#membership plugin

[govipul]

How to Integrate Payment Gateways with WordPress Membership Plugins

Understanding the Basics

Before diving into the technical aspects, let's clarify the key components involved:

WordPress Membership Plugins: These plugins create and manage membership levels, restrict content, and handle user subscriptions.

Payment Gateways: These online services process payments, ensuring secure transactions between customers and merchants.

Popular Payment Gateways and Membership Plugins

Payment Gateways:

PayPal

Stripe

Authorize.Net

Braintree

2Checkout

Membership Plugins:

MemberPress

Paid Memberships Pro

WooCommerce Memberships

Restrict Content Pro

Ultimate Membership Pro

Integration Methods

There are primarily two methods to integrate payment gateways with WordPress membership plugins:

Direct Integration:

The membership plugin directly supports the payment gateway.

This often involves setting up API keys or credentials within the plugin's settings.

Pros: Usually simpler setup.

Cons: Limited gateway options.

Third-Party Payment Gateway Integration:

A third-party plugin or service acts as a bridge between the membership plugin and the payment gateway.

This offers more flexibility in choosing payment gateways.

Pros: Wider range of gateway options.

Cons: Might require additional configuration.

Step-by-Step Guide

Choose a Membership Plugin and Payment Gateway:

Select plugins that are compatible with each other and meet your specific needs.

Install and Activate Plugins:

Install the membership plugin and the payment gateway plugin or integration.

Configure Membership Levels:

Set up different membership levels with varying access privileges.

Configure Payment Gateway:

Enter your payment gateway credentials, such as API keys or merchant IDs.

Set up any necessary webhooks or notifications.

Link Membership Levels to Payment Plans:

Associate each membership level with a specific payment plan (e.g., monthly, yearly).

Test the Integration:

Create a test membership to ensure the payment process works correctly.

Customize Checkout Experience:

Tailor the checkout process to match your branding and user experience.

Additional Considerations:

Security: Prioritize security by using SSL certificates and following best practices for handling sensitive payment data.

Recurring Payments: If you offer recurring subscriptions, ensure the payment gateway and membership plugin support this feature.

Tax and Fee Handling: Implement proper tax calculation and fee management.

Customer Support: Provide excellent customer support for any payment-related issues.

Conclusion

Integrating payment gateways with WordPress membership plugins is essential for monetizing your online content. By following these steps and considering the factors mentioned, you can create a seamless and secure payment experience for your members.

[gpltips]

Best Movie Site WordPress Theme

Introduction

In today's digital age, where visual content dominates the online world, movie websites have become a popular means of entertainment and information. If you're planning to create a movie website or looking to revamp an existing one, choosing the right WordPress theme is crucial to make a lasting impression on your visitors. This article will guide you through the best movie site WordPress themes available, providing insights into their features and benefits.

Get Any Movie Site WordPress Theme for Free

The Importance of a Movie Site

Movie websites serve as a hub for movie enthusiasts to explore the latest releases, watch trailers, read reviews, and stay updated with industry news. A well-designed movie site not only caters to the needs of your audience but also reflects your commitment to providing high-quality content.

Key Features to Look for in a WordPress Theme

Before we dive into the best themes, it's essential to understand the key features that make a WordPress theme suitable for a movie site. Look for features like user-friendly navigation, compatibility with multimedia content, and a visually appealing design.

Best Movie Site WordPress Themes

CinemaPress

CinemaPress is an excellent choice for movie enthusiasts. It offers a sleek and modern design, easy navigation, and supports video content integration, making it perfect for movie trailers and reviews.

Movio

Movio is a user-friendly theme that focuses on showcasing your movie collection. It offers a customizable homepage, excellent for highlighting featured films and a well-organized library for easy exploration.

Reel Flick

Reel Flick caters to film bloggers and critics. It boasts a clean design and a range of customizable options for bloggers who want to share their insights and reviews.

SilverScreen

SilverScreen is a visually stunning theme suitable for movie production companies. It features a full-screen video background and ample space for multimedia content, making it ideal for showcasing trailers and filmography.

Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Theme

Before making a decision, consider factors like your target audience, content type, and the nature of your movie website. The theme should align with your website's purpose.

