure them. The wall about Jerusalem was rapidly approaching completion. When it should be finished and its gates set up, these enemies of Israel could not hope to force an entrance into the city. They were the more eager, therefore, to stop the work without further delay. At last they devised a plan by which they hoped to draw Nehemiah from his station, and while they had him in their power, to kill or imprison him.

Pretending to desire a compromise of the opposing parties, they sought a conference with Nehemiah, and invited him to meet them in a village on the plain of Ono. But enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to their real purpose, he refused. “I sent messengers unto them,” he writes, “saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” But the tempters were persistent. Four times they sent a message of similar import, and each time they received the same answer.

Finding this scheme unsuccessful, they resorted to a more daring stratagem. Sanballat sent Nehemiah a messenger bearing an open letter which said: “It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king.... And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.”

Had the reports mentioned been actually circulated, there would have been cause for apprehension; for they would soon have been carried to the king, whom a slight suspicion might provoke to the severest measures. But Nehemiah was convinced that the letter was wholly false, written to arouse his fears and draw him into a snare. This conclusion was strengthened by the fact that the letter was sent open, evidently that the people might read the contents, and become alarmed and intimidated.

He promptly returned the answer. “There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.” Nehemiah was not ignorant of Satan's devices. He knew that these attempts were made in order to weaken the hands of the builders and thus frustrate their efforts.

Again and again had Satan been defeated; and now, with deeper malice and cunning, he laid a still more subtle and dangerous snare for the servant of God. Sanballat and his companions hired men who professed to be the friends of Nehemiah, to give him evil counsel as the word of the Lord. The chief one engaged in this iniquitous work was Shemaiah, a man previously held in good repute by Nehemiah. This man shut himself up in a chamber near the sanctuary as if fearing that his life was in danger. The temple was at this time protected by walls and gates, but the gates of the city were not yet set up. Professing great concern for Nehemiah's safety, Shemaiah advised him to seek shelter in the temple. “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple,” he proposed, “and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.”

Had Nehemiah followed this treacherous counsel, he would have sacrificed his faith in God, and in the eyes of the people he would have appeared cowardly and contemptible. In view of the important work that he had undertaken, and the confidence that he professed to have in the power of God, it would have been altogether inconsistent for him to hide as if in fear. The alarm would have spread among the people, each would have sought his own safety, and the city would have been left unprotected, to fall a prey to its enemies. That one unwise move on the part of Nehemiah would have been a virtual surrender of all that had been gained.

Nehemiah was not long in penetrating the true character and object of his counselor. “I perceived that God had not sent him,” he says, “but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.”

The infamous counsel given by Shemaiah was seconded by more than one man of high reputation, who, while professing to be Nehemiah's friends, were secretly in league with his enemies. But it was to no avail that they laid their snare. Nehemiah's fearless answer was: “Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.”

Notwithstanding the plots of enemies, open and secret, the work of building went steadily forward, and in less than two months from the time of Nehemiah's arrival in Jerusalem the city was girded with its defenses and the builders could walk upon the walls and look down upon their defeated and astonished foes. “When all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things,” Nehemiah writes, “they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.”

Yet even this evidence of the Lord's controlling hand was not sufficient to restrain discontent, rebellion, and treachery among the Israelites. “The nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah.” Here are seen the evil results of intermarriage with idolaters. A family of Judah had become connected with the enemies of God, and the relation had proved a snare. Many others had done the same. These, like the mixed multitude that came up with Israel from Egypt, were a source of constant trouble. They were not wholehearted in His service; and when God's work demanded a sacrifice, they were ready to violate their solemn oath of co-operation and support.

Some who had been foremost in plotting mischief against the Jews, now professed a desire to be on friendly terms with them. The nobles of Judah who had become entangled in idolatrous marriages, and who had held traitorous correspondence with Tobiah and taken oath to serve him, now represented him as a man of ability and foresight, an alliance with whom would be greatly to the advantage of the Jews. At the same time they betrayed to him Nehemiah's plans and movements. Thus the work of God's people was laid open to the attacks of their enemies, and opportunity was given to misconstrue Nehemiah's words and acts, and to hinder his work.

When the poor and oppressed had appealed to Nehemiah for redress of their wrongs, he had stood boldly in their defense and had caused the wrongdoers to remove the reproach that rested on them. But the authority that he had exercised in behalf of his downtrodden countrymen he did not now exercise in his own behalf. His efforts had been met by some with ingratitude and treachery, but he did not use his power to bring the traitors to punishment. Calmly and unselfishly he went forward in his service for the people, never slackening his efforts or allowing his interest to grow less.

