#is the way that xtian clergy

[writer-at-the-table]

There's a preoccupation in (culturally) xtian pop culture about the possibility of people secretly continuing non/pre-xtian pagan/"old ways" religious practices that's always seemed a little weird to me.

I don't just mean the folk horror genre, either, though that's a big example. It shows up as a trope in other genres of story in xtian hegemonic cultures, as well.

Heck, it comes up so often on Midsomer Murders that it's practically it's own genre of episode. That's what sparked this post, in fact.

It'm starting to think it reflects some deep insecurity in xtian cultures rooted in the coercive nature of xtianity's spread.

Something to do with the difficulty of reconciling that history with, if not necessarily active faith, then at least a self-image of the modern xtian hegemonic cultures in which the writers, directors, ect who put these tropes in their work (and the audiences who read them) were born, raised, and live their lives.

Also something to do with that history and the fact that the genuineness of any coerced conversion is always inherently suspect.

Not sure where I'm going with this, if anywhere, but I am having thoughts.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Today, I have had the singular misfortune of reading an afterword that claims that the concepts of "all men are equal" and "treat others as you would be treated" are Christian morals/values, and the fact that reasonably educated authors write this way irritates me immensely, especially since I am absolutely certain that the latter concept has developed independently in non-Christian cultures. e.g. "Do not onto others what you would not have done onto yourself." --Analects

Absolutely correct. The bible doesn’t even support this notion. The Israelites were the Chosen people, and Jealous spends the majority of his appearances in the bible genociding everyone else. That is, when he’s not providing instructions on enslaving your neighbours, ordering the murder of entire villages because he didn’t like them, and telling women to obey and be subservient to their husbands, as their husbands are subservient to Jealous himself.

Even gentle Jesus, meek and mild, bristles at the notion of helping a Canaanite woman, whom he regarded as a “dog,” tells slaves to obey their masters, even the cruel ones, thinks that his dad/self cripples people because they deserve it, regularly harangues people for asking reasonable questions like “why should we listen to you?” and “can you prove you’re the son of god?” (I guess nothing really changes), and frequently calls people he doesn’t like “vipers” or “snakes.”

The Xtian imperative in no way requires good deeds, moral behavior, or just actions. It’s mere belief to avoid hellfire.

Pretty much every culture, all around the world, has figured out and documented a version of the Golden Rule, from Ancient Egypt to, as you mentioned, Chinese culture, long before the fables of the bible were manufactured. Even animals have figured this out and there are plenty of examples of them exhibiting both altruism and reciprocity.

Meanwhile, Chinese philosophers have been proposing “equal under the law” for hundreds of years BCE, yet Xtians are still whining about recognition of marriage equality today, and have pretty much opposed every major recognition of human equality in between. I’m sure the heretics tortured to death and the witches burned felt like the clergy regarded them as equals and would expect the same torture and burning in return. /s

I’ve been saying this a lot lately: religion de-humanizes. No credit is given to humanity for figuring out this stuff ourselves, that it could be derived from first principles, or that we’re here as a successful species only because we did figure it out. No, they would have us believe we had to be told by a bronze age doctrine of blood, violence, jealousy and vengeance. You know, several hundred years at least after Greek and Persian philosophers had already figured it out.

But this lie, that modern morality is derived from and owed to Xtian values, has been repeated often enough that people take it as axiomatic.

I would have to wonder whether the afterword’s author had ever actually read the bible.

[qupritsuvwix]

Critical Rage Theory: Judge ‘Retro’ Alito believes that having an originalist attitude toward the constitution is more important than winning a popularity contest with Americans. Or, at least that’s what he wrote and wrote and wrote. He looked real hard for those words. He didn’t write just anything. He knew what would get his dick sucked and what would get him a cold shoulder. Like any pop star, he knows who his audience is and he caters to them, looking them straight in the eyes while he sings of forbidden love and the consequences thereof.

The abortion issue has been framed as a religious one, as the murder of innocents is supposedly a bad thing (read your bible)… or is it xtians not completing a pregnancy is blasphemy and everybody else is denying their zygote the future possibility of hearing god’s word… or is it yeshua isn’t coming back any time soon, so we might as well fuck and spawn so that heaven will be full when he is ready to perform the rapture… or is it sperm have souls… or is it orgasm wakes up angels who are pissed because they can’t have any?

