#deconversion

[seraphimfall]

there is an insane amount of antisemitism floating around right now.

i just want to say:

this blog loves and supports jewish people.

this blog does NOT conflate the israeli government, or the atrocities it commits, with jewish people.

this blog is disgusted with those who use or express antisemitism.

this blog knows that if someone needs to invoke antisemitism, they do not actually care about helping palestine or the palestinian people.

this blog will do its best to ensure that it remains a safe space for all.

#|| personal || #free palestine #free gaza #🇵🇸 #leftisbest #leftism #leftist politics #progressive politics #religious trauma #deconversion #deconstruction #losing my religion

[alienbycomics]

Content Warning: religion and transphobia⚠️

Happy Trans Day of Visibility 🏳️‍⚧️ I made a comic reflecting on my church upbringing as an eXvangelical trans person. The Jesus conservative Christians claim to represent looked lot more like many of the LGBTQ+ friends I know and love. Just some food for thought 💖

#cw religion #cw transphobes #trans artist #lgbtq comics #trans comic #transfem #queer comics #indie comics #trans comics #non binary artist #nonbinary #deconstructing christianity #deconstruction #deconversion #exvangelical #ex fundamentalist #trans day of visibility #easter

[dukeofankh]

I cannot express how jarring it was after being raised by a "Porn Addiction Coach" to get into a relationship with a woman and come face to face with the fact that she did actually want me to sexually desire her.

Like, in Evangelical Purity Culture, male desire was basically poison. It was a threat. It was this constant temptation that would destroy everything. And even after leaving, in the sort of queer, feminist spaces i spend most of my time in that wasn't something that pretty much anyone was spending time actively dissuading me from feeling.

But my desire is good. It's not something that I'm being accepted in spite of. It's a positive thing. It's a bonus. Not even just vanilla stuff, all the stuff I'd convinced myself were these weird terrible desires that were shameful to have.

It honestly took me over a decade to fully accept that. To stop dissociating during sex and confront that I was, in fact, being a massive perv and that was fantastic and preferable and that I could accept that into my self-image without shame or self hatred.

But it's important to do. It's important to leave relationships that don't welcome that part of you. To know that your sexuality is valuable and valid and worth owning and celebrating. Because the alternative is just...not being. Either existing as yourself and repressing the part of your identity that is sexual or allowing that sexuality to exist but turning off your self while it does.

#religious trauma #ex christian #deconversion #evangelical purity culture #purity culture #me writing stuff

[the-jesus-pill]

Teaching children thinking bad thoughts about someone is the same thing as murdering that person is fucked up. 

Thought crime doesn’t exist. No one has ever been harmed or killed by someone thinking negative thoughts about them. 

You know what has harmed people though? Teaching them they are evil for things they can’t control. Especially those who have intrusive thoughts. 

Here’s for everyone who has been taught their thoughts make them evil.

Intrusive thoughts are not your secret desires. 

They are involuntary. 

You don’t need to be ashamed of them. 

They will pass.

You are not committing taboo. 

No one can read your mind.

No one will ever know what’s in your thoughts unless you feel like telling them.

No one can judge you for what you are thinking, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.

Your thoughts are private

You are not a bad person.

#religious recovery #reminders #i was randomly reminded of being taught that thoughts are harmful in sunday school #intrusive thoughts #ex religious #deconstruction #exvangelical #apostate #deconverted #deconversion #exmo #exjw #exmormon #ex fundie #thought crime

[hulahoopsoupgroup]

the seven deadly sins are such bullshit fear tactics. if youve left the church, embrace them.

be proud of who you are. be happy when you look in the mirror and see how hot you are. yeah i see you flexing in the mirror after a workout. nice progress btw honey you look nice today.

dont worry about getting seconds, or thirds even, at dinner. dont worry about eating what society says is "too much" or "too little". eat until youre full. set aside what you cant finish for later so you dont waste food.

