#message to Christians

[brother-hermes]

FOR THOSE STUDYING SEFER YETZIRAH

“With 32 wonderous ways of wisdom, YAH, the Lord of Hosts, the G-d of Israel, the Living G-D (El SHADAI), Omnipotent G-D, extolled, Dweller up above whose habitation is eternity.”

-Sefer Yetzirah Opening Line

Sefer= Text

Sephar= Number

Sippur= Communication

I highly recommend learning to read Hebrew. While there is value in theoretical knowledge of a text like Sefer Yetzirah it is of far greater value to actually meditate on the text. Unfortunately, it’s almost next to impossible to meditate on the text without a rudimentary understanding of the original language.

Repeating the Names attributed to Adonai in the opening lines in prayer- almost like a mantra- before engraving YHVH on your heart is a beautiful process. As it says:

“His Name high and holy engraved His name, covenanted, drilled, and created his universe in 32 mysterious paths of wisdom through 3 Sepharim; (book, counting, telling)”

The Tetragrammaton literally holds the key to existence and entire books have been written on how it can be used as a mantra to deepen our understanding of our place in the Divine. Some of you may even have seen Hashem stacked vertically into the shape of a human being. (Macrocosm and Microcosm right) This lesson is shrouded in the next lines of the text:

“Ten Sephiroth (numbers) made of Nothingness

“Twenty-two foundation Letters.

“Of these 22 letters, 3 are called "Mothers," 7 called "Doubles" and 12 are called "Simple" letters.

“Ten Sephiroth as the number of ten fingers five paralleling 5 the Covenant set in the middle the way of the tongue makes the word the Naked Word.”

There is vowel intonation of the Divine Name that will literally vibrate within your being the more you do it. It’s a really simple mantra too:

Honestly, I started here. Before I even began digging through the sephirot and reading about Kabbalah. (in fairness, aRabbi shared a copy of Aryeh Kaplan’s Meditation and the Bible with me as a precursor to joining his study group but still) Start with deep study of the Torah. Read the Books of the Law. Read the Prophets. Set time aside for vowel intonations before you read. It will change your entire perspective on the Bible.

To Christian’s specifically: Yeshua almost always quoted the Prophets. Remember, He didn’t set out to start a new religion. He was a Rabbi with a very specific form of Helakhah. If you spend just a little bit of time amongst- I recommend members of the Reform Movement- people who practice Judaism you’re entire perspective will shift. What Yeshua taught becomes incredibly clear once it’s viewed from a Second Temple Period perspective.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[kensatou]

j… jesus oppa ;____;

[softshygirl]

"I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End.

To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life."

Revelation 21:6

[thewordfortheday]

We need to be reminded of the cross every single day. Never allow the cross to lose it’s centrality to your life.  To the world the cross is a symbol of shame; to those who believe it is a symbol of salvation, the power of God. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The message of the cross is the ultimate love story. Through His shed blood Christ paid for the penalty of our sins. Yes, it seems almost mind-boggling to think that Jesus loved us so much that He freely gave His life for us. 

I John 3:16 says,  "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us."  I truly believe it was not the nails that held Jesus on the cross, but rather it was His love for us.

[upliftourday]

[pissmoon]

Peak tumblr era was when ud see this image on ur feed at least every 2 weeks

[notaplaceofhonour]

By Emily K.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz-ja99M6UG/?igshid=ODhhZWM5NmIwOQ==

[homocidalpotat]

one time i got a spam message and responded by pretending to be a "bible quote a day" number and sent them a bible verse every day for like a month but each quote was really unhinged and about sex or murder or whatever

i think they blocked me :((

i love using the religion that was forced onto me for evil

im not religious anymore tho :3

[skrunksthatwunk]

actually i'm still thinking about the moral orel finale.

he has a cross on his wall. do you know how much i think about that bc it's a lot.

a lot of stories ((auto)biographical or fictional) centering escape from abusive/fundamentalist christianity result in the lead characters leaving behind christianity entirely. and that makes complete sense! people often grow disillusioned with the associated systems and beliefs, and when it was something used to hurt them or something so inseparable from their abuse that they can't engage with it without hurting, it makes total sense that they would disengage entirely. and sometimes they just figure out that they don't really believe in god/a christian god/etc. a healthy deconstruction process can sometimes look like becoming an atheist or converting to another religion. it's all case by case. (note: i'm sure this happens with other religions as well, i'm just most familiar with christian versions of this phenomenon).

but in orel's case, his faith was one of the few things that actually brought him comfort and joy. he loved god, y'know? genuinely. and he felt loved by god and supported by him when he had no one else. and the abuses he faced were in how the people in his life twisted religion to control others, to run away from themselves, to shield them from others, etc. and often, orel's conflicts with how they acted out christianity come as a direct result of his purer understanding of god/jesus/whatever ("aren't we supposed to be like this/do that?" met with an adult's excuse for their own behavior or the fastest way they could think of to get orel to leave them alone (i.e. orel saying i thought we weren't supposed to lie? and clay saying uhhh it doesn't count if you're lying to yourself)). the little guy played catch with god instead of his dad, like.. his faith was real, and his love was real. and i think it's a good choice to have orel maintain something that was so important to him and such a grounding, comforting force in the midst of. All That Stuff Moralton Was Up To/Put Him Through. being all about jesus was not the problem, in orel's case.

