#indigenous faith

[mangotalkies]

"after all, how can one feel the loss of a thing whose existence one has become unconscious to?"

a wonderful collection of essential and constant truth bombs.

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - June 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $Kaybarr1735! And if you tip me and give me a way to contact you, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week!

1. Victory for Same-Sex Marriage in Thailand

“Thailand’s Senate voted 130-4 today to pass a same-sex marriage bill that the lower house had approved by an overwhelming majority in March. This makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia, and the second in Asia, to recognize same-sex relationships. […] The Thai Marriage Equality Act […] will come into force 120 days after publication in the Royal Gazette. It will stand as an example of LGBT rights progress across the Asia-Pacific region and the world.”

2. One of world’s rarest cats no longer endangered

“[The Iberian lynx’s] population grew from 62 mature individuals in 2001 to 648 in 2022. While young and mature lynx combined now have an estimated population of more than 2,000, the IUCN reports. The increase is largely thanks to conservation efforts that have focused on increasing the abundance of its main food source - the also endangered wild rabbit, known as European rabbit. Programmes to free hundreds of captive lynxes and restoring scrublands and forests have also played an important role in ensuring the lynx is no longer endangered.”

3. Planning parenthood for incarcerated men

“[M]any incarcerated young men missed [sex-ed] classroom lessons due to truancy or incarceration. Their lack of knowledge about sexual health puts them at a lifelong disadvantage. De La Cruz [a health educator] will guide [incarcerated youths] in lessons about anatomy and pregnancy, birth control and sexually transmitted infections. He also explores healthy relationships and the pitfalls of toxic masculinity. […] Workshops cover healthy relationships, gender and sexuality, and sex trafficking.”

4. Peru puts endemic fog oasis under protection

“Lomas are unique ecosystems relying on marine fog that host rare and endemic plants and animal species. […] The Peruvian government has formally granted conservation status to the 6,449-hectare (16,000-acre) desert oasis site[….] The site, the first of its kind to become protected after more than 15 years of scientific and advocacy efforts, will help scientists understand climatic and marine cycles in the area[, … and] will be protected for future research and exploration for at least three decades.”

5. Religious groups are protecting Pride events — upending the LGBTQ+ vs. faith narrative

“In some cases, de-escalation teams stand as a physical barrier between protesters and event attendees. In other instances, they try to talk with protesters. The goal is generally to keep everyone safe. Leigh was learning that sometimes this didn’t mean acting as security, but doing actual outreach. That might mean making time and space to listen to hate speech. It might mean offering food or water. […] After undergoing Zoom trainings this spring, the members of some 120 faith organizations will fan out across more than 50 Pride events in 16 states to de-escalate the actions of extremist anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups.”

6. 25 years of research shows how to restore damaged rainforest

“For the first time, results from 25 years of work to rehabilitate fire-damaged and heavily logged rainforest are now being presented. The study fills a knowledge gap about the long-term effects of restoration and may become an important guide for future efforts to restore damaged ecosystems.”

7. Audubon and Grassroots Carbon Announce First-of-its-Kind Partnership to Reward Landowners for Improving Habitats for Birds while Building Healthy Soils

“Participating landowners can profit from additional soil carbon storage created through their regenerative land management practices. These practices restore grasslands, improve bird habits, build soil health and drive nature-based soil organic carbon drawdown through the healthy soils of farms and ranches. […] Additionally, regenerative land management practices improve habitats for birds. […] This partnership exemplifies how sustainable practices can drive positive environmental change while providing tangible economic benefits for landowners.”

8. Circular food systems found to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, require much less agricultural land

“Redesigning the European food system will reduce agricultural land by 44% while dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 70%. This reduction is possible with the current consumption of animal protein. “Moreover, animals are recyclers in the system. They can recycle nutrients from human-inedible parts of the organic waste and by-products in the food system and convert them to valuable animal products," Simon says.”

9. Could Treating Injured Raptors Help Lift a Population? Researchers found the work of rehabbers can have long-lasting benefits

“[“Wildlife professionals”] tend to have a dismissive attitude toward addressing individual animal welfare,” [… but f]or most raptor species, they found, birds released after rehabilitation were about as likely to survive as wild birds. Those released birds can have even broader impacts on the population. Back in the wild, the birds mate and breed, raising hatchlings that grow up to mate and breed, too. When the researchers modeled the effects, they found most species would see at least some population-level benefits from returning raptors to the wild.”

10. Indigenous people in the Amazon are helping to build bridges & save primates

“Working together, the Reconecta Project and the Waimiri-Atroari Indigenous people build bridges that connect the forest canopy over the BR-174 road[….] In the first 10 months of monitoring, eight different species were documented — not only monkeys such as the golden-handed tamarin and the common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus), but also kinkajous (Potos flavus), mouse opossums (Marmosops sp.), and opossums (Didelphis sp.).”

