#Institute for Scripture Research

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Power, Love and Self-Control

For Elohim has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and of love and of self-control. — 2 Timothy 1:7 | The Scriptures (ISR 1998) The Scriptures 1998 Copyright © 1998 Institute for Scripture Research. All Rights reserved. Cross References: Isaiah 11:2; John 14:27; Romans 8:15

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I Need More Self-Discipline! (2 Timothy 1:7)

[thatdeadaquarius]

About your language brainrot. I see your "Reader's writing can't match tyvat's long and flowery writing" and bring you "Tyvat isn't used to books over 50 pages long so a short story to the Reader is a whole dictionary to tyvat readers".

Seriously, have you seen how thin the books are? They don't wrote novels, they write short chapters formatted in the way really old stories are. As in, summarizing all the events down into one smooth story then adding a few quotes. Fanfiction writers are insane. They will willingly sit down and write hundreds of words at a time. To them, a proper modern day story of maybe, oh 10k words or so, would probably be like the Oddessy itself.

If we were to combine the two headcanons. It would end up as many historians being intimidated by this insanely long written scripture in the language of the forgotten.

I'm going to take this a step further and say that if the creator asked some people to proofread their things, it would establish a hiarchy of who is able to actually finish the book the creator read and who isn't.

NOW THIS, THIS IS MY FUCKING JAMMMM

I'm so sorry this is so old!! u probably all know this by this point that I've really slowed down as the year has gone on, but I graduated university and then got my first job so its been pretty crazy!

Sun: Reader (you/they/them)

Orbit: Headcanons-ish

Stars: dash of all the book/nerds of Genshin, heavy on Sumeru?

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: Cussing, 16+ Mature Audiences, Spoliers for Sumeru Archon Quests/Scaramouche, & Trigger Warnings: mention of shipping/characters shipping themselves with you.

Comment if any missed, please.

☆

FULL STOP.

THE AKADEMIYA, FONTAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, HAVE BEEN WAITTTINNGGGG ON YOUR ASS LMAO

You fall from the fucking sky like a 5 star, or pop out of the Irminsul or whatever

and immediately are mobbed by scholars. LMAO jkjk (not really, bc that's what it’d feel like)

can you even imagine the dread older stories(”the classics” to them), that was instilled in the poor students around Teyvat??

id like to think ur works are the most preserved over the thousands of years of Teyvat archeologists excavating them, in comparison to other authors (teyvat just likes you more, suck it William Shakespeare)

also, bc I cant resist language differences/world building I'm sorryyyy 😭 😭

the vocab of Genshin lang vs. ours, has significantly less vocabulary like their actual dictionary is 1/3 the size of ours type of energy

(Omfg all ur fanfics being considered like insanely long realistic romantic classics or tragedies like Jane Austen-level, and only the richest and biggest play companies put on plays about ur stories bc the script goes on for hours)

(ur plays only get put on for rlly big events bc of this, like Lantern Rite or like a Summer/Winter festival/your birthday, which is, yes, an international holiday)

dude the sheer power move of anything you’ve written being essentially “Journey of the West” to them, like Damnnn.

endless like adaptations, plays, Teyvat-short stories condensing it, (THEIR OWN FANFICTION ABOUT UR STORIES)

the power is, in fact, going to your head every time another scholar both deflates at how long ur stuff is, but also lights up bc they get to read it

speaking of scholars… you know who snatched you up first. you know. you don’t even need to read the next line.

Alhaitham.

sneaky bastard he is, absolutely manipulated, mansplained (and manwhored bc he knows he’s handsome, cheeky little shit) his way into getting you to sit down with him and interview you about both translating other classics, your own, giving your own analysis of others works and ur own, and picking ur brain apart of how/why you wrote urs, etc. its fucking endless,

Kaveh had to come rescue you bc u were starving to death after getting stuck with the Haravatat scholar in his office for nearly 7 hours of interrogation discussion about literature

and Alhaitham wasn't even nearly done, he’d informed you as you left that he already had another appointment for later conversation scheduled (how?? you don't even know ur own schedule??? you have a schedule???) and was looking forward to more of your “creative and enlightening input” :)))

(you’re never going to escape him, not even Nahida herself can save you from his stubborn ass)

On another note, Xingqiu is quaking when you agree to autograph his copy of your stories (of which he has all hard covers of the first edition translations)

Zhongli/Rex Lapis is known for having a near-lifelong passion for searching for your works specifically, and learning how to translate them better into Teyvatian vernacular

like the same way he can absolutely speak on Rex Lapis facts/rocks/adepti info, is the same confidence he speaks about knowing ur work lol

(yes he did also ask for several autographs and another sit-down talk about the works, tho a lot more sneaky then Alhaitham bc he just casually gets u guys into it during dinner)

Barbatos/Venti has written some of the most famous songs based on your stuff, he has his favorites too,

but he always claims the best songs are any that have been written in the story, like either when a character sings something, or there are like quotes from songs ur fanfics are based on lol

(he also demanded to hear what they actually sound like from you, yes, you have to sing them for him lol)

Venti also can surprisingly drunkenly ramble the entirety of at least one of ur stories, like, word for word lmao

(Diluc gave in and did give him a drink on the house for that one, just once, Venti doesn’t remember it lol)

(I forgot to mention, u guys still speak the same language, just like, different versions of it)

ur works being one of the few things all the Archons can freely talk about with each other, like it’s neutral ground bc they’re all fangirling about it lmao

Furina and Neuvillette have had like,, fierce debates over the decades about character dynamics and the general drama of ur stories, they’ve gotten into it enough they’ve stopped talking to each other for a couple days a few times lol

Albedo, Sucrose, Kokomi, Yae Miko, Ei, Raiden, have read every single work they’re gotten their hands on in Teyvat (it took them like a literal year or longer)

Albedo drew you fanart for every single story, bc he’s hyperfixated on everything related to you ngl,

Kokomi had commissioned smaller pocket versions of ur works (which later got popular thanks to Yae Miko) both the OG and the Teyvat shortened versions

THE HARBINGERS ARE THE MOST DOWN BAD LMAO

Childe has literally tried to recreate battle scenes from ur works lmao

and gets especially riled up about fighting someone who resembles any characters from them (esp villains, what a cutie)

You cannot fathom the amount of research throughout Teyvat that has been secretly or indirectly funded by Pantalone/Tsaritsa

from the experts to analyze them, to funding play companies to act them out, to actually excavating places to get more of ur stuff unearthed

(the Harbingers absolutely are the first group of people that got to read several of ur stories first bc of this, like the world’s most exclusive secret book club lol)

Scaramouche used to clown on Childe all the time about how he was too impatient to even “sit down and read the King’s classics”, and he was downright insufferable when he found out about Tartaglia’s habit of recreating battle scenes/that being what motivated him to fight sometimes lol

that being said, Wanderer surprisingly never forgot ur stories.

Even when his memories were wiped for a bit, he found comfort in these fantastical epics still sticking around, even when his old names did not

(he mayyyy or mayyy nottt have secretly namedhimselfafteroneofthetragicprotagonistsherelatesto- )

oh btw, Nahida also found joy and comfort in ur stories when she was trapped, they also helped her literally grow as a person bc she had ur stories to help her sort of process the world/what life was like outside of her dreaming prison 🥺💔❤️‍🩹

◇

OMFG

ANYWAY FULL TONE SHIFT LMFAO-

the ABSOLUTE SPIRAL-RED-STRING-CONSPIRACY-THEORY-BOARD ENERGY IF THIS WAS A BLUNT LANGUAGE AU LMAOOOO

like specifically how Teyvatians like to give all the context ever thru their words, but older deities/beings like you just do simple phrases that can have deeper meanings (whereas teyvat just explains all the meanings behind their words)

STOP there’s like an official display at the Akademiya and Fontaine Institute of red string theory boards 😭😭 (look what you’ve done to themmm LMAO)

for like every story of urs, INCLUDING THE FANFICS STOP

IMAGINE THE SHIPPING WARS IF U EVER WROTE ONE THAT WASNT EXPLICIT OR LIKE ONE OF THE MAIN ROMANTIC INTERESTS HAD CHEMISTRY WITH OTHER CHARACTERS HAHAHAHAA

that's actually what Akademiya scholars argue about the most viciously, it’s like politics you can’t just bring up ships from ur stories casually in regular convos 💀

(poor Cyno has to deal with a shipping war once a year bc someone always makes the mistake of reading ur work for the first time (without being told to not talk to others abt ships lol) and it starts an all out brawl in the cafeteria every time LMAO)

Also yes.

Cyno is a fanboy.

(he has read Creator x Reader-insert fanfiction.)

(As have most of the characters mentioned, and those not lol)

…

(I'm gonna make a whole Creator x reader fanfic post one day i stg lmao)

☆

an iced coffee? for me?? :0

ok but real talk…

wtf do you guys wanna see for new years!!

i didn't do a inktober/october days thingy bc i felt too unprepared (and bc id wanted to post that 1000+ followers eldritch au for Halloween)

but now i kinda wanna, at least for a few days :o

ill post a poll in a minute, so check it out!! but still, please feel free to comment some ideas here! :)

Safe Travels Deafening Dreamer,

💀♒

If you wanna join a taglist, DM me what for! "Pspspsss, please tag me for [All SAGAU posts, Only SAGAU Language AUs, diff fandom, etc.]!"

(If you ever wanna drop, just DM me! "No more taglists/[specifically this AU/fandom] please!")

