#imagine thinking about yourself so highly you make yourself a religion

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

(I’m popping a extra disclaimer here because I don’t know if I worded this very well, and I understand if this isnt the kind if question you feel comfortable answering, but this is a genuine question made in good faith. I also apologise if this sounds really stupid)

I read one of your recent asks about inclusivism and it reminded me of something that always sat in the back of my mind with this train of thought.

If we say that everyone regardless of religion, or absence of it, gets into heaven, doesn’t that seem disrespectful to their faith. By saying that people of other religions get into christian heaven, is that not inadvertently telling them that their religion or their gods are fake, and that when they die it’ll be okay because they’ll learn the real truth? I hope this doesn’t come across as blunt or disrespectful to anyone, I’ve just never be able to come to a conclusion that isn’t exclusive (which is kind of a depressing thought), but is also respectful. Because it’s a beautiful idea that god loves us all regardless of who we are or what we believe, but what about people who have the kind of faith we do in a completely different god, or multiple gods, do they have the same thoughts about us? that their god loves us even though we dont believe?

I feel like I’m asking questions I’m not supposed to but I’m just really curious about your perspective if this is something you’re comfortable answering.

Hey anon, this is an important question, so thanks for asking it! You don't sound "stupid"; you're thinking like a theologian :) I'm probably not going to do it justice, I'm afraid, but maybe folks will hop on with more ideas or resources?

This got really long, so the TL;DR: I agree with you, and so do a lot of theologians and other thinkers!

In a religiously diverse world, it makes sense that people of various religions ponder where people outside their religions "fit" in their understanding of both the present world and whatever form of afterlife they have.

If someone has a firm personal belief in certain things taking place after death (from heaven to reincarnation), I don't think it's inherently wrong to imagine all kinds of people joining them in that experience, when it points to how that person recognizes the inherent holiness and value of all kinds of people, and shows that they long for continued community with & flourishing for those people.

However, this contemplation should be done with great care — especially when your religion is the dominant one in your culture; especially if your religion has a long history (and/or present) of colonialism and coerced conversions.

Ultimately, humility and openness are key! It's fine to have your own beliefs about humanity's place in this life and after death, but make yourself mindful of your own limited perspective. Accept you might be wrong in part or in whole! And be open to learning from others' ideas, and truly listening to them if they say something in your ideas has caused them or their community tangible harm.

In the rest of this post, I'll focus on a Christian perspective and keep grappling with how to consider these questions while honoring both one's personal faith and people all religions...without coming to any solid conclusions (sorry, but I don't think there's any one-size-fits-all or fully satisfying answer!).

I'll talk a bit about inclusivism and how it fails pretty miserably in this regard, and point towards religious pluralism as a possibly better (tho still imperfect) option.

And as usual I'll say I highly recommend Barbara Brown Taylor's book Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others to any Christians / cultural Christians who want to learn more about entering into mutual relationship with people of other religions.

In previous posts, I brought up the concepts of exclusivism, inclusivism, and religious pluralism without digging into their academic definitions and histories — partially because it's A Lot for a tumblr post, but also because it's by no means in my sphere of expertise. I worried about misrepresenting any viewpoint if I tried to get all academic, so I just stuck to my own personal opinions instead — but looking back at some posts, I see I didn't do a great job of clarifying that's what I was doing!

So now I'll go into what scholars mean when talking about these different viewpoints, with a huge caveat that I'm not an expert; I'm just drawing from notes and foggy memories from old seminary classes + this article from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP), and anyone interested in learning more should find scholarly articles or books rather than relying on some guy on tumblr!

Defining exclusivism, inclusivism, & religious pluralism

When we encounter traditions that offer differing and often conflicting "accounts of the nature of both mundane and supramundane reality, of the ultimate ends of human beings, and of the ways to achieve those ends" (IEP), how do we respond? Do we focus on difference and reject any truth in their views that conflicts with our views? Do we avoid looking too closely at the places we differ? try to find common ground? try to make their views fit ours?

Exclusivism, inclusivism, and religious pluralism are three categories into which we can place various responses to the reality of religious diversity.

It's important to note that this is only one categorization system one can use, and that these categories were developed within a Western, Christian context (by a guy named Alan Race in 1983). They are meant to be usable by persons of any religion — all sorts of people ask these questions about how their beliefs relate to others' beliefs — but largely do skew towards a Western, Christian way of understanding religion. (For one thing, there's a strong focus on salvation / afterlife and not all religions emphasize that stuff very much, if at all!)

Drawing primarily from this article on the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP), here are basic definitions of each:

Exclusivist positions maintain that "only one set of belief claims or practices can ultimately be true or correct (in most cases, those of the one holding the position). A Christian exclusivist would therefore hold that the beliefs of non-Christians (and perhaps even Christians of other denominations) are in some way flawed, if not wholly false..." . (From my old class notes — Exclusivist Christians believe 3 things are non-negotiable: the unique authority of Jesus Christ as the apex of revelation; Jesus as normative; salvation exclusively through repentance and faith in Christ's work on the cross. Some will allow that God does provide some truths about Godself and humanity through general revelation, including truths found in other religious traditions, but the Biggest most Important revelation is still Jesus.) .

Inclusivist positions "recognize the possibility that more than one religious tradition can contain elements that are true or efficacious, while at the same time hold that only one tradition expresses ultimate religious truth most completely." . Christian inclusivists tend to focus on salvation, claiming that non-Christians can still achieve salvation — still through Jesus Christ. Sometimes they hold that any non-Christian whose life happens to fit Jesus's call to love God and neighbor, etc., will be saved. Other times they hold that only non-Christians who never had the chance to learn about Jesus can be saved; if you know about Christianity and reject it, it doesn't matter how "good"you are, you're doomed. .

Pluralist positions hold that "more than one set of beliefs or practices can be, at least partially and perhaps wholly, true or correct simultaneously." For Christian pluralists, that means believing that Jesus is not the one Way to God / to heaven/salvation; Christianity is one way of many, usually conceived of as all being on equal footing, to connect to the Divine. .

(These three categories are not all encompassing; the IEP article also brings up relativism and skepticism.)

Issues with Exclusivism & Inclusivism

I hope the issues with exclusivism are clear, but to name a few:

Christians who are taught that all non-Christians (or even the "wrong kind" of Christians) are doomed to hell are taught to see those people as Projects more than people — there's a perceived urgent need to convert them asap in order to "save them." The only kind of relationship you'd form with one of them is centered in efforts to convert them, rather than to live and learn alongside them as they are.

Doesn't matter if they are already happily committed to a different religion. In your eyes, they're wrong about feeling fulfilled and connected to the Divine.

Doesn't matter if you have to resort to violent and coercive practices like wiping out all signs of non-Christian culture or kidnapping non-Christian children to raise Christian — the ends justify the means because you're looking out for their "immortal souls."

...But what about inclusivism? If you're a Christian inclusivist, you aren't forcing anyone to convert to Christianity right now! You acknowledge that non-Christians can live holy and fulfilling lives! You even acknowledge that there's scraps of value in their valid-but-not-as-valid-as-Christianity religions! So what's the problem?

Turns out that this is a major case of one's good intentions not being nearly as important as one's impact.

You may be pushing back against exclusivism's outright refusal that non-Christians have any connection to the divine at all, which is nice and all — but by saying that non-Christians will basically become Christian after they die, you are still perpetuating our long history of coercive conversions.

There's a reason some scholars argue that inclusivism isn't actually a separate category from, but a sub-category of, exclusivism: you're still saying everyone has to be Christian, "so luckily you'll See The Light and become Christian after you die :)"

This is very reasonably offensive to many non-Christians. If nothing else, it's ludicrously smug and paternalistic! I won't get into it here but it only gets worse when some inclusivist positions try to get all Darwinian and start arranging religions from lower to higher, with Christianity as the "evolutionary" apex of religion ://

For now, I'll only go into detail about Catholic Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner's particular version of inclusivism, because it's quite common and really highlights the paternalism:

Rahner's Anonymous Christians:

A question that Catholics and other Christians struggled with in the 20th century was this: If non-Christians cannot be saved (because they held firm in believing that salvation must be in and through Christ), what happens if someone never even had the chance to learn about Christianity? Surely a loving God wouldn't write them an automatic ticket to hell when they're non-Christian through no fault of their own, right?

German Jesuit Karl Rahner's response was to conceive of a sort of abstract version of Christianity for non-Christians who lived good, faithful lives outside of official (what he called "constituted") Christianity:

"Anonymous Christianity means that a person lives in the grace of God and attains salvation outside of explicitly constituted Christianity. ...Let us say, a Buddhist monk…who, because he follows his conscience, attains salvation and lives in the grace of God; of him I must say that he is an anonymous Christian; if not, I would have to presuppose that there is a genuine path to salvation that really attains that goal, but that simply has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. But I cannot do that. And so, if I hold if everyone depends upon Jesus Christ for salvation, and if at the same time I hold that many live in the world who have not expressly recognized Jesus Christ, then there remains in my opinion nothing else but to take up this postulate of an anonymous Christianity." - Karl Rahner in Dialogue (1986), p. 135.

So someone who has intentionally devoted themselves to another religion, someone who does good work in that religion's name, is...secretly, unbeknownst to them, actually Christian?

I hope the offensiveness of that is clear — the condescension in implying these people are ignorant of what religion they "really" belong to! the assumption that Good deeds & virtues are always inherently Christian deeds & virtues! the arrogance of being so sure your own religion is The One Right Way that you have to construct a "back door" (as Hans Küng describes it) into it to shove in all these poor people who for whatever reason can't or don't choose to join it!

One theologian who criticized the paternalism of "anonymous Christianity" is John Hick, who was one of the big advocates for religious pluralism as a more respectful way of understanding non-Christian religions. So let's finally talk some more about pluralism!

Religious Pluralism!

As defined earlier, religious pluralist positions hold that there are many paths to the divine, and that all religions have access to some truths about the divine.

For Christians, this means rejecting those 3 non-negotiables of exclusionists about Christianity being the one true religion and Jesus being the one path to salvation. Instead of claiming that Christianity is the "most advanced" religion, pluralism claims that Christianity is just one religion among many, with no unique claim on the truth.

Some other pluralist points:

Pluralism resists antisemitic claims that Christianity is the "fulfillment" of (or that it "supercedes") Judaism.

Various religions provide independent access to salvation rather than everyone's salvation relying on Christ. (Note the still very Christian-skewed lens here in emphasizing salvation at all though!)

When we notice how different religions' truth claims conflict with one another, pluralists reconcile this by talking about how one's experience of truth is subjective.

Pluralism tends to give more authority to human experience than sacred texts

John Hicks' pluralist position

I mentioned before that Hicks is one of the big names in the religious pluralism scene. The IEP article I drew from earlier goes into much greater detail about his views and responses to it in the section titled "c. John Hick: the Pluralistic Hypothesis," but for a brief overview:

His central claim is that "diverse religious traditions have emerged as various finite, historical responses to a single transcendent, ultimate, divine reality. The diversity of traditions (and the belief claims they contain) is a product of the diversity of religious experiences among individuals and groups throughout history, and the various interpretations given to these experiences."

"As for the content of particular belief claims, Hick understands the personal deities of those traditions that posit them...as personae of the Real, explicitly invoking the connotation of a theatrical mask in the Latin word persona."

"Hick claims that all religious understandings of the Real are on equal footing insofar as they can only offer limited, phenomenal representations of transcendent truth."

We must accept that world religions are fundamentally different from each other, rather than falling into platitudes about how "we're all the same deep down"

Each religion has its own particular and comprehensive framework for understanding the world and human experience (i.e. we shouldn't use the normative Christian framework to describe other faiths)

Another angle: hospitality

As various philosophers and theologians have responded to and expanded upon pluralist frameworks, one big concept that some emphasize is hospitality: that all of us regardless of religion have an obligation to welcome others to all that is ours, if and when they have need of it — especially when they are of different cultures or religions from us.

Hospitality requires respect for those under our care, honoring and protecting their differences.

When we are the ones in need of hospitality, we should be able to expect the same.

Hospitality implies being able to anticipate our guest's needs, but we need to accept the impossibility of being able to guess every need, so communication is key!

Liberation theology & Pluralism

I also appreciate what liberation theologians have brought into the discussion. Here's from the IEP article:

"Liberation theology, which advocates a religious duty to aid those who are poor or suffering other forms of inequality and oppression, has had a significant influence on recent discussions of pluralism. The struggle against oppression can be seen as providing an enterprise in which members of diverse religious traditions can come together in solidarity.

"Paul F. Knitter, whose work serves as a prominent theological synthesis of liberation and pluralist perspectives, argues that engaging in interreligious dialogue is part and parcel of the ethical responsibility at the heart of liberation theology. He maintains not only that any liberation theology ought to be pluralistic, but also that any adequate theory of religious pluralism ought to include an ethical dimension oriented toward the goal of resisting injustice and oppression.