Bonus: A rare maneless zebra was born in the UK

June 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[screamingfromuz]

Listen. LISTEN, the longer I spend in the academic world, I am more convinced that describing Judaism and Jews as a religion/ethnic grope/ethnoreligion is unhelpful outside of Academic circles.

The best way to explain Judaism is using the tribe model. A lot of times Judaism is a community first and a religion second, i.e., your level of religiousness is rarely a thing that alienate you from the community.

Think of other tribes, like the Sámi, Aboriginal Australians, Māori, Yurok, Inuit ect. Each have their own unique religion, but we do not think of them as a religious group, because the tribal identity is more important, and the religion is considered part of the culture, not the opposite.

IMORTANT SIDENOTE: I am aware that many of those tribes, and other tribes have a big chunk of Christians in them, usually more Christians than those who follow the indigenous religion of the tribe. BUT for the sake of discussion, I am equating Judaism to the section that does follow the indigenous religion of the tribe.

So, despite the fact that the religious structures of Judaism is very integral to Judaism, it is partly because of the community based focus of Judaism. The most basic example is the Minyan, the fact that prayer is preferred to be done in a group. Or the fact that the Sader is meant to be a celebrated in a group. and so on.

SO, ethnoreligion is a great academic term, but for outside that world? A tribe is a much better term to explain Judaism.

[spider-man-2o99]

hits the disinformation machine with a bat a big bat a big heavy lead-core thick wood bat kablam whack whack whack whack whack. miguel ohara does not have "spider instincts," he has never in even one piece of official material ever had nor experienced the phenomenon that fandom colloquially refers to as "spider instincts," okay, that concept is entirely and 100% a fandom-born headcanon that people created post-ATSV as an excuse to write the guy as a stupid Feral Brown Beast-Man caricature . lord have mercy. it takes. two seconds of research 2 not perpetuate racist malarkey. do better

[probablygoodrpgideas]

I wanted most of the planets in my homebrew LANCER setting to be named after gods from various mythologies, like how the planets in our system are named after the gods from Roman mythology, so whenever I need to name a planet I get a random geographical location until I get one on land, then I look up believes in that area and name the planet after a god or other spiritual being from that faith

[harpieisthecarpie]

Harp's way too long "interpreting Jayvik as a queer rework of Judas & Jesus" ramble (BASS BOOSTED)

Okay so I have a ramble about jayvik's jesus/judas parallels that was inspired by the acoustic vers of JUDAS by The Reverent Marigold (amazing trans nb artist pls listen) and a mutual I'll tag in a reblog bc this is LONG

But this particular song is one I hold close to my heart (and project onto my favorite stories) bc it's a fundamentally compassionate reading of a biblical figure who is viewed as anathema by believers for a fate he never even had the chance to change.

To skip my kinda long Judas preface ramble go to the next orange text

Jesus forsees Judas's betrayal, he lets it happen. Yet Judas has become a reviled figure for being the catalyst of Jesus's transcendence from prophet to Christian deity.

Jesus had to be betrayed, he had to "die for our sins", and he had to fall so he could ascend. He could not be the redeemer without his betrayer.

Yet Judas, who is argued to either be destined or hellishly influenced for his betrayal, in my eyes didn't have to betray Jesus with a kiss. An emotional gesture, whether romantic or familial or platonic or whatever.

There was a gesture of devotion even in that act of persecution, and Judas died in despair of his own actions.

Okay this is the jayvik ur here for

Okay okay this is the part about jayvik, because when everyone was mad over Jayce killing Viktor during the 2nd batch of s2 eps, all I could think about how Viktor had been stuck in a limbo. Half ascendant and half trapped by his mortal form.

Like Christ was Jesus of Nazareth before being the Son of God, s2 Viktor is stuck in the middle of The Scientist and The Herald. Not quite mortal, not fully deity.

Something's gotta give, someone has to hammer the last nail in his coffin (or the crucifix in this instance), someone has to be the Betrayer for Viktor to be the Redeemer. And would we really want it to be anyone other than Jayce?

Would Viktor want it to be anyone other than Jayce? Someone other than his partner, the first man he saved on his path to ascendance. The man killing him with compassion because the Viktor of before had never wanted this.

And it's fascinating to me that within the parallel to Christianity, the differences in Arcane's story give Jayce and Viktor a far more lovely, compassionate ending than Judas and Jesus ever had. At least in the mainstream canon.