its okay to be greedy. its okay to want things for yourself. sometimes we see things that people have and we're like "dude i wish i had that." thats just human. envy and greed on that level are normal.

take a rest day. dont bother going to church this sunday. take a shower, read a book, drink some tea, eat some good food, pet a cat or dog. take care of yourself; its not lazy.

be angry with those who wronged you. punch a punching bag, write about how much you hate them, go work out aggressively and take care of your emotions in a way that doesnt hurt yourself or others. its okay to not forgive the people who hurt you. you arent doing anything wrong, babe.

embrace your sexuality (or, if it applies, asexuality, cause yall need love too). stop feeling shame for wanting pleasure. go read or watch something that turns you on. explore your body. ask your partner to try something new. if youre asexual, then fucking step on the people who say you need to have sexual attraction to be human. you dont. you dont need to be allosexual (or alloromantic) to "qualify as a human." we all experience life in different ways. find your way to experience it.

thought crime isnt real

do no harm but take no shit

#deconversion #deconstruction #exvangelical #ex fundamentalist #atheist #ex christian #ex religious #lgbtq #queer #lgbt #lgbtqia #deconstructing christianity #deconstructing religion #affirmations #ex fundie #ex catholic #self care #mental health #seven deadly sins #not the anime tho

[apostateoverrubies]

It's funny how certain religious people act like accepting LGBTQ rights will lead to paedophilia being normalized when they've already let that shit slide for centuries.

Then again, what else do you expect from people who value religion over the rights of children?

Don't let them trick you into thinking they care.

#ex religious #ex christian #ex religion #religious trauma #religious deconstruction #deconstructing christianity #ex pentecostal #deconversion #apostate #ex fundie #ex muslim #exvangelical #ex evangelical #christian fundamentalism #ex fundamentalist #ex mormon #ex catholic #ex jehovah's witness #ex jw #agnostic #ex upci #lgbt #lgbtq

[apostate-in-an-alcove]

The Christian audacity to assume that every non-Christian, especially non-believers, are secretly miserable and unfulfilled because they're not Christian is definitely in one of the top ten insulting and degrading things Christians believe about other human beings.

#ex catholic #ex christian #deconversion #apostate #besides the homophobia misogyny and general bigotry baked into the religion of course #christianity fucking sucks ass

[metro-north-official]

I was there to give Judas a high five when he betrayed jesus. Then I did a sick ass kickflip with the cross

#ex catholic #ex christian #ex cult #apostate #apostasy #deconvert #deconversion

[hadesoftheladies]

being an exvangelical or deconvert is such a trip because you view your deconversion as an escape from death and horrific abuse, as survival, and your community and loved ones view it as your actual death sentence, as your leap into destruction

but after a struggle with losing so much of your identity, coping mechanisms and community, you really start to thrive. and you want to wish that freedom for the people you left behind, but you also know it’s like asking them to peel their skin off. it’s a journey only they can choose to take and begin. there’s no BIG MOMENT where you tell them something and it all comes crashing down. it’s too ingrained in their cognitive systems.

and that, even in its tragedy, makes you even more relieved, even more in awe, of the fact that you escaped when in your mind at that time, you had more to lose than to gain, but you chose to seek out the truth and do the right thing anyway

you could have so easily built bigger and stronger walls around your comforting delusions, but you opted for your own temporary self-destruction in order to grow

and I think that’s beautiful

#deconversion #exvangelical #christianity #apostate #religion #religious trauma

[goose-onthe-loose]

I think we all need to stop for a second and appreciate how incredibly exhilarating it is to leave a high-demand religion. Not to romanticize the experience-- I know first-hand how much fear, pain, loss, and exhaustion it entails-- but there comes a point when you emerge from the woods, stumbling past the treeline, and find yourself looking up in awe at the bright, blazing sun.

Have you ever felt this warmth before? Or been surrounded by so much open space?