"Knitter claims that, if members of diverse religions are interested (as they should be) in encountering each other in dialogue and resolving their conflicts, this can only be done on the basis of some common ground. ..."

Knitter sees suffering as that common ground: "Suffering provides a common cause with which diverse religious traditions are concerned and towards which they can come together to craft a common agenda. Particular instances of suffering will, of course, differ from each other in their causes and effects; likewise, the practical details of work to alleviate suffering will almost necessarily be fleshed out differently by different religions, at different times and in different places. Nevertheless, Knitter maintains that suffering itself is a cross-cultural and universal phenomenon and should thus serve as the reference point for a practical religious pluralism. Confronting suffering will naturally give rise to solidarity, and pluralist respect and understanding can emerge from there."

Knitter also sees the planet as a source of literal common ground for us all: "Earth not only serves as a common physical location for all religious traditions, but it also provides these traditions with what Knitter calls a 'common cosmological story' (1995, p. 119). ...Knitter makes a case that different religious traditions share an ecological responsibility and that awareness of this shared responsibility, as it continues to emerge, can also serve as a basis for mutual understanding."

When Knitter and other liberation theologians speak of suffering or earth care as rallying points for interreligious solidarity, it's important to point out that such solidarity doesn't happen automatically: it is something we have to choose to commit to. We have to be courageous about challenging those who would pin suffering on another religious or cultural group. We have to be courageous about having difficult conversations, again and again. We have to learn how to work together for common goals even while accepting where we differ.

How to end this long ass post?

My hope is that as you read (or skimmed) all this, you were thinking about your own personal beliefs: where, if anywhere, do they fit among all these ideas? where would you like them to fit?

And, in the end, did I really address anon's question about whether it's disrespectful to people of other religions to assert that everyone is loved by God, or gets into heaven? Not really, because I don't know. I think it probably depends on context, and how one puts it, and how certain one acts about their ideas about God and heaven.

For me, it always comes down to humility about my own limited perspective, even while asserting that we all have a right to our personal beliefs, including ideas about what comes after this life.

When I imagine all human beings together in whatever comes next, I hope I do so not out of a desire for assimilation into my religion, but a desire to continue to learn from and alongside all kinds of people and beliefs. I hope I remain open to learning about how other people envision both what comes after death, and more importantly, what they think about life here and now. What can I learn from them about truth, kindness, justice? How can we work together to achieve those things for all creation, despite and in and through our differences?

I'll end with Eboo Patel's description of religious pluralism, which sums up much of how I feel, from his memoir Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim:

"Religious pluralism is neither mere coexistence nor forced consensus. It is a form of proactive cooperation that affirms the identities of the constituent communities while emphasizing that the wellbeing of each and all depends on the health of the whole. It is the belief that the common good is best served when each community has a chance to make its unique contribution."

___

Further resources:

Explore my #religious pluralism tag for more thoughts and quotes

You might also enjoy wandering through my #interfaith tag

Two podcast episodes that draw from Eboo Patel, Barbara Brown Taylor, and other wonderful people: "No One Owns God: Readying yourself for respectful interfaith encounters" and "It's good to have wings, but you have to have roots too: Cultivating your own faith while embracing religious pluralism"

My tag with excerpts from Holy Envy

Post that includes links to various questions about heaven

Here’s a post where I talk about why I don’t believe in hell

My evangelism tag (tl;dr: I’m staunchly against prosletyzing to anyone who doesn’t explicitly request more info about Christianity)

#feel free only to read the tldr anon -- the rest goes way beyond your actual question! #exclusivism #inclusivism #religious pluralism #long post #essays #theology #other faiths tag

[alpaca-clouds]

Do animals have religion?

A thing about working with animals is, that there are often two extremes. There are the people who humanize animals too much, imagining them to have all those complex thoughts. And there are the people who will go: "Do not humanize animals at all. They are not people."

And I kinda think both are wrong. I still remember that back when I was still being raised religious I got into a long winded discussion with a monk (my catholic school was once a monastery, with some monks still living there) about whether or not animals have souls. Something the monk vehemently denied, while I was like: "Humans are not that much more intelligent than whales or elephants. They have complex feelings, hence they have to have souls. We can argue whether all animals have souls, but a lot of them do."

But there is of course the other side to it. The biological and animal behavior side. And yes, there are at times people who will see animals as biological machines, who are like programmed to do this instinctual behavior. And those people I also will shake my head about. Because even if you own pets, you will know that they have different characters. They are individuals. Hence they are not "machines".

A question that animal behaviorists and also theologians and religious scientists argue about, though, is whether or not some animals have religion. Now, please note, it is not an argument about whether ALL animals have religion. But some. Mostly the discussion is about some apes, elephants and some whale species. Some scientist argue that corvidae might also have something along the lines. Because either have been found to show behavior mourning their dead, in some cases also doing funeral rites, and other ritualistic behavior, that does not make sense from an instinctual level as it does not further survival.

Of course we now run into the problem that we just cannot talk with the animals. While there are some underfunded studies going on trying to decipher the language of dolphins and elephants - going so far that we have figured out a couple of "words" in their languages - we so far are unable to have philosophical talks with them. So, most we can do is watch their behavior and come to conclusions from that.

As such we know at least that bush elefants engage in ritualistic behavior that are apparently linked to phases of the moon. Which is why some scientists wonder whether or not elefants pray to a moon god(ess).

Now, of course we cannot know whether one or the other is true, as long as we do not understand them. But I do think it is a mistake to just assume that they cannot have that. We humans are only animals after all. Just a kind of animal that is capable of complex thought. But there is no reason to assume that certain other animals who are highly intelligent are not able of complex thought. And with that might be able to question their place in this world and how they got here.

We do know, that some of these animal species are able to communicate complex ideas with each other. We see that with the orca behavior for example. We have seen it in elephant behavior, too. Or with covidae. Heck, yes. We have also seen it in sharks, a species where we know still super little of how they actually communicate with each other.

So, is it really so out of the question to think that they might communicate about things like that?

And one quick aside: I still hate those experiments about whether animals having a sense of self by sticking a dot onto them and putting them in front of a mirror. I mean, like, you do not need to be able to recognize yourself in a fucking mirror to have a sense of self. Not the least because not all animals are so heavily focused on their sense of sight as ablebodied humans tend to be. You do not proof that an animal has a sense of self. You proof that it has visual self-recognition and understands what a fucking mirror is.

#animals #religion #religious ideas #do animals have religion? #animal behavior #animal language

[nonobadcat]

YANDERE ALL FOR ONE X FEMALE READER

Rating: While this excerpt is safe for everyone, the story itself is 18+

Entire Story TW: Noncon/DubCon, gore (non-reader directed), numerous kinks. Highly mentally and sexually abusive relationship. This story is absolutely not for minors and readers should consult the warnings/tags at the top before reading.

This chapter’s TW: Angst, Violence (non-reader directed), imagined character death

Read the entire story at: Archive of Our Own

Chapter 58 Excerpt:

You stomped your feet with a frustrated whine. “Why is everything I do so useless !?”

Yoichi took your hand in his and loosed a sardonic chuckle. “Talking to you is like hearing myself.”

“At least you stood up to your brother!” you snapped.

A curtain of white hair covered the young man’s face as he muttered. “No, I got locked in a vault for trying to stand up to him.”

You blinked. “Locked in a what ?!”

With a click of his tongue, Yoichi forced a grin and pointed up the trail. “So… the sun might be setting soon and it would be best that we find a flat spot to camp before then. We should really keep moving if you’re able, okay?”

“Did you say vault ?! As in a literal vault ?!”

Your companion’s eyes rolled to the ground as a sweat broke on his brow. His silence summoned forth a low ringing in your ears that crescendoed into warning bells screeching in your brain. 

“You…” You turned to face the young man. One shaking finger pointed at your own nose. “Y-you don’t think he’d…”

Green eyes refused to meet yours as he scratched the back of his head.

The sound of your shriek sent a nearby flock of crows careening into the sky.

Once you recovered from Yoichi’s terrifying reveal, he managed to coax you deeper into the hills. Each footfall fell heavier than the last as you trailed behind your over-attentive hero. Plodding progress was hard to make as what little light there was slipped behind the canopy of evergreens. Since your outburst, Yoichi had peppered you with questions and conversation that seemed more anxious than analytical. One word replies and half-hearted nods were all you could manage between the rapid fire intrusive thoughts taking potshots at your brain.

A vault.

An actual vault.

Not only could you believe it, but, without reservation or hesitation, you did believe it. The moment the bitter words slipped out of Yoichi’s mouth, they rang truer than your husband’s interest in Abrahamic religions by a long shot.

“Beaches or camping?”

Your head snapped up. “Huh?”

“For summer vacation as a kid,” your companion explained, raising one index finger on each hand. They wagged back and forth, beckoning you into the conversation. “Which one did you like better?”

“Oh…” Images of a fanged smile and the taste of Tiger’s Blood syrup flooded your thoughts. “Beaches, I guess.”

“You grew up in Niigata, right?” Yoichi frowned. “I suppose it was a silly question. You’re probably obligated to pick beach vacations, aren’t you?”

“Well, my aunt would be very mad if I said camping. She runs a shaved ice stand.” Your voice trailed off into a quiet murmur. “That’s where I met your brother.”

As your words stretched into awkward silence, Yoichi gave you a strained smile. “Well, let’s talk about something else then. What’s your favorite type of food?”

“Crepes.” The taste of fruit and cream danced on your tongue as soon as you said the word. If you closed your eyes, you could almost imagine yourself sitting in the Bandai shopping center, nibbling on the soft vanilla treat. However, the sweet memory turned into blazing embarrassment as you pictured the time your husband bypassed a bite of your ice cream to take a taste of your lips. With a groan, you smacked your forehead. “Seriously, this is insane!”

Yoichi raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

You buried your face in your hands. “Everything we talk about makes me keep thinking about him!” Your nails dug into your scalp as you tore at your hair in frustration. “He’s made my whole life about him for so long that he’s inside my mind!”

With a grimace, Yoichi patted your shoulder. “He does that on purpose, but you’re strong. You’ll get past it.”

You laughed bitterly and shook your head. “I’m not trying to let him in. He’s just—” Your words choked into silence.

“...he’s just there, right?”

You nodded before a low whimper peeled from your throat.

“Hey…” Yoichi wrapped his arm around your shoulders. “He’s done nothing but manipulate you for months. Of course it messed with you.”

“I don’t want it to mess with me!” you whined. “I don’t want him in my head!”

Yoichi squeezed your arm, pulling you into his side. He smelled like sugar and clean laundry. “I know.”

You sniffed back a load of fresh tears before wiping your nose on your already snot slathered sleeve. “I know, you know. You know better than anyone.” With a deep inhale, you glanced up at him. “How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Get past him?”

A sad smile tugged at the young man’s lips. “With help from my heroes.”

Read the rest at: Achive of Our Own

@averydrunksatyr @shigashig @shig-a-shig-ah @weo0o @feral-creep @raygard-elvets @awkward-confused @vizhi0n @dokoni-mo @the-lady-writes-what @all4one @avelaste @diowithagun @yeunsstuff @river-to-swim-forever @lizthewitchh @0-ddball @catalystgaming27 @cityscapingly @imdatingyourdad @gxmblinqueen @villaincxmdump @yandereloveraw @seijohmilktea @kermitthekrog-blog@toughbook @fgkween

#afo x reader #yandere afo x reader #yandere shigaraki x reader #shigaraki x reader #afo bnha #yandere x reader #bnha x reader #all for one x reader #bnha x y/n #yandere all for one #all for one bnha #a hypnotic nightmare

[southern-tundra-iterators]

[Heads up, cause this is a long writing piece with some character backstory]

PRIVATE LOG #### DATE: ----.--- {{Recorded conversation, all users anonymous}}

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A1: So...could you tell me more about this proposed idea of yours for a highly confidential project? A2: Imagine a scenario when the Great Problem has been solved by the iterators or by some other currently unknown means...and then what? A1: What about that kind of situation..? A2: What would happen to the robots afterwards? Do we have a plan for them, when The Great Problem has been finally solved or when we ascend by another way? Will they just be left behind? A1: Well, not really. They simply will have finished what they were built to do and not much else happens other than them working on smaller problems or they will continue working on their main task, I would assume. They're biomechanical robots that do exactly as we purpose them to do, they're nothing like us or even the small animals. A2: I wouldn't be so sure they're that simple. According the message logs within the local group I've found in the main computer's archives, it seems like they're starting to show preferences to certain things and even reply in a more emotional manner at times. A1: Hmm...your main point of all this being..? A2: I am saying that things may go awry if they're left unsupervised or already have solved The Problem. I highly doubt simply abandoning them would be such a good idea...considering how we saw that they could feel and even think on their own. A1: I believe you might be over-exaggerating on this and I don't view this issue as a severe one...But regardless, I will listen to what you have to offer. A2: What if there existed an iterator that would think of an efficient way to fully destroy other iterators and then itself? A1: ......That is an outlandish idea, to put it nicely...Surely you're well aware how they are built, correct? They are massive biomechanical superstructures relying even on microbes within their processing strata to function. You'd have to destroy every last inch of the iterator to fully kill them off. And besides, you would get yourself into deep trouble if other architects found you and your group out trying to design this creation with its intended purpose A2: Yes, I completely understand, however their inner ecosystem is still small in comparison to the entire world's and they are...different in a karmic sense. They're not the same. The iterator will not a superstructure of its own, it will be fused with another that we are planning to build using an intricate malware code that contains iterator genome. It will silently create and upgrade itself from within, without anyone noticing for a long time before it's too late. A1: I also have another reason to doubt your idea...I remember that our architect groups still are in a massive conflict of ''correct'' ideals in regards of religion and beliefs. I'm only listening to you because we share mostly the same beliefs and you have helped me a lot in the past, however I suspect that you could just be doing this out of spite against them, which is not what I would fully support. Your suggested method for this iterator's conception makes me question the motive further. A2: Now, now, let's slow down a bit, shall we? Yes, it is true that I do hold anger against some groups due to reasons you said, I will not deny it. But the world and the iterators we may soon leave behind are things I care about more, believe me. Our kind was already driven mad into reaching great painful lengths because of the cycles and immortality...the robots will be subjected to the same fate with the addition of purposelessness and taboos. A1: ... A2: I will pay you very generously in your cooperation and your identity will be fully protected. This conversation and group effort never happened in the first place. Do we have a deal? A1: ...I need to think about it.