Babies who don’t make it to term, ala miscarried or stillborn, supposedly have their souls recycled into other potential humans. On the other hand some spiritually-oriented scholars think that the very young become angels upon termination of their short existence. Either way, their fairy tales are more comforting than reality.

Judge Alito is a cis man. It is none of his business what goes on in a woman’s body. The laws of this land were created long after the act of reproduction was perfected. They have nothing to do with what women really need. They deal with philosophical and religious misconceptions (sic) and sometimes jokes. The Constitution is not legislation. The supreme court are not interpreters of the Ten Commandments. We know who wrote the Constitution and they weren’t clergy, poets, or philosophers. They were merchants justifying the theft of goods and livelihoods from royalists who had fled to England or Canada with their tails between their legs. The framers did not believe that they were pooping out a modern version of the Magna Carta. They knew it was flawed, they knew it would need changing and interpretation. They also thought it would have a fucking EXPIRATION DATE! It is a failure of U.S. politics throughout the last 250 odd years that we are still clinging to this dusty rag instead of getting off our asses and making a new and better one. We wouldn’t need to wait for the Supreme Fart to dust off their robes, adjust their hearing aids, and change their adult diapers to sit in judgement of their predecessors decisions FIFTY YEARS AGO! These bored assholes, like orthodox rabbis, are ARGUING WITH DEAD MEN about jots and tittles! As has been said by another justice, “The law is an ass.”

And what is this horseshit about DELIBERATION? All the amicus briefs and bullshit? Those superannuated members of the legal debate team have heard and read all they need to before the damn “case” arrives in their piss-stained laps! They knew that shit would eventually be their problem because there is a years-long WAITING LIST! For god’s sake, make it one hour’s argument for each side, a commercial break for the stars to “deliberate”, and then JUDGE JUDY that shit out of there!

Written decisions and concurrence and dissent? Can’t any of those assholes type with more than two fingers? Is spellcheck that hard? Get it over with!

This is supposed to be the FUTURE! And all these political appointees who were picked for their ability to follow the ideological fantasies of their bosses are wallowing in nostalgia for a time they can only half-remember. Their fantastic fascination with dead words from dead eras encroaches on the present in such a way that future justices will have to correct the bullshit of today twenty years down the road.

We don’t have twenty years to wait. The Supreme Court is not a democratic organization. This a REPUBLIC! The majority does not rule. The powerful do. And who gave them their power? The careless, the bored, the uneducated. The Supreme Court doesn’t engage in jurisprudence. It engages in coin-flipping. If one flip won’t do it, flip it again.

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Wednesday 4 July 1838

6 ¾

10 40

were to have been off at 8 – could not get our passport till 9 – very fine morning – breakfast at 8 ¼ left Josephine – took George, and A- and I (with merely our night things, a change of linen and our journal books in one sac de nuit) off at 9 50 in a calêche and 3 horses for St. Jean de Luz having our passport visaed for Spain at the French mairie, and at our own consulate and that of Spain – A- and I both in good spirits – A- had taken of letter paper to date to her sister from St. Sebastien – excellent road – very pretty interesting drive – the mountains fine on our left and in less than an hour about 10 ¾ the sea fine on our right – at 11 20 passed the poste aux chevaux at Bidart (1 ½ poste) and Tamarisk hedges – at St. Jean de Luz (1 ½ p. more) chez M. Junca, maitre de poste aux chevaux, hotel de la poste, at 12 50 – gave him the letter from our host M. Theodore Détroyat à Bayonne, begged him to arrange all about our passport – not safe to go by land – must go by a sea – in a steamer if there happened to be one – if not there might be a boat going – or we might hire one – M. Junca un petit homme vif – sent off a woman to see about a boat – the boats not here, but ½ hour off – ordered a mutton cutlet for A- and she having

