#agnostic but would join her congregation

[thekimspoblog]

The reason I haven't written "My final fight, my final bellyache" yet is because (horniness aside) I just think the tone would be very hard to capture.

"Sheepdog" spent a lot of time with Kim shocked and confused to learn she was a fictional character, and I don't want to retread the same concepts.

Even if Kim doesn't always retain the specifics of what her dreams are telling her, in my cannon she has a growing awareness of something beyond the realm of her perceived reality. Something watching her that has been uniquely fascinated with her sexuality.

So with this chapter, things would have to come full circle: Kim knows there have been forces manipulating her choices, but those were her choices nonetheless and she's sticking to them. She knows she's a character, but what do you even do with that information? It doesn't change what she wants. She loves Jimmy, but at the end of the day, the birth of their daughter was never going to be about the relationship between he and she; today is about her relationship with her own spirituality.

I don't think it's a radical reinterpretation of the character to say Kim has never been particularly religious up til this point. Canonically, the vibe I get is strongly secular/skeptical, like even identifying as an "atheist" would be too much of an investment in the debate. For most of her life, Kim had been a passive agnostic. But the truth is, when she joined RUIC, it wasn't a simple alliance of convenience to get Jimmy sprung. She'd already seen things she couldn't explain. As Pink Floyd put it, "a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye". So we're in this weird triangle now, where Kim has a relationship with the church congregation, and she has a relationship with this abstract feeling of doom/objectification she can only call God, and arguably this god is what the Church believes in too... but as far as Kim is concerned, God and the Church are two entirely different things to her.

Mostly I'm just not sure how to write Jimmy caught in the middle of all this. He's looked for a sense of magic and control his whole life, and he's finally found it in his wife. But it must be terrifying feeling left out, if there really are forces out there beyond his comprehension and he has to rely on a translator. And the alternative possibility is even worse; that the things Kim is saying she's experiencing aren't real, and he's landed himself with another person who's too smart to be reasoned out of their own paranoid delusions.

@2entangledworms @richeeduvie

[spyderslut]

It all was, to put it plainly, something I at one time wished were my own desires. These things were things I tried to set aside, to ignore, in favour of Christ. But in doing so I lost myself, and I lost any will to follow Christ. For many years, I was outwardly and to what I allowed myself to think of myself, a normal man. I liked girls, I was a man, and that was that. But I was agnostic/atheist. For a brief time I even contemplated converting to heathenism (though I didn't go through with it as I was self aware enough to know it was just for the cool sword, and even if odin was the right pick hed probably not appreciate the insincerity). And I just existed like this for a long time, floating through life. But I felt this ache at the core of my being, I felt this pull towards Christ. And so I read, and I read and I read. And I read a lot, and I learned a lot. But there's only so far you can get as a solo academic. So I found other people online who liked Christ. Catholics, quakers, and everyone inbetween. I joined a church that was near to my house and I went every sunday. And every sunday after church was over, Id talk with the fellow congregants, and id talk with my reverend. I volunteered a lot, I helped teach sunday school. Nothing fills the heart more than hearing a 4 year old girl scream "I LOVE JESUS!". I emailed this one nun down in the states whom had been interviewed recently, because in that interview she discussed having secretly ministering to transgender Catholics for 22 years. I had a nice long talk with her, and it was very enlightening. I asked my reverend to get baptized under my new chosen name, phoibe, as the woman that I now knew myself to be. He said yes, and the church ladies all made a bunch of different snacks and whatnot for the coffee hour afterwards to celebrate. I have a fiance, whomst is likewise trans, and shes wonderful. I always have Him with me, and because of him I know to not be deluded by what is outwardly a persuasive argument (colossians 2:4). "I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments." New Revised Standard Version I know to hold faith and not err against those that would try to deceive me, for I know that the usage of words such as homosexual in the holy book is a relatively recent thing, and that there is a long history of those with ill intent distorting the word of God within and without the pages of the bible for their own pernicious intent.

"Jesus answered them, “You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God."" Mathew 22:29, NRSV And above all that, there is the simple and abundant truth of His command to love. To use the bible to justify cruelty, you really have to look for it. You have to twist its meaning and lie to everyone, especially yourself. But no matter how many languages the good book is translated through, no matter how many wretched sinners hands it passes through, there is always love. And quite simply, to reject the queer as you and many have, to fall to deceit and aid in keeping the most vulnerable from the light of God! There is hardly anything less loving, hardly a thing less Christ-like!

"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."

John 13:34 "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another."

1 John 4:11 "Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind." 1 Peter 3:8

"Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia."

1 Thessalonians 4 9-10

"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." 1 John 3:11

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."

Proverbs 10:12 NRSV I know this might be hard to believe, given the deeply insincere and unserious tendency that online discussion often has, but I do genuinely hope for you to come around on this. More than that, I pray that you allow Christ our king to fill your heart with love, and to push out the hatred that is there. I reckon you are coming at this with the same sincerity that I have. I can only continue to pray that you break from the deception from those who twist His holy word towards their own desires. I have faith that it may be so, but it is up to you to find the right path.

