#this isn’t an atheist post I do believe in higher power but like

[realizashuns]

ur telling me the Bible wasn’t just all someone’s hallucination

[ldknightshade]

morality: a character creation guide

creating and understanding your oc’s personal moral code! no, i cannot tell you whether they’re gonna come out good or bad or grey; that part is up to you.

anyway, let’s rock.

i. politics

politics are a good way to indicate things your character values, especially when it comes to large-scale concepts such as government, community, and humanity as a whole.

say what you will about either image; i’d argue for the unintiated, the right image is a good introduction to some lesser discussed ideologies… some of which your oc may or may not fall under.

either way, taking a good look at your character’s values on the economic + social side of things is a good place to start, as politics are something that, well… we all have ‘em, you can’t avoid ‘em.

clearly, this will have to be adjusted for settings that utilize other schools of thought (such as fantasy + historical fiction and the divine right of kings), but again, economic/social scale plotting will be a good start for most.

ii. religion + philosophy

is your oc religious? do they believe in a form of higher power? do they follow some sort of philosophy?

are they devout? yes, this applies to non-religious theist and atheist characters as well; in the former’s case… is their belief in a higher power something that guides many of their actions or is their belief in a higher power something that only informs a few of their actions? for the atheists; do they militant anti-theists who believe atheism is the only way and that religion is harmful? or do they not care about religion, so long as it’s thrust upon them?

for the religious: what is your oc’s relationship with the higher power in question? are they very progressive by their religion’s standards or more orthodox? how well informed of their own religion are they?

does your oc follow a particular school of philosophical thought? how does that interact with their religious identification?

iii. values

by taking their political stance and their religious + philosophical stance, you have a fairly good grasp on the things your character values.

is there anything they value - due to backstory, or what they do, or what they love - that isn’t explained by political stance and religious and/or philosophical identification? some big players here will likely be your oc’s culture and past.

of everything you’ve determined they value, what do they value the most?

iv. “the line”

everyone draws it somewhere. we all have a line we won’t cross, no matter the lengths we go for what we believe is a noble cause. where does your character draw it? how far will they go for something they truly believe is a noble cause? as discussed in part iii of my tips for morally grey characters,

would they lie? cheat? steal? manipulate? maim? what about commit acts of vandalism? arson? would they kill?

but even when we have a line, sometimes we make exceptions for a variety of reasons. additionally, there are limits to some of the lengths we’d go to.

find your character’s line, their limits and their exceptions.

v. objectivism/relativism

objectivism, as defined by the merriam-webster dictionary, is “an ethical theory that moral good is objectively real or that moral precepts are objectively valid.”

relativism, as defined by the merriam-webster dictionary, is “a view that ethical truths depend on the individuals and groups holding them.”

what take on morality, as a concept, does your character have? is morality objective? is morality subjective?

we could really delve deep into this one, but this post is long enough that i don’t think we need to get into philosophical rambling… so this is a good starting point.

either way, exploring morality as a concept and how your character views it will allow for better application of their personal moral code.

vi. application

so, now you know what they believe and have a deep understanding of your character’s moral code, all that’s left is to apply it and understand how it informs their actions while taking their personality into account.

and interesting thing to note is that we are all hypocrites; you don’t have to do this, but it might be fun to play around with the concept of their moral code and add a little bit of hypocrisy to their actions as a treat.

either way, how do your character’s various beliefs interact? how does it make them interact with the world? with others? with their friends, family, and community? with their government? with their employment? with their studies? with the earth and environment itself?

in conclusion:

there’s a lot of things that inform one’s moral compass and i will never be able to touch on them all; however, this should hopefully serve as at least a basic guide.

[oksurethisismyname]

Hiiiii as a queer person living in the Bible Belt of the USA, I’m envisioning a “Christian trauma AU / general theology AU” because you know my main focus is always Sanji. This assumed that we’re in the USA, modern era, and I guess maybe a college or post grad AU for how they meet each other? This is a lonnnnnnnng text post so scroll at your own risk. To keep it from being toooo long I’m also sticking to east blue crew.

Hear me out:

There are a million different sects of Christianity so we’ve got a ton of angles to use.

Garp is catholic (but think FRENCH laïcité instead of American Amy Coney Barret Supreme Court justice weird catholic cult), Dragon straight up rebels against the strict structure and goes about his atheist ways. Neither of them really raise Luffy anyway so 💁🏻

Luffy ends up being agnostic. It’s not that he doesn’t believe in a higher power but he knows he needs to take action and that he can’t rely on a higher power to fix the problems of the world. Very Albert Camus, revolting against the absurd and holding himself to a higher responsibility in life

Zoro comes from a Shinto or Buddhist background. He’s not judging anyone’s religious beliefs unless they’re harming others.

Nami has religious trauma from the Baptist church that set up in her town and made it impossible to be herself. Belle Mere is so clearly queer and she’s harassed and dies at the hands of some zealous bigots who were emboldened by the words of the local Baptist church pastor (Arlong)

Ussop comes from a chill Protestant background (maybe Presbyterian?) But he’s more of a CEO (Christmas Easter Only) in terms of actually attending any sort of church. Honestly, with his dad out of the picture and his mom dying, he just had bigger things on his mind like living every day.

Finally, Sanji. Oh boy, Sanji has major “Quiverfull movement Christian” trauma from Judge. For those who don’t know, quiverfull is a Christian extremist movement where the idea is to have as many kids as possible and adhere to very strict purity rules and gender roles. Contraception isn’t allowed. Women wear long skirts and non fitted shirts to hide their womanly form (ew), and most of the time these parents homeschool there kids to avoid the “temptation” or “impurity” of modern society.

Judge had these 5 kids who he’s raised in this faith but Sanji never liked how Judge treated his mom. Why was Sora supposed to be “seen and not heard?” Why was it ok for his brothers to use scripture to bully and hurt and spread hate? Why would a loving god create women just to subjugate them? Judge wouldn’t like this, and once Sora passes away (probably because Judge wouldn’t let her seek medical care post birth of the quadruplets, so her health deteriorated for years), Judge locks him up and makes him do all sorts of horrible “prayer” and “repentance” practices, which are really just abuse.

Sanji would maybe escape when they go into town to get something mundane like a printer or a new wifi router (which only judge is allowed to use the internet). He’d probably bolt first chance he gets and when he meets Zeff, Zeff can recognize the signals of abuse. He takes Sanji in and even though Sanji never believed women were less than men, he still has years of trauma and gender roles beaten into him that he has to unpack.

His choice to cook? That’s a huge rebellion. Wearing tight fitting suits that look sinful? That’s a middle finger to his dad. He always treats women like goddesses because he feels so much guilt for the sins of his father. When he finally joins the Strawhats, he’s so overwhelmed with how free and nonjudgmental they are (of important stuff, obviously they’ll still poke fun at small stuff) that he feels comfortable dropping little comments here and there, opening up.

Ussop will be comforting Nami about something and sanji will tell him is so refreshing to see a man be so nurturing. He goes to Ussop often, asking how he’s so confident sharing his emotions.

Nami will be ordering them around and he’ll do everything she says with a smile, just happy to see her free to do what she wants (which is be a bossy bitch)

Zoro will talk about Kuina one night and Sanji will sob, overwhelmed with joy that she got to have all that strength and a friend like zoro even when faced with hurtful gender expectations.

Luffy above all is the most jarring for him. He grew up hearing about sin and sinners and temptation and evil but when he sees Luffy doing his thing, taking down bad people, fighting for the underdog, he knows that if there is a God (he she it they? Who cares), Luffy is doing their work.

——————

Bonus Gay Cherry on top is that Sanji meets Iva and gets into drag, starts performing, does some events, and through that gender liberation is able to find some peace in who he is, tucking away all the hate he was born into. And he ends up with zoro the end bye

[yrbshay]

I rread your success story but i don't understand what you do to manifest

I’m sorry I should’ve put more on the post I wanted it to be quick. I have a how I did it on my page but I will explain further here. In my post I explained how I just wrote down exactly what I wanted and got it. That is starting from scratch. So if you were to do love and wanted to start fresh you can write down your dream man how they treat you, what the look like etc. and just affirm over that. Now I do things differently because I’ve found more things that have worked for me and also these manifestations have history behind them so I’m more likely to have negative beliefs than if I just started from scratch.

What I do to manifest now:

- Write down how i view the situation I’m trying to improve

Ex. Money

I always struggle with money. I always worry about money. I struggle to make to day by day. I’m always hungry etc

- then write down i you want things to be

Ex. Money

I always have money. I’m financially free. I have enough money to buy whenever I want whenever.

- make affirmations based off how i want things to be

Ex.

Money loves me. I am finally free. I love always having money. Isn’t it wonderful money just w lady comes to me for no reason at all? Money just falls in my hand.

- self concept is key. Always do self concept and uplift your confidence. It’ll help you from always questioning “where is it? Why isn’t it here? How is it gonna come?” Confidence will help you because you’re so confident in yourself you’re not even worried about to because it’s gonna come

- Affirmations

- and I never have said this one because I have forgot it with all my posts but Gratuity!!! Give thanks. If you’re Christian thank god. If you’re atheist thank yourself. Whatever other high power you may believe in give thanks to them (or yourself) for giving you what you want.

Ex. I’m Christian do I say “thank you for for making me financially free. Thank you god for taking my worries about money away. Thank you god for my business bringing me 2,000 a week”

Here an example if you don’t believe in a higher power and choose to use yourself

“Thank you self for making me financially free. Thank you self for…” etc.

