If Christ were here there is one thing he would not be—a Christian.”
― Mark Twain
“You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, burning bushes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?”
― Mark Twain
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
Thank you for the Mark Twain. I would like to encourage those reading here today to read, or re-read, as the case may be, Twain's posthumously published work, Letters From The Earth. Maybe the quotes that you posted are from that book, but IDK, I'm not a scholar. I'm only a person trying to make some sense out of this long, strange trip. Some days I am successful with that endeavor, and some days - not so much.
yw, Susan. I will be reading Letters From The Earth asap; I'm glad you recommended it. Quotes not from book; just looked up Mark Twain quotes. Not a scholar either, just love reading. There is no logic to this mass hallucination called reality, no rationale. Every day is a test and it's so hard to be objective. I hope we will have more positive days and good news coming. Be well. 💖
What bothers me most about the Evangelical Christian Nationalists are two things: the constant recruiting/grooming of children by interfering in secular education in order to keep kids dumb, complicit and compliant; the strident, aggressive and escalating Holy War against everyone that doesn't fit their twisted world view. My soul belongs to me, not some ginned up crusade against people who have never done me any harm.
I was agnostic until I found out through DNA testing that I have some neanderthal DNA. Then my mind was made up for good. But I don't go around preaching to others that they're being deceived. I wish they would have the common courtesy of doing the same. This "Christian Nationalism" bullshit is a poison to us all.
This is why I left the Catholic Church and won't join one of the many MAGA mega churches springing up in my area!😡 They are all about keeping everyone but White cisgender men down. Jesus taught us how to live in God's grace by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Well stated! I spent 7 years in Catholic school and an important I learned that I needed to avoid Catholic high school at all costs. (Up to and including leaving half the entrance exam blank! ) I actually received an excellent education there but didn’t understand why some of the nuns were so mean to kids…the opposite of what they told us Jesus said! It just solidified in my mind that I was done with the whole fire and brimstone thing!
I was 4th of 4 kids, the older 3 went to Catholic HS then tuition money ran out! Public HS opened my eyes and my mind to non-white non-Catholic non-religious non-binary non-American people and was it glorious. Back in 3rd grade I recognized the hypocrisy of the adults around me and rejected religion after I received the sacrement of Confirmation. I also got an excellent education, especially reading and grammar, otherwise, yeh, they could do some bad things. The so-called "age of reason" was 7yo then so I was well-reasoned at a young age.
I was raised Catholic and I still believe in God but not the Catholic Church. To me they are two separate things. I stopped totally going to church after our kids were out of school because by then I had had it with the hypocrisy I was seeing in the church. Love thy neighbor and be accepting are ways in which good decent people live and they don’t have conditions attached to them. The church doesn’t act this way and I can’t be part of that.
I have one correction, though. Logical minds wouldn’t say there is no heaven or hell - we have no evidence either way. Not that there is currently a way to test either of those hypotheses, but logic requires evidence. You can’t prove there is no afterlife. For all we know Disney is correct and Fido is waiting for us on the farm our parents told him he went to.
I grew up in the same kind of household. My father regularly beat me to save me from hell. I'm 69 years old and still have anxiety because of my upbringing. My family still believes in the whole white Christian enchilada, so I am the black sheep. I don't give a yucky.
The church I grew up in, my aunt was having an affair with the pastor, everyone was beating (not spanking) their children, and there were a lot of people who went to church Sunday morning smelling of alcohol.
I live like I was taught that Jesus wanted me to live. I don't attend organized religious services. I am a left leaning Democrat. I talk to anyone who will listen about how bad Project 2025 is.
Keep up the great work you do. You are my emotional support writer!
You made a lot of sense and it's true. I was raised catholic and I understand your point of view on churchs and religion. You're on point. The thing that bothers me is how Trump and Vance use religion as a guideline for their views when it's convenient.
I always find it so strange that American Christians are far more likely to fail at conflict resolution and sustaining any true measures of forgiveness or tolerance. Kinda the opposite of what that hippie dippy sandal-wearin' water-walkin' last supperin' Mediterranean Roman-defyin' unhoused fella always used to say. Funny, that. Christians like the Big Bad Overlord of the Old Testament far, far more than they like the peaceful beatnik of the New Testament. They'd rather offer fealty to the Big Guy who turned folks into pillars of salt, drowned the world, and smited left and right. Religion that harms others, fits into their tribal mindset of punishment to those who are different. Weak. Sauce.
Grace just said that she soundly whipped the old devil's ass before putting him in restraints for later play. She also reiterated that sin is a made-up religious concept.
Wow. Well said. I was one of those parents and couldn’t feel worse about it. I’ve spent the last 20+ years rebuilding my relationships with my kids. They were PKs too and their pastor dad ended up disgracing himself and us in the process.
One of my sons is an atheist now and the other two are wounded believers. I am a humbled, broken believer who has eaten so many of my self righteous words that my I have chronic constipation! May God forgive me and your parents for our foolish ignorance and pride.
If Christ were here there is one thing he would not be—a Christian.”
― Mark Twain
“You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, burning bushes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?”