It's why I compared jayvik to Rev Mari's JUDAS instead of the basic story. JUDAS's queer themes and Rev Mari's lyricism reframe Judas in a kinder light and humanize Jesus in ways that make me so happy.

Lyric examples:

Because queerness, especially in gender, is so deeply about compassion, and living true to ourselves, and killing what is keeping us from growing into our own identities.

And the fact that Viktor and Jayce, with all their allegorical connections to the Savior and Betrayer, got such a beautiful, transcendent, and queer ending is. Meaningful

Wayyy more analysis under the cut! YAY

go to the next pink if you only want my main conclusion :]

Because Judas's story ended in him taking his own life, and Jayce was given a near rebirth when Viktor saved him from taking his own.

Judas's betrayal was predestined as a tool for Jesus's ascension to Christ the Son, while Jayce's betrayal was that he actively went against Viktor's decision and Viktor's autonomy. When Jayce killed the in-between Viktor he was repenting for that betrayal, and in doing so he was saving himself. In the Christian sense of the word, where Salvation is of the soul.

Only, in the Christian sense of the word, Jayce's salvation would have to come from the Savior. He would be praying for guidance, even if from that in-between Viktor.

But he doesn't put the onus on Viktor to forgive him, he doesn't compromise his devotion to his partner Viktor at the behest of this new Viktor that came from Jayce's betrayal.

When Judas sent Jesus off to die, that was his greatest sin. Jayce's was forcing Viktor to live in spite of Viktor's wishes.

The popular belief is that Judas was condemned to eternal damnation, punishment for a betrayal that Christ needed to ascend. And I think that is the saddest, most hopeless thing in the world.

If Christ couldn't– or wouldn't– save his friend and follower who fell so deep into guilt when his led to Jesus of Nazareth's death that he killed himself, how could anyone trust in their own salvation? If Judas was condemned to rot in Hell when his "loving" deity was done using him, why the fuck would anyone want that Salvation?

pink text indicating the conclusion

So Jayce and Viktor, in this fucking fundamentally queer story, saving each other and knowing each other and finding each other in every fucking reality like their souls could never exist apart is beautiful to me.

Neither of them were the passive objects of the other's Salvation. We know this because Jayce's original betrayal and the Herald's reality shifting "fixes" didn't save the other, nor did those actions condemn themselves.

Neither were helpless, or groveling for "forgiveness", or forced to fundamentally alter who they were at the core in order to be worthy of goodness.

They weren't exactly Jesus of Nazareth and Judas Iscariot, because Jayce and Viktor were written with a fundamentally queer compassion many refuse to apply to their faith.

Neither Jayce nor Viktor were purely Salvation or Forgiveness.

They were better. Jayce and Viktor saved each other, and themselves, when instead of forgiveness they offered acceptence and compassion.

I read it as:

There is nothing to forgive, because there is nothing wrong with you. I'm sorry I tried to change you, there is nothing wrong with you. I will prove in every reality that there is nothing wrong with you.

I found you again, and I'll find you again, because you held my soul so gently your hands left shining, iridescent marks that guide me to you in every reality.

There is no Jayce without Viktor, and no Viktor without Jayce, because they made it so. They chose to be soulmates, in whatever way you want to read it. And that means so much to me.

tl;dr arcane showed us the kinda religion we'd get if they let jesus be trans and have a boyfriend

[wesleysniperking]

Usopp and the Going Merry and the Clash of Cultures and Faith

I want to delve into how Usopp's devotion to the Going Merry reflects his animistic beliefs. His deep conviction stems from the belief that all inanimate objects, weather, and living things possess a soul, a perspective central to many Indigenous and African cultures. This connection is significant, as Usopp's role as a storyteller mirrors these traditions. I believe Oda was intentional in this portrayal, considering his statement that Usopp's real-life nationality and ethnicity would be African.

The Water 7 arc highlights issues of intercultural communication and the clash of differing beliefs. Usopp's fight with Luffy over the fate of the Going Merry stems from his animistic beliefs, underscoring how deeply faith and cultural perspectives can impact relationships and decisions.

related link

Usopp fan club (feel free to join)

[saturnniidae]

Ngl atla AUs are so funny in the sense that white people don't really exist in the original avatar universe.

I think these concepts of putting your favorite characters into such a rich and interesting world and the allure of making them benders is fun and I enjoy it myself from time to time but. There is Something be said about inserting white characters into an inherently poc centered story and world that draws inspiration from those cultures, so it falls kinda flat. (And could even come across as tasteless since the story is again inherently a poc one and has such political? I guess. Themes as like the main conflict ignoring it kinda takes away from half the worldbulding or whatever. Whaaateeeverr idk)

Again this isn't like hate to people with atla AUs I enjoy them but idk food for thought.

