#talk theology to me pls

[ribbittrobbit]

No but to make a deity in your own image, that encapsulates your convictions perfectly but fail to propagate their worship?

What does that mean for Kristen’s belief? in herself? in what she has been searching for? what does it mean to believe in doubt incarnate?

because ok, like, religion always has some element of the miraculous or supernatural that transcends understanding. There is always mystery in relating to/ worshipping a higher power. But the mystery is secondary, it is mysterious that there are beings from another plane of existence that choose to interact with the material world- the reasons why are a mystery but the acting on the universe is believed wholly.

now what if the central thing is mystery and the unknown and the night (i’m thinking along the lines of the “dark night of the soul” as in a state of spiritual blindness/ lost in the darkness), its a never-ending feedback loop and ITS SO THEOLOGICALLY CRAZY

And how much of Cassandra’s current form a product of Kristen? Kristen who is plagued by skepticism, who got annoyed at the incredibly abstract god who was entirely her creation and let it die when she found a new thing. Cassandra as the nightmare king/ previously unnamed god of sylvaire did already seem to be associated with the night and mystery but the form she takes as cassandra mirrors kristen as she was in that moment, kristen in the nightmare forest, self -resurrecting. Are gods capable of transforming and growing the way humans can? or does changing mean a complete transformation?

she really is at kristen’s mercy and kristen IS A CHILD

Yeah anyway come and scream with me bec i physically cannot contain this, its not enough to draw about it and poetically think about it i need meta homies HELP

[u3pxx]

PROF IS YAPPING AGAIN

[official212th]

ok so i just finished this book the eighth arrow and god knows nobody reads any of my posts so im just gonna put some thoughts here.

first of all: this book is so so so good yet such a fucking trip to read because it is written by a priest. and 90% of the time its a great take on greek legends and mythos and also has some truly ridiculous homoerotic subtext. but then every couple chapters you get a remind that wow. this was written by a priest. spoiler warning but odysseus legit converts to christianity at the end which is actually hilarious. and ok, the priest who wrote it works at a catholic school that is actually in the same city as i am and i will say i appreciated how he very clearly planned to use this book in either theology or english classes, because it was absolutely 100% a metaphor for redemption in catholicism and the idea of mercy and forgiveness. guys i know what im talking about i also go to catholic school. but the way he frames it as a story that's ostensibly not about christianity, but he sneaks in a few metaphors and buzzwords (the disclaimer at the beginning, in which odysseus says he actually made the whole story up, talks about how he was "judged worthy" and "redeemed" and talks about God's grace and providence. which is pretty standard fare for your average high school theology class.) specific to christianity and even catholicism (some of the beliefs regarding redemption in here are pretty unique to catholicism and i don't think some protestants would like this book very much)

second of all did i mention the homoerotic subtext? because wow. honestly it wasn't even subtext it was just text. the whole book is about odysseus and diomedes and their journey through dante's inferno. but it starts off talking about how the two of them are "imprisoned in a single flame" for 3,000 years (ok buddy not sounding too straight to me) and they kind of have a friends to enemies to friends thing happen but like the whole reason they become enemies is odysseus doesn't realize or acknowledge diomedes' love for him??? (GAY)

im going to back myself up with sources. proteus (weird old guy that's there like half the time) says to odysseus "that man really loves you. He loves you more than he loves his own father. More than he's ever loved anyone, I suspect. And that is a sacred thing, a love like that" and does the priest writing it maybe mean it in the way that God loves us? maybe but thats not how i'm interpreting it! anyways i really liked how (spoiler warning again although if you're avoiding spoilers for this book idk how you got this far) odysseus and diomedes are bffs but also fight. like really bad. like almost-killed-each-other bad. and then they have a really nice moment in which diomedes almost dies and odysseus is like "wait i love u youre my family pls dont die" and then they team up and save the day. its so sick. i love gay people.

[dogtoothedf4ghot]

AN INTRO POST? IN THIS ECONOMY?

HAAY !!! I'm DYLAN, DYL, OR DILL! I DON'T CARE!

he/him, 18 year old ADULT !!!! I AM NOT A MINOR !!!!!! NO MINORS ALLOWED !!!! (16+ unless already added pls.)

my interests include seether (band), sewing/tactile art, my mom /hj, theology studies, the event of September 11th 1999 wink wonk wink wink wonk, true crime in general, forensics, horror movies ... lupin the third, postal, taxidermy, nbc hannibal, fellow travelers, star trek, mouthwashing, cry of fear, my daddy, etc ... just ask rlly.

This is ur only warning .. I am anti censorship ! I will talk abt my k!nkz, gore, blood, horror, ventz etc without warning on this blog ! Thank u !!!

tagz r 4 reach .. moot me up!!!!

