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bailey-writes · 4 years ago

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So You Want Your OC to be Jewish

So you’re writing a story and you want to make a Jewish character—great! I’m here to help. I always want more Jewish representation but I want good Jewish representation, so this is my attempt to make a guide to making a Jewish character. What are my credentials? I’m Jewish and have been my whole life. Obligatory disclaimer that this is by no means comprehensive, I don’t know everything, all Jews are different, and this is based on my experiences as an American Jew so I have no idea, what, if any, of this applies to non-American Jews.

If there’s anything you want me to make a post going more into detail about or if there’s anything I didn’t mention but you want to know please ask me! I hope this is helpful :) Warning, this is long.

Jew PSA

If you are Jewish you can use the word Jew(s), e.g. “She’s dating a Jew.” If you are not Jewish you cannot use the word Jew(s). This is not up for debate. Non-Jews calling us Jews has a negative connotation at best. Don’t do it and don’t have your characters do it.

Basics, Plus My Random Thoughts that Didn’t Fit Anywhere Else

A confusing enduring issue is, what is Judaism? It’s a religion, but some Jews aren’t religious; is it a race? A nationality? A culture? A heritage? The only constant is that we are seen as “other.” There’s a lot of debate, which makes it confusing to be Jewish and as such it’s common for Jews to struggle with their Jewish Identity. However many people agree that Jews are an ethnoreligious group, aka Judaism is a religion and an ethnicity.

Temple/Synagogue/Shul = Jewish place of worship. Shul is usually used for Orthodox synagogues.

Keeping kosher = following Jewish dietary rules: meat and dairy can’t be eaten together and you can’t eat pork or shellfish. Fish and eggs are pareve (aka neutral) and can be eaten with meat or dairy (but again not both at the same time.) When eating meat it has to be kosher meat (e.g. kosher Jews are allowed to eat chicken, but not all chicken is kosher. I know it’s kinda confusing I’m sorry.) Kosher products in stores will have symbols on them to identify them as kosher. If someone is kosher they’ll probably have separate sets of utensils/plates/cookware/etc. for meat and dairy

Shabbat/Shabbos/Sabbath = holy day of the week, day of rest, lasts from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Depending on observance Jews might have Shabbat dinner, attend Shabbat services, or observe the day of rest in its entirety (making them shomer Shabbat)

Someone who is shomer Shabbat will refrain from any of the prohibited activities. These can easily be looked up but include: working, writing, handling money, cooking, and using technology.

Bat/Bar/B’nai Mitvzah = tradition where a Jewish boy/girl becomes a man/woman. Celebrated at 13-years-old for boys, 12- or 13-years-old for girls. Girls have Bat Mitzvahs (bat means daughter in Hebrew), boys have Bar Mitzvahs (bar means son in Hebrew) and twins or two or more people having one together have a B’nai Mitzvah. They will study for this for months and then help lead services and, depending on observance level, read from the Torah. The ceremony is often attended by family and friends and followed with a celebration of sorts (in America usually this means a brunch and/or party.)

Goy/gentile = non-Jew. These words are not slurs, they are literally just words. Plural of goy is goyim and is a Yiddish word, plural of gentile is gentiles.

Jewish holidays follow the Hebrew calendar, meaning that according to the current solar/Gregorian calendar the dates of our holidays are different each year.

Jewish law recognizes matrilineal inheritance. This means that Jewish law states your mother has to be Jewish for you to be Jewish. This is because of reasons from biblical times that I can explain if you wanna come ask, but as you can imagine is a bit outdated. While Orthodox Jews might embrace this idea and only consider someone Jewish if their mom is Jewish, many Jews are more flexible on the idea (and yes, this does cause tension between Orthodox Jews and other Jews at times.)

Judaism =/= Christianity

Some people think Judaism is just Christianity without Jesus (some people don’t even realize we don’t believe in/celebrate Jesus so newsflash, we don’t) and that’s just wrong. Yes both religions share the Old Testament, so they also share some history and beliefs, but the entire ideologies of the religions are different. In brief, they are similar in some ways but are not the same.

What seems to me to be the biggest difference is that Christianity (from what I understand) has a heavy focus on sins, more specifically repenting for/gaining forgiveness for your sins. In Christianity you are born tainted by original sin. In Judaism we believe everyone is born pure and free from sin and everyone is made in God’s image. Judaism has some concept of sin, but doesn’t focus on them and instead focuses on performing Mitzvot (plural, singular form is mitzvah. Direct translation is “commandment” but basically means good deed or act of kindness. It also relates to the commandments, so following the commandments is also performing mitzvot.) Examples of mitzvot include anything from saying a prayer or lighting Shabbat candles to helping a stranger or donating to charity (called tzedakah). One of the main tenets of Judaism is tikkun olam, which directly translates to “repair the world” and means exactly what it says on the tin. Instead of focusing on being forgiven for doing bad Judaism focuses on doing good. The only day we focus on past wrongdoings is Yom Kippur, one of our most holy holidays, discussed below.

Holidays

Rosh Hashanah – The Jewish New Year, occurs around September and lasts for two days, though Reform Jews often only celebrate the first day. Day of happiness and joy, celebrated by eating sweet things for a “sweet new year” (often apples dipped in honey) and circular challah to represent the end of one year and beginning of another. Also celebrated with services and blowing the shofar (rams horn.) Some spend the day in prayer and/or silent meditation. Possible greetings: chag sameach (happy holiday; can be said on almost any holiday), Shana Tovah, or happy new year (which is what Shana Tovah means, some people just say it in English.)

Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement. Occurs ten days after the start of Rosh Hashanah. One of if not the most solemn day for Jews, but also the most holy. The day is spent reflecting on yourself and any past wrongdoings and atoning. The day (sundown the night before to sundown the day of) is spent fasting, a physical way of atoning. We do this in hopes of being “written in the Book of Life” and starting the year with a clean slate. The shofar is blown at the end of the holiday. Most Jews will end the fast with a grand meal with family and friends. Most common greeting is “have an easy fast,” but happy new year is still appropriate.

Sukkot – Celebrates the harvest, occurs on the fifth day after Yom Kippur and lasts seven days. Celebrated by building a temporary hut outdoors called a sukkah and having meals inside it, as well as shaking palm fronds tied together (called a lulav) and holding a citrus called an etrog. Very fun and festive holiday. Possible greetings include chag sameach or Happy Sukkot.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah – Some Jews (mostly Reform Jews and Jews living in Israel) combine both holidays into one day while some celebrate them as two separate days. Either way they occur immediately after Sukkot. Shemini Atzeret is similar but separate from Sukkot and features a prayer for rain; Sukkot is not mentioned in prayers and the lulav isn’t shaken but you do eat in the sukkah. Simchat Torah celebrates finishing reading the Torah, which we will then begin again the next day. It’s a festive holiday with dancing and fun. Some Temples will roll the entire Torah out and the children will run under it. Appropriate greeting for both would be chag sameach.

Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah are referred to as the High Holidays.

Chanukah – We all know about Chanukah, celebrating the reclaiming of the Second Temple and the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. The most represented Jewish Holiday there is. Unfortunately it’s one of the least significant holidays for us. Occurs around November or December and lasts eight days and nights. Celebrated by lighting candles in the Menorah each night with a prayer and kids usually get gifts each night. Also celebrated with spinning tops called dreidels, fried foods like doughnuts (sufganiyot in Hebrew; usually the jelly filled ones) and potato pancakes called latkes. Greetings: happy Chanukah or chag sameach.

Tu B’Shevat – Birthday of the trees, basically Jewish Arbor Day. Minor but fun holiday, sometimes celebrated by planting trees. Occurs around January or February.

Purim – Celebrates how Queen Esther of Persia defeated Haman and saved her people, the Jews. Occurs in Spring. Festive holiday traditionally celebrated by dressing in costumes, eating sweets, and giving tzedakah (it’s also technically commanded you get drunk so woohoo!) Whenever Haman’s name is mentioned you make a lot of noise, booing and using noisemakers called groggers. Greetings: happy Purim, chag Purim, or chag sameach.

Passover/Pesach – Celebrates the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt. Occurs in Spring and lasts eight days. The first two nights (some only celebrate the first night) are celebrated with seder, a ritual meal with certain foods, practices, prayers, and readings from a book called the Haggadah and often attended by family and friends. Most famous prayer/song of the holiday is the four questions, which ask why that night is different from all other nights and is traditionally sung by the youngest child at the seder. The entire holiday is spent not eating certain foods, mostly grain or flour (the food restrictions are complicated and differ based on denomination so look it up or ask a Jew.) We eat a lot of matzah during Pesach, which is like a cracker kinda. I personally hate it but some people actually like it. Greetings: happy Passover, chag pesach, or chag sameach.

Tisha B’Av – Anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. Occurs in Summer. Very sad, solemn day. Some celebrate by fasting from sunrise to sunset. Not the most widely celebrated holiday. Some also commemorate the Holocaust (also called the Shoah) on this day as it was the destruction of a figurative temple.

Denominations

There are a bunch of denominations in Judaism, we’ll go into it briefly.

Religious denominations:

Reform/Reformed: This is the least religiously observant level. Often Reform Jews don’t keep kosher or observe Shabbat, their services on Shabbat will use instruments. Reform Jews probably attend services for the high holidays at the very least and probably had a Bat/Bar Mitzvah. Might say they consider themselves more culturally Jewish. Their Temple/Synagogue will be the most “liberal”—aka have more female/diverse Rabbis and a more diverse congregation. I’m Reform and my Temple’s lead Rabbi is a woman and we used to have a Rabbi who’s a queer single mother.

Conservative: More religiously observant and more generally traditional. Might keep kosher or observe Shabbat, but not necessarily. Services likely won’t use instruments (not supposed to play instruments on Shabbat). Most likely had a Bat/Bar Mitzvah, but girls might not read from the Torah, though this depends on the congregation. They do allow female Rabbis, but in my experience it’s less common.

Modern Orthodox: Very religiously observant but also embrace modern society. Will keep kosher and observe Shabbat. Men will wear kippot (singular=kippah) and tzitzit under their shirts. Women will cover their hair (if they’re married), most likely with a wig, and wear modest clothing (only wear skirts that are at least past their knees and long sleeves). Emphasis on continued study of Torah/Talmud. Parents will likely have jobs. Might have larger families (aka more children) but might not. Services will be segregated by gender, girls won’t read from the Torah publicly, and female Rabbis are very rare. Children will most likely attend a religious school. Will attend shul services every Shabbat and for holidays.

note: there are some people who fall somewhere between modern Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox, or between any two denominations really. as you can imagine people don’t all practice the exact same way.

Ultra-Orthodox: Very religiously observant and not necessarily modern. Will keep kosher and observe Shabbat. Men will wear kippot or other head coverings and tzitzit under their shirts, and are also often seen wearing suits. Women will cover their hair (if they’re married) with a wig or scarf and wear modest clothing (only wear skirts that are at least past their knees and long sleeves). Emphasis on continued study of Torah/Talmud. Men might have jobs but might instead focus on Jewish studies, while women most often focus on housework and child-rearing. Don’t believe in contraception (but this is kinda nuanced and depends). Will often have very large families because having children is a commandment and helps continue the Jewish people. Might be shomer negiah which means not touching members of the opposite sex aside from their spouse and some close family members. Services will be segregated by gender, girls won’t read from the Torah publicly, and there won’t be female Rabbis. Children will attend a religious school. Will attend shul services every Shabbat and for holidays.

Ethnic denominations (the different denominations do have some differences in practices and such but tbh I don’t know much about that so this is just the basics):

Ashkenazi: Jews that originate from Central/Eastern Europe. Yiddish, a combination of Hebrew and German, originated from and was spoken by Ashkenazim and while it’s a dying language it’s spoken among many Orthodox Jews and many Jews of all levels know/speak some Yiddish words and phrases. Majority of Jews worldwide are Ashkenazi.

Sephardi/Sephardic: Jews that originate from the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and southeastern Europe. Ladino, a combination of Old Spanish and Hebrew, originated from and was spoken by Sephardim. It is also a dying language but is still spoken by some Sephardim. After Ashkenazi most of the world’s Jews are Sephardic.

Mizrahi: Jews that originate from the Middle East and North Africa.

Ethiopian Jews: Community of Jews that lived in Ethiopia for over 1,000 years, though most have immigrated to Israel by now.

Stereotypes/Tropes/Controversies/Etc.

There are so many Jewish stereotypes and shit and I ask you to please be mindful of them. Stereotypes do exist for a reason, so some people will fit stereotypes. This means your character might fit one or two; don’t make them fit all of them. Please. Stereotypes to keep in mind (and steer away from) include:

All Jews are rich.

All Jews are greedy.

All Jews are cheap/frugal.

All Jews are [insert job here]. We’ll go into this more below.

All Jews hate Christians/Muslims/etc.

All Jews are white.

First of all Ethiopian and Mizrahi Jews exist, many Sephardi are Hispanic, and today with intermarriage and everything this just isn’t true.

All Jews have the same physical features: large and/or hooked nose, beady eyes, droopy eyelids, red hair (this is an old stereotype I didn’t really know existed), curly hair.

Many Jews do have somewhat large noses and curly hair. I’m not saying you can’t give these features to your characters, but I am saying to be careful and don’t go overboard. And don’t give all of your Jewish characters these features. As a side note, it is common at least among American Jews that girls get nose jobs. Not all, but some.

Jews are secretly world elite/control the world/are lizard people/new world order/ any of this stuff.

STAY AWAY FROM. DO NOT DO THIS OR ANYTHING LIKE THIS. If you have a character that’s part lizard, do not make them Jewish. If you have a character that’s part of a secret group that controls the entire world, do not make them Jewish.

Jews have horns. If you have characters with horns please don’t make them Jewish.

Jews killed Jesus.

The blood libel. Ew. No.

The blood libel is an antisemitic accusation/idea/concept that back in the day Jews would murder Christian children to use their blood in religious rituals and sometimes even for consumption (did I mention gross?) Not only did this just not happen, but it’s actually against Jewish law to murder, sacrifice, or consume blood. Yes these accusations really happened and it became a main reason for persecution of Jews. And some people still believe this shit.

Jews caused The Plague.

The reason this conspiracy exists is because many Jews didn’t get The Plague and the goyim thought that meant it was because the Jews caused it/cursed them. The real reason Jews didn’t get it is because ritual hand-washing and good hygiene kept them from getting it. Sorry that we bathe.

Jewish mother stereotype.

Ok, listen. I know stereotypes are mostly a bad thing but I have to admit the Jewish mother stereotype is not far off. Jewish moms do tend to be chatty and a little nagging, are often very involved in their children’s lives, and they are often trying to feed everyone (although they don’t all cook, my mom hates cooking.) They also tend to be big worriers, mostly worrying about their family/loved ones. They also tend to know everyone somehow. A twenty minute trip to the grocery store can turn into an hour or two long trip because she’ll chat with all the people she runs into.

Jewish-American Princess (JAP) ((I know calling Japanese people Japs is offensive. Jews will call girls JAPs, but with a completely different meaning. If that’s still offensive I am sorry, but just know it happens.))

This is the stereotype that portrays Jewish girls/women as spoiled brats basically. They will be pampered and materialistic. Do these girls exist? Definitely. I still recommend steering away from this stereotype.

Names

Listen. Listen. There are some names that Jews just won’t have. I won’t speak in definites because there are always exceptions but you’ll rarely find a Jew named Trinity or Grace or Faith or any form of Chris/Christopher/Christina etc. Biblical names from the Old Testament? Absolutely Jews will have those names they’re actually very common.

I’m in a Jewish Sorority. My pledge class of ~70 girls had five Rebeccas and four Sarahs. Surprisingly only one Rachel though.

When it comes to last names I have two thoughts that might seem contradictory but hear me out: a) give your Jewish OC’s Jewish surnames, b) don’t give your Jewish OC’s the most Jewish surname to ever exist.

By this I mean I would much rather see a character named Sarah Cohen or Aaron Levine than Rachel Smith. Just that little bit of recognition makes a happy exclamation point appear over my head, plus it can be a good way to hint to readers that your OC is Jewish.

On the other hand, please don’t use the most stereotypical Jewish names you’ve ever heard. If you have five Jewish OCs and one of them is Isaac Goldstein then fine. If Isaac Goldstein is your only Jewish OC I might get a little peeved. There are tons of common Jewish surnames that are recognizable and easy to look up, so don’t revert to the first three that come to mind. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it yucky, for lack of a better word.

Jobs

We all know there are certain jobs that are stereotypical for Jews to have. We’re talking lawyer, dentist, doctor, banker type stuff. To an extent these stereotypes exist for a reason, many Jews go into those careers. Do not make these the only careers your Jewish OCs have. Stereotypes might have reasoning behind them but it doesn’t mean they aren’t harmful. If you have multiple Jewish OCs some of them can have these careers, but not all of them. I do know a lot of Jewish lawyers, dentists, and doctors. I also know accountants, people involved in businesses (“mom, what does Brad do?” “he’s a businessman” sometimes there just aren’t more specific words), people involved in real estate. I don’t actually know any bankers personally, and with money and stuff being one of the most common and harmful Jewish stereotypes I would suggest steering away from that.

These are common fields for Jews, but Jews can have literally any job. Please feel free to get creative. And if you have more than one Jewish OC you can think about making one of them a Rabbi, but DON’T do this if they’re the only Jewish OC. Please.