How to Install a WordPress Theme

Installing a WordPress theme is a straightforward process. Head to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to the 'Themes' section, and click 'Add New.' From there, you can either upload a theme file or search for one in the WordPress repository.

Customization Options

Look for themes that offer extensive customization options. This will allow you to tailor your website to match your brand and style preferences.

SEO-Friendly Themes

Opt for themes that are optimized for search engines. This will improve your website's visibility and ranking on search engine results pages, attracting more visitors.

Mobile Responsiveness

In an era where most internet traffic comes from mobile devices, it's vital to choose a theme that is mobile-responsive. This ensures a seamless experience for users on smartphones and tablets.

Customer Support and Updates

Themes that offer reliable customer support and regular updates are a smart choice. They provide assistance when you encounter issues and ensure your website stays up to date.

Pricing

Consider your budget when choosing a theme. While some themes are free, premium themes often offer more features and support. Evaluate your needs and choose accordingly.

User Reviews and Ratings

Before finalizing your decision, read user reviews and ratings for the themes you're considering. This can provide valuable insights into the user experience and any potential issues.

Conclusion

Selecting the best movie site WordPress theme is a critical decision for your website's success. Choose a theme that aligns with your goals, provides a great user experience, and ensures your movie website stands out in the digital realm.

FAQs

1. Can I change my WordPress theme later?

Yes, you can change your theme at any time. However, it's important to ensure a smooth transition by following best practices.

2. Do I need coding skills to customize my WordPress theme?

Not necessarily. Many themes offer user-friendly customization options that don't require coding knowledge.

3. Are premium themes worth the investment?

Premium themes often come with additional features and support, making them a worthwhile investment for serious website owners.

4. How do I ensure my movie site is SEO-friendly?

Use SEO plugins, optimize images, create high-quality content, and choose an SEO-friendly theme.

5. What if I face technical issues with my theme?

Reach out to the theme's customer support for assistance, and they will guide you through resolving any technical problems.

Get Any Movie Site WordPress Theme for Free

[phpyouth]

All-In-One Membership Plugin: MemberPress

Are you looking for a powerful and comprehensive WordPress membership plugin? Look no further than the MemberPress plugin! This all-in-one membership website solution is packed with powerful features that will help you create a successful and profitable membership site. MemberPress allows you to create, manage, and sell digital products, courses, and membership subscriptions on your WordPress…

[unpretty]

i think there might be a way for me to use woocommerce to set up a store page to buy coupons for badges with points. maybe. i will have to mess with it on local first because the instant i activated woocommerce a bunch of shit broke for some reason. i'm not sure what happens when you have more badges than will fit next to a comment, though.

anyway i am accepting ideas for custom badges, or perhaps emoticons. would anyone want custom emoticons? and also suggestions for people who make those.

[techdriveplay]

Logitech Unveils the MX Creative Console

Logitech has officially launched its highly anticipated MX Creative Console, a revolutionary tool aimed at transforming how digital creators work. This innovative product is designed to provide creators with instant access to critical controls and fully customizable features, simplifying workflows and automating repetitive tasks, making it an ideal companion for artists, designers, and content…

[digitalcreationsllc]

Simple Membership Plugin Flaws Expose WordPress Sites

Two new security flaws in the popular Simple Membership plugin for WordPress, affecting versions 4.3.4 and below, have been identified, leading to potential privilege escalation issues.  With over 50,000 active installations, the plugin developed by smp7 and wp.insider is widely used for custom membership management on WordPress sites. The flaws identified by Patchstack security researchers…

[themesnulled]

New Post has been published on https://themesnulled.us/memberpress-v1-10-2-the-all-in-one-membership-monetization-wordpress-plugin/

MemberPress v1.10.2 - The “All-In-One” Membership & Monetization WordPress Plugin

[kbizsoft0]

Level Up Your Website's User Experience with WordPress Membership Plugins

WordPress membership plugins are essential tools for enhancing your website's user experience. With features like member registration, login, and content restriction, these plugins allow you to create exclusive areas, deliver personalized content, and foster a sense of community. Level up your website's UX with WordPress membership plugins.

[cozmoslabs]

How Can Cozmoslab Plugin Help You Create a Paid Membership Site?