[givemearmstopraywith]

pls feel free to not answer this but the quaker ask made me curious: what do u religiously identify as now? i remember you used to describe yourself as a theologian first before anything else and i wonder if you hold the same thoughts to this day

for the sake of being someone who talks about god on the internet, i still consider myself a theologian first and religious second- there's an element of anthropology in my relationship to god and religion, something exploratory and perhaps not quite wholesome. god is meaty to me in a way that religion isn't; familiar like a body. religion is familiar too, but more like a house. i have to stretch out inside religion whether i like it or not, whereas i stretch out alongside god and he invites me in. if god is theory, religion is praxis. religion, especially christianity, is other people. it can become tribal, it can nourish a sense of party mentality that supersedes good sense or personal morality. i don't hate religion though, not at all: i gripe at it, and when i do god says if you love humanity with all its imperfections, why do you not love my church also? so i love religion like a brother, and i love god like a lover. i am not quite ready to profess my adoration for him in public. it's too intimate. i'm happy to stretch out next to him for now. good theology is a love letter to god. religion is like a marriage: an institution. it can be good or bad. so i am still seeking religion.

[answertocarnality]

INTRO TO CARNALITY

navigation & masterlist

keeping it simple, i'm miguel. indigenous ecuadorian, he/him, pre-t transman & queer without a label.

19 years old, year of '05; of course i'm an R&B guy (and bossa nova, and soul, and rap, an

began lifting in late 2023 and kickboxing + muay thai in early 2024 and honestly never looked back. would i compete one day is the question (also boxers this is not a safe space for yall 😒 /t)

studies, in order of highest interest to least include: linguistics, philosophy, political sciences, theology and herpetology respectively (nobody ask me about kinesics or hippology. IMMEDIATE lifetime dungeon sentence)

DNI: minors, people with shit beliefs and asshole personalities. guessing you'd know where you stand, but in case you don't i just block

trilingual (eng/español/na’vi), but if you catch me replacing words for russian, finnish, portuguese, kichwa, or italian, that's that in-progress hyperpolyglot dawg in me. and whether the avatar conlang does or does not count is not up for debate it is as complex as any language

on that note, i borrow a lot of slang and vocabulary from arabic and Islam; please note that i am not Muslim. much respect for the community though, always

on that note 2x, i am a theistic satanist. hopefully my username gives that away lol it is a direct reference

on the spectrum, so you'll frequently catch me being dense to sarcasm, just here to apologize in advance (tone tags appreciated but not necessary)

very disconnected from social media; as in, i have not even youtube (idk i deleted it a while ago and just use the site sometimes) and don't consume a bunch of what would be "common" media. this is probably my only source of it lol (this and discord, if you want it pls ask privately)

soft, hard, service, i don't really care, whatever dom pleases the tboy. cis women + tgirls, please treat me like a nasty fucking mutt. faggots in general i promise you the geldings still make good steeds (iykyk). as for cis men, yall chill as hell but please don't speak to me sexually 👍🏽

as for my DM's, i highly welcome linguistic talk and political discourse alike (i like debate). oh and exchange of nudes cuz :3 (t4t only)

kinks + limits under the cut

yes: forcemasc, predator/prey, petplay, autoandrophilia, somnophilia, forced masculinization, dacryphilia, impact play, BDSM in general, teratophilia/ monsterfucking, humiliation + degradation, free use, mirrors, knifeplay, worship, gunplay, age gaps, musk/ scenting, dumbification/ himboification, innocence corruption, agonophilia, femdom, intox, three+ somes, boy hypno, fantasy, muscle expansion. lastly there's feminization, but not on me — i enjoy performing it on others but when it comes to recieving, hard no.

soft limits: rapeplay/ cnc, watersports, mecha/ robotfucker, blasphemy, deification, knight/ royalty, extreme gore, exhibitionism

hard limits: detrans, vore, scat, fauxcest, DDLG/ ageplay, feederism, pregnancy, breeding, sissification, ageplay

not exactly a kink, but i prefer dominating men + subbing for women, and i mean highly prefer. not saying that i don't allow any sort of dynamics outside of that, but i find it awkward letting men dominate me.

date of last orgasm: november 4th, 1:01AM (i think)

[77ngiez-archive]

pinned 💛💥

nana, he/him + ze/hir + more. dangan + fangan + vocaloid + prsk + omori + yttd + hamlet + pafl fan. rb sideblog is @77ngiez-rbs. my url is pronounced "nanangiez". mutuals feel free to ask for my discord and/or my personal blog!!!

spam likes/rbs, art requests, and sprite edit requests are always ok! i block freely so dont get too offended

NO they/them for me. ever. pls dont dm me unless we’re mutuals, but feel free to send asks! mutuals feel free to send posts and/or ask for priv blog, disc, etc.

full disclosure, i am mormon. my religion is not a cult and i will not interact with anyone who believes such. i do not need to be argued out of my religion. however i love talking about it! it brings me a lot of joy! it's a special interest in fact! i can be trusted to talk abt my personal theology :3 come closer :3 (i also hc a lot of characters as mormon, and have a yttd mormon au! lol)

i need content of hajime hinata and izuru kamukura as the same person tagged as "nana dont look". i have sunburn, kelbrey, and ransara tags blocked, but if you post any of those untagged with their ship name i'd appreciate those getting my dont look tag as well!

keep in mind that i’m fictionkin of sanya kazarina, sunny omori, sora sdra2, sara chidouin, jay merrick, and hajime hinata! this effects the way i participate in fandom and view popular ships/theories/etc. if any of my behavior regarding one of these sources or characters seems weird, me being fictionkin is probably why. [i’m always down to talk to sourcemates 👀]

my political stances are listed on my carrd!

my previous url was fukanamis!!