Lord, thank you for your abundant love and care for us. Thank you for forgiving our sins, even for the sins we do not realize we commit. Lord, please fill us with your wisdom and your compassion for others. May you bless us with your never-ending love. May you fill our cups with joy and may our lands overflow with your abundance. Lord, please help us to serve you in all we do. Help us to honour you both today and every day. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

You thought when people painted the "someday you're going to have to choose, for real, between the World and God, you won't be able to walk the line between both" picture that they were talking about martyrdom.

Some extreme. "Trample this picture of Jesus." "Say you don't believe!" "Convert to a different religion!"

You didn't realize that it wouldn't look like that. You didn't realize that when the line gets drawn in the sand, and Jesus is on one side, the other side would look like crying people wailing out, "why can't you just accept me for who I am? Why aren't I enough for you?"

You didn't realize that the choice would be between Jesus the Truth...or a majority of people in the culture making movies, making t-shirt slogans, changing their names, gently telling you that maybe this word in the Bible doesn't mean what you think it means, maybe love just means love, maybe you can have Jesus and whatever sexuality you want.

"Did God really say...?"

You thought it would be something overt. But the bad guys never said, "hey, choose the dark side over the light." They always said, "hey, maybe you don't even know what Jesus said."

The choice is: "It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him." OR "Did God really say...?"

That's the choice. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is our "choose this day who you will serve." As for me, I'm serving the Lord, and He's holding on to me. He never changes, and yes He did really say.

Hold fast to the truth. It doesn't change. People and cultures do.

[seanfalco]

Want | Priest!Kay x Reader {Part II}

Fandom: Season of the Witch Modern!AU Word Count: 2k Warnings: Catholicism, Religious imagery, Angst, Infidelity  (I’m also not Catholic, so hopefully I haven’t made any glaring errors.)

masterlist

He thought it would get easier as the weeks wore on, but Kay grimaced as he stepped behind the pulpit to face the congregation, his gaze instantly seeking out [y/n], her fiance’s arm resting across her shoulders, and he had to admit to himself that it was quite the opposite -- it was only getting harder to see her with him.   To keep his thoughts pure.

Their first lesson together had been… awkward to say the least, but by the second one they’d almost fallen back into the easy friendship of their teen days, which was both a relief and a worry to Kay.

If they kept getting more comfortable around each other, who knew what would happen then?

It was already going to be hard enough for him to watch her marry someone else when not so long ago that was what he’d wanted.  Growing close to her again would only make it that much harder.

When he’d broken up with her and left for seminary school like his father had wanted he thought he’d never see her again -- that even though it wasn’t what he’d wanted, that time would heal all wounds and that throwing himself into his studies would distract him enough to forget his feelings for her, and for a time it had, but it didn’t last.

He still sometimes woke in a cold sweat, their breakup haunting his dreams, the hurt look on her face as he’d turned away wrenching at his heart.  

They’d been so young and it had all happened so fast, their feelings too great, too overwhelming, too soon.

And he’d ran.

Only to find regret waiting for him, but by then it was too late and now… now he’d have to live with that regret.

He’d never have [y/n], and he’d never be a good priest.  How could he give all of himself to God if someone else still held his heart?

——

“So, how was your week?” Kay asked, hanging up his robe as [y/n] took her usual seat across from his desk, the little notebook she’d been scribbling notes in during their lessons resting in her lap.

He knew that she’d never been religious before, not outright atheist, but definitely agnostic.  However, during their lessons she was attentive and diligent -- always asking questions and taking notes.  He just wasn’t sure how much of that was from a true willingness to learn or merely out of respect for him.

“It wasn’t bad,” she answered with a small shrug.  “Nothing much happened.  This is honestly the highlight of my week,” she admitted, her eyes flicking up to his meaningfully.

Somehow Kay doubted it was because of church, but he’d be lying if he said that this wasn’t the highlight of his week as well…

“I’m glad our lessons mean that much to you,” he murmured, fighting the urge to loosen his collar.  “Uhm, before we get started,” he continued quickly, forcing his hands to still in front of him on his desk.  He’d definitely caught [y/n]’s little smirk at his words, and was trying to ignore it.  

“Why don’t you tell me a little about Matthew.  How you two met,” Kay suggested, trying to keep his voice neutral, but [y/n] looked up at him sharply, suspicion in her calculating gaze.

It was purely in his interest as their Reverend, he told himself.  He wasn’t asking for any other reason.

Frowning for a moment, [y/n] cleared her throat.  “We met through our parents,” she explained slowly, her expression not exactly what one would expect a newly engaged woman to wear as she spoke of her betrothed, and Kay’s heart constricted.

She doesn’t look happy, he observed as she told him how their parents had thought it would be a good match.

Don’t be ridiculous, Kay told himself firmly, ignoring that first thought.  That’s just wishful thinking because part of you doesn't want her to get married, to lay with anyone else, to look at them with love in her eyes, when it should be you.

Shaking loose his thoughts, Kay realized he’d missed much of what she’d said, but what he had caught hadn’t exactly sounded romantic, and he fought against losing himself once more to memories of their time together before it had all come crashing down.

