#he also is willing to forsake those if it benefits him

[absolutely-normal-about-x]

I’m probably one of the very few individuals who would love the concept that while Volnutt and Trigger are the same person but at the same time very DIFFERENT individuals. Yes they may share similarities but you know how low key messed up elysium is even with the Master was around.

Like the idea of a Serious, distant, ruthless and loyal (possibly having some of X’s traits :3) Trigger was. He would have been a goober but in secret. The Master and very select few are aware of this soft spot. Also the idea of those serve under the MASTER system would be dehumanized AS SHIT. Since trigger had to kill aberrants (not all that wanted to go against the system are bad but ya get the idea) bro has low key has blood on his hands.

Thankfully the Master isn’t like that (in some aspects) so he treated some of them with human decency. Causing trigger to become even more loyal and beloved by the master. Leading him to be so willing to follow the Master of letting him live his final days on Terra and to destroy the MASTER system.

Like what caused him to be so willing to do it? Is it because he watched the “Friends” that made with the Carbons over the years to be reinitialized and slaughtered so the next population to be created countless times?Growing tired of the slaughtering that he has to do, following a cold system that benefited of those who believe they are the true inheritors of the planet that they forsaked so many years ago?

How did he felt that he had to kill many of his fellow purifiers in order to reach his goal of eliminating the system? What’s going on in his on his head??

What were his final thoughts when he was dying?

Apologizing the master for not completing his order?

Regrets of ending the lives of many for the greater good?

Satisfaction by giving Carbons the freedom of not being pawns of Elysium?

Happy for giving himself a second chance without worrying the burdens of his past when he passes those memories

I just love the idea of Trigger being morally grey and that Volnutt was what he desired to be. Since the factory reset has forced him to go back to scratch in a good thing.

Or how would Volnutt react if the Past of his past self and the actions that he has done

*Shakes Capcom* WHY DONT YA WRITE THAT UP YOU FUCKS

[meadowlarkx]

Hello! I absolutely love your finrod/sauron AU and I was wondering if you’d be willing to talk a bit more about how you have characterized finrod in this fic, and what his ultimate goals are? Also, does the series have a set ending or do you plan to keep it more open ended? Thank you!

Thank you so so much for the ask (and all your enthusiasm in general)!! I'm thrilled you're enjoying that au! 💖

I have a lot of feelings about Finrod and have been mulling and pondering how best to put them into words:

One of the most central things to Finrod, in my eyes, is his ability to see and value the small amid the "big picture." He values keepsakes from home (bringing the most jewels etc to Middle-earth!), individual lives (the Beorians and Beren's, his cousins' on both sides, thinking also of "But [Finarfin's] sons were not with him, for they would not forsake the sons of Fingolfin"...), beauty, others' culture and lore (hours spent with Andreth!), language. He loves really hard, and he loves people, not ideals. A while ago I rambled some about why I think he did a lot to keep the Exiles' spirits and personhood alive on the Helcaraxe. This is one of his best traits, it draws incredible, selfless feats and efforts from him, and it's why I can see him pulling out absolutely all the stops for the chance to save Beren+his companions in that AU! It also goes two ways. He chooses to honor his oath to Barahir--and leaves Nargothrond and kinda also Beleriand in political crisis doing so. I also think this love is why he allowed C&C to gain the influence they did in Nargothrond--he kept wanting to give his cousins the benefit of the doubt and to wearily hope they could yet change (I mean, this is just my reading!)

But what makes him really interesting, to me, is that he IS aware of the stakes, and the "big picture," and the immensity of what they have done and are facing. He isn't an idiot by any means--he knows exactly what he is doing, but often, he does it anyway. It is still "worth it". I'm thinking here of his private conversation with Beren before he announces his intention to honor his own oath, where he sums up the situation with C&C and says something like "So we are all by our oaths ensnared." But, amazingly, honestly, absolutely madly and almost selfishly to me, it is still worth it to him. He doesn't commit lightly!! I love that about him. I'm thinking also of he and Turgon's visions of future threat from Ulmo, and the way he knows and recognizes the "shadow" on Men's hearts, and on the hearts of himself and the Noldor. The way he can't speak when Thingol confronts him about the first kinslaying ("I marvel at you, son of Earwen..."), because he won't speak against his cousins: he knows his own fault--or sees it as equal to his cousins'. (I actually don't think he kinslayed there--but he knows that he would have taken those stolen ships, he knows he threw in his lot with the Nolofinweans, he would not think himself better than them...) The way he knows 'nothing shall endure of my realm'... And of course going on after hearing Namo's doom in the first place, when his father, who I think he's close to and proud of, chose to turn back. He has this deep streak of sorrow in him that goes with the savvy-ness of Knowing things.