Are you looking to monetize your website and provide exclusive content or services to your loyal audience?

Creating a paid membership site can be an excellent strategy to generate recurring revenue while offering valuable benefits to your dedicated followers. However, setting up a membership site from scratch can be a complex and time-consuming process. Luckily, Cozmoslab Membership Plugin for WordPress is here to simplify the task and help you create a paid membership site with ease.

In this article, we will explore how this powerful plugin can assist you in building a successful paid membership site, using a range of subheadings to delve into its features and benefits.

1. Introduction to Cozmoslab Plugin

Before diving into the specifics, let's take a moment to understand what Cozmoslab Plugin is all about. Cozmoslab Plugin is a versatile and user-friendly WordPress plugin designed to facilitate the creation of paid membership sites. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and features that streamline the process of managing memberships, payments, content access, and much more. Whether you are a blogger, content creator, or business owner, Cozmoslab Plugin empowers you to establish a thriving paid membership community.

2. Easy Setup and Configuration

Setting up a paid membership site can seem daunting, especially if you lack technical expertise. However, Cozmoslab Plugin simplifies the entire process with its intuitive interface and straightforward configuration options. The plugin seamlessly integrates into your WordPress site, ensuring a hassle-free installation experience. With just a few clicks, you can activate the plugin and begin building your membership site right away.

3. Flexible Membership Plans

Cozmoslab Plugin offers you the flexibility to create various membership plans tailored to your audience's needs and preferences. You can set up different tiers, such as basic, premium, and VIP, each offering unique benefits and access levels. Whether you want to provide exclusive content, discounts on products or services, or priority customer support, Cozmoslab Plugin allows you to define the membership plans that align with your business goals.

4. Seamless Payment Integration

Monetizing your membership site requires a robust and secure payment system. Cozmoslab Plugin integrates seamlessly with popular payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and WooCommerce. This integration ensures a smooth and secure payment process for your members, instilling trust and convenience. By providing multiple payment options, you can cater to a wider audience and maximize your revenue potential.

5. Content Restriction and Dripping

One of the essential features of a paid membership site is controlling access to premium content. Cozmoslab Plugin equips you with powerful tools to restrict content based on membership levels. You can protect entire pages, specific posts, or even individual sections within a post. Additionally, the plugin enables content dripping, allowing you to gradually release content over time. This strategy keeps your members engaged and provides a sense of ongoing value, enhancing the overall membership experience.

6. Membership Management and Communication

Managing your membership site effectively is crucial for its success. Cozmoslab Plugin offers an intuitive dashboard that allows you to monitor and manage your members effortlessly. You can view member profiles, track payments, and handle cancellations or upgrades seamlessly. Furthermore, the plugin provides communication tools such as email notifications and newsletters, enabling you to keep your members informed about updates, new content, or special offers.

7. Integration with Third-Party Tools

To enhance the functionality of your paid membership site, Cozmoslab Plugin offers integration with popular third-party tools. Whether you want to leverage email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, automate member onboarding with Zapier, or integrate with learning management systems, the

Cozmoslab Plugin has you covered. By integrating with these external tools, you can streamline your workflow, automate processes, and enhance the overall user experience for your members.

8. Customization and Design Options

Aesthetics play a significant role in attracting and retaining members on your site. Cozmoslab Plugin understands the importance of design and customization. With a wide range of templates, themes, and customization options, you can create a visually appealing and personalized membership site that aligns with your brand. From colors and fonts to layouts and member profiles, the plugin empowers you to create a unique and engaging user experience.

9. Analytics and Reporting

To measure the success of your membership site and make informed decisions, you need access to accurate data and analytics. Cozmoslab Plugin provides robust reporting features that offer insights into key metrics such as membership growth, revenue generation, member engagement, and more. With this valuable information at your fingertips, you can optimize your strategies, identify areas for improvement, and nurture a thriving community of loyal members.

10. Excellent Customer Support

Building a paid membership site can come with its fair share of challenges and questions. Cozmoslab Plugin understands this and offers exceptional customer support to assist you along the way. Whether you need help with installation, configuration, or troubleshooting, their knowledgeable support team is just a message away. Their prompt and reliable assistance ensures that you can overcome any obstacles and create a successful paid membership site.