#rain world ask blog #rain world art blog #rain world oc #rw oc #iterator oc #rain world #writing

[poisonouswritings]

Ok, be warned, you did ask

Consider the fact that Astraea is a land of magic. Extend it to general fantasy. What is a popular creature in fantasy? DRAGONS. MC LEARNS THAT DRAGONS ARE REAL AND GOES ON A QUEST TO TAME ONE (if they aren't already used as some method of transport (akin to horses) (idk about fully domesticated dragons tho, I feel like feral/wild dragons are a given here but then again it seems like Astraea could potentially have domesticated ones))

Sage: MC you don't know what you're getting yourself into.

MC: I read the how to train your dragon book series. I'm practically an expert.

While funky /pos as a concept, I find it even better to think about it worldbuilding wise as this opens up a very exciting idea, exploration, and how it affects the developments of civilizations (along with various other choices to talk about but I'll get there lol).

We earthbeings were grounded for a significant portion of our existence and only started flying a little more than a century ago which is small in the amount of time that humanity has existed (for this I'm specifying builders (stone wall in Theopatra cave, about 23000 years ago, humanity has been around for a while and even then there could be older structures)). Anyway my point with that was flight is a highly new concept in human history, it potentially wouldn't be with dragons in the mix.

The existence of dragons also opens up ideas for social structures, conflict, and statuses. Not to mention professions and how people interact with this species (and making those species omfgggg my writer brain and inner child are having a field day (seriously there is so much fun to have with this concept :D)).

There's also fun cultural stuff that one can play with. Religion, fashion, art, etc.

Dragons in hunter gatherer and neolithic societies would be especially useful for tools and war. Clothing out of hides, armor out of scales, weapons made of the strong and sharp materials, would maps be easier to make?

Imagine a social/political conflict. Let's say the American civil war, now imagine how that would go if they had dragons. Everything has a trade. But I digress, warfare in this case is quite the interesting idea. At least in the socioeconomic state of the current time in the game the warfare status is easy, swords, magic, maybe a battle-axe if we're feeling particularly lethal. However if we were to go centuries into the future, would their technology be like ours?

Could dragons have access to magic? What could one do with their body parts? Are dragons more valuable alive or dead? (I'm answering this question, alive for sure but then that answer also depends on the profession of the person being asked). What kinds of technological advancements could be made with those parts? (I could very easily go off into a tangent but thankfully I won't)

Unfortunately there are fallacies to my headcanons. Dragons would be presumably large, and if were in fact part of civilization, Porrima, Rivath, Mournfall, and other populated areas are lacking in such a resource. At least from what has been given to us by the game. We don't even have mention of dragons.

But fortunately that doesn't mean that we can't make up our own worldbuilding ideas and hopefully you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. :3

Ooh this is a lot of interesting ideas! I like how you tied in real-world concepts and conflicts. It helps ground everything in reality (or as much reality as you can get when talking about dragons and magic).

The only canon reference we have to dragons (as far as I remember) is in Sage's route, Chapter 2, during the Two Truths and a Lie game (star choice). MC says they slayed a dragon and Sage says that's a lie because they 'would be burnt to a crisp' if they'd tried. Which is. Uh. Not a lot to go off of. But that does tell us dragons are canon and they probably are not domesticated, at least not widely. Everyone has a different canon, though, so I guess that's besides the point.

I'm fascinated by the way that dragons - specifically domesticated ones - could have shaped various societies. It makes me think of the movie April and the Extraordinary World (2015). It takes place in a world where electricity was never discovered (kinda - it's hard to explain because it takes a sci-fi turn into Lizard People and stuff) so coal and steam engines still rule the planet. As the world's population completely stripped the Earth of trees and subsequently polluted the air to the point where people carried around gas masks. Obviously the world's political powers shifted. It's a French movie so the focus is Paris but it gives you an idea of the rest of the world. It's a good movie and I recommend it. Maybe it'll even give you some more ideas?

I loved reading your thoughts!/gen Thanks for sharing. It's always really fun to see what you guys come up with, and there's something heartening about so many people still loving LL enough to think about it like this.

Idk. I kinda wanna write about dragons now. If we can have cat/rabbit/bull/deer/etc. ilephtas then presumably we can have dragon ilephtas too. That could be fun.

#last legacy #fictif last legacy #anon asks #dragon anon #ozzy answers #ozzy speaks

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

So if paganism is so superior and natural compared to Christianity why did Christianity win? Why did all of your pagan ancestors convert? And don't say they were forced to because that's not true. Most countries converted peacefully.

oh man there's a lot to unpack here.

first, just because a certain idea or system prevails doesn't mean it's necessarily better. i'm not really a "might makes right" person. i do think might goes a long way, but it's not the be-all and end-all. there are other considerations.

anyway, nice try. "don't say they were forced" lmao. you think you can get away with that? many were forced though. and by that i don't just mean the leaders of the countries that were converted but also the commoners of those countries that were then forcefully converted by the newly converted leaders. so even if the leaders "willfully" converted they probably still forcefully converted their people.

but what about those were were more "willfully" converted (how willful is debatable)? why would they abandon the faith of their ancestors to worship a foreign god and practice some new, strange slave religion? well, my answer is twofold: (1) for power, administration, alliances, trade networks, infrastructure, etc, and (2) they didn't.

imagine: you are a small but rising norse chieftain. you're so close to overcoming your rival but you still need that edge. then along comes this christian priest. as you know, the christians have inherited the roman empire. now this christian offers you access to these rich and powerful realms. by saying a few words and dunking yourself in some water you will have a significantly expanded world and all that entails. but even more than that i think it's most alluring aspect is institutional and administrative; christianity with its churches and educated clergy and its written language (latin) dramatically increases a ruler's ability to centralize and consolidate his domain. all of these result in christianity being highly lucrative and pragmatically appealing. it's the same reason under-developed countries of the modern world eagerly embraced the systems of developed countries (liberalism, capitalism, free trade, parliamentary democracy, rational-legal authority, flags and classically composed national anthems, etc). like...these are just the things you do and symbols you gotta embrace to be seen as legitimate in the eyes of the great powers of the world. so why did they convert? because it was politically expedient.

now about my second point. i think there's a lot of room to doubt the sincerity of almost any of these early conversions, especially when considering the above. i mean, even bede talks about how people would relapse back into paganism and laments how they would use spells and magical amulets. the second king of kent after kent's christianization was quite openly "christopagan" keeping a temple dedicated to both his pagan gods and christ. i really doubt how seriously these pagans took christianity. i mean, just consider the extent of the average christian's familiarity with the bible and christianity theology /today/. now imagine you're an illiterate norseman that doesn't even speak the language the priest's bible is written in. indeed, there's a plethora of evidence to suggest that early germanic converts really did just conceptualize jesus as an ordinary foreign god and simply assimilated him into their pantheon the same way they would with any other foreign god, even portraying him as a heroic warrior leading a retinue of warrior-disciples, not as a meek carpenter preaching to turn the other cheek. so there was definitely syncretism going on -- as germanics became christianized christianity became germanicized -- and i can easily imagine pagans nominally professing a christian faith while still very much believing in their gods with full christianization taking place over several generations.

[sparklinpixiedust]

Came across a tiktok about a girl upset over the constant questioning and passive bullying about her attire.

Okay so for context , she was invited to a workout session by another influencer.

Instead of a sports bra and shorts she wore tights and a oversized hoodie , which as far as I can tell was not against any rules.

She spent the whole time being asked by other girls if she's hot or she's burning in there, with the influencer who invited her calling her a f***ing psycho for dressing like that.

If you wanna feel that, imagine going somewhere feeling cute and confident and happy about yourself and your outfit and then having everyone question you and call you psycho for your choice.

I'm sorry, where is the " my body my choice " gang now? And the irony that this influencer advocates for mental health and kindness👀

I know I've said this a million times , but feminism seems to only cater to white women and their choice.

It's not " my body ,my choice "

It's "my body , my choice , as long as white women approve it "

Its always " let women wear what they want " unless they want to cover up. Then all yall go into this weird mean girl vibe which quite frankly I don't understand.

Look I'm not hating on white women , I'm you're all nice people. But why do we have to have you all decide what should be acceptable in society and what shouldn't?

Honestly what is your problem letting women wear what makes them happy? If they want to dress modestly ummm how about you let them?

Everyone has their own preference, and pretty sure a 20 + woman is highly capable of making that decision on her own.

Stop it.

And stop coming at Muslims for their choice to cover up. Every culture and religion has their own specific clothing. India has Saris, Pakistan has salwars etc etc.

Just Google random countries and their clothes and surprise surprise you'll find that their original clothing style is not a jeans and t shirt.

" but but I don't see other people wearing traditional clothes?"

Well gee idk , maybe if you didn't bully and make fun of them for their choice in clothing / food/hair they wouldn't be so afraid of your scrutiny and actually accept their ancestral roots.

We don't need you to " save us". Lol , save us from our own heritage, what a joke.

Btw, and the constant shaming with the whole " little house on the prairie" dresses. Excuse me ?

Why are you shaming those clothes and the people who choose to wear them?

If you don't want to wear them , then here's an idea , don't?

Why are you shaming others though ?

You think this bullying makes you some progressive woman of the future? Lol it makes you no better than the ones who harass you about your style.

Wear what you want and let's others wear what they want.

If someone wants to change, they will without your "help"

#text #feminism #clothes #muslim #tiktok #white #joke #rant

[quranclassesonline]

The Benefits Of Quran Academy for Muslim And Non-Muslim Students

When most people think of Islamic schools, they imagine a place where Muslim students learn only about Islam and their religious beliefs. However, there are many different Islamic schools, each unique approach to education. And the best part about these learns Quran academies is that they are open for education to all! (Credit Information: https://onlinequran.co.uk/learn-quran/ )

So, whether you are the pride of the Muslim culture or have a firm belief in your respective religion, you can easily reap the benefits of the Quran from your nearest learn Quran academy.

Now that we have clarified the concept of knowing the Quran for both Muslims and Non-Muslims let's get into the benefits of learning at a Quran Academy.

A Brief View On The Learn Quran Academy

The Learn Quran Academy is one of the most famous Islamic educational institutions, which provides quality education to Muslim and non-Muslim students worldwide. Moreover, the main objective of this academy is to enlighten the new generation with the actual teachings of Islam and make them proud Muslims.

Moreover, the learn Quran academy offers a wide range of courses for students of all levels, from beginners to advanced. The academy has a team of highly qualified and experienced teachers committed to providing the best possible education to their students.

Benefits Of Quran Academy for All Muslim and Non-Muslim Students

1) Academics

Most people are surprised to hear that the Quran contains a wealth of knowledge, including information on science, history, and math. At a learn Quran academy, students will learn about the religious aspects of Islam and the rich history and culture surrounding the religion.

2) Values

It can be difficult for young people to stay true to their values and beliefs in today's society. At the learn Quran academy, students will learn about the importance of living according to Islamic values and principles. Therefore, this type of education can help students resist peer pressure and make better choices in their lives.

3) Character

One of the most important things that students will learn at the learn Quran academy is a good character. The Quran contains many lessons on honesty, hard work, and respect for others. Therefore, by instilling these values in students at a young age, Islamic schools can help them become good citizens and productive members of society.

4) Community

Islamic schools are often close-knit communities where students, parents, and teachers work together. This sense of community can help students feel supported and connected to their school. Besides, it also gives them a sense of belonging to a larger group, which can be especially important for those new to the religion.