SH:7/ML/E/21/0139

 fastened her door, I went into the nice little town for ¼ hour – singular church – one large lofty vaulted space – the large organ and large organ-loft to contain the clergy at the west end and the high altar in a richly-covered gilded bay or apse at the east end – 3 oak ballustred oak-pillar supported galleries on each side – the 1st gallery perhaps 5 yards from the ground (the floor boarded) and the 2 above about 4 yards each from the lower gallery and from each other and about 2 or 3 yards perhaps from the square of the roof – called at the poste aux letters – the courier goes Fridays and Tuesdays but now goes by land – so that the idea of crossing with the courier is at an end – on my returning found A- had put on stocking for fear of monsieur how unlucky on my return A- had had her cutlet, and M. Junca had heard of a Patron de Chaloupe (Captain of a boat) just going to start for St. Sebastian with a little cargo and would return on Friday – ended by agreeing to give him 50/. for a boat to ourselves to return with us tomorrow or if we chose to stay till Friday to give him 55/. – Corrigo [or Conigo] Eguia, Patron de Chaloupe a Spaniard but très honnete [honnête ] homme that M. Junca knew well and could count upon – we could not be better – to be ready in ½ hour – A- and I walked down to the church to spend the time there – she made a little sketch of the exterior while I stood by watching a man making linen-listing sandal-soles, and a woman sitting by him serving on the bit of upper-linen (coarse string stitched together by button-hole stitch) to cover the toes – Mr. Junca came to see us embark on the quai in the grande place –

Embark at St. Jean de Luz

written out Monday eight

on one side the house where the d. of Wellington spent 2 or 3 months – on another the old chateau like house while Louis xvi. lodged and on another the house where the infante of Spain his bride Marie Thérèse lodged – A- seeing no rowers hoped there were rowers – yes! four – she had not thought the boat was so small (a little chaloupe about the size of a Scarbro’ cobble) – however we embarked at 2 – there is always a little surf at the entrance of the little harbour – I saw A- was nervous – our little sail made us lean a little on one side every now and then and there was little bit of up and down – A- grasped my hand – said she could not bear it – would return – there was no danger – the afternoon was beautiful – the little wind or air was in our favour and it was a pity poor A-‘s nerves were not stronger – but I saw she was right to return – our captain could only speak Spanish – I had difficulty in making him understand that he must put in at Choco (the fort of ) I really could not make him understand to turn back – but by dint of ‘timore – ella – morire – io –pagare – intrate [rientrate]’ pointing to the fort of Socoa (pronounced as if Choco (tschoco)) I got him to put in there – there was no time to deliberate – besides our 4 rowers we had a stripling boy and a lad about 12 or 13 on board – left the latter to go back with A- and carry her cloak and the travelling bag – took out merely my night-chemise and cap and 50 francs and left all the rest with A- except my umbrella and parasol and 2 cloaks – asked her if she would like me not to go – said if she had least wish for me to stay, I would – no! she had rather I went – in 5 minutes poor A- was landed, and left, and I was re-embarked and off at 2 35 – In a moment I had lost sight of her – and I was pitching in the bay of [?] in a small open boat with a Spanish smuggler (for such is Corrigo) and 3 Spanish rowers and one old French basque rower and my servant George! – about ½ dozen words of French were all our crew could muster and about as Many English (‘good bye – very quick’) – in 40 minutes (at 3 ¼) Andaye (pronounced Andāiah) in sight (a village or little town – with a little tower (church tower or steeple?) and at 3 35 lost sight of Fontarabia (Fontarrābbĭa) [Hondarribia? ]nearer the sea than Andaye and on high ground – looking like a convent, or fort, or what? Irun (could hardly distinguish the building) forms the apex of the triangle between the two (at Andaye and Fontaribia) at the foot of the high 3 or 4 pointed torso or crest of mountain that is so striking from the top of Bayonne cathedral – at 3 35 re-embarked at Socoa – in 40 minutes (3 ¼) Andaye in sight – lost sight of Fontarabia at 3 35 – and ten minutes before this had had the 1st distant glimpse of St. Sebastian or rather the high tower (fort) on the top of the hill on the west of the harbour – the tower of Biarrits’ (pronounced Bēeăris) closes the wide bay towards Bayonne – and the rocky pointe de Figuieras [Figueres?] shuts out the embouchure of the Bidassoa (on which are Andaye and Fontaribia) – Sick at 5 20 – fine as is the afternoon and I quite warm the sea here seems to me as swelling as it was the night we went to Antwerp – land at 6 ¼ - having passed the citadel-rock and high conical little rock doubled the island and entered the harbour to the westwards of it between it and the tower fort – 2 English steamers in the service of the queen of Spain lying at anchor – [?] up to the jetties under the west side of the town, and landed by stairs so narrow, deep, and rough one could hardly get up – at the Fonda (n°5 Plaza ricja (place vielle)  reuve Inciarte) in 10 minutes at 6 35 – queer dirty looking place Corrigo introduced me to the especial care of the people – I could not tell which was the mistress – several women  sat together at a large table full of washed but apparently ungot up linen – the daughter (Luisa) could speak French – asked her to send someone with me to see the town and citadel, and to let me have dinner – she said she would go with me herself and sent a woman to shew me my room – it was au 3me but lofty, and large enough – one common chair and ditto table and ditto bedstead, no curtains – no look of comfort – I was down again among the women in a few minutes but had to wait till young lady was dressed (1/2 hour) when she and Madama appeared in their mantillas quite dressed for promenade – the old lady was one who had been driven from the country – lost all she had and come into the ville, and was at the Fonda I could not make out on what terms – but the young lady could not trust herself with me and George without a madama – I said I was sorry they had made so much toilette and that I really was ashamed of my travelling costume – However the young lady aetatis 18 looked very well pleased and out we sallied – to the church – one large lofty domed space unbroken by anything save the large organ and its large loft at the west end – the clergy (now 21) sat or officiated the organ loft – the bay or apse of the high altar one mass of gilt carving – and a lessen altar on each side of it, transept-wise – imposing looking interior – large odd heavy old plain building outside with 2 low west towers – then to the citadel very few soldiers – saw perhaps a dozen – several people walking along the traverse walks along the rocky hill side – towards the sea one or 2 tombs – that and among 2 [?] of Sir Oliver de Lancy railed off – I went up to read the inscriptions but a solider called me back – not allowed to go! the sea-view very fine from one side – the tower as if laid down upon a map on the other – the grand place (arcaded) and another place and one or 2 straight streets all round round them seemed to compose the ville – 3 convents destroyed by the carlists (the girl said) and houses in all directions unroofed