Yiddish

So I mentioned Yiddish earlier. Like I already said, it’s not a very widely used language anymore but there are some words and phrases that are still used by a lot of Jews (in America at least.) Here’s a list that is absolutely not comprehensive:

Oy vey = oh no

Shvitzing = sweating (but not just a little bit. Shvitzing is like SWEATING)

Kvetch/kvetching = whine/whining or complain/complaining

Mazel tov = congratulations; this is the same in Yiddish and Hebrew

Chutzpah = nerve or gall (e.g. “He’s got a lot of chutzpah for breaking up over text like that”)

Kismet = fate; I just learned this is Yiddish

Bubbe and Zayde = grandma and grandpa

Schelp/schlepping = drag/dragging, can also mean carry or move (e.g. “I had to schlep the bag all around town” doesn’t mean they literally dragged it)

Schmutz = dirt or something dirty (e.g. “you have schmutz on your face”)

Schmatta = literally means rag but can be used to refer to ratty blankets or clothes

Plotz = collapse (usually used in the sense of “I’m so tired I might plotz” or “she’s gonna be so excited she’s gonna plotz”)

Schmuck/shmendrick = both mean more or less the same, a jerk or obnoxious person

Shtick = gimmick, routine, or act (can be used like (“I don’t like that comedian’s shtick” or “he always makes himself the center of attention it’s his shtick”)

Spiel = long speech, story, or rant

There’s so many more so look them up and think about using them, but don’t overdo it. A Jewish person isn’t gonna use a Yiddish word in every sentence (or even every day or every few days.)

Israel

In my community at least it’s very common that by the time your college-aged that you’ll have been to Israel at least once.

Israel is a controversial topic within the Jewish community and in the world. It’s sensitive and complex. I really, really suggest not getting into it. Just don’t bring it up because no matter what you say someone will be unhappy. Just don’t do it.

Ashkenazi Disorders

Ashkenazi Jews have some sucky genes (I’m Ashkenazi so I can say this, you cannot.) These sucky genes cause certain disorders to be more prevalent for us. Children only get the disorder if both parents are carriers of the disorder, so Jews usually get genetic testing done before having children. If both parents are carriers the risk of the child getting the disorder is high, so parents might reconsider or have some indecisiveness/fear. Some of these are:

Tay-Sachs

Cystic Fibrosis

Canavan Disease

Familial Dysautonomia

Gaucher Disease

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Fanconi Anemia

Mucolipidosis IV

Niemann-Pick Disease

Torsion Dystonia

Bloom Syndrome

Ashkenazi Jews also have a high prevalence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women and increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer in men.

Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Lactose Intolerance are also very prevalent

In a dorm of like 40 Jews, six of them had Crohn’s.

Ways to Show Your OC is Jewish

Wears Jewish jewelry, e.g. Star of David (also called Jewish Star and Magen David), Chai symbol (means life), jewelry with Sh’ma prayer, or hamsa (but beware this symbol is used outside of Judaism).

Mentions their temple, their Rabbi, having a Bat/Bar Mitzvah, going to Hebrew School, Shabbat, or a holiday coming up.

Have someone ask them a question about Judaism.

Have someone notice they have a mezuzah on their door.

Most Jews will have a mezuzah on the doorframe of the front door of their house/apartment, but they could even have one for their dorm room or whatever. It’s traditional to kiss your hand then touch the mezuzah when walking through the door, but most Jews don’t do this every time, at least not most Reform or Conservative Jews.

Have them call out antisemitism if you’re feeling spicy

The end! I hope this helped and if you have any questions my ask box is always open!

#writing advice #writing tips #writing help #jewish characters #judaism #writing resources #writeblr community #wtwcommunity #i said i would make this post literally months ago but i finally did it!

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reina-morada · 3 years ago

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Why are you drawn to Islam? What about it appeals to you? I'm genuinely curious.

Salaam,

Honestly, it's a journey of many years. It all kind of falls together like dominos would.

As a child raised a devout Catholic, I considered entering religious life. I was drawn to the idea of living in dedication to God, veiling, living a life in service to others. By the time I was around thirteen, I found a lot of flaws in the Catholic institutions I was in. My religion teachers weren't theologians equipped to answer my questions or even that familiar with catechesis. I didn't believe in original sin, I didn't believe in Jesus' divinity (though I respected and revered him), and as far as I was concerned, the Catholics I knew cared far more about heaven and hell than they did the people around them. The punitive nature of Catholicism was drilled into me deeply. I convinced myself that I was unworthy of God's attention and love because of my sinful nature, this idea that I was naturally inclined to choose evil, specifically because my parents had sex to conceive me. I believed it. I used it to justify bad behavior, and hurtful decisions. "If God made me sinful, why bother to correct it?" kind of mindset. Eventually, I lost interest in the formal Catholic faith I was part in at a Catholic elementary/middle/high school.

When I was 16 I came across a video of a young boy reciting a verse from the Qur'an. I'd never heard the Qur'an out loud before. I didn't even know it was something to be recited rather than read. I knew next to nothing about Islam. But the recitation (it was 25:61) awoke something in me. Looking back, I realize now that hearing it reminded me of my fitra. It called me back to my original inclination, it drew me to seek more about the Qur'an, to understand and to learn as much as I could about the beautiful "music" I had heard. Just hearing a single verse out loud deeply found its way into my spirit. When I told my mother I thought I wanted to convert as a teenager, she threatened to throw me out of the house. At the time, all she knew of Islam was stereotypical. Terrorism, as you can imagine. I didn't blame her for being frightened, so I left it alone then. But when I got to college, I met other Muslims and began to spend more time with them. I began to do community service alongside them. Eat and drink and fast with them.

I started to read what I could, and I found that what I did read resonated with me deeply. No original sin in sight, our decisions are our own. No priests to be mediums for Allah-- I place my forehead to the ground and the Almighty listens to me himself. Paradise lies beneath my mothers feet, and a father's entrance into jannah is found with his daughters. If a woman miscarries, her lost child pulls her into jannah- even if she was destined for hellfire. Above all, the belief that we are indeed created good. Even if this life is a test for us, one with beautiful trinkets we have to fight to keep away from, we are called to choose good. Allah's mercy is so all encompassing that even if our sins reach the clouds, we only need to ask to be forgiven. Allah says that every step we take towards him, he comes to us running.

When the angels ask Allah (swt) why he created us when we're prone to destruction Allah replies, "Because I know what you do not." I cry thinking about that hope Allah has in us. I am honored and content to be part of a religion that blesses us just for smiling at a stranger. That rewards us as though we've done a good deed just for thinking about doing one, then rewards us even more when we actually do it. Dhikr with tasbih focuses me more on the divine than the rosary ever did. I am proud to follow a Prophet who visited a woman who threw trash on his doorstep every single day, because the one day she didn't he thought it was strange- and found her sick. His concern for her brought her to Islam. When once I had convinced myself I was inherently evil, Islam reminded me of my closeness to Allah, how he is closer than our jugular veins. That when we remember Allah, it's Allah remembering us. Allah chose me out of millions to be a Muslim, alhamdullilah.

In the end it was very... keep all the Prophets. Keep the Torah, keep the Psalms, the Gospels, keep Mary, keep Jesus (sans divinity), add Muhammad. And that was it. And I'm content, comforted, and happy in community. It's what fills my spirit with love for Allah, for my family, friends, and humanity. That's not to say I didn't reconcile with Catholicism as a theologian, but personally, I'm happy within Islam.

I hope this helps

#anon #islam #catolica #answers

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themightyaliendwarf · 4 years ago

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TPN s02e08

Maaan, what an rollercoaster! We literally go from amazing to fine to incredible. Which kinda makes me angry because this is how this season SHOULD look like. Okay, fine, let’s skip Goldy Pond, but let’s make it equally amazing as this. Just in an anime original way. And this episode proves they COULD do it. It’s a pity that it took them over a half of the season to reach this point. But let’s start from the beginning.

1. So, Peter Ratri is voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya. I was joking with my friend that it might be the reason why the quality of the animation isn’t always the best - because he took a half of the budget. Anyway, I think he is doing a good job with voicing this character right now, but I will wait with the final judgement for the Peter’s meltdown scene.

2. Just a fun fact I read in the manga: apparently when Isabella tells Norman that he is going to a new home, Shirai used the kanji that can also mean ‘cage’.

3. Another thing I loved: they showed how Norman found about Vincent. It’s shown in the extra pages for one of the volumes (I don’t remember in which one right now).

4. Again, I like that the first 7-8 minutes were fully focused on Lambda. I think that this is something that anime-only people really needed (without the context, it’s difficult understand how MUCH those guys hate the demons and why). And for manga readers it was cool to see it in colour. But on the other hand, I’m kinda disappointed that they just showed us the images of the experiments. I think adding movement and sound would make those scenes absolutely terrifying. But hey, at least they showed it!

5. So, we found out a little bit about the escape, buuuut it was nearly as much as I was hoping for. Based on the panels in the manga, we could have already guessed that they used some kind of explosives. I guess we still need to wait for another special chapter/light novel.

6. Annnd after the amazing lambda part we jump to the search... Now, do you know why this whole thing was more engaging in the manga?

Because we got her. I don’t think it will be controversial if I say that the search for Mujika was really boring. Just a bunch of pictures and building up suspense by showing us that CGI demon. Speaking of that demon!

7. You know what pains a lot in this episode? SO MANY reused animations. I mean, the test solving animation, the demon, the chase, later the demons degenerating and demons eating other demons... look, I know they want to save money, but there are some limits!

8. Apparently Ray, a guy who has been living in the wilderness for months, needs a watch to tell that sun is setting. Just a minor nitpick that I had to point out.

9. Okay, I think we can official crown Norman as our new edge lord. I mean that monologue on the top of the rock... I know that words are from the manga, but when it’s shown like that, it looks more silly than serious. Also, the quote ‘I will gladly become a God or a devil’, doesn’t make THAT much sense here, because we didn’t get this scene:

To me it felt like unnecessary fan service towards manga readers, but I’m happy for you if you liked this scene. Norman is allowed to become our tiny edge lord.

10. You know what made me angry? Don and Ray shooting the demon, but Emma and Gilda not. Yes, Emma does it a second later, but it became a trend to give her badass scenes to boys. The next scene, however, made me furious.

11. Ray shoots the demon and then he and Emma share a sigh of relief. But then it turns out that the wild demon is still alive and it’s going to eat Emma. Wait a minute... I have seen it somewhere... OH, RIGHT!

Of course, there are situations where Emma is the one who is being saved. The problem is that in the anime she is always being saved by someone - never the other way around. I’m happy that Ray is given stuff to do, but why is it that he is given Emma’s stuff. Come on!

12. Also, how did they know that it was Norman who caused the explosion? How far did they actually went? Are you going to tell me that they were in practically the same location for months and nobody found them? Again, those are nitpicks, but they bother me a lot!

13. Also, apparently the drug is now spread through the air, and Norman’s whole gang is made out of edge lords who need to stand dramatically on the chimneys. I can imagine that during planning they had a conversation similar to: - Boss, do you know what ever genocide needs? - What? - Dramatic JoJo posing over the burning villages. - Good, good... write that down!

14. Okay, enough ranting, let’s move to the incredible stuff. First of all, the music in those last scenes really reminded me of the Witcher Soundtrack and I LOVE the Witcher soundtrack. So epic!

15. I actually stopped taking notes at this point, because I was so immersed in everything that was happening on the screen. The music, the tone, the colours, the expressions - THIS! This is what this anime should be from the very beginning. Making us care about the demons, and showing that they are also the victims of this system. The actual dread and thriller, the moral issues, engaging plot lines.

16. The scene with the old demon and Norman? Good anime original content? How is it possible? When the old demon asks Norman whether he is a human and he doesn’t answer - because at this point he himself isn’t sure. Yes, give me more of that!

17. Norman being terrified after seeing blood on his hands? That’s a good change from the manga Norman, because it makes narrative sense. Really, CloverWorks, how can you make such an amazing scene after those 6 mediocre and one good episode?

Anyway, it’s difficult for me to add anything right now because I don’t feel like I have enough words to describe how much I loved that last scene. Does it mean I have forgiven this season its previous sins? No, but I’m a happier person right now, and I’m REALLY looking forward into the next episode.

#tpn #the promised neverland #tpn s2 ep8 #anime #season 2 #tpn manga spoilers #tpn anime spoilers

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sleepymarmot · 3 years ago

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The Green Knight

I have once again committed the grave sin of reading something just to watch an adaptation immediately afterwards

...and unfortunately, it resulted in me not liking the adaptation very much and now I can’t tell whether it is because of its own merits or simply by comparison.

Why did a 2021 film have worse pacing than a XIV century poem? The poem’s plot had me genuinely engaged even when impatient; I can’t count how many times I glanced on my phone or hit pause while watching the film. But I can appreciate that the film had a twist/fakeout ending of its own which also caught me off guard.

I recognized Alicia Vikander as Essel but not as the Lady, I thought it was a different actresss lmao. And then wondered which of them was playing the wife in the vision and apparently it was someone else...

The old woman in the castle was not played by the same actress as Gawain’s mother, though, but it was supposed to be some kind of representation of her, right? Like a vessel or a spirit? Since in the poem that was Morgan but in the film she’s in Camelot and Gawain is her son and she’s uhh arranging a test for him so he can mature before he inherits the crown I guess. And also that’d explain how the sash turned up in the castle in the film version.

I’m kind of disappointed that the encounter with the Lady manages to be less sexy than the poem version where she literally goes “I’m trapping you in your bed :)” and he tries to play it cool and the UST goes on for three separate long scenes. But no, let’s disgust and/or scandalize viewers with onscreen bodily fluids instead 🙄

Speaking of that: I wasn’t impressed with moments of vulgarity that seemed to exist only to make the film edgier. On the other hand, I don’t think the Lady kissed Gawain; if you got the R rating, then use it and give that guy a handjob right in the forest, don’t be shy! Again, the XXI century work is somehow less gay than the XIV century one where Gawain kisses his host six times in total, and on the third day it’s three times in a row and so passionate that the recipient remarks on it. Meanwhile, even the one kiss remaining in the 2021 version is unwanted and predatory. Representation...

It’s a shame that what I found most striking about the poem, the structure and the true nature of the challenge, became muddled in the film. “You thought it was a weirdly long distraction? It was the real challenge all along” and “A hero’s ability to withstand a fantastical danger is a metaphor for being an exemplary member of society” are, IMO, not at all outdated (but maybe these are the default in this kind of literature and I’m just uninformed). I don’t think the film even explains what’s actually going on — how does a viewer unfamiliar with the original story interpret the ending? Also why does this film hate bright colors :( I thought we were past the “everything was brown dirty and grim in the Middle Ages” stage? Why make a long speech about what the color green represents, it’s a film, you can show me!

One thing I caught while writing this post: Gawain isn’t actually a knight during the movie, right? We see him knighted in the bad end flash-forward. Which means he didn’t lie to the bandits! I thought this was another of his failures — denying he’s a knight out of cowardice...

Another note connected to it: I don’t buy that “Why would you ask me that? Why would you ever ask me that?” is a criticism/deconstruction of chivalry because Gawain isn’t acting like a knight! And if the previous paragraph is correct, he isn’t one at all! This might be a criticism of his personal assholery, male entitlement maybe, but not the role Gawain is meant to play — I can’t imagine the ideal he’s supposed to live up to, the virtuous and courteous poem!Gawain, asking for a reward upfront.

I did like the headless girl (an actual saint, as I just learned), the giants and the “photograph”. (The commentary for the poem said it was being subversive by not detailing Gawain’s adventures, so it’s funny the film put them “back” in.) I enjoyed the final confrontation. As much as I wish I could see the gorgeous green-and-gold outfit I love the fantastical tree look too; I don’t mind that the Green Knight and the Lord are two different characters and I understand why the three days of hunting and seduction had to be condensed into one. And I did find it clever that Gawain has a vision of dying miserably when he’s in despair and that prompts him to act twice, not only in the Green Chapel but when he’s tied up in the forest, another green chapel (only figured this out after the movie ended). So I’m not just complaining because an adaptation changed something — something I just encountered. But, well, it’s a very slow film with a protagonist who goes past “yes I know he’s supposed to be a failure, that’s what his character development is about” into the “actively unlikeable” territory, and also has the same expression for half of the movie. So, as a person who knows nothing about arthuriana beyond this poem I just read, I don’t feel competent to give a verdict more objective than this: an artsy film didn’t entertain me as much I expected to.

(Side note: As I was watching, “To the Headless Horseman” was somewhere in the back of my mind, and now that I saw someone else mention it too, I realize how well the lyrics fit, especially with the poem version. “God keep the bounty hunter who shows mercy to his prey”... “And as you approached, I could sense the threat, but a stranger’s just a friend who hasn’t shared their secrets yet”...)

(Side note 2: I like how the poem presents an etiquette puzzle. The fact that Gawain was trying to save his life was immediately forgiven; in fact, the initial terms never specified he would have to die to the Green Knight’s blow, only “accept” it. He got a cut on his neck not for cowardice, but for dishonesty on the third day, i. e. keeping the gifted sash a secret. But if he kept the promise made to the husband, he would have broken the promise of silence made to the wife. Which means that the correct choice would be not to accept the sash in the first place, which, coincidentally, is the choice that requires him to bravely accept his fate.)