Conclusion

Creating a paid membership site can be a game-changer for your online business, enabling you to generate recurring revenue and provide exclusive value to your members. Cozmoslab Plugin simplifies the process and equips you with powerful features to establish and manage your membership site effortlessly. From easy setup and flexible membership plans to seamless payment integration and content control, the plugin offers a comprehensive solution for your needs. By leveraging Cozmoslab Plugin, you can unlock the potential of a paid membership site and create a thriving community that benefits both you and your members.

[wordpressthemes-bundle-packages]

What kind of digital products sell best? The best-selling digital products include online courses, stock images, Adobe Lightroom presets, audio and video files, eBooks, templates, graphic designs, and PDF files

WPDigiPro is a WordPress Plugin For Selling Digital Products / downloads and creating membership websites with PayPal payments.

[brightdirectories]

Focal Point Features Of Membership Directory Plugin

A membership directory plugin is a software tool that can be added to a website to create a directory of members. The plugin typically integrates with a membership system, allowing website administrators to manage the membership database, and provides a user-friendly interface for members to view, search and sort through the directory

[gpltips]

Best Membership WordPress Plugin

Introduction

In the ever-evolving world of website development, WordPress has emerged as a prominent and user-friendly platform. To enhance the functionality of a WordPress website, one often turns to plugins. Among the many categories of plugins available, membership WordPress plugins are becoming increasingly popular. In this article, we will explore the world of membership WordPress plugins, their significance, and what to consider when selecting the best one for your needs.

What is a WordPress Plugin?

Before delving into the specifics of membership plugins, let's first understand what a WordPress plugin is. Essentially, a plugin is a piece of software that can be added to your WordPress website to extend its features and capabilities. These plugins are designed to make your site more efficient, user-friendly, and versatile.

Get Any Membership WordPress Plugin for Free

The Importance of Using WordPress Plugins

Plugins are crucial in enhancing your website's performance and usability. They can add new features, optimize your site for search engines, improve security, and even enhance the design. A membership WordPress plugin, in particular, can transform your website into a membership platform, granting access to exclusive content or services.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Membership WordPress Plugin

When selecting a membership WordPress plugin, several factors must be considered. It's not just about finding the most popular one, but rather, the one that suits your website's specific needs. These factors include the type of content you offer, your target audience, and your budget.

Top Features of Membership WordPress Plugins

Membership plugins offer a wide range of features, each catering to different requirements. Some common features include content restriction, subscription management, payment gateways, and member profiles. The best plugins will offer these features and more to give you maximum flexibility.

The Benefits of Using Membership WordPress Plugins

The advantages of using a membership WordPress plugin are manifold. They provide a source of revenue through subscriptions, grant exclusive content access, and help in building a loyal community. Additionally, they can improve your site's security and provide an organized approach to managing your members.

How to Install a WordPress Plugin

The installation of a WordPress plugin is a straightforward process. You can search for your desired plugin in the WordPress repository and install it directly from your dashboard. Alternatively, you can manually upload a plugin if it's not listed in the repository.

Popular Membership WordPress Plugins

There are several membership WordPress plugins available, each with its unique features and benefits. Some popular options include MemberPress, Restrict Content Pro, and Paid Memberships Pro. These plugins have gained popularity due to their versatility and reliability.

Pricing and Subscription Models

The pricing and subscription models of membership plugins can vary widely. Some plugins offer a one-time purchase, while others have a subscription-based model. It's essential to choose a model that aligns with your website's long-term goals and budget.

Customization and Integration

Customization options are crucial for tailoring your membership site to your specific needs. Look for a plugin that allows you to customize the design and functionality according to your brand. Integration with other tools and services, such as email marketing platforms, is also beneficial.

Member Management

Efficient member management is essential for a successful membership website. A good plugin should provide tools for member registration, user profile management, and role assignment. This ensures a smooth and user-friendly experience for your members.

Content Protection and Dripped Content

Content protection is a key feature of membership plugins. It allows you to restrict access to specific content, making it available only to paying members. Dripped content is another valuable feature, enabling you to release content gradually over time.

User Experience and Design

An appealing and user-friendly design is crucial for member retention. Choose a plugin that offers customizable templates and an intuitive user interface. A visually pleasing website can enhance the overall user experience.