― Mark Twain
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
― Mark Twain
Thank you for the Mark Twain. I would like to encourage those reading here today to read, or re-read, as the case may be, Twain's posthumously published work, Letters From The Earth. Maybe the quotes that you posted are from that book, but IDK, I'm not a scholar. I'm only a person trying to make some sense out of this long, strange trip. Some days I am successful with that endeavor, and some days - not so much.
yw, Susan. I will be reading Letters From The Earth asap; I'm glad you recommended it. Quotes not from book; just looked up Mark Twain quotes. Not a scholar either, just love reading. There is no logic to this mass hallucination called reality, no rationale. Every day is a test and it's so hard to be objective. I hope we will have more positive days and good news coming. Be well. 💖
What bothers me most about the Evangelical Christian Nationalists are two things: the constant recruiting/grooming of children by interfering in secular education in order to keep kids dumb, complicit and compliant; the strident, aggressive and escalating Holy War against everyone that doesn't fit their twisted world view. My soul belongs to me, not some ginned up crusade against people who have never done me any harm.
I was agnostic until I found out through DNA testing that I have some neanderthal DNA. Then my mind was made up for good. But I don't go around preaching to others that they're being deceived. I wish they would have the common courtesy of doing the same. This "Christian Nationalism" bullshit is a poison to us all.
that's right, Angela, it should be kept as a personal thing! They have faith in their god, I have faith in myself because I am god ♀️
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
This is why I left the Catholic Church and won't join one of the many MAGA mega churches springing up in my area!😡 They are all about keeping everyone but White cisgender men down. Jesus taught us how to live in God's grace by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Well stated! I spent 7 years in Catholic school and an important I learned that I needed to avoid Catholic high school at all costs. (Up to and including leaving half the entrance exam blank! ) I actually received an excellent education there but didn’t understand why some of the nuns were so mean to kids…the opposite of what they told us Jesus said! It just solidified in my mind that I was done with the whole fire and brimstone thing!
I agree after 8 yrs of catholic school. I was done and talked my parents into going to a public high school.
I was 4th of 4 kids, the older 3 went to Catholic HS then tuition money ran out! Public HS opened my eyes and my mind to non-white non-Catholic non-religious non-binary non-American people and was it glorious. Back in 3rd grade I recognized the hypocrisy of the adults around me and rejected religion after I received the sacrement of Confirmation. I also got an excellent education, especially reading and grammar, otherwise, yeh, they could do some bad things. The so-called "age of reason" was 7yo then so I was well-reasoned at a young age.
“Fuck that noise” indeed.
I was raised Catholic and I still believe in God but not the Catholic Church. To me they are two separate things. I stopped totally going to church after our kids were out of school because by then I had had it with the hypocrisy I was seeing in the church. Love thy neighbor and be accepting are ways in which good decent people live and they don’t have conditions attached to them. The church doesn’t act this way and I can’t be part of that.
Great piece!
I have one correction, though. Logical minds wouldn’t say there is no heaven or hell - we have no evidence either way. Not that there is currently a way to test either of those hypotheses, but logic requires evidence. You can’t prove there is no afterlife. For all we know Disney is correct and Fido is waiting for us on the farm our parents told him he went to.
Still agree with all the other sentiments.
Its been hard to endure all this Christian Nationalism. They love being above everyone else. Even God!
I grew up in the same kind of household. My father regularly beat me to save me from hell. I'm 69 years old and still have anxiety because of my upbringing. My family still believes in the whole white Christian enchilada, so I am the black sheep. I don't give a yucky.
The church I grew up in, my aunt was having an affair with the pastor, everyone was beating (not spanking) their children, and there were a lot of people who went to church Sunday morning smelling of alcohol.
I live like I was taught that Jesus wanted me to live. I don't attend organized religious services. I am a left leaning Democrat. I talk to anyone who will listen about how bad Project 2025 is.
Keep up the great work you do. You are my emotional support writer!
You made a lot of sense and it's true. I was raised catholic and I understand your point of view on churchs and religion. You're on point. The thing that bothers me is how Trump and Vance use religion as a guideline for their views when it's convenient.
and Vance is supposedly Catholic, the word means "universal", just more denial of reality 😓😡
Well said.
I always find it so strange that American Christians are far more likely to fail at conflict resolution and sustaining any true measures of forgiveness or tolerance. Kinda the opposite of what that hippie dippy sandal-wearin' water-walkin' last supperin' Mediterranean Roman-defyin' unhoused fella always used to say. Funny, that. Christians like the Big Bad Overlord of the Old Testament far, far more than they like the peaceful beatnik of the New Testament. They'd rather offer fealty to the Big Guy who turned folks into pillars of salt, drowned the world, and smited left and right. Religion that harms others, fits into their tribal mindset of punishment to those who are different. Weak. Sauce.
"...fraudulent fairy tales, I now have known this about Christianity and religion for over 25 years." 60yrs of freethinking for me 😅
Grace just said that she soundly whipped the old devil's ass before putting him in restraints for later play. She also reiterated that sin is a made-up religious concept.
Wow. Well said. I was one of those parents and couldn’t feel worse about it. I’ve spent the last 20+ years rebuilding my relationships with my kids. They were PKs too and their pastor dad ended up disgracing himself and us in the process.
One of my sons is an atheist now and the other two are wounded believers. I am a humbled, broken believer who has eaten so many of my self righteous words that my I have chronic constipation! May God forgive me and your parents for our foolish ignorance and pride.