♡the beloveds♡

@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist / @thedevioussmirk / @the-dumber-scaramouche / @chocogi / @fallen-starr / @areaderofbooks / @devilangel657 / @esthelily

[metamorphesque]

To the International Community,

Be on guard. Be vigilant when your own land, your cities, and your institutions are being used by foreign dictators to falsify history, appropriate the culture of others, and lay the groundwork for yet another genocide and ethnic cleansing.

The latest event, titled "western azerbaijan in our memories," was held in Warsaw, Poland on April 8th. During this exhibition, a spokesperson for the so-called “western azerbaijan community,” presented fictional claims about the “forced displacement of western azerbaijanis” in the 20th century and the supposed “destruction of azerbaijani heritage” in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. According to her, “western azerbaijanis,” who were “forcibly removed from their ancestral lands,” are entitled under international law to return.

Archaeological, genetic, and anthropological studies (conducted by non-Armenians), as well as numerous scriptures of historical significance (again, written and preserved by non-Armenians), all prove and confirm that the Armenian people are indigenous to historical Armenia [the Armenian Highland], with roots going back as far as the 13th century BC, emerging without admixtures.

azeris, on the other hand, only emerged as a nation in the 19th and 20th centuries. And yet, despite all facts, logic, and historical evidence, azerbaijan continues to claim that Armenia is actually “western azerbaijan.” [more here]

petrostate azerbaijan has organized similar propaganda events in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, attempting to present Armenian churches, towns, and sacred sites — as "azerbaijani" or "caucasian albanian." [more here]

This is a deliberate, state-sponsored lie — part of a bigger campaign of historical erasure, cultural appropriation, and preparation for future wars and aggression.

And now, they’re exporting that lie to your countries.

azerbaijan is not merely making territorial claims; it is executing a state-sponsored propaganda campaign aimed at legitimizing its false narrative of "western azerbaijan." This campaign is led by a government-backed entity called the "western azerbaijan community", officially launched in 2022 but rooted in older revanchist ideologies.

Let’s ask honestly: why is Europe giving space to this? Why are countries that "champion" human rights and historical truth being used as tools in a disinformation campaign that serves to justify cultural erasure and future war?

Cultural erasure begins with soft words and staged sympathy.

So please, if you’re reading this from Warsaw, Rome, or anywhere else, ask questions, do your own research. Pay attention. Don’t let your silence be the seal of approval. Be vigilant. Be careful. Don’t let your countries, your cities, or your people be put on the wrong side of history.

[chicago-geniza]

the problem is that in a climate of "rampant misinformation" (the term 'misinformation' carries with it a host of implications, political and otherwise, that are baked into its intellectual history and as is often the case, relate to the cold war, so i don't generally like it). BUT. in such a climate you need to be able to independently evaluate information and "truth-claims" for veracity (not the same as legitimacy, which in my understanding is a function of source evaluation, not content evaluation--and as institutions become less reliable, the authority conferred on individuals by institutional credentials/credential-conferring systems in and of themselves come into doubt, as merritt noted MDs post junk science under their professional accounts etc., as others have said papers of record deny genocide or "just ask questions" in plainly spurious ways that undermine their journalistic integrity, etc.)--BUT. you need to be able to independently evaluate information and i CAN'T because i am STUPID in certain, specific ways. i need some types of information to be interpreted for me--e.g., statistics!--or i will come to incorrect conclusions, because i lack both the knowledge and the cognitive capacity (i have particular developmental + learning disabilities re: math and abstract reasoning that impair me here, more than the average non-specialist). this is the gap into which a lot of people who "do their own research" fall, and i am sympathetic, because like--if you can't trust the papal authorities, so to speak, to interpret the texts for you, then surely one's own take on the scriptures must be sufficient for daily life. but it isn't a lot of the time. because you can't be Protestant about public health data, or about the nuts and bolts of the global economy, or the law, or a bunch of other things. idk where i am going with this, briar was thinking along similar lines with genAI the other day too, i am just rambling. OGRE CANNOT EVALUATE INFORMATION. OGRE ONLY PICK UP SURFACE-LEVEL THEMES

[mydogatemymotivation]

Kanan Jarrus and Buddhism

This is a very long post. (oh my god I’m so sorry. It got away from me. I just kept going)

Kanan Jarrus is the best example of Buddhism in Star Wars, if not one of the best examples in modern television. Disclaimer: I have only a surface level understanding of the religions I’m about to get into, so if you know more about these religions or time periods in history, please share the info you have or share sources. Pretty please. I love history. Especially Religious History. Ok, moving on.

One last disclaimer: None of this will be a perfect one-to-one retelling of any religious mythology or ideology. It’s about the overarching themes and lessons.

I don’t know whether the Jedi are strictly Buddhist in teachings. I don’t think they are, I think they pull from a lot of different Eastern religions. However, at the time of the Clone Wars, I think they mirror the institution (for lack of a better word) of orthodox Hinduism at the time of Buddhism’s founding.

To be clear, I’m talking about the public perception of Hinduism as an institution, not necessarily the religion. I don’t have a clear enough understanding of Hinduism to have any kind of meaningful discussion of the religious aspect (if anyone has good sources, please let me know). To put this very, very, very simply, orthodox Hinduism has a concept of Sanatan Dharma the “Eternal Order”. There is the Brahman which both is the universe and created the universe. Brahman established and maintained order. The Vedas, Hindu Scripture, encouraged acceptance of one’s place in life – no matter how difficult or impoverished – while priests lived well from temple donations. The human soul is immortal. And there are the concepts of karma (action) in accordance with dharma (duty) to break free from the cycle of rebirth and death (samsara) and attain union with the oversoul (atman). That’s what I have in my notes, but keep in mind that Hinduism is so deeply complex that this explanation is the equivalent of someone burning instant noodles then trying to judge Cutthroat Kitchen. So. Take what you will, research the rest.

Part of the problem, at the time of Buddhism’s founding, which was around 563 – 483 BCE, Sidhartha Gautama’s estimated lifetime (the specific dates vary greatly, but his estimated lifetime is all around the same time period), was that the Vedas were all written in Sanskrit, which most people didn’t read, and the average person relied on Hindu priests to read the Vedas for them. On top of that, there was the caste system, an incredibly complex system, but put briefly, if you were born into a poorer caste, it was because you belonged there or had done something in a past life to warrant the suffering you were enduring. The fear of death was also looming. With the soul being eternal, death meant rebirth, possibly into another life of suffering, and people wanted a way out.

I’ve made about five different versions of this paragraph, but I keep getting dragged into other points I want to make, so I’ll leave it at this. A self-governing universe, and the eternal soul are the two main parallels to Hinduism. And 10,000 knights is a considerable number – if they spread their impact more individually. They weren’t meant to be a full fighting force, as a unit. Institutionalizing created resentment and division. They shouldn’t have consolidated. They were involved in politics that they shouldn’t have been, and they were living well in their Temple on Coruscant, presumably living off taxpayer dollars. Could the people of Coruscant afford the Jedi? Very probably, but should the people of Coruscant have to pay for a religious order that’s infiltrating their political sphere? No. All this to say, all institutional (not individual) religion is wrong. I’ve seen some posts joking about how the Jedi are Catholic because they punish people who practice differently than they do, but Hinduism has done the same with the caste system. Because people with the power to even the playing field don’t want to give up their advantage – in any religion. But I’m losing my main point.

How does any of this relate to Kanan?

There are Buddhist ideals within the Jedi Order and the Jedi Code, but they are fully realized with Kanan. And to realize these ideals, Kanan had to be removed from the Jedi. If you don’t know the story of Siddhartha Gautama, I’ll recap briefly. Siddhartha was a Hindu prince. His father was told that he would either be a great king or a great spiritual leader. His father didn’t want him to be a spiritual leader, and kept him locked away, essentially, but one night, Siddhartha snuck out. He then saw an aged man, a sick man, a dead man, and an ascetic man (ascetic: characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons). He panicked, realizing that he too could age, get sick, and die. While he was upset, the ascetic man was at peace, and Gautama decided to follow a religious life. So, on another night, he left his palace for good to seek enlightenment. (I don’t know where else to put this, but there’s some sort of symbolism, in relation to Buddhism, about the jedi temple being turned into a palace. I feel like that means something deeper than the obvious jab at the jedi.)

Kanan’s story isn’t a one-to-one retelling of the Buddha’s, but I do feel like he hits all the main points, and that’s what I want to expand on. First, I want to make a case for the four signs.

The aged man: Rex. A relic of a bygone age, and a symbol of the end of the Jedi. Not his fault, but that’s what he represents to Kanan. Seeing him so unexpectedly, and so much older frightened him.

The sick man: Maul. Not necessarily physically sick, but sick, nonetheless. Watching that sickness spread to Ezra and realizing how sly and corrosive it was had to have been sobering. As much as he was trying to coach Ezra through his call to the dark side, he was learning from Ezra, too.

The dead man: Luminara. This one was my brother’s idea, I was originally thinking something more symbolic and was going to say Caleb. But Luminara as a confirmation that there is no going back, that the Jedi are truly dead and gone, makes more sense.

The ascetic man: Dume. Not the Bendu. When I was talking to my (aforementioned) brother about this, he was telling me about someone who’d made a post about how it was bad karma to euthanize a suffering animal. That the animal must’ve done something in a past life to deserve the suffering he was enduring in this life. He was, of course, shot down by everyone else. That even if it was bad karma to put this animal down, letting it continue to suffer was worse. It’s better to take the hit on your own karma for kindness, than cruelty. The Bendu reminds me of the first commenter. Neutrality to the point of indolence.  To the point of pain and suffering. You aren’t supposed to turn your back on the world or the pain of others, you’re supposed to alleviate it. Dume, and his lothwolves, were the ones who were willing to get involved in protecting their home world. Not just for themselves, but for everyone on Lothal. Because they understood that suffering couldn’t continue. You’re a part of the world. You’re not supposed to detach from it.