5) Respect

Learn Quran academy not only teaches its students about the Islamic religion but also gives them a chance to learn about other religions. This type of education can help promote respect and understanding between different cultures and religions.

6)Tolerance

Tolerance means accepting and respecting the beliefs and practices of others, even if they are different from your own. Moreover, this is an essential lesson for students to learn, especially in today's world with so much religious violence.

7) Moderation

Moderation is another crucial chapter taught in learning the Quran academy. It means avoiding extremes in your behaviour and finding a balance in your life. For example, you should not be too strict or lenient with yourself. You should also not be too materialistic or too ascetic.

8) Justice

Justice is another essential Islamic value taught in Islamic schools. Justice means to treat others fairly and give them their due rights. Moreover, this includes giving people their fair share of resources, treating them with respect, and not discriminating against them.

9) Patience

Patience is an essential virtue in Islam. It is often said that "patience is a virtue." Therefore, this means that it is good to be patient. Patience is about being able to control your anger and not getting upset quickly. It is also about being able to endure difficulties and hardships.

Cost of enrolling in a Quran Academy

Many Quran academies have different tuition costs. Some of the academies have lower prices than others. The cost of enrolling in the learn Quran academy can range from free to a few hundred dollars. The average cost of enrolling in a Quran academy is around $50-$60/month.

The cost of enrolling in the learn Quran academy can vary on various factors. For instance, the location of the academy and the course type. Some academies also offer discounts for multiple students enrolling from the same family. 

What Will You Learn In A Learn Quran Academy?

As you may know, the Quran is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe that God revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and that it contains guidance for all of humanity.

Here are a few courses offered by Larn Quran academy:

-Tajweed: Tajweed is the term used for the correct pronunciation of the Quran. To recite the Quran correctly, one must learn the rules of tajweed.

Quran memorization: Many people choose to memorize the Quran to understand it better and internalize its teachings.

-Islamic studies: Islamic studies courses cover a wide range of topics, including the history of Islam, the life of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and the principles of Islamic law.

Arabic language: Since the Quran is in Arabic, many people choose to study Arabic to read and understand it more easily.

Noorani Qaida: The Noorani Qaida is a basic introduction to the Arabic alphabet and pronunciation. It is often the first step for those who want to read the Quran.

Ijazah: An ijazah is a certificate that signifies that one has completed the study of a particular Islamic text. To receive an ijazah, one must usually pass an exam.

Tafseer: Tafseer is the process of understanding and interpreting the Quran. Courses in Tafseer can help students develop a deeper understanding of the Quran and its teachings.

Who Can Learn In The Quran Academy?

The learn Quran academy offers comprehensive courses for all three levels of students. From the beginner students to the intermediate and the learned students, all can benefit from the Quran courses. Here's a brief discussion on them:

Quran Courses for beginners

These Quran courses are for those with very little or no knowledge about Islam and the Quran. Moreover, these courses aim to provide students with a basic understanding of Islam and the Quran. This includes tajweed, Noorani Qaida, and Islamic studies.

Quran courses for intermediate students

These Quran courses are for those who have some knowledge about Islam and the Quran. These courses aim to provide students with a deeper understanding of Islam and the Quran. Moreover, this includes Tafseer, Arabic language, and ijazah.

Quran courses for learned students

These Quran courses are for those with a deep understanding of Islam and the Quran. These courses aim to provide students with a comprehensive experience of Islam and the Quran. Moreover, this includes advanced chapters on Tafseer, Arabic language, ijazah, and Islamic law.

Bottom Line

The Quran Academy has benefitted Muslim and non-Muslim students in many ways. By providing a space for people of all backgrounds to learn about Islam, the Quran Academy has helped break down barriers and promote understanding.

Additionally, the academy has provided a valuable resource for Muslims who want to learn more about their faith. It has also allowed non-Muslims to gain a deeper understanding of Islam and its teachings.

Therefore, we hope that the Quran Academy will continue to grow and serve as a place where people from all backgrounds can come together to learn about each other and build bridges of understanding.

#Learn Quran Academy

[foolilazuli]

So was I supposed to know that jared leto basically made a cult of himself or was I supposed to learn that from a game grumps episode where they play monopoly

#jared leto #game grumps #imagine thinking about yourself so highly you make yourself a religion

[thewritingmagician2022]

Lover - Taylor Swift - Brothers and Dateables

Lucifer: False God

They say the road gets hard and you get lost when you're led by blind faith But we might just get away with it Religion's in your lips Even if it's a false god We'd still worship this love

Sacrilegious Lucifer? It’s more likely than you think. The smooth jazz sound of this sound, the blatant sexuality laced with tenderness, the blasphemy of considering your relationship with a demon as a religion all its own. It’s perfect. Lucifer would absolutely fuck you to this song. 

Mammon: Paper Rings

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings You're the one I want I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this Darling, you're the one I want

Greedy, greedy Mammon who is obsessed with having the best of the best but would give it all up in a heartbeat if you asked him to. He was just supposed to be your demon nanny but somehow you managed to burrow right under his skin and make a home for yourself, you stupid lovely human. Even though he’d never willingly admit it, he’d marry you with paper rings or even no rings if it meant he could have you. What does stuff matter when he has you?

Levi: Nice to Have a Friend

"Wanna hang out?" Yeah, sounds like fun Video games, you pass me a note Sleeping in tents It's nice to have a friend

A HIGHLY underrated song from this album and one of my favorites. It’s so so soft and fits your friendship/relationship with Levi perfectly. The slow progression from friends playing video games to confidants to lovers; all paired with the underlying theme of being best friends at the core and that being the most important aspect. Chefs kiss. 

Satan: Lover

My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue All's well that ends well to end up with you Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover

Another very soft song. A promise of dedication to someone, of building a life together where the other will always have a seat saved for them. You and Satan could absolutely dance around listening to this song, and it got him thinking about his past and how he never fully felt he could be more than Lucifer’s wrath until you showed up and taught him he can be his own person.

Asmo: I Think He Knows

He got that boyish look that I like in a man I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans He's so obsessed with me, and boy I understand

Another highly underrated song on the album. A wonderful bop for that infatuation stage you first have with someone new in your life. This song sounds how I imagine Asmo would make you feel: a quick beating heart, an extra skip to your step, and constantly daydreaming about him. Of course, he would be the same way, and I love the energy of knowing the person you’re obsessed with is just as into you. 

Beel: London Boy

He likes my American smile Like a child when our eyes meet, darling, I fancy you

I think this particular section is the entire selling point. London Boy may not work super well with Beel, though maybe it does considering the stoic nature of the British/demons compared to the exuberance of Americans/humans and you being shown all around his homeland, but mainly I was sold by the idea of Beel being absolutely smitten with his curious, bubbly human who loves him so openly and deeply despite his sin and demonic nature.

Belphie: Cruel Summer

Killing me slow, out the window I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes What doesn't kill me makes me want you more

If the song doesn’t make you feel a little unhinged, can it really be paired with Belphie? I swear this song always makes me feral, the same way he does. It’s knowing something is such a bad decision and doing it anyway (helping him out of the attic) and then inevitably falling for that person when you know it can’t be a thing because the people around you (and the murder) make it impossible. You accidentally fell in love with your murderer and, honestly, I can’t think of a crueler love or a better brother to fit “he looks up grinning like a devil”. 

Diavolo: Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince

It's you and me There's nothing like this Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince We're so sad, we paint the town blue Voted most likely to run away with you

One of my first UR cards was Diavolo’s “it’s lonely being me” and I’ve been tormented by the idea of how isolating Diavolo’s life must be and then the birthday event really solidified the fact that this poor man believes he really has subjects, not friends. You’re the only person he knows wants him for him, not his status, and you’re so genuine in every interaction with him. He would love to just run away with you and you would, if he asked.

Barbatos: The Archer

All the king's horses, all the king's men Couldn't put me together again 'Cause all of my enemies started out friends Help me hold onto you

This choice is heavily influenced by the sound of the song; slow and steady until the emotional build up at the end where you can hear the desperate need for a lasting connection. It makes me think of Barbatos and his inability to dedicate his life/time to others due to his role and how his experience with time travel would make him even more susceptible to the sadness of trying to hold onto something or someone. 

Solomon: Cornelia Street

Barefoot in the kitchen Sacred new beginnings That became my religion, listen I hope I never lose you I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

Same vulnerability as The Archer but on the positive side rather than the sad side. A hopeful new beginning with someone that you want so badly to keep hold of, especially after months of back and forth where you’re trying to figure out exactly where you stand with that person and if you even have a chance. It’s the wonderful feeling of finally getting what you wanted so badly and then being terrified that you’re going to lose it again. It’s Solomon’s state of being for this relationship. 

Simeon: Daylight

I once believed love would be burning red But it's golden Like daylight, like daylight

I don’t know how to explain how I know it but I know that loving Simeon and being loved by him feels like stepping out into the first warm sunlight in spring after a long winter. It’s going from a passionate roller coaster of a relationship to comforting stability and steady love. It’s everything. Just let me love him please. 

#obey me #obey me headcanons #obey me imagines #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me levi #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me beel #obey me belphie #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me solomon #obey me simeon

[luckyspacerabbit]

drell diaspora meta <3

as told by me! a mixed diasporic chindo (chinese-indonesian) :)

preface: bioware failed to flesh out Drell culture and heritage to my satisfaction so I wrote this meta for both my personal reference and because I wanted to represent Thane and Drell as people who suffer from a history that invokes parallels between real world colonization/imperialism, as well as portray his personal conflict with this accurately because it's very painful and I think gets naturally overlooked by people who lack this background!

Contents:

The Family Unit

Food

Music

Customs

Hanar Intervention (honestly read this bc I think it's the most important section!!)

1. The Family Unit

Size: They're small by necessity: as in there is no room on Kahje to support. This is a bit of a complicated topic. Drell families are likely to lose their children to the Compact giving them incentive to have more than one or two but it’s probably very expensive to provide for them. I can see a lot of cultural tension here. There are pressures in either direction. There's a lot of sadness too. It makes every child extremely precious.

Values: Independence is an important quality-- but not to a fault! Because family units can be taken apart at any time, being able to take care of yourself is a survival skill. In addition, spiritedness is a closely held value-- To make up for the loss of large family trees and ability to be in close quarters (due to the constant coming and going of family members) it becomes very important to showcase your passion-- whether to each other or about any matter of things in life. Overall, spiritedness is most important! caring and wanting to improve upon yourself as well as self-discipline and hard work.

A.N: Probably because, as evidenced by Thane’s dialogue, they've come to view what happened on Rakhana as like, self-inflicted or weak of spirit ( :( this has me extremely messed up. The whole situation is based on Colonialist propaganda honestly so this conflict to me is so personal and painful to watch in real-time because you can see it very plainly in Thane and you can tell he carries that generational trauma)

Carrying on: The ability to be vulnerable is not as important as the ability to show that you care, which can come from action or words, but usually, this means vulnerability and passion go hand in hand. Finally, homecoming is very important. Everyone is so scattered all over the galaxy, time together is time that counts. Bonding circles (An old tradition) have become “Bonds,” a colloquial name for annual family gatherings.

Read on Under The Cut <3

2. Food

Drell are born with a full set of teeth but they can’t be that tough yet. There must be specific dishes for each age to celebrate. That means as they age, softer meats-> harder foods are part of a traditional practice to track development! (Age 1 Birthday Food: Beetle Based Dish, so on till age 16/17)

Rakhana Diet: I also think that on Rakhana insects would have been popular! Because it’s an arid world and it would have been a very nutritious and accessible source of protein. It also strikes me that their recipes may have been very paste-based because it’s an easy way to flavor things when food is scarce! Also, paste flavoring like sambal (spicy chili). Other Foods:

Eggs? Eggs. It’s just a lizard thing but also! Really simple and easy to make.

Desert fruit! Water-based fruits that are similar to cantaloupe and citrusy things like calamansi.

On Kahje: Their diet must have to shift, so lucky they’re omnivorous.

Probably fish. Likely the main source of protein there.

This is off topic but I think that eating kelp runs as a joke for Drell on Kahje because of the similarities between their colors and striping. I don’t know what kind of joke. But I wonder if Drell teens will order fried kelp and point at each other like “cannibal”

Sauce…………. Dark sauces…...

You can tell the difference between a Kahje Drell and a Rakhana Drell (If they are still in existence? Most likely but very hard to find) based on their fish opinions

Raw fish consumption is normal on Kahje but Drell are not technically “built” for that diet so they may get sick with overconsumption! It must be well cooked to avoid illness.

3. Music

There's a natural inclination to communicate verbally due to their distinct biology.

Drell anatomy (throat) allows for unique sounds and trills

Highly present in language and utilized in music (On Rhakana there were probably dialects that incorporated certain clicks and trills as part of the “alphabet” just like irl, but I imagine those that can still speak it are very limited and it must be passed down or retaught through preservation efforts)

Rhythmic dance and music to tell stories and legends! Especially of great creatures that transcended into infamy. Like a big old serpent that through storytelling became a mythical dragon type of thing.