Of late night phone calls that neither wanted to end, leading to Kay listening to [y/n] sleep over the phone, wishing she were next to him instead of her own bed.  Of handwritten love letters passed discreetly through lockers and left in textbooks, clandestine make out sessions during cut classes, and holding hands as he walked her home every day.  Of their awkward, if sweet, first time that had led to a second time shortly after, full of laughter and affirmations of love.

Did she love Matthew like she’d loved him?

“Kay…?”

“Hmm, I’m sorry, I lost my thoughts for a moment there,” he admitted sheepishly, hoping it wouldn’t be obvious where his thoughts had slipped to.

“That’s alright, it’s not exactly the most riveting story,” [y/n] murmured with a wry twist of her lips.  “Let’s, uhm, let’s get on with the lesson, shall we?” she asked and Kay was only too relieved to agree, not exactly keen to dwell any more on the topic of [y/n]’s fiance.

——

In order to speed things along to keep on schedule for your swiftly approaching wedding, Kay had suggested meeting twice a week for your lessons, and you’d only been all too happy to agree.

However, it was getting harder and harder to keep him off your mind, finding yourself thinking of him during every spare moment, even on the rare occasions Matthew wanted to have sex.  The night before, you’d nearly cried out the wrong name, Kay’s name practically springing to your lips, and disappointment twisted like a knife when you’d opened your eyes to find it wasn’t him hovering over you.

So it was to your great dismay that today’s lesson was about confession.

“We went over all this in principle last time, but this time we’ll do a practice run,” Kay was saying as he led you down to the sanctuary, blessedly empty save for the two of you.  Stopping in front of the confessional, your stomach in your throat, you hesitated, Kay noticing your reluctance.

“Are you nervous, [y/n]?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” you murmured, your nerves at an all time high.

“I promise it’s not as daunting as it seems,” Kay murmured, resting his hand on the small of your back, ushering you toward the door, a reassuring smile on his face.

As you took your seat atop the hard wooden bench inside you fidgeted as you waited for Kay to join you on the other side of the latticed partition.

This would be so much easier if you didn’t know the priest.

“Okay, [y/n],” Kay said as he took his seat, his voice soothing.  “Remember, the Sacrament of Confession is between you, me, and God.  I cannot disclose anything you tell me in here, to anyone,” he reminded you and you nodded, though it didn’t exactly make you feel any better.  He would still know about it.

“Alright my child, you may begin,” Kay prompted and you bit your lip, taking a steadying breath.

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,” you began, reciting the words he’d taught you.  “I uhm, I’ve sinned, well… a lot, and uhh, recently, in fact,” you muttered, looking down at your hands.  

With the partition between you, you couldn’t really see Kay, just his outline, but you could feel his gaze on you.

“Well, I’ve… masterbated… and I use birth control regularly, which is a big no-no, I guess,” you said, giving a nervous laugh before continuing.   “I’ve had premarital sex, which… I mean, you know about that,” you added, clearing your throat, reluctant to admit more.

“Go on, you’re doing well,” Kay urged gently and you nodded, continuing.

“I… I’ve coveted, and lied, I’ve taken the Lord’s name in vain and I’ve…” your voice faltered and failed.  “I’ve--” you tried again, taking another breath and swallowing, your throat suddenly very dry.

“I’ve had thoughts of an impure nature about someone other than my fiance,” you admitted.  “--About someone I should not be.  Someone I thought I’d never see again.”

Pausing, it was obvious who you meant, and your eyes flicked up to the partition where you felt Kay’s were and you wondered just what sort of expression he was wearing.

“And now that I have… seen him again, I can’t seem to get him off my mind,” you murmured.

For a long moment silence stretched and you wished you could take it all back.

“[y/n].” Kay’s voice wavered before strengthening.  “That is… highly inappropriate,” he said hesitantly, his words like a slap to the face, though you knew he was right.

“Don’t you think I know that?” you exclaimed.  “I’ve tried to stop, believe me!  But I fucking can’t and I--I don’t know if I want to,” you cried, frantically blinking back tears, your stomach churning.  “I miss you, Kay, and every moment we’re together feels like torture.  I… I thought I could do this, but I can’t.”

“[y/n]--”

Before he could say more, you pushed off the bench and threw open the door, suddenly feeling lightheaded and needing air, Kay right on your heels.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about me too,” you exclaimed, turning to him, frustration and anger lacing your words.  Kay watched you with an unreadable expression.  “I’ve seen it in your eyes, Kay.  You always had the worst poker face.  Don’t tell me there’s nothing there,”you insisted, almost pleading and he looked away, blinking rapidly.

“[y/n], don’t…” he said, unable to quite look at you.  “You know we can’t happen.”

“You didn’t answer me,” you pressed, taking a step toward him, desperation filling your voice now, your stomach twisting til you felt you were going to be sick.  

“It… it doesn’t matter,” Kay replied sadly, shaking his head.  “I’m a man of the cloth now.  I’m committed to the Church and you -- you’re engaged to be married, [y/n]!” he exclaimed, his voice cracking as he lifted his arms only to let them fall helplessly to his sides again, his hands curling into fists.