I hope this helps. Ask anymore questions for clarification and if you just have questions you can dm me !

[xhudgenssistersconfessions]

So I’m a religion major in school haha so I’ve always been fascinated by celeb’s religions too.

So Zac’s granddad (from Dad’s side) was Jewish and Efron is actually a Hebrew name. But aside from his Dad’s side being Jewish, I’m not sure + he’s never mentioned what religion his grandparents from his mum’s side followed (perhaps they were Christian? don’t know). However, Zac said he was raised agnostic (which isn’t atheist and doesn’t mean you don’t believe in God but rather leaves the existence or non-existence of God up in the air so basically you can question it and leaves you to explore religion on your own). Typically parents who were born into two different faiths (why I assumed his mum had a Christian background) but don’t actively practice any religion tend to raise their kids agnostic and leave it up to them to decide in the future.

Also I’ve noticed he’s never posted anything about Hanukkah etc but he has about Christmas and Easter (with childhood pics of the two holidays too) which makes me think it’s just because it’s all become a commercial holiday (even my atheist colleagues celebrate Xmas and Easter haha) and there’s no super religious connection to it.

But yes, you’re right I saw the cross kinda thing and I’ve seen him do it a few times before - but I always took it as a general kind of gesture acknowledging a higher power/ the universe with traditional symbolism of that. 

I have seen him more and more curious and in touch with his spiritual side like in Down to Earth in the Paris episode but also in general with his meditation etc. Also on this press tour he seems to repeat “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle” a lot as one of the lessons he learned from the movie and in general I feel like he says God more than universe etc these days so that’s interesting.

At the end of the day, who knows haha but he’s definitely a good soul with a spiritual side!

[parasite-core]

I’m thinking a bit about my relationship to religion, especially when I was a child. My family had never been super religious. My dad was Christian but was quiet about it, he didn’t tend to talk about it much, I only got to hear his beliefs on rare occasions when I was in high school and college, when I was old enough to hold an informed conversation with. My mom wasn’t religious, she’s since told me that if she believes anything it’s in the power of nature and she thinks most organized religions are arrogant to claim they know what a higher power wants, but she felt she should at least expose me to religion as a child because it seemed right since that’s how she was raised.

As a child we went to church on Sundays until I was in 3rd grade, then we stopped because we moved and my mom didn’t like any of the churches in the area. I’d gone to a preschool run by the church we went to. I remember some of what I’d learned from there—you reap what you sow, and that vanity is a sin. Except I took that second one to mean ‘caring about your appearance is a waste of time and you should let people judge you on who you are not how you look’. I’ve carried that lesson throughout my life, even if it isn’t exactly what they meant to teach. When my mom tried to shake me for my weight or my acne as a teen, I took that as a character flaw on her end not mine, because I’d decided that the people who care about me do despite those things, and if she couldn’t hold to the very lessons she’d had me learn then that was on her. I’ve never been self conscious about my looks, regardless of bullies or my mom, because of that one lesson I took in the wrong direction in the best way.

I remember when I quit being religious. I wouldn’t say I quit believing in a higher power—I still think there’s an afterlife and I acknowledge there could be a god or gods—I’m just not Christian anymore or following any particular organized religion. It was because of something I saw online when I was in middle school. I’d had friends from all walks of life—a Jewish friend, a Chinese friend who followed her own personal religion, an atheist friend, amongst others. So when one day I read a post by a Christian about how nonbelievers would go to hell, and how trying to convert them was a kindness to try to save them, I felt revolted. My friends were good people, even if they believed something different than me. A good god, a kind god, surely wouldn’t condemn them to hell just because they believed something different. And what about people who were never exposed to Christianity? Were they damned from the start with no chance? That wasn’t right. That wasn’t fair. I couldn’t accept that. If that’s what Christians were preaching, then Christians were wrong. There was room in this world for all religious beliefs. Who was I to say which religion was true—if any? Maybe parts of all of them were. It struck me as arrogant and cruel to claim you knew the one true way and everyone else would be punished for not following you. So I disavowed the beliefs I’d held all my life.

I used to believe Jesus lived in my heart. Literally, I thought I could feel Jesus guiding me when I was doing something right or wrong. I quit feeling that after I quit believing—but I didn’t need it, I never actually did.

[mollrat101]

Symbols Analysis: Ava’s Necklaces

There are several symbols used throughout the show, so I’m going to make it it’s own series where I talk about the various symbols in Hacks and how it serves Ava and Deborah’s love story. 

Read the rest of the Ava & Deborah Could Be Endgame series here.

First up, we’re going to talk about Ava’s necklaces. Next, I’ll be diving into Deborah’s salt and pepper shakers! 

Ava’s Necklaces

I’ve talked about Ava’s Doc Martens before and how much they’re a symbol of her rebellious attitude and her role as the “individual” between her and Deborah, but Ava’s necklaces are a recurring costume piece that has even more significance. 

I started thinking about them when I wondered if Ava has an equivalent to Deborah’s salt and pepper shakers and then I realized she does! Her 2 necklaces. A pair, just like the salt and pepper shakers. (I’ll talk about Deborah’s salt and pepper shakers in a separate post.) We know that Deborah has her salt and pepper shakers as a symbol of her desire for unity with a partner, looking for her other half. Ava’s necklaces serve the same function. 

She wears these necklaces all the time. As far as I can tell, she never takes them off except when she was in the hospital and even then it was probably taken off of her before surgery. She sleeps with them, has sex with them on and she likely showers with them on. These pieces are so comfortable to her and she’s been wearing them so long, they might just feel like a part of her skin. Just like her Doc Martens, she keeps them around often but she doesn’t acknowledge them in any way. They are simply representations of Ava that she carries with her everywhere. 

Just as I argued before, I think part of Ava’s costume design is trying to show that there are parts of Ava that are unchangeable. Deborah is more of a chameleon and can shift and change based on circumstance. Whereas Ava finds it extremely difficult to change her nature. I think where Deborah is consistent is in her cultivated spaces. That’s where Deborah shows her most authentic, intimate desires. But Ava doesn’t have a permanent living space that she can cultivate and she’s constantly rootless throughout Season 1, so she must bring her desires wherever she goes on her person. The common theme in Ava’s character arc is looking for a place where she feels like she belongs. 

Two separate gold pieces that complement each other. 

Gold is associated with power, wealth, luxury, success, optimism, wisdom, sacredness and divinity. Gold is both malleable (able to be shaped into something without breaking) and also indestructible. 

The success part makes perfect sense as Ava is ambitious. 

The wealth and luxury part is a little surprising as outwardly Ava seems to find those things distasteful, but in truth Ava isn’t nearly as put off as she likes to claim. 

Ava is an atheist, but perhaps we can reconfigure divinity and sacredness as about a general higher purpose. Ava longs for a higher purpose in her life, a feeling of unity and a feeling that some things are worthy of reverence and respect. 

Ava, on the whole, can be quite optimistic. She’s easily discouraged, but she nevertheless seems to believe in her own talent and her chances at having success and she believes that she does have some power to change the world. 

Ava’s whole arc is about gaining wisdom. In particular, gold is associated with the wisdom of aging which is perfect for Ava’s relationship with Deb. Ava is intelligent, but wisdom is different. Wisdom is being able to know what the right thing to do is and then knowing how to execute it. This reminds me of exactly what Ava and Deborah are good at. Ava provides the moral judgment and the internal motivation. Deborah knows how to seize power, how best to use her skills and take action. Ava is the set up, Deborah is the punchline. 

Being malleable makes me think of forging something new, so there’s an association with creativity. But as gold is indestructible it’s also a call for Ava to become stronger, to be able to persevere more which is a character flaw of hers. 

Let’s talk more specifically about each piece. 

The top is a gold chain linked choker. It looks older in style. I could find a necklace like this in my grandmother’s jewelry box. Ava doesn’t strike me as an avid shopper, so this was likely a gift. An older woman must have given her this because of the older style, likely one of her grandmothers (or possibly another older female relative, but grandmother is more likely). Considering its older aesthetic and how volatile the relationship between Ava and her mother is, I doubt Nina gave this to her. Perhaps little Ava was looking through her grandmother’s jewelry box, found this piece and her grandmother gave it to her and she’s never taken it off since. Or, similar to her dad’s watch, Ava might have taken the necklace after her grandmother died to remember her by. 

The bottom one is a simple gold chain with a square centerpiece. It has a youthful aesthetic to it. This would be a perfect gift for a young girl who isn’t super feminine in style. Simple, but still beautiful, just like Ava. Again, considering how much Nina doesn’t seem to understand Ava, I think her father gave her this necklace as a birthday or holiday gift. 

Ava didn’t have friends growing up, so I think she might have relied on two people who loved her unconditionally: her grandmother and her father. Unfortunately, both of these people are deceased now, so this is a way for Ava to keep the people she loves close to her heart. Nina does mention a grandmother, but it’s in the context of berating Ava for telling her grandmother she’s pro-choice. Highly doubt it’s this grandmother and likely this is Nina’s mother, so the grandmother Ava got this necklace from is Dennis’s mother. That would stand to reason because Dennis’s mother was probably like him and had a good relationship with Ava. 

We see this trait of Ava’s confirmed when we see her finding her father’s watch while looking through his stuff and decides to wear it in episode 10.

Considering Ava is still wearing the watch in her last scene of season 1, it looks like the watch is going to stay a permanent part of Ava’s wardrobe. 

Having these necklaces given to her by people she loved would certainly explain why Ava wears them all the time. 