Clothing/Robes, loose-fitting and comfortable to work in Arid environments and allow for movement (tight ass clothes not the norm ashdjfk esp for dancing, Thane’s just a career man who thinks he looks good and he lived on Kahje so--)

4. Customs

The Pursuit of Life a.k.a Perah (I made this term up)

It's a cultural value centered around making the most of life through boldness. Seizing the moment because not every Drell gets the opportunity to call their life their own— this is in reference to both the compact and the death of Rakhana. Therefore if you ARE lucky enough to have ownership over your own life, you must not squander it. There are a number of purposeful benefits to Perah, such as:

Leading Drell off of Kahje (avoiding Kepral’s)

Giving Drell an “Adventurous” reputation due to far journeying and mixed work

A lot of Drell are able to form community ties outside of the home due to this norm! Because a lot of them have long and wide and journeys across the galaxy to share with each other and cultural commonality, they have an immediate kinship with each Drell they meet.

Puppetry/Masks

The Drell face is shaped like a mask so it only makes me think there must be culture-specific dances or plays utilizing masks in order to tell traditional stories and celebrate moments of life

There seems to be a lot of reverence and appreciation for the different and diverse, including animals and other species, leading me to believe that there are masks based on different creatures!

5. Hanar Intervention

Loss of Population: Effects

Destruction of the family unit, disjointed/fractured because of the Compact and limited living space on Kahje

Death of Rakhana leaving entire generations and specific regions behind, permanent severing between sects of Drell society

That means the inability to read certain texts as well as languages dying off between generations.

The disappearance of traditions, including many religions

Loss of understanding of Drell language and terminology

A.N: Thane is a rare case with access to high reading material and close ties to “hidden” communities/pockets of people; Most Drell do not know the meaning of Siha due to Hanar assimilating via Enkindlers

Most also do not know about traditional religion! I imagine these pockets must be so small. Thane probably had to work very hard to recover this knowledge which goes to show his complex relationship with his heritage.

It’s likely that there are factions of Drell who attempt to preserve and celebrate their culture despite being uprooted.

Possible rebellions/isolationists who reject the Compact which has mixed reactions by the majority of Drell community, not limited to shunning and disownment (:/ bc these things are sadly complicated)

A.N: Thane comments that it's an honor to fulfill the compact, which naturally implies it's shame to reject it. Let your imagination on the consequences of that rejection sink in.

A misconception is that Drell like to adopt whatever culture they live in but it's more like most of them lack the access to return and reclaim their own roots or have been shamed out of it

#WEEE #that was fun #meta #mass effect #drell #hanar #thane krios #long post

[destieldailynews]

John’s Journal, Indian Missions and the Lesbian Nuns

January 16th, 2021

By @lateral-org​

Our staff had a lot of conversations about how to frame this topic. None of us are Native American so we wanted to make sure we didn’t spread any misinformation while still using our platform. Our compromise was to try to speak using sources for information rather than personal opinions.

TL:DR

It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on Native American history. Even moreso as Supernatural fans, since so much of the show’s mythology is derived from Native American beliefs. Native Americans are still forced to live under oppressive laws constructed by the people responsible for the deaths of millions of their forefathers. Raising awareness is the first step to combatting this injustice. Links to more resources and places to donate are at the end of this post. 

We’ve gotten a few confused asks about how this post relates to John’s Journal entry. In the post it makes some remarks connecting the journal entry to children being tortured. The aim of this article is to provide the missing context linking the two together and why it matters. 

Here’s the quote from John’s Journal:

January 24: Dean turns seventeen today. We went shooting. Then I sent him out on his first hunt. I’ve let him take the lead before, but I’ve always been there to back him up. This time he’s on his own. Partly it’s a test, and partly I wanted some time with Sammy. Should be no problem for Dean. Ghosts of two nuns haunting St. Stephen’s Indian Mission in Riverton, Wyoming. Simple salt-and-burn mission. Nuns in love with each other, then discovered. Killed themselves. We scoped the situation out, figured that something must be left behind that’s now a focus for the haunting. Bible, rosary beads, some small article that’s hidden somewhere in their room. I figured Dean would take care of it no problem, but I still stayed close by with Sammy... [Sam wants a normal life] … Dean took care of the nuns just like I thought he would, but I don’t think I’m going to be sending him on any more solos soon. That one was a little tense.

And that’s all she wrote. So why does this matter? It doesn’t talk about killing kids, just about lesbian nuns who were part of an indian mission. What’s the problem? Well, let’s start with the basics. 

What is an Indian mission?

Basically, an Indian mission is a reeducation camp for Native Americans. 

From an article published on History.com about indian missions in California:

The main goal of the California missions was to convert Native Americans into devoted Christians and Spanish citizens.

Spain used mission work to influence the natives with cultural and religious instruction.

Another motivation for the missions was to ensure that rival countries, such as Russia and Great Britain, didn’t try to occupy the California region first.

Why is that so bad? 

Indian missions contributed to the loss of hundreds of thousands of Native American lives. 

From the same article:

The mission era influenced culture, religion, architecture, art, language and economy in the region.

But, the missions also impacted California Indian cultures in negative ways. Europeans forced the natives to change their civilization to match the modern world. In the process, local traditions, cultures and customs were lost.

Some critics have charged that the Spanish mission system forced Native Americans into slavery and prostitution, comparing the missions to “concentration camps.”

Additionally, Spanish missionaries brought diseases with them that killed untold thousands of natives.

Prior to the California missions, there were about 300,000 Native Californians. By 1834, scholars believe there were only about 20,000 remaining.

Now back to the post that spawned this question: 

When OP (@fettcockfriday) says, 

spend some time thinking about why you latched onto “lesbian nuns” over “children being tortured and murdered.” did you not know what an indian mission was? did you think it was less interesting, or less important? sit with that for a while. 

To someone who doesn’t know the history of Indian Missions and wasn’t paying close attention to the journal entry, this feels like it's coming out of nowhere. With context, though, you can understand where this comes from. 

In the journal entry, the Indian mission only has the weight of any other convent nuns could reside in. This is a problem rooted in the american habit of erasing the ugly parts of its history. I highly doubt that Alex Irvine thought twice about the relevance of indian missions when he wrote that into the diary entry, which is the problem. 

From IllumiNative: 

American students learn some of the most damaging misconceptions and biases toward Native Americans in grades K-12. In fact, 87 percent of history books in the U.S. portray Native Americans as a population existing before 1900, according to a 2014 study on academic standards. For many Americans, we no longer exist.

With minimal mention of contemporary issues and ongoing conflicts over land and water rights or tribal sovereignty, Native Americans have become invisible and it can be argued that it makes it easier for non-Natives to take the lead on creating their own narratives about us. Our invisibility makes it easier to create and support racist mascots or over sexualize caricatures of Native women in everything from fashion to Halloween costumes.

For the well-being of Native peoples and future generations, these false narratives, the invisibility and erasure of Native peoples must end.

Native Americans are still disenfranchised, suffering under oppressive laws constructed by the people responsible for the deaths of millions of their forefathers. Attempts to reeducate native children are still happening to this day. The only way to move forward is to face the past and listen to the voices who have been kept quiet for so long. 

Resources:

Links for educating yourself:

The Traumatic Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools-The Atlantic

The Erasure Of Native America

History of Residential Schools- Indigenous People’s Atlas of Canada

We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee-TikTok

How this affects white Americans: 

Whose Land Are You On?

Did You Know... All These States Have Native Names!

UNIST'OT'EN | Background of the Campaign

Thanksgiving - Tumblr

Knowledge Center- First Nations 

Ways to Donate:

#settlersaturday, gofundmes for native people

Ways to Give- First Nations

Support Us - Native American Rights Fund

Support the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs!

17 Organizations Providing Emergency Food Relief to Native Communities During COVID-19

Support Native American businesses: 

Birch Bark Coffee Company

Indigenous Cosmetics

Red Planet Books and Comics - Unleash Your Indigenous Imagination

Orenda Tribe Clothing

20+ Native American-Owned Businesses to Shop

Please tag, submit, or link any other accounts or resources related to this topic to us @destieldailynews​, we will reblog as much as we can.

#destiel daily news #john winchester's journal #the lesbian nuns #native american history #indian missions #resources #signal boost #sources #donate #january 16th #information

[bondsmagii]

Hey read (some of) this blog post (long as hell), tries to pick it up where your old scp cult post left off: lackoflepers medium com/scp-is-not-a-cult-196e87ce6b11

(link)

this is insane. I've never written anything that's ever received a full response before, so that's exciting. what's even more exciting is that this piece does raise some really interesting questions, and is very well-written and thoughtful.

the strange thing is, I think we're both in agreement -- but I'm calling it a cult, and the author of this piece is calling it a "fledgling religion". I agree with this outlook, if I'm honest -- but at the same time I can't help but think that this has filled a hole in my cult theory, rather than poked a hole in it.

when I wrote the original cult post, the one thing I couldn't quite equate was the religion aspect. there was a lot of things to consider from that aspect, in terms of cults requiring a certain doctrine, rituals, etc, and while I was able to draw comparisons to the site culture and these things, it didn't quite fit. this article explains and illustrates exactly what all of these things are, and the sheer amount of similarities between the SCP wiki culture and religious fundamentalists. it's absolutely incredible, how it all still adds up.

however, some things are way off. I understand the author has a history with site and with staff, and they obviously understand that there's a complicated relationship between the two. the piece certainly tackles the question from an educated site-critical standpoint, but I can't help but notice some glaring omissions and in some places, assumptions which I feel are quite simply incorrect. under the cut we go, because this is long.

the author seems to be very ignorant of the site's cyclical patterns. one of their main arguments for the wiki's not being a cult is how people like Dr Gears and thedeadlymoose don't have more power over the masses, being such important figures. the problem with the wiki is that it is very cyclical, and big names of one era do not translate over to new eras. big names replace old ones, and the old ones either become fond grandparent figures (like Gears, who had the sense to take a step back before the tides changed against him) or they become irrelevant or reviled (like thedeadlymoose, or pixelatedharmony (Roget).) this means that if the former appeals to the group, they will get essentially a pat on the head and a gentle dismissal, or if the latter speak out they will be silenced, harassed, banned, etc. this is very cultlike behaviour -- if somebody goes against the grain, they become an immediate enemy of the people. the only way to survive fame on the wiki is to retire quietly, at your peak, and keep yourself to yourself.

going on from this, there are also different levels to how a staff member is seen. there have been eras of the site where the site admin might not be as impressive as one of the prolific writers, for example. who these days knows about The Administrator? it's all Dr Gears to them. different authors have different levels of unofficial authority, and the author of the piece doesn't seem to realise that it's a cult of personality as much as anything else. there are constant divisions among staff, even if they present a united front; frequently those not toeing the party line have been ostracised or purged, and this filters down to the average user. just because a person is on staff does not mean they immediately skyrocket to godhood, if we're using the religious metaphor. this is why it seems as though "staff" as a whole isn't uniformly worshipped -- they're not. there are complex currents of power at work here, and it's frustrating because at first glance it seems to invalidate the very real fact that a few site members have all the authority. the staff worship extends to staff members. those in lower tiers will act similarly to those in higher tiers as a new member would act towards all staff.

the author draws attention to thedeadlymoose's impressive efforts to bring the site forward from its 4chan beginnings and make it more inclusive to LGBT members -- something that has undoubtedly had an effect. however, the author does not mention that to date, the site's only successful splinter site (as in, a site that lasted more than a few weeks) is RPC, and while this website came about for multiple reasons, it's undeniable that one of these reasons was because of the fact that the wiki was openly supportive of LGBT people during Pride Month. it's also interesting to note that the author is also a member of the RPC site, so it's odd that this piece of the site's origins is not mentioned.

the acceptance of these pro-LGBT policies also seems to be less wide-spread than the author believes -- most people don't care, there does exist users who are homophobic or transphobic, and -- something I'm surprised wasn't mentioned at all in the piece -- when LGBT members of the site spoke up and said the new logo made them feel pandered to, and the resulting blowout made them feel targeted and unsafe, they were mass banned from the subreddit by a rogue moderator who, incensed by the fact his authority was so challenged, then ragequit and abused people on the threads for several hours. this is a typical staff response to discontent in the masses. so yes, thedeadlymoose did have some significant sway in the attitude changing somewhat, but it was not as widespread (nor as cared about) as the article's author seems to think.

now, I shall move on to specific quotations.