“What we had was a long time ago.  We’ve both moved on, and I won’t be the one to break up your marriage.  I don’t want to be the reason,” he insisted, though it looked like it pained him to say it.

“Yeah well, I never wanted this!” you cried, your voice clearly shaking now and you couldn’t keep the tears from your eyes any longer, feeling them fall down your cheeks.  “You were the one that pushed me away and then… then you ran away where I couldn’t follow!”

Taking a shaky breath, you scrubbed at the dampness streaking your face.  “You want my confession, Father?  I still have feelings for you, they never went away,” you admitted, breathing heavily, your chest constricting with panic.

When Kay didn’t speak, his emerald eyes pained, you continued, grasping at straws.

“Is this truly what you want?” you asked, your voice hoarse.

“It is,” he said softly, carefully not meeting your gaze.  “Even if I… harboured feelings for you, I cannot act on them, so please don’t put me in that position, [y/n].”

When he finally lifted his head, his eyes rising to yours once more, he shook his head sadly, his long curls shivering.

“Besides, you don’t want me,” he murmured.  “I can’t give you the life you deserve.”

Deafening silence filled the church and you stood there in disbelief.

If only you’d kept your mouth shut, you thought angrily -- angry at yourself, because you knew, you knew deep down you couldn’t have just kept going that way, lying to yourself, to him.

Taking a deep breath, you forced yourself to lift your chin.

“You’re wrong.”

When you turned, Kay took a panicked step toward you, reaching out before you pulled away.

“Where are you going?  [y/n]?” he called after you, but you didn’t stop, heading for the doors.

“I’m sorry, Kay.  I can’t do this.”

Without another word you yanked open the handle and slipped out of the church before he could convince you to stay.

----------------------

Everything Tag List: @magic-multicolored-miracle​​ @midnightseance​​ @etherealsxnder​​ @iamsexytrash​​ @orions-nebula​​ @slutforrobbiebro​​ @the-freckled-luba​​ @robertsscumbag​​

[fictionadventurer]

Captains Who Would Get Along Best With Father Brown:

(With the caveat that I’ve only seen a couple of episodes of most of these captains--my Star Trek viewing habits are extremely sporadic).

1. Captain Kirk: If I remember correctly, he’s actively quoted Scripture. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s an active Christian. He’s probably as blandly Midwestern Protestant as you can get, but he’d probably get along with Father Brown better because of theological differences between them. I think one of the requirements for being Kirk’s friend is that you have to be willing to argue with him on cue, and Father Brown would be more than willing to oblige. 

2. Sisko: I have no clue what his own religious leanings are, but given his extreme entanglements with alien religions, he’s probably very sympathetic to religious points of view. Even if he doesn’t agree with Father Brown’s worldview, I think he could respect it. (And he seems like the kind of guy who’d know not to underestimate the quiet people. I say this after having seen, like .75 episode of DS9 and reading episode summaries, but I stand by this). 

3. Archer. He seems a lot like Kirk with his background and beliefs. I could believe he’d get along with Father Brown, but I think Father Brown would get along less well with him. A bit too obnoxiously American for Father Brown’s English habits.

4. Picard. He strikes me as an atheist/agnostic who has against his will become semi-expert in dealing with quasi-divine beings. Said experiences have probably left him with a subconscious instinctive aversion to religion--he’s a humanist through and through and would like the universe to oblige him, please. I feel like he would be distantly polite to Father Brown while secretly feeling it a shame that this semi-intelligent man has chosen to cloister himself away from the realities of life--until Father Brown does his usual thing of astonishing everyone with his knowledge of humanity.

5. Janeway: The woman used to be a science officer in the Federation. I think that demographic has the highest percentage of atheists in the universe. Even more than Picard, she’d want a logical, humanist answer to everything and would be actively hostile to the idea of religion and dismissive of religious figures. Which means that I need to see her interacting with Father Brown immediately and it pains me that I can’t think of a logical reason for Voyager to have a chaplain on board during the incident that gets them sent to Delta Quadrant.

Bonus:

Other Star Trek Characters I Would Like to See Interact with Father Brown:

1. Q. I mean really. Can’t you just picture it: Q having his usual stand-off with Picard, delighting in the idea of overturning this owl-eyed little priest’s narrow worldview, while Picard stands there feeling sorry for Father Brown while thinking that Q’s right about Father Brown’s narrow-mindedness, only for Father Brown to astonish everyone by having the insights into human nature that are necessary to save the day.

2. Data. He would adore Father Brown, in the way that he adores everything about humanity that he can’t completely understand. If Father Brown was chaplain on the Enterprise, Data would probably be going to him constantly with questions. It would start out with innocent questions about the nature and function of religion in human society, and he’d quickly realize that Father Brown has an insight into all the parts of human nature that his own logical nature can’t explain. He’d firmly establish Father Brown as one of his key experts about humanity, making him the only one among the crew who’s not astonished by Father Brown’s displays of intelligence. (And given Data’s worship of Sherlock Holmes, I would love to see Father Brown joining him in one of his holographic simulations for a repeat of The Absence of Mr. Glass).