Support and Updates

Ongoing support and updates from the plugin developer are essential. This ensures that your plugin remains compatible with the latest WordPress version and continues to function smoothly. Check for the availability of customer support and a reliable update schedule.

Conclusion

In conclusion, membership WordPress plugins are a powerful tool for transforming your WordPress website into a thriving membership platform. By considering factors such as features, customization, and pricing, you can select the best plugin to meet your specific needs. These plugins not only boost your website's functionality but also open up new opportunities for revenue and community building.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a membership WordPress plugin? A membership WordPress plugin is a piece of software that allows website owners to create a membership-based platform, granting exclusive content or services to paying members.

2. How do I choose the right membership WordPress plugin? When choosing a membership plugin, consider factors like the type of content you offer, your target audience, and your budget. Research and compare different options to find the one that best suits your needs.

3. What are some popular membership WordPress plugins? Popular membership WordPress plugins include MemberPress, Restrict Content Pro, and Paid Memberships Pro. These plugins offer a range of features for building and managing membership websites.

4. How can I protect my exclusive content with a membership plugin? Most membership plugins offer content protection features, allowing you to restrict access to specific content. You can also use dripped content functionality to release content gradually.

5. Why is ongoing support and updates important for membership plugins? Ongoing support and updates ensure that your membership plugin remains compatible with the latest WordPress version and continues to function smoothly. This is crucial for maintaining a secure and user-friendly membership platform.

Get Any Membership WordPress Plugin for Free

[spoxor]

10 Ways for Web Developer to Earn Money Online with WordPress

10 Ways for Web Developer to Earn Money Online with WordPress

As a web developer, you have the skills and knowledge to take advantage of the many opportunities for earning money online using WordPress. In this article, we will explore 10 ways you can use your skills to create and monetize a WordPress website. Create and sell WordPress themes and plugins: With your development skills, you can create and sell custom WordPress themes and plugins to a wide…

[jessicalprice]

culture isn’t modular

I did a thread (actually several) on Twitter a few years ago about Christianity’s attempts to paint itself as modular, and I’ve been seeing them referenced here in the cultural christianity Discourse, and a few people have DMed me asking me to post it here, so here’s a rehash of several of those threads:

A big part of why Christian atheists have trouble seeing how culturally Christian they still are is that Christianity advertises itself as being modular, which is not how belief systems have worked for most of human history. 

A selling point of Christianity has always been the idea that it's plug-and-play: you don't have to stop being Irish or Korean or Nigerian to be Christian, you don't have to learn a new language, you keep your culture. 

And you’re just also Christian.

(You can see, then, why so many Christian atheists struggle with the idea that they’re still Christian--to them, Christianity is this modular belief in God and Jesus and a few other tenets, and everything else is... everything else. Which is, not to get ahead of myself, very compatible with some tacit white supremacy: the “everything else” is goes unexamined for its cultural specificity. It’s just Normal. Default. Neutral.)

Evangelicals in particular love to contrast this to Islam, to the idea that you have to learn Arabic and adopt elements of Arab culture to be Muslim, which helps fuel the image of Islam as a Foreign Ideology that's taking over the West.

The rest of us don’t have that particular jack

Meanwhile, Christians position Christianity as a modular component of your life. Keep your culture, your traditions, your language and just swap out your Other Religion Module for a Christianity Module.

The end game is, in theory, a rainbow of diverse people and cultures that are all one big happy family in Christ. We're going to come back to how Christianity isn't actually modular, but for the moment, let's talk about it as if it had succeeded in that design goal. 

Even if Christianity were successfully modular, if it were something that you could just plug in to the Belief System Receptor in a culture and leave the rest of it undisturbed, the problem is most cultures don't have a modular Belief System Receptor. Spirituality has, for the entirety of human history, not been something that's modular. It's deeply interwoven with the rest of culture and society. You can't just pull it out and plug something else in and have the culture remain stable.

(And to be clear, even using the term “spirituality” here is a sop to Christianity. What cultures have are worldviews that deal with humanity’s place in the universe/reality; people’s relationships to other people; the idea of individual, societal, or human purpose; how the culture defines membership; etc. These may or may not deal with the supernatural or “spiritual.”)