#the green knight #blah blah blah #shout out to the two academics responsible for the russian translation and commentary for the poem. where would i be without them #as usual:#me during a movie: i have nothing to say #me afterwards: *typing furiously*

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dustydahlin · 4 years ago

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The Gospel

The gospel is one of the greatest teachings in the Bible. But what is it?!

The concept of the gospel comes from the Greek word εὐαγγελίζω (euangelizō). Ultimately, it means good news. Throughout the New Testament, it is seen that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of restoration and reconciliation to God.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, we are giving the most concise understanding of the gospel. It states the gospel is the death, burial, resurrection, and appearing of Jesus. This is of insurmountable importance. This informs us that the good news must be inextricably tied to the person of Messiah. Any "gospel" that would remove Jesus Christ is no good news at all. If there is any good to be found, it will only be found in Jesus.

Also, 1 Cor. 15:1-5 is important because it draws the heart and the mind to that which was accomplished through the death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah. It points to the work of Jesus. Paul elaborates on this in Romans 4:24-25. He states how Jesus "was delivered up [died] for our trespasses and raised [resurrected] for our justification" (ESV). Here, we see the deeper significance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus mentioned in 1 Cor. 15. We see how these elements serve to communicate the atoning work of Christ - and all that was accomplished through his sacrifice.

Now it is important to note how the gospel is good news.

As will be addressed below, the gospel is good news for man and it is good news for God.

It is obvious how the gospel of Jesus is good news for mankind. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, he created a perfect world which he declared "very good" (Gen. 1:31). God imagined a perfect world. A world without death, sorrow, pain, and suffering. It was the very world God created in Genesis 1 and 2. And even so, Adam and Eve rebelled against God and brought sin (and its consequences) into the world. This rebellion injected sin into the hereditary fabric of humanity, and - whether we like it or not - all mankind is prone to the sinful torments of the flesh (Rom. 5:12,19). That is the bad news! But the good news is God intervened.

{Dusty’s Recommendation}

God sent Jesus into the world to restore and reconcile mankind back to himself. Because of the work of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, we can have hope beyond the temporary, we have the promise of new life, we are given purpose, and we were reconciled to God; and now we can enjoy a relationship with him. God did what we could not do. He bridged the chasm that exists between heaven and humanity, and he sought to undo the damage sin had done to the world and mankind. This work was completed and freely given to any, and all, who would accept Jesus Christ by faith. This is truly good news!

Secondly, the gospel is good news for God. While it may not be as obvious, it is equally important and deserves attention.

One of "Scriptures' most significant meta-narratives is that of God's desire to be glorified" (Mark Dahlin). Ultimately, God desires to be glorified on earth. He is good. He is benevolent. He is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger. He is holy. He is majestic. He is patient. He is powerful! It is not only that he deserves the praise, honor, and glory, but his worth is of unsurpassable benefit.

God's desire for such is seen in many instances throughout the Bible. In Isaiah 48:9-11, God declares,

"For my name's sake I defer my anger;

for the sake of my praise [glory] I restrain it for you,

that I may not cut you off.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;

I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,

for how should my name be profaned?

My glory I will not give to another"

Similarly, when God promises the New Covenant in Ezekiel 36, he describes his motivation in establishing it as "I had concern for my holy name... I will vindicate the holiness of my great name... It is not for your sake that I will act... [and] Then they will know that I am the Lord" (21-38). This incredible prophecy of the messianic covenant clearly describes God's motivation. It shows his desire to be glorified. To be praised. To be honored and adored (cf. Eph. 1: 3, 6, 12, 14).

{Dusty’s Recommendation}

This (and many other scriptural instances) demonstrate God's desire to be glorified. As is implicit in Eph. 1:3-14, the work of Jesus Christ is not just good news for humankind. It is good news for God! By reconciling and restoring people to himself, God is ultimately made glorious in the lives of people. The gospel is good news for God because it was "to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:14). Despite our humanity and our self-centeredness, the gospel is much greater than just good news for us. It is the good news for God! The work of Jesus Christ to bring us back into right standing with Yahweh was intended to also make God look beautiful, glorious, and magnanimous in the world. Perhaps this is why it is said, "God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance" (Rom 2:4). The gospel is good news for God because it was intended to show his lovingkindness and draw people to himself.

Having described the gospel as the good news of restoration and reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ, the Bible also highlights a few significant elements which underlay the gospel message. Below is a concise outline of the foundational elements to the biblical presentation of the good news.

Elements of the Gospel:

1) Grace - "The explanation for God's saving action lies nowhere but in God himself" (J. Knox Chamblin). Grace can be defined as divine influence to, and through, mankind.

Simply put, the good news of restoration stems from the goodwill and gracious character of God. It was God's desire (and design) to save those whom He loves (cf. Ezek. 18:32; 1 Tim. 2:4-5; 2 Peter 3:9)!

This is why the historic events of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are so important (1 Cor. 15:1-4). It was nothing less than God's gracious mercy that caused God to become incarnate so as to live, to die a substitutionary death, and to resurrect as the first fruits from the dead (Phil. 2:6-11; John 1:1-5, 14-18; 1 Cor. 15:20, 23). The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as our Jewish Messiah, are all part of God's grace to mankind (cf. Rom.4:24-25). It was through the person and work of Jesus that God created a means through which mankind could be saved. Knowing that man could not save/restore themselves, God intervened.

“What is impossible with man is possible with God" (Luke 18:27).

How amazing is the grace of God! He made himself singly responsible for the work that would bring the restoration and reconciliation of mankind.

{Dusty’s Recommendation}

2) Free Gift - This is exactly as it sounds.

By free gift, I refer to something undeserved and unearned. This concept is seen in many passages. (cf. Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; etc...).

Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"There being no righteousness to reward, Yahweh acted to create righteousness in Israel" (J. Knox Chamblin) (cf. Isaiah 53:11; Isaiah 53:3-12). The Bible clearly demonstrates that "none are righteous before God" (Rom. 3:10). And, that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). There was no way to earn reconciliation. All of humankind is inherently sinful. Even our best attempts to please and appease God would fall short of the necessary righteous requirements. Knowing this, Yahweh offered a free gift to all of mankind. Any, and all, that would believe in Jesus Christ could be saved (1 Tim. 2:4-5; 2 Peter 3:9) – no works, no merit, just faith.

Our fallenness was not the desire of God. God never desired corruption, wickedness, and sin. So, He freely chose to present the gift of restoration to mankind. To "as many" as are born under the curse of Adam (which is everyone), and are plagued with the inherent consequences of sin, Messiah offered the good news of restoration to all who would receive it by faith (Rom. 5:16-18).

Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned..."

3) Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit is an essential element of the good news of restoration.

Part of God's gospel of restoration is that He would send the Holy Spirit. This was done, by grace, as a means of reconciliation for a restored relationship with God. This, perhaps, may be seen most clearly in the Old Testament proclamations of messianic restoration (Ezek. 36: 23-29; Ezek. 37:3-10, 14; Jer. 31:31-34: Joel 2:28-30; etc...). The Good News and promise of restoration would not be complete without the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Ezek. 36:25-27, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."

We have been restored/reconciled back to right relationship with God. The Holy Spirit is the member of the Trinity who is responsible for giving us unfettered access to God and bestowing the blessings and promises of God upon his people (2 Cor. 3:4-18; John 14-16). In the New Testament, under the New Covenant, the dispensing of the Holy Spirit is seen as a fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. Messiah would die a substitutionary death, raise in three days, and pour out the Holy Spirit as part of the good news of restoration. This can be seen in Eph. 1.

Eph. 1:13-14, "In Him [Jesus] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory."

Rom. 8:9b, "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."

The Holy Spirit is an essential element of the Gospel. Without him, there would be no regeneration, no life, no promises, and no relationship with God. Jer. 31 states that "they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest." The Holy Spirit is given freely to all who would believe in Jesus Christ so that all would know God personally and intimately. God, the Holy Spirit, has been given to each believer. This was part of God's plan of restoration.

4) Final Perfect Restoration - There will be a day...

The final essential element of the Gospel is that of a final, perfect restoration. "The gospel bears witness to every aspect of Christ's saving work, from his birth and public ministry to his second coming and the last judgment" (J. Knox Chamblin). A massive part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that of the complete restoration of mankind, the heavens, and the earth. This aspect of the Gospel is also seen in both the Old and New Testaments. From Isaiah's proclamation of the Good News to John's Revelation of Jesus, the Good News has always been that God would COMPLETELY AND PERFECTLY restore that which was marred by sin and death (Isaiah 25-26; Isaiah 60-62; Revelation 19-22).

This aspect of the good news is that the Lord will return physically, personally, and literally; believers will receive their glorified, immortal bodies; and (at the end of the age) there will be a final judgment of all wickedness and sin, and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth (1 Cor. 15; Rev. 21:1-5; Rom. 8:18-25; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; etc…). This is the culmination and consummation of God's plan of salvation and restoration. God, being rich in mercy, has sovereignly decided to move all things toward an age of perfect peace, where there will be no more crying, sorrow, or pain.

1 Cor. 15:50-57, "I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

'Death is swallowed up in victory.'

'O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Rev. 21:1-5 states, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'”

Bakers Evangelical Dictionary of Bible Theology states, "'The hope held out in the gospel' (Col. 1:23) includes Christ's return and the heavenly glory (Col. 1:5; 2 Thess. 2:14-16), as well as the final judgment (Rom. 2:16). For those who embrace the gospel, the judgment holds no terrors, because the Judge has rescued them." How great is the good news of restoration through Jesus Christ! We have the future promise of complete and perfect restoration - where God will fully, and finally, receive the glory he is due!

#thegospel #the gospel coalition #the gospel of jesus #what is the good news #good news #the good news #the good news of jesus #what is the gospel

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headoverhiddles · 5 years ago

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I Fiori Del Male - John Brannox (The New Pope) x Reader [Smut]

Synopsis: Scandal is trivial when it comes to Catholic factions, as long as it’s well hidden. You, a nude model, and the High Priest of England are forced to put that to the test during one last night of passion, when Papacy looms.

Notes: Once again my love of old men is my downfall. I watched the show for Manson, and ended up really liking John Malkovich’s character as well. He’s just so sweet and charming! So here’s a sporadic one shot I really enjoyed writing.

Gif belongs to lousolversons!

Your robe trails behind you along the marble floors of the manor. It’s the middle of the night, and you knew he’d be waiting for you when you arrived on the grounds.

“You’re early,” John says, smiling. You shut the door quietly, walking over to the bed and discarding your robe. The older man is sitting, contented, by his fireplace, harp resting comfortably in his lap.

“I got here just when I intended to,” you reply, and he pauses his playing of the harp to admire your body. He turns back to face the far wall.

“You’ve heard the news, I take it.”

You take a breath. You hadn’t expected him to bring that up before joining you in bed… it took a toll on the expected activities of the night. “Yes. I’ve heard.” He plucks a couple of the strings on the harp, and you realize you’ve closed the conversation too early. “When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow.” That, you weren’t expecting. John glances over, eyebrows raising a little at your reaction. “You’re upset.”

“I’m surprised,” you correct, though you can’t ignore the tugging feeling you have in your stomach. John stands, abandoning his instrument, and walks leisurely over to the bed in his purple velvet dressing gown. A small smile appears on his lips.

“You’re upset.” Before you can search your brain for any excuse or assurance that you were, in fact, unaffected, he puts his hands on your shoulders. “I’m upset as well.”

“You agreed,” you whisper.

“After difficult deliberation.”

“It mustn’t have been all too difficult. Will you take all your books and antiques? Music, cultured possessions, what you need to teach Rome?”

“I’ll take what I can.”

“What about what you can’t?”

“The Papacy is an honor.”

“You’re a high priest.”

“Pope is a tad higher, my dear. An honor which should have been bestowed upon my brother. Or according to my dear parents, that is.”

“So, what?” you ask, blinking demurely up at him through your eyelashes, “You want to prove you can be a better Pope than Adam could have been?” Any other man with John’s history would have lashed out at that. But your lover was a gentle, kind man—commanded loyalty and obedience, no doubt, but he did so with benevolence.

“I do not know what sort of Pope Adam would have been, since Adam is dead. A living Pope is superior to a dead one, so right from the start, I… have a slight advantage.” His tone is contemplative, empty of any implied sarcasm. You sit up on your knees, and place your right hand on top of his, where it’s still resting on your shoulder. You then begin to kiss up his arm, until you can no longer bunch his dressing gown sleeve any higher.

“Take this off?” you ask, eyes hooded.

“Already there, are we?” he murmurs, taking your hand and squeezing it. “I thought there’d be more of an argument.”

“Passion, good or bad, shows its colors in the throes of pleasure,” you respond, and move your hands in, feeling his chest and shrugging the robe off for him. He removes his underclothes with precision, eyes never leaving your naked body.

“You’re like a sculpture, my dear (y/n),” he says, leaning in to brush his lips across your cheek.

“You can’t touch sculptures,” you breathe, crawling backward on the bed. He joins you, eyes descending to your spreading legs.

“I can do as I please. I’ll be the Pope this time next week.”

You grin, and he kisses you properly, lips always the perfect feeling against yours. The pleasant familiarity of his beard scratching your chin almost helps you forget that it may be the last time you’d feel it.

“A work of art,” he continues, “I stare at the painting of you we’ve got in our west wing drawing room. If I wasn’t leaving so abruptly, I’d have half a mind to have it moved to my study.”

“Why don’t you move it to your chapel?”

“What an intriguing idea.”

“People would certainly talk.”

“People do talk. It doesn’t mean we have to listen.”

You giggle, wrapping your legs around him and dragging your foot up his back. “You’re no Pope, John Brannox.”

“On the contrary. I believe I can restore sanity to the Vatican, if nothing else.” You hum, and he feels a hand down your chest, cupping your breast as he makes sure you’re wet and ready for him.

“I remember the day I was painted on that couch,” you say. “I do so many, it’s hard to recall most, but that one I remember. It had been commissioned by your estate. It was to go to the High Priest of England, Sir John Brannox, the painter told me.”

“And did that affect your position, my dear?” he smirks, touching your clit. You gasp, rolling your hips up to his hand.

“Yes. I posed as I do in my others, but my eyes… they bore the seduction. I imagined what you would do with the art. Perhaps, your reaction to it.”

“My reaction to it was most underwhelming, I must disappoint you,” he smiles, “I couldn’t very well show how taken with it I was.”

“But did you think of me that night?” you moan.

“Every night since,” he replies. “I was enchanted. I still am.”

“And I am enamored with you,” you tell him, pressing your lips to his again. “When you arranged that meeting with me, I believed you would be the same as every important man in this country.”

“I am not?” he asks.

“You know you’re not. You’re not arrogant. You flaunt, but you do so tastefully. That, I can forgive.”

“If your goal was to flatter me into proper form, it’s done the trick,” he laughs fondly, and you look down to see him hard. You place his hands on your breasts again.

“Soon, that painting will be your only reminder of me. Touch me while you can. Commit my body to memory for lonely nights, and I will do the same.”

He does as you say, burying himself inside you with a laboured intake of breath. You hold onto him as he builds up a perfect pace, each thrust deep and satisfying. He listens to your body, knows without a word from you when he needs to try something new.

“Will you find another lover as versatile as I am?” he teases, new vigor restored to his expression as he takes his younger companion. You roll your eyes. No man is immune to praise, especially that of the sexual nature and during the act.

“Your talents will remain unmatched, I’m sure,” you huff, and he thrusts in hard, grunting softly.

“Are you certain you won’t find some… younger man, who will bring you to your climax faster?”

“I will never fuck a man who does not appreciate the art of slowly taking a woman apart like you do,” you tell him.

“That’s reassuring,” he says, “These new romantics these days have studied up on their poetry, I’m sure, and I’m glad for it.”

You breath his name as his thrusts get faster, then recall a line of poetry out of Rome that you’ve always meant to write down somewhere. “Che mistero è questo, che posso sentire le mie labbra sulla punta delle dita.” (What mystery is this, that I can feel my lips in your fingertips.)

He gasps, hips moving quickly as he responds in broken Italian. “E quando mi ha guardato, avevo dimenticato quale fosse la sofferenza, ma sono morto mille morti.” (And when she looked at me, I had forgotten what suffering was, but died a thousand deaths.)

“I want you to take me harder than you’ve taken anyone,” you whisper in his ear, lips falling further open and legs spreading even wider for him, “I won’t break.”

He takes this seriously, reaching every part of your body and going harder than you’ve seen him ever before. It’s magnificent, but he’s starting to get tired, you can tell by the way his forearms are beginning to quiver.

“I’m very close,” the older man whispers in your ear, stroking your hair back, “Are you?” You arch your back, your fevered moans reaching their desperate crescendo in an answer to his question.

“Come when you need to,” you tell him softly, “I don’t mind.” But he’s not about to leave you. A few more thrusts, and you both finish together.

John breathes heavily beside you, lowering himself down and pulling out of you. You watch him as he gets up, and walks over to his mirror, sitting down in front of it to wipe at some of the dark eyeliner he had forgotten to remove before nighttime. You stretch out across his four poster bed, golden sheets satin against your skin.

"Do you love me, John?"

There was a steady pause, more silence following still.

"Yes."

The answer sounded careless, but you knew him to be a careful man. You meet his eyes in the mirror. "Then take me with you."