[hasarjunadoneanythingwrong]

*PATIENTLY WAITS FOR THE INDIAN LOSTBELT KING REWRITE FOR YOU*

Concepts I’ve thought about

-theme of lostbelt focusing on ‘guilt and memory’ but like this time more obvious

-something something instead of it being ‘just’ the lokapala arjuna alter is unconsciously trying to recreate his own siblings/family with them, though this means instead of kubera/nezha the ashwins would be used possible w a twin servant, or they’d be moved over to asclepius and someone else would get yama

-lb appears to be stuck in the time right b4 the kurukhestra war, cycling over and over in an effort to ‘prevent’ it despite it already in f having

-ashwatthama actively chooses to join arjuna alters side? Instead of the torture thing, as an exploration/continuation of the theme of ‘guilt,’ deciding to side with the people he hurt even if they’re now in the wrong as well out of a desperate attempt to try and right something that could never be fixed out of a nostalgia for a relationship long lost

-parallels between lakshmi bai giving up her life for her country and the youth of hastinapur giving up theirs for theirs? Idk I just feel like some line could’ve been done. Especially bc she also left a young child behind

-karna being forced to confront what ‘good intentions poor execution’ truly means as he witnesses people he knew and respected become warped beyond recognition, being forced to acknowledge his own role in enabling the conflict, once again having to come to terms with his tendency to enable and prioritize his pride and own desires over his common sense

-by which i mean I’ve considered subbing out karna alter over douman just bc it would be funny to have the more og text canon warhawk karna see some fucked up arjuna and be like ‘hey you should keep doing that :)’ while his lancer version is in the bg like ‘bruh’

- focus on the repetitive nature of the cycles, how and why they were reset, what that meant for arjuna alter’s psyche. Really hammer in the increasing isolation and disconnect, and the growing agitation as the inherent nature of humans prevented a world with no conflict no matter what he did or how hard he tried. Talk about what happened to his family and the other gods, and the thousands of years ago. Do a this chair monologue idk something

-parallels between arjuna alter and Asha as people who’s families were torn apart, who struggle to conceptualize their grief as they can’t even remember it. Let them talk at some point.

-look if rama comes into the lostbelt asking about his wife you can at least superimpose her sprite in the sky at the end after arjuna alter dies and have her be like ‘cool I’m not mixed w 400 other gods now. Sorry I can’t hang love you bby xoxo’ like cmon

- I want to see arjuna alter get MAD. Make him cry and scream about how unfair it all is it’s bullshit that it was karna. I want him to rail again the unfairness of having to kill your kin, of how no matter how much you destroy it will never create peace, of how the world he was in was destined to head to a bloody war, just SOMETHING

-let us run koyanskya over w the shadowborder. For fun

-if we have to endure kiara’s 400 hour buddhism monologue then can’t rama explain some like, basic aspects of Hindu theology to us. Why hasn’t that happened yet. Huh?

- you know how the boss fights from Greece-> onwards have their name in that countries’s script? Yeah something in like Sanskrit for here pls

-let us have an actual dialogue w arjuna alter

-let us actually see douman and arjuna alter interact.

-idk fuckin uhhh if Krishna was the guy who allegedly junao was able to absorb everyone through can we like. See what his deal is? In a flashback? Please?

-mention gilgamesh flies his vimana wrong for me. personally

-have a third party who knew arjuna who isn’t karna/ashwa/biased there to talk about what he was like. Idk Bhisma drona someone just let us see more facets of him so we can understand how he got to this state

-hammer in the memory issues. Hammer in the fact arjuna alter’s body is breaking down around him, held together only by force of will. Hammer in the fact he is willing to die to try and save everyone. Really get that beaten in there.

-for me personally given that hindusim features reincarnation heavily it would be nice to at least acknowledge most of the people deleted are probably reentering the samsara (only enlightened people exit the cycle which a flawed being can’t be). He hasn’t necessarily abandoned these people even if he’s treating them wrong.

[baladric]

what is Wrong w me today, i am scribbling incomprehensible notes abt my own worldbuilding on scrap paper at my job and asking our organist (who is mainly a pianist) if he has thoughts abt rachmaninoff's compositional style/granular musical analyses that he wants to infodump on me and what is yr number daniel i will text you pls talk to me even if you dislike rachmaninoff you are smarter than me musically i want ur thoughts ur takes ur informed analyses and i asked a friend to spitball some fantasy theology w me and put library holds on plotinus garbage and?? and????? 1,700 words of a prologue written????????? what?????????????

[ocean-in-my-rebel-soul]

tell me about Vows Broken and Made pls!

This one is basically "Catholic Guilt: The Fic". Sebastian is trying to make sense of his attraction, both physical and emotional, to Hawke, and it's a hard line of thought to traverse. He's still not a Brother, which is its own problem, and his getting closer and closer to Hawke is distressing.