And, like, it makes you think, well, why did he think it was worth it? Why did he think it mattered to keep his oath to Barahir or lug those jewels across the Helcaraxe? and obviously Silm fandom is all about drawing our own lines to connect the disparate dots we got in canon, so they can be connected various ways, but my connecting the dots is that Finrod is despite everything an optimist :') He hopes that from bad beginnings, ill deeds, the doom itself etc. they can find good ends. In his way, through what he values, he'll try to get them there. And if not--at least joy in the meanwhile, and that that means something. Beren's (to harp again upon this example bear with me...) life matters, even if it's just a handful more mortal years. I find that really idk... touching of him. He sees good in things. And his optimism can be prideful, but I think one needs pride to get anywhere, kinda. The line with hope is pretty blurry, to me. You have to imagine something can be a certain way in order to try to get it there.

(*I know some people prefer to read Finrod as abruptly blindsided and confronted by any complicity of his in the first kinslaying/reminder of his Teleri kin's murder in his song battle with Sauron, but to me it is more satisfying and tragic if he has never denied it--he has sought to live with it, to move past it, to affirm that the Noldor can be & do better here--and here is Sauron essentially saying "no. Remember how bad it was? You (plural) can never be other than that." A blow to the very core of Finrod. also he froze up because of PTSD and I'll cry forever about it)

Heh another thing on Finrod and pride--I imagine him with a particular flavor of pride that ironically comes with being humble, in his way. Or acknowledging faults. I mean, if you're Finrod, and you live every day with the memory of your slain Teleri relatives and allow for some kind of responsibility for it, and then you hear Celegorm boldly repeating the entire Oath at top volume to the unapologetic tenor of "we'll do it all again. Nothing wrong with any of that." In your house, where you hosted him. I dare you not to get a little frustrated, a little angry, a little self-righteous or contemptuous about it!! So I see Finrod who thinks he's great but because he thinks he sucks or because he thinks he's good enough to realize he sucks but also aware of this. Or um, something. He holds himself, internally at least, to a sort of moral standard that he can look down on others if they don't meet. There's pride in his insistence on upholding his own (lowercase) oath as equally important, too, and maybe some bitterness. But I think he can be pretty self-critical alongside it, in low moods and when things are not going well--he knows himself too well. In his own eyes, he is not a very serious person. He can be vain, he can certainly be a hypocrite (I interpret a lot of what he says to Andreth as like "do as I (or my brother) say not as I do"), but he generally knows these things about himself.

Connection is also something I associate really strongly with him. Not just empathy, but also (relatedly) personal and political connections. This is also sort of the well I draw his promiscuity in that fic series from--in my eyes Finrod can Never hold back from caring, getting attached and entangled etc, and he loves freely (Middle-earth's most eligible bachelor since Amarie is home in Aman RIP, and not bound by tradition). Every time I see a gif of Cate Blanchett's Galadriel, I just imagine how incredibly powerful Finrod's charm/otherworldly allure would be (Edain waking and thinking they were in some fair dream!). I like to think that Nargothrond was 80% held together by Finrod's personal charisma (definitely not robust heritable administrative structures) and Beleriand on the whole a little bit also, by the way things fall apart after his death (and the other B&L stuff, ofc, but Finrod could have smoothed out a lot if he had lived--is my truth.) To come back to the political-esque connections--Finrod is the only character who hangs out with Maglor and Maedhros AND Thingol (from whom he has his realm!), who has (according to him. unreliable narrator) friendly enough interactions with C&C in Nargothrond, who negotiates with the Laiquendi for land for the Edain, for whom the Dwarves forged the Nauglamir, etc. etc. (I really love him having an epesse from Khuzdul - I can't hear you badger Felagund origin story - and Nom as an epesse from the Edain. Finrod the beloved!) Making these connections and inspiring personal confidence/loyalty is what he is really good at, in my headcanon--it's really easy to see in the whole episode with Balan/Beor, who joins him in Nargothrond, after all the time Finrod spends with them. He has a link to everyone, and he's skilled at taking into account others' needs and hearts because for the most part he really does care. So in a way really it's good that he's on holiday from kingship with Sauron to work on his real strengths :)