This leads me to my next point. Attachment. The great question mark of the Jedi Order. I think the reason people struggle so much with the concept of attachment is because many Star Wars fans don’t know much about Buddhism – and this is the place where the Jedi and Buddhists overlap the most. It will be easier to speak about this if we change the language. Don’t think “attachment”, think “craving”.

This is the crux of Buddhism’s “Four Noble Truths”.

Life is suffering.

The cause of suffering is craving.

Ending craving, ends suffering.

There’s a path that leads away from suffering and craving.

Say you go to a dinner party. When it ends, you don’t throw yourself on the floor of your host’s house and demand the party continues. You thank your host for their time and leave. You go in knowing the party will end, and you accept the end gracefully when it comes. If you go into the party craving more time than you’re allotted, being attached to the idea of staying, you’ll suffer when the party ends. But even if you accept the party will end, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself when you’re at dinner. Eat, drink, be merry, just know you will have to go when your time ends.

Let’s take a look at Anakin and Kanan, and their respective love interests. Anakin didn’t understand not to crave Padmé. Even when he thought her time was ending, he craved more. Not for her, but for him. She was a famous senator during wartime. There were already several attempts on her life before they were even together. Did he think it could last forever? He didn’t want to think about the end. He didn’t want to believe it could end. When the end was in sight, despite knowing she was as human as he was, despite knowing she couldn’t live forever, he threw himself on the floor demanding her life continue.

Kanan would never. He was fully aware of the fact that Hera’s life would end one day. Whether it was when she was a storied old woman, or the very next day in a battle gone wrong. In the episode “Protectors of Concord Dawn”, Hera is very nearly killed by Fenn Rau, one of the rare fighter pilots that was able to best her. Had this happened to Anakin and Padmé, Anakin would’ve teetered on the edge of the dark side, going after Rau for revenge, craving more of Padmé’s time or Rau’s death as penance for him nearly losing her. Kanan, however, went to Rau in peace. He was worried about Hera (and slightly distracted, considering Sabine was able to sneak aboard the Phantom) but he was levelheaded, and was able to complete Hera’s mission for her.

Kanan was able to love Hera, without being attached to her. Without craving her. He was happy with her, and when it came to an end, he accepted it, and was able to let go. This was the lesson he finally fully realized when he met Dume on the road. That his time would end, but there was nothing to fear when it did.

In my opinion, Hera fits in two different places in the story of Siddartha. When Siddhartha first left to pursue his life of enlightenment, he tried to live an ascetic life, a life of devotion to religion through suffering. But he didn’t reach enlightenment, only more suffering. This ends eventually, when he can’t find what he’s looking for, and he ends his starvation when a milkmaid, Sujata, offers him food (though there are other versions of how Siddhartha ended his asceticism). After years of study, Siddhartha went back to his palace to get his wife, Yasodhara, and his son, Rahula, both of whom stayed with him until his death. I see Hera as Sujata, the woman who offered him food and a new path, and as Yasodhara, his wife. During his time spreading his teachings, Siddhartha had five believers – disciples in a way – who traveled with him, even back during his asceticism. Kanan, similarly, has five traveling companions while he teaches Ezra his ways.

When Siddhartha died, he died teaching a lesson.

Make my teaching your light – rely upon it

Make yourself a light – rely upon yourself

Control your mind – your mind will make of you buddha or beast

Death is but a vanishing of the body

He passed away, with his wife and child by his side, and was eventually cremated.

After his death, we never really saw him again. We had a brief glimpse of Dume, and a memory of him through Hera’s eyes, but it wasn’t him. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Anakin, Leia, and Luke, all had force ghosts. I know that it was a technique that only a few knew, but I don’t feel it represents the best of the Jedi’s teachings. Speaking of Buddhism, I feel as though learning that technique is making the active choice to forfeit escaping the cycle of reincarnation. They’re Boddhisatva’s, not Buddhas. A bodhisattva is just that: someone who can reach enlightenment but chooses to teach others the path instead. The only true Buddha in Star Wars is Kanan, even shaving his hair in his last episode, as so many Buddhists do.

The Jedi do have many overlapping ideals with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. I think it’s irresponsible to say that they are only one of those or are definitely not one of those. Star Wars is popular all over the world, but there’s no denying that a large chunk of the fanbase is in western countries, and the writers are almost always from western nations. And I say that because many of the people interpreting Star Wars, and almost all the people writing it, have a certain Christo-centric lens. Maybe the Jedi order does pull from Eastern religions but acting like the people writing these characters don’t have bias is wrong. Acting like there is no other religion mixed into the Jedi is just blatantly false.

As I said, I don’t know much about Hinduism, so maybe there is a deity that fits the bill, but if you look at the Sith, they are demonic. Not in a Christian fearmongering way, but in a legitimate, they’re based off demonic characters in mythology (all religion is mythology, it just is, please don’t start). There’s a reason Vader’s palace is on Mustafar, the Star Wars equivalent of hell, there’s a reason Maul has horns. But I’m getting sidetracked again. I’m trying to say that these characters and their motivations are better understood when you take a realistic look at their inspirations. Kanan, and the Jedi’s meaning of “attachment”, is better understood when you study Buddhism. Everyone who watches Star Wars is taking their biases into the world with them.

I need to wrap this up because it’s waaaaaay too long already. But I’m going to leave you with three things. Buddhism’s eightfold path, the Jedi code, and the Sith code.

Right Understanding

-We should learn and try to understand the truth

2. Right Purpose

-We should always try to do whats right

3. Right Speech

-We should be truthful and kind in all we say

4. Right Conduct

-We should try to behave ourselves at all times

5. Right Livelilhood

-We should earn our living in a way which will not harm anyone

6. Right Effort

-We should constantly try to improve ourselves

7. Right Thought

-We should have good and pure thoughts because words and actions arise from thoughts

8. Right Meditation

-We should concentrate our will when we meditate

    There is no emotion, there is peace.

    There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

    There is no passion, there is serenity.

    There is no chaos, there is harmony.

    There is no death, there is the Force.

Peace is a lie. There is only Passion.

Through Passion, I gain Strength.

Through Strength, I gain Power.

Through Power, I gain Victory.

Through Victory my chains are Broken.

The Force shall free me.

I did my best with the religions that I spoke about, and I’m not trying to needlessly criticize any of them. Some people in each religion are good, some people in each religion are bad. I tend to view actual religious practices as neutral, and dependent on whose practicing them. So if I got anything really wrong, or really egregiously offensive, please kindly let me know, so I can try to fix it.

It may read like homework to you, but I promise I’m having fun.

[boredtechnologist]

Trauma Center: New Blood - “The Miracle of the Scalpel: When Flesh is the Last Lie”

“There are only two worlds: one before the incision, and one after.” - Markus Vaughn, unknowingly

Theology of the Artery: Where Prayer Fails, the Scalpel Reigns

In New Blood, God is not dead - He’s been sterilized.

Valerie and Markus do not walk into the operating room as saviors. They walk in as priests of decay, forced to perform sacrament without belief. Their “Healing Touch” isn’t divine. It’s desperate. Time halts, the blood flows backward - but only long enough to make the dying wait a little longer.

There is no resurrection here - only prolongation. Surgery is not salvation. It is ritual. A forced liturgy in the cathedral of the body, where instead of Eucharist, you offer local anesthesia and laser cauterization. What you save doesn’t stay saved. It just forgets it's dying - for now.

Stigma: The Gospel of Self-Inflicted Plague

Stigma - the viral antagonist - is not just disease. It is retribution. It is consequence. Markus helped create it. And like every Atlus anti-hero, his redemption arc is a weapon turned against himself.

Stigma is not evil. It’s answer. Not punishment from God, but the autoimmune response of reality to human arrogance. GUILT in Under the Knife was terrorism. Stigma is theology. Flesh becomes the scripture, and each mutation is a verse in the Book of the Failed God.

It doesn’t spread. It teaches.

It teaches that the divine cannot be bypassed with scalpels. That evolution itself is a curse disguised as innovation. That healing is nothing but domesticated heresy.

Caduceus: The False Church of Clinical Grace

Atlus always plays with institutions. In Persona, it’s the school. In Catherine, the bar. In New Blood, it’s the hospital - but one wired into global surveillance, military research, and biotech theocracy. Caduceus is a church that wears latex gloves and names its saints after pathogens.

The doctors are not believers. They are sinners begging for one more moment of false control. The OR is a confessional. The beeping monitor, a metronome of guilt.

You are not curing the sick. You are delaying judgment.

The Incision as Sin: Where Persona Lies, New Blood Cuts

In Persona 3–5, trauma is resolved through confrontation. Shadows defeated. Palaces collapsed. The inner world becomes negotiable.

In New Blood, there is no inner world - only inner organs.

When you open a chest cavity, there are no dreams. No metaphor. Just rot. New Blood refuses to lie to you. The Persona protagonists want to believe the soul can be healed. Markus and Valerie know the soul isn’t even in the body anymore. It left years ago, quietly, while they were suturing someone else's regrets.

Echoes of Other Atlus Worlds

Baroque taught us that guilt becomes architecture. In New Blood, guilt becomes diagnosis.

Shin Megami Tensei III dissolved morality in a vat of magatama and asked: What replaces the soul when it’s burned away? In New Blood, that replacement is sterile, coded, and inscribed with liability waivers.

13 Sentinels gave us simulations of flesh. New Blood gives us the consequence of touching it.

Catherine feared consequence. New Blood delivers it - in real time, with medical-grade accuracy.