Here's an excerpt! Set a year after Leandra’s death.

~:~

“It’s strange, living in this empty house,” Hawke finally says. “Even though our relationship was strained, I still miss her.” Garrett takes a slow sip of wine. “Even though she resented me for everything, even though she blamed me for Bethany and Carver, I still wish I could have saved her. Maybe if I was faster, if I was stronger… I could’ve found her in time.” He gives a bitter laugh and shakes his head. “Isn’t that silly?” 

His gaze lifts to Garrett’s profile, traces the sharp lines of his brow, his nose, his jaw. All strong features, softened by his genuine kindness and compassion. His fingers twitch. They long to travel the lines his eyes have traversed so many times. 

What Sebastian had hoped was purely physical attraction has long since grown. They have spent countless hours together, even outside the errands that often turn bloody in Garrett’s employ. Garrett visits him at the Chantry to discuss philosophy and theology, puzzling over points on which they disagree. Sebastian joins him at his mansion in the evenings; Orana plies them with food and drink, comforting them in the ways she can, and they take their quiet suppers in the Amell library. They trade stories of their childhoods, their families, their homes. Sebastian talks about the pranks he had played on his older brothers, and Garrett says his siblings’ names like prayers for the first time since they'd met. 

“I don’t think so at all,” Sebastian replies, his thoughts on his own mother. It hits him now, in this specific moment, that they both are orphans, the last of their families. It’s up to them to make it mean anything. His heart twists, pinned by truth’s sharp arrow. “Family is...important. It is only reasonable that you think of her often.” 

Hawke nods. His jaw works and his brow furrows under Sebastian’s too-sharp gaze. “For once, for just one moment, I want something for myself,” Garrett finally murmurs. “No expectations, no...no outside interests to protect, no one to provide for, no judgment. Just a moment of harmless self-indulgence. What could that hurt, Bas?” 

The pet name in Hawke’s smooth Fereldan lilt smoothes over Sebastian’s skin. He feels exposed without his armor, not even a light shirt of mail offering a barrier from his own wants. Sebastian looks away, vaguely shamed. 

[crvstybowlofcereal]

Pls talk abt theology (religion). I’m getting obsessed and need to hear someone else’s thoughts.

I have so many specific aspects to my belief, AND to my relationship with Christianity specifically (I am not Christian but I was raised as such and still attend church)

I would love to answer specific questions, but I will start with a general overview. Some of my views may SEEM contradictory, but when we get into it, it makes sense, at least to me.

I believe in God-like energies and forces, and primarily focus my relationship/adoration to things like the sun, the moon, the earth/nature, and the universe (in a way)

I believe in the energies of the natural elements separately, and call upon them in my craft frequently

I believe in the supernatural including ghosts, as well as demons and angels but not the way Christians view them, AND reincarnation.

I can't think of any other broad topics off the top of my head but any and all questions about religion are welcome!! I'd love to answer, I love to talk about what I believe. I don't want to evangelize my beliefs to people, but I love explaining my views and hearing how others feel as well!

I will say I won't entertain anyone who says you can choose what you believe, I don't want to be rude but I think thats a dumb idea. When it came to finding my religion and beliefs it came down to hearing others views and recognizing what resonated with me and made sense with my life experiences.

[baladric]

god damn why did i used to think pining crushes were so fun? this shit fuckin sucks!!

did i write him an overwrought love letter a calendar year ago that will never, ever see the light of day? Yes. do i hate that fact with my entire being? Also Yes. i blame nose freckles, innate physical affection, and his propensity to speak like he ate a victorian thesaurus.

[phoenixyfriend]

Gonna share a bunch of the Fun Tags I've seen on this post.

#I saw this a minute ago and I was like.#prachett was c of e and gaiman is jewish#(both of them atheist/ atheist-adjacent)#catholics do not have a monopoly on complicated relationships with christian theology lol#also I think reducing what makes a character catholic to just trying to find the most symbolicly christian character is kind of………..#reductive to the catholic experience?#not that the feelings of catholics are my number one priority lol but like it is in fact a distinct identity#shaped by its history and the ideology it purports to serve and the unique relationship to a unique faith#just like any other religious identity#idk this is a joke poll and like all joke polls it’s been funny to watch#and I’m not actually mad or anything this is at most an amusement fueled faux outrage#but like in general.#next time you say a character is catholic stop and think: are they? (via @onelonelystory)

#pls vote homura!#i love crowley sm too but homura absolutely 100000% deserves to win this one (via @catboywizard)

#now I'm no theologian. or whatever.#but crowley could not give me less of a Catholic vibe if he tried (via @ruin-gay)

#CROWLEY AND AZIRAPHALE ARE FUCKING JEWISH#homura is catholic tho ur right there (via @quinquangularist)

#Vote for Homura Akemi!!!!#Crowley's jewish#I'm sorry (no I'm not) but no catholic would question god like that#also Neil Gaiman is jewish#and based the scene where Crowley and co talk about their evil deeds off of an antisemitic play (? I think it was a play?)#as a way to make fun of and kind of reclaim it#and his relationship with god and heaven is just very jewish of him in general#also I'm jewish and I love him#have the catholics not taken enough from us#I'm joking but also not really#I love my boy and that's why he must lose (via @neerdowellnarrator)