About the Catholic Officer on Voyager:

I don’t have much to tell, beyond an image of her making a spiritual communion and aching for access to the sacraments. Perhaps a sympathetic crewmember tries to replicate some Communion wafers for her, leading her to explain that the Eucharist goes beyond the molecular structure (or accidents, which is also the title of this imaginary fic) of the bread. As much as a lifelong separation from the sacraments pains her, this situation probably helps her to find a few more Catholics among the crew--in both the Federation and the Maquis, making this a congregation that goes beyond political lines, which does a great deal to help integrate the two halves of the crew in those fractious early days.

@brambleberrycottage​

[monstrunderyourbed]

Remembering

Today marks 19 years since a heinous act of hate performed in the name of a religion that preaches peace. It forever changed this country. In the wake of those horrible events, some people in the country rose to the occasion and showed the best American can be. Others showed the worst we could be. Unfortunately, the worst seems to come out in some people again and again and they use the memory of that trauma as an excuse. So, on this day of remembrance, I like to remember not just the tragedy and those that it spawned. Not just the act of terrorism and those of use who allowed the terrorists to win by sewing hate and distrust amongst ourselves. I like to remember the story of how a single act of grief and compassion 19 years ago, grew into something lasting and beautiful.

After the events of 9/11, the Reverend of my church (I wasn’t a member back then, but for simplicity sake I’ll call it my church) reached out to the local Mosque and asked if they’d be willing to join her congregation for a memorial service. They were very pleased to do it. The two communities came together to sing, weep, and pray. Together, they started to heal. Since that day, our church and the Mosque have maintained close ties. We have women’s and a men’s book clubs that meet together, women’s and girl’s basketball teams that play against each other, and once a year each hosts the other for a joint service in honor of love, hospitality, community, and acceptance.

After the 2016 elections, a Jewish temple in our community was badly vandalized. Their windows smashed, signs broken, and words and symbols of hate painted all over. Our church volunteered to help clean up and asked their friends at the Mosque if they’d be willing to help too. Of course, they said yes. Members from a Christian church in the area came too. A group of Unitarian Universalists (including Christians, Jews, Pagans, Humanists, Agnostics, Atheists, and whatnot; I know we’re a weird religion; just call us interfaith and go with it) joined together with Muslims, Christians, and Jews to clean up the aftermath of hate, to comfort and reassure each other. The Rabbi and the Minister of the Christian church found out about our church and the Mosque’s interfaith activities and decided they wanted a piece of that action. The Rabbi said the women of their community had an annual women’s retreat and perhaps the women from the Mosque and our church would like to join forces for that? The Minister said an interfaith girls basketball league was a great idea. Could they play too? The Christian church was mostly immigrants and first gen people. So much so, that their services are entirely in Spanish. They said hey, if you help teach some of our folks English, we’ll teach some of your folks Spanish. A year or so later, the four religious communities decided that they could do a charity effort together and began a “warm nights” program. During the winter, they take turns hosting local homeless folks who need shelter and a hot meal.

Two years ago, during service while Rev. Liz was hiving her sermon, someone walked in with a cellphone is his hand. To everyone’s surprise he walked straight up to Rev. Liz and interrupted her service to hand her the phone. She listened quietly for a moment, her face grave, and then said, “Tell me what you need.” Then after another moment, she nodded and said, “You got it. Hold tight.” Handing the phone back she stepped back up to the podium. Looking at her congregation she said, “ICE has camped out in front of the [Insert name of Christian Church]. They aren’t going into the church, but they’re waiting for service to end so they can arrest people as they come out. I’m going to end service now and ask any of you who are willing, to go over there with me. Bring your cell phones. Let’s make sure ICE knows that God, and the world, is watching them.” Just about the entire congregation went. Every hippie, Wiccan, Pagan, Ex-Catholic, and crunchie-granola mom said “not on my watch.” On the way they called their friends at the Temple and Mosque. They said that Allah and HaShem would be watching too. They would not stand by while their friends were frightened and trapped in their own house of worship. The UUs, the Muslims, and Jews descended on those ICE agents with cell phone cameras, congregants who were lawyers and social workers, decorated veterans, stern grandmothers, hijabis, wide-eyed children, trans, gay, straight, non-binary,  and every color or type of human you can imagine.  

These were our friends. They were part of our community. They belonged here.

Inside the church, people were in tears. Terrified. Outside their was a wall of people around the ICE agents. Not trapping them, but blocking their view of the doors and standing in between them and the path that most of the people would need to walk to get to their cars.

I am please to say that no one in that church was even questioned by ICE that day. They seemed to decide that it wasn’t worth the scene they’d make. After all, even their most conservative supporters might take issue with interfering with a church service.

This is what America should be. This is what it looks like to live up to the ideals we claim are ours. This is the America I want us to build. On the bedrock of grief and pain and hatred that terrorists put down in this country, I want to build a better America with healing and peace and love. 

TLDR; After 9/11 a UU church, a Mosque, a Jewish Temple, and a Christian Church of primarily immigrants banded together to support eachother and their community. This is the opposite of what the terrorists wanted to have happen. So today, please don’t let the terrorists win again. Don’t let them make you spiteful and angry. Instead, remember that a tiny gesture of peace can help to build a bond that will change your community. It has in the past. It can again. 