#otd #ex jew #offthederech #exmormon #atheist #ex christian #ex jw #ex muslim #exvangelical #ex fundie #ex fundamentalist #ex catholic #ex religious #religious trauma #deconversion

[seraphimfall]

i’ve read so much tradcath bullshit the last two years. i can confidently say tradcath men fit into one of two categories:

“protestant-raised and converted to catholicism because of his crippling porn addiction and racist tendencies. reposts crusader and conquistador memes. is hated in his local parish.” tradcath

“catholic-raised band kid who ate his lunches with the religion teacher. smells like mildew. cut off all his friends that came out as gay after high school. now larps as an aquinian scholar and cries after jerking off.” tradcath

#|| the disciple || #ex catholic #ex christian #religious trauma #exvangelical #deconversion #apostate #apostasy #ex fundie #extian #deconstructing christianity #ex religious #ex cult #ex cath #religious deconstruction #deconstruction #catholic guilt #progressive politics #leaving the church #losing my religion

[whats-a-human]

Advice on deconverting:

The anger is REAL. If you aren't pissed off already, then you'll probably be eventually with the shit they taught you/what happened to you. And you're ALLOWED to feel that way, but PLEASE PRIORITIZE YOUR SAFETY. Try not to get into arguments. The anger will dimish with time, especially if you focus on good, healing things. Don't downplay or run away from your anger, but shift your focus from bad people to yourself and your allies.

THE FEAR IS ALSO REAL. It's a normal reaction to show up during confrontations and sermons, so notice it but don't let it control your decisions. Especially when you go through a difficult situation... going back to god may be tempting, but eventually you'll never even remember him during hard times lol

BUILD A SAFETY NET!!! Irl friends, online spaces, everything you can find to help you!!!

You'll have to learn to leave so many things and people behind. It hurts, but I promise it'll get better beyond the wall. And refrain from "saving" others: they'll never deconvert against their will.

Even if you still believe in the supernatural, give it a break and learn to accept a non-magical reality. I'm not saying you should be an atheist but it's so important to be at peace with the idea of permanent death, human-made morality, an indifferent universe and such. These ideas were extremely liberating for me, but I know they're worrisome for some. You gotta build your new worldview based on objectivity first

So, it's so important not to overwhelm yourself. Your journey is like a tower, built one brick at a time.

Knowledge is your friend, and especially the same type you may have avoided before. I'm talking of evolution, debunking theist arguments, the history of christianity, other religions, demonology, etc. I like the YT channels of Genetically Modified Skeptic, Forrest Valkai, Professor Dave Explains, Religion for Breakfast, Esoterica, and Aron Ra's series on Noah's Ark. Aaand you'll find more good ones along the way!

Healing from religious trauma is like any other kind of trauma: lots of ups and downs, you may relapse, have breakdowns, and you're bound to make mistakes too. In my case, I was already pretty far in my recovery from mental illnesses before deconverting, and so I employed tactics like the safety net in this situation and although I made mistakes too, I mostly felt at ease. I also recognized and dealt with religious trauma still inside the religion, but I only notice now that I could only FULLY heal from its effects outside the church.

Wish you the best

#ex fundamentalist #ex evangelical #ex fundie #ex christian #exvangelical #exvie #ex catholic #this has been sitting in my drafts #deconversion

[wisteria-grows-here]

In light of the new announcements made by the Governing Body, I wanted to share a few reminders. If these changes bring anyone hope for a better future within the religion, I am not trying to take that from you. I believe we are all allowed to be happy.

Women are now allowed to wear pants to meetings - But we are still not allowed to divorce abusive spouses. We are forbidden from having any position of authority within the congregation. We are still considered the "weaker sex" who must submit to their husband's. There is still the pressure to have sex with one's husband because it is a "marital duty."

Witnesses are now allowed to speak to disfellowshipped individuals - But only to try and convert them back. Not to reconnect with old friends or to even ask them how they are doing after losing everything. Witnesses still cannot talk to us as people, but only through the means of conversion.

