#meditate on Scripture

[saydesole]

My Sunday 🫶🏾

Fall in love with your Energy

Love on yourself

Pray and Meditate

[idylls-of-the-divine-romance]

"the idea of religion and culture being distinct and separate is very much a Christian idea designed to help Christianity spread as much as possible" or it was designed to not force people to leave their culture in order to convert so that people who converted could still be culturally what they were

Like. I understand the point you're trying to make but you're phrasing it as if Christianity while being an oppressed minority group was like "ooohhh let's colonialize and destroy cultures" instead of it actually just being Saint Paul going "No, you do not need to give up your culture to follow Jesus. God loves you and your culture is fine as long as Christ is above it" it is very much supposed to be ANTI colonialist

[dress-this-way]

The Consecrated Woman | ENCOURAGING AND INSPIRING THE WORLD WITH DAILY BIBLE VERSES

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

is this God leading me to deeply study something, or is it an ADHD hyperfixation/imprinting on the book of Galatians

[santmat]

Tips for the Gnostic Spiritual Seeker @ YouTube: Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast

[kaleb-is-definitely-sane]

Hello, hello lovely Kaleb! One of my upcoming writing projects is about a queer Christian who grew up in a very strict Christian family. She is told that God doesn't love her and that she is going to Hell, but this girl has a passionate and loving faith.

If you are comfortable, could you please describe how faith feels to you. I imagine the whole concept must be very powerful and overwhelming at times, but it isn't something I've experienced, so I don't want to inaccurately represent the experience of being Christian. I'd be grateful for any small contribution, but again, if this isn't a question you want to answer don't worry about it at all :)

Thank you so much,

Sage

Xx

Okay. So. For reference. Sage sent me this ask on May 19, 120 days ago. And I thought, "Oh, this'll be easy to answer." But then in June I was proven just how wrong that thought was. It was my best friend's birthday, and I broke down. Crying. Screaming. Shaking. Mad at God (told him to get over it) and asking him to kill me.

He didn't.

He sent me a frog. (This was actually very sweet and personal to me; it makes more sense in context lol).

And then I yelled at him for being kind to me lol. "Stop being kind to me, I am trying to be mad at you!"

What I'm trying to say is it's not easy and I am so, so sorry I ever thought it was.

The thing is tho, many people (queer non christians; straight christians) think it is. "Oh why don't you just stop being Christian?" "Oh why don't you just stop being gay?" As if it's that easy.

To quote G.K. Chesterton, "A religion is not the church a man goes to but the cosmos he lives in". My religion is not my aesthetic or whatever; it's my cosmology. It is the way I understand all of reality and is not separate from any aspect of my life. I cannot stop being Christian or stop believing in Yahweh, the God of the Bible, any sooner than I can change my skin color. Or my sexuality.

That said I should say there are 4 main theological views on this:

Side A: Affirming. Side A is the position that homosexuality is not in conflict with Christianity and that homosexual relationships can be pleasing to God. Sex between homosexual partners is no more sinful than sex between heterosexual partners and gay people should be welcome in the church. Gay marriage is supported.

Side B: Chaste. The idea that being queer is not a sin, but that the bible clearly says that gay sex is iniquity. That said, there is nothing wrong with calling yourself gay; you just couldn't actually be in a relationship with someone ss.

Side X: Orientation Change. This is the "pray the gay away" crowd. Conversion therapy advocates. You need Jesus to fundamentally change you.

Side Y: New Identity. These people also believe that that it's not just homosexual sex that's sinful but any homosexual thoughts or feelings whatsoever, however involuntary. You must live in complete celibacy forever and cannot even call yourself gay.

I'm Side B. I think. I'm side b the way I'm bi which is to say most of the time lol. I have many Side A mutuals and I love and adore all of them. People who are Side B and Side A (in my experience) tend to be some of the best bible readers and the ones most interested in theology. Part of that lies in the fact that we have to constantly justify our faith and identity to practically everyone. Seriously. It is why i avoid talking about my sexuality to Christians, and my faith to nonbelievers.

Side X is literal heresy. Anyone who says that God hates someone is a heretic because God is Love. 1 John 4:8. To say that God hates someone is to say God isn't love which is to change God's identity which is heresy. (You will not find my theology slacking)

I find Side Y ridiculous at least to me personally. I'm gay; you're a Republican. One of those is definitely worse and it's not the former.

As such I also have a firm conviction that no one is going to hell for being gay. First: I don't believe in hell as the word is not even in the mother freaking Bible!!! The word is Gehenna which is an actual physical place south of Jerusalem and that fact has serious theological implications that people need to freaking consider and I could go on an entire rant about this, but I will not for the sake of my mental health. *takes some deep breaths* Where was I? Right. No one is going to hell for being gay; and no one is going to the New Jerusalem for being straight. That is no where in the scriptures. And when someone says I am a sinner who is going to hell for being gay I'm like 1) You obviously don't know me as nothing is more important to me then my faith and 2) I don't trust your exegesis of scripture and am not really interested in your take.

So... I tried and I don't even know if I answered your question well T-T. Summary I guess is:

It's freaking hard but what else am I going to do? My God emptied himself, became a human, and died the torturous death of a slave so *shrugs*

Hamartiology sucks. Not as a concept but as an obsession that some people have. Do Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly. This should be someone's obsession, not whether some stranger is going to hell or not. No one goes to hell when they die. Please find me a bible verse that says that *rolls eyes*

God is love and to say otherwise is heresy.

Surround yourself with loving and passionate believers from many different backgrounds and learn their thoughts. Nothing has made me a better Christian than that.

So... yeah.

I am going to regret posting this; aren't I?