[brennandavidmerrill]

My Reform Jewish Experience

​Growing up in an Evangelical Christian church was an unequivocally insular experience in retrospect. The worldview that I was indoctrinated with and identified with well into my young adult years was one of sanctimoniousness. Out of the thousands of religions extant in the world, I was convinced that my beliefs were superior to other religions, that other faiths had it wrong, and that it was my duty to propagate the faith. Furthermore, the Evangelical church enjoins its members to go out proselytizing. This intrinsically leads to deprecating other religions in order to further the reach of Christianity, and since Evangelical Christianity is an apocalyptic religion, many if not most members have a strong commitment to disseminating the word and converting the world. While my personal account of Evangelical Christianity may paint a pernicious portrait of this particular denomination, it is only to present the stark dichotomy between this religion and another. For my field research I chose to attend the service of a Reform Jewish temple called Temple Beth David. The reason that I chose Judaism is because among the three major Abrahamic-monotheistic religions, Judaism does not share the missionary-mindedness of the other two, Christianity and Islam. The significance of this single omission in Judaism is imperative for me because it eliminates any conduciveness to the salesman-like nature of the missionary religions that seems so counterintuitive to and undermining of the efficacy of scripture. As you will see, I found Judaism to be a refreshing, inviting and accepting experience of which I plan on returning to. ​When researching what options for synagogues were in the area, it came down to an Orthodox temple or a Reform temple. After discussing it with my fiancé, who would be attending with me, we concluded that we would not want to risk being too much of an intrusion or distraction at an Orthodox service and would not want to unintentionally disrespect their stricter rules and etiquette. I reached out to a local Reform synagogue via email and communicated with one of the office workers about the different services, times and what to expect. She was very helpful and assured us that Reform is much more casual, liberal and welcoming to non-Jewish guests. We attended on a Friday night Shabbat service which was actually a special Synaplex celebration of the 70th anniversary of Israel’s statehood. Upon arriving at the synagogue slightly early we were greeted by the resident cantor who sings the prayer songs. She was very friendly and got to know us a little before introducing us to some other staff and members of the temple. We put on some name tags so everyone would know we were visitors. Earlier that evening they had a pre-service dinner that was still in session so we were able to make it in time to join. This was a perfect chance to meet different members of the synagogue and socialize with them. I immediately noticed how friendly and gregarious everyone was at this dinner. Some people were sitting down and eating while others were walking around and socializing over food. One lady, Gloria, took initiative right away to come introduce herself to us and we had an extensive conversation with her that continued on throughout the evening. I think she could surmise that we were more on the liberal side and expressed that she is Jewish by religion and ethnicity but that she does not agree with the politics of Israel and the ongoing recriminations between Palestine. She touched on the current political situation here with our new president and expressed her discontent with that as well. It was a fun and scintillating conversation. She asked us to come sit down for coffee with two other elderly ladies. I was able to interview all of them briefly and ask about their views on the differences between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. One of the ladies was originally from Bolivia and explained that she grew up Orthodox. She described how strict and punctilious Orthodox Judaism is and that she came to Reform later in her life for the less conventional aspects. Another elderly lady had switched from Orthodox to Reform after her husband passed away. She explained that it was very difficult to deal with her husband’s death alone and that being Orthodox did not facilitate a very sociable atmosphere. She started going to Reform temples and found that the openness, friendliness and equality really helped her to make friends and not have to deal with the grief by herself. We met a younger gentleman named Matthew who, like me, was raised Christian but he was raised as a Baptist. He opened up to us and told us his story of the Baptist church he grew up in and how it was very difficult reconciling his faith with the ostensibly cruel and antiquated views of his church. He converted to Judaism and is much happier being part of an open-minded and liberal church that is not fixated on the end of the world and does not have an agenda to convince people they are going to hell if they do not repent. Experiencing such a social and friendly congregation prior to even experiencing the service made me all the more comfortable and excited for the remainder of the evening. ​Once the service began the first thing I noticed was that men and women were sitting together. This is a modern sight in Jewish synagogues exclusive to Reform temples as most traditional Orthodox and Conservative synagogues will have the male and female members seated separately. Even more astonishing with respect to tradition is that the Rabbi as well as the Cantor were both female. These are the two women that lead the entire service, which is a very progressive step within Judaism and religion in general. I had only ever experienced churches led by male pastors in the Christian church, so I applaud the egalitarianism. The service itself was fairly distinct from any Christian church service I have attended but not to the extent that I anticipated. Like the church services I have experienced, there was a mixture of members sharing stories, giving updates on upcoming events and services, and prayer requests. There was, however, a unique dynamic of transitioning between the Cantor singing songs out of the prayer book to the Rabbi reading verses in the prayer book and back again. Matthew, who I mentioned earlier, was sitting next to me in the service and would politely motion to me each time we were supposed to stand. Since this was a special worship celebration of the 70th anniversary of Israel we didn’t read directly from the Torah but rather read and sang excerpts from the prayer book throughout the entire service. At one point a few members including a family went up to the stage and shared their experience going on the annual trip to Israel last year. Their testimonies were touching and I could feel the sense of importance of the trip to them. It was not just visiting a new place for them, it was visiting the birthplace of their religion and heritage. One particular ceremonial practice I noticed the Rabbi and Cantor performing was facing and praying to what I believe is the Mezuzah. There was a large gateway-door set-piece behind the alter which, If I am not mistaken, is representative of a doorway which the Mezuzah is traditionally hanged over. After the service ended, the congregation met up once again in the dining area for what they call Oneg Shabbat. This was had to have been my favorite portion of the night. The Rabbi rounded up everyone who was willing to leave their timidness at the table for dancing. The resident temple DJ had some Youtube instructional dance videos queued up and a decent sized group of us joined hands and started breaking a sweat to Hava Nagila! ​I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the Jewish experience. The progressiveness of Reform Judaism intrigues me because it shows that people of strong tradition can embrace modern values without resigning their faith. There is a welcomeness about Judaism that isn’t forced and a friendliness that is genuine. Nearly every member of the temple introduced themselves to us, involved us in conversations and activities and asked us to come back again if we felt up to it. There are many fundamental differences between Judaism and Evangelical Christianity as I experienced them. The most profound difference in my opinion is the approach to spreading the faith. Since Christianity is a missionary religion it has a strong focus on expanding its reach, which subsequently leads to having a salesman quality to it. Judaism is not concerned with spreading its numbers and thus emanates a more authentic quality. Rather than having to convince people of the religion you represent, I think having people drawn naturally to it yields a stronger sense of itself. Although I am somewhat agnostic to religion and not particularly active in seeking to be part of a church, I am looking forward to going back to Temple Beth David for the communal friendliness and warmth that we received.

