Nontheist - Tumblr Posts
The different Christian theological assertions about the nature and state of humanity vary so widely, from “made in god’s image and being restored to that image”, to the above toxic reformed or Calvinist bullshit.
But they are all based on the unfalsifiable assertion that humans are ruined and marred in some way which they are responsible for yet incapable of correcting (allegedly, until you get to the actual acceptance, adherence, and demonstration of these theological assertions), an inherent flaw not/by design (depending on who you ask), that we caused and that must be fixed, but fixed only by some external source (due to aforementioned flaw), through varying requirements, rules, and degrees of adherence.
The most insidious of these is faith itself, because it is intangible and therefore cannot be measured or reliably tested—anyone can question your faith, (including yourself), can challenge it, deny or reject it, based on their own feelings about whether or not you played your constructed role appropriately enough for them, as they arbitrate on behalf of god because of their superstition in the equally intangible “authority”, “calling”, or “ordination”.
No one knows, no one has any idea. We’re all just making our best guess about life and what’s after, if anything. But when we move beyond our personal aspirations, desires, and beliefs, and apply them forcefully (even in our own mind: “anyone who doesn’t believe will be eternally punished”), through dogma for things that can’t be proven — or else we’d all already know it, or could know it — we abuse our “neighbors”, our fellow humans.
Believe what you want, but you don’t get to tell other people they must believe the same thing to whatever standard you feel like on a particular day or season in your life based on what someone else told you.
Christianity is like omg no ofc abuse isn't okay no true Christian would ever believe it's acceptable to tear somebody down and control them. Anyway have you heard that you're a worthless maggot and you should be thankful that God has the mercy to love someone as terrible as you so you better do what he says even when it hurts or you'll be sorry
You are the only one who lives your life, the only one who lives in your body 🖤
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Welcome to my scrupulosity
Where god can do whatever he wants and to pray against any of it is to reject the will of god which is a sin and is selfish which is a sin and is fearful which is also a sin and is prideful to think I could ever have anything other than whatever god decides for me whatever that is and that’s also a sin and so much sin in infinite layers and unknown hidden corners of my heart and mind that even I don’t know and only the spirit of god knows so I must continually pray to expose every facet of my divide deceitful heart so that I can see my sin which god is waiting for me to be willing to see and I’m never willing enough which is also a sin
But oh my god aren’t I so spiritual, so holy, so earnest, always in prayer, gifted with discernment and words of wisdom and words of knowledge and prophecy and what’s that? I should be leading and teaching and speaking and shepherding others
Hey-o religious trauma is real and Christianity reinforces trauma and rewards your coping mechanisms which perpetuates the trauma.
Do you know how you cope with the cognitive dissonance of believing a good god can kill you at any time in any way because you deserve it and it’s his will and would be loving? You disappear. You “die to yourself”, aka dissociate. You cease to exist except in an animated body rehearsing the speech and behavior of theological dogma.
In actuality, your morals are the choices you make based on your values, derived from your ethics. If you lose your belief in god and decide human catastrophe and suffering is funny and something to be celebrated, that’s a you problem and even with a practicing belief in god, you will gravitate toward theology that still reflects those values, as the artist did.
We don’t have to think this way or see things that way. We don’t have to believe that humans are irreparably flawed For Some Reason. We can select different beliefs based on different criteria we choose to highlight and emphasize, and live accordingly.
ok i had to go read minna sundberg's christian coming-to-faith comic and this is literally a flaming trainwreck. like i don't think there's been a single scene so far where i wasn't like ''okay this is literally insane i think you need therapy"