He merely looks back at you, a sort of softness in his eyes. It's nothing like condescension, the knowing male gaze that tells you that you simply wouldn't understand. His eyes carry the weight of knowing that you know, and knowing what that means for him.

A night spent together with an unmarried young woman carries more gravity when it is done wearing the Cloth. As a High Priest, it can be explained away to God as a simple sin, a carnal desire passed off and forgotten in a confessional, but under Papacy? Such a thing is not so easily forgiven.

“Everything evil in this world is hysteria of love,” he says. “Distortions of our ability to love. It’s a beautiful thing, but it’s just beyond my grasp. And my hopes are, you can share it with another. Please, for both of our sakes, my dear… mistake my love, one last time, for tenderness. For that is what I can offer you, and all that I can offer you.”

From that moment, you knew. He was the New Pope.

#john malkovich fucks #yea I said it #this is probably the most romantic my writing has gotten since I was like 14 #john malkovich #john malkovich x reader #reader x john malkovich #john paul III #john paul III x reader #the new pope #the new pope hbo #pope daddy #john brannox #the young pope #john brannox x reader

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pamphletstoinspire · 4 years ago

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Learn to Preserve Inner Peace

Sometimes you might fall into some sin or negligence in word or deed, such as disturbing yourself at anything which happens to you, or murmuring, or listening to murmuring, or falling into some dispute, irritation, curiosity, or suspicion of others, or into any other fault, whether it be one or many falls.

In such cases, you ought not to be disturbed or disheartened or saddened at the thought of what has happened, nor be confounded within yourself, at one time, believing that you will never be free from such infirmities, at another, that your faults and irresolution are the cause of them, or again, imagining that you are not walking in the spirit and way of the Lord, with a thousand other fears, pressing down your soul at every step with discontent and cowardice.

Otherwise you would feel ashamed to present yourself before God, or you would do so in a spirit of distrust, as though you had not preserved that faith in Him which is His due. And as a remedy, you would waste time in pondering over these things, scrutinizing how much you harbored the thought and whether you consented to it, whether it was voluntary or was at once put away. And, from taking the wrong road, the more you think of it, the less you are able to make up your mind about it, and the more your weariness, perplexity, and anxiety to confess it increase.

And so you go to Confession with a tedious fear, and, after having lost much time in making your confession, your spirit is even more uneasy than it was before it, for fear that you have not told all. Thus your life is one spent in bitterness and anxiety, with little fruit, and with the loss in a great measure of its reward.

All this comes from not knowing your own natural weakness and the way the soul should bear itself toward God. For after having fallen into all the faults we have enumerated, or into any others, we may more easily approach God by a humble and loving conversion, than by the spirit of grief and discontent at the fault itself, in the case of the examination of venial and ordinary sins, to which alone I now allude. For it is only into such sins as these that a soul that lives in the manner I am now supposing is wont to fall. And I am speaking only of those persons who lead a spiritual life and are striving to advance in it, and are free from mortal sin. For those who live carelessly and in mortal sin, and are always more or less offending God, have need of a different kind of exhortation; and this medicine is not for them. Such persons should be troubled and ought to weep and to make their examination and confession with much thought, lest, through their own fault and indifference, they render the remedy that is necessary for their salvation unavailing.

To return, then, to speak of the quiet and peace in which the servant of God should ever abide, I will go further and say that this conversion must be understood to apply — in order that there might be entire trust in God — not only to slight and daily faults, but also to such as are greater and more grave than usual, if at any time the Lord should permit you to fall into such; even though they may be many together, and are not merely the effects of weakness and frailty, but of willfulness. For the contrition that only disturbed the soul and filled it with scruples will never lead it to perfection, unless it is combined with this loving confidence in the goodness and mercy of God.

And this is especially necessary in the case of persons who not only seek to rise out of their miseries, but would also acquire a high degree of sanctity and a great love for and union with God.

Many spiritual persons, from not wishing to understand this aright, ever bear about with them a heart and a spirit broken and distrustful, which hinders their spiritual progress and capacity for the higher graces, which one after another God has prepared for them. These often lead a sort of life that is very wretched, useless, and pitiable, because they will follow only their own imaginations and will not embrace the true and wholesome doctrine that leads by the royal road to the high and solid virtues of the Christian life and to that peace which was left us by Christ Himself.

Such persons, whenever they find themselves in some disquietude through doubts of conscience, should seek the counsel of their spiritual father or of someone whom they think capable of giving them the advice they need, and should commit themselves to him and rest entirely in his judgment.

Learn to recover your soul’s calmness

Take this rule, whenever you fall into a fault, be it great or small, even though you may have committed the same four thousand times in a day, and always voluntarily and with advertency: never allow yourself to fall into a state of morose bitterness, and do not be disquieted, nor waste your time by scrutinizing yourself. But at once acknowledge what you have done, and, humbly regarding your own weakness, turn lovingly to your God, and say to Him with your lips, or with your mind only, “Lord, I have done this, being what I am, and nothing else could be expected from me, save only these and similar faults, and I would not have stopped where I did, had not Thy goodness lifted me up and continued with me. I give Thee thanks for that from which Thou hast preserved me, and I grieve over that which I have done through not corresponding with Thy grace. Pardon me, and give me grace that I may never offend Thee anymore, and may nothing ever separate me from Thee, whom I desire ever to serve and to obey.”

Having done this, do not waste time in anxious thoughts, imagining that the Lord has not forgiven you. But, in a spirit of faith and repose, continue your exercises, as if you had not fallen at all.

And this you must do, not only once, but a hundred times, if it is needed, and at every moment, and with the same confidence and repose the last time as the first. For in this way, you will do great honor to the goodness of God, whom you are bound to conceive of as all-gracious and infinite in compassion beyond all that you can imagine.

Thus, nothing will come to disturb your progress, your perseverance, and your onward course; nor will you let time pass away vainly and fruitlessly. Moreover, you may, by thus acting, even turn your sin and failing to account, rising from it with an intense act of acknowledgment of your misery and of self-abasement before God; accompanying it with an act of acknowledgment of His mercy — loving and exalting it. And this very fall will enable you to rise higher than you were before you fell, through the help that God gives you, provided you make good use of it.

If those who are of an anxious and restless temperament would give heed to what has been here said, they would discover how great is their blindness in thus losing time, to their own great hurt. And this warning should be carefully noted, for it is one of the keys that the soul has for unlocking great spiritual treasures, and thereby for becoming rich in a short time.

BY: LORENZO SCUPOLI

From: https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/

#preserve inner peace

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autumnslance · 5 years ago

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Prompt #17: Obeisant

Dearest Rashae,

I hope you won’t mind the pack of letters that you’re going to receive in bulk from a pixie. It almost seems easier to write to you than in my journal, even if I cannot send them so often as I might like. Perhaps it’s the need for connection to home, as far away from even Eorzea that I am.

Before I go much further: Yes, I have checked my journal for entries I don’t remember writing. She’s not saying anything. Yet.

I’m writing you from Mord Souq. As I told you before, it’s the largest “city” left in Amh Araeng. It’s perhaps only a little bigger than Vesper Bay, and almost as busy as that port.

I’ve joined up with another bounty hunter after another of the Cardinal Virtues. Granson lost his fiancee to this one a year ago. I thought, at first, his many scars were a result of his hunts--but the majority of them are self-inflicted, a way of dealing with his pain and visual reminder of his promise to hunt the one they call Dikaiosyne.

I knew him as Blanhaerz. His real name was Branden. He was a knight of Voeburt before becoming a Warrior of Light, before the Flood. Like the others, he sacrificed himself to save this realm. Now his remains have been twisted into this mockery.

Granson wants revenge; I want to put Ardbert’s brother to rest. He doesn’t deserve this fate. None of them do.

At least, that’s what I believe. It’s one of the few beliefs I have left.

We tracked a piece of antique jewelry to Amh Araeng. Sin eaters are creatures of instinct, feral and unthinking. The Cardinal Virtues I have hunted so far have been different, each one driven by instinct, yes, but the instinct was influenced by a strong memory of their past. In Renda-Rae’s case, the hunt for the beast that took her friends. For Nyelbert, rescuing Taynor from the Rift. For Branden, it has something to do with these pieces of antique jewelry; I am unsure yet as to their significance, and my brief meeting with Dikaiosyne earlier did not enlighten me.

Usually my glimpses of the former Warriors of Light trigger the Echo, sending me reeling as they vanish once again, leaving my companions and I to start over in our hunt. Today, though, I was seeking a scavenger who had found a companion to the piece Dikaiosyne had stolen last year, when he attacked Granson’s village.

I was too late, by ilms and seconds.

I heard the man’s screaming, and crested the dune just in time to see the horrific transformation once more. I shall never be used to it, and hope our actions here soon abolish its like occurring ever again. Dikaiosyne spared not a glance at his newborn, nor for me. He simply picked up the fallen choker and left in a haze, as they are wont to do.

The new eater still had just enough of its original mind left to beg me for the only aid I could give. So I did what had to be done.

After, as it broke into component aether, I tried to pray for the lost man’s soul...and found I could not.

I have spent so much time now fighting others’ gods. Learning the nature of primals, of the summoning Louisoix attempted at Carteneau. And now, so far from home, I have learned a new truth, of the Crystal and Her counterpart, of the history of the world and the heart of our beliefs--of my very existence and purpose.

And I realized, standing there in the shifting, sandy Hills of Amber, that I cannot pray. Not anymore. Not to gods I do not, cannot, believe in.

Part of me wanted to laugh, but I was afraid I would never stop.

I was born to a proper Halonic village, under the sign of the Fury, even, in the midst of winter. But Halone is an abstract concept, the many volumes housed in Ishgard’s libraries academically and aesthetically valuable, but they give my soul no comfort.

My Sharlayan colleagues regard Thaliak highly, looking for guidance and wisdom, but I have only ever seen their own intelligences at work, and my only connection to the Scholar is the marker in Mor Dhona where we paid respects to one of our fallen.

Thal can keep the gilded halls, if they even exist. Rhalgr’s power is naught more than that which naturally arcs across the sky, and honestly, how different is reverence for him better than Ramuh, who also controls such destructive force, according to the sylphs? Not that I’ll say such to Lyse or Raubahn whenever we next meet, though as a former Scion she should know better.

We make our own gods, out of desperation. With the right magic, they answer--but the cost is too great, after all I’ve seen and experienced.

Were I still in Ishgard, I might well be branded a heretic for such opinions. But I cannot give obeisance to figments of our own imaginations. I cannot ask a fiction to gather a soul whose life was ended so violently, to grant succor to the widow left behind.

I can imagine your reply; that I shouldn’t be too hasty, nor trust in the words of a Paragon, no matter how much evidence seemed to support his version of the truth. And I know that. I know the truth is likely somewhere in between what Hydaelyn’s Word told us, and what Emet-Selch said.

It does nothing for the emptiness I felt there in the sand, staring at the spot the eater had been. The proper thing to do would have been to pray. But I just couldn’t.

I felt...lost.

Maybe I am. Just another sinner, as they say here in Norvrandt. Fighting the sinless, the ones who’ve supposedly been “forgiven” by the Light.

[There is a gap in the lines, and the ink of the next is of a slightly different hue]

That got rather heavy, didn’t it? I had to put up my writing once Granson got back from dealing with the scavenger’s widow. I considered removing the last page on re-reading what I wrote but on reflection I shall keep it. Even if I never send this missive, and instead leave it tucked between pages of my journal, putting the feeling to words helped loosen some of the tightness in my chest and ache in my heart.

We’re off to Il Mheg, on our hunt for Dikaiosyne. Granson’s pieced enough of the story together that we hope to learn more there, in the ruins of the nation Branden hailed from. Hopefully the fae won’t give us too difficult a time--luckily, I have a bit of an in with their King, at least.

I will write to you again soon, and maybe even send some of what I’ve written, speaking of my friend the King of the fae. I shall have to be quite flowery in my request; they enjoy that.

Please don’t worry about me; I’m fine, really, if just realizing what all I’ve lost in the process of becoming a Warrior of Light and Darkness. Perhaps it was inevitable.

Even so, I have hope for the future my friends and I have wrought for this realm, and our own. For the people here who struggle and survive in the face of the odds, and continue living their lives on their own terms despite teetering so close to the brink.

Perhaps, if I am left to believe in anything, I believe in them.

Give my love to the rest. I’ll send a proper letter to be read for the family soon, with stories and pictures for the children.

All my love,

Aeryn

#FFXIVWrite2019 #Final Fantasy XIV #Role Quests #Aeryn Striker #Lyn Writing #Faith #epistolary #this got longer than intended

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sirtravisjacksonoftexas · 5 years ago

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Does the Bible Teach That Aliens Do or Do Not Exist? Um, None of the Above, and Moses Will Show you why:

The 1980’s was a great decade to grow up in. Even today, I’m still in love with the rock, pop and country music that came out of it. MTV got its start in the 80’s (and to anyone who was born afterwards; yes, Music Television DID have music during the 80’s). This was the decade of Atari and Nintendo, of games like “Asteroids” and “Super Mario Brothers”. This was the decade that saw Ernest P. Worrell become a house-hold name, the decade that saw children collect Garbage Pail Kids trading cards (I miss those things). Arguably the best science fiction and fantasy movies were made in the 80’s (“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”, “Dune”, “Labyrinth”, “Dark Crystal”, “The NeverEnding Story” etc). Kids had cartoons like “Thundercats”, “He-Man”. There were also great TV shows like “FraggleRock” and “Punkie Brewster”.

And, of course, who could forget Alf?

For those of you who are 80’s challenged, “Alf” was a TV show about an alien named Gordon Shumway (aka Alf) who crashes into the garage of a human family called the Tanners. They take Alf in and keep him hidden from the US government. Though he gets into mischief and occasionally tries to eat cats, he nevertheless becomes a member of the family. I’m still a fan, having all the Alf episodes on DVD. From childhood to now, I often imagine what it would be like if Alf and other aliens like him truly existed, roaming across the universe in search of adventure and discovery.

But do aliens exist?

This has been the subject of intense study by scientists for decades now. Indeed, there is a scientific field dedicated to the study of extraterrestrial life forms (called “Astrobiology”). Though we have not yet found life beyond earth, scientists expect to eventually do so, and soon.

But does this subject belong to science alone? Can other fields of study answer the question about whether there is life on other planets?

Surprisingly, many a Christian theologian and apologist has considered the possibility.

And what did they say about it?

Aliens don’t exist.

Some will dismiss the scientific case for the possibility extra-terrestrial life as pure bogus. Others will tackle the subject of UFOs, saying that they’re either natural phenomena, misidentified secret aircraft or both. Some will even go so far as to say that both UFOs and supposed alien abductions are actually demonic instead of alien in origin. There are books, documentaries and even movies that support this latter idea. Some theologians say that when the rapture occurs, people might invoke aliens as an explanation for it; people will say that the earth has had a mass alien abduction. We’ve had decades of supposed alien abductions, as well as Star Trek shows where people are beamed up from a planet to a space ship, both of which could lead people to mistake the rapture for alien activity. Many see this as evidence that aliens therefore don’t exist (which is a complete non-Sequitur, but more on that later). Some will even say that if aliens exist, then there is a conundrum; how can they accept Christ as Lord and Savior? Christ died for fallen humanity, for humans who suffer from a sinful nature, due to Adam and Eve’s sin. How could aliens be saved, since Christ didn’t die for them as well? How could their sins be forgiven? Should we believe that Jesus was incarnated on countless worlds and died for them too? This would seem highly unlikely, and this is supposed to make us conclude that aliens therefore don’t exist. Some will also bring up the many requirements for life to exist on earth, and say that all of these factors would be highly unlikely to exist on other worlds. The chances of that happening, according to some Christian theologians and apologists, would be astronomical.

So, are they right? Can one make a Biblical or theological case that ETs don’t exist?

Um, NO, and here is why:

1. ARGUMENT FROM SILENCE.

Does the Bible say that Extra-terrestrials exist?

No.

Does the Bible say that they don’t exist?

No.

Does them Bible mention them at all?

No.

This should make one logically conclude that the Bible is silent on the issue, and nothing more. One could speculate on why God would be silent about the idea, but one couldn’t go from speculation to fact when it comes to this question, especially considering that the Bible is not a total revelation of all facts. Instead, it is God’s love letter to humanity, Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (B.I.B.L.E.). However, many will use this silence as an argument that aliens don’t exist, because if they did, then surely God would have told us in his word, right?

Wrong.

To argue such a position would be to commit an “Argument from Silence” logical fallacy. It’s basically arguing that absence of evidence is evidence of absence, and it’s an error of reasoning that people often make. For example, let’s say that a “historian” (we’ll call him “Richard”) says that no one mentioned Jesus Christ during the time when Jesus lived on earth. If nobody mentioned Jesus at that time, then therefore, according to Richard, Jesus never existed. However, this kind of argument is unbelievably faulty; The vast majority of written documents from the ancient world didn’t survive to the modern era, many historical figures have no contemporary writings about them (Thales of Miletus, Boudicca, Zoroaster the Prophet, Buddha, etc), some historical events have no contemporary written accounts about them (the Pompeii disaster), most people who lived in Galilee at the time of Christ were illiterate (most people in the ancient world were), and historians do not discard a person as a historical figure because they have no contemporaneous accounts about them. No, to be fair, there are some circumstances where you can get away with using an argument from silence (though even then, the argument would be circumstantial), but you have to meet several criteria in order to use is properly. Would God have a good reason to mention aliens in the Bible (If you say yes, then why? What would be the good reason? Are you simply assuming? Remember, assumption is the mother of all screw ups)? Is the subject relevant to God’s purposes in scripture? These are but a few questions one would need to ask themselves before trying to make an Argument from Silence about the question of ETs and the Bible, and just getting one wrong could lead to a fallacious argument.