Satan's assaults have ever been directed against those who have sought to advance the work and cause of God. Though often baffled, he as often renews his attacks with fresh vigor, using means hitherto untried. But it is his secret working through those who avow themselves the friends of God's work, that is most to be feared. Open opposition may be fierce and cruel, but it is fraught with far less peril to God's cause than is the secret enmity of those who, while professing to serve God, are at heart the servants of Satan. These have it in their power to place every advantage in the hands of those who will use their knowledge to hinder the work of God and injure His servants.

Every device that the prince of darkness can suggest will be employed to induce God's servants to form a confederacy with the agents of Satan. Repeated solicitations will come to call them from duty; but, like Nehemiah, they should steadfastly reply, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.” God's workers may safely keep on with their work, letting their efforts refute the falsehoods that malice may coin for their injury. Like the builders on the walls of Jerusalem they must refuse to be diverted from their work by threats or mockery or falsehood. Not for one moment are they to relax their watchfulness or vigilance, for enemies are continually on their track. Ever they must make their prayer to God “and set a watch against them day and night.” Nehemiah 4:9.

As the time of the end draws near, Satan's temptations will be brought to bear with greater power upon God's workers. He will employ human agents to mock and revile those who “build the wall.” But should the builders come down to meet the attacks of their foes, this would but retard the work. They should endeavor to defeat the purposes of their adversaries, but they should not allow anything to call them from their work. Truth is stronger than error, and right will prevail over wrong.

Neither should they allow their enemies to gain their friendship and sympathy, and thus lure them from their post of duty. He who by any unguarded act exposes the cause of God to reproach, or weakens the hands of his fellow workers, brings upon his own character a stain not easily removed, and places a serious obstacle in the way of his future usefulness.

“They that forsake the law praise the wicked.” Proverbs 28:4. When those who are uniting with the world, yet claiming great purity, plead for union with those who have ever been the opposers of the cause of truth, we should fear and shun them as decidedly as did Nehemiah. Such counsel is prompted by the enemy of all good. It is the speech of timeservers, and should be resisted as resolutely today as then. Whatever influence would tend to unsettle the faith of God's people in His guiding power, should be steadfastly withstood.

In Nehemiah's firm devotion to the work of God, and his equally firm reliance on God, lay the reason of the failure of his enemies to draw him into their power. The soul that is indolent falls an easy prey to temptation; but in the life that has a noble aim, an absorbing purpose, evil finds little foothold. The faith of him who is constantly advancing does not weaken; for above, beneath, beyond, he recognizes Infinite Love, working out all things to accomplish His good purpose. God's true servants work with a determination that will not fail because the throne of grace is their constant dependence.

God has provided divine assistance for all the emergencies to which our human resources are unequal. He gives the Holy Spirit to help in every strait, to strengthen our hope and assurance, to illuminate our minds and purify our hearts. He provides opportunities and opens channels of working. If His people are watching the indications of His providence, and are ready to co-operate with Him, they will see mighty results.

#egw #Ellen G. White #Christianity #God #Jesus Christ #Bible #conflict of the ages #prophets and kings #nehemiah #reconstruction of Jerusalem #sanballat #Holy Spirit #deception #intermarriage with idolaters #God vs. Satan #faith #devotion #persecution

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djgblogger-blog · 7 years ago

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Why community and not confinement will end TB

http://bit.ly/2pwY3Om

A prisoner looks out a window on March 26, 2015, from Zhdanivskaya prison in Ukraine, were TB is rampant. AP Photo/Mstyslav Chernov

The global response to tuberculosis has saved millions of lives; TB treatment saved 53 million lives between 2000 and 2016. Yet each year millions still suffer, and often die, from this preventable, treatable and curable disease.

In 2016, there were 10.4 million new cases – the same as in 2015 – and 1.7 million people died from TB, a disease that kills more people than any other infectious disease globally, including HIV and malaria combined.

We research and analyze responses to TB around the world, and we have seen the intersection between human rights and TB. Without a response to TB based in human rights – including moving rapidly to community-based care and improving the conditions in prisons – we believe that progress will remain fatally slow.

TB and the right to health

TB was once a disease that affected people from all walks of life – including Frederic Chopin, Eleanor Roosevelt and George Orwell.

Eleanor Roosevelt in 1904 in New York City. She was diagnosed with tuberculosis shortly before her death in 1962. Courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library archives

Today TB is a disease of poverty and inequality, disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income countries and the most marginalized and vulnerable people within communities.