#Homura loves god so much she is down horrendous for god (via @bootlegfriend)

#echoing everyone in the tags and saying that CROWLEY IS JEWISH#Homura is THE Catholic character of all time#religious guilt singleminded devotion and a same sex love interest that makes her feel guilty af#she has it all!#she is IN LOVE. WITH GOD.#vote Homura Akemi! (via @burnorgetburned)

#homura is actually catholic what are you people even on (via @lachrymosade)

#pls vote homura apparently the superwholock demon is Jewish#also it’s literally pride and she’s canonical a lesbian (via @usaigi)

#Oh homura is WAY more Catholic than Crowley lmfao (via @saccharineomens)

#if you ppl let the character born as a literal parody/subversion#of the ''evil jewish cult plotting the end of the world'' conspiracy get christianized we are officially worsties#vote the anime girl (via @carlyraejepsans)

#please vote homura guys shes a catholic shes a lesbian she trapped herself in a timeloop that changed the very structure of the universe#AND she robbed the military. shes so iconic please (via @sleepylinguistt)

#i didnt even see who he was up against or what the poll was for i just saw david tennant and voted wo thinking#milflaralorvan ur post would have worked if i saw it first BDJSHJF#i cant actually retract votes so im just gonna joke 'im keeping my vote for the transgenderism effect the 10th doctor and crowley had on me#exclusively but in spirit im voting homura' (via @zymstarz-rb)



Round 2 - Side A

Propaganda below ⬇️

Homura

she is a catholic lesbian whose girlfriend became god. she has been through so much.

shes such a lesbian for amdoke

Catholic guilt literally turned her into a demon

she literally watches everyone she knows die over and over and over again just so she can save madoka, the one girl who showed kindness towards her. when madoka ends up basically becoming god in order to stop the cycle of death and violence, homura RIPS AWAY THE HUMAN PART OF HER SOUL so that she can create a world where she and Madoka and their friends can live happily, effectively becoming the devil to madoka’s god

She has so much religious symbolism when it comes to her relationship to Madoka. Madoka is God and Homura becomes Lucifer so that she can save Madoka and give her happiness. She literally rips God from heaven and rewrites reality though. The way she sees her self and shapes reality is through the lense of Catholicism.

most fucked up little catholic girl. we love that for her.

Okay homuras entire fuckin arc is stemmed from the fact she is Catholic. Look at her trying to save Madoka over and over again and suffering for it because she thinks if she suffers enough and works hard enough Madoka will stay. Normal people do not go into time loops willingly. Catholics will.

Crowley

i'm pretty sure a central point of the book is that the demon is more catholic than the angel

[queerprayers]

hi johanna, thank you so much for this blog and the effort you put into sharing God’s love through answering questions and sharing your wisdom here. your blog has brought me so much comfort and solace and I appreciate it deeply.

cw: emotional dump that may be heavy & you definitely don’t have to read, pls skip if you’re not in the headspace for it /

if you are taking prayer requests at this time, could you please pray for me? i am so terrified of going to h*ll when i die and being cut off from God’s love forever. i have awful social anxiety and don’t go to church because of this, and i am terrified that the fact i’m not in an in-person community of believers and don’t have anyone praying for me just makes it likelier for me to be cast away from His presence. i am also afraid that i’m just trying to justify not going to church with my social anxiety—like, if i truly loved God, wouldn’t i do even the most painful things to prove my love for Him? i feel like the gap between the Christian i desire to be and the person i am is endless and i don’t know how to close it. /end cw

thank you again, so much. i really appreciate you and your blog.

Beloved, you're so welcome and I'm so glad you can find some of what you need here. And thanks for the warning! You are definitely in my prayers. I know it's been a while since you sent this, but I start praying for people when I get the ask, not when I answer it, even though there's often been a gap recently!

A fear of Hell is such a reality for so many people, and it can so affect one's life. There are so many different beliefs about Hell, even among different books of the Bible. I'd encourage you to seek them out—whatever you grew up with/have been taught, and whatever you believe now, they're not the only way. I'm not trying to change what you believe, but if the fruits of a theology are fear and loneliness, it's worth examining what your faith is giving you. I always remember the words of the Sufi mystic poet Rabi'a: "O my Lord, if I worship you from fear of hell, burn me in hell. If I worship you from hope of Paradise, bar me from its gates. But if I worship you for yourself alone, grant me then the beauty of your Face." I am not condemning your fear or actions, but I always encourage people to seek further inspiration for their faith, actions, and love. Of course it's easier said than done, but try to seek out worship for the sake of communion with God, and good actions because they bring love to the world.

Personally, I don't believe God ever cuts anyone off or casts anyone away. But I do believe the opposite—that we cut God off, that we cast Them away. And when I think about a loving God's embrace after death, I can imagine repelling Them, burning in the pure light of goodness. That's Hell to me—receiving love in its truest form, and running.