And guess what the answer is to the questions I just asked?

NO!

Like I said, God doesn’t reveal everything in his word. Not every scientific fact is found in the Bible. Indeed, there are numerous things that we know exist (including on other planets) that the Bible never mentions:

1. Black Holes

2. Volcanoes on other planets (like Olympus Mons, a 16-mile-high Martian Volcano)

3. Mountains on other planets

4. Canyons on other planets (Mars has one that dwarfs the Grand Canyon).

5. Moons orbiting other planets (Jupiter alone is now known to have 79 moons).

6. Water on other planets and moons (Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have water ice. Jupiter, Saturn and Mars all have water vapor. Mars may have liquid water underground, and used to have oceans. Pluto, a dwarf planet, has water ice. Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon, has an underground ocean that may have more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. Europa, another moon of Jupiter, is covered in ice, and may have either an ocean or slushy ice beneath it. There is water ice on our own moon. Such moons are far from unique in our solar system when it comes to water ice. K2-18 b, a planet in another solar system, has water vapor in its atmosphere).

7. Dust devils on other worlds (Mars has dust devils that can reach 5 miles high, dwarfing those of earth)

8. Skies on other planets (the only planet in our solar system without an atmosphere is Mercury.)

9. Weather on other worlds (Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a giant storm that has lasted for at least 150 years)

10. Saturn’s rings (which are made of particles that are more than 90% water ice. These rings were discovered in 1610 AD)

11. Gamma Ray Bursts

12. Coronal Mass Ejections (when the sun spews both plasma and a magnetic field. It’s basically a solar burp).

13. Radiation

If the Bible doesn’t mention any of these things, and yet they have nevertheless been proven to exist…then why would we say that there is no life on other planets because the bible doesn’t mention them? Can you imagine a theologian saying in the 19th century that “The Bible doesn’t mention other planets having mountains, volcanoes, canyons, water, atmospheres, dust devils, weather, and so on, and thus they don’t exist! If they did, God would have told us!”. What if one said “The Bible doesn’t say that Black Holes exist, or that Gamma Ray Bursts or Mass Coronal Ejections exist, therefore they do not exist! Otherwise, God would have surely told us!”? That would be an absurd line of argument, an argument that would have a very poor track record, considering all the things that the Bible doesn’t mention that turned out to actually exist.

But notice, in particular, how many things are found in and around other planets…that the Bible never mentioned. Water, mountains, canyons, volcanoes (including the largest in the solar system), skies, weather, and giant dust devils. They all exist…and yet the Bible never mentions them. Moons exist around most of the planets in our solar system alone (let alone ones in other solar systems), and yet out of all of them…only one moon-ours-is mentioned in the Bible. All of these marvels of God’s creation…and not one of them is mentioned in the Bible.

If the Bible doesn’t mention mountains, volcanoes, water (including ice and oceans), skies and weather on other planets…why would it mention life on other planets?

Now, to be fair, some may object, saying that all of these other things were indeed mentioned in the Bible, albeit not specifically. Instead, they are mentioned in a general, collective sense in Genesis 2:1;

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.”

This passage is a continuation of the creation account in Genesis 1. It indicates that God created the heavens, earth, and all the “host thereof”, which some would comfortably include planets and everything on them.

However, if some of my fellow believers do so, then they just shot themselves in the foot, for just as the passage indicates that the earth has “hosts” (including living things)…and since the heavens have hosts of their own…then one can conclude that living things on other planets (planets are in the heavens)could possibly be mentioned here in a general sense too! True, the “host of heaven” or “heavenly host” usually means the stars in the bible, nut the passage in question relates that earth also has hosts, which indicates that stars alone are not indicated here. One may try to say that angels are in view here, for they are at times referred to as the “host of Heaven” (1 Kings 22:19) or “heavenly host” (Luke 2:13), and angelic beings (as well as demons) can be found both on earth and in the heavens (Genesis 3:24, Ephesians 2:2, 6:12, Revelation 7:1, 19:14-15). However, there are several problems with this idea. You see, not only is the creation of angels never mentioned in Genesis 1 or 2 (Or anywhere in the Bible), the creation account of Job 38:4-11, when combined with the Genesis creation accounts, indicates that angels existed prior to the 6 days of creation, and thus could not be referenced here in Genesis 2:1 as products of the creation week. True, the creation of aliens is never mentioned in Genesis either, but neither is the creation of land, seas and skies on other worlds, and yet they can be placed within Genesis 2:1 in a general sense.

Why not aliens?

Also, as I’ve written in a previous article, the first creation account in Genesis was not meant to be taken as a literal scientific account of origins. Therefore, it should NEVER be used to dictate or argue scientific truths, including on cosmology and astrobiology. Thus, it doesn’t really answer our question about whether aliens exist or not.

Plus, we need to keep in mind that the ancient Israelites didn’t know that other physical worlds truly existed, let alone had mountains, volcanoes, water, etc. Indeed, the planets in the night sky were thought to be wandering stars, and no one knew in the ancient world that stars were physical objects. None knew that other planets besides those in the night sky also existed, let alone those that orbit other stars (extrasolar planets are yet another thing not mentioned specifically in the Bible, yet are known to exist). Many ancient civilizations thought that planets were gods. Some ancient Jewish thinkers thought that stars were angels, and “morning stars” (usually planets) were personified as part of the angelic or heavenly host by ancient Israelites (special note: though angels were at times called “stars” (Job 38:7, Revelation 12:4), the Bible itself doesn’t teach that stars are angels. This was a non-biblical teaching, and Genesis 1 shows that stars were no personal beings, but simply parts of God’s perfect creation). Thus, while we can conclude from the creation account that God truly made all things, we cannot conclude that the ancient writers of scripture had modern scientific discoveries in mind when they wrote scripture, or that God likewise had them in mind when he was communicating through that very scripture. He was talking to ancient people in a way that they could understand, not in a way that modern people would desire him to.

2. DEMON THEORIES AND THE RAPTURE

Many of my fellow Christians accept the idea that some UFOS and most, if not all, alien abductions are demonic in nature. Many will bring up the fact that some UFOs seem to defy the laws of physics, pulling off maneuvers and speeds that would be supposedly impossible for even advanced alien technology to do…yet possible for supernatural beings to pull off. Many also cite similarities between alien abductions (along with several other kinds of supposed “close encounters”) and demonic activity. For example, both phenomena are at times associated with a sulfur smell (sulfur aka brimstone). This is a great way to scare some Christians away from the subject of life on other planets for sure. To be fair, I wouldn’t put it pass people to mistake demons and even angels as UFOs, nor would I put it past demons to masquerade as UFOS and or aliens in order to jack with people, pull pranks or even lead people away from Christianity (there are UFO cults). Indeed, there are many similarities between alien abduction and Fairy Abduction

(according to European folklore, if a person stepped inside a fairy ring (a natural occurring ring of mushrooms), then faeries would party with him or her, keeping the individual “prisoner” for a considerable time before letting him or her go free. Like flying saucers, fairy rings are circular. Like Greys (grey skinned, black eyed aliens), faeries were said to be smaller than human beings…).

Given these factors, should we conclude that aliens don’t exist, that only demons and angels are beyond the wild blue yonder?

Um…nope.

Remember, one can accept the existence of life on other worlds without accepting that UFOs or “Alien” Abductions are extraterrestrial activity. Indeed, most mainstream scientists disregard both UFOs and alien abductions as bonafide evidence of aliens, yet they accept that ETs are a possibility. But let’s dig deeper into these arguments, shall we?

To say that advanced alien technology cannot pull off the stunning feats of some UFOs is shortsighted, considering the many times in the history of science where the “impossible” was proven possible. People once thought that you couldn’t sail around the world because it was flat, yet long before Columbus people started to realize that that wasn’t the case. They said that we could never land people on the Moon, and that the sound barrier could never be broken. Indeed, while scientists accept that the speed of light will never be broken (and with FAR better reason than those who thought the sound barrier would never be broken), they accept that its possible to warp space so that two locations can temporarily come far closer together. You could potentially travel across an entire galaxy in mere moments instead of many, many years. This kind of tech would be a loophole around the light barrier. Imagine what other loopholes technology could achieve if an alien race was centuries, millennia, even millions or billions of years ahead of our technology? Thus, this objection has no merit.

But what about alien abduction?

Sorry, folks, but alien abduction has less to do with demons and more to do with the waking mind.

The symptoms of alien abduction are strikingly similar to sleep paralysis, a condition where a person awakes and is paralyzed. This occurs when the mind awakes before the body. Our bodies are designed to limit our physical movements when we sleep. This is why most of us don’t run in real life while we dream of running, or why we don’t punch our pillows when we dream of being in a fight or a boxing match. This is a safety mechanism, keeping us from harming ourselves and others while we sleep. However, some people have trouble with keeping their bodies in check while they slumber (sleepwalkers). Those who suffer from sleep paralysis have the opposite problem; they have trouble regaining their ability to move when they first awake. This symptom would be frightening enough on its own, but there is another eerie symptom that comes with it.

Dreaming while awake.

People who suffer from sleep paralysis will at times hallucinate while paralyzed, and such hallucinations can be frightening. Indeed, what you end up seeing can be influenced by the culture you grew up in. Europeans in the Middle Ages would see incubus or succubus demons, while people in other ages might see djinns or old hags.

In our culture, you’ll most likely see aliens.

True, demons could potentially jack with our dreams, but why should we invoke demons in every case of sleep hallucination that involves aliens? You don’t have to invoke the supernatural when it comes to nightmares, let alone those that are caused by sleep paralysis. Thus, this objection has no merit.

Neither does the rapture-alien theory.

Just because people may blame aliens for the rapture after it occurs doesn’t mean that aliens therefore don’t exist. It’s a non-sequitur. Indeed, many have come up with other potential explanations for the rapture. I’ve heard laser beams being invoked before as a possible way to explain away the rapture. One can invoke a physics disaster at CERN or the cumulative effects of radiation from nuclear testing (the latter explanation was used in the Left Behind films). Nobody would thus argue that laser beams don’t exist, or that nuclear tests therefore don’t produce radiation.

Why then use such an argument against the existence of extraterrestrials?

3. MISSIONARIES…IN SPACE!!!!!!

If aliens exist, how can they be saved? Surely if they do exist, they would need to be saved, for they’d be sinners like us, right (remember what I said earlier about assumptions?)? And what other beings apart from humans exist that don’t need Jesus’ gift of salvation?

Well, other than angels, animals, plants, fungi, microbes…

True, angels long to look into the subject of salvation (1 Peter 1:10-12), but they are nevertheless not covered by the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ. Indeed, angels did not descend from Adam and Eve, and thus didn’t inherit a sinful nature. They have the potential to sin (case in point: Satan), but they are nevertheless not burdened with a sinful nature that can only be overcome by the death and resurrection of Christ. Likewise, though animals have a spirit (Ecclesiasts 3:21), they likewise did not descend from Adam and Eve, and thus didn’t inherit their sinful nature. Indeed, they are incapable of sin (and please don’t bring up the Serpent in the Garden: even in ancient times, that was known to have been a supernatural being, not a legit snake).

If aliens exist, if other life forms were created by God on other worlds, then they likewise would not have descended from Adam and Eve and thus would not have inherited their sinful natures. Could they sin? Possibly, just like angels (who have no sinful nature) could potentially sin. This doesn’t mean that they would need Jesus to die and rise from the grave for them, just as angels don’t need Jesus to die and rise from the grave for them.

Indeed, who is to say that alien life would be able to understand right from wrong, let alone consciously chose to do evil? Who’s to say that there will be sentient life elsewhere? What if other worlds are only inhabited by animals, plants, fungi, microbes and perhaps other forms of life we haven’t even imagined yet, none of them intelligent? Indeed, some scientists, such as the paleontologist Peter Ward and the Astrobiologist Donald E. Brownlee, believe that the universe is populated with mostly microbes, and that multi-cellular life like our own is exceptionally rare. This view is called the Rare Earth Hypothesis (which both the above scientists wrote about in their book “Rare Earth”). I sincerely doubt that there are microbes that understand right from wrong, or that sin against God (more on the Rare Earth hypothesis later).

But let’s say that there are alien species out there who are sentient, and who are intelligent enough to chose to obey God or not. Once again, the angel example has to be considered in such cases, but we need to ask another question as well:

Who is to say that aliens likewise had a fall?

Who is to say that all sentient alien species chose to eat forbidden fruit?

Could there be intelligent alien species out there that never suffered the stain of sin? Could there be alien Adam and Eves living in other-worldly Edens?

Also, what if God made at least some aliens species that already had the knowledge of Good and Evil from the beginning? Humans obviously weren’t ready for it in the Garden of Eden, and it led to a sinful nature that was passed on to Adam and Eve’s descendants, but who is to say that a sentient alien species wouldn’t have been initially made not only with that knowledge, but with the maturity to handle it?

And even if there are sentient alien species whose ancestors had a Fall, whose is to say that God would chose to save them in the exact same way he chose to save us? Whose to say that he wouldn’t cover them under a different kind of grace? Indeed, who is to say that the ultimate ancestors of sinful ETs would have passed on a sinful nature to their descendants like Adam and Eve did with theirs? Wouldn’t their “Falls” be different from that of Adam and Eve? Would it really have involved forbidden fruit as well?

At first, these ideas about Edens and Falls on other worlds seems impossible, considering that the Bible teaches that all creation suffers due to humanity’s sin (not alien’s sins) in Romans 8:18-22. However, this could be hyperbole, over-exaggeration used to prove a point. It seems hard to understand how galaxies countless lightyears from earth could be affected by human sin. Indeed, how could Pluto or Mars be affected by it? True, one could imagine that Adam and Eve’s sin may have spread physical death across the universe…but that’s where things get very, very complicated…

You see, some may bring up the supposed “fact” that Adam and Eve’s sin brought death into existence (1 Corinthians 15:20-21), and that death is only mentioned as being on earth (Romans 5:12). However, this is faulty for several reasons.

1. Just because the bible mentions death only on earth doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist on other worlds. If I say that soccer is played in Brazil, does that mean that it is not played elsewhere? If I say that black bears inhabit Texas, does that mean that Texas is the only place were black bears can be found? If I say that monotheism, the belief that there is only one God, was a major tenet of ancient Israelite religion, does that mean that the concept was not known in other cultures (for a time, ancient Egypt worshipped Aten the Sun Disk, and no other God)? If I say that Pizza is Italian food, does that mean that pizza is only found in Italy?

2. Whenever we look at these passages more closely (as well as another connected passage (Romans 6:23), we can see that it is relating to humans, not other creatures. Now, animals, plants, microbes and fungi die as well as humans, and yet…humans are the subject of the context of the passages in question.

Why?

Because these passages are not talking about physical death, but spiritual death.

This is confirmed in Genesis 2:17 and 3:2-7. Let’s look at the first passage:

“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (emphasis mine)

Now let’s look at the second passage:

“And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” (Emphasis mine)

Now, compare this to the rest of Genesis chapter 3.

Um, notice that Adam and Eve are not killed?

Wow, was the Serpent right after all? Was God fibbing when he said that Adam and Eve would die if they ate the forbidden fruit? After all, their eyes were “opened” after they ate, just like the serpent said, and they lived over it. Was the Serpent actually telling the truth?

Only if God was referring to physical death.

God, however, was referring to spiritual death. He was referring to the separation that sin makes between God and man, a separation that can only be overcome by Jesus Christ and his gift of salvation.

That is the kind of death that these passages are talking about.

3. Death existed before the Fall.

As I’ve argued in an earlier article, death actually existed before Adam and Eve’s Fall. Not only were they not created immortal (they would have had to have eaten of the Tree of Life in order to live forever, and they never got the chance to do it (Genesis 3), the Bible never indicates that any animal ate of the Tree of Life and likewise became immortal. Indeed, the Bible indicates that the tree of life was not found anywhere else in the world (Genesis 3:22-24). If Adam, Eve and the animals were already immortal (they weren’t but indulge me)…then why would there be a tree of life, whose fruit offers immortality? It’s a tad redundant, don’t you think? Its on par with putting a tree whose fruit is designed to help people get thin at a supermodel convention,

or trying to sell fertility drugs to pregnant women.

In both cases, there is a product available to people who obviously don’t need it. Indeed, the fact that Adam and Eve had not eaten of the Tree of Life before or after the Fall, the fact that they were not immortal at the time means that, if they hadn’t sinned in the Garden yet still never ate of the Tree of Life…then they would eventually die. The potential for physical death was already there, implying that physical death was already in the world. Thus, physical death didn’t enter the universe because of the Fall. Spiritual death did. That spiritual death sentence didn’t spread to animals or angels, so why would it spread to aliens?