Loving people and connections with them lends itself well to a thread of vanity too--he likes and wants to be admired and noticed (I mean, it's crazy to me that he decides to pull his little harp stunt while Beor's folk are sleeping to surprise them. What a Move). Love this for him, though.

OK, this is getting so long, but just to like, wrap up, I am also obsessed with his magic/Song--after holding his own against Sauron himself, his spells in Leithian are powerful enough to withstand even defeat by Sauron! His magic preserves the secret of their identities, and breaks his bonds to save Beren! Between this, his foresight line to Galadriel ("An oath I too shall swear, and must be free to fulfil it, and go into darkness. Nor shall anything of my realm endure that a son should inherit." I like to imagine he occasionally just Says stuff like this), his Ulmo dreams, his harping painting fair visions, etc., he is so powerful and mystical and eerie. He never quite takes a straightforward path to things. He goes missing for months on his hunting road trip. He isn't on the front lines of the leaguer with Maedhros & co, but making a safe hidden place in Nargothrond against the danger forewarned to come (and necklaces). Presumably he can fight with a sword or whatever, but I get the sense that's not his strength by a long shot--the one time he is actually on the battlefield in armor in Silm he nearly dies and gets rescued by his human friend. He doesn't intend to battle Sauron in any way when he sets out, but to evade him with magical disguises. (And terrible aliases. A testament to the power of Finrod's magic that they worked or that he lapsed so foolishly - exhaustedly? - later, IMO. I have to laugh.) He often is doing his own thing, which speaks to me of self-possession. He even names himself a king in Nargothrond, which he has from Thingol, but doesn't claim any Noldor high kingship. He's got this independent, maverick streak that just makes him fascinating and very fun to write.

So in the fic, I guess, I'd say I've tried to characterize him as willing to do anything for his friends, prioritizing their individual lives--I think this bit is canon. He's creative and evasive and trying to use any means at his disposal. After his canon defeat, he lost most of his hope and confidence, but seeing things proceed differently to what he had foreseen has done a lot to resurrect it--and Sauron being responsive keeps boosting it too. He feels like anything might be possible, however small and foolish the chance. He genuinely values knowing more of Sauron and his enemies and their thralls etc and is mentally filing it away, though the knowledge often comes at some painful cost. He often sees their games as a challenge, in a way, though he tries to be careful about letting his vanity or desire obscure his clearer vision. That said, I really think Finrod wouldn't be able to keep his newfound hope from extending to imagining reaching Sauron in a meaningful sense, too. He does hope for that, even if the hope is basically minuscule. It would be a victory for him and most importantly, an affirmation of his optimism and confidence to turn something in Sauron's spirit or heart, to have something "real," and he's always looking for something "good" there, even if he often does not find it or even realize he is looking for it. Other than that, beyond what is going on in the tower--he is a bit adrift. Now especially so--he's cut off from any people he loves, he's lonely, stuck being self-sacrificing, and he feels guilty about leaving Orodreth & co. in an awful position. He's a king who is no longer a king, and now he doesn't even have the companions he left with who might see him that way. But while all that is declining so precipitously, he increasingly has Sauron, and the tower, and whatever he can make of them. :') I hope that answer is satisfying enough! The challenge of writing this fic has been trying to make an emotionally believable (I should probably say "compelling" instead of "believable"--but you know) arc on both sides, but I'm looking forward to continuing this journey!!!