and i know i'm mostly assuming that orel ended up in a healthier, less rigid version of christianity, but i feel like that's something that was hinted at a lot through the series, that that's the direction he'd go. when he meditates during the prayer bee and accepts stephanie's different way to communicate, incorporating elements of buddhism into his faith; when he has his I AM A CHURCH breakdown (removing himself from the institution and realizing he can be like,, the center of his own faith? taking a more individualistic approach? but Truly Going Through It at the same time), his acceptance (...sometimes) of those who are different from him and condemned by the adults of moralton (stephanie (lesbian icon stephanie my beloved), christina (who's like. just a slightly different form of fundie protestant from him), dr chosenberg (the jewish doctor from otherton in holy visage)). his track record on this isn't perfect, but it gets better as orel starts maturing and picking up on what an absolute shitfest moralton is. it's all ways of questioning the things he's been taught, and it makes sense that it would lead to a bigger questioning as he puts those pieces together more. anyway i think part of his growth is weeding out all the lost commandments of his upbringing and focusing on what faith means to him, and what he thinks it should mean. how he wants to see the world and how he wants to treat people and what he thinks is okay and right, and looking to religion for guidance in that, not as like. a way to justify hurting those he's afraid or resentful of, as his role models did.

he's coming to his own conclusions rather than obediently, unquestioningly taking in what others say. but he's still listening to pick out the parts that make sense to him. (edit/note: and it's his compassion and his faith that are the primary motivations for this questioning and revisal process, both of individual cases and, eventually, the final boss that is christianity.) it makes perfect sense as the conclusion to his character arc and it fits the overall approach of the show far better. it's good is what i'm saying.

and i think it's important to show that kind of ending, because that's a pretty common and equally valid result of deconstruction. and i think it cements the show's treatment of christianity as something that's often (and maybe even easily) exploited, but not something inherently bad. something that can be very positive, even. guys he even has a dog he's not afraid of loving anymore. he's not afraid of loving anyone more than jesus and i don't think it's because he loves this dog less than bartholomew (though he was probably far more desperate for healthy affection and companionship when he was younger). i think it's because he figures god would want him to love that dog. he's choosing to believe that god would want him to love and to be happy and to be kind. he's not afraid of loving in the wrong way do you know how cool that is he's taking back control he's taking back something he loves from his abusers im so normal

[regulusrules]

Yo, I saw your post about orientalism in relation to the "hollywood middle-east" tiktok!

How can a rando and university dropout get into and learn more about? Any literature or other content to recommend?

Hi!! Wow, you have no idea how you just pressed a button. I'll unleash 5+ years on you. And I'll even add for you open-sourced works that you can access as much as I can!

1. Videos

I often find this is the best medium nowadays to learn anything! I'll share with you some of the best that deal with the topic in different frames

• This is a video of Edward Said talking about his book, Orientalism. Said is the Palestinian- American critic who first introduced the term Orientalism, and is the father of postcolonial studies as a critical literary theory. In this book, you’ll find an in-depth analysis of the concept and a deconstruction of western stereotypes. It’s very simple and he explains everything in a very easy manner.

• How Islam Saved Western Civilization. A more than brilliant lecture by Professor Roy Casagranda. This, in my opinion, is one of the best lectures that gives credit to this great civilization, and takes you on a journey to understand where did it all start from.

• What’s better than a well-researched, general overview Crash Course about Islam by John Green? This is not necessarily on orientalism but for people to know more about the fundamental basis of Islam and its pillars. I love the whole playlist that they have done about the religion, so definitely refer to it if you're looking to understand more about the historical background! Also, I can’t possibly mention this Crash Course series without mentioning ... ↓

• The Medieval Islamicate World. Arguably my favourite CC video of all times. Hank Green gives you a great thorough depiction of the Islamic civilization when it rose. He also discusses the scientific and literary advancements that happened in that age, which most people have no clue about! And honestly, just his excitement while explaining the astrolabe. These two truly enlightened so many people with the videos they've made. Thanks, @sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog

2. Documentaries

• This is an AMAZING documentary called Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Villifies A People by the genius American media critic Jack Shaheen. He literally analysed more than 1000 movies and handpicked some to showcase the terribly false stereotypes in western depiction of Arab/Muslim cultures. It's the best way to go into the subject, because you'll find him analysing works you're familiar with like Aladdin and all sorts.

• Spain’s Islamic Legacy. I cannot let this opportunity go to waste since one of my main scopes is studying feminist Andalusian history. There are literal gems to be known about this period of time, when religious coexistence is documented to have actually existed. This documentary offers a needed break from eurocentric perspectives, a great bird-view of the Islamic civilization in Europe and its remaining legacy (that western history tries so hard to erase).