Another thing we have to ask ourselves is what do we mean by intelligent life and sentient beings? Non-human apes are actually both, yet they are not sinners. They are still animals and not as intelligent as humans, they are nevertheless intelligent, in some cases enough so to learn sign language. Indeed, some have argued that many animals have a more code, knowing “right” from “wrong” (though not knowing it intimately as humans, which wouldn’t have been the case before the Fall. There was a primitive sense of right and wrong that Adam and Eve knew of before the Fall (God allowing them to eat of the garden, but not of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There were right choices…and a wrong choice). Would aliens as intelligent and sentient as the great apes, and with a primitive sense of morality, need a savior?

No more than animals do.

But this brings up an important question: What makes man different from animals? The Bible indicates that, unlike animals, we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). As I noted in another article, this does not mean that we are the only creatures with a soul. This is an eisegetical interpretation that has no basis in the historical and cultural background of the Bible, let alone merit. Indeed, ancient near eastern kings were often said to be in the image of a certain god. This reinforced their authority as kings over their people. It was a reason why they had dominion over them. Likewise, Adam and Eve are made in God’s image, and had dominion over their subjects, the animals. We are all in God’s image, and thus represent God to nature. We represent his authority to the earth. Hence, one major reason why God is ticked off when we sin; we violate the very image that we bear when we sin.

But what if aliens, even intelligence aliens, were not made in God’s image? What if they were never given a sacred dominion over their worlds? At first this seems impossible, for surely aliens with at least our level of intelligence would be the dominant life forms on their worlds as we are over earth, but then again…angels are likewise intelligent (FAR more so than human beings), and yet…where are they ever said to have been made in the image of God?

Name one Bible verse that says that angels are made in God’s image.

Indeed, angels rule in Heaven under God, just as we rule on earth under God, and yet angels are still not said to be in the image of God.

Also, the ancients already set down the basics for intelligent beings that weren’t made in the divine image; unlike the Israelites, many in the ancient near east thought that only their kings were made in a deity’s image. Everybody else, every other member of homo sapiens, the most intelligent life form on earth…was not. And yet they would have recognized humans as the dominant life form on the planet. We likewise might see intelligent ETs in a similar light. They can have dominion over their planets, but not one based on the divine image of God. Indeed, there would have been other ruling authorities in ancient near eastern kingdoms (such as queens, princes, etc), yet they neither had the power of a king nor were thought to be in the image of a deity. Aldo, dinosaurs practically ruled the earth for millions of years, and yet they were not made in the image of God (or for that matter remotely intelligent, save for a few species). Same goes for the Theraspids or mammal-like reptiles who were the dominant land animals before them, and other animals which dominated the earth before mankind was created.

Thus, if intelligent aliens sinned from the beginning, yet weren’t made in God’s image…would they still have passed on a sinful nature to their descendants? Would their sin be as grievous as ours? Would it necessitate the death and resurrection of Christ? These questions are even more interesting considering the fact that there is Biblical and other evidence to show that Adam and Eve were meant to not just be intelligent life forms in the Bible and have dominion over earth, but were also to be a priest and priestess of God, respectively (both a priestly and royal role, like Melchizedek and Christ himself). Would aliens have likewise has such a priestly role initially? What if they didn’t? What if they also weren’t made in the Image of God? Would they still need a death and resurrection of God the Son in order to enter Heaven…or would they be under a different kind of grace? Seems like the latter would be far more likely. If aliens didn’t have a priestly and kingly role, would humans actually have more authority than them, at least in some way? Not impossible. Though they weren’t the most powerful tribe (and unlike the others, had no land appointed to them), the Levites where in charge of religious matters and the Tabernacle (later Temple). Due to Adam and Eve’s priestly role, would we likewise have religious authority over aliens? Would we have even more authority? Were we meant to be a priestly race? It’s interesting to note that not only are Christians a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), but one day, we as believers in Christ will judge even angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

4. MATH, CHANCE AND THE RARE EARTH

Some Christians have taken to the rare earth hypothesis, which as previously stated is the idea that complex life is exceptionally rare. The reason why some scientists believe this is because there are supposedly at least 152 parameters needed for life like our own to exist on earth, including having a moon of the right size, having only 1 moon, having a specific tilt and volcanic activity. Indeed, if we calculate the chances of another planet like ours having all of these parameters, it would be 1 in 19 with 193 zeros behind it. To put this into perspective, the estimated number of planets in the universe is 10 with 22 zeros behind it. In other words, the chances aren’t good for advanced life forms like ours to exist on other worlds. The chances that one world-ours-would have all these parameters would be astronomical, let along if there were at least one other which likewise beat the odds. Ours would be a universe filled with microbes, but not animals, fungi, plants or sentient beings. This is an intriguing possibility, but it has several fatal flaws.

1. If you are a Christian (Like I am), then you believe that all life, including human life, has something in common with every other aspect of creation; it was all created by God, not chance.

Indeed, creationists will argue against the idea that life on earth came about by chance and certain circumstances (stating that it would be impossible for chance and circumstances alone to do it. You’d need a supernatural creator to explain how life began), and yet when it comes to life on other worlds…they will invoke chance and circumstances as an argument against it, without considering God. That would be the equivalent of an atheist saying that just because there is no contemporaneous accounts of Socrates or Thales of Miletus doesn’t mean that they therefore didn’t exist…and yet later say that there are no contemporaneous accounts of Jesus Christ, therefore he didn’t exist.

If God made us, why would aliens be made by chance and circumstances?

Is God incapable of overcoming the mathematical odds? Since when did he become weak? Since when did he become incapable of overcoming math?

You cannot use a Double Standard as a logical argument, and the chance argument is being used in such a way.

2. Most scientists do not hold to the rare Earth Hypothesis. Indeed, in science, the term “hypothesis” is used in the same way as we use the word “Theory”, while “Theory” in science is a scientific explanation that has withstood a lot of testing. This doesn’t make scientific theories absolute (some theories have been discarded), but it does mean that it has past enough tests to be considered a theory. Hypotheses, however, have not withstood a lot of testing yet. Thus, the Rare Earth Hypothesis, though interesting, is not as powerful an argument against advanced alien life as many believe it to be.

3. The parameters needed for our form of life (or even for planets like earth and solar systems like ours to form) are not as rigid as you think. For example, contrary to purveyors of the Rare Earth hypothesis, life on earth would actually be possible if earth was 2-5% further away from the Sun and tilted on its side like Uranus. Indeed, it could be 1.4 times further from the sun and tilted, and still have our kind of life if an intense greenhouse effect were present. Likewise, there is biological evidence to show that not having a big moon would not have made complex life impossible on earth. Indeed, the idea that complex life couldn’t be on earth if it rotated faster is bogus, considering that it rotated more than 10 percent faster during the Ordovician Period (490-443 million years ago).

The days in the Ordovician were 21 hours long, not 24. Though there were few living things on land at the time (lichens), the seas were filled with animals like trilobites, sea scorpions, armor-plated fish and Cameraceras, the giant orthocone (see below).

Indeed, the rotation of the earth has been constantly slowing since that period of time, until we attained a 24-hour day. This means that the rotation of the earth was faster in the Permian period (the time of Dimetrodon), the Mesozoic period (the time of the Dinosaurs), and through all the ice ages afterwards.

Obviously, a faster rotation wasn’t a problem for complex life back then. Why would it be a problem for potential life on other planets with a faster rotation than earth? If modern living things couldn’t survive on an earth with a faster rotation (I don’t believe that, but let’s indulge the idea for a second), then obviously animals, plants, fungi and microbes that lived in eras where the earth had a faster rotation were obviously adapted to survive in an environment than living things in the modern world are not.

Just as alien life forms could be adapted to survive on planets with faster rotations.

4. What if, during ancient times, the Fijians of the Fiji Islands sailed down to Antarctica? What would they have thought about that vast region of ice and howling winds? Its obviously not suitable for the animals and plants that are native to Fiji, such as the Monkey Face Bat (aka the Fijian Monkey-Faced Flying Fox), Coconut Crab, Fiji Crested Iguana and Coconut palm. It’s too cold, has too great a wind chill, has no plant life, no true summer or spring, none of the marine species familiar to Fijians or their terrestrial wildlife, little if any fresh water (and what would be there would be too cold), etc. Antarctica doesn’t meet all of the parameters needed to sustain animal and plant life native to Fiji.

Would the Fijians conclude therefore that no life exists on Antarctica?

Perhaps they might…until they saw penguins there.

Likewise, just because most, if not all worlds in the universe don’t meet the parameters to sustain our form of complex life doesn’t mean that they don’t have complex life on them. Remember, we didn’t come about by chance, but by God, and God is a master artist with an unlimited imagination. Want to see proof of God’s great imagination? Look at a Duck-Billed Platypus. Look at a Giraffe. Look at a Crown of Thorns Starfish or a giant tube worm. The latter alone lives on the Pacific sea floor, in an environment without plants. It never experiences sunlight, has no stomach or true mouth, and yet “feeds” off Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen Sulfide, poisons which would kill most other animals on earth. Once these gases are inside it, they are consumed by bacteria, which make up half of a giant tubeworm’s weight. Once these bacteria “poop”, the giant tube worm consumes their excrement. Oh, and by the way; they live near underwater volcanoes, withstanding temperatures that would make a Texas summer seem cold! Such an environment doesn’t meet the parameters needed for surface or even marine life that lives far above the habitat of the giant tubeworm, and yet…the giant tubeworm, along with other life forms at the bottom of the sea, survive and thrive.

And that, of course, is far from the limits of what God, the Artist of Artists, could come up with.

Indeed, at one time, it was thought by scientists that the deepest parts of the ocean could not support life. After all, it didn’t meet the parameters needed for life to be there; no sunlight (thus no plants), extreme cold and unearthly pressure should have made life (like ours) impossible, and it’s true, such an environment was not suitable for land animals or even animals that live in shallower waters. This concept was known as Azoic Theory, and it would be accepted by a scientific consensus for years.

And yet…it was overturned.

Several expeditions were finding evidence that the theory was wrong. The final nail in the coffin came in 1960, when the bathyscape Trieste reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world’s oceans (11 kilometers).

There, Jacques Piccard, the Trieste’s pilot, spotted both a shrimp and a flat fish.

In other words, God made what was thought to be impossible to exist.

Our God is a God of the impossible (Matthew 19:26)!

True, the parameters needed for our kind of life to exist on other worlds could potentially be staggering (though as seen above, not as staggering as you think), but that assumes that life on other world would have to be like our kind of life, that God wouldn’t design living things to exist on different planets with far different environments. Why would God limit himself? After all, he’s made purely supernatural life forms (angels), so why not make biological life forms on other worlds that differ from those of Earth?

By now, we can see that such arguments against the idea of ETs are flawed. Indeed, its quite interesting that a lot of my fellow Christians try to use science to debunk the concept, even though science supports the idea that life exists on other worlds, and that some alien life will be complex. One could understand if Evolution was the subject, but alien life is the subject, and the Biblical message isn’t harmed by either the existence or non-existence of ETs (though as I’ve mentioned in another article, even evolution fails as an argument against God, let alone Christianity).

Indeed, as I’ve mentioned, the Bible doesn’t say yeah or nay on the issue.

Why?

Well, once again, the Bible isn’t intended to give all knowledge; its intended for us to know that God loves us. As Galileo once said “The Bible tells us how to go to Heaven, not how the heavens go.” It’s also seems obvious that God didn’t consider life on other planets important enough to mention, just as he didn’t consider mountains on other planets, volcanoes on other planets and ice on other planets as important enough to mention. God’s word isn’t a science treatise, but his message of love and reconciliation with mankind.

So, since God doesn’t say yeah or nay on the subject, how can we use the Bible to figure out whether there is alien life or not?

We can’t.

Indeed, if you study what the Bible says about such unclear matters, you would not even make the attempt.

Why?

Read on…

5. THE SECRET THINGS…

Moses gave a lot of speeches to the Israelites. In one of these, recorded in Deuteronomy 29, he goes over some of the recent history of the Israelites, as well as warning them not to stray from God’s word, from his teaching.

At the end of his speech, he says something quite perplexing:

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

Read that passage several times…then consider the fact that aliens are never mentioned in the Bible, that it never states whether aliens exist or not. Do this several times, then ask yourself…is the existence (or non-existence) of aliens a secret thing that belongs to the Lord? It obviously has to be, if God doesn’t say yea or nay on the issue. If God chose not to reveal the answer to this question, then it truly is a secret thing that belongs to him. This doesn’t mean that we can’t study this question scientifically (remember, the bible doesn’t mention ice, volcanoes, mountains and canyons on other worlds, yet we know they exist on them. We learned this because we studied this scientifically, not theologically). However, this does mean that God chose not to answer this question in his word. The Bible has FAR more important things to teach us, including Jesus and his gift of salvation. When it comes to aliens, we must never say that the Bible indicates that they exist or don’t exist. The Bible is unclear on this, which indicates that it is a secret thing that belongs to the Lord. We cannot therefore be dogmatic on the issue, saying that they exist or don’t exist for theological reasons. If we want to answer this question, we need to scientifically figure it out. God gave us the minds and the abilities to do this, and whether the ultimate answer to this question is yay or nay, either way we will learn more about God’s creation, and give further glory to God in the process.

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https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Oxford_Companion_to_Consciousness/ICf-AgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=incubus+old+hags++aliens&pg=PA351&printsec=frontcover

“Are you Dreaming? Exploring Lucid Dreams: A Comprehensive Guide” by Daniel Love, 48-49

https://careicahealth.com/news/corporate/2018/64/an-intruder-at-the-foot-of-the-bed-alien-abductions-and-other-sleep-phenomenons/

http://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders-by-category/parasomnias/sleep-hallucinations/overview-facts

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/narcolepsy/symptoms/hallucinations-and-sleep-paralysis

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Sleep_Paralysis/NErCCQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=sleep+paralysis+alien+abduction&pg=PT192&printsec=frontcover

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Sleep_Paralysis/mtqmCAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=sleep+paralysis+hallucinations&pg=PA76&printsec=frontcover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO13BSSjsYU&t=740s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2LCTQHMUI&t=405s

“Life Everywhere: The Maverick Science of Astrobiology” by David Darling, 91-116

https://sirtravisjacksonoftexas.tumblr.com/post/615429668528668672/was-there-animal-death-before-the-fall-were

https://sirtravisjacksonoftexas.tumblr.com/post/616937902725857280/is-genesis-1-scientifically-inaccurate-um-no

“Science: Was the Bible Ahead of its Time?” by Ralph O. Muncaster, 20-21

“Why are Scientists Turning to God?” by Ralph O. Muncaster, 26-27, 28-35

“Creation VS Evolution” by Ralph O. Muncaster, 10, 29, 36, 38-41

“Chased by Sea Monsters” by Nigel Marvin and Jasper James, 26-45

“The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life” by Tim Haines and Paul Chambers, 13, 21-22

https://www.captaincookcruisesfiji.com/blog/fijis-plants-wildlife-look-holiday/

https://vacationinthetropicalrainforest.weebly.com/animal-life.html

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Rough_Guide_to_Fiji_Travel_Guide_eBo/6FI4DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Coconut+crab+fiji&pg=PT433&printsec=frontcover

“Weird Science: Mad Marvels from Around the World” by Matt Lake and Randy Fairbanks, 13

“Into the Deep” by Karsten Schneider and Peter Batson, 172-73, 196, 218

“Ocean Odyssey” Documentary.

“Alien Planet” Documentary

https://www.centerforgreatapes.org/treatment-apes/faqs/

https://www.livescience.com/24802-animals-have-morals-book.html

“Horizons: Exploring the Universe” by Michael Seeds and ‎Dana Backman, 57

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Horizons_Exploring_the_Universe/cMfWYFSITOgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Galileo+bible+tells+us+how+to+go+to+heaven+not+how+the+heavens+go&pg=PA57&printsec=frontcover

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angieschiffahoi · 5 years ago

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Reasons why Terminator Dark Fate is a worthy sequel of T2

It wrapped up a stale story and respected its predecessor’s finale

Skynet is dead, long live Skynet. Yes, there is no fate and Sarah was able to kill Skynet, but Skynet wasn’t a product of only its time nor an incident made by rogues: Skynet was a warning of what would become of people if they were too arrogant. It’s a tale of hybris. Men get too self-reliant and create something that will bring about their downfall: they become God, but by becoming God they commit a sin so big, they will need Jesus Christ (John Connor or James Cameron, if you will) to save themselves. I mean, if you don’t see the correlation between the Virgin Mary and Sarah Connor (Sarah is also the wife of Abraham, the quintessential mother in the Bible), y’all are blind (she gets inseminated by an “angel” sent to protect her, by her own son, ergo God). Terminator Dark Fate didn’t become woke, it did what T2 started to do, it de-christianized its message for a wider audience (Hollywood doesn’t pander to white christian americans anymore in 2019, go figure). In both movies, Sarah isn’t the Virgin Mary anymore, she’s the mentor, she takes action and she changes her own future and that of billions of people: she becomes the saviour. In the sequel to TDF she obviously was supposed to be the mentor to the new saviour. By killing John, it gave the story back to Sarah and a new hope for the future, taking out some of those harmful tropes where women are only good to “birth” the father of the resistance and not be them. John Connor was never a character you were going to be satisfied with, because he’s an ideal. You liked the teen version, because he was a rebel-ish punk who did everything he wanted, had a motorcycle and a pet robot. You were never going to like the gritty future version of a man destroyed by everything and also he was never supposed to become that. All of Sarah’s struggles the moment she found out she was pregnant were to protect her son from that future. Hadn’t they killed him off in 1999, he would’ve just been a 45 year old drunk - that’s where his character was going after defeating Skynet.