I heard the term "hopeful universalist" the other day, and really connected with it. I don't know, and I can't know, what will happen when I die. And there is a certain amount of arrogance in thinking we can have any idea. But I know what I hope happens, and I know God will be there, and that has to be enough.

"Hell in Christianity," Wikipedia.

"The Campaign to Eliminate Hell," National Geographic.

"Where Did Our Ideas About Hell Originate?" Sojourners.

"How the Idea of Hell has Shaped the Way We Think," The New Yorker.

"Heaven and Hell in Christian Thought," Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Christianity has a huge emphasis on the interpersonal. Jesus talked with so many, ate with his friends, and commanded us to share what we have. The disciples in Acts lived communally, and throughout Christianity, worshiping, eating, and living together have been integral parts of our religion. Even in more secluded ways of living, very rarely were people completely alone—monasteries and convents, no matter how separated from wider society, are places where people live and pray together.

All that said, you're an example of why not everything can work for every person, and communities and beliefs have to be flexible. Disabilities and differences of experience affect how people worship and live with others. The pandemic is another great example—sometimes we have to change the way we worship because of safety and comfort.

Matthew 18:20 says that where two or three are gathered in God's name, God is in the midst of them. This isn't to say that God isn't there when we pray alone, but that even two or three people create a community of love.

Opinions on whether you have to belong to a church to properly worship usually depend on one's beliefs on the Sacraments—for instance, if you believe only an ordained minister can administer Communion, for instance, then belonging to a church is extremely important. This is something to think about as you balance your beliefs and comfort levels.

Personally, I think that our religion involves loving and living with other people—you can't be a Christian alone. That said, everyone's experience is different—because of where you live, or whether your identity is accepted, or how far you can travel, or if there's a contagious disease going around, or, in your case, whether you can safely and comfortably exist around other people. Our personal situations matter, and belief and practice have to account for differences of ability/experience.

Never forget when people literally tore a hole in a roof to get to Jesus because the building wasn't accessible for a disabled person. Our faith has room for so much, and whatever community you have built/will build, online or in-person, with Christians or people of other/no faith, two or three or hundreds gathered—it is holy.

You are not cast away, and you are not cut off. I have love for you, and I'm sure there are people in your life who do, and more importantly, God does. Love is not a popularity contest—God hears one person's prayer just as much as They do a million. If I'm the only person ever to have prayed for you, God is listening. And even if you really have no one, you have God.

Something I've done a lot of work with my therapist about is this: am I knowing myself or letting myself off the hook? It sounds a lot like what you're going through—is this something that you need to just work a little harder at, or a hard line that you need to work around? I don't have the answer for you, but it is worth investigating with self-compassion. I believe you truly love God, and I also know you're struggling with fear and discomfort that you shouldn't just push through without support and coping skills. Don't jump off the deep end alone—start slow, learn your limits, and treat yourself with grace, just as God does. It might never work for you to be in a space with a lot of people, and that's okay, it's our reality.

Because of COVID, a lot of churches who didn't before have started doing livestreams or recording their services, and this has been great for lots of people who can't attend in-person for various reasons. If there's a church in your area that does that, you could participate that way—and maybe you could also use it as practice, like seeing what the space looks like and how many people usually attend, so if you end up going it will be less unfamiliar? Seeking out a smaller church if possible also might be helpful—no need for megachurches. Oh, and sometimes churches will have smaller study or prayer groups—might be another smaller way to start? And then if you end up attending a service, you'll know a couple people already. Or maybe I'm going the wrong direction—maybe you prefer melting unnoticed into a crowd. Also, if you have any people in your life who would be willing to go with you, Christian or not, that might help too.

However you figure this out, and whether or not you end up attending church, it's obvious that you care about serving God the best way you can, and the fact that you care is itself a sign of good Christian. There will always be a gap between the Christian you want to be and the one you are. There is for me, and there is for every single Christian I can think of. But the fact that you see the gap, that you recognize it, that you've thought about what kind of Christian you want to be, that you want to do better? That in itself is one of the most admirable traits I can think of. If you were a bad person, you wouldn't care, you wouldn't even see the gap. You'll never be perfect, and you may always struggle with anxiety in some form. But you're a person who cares, and that's what God asks of us, hard as it is.

You have nothing to prove. Make the best choices you can. You have time. God knows your inner thoughts, which is usually terrifying and comforting all at once. God can see your love—your job is to give it to the world in honor of Them.

Thank you for choosing me for your emotional dump, and I hope you're in a better headspace than you were when you sent this. Either way, I'm in your corner, and however your faith and relationship with community evolves, God's there with you.