As for the ending, it's kinda yes and no! I do have a set end point in mind to conclude this series with them, which I'm determined to get them to. But there are also a handful of scenes set later on that I'm tempted to write which would kind of extend it--either as an epilogue or something else. I'm not sure if I'll ever write those bits though, or if I did what would be the best way to do it (ie. to keep it as installments of the og fic series or arrange it some other way on AO3.) That part is all hypothetical though!

[kisant]

Annon-Guy: Feel free to correct me on this, but what do you think drew Emil and Marta to each other and made them fall in love with each other? In my views; Emil - Marta always supported him and changed her views in regards to him. Marta - When she began to see Emil for who he really is, she admired that he gives everything he has in spite of his fears and came to love his kind nature. This can also be extended to Ratatosk Emil too.

Continued Annon-Guy: Outside of Emil X Marta, what do you think of the other major romance pairings (Canon and Fanon)? Lloyd X Colette (Canon), Zelos X Sheena (Semi-Canon), Genis X Presea (Fanon, but I wish it was Canon), Raine X Regal (Fanon) and Alice X Decus (Canon). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, that's a good summary about what I like about the Emil x Marta relationship dynamic and storyline. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think the devs made a risky but smart choice by having the new party be reduced to three characters (Emil, Marta and Tenebrae) with the OG Symphonia cast coming and going depending on plot events. That way, they could dedicate more time to flesh out Emil, Marta and Tenebrae along with their character dynamics and their relationships with each other. Emil and Marta's romantic storyline also benefitted from it, because we can see it develop and mature throughout the game, just like Emil and Marta do. That way, we get a small core of important new characters that the game can take a lot of time developing (Emil, Marta, Tenebrae, Richter, Alice and Decus), while still bringing in the old favourites from Symphonia that players were already familiar with.

About the other pairings, I enjoy all of those as well! Lloyd x Colette is excellent. Symphonia's character and plot writing is top-notch in general, and they dedicated a lot of love and care to writing Lloyd, Colette and their relationship with each other. Their growing closeness feels natural, and so does that they are willing to go to the ends of the earth to save each other, while still saving the world. Refusing to make Colette into a sacrifice while also refusing to forsake the world is the most difficult path to follow, but it is the one that eventually allows Lloyd to find a REAL solution to a problem that had stumped Mithos and the Kharlan heroes for 4000 years. Colette's journey is equally impactful. Because Colette is usually portrayed as being a cheerful, heartwarming, all-loving girl. But we can easily forget that Colette was groomed since she was born to have no care or regard for herself other than in her role of a self-sacrificing Chosen, that she had fully accepted that her fate was to "become an angel" (aka commit ritual suicide) so that the world can flourish. She was just sixteen years old when she was sent on her journey towards her own death, and she hid what the rituals were doing to her body until the final temple so that Lloyd and Genis could continue being happily oblivious to her ultimate fate. It takes the entire Sylvarant arc and most of the Tethe'alla arc for Colette to heal from what the Church of Martel and Cruxis had done to her sense of self and her self-esteem. That's how long it takes Colette to value her own life and want to live for herself, to be able to say no to the Church of Martel and the people of Sylvarant demanding that she kill herself for their sake, to not gracefully accept that she is a terribly selfish and cowardly failure of a Chosen for wanting to LIVE.

And Lloyd is the one who is willing to fight and argue with the entire world that Colette is a person who deserves to live for herself just like anyone else does. Lloyd cares, and the fact that Loyd cares and refuses to give into cynicism or accept sacrifices is what ends up not just saving Colette, but the world too. Because his care for Colette, the girl he loves, end up encompassing the Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, humans, elves, half-elves and dwarves. And that allows Lloyd to bridge the gap between worlds and cultures in order to save everyone, not just save his own group while condemning his "enemies".

Lloyd and Colette are also very fun together, and they are allowed to have fun and be childish when the occasion allows it. The game also gave them a lot of opportunities to dress up and go on little dates, which is adorable. I could talk about Lloyd and Colette forever, but the entire game is a giant Lloyd x Colette ship manifesto.