It isn’t contraddictory to have another AI replace Skynet.

Skynet and Legion are a cautionary tale, they are false gods, Frankenstein’s creature and the devil. It’s not repetitive, it’s not something that can be prevented in full, because humanity IS on that path. Humanity wants to play God and Sarah and John’s effort to stop Skynet was silent, it was secret (despite Sarah’s efforts to have people believe her, nobody did). Do you really think it would be so difficult to imagine another company, working on a similar project, at the same time in the late 90s - early 2000s? The only weak point is the implication that Legion would occupy terminators and the same tactics as Skynet, but I’m guessing if Sarah has been killing Terminators in the past for 30 years, Legion could’ve “read” something about it and developed itself to fit the past or got inspired, I don’t know. It’s not that far-fetched to have another AI use the same tactics.

It introduced a new scary terminator, who is perfect for 2020

The Rev-9, like its predecessors, is an inflitration model (and that’s the only reason they cast a latin actor) who is built to hunt the same way the first two were, but it does it better: because 2020 is a scary time. The T-800 had to look on a phone book and kill three Sarah Connor before getting to the right one. This one? It needs a working internet connection.

Also, to all of you saying that politics should stay out of movies,

- the T-800 was an intimidating male hunting a defenseless woman

- the T-1000 was a cop hunting a supposed “crazy woman and criminal”

- the Rev-9 is an immigration officer hunting a defenseless immigrant.

not that hard to spot the similarities.

It answered the question “what happens to terminators when they fulfill their purpose?”

Arnie is old and that’s what made it so much more believable for me.

People keep using this quote from The Terminator to say how terrible writing and what a huge plot hole it was to make the T-800 a dad: “That Terminator is out there. It can't be reasoned with, it can't be bargained with...it doesn't feel pity of remorse or fear...and it absolutely will not stop.Ever. Until you are dead.”

Here’s a few reasons why their reasoning is biased:

First, off screen reason: this is the first movie, Cameron had no idea what would become of its own sequels. He hadn’t predicted Arnold would have such a following and I’m sure a re-programmed Terminator wasn’t in its plans. The first movie was about the horror of the terminator, we weren’t supposed to feel anything for it but fear, because its purpose was to scare us and nothing else.

Second, in-character reason: Kyle Reese is a soldier in the future. He has only seen these machines kill and maim and knows that, just because this one has skin and hair and muscle on its endo-skeleton, it isn’t less machine than the ones he has been fighting all of his life. He only knows this one’s worse: because he has a single purpose.

Third, non canon reason: Cameron from TSCC. Nobody was offended when she started to develop feelings for John in that series, why is everyone so offended by Carl now? Yeah. But it’s not canon, so let’s go to the last reason.

Fourth, canon, on-screen, in-character reason: THE WHOLE EFFING MOVIE YOU LOVE SO MUCH. Terminator 2 is all about the differences between the T-1000 and the T-800. Yes, it was re-programmed, but it wasn’t programmed to get attached to John, to learn from him, to almost act as a surrogate father, to give him a sign of their relationship as he was lowered to his death. It has been established machines can feel. Even the Rev-9, who’s still fully on mission, has a personality, the same way Patrick’s was. They exist, therfore they are. They have their own thoughts, their own doubts and that means they can develop a conscience and get attached. Carl says he doesn’t love his family the way a human would and it shows, the same way the T-800 from T2 didn’t love John like a Kyle Reese would have.

It gave us a new found family dynamic and used old tropes to tell new stories

Dani, Grace and Sarah have an amazing dynamic. Adding Carl to the mix was a bonus, because it created tension, but at the same time it gave us back that soft T-800 everyone of us fell in love with at 10-13 years old.

It did what TFA tried to do but better, imho. Star Wars fans were starved and when Disney made that movie, it still was considered a good producer of excellent content (now, not so much). TDF was produced by a variety of studios, because nobody wanted to take full responsibility after the disaster that was Genysis (and who could blame them?). Nobody praised TFA for its attempt to start a new saga, re-using ANH’s storyline with new characters and then build from there a new story, but it’s because they didn’t do it right. TFA doesn’t give you time to care about the characters, it’s a messy introduction of what could’ve been a very good trilogy if only they tried harder.

TDF, in my opinion, did try harder. It gave us a simple hunter-hunted storyline, where all of the cast is in the same place at the same time. This way, you can care about the development of their relationships. You care about Grace and Dani, not because the movie told you to, but because you can see Grace’s affection and ammiration from the very first scenes and, by the end, you see the affection Dani has for this stranger who’s sole purpose it taking care of her, when she’s so used to be the one to take care of others (see the first few scenes with her brother and father). You care about Dani and Sarah, because the whole movie builds up to the mentor storyline without telling you. You care about Carl and Sarah, because of all the build up from past movies, but also because of the little things (”I’m never f* calling you Carl” to calling him just that a few scenes later or Sarah calling out the Rev-9 by telling it, “we’re not machines”). Everything it did, it did without telling us what to feel and that’s rare in a world where franchises are constantly telling you who you should like and why, instead of writing a good story and letting you figure it out by yourself.

-----

It is not by far a perfect movie. Having 3 producing companies and six writers didn’t help, the same way it didn’t help that Tim Miller was basically ghost-directing for the ever-too-busy James Cameron.

It could have been better in many ways: firstly, by using smaller scenes and a smaller budget and maybe a little less CGI and a little more practical effects. It was too ambitous and fans hadn’t yet forgiven this franchise for Genysis, because fans are butthurt babies who only want things to be they way they want them (I hated Genysis, don’t get me wrong, but I decided if this movie was going to be worth it once they said it wouldn’t be a sequel and watched a couple of trailers, it isn’t that hard). Another reason it bombed, beside the active boycotting, was the close to absent promotion except for a couple of lines.

Anyway, this messy post is just to explain the reasoning why I believe it is a worthy sequel and, in my opinion, without the nostalgia goggles on and taking out of the equation the “originality” factor, I dare say it’s perfectly on par with The Terminator.

#terminator dark fate #terminator #terminator spoilers #spoilers #angie rants #ignore #personal #long post

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unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240 · 5 years ago

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I saw your post about how Xianity is not essential to Judaism and and I don't want to derail it it but one particular thing really struck me while reading it; the concept of teshuva compared to Xian forgiveness, particularly how those differences really reflect how I've seen both religious cultures (???) handle person-to-person forgiveness. Judaism (at least from what I've seen) has actual steps for apologising, and they're all really good common-sense rules like 'don't do it again'. (1/3)

(cont.) The burden is on the offender to make things right, they’re the active party. In contrast, in Xianity you don’t have to do anything to make it up to the person you hurt. In fact, in Xian communities there’s usually a burden on the /hurt/ party to forgive and it’s seen as really cruel and a sign of moral weakness that you won’t let them feel better about what they did, even (sometimes /especially/) when they’re not sorry and intend to keep hurting you. (2/3)

(cont.) To me these two things feel like extensions of the attitude towards divine forgiveness and repentance. In Xianity receiving forgiveness feels like a very passive thing that’s all centred on your own guilt, your own inherent sin, and an attitude of ‘I said sorry so my hands are clean and now you have to make it up to me for making me feel bad for what I did’, etc. Judaism, on the other hand, seems to take a very pro-active, balanced approach of doing better for yourself and others. (3/3)

Hi Sarahsyna,

The differences between xian and Jewish understandings of what forgiveness is and how we should go about it are interesting, no?

I would say this is a pretty accurate analysis of the differences and where they come from. However, I would like to expand on this and add a bit of nuance to it, if I may.

There are different levels and types of wrongs to be forgiven, and the responses to them should be different.

Wrongs that are relatively minor, are fixable, and/or that are relatively common amongst otherwise decent people;

Wrongs that major, unfixable, and/or that are criminal/violent in nature;

Wrongs committed against oneself

Wrongs committed against others (usually in your sphere of influence, such as to your family members, but not necessarily)

In my experience, Judaism does a much better job of making these distinctions than xianity.

Minor Wrongs vs. Major Wrongs

Xian forgiveness is really appropriate for minor wrongs (with proportionately minor consequences.) Things like: someone took your lunch once, which creates an annoying but temporary problem. We shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, and as frustrating as that situation is, it’s not worth holding a grudge against someone forever because of a dumb prank.

Judaism similarly holds that we shouldn’t hang onto a grudge over this, and encourages people to let it go. Give the offender ample chance to apologize, but if they don’t, don’t waste your energy being mad at them. (Have you forgiven them? No. Should you still move on with your life? Yes.)

Of course, if by taking your lunch, they caused you to be unable to take a vital medicine, which consequently put you in the hospital, it should change the equation, no?

In xianity as I experienced it (**please insert that caveat throughout this discussion), it actually doesn’t change the equation. The intent of the offender was a dumb prank and so the forgiveness should be equally straightforward, even if the consequences to you are more severe than that person realized they would be when they did it. You should try to put yourself in the prankster’s shoes and imagine how awful you’d feel and how badly you’d want to be forgiven if it were you.

In Judaism, that person would need to do a lot more to make it right before asking for forgiveness. That might involve helping you pay your hospital bills, picking up your slack at work and/or otherwise trying to help in concrete ways because while their intent was minor, the effect on you was major. They must cope with that reality in the same way that you must. Might their intent factor into how inclined you are to forgive them afterwards? Sure! But they need to show that they realize how serious the consequences of their actions are and seek to remedy it first.

Fixable vs. Unfixable Wrongs

The consequences of some wrongs are fixable to varying degrees; others are not. If you take five dollars from my bag and then feel bad about it an hour later and put the money back? You’ve totally rectified the situation.

On the other extreme? While I have put in many, many hours of therapy and self-reflection and healing and therefore have gotten it under control, I will never not have trauma from having been raped and abused. Even if the perps spent the rest of their lives truly regretting what they did and doing hard work on behalf of survivors, they could never undo the damage they caused, even if they subsequently changed their behavior 180 degrees. (Editorial note: unsurprisingly, none of them have actually done any of that.)

Growing up, I felt an unbearable need to magnanimously forgive the perp despite his refusal to admit to what he did or apologize, and even as a culturally xian adult, I still felt a compulsory need to forgive subsequent offenders at least for my own sake in order to move on.

Judaism relieved me of any responsibility to forgive any of them, ever, because they have never apologized. I’m not even allowed to forgive them since they’ve never asked for it, but I don’t have to do so in order to heal because nothing they could do could heal me anyway. Them apologizing wouldn’t change the reality of their acts and me forgiving them wouldn’t change their future behavior. My healing is (for better or worse) my problem, and their becoming better people is their problem.

In a better world where they did hold themselves accountable? That would be stellar, but even in that world my remedy comes from the peace of mind in knowing that they aren’t hurting other people, from them still staying the hell away from me, and the justice in knowing that they have to live with what they did and are truly reckoning with it.

As a side note, it’s worth noting that this is why lashon hara is compared to murder by the rabbis. Lashon hara literally means “evil speech,” but refers to true statements that did not need to be made for any serious purpose and are malicious in nature. As an example, “Alex has gotten really overweight this year, huh?” might strictly speaking be true, but is nevertheless clearly intended to be mean and gossipy. Why is lashon hara taken so seriously? Because you can’t put that toothpaste back in the tube. You can’t unring that bell. Once those words have left your lips, they’re out there, forever. You can apologize, but you can’t unsay what you already said.

Grace vs. Accountability

Ultimately, I believe that the foundational difference between how xianity approaches forgiveness and how Judaism approaches forgiveness are how it is defined in each.

In xianity, forgiveness flows, as you said from the idea that humans were forgiven for our sins by Jesus on his own initiative, and therefore we should replicate that kind of forgiveness in our own lives. Sin is inevitable, and the work of repairing it can be done by the person who was wronged, the same way that Jesus repaired humanity’s relationship with God through his sacrifice. This creates a model that centers grace given by the wronged person. Deservingness on the part of the wrongdoer does not factor into the equation.

At its best, this gives the person who was wronged the agency to address the problem themselves without waiting around for the wrongdoer to get it together. It has the potential to allow people with pain to let go of that pain. At its worst, it creates a system where victims are pressured (by their communities, spiritual leaders, and/or themselves) to forgive at great cost to themselves with zero accountability on the part of the offender.

However.

That assumes, as a baseline, that forgiveness is a prerequisite to moving on with your life. In the same way that forgiveness by God/salvation is a prerequisite to eternal life in xianity, so too is forgiveness between individuals a prerequisite to living the rest of your life without that baggage.

Judaism makes no such assumption. In fact, it comes to rather the opposite conclusion: forgiveness may be necessary for the wrongdoer to move on, but you, the wronged person, should feel no need to provide it unless and until the person has actually rectified the situation and asked for forgiveness. (And even under those circumstances, while forgiving is the morally correct thing to do, you aren’t always actually obligated to do so.)

Judaism operates on an accountability model that says that if you harm another person, it’s on you to fix it to that person’s satisfaction. If you are harmed by another person, you should do whatever you need to in order to move forward, but you don’t have to say that they’ve met their burden unless and until they actually do. In this view, forgiveness is not defined as grace, but rather as recognition that the person has actually held themselves accountable for their actions.

This, too, flows from a theological perspective: G-d expects us to constantly be striving to better ourselves, which we can only do by holding ourselves fully accountable for our actions. We are moral creatures, capable of making an active choice between good and evil. While mistakes are inevitable, we elevate ourselves spiritually, not by the grace of G-d or others, but by evaluating and reflecting on our own behavior and then taking active steps towards long-lasting change.

All of that, however, refers to direct wrongs between the wrongdoer and the wronged. I would be extremely remiss if I didn’t address … …

Wrongs Committed Against You vs. Wrongs Committed Against Others in Your Vicinity

One of the most serious problems I have with xian theology is the fact that the concept of grace doesn’t just apply between the wrongdoer and the wronged. It also applies between bystanders and the wronged.

Here is a great example of this:

Many of you may not know that one of my four children has Down syndrome. Her name is Bekah, and today she is 25. Bekah went to public school in elementary and middle school and was in normal classes and had lots of friends. Later, she attended college.

Many years ago, Bekah wanted to try out for cheer leading. My wife and I were amazed at how she learned the routines – jumping in the air, doing splits, and yelling out the cheers. Unfortunately, she did not make the team which was very disappointing for her and us. She had a really hard time understanding that she could no longer cheer with the other girls.

Soon afterwards, we received a letter from the coach explaining Bekah was not cut from the team because of her disability but because…she kicked, hit, yelled and cussed while in line with the other girls. We were stunned, no shocked, because Bekah had never exhibited any of those behaviors ever in any situation.

At a sleepover a few weeks later, which Bekah hosted in our home, several of the girls who had made the team asked my wife why Bekah had not made the team. My wife gently told them about the letter. They all immediately cried out, “Ms. Ellen, that’s not true at all. Bekah didn’t do any of those things. In fact, she did great in the tryouts.” Ellen called for me and asked me to come hear what the girls were saying. They repeated it all again.

This person had not only lied but had impugned Bekah’s character and we were angry! What had been done to our daughter was dastardly. The question afterwards was, “What are we going to do about this?” We knew we could not pull these girls into a dispute with this coach. So, we had no recourse. This coach had hurt a person who could not speak up for herself due to her disability and there was nothing we could do about it…except forgive.

Did this person deserve to be forgiven? Absolutely not. But we were not going to allow a root of bitterness to grow within us that Hebrews 12:15 warns about. We were not about to give this person power over our lives. We were not about to give Satan power over us. Was it easy? No! Everything in us cried out for justice but there was none to be had.

So, we trusted Christ in us, the greatest “forgiver” of all time, to live through us so we could forgive. We wanted to live like who we are in Christ, “forgivers”, in obedience from the love in our hearts for our Father. We wanted to “forgive one another just as God had forgiven us in Christ” (Ephesians 4:32) So, we sat before the Lord and poured out to Him our anger, our hurt, and our desire for justice. Then, because God had forgiven us for all our sins we did not deserve to be forgiven for, we forgave this person; meaning, we released the person from the debt we believe they owed us. In this case, the debt would have been an admission to us and especially to Bekah of the wrong they had done.

A few weeks later, would you believe that we saw this person at a church we were visiting? We were both so glad we had been honest with God about the hurts we received from the offense and then chose to forgive. We live free today from bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness. Praise God!

[Source: x]

Okay, so we don’t have time to unpack all of that, but just… sit with the fact, for a moment, that Bekah is utterly silenced by this approach. Did her parents have any right to forgive the coach? No, no they did not. That was Bekah’s right, and Bekah’s alone.

Compare that to what Rabbi Telushkin relays in his Code of Jewish Ethics:

”The differing attitudes of Jews and Christians on granting forgiveness for serious, particularly violent, crimes is reflected in an incident that Dr. Solomon Schimmel, a psychologist and a religious Jew, relates in his book, Wounds Not Healed, concerning a Christian woman who nursed back to life a man who had murdered her parents and raped her. The man, shocked by her behavior, asked the woman, “Why didn’t you kill me?” She replied, “I am a follower of him [i.e., Jesus] who says, ‘Love your enemy.’ “A remarkable story, but as Schimmel, writing from a Jewish perspective, asks, “Why, however, is it noble to love and take care of evil people?”