Just like the art work in Deb’s house, Ava’s necklaces express a desire for a blend of the classic and the contemporary. 

Deborah is the gold-linked choker. More controlled, more dominant, made up of multiple parts that are forged together link by link, a more ostentatious and assertive presence, closer to the throat so more related to speech and communication and closer to the head so a sharp mind, hovering over the square necklace as if protecting her vulnerable center. 

Ava is the square gold chain. Less controlled, softer, more delicate, single-minded, can make a big impression though, understated but nevertheless desires to be recognized, closer to the heart so more sensitive and closer to the stomach and pelvis so bodily pleasure and sexual energy, positioned supporting the other necklace and lifting her up so she can shine. 

But neither overpowers the other or is more important. 

Deb’s salt and pepper shaker collection signals how lonely Deborah feels. Her desire to feel a part of a pair and to find her other half. But Deb keeps these pieces locked behind a glass case. She tries hard to hide her loneliness to the outside world. Only allowing it to fully sink in once she’s alone in her home and more visible when you get closer in Deb’s intimate spaces. Deb never says the words, “I’m lonely” but we can feel it radiating off of her. But Ava gives her the pepper shaker she’s been searching for. Her loneliness is about to come to an end and it will be because of Ava. 

Ava, in contrast, wears her loneliness and desire to be in a pair on her at all times for everybody to see. This makes perfect sense as, compared to Deb, Ava tends to vomit her feelings all over the place. Hardly anyone shows much compassion or concern though. 

Ava: “I’m pretty lonely, man”

Ava: “Being back in this house is just making me remember that I always felt really, really lonely here.” 

Like I said, the only time we see her not wearing the necklaces are when she’s in the hospital. Obviously, this makes sense because she had a procedure done, but this was also not coincidentally the episode her and Deb began to really bond. 

I also think it’s interesting that the moment in which Ava’s necklaces and therefore, her romantic longing, is most prominent is at DJ’s birthday party where she spends most of it pining for Deborah. 

Deborah has several salt and pepper shaker pairs while Ava only has one pair of necklaces. This speaks mainly to their age difference. Deborah has been waiting a lot longer, had more relationships and dating experience and has searched harder for her partner than Ava has. Throughout Season 1, it seems like Deborah is the one who falls first and falls faster and that probably just speaks to how desperate she feels. Deb has been waiting so long for her partner and she’s finally shown up. 

What does all of this really mean? 

A few things. 

It’s small details like this that make me feel this has to be signifying that the intention is for Ava and Deborah to be a couple. Why give Ava 2 necklaces both different in style? Why have them be a blend of an older and younger aesthetic unless it’s referring to how the relationship between Deb and Ava will become? A relationship that blends the strengths of both the classic and the modern and pushes them to be better. 

Ava is associated with 2 paternal figures in season 1: Frank and Dennis. Frank is a dark mirror of Ava, a path that she will grow beyond and right his wrongs, including his wrongs as a parent. Frank seemed to have all but abandoned DJ after his divorce with Deb and Ava is stepping in and being the co-parent Deb has always wanted. I’ve had any idea for a while that now that Dennis has passed away that perhaps Ava will look to him as a person worth emulating in the future. Ava’s interactions with DJ are very parent-like, but we know how toxic her relationship with her mother is, so where is Ava learning this behavior? Dennis. A kind caring person who unconditionally loved his wife and daughter and was beloved by his community. In the same way, I can imagine Ava in the future unconditionally loving her wife, Deborah, and her step-daughter, DJ, and being a beloved member of the Las Vegas community. That’s a long winded way of saying that the square necklace represents Ava. 

But now, of course, the Ava necklace needs its pair. In terms of looking for healthy romantic relationships, we unconsciously look for partners that resemble our early caretakers, especially ones that were nurturing. Considering Ava wants to only be in romantic relationships with women, her subconscious is looking for someone who resembles her female caretaker. But Nina, as we’ve said, wasn't a very warm or nurturing relationship. Ava needs to find someone like her grandmother. Now I’m not trying to suggest that Ava is only interested in Deb because she’s old enough to be her grandmother. Deb is likely the only older woman Ava has ever been so interested in. Although I do think it’s worth pointing out that part of what can be so fulfilling for Ava in this relationship is being able to soak up Deborah’s wisdom and life experience that comes from her being older. But it’s not so much about age as it is about seeking her grandmother’s qualities (she was probably warm and kind, maybe she was funny and had a good sense of humor) and replicating the warm, tender relationship she had with her. 

DJ is the jewelry expert on the show, so I would love to see her ask Ava about her necklaces, so we get some backstory. She’s already asked about her earrings, so it wouldn’t be weird for her to ask about her other jewelry. Especially considering how much Ava wears them. 

I think the significance of Ava’s necklace being so connected to her past suggests that Ava’s loneliness can only ever be alleviated by confronting past hurts that are holding her back from her connection with others. Similar to Deborah, deep down Ava knows what she desires but for now it’s going unacknowledged. 

Ava’s necklaces represent a desire for the rare times she experienced unconditional love. That just so happens to pair well with Ava’s dream in which she wished for Deborah to show her tenderness, affection and real intimacy. 

Similar to how Deborah’s salt and pepper shakers are just a symbol and can’t offer a real solution to Deborah’s loneliness, Ava’s necklaces are only a balm to the lack of unconditional love she currently has in her life. 

She needs to add a new piece of jewelry, specifically to commemorate the unconditional love she’s found being with Deborah. 

Perhaps the next piece should be...a wedding ring? 

[javertwenttoheaven]

Javert didn't go to heaven, because he killed himself

Also did he even believe in heaven?

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree | I literally could not disagree more

Okay... This reply is going to be really long, and if it ends up coming out kind of aggressive in any way, that’s not how I mean it, I promise! And especially not towards you, anon. I’m just really passionate about this (see my URL).

Cut for length and also discussion of suicide and religion.

My justification differs depending on whose “rules” we’re going by, but my answer’s the same.

From my view of things... In almost every single case (and I only say almost because I don’t want to say 100% just in case), someone in their right mind isn’t going to kill themselves, and Javert definitely wasn’t in his right mind when he jumped off the Pont-au-Change. Normally, I can’t stand stories where a character decides to kill themselves after one (1) thing happens because normally it’s poorly written and doesn’t make sense, but it does make sense for Javert. This man has just been on the verge to being killed for over two days with no food, little water, and no rest. That’d be enough to break down most anyone. Add an existential crisis on top of that, and Javert really didn’t stand a chance. He wasn’t in a good mindset at the time, and he thought killing himself was truly the right thing to do. He didn’t just do it because he couldn’t live with the things he had done. He was trying to protect Valjean because the only way he could go free was if the only man who could arrest him was gone.

And I just... don’t (can’t) believe that would send someone to Hell, especially if they weren’t in their right mind, and their judgement was clouded.

Unfortunately, I am Protestant and Victor Hugo was... well, I’m not sure what label to give him exactly, but Les Miserables was written as a universe that followed the rules of Catholicism, so that’s the basis we have to go on.

I will admit, I don’t know a lot about Catholicism or the beliefs thereof, but from what I’ve gathered from the research I have done, acts committed from insanity don’t really count (which would explain why the newspaper pinned Javert’s suicide on an act of momentary insanity).

Granted, even barring his suicide, where Javert’s soul spent eternity depends on where he would have gone anyway had he not killed himself, which leads us to our next point.

My answer to whether or not Javert believed in Heaven depends on whether we’re talking about brick!vert or musical!vert. The musical obviously Christianizes Javert, and in Stars, he mentions Heaven explicitly. As for brick!vert... the answer’s more complicated.

Being completely honest..., I haven’t reached that part in the brick yet, and I don’t want to “spoil” things for myself by reading ahead. I really don’t like giving my opinion on things I haven’t truly researched for myself, but I’m also too passionate about this to leave the conversation unfinished, so I’m giving my thoughts anyway (although I’ll also probably revisit this topic again when I finish the brick).

While I haven’t read Hugo’s full description of Javert’s suicide, I’ve been on tumblr for a couple of years now, and so I’ve read many posts with direct quotes from that part of the brick, so I still have a good idea of what’s going on.

Throughout most of the brick, Javert isn’t really religious. Honestly, I think he’s really an atheist because he believes nothing could be above the law.

In my opinion, that’s part of what rocks him so hard when his worldview changes.

Javert obeyed and upheld the law because he believed that to be the highest authority. That was his religion, and the law was his god. Along with recognizing that Valjean was a good man, Javert realized the existence of a power higher than the law: God himself. He realized that in doing everything he could to follow the law, he had failed the greatest power of all, and he had to be punished for it.

Honestly, Javert’s intention was probably to go to Hell. Seeing his reaction in Montreuil-sur-Mer, Javert again felt he needed punished for the wrongdoings of his life, so he sentenced himself to death: both in this world and the next. Fortunately, that’s the whole point of mercy, and I feel that Javert’s suicide was, in its own way, an act of repentance in itself.

This is also why I strongly disagree with Philip Quast’s statement (you didn’t really think I could write an essay about Javert and not mention him, did you?) that Javert killed himself because he “realized God didn’t exist”... but this post is already way too long as it is, so I’ll probably make another one to talk about that.

I hope this made sense to you guys! I’m not great at explaining things sometimes, and I tend to word dump, especially when it comes to Javert.

Tl;dr - Javert did believe in Heaven, at least in the end, and suicide would not have barred him from going there.