And so OF COURSE attempting to pull out a culture's indigenous belief system and replace it with Christianity has almost always had destructive effects on that culture.

Not only is Christianity not representative of "religion" full stop, it's actually arguably *anomalous* in its attempt to be modular (and thus universal to all cultures) rather than inextricable from culture.

Now, of course, it hasn't actually succeeded in that--the US is a thoroughly Christian culture--but it does lead to the idea that one can somehow parse out which pieces of culture are "religious" versus which are "secular". That framing is antithetical to most cultures. E.g. you can't separate the development of a lot of cultural practices around what people eat and how they get it from elements of their worldview that Christians would probably label "religious." But that entire *framing* of religious vs. secular is a Christian one.

Is Passover a religious holiday or a secular one? The answer isn't one or the other, or neither, or both. It's that the framing of this question is wrong.

And Christianity isn’t a plugin, however much it wants to be

Moreover, Christianity isn't actually culture-neutral or modular. 

It's easy for this to get obscured by seeing Christianity as a tool of particular cultures' colonialism (e.g. the British using Christianity to spread British culture) or of whiteness in general, and not seeing how Christianity itself is colonial. This helps protect the idea that “true” Christianity is good and innocent, and if priests or missionaries are converting people at swordpoint or claiming land for European powers or destroying indigenous cultures, that must be a misuse of Christianity, a “fake” or “corrupted” Christianity.

Never mind that for every other culture, that culture is what its members do. Christianity, uniquely, must be judged on what it says its ideals are, not what it actually is. 

Mistaking the engine for the exhaust

But it’s not just an otherwise innocent tool of colonialism: it’s a driver of it. 

At the end of the day, it’s really hard to construct a version of the Great Commission that isn’t inherently colonial. The end-goal of a world in which everyone is Christian is a world without non-Christian cultures. (As is the end goal of a world in which everyone is atheist by Christian definitions.)

Yet we focus on the way Christianity came with British or Spanish culture when they colonized a place--the churches are here because the Spaniards who conquered this area were Catholic--and miss how Christianity actually has its own cultural tropes that it brings with it. It's more subtle, of course, when Christianity didn't come in explicitly as the result of military conquest.

Or put another way, those cultures didn't just shape the Christianity they brought to places they colonized--they were shaped by it. How much of the commonality between European cultures is because of Christianity?

It’s not all a competition

A lot of Christians (cultural and practicing), if you push them, will eventually paint you a picture of a very Hobbesian world in which all religions, red in tooth and claw, are trying to take over the world. It's the "natural order" to attempt to eliminate all cultures but your own. 

If you point out to them that belief and worldview are deeply personal, and proselytizing is objectifying, because you're basically telling the person you're proselytizing to that who they are is wrong, you often get some version of "that's how everyone is, though."

Like we all go through life seeing other humans as incomplete and fundamentally flawed and the only way to "fix" them is to get them to believe what we believe. And, like, that is not how everyone relates to others?

But it's definitely how both practicing Christians and Christian antitheists relate to others. If, for Christians, your lack of Jesus is a fundamental flaw in you that needs to be fixed, for New Atheists, your “religion” (that is, your non-Christian culture) is a fundamental flaw in you that needs to be fixed. Neither Christians nor New Atheists are able to relate to anyone else as fine as they are. It's all a Hobbesian zero-sum game. It's all a game of conversion with only win and loss conditions. You are, essentially, only an NPC worth points.

The idea of being any other way is not only wrong, but impossible to them. If you claim to exist in any other way, you are either deluded or lying.

So, we get Christian atheists claiming that if you identify as Jewish, you can’t really be an atheist. Or sometimes they’ll make an exception for someone who’s “only ethnically Jewish.” If the only way you relate to your Jewishness is as ancestry, then you can be an atheist. Otherwise, you’re lying. 

Or, if you’re not lying, you’re deluded. You just don’t understand that there’s no need for you to keep any dietary practices or continue to engage in any form of ritual or celebrate any of those “religious” Jewish holidays, and by golly, this here “ex”-Christian atheist is here to separate out for you which parts of your culture are “religious” and which ones are “secular.���

Religious/secular is a Christian distinction

A lot of atheists from Christian backgrounds (whether or not they were raised explicitly Christian) have trouble seeing how Christian they are because they've accepted the Christian idea that “religion” is modular. (If we define “religion” the way Christians (whether practicing or cultural) define it, Christianity might be the only religion that actually exists. Maybe Islam?)