Furthermore, as a gaggle of creators, SCP should never feature the mass conformity of thought that defines a cult; theirs is an ecosystem that predicates itself upon creation, and obsessively on the new and original — that is to say, the different (but tempered).

while the author does elaborate on this idea of creativity and conformity, this is just wrong. again, I blame the author's ignorance in regards to the cyclical nature of the site -- which isn't the fault of the author, in my opinion. such cycles are slow, measuring out in years rather than months, which is insanely long for an internet community. in order to notice them, you would have to have been observing for some time -- which I have been. since I have been observing the site (which has been since its very creation -- I was on the 4chan thread in 2007 when 173 was created and I have seen the wiki from its infancy on EditThis over to wikidot) I have seen this happen countless times. a type of writing, be it style or genre, takes off. it could be LOLFoundation, grimdark, whatever -- it takes off, it runs the site for a year or so, and then it crashes and burns. when it takes off, there are rules for writing it that must be obeyed lest you be downvoted to oblivion. as the attitude turns against it, those who still write it are vilified and ostracised, and the new one takes over. there have been mass purges in the past, and there has always been, since the wiki's inception, conformity of thought. one of my oldest complaints about the wiki is that, for a site full of writers, they have no imagination and absolutely no desire to step out of the approved style.

To put it very broadly, things get accustomed to the status quo in a highly regulated environment, and get better at simply remaining and surviving in that.

this could be a decent rebuff to my previous point, but the fact is that while the SCP wiki harbours cultish behaviour, a vast majority of the users are casual readers who maybe write one or two articles. the stagnation is, at least partially, because of the fact that most users sign up, read some articles, think "cool, I have an idea for one!", write it -- and have it emulate the articles they've read, thus sounding similar in tone and content to the rest of the recent articles -- get a semi-decent response if lucky, and then move on after a few months or years.

the people who power the wiki, however -- who are prolific, who churn out insane amount of articles -- are suffering from what I outlined in my above point. a small percentage of the wiki dictates the direction it goes. it has always been like this -- and people who go against the grain that staff have employed, be it old user or new, will pay for it. this payment is often in downvotes, but occasionally comes in harassment, bans, or deletions, too.

Lastly a cult is really the most extreme version of a religion, it is a religion on steroids.

this is straight-up incorrect. cults began as religions gone hayware, yes, but the idea of a cult as a Jonestown-style compound in the middle of nowhere is outdated. cults are the most extreme version of an ideology -- be it religious, political, or otherwise. they are ideologies on steroids. thanks to the internet, they also no longer have to be in real life spaces. you can be in a social cult on Twitter or on Discord; you can be in a cult of ideology on an incel forum or in a social circle of TERF blogs. all of these things are cults. they have cult-like behaviour and thinking.

this is where the author proves my point beyond all doubt. the author says the following about the wiki's increasingly left-wing inclusive policies:

What was intended to be an executive extension in peace has, due to the force required to counteract the sheer hostility and persecution once leveled at this group at its peak, instead overshot its mark and has become a brutal bureaucratic sanctioning of political identity. (I can hear someone saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.)

the biggest shift in this cult-think, for me, was observed when the shift towards Terminally Online Woke Left attitudes began to be increasingly observed. I'm not talking about getting people to tone down the homophobia and whatnot. I'm talking about this culture of purity and suffering that the author outlines very well in the article; if you have read the article, I needn't go over it again. the wiki now holds a monopoly on suffering using the same kind of Oppression Olympics as other spaces devoted to purity culture -- and purity culture is a cult. this is straight-up fact at this point. it is my belief that staff identified the power available to them in a) targeting people from oppressed and vulnerable groups and giving them a so-called safe space and b) using their various oppressions to their advantage.

something that is prolific in purity culture circles is that somebody who is oppressed in any way cannot be held to blame for their actions. they cannot be a bad person. this is ideological armour, and staff wields it. they also use purity culture and apparently progressive ideology to shut down anyone who dissents, and to smear their name and have then ostracised as an enemy. why do they do this? liking the power and fame of their position is a big part of it, as the author outlined, but something major is missing.

throughout the entire article, the author does not once mention the detailed and extensive history of staff sexually abusing minors on the site.

this is well-documented by this point. staff has seen many predators in its ranks, including one of the most prolific site members of all time -- AdminBright, or The Duckman. staff has known about these staff members and has covered it up over years. I myself have heard testimony from countless victims, but whenever we raise enough of a stink, a staff member does an "internal investigation" and nothing comes of it. the fact that the cult-like behaviour of this website can be discussed without one of the cornerstones of cult activity -- using its members for financial or sexual gain -- is astounding to me.

to go on from this, there is also no mention of the SCP lawyer fund, which raised over $30,000 and then faced staff actively resisting transparency as to the case and the funds. financial manipulation is another major example of cult behaviour.

without acknowledging these two things, I do not think that a full argument against the idea of the SCP wiki as a cult can be possible.

the author raises a good point that illustrates both why staff acts the way it does, and why the users are so eager to imitate:

The answer is something that can turn someone into their nemesis; something that would make someone sell their soul for 1000 upvotes; that tragic commonality that binds all individuals who feel the need to write; the need to be received, but more, to be loved for it.

this is a big reason why staff clings to its power, and why people sell out their creativity, and why people emulate this behaviour, and why prolific authors burn out so fast. however, running through all of this at its core -- through the need to be received and loved -- is the power that comes with it. this is all about power.

to mention the specific example of LordStonefish, and his reaction when he found out that his interviewer was enemy of the people pixelatedharmony, now of "burning out, ragequitting the site, and going to talk shit on KiwiFarms" infamy:

[...] it was as if LSF was speaking to a leper, and that the ongoing participation in the salvation of public approval (not to mention site participation as well) was directly dependent upon LSF’s rebuke of pH as a demon who is only worthy of a terrible fate and, as we see in the screencaps, even death.

leaving my personal opinions on Harmony out of this, going from a perfectly civil interview to finding out that the interviewer was an enemy and not only dumping all of his private information to offset doxing, but also going into detail about some highly personal stuff for shock value... I don't think Harmony quite required that treatment. the fact is that, as the quote outlines above, the only way to ensure that he wouldn't be completely ostracised for fraternising with the enemy (KiwiFarms -- of which Harmony is apparently the ambassador) was to behave like a man shunning a sinner. Harmony has sinned -- she rejected the status quo, she defied the group and its authority, and LordStonefish, in order to remain safe from being tarred with the same brush -- has to react with suitable horror to her presence.

it should be noted here that while KiwiFarms has a reputation for being a hive of scum and villainy, its main reputation regarding the SCP Wiki has been for being the one place where complaints against the site are openly discussed, often by defected staff members such as pixelatedharmony and Cyantreuse, and perhaps most telling of all -- the place where a lot of accounts of sexual harassment and abuse have been filed. staff rails against it on the grounds of it being filled with people who use slurs and have questionable ideological beginnings (ironic, coming from a website which began on 4chan) -- but as a leftist myself with extensive knowledge of the wiki, I can confirm that no criticisms I've seen on there have been unfair or inaccurate, and in fact a lot of the evidence and testimony posted there is damning. it would be fair to not wish to associate with the site because of its content in other places, or even its past reputation, but the fact staff rail against it so hard when it's currently one of the only places (and certainly the only public place) where their deeds are on display? it's interesting.

of LordStonefish's reaction, the author says:

This is the behavior of a deeply religious figure.

it is. this is the reaction of a Mormon meeting an old friend who has left the church. this is the reaction of a Jehovah's Witness crossing the street to avoid a shunned neighbour. it is the behaviour, you could say, of a cult member.

in the conclusion, the author states:

And if anyone is to shoulder blame for the creation of this pathology and its complex, it are those true bigots of history and today, who don’t have the spiritual maturity to understand that someone’s sexual preference or identity shouldn’t be enough to categorically separate them from a definition of humanity; to beat, maim, and wish death upon them.

perhaps this might have been true, perhaps this might have drawn a thoughtful and damning line under the whole affair, if not for the fact that this behaviour has been occurring since long before the internet became known for its progressive and now increasingly often, ridiculous takes on inclusion and sensitivity. this kind of cultish groupthink has been ongoing since the wiki's very first inception. the cyclical worship of a group of staff members and other prolific writers (though the group are often one and the same) and their chosen theme or genre has occurred like clockwork since the late 00s. it has occurred when the website was still entrenched in its 4chan days and saying slurs was barely blinked at. it was still there back when staff was predominantly (or at least presumably) cis, white, and male. it was there when being gay was the butt of a joke and being trans was all but unthought of. it has always been there, and while the latest progressive policies and attitudes have had an effect on how the power is wielded, it has not changed the power itself. if the tides ever turn on the Terminally Online Woke ideology, staff will change with it and adapt their policies and ideologies to keep their power.

if anyone is to shoulder the blame for the creation of this pathology, it is the elitist attitude that has allowed a select few to be worshipped unquestionably. it is the power-hungry individuals who seek out fame and respect on a writing website and then use this fame and respect to treat others badly and their fear of a fall from grace to shelter others treating people worse. it is on the shoulders of the staff members who use their position to groom and sexually assault minors. it is on the shoulders of the staff members who keep it silent. as the severity of staff's secrets has increased, so has their attempts to silence dissent and reform at all costs.

the author agrees that this kind of religious think might lead to a cult in the future. the author says the cult will be a cult of vulnerability, but I disagree. I believe the cult is already there, and it is -- and always has been -- a cult of power.

#scp shenanigans #anon #asks

[literallymechanical]

Well, are you going to fill us in on "why we are morally obligated as a species to some day blow up the Earth"? Sounds like a supervillain backstory

(This was originally inspired by qntm’s fantastic satirical essay, “To Destroy The Earth,” but I disagree with him on a few key points. I highly recommend checking out qntm’s fiction, particularly Ra, Fine Structure, and There Is No Antimemetics Division. Disclaimer: this is a thought experiment, I’m not actually going to destroy the Earth.)

Let us begin with this: you want to destroy the Earth.

That’s not a question or an instruction, that’s an axiom. A fundamental truth from which a logical system is built. It’s your Statement Zero, the singular concept from which the rest of these instructions are built: you want to destroy the Earth. You might not know why, and you certainly don’t know how. Trust me, you really don’t know how. Take all of your cultural knowledge of Death Stars and hyperspace construction crews and throw it out the window, because it’s not worth a clipped penny.

That being said, here are a few reasons to somebody might want to destroy the Earth:

You want to wipe out humanity

You want to wipe out some other species

General misanthropy

It’s obstructing your view of the Moon.

You want us to colonize Mars or Venus, and you figure this is the best way to get everybody on board.

These are bad reasons to destroy the Earth. If any of these sentiments resonate with you, please stop reading this essay. This isn’t for you.

Anyway, let's put a pin in the “why” for now. We'll get to it later. Let's tackle the "how" first.

To destroy the Earth, you need a Plan, with a capital P.

The shape of the Plan is extremely simple to define, much simpler than the relatively detailed (and, in my opinion, fragile) instructions others have outlined. It has just two parts.

Figure out how to destroy the Earth. This is defined as the Earth not being there when you're done—any chump with nuclear weapons can scour the Earth, you're trying to make the entire thing go away.

Destroy the Earth.

However, a lot of shapes are simple to define, but hard to draw. The Mandelbrot set can be defined by a single equation and a couple of instructions, but the result is a fractal. This Plan will be fractally intricate as well. We certainly can’t draw up the full Plan right now. We can barely even begin to draw the outline. Let’s take a quick stab at it anyway.

First of all, I don’t know how to destroy the Earth. We can speculate a bit, but we certainly can’t choose a method yet—you'll likely need multiple redundant strategies anyway. “Blow it up” is one idea, but the gravitational binding energy of the Earth is about 2*10^32 joules, and there is no conceivable technology that can handle that sort of power right now. “Launch bits of it into space one by one until there’s nothing left” sounds promising, though it will take a while. “Mess with its orbit until it’s close enough to the Sun’s Roche limit to get ripped to shreds” is a fun idea. Or maybe in the next million years, you'll come up with a better way.

The most important part of that statement is “the next million years.” It will take a very long time to figure this one out. A million years is a pretty good estimate, though if you'll proactive it might take as little as a couple hundred thousand.

That brings us to the hardest part of the Plan: making sure the Plan survives a million years.

Right now, you're in a precarious position. Climate change probably won’t entirely wipe us out, but it will likely disrupt civilization enough that the Plan will be lost. Nuclear war might actually cause us to go extinct. A killer asteroid certainly would. Therefore, the first thing the Plan needs to do is save the world. Reverse climate change, or at least halt it. Nuclear disarmament. Peace, or as close as we can get to it. Medicine, spaceflight, art, prosperity, happiness, survival—all part of the Plan.

Colonizing other planets, and eventually other solar systems, is also in the Plan. Not just for a backup in case of killer meteor, but also because when you do destroy the Earth, you’ll need somewhere to stand. Remember, you're not trying to wipe out humanity here! Just destroy a planet. This will be tricky. It’s very likely that there’s no such thing as faster-than-light travel, so it will take a while to spread across the galaxy. This might take up the bulk of the million-year timeline.