[livingasaghost]

warning: this post will contain spoilers for the new mike flanagan show MIDNIGHT MASS. content warning for death, grief, religion.

as someone who was scarred by horror as a child and someone who hates halloween, no one is as surprised as i am that mike flanagan is one of my favorite directors/creators. for those who don't know, this is the man behind THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and DOCTOR SLEEP. when hill house was released a few years ago, it was barely even on my radar. the only reason i decided to watch it is because everyone kept going on about how it was so scary it made them throw up or pass out or whatever.

not sure how that spurred me to turn the show on because quite literally i do not like scary things and i've had nightmares for years because of the poltergeist. but, i did in fact turn on this scary show at night in the dark of my house alone. and spoiler alert: it changed my life.

since then i've seen hill house about four times all the way through and i've also seen bly manor. (and obviously midnight mass.) as i continue to watch mike flanagan's works, i've been struck by his storytelling, his vision, and his art direction. this man is a star of his craft. when i watch his works i spend half the time studying his camera angles, his script, the little easter eggs he leaves behind. his shows fall under the same category as most of my favorite media: highly conceptual creations that feature strong themes and messages that change the way you perceive the universe and yourself and other people. i think i will spend my entire lifetime trying to explain this type of storytelling. stories like house of leaves or cloud cuckoo land or the starless sea. stories about how life is just a story, just a dream, and all we can do is appreciate our time on earth and the people we surround ourselves with.

when midnight mass originally was announced and the trailer dropped, i don't think i fully appreciated what it would be. it didn't really occur to me that mike was working on a new show, and it also didn't occur to me that while this new show wasn't a "haunting" show...it also was exactly that. there was so much hype leading up to bly manor, and when that dropped i was left feeling fairly disappointed. i think it's better that this new series doesn't fall under the haunting franchise, but i can understand and appreciate that it's basically a continuation of mike's television works. it's the same cast, the same feel, the same director...just different. and nothing like hill house or bly.

MIDNIGHT MASS is the story of a small town, an island town, that gets a new priest. you can't know more than that going in, but if you're reading this i'll assume you've either seen the show or you don't mind getting spoiled. (last chance.) what first seems like a show about alcoholism and god, quickly turns paranormal and supernatural. the show explores so many deep themes like life after death, what happens when the church strays from god and begins to glorify itself, small town religion, forgiveness. while the plot itself is incredibly compelling and it's a great mystery, i think what always gets to me about mike flanagan shows is that at the end of the day, even though it's horror and it's thrilling to watch, there is always that underlying message that is beautifully crafted and explored and it's usually about death and/or grief. midnight mass is such a wonderful addition to the flanagan collection because it forces you to look at the act of death head on. while it does explore grief, so much of this story is about what happens when you die and where you go and what comes next. and i've spent a lot of my life actively trying not to think about that.

a few months back i read a little life by hanya yanigahara and that book is all about friendship and life and also grief. it's about knowing that no matter how long your life is, at the end of it, we all die and we all lose people and one day people will lose us too. and while it's been months since i've read or actively thought of that book, i think so much of that set the stage for my 2021. i have dealt with grief in recent months, i dealt with the loss of our cat, and the combination of all of that PLUS watching this show...it really struck a chord with me. a weird one. i think the older i get the more fascinated i am by death and grief and loss and while sometimes that can be debilitating and scary, i think it's also incredibly freeing.

there's a scene (that happens twice) where two of the characters are discussing what happens when/after we die. and since this show centers on christianity, of course one of those scenarios reflects on heaven. the other scenario pictured is from more of an atheistic/agnostic perspective: that when we die, our bodies shut down and that is the end of it. what shocked me most is that as someone raised christian, someone who actively believes in a god and has read a lot about "the afterlife" or what not, i don't know that i have ever let myself believe in or think about a death that doesn't have an afterlife. doesn't have a heaven. i can't tell if that's just really good brain-washing by the church or what, but in watching that scene i felt both the thrill of fear and also a bit of relief.

here's the thing. after thinking on it all more, i obviously don't have the answer. we don't know what comes next, if anything. i think most of what religion and faith comes down to is knowing we won't know and also knowing that there isn't any logic when it comes to spirituality. to a god. as much as science exists, if we believe in a higher power, we also have to accept that science cannot explain everything. that science isn't everything period. i would like to think, and will hopefully continue to believe, that erin's view of life after death is real. that heaven exists, that we will all be reunited one day, that there is a higher power who wants us all to be loved and not alone for eternity. that sounds real to me. but i also have realized that i have doubts. that the logic side of me believes that when we die, our bodies will shut down and we will go to sleep and that will be the end.

and you know what? even though that is scary and it's a recent thing for me to consider (especially as someone who is more and more becoming anti-religion in some ways), it's also a huge fucking relief. it's a blessing. to not exist.

that sounds like my depression talking, but it's not. i promise. i've never been the type of person who wants to live forever or extend my life span. part of the whole point of mike flanagan shows, of the types of books and stories i enjoy, is that without an end, there's no point. what's the purpose of living forever? if you've seen the good place there always reaches a point where you've reached your full potential, where you've done everything, where things stop having meaning because they've lasted so long. and obviously death is still scary, not knowing what comes next is terrifying, but watching this show gave me a kind of comfort about death that i didn't know was possible. and this is a horror show about religious vampires.

throughout all the gore and hypocrisy and terror and violence of this strange show, i found myself at peace.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #384

“watch your tongue or have it cut from your head”