Zelos x Sheena is also an interesting potential ship because they are dealing with similar issues. It's no coincidence that Mithos made Zelos and Sheena face the same kind of illusion once he trapped them in Welgaia during the last stretch of the game. Both of them struggle with GUILT, Sheena because of the Volt incident and because she was sent to be an assassin in order to save her land when her heart is too kind to ever be one. And Zelos started struggling with guilt after the incident between his mother and Seles' mother, and especially Seles' house arrest. That's also the moment where he truly started to stuggle with and resent the role of the Chosen.

Zelos' other big struggle is whether to be selfish or to be selfless, to continue being the Chosen or allow Seles to be given the burden when he knows all it entails is suffering, to betray the group or risk his neck to save them. He was also the spy, and once the group accepts him, includes him, believes in him and allows him to be himself rather than the Chosen, he starts to feel guilty about his role as Mithos' spy.

Sheena and Zelos also end up in positions of leadership among their respective people, and they have a compatible dynamic. It's fun to see them play off each other, andthey had history together even before they met Lloyd's group. So it makes for some interesting potential relationship dynamics. Especially because Sheena is the one Tethea'lla woman who is very much neither fooled nor impressed with Zelos' fake playboy act. She gets mad at it, and reacts positively when Zelos is genuine and serious.

Genis x Presea is cute, but I can also see it as Presea being Genis' first serious crush that eventually fades. Genis' crush is intentense in the Tethe'alla arc, but it takes a backseat once Genis has to come to terms with Mithos' reveal and Presea has, likewise, to process Alicia's death. Neither of them are anywhere ready for a serious relationship at the end of the game, which doesn't mean that they can't develop some mutual feelings a few years later. And Presea haivng being exposed to an experimental Cruxis Crystal for ten years may actually make her be able to match Genis' half-elven lifespan, so they could have a lot of time for potential feelings to be developed in the future.

Raine x Regal are a good potential pairing as well, as they took the part of "Responsible Adult Team" in the symphonia group, they were the ones to take precautions that the younger members of the team overlooked, and they are on a similar wavelength. Dawn also gave some ship-tease with the letter writing between Regal and Raine.

Finally, Alice x Decus is a good tragic villain pairing, as we can easily see the potential for what it could have been if their circumstances and lives had been different. And they are also an excellent narrative mirror/foils to Marta x Emil, as they showcase nearly all the pitfalls either of them could fall into if they didn't put the work into growing as people and overcoming their character flaws. Instead, Alice and Decus allowed those character flaws to devour them, not even being able to truly communicate how much they cared for each other until they were dying for their beloved. And that's not even getting into what they DO to people they don't care about.

[sigurdjarlson]

Thinking Greg, Ewan and Marianne (also Tom)

Also me rambling about a few takes I see here and there on Greg that I (respectfully) don’t really agree with.

Generally just me making things a lot deeper than they probably are, a lot of speculation and headcanons, blah blah.

Disclaimer: if you disagree that’s perfectly fine. None of this is an attack on anyone. Or even aimed at anyone in particular.It’s more just rambling and getting thoughts out.

Oh and the usual “I don’t condone what these characters do and they all suck” disclaimer because if you don’t put that people assume ur like lusting after Bezos bc you like fictional capitalists

Tw: abuse mentions (I’m regards to Ewan and Logan’s childhood and Tom and Greg. Also brief Tom/Shiv mention too)

First off I think Ewan is more similar to Logan than he thinks. I don’t actually like Ewan very much. I think he’s generally an unpleasant dude.

His morals come off performative. It seems more like he wants to find a way to be superior to Logan (being clearly bitter about Logan getting more than him) and has settled into believing he’s morally superior.

But he still backs Logan when the vote of no confidence happens. You know, the guy he claims is singlehandedly my destroying the world? It’s a selfish decision based on his own sense of familial loyalty rather than trying to make the world better.

He’s sitting on millions himself after all (and not just the inheritance he’s dangling over Greg’s head and later donated to Green Peace) so frankly he’s not exactly the voice of the people over there.

His relationship with Greg in particular is..sad. There’s no emotional warmth there from Ewan. None at all. Even when Greg tries to be affectionate he’s immediately rebuffed. He treats Greg with same disdain and annoyance as everyone else.