The Healing Touch is a Lie

It’s not a miracle. It’s denial in bullet time.

Your divine gift lets you pause time, not transcend it. You can suture veins and extract tumors. But you cannot fix why they exist. You cannot heal what humans become when they stare too long into the microscope and decide they can rewrite the Book of Genesis with stem cells and scalpels.

Final Cut: The Gospel of Flesh Ends Here

In New Blood, Atlus says: You wanted to fix the world? Here’s a ribcage. Open it.

There’s no Persona to fuse. No heart to win. No god to summon. Just meat. Failing. Always. And you.

A doctor with trembling hands and a god complex. An apostle of antiseptic failure.

The lights dim. The monitors wail.

This is your Mass.

And you perform it with a scalpel.

[discoveringthebible]

Pride 2025 Part 1

I cannot believe we are already halfway through 2025. As I get older, the time seems to be going by faster and faster (even though time is constant.)

I am not sure that I have ever really taken the time to blog specifically on Pride on this blog before. So, this year, I am.

On my Facebook page I have a lot of conservative Christian friends. This post is for them, but most likely, very few will probably read it, so I hope this will give a bit of encouragement to my liberal Christian friends.

Two years ago I wrote a book, "The Case for Christian Inclusivity: How the Misinterpretation of Scripture Paved the Way for Church Homophobia, Pedophilia and Sexual Assault." I wrote it more as a therapy to help me get through church trauma from the Church of the Nazarene. But, I also thought it might be a good tool for Christians who believe that LGBTQ+ have a rightful place in the leadership of the Christian Church to use so that it might open eyes of conservative Christians who believe that just by being or associating with the gay community, that they are sinning.

I used to believe that.

I used to believe that being gay was a choice and that by that choice, people were sinning against God and choosing to go against God's covenant of marriage. Over the past couple of years especially, I have been repenting from that belief.

Associating with and being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is not sinful, if it was, the millions around the world who prayed to God to take that sin away, God would have taken it.

And how do I know?

I lost track at how many sleepless nights I had, crying out to God, to take away this part of me.

(If it isn't obvious, by now, I identify as bisexual.)

After much time, reflection and prayer, it occurred to me: What if God isn't taking this "sin" away from me, because it isn't a sin at all? Why would the God of love torture me in that regard?

God wouldn't.

And if God did, I am not sure I would want to worship a God like that.

For Pride this year, I am going to be blogging excerpts from my book, in hopes that it sparks good dialogue. That it might open some hearts and minds to the fact that the overall arching teaching about homosexuality in the Bible is actually a misinterpretation.

To start, I am going to be referencing Part 2: The Current Consequences of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Church:

"The Pew Research Center, which began in 2004, according to their website, is a "nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. -93% of all LGBT Adults see at least one religious institution as "unfriendly." Proverbs 18:1-2: 1: Unfriendly people are only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. 2: Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. -76% of religious adults believe homosexuality should be discouraged, by frequency of attendance at religious services James 2:8-9: Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself (quoting Leviticus 19:18). 9: But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. To discourage people from coming to church to worship the living God is downright shameful and ridiculous. We should be welcoming everyone who wants to come to church and greet them with the love and kindness God has shown us, not bar people because we might not like something about them. James 2:1-4: NASB: 1: My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2: For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, 3: and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing bright clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool." 4: have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? We must stop being evil judges who are trying to kick out the LGBTQ+ people and allies in our churches. May God have mercy on our souls if anyone believes this is the right action, when clearly it violates Scripture. -48% of LGBT+ adults are unaffiliated with religion -60% (of the 48%) are 18-29 year olds -45% (of the 48%) are 30-49 year olds -39% (of the 48%) are 50 or older*

*Bolton, Cody Marie. The Case for Christian Inclusivity: How the Misinterpretation of Scripture Paved the Way for Church Homophobia, Pedophilia and Sexual Assault. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. 2023. pgs. 18-19

Unfortunately, the LGBTQ+ demographic seems to be "lost", not because of what they are doing, but because how Christians have treated them.

In Part 2, we will discuss more about the exact misinterpretation that has caused this hatred toward our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters.

In Part 3, we will also discuss how Pedophilia is also involved and how it pretty much runs unchecked.

In Part 4, we will also discuss Sexual Assault and how it is all connected with this misinterpretation of homosexuality in the Bible.

In Part 5, we will take a look at the Scripture verses themselves, like Leviticus 18:22 and others, and what should be the more appropriate interpretation than what is the current "standard."

Happy Pride!

Peace, Love and Blessings,

Cody Marie

[sillysybilsden]

Ehilà, viaggiatore

Hey there, traveller

Dedicated to my twin Lares.

Foreword

Hello there! It's me, the Silly Sybil (fka Clever Crow). I've been wanting to do this post for months, but life got in the way and I eventually forgot about it. But hey: better late than never, right?

Now, to the post.

In this foreword, I do want to address the nature of my resources. In fact, I am not writing all of this off of articles or academic works, but off of a questionnaire I had published back in July 2023. The answers given by fellow pagans are the main resources for this blog, whose objective is that of determining the main characteristics of two different approaches to lost practices: reconstructionism and revivalism.

Why choose such a peculiar approach to resources? Reconstructionism and revivalism are part of a spectrum, which can be intended and defined differently by different practitioners. Every pagan will have a slightly different idea of these terms. That means that these labels do not have a universal meaning - there is no institution recognised worldwide that gives us the requirements to be a revivalist or a reconstructionist: it is up to the practitioner and their understanding of the term. This is the reason why I've decided to opt for a form rather than articles as a resource. After all, who, better than a pagan who lives and practices paganism daily, can instruct us about paganism-related terms?

One last important thing I want to do is introduce you to our “cast”* - the wonderful pagans who took the time to compile the form, that is:

➳ anonymous contibutor (revivalist)

➳ Dead (revivalist)

➳ Guenevere (reconstructionist)

➳ Magpie (reconstructionist)

I do feel like thanking the people above is the least I can do. For this reason, I thank all of those who participated from the bottom of my heart: this post wouldn't exist without you.

*The "cast" is formed by aquaintances from a closed Amino community.

On paganism

In order to understand the definition of paganism-related labels, we must first define paganism. My personal research led me to two definitions I will provide you with:

An umbrella-term that indicates non-Abrahamic religions*;

An umbrella-term that indicates religions that are not main world religions**.

The options above might seem similar - if not identical. However, the subtle difference between them is extremely important.

According to Dr. Angela Puca¹, pagan beliefs/religions show the following characteristics:

A polytheistic and animistic approach to spirituality;

A direct relationship with the divine - which sometimes translates with little interest to scriptures and interactions in a non-institutionalised way;

The belief of immanence - the belief that the divine is everywhere and, thus, is not external to the natural world but within the same;

As a consequence of (3.), the reverence for everything as everything holds divine power.

For the reasons above, pagans are very likely to believe in magick - if not practice it. Quoting Dr. Puca, one could say that some of the most popular beliefs that fall under paganism are “Wicca/Witchcraft, Druidry, Heathernry, Asatrù, Goddess worship, ethnic reconstructions and other animist earth-based traditions”.

Now that we have defined, very broadly, what paganism is, let us get to reconstructionism and revivalism.

*Abrahamic religions include Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

**Main world religions include, among the others, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.

On reconstructionism

“Reconstructionism is about recreating an ancient or dead religion as closely as possible to the original source. This means learning about, understanding, and incorporating historical traditions. Being a Reconstructionist involves a lot of time and research.” - Magpie

“A reconstructionist seeks to find the historic pieces of practice and remain true to that as best they can.” - Guevevere

As the two members of the cast above already said ever-so-clearly, reconstructionism puts a lot of emphasis on historical accuracy - which revivalism also does but to a lesser extent, as we will see later on. The key characteristic of this approach to pagan traditions is the will to practice a dead religion as it was by ancient peoples.

For example: a modern Hellenic polytheist who considers themselves a reconstructionist will do a ritual as a 3rd century BCE Hellenic polytheist would have - if that is indeed the era they mean to reconstruct: the same pagan religion can show different characteristics depending on the century.

The modern reconstructionist practitioner will not alter the rituals and, sometimes, nor will they attempt to fill the gaps with their own UPG*². For this reason, many reconstructionists affirm that it takes a lot of time and research for them to add new practices to their own, as they must research thoroughly the subject and reconstruct it exclusively thanks to historical accounts - for this reason, they rely on academical and primary resources**. Sometimes, if gaps make it impossible to reconstruct a, say, ritual, reconstructionists might decide not to include it in its entirety - in place of, as said before, use any UPG to fill said gaps.

*Unverified Personal Gnosis: a belief that is not backed up by mythos and is exclusively theorized/recognised by the single practitioner.

**Primary resources: texts that were written in the historical period that one is researching. Eg: Saint Augustine of Hippo's texts are a primary resource to those who are researching 4th/5th century Christianity.

On revivalism

“Revivalism is a sort of subcategory of Reconstruction. It has the same goals and also has an emphasis on historical accuracy but tends to be on the less strict side and not as culturally focused*. While Recon. as a whole would include people that expect near-total adherence to historically or culturally attested practices, Revivalism is more theologically focused and has more room for adaptation to one's existing culture and environment. *cultural context is still important, revivalism just doesn't expect participation/membership to a specific culture.” - Dead

“Revivalists keep a sense of tradition within their practice but still allow room for UPG/SPG* and modern practices while still keeping it within the religion.” - anonymous contributor

As we anticipated before, revivalism, too, heavily focuses on historical accuracy. However, there is more room to add one's personal beliefs and/or alter some parts of the practice. This is the very big - and very important - difference between the two approaches: while reconstructionism hardly accepts UPG or SPG to fill the gaps - and, so, adjust part of a practice to one's needs/beliefs -, revivalism is much more flexible on that bit.