(Quick note: you may be tempted to conquer the Earth, or set yourself up as some sort of galaxy-spanning God-Ruler. In my personal opinion, this is a bad idea. Right now, empires typically last a couple hundred years before falling. Do you think it would be easier to hold on to multiple planets than just a bit of land around the Mediterranean? I believe that it’s best to have your Plan set up a system where people can survive and thrive without needing you.)

But as tricky as interstellar colonization may be, it’s still the easy part. The hard part is that the entire Plan has to reconstruct itself from scratch if everything goes wrong.

The Plan has to be the most massively redundant, self-repairing, and robust project humanity has ever undertaken, or will ever undertake. The Plan needs to be able to resurrect our entire species on its own, without human intervention, in case something goes wrong (e.g. nuclear war) and we all get wiped out. Here’s one idea: computerize the Humanity Reboot Protocol, stamp the code onto platinum bricks, launch a million copies into deep space and onto every rocky body in the solar system, and have it check back in every once in a while. You can have that one for free.

The Plan also needs to have a way to re-motivate humanity to destroy the Earth. Maybe that’s as simple as posting it to tumblr and having a lot of people read it, but it will probably be a bit more complicated. Crucially, the Plan does not have to be visible. Nobody actually needs to know that the Plan exists, if you’re clever enough. You might be tempted to turn it into a religion, but religions change and die. Remember: the Plan has to eventually pop off, no matter what we do to ourselves.

The Plan is now its own entity, both distinct from and deeply intertwined with humanity.

(As a side note, this begs the question: What if the Plan is already in effect? If it’s a good Plan, we wouldn’t be able to tell. What if some sufficiently motivated creature set things into motion ten thousand or a hundred thousand or a million years ago? Food for thought.)

Alright. So, enough time has passed, and you’ve figured out how to destroy the Earth. I use “you” loosely at this point. Maybe, against all odds, you’ve figured out immortality, or mind-uploading, cloning, whatever. More likely, you’ve been dust for a million years. That’s not important. Regardless, “you” are standing on Mars or wherever and your metaphorical finger is hovering a metaphorical big red button marked “DESTROY THE EARTH.” Step 2 of the Plan.

Let’s pause here and go back to that pin from before: Why? Why are you destroying the Earth?

Well, a lot of reasons. If I were doing this, my Plan would include abandoning the Earth for other star systems and setting it up as some sort of museum. I'd take all the biosphere with me, of course, and make better Earths elsewhere. Imagine a hundred Earths, each of which are perfect nature preserves, or more! Imagine finding a good silica-heavy planet, turning it into molten glass, and sculpting it into something beautiful. Imagine spelling your name in an Oort cloud. Imagine an ocean planet full of whales.

Imagine coming back to a deserted G-type solar system with a few dusty rocks, an asteroid belt, and a handful of gas giants. Imagine breaking them down to make raw materials for a Dyson sphere.

Bam! Earth destroyed! You did it!

Maybe a paleontologist somewhere will figure out that this might be the planet where we first evolved, and it would be nice to put it somewhere safe. Hey, does that count as destroying the Earth? Where the Earth once was, there is now empty space. No more Earth! That sounds pretty destroyed to me. Bam! Earth destroyed! You did it!

Maybe your Plan is different, and the Earth is still inhabited. For what it’s worth, I hope you’ve made it a paradise, one of a thousand Edens across the galaxy. It would be a shame to blow it up… but if Sol-3 is just one paradise among many, what makes it significant? “Earth” is our homeworld, but now there are a thousand homeworlds, so what is “Earth?” What makes this one rock special? Nothing! You’ve successfully destroyed the entire concept of “Earth.” That might be harder than blowing up a planet! Well done! You did it!

In conclusion, here is why I say it’s a moral imperative to destroy the Earth:

Eventually, a baby bird has to leave the nest. Somebody needs to be the mom bird who lures her chicks off the edge, and it might as well be me.

[goblin-witch]

ꉔꏂ꒒꓄꒐ꉔ ꓄ꋪꏂꏂ ꋬꇙ꓄ꋪꄲ꒒ꄲꍌꌦ

Celtic Tree Astrology is the astrological system practiced by the ancient Irish. It is based on an ancient Celtic symbol system. The Celtic Zodiac is drawn from the beliefs of the Druids and is based on the cycles of the moon. The year is divided into 13 lunar months, with a tree (sacred to the druids) assigned to each month. Each tree has particular magical qualities whose secret mysteries come from the ancient Celtic alphabet, the Ogram.

The Celts envisioned the entire Universe in the form of a tree, whose roots grew deep below (in the ground) and whose branches reached up high (into the Heavens). In time, the Celtic people eventually designated a tree to each of the 13 Moon phases in their calendar, in accordance with its magical properties. As such the Celtic Zodiac is based upon the cycles of the Moon, with the year divided into the 13 lunar months established by the Druid religion.

The Druid religion was based mainly upon an awareness of natural and supernatural energies. These energies were identified with spirits and the Celtic Druids believed that trees were given these spirits, who dwelt within, and were perceived as attributes of the Supreme Being. Thus, trees were considered living entities, possessed with Infinite Knowledge and Wisdom, symbolically representative of the Cycle of Life, Death and Renewal, and symbolically connected with the three planes of existence: mind, body, and spirit.

Birch – The Achiever

December 24 – January 20

If you were born under the energy of the Birch you can be highly driven, and often motivate others they become easily caught in your zeal, drive and ambition. You are always reaching for more, seeking better horizons and obtaining higher aspirations. The Druids attributed this to your time of birth, which is a time of year shrouded by darkness, so consequently you are always stretching out to find the light. Birch signs (just like the tree) are tolerant, tough, and resilient. You are cool-headed and are natural-born rulers, often taking command when a situation calls for leadership. When in touch with your softer side, you also bring beauty in otherwise barren spaces, brightening up a room with your guile, and charming crowds with your quick wit. Celtic tree astrology Birch signs are compatible with Vine signs and Willow signs.

Rowan – The Thinker

January 21 – February 17

Celtic tree astrology recognizes Rowan signs as the philosophical minds within the zodiac. If you were born under the Rowan energy, you are likely a keen-minded visionary, with high ideals. Your thoughts are original and creative, so much so, that others often misunderstand from where you are coming. This sometimes makes you aloof when interacting with others as you feel they wouldn’t understand where you are coming from anyway. Nevertheless, although you may appear to have a cool exterior, you are burning within your passionate ideals. This inner passion provides inner motivation for you as you make your way through life. You have a natural ability to transform situations and people around you by your mere presence. You are highly influential in a quiet way and others look to you for your unique perspectives. Rowan pairs well with Ivy and Hawthorn signs.

Ash – The Enchanter

February 18 – March 17

Those born under the Celtic tree astrology sign of the Ash are free thinkers. Imaginative, intuitive, and naturally artistic, you see the world in water-color purity. You have a tendency to moody and withdrawn at times, but that’s only because your inner landscape is in constant motion. You are in touch with your muse, and you are easily inspired by nature. Likewise, you inspire all that you associate with and people seek you out for your enchanting personality. Art, writing (especially poetry), science, and theology (spiritual matters) are areas that strongly interest you. Others may think you are reclusive, but in all honesty, you are simply immersed in your own world of fantastic vision and design. You are in a constant state of self-renewal and you rarely place a value on what others think about you. Ash signs partners well with Willow and Reed signs.

Alder – The Trailblazer

March 18 – April 14

If you are an Alder sign within the Celtic tree astrology system, you are a natural-born pathfinder. You’re a mover and a shaker, and will blaze a trail with fiery passion often gaining loyal followers to your cause. You are charming, gregarious and mingle easily with a broad mix of personalities. In other words, Alder signs get along with everybody and everybody loves to hang around with you. This might be because Alder’s are easily confident and have a strong self-faith. This self-assurance is infectious and other people recognize this quality in you instantly. Alder Celtic tree astrology signs are very focused and dislike waste. Consequently, they can see through superficialities and will not tolerate fluff. Alder people place high value on their time, and feel that wasting time is insufferable. They are motivated by action and results. Alder’s pair well with Hawthorns, Oaks or even Birch signs.

Willow – The Observer

April 15 – May 12

If you are a Willow sign, you are ruled by the moon, and so your personality holds hands with many of the mystical aspects of the lunar realm. This means you are highly creative, intuitive (highly psychic people are born under the sign of the Willow) and intelligent. You have a keen understanding of cycles, and you inherently know that every situation has a season. This gives you a realistic perspective of things, and also causes you to be more patient than most tree signs. With your intelligence comes a natural ability to retain knowledge and you often impress your company with the ability to expound on subjects from memory. Willow Celtic tree astrology signs are bursting with potential, but have a tendency to hold themselves back for fear of appearing flamboyant or overindulgent. It is your powers of perception that ultimately allow your true nature to shine, and what leads you to success in life. Willow signs join well with the Birch and the Ivy.

Hawthorn – The Illusionist

May 13 – June 9

Hawthorn signs in Celtic tree astrology are not at all what they appear to be. Outwardly, they appear to be a certain persona, while on the inside Hawthorn’s are quite different. They put the term “never judge a book by its cover” to the test. They live seemingly average lives while on the inside they carry fiery passions and inexhaustible creative flame. They are well adjusted and can adapt to most life situations well – making themselves content and comforting others at the same time. You are naturally curious, and have an interest in a broad range of topics. You are an excellent listener, and people seek you out as an outlet to release their burdens. You have a healthy sense of humor, and have a clear understanding of irony. You tend to see the big picture, and have amazing insight – although you typically won’t give yourself enough credit for your observations. Hawthorn signs match up nicely with Ash and Rowan’s.

Oak – The Stabilizer

June 10 – July 7

Those born under the Celtic tree astrology sign of the Oak have a special gift of strength. They are protective people and often become a champion for those who do not have a voice. In other words, the Oak is the crusader and the spokesperson for the underdog. Nurturing, generous and helpful, you are a gentle giant among the Celtic zodiac signs. You exude an easy confidence and naturally assume everything will work out to a positive outcome. You have a deep respect for history and ancestry, and many people with this sign become teachers. You love to impart your knowledge of the past to others. Oak signs have a need for structure, and will often go to great lengths to gain the feeling of control in their lives. Healthy Oak signs live long, full, happy lives and enjoy large family settings and are likely to be involved with large social/community networks. Oak signs pair off well with the Ash and Reed, and are known to harmoniously join with Ivy signs too.

Holly – The Ruler

July 8 – August 4

Among the Celtic tree astrology signs the Holly is one of regal status. Noble, and high-minded, those born during the Holly era easily take on positions of leadership and power. If you are a Holly sign you take on challenges easily, and you overcome obstacles with rare skill and tact. When you encounter setbacks, you simply redouble your efforts and remain ever vigilant to obtain your end goals. Very seldom are you defeated. This is why many people look up to you and follow you as their leader. You are competitive and ambitious even in the most casual settings. You can appear to be arrogant but in actuality you’re just very confident in your abilities. Truth be known, you are quite generous, kind and affectionate (once people get to know you). Highly intelligent, you skate through academics where others may struggle. Because many things come to you so easily, you may have a tendency to rest on your laurels. In other words, if not kept active, you may slip into an unhealthy and lazy lifestyle. Holly signs may look to Ash and Elder signs for balance and partnership.

Hazel – The Knower

August 5 – September 1

If you are born under the energy of the Hazel, you are highly intelligent, organized and efficient. Like Holly, you are naturally gifted in academia, and excel in the classroom. You also have the ability to retain information and can recall, recite and expound on subjects you’ve memorized with amazing accuracy. You know your facts, and you are always well informed. This sometimes makes you appear like a know-it-all to others, but you can’t help that; you’re genuinely smart and usually know the right course of action because of your impressive knowledge base. You have an eye for detail, and like things to be “just so.” Sometimes this need for order and control can lead to compulsive behaviors if left unchecked. You have a knack for numbers, science and things that utilize your analytical skills. You like rules, although you are typically making them rather than playing by them. The Celtic tree astrology sign of Hazel joins harmoniously with Hawthorn and Rowan’s.

Vine – The Equalizer

September 2 – September 29

Vine signs are born within the autumnal equinox, which makes your personality changeable and unpredictable. You can be full of contradictions, and are often indecisive. But this is because you can see both sides of the story, and empathize with each equally. It is hard for you to pick sides because you can see the good points on each end. There are, however, areas in your life that you are quite sure about. These include the finer things of life like food, wine, music, and art. You have very distinctive taste, and are a connoisseur of refinement. Luxury agrees with you, and under good conditions you have a Midas touch for turning drab into dramatic beauty. You are charming, elegant, and maintain a level of class that wins you esteem from a large fan base. Indeed, you often find yourself in public places where others can admire your classic style and poise. Vine signs pair well with Willow and Hazel signs.