TB is no longer an unavoidable fact of life, but a result of health and human rights conditions. Among them are lack of access to high-quality health services, including rapid diagnostic tools and effective medicines that do not cause severe side effects, inadequate nutrition, sanitation, and safe and healthy working environments. There are also discriminatory laws, policies and systems that directly or indirectly prevent migrants, indigenous peoples and other vulnerable groups from accessing health care and information.

Many individuals and groups face a combination of risk factors for TB. Indigenous peoples, for instance, have TB incidence rates up to 270 times the non-indigenous population. Prisoners and detainees, migrants, miners, indigenous people, health workers, the homeless, children, people living with HIV, and drugs users are especially vulnerable.

TB and prisons

Prisons can be incubators of TB, places where TB spreads rapidly. Up to 25 percent of a country’s TB cases may be found in its prisons. This in turn can increase the burden of TB in communities, as former prisoners return to communities, and as visitors and prison staff circulate between communities and prisons.

In some countries, high rates of pretrial detention exacerbate overcrowding and create challenges for financing prison health systems. For example, in India and Nigeria, 70 percent and 64 percent of those in custody are yet to be sentenced.

A disproportionate number of prisoners come from socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. They may have a high disease burden and inadequate access to health services even before incarceration. Such individuals are already at higher risk of TB; confinement further increases this risk, particularly in resource-poor settings and in regions with high HIV-prevalence in prisons.

The human rights impact of confinement is apparent through high TB rates and burdens in prisons: Prisoners have TB prevalence up to 1,000 times the general population and account for 25 percent of the TB burden.

TB, hospitalization, and community-based care

Beyond the issue of confinement in prisons, excessive isolation, such as in health care facilities, and punitive approaches to TB, such as imprisonment for non-adherence to TB medicine and laws effectively criminalizing people with TB, impede efforts in the fight against TB.

Confinement – or isolation, quarantine, detention and imprisonment – has been used in countries throughout modern history on grounds of “public health” to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, such as in the context of plague epidemics, yellow fever, cholera, leprosy, and more recently, SARS and MERS.

While perhaps well-intentioned and sometimes appropriate, in practice, the use of confinement too often leads to egregious rights violations through overly broad use of isolation or other confinement, especially when excessively lengthy.

The overuse and inappropriate use of confinement on public health grounds, helps drive TB. It not only unnecessarily restricts people’s liberty in violation of their human rights, but also is less effective than community-based treatment. People may avoid seeking care because of the cost of hospitalization, including not being able to work. Meanwhile overstretched hospitals may be unable to care for all in need, leading to treatment delays.

Further, often patients are required to undergo treatment in hospitals, instead of having access to quality TB care in their homes or communities, which many may prefer. Hospitalization is often unnecessary to effectively treat TB, even multi-drug resistant and other drug-resistant forms. Further, many of the most effective programs provide care in the community (avoiding or with less time in hospitals), focus on building a system of care and support within people’s communities, and treat TB patients as people to be supported rather than public health threats to be shunned.

For example, the first community-based care program for TB that is resistant to multiple drugs, initiated by Partners in Health in Peru in the mid-1990s, had cure rates exceeding 80 percent; overall, Partners in Health has treated more than 10,500 people with drug-resistant TB, with more than 75 percent cured, compared to a global average of little more than 50 percent.

The World Health Organization specifies that involuntary isolation should only be used as a method of last resort, in extremely rare circumstances, and never employed as punishment. Yet, contrary to WHO guidelines and other international human rights standards, the public health or criminal law practices of some countries allow for involuntary hospitalization or even imprisonment of people with TB, while some countries have laws that permit mandatory treatment.

For example, a TB-specific law in Kyrgyzstan allows for involuntary TB-related measures, including testing and treatment, isolation and hospitalization. TB patients in Kyrgyzstan who are unable to adhere to treatment can be involuntarily isolated and subjected to a large fine. In Kenya, TB patients were imprisoned for not adhering to their TB treatment, a practice a court in Kenya ruled unconstitutional.

To end TB as a public health threat by 2030, as envisioned by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, we believe countries should urgently change their laws and their practices to conform to both the right to health care and the most effective public health practices. That means ensuring everyone has access to comprehensive quality health services and ensuring everyone the nutrition, adequate housing, and other underlying determinants of health to which all people are entitled.

And in our view, countries must unite to end the era where confinement and punitive measures are routinely used as a response to TB. Instead, they should establish a new era, one marked by community-based care, informed by evidence and human rights-based approaches.

Eric Friedman works for the O'Neill Institute, which receives funding from the Stop TB Partnership.

Drew Aiken works for the O'Neill Institute, which receives funding from the Stop TB Partnership.

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