[benrleeusa]

[David E. Bernstein] Republican Senators are Skating Awfully Close to White Christian Identity Politics

As readers may recall, Judge Neomi Rao's nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals hit a snag when Senator Josh Hawley questioned her commitment to opposing "substantive due process" and whether her personal political views leaned toward being pro-choice. After significant pressure from conservative activists, the Trump administration, and, according to reports, personal reassurances from Rao's former boss Justice Clarence Thomas regarding her conservative bona fides, Hawley relented and Rao was confirmed.

Jessie Liu, nominated to be associate attorney general, wasn't so lucky. Opposition from Utah Senator Mike Lee killed her nomination, she withdrew on Friday.

According to his spokesman, Lee opposed Jessie Liu's nomination to be associate attorney general because of "questions about her record on life issues." The only basis provided for concluding that Liu might be pro-choice is Liu's prior affiliation with the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), which opposed Sam Alito's 2005 nomination to the Supreme Court based in part on concerns about reproductive rights. NAWL is a professional development organization, whose slogan is "Empowering Women in the Legal Profession Since 1899." Any statements it makes related to abortion are tangential to its mission. Liu said that she played no role in the decision to oppose Alito's nomination, and no one contradicted her assertion.

Meanwhile, Liu personally expressed support for Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court, signing a Yale Law School alumni letter on his behalf. And after Alito joined the Supreme Court, she helped organize a Yale Law School alumni dinner in his honor (here they are together). Under normal circumstances, one would think that would have been enough to quell any doubts about Liu based on her membership in an organization that opposed Alito. After all, Lee himself was an attorney at Sidley & Austin in Washington, D.C., from 1999 to 2002. At that time, Sidley was a significant donor to NAWL. Obviously, he knows from experience that one's professional affiliations don't necessarily indicate one's personal views.

But these were apparently not normal circumstances. There have been many nominees to high-level Justice Department positions with no public record on abortion who have been approved without any concerns being raised. In Rao's case, people said that she was being subject to particularly high scrutiny because she was in a position to be a short-lister for a Supreme Court nomination. And yet, I don't recall similar concerns being raised about other Trump nominees who are viable candidates for the Supreme Court, such as the Sixth Circuit's Joan Larsen, who to my knowledge has never said anything publicly about abortion. In Liu's case, it's pretty hard to think of a good reason why her pro-life bona fides should be scrutinized more closely than other nominees'.

Unfortunately, in both situations it's all-too-easy to come up with bad reasons. Rao is the daughter of Indian Parsi immigrants, and Liu is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. It seems as though their minority background may at least subconsciously raise suspicions that they aren't on "the team." I suspect that such suspicions might have been quelled if they belonged to "appropriate" churches--the Mormon church, a conservative Protestant congregation, a Catholic parish known for being actively pro-life. As it happens, while I can't speak to either woman's personal religious beliefs, I understand that their families are members of Jewish congregations.

Please note that I'm not accusing the Senators in question of antisemitism. Nor am I accusing them of conscious racism. But I do suspect that in certain conservative circles, people have an image in their head of what a "trustworthy" conservative looks like, and that person is white, likely male, and a religious Christian. Those who don't fit that mold are more likely to have their conservative credentials questioned.