Ivy – The Survivor

September 30 – October 27

Among other cherished qualities of the Ivy Celtic tree astrology sign, most prized is your ability to overcome all odds. You have a sharp intellect, but more obvious is your compassion and loyalty to others. You have a giving nature, and are always there to lend a helping hand. You are born at a time of the waning sun so life can be difficult for you at times. This sometimes seems unfair because it appears that obstacles are coming at with no prompting on your part. Nevertheless, you endure troubling times with silent perseverance and soulful grace. Indeed, Ivy signs have a tendency to be deeply spiritual and cling to a deep-rooted faith that typically sees them trough adversity. You are soft spoken, but have a keen wit about you. You are charming, charismatic, and can effectively hold your own in most social settings. Ivy signs are attracted to the Celtic tree astrology sign of Oak and Ash signs.

Reed – The Inquisitor

October 28 – November 24

Reed signs among the Celtic tree astrology signs are the secret keepers. You dig deep inside to the real meaning of things and discover the truth hidden beneath layers of distraction. When there is a need to get to the heart of the matter, most certainly the Reed sign will find the core. You love a good story, and can be easily drawn in by gossip, scandals, legend and lore. These tendencies also make you an excellent historian, journalist, detective or archaeologist. You love people because they represent a diversity of meanings for you to interpret. You are adept at coaxing people to talk to you, and sometimes you can be a bit manipulative. However, you have a strong sense of truth and honor so most of your scheming is harmless. Reed people join well with other Reeds, Ash or Oak signs.

Elder – The Seeker

November 25 – December 23

Elder archetypes among Celtic tree astrology tend to be freedom-loving, and sometimes appear to be a bit wild to the other signs of the zodiac. In younger years you may have lived life in the fast lane, often identified as a “thrill seeker.” At the time of your birth the light of the sun was fast fleeting and so you took the same cue from nature. You are often misjudged as an outsider as you have a tendency to be withdrawn in spite of your extroverted nature. In actuality, you are deeply thoughtful with philosophical bent. You also tend to be very considerate of others and genuinely strive to be helpful. These acts of assistance are sometimes thwarted by your brutal honesty (which you openly share solicited or otherwise). Elder Celtic tree astrology signs fit well with Alder’s and Holly’s.

#celtic tree astrology #celtic #astrology #zodiac #druid #druids #magick #magic #cottagecore #mine #witch #aesthetic #chill #cottage witch #faecore #nature #cottage #forest #trees #tree #witchcraft #zodiac sign #zodiac signs #text #long text #long text post #long post #irish #ireland

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Answer asap (I feel bad saying that, but I'm stuck). Do you have any resources for dating/not dating non-christians? A dear friend of mine told me they care for me, and I feel the same for them, but... all the resources online warn again and again not to date non-christians lest they endanger my faith. I feel like going forward with this would be ignorant at best and would set us both up for heartbreak. And I fear my fear itself would lead to me trying to convert them. But I still care for them.

Hey, anon! Thanks for reaching out -- the rhetoric among many Christians against interfaith relationships, particularly with the argument that they’re “unequally yoked,” is something I haven’t addressed in years, and have been meaning to discuss again. 

Little disclaimer at the start that this stuff is so contextual, and it’s personal -- I don’t know your life as well as you do, or this friend of yours like you do. Maybe what i say doesn’t fit you and your situation. 

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To begin, I firmly believe that interfaith relationships can be and often are truly beautiful, holy partnerships. (This includes relationships in which one or multiple members identifies as an atheist / otherwise doesn’t ascribe to a particular religion.) 

When both (or all) members are respectful of one another’s beliefs, and find as much joy in learning as in teaching their partner(s), their unique perspectives can deeply enrich one another. You can bear good fruit together that glorifies God and nourishes others. 

This being said, you definitely want to at least begin working through your worries and fears before starting to date this person. If you enter the relationship overwhelmed with fear or guilt about dating them, it’ll bring a lot of resentment and angst. The rest of this post points out things you’ll want to reflect on and read up on before entering this or any interfaith relationship -- and offers resources that can help.

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Interfaith Partners: Always “Unequally Yoked”?

I’m sure you’ve seen a certain phrase on those websites you mentioned, drawn from 2 Corinthians 6:14 -- “unequally yoked.”  I’m going to end this post with some alternative ways of interpreting this verse, but what Christians who advise against interfaith relationships take it to mean is something like this:

Just as two animals yoked to the same plow should be of equal strength and on the same page so that one doesn’t do more of the work, or get tugged away from the work by the other one, two partners should also be of equal “spiritual” strength and on the same page when it comes to their faith...

And of course, these people will say, a person who is Christian is definitely spiritually stronger than any non-Christian -- and a non-Christian might just pull them away from The Way, getting them to skip church or prayers or even stop being Christian entirely.

But there are a lot of assumptions there that don’t hold true in every relationship, right? First off, who says every Christian is necessarily “spiritually stronger” than every non-Christian? To claim that is to assume that non-Christians don’t also have access to spirituality or to the Divine -- which I’m going to push against throughout this post. 

Furthermore, the assumption that a non-Christian partner will definitely harm your own Christian faith doesn’t have to be true, as I’ll get to in a second.

So yeah, keeping these assumptions about an interfaith relationship being inherently “unequally yoked” in mind, and with a plan on returning to this phrase at the end, let’s move on to specific things you should think about before entering an interfaith relationship. 

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Must a non-Christian partner “endanger” your faith -- or can they enrich it?

If being open to learning about how our fellow human beings perceive the world, humanity, and the divine “endangers one’s faith,” perhaps that kind of faith was not made to last. Perhaps it has to give way in order to birth a new, deeper faith -- a faith that is bold enough to wrestle with God as Jacob did; broad enough to survive questions and doubts and times of grief; and wise enough to perceive the Spirit blowing wherever She will (John 3:8), not only among Christians.

If your partner truly respects you and your faith even if it’s different from theirs, they’ll do what they can to help you be the best Christian you can be -- or at the very least, they will give you the space and time you need to go to church, pray, etc. And you will do the same, helping them to be the best Muslim, Buddhist, or simply person they can be.

I highly recommend asking this friend of yours before you start dating what their thoughts are on your being a Christian, and/or on Christianity in general.

Is it something that makes them happy for you? is it something that makes them deeply uncomfortable? or something that they don’t have strong feelings one way or the other on? .

How “involved” would they be open to being in your faith? Would they be interested in going to church with you, as long as they could trust you weren’t trying to force them into anything? Would they enjoy talking about your varying beliefs together and how they impact your lives? Or would they never ever want you to bring up Christianity (which I imagine for you would be a deal breaker)? .

Be open and honest with one another about what expectations you each have about things like boundaries around discussing faith, about time and space you each want for practicing your faith, etc. As you seem aware, it’s better to get all this clear before you start dating, to avoid problems later down the road! 

For an example of what such discussions might look like, I found this story from Robert Repta, a Christian man married to a Jewish man. Their union, he says, has included working out what it means not only to be gay persons of faith, but also persons of two different faiths:

“Ultimately, what happened was that in our struggles to find ourselves, we ended up growing closer together. We both supported and challenged each other. We began asking each other bigger life questions and talking about religion, God, science. Both of our lives were evolving, and what started to happen was that we started seeing the similarities in our core beliefs more than the differences. Some of those beliefs even evolved along the way.

We both believed in God. We both believed that God is love. We volunteered together. He would occasionally come with me to church, and I would occasionally go with him to the synagogue. Eventually, I could see that the common thread between us was unconditional love. The same unconditional love of God.”

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On pressuring a non-Christian partner to convert -- assumptions about Christian superiority & fearing for their afterlife destination

It’s really good you recognize that it might end up being hard for you not to try to get this person to convert! Before dating them, you should keep reflecting on this and decide whether that’s something you can let go of or not. If it’s not, then you’re probably right in thinking this relationship won’t work out. 

It would be highly disrespectful to this person you care about to pressure them to become a Christian in order for you to feel okay about being with them. (And for more thoughts on how evangelism and conversion as carried out by many Christians isn’t what Jesus had in mind, see this post.) Doing so would imply a lot of things, including that you don’t think they’re a worthy or equal partner unless they make this big change, that whatever beliefs or ideologies they currently hold are inferior to yours, etc.

In order for your interfaith relationship to go well, you would need to come to understand non-Christians as being equally made in God’s image, equally worthy of dignity, equally capable of doing good in the world. You’d have to come to believe that there is much of value within their own religion / ideology that you as a Christian could learn from. 

Let’s bring in our lovely Christian/Jewish couple from before: as his relationship with David developed, Robert discovered that 

“God is not conformed to this world we live in; God does not belong solely to the Pentecostals or the Baptists, to the Jews or Gentiles, to Muslims or Zoroastrians. Two of the most profound self-identifiers God calls himself in the Bible is “love” and “I am.””

Here are a few resources that can help you explore the idea that other religions are as valid as Christianity and also have much wisdom to bring to the world:

I highly recommend you check out the book Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor to help you explore how you can be a devout Christian and learn from and form mutual relationships with persons who are not Christian. You can check out passages from the book in my tag here. .

You might also like my two podcast episodes on interfaith relationships (in general, not romantic ones, but the same material applies) -- episode 30, “No One Owns God: Readying yourself for respectful interfaith encounters” and episode 31, “It's good to have wings, but you have to have roots too": Cultivating your faith while embracing religious pluralism.” You can find links to both episodes as well as their transcripts over on this webpage. .

There might also be some helpful stuff in my #interfaith tag or #other faiths tag if you wander around. .

Simply getting to know whatever religion this friend does belong to (or what ideologies and value systems they maintain if they’re atheist / non-religious) can also be super helpful. Ask them what resources they can think of that can help get to know their religion as they experience it. Attend worship service (virtually works!), seek out folks on social media who share their religion, etc. I bet you’ll find a lot that you have in common -- and hopefully you’ll find some of the differences thought-provoking and enriching to your own understandings of Divinity!

I’m guessing a lot of your worry stems from the assumption that non-Christians don’t go to heaven. If you believe that not being a Christian leads to hell after death, it’s very hard to view non-Christians and their beliefs as equal to your own!

That Holy Envy book discusses this genuine fear many Christians have on behalf of non-Christians, and how to let it go.  .

Here’s a post with links to other posts describing the belief that many faithful and serious Christians hold that non-Christians don’t all get whisked to hell. .

And a post on the harm done by fearmongering about hell. .

Finally, a little more on the academic side but if you’re interested in some history behind Christian views of hell that can help you see that there really is no one “true” belief here, check out the links in this post.

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Reinterpreting “unequally yoked”

I said we’d get back to this, and here we are! While the easiest to find interpretation of 2 Corinthians 6:14′s “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers” is that it argues against interfaith marriage, there are other ways to read this text.

I adore this article I found on the passage from a Christian minister who is married to a Hindu monk -- “Unequally Yoked”: How Christians Get Interfaith Marriage Wrong.” Incredibly, Rev. J. Dana Trent writes that when she and her now-husband dug into 2 Corinthians 6:14 to see what it was all about, she found that 

“An ancient scripture meant to deter us from getting involved with each other actually brought us together. Our core beliefs in God became the focus of our study and relationship, not the issues that divided us.”

She also explains that biblical scholars say this verse isn’t even specifically about interfaith marriage -- which becomes clear when you read the full chapter surrounding it! It’s more general -- about the hazards of “working with” an unbeliever.

And what exactly is an unbeliever? Paul and other “believers” of these very early days of Christianity had a different definition than we might today -- an “unbeliever” wasn’t synonymous with “non-Christian,” because Christianity hadn’t even solidified into an actual religion yet! Instead, a nonbeliever was "anyone exposed to but was not faithful to Christ’s teachings—someone not characterized by devotion, love, peace, mercy, and forgiveness.” 

In other words, if a person in those early days was told about the good news of Jesus that entailed things like liberation of the oppressed and love of neighbor, they didn’t have to “become a Christian” to accept that good news. And thus, Rev. Trent continues,

“Today, my husband’s deep Hindu faith has taught me to dig deeper into what Jesus would have me do. Perhaps Paul might have even considered me an “unbeliever,” as I claimed to be a baptized Christian, but my life did not inwardly and outwardly reflect the Gospel. Since marrying Fred, I re-attuned my life to Christian spiritual practices: spending more time in contemplative prayer, practicing non-violence through a vegetarian diet, limiting my consumption, and increasing my service to others.

Much to many Christians’ dismay, it took a person of another faith—a seemingly “unequally yoked” partner, to strengthen my Christian walk.”

Isn’t it beautiful to hear how this relationship between a Christian minister and Hindu monk has born good fruit for both of them? They help one another become the best Christian and best Hindu they can be, respectively. They are both so deeply committed to faith -- that doesn’t sound like an “unequal yoking” to me.

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Whew, this got long! But it’s a big topic, and one I hope you’ll take the time to explore. Bring God into it; bring your friend into as much as they’re comfortable. And feel free to come back and ask me more questions as you go.

If anyone knows of other articles or other resources that explore the good fruit that can come from an interfaith partnership, please share! 

#interfaith relationships #unequally yoked #progressive christians #interfaith dating #Anonymous #relationship tag