<3 Johanna

[papirouge]

American evangelicals and independent baptists/southern baptists are weak links because of the perversion in American culture in large areas like the "Bible belt" (central America mostly) intertwining violence and life. Catholicism has its major flaws too especially with sex crimes against children and women (nuns) by supposed men of God. Both are just empty bad faiths leading people to anger and violence than Gods love and word. The culture is twisted into a love of violence that many believe will absolve them of sin. Like, sure say you're pro life but craving tools of war and death like guns and worshiping them like idols isnt Christ like as God condemns violence of all kinds, Especially from his children. There are pockets of good places and good people here but the overall message of Christ isnt strong. The history of the bible or the revelation of other books being banned from being published with it is not widely known as many believe that the English translation is the actual word of God. I've met a girl befoe who told me how the old Hebrew translation "version" is actually the younger newer version of the bible for the Jews to read, that the KJV bible was the first one to be written as God intended it to be written in "American" first.... I've been kicked out of my church group in the past for not agreeing that Christ would be a republican (why is the importance of political parties even matter here?) or him most likely being a dark skin man is a leftist woke agenda. To me, it seems like many of these practicing Christians are like the Pharisees in spirit

MY GOODNESS ANON YOU DELIVEREDT🍵🔥🔥

If you got kicked out of church groups that's a sign you 10000% based anon. 💜 Christians today are spineless and will let fly the worst theology just because some pastor/cleric said it.

You're such a queen for calling them out in their political Christianism crap. Everything is leftist woke-ism now if we're trying hard enough. That's the new "SJW" or "snowflake".

You are soooooooo right for pointing out the pathological mixing of violence and life by most American Christians. They'll claim being pro life but feel entitled to kill someone whose life belongs to God. Their lips say they love God but their actions & thoughts says otherwise. They'll say they rely on God's protection but will be hellbent on carry a gun. They do not make any sense.

I made plentiful of post reminding how Jesus NEVER retaliated or resorted to violence. He even healed the ear of one of the men who came to arrest him that Peter had just cut off (to defend Jesus). Peter represents these foolish Christians thinking violence will get their way. Jesus is actually so full of Love that He will heal those who came to murder him. American pro gun evangelicals should read their Bible more closely.

Yeah I'm very stunned to see how some books are completely slept on. The book of Revelation is definitely one of them. The Destiny of Christiandom is all in there: the antichrist rising, the persecution of Christians, the mark of the Beast, the 7 seals, the 7 trumpets, the rapture....

Reading Christians bloggers is lowkey depressing because they seem so spiritually sheltered and unprepared. They only care about worldly achievement (marrying, having their lil cosy home, their little Christian community, "pls pray for me coz I'm sad uwu" etc.). The Bible calls us to be WARRIORS first and foremost. Not Christian conservatives, not patriots, not housewives, etc. But you'll see most Christians would rather identify as the latter because it asks them less dedication. Spiritual warfare is real, and it will ask Christians more effort & commitment than pulling out an aesthetic/brand on socials. They're modern day pharisees, you're so right!!

The Bible talks about war, and Christians being executed.... And yet most Christians NEVER talk about such things... they would rather bicker about denominations, saving the "Western culture", politics and all this nonsensical secular trash. They are up for a very hard wake up call and I'm sure many Christians will take the mark of the beast as long as it enables them to live their perfect quiet "Christian" life and not be hunted and killed for living the true Gospel. Many Christians have more lust for a "Christian life" than they have for Jesus.

Maaan that American girl is so cringe 💀American exceptionalism is something else.... What do they put inside water for them to be so delusional? 💀 if God has chosen the Jews to breed the Messiah then He logically chosen Hebrew to write the Bible has He intended - not english. These debates about which version of the Bible is the most accurate are retarded cause all Bible are flawed in some aspect. I read the Bible in several languages and words and phrases construction do differ. That's why American arguing about how the KJV is the best version doesn't make much sense because...english isn't the only language in which the Bible is translated, DUH! Jehovah witness too do think their bible is the "right" version. So do Mormons and many other Christian sects. That's why it's sooooo important to have a connection with the holy spirit for Him to guide you in the Truth of God. Sorry but there can't be as many truth as there are Bible versions, however there is only one holy spirit 💜✝️

Early Church Christians didn't have any Bible and yet they were doing just fine. Christians bickering about Bible versions are lost because a book is their sole guide, not God.

[filipinoizukuu]

Pls share about the Gospel of Judas 👀

, im SO glad someone asked because this topic is nigh always pingponging around in my head and the fact i get to ramble about it means the WORLD to me. TW ahead for canon-typical violence, gore, and other such discussions of all that fun heretical stuff!

 Now, to preface this, I just wanted to say that I’m not a licensed professional in anything related to theology nor religion nor historical artifacts. I am. as we all are deep down inside, a simple teenager with ridiculous hyper-fixations and a vast ocean of random information that will not be of any importance to my career or home life whatsoever. Easily, many of the things I talk about could either be wrong or debunked, but I will try my best to explain the Book of Judas as I understood it.

Among the many books that make up what we know as the Bible today, there were various seemingly ‘missing perspectives’ and inconsistencies that existed between gospels. One of the reasons for this was the fact that the Bible in and of itself was a compiled work that was originally recorded years after the oral tradition had passed. What is or isn’t ‘canon’ often depended on the rulings of past Popes who worked with historians to determine the authenticity of ancient artifacts that either proved or contested the canonical teachings of the Bible--one of the more popular debunked samples being The Shroud of Turin, which while being ruled as a fake by Pope Clement the VII a long time ago, still has its authenticity being debated until today.