For example: a modern Gaulish polytheist who considers themselves a revivalist might decide to fill the gaps given by the little - and biased - resources on their practice by adding their own UPG to what is already historically attested.

Just because revivalism accepts UPG and SPG, it doesn't mean that it is a less-demanding approach than reconstructionism. In fact, it does require the same amount of research and of digging into academic and primary texts. Revivalism is about *adapting* an historical practice; it is not about eradicating it from its original historical and/or cultural context, which has to be researched nonetheless. One could say that revivalists want to reconstruct ancient practices as if they were never destroyed in the first place, taking into account the evolutions such practices would have gone through in the contemporary world. Thus, using one of the examples above, if I am a revivalist I am not practicing Hellenic polytheism as a 3rd century BCE polytheist would have, but I am practicing it as a potential 2024 Hellenic polytheist would have after all of the probable changes religion could have gone through.

To better explain the difference between reconstructionism and revivalism: Roman deities used to be offered incense and wine. If I were to use a reconstructionist approach, I might want to stick to these offerings as they are two of the few offerings that are historically attested. If I were to use a revivalist approach, I might prefer using incense or wine, but I could opt for a strawberry beverage from time to time.

*Shared Personal Gnosis: a belief that is not backed up by mythos and is exclusively theorized/recognised by a group of practitioners.

Conclusion

I personally, to this day, do not know whether to consider myself a reconstructionist or a revivalist. That is because, depending on the pagan community you're interacting with, the "requirements" to label yourself as reconstructionist or revivalist might change - and this is something I already mentioned in the foreword. What I - and the other contributors - tried to do is give you some very broad guidelines in order to let you establish whether you fall under one or the other category.

If you do not find any of these two approaches fitting for you, there is no need to worry: as I stated in the foreword, we are talking about a spectrum. Some people lean towards one of the two extremes of this spectrum and there might be people who find themselves outside of it, which is valid nonetheless.

This being said, I thank you all for reading this blog. Let me know in the comments whether you describe yourself as a reconstructionist, a revivalist or something else entirely!

Wish you a pleasant day/evening/night.

The Silly Sybil

Resources

Informative

¹ Dr. Angela Puca's video on paganism

² Dead's post on UPG and SPG

Paintings

¹ "Priestess of Delphi" by John Collier

² "Magic Circle" by John William Waterhouse

³ "Roman Woman Lighing a Lamp at the Home Altar" by Stephan Wladilawowitsch Bakalowicz

[evolutionsvoid]

The Church of Divine Wealth is, without a doubt, the ruling body of these lands. The reach of the Ichor faith has spread far and wide across the continent, and there is no denying who calls the shots around here. It was not always like this, the Church wasn't always the dominant religion, but those who came before are mere dust now. Those who did not join the growing faith of gold were thoroughly crushed, or left in such a small pathetic state that they can do little but pray in the forgotten shadows. To those who revel in this religion, the Church is second to none and has no equal. They are an empire that has held sway over these lands for a very long time. To even oppose them seems impossible, as the Church is absolute. Yet, even though no other stands at their level, they are not unopposed...

Every follower of the Ichor knows of the Academy of Veritas Mundus, it is a name they practically spit out. An institution that refused to perish with the others, and has stubbornly held on despite being in a land that despises them. How the Academy was able to survive for so long, and even grow to such proportions, is a mystery to all. Rumor claims that the Academy way back when was slated to become a pillar of the Church, the organization showing enough promise that the divine wished to welcome them into the fold. Yet, this offer was rejected or taken back, depending on who you ask. Regardless of who denied the other, the reason seems obvious. Those who aligned with the Academy had no need for faith. They don't want belief or comfort, they want answers.

The Academy of Veritas Mundus is an institute that is determined in finding the answers to every one of the world's mysteries. They see the strange ways of the lands, the wondrous powers of the humors and vow to achieve perfect understanding. They wish to unlock the secrets of the past, while harnessing the future. They seek answers from the bowels of the dark ocean to the starry sky above. Be it the gods that fall upon this land or the ancient remains of those long past below, they will happily dissect all. The Academy worships progress, knowledge and ability. They are not satisfied with vague faith and hopeful belief. The realm of gods and their vast gifts are not ones we should pray to, they are ones we should be reaching up to seize for ourselves.

It is said the Church denounced the Academy when it realized that they held no faith for the Ichor and Humors. Though the Academy does indeed recognize their power and potential, they have little care for worship or offerings. To them, the fluids are mysterious ingredients, avenues of research and study. They should be run through experiments and utilized to their utmost potential, not left to sit in stagnant pools while fools bleated scripture at them. Ichor is no exception, as the blood of the gods should be studied and wielded. The Academy has no reverence for these things, and thus had no place with the Church. If let into their temples, no doubt the Academy would see these vast displays as a supply closet more than an image of divinity.

So thus the Academy and Church became foes, and have continued to be bitter rivals to this day. Despite the Church labeling them as an enemy and an institute of heretics, the Academy of Veritas Mundus has grown to an impressive size. Though they have no place equal to the holy city, they possess many defended campuses and research halls. Fortresses of experimentation and study, marvelous designs that would be admired if the Church had not vilified them. Throughout the lands are scatterings of laboratories and study halls, each heavily fortified and ready for invading swarms of ravenous believers. Even though they are despised and seen as a cruel blasphemous organization, the Academy has its own fair share of followers. The farther one goes away from the holy city, the weaker the Church's grip gets, and the Academy has learned how to woo those that are far from the blessings of gold. They may not have comforting beliefs and prayer to offer, but they do possess valuable medicine and incredible inventions. For some folk, the religion they believe in is the one that cures their village of a plague, and the Academy fits the bill. Some of their armored research halls have sprouted towns outside their walls, as folk come in hopes of being blessed with their ingenuity and craftiness. And when war and chaos are running rampant, any safe place is worth worshiping.

While to the outside eye of a believer, the Academy is just an organization of obsessive scholars and researchers who will do anything for a breakthrough. In truth, the Academy of Veritas Mundus is a vast institute with many different groups found within their walls. All of them do swear themselves to the Academy as a whole, but each has their niche they eagerly fill, caring for little else. Like the Antiquaries who are fascinated by dragons and the ancient age of Eitr, or the Astrologers who look to the dripping heavens and wonder about the Pwdre Ser that rains down. These “arms” of the Academy take these subjects and dissect them down to smallest pieces, determined to solve these vast riddles and unlock the path for humanity to evolve. Here in these great halls, these many professions and obsessions can come together, bringing forth many breakthroughs and theories that fuel others in their hunt for answers. Though seen as heretical, there is no denying that the Academy is responsible for many life-changing inventions, some that even make their way into golden temples despite the Church calling such things “evil” and “blasphemous.” Such detraction only lasts until the Church finds their own use for these creations.   

Of all the different arms of the Academy, the most common and well known amongst them are the Alchemists. They are the ones who are devoted to learning the secrets of the Humors and Godly Fluids, always experimenting and creating new elixirs. Alchemists seem to have an endless amount of theories and avenues to explore, be it discovering fantastical recipes, transforming substances, figuring out how to birth new life and so forth. Each member seems to have their own subject to pursue, their personal magnum opus to achieve. Their devotion to this is why they share the same reputation as the Academy of being cold, distant and uncaring towards others. It is because they are obsessed with their work and reputation, they need to be proven right and seen as a genius. Everything outside of their research and experiments is unnecessary and frivolous. However, if you were to engage them about their work, that is where you will see their emotion and passion. They can ramble for hours about their theories, and try experiments over and over for weeks without tiring or growing bored. Their research is their life, which is why an Alchemist wouldn’t flinch to see someone cut down, but would throw themselves in front of a bolt if it was headed towards their elixir or one of their beloved homunculi.

Alchemists spend most of their lives within their research halls, tucked away in personal labs and workshops as they toil away on their project. Few folk see them outside, only in rare cases where no one else will fetch the supplies they need, or they are traveling towards a sponsor to show off their latest discovery. Though the dress and equipment may vary between them, there are a few signifying features of an Alchemist. First is their mask, a featureless slab of ivory that bears eight eyes. They are arranged in the pattern of the Academy’s symbol, which is that of an eight pointed star overlaying a globe. This symbol was said to be born when the Academy’s founder was strolling on the beach to ease their mind. There they witnessed a seastar feasting on a bivalve, and the image of the creature slowly wrenching open this impenetrable obstacle inspired them. The Academy was much like this seastar, slow, methodical and determined. Their many arms reach all, and thus its position over a globe. The world itself is a shell that must be cracked open and its valuable secrets finally exposed. The Academy finds this image inspiring and fitting, while outsiders wonder if the eight pointed star is holding the world or eating it.

 Their affiliation to echinoderms can be seen in their other feature, which is a construct of four tendril arms that is latched onto their backs. These prosthetics grant the Alchemists a total of eight limbs, much like their beloved star. It also allows them to work at an incredible pace, constantly mixing, measuring and fussing. Alchemists grow so used to having these extra limbs, that some folk swear these arms work while the user sleeps. Their pursuit for knowledge is never ending, thus pausing for food and rest is kept to a minimum. These arms work furiously every waking moment, almost moving in a blur. And if they are to be drawn into a needless fight, you can be sure these limbs will aid in lobbing explosive mixtures and wielding deadly weapons.