[raayllum]

cannot fucking imagine applying a “the customer is always right” capitalist hellscape mindset to “the audience is always right” when audiences are as varied as anything else. just say you’re a boot licker to your own sense of edgy superiority amplified by your lack of media literacy and the fact your ‘hot takes’ don’t get traction and go. 

[spiritfeelingscriggles]

Great spirit speaks

& I offer my mouth to turn it into the noise, that those who can only hear with their ears will listen to

& I offer my hands to turn it into the shapes those who can only visualise with their eyes can read of it

[leonardalphachurch]

also to be clear like… i wasn’t making a grand statement i was making an offhand comment in the tags of a post. i’ve wanted to actually talk about the depiction of tucker’s tattoos in the fandom for a while but i’ve found it difficult to word it in a way that wouldn’t get people to react like anon did. and so when i saw a post of someone already expressing basically what i was trying to say, though in a much more general sense, i figured i’d just reblog it with a simple comment and trust that my followers would know me well enough to trust that my full opinion was much more nuanced than could be expressed in a kind of jokey two sentence tag on someone else’s post.

because like. there’s a long history of tattoos, especially face tattoos, being associated with criminality. and while i don’t think a single artist’s intention with drawing tucker with tattoos is to call forth that association it is still soemthing to be cognizant of. and when i talk about “vague tribal-esque tattoos” i’m talking about designs that give tucker these meaningless random squiggles that call to mind an “exotic” feel that many non-polynesians, especially white people, associate with being “tribal” tattoos. in reality, of course, actual tribal tattoos have very specific cultural meanings that aren’t just the cool looking symbols that are like. this is the first result of “tribal tattoo” on google images:

if you want to tell me you have not seen many tucker designs with basically the same design philosophy as these have then i will tell you that you are lying.

and if you have a question of like, how do i not design tattoos that fall into this trap, then i would say to like, give meaning and intention to the design? whether or not you think the sword automatically gave him the tattoos or if they were given to him by the sangheili, they would realistically be of GREAT religious significance. if you want inspiration i shared an example of the sangheili script but i would look at designs of the stylings and architecture and symbols used by the sangheili, the covenant, maybe even the forerunners. you can look to the design of the sword and extrapolate around that, using the shape to create more designs and symbols that follow the same design philosophy of it but like. they should have meaning to them. there should be a reason that these designs were the ones that were chosen to be put on tuckers body.

not only will doing this prevent you from falling into “vague cool looking tribal symbols” you’ll also get a design that’s much more unique, much more interesting, and much more meaningful.

[catwouthats]

Sometimes I’m having a good day but then I remember that racist/homophobic LoTR fans exist and I’m like, “damn… they would be so mad at my idea of an accurate graphic novel adaptation… even if I was 100001% true the Tolkien’s books.”

[cruelsister-moved2]

That brendan dipshit always treats geopolitical events as a joke and never shuts the fuck up. I remember him having to leave tumblr for a bit after getting major backlash for linking a rickroll and saying it's a livecam of Russia invading Ukraine because he believed the invasion wouldn't happen. He's a white boy way too obsessed with smugly owning the libs.

what a stupid asshole i honestly just cant imagine how it feels to be an indigenous american right now watching the people who settled YOUR land being so smug and self-righteous because i guess they think what happened to your people is over now and its fine. tbh ive always been saying horseshoe theory isnt real but it is real exclusively for white men lol if youre a white man whose politics are motivated largely by the pursuit of the righteous rush you get from feeling like you have the moral upper hand then whats the difference between u and any other man like that

[cyber-judas]

possibly a hot take but if you as a Jewish person tie your ENTIRE identity to NEEDING an ethnostate, you need to reevaluate your relationship with your religion/ethnicity.

i know many Jewish people who i am good friends with who do NOT feel the need to tie their religion or identity to a colonial ethnostate, and support the freedom of palestinians.

this is not about your religion or your identity, this is about fascism and genocide masking itself with the suffering of the Jewish people.

Fascists are using you and your religion as a scapegoat to justify genocide.

[dancesingay]

Tupac on Trump

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

--

Virtuous Lie: 1619 Project (subthread):

==

I've posted on most if not all of these before, and yet I wonder how many people still take the "truth" of these as articles of faith, regardless of what evidence is prevented.

When I say "faith," I'm not being hyperbolic here either. It's the same process as religious beliefs. They'll say their beliefs are true, when you prevent evidence, they'll ignore it until they can't any more, then shift gear and insist that their beliefs are "helpful" - i.e. Virtuous Lie. If you have to abandon your truth claim in order to sustain your belief, then you already know it's not true.