Do you post to say happy birthday on other people’s walls? Sometimes. Depends on my mood and the person. When was the last time you saw a rainbow? Idr. What’s your favorite television commercial? I don't watch TV enough at all to have one. And who has a favorite commercial, anyway? Do you trip a lot? I don't really trip a lot, but kinda fumble over my footing and stray a bit. I'm horrible at walking straight, and it's gotten worse as my legs have. How old is your television? The one in the living room is god knows how old. My parents were still together when they bought it. When did you last talk on the phone with someone? A couple days ago for my appointment with my psychiatrist. Are you currently sleepy? I'm quite convinced I'm permanently tired. Are you hot or cold natured? I am ALWAYS fucking hot, ugh. Do you take any advanced classes? I took mostly Honors classes in school. Do you have weak upper body strength? My body is just weak as a whole. What is the worst insult someone can call you? Emotionally weak. Are you good at sketching? If we're talking meerkats, haha. They're the only complex thing that I can freehand no problem without needing a reference, honestly. Ever play Angry Birds? Nah. I thought the movie was cute, though. Have you ever been to the zoo before? Yeah. Has anyone ever been weirdly obsessed with you? No. Are you afraid someone might steal your identity someday? It's not something I actively worry about at all. Like, you don't want my identity, I promise. Do you have any talents that come naturally? Growing up, adults always told me I was a "gifted" artist and writer. Also that I seem to have an unnaturally strong connection with animals. I've always been that person where a pet's owner is like "omg ____ never lets people do that" and whatnot. Have you ever had plastic surgery before? I haven't. It's funny though, how opposed to it I used to be... Like goddamn, I was such a fucking stupid and honestly judgmental teenager, regarding many things. I look back on her and cringe. Like damn dude, if you have a safe surgical procedure to help you enjoy the body you're stuck with the rest of your life, you go for it, boo. Are you afraid of airplane rides? Not really. What’s the best Valentine’s Day gift you’ve gotten? There was this one year where Jason had to go to work on Valentine's Day and I was super bummed, yet he still surprised me with a heart-shaped box of chocolates, roses, and a game I really wanted, Heavy Rain. I thought it was the sweetest. What is something you lose often? My phone. ;-; Do you enter a lot of sweepstakes? I don't enter any. Do you consider yourself physically active? *chuckles nervously* Do you have Netflix? Yeah. Favorite salad dressing? That Olive Garden replica you can buy at the store. Do you enjoy dancing? Once upon a time I did. My body could never handle it now. Have you ever considered writing a novel? Many times. Snow or sand? Snow, by twenty thousand miles. It is VERY hard for me to walk through sand, and I also hate hate hate hate HATE the sensation. Do you like sour candy? Heeeeeell yeah man. Have you gotten any injuries lately? If so, what & how? Nothing notable. Are you a clumsy person? Like you would not fucking believe. Last male you talked to in person? I think my primary physician's nurse. Are you thinking about asking anyone out? No. Pink lemonade or regular lemonade? Pink lemonade, for sure. But I love both. Chocolate or strawberry milk? CHOCOLATE. Strawberry milk is disgusting. Have you ever won a contest on the radio?No. Is there a song that reminds you of your best friend? There's quite a few. Has a book ever made you cry? Yes. Do you automatically check your phone when you wake up? Yes, for the time. Do you know anyone who has a pet bunny? Not that I'm aware. What store or website would you most like a gift card for? Rebel's Market. How do you feel about wolves? I adore wolves. Beautiful, majestic creatures with very interesting social dynamics. Name your top 3 favorite musical instruments. Electric guitar, violin, piano. What was the last book(s) you bought at a bookstore? At an actual bookstore, I think it was The Fault In Our Stars, which I never actually read. Do you use Pinterest? Yes. Do you know any sign language? No. Do you have a favorite poem? No. Do you have a dog? No. The one we were pretty much stuck with has a home now. Have you ever read The Little House on the Prairie series? I haven't. Have you ever gone on a service trip to an underprivileged country? No. Have you ever performed in front of more than 100 people? Yes, for dance. When (if ever) was the last time you went to church? Forever ago, I don't even remember the last time. What's a quote you think is really powerful? There's a whole lot. The first one that came to mind was, "An eye for an eye will leave the world blind," which I do believe has great depth in it. Have you ever had to do your laundry at a laundromat? Yes. Are you the oldest person who lives in your household? No. My mom is turning 60 (... I think?) this year. If you have tattoos, how long have you had them? I got my first the day I turned 18. Do you and your dad have similar personalities? We're alike in some ways, imo most notably in that we have NO fucking common sense, embarrassing as that is to admit. We're both kinda slow at understanding things, too. What were the last three things you had to drink? Mountain Lightning, milk, and water. What did your family usually do for Easter when you were a kid? Us three kids all got Easter baskets full of stuff, and we'd go egg-hunting when we were all awake. My little sister Nicole would always wake our parents up in excitement, haha. My parents hid plenty throughout the house, and there was always this one "special" egg that was actually from Mom's childhood and was extremely intricate and beautiful. You basically "won" the hunt if you found it, and it was extremely well-hidden. When you have house guests over, where do they sleep? Historically since living here, my two half-sisters and their spouses (the only people who've stayed over) slept in what is *technically* Mom's room, but for whatever reason this woman still insists on sleeping on the couch in the living room, I guess because she's used to it after all the years she didn't have her own room and bed. Are you emotionally stable? LOLOOLOLOOLLOLOOLOOLOLLOOLOLLLLLLLLLLL Do you still talk to the very first person you had sex with? No. Are you an atheist? No. I don't quite know how to define what I am, but since I believe there's SOME higher power, I don't think it's fitting to call me an atheist. What’s the largest bug you’ve ever found in your house? Hm... I'm unsure. Probably a male mosquito, 'cuz them bitches are big'ins. Would it annoy you if a stranger called you "sweetie?" If it was a man, I'd be creeped out. Are you into fashion design? Not really. What’s the worst thing you’ve gone through in the past year? My leg muscles continuing to degrade, honestly. I have to do something about this shit. How did you get your last bruise? I fell when stepping over the stupid dog gate. Have your parents ever forgotten your birthday? Yikes, no. Would you rather have some bacon or beef jerky? Bacon. Do you like your orange juice with lots or no pulp? NONE. Do you wear skinny jeans? Back when I wore jeans, they were the only kind I wore. What projects are you doing now for school? I'm outta school. What’s the most number of comments you have on a Facebook picture? What is the picture of? I have no idea. Do you like coconut flavored things? No. Have you ever met a famous author before? No. Do you know anybody who has been raped before? No, thank god. I know someone who might've almost been, though. I don't know what the fucking pig was going to do to her if my sister and I weren't there. Have you ever wished for bigger boobs? No. Being overweight, I just want smaller ones now, haha. Have you ever gone a full day without interacting with another person? I've gone many days without it. How many relationships have you been in that lasted less than a year? Four, if you're counting everyone that had the "boyfriend" title. Where were you going the last time you were on a plane? Home from Illinois. Where were you going the last time you were on a train? I've never been on one. Have you ever been significantly more physically fit than you are now? Holy fuck, yes. You would never guess now that I was perfectly healthy in high school especially, yet I still thought I was kinda fat. It hurts so much to look back on. When growing up, did you parents keep the house very tidy? I mean not excessively, but Mom was pretty dedicated to keeping the house in decent condition. With three kids though, of course the house was somewhat messy with toys and all. When you shop at IKEA, do you always stop to eat a snack/meal in the cafeteria? ... There's a fucking cafeteria in a furniture store? o_o I've never been there before. How many watches do you own? None, save for one in my "treasure box" from when I was a kid. I was SO SO SO obsessed with Finding Nemo that I kept my broken one. I did the same with my horribly aged sneakers, like the soles were coming off and Mom finally made me stop wearing them, ha. Are there any ways in which you greatly differ from everyone else in your family? I do fucking nothing and am useless to society. Should teenagers be allowed to have their cell phones with them in class? Yes, because emergencies happen. I personally think it's best to maybe have your cell phone flipped over on the corner of your desk or something and on vibrate, that way the noise isn't too disruptive and the teacher can see you're not just using it for other purposes. Do you have any gay relatives? Yes. Have you ever had to have a pet put down? Sigh, multiple. Have you unfollowed, deleted, or blocked anyone on social media recently? If so, what was the reason? Not recently. How many cups of coffee do you typically drink per day? None. Do you know what your vocal range is? No, but it's not very broad. What’s the biggest financial mistake you’ve ever made? I haven't been in this position before. Have you ever been in a relationship where there was a large difference in maturity levels? No. What’s the longest you’ve ever stayed as a guest at someone’s house? I wanna say over a month while we were technically homeless. How bad was your acne when you were a teenager? Oh dear, it was rough. Like there were people who had it worse than me, but ya girl was lookin preeeetty rough lmao.

[wyrdify]

tfw your friends validate what you’re feeling, and you weren’t expecting it, so you just sit and cry at your computer

So, a lot of you know I don’t like posting on other social media websites. When you work for a social media company, and you spend hours and hours looking at it, you don’t really want to deal with your own. It’s exhausting. I scroll through my Facebook maybe 2-3 times per day just to see what my friends are up to, like and comment on their stuff, and move on. I usually don’t spend more than five minutes on it at a time.

Well, I decided to post on my Facebook for the first time since January. For the past few days, I’ve been struggling with the news that came out of the Vatican (link here). Because I’m honestly lazy, I’ll just let my post speak for itself:

I've debated on and off about saying something regarding this story since I first heard about it a few days ago. I read news articles about it from different sources, listened to some commentary, and let it sit with me for a while. This morning, I finally decided to read the response straight from the source to form my own opinion. Honestly, I hoped that I heard wrong. I hoped in futility that there was a mistranslation or something.

I'd advise reading the whole thing since it's not that long, but this is what stood out the most to me:

"At the same time, the Church recalls that God Himself never ceases to bless each of His pilgrim children in this world, because for Him “we are more important to God than all of the sins that we can commit”[12]. But he does not and cannot bless sin: he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him."

It hurt to hear about and read. I can understand their point of view, but I can't agree with it. I just can't.

My belief in God has been on shaky ground since last year, possibly longer. I struggle to see evidence of a loving God in this world, especially the one I was taught about in church throughout the years. Agnostic bordering on atheist is how I'd currently describe myself. Maybe, someday, that faith and belief in a higher power will return. Maybe I'll gain new perspective and understanding as I continue on through life. Who knows?

But, honestly, I'm tired of trying to fit into the Roman Catholic Church. When I took RCIA back in 2014-15, I had recently come out as bisexual (later asexual). We had a class on the sacrament of marriage and holy orders. Hearing my classmates and teachers talk about how homosexuality was detrimental to marriage hurt a lot. I hid in the bathroom and cried. If it hadn't been 10 degrees outside, I would've left. But, I stayed. I hoped and prayed that the Catholic Church would see people like me, like my friends, like so many around the world, and they'd listen. They wouldn't see us as intrinsically disordered, and they'd see our love as a reflection of God's love.

Not only that, but I prayed to be fixed. I prayed to be straight. After I came out as trans, I continued hoping and praying---if not for acceptance and understanding, fix me so I wasn't trans anymore. Almost every Sunday before, during, and after mass, I had some version of these thoughts. Some were darker than what I'll post here. Eventually, I stopped going to mass altogether. I stopped praying in written form and non. I stopped trying to pray to what felt like nothingness.

That's where I am now. Again, maybe I'll regain my faith in some shape or form. But, I have a feeling that if I do, it won't be within the walls of the Catholic Church. Quite honestly, I'm tired of trying to fit myself into a place that made it clear it doesn't want me as I am: fearfully and wonderfully made AND queer.

I'm neutrois. I'm asexual. Those are parts of me I refuse to shelve and hide away as if they're disgusting or wrong.

As soon as I have the time and funds for it, I'm cutting off my long hair again so I can start feeling like myself again. Honestly, I miss looking in the mirror to see myself smiling back.

This is why I’m a little off today. I’ve been letting this eat at me for the past few days, and I didn’t dare bring it up to anyone. I didn’t want to make any of my friends uncomfortable by talking about religion, and I still don’t know how to approach the subject with my husband. His family is Catholic, and we’ll be going down to visit them for Easter... and I’m not out to them. Because there never seems to be a right time to do so and a bunch of other reasons.

My biological and incredibly liberal family doesn’t accept the trans part of me, so I really don’t feel like having my in-laws reject me too, y’know?

Honestly, I didn’t expect much after posting that. Maybe a couple of “oh good you’re finally getting out of the church” comments or the most basic “sorry you’re feeling like this” stuff. A lot of people tend to believe that there isn’t any overlap between the LGBTQIA+ community and Christianity. I didn’t expect two of my friends to validate that hurt I feel, and they both said it in a loving way. I read their comments shortly before I got on shift half an hour ago, and I’m still processing them.

I’ll probably delete this later, but... yeah. This is where my brain is currently at. Today is gonna be a slow day.

[firelord-frowny]

i answer questions on quora for funsies and there was a question (that got deleted before i could post my answer lmao) about “why do most atheists have such a childish view of what god is?” 

and then of course there were a bunch of snippy answers from people like “hur dur, bc god is dumb and fake and you are dumb also” 

and so i typed up a loooong as response while loopy on zzzquil and here it is, here’s my response:

I was hoping I’d get here and see some answers that didn’t drip with the cringy condescension that atheists unfortunately have a reputation for… I was disappointed.

I can promise you that “most atheists” don’t necessarily have a childish understanding of the concept of a God or religions in general. I think it just so happens that the more, uh… ~outspoken~ atheists tend to either have a simplistic understanding, or they simply don’t feel inclined to take the time to demonstrate that they do have a deeper understanding, because it’s just not important to them (which is fair!) Or they just like being rude and making flippant comments that they know are going to rustle the feathers of people who believe in a higher power.