This is both unfair and a disaster for the Republican Party. Imagine you are a conservative-leaning Indian-American Hindu, or Thai-American Buddhist, or Iranian-American Muslim, or African American agnostic. You are attending Yale (Liu's alma mater) or Chicago (Rao's) law school and you have nascent but indeterminate political ambitions. You are trying to decide whether to "come out" as a Federalist-type, or keep your head down and avoid politics. You know if you do the former, you will be the subject of special derision and social sanction from your liberal classmates, who will openly question how a person of color can hang out in Fed Soc circles.

Given that dynamic, Republicans should be especially welcoming to such individuals. Instead, the Rao and Liu situations suggest the opposite. It comes awfully close to looking like implicit white Christian identity politics, and it's a bad look for the GOP.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST WATCH: Liu's husband and Rao are friends and former colleagues of mine.

[newstfionline]

The phenomenon of churches without God

The Economist, May 16th 2018

SEATTLE--One recent Sunday, about 40 people turned up at their regular gathering place, a community centre in Seattle, and soon found themselves pondering an ethical dilemma: would it ever be right to punch a Nazi? The discussion was led by a husband-and-wife team, who pointed out that hurting people was usually a bad idea, but that it might sometimes be the only way to protect the innocent. “In a world as imperfect as this one, sometimes the choice is between a number of terrible ideas,” suggested the husband, Mickey Phoenix.

Other recent topics for debate at the Seattle Atheist Church have included the difference between compassion and empathy, and whether or not reparations should be paid to the descendants of American slaves, as argued by the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates in a recent story for Atlantic magazine. Once they have exhausted their discussion, participants can get to know each other over juice and snacks.

Like many similar clubs across the Western world, this “atheist church” aims to offer some features of a religious congregation (fellowship, collective enjoyment, a stimulus to moral behaviour) while eschewing any belief in a deity or the supernatural. Ruth Walther, the founder of the Seattle community, sums up its ethos by drawing a contrast with a Christian hymn, “God moves in a mysterious way”. At her church, she says, “We believe in good because good works in non-mysterious ways.”

In today’s kaleidoscope of beliefs and practices, atheist churches have carved out a niche. It is one that needs definition. In almost all Western countries, including the relatively pious United States, the number of people who acknowledge no religious affiliation (known as religious nones) is surging. But that is not necessarily the same as being atheist. One survey by Pew Resarch showed that the proportion of Americans who call themselves “unaffiliated” jumped from 16% in 2007 to 23% in 2014. That second figure includes 3% of the total population who call themselves atheists and 4% who identify as agnostic. Another pollster, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), reports that among unaffiliated Americans, 22% believe in a personal God, 37% in an impersonal one, and 33% say they do not believe in God. On the other hand, plenty of people who do have a religious label are uncertain in their beliefs; PRRI finds that a quarter of Catholics sometimes doubt God’s existence.

So where do atheist churches belong in this spectrum? Obviously they appeal to people whose world-views reject the supernatural. But in their own way they are (as they themselves say) doing what all religious communities do, but simply without gods and the supernatural.

Take for instance the North Texas Church of Freethought, established in 1994 by a physician, Tim Gorski, in the generally devout area of Dallas-Fort Worth. Its attractions include “Sunday School”, where children go while parents attend “services”. But instead of Bible stories taught as fact, this Sunday School helps youngsters develop ways of understanding and thinking that will help them cope with classmates who come from more God-fearing homes. The church’s website lays out its founder’s passionate belief that science alone holds the key to objective reality, while religion speaks to subjective needs that everyone has. At their gatherings, members enjoy discussions of history, morals, personal and social problems, listen to music and learn about inspiring scientific breakthroughs.

Phil Zuckerman, professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College in California, describes the phenomenon of atheist churches like this: a “small subset” of those people who have lost their faith in a supernatural being still want the community spirit and behavioural norms that go with religious experience.

In recent years, the most widely publicised and globally dispersed “atheist church” has been the Sunday Assembly, launched in London in 2013 by Sanderson Jones (a former salesman for The Economist) and Pippa Evans, who both had some experience as comic performers on stage. It now flourishes in 55 outposts, across Britain, continental Europe, North America and Australia, with a total of about 3,500 regular attendees. That is not quite the spectacular growth that initially looked possible, but the movement has morphed, in interesting ways. Under the motto “live better, help often, wonder more” it offers participants a chance to sing and laugh together, join in doing useful work, and contemplate reality in a spirit not of conventional devotion but of awe. Lots of lessons have been learned, says Mr Jones, especially about how one initiative can mesh constructively with others. The assembly’s branch in east London is used by a public housing association as a way of helping people whose problems, psychosomatic or psychological, might be eased by joining a community. In the Los Angeles branch there is a director who says she is applying principles learned while helping Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2012. Surveys of assembly-goers suggest that the great majority feel greater “life satisfaction” through participation.

For some sceptical sorts, both the Dallas community and Mr Jones’s assembly are too much like regular churches for their liking. But can these “atheist churches” be described as a form of religion? Ms Walther, founder of the Seattle gathering, responds with a definite “yes” to that question. But Mr Zuckerman is more ambivalent. “If you define religion as just belief in god(s) or supernatural beings, then it’s not religious,” he says. “But if you define religion more broadly as having a belonging component, and a behaviour component, then it does...fall under that umbrella.”