But perhaps the easiest way to see if one is aligned with the Academy is to look for silver, as it is the ultimate sign of heresy. For much to the Church’s horror, the Academy of Veritas Mundus has taken an interest in the forbidden fluid of Alkahest. The wretched liquid that dissolves almost everything it touches, reducing it to gray sterile powder.  While the Church of Divine Wealth deems it the opposite of Ichor and a blasphemous fluid that must be destroyed, the Academy has embraced it. If this was to snub the Church or for their own interest, no one can say, but it is obvious that they have grown quite attached to it. The Academy is responsible for absconding with Alkahest whenever it is discovered, and some say a few of their buildings are erected overtop buried pools of it. Though it is an extremely dangerous fluid, one of ultimate death itself, the Academy seems to have found a way to tame it. They have crafted special crucibles and glasses that can hold it without melting, and use it just like any other ingredient. They have even found ways to work it into their inventions, “tempering” it so that it can be utilized without destroying the whole contraption. Many bone tools and creations of them will have a grayish hue to them, which is caused by them mixing in the ashen powder into their forges to create a stronger ivory. Their weapons possess a silvery edge to them, which is the result of them turning Alkahest into a solid. This technique is fiercely guarded and supposedly very complicated, but the “quicksilver” blades they forge from it are capable of cutting through anything. Even now, the Alchemists continue to chip away at the mystery of Alkahest, and there is no telling what horrible discoveries and inventions will come from the fluid of death itself.

Now in recent days, it seems their alignment with Alkahest and hatred of the Church has finally come forth in full force, as the Academy has declared war. Though they lack the sheer numbers and resources that the Church of Divine Wealth has, they know very well how to fight smart and take advantage of any situation. It is why they threw in their gauntlet only after the civil war within the Church broke out, as they knew this moment of weakness was their chance. Now the Alchemists in their halls work furiously to create new elixirs to strengthen their troops and doom their enemies. They churn out homunculi to arm their siege weapons and fight their battles. And yet they still fuss over their theories and work, still determined to climb the ranks and become one of the greats. The result of all this is the need for more resources and test subjects, which may prove true the old stories of the Academy abducting folk to use in their cruel tests. While to the common man, this practice of experimenting on living victims seems horrific, to the Academy it is a necessity. In the pursuit of knowledge and answers, one cannot shy away from extremes and the sacrifices needed to advance. To them, it is more of a crime to abandon a fruitful concept at the fear of upsetting morals than it is to force feed prisoners their latest concoction. Such cowardice is a sure way to becoming a Betrüger, and no Alchemist wants such shame. They want answers, progress and their grand magnum opus, nothing else matters. Some wonder if the madness that grips some Alchemists may be the result of them imbibing in too many of their creations…

----------------------

"Alchemist of the Academy"

Hoo buddy is this a long one, but it had to be because we talking about the Academy of Veritas Mundus! The rival to the Church, in the incredibly unsubtle "religion vs science" sorta way. This entry is very long to help establish some groundwork, because boy howdy is there so much more.

[cupidologys]

⸻ CHAPTER FIVE; ALL MEN ARE EQUAL

pairing: dazai x f!reader (fantasy au)

warnings: mentions/themes of depression

chapter list: this is CHAPTER FIVE of a multi-chapter fic series. PLEASE read the chapters below (in order) before this one or you will be very lost!!

prologue

one

two

three

four

word count: 3.5k

+ + + + + + + + + + + + +

Back in your homeland, at the Imperial Palace, the largest constructed facilities are ones of sport and training. Sharpened swords and polished armour take the place of bookshelves on bedroom walls, and the practice of scripture is seldom found. Higher education, though no less important than warfare, is strictly limited to scriveners, court officials, and the professional erudites of your father’s choosing. In the face of current conflicts, most of your father’s people are far more absorbed in military affairs and bureaucracy than arithmetics, the sciences and the humanities.

Although, when it came to you, it was like a switch went off and all those sentiments were turned upside down. 

By a certain age, your tutelage switched from scholarly knowledge to that of etiquette and what he referred to as ‘womanly affairs’. Those usually consisted of things like sewing, music, and art classes. The only one you ever enjoyed was the horseback lessons. 

But thankfully, your father’s one track mind meant you were never discovered for—or suspected of—possessing further-education books and studying politics, diplomacy, and military tactics on the days general schooling lessons were cancelled. It is why you find yourself in the royal library, hours before you are due to meet Dazai for dinner. 

Hundreds, if not thousands, of marble shelves line the walls from floor to ceiling. Each one is stacked, end-to-end, with leather bound tomes and tea-stained manuscripts. There is a fireplace in the right corner, carved from blackened stone and crackling with warmth. Around it sits a pair of dark-green, thickly-cushioned armchairs, along with a matching sofa that is wide enough to fit at least four people. 

You walk further in and are greeted with four arched windows spanning the length and height of the space, each one clear as the summer sea. You squint, momentarily blinded by a sudden passing ray of sunlight. Birds are chirping underneath the morning sky, and branches of a looming willow tree sway in front of the left-most window. You take in the sprawling garden view; a labyrinthine maze of hedges take up the centre, and a large assortment of decorations speckle the grounds. Smaller fountains, rainbow flower beds, and iron-wrought benches are only a few of what you can see. 

You look around a bit more, noting the study tables anchored to the floor and the winding staircase that leads to the open-plan second floor. The library is well-kept, as shown by the pots holding blooming flowers along the window sills, but the dust lining the shelves indicates that no one has used the archives in a long time. You wonder why—it is the first and only comforting place that you have found in the cold, lonely palace. 

You make your way down the stacks before a section catches your eye.

A Comprehensive Guide on Abilities and a Meta Analysis on their Structural Archetypes; 

The Scholar’s Circle’s Codex on Yokohama’s Political Affairs;

North vs. South: A Dynastic Tale of Continental History. 

You grab all three and almost lose your balance from the weight of each text. More and more books are added to the pile in your arms until you can no longer see straight ahead. 

With a huff, you drop the mountain of pending research onto an oak-stained study table and quickly get to work. 

Hours pass, the concept of time long faded as you lose yourself in the world of preternatural powers, warring states, and the cluttered institutions that make up the Kingdom in its most present form. 

The striking differences between Yokohama and the Northern Empire are more vast than you had ever imagined. It's a stark contrast—governance, industry, arts, religion and everything else you've come across so far. Not a single commonality to be found.

“How has…? But wouldn’t the roots originate from the dark ages? Let’s see…” you mumble, talking to no one in particular. 

“Have you found a specially interesting read?” A particular person asks. 

You fall out of your seat in surprise. 

“General!” You squeak, reeling from his sudden appearance. 

The mild-mannered Fukuzawa gives you a gentle smile and moves to help you up. He hooks two large arms under your own and lifts you back onto your chair. The scene reminds you of a mother cat picking its kitten up by the scruff of its neck.

You drop your head onto the table in embarrassment, refusing to make eye contact until, hopefully, a meteor comes falling onto earth and crushes you to death. 

“Good morning, General,” you mutter. 

“Hmm.”

You peek up at him with one eye. “What?”

“It is five in the evening,” he replies, bemused. 

“What?!” You bolt up, shame long forgotten. 

It takes you a second to realize how orange the library is, cast in the hues from the setting sun. 

You drag a hand over your face, rubbing the fatigue from your eyes. “Shit, I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.”

Fukuzawa raises a brow. 

“What? You’ve never heard a noble cuss before?” 

He taps his chin. “I can’t say I have. You truly are a breath of fresh air, Your Highness.”

You grin. “As are you, General. And please…”

He listens, head tilting in curiosity. 

“It is [name]. We are friends, are we not?” Your false sincerity coats your words like a second skin.  

The sun dips far below the horizon, robbing the world of its light. You take in the storm clouds in the distance, absentmindedly wondering if the Empire would experience the same downpour later in the night. 

Fukuzawa ponders your question for a moment longer before answering. “We are, but I am also your subordinate, so I am afraid I must decline.”

“And if it is an order?”

Fukuzawa’s eyes sparkle. “Then I am under aristocratic obligation to comply.”

In a tone laced with authority and bemusement, you proclaim: “I, acting Monarch of Yokohama, hereby order General Yukichi Fukuzawa to act beyond propriety and address me by given name only. No titles, no fancy designations. Just [name].” 

“As long as you are willing to grant me that same honor, [name].”

You grin. “See? Isn’t that so much better, Yukichi?”

The General only laughs and turns to take a seat across from you. The armour he dons makes a clanging noise as he settles himself. Patches of dirt litter the surface of the metal while other areas sport minor indents—likely from the force of a blade's flat or hilt. 

“Did that hurt?” You nod towards the largest dip in the steel. 

He looks down at his left side, around the area between his upper ribs. “Couldn’t even feel it.”

“Of course not,” you wave, returning your attention back to the pages. 

“I see you are interested in…” Fukuzawa leans over the table, peering at the emboldened titles of each tome. “Yokohama politics, history, and culture?”

“The pen is mightier than the sword, as they say,” you muse. “And a bright mind is far mightier than those stumbling blind in the darkness of their own ignorance.”

“I do wish more members of the court shared that sentiment. It would certainly make my migraines less frequent.” 

You faintly recall the term from a book you finished earlier. “The… inner court?”

“The very same. A parliamentary round table of aristocrats and representatives, headed by the Four Noble Houses.”

“The Four Noble Houses? You mean…” You cringe, an unpleasant memory resurfacing. 

Fukuzawa’s eyes gleam with amusement. “Ah, yes. I recall a certain purple-faced duke drenched in the colours of His Majesty’s most favoured cabernet sauvignon.”

You smile sheepishly. “I messed up, didn’t I?”

“Formally? Yes.”