I definitely used to be one of those atheists who loved to wax poetic - and usually with vaguely inflammatory and argumentative language - about how I “don’t care what people think a god is” and how I “don’t believe in things that aren’t really there” and “ahem, believing in sky fairies is what’s REALLY childish!”  

Then it dawned on me that I’ve only been exposed to an infinitesimally tiny fraction of  all the world’s religions, and all the different ways that people express their faith in their deities. I would hope that anyone who was actually committed to rationality would at least concede that it’s a bit irresponsible and disingenuous to claim absolute knowledge about - and pass judgment on - a wealth of subjects they have never even been exposed to.

Interestingly, I think the missing ingredient in these cases is compassion. The kinds of atheists you describe don’t see much value in even caring about the tremendous role that religion can play in many people’s lives. I think they tend to home in on the bad stuff, and unceremoniously dismiss everything else.

Though I’m most simply described as an atheist, the way that I personally understand the concept of “god” is that it can be an expression of people’s highest aspirations, or maybe a personification of a culture’s highest values. Maybe some people do truly believe that the thing they have faith in is an actual being that exists in some intangible realm, and who has will, and who is capable of manipulating and interacting with the “real world.” But through conversations with many of my believing friends, I’ve come to understand that to some people, “god” is more of an ideal than an actual being. Not literal, but a metaphor.

Anyway, to get back to your actual question - I’m of the opinion that most atheists understand and embrace the fact that they may never comprehend what “god” means to the people who believe in one. But they acknowledge that it’s nowhere near as simple as just “believing in things that aren’t really there,” and certainly do not automatically find it “humorous, sad, and irrelevant.” I think most atheists understand that the cultural, social, and personal concepts of “god” and the role “god” plays in the lives of believers is way too complicated to be boiled down in just a few snappy remarks. The atheists who have a more compassionate and open-minded understanding of what “god” might mean to theists aren’t going around being mean on the internet. They’re minding their own business.

I hope you feel enormously free to happily ignore the flippant, obnoxious quips from unkind atheists who are more concerned with feeling superior than with being at all intrigued by one of the many ways humankind has found to express its values and feel connections to one another.

Because I happen to know how these particular atheists think and behave, considering that I used to be one, I am sure that any who come across my answer here may feel inclined to try to get under my skin and perhaps condescend to me about logic and reason and blah blah blah, and I’d just like to say to those individuals: I welcome you to say whatever it is you need to say in order to feel secure and grounded in your point of view. I promise there’s nothing you can tell me that I haven’t told anyone else. I’m not upset with you, and I won’t be hurt or offended by anything you decide to say. Sure, I’d like it if you agreed with me, but that’s not how the world works, and I’m okay with that, and I’m sure that most of y’all are decent folks with whom I’d agree on a lot of other things!

I’m also sure that some folks are going to think everything I’ve said is ridiculous and that I’ve typed so much and said absolutely nothing. That’s fine. And you’re probably right! If you look up “largiloquent” in the dictionary, there’s a picture of me.

I’ll also address this: It’s not lost on me that the phrasing of the question is a little instigative. “Why do most atheists have such a childish view…” I can see plainly that that’s meant to attract exactly the kind of atheist who’s prone to launching into unpleasant confrontations. It’s meant to attack the kind of atheist that the question-asker has no doubt felt victimized by. Though I find it a little disappointing, I do understand. Like I said - I used to be a jerk about my own atheism, and I’m very well acquainted with the loud minority of atheists who seek to make theists feel dumb, and it makes sense to me that someone would feel like taking a small form of revenge in this manner. So, to the question-asker, I’ll say: When you set someone up to get angry, you sabotage your own chances of getting through to someone who disagrees with you. Maybe they probably weren’t going to hear you out before, but they definitely aren’t going to hear you out now.

And to the atheists who jump at the chance to get quippy at this kind of obvious bait: If you really want to disarm someone who’s trying to upset you… be nice. I’m not kidding. When somebody clearly wants you to resort to petty insults, and then you give them those insults, you lose. Immediately. You just look mean. :/ But if someone is baiting you into an argument, and you respond with kindness and understanding, then they look like the jerk. Not you. And next time, maybe they’ll choose kindness, too, when they approach you.

I was going to conclude this by proudly stating that I’ve evolved past the point of feeling the need to try to make others feel less-than just because they have a point of view I think is, uh, ridiculous, but as I reread my words, I can see that that's not exactly true, as I’ve definitely included a few acerbic jabs here and there. I’m sorry about that. I don’t mean to sound like I’m looking down on anyone or what they do or don’t believe about belief. I suppose I just take it a bit personally when self-described atheists behave in ways I think are unnecessarily and intentionally rude, and then claim in some way that that’s Just How Atheists Are. It isn’t. I hope some of you will mull over the idea that meanness rarely ever contributes anything useful to the world. Lots of people will be willing to consider your point of view if you can present it in a manner that allows them to feel comfortable talking to you. Even if neither of you winds up changing your minds, you can still come away from the conversation with the gift of a wider perspective.

So what I’ll actually conclude with is this: I don’t care what people do or don’t believe. I care how they behave. And you can always learn way more about a person from their behavior than from what gods they say they do or don't have faith in, or how well they understand the concept of those gods.

[shxwmaster]

          The golden one claims a vacant throne. The crown of light will bring only darkness.

                         .   .   .

This post is in regards to Greymane & Shaw dialogue for the prepatch!

—

I’ve been thinking a lot about Shaw re: his view of magic and the Light in particular. In the RPG, it’s often noted that the SI:7 and the Church clash, what with their views on opposing sides. 

Shaw to me reads as atheistic in a way ( which, when you think about it, is quite interesting, given that he’s living in a world where gods and magic actually exist ). When speaking to Wyrmbane, there’s just an edge of mockery and dismissiveness to his faith. There’s also no reason why someone like Shaw would have faith in anything — he’s cynical, and raised up by traditional means of warfare and combat ( faith is blind, the Light is unreliable, all magic has drawbacks; the only true god is the tried and true edge of a sharpened blade and the guarantee that it can kill ). He understands, acknowledges and respects the higher magics and powers that be, but never will he put faith in them or hinge his hopes and expectations on them. There is no grand savior, there is only the will to live and the never-ending cycle of doom.

Shaw is also deathly loyal to the throne. He’s known no other life after all — He was raised to serve the crown, to serve Stormwind. His loyalty to House Wrynn surpasses anything. The things he’d step on, the lines he’s willing to cross, the blood he’d spill... I cannot possibly stress just how dedicated he is to his job and to his kingdom. It is imperative that he’s able to protect them.

( It already wounds him so much that they’d failed Llane, that his failure at the Broken Shore cost them Varian, that now Anduin is kidnapped when he dares take a vacation — )

Now, Anduin’s gone, and Turalyon, oh holy man, this Lightforged paladin who’s fought a thousand years under the name of the Light, by will of a questionable Naaru, this man is put in charge of the throne. Of Stormwind of his kingdom.

A paladin of intense faith, who was sworn to Xe’ra. Turaylon, who is nowhere near royalty -----

This dialogue tells me everything I need.

Shaw, so very very respectfully tries to get Greymane, a king, to, you know, be a king — but Greymane is still adhering to Anduin’s decree, which is fine, of course. Turalyon, of course, has a thousand years under his belt and extensive knowledge and expertise in this field of military might, that’s fine of course, he can serve as Regent Lord but that’s not his throne to sit on ——

Oh, but, it’s okay. See, Anduin supports it, you should, of course, defer to your king’s orders, regardless if he’s here or not. Greymane, he’s cool with it too he’s got other things to do you know. And the House of Nobles, they’re cool with it too! They support it!!

Yeah, you know what else the House of Nobles supported? You know what else the House of Nobles has done? Have we forgotten so soon a time where Stormwind was corrupted at the very top, with Katrana manipulating the nobles and funds, how the absence of a king helped in what was simultaneously the worst breakup in history and the geopolitical destabilization of Stormwind?

How do we know Turalyon’s rule, this man of painfully intense faith in a Light that does not serve everyone, a man who hasn’t been on Azeroth for one thousand fucking years to understand even a shred of the current political climate, is one we can trust? How do we know this isn’t going to end so so horribly? What will happen next? Another Defias? Another split king? Another destruction of Stormwind? Another seizure of power? Another mass corruption? What’s going to happen? What will this do?

Yes, we knew Turalyon. Yes, we knew him, and to us he hasn’t been gone that that long but to him, again, I cannot stress this enough, gone for ONE THOUSAND YEARS, there’s no way he’d remember everything about Azeroth accurately. The truth, the hard and fast truth, is he is not fit to lead Stormwind. Greymane is their best bet.

Shaw, respectfully, quietly, does not agree with Turalyon as Regent Lord. Shaw’s loyalty is to the crown. To Stormwind. Turalyon, as far as Shaw’s concerned, is not Alliance anymore — should Turalyon at any given moment show even the slightest hint that he is no longer serving the interests of Stormwind, there is literally no reason Shaw would have to NOT take care of him.

I don’t know if Blizzard is going to really get into this and explore it, but I really really hope that this is a hint to a schism in the Alliance and the hint to an internal conflict in the Alliance cause MAN does it have great potential. I know that at least my interpretation of Shaw would definitely make an attempt to dethrone the dude and plunge Stormwind into a civil war if he was given reason to believe that was the best option to get him OUT, cut off this tumor of false hope and sickening faith — I just think there’s a lot to play with here.