[garden-of-thoughts-fruit-of-lips]

Isaiah 43: 10-12

You are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “Yes, my servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and have faith in me And understand that I am the same One. Before me no God was formed, And after me there has been none. I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.” “I am the One who declared and saved and made known When there was no foreign god among you. So you are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “and I am God

Revelation 11:3

I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 12:6

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God and where they would feed her for 1,260 days

[tmarshconnors]

"Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded"

Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia, during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.

Founder of Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, founded Buddhism, one of the world's major religions, based on his teachings about overcoming suffering and achieving enlightenment.

Born as a Prince: He was born in Lumbini (modern-day Nepal) as a prince of the Shakya clan around the 5th to 6th century BCE, shielded from the hardships of the world.

The Four Sights: At age 29, he left his palace and encountered "The Four Sights"—an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a wandering ascetic—which inspired him to seek answers to life's suffering.

Attained Enlightenment: After years of ascetic practices, he meditated under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya and achieved enlightenment, becoming "the Buddha," or "the Awakened One.

"Teachings of the Middle Way: Buddha advocated the "Middle Way," avoiding extremes of indulgence and self-denial, and shared the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path as the foundation of his teachings.

[shutterandsentence]

"I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds." 

~ Psalm 77:11-12 NIV

Photo: Morton Arboretum, Illinois

[thelordismylightandmysalvation]

Verse of the Day - Joshua 1:8

[idylls-of-the-divine-romance]

I love the Christ Child. The Divine Babe. Just like, as an image. This is a baby, barely even 2 years old. Angelic warriors attend his birth. Pagan astrologers, the advisors to kings and emperors, journey miles and miles at great expense to worship this child. The King of the Babe's hometown, is so threatened by the birth of this infant, that he commits an infanticide. The divine babe must become an immigrant - a stranger in a strange land.

In the city of Rome, the capital of the World, there is a man, Caesar Augustus, who claims to be the son of a god. But he is about to be challenged. By a baby in a manger.

[dress-this-way]

The Consecrated Woman | ENCOURAGING AND INSPIRING THE WORLD WITH DAILY BIBLE VERSES

[yahwmichael]

Bible reflection: Hebrews 1-3

The start of Hebrews begins with saying how our Father had spoken to the people via prophets, and then lastly gave to us his Son. The Son of man, he who died for the sins of the world, and rose on the third day; he who sits down by the right hand of the Father. Then it continues by emphasizing that Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamashiach, that he is no ordinary man nor angel.

Hebrews 1:8 “buy unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

Hebrews 1:14 “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

This, to me, is a call back to Proverbs.

“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, If thou canst tell?” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭30‬:‭4‬ ‭

Chapter 2 continues with the glory of our Lord Christ, the actions he took for mankind. Humbling himself, making himself lower than the angels, limiting himself in the flesh of mankind. And for what? To save us, by defeating sin therefore death. For is one man sins and brings death, so it so that one man not sin and brings righteousness to all. Romans 5:17-19

Hebrews 2:9-10 “But we see Jesus, who made as little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by who are all things, in bringing many sons into glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.

This best part: the defeat of the devil.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭18‬

Finally, Chapter 3. All those who come and believe in what he’s done, turn not away from him. It’s goes over how in the past during the times of Moses, the people tested him throughout those 40 years in the desert. Do not harden your hearts from the Lord, correct each other in love, so that no one falls into blindness by sin. For as verse 14 says it:

Hebrews 3:14 “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast until the end.”

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, he who died for the remission of sins, and you shall be saved.

‬‬

[pastorhogg]

As the Day Ends

You Are Worth More Than You KnowLuke 12:7 – “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” There is something remarkably tender in the way Jesus speaks in Luke 12:7. We live in a world that too often measures our value by achievements, status, appearance, or influence. Yet Jesus turns that scale upside down. He speaks not only to…

[booabug]

Ladybug (episode) was such a great character episode for Ladybug just for the way her giving sentibeing Ladybug her amok to gain autonomy showed her main interest and motivation for any being is always their liberation.

It also speaks to the show's sense of morality & values overall. It's not as stark and black & white as a lot of people expect.

It's something that's reinforced in FR dub with, "I free you from evil," instead of, "Time to de-evilize," being heard every episode.

And probably a nod to the kind of philosophy the Miraculous Guardians would have. They're probably canonically secular monks, but ofc irl Tibetan monks are Buddhist, and Buddhism is about the liberation of all beings.

Since I've not been keeping up with the show, idk if there's anything in Thomas's tweets or other deuterocanon confirming this, but it seems like a natural fit. The whole show is encoded with yin-yang symbolism, no way Eastern/Buddhist ideas aren't an influence. I don't know formal teachings so I can't comment much on it, but it does make for a much more complex sense of morality in a superhero series than we're used to, given that there's the three poisons of ignorance, greed/sensual attachment, and hatred/aversion perpetuating suffering, and the cosmological tension being between suffering & liberation rather than evil & good.

The three poisons or negative states are illusion/delusion and summarizing it that way makes it clear how this Buddhist/Hindu worldview is so influential on the show. Look at how illusion/delusion sums up the antagonists' actions, lying being Lila's entire MO, Gabriel/HM making his victims look at their situations in worst terms so they'll suffer enough to be taken advantage of without thinking for themselves while being motivated by his idea that one wish can fix everything he's unhappy about, and overall how much the show talks about the importance of not lying.

Man. No wonder differences between the FR and EN dubs feels so stark.

The difference between, "Go forth, my little akuma, and darken their heart," and, "Go forth, my little akuma, and evilize them," kinda exemplifies the different approaches to the show. Kids' show that knows it's a kids' show but working on very complex ideas in the bg vs. just another good vs evil kids' superhero media.