You groan and drop your head in your hands.

Fukuzawa lays a palm on your shoulder and gives you a gentle pat. 

“But reasonably? Absolutely not. He deserved ten times worse than what he got.”

“Someone needed to stand up to him,” you point out. 

“Sadly, there are not many people who can.”

You sigh at that and go back to your research. The moment you set your eyes back on the book, the pages in front of you begin to blur and mesh into a whirlpool of ink. 

“Maybe it is time for a break…” you murmur. 

Fukuzawa leans forward and studies your fatigued expression. 

“What have you learned so far?”

You snort. “You mean other than our sordid history? The decades of hatred and conflict brewing between our countries?”

“Ah, yes. Besides that fun little facet of our politics.”

You run through the miles of information you had just absorbed, each little bit coming together piece by piece to paint a very clear picture of the modern world—one where mystic abilities, gods of old, and monsters coexist in disharmony. 

‘Abilities’ as you have come to know them, are practically non-existent among the lower caste in the Northern Empire. The only ones who wield them are of noble blood, aside from the rare few commoners—unfortunate individuals who would be executed for merely holding power outside of their status. Even then, barely anyone manifests one. In recent years, the only ability-user you know of is Chuuya.  

In Yokohama, these powers are respected, admired, and much more plentiful. In your textual observations, it is noted that the military and governing leaders are chosen for their abilities. 

“Hm… what is yours?”

 You are curious. What sort of fate-bending, death-defying power could this seasoned warrior have?

“Mine?”

“Your ability. You must have one, being the head of such an elite corps.”

“My ability…” he pauses. 

You raised a teasing brow. “What? You’re not going to tell me?”

“Just considering the risks of doing so. You have proven yourself to be both smart and deceitful. A deadly combination.”

“Are you saying you don’t trust me?” You place a hand on your chest in mock offence, scoffing in indignation. 

Fukuzawa laughs—that familiar smooth rumble that you have come to find placating. “Would I be wise to?”

“Of course not.” You wave a dismissive hand. “But you should tell me anyway because I am curious and stubborn and will likely find out on my own regardless.”

The general’s gaze is filled with a kind of warmth that is unknown to you, only interrupted by a flicker of a melancholy that twists his expression momentarily." It happens so fast you almost mistake it for a trick of the light.

“You remind me so much of her…” He mumbles under his breath so softly you pass it off as a whisper of the wind. “Very well. I will tell you.”

The sun has all but disappeared from the horizon, the shimmering moon slipping in its place. The dark, glittering night falls onto Fukuzawa’s features beautifully, making  him seem a little more weathered and a little less mundane as he explains his decidedly non-mundane powers. 

“It allows me to control my soldiers’ own abilities. I am able to manipulate their capabilities, help navigate their potential, and expand the boundaries of what they can do. That is my ability,” he explains. 

You mull over Fukuzawa’s words, a bit surprised at the nature of it all. The powerfully built military veteran looks at you like he knows what you are thinking—knows that you are confused on why someone with his battle prowess has such a passive skill. 

“You forget, Your Highness, that before I am a warrior, I am first and foremost a leader. Without my men, I am nothing, and without me, many of those men would not have survived until now,” he states. He says it like a fact, and perhaps in some ways, it is. It makes more sense the longer you think on it, his ability is almost perfectly suited to his position. You wonder what yours would be if you manifested one. What about Dazai? Would his ability reflect bloodthirst and coldness? Or would it be the opposite of what you know him as?

You make a mental note to come back to that question later, and direct your attention back to the conversation at hand. 

“[Name],” you correct.

Fukuzawa blinks. “Sorry?”

“You called me ‘Your Highness’ just now.”

“I apologize. Force of habit,” he drops his head in a slight bow and the moonlight streaming through the open windows reflects off his gray hair, transforming it into a silver mane. 

Fukuzawa apologizes to you a lot, like a father fumbling for words in front of his newborn, careful not to be anything but kind. If anything, you find it endearing. As well as a little… disappointing. 

“General.”

Fukuzawa’s smile drops at your change in tone. The worry in his eyes is clear. “Is something wrong?”

You give him a small smile, a tad tense. “No. Not really. Though, I would like to ask you something. Would you humour me?”

“Of course. I will answer anything within reason,” he reassures. 

You rest your cheek against your palm, curiosity and wariness burning bright. 

“Why are you so kind to me? I know how this country views the Empire—views me. I am not blind to the scornful glances nor hidden insults thrown around. I am numb to them. But you… Kunikida… that peculiar doctor as well, you are all much too cordial with a sworn enemy. Is it pity? Some misplaced sense of duty? Or perhaps it is all fake and you are all laughing behind my back as we speak.”

Silence spreads through the empty library, the only noises are the crackling of the fireplace and the gentle swishes of the willow branch behind you. The only thing you hear is your pulse thrumming against your skull.

If Fukuzawa is taken aback by your bluntness, he does not show it. Despite only knowing you for this short period of time, he is probably already used to your brusque manner of speech. He folds his hands in front of him and leans backward, taking some time to come up with a suitable answer. You can practically see the gears turning in that head of his. 

A few moments pass before he finally speaks in a serious, yet gentle, voice.

“Do you think yourself undeserving of our respect?”

You shake your head and answer: “Not at all. I am only surprised you would willingly impart it to me.”

“I cannot speak on Sir Kunikida or Dr. Yosano’s behalf—although, I imagine they share the same thoughts—but I am kind to you because it is common sense. I am kind to you because I am honoured to serve under your reign,” Fukuzawa assures. His expression softens. “I am truly sorry about the harassment you have had to endure. I will do my best to keep them in check, but if it happens again, do not be afraid to use your status. You are their ruler. Do not let them forget it.”

A lump forms in your throat and you force yourself to swallow it down. The support eases your heart, but the anxiety does not fully disappear, nor does the cold tingle of resentment in your chest. They probably never will. For now, you will accept his words, but with caution, as you are still very much in enemy territory. You will need to lead with your mind to survive, not your heart.  

And Fukuzawa? The gentle general is merely a stepping stone, not a friend. 

“I… am grateful. Tha—”

“General Fukuzawa!” In a very familiar fashion, the doors to the library burst open to reveal a man, effectively cutting you off. 

Kunikida stands beneath the frame, face alarmingly red and breaths coming out in short, laboured puffs. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Fukuzawa grimacing. 

“What. Are. You. Doing. Here?.” The minister spits out each word with barely contained anger—more accusation than actual question. 

“Chief Minister.” Fukuzawa bows and slowly inches himself towards the door, closer and closer to the fuming blonde. “I see you are… upset.”

Kunikida’s eye twitches. “Upset? Upset?!” His voice hits an impressive octave and you briefly wonder if he’s ever considered a career in opera. He certainly has the knack for it. 

“I—” 

“The outdoor arena is on fire.”

The general clears his throat. 

“Right. I did tell them not to try out those new techniques without me around, though His Majesty’s soldiers were never ones to adhere to the rules.”

“A black hole opened up in the ceiling and swallowed three stable boys. They were… fully nude when they fell out an hour later.”

Fukuzawa blinks. 

“That’s… new.”

“You have five seconds,” Kunikida says flatly. 

“Well. Duty calls. I shall have to put out some fires… er… literally.” Fukuzawa makes his way to the open doors and is about to leave when he adds: “Have a wonderful  night, [name].”

“Good luck,” you laugh. 

He gives you a small wave before disappearing down the hall. 

You turn your attention to Kunikida who is now slightly less red, though still glowing a nice shade of pink. 

“Good evening, Chief Minister. To what do I owe the pleasure?” You ask. 

“I am here to bring you to dinner service. Perhaps you have forgotten? You seem to be engrossed in our literary offerings,” he answers plainly. 

Kunikida stays standing, but has walked further into the room, hands clasped behind him as he studies the books you chose with furrowed eyebrows. 

“I enjoy reading. Is that such a crime?”

“I am only surprised you were able to find this place. After His Majesty banned entry, most just ignore it as they pass by.”

You cock your head to the right. “I was curious about that. Why? It is a beautiful library—a sunlit treasure trove of knowledge. I would imagine most people would be clawing at the doors for just a glance, yet it is as barren and untravelled as the deserts in the West,” you muse.

 Your curiosity is only a mild interest until Kunikida’s gaze sharply turns away from yours, blatantly avoiding your poking and prodding. His averted eyes cause what little inquisitiveness you had just felt to balloon into a wave of eager investigation. 

“Kunikida.”

He adjusts his glasses and nervously glances at his timepiece. “We are going to be late if—”

“Kunikida.”

He sighs, relenting. 

“If nobody uses this place, why is it so well kept? There are no dirt patches or cobwebs, but the dust between pages suggests that no one has opened them for many years. ”

“If I were to make an educated guess…” Kunikida stops for a moment to think. “I would wager that His Majesty misses what it used to be, and is only trying to preserve the last of that magic. Though the memories here are much too vivid and much too painful for him to come back to.”

What it used to be… 

A flicker of something… a fleeting feeling… No. A memory. At the very back of your mind—

“But I do not think he will continue to do so.”

It vanishes, and you fall back to reality, grasping at nothing and nowhere. 

You shake yourself out of your daze, a bit peeved at the interruption, but curious all the same. 

“Do what? Preserve this place? You believe he will let it just… crumble to ruins?”

Kunikida takes a seat and folds his gloved hands together. The lines on his forehead appear as he tenses, preparing his next words with careful precision. He works his jaw, tension releasing and forming with each movement, as if he is warring internally, fighting to either let the words out or keep it in. 

You hope he chooses the former. The more information, the better. 