“In contrast to this woman’s attitude, when the Jewish writer Cynthia Ozick was asked if it was morally appropriate to forgive a penitent Nazi SS officer who had participated in the murder of a Jewish community in Poland, she responded: “‘I forgive you,’ we say to the child who has muddied the carpet, ‘but next time don’t do it again.’ Next time, she will leave the muddy boots outside the door; forgiveness, with its enlarging capacity, will have taught her. Forgiveness is an effective teacher. Meanwhile, the spots can be washed away. But murder is irrevocable. Murder is irreversible…. Even if forgiveness restrains one from perpetrating a new batch of corpses, will the last batch come alive again?…Forgiveness is pitiless. It forgets the victim. It cultivates sensitiveness toward the murderer at the price of insensitiveness toward the victim.”

“And what of the penitent SS officer? “Let the SS man die unshriven. Let him go to hell.”

“The Jewish view can be summed up as follows: Forgiveness is almost always a virtue, but the taking of an innocent life is an unforgivable offense.”

[Source: x]

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digimonandanime · 5 years ago

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The Lonely Kid, Dosen’t Want To Be Lonely,

~Villianous

By:me ☝️

you know being someone like me you never get many friends, oh what am I saying I don’t have any friends literally! When people usually say the statement they don’t actually mean it they still have someone to talk to they still have someone that is always worrying about them and they actually have someone they would describe as a friend. Now in my case I never had any friends I never had any quote on quote acquaintances nor did I have anyone that really liked me in general. With my personality there’s something wrong, no one really understands no I’m not saying that I have a mental disorder far from it but with my personality it’s very difficult to talk to me because for one thing I’ve been lonely all my life I don’t know anything about you I only know about stuff like me, I can’t really talk about stuff that you like I can only talk about stuff I like because I don’t know anything else, not only that but I don’t know how to hold up a conversation I’m very social I love to talk and run my mouth in a good way but I never know what to talk about less you want a very awkward conversation on “how good the weather is today”. And frankly no one’s like me from the beginning I am not even truly one to be described as having many people watching out for him as people will call that I am nothing more than tolerated in a situation say at the lunchroom, all I have to do is just sit On any of the benches and from any longer in conversation that you may have had four hours on ours was suddenly just go silent. Roars of lions, Howells of wolves, songs of Wales, screams of children, sound of laughter suddenly silent a whole table A whole room a whole school finally just silent. Not even the sound of clicking smacking lips, the sound of breath nothing just silence all because I am present. One acknowledged, the one disturbed the one who no one can truly feel comfort around. That’s me someone who feels more than exiled someone who feels like a villain.

Now why do I say this? Why am I excluding myself? I’M NOT. People have done it for me people have showed me off people have hit me away like a cockroach to a broom, like, people have done it for me people have showed me off people have hit me away like a cockroach to a broom, like A crow raised by doves, A Hero that was never wanted. As I describe myself like this I would like to point out that there are some features about me besides my looks, I mean there are some distinct features that people have pointed out to be creepy. A select amount of very few amount but somehow in this perfect society they’re is still looking down. I guess I could bring up them all here because that’s why I’m writing this to get this more than off my chest put to spread awareness on how others feel there are no doubt in my position. There are some metaphors that I have said earlier that are use specifically there are many more things that I haven’t even said yet and I’ll get to those on later but for now let’s start with something I feel drives people away the most.

I have some what A very evil laugh. People have quoted people have mentioned people have pointed out accused and called me the devil because of it people have claimed that my laugh itself be crusifixed. (I am a born and raised Christian) my laugh has been mocked has been condoned, has more than its fair share of utter dispraise. People have very quickly become uncomfortable around me because of how evil my laugh sounds no one can no longer tell a funny joke because if I start to laugh everyone would go silent and quiver no day was a happy day as long as my sin of a laugh was there. No one saw pleasure and how I sounded no one even gave the distinction of interest they all were just terrified and from it came crying. Crying, wailing, flat out tears of misery and the sound of my voice was enough to even make the banshees have a query. My voice in general has been terrifying enough to set hordes of demons and devils flying away into the sun. No one has liked the sound of my presence every time I look into their eyes when I hear someone talk every time I talk every time they hear me every time the same expression the same wrinkles on the face the same tear behind their soul in their eyes I see something that they never want to show. Disgust, hate something worse often too. I can see the very thought in their eyes of them killing me and I think just for my voice? Just for how I sound just for how I talk my accent? Maybe it’s because I’m a little dumb? Is it because of how I sound? I am I really that repulsive? You want to end my life for that one reason? Fools all of them! I see it in their eyes I see it in their fists I see it way too often in the hearts and souls of those who commit those horrible acts. My voice, my tone, my sound, all just because I am excavated. I get it I can be annoying I don’t know how to talk I don’t know what you want to talk about and frankly I want to know I don’t want to be left out into the shadows castaway howling at the moon like a puppy left outside with no dinner in his bowl I don’t want to be left out of a discussion that can change on how we do things somewhere or something someday and I definitely don’t want to make a situation awkward nor do I intend to but sometimes for some reason, FEAR I cast into their eyes I cast into their souls constantly wronged constantly hurt without them ever thinking on how others would react if they knew what they were thinking and I can and they don’t realize it. The most evil of ambitions the most terror and whore all enter the minute I walk in. My voice can cast out any devil, but I never imagined that I could cast myself out to. Intimidation fear something you don’t want to a conversation I bring it without realizing. A calm and collect-full discussion with a friend can suddenly turn into hours or years of dread. Suddenly all of those innocent in the world took their heads under their sheets and quiver when you hear the sound of my voice a villain will soon enter the door after. Someone so terrifying that none of the heroes dare, someone that brings no rejoice in his voice.

I can’t say my personality is that different either. Anytime I talk to someone the conversation will suddenly go dark. “So annoying I wish that he would just shut up already” . “ we kick you out for a reason“. “Are you ever going to leave us alone? you’re still on the same table as us. We gave you all the space and you choose to be at the same table as all of us. Can’t you just leave us alone you’re such an eyesore. We never wanna see you but we have to.” These words are the very same from those very same people every day excluded every day hated every day feared every day neglected every day silenced. Now if you think I’m being a little overdramatic let me remind you that I have found chat rooms, pages, and honest to God website on all of them talking to each other and staying together but never inviting me, just me and if you think I’m lying about that there is an sad kid that gets on everyone’s nerves and their talk to every day on the social media pages in chat rooms every day they have a laugh every day and this is a new kid and I’ve known all of these people since second grade of elementary and all the way up to now of 10th grade and I honestly don’t know how to react anymore because I’ve been lied to I’ve been shut down and nobody wanted someone they grew up with is a little annoying that never got a chance to learn that never ever did any physical wrong to any of them but they still never wanted him around no they would wrap their words and they would rather have a stranger than a person they knew from so long ago. It honestly always brings me to tears when I think about this and I’ve completely given up on seeing the good in these people. Because even from an outside perspective they are all still not very good people constantly bickering and dissing and bullying each other and sometimes even flat out beating them I guess I can think my personality for how bad it is that it keeps everyone away so I never have to learn anything about how bad they have it and when they constantly complain to me “ why do you know you never talk to us! You never know us we don’t even like you!“ To this I say YES! Because you never let me you never let me learn about your suffering you never let me learn about how you are feeling I am someone who wants to make it feel better. But every day I am pushed and shoved into a dark corner and told to sit. And slowly over the years I’ve grown dark and cold but still a good person. Someone hoping’s in secret that finally someone wants to talk to me not because of they are forced to not because they want a good grade not because of some I’ll tear your motive but just to say hello! I have never known the feeling of love from another I’ve never known the warmth of a cozy campfire with friends I’ve never known the sweet words of comfort “don’t worry it’ll be OK, I am here for you”. Never have I heard these words of Sweet comfort that come from fairytale, and I know I will never hear anything like that. For some reason even people who don’t know me can just tell there’s something off with that child, has he ever been held? Add to this I doubt it. With how I act my actions my emotions my impulse of motion how I do things in general is judged in a negative way for no reason whatsoever. I have never done any wrong to you men of steel and women of gold, why must I be the one made of bronze having to paint himself with a can so that way people won’t feel as uncomfortable as they do? Why does someone have to be treated so evil? What wrong has he done to you that cannot be forgiven? Has he not joked the same way your brother has? Has he not treated you with compassion as a sister? What evil, what Sin? What have I done that will never allow anything what evil? What has he done, what is your reason for treating him the way you will do? why can’t you just be mad and forgive him the same way you do to each other too? Why must he write, when you refuse to listen? Will you read it all the way through? Or will you just simply skip to the end? How has darkness in fear turned him into a villain?

Now people see me as scary, people refuse to see me as one of them too. Could it be because I am half? Could it be because one part from my mother is a brighter color from you? Is it because a color from my father is not as dark as you? Could it be that simply you just wanted someone to play the role of the villain? Did you just want to turn someone evil and cold and insane? Did you want to drive someone all the way to isolation to the point where he knows hell? Because for me hell is not a burning place of fire but rather the cold silence of isolation, the share of bad chatter of how much he is hated constantly reminded why he is alone because he is wrong about him. How being different how not caring of how others feel about you can paint such a target on your back to see what will get to him what will make him cry what will make him suffer what whip must he be struken with till red bleeds? Why, how come? For what purpose does this serve? Why must you hold onto hate for so long and poison yourself all the way to the point where you think you’re a A darker color of soul? What is the difference between black and white? Must one be absent well the other constantly present? Must one be gone for the other to exist? Must you drive me to insanity? For what purpose for a reason you just simply don’t like me? For because you don’t know me even though we have been together more than thousands and thousands of years? Would you rather take a man born yesterday into the group rather than a man who’s been around as long as you? Why must you exclude someone for so much hate for so much of a stupid reason that you don’t even know why you hate them anymore? Why do you fight me? Why must you torture me? What have I done I want to fix it but I can never ever do that. How come? Because you never let me know why. My someone look so down much do you have someone villainized much do you have someone turned into a demon? Must you push a man to the ground nail antlers to his head and paint wings on him the color of black? And tell him to fly off into the night and never return? Must you tell him that there’s just one thing, ONE that you hate about him? Is he really worth all of this? Others you don’t know he wants to be with you I want to be with you but for some reason All of you do not want me there. Someone you have known someone you at one point have almost considered getting to know? Someone without friends since born and tolerated, someone without anyone to talk to just himself put into isolation staring into Blue sky on a rock the size and shape of a cliff? Must he be so alone that he never hears his own voice in his head? Must he be driven to the point of isolation where if dropped off onto a swamp he would be known more better? Why am I someone change why would someone do something for you if you will never ever change for them? Why must I why must everyone that has been in my shoes be demonized be locked down beside upon be executed be expelled to be Outkast it to be full on turned into a monster? Why must you spread rumors on something you don’t know to be turned into a villain why must you say such evil about a man to the point where it almost becomes true to him himself even though all along it was false. Why must the one person alone and blind see so clearly then a man with glasses? With my personality I’ve constantly had to ask myself these questions how old everyone else feel? Why would they feel that way towards me? What did I do? I’m not insecure but why must they make me into the villain for their play? Their drama of hope in life their drama of love there play of emotions why must someone why must there be always an unfair villain? Why am I someone looks so evil upon because others have said something not true to the point where he doesn’t know anymore why must he be the one who makes children cry with a single giggle? Why must other frown when he smiles and when he is finally beaten to a corner and crying why do they cheer? What is this man who has done nothing wrong to you?

Why must he be beaten into a corner by the person falsely accused the hero? Why does he have two swords that others have told him do not sheth but he still does? Why is it that others must make one look bad so that way there can be peace in the world? Why must someone like me with an evil laugh, a horrible personality, and nothing else in general be so hated for something he did not do? Why is it that he is always alone? Why is he always in hell having fear constantly over and over every day why am I afraid? Why am I afraid of being alone why am I afraid of something I have never known else? Why am I so persistent to rid myself of this? Because I have been alone and have never known anything else I strive for new I strive for something I never had I strive not for good but for the benefit of others. Why must he become the villain the one who wanted to help the one who saw the floor the one who never knew anything else the one who knew right from wrong from the real world why must he become the villain in a world full of evil? And why must the hero treat the villan with such evil? Why do heroes in comic books beat up the villain? Why do they kill them why must they Beat them till they are on the floor and unconscious? Why not treat them for how they truly are? Villains are still people there just missed lead why don’t you just sit down and talk with them? Why not keep them into the discussion why not have them not be alone why not? What is the excuse? Are you afraid of them or are they just something that you never knew? Why am I someone who looks a villain be a villain? Have they actually done wrong? Have you actually seen them commit a sin worth having them known that they bear? Have you ever stopped to think on how and why the one most alone is alone why must the kid who only had one friend ever lose them to society? Why must someone with fear have nothing to fear? Is it because they have nothing to lose? Or is it because they know they will have nothing to gain?

People constantly tell me I look like a villain. With how evil I laugh and sound with how horrible I am to be around how every positive situation can somehow turn into a funeral. How can someone that you have no for all your life no you but you know nothing on them you couldn’t tell them what their favorite color was you couldn’t tell them what you know of them you could’ve told him anything because it Was never true. The lonely kid could never talk to anyone because nobody wanted to talk to them it’s because he it isn’t becaus was never true. The lonely kid could never talk to anyone because nobody wanted to talk to them. If you go and talk to that kid right now and ask how they are doing they will say fine they want you to go away because they know you are talking to them for some other reason because they know that you just want to use them because they know you are not truly talking to them and that is not what they want or desire. No one wants anybody that just wants something from you and then never talks to you again nobody wants that but then again that is the whole reason you keep that one kid alone. Alone with isolation alone with insanity alone with evil. And that is a sin in itself. So one day with all this hate and evil that kid will turn finally can’t take it anymore finally freed finally never forgiving finally is cold and that is truly when they become villain like me. With the most villainess of knowledge with the most ill mannered actions why they become bad. Why have there been so many shootings? By students? Because those students were exiled and alone, this is what makes them take those actions.

A villain, a person seen of society is evil, someone who nobody likes someone who everybody hates and someone who constantly is look down upon. For me I Call it my holes in my hands. Because no matter how much I cover my face I can constantly see through how much pain there really is no matter how hard I try to hide no matter how hard I try to talk it away it would always show not only that but with these holes you can send nails through them and have me nailed down onto a wall that people call shame and will see a corpse of not a person but a monster defeated. I want to see this body not only will they see the holes or the scars or the wounds but also on his face cracks from what look like tears run down constantly with one going up seeing as how he was beaten to the floor and still cried but no one tried to help him no what they did was cheer. Society is evil everything on this culture of now today is evil there is no where in the world you can look too and not have seen the taste of the devil. Someone so villainous but yet so kind never would be or was given the chance all because of how he looked of how I act how I sound and because of how he was just generally not fun to be around. Someone turned to madness someone turn into isolation someone who was never supposed to be alone in the first place was shoved in the corner because he didn’t know how to act with something he had never had. Why Must you be the dominant factor why is it that you the other person not the lonely kid but the other person have the power? Because he has something called friends that will make something up that would be a lie so that way there Friend will be OK but the lonely kid doesn’t have anything like that no he only has himself and most of the time he will only speak the truth why must you trust someone with many friends that say different things all leading to the same answer when one person alone says one thing must you be the dominant factor why is it that you the other person not the lonely kid but the other person have the power? Because he has something called friends that will make something up that will be alive so that way their friend will be OK but the launch my kid doesn’t have anything like that no he only has them self most the time he will only speak the truth why must you trust someone with many friends that say different things all leading to the same answer when one person alone says one thing that is truly what happened!? Never will this be answered because those with power never wanted to be that’s for someone being treated unfairly thus they become called corrupted and stone, these are why people become a villain why is it right? Why is it wrong? Why is it that the one treated unfairly what rise up for his own or her own beliefs and then only to be shut down by someone that others believed in that all had similar beliefs why must the one person alone become a villain? Why am I someone who looks evil who sounds evil someone who will never be truly satanic be labeled as the villain?

Why would you let yourself be drawn by others? Why would a hierarchy be the thing that decides you? Why was someone who doesn’t know the first thing about you even though you have spent decades with them say anything about you are they truly a reliable source? If they have never learned the truth about you with all that time together with the group of humans and those who are apparently the heroes of this journey label one of their own the master Evo? And why must they take him down? Why must a Colts be made to take me down in my own grade? Why must it be that I am a villain? Why am I driven to evil? Who said I was daemonic? Who said I I am villainous, vicious and viole? Why must others decide that to be a villain that takes life is someone who instead tried to preserve it someone who only want to help you someone who only wants to love you why would you label them with such hate and poison?

I am completely hated and there’s something special about me that not many people know in fact nobody knows but my only mother and father I can pick up on how others think about me I can see something so clear as day that others will only view as the blackest of nights unable to understand because they don’t want to. Why is a gift like this label me as such a horrible person what have I done to you why am I so alone? That is hell for me this is drive me to insanity and constantly every day never let me escape my mind will I survive today? Or will someone survive today? Will they finally make me snap? Or will I finally make them snap to finally do the Deed? Why is it someone like me who only wants the best get labeled a villain and by society have heroes come kill me over and over again? Disguises people who want to talk but in reality, game day after day to a bloody pulp this is! Why is it that every day I must be felt as evil? Why do I have to make something uncomfortable? Why do I make everyone silent? Why don’t I be seen as a good guy? Why am I seeing is someone evil and vile? Why am I in people like me seen as a villain?

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