I could so easily have learned to be afraid of diversity, too. I could have believed the lie that my whiteness is better. I could have been polluted by toxic religion enough to hate queer people. an nationalist, instead of someone who opposes them. johnpavlovitz.substack.com/p/i-could-ha... - ThreadSky

johnpavlovitz.bsky.social • 2 days ago

I could so easily have learned to be afraid of diversity, too.
I could have believed the lie that my whiteness is better.
I could have been polluted by toxic religion enough to hate queer people.
an nationalist, instead of someone who opposes them.

https://johnpavlovitz.substack.com/p/i-could-have-been-a-christian-nationalist

Comments

tswillow2.bsky.social•2 days ago

No, you couldn't. "On the whole, the research shows, conservatives desire security, predictability and authority more than liberals do, and liberals are more comfortable with novelty, nuance and complexity." (Scientific American). "Conservative and Liberal Brains Might Have Some Real Differences"

jayhawk4lif.bsky.social•2 days ago

its a proven fact that most people that are liberal are smarter its fact a simple google search there are mote college educated people that are liberal etc etc and there is a also a connection between stupid and christians smart people have empathy

sadieheartsclyde.bsky.social•2 days ago

But it’s not easy to lose the plot. You have to have a combination of ignorance and no soul to be a racist white nationalist

johnpavlovitz.bsky.social•2 days ago

I could have imagined that America was the totality of the world.
I could have learned to parrot back myths about Muslims and migrants and transgender teenagers.
I could have fallen for the dangerous conspiracies and been taken in by the big lies.

johnpavlovitz.bsky.social•2 days ago

I could have weaponized God and country.

I could have been a Christian nationalist, instead of someone who opposes them.

I'm grateful that life argued with my theology and I listened to it.

peebsy0.bsky.social•2 days ago

The most faithful followers of Jesus have never been Christians.

bambiwine.bsky.social•2 days ago

Me too, John. Curious where/when you considered questioning the teachings. Mine was a very specific incidence/time that I remember vividly. I often wonder if others raised in Christianity had a similar turning point.

bethannpetroroybal.bsky.social•2 days ago

"I'm grateful that life argued with my theology and I listened to it." So true! I certainly have not appreciated all aspects of life that pushed up against my theology, which has been incredibly painful many times. But I am better for having had to reconcile the two.

grandmagayle.bsky.social•2 days ago

I hear you, Beth!

skeeter65.bsky.social•2 days ago

You have empathy….these drug-addled psychopaths don’t.

mcdougmel.bsky.social•2 days ago

Not only "don't" but campaign against empathy as a "bad/sinful" thing (I think based on "divine command theory"). The more I think about it, much of religion is focused on separating humans from the things that make them human for the sake of obeisance to "divine commands."

stephanie76.bsky.social•2 days ago

How is empathy toxic? That makes NO sense to me.

jm-iona.bsky.social•15 hours ago

It's a long, long story, but, once upon a time, over three decades ago, I had gotten up in fundamentalism — and then, briefly with an even worse cult group. I was only involved with all that for about four strange years, but I worked my way out of it over time.

jm-iona.bsky.social•15 hours ago

There are so many contingencies that add up to where we are. To be sure, that doesn't absolve us of our response-ability in THIS moment, but at the same time, final condemnations do no good. It is in THAT specific sense why we truly can't judge (CAN'T, not merely "shouldn't").

surlybstrd.bsky.social•2 days ago

I could have refused to think for myself and accept what I read and hear. But I chose to say to myself, “hold on, I don’t think I agree with that”. And then research a bit.

melissjpeltier.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’m glad my parents taught me a) the Golden Rule comes first & b) always be willing to admit your mistakes & use them as learning experiences.

denverjen.bsky.social•2 days ago

1/ I remember sitting in the pews with others- we heard the same gospel. Listened to the same homily. Yet out of church those same folks embraced hatred in small and large ways. For 18 years I listened to Jesus’ teachings from the Roman Catholic lens and I eventually had to leave the church because

denverjen.bsky.social•2 days ago

I took those teachings to heart. I am a progressive because I believe in those lessons. It wasn’t me that abandoned my faith. It was them.

shabo71.bsky.social•2 days ago

📌

macgrimsby.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thank you for this. 🙏

msshawnamarie.bsky.social•2 days ago

…… until you actually opened up the Bible and started reading……. 🤷‍♀️

elizabethrivian.bsky.social•2 days ago

You have to be carefully taught.

calgarybuffalo.bsky.social•2 days ago

Why the fuck do churches get tax free status?

#TaxtheChurch

blktoto909.bsky.social•2 days ago

Why are YOU worried about that? It always amazes me the level of sheer envy that exists within most people.

"They're getting it, and I'm not" syndrome.

🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤨

calgarybuffalo.bsky.social•2 days ago

Pay taxes like everyone else.

blktoto909.bsky.social•2 days ago

Point proven...🤨💅🏾

article1fan.bsky.social•2 days ago

I've gotta say, my religion primed me to ask if a lifelong cheat who constantly lies is the right guy for the job.

Trump is chosen by the far right for ugly cynical reasons.

But, I also kept away from Fox since the Obama administration, seeing it was pushing outrage nonstop.

always4bangtan.bsky.social•2 days ago

📌

melissa4thrivingmt.bsky.social•2 days ago

On some level, they want to believe. It’s not just the innocent being brainwashed.

millskiupnorth.bsky.social•2 days ago

As a Druid my character and moral compass appears more Christian than those who Wednesday put ashen crosses on their foreheads. Where’s faux Christian 🇺🇸 leadership on any any teachings of Jew named Jesus? Mega churches? Synagogues?
Crickets 🦗
Love your mission. ☮️

johnniekingston.bsky.social•2 days ago

And thank goodness you didn’t.

annioli66.bsky.social•2 days ago

👋🏻 Wanted to tell you how much I love reading your work. I was raised Catholic, now agnostic, but the values my parents instilled in me remain. I now see following Christ as humanism. I share your upset that empathy and compassion are being vilified in the new fake Christianity of the far right. ✌🏻💔🙏

sauvez-nos-ames.bsky.social•2 days ago

Nailed it. Being around people that are different from you makes it so much easier to disarm yourself.

nogodnogop.bsky.social•2 days ago

All religion is toxic.

blktoto909.bsky.social•2 days ago

Nope. It's certain PRACTITIONERS of religion who are toxic.

nogodnogop.bsky.social•2 days ago

OK. All religionists are toxic. 👍🏼

blktoto909.bsky.social•2 days ago

I likey... #Facts

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