His expression settles and a stern look replaces his calm visage. Whatever he has to say must be serious.

You catch yourself tapping the side of your thigh anxiously under the table and clamp your fingers down on your leg… hard. Your father did always say that a royal must be poised and perfect, and he made it extremely clear that such emotions were to be erased and forgotten. 

And if they weren’t… 

A chill runs down your spine at the memories.

“I am well aware that you are, and pardon my candor, untrustworthy.”

You almost snort. Not the first time you’ve heard that and it certainly won’t be the last.

Kunikida continues. “But I believe it is only right to tell you as His Majesty’s spouse. King Dazai is… he is…” Kunikida pauses as he fumbles for the right word. 

A clock ticks. Kunikida settles on a phrase. 

“Unwell. A disease of the mind and heart that has stolen his will. He is here only to serve a purpose and that purpose is not to live out the rest of his life. He exists, but for years now he has not been… here. Almost as if one wrong move and the line His Majesty balances upon disappears and takes him with it.”

Time slows. The air thickens. Are you breathing?

“Slowly but surely, he is fading away,” Kunikida pauses and swallows as he tries to work out his next words. 

“Some days I believe he is better. Most days I do not allow myself to indulge in such a lie.”

—

˚ · . tags: @zjarrmiii @aiizenn @emyyy007 @letsliveagaintoday @bejeweledgirl @nat-the-gayass-down-bad-mf

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

You Must Be Born Again

“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You have to be born from above.’ — John 3:7 | The Scriptures (ISR 1998) The Scriptures 1998 Copyright © 1998 Institute for Scripture Research. All Rights reserved. Cross References: John 3:6; John 3:8

Read full chapter

What does it mean to be a born again Christian?

[craigtowens]

Links & Quotes

Some links and quotes that caught my eye this week.

My book Shepherd Leadership has five chapters dedicated to the health and wellbeing of pastoral leaders. One important principle: Only healthy shepherds can help their sheep get healthy. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel. Clinton Manley has a great post on the way the Holy Spirit empowers a Christian’s life. He tells of this work in terms of an…

[darkmaga-returns]

Only a small fraction of Americans see the world through a biblical lens despite most identifying as Christians, explains Dr. George Barna, co-founder of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, in an exclusive interview with Alex Newman on The Sentinel Report. This is a crisis, he warns.

According to Dr. Barna’s research, the worldview known as “syncretism,” which he describes as “the blending of elements from multiple worldviews into a customized individual philosophy of life,” has taken over the belief landscape of the United States once dominated by Christianity.

To make matters worse, Barna’s research shows only 37% of Christian pastors have a working, robust biblical worldview. That partly explains why so many church-going Christians no longer see the world and issues through a scriptural lens.

A biblical worldview is the understanding of the world that led to the creation of the United States as a free nation as well as its institutions created under the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. It also produced and underpinned the “West,” known until recently as “Christendom.”

Despite the bad news, Barna offers solutions and reasons for hope in the interview. Perhaps most importantly, he encourages parents to fulfill their biblical responsibility to educate, equip, disciple, and train their children during formative years.

[problematic-fodlan]

The "you don't have to follow the religion" argument is so stupid.

It doesn't matter if you don't believe it because everyone else does. It's the official religion of Ardestia, it's the basis of Faerghas's creation. All of the lords in Leicester probably believe it too.

You didn't have to believe in Christianity in medieval Europe, but that's only if you were fine being a hermit. If you wanted to be part of a community and not be outcasted, you'd better show up to church on Sunday.

Rhea doesn't have to use any magic dragon powers to make everyone believe the church is true because she's already used her centuries-long lifespan to create a society that systemically does what she wants.

Believers all look up to her and defer to her as the greatest authority in the land, non believers are all either a super minority or a savage, and she can just keep doing this forever until she gets what she wants.

The reason that Edelgard starts a war and Lonato is relegated to a minor footnote in history is because she becomes the emperor. She gains the social capital of being the number two figure in the land and then challenges the authority of number one.

Another argument people make is that there isn't any evidence in the game that she stamps out scientific progress or crest research but that's just because she's already done everything she has to do. The Seiros religion itself is the basis of reality that all the people of Fodlan reach from.

In the chapter after Byleth's hair turns green, Linhardt notes that according to Rhea, the limits of crest power are out in place by the goddess. This is an example of how church scripture is used as a measure of what is possible.

Compare this to history's Galileo, whose discovery of heliocentrism is discredited by the Catholic Church because surprise, that's not what the Scripture says.

Rhea is controlling all of Fodlan, and has been ever since she invented the Church of Seiros. Not because she's a dragon, but because she's the head of a religious institute that she built from the ground up.

And the reason she's doing all of this, why she needs to be the top of power with access to whatever she wants, is to bring back her dead mom. You can say that she doesn't actually mind human progress, but she has a vested interest in keeping Fodlan bent to her will.

-

[ink-flavored]

📍💵🕯️🃏 for the fantasy worldbuilding ask game!

thank you! I'll answer these for my Unnamed Dream WIP

📍If your WIP does take place on Earth, where did you choose to set it? Why?

It doesn't! But I'm taking heavy inspiration from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and mmmaaybe southern India? I'm still researching and such.

💵What kinds of currency exist in your WIP? Do people use gold coins, barter and trade, or something else?

The class disparity in this WIP is a big theme and also very prevalent in the country [that has yet to be named] it takes place in. The wealthy, merchant class, and even the working class in cities and towns use more standard coins of various sizes and values, but the poorest of the poor have opted to barter. Value and items up for trade vary from region to region, and even village to village, but traditionally people will trade jewelry made of bone, wood, or cheap metals. If they can get lucky enough to sell something to someone who actually has money, they only ever really use it to buy necessities.

🕯️Do folk religions exist? Where are they practiced?

The worship of the Divine Family is almost universal in this country, but it obviously wasn't always there, and people isolated away from the big church institutions practice in ways that look a lot different from how people in the cities do it.

For one, the small towns and villages often aren't large enough to even have one specific place of worship. A cultural leader called a Speaker (usually the only one who can read or write, is trained in magic and/or medicine, and mediates conflict) will lead religious gatherings in whatever way they see fit, which can vary wildly from community to community. Some villages leave collective offerings at a communal shrine, some only keep shrines in the home, some involve a more literal sermon, just reading passages from the scripture, and others are more about making up new lessons using the scripture as interpretation. It's varied once you start getting away from the "organized" part of "organized religion."

Aside from the Divine Family stuff, there are other fantasy species in this world with their own separate religions, but I haven't figured it out yet <3

🃏Wild card! Mention anything else about your WIP that you want!

I have really enjoyed doing research about architecture for this WIP. The protagonist lives in a swamp and the country sits right on the equator of their planet, so I really needed to go look at what equatorial, swampy countries are our planet are doing for their houses. And they're so fuckin cool? I did a lot of digging about the báhay kúbo and the fact that they're built so they can be disassembled and physically carried away if necessary is such a great idea, I would have never thought of that on my own. Real life is always cooler than fiction!

[try out my 100 Question Fantasy Worldbuilding ask game]

[squeegeesprout]

the ramblings of an intriged never-mormon

mormonisim and it's history has become my hyperfixation. i cant stop researching. i think my bf is sick of me info dumping on him so i am info dumping here. to the lovely lds tbms out there, i may not say the nicest things about church history. but i have so much love and kindness and compassion for you and this has nothing to do with you. every criticism i have is with the institution, not the people. including the historical members from the inception of the church.

final disclaimer: i feel like everyone deserves to know the whole unfiltered history of a church they dedicate their lives to.

but like, the history is insane, wdym some known treasure digging scam artist who found a rock in a well and claimed he could translate gold plates? gold plates he found with his well rock? that he would put in his hat? and he would read the rock with his face in the hat? the plates supposedly contained the history of semi extinct group of native american people? who came to america from Jerusalem? of which genetic evidence continuously disproves? the vast majority of the church's truth claims do not line up with modern scientific understanding, but the higher ups refuse to acknowledge it as anything other than true fact? like a worldwide flood and 6000 year old earth? wdym said treasure digger kept claiming revelation from god that contradicted his previous scripture? that so much of the book of mormon is directly in opposition or does not mention so much significant later revelation? no temples, no higher priesthood, no crazy afterlife? and then he has a polygamy revelation, again directly against bom scripture, all so he could have 30 wives? some being 14 and some already married to other men? and he told his first wife god would smite her if she didnt agree?

and now theres like a dozen mormon sects, and the lds sect is like the richest church in the world? are they a church or a real estate empire? not to mention the required 10% of your income annually so you can have all necessary blessings? a culture that enforces missionary work missionaries have to pay to go on? they have to pay to be church salespeople? bishops being able to ask invasive questions to 8 year olds? and i know you do not have 17 million active members russel m nelson!! im fucking onto you, you yellow notepad eternal polygamist asshole. IT IS WEIRD YOU MARRIED A WOMAN YOUNGER THAN YOUR ELDEST CHILD.

but i have heard some of the nicest experiences of people from a ward level down, people banding together in struggle and having a strong sense of community. and i respect the emergency food storage practice. mormonisim has lowkey had a huge impact, more than i ever thought when i started researching this for fun. the intense cultural marks left all over the western us, idaho, wyoming, arizona, nevada, all so much mormon history. i have seen so many kind and loving lds people in the tumblr stake and you are all so amazing, please be true to yourself.

i understand my stating this may be unwelcome and unwanted, and no one may even read this, but i just wanted to put my thoughts and feelings out there. i can provide sources if anyone asks and feel free to dm if you would like.

images: anthony sweat (gazelem, a stone & nauvoo expositor destruction)