When people from non-Christian cultures talk about the hegemonically Christian and white supremacist nature of a lot of atheism, it reflects how outside of Christianity, spirituality/worldview isn't something you can just pull out of a culture.

Christian atheists tend to see the cultural practices of non-Christians as "religious" and think that they should give them up (talk to Jewish atheists who keep kosher about Christian atheist reactions to that). But because Christianity positions itself as modular, people from Christian backgrounds tend not to see how Christian the culture they imagine as "neutral" or "normal" actually is. In their minds, you just pull out the Christianity module and are left with a neutral, secular society.

So, if people from non-Christian backgrounds would just give up their superstitions, they'd look the same as Christian atheists. 

Your secularism is specifically post-Christian

Of course, that culture with the Christianity module pulled out ISN'T neutral. So the idea that that's what "secular society" should look like ends up following the same pattern as Christian colonialism throughout history: the promise that you can keep your culture and just plug in a different belief system (or, purportedly, a lack of a belief system), which has always, always been a lie. The secular, "enlightened" life that most Christian atheists envision is one that's still built on white, western Christianity, and the idea that people should conform to it is still attempting to homogenize society to a white Christian ideal. 

For people from cultures that don't see spirituality as modular, this is pretty obvious. It's obvious to a lot of people from non-white Christian cultures that have syncretized Christianity in a way that doesn't truck with the modularity illusion. 

I also think, even though they're not conceptualizing it in these terms, that it's actually obvious to a lot of evangelicals. (The difference being that white evangelical Christianity enthusiastically embraces white supremacy, so they see the destruction of non-Christian culture as good.) But I think it's invisible to a lot of mainline non-evangelical Christians, and it's definitely invisible to a lot of people who leave Christianity.

And that inability to see culture outside a Christian framing means that American secularism is still shaped like Christianity. It's basically the same text with a few sentences deleted and some terms replaced.

Which, again, is by design. The idea that you can deconvert to (Christian) atheism and not have to change much besides your opinions about God is the mirror of how easy it’s supposed to be to convert to Christianity.

Human societies don’t follow evolutionary biology

The Victorian Christian framing underlying current Western ideas of enlightened secularism, that religious practice (and human culture in general) is subject to the same sort of unilateral, simple evolution toward a superior state to which they, at the time, largely reduced biological evolution, is deeply white supremacist.

It posits religious evolution as a constantly self-refining process from "primitive" animism and polytheism to monotheism to white European/American Christianity. For Christians, that's the height of human culture. For ex-Christians, the next step is Christian-derived secularism.

Maybe you’ve seen this comic?

The thing is, animism isn’t more “primitive” than polytheism, and polytheism isn’t more “primitive” than monotheism. Older doesn’t mean less advanced/sophisticated/complex. Hinduism isn’t more “primitive” than Judaism just because it’s polytheistic and Judaism is monotheistic. 

Human cultures continue to change and adapt. (Arguably, older religions are more sophisticated than newer ones because they’ve had a lot more time to refine their practices and ideologies instead of having to define them.) Also, not all cultures are part of the same family tree. Christianity and Islam may be derived from Judaism, but Judaism and Hinduism have no real relationship to one another. 

But in this worldview, Christianity is "normal" religion, which is still more primitive than enlightened secularism, but more advanced than all those other primitive, superstitious, irrational beliefs.

Just like Christians, when Christian atheists do try to make room for cultures that aren't white and European-derived, the tacit demand is "okay, but you have to separate out the parts of your culture that the Christian sacred-secular divide would deem 'religious.'"

Either way, people from non-Christian cultures, if they’re to be equals, are supposed to get with the program and assimilate.

You’re not qualified to be a universal arbiter of what culture is good

Christian atheists usually want everyone to unplug that Religion module!

So, for example, you have ex-Christian atheists who are down with pluralism trying to get ex-Christian atheists who aren't to leave Jews alone by pointing out that you can be atheist and Jewish.