Also, honestly, this comment on that video just says it all lmfao

[thebastardgreenlady]

Lmfao so because I’m the big dumb, we’ll make it a post instead 

In response to @fyrealchemage​​‘s ask (that I hecking screwed up xD)

I was doing Amaryllis and Mirthadra’sa (Bosmer), Cilorinwe and Aurelia (Altmer), Esmeray and Erebserethi (House Dunmer) and Mercia (Khajiit) and Sorrow (Imperial)

Not sure colour coding is worth it, since there’s gonna be alot of writing, also it’s gonna be long, so I’ll make a cut.

B. Opinions of their ‘Homeland’

Amaryllis is a strange one to ask such a question of; She is a Bosmer, so you’d expect some kind of story about love for the Green, but she was taken from Valenwood before she had even opened her eyes and raised in Summerset for most of her life, before being sent to Morrowind for the next half of it as it is now. She only went back to experience Valenwood when she wanted to learn more of it herself. All that said, she loves all of her Homelands, Summerset, Morrowind and Valenwood, equally, and is very proud to come from them, even if some of the residents don’t agree with her. 

Mirthadra'Sa is a pure bred Green Bosmer, and is very protective of Valenwood as such; He isn’t against outsiders, provided they respect the ways of the Wood Elves and don’t cause trouble. 

Cilorinwe is 50/50 with her old home Lillandril; Whilst she adores the Summering Isles, and all the beauty that comes with them, she has a very heavy distaste for the rampant classism, forced, almost cult-like religious grooming and racist ideologies that are forced upon Altmer from childhood well into adulthood within it. As she is now, she wanders where she pleases, and so long as those around her don’t try to cause her any trouble, she’s happy to be there.

Aurelia once adored Summerset, but she didn’t take to the ideologies that most other Altmer from the Isles do, very much akin to her Niece. And the wider that margin she made, the more distant her homeland became to her. She didn’t think outsiders were awful, she thought they had insightful things to teach, and the more she tried to change those around her, the harder the Summering Isles rejected her. When the Psijics removed her from Summerset, she was upset to leave, but she is all the happier living on Artaeum, where other Altmer share the same views as her and she isn’t shunned for it.

Esmeray is a very interesting Dunmer. Born into House Telvanni, in a tower that’s now long gone, she was raised in Morrowind, but never really in one place; the Telvanni Magister she worked beneath was travelling more than was regular for Telvanni, so she saw well outside of a tower than many others did. She likes Morrowind, but desires to see more of the world when she’s finally able to go about doing so by herself.

Erebserethi, being an Overseer of House Dres, is very rooted in traditional ways, but unlike his fellow Dres, doesn’t believe entirely that tradition will forever hold up a House name on it’s own. He takes pride in being a House Dunmer, and to come from what he claims to be “The very Heart of All of Morrowind” (it isn’t, he’s just a pompous ass about it) and will ramble on for hours about how Morrowind is a sacred land created only for The Worthy, which he is adamant isn’t only Dark Elves, even if his House Kin hate him for it.

Mercia thinks Elsweyr can be quite hot from time to time, having a thick coat of fur isn’t all that great when in hot places, but she likes the feeling of sand under her paws. She says it always smells sweet, and reminds her of fresh Sweetrolls. Being raised in Skyrim, she loves Skyrim more, she says she loves the soft crunch of snow under her feet, and watching her breath in the air in the early morning.

Sorrow doesn’t really have a homeland to have an opinion of anymore, as Peryite destroyed it when she was much younger. If you ask her of her opinion on Cyrodiil as a whole, she’ll tell you it is a war ravaged wasteland that she has no interest in, a place where old memories are left behind so new ones can be made elsewhere. As she is constantly travelling, she doesn’t really have a proper place to stay, but considering she spends most of her time in Apocrypha, I suppose that would count? She thinks Apocrypha is the most charming place, as her thirst for knowledge is endless and it provides to her every answer to every question she could conceive. She’s found an odd sort of safety and comfort in a place many would consider more dangerous than a war zone. C. Do the worship the Divines, Daedra or Tribunal? If so, why?

Amaryllis tends to be a bit fluid in her beliefs. She loves learning about how each different race defines their religion, deriving from similar points of history, and taking them on many different turns and changes to fit their own race and homeland, but she herself mostly pays tribute to the Tribunal, namely Vivec, because of his huge part in her life. She will give praise to Ayem and Seht occasionally, but most of her love and affection go to her Lord Vehk. She tends to give thanks to Hircine, on account of her Lycanthropy, from time to time as well.

Mirthadra’Sa gives praise to Y’ffre for all that he has, and his home of Valenwood, sometimes the other Divines. Despite the fact he’s a Vampire, he does not praise Molag Bal.

Cilorinwe gives her praise and worship to one Daedric Prince of Hedonism; Sanguine. She is, as such, his Champion and happily goes around wielding his Rose and drinking herself to the bottom of every barrel, cup, bottle or crate she can get her hands on. Despite the fact she is a Vampire, she does not praise Molag Bal; quite the contrary. She’s faced him once before and told him that if he wanted her to ‘praise him for his gifts to her’ he’d have to pry it from her cold dead body with his crusty ass claws. Suffice to say, she is no longer allowed to go to Cold Harbour.

Aurelia doesn’t really follow religion, so much as study them. She adores obscure and obsolete traditions or cultures, and desires nothing more than to learn everything she can about them.  

Esmeray is aware of higher powers, but she doesn’t follow any of them. She is of the belief that one is to be divine by one’s own making.

Erebserethi claims to be an atheist, but has taken upon himself to privately worship the Divines due to his.. Preferences.

Mercia loves Jone and Jode. That’s.. pretty much all she’s got going for her. She’s not very bright. 

Sorrow is a faithful Hermaeus Mora follower, and a very important one at that. They saved her life from Peryite, seeing in her something valuable, and have since continued to save her from an otherwise Mortal disease Peryite would otherwise claim her with. She owes everything she has to Mora, and she will forever praise them for the part they had in keeping her alive, even if their reasons were selfish.

[emblem-333]

What-If The Rock Never Came Back?

The WWE after the unfortunate retirement of superstar, and champion Edge, was a baron wasteland shallow on talent. Arguably, a worse roster than the first couple of years post-Hulk Hogan in the mid-1990’s. Where at least then creative was willing to take risks and search for new guys to be that top Babyface, WWE didn’t feel the need to do that and instead relied heavily on John Cena and Randy Orton, and called in favors whenever they felt it necessary.

Chris Jericho, Kevin Nash, Triple H, The Undertaker dragged out of retirement with mixed results. Though Jericho was successful, the company pushed their chips in the middle of the table for the pasty Irishmen Shaemus. A wrestler who makes Roman Reigns look awesome in comparison. To put it bluntly, Shaemus was disgusting.

This era seemed all too hapless. Alberto Del Rio, a decent heel, talented wrestler won the Royal Rumble and faced the champion Edge in the third match on the WrestleMania card. Before 2006, winning the rumble meant you would main event WrestleMania. But, like all things, corporate meddling ruins a perfectly good thing for no good reason. If Vince McMahon doesn’t believe Del Rio to be main event material, then put somebody else over at the event. Nobody overthinks and under-thinks likes the WWE.

If there’s one thing WWE did right it was how they told the three-year story of John Cena and his feud with returning superstar The Rock. Starting off at WrestleMania 27, Cena gunning for The Miz’ WWE Championship. Though creative did allow Rock to bury both Miz and Cena, it is an otherwise small blemish on a well told, large scale story.

Miz deserves credit for getting himself over. His name is stupid. He has a very punchable face. His brash, egotistical demeanor built him up to status of champion. His fame from the Reality TV show MTV’s The Real World: Back to New York shotgunned him to stardom. He started appearing on Jimmy Fallon’s show and for the first time in a while WWE had an organic star. Cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Randy Orton on a November 22nd episode of Raw after Orton defended against Wade Barrett.

Heading into ‘Mania, Miz was 133 days into what’ll end up as a 160 day title reign. Rock overseeing the festivities foreshadowed the larger tale in its beginning stages. The Miz retained twice that night. Once on a count-out, the other when Rock intervened and Rock Bottomed Cena from behind. The Miz left still the champion. But with Rock standing above his lifeless body after taking a devastating Spinebuster, followed by a People’s Elbow, the Miz’ push was effectively over as we transitioned wholly into the Rock-Cena feud.

Outside of The Miz, WWE didn’t really bulldoze anyone while building to their “Once in a lifetime” fantasy match. In fact, someone else rose to prominence during all of this. C.M Punk. The C.M stands for many things. Chick Magnet. Chicago Made. Punk dallied around in the second tier of WWE contending for the World Heavyweight Championship strap. Gaining wins over the likes of The Undertaker, Jeff and Matt Hardy, and Batista.

His intel gimmick was promoting his “Straight Edge” persona. Normally an Atheist, Punk portrayed himself as a cult leader absolving troublemakers of their sins. Wrapped around his fists is tape with big X’s on each hand. This is what club bouncers would do to underaged club attendants to notify bartenders not to drink. On his knuckles “Drug” and “Free” are tattooed. Punk lived this gimmick and cranked it up to 11.