• When the Moors Ruled in Europe. This is one of the richest documentaries that covers most of the veiled history of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain). Bettany Hughes discusses some of the prominent rulers, the brilliance of architecture in the Arab Muslim world, their originality and contributions to poetry and music, their innovative inventions and scientific development, and lastly, La Reconquista; the eventual fall and erasure of this grand civilization by western rulers.

3. Books

• Rethinking Orientalism by Reina Lewis. Lewis brilliantly breaks the prevailing stereotype of the “Harem”, yk, this stupid thought westerns projected about arab women being shut inside one room, not allowed to go anywhere from it, enslaved and without liberty, just left there for the sexual desires of the male figures, subjugated and silenced. It's a great read because it also takes the account of five different women living in the middle east.

• Nocturnal Poetics by Ferial Ghazoul. A great comparative text to understand the influence and outreach of The Thousand and One Nights. She applies a modern critical methodology to explore this classic literary masterpiece.

• The Question of Palestine by Edward Said. Since it's absolutely relevant, this is a great book if you're looking to understand more about the Palestinian situation and a great way to actually see the perspective of Palestinians themselves, not what we think they think.

• Arab-American Women's Writing and Performance by S.S. Sabry. One of my favourite feminist dealings with the idea of the orient and how western depictions demeaned arab women by objectifying them and degrading them to objects of sexual desire, like Scheherazade's characterization: how she was made into a sensual seducer, but not the literate, brilliantly smart woman of wisdom she was in the eastern retellings. The book also discusses the idea of identity and people who live on the hyphen (between two cultures), which is a very crucial aspect to understand arabs who are born/living in western countries.

• The Story of the Moors in Spain by Stanley Lane-Poole. This is a great book if you're trying to understand the influence of Islamic culture on Europe. It debunks this idea that Muslims are senseless, barbaric people who needed "civilizing" and instead showcases their brilliant civilization that was much advanced than any of Europe in the time Europe was labelled by the Dark Ages. (btw, did you know that arabic was the language of knowledge at that time? Because anyone who was looking to study advanced sciences, maths, philosophy, astronomy etc, had to know arabic because arabic-speaking countries were the center of knowledge and scientific advancements. Insane, right!)

• Convivencia and Medieval Spain. This is a collection of essays that delve further into the idea of “Convivencia”, which is what we call for religious coexistence. There's one essay in particular that's great called Were Women Part of Convivencia? which debunks all false western stereotypical images of women being less in Islamic belief. It also highlights how arab women have always been extremely cultured and literate. (They practiced medicine, studied their desired subjects, were writers of poetry and prose when women in Europe couldn't even keep their surnames when they married.)

4. Novels / Epistolaries

• Granada by Radwa Ashour. This is one of my favourite novels of all time, because Ashour brilliantly showcases Andalusian history and documents the injustices and massacres that happened to Muslims then. It covers the cultural erasure of Granada, and is also a story of human connection and beautiful family dynamics that utterly touches your soul.

• Dreams of Trespass by Fatema Mernissi. This is wonderful short read written in autobiographical form. It deconstructs the idea of the Harem in a postcolonial feminist lens of the French colonization of Morocco.

• Scheherazade Goes West by Mernissi. Mernissi brilliantly showcases the sexualisation of female figures by western depictions. It's very telling, really, and a very important reference to understand how the west often depicts middle-eastern women by boxing them into either the erotic, sensual beings or the oppressed, black-veiled beings. It helps you understand the actual real image of arab women out there (who are not just muslims btw; christian, jew, atheist, etc women do exist, and they do count).

• Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. This is a feminist travel epistolary of a British woman which covers the misconceptions that western people, (specifically male travelers) had recorded and transmitted about the religion, traditions and treatment of women in Constantinople, Turkey. It is also a very insightful sapphic text that explores her own engagement with women there, which debunks the idea that there are no queer people in the middle east.

---------------------

With all of these, you'll get an insight about the real arab / islamic world. Not the one of fanaticism and barbarity that is often mediated, but the actual one that is based on the fundamental essences of peace, love, and acceptance.

[pushing500]

I assume it's not easy coming to terms with the fact that you're not the person you thought you were and are, in fact, only a few hours old and also a clone. Poor Mechi II (Mechii?).

Makya "Mechi" Jones and his newly acquired "twin", Kwahu Jones! They're gonna get along great, and I'm sure nothing bad will happen because of this unexpected duplication. No siree, no issues here in the foreseeable future. Just lovely twin shenanigans. 😅

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[theinwardlight]

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life – even though invisible to spectators – is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up too – the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

Colossians 3:1-4 (MSG)

[edgebug]

hey. if you see a post that is in any way anti-voting. that person is not your friend

[crazygirl6122]

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."

[upliftourday]

[artandthebible]

Abraham And The Three Angels

Artist: Gustave Doré  (French, 1832–1883)

Date: 1866

Medium: Engraving on Wood

Three messengers from God visited Abraham on their way to the city of Sodom. They reiterated the promise that Sarah would have a son. They also revealed to Abraham that they had been sent by God to see that Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed because of the wickedness of the cities' inhabitants.