But some of us aren’t atheist. (I’m agnostic by Christian standards.) And the idea that Jews shouldn’t be targets for harassment because they can be atheists and therefore possibly have some common sense is still demanding that people from other cultures conform to one culture’s standard of what being “rational” is.  

Which, like, is kind of galling when y’all don’t even understand what “belief in G-d” means to Jews, and people from a culture that took until the 1800s to figure out that washing their hands was good are setting themselves up as the Universal Arbiters of Rationality.

(BTW, most of this also holds true for non-white Christianity, too. I guarantee you most white Christian atheists don’t have a good sense of what role church plays in the lives of Black communities, so maybe shut up about it.)

In any case, reducing Christianity--a massive, ambient phenomenon inextricable from Western culture--to the specific manifestation of Christian practice that you grew up with is, frankly, absurd. 

And you can’t be any help in deconstructing hegemony when you refuse to perceive it and understand that it isn’t something you can take off like a garment, and you probably won’t ever recognize and uproot all the ways in which it affects you, especially when you are continuing to live within it. 

What hegemony doesn’t want you to know

One of the ways hegemony sustains and perpetuates itself is by reinforcing the idea not so much that other ways of being and knowing are evil (although that’s usually a stage in an ideology becoming hegemonic), but that they’re impossible. That they don’t actually exist. 

See, again, the idea that anyone claiming to live differently is either lying or deluded.

There are few clearer examples of how pervasive Christian hegemony is than Christian atheists being certain every religion works like Christianity. Hegemonic Christianity wants you to think that all cultures work like Christianity because it wants their belief systems to be modular so you can just ...swap them. And it wants to pretend that culture/worldview is a free market where it can just outcompete other cultures.

But that’s... not how anything works. 

And the truth of the matter is that white nationalist Christians shoot at synagogues and Sikh temples and mosques because those other ways of being can’t be allowed to exist. 

They don’t shoot at atheist conventions because there’s room in hegemonic Christianity for Christian atheists precisely because Christian atheists are still culturally Christian. Their atheism is Christian-shaped.

They may not like you. They’re definitely going to try to convert you. They may not want you to be able to hold public office or teach their kids.

But the only challenge you’re providing is that of The Existence of Disbelief. And that’s fine. That makes you a really safe Other to have around. You can See The Light and not have to change much.

What you’re not doing is providing an example of a whole other way of being and knowing that (often) predates Christianity and is completely separate from it and has managed to survive it and continue to live and thrive (there’s a reason Christians like to speak of Jews and Judaism in the past tense, and it’s similar to the reason white people like to speak of indigenous peoples of the Americas in the past tense). 

That’s not a criticism--it’s fine to just... be post-Christian. There’s not actually anything wrong with being culturally Christian. The problems come in when you start denying that it’s a thing, or insisting that you, unique among humankind, are above Having A Culture.

But it does mean that you don’t pose the same sort of threat to Christianity that other cultures do, and hence, less violence. 

[unpretty]

okokok i THINK i'll be able to get email working with SMTP2GO

i think the key might be that SMTP2GO is not an email newsletter service unto itself, they are literally just doing the email thing and what you use to create the newsletters and keep your mailing list is your own business

so since they don't even have the option to do paid newsletters directly through them, with the content hosted on their site, they are maybe less militant about double checking that you will not be describing an individual with a boner at some point in your emails

this DOES mean i will have to install YET ANOTHER PLUGIN to act as the middleman between Paid Memberships Pro and SMTP2GO but at least for right now my site is finally able to send things like password reset emails and comment alerts without going straight to spam by default

[hesperocyon-lesbian]

Well it looks like there’s another Matt Mullenweg update

PaidMembership, a major plugin for Wordpress, is withdrawing from Wordpress.org, and it seems Matt has threatened them over this decision

Are you worried that Matt might retaliate somehow?

The fact we have to even ask this question is why we have to make this move.

Two days after we closed the Paid Memberships Pro listing in the .org repository, Matt sent a direct message to me (Jason) on the WordPress.org Slack Workspace threatening to “take over your listing and make it a community plugin like we did to ACF”.

As usual I found out about this update from Josh Collins’ excellent ongoing coverage of Matt’s meltdown