Eventually, Punk’s gimmick ran out of steam and he was forced to go back to the drawing board. With his contract set to expire after 2011’s Money in the Bank, Punk was set to square up against champion Cena. In effort to juxtapose himself with the usually straight laced Cena, Punk decided to incorporate his real-life frustrations with WWE’s creative into a promo one night on Raw. Promising to take the belt with him out of the WWE showing no intentions of re-signing. Punk mentioned that Hulk Hogan, Rock, and Cena was good for was kissing Vince McMahon’s ass. He derided the fans for their superficiality. Harangued the McMahon Family for their stupidity. Punk wasn’t just an average run of the mill heel to be beaten. Punk portrayed himself as someone with a purpose.

How this was all packaged felt so unnatural fans actually believed Punk was leaving the WWE whether he won or lost. That even if he did win, he’d just leave as champion. With special guest referee Triple H watching, Punk defeated Cena (though Cena clearly had his foot on the ropes rendering the pin nullified, HHH didn’t see it) and absconded with the belt never to return...

He’d be back in eight days.

The new champion was fan favorite Rey Mysterio. A 5-foot, 6 inch Mexican luchador. His only main title was his brief reign as World Heavyweight Champion years ago. Just as fast Rey rose to the top he found himself in the mid card. Still, after defeating a lukewarm The Miz in a meh match the crowd become unglued. Their masked hero was given the push he deserved. Though it wasn’t on the grandest of stages it didn’t matter.

In less than an hour Cena would take the belt back from Rey.

One word: Bastards.

Why act like you’re giving the fans something they desperately wanted only to take it away so fast? Having Rey as champion meant nothing. He didn’t even hold it for a week.

Anyways, Cena is champion only to again fall to Punk at a match for Summerslam. Within minutes, Money in the Bank winner Del Rio would cash-in his briefcase and win the belt for himself. Del Rio was in the tournament Mysterio won for Punk’s vacant belt. He lost to Kofi Kingston in the first round. I understand why you can’t have a heel vs heel match for the championship, but of all the people to get one over on the conniving Punk why does it have to be the uninspiring Del Rio?

This was basically done to get Cena out of the title picture so he could let Rock go over at ‘Mania. Why does Rock need to win at ‘Mania you ask? Because we need a reason to do this again the next year. Why do we need to this same match again next year? Because fuck you.

Punk entered WrestleMania the champ, winning the strap back from Del Rio at Survivor Series. Punk would go on to hold the belt for 442. A returning Chris Jericho came in second in the Royal Rumble and earned himself a title shot, losing by submission. This was the highest profile win for Punk during his long reign.

Punk’s title reign came to an end at the hands of The Rock at the Royal Rumble to set up a rematch with Cena. While the first Cena-Rock match did gangbusters at the box office was well received critically, the second incarnation fell flat. We can’t really blame WWE for chasing the cash. That’s their prerogative as a corporation.

But say we lived in a perfect world? What-if Rock simply never came back?

Well, WrestleMania 27 goes down as perhaps the biggest disaster in the companies history since WrestleMania 9. That card was severely lacking in star power which is exactly why The Rock was needed to host. The top heel going into the event was a mysterious G.M who only made their presence known via email from a laptop next to the announce table.

WrestleMania 28, Cena likely goes into the PPV the challenger to face the champion Punk. Royal Rumble winner Shaemus (yuck) sadly beats World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan in 18 seconds.

The biggest loser is Jericho. Given absolutely nothing to do, despite being incredibly talented and superior to Shaemus. In our timeline, Jericho earned his title shot by winning a Ten Man Battle Royal on Raw. That definitely doesn’t happen. WWE was pushing Shaemus HARD. In my perfect world, Jericho and Bryan have a show higher up on the card with the young heel Bryan going over.

But, as we’ve previously established. The WWE run by a bunch of talentless, thoughtless bastards who wage constant war with the people they are supposed to try and get money from.

For my preferred scenario, Bryan going over even with the secondary belt probably placates his rapid fans for at least a few more years.

Cena likely goes over Punk clean as a whistle after losing (via shenanigans) twice before.

From simply making The Rock disappear we’ve cost the WWE millions, elevated Bryan, and destroyed Punk’s illustrious lengthy title reign.

The second year of this scenario, instead of a “Worst Year of Cena’s Life” shtick, perhaps we’re treated to his best year. He main events every PPV, successfully defends his title beating back various heels. Cena’s title reign is unspectacular outside of the walls of WWE.

Okay, on second thought... Punk retains. He retains versus Cena, Jericho, Kane, Ryback, Orton, simply runs through the roster. At the Royal Rumble with no Rock to push Punk down a peg he retains heading into WrestleMania 29. The only hurdle he hasn’t overcome is The Undertaker and his WrestleMania Streak of 20-0.

Does Punk end The Streak? Should he? Oh, hell no! Punk probably had one foot out the door by then for a multitude of understandable reasons. Regardless, the money in this universe is pitting Streak vs Streak.

Our good friend Daniel, his reign eventually ends, but he isn’t shuffled so far down the card so his epic, long-standing push culminating in his crowning achievement in WrestleMania 30 is pushed back a year or two. Maybe in WrestleMania 31 it’s Bryan in Seth Rollins place cashing in his MITB briefcase mid-match to steal the World Heavyweight Championship from under Brock Lesnar and Roman Reign’s noses.

[urfavmurtad]

hey i really like reading your posts even though i don't follow you or interact with your posts at all because i don't want any of my tumblr friends to know i'm not religious lol. my question is this, as someone who has also left islam and its bull shit behind: how did you arrive at atheism instead of another religion or general spirituality? what was the process of that? i still don't know what i believe, even though i know that i don't believe in islam.

Thank you anon, and huh! I don’t think anyone’s asked me that before. I dunno, it just kind of… happened, tbh. Like I feel no need to believe in any sort of higher power or deity, there’s nothing about theism in general that appeals to me. I’ve read a lot about other religions since I left Islam and I can certainly appreciate many things about them. But none of the actual theology grabs me. Not to sound like an edgelord, but I can’t convince myself that miracles from 3000 years ago were real events. They make nice stories and I’ll always enjoy reading the history behind them (and The Prince of Egypt had some fantastic animation), but there is a 0% chance of me believing these things actually happened. If a god wants me to believe in him, his ass can send someone who can make miracles now. There are zero convincing reasons that any miracle-based religion offers for why their god of choice can’t send someone to perform miracles in the age of, you know, cameras.

In addition to that, while Islam has its own unique awfulness related to a very wide range of topics, it shares some problems with a lot of other religions. I hate the whole concept of disbelievers being hellbound, I think it’s genuinely cruel and awful, and I would never follow any religion that advocated for similar ideas. There is no way to reconcile “merciful god who cares about humanity” and “god who sends kind people to hell if they refuse to worship him”. And combining that with the concept of an all-knowing god who knows who will go to heaven or hell before they’re even born is extra shitty. Muslims and members of similar faiths can justify it to themselves all they want, but it will always be fucked up to me. Anything based on something like “follow my rules or suffer eternally��� is a manipulative ideology imo.

As for a general belief in a higher power, my personal feeling is that any belief in a god who cares about humans at all does not make sense.

For example, say I make dua for passing a math test and then I get a good grade on it. A lady makes dua for her sick child and the child dies. I could attribute my success in passing the test to divine intervention (instead of the facts that I studied hard and the test wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be). But if that’s the case… why’d Allah answer my prayer while refusing to answer the mother’s? Why’d he care more about me getting an A- in calculus than a child living to see another day? There is no religion, as far as I’m concerned, that has a good answer for this. (Except for our wise polytheistic forefathers, who said “fate is cruel and inescapable death comes for all when we least expect it, LOL!”)

In Islam, we’re always told some variant of “stop asking questions” as the standard response to this issue. There’s always an implication that Allah knows better than you do, so there’s no way your puny human mind can comprehend why these things happen. That’s not satisfactory. If the mother of the deceased child is more pious than I am and a better person than I am and in a more serious situation than I am, but he still refuses to answer her pleas because they’re not part of The Plan, what’s even the value of prayer? It’s just a crapshoot as to whether your dua ends up in Allah’s spam folder or not because “Allah’s mind is unknowable” or “what is meant to happen will happen”.

To me, that just rules out the existence of a god who answers prayers (at least on any sort of logical basis). So I see no value in prayer tbh, or any value in doing anything to worship any higher power that might or might not exist, cuz the bitch clearly don’t care bout us. I’m just gonna live my life and not worry about it. Hopefully if she/he/it does exist, they are at least more chill than Allah’s needy, narcissistic ass.

The tragic “counterarguments” that religious people always make to points like this are all the same. “What if you’re wrong? Are you willing to bet your soul on it?” Yes, I am willing to “bet my soul” that Mr. Flying Donkey Man was a bullshitter, thanks. “But isn’t life meaningless if there’s no afterlife?” I would love to believe in a heaven where everyone lives on forever, even though I don’t believe in it. But no, the lack of an afterlife doesn’t make me feel like the life I’m living right now has any less meaning. “But how could all of this have come from nothing?!?!?!” I don’t know how the universe was created. We could all be living in a giant sim like that one shitty Star Ocean game. But I do know that the creation stories religious people believe in are myths, so they’ve got nothing to offer me.

I hope this doesn’t come across as like… atheist dawah, because I genuinely don’t mind or care if people have some vague spirituality or belief in a higher power. I’ve talked to people here who have left Islam for Judaism, Christianity, and even one who is now a follower of Bahai. In addition to several tumblr witches who do tarot readings and stuff. If any of that calms people and gives them a sense of peace, that’s great and y’all are valid, but it’s just not something I personally get anything out of. So… that’s where my mind is at anon. Take your time figuring your own mind out, there’s no need to rush something like this.