Men can grow beards - but still lack basic autonomy over their bodies. Still no tattoos or piercings. Still no "flamboyant" attire that might label them as homosexual.

All in all, I see these changes as new manipulation tactics. As a way for the organization to say, look how progressive we are being! Look how welcoming and supportive we are! They are trying to deflect from the long list of constraints against the members. Trying to hide the irreversible pain and trauma that is still inflicted upon disfellowshipped individuals. These changes are breadcrumbs. They do nothing to reverse the institutionalized horrors of Jehovah's Witnesses

For anyone reading this: may you go in peace and happiness 🩷🩷

#ex jehovah's witness #ex jw #ex jehovahs witness #cult survivor #pimo #exmormon #jehovahswitnesses #exmo #exjwsupport #exjw.org #exjw support #exjw #deconversion #indoctrination

[the-jesus-pill]

You’ve got to forgive yourself for being traumatized and needing to learn how to function again. 

Recovery isn’t always nightmares and depression, it’s forgetting to eat, being scared of what others might see as completely normal things, it’s getting random panic attacks, not knowing how to take care of yourself, not knowing how to live like an adult, even if you’re twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, of feeling like you’re failing to function in a world where everyone seems to have their shit together. 

If you need help, ask for it. Go to forums and ask for advice. Take advantage of community resources. Buy pre-sliced veggies and fruits, eat instant meals if you can’t cook for yourself today. Hire someone. Ask a neighbor for a favor. Buy any item you think might make life easier, even if you feel like you aren’t ‘disabled’ enough to have it. 

Some of the depression posts (ie open your windows, take a shower, go outside, call a friend) are really helpful but they’re not always enough. I’ve found advice for spoonies, people with chronic pain or other disabilities have the best tips because they know what it’s like to be bedridden, out of energy, stuck in a brain fog. 

You may never return back to the energy you had when you were younger and you might always need to use crutches to help you through life. It’s the same with medication. 

Trauma is a real thing that happens to you, it physically alters your brain and it’s alright to have lasting scars. 

You’re not broken, your life is not over and you can still be happy. 

It’s not your fault.

#felix speaks #trauma #recovery #deconversion #ex cult #ex religious #ptsd #cptsd #healing #disabled #actually traumatized #spoonies #things i need to remind myself with too #it sucks to have to come to terms with the fact #but youll be so much better off once you stop denying yourself the help you need #also re: buying items meant for the disabled #do it! #you are not taking resources away #if you need it you need it #and the more in demand these items are the better theyll be made in the future

[hulahoopsoupgroup]

christians are so weird about intersex people. ive heard some of them say that intersex people shouldnt be allowed to date, marry, or have sex because it could be considered gay (which like wtf?)

and that their mere existence is the result of sin, and in a perfect world, they wouldnt exist. imagine being told that you exist because of sin, and that youre just a mistake that shouldnt exist. according to them, god doesnt make mistakes (except just making a ton of intersex people. oops)

its just so weird to me. every time ive asked my family their opinions about the topic, they just reply "thats a tiny percent of the population. they dont matter"

and thats just disgusting to me. i thought god "fearfully and wonderfully made" everybody? i thought god didnt make mistakes? i thought god wouldnt want us to shun his creation like they dont exist?

#intersex #lgbtq #queer #exvangelical #ex fundamentalist #atheist #deconversion #ex christian #ex religious

[apostateoverrubies]

Children don't need religion to develop good morals. I'd argue that certain religions get in the way of that because they encourage you to do things because a deity approves and it will lead to you having a good afterlife or whatever. And I don't know about you but I find that to be self-serving.

Not to mention, the fact that religion can advocate for immoral things.

Let's just teach children to be good just because.

#ex religious #ex christian #ex religion #religious trauma #religious deconstruction #ex pentecostal #deconstructing christianity #ex fundie #ex muslim #deconversion #agnostic #ex catholic #ex fundamentalist #ex jehovah's witness #ex jw #ex jew #ex mormon #ex evangelical #exvangelical #ex hindu