It’s important to remember that the canon status of ancient artifacts. while somewhat reliant on Papal confirmation, can sometimes be contested and interpreted to each individual’s discretion.

And among all of these artifacts, there is my favorite one of all--The Book of Judas. Now, factually speaking, the Gospel of Judas was written in (somewhere between 2 to) 5 A.D., not actually that farfetched considering that only in 1 A.D. was the first version of the Bible we know today written. It was found somewhere in Ancient Egypt but was declared as fiction at some point in 180 A.D. by St. Iranaeus of Lyon. To understand the impact that The Book of Judas would have on the Bible (which, to put it simply, was revolutionary), you’d first have to have a quick review and understanding of who Judas Iscariot was in the gospels that we know today. 

Judas was a disciple.

He was one of the 12 disciples that were closest to Jesus and a disciple that most accounts of the story would say actually truly deeply loved him at some point. Judas was, as all memes about Christianity are fond of reminding, also the traitor that eventually chose money and greed over his love for God’s son and turned him in with a kiss in a garden that led to Jesus Christ’s death at the cross.

That is until you read the translations of the Book of Judas.

In the original books--whether it was because he was possessed by the Devil or simply a man who had fallen into greed--Judas was portrayed to be a sinner and a horrible traitor. After his betrayal and Jesus’ eventual death, Judas had then become guilt-ridden and anguished, choosing to end his own life in the Gospel of Matthew and even tarnishing a field with his blood and sins according to St. Luke in Acts. 

The Book of Judas, however, CHALLENGES these motives. Instead, it takes what brought all past Christian texts together by changing the portrayal of Judas on its head and putting the previous ‘traitor’ under the light of something else entirely.

According to the Book of Judas, Jesus had asked Judas to betray him.

The 26-page manuscript was a brief retelling of the dynamics we were lead to believe in the story told by the main four books. In the Book of Judas, we were told that the original other 12 disciples were actually quite... foolish. They were described to be sort of arrogant and clueless, constantly misinterpreting and forgetting Jesus’ words because while he was teaching them to be better and to spread the words of God, the disciples were still, at their core, human sinners. The manuscript was believed to have reported that of the disciples that were closest, or at least best tolerated by Jesus--Judas was by far the most understanding of His words.

Judas, in accordance with his book, was the only one who could understand the significance and cryptic lessons behind Jesus’ teachings. Because of this, Jesus knew he was the only capable one to serve him in what was to come.

You see, part of the prophecy was that Jesus had to die. He had to suffer and fall for humanity’s sake so that we would be able to be forgiven. As much as it sucks to even think about it, Jesus had come to expect that someone would need to cause his death and hurt him all so that he could fulfill his purpose.

In the end, he thought that death by the hand of an enemy was far worse than a death at the hands of a friend.

During the Last Supper, Jesus approached Judas and placed him into a vision. He placed Judas in a fantastical, wonderful dream where Judas sat facing the house of heaven and saw Jesus. Jesus, who looked at his beloved friend and said: “you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.” Judas will exceed all of them. And he will sacrifice the man that clothed Jesus.

In this interpretation, Judas was essentially told that he was the one who would finally free Jesus from his physical form. Judas, the supposed traitor disciple, would be the one to fulfill Jesus’ prophecy and thus sacrificed his beloved friend to bring about forgiveness for humanity.

And he understands.

In this manuscript, Judas Iscariot understands the will of God and what he has to do. He understands the weight of his betrayal and what he has to do in order to obey Jesus--so then it isn’t money or fear or anger or evil that motivates him to surrender Jesus to the soldiers but utter obedience and adoration for the Son of God. Judas gives his ‘yes’, knowing that for years and years he will be slandered and labeled as a traitor but at his core, Judas knows that it was not a betrayal to begin with.

So he led the soldiers to Jesus in the garden. He kissed him and let him be taken away and let him die.

-

This was the official translation approved by BBC and National Geographic according to the original translations done by Stephen Emmel, a Coptic studies professional.

Later on, this interpretation would be challenged by Dr. April DeConick, who claims that the mistreatment and mistranslation of the paper actually told the complete opposite, in the way that the revelation in the Last Supper was not created by Jesus but, in fact, by Judas, who had revealed himself to be the 13th demon of hell. This interpretation, while less popular, served as a direct challenge to the recharacterization BBC and NatGeo had approved of. I don’t really know too much about this debate, but I do know that this second interpretation does exist.

Of course, the original Judas text itself is currently impossible to truly translate to be sure. It was torn and shuffled, put into a freezer, and possibly even missing a few pages (which you can blame Bruce Ferinni for), ultimately making the authentic manuscript really difficult to properly restore.

The takeaway from this whole Book though--whether you accept it as canon or not--is that there were many interpretations and beliefs early Christians and Gnostics had that the time that criticized the way the four main gospels had passed down God’s teachings. People believed what they thought supported their own beliefs and at the end of the day. it's all still just a matter of who we choose to credit.

The real author to the Book of Judas remains anonymous to this day, but I am very glad to have been able to share this with you all :) 

not proofread since i did this at like 4 am    |    x   x   x