SH:7/ML/E/21/0140

and made unhabitable by them (for fear of xtians should take shelter in them) gave all around a look of ruin – one whole village just on this side the river on the road to Hernani quite destroyed – could go very safely to Hernani now – no carlists between here and there – could also go to Passages – but no farther – asked the girl to get me a guide to Hernani in the morning – determined to be off at 6 and back in time to breakfast and embark at 11 – out from 7  5 to about before 9 when I had seen all there was to see – had to wait a little for dinner – they seemed to expect George to dine with me, but on my saying it was not selon [?] habitude, he fined in the kitchen or somewhere, and I told the young Louisa to come and sit by me or I should be triste – I had soup, ham, chicken and potatoes – I dined on the 1st and a little cheese and bread, nothing else looking tolerable – finding no chance of a guide who could speak word of anything but Spanish took a man to shew me the way (not far) and off about 9 20 to our consul – not at home – would return at 11 to supper – this would not do – at the moment 2 English officers went upstairs – spoke to one them – said what I was come for, and begged to have a solider to accompany me in the morning – the officer very civil – Lieutenant of the artillery as I afterwards found – promised me a solider at 6 tomorrow am – returned to the fonda and went upstairs with the fille to see my bed prepared – ready by 9 ¾ - very fine day – doubted for a moment whether to undress – my sheets not feeling very dry – took them off

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

A couple other things!

If you're looking for LGBTQ+ positive xtian communities, there really are a lot out there. One that I used to participate in as a teen back in 2007 is:

If you're looking for something closer to what you grew up with, you could check out other catholic churches that are not Roman Catholic, many of which are explicitly welcoming to LGBTQ folks: https://www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2013/10/03/alternative-way-be-catholic-and-lgbt. Additionally, I've been given to understand that some congregations are better about it than others if you are looking to stay Roman Catholic. Here's some of what I found by searching, but can't personally vouch for it:

If you're looking for inclusive Jewish communities, it's worth knowing that the liberal branches are all explicitly welcoming as part of their platform. Individual congregations and rabbis vary, so I'd check out https://www.keshetonline.org// and/or read the synagogue's website to see if they say that they are an inclusive community. If you're interested in more traditional communities, https://www.eshelonline.org/ has lots of great resources for finding orthodox and orthodox-adjacent congregations who welcome LGBTQ members.

If you're looking for other suggestions or want to discuss anything with me personally, please feel free to DM me - I'm happy to try to help you find resources, talk about my own faith journey, and/or just be nerdy about Judaism (or religion in general tbh). I'm not qualified in any way as clergy or a scholar or any sort of authority, but would be happy to discuss as a layperson.

hi, uh.... can i have some advice? i’m a young, baptized christian catholic who doesn’t really believe in my religion anymore, especially because of our hostility toward LGBTQA+ and our tendency to push our beliefs on other people. i cant stand the history we have and here on tumblr i see posts about how horrible we are and i cant say that a lot of em are wrong, so i’m thinking of converting to a different religion.. can a catholic become a jew?? even tho i’m baptized?

you can definitely become a jew!! yes even though you’re baptized. judaism doesn’t recognize baptism as something significant tbh. but it would also be totally valid imo just to be non-religious or to be progressive catholic/christian!!

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

I've been arguing with a Muslim, that to say terrorists do see themselves as Muslims is right while he admitted that they are not. (true Scotsman in my eyes) Only right winged idiots say all Muslims are terrorists. And sure terrorists interpret it in their favor, but isn't every muslim community doing that and arguing with other Muslim confessions who got it right? Where do you see terrorists/islamists? Is it more an ideology they run or just fundamentals?

I’ve previously written about this before: https://religion-is-a-mental-illness.tumblr.com/post/186469955752

But as it’s rather long, I’ll snip out the relevant part:

Whether willingly or forced by your parents, you clicked “I Agree” at the bottom of your scripture.

https://religion-is-a-mental-illness.tumblr.com/tagged/software-license

While individuals are not to blame for the actions of others, they are responsible for their affiliation with the ideology and beliefs that justify what others do. You don’t get to to “No True Scotsman” your way out of that.

https://religion-is-a-mental-illness.tumblr.com/image/180133022138

Individual parishioners should not be held responsible for the actions of the Catholic Church’s clergy of pedophiles and pedophile relocators (unless they had an awareness and did nothing - and given the longstanding history of altarboy “jokes” this certainly didn’t come out of nowhere), however the Catholic Church as a whole must be held responsible. What individual parishioners can be held accountable and criticised for, is their continued affiliation with this organised underground child rape ring.

https://religion-is-a-mental-illness.tumblr.com/image/184278191004

Because it forms tacit acceptance and implied tolerance. If I know someone is raping a child and I do nothing or say nothing when I can, aren’t I an accessory?

The same is true of Xtianity, Islam and other religions and their terrorists. Individual Muslims and Xtians are not to blame for what others do in the name of their god. However, Islam and the quran, and Xtianity and the bible, as a whole, as ideas in the world, with books full of stories and messages - and, apparently, no reliable guide to what’s a metaphor and what’s not - can be held responsible for the fact their own scripture and dogma and ideology creates and justifies these problems. Especially when the terrorists can, and do, cite chapter and verse, and have as much faith, or more, as the peaceful moderates.

https://religion-is-a-mental-illness.tumblr.com/image/186263789313

https://religion-is-a-mental-illness.tumblr.com/image/186245494523

Individual Muslims and Xtians remain responsible for their own continued affiliation with ideas that can be used (or misused) in this way, for not withdrawing their “I Agree.”

https://religion-is-a-mental-illness.tumblr.com/image/183451299844

This is not even unique to religion, it also applies to other groups and movements, political and social. If your beliefs or ideology justify Bad Things™, you don’t get to just shrug and go “that’s not what X is about” or invoke No True Scotsman. If your idea can be used to justify harm and violence, then there’s a problem at the core of your idea. Or at least, how you define, articulate and recruit participation in your idea.

Especially since they will be exactly as justified as you about claiming you’re not the True Scotsman.