It’s possible he’s disappointed in how Greg turned out even before he dug his heels in and refused to leave the company. Greg didn’t exactly seem like he had a lot going from him lmao.

Maybe he’s just incapable of genuine selfless affection much like his brother. Whatever abuse they went through has clearly left them very..dysfunctional to say the least .

Ewan isn’t as outright cruel to Greg as Logan is to his kids. He doesn’t and hasn’t hit him to our knowledge. He just..has no emotional warmth and affection. Something Greg clearly wants.

He’s manipulative like Logan though. Greg does something he doesn’t like and he dangles his inheritance over his head as a threat. When Greg refuses to comply he donates it.

And then we have Marianne who we know almost nothing about.

It’s hard to say because we no absolutely nothing about Marianne’s mother but from what I can see she seems about as distant as Ewan is with Greg.

It could be that she’s simply annoyed with him and maybe she doesn’t act like that with him all the time but honestly i think she probably is emotionally distant like her father.

I mean I get that Greg probably asked for money a lot but her refusing to give him anything was kind of cruel. Dude had to sleep in a church and steal food from work. Like you sent him there and he actually is trying to get in so maybe idk support your son?

We know she racked up a ton of credit card debt that Greg pays off for her. Which is hmm interesting and again kind of shitty for her to do that? I mean I know he’s got money now but who’s mooching off who now LMAO

We know she’s got some of that Roy cunning and predisposition for manipulation. She’s the one who encourages Greg to use nepotism to get what he wants, she tells him to strategize and decide who’s more important [Shiv or Roman].

But she does tell her father to make sure Greg eats when he’s in town so she clearly cares about him somewhat.

I’ve seen people headcanon she’s got a drug problem given that she’s shown taking pills but those could be anything. (Health problems, mental health problems, some pain meds because dealing with Greg gives her a headache lmao)

Also she has a dog so that’s nice. I like to think Greg is a dog person.

We also know she was married at one point to Greg’s father who from what we know is basically an absentee slutty gay dad.

Nicholas mentions Greg comes from a “broken family” and says his father isn’t around and his mother feels far away. They also refer to Greg as being raised by his mother. So we can assume Mr Hirsch took off on them at some point

Nicholas really focused on that it isn’t just about the money for Greg. He wants a family. He wants to be a part of something.

It’s very telling Logan gets him to stay against his grandfather’s wishes with “I like you, Greg. I do.” I doubt that was genuine but pretend affection worked like a charm with Greg because his grandfather doesn’t give him that. (I don’t think Ewan DOES like Greg lmao)

So Greg’s dad took off and his grandfather is about as emotionally intelligent as a worm. Not exactly the best father figures eh?

Or Tom getting Greg to open the cruise files with “You’re family.” And Greg just says “thank you.”

And the Roys are fucking insane but “there are enough good moments with these people that he feels like he’s a part of something” - NB

And I find it interesting they say he wants family when his mother and grandfather are family but I think it’s fair to assume they’re both emotionally repressed so Greg looks elsewhere for the approval, guidance and affection he wants so badly.

(And ended up looking in the worst place possible)

We don’t know how many times Greg has seen his cousins and uncle before this. Caroline says they knew him as Greg the Egg and Shiv knows enough to correct Logan when he calls him Craig

(I assume Marianne and Greg were cut off when Ewan and Logan became estranged, if they weren’t already I mean. Although Marianne was able to contact Marcia to tell her Greg was coming so she must keep in contact to some degree)

If I’m not mistaken Connor says something to Greg in the background “your mother is funny” at the dinner table so they know who she is.

We also know they weren’t particularly wealthy. I’ve seen the (it was either a show runner or Nicholas Braun) where they say he’s never had a pair of nice leather shoes and never had a nice fitted suit in his entire life.

Greg is absolutely awed by their lifestyle. (Makes me think maybe if he did ever see his cousins it was when he was younger). He clearly didn’t have his cousins’ lavish lifestyle.

Which is odd because Ewan has money. He could share it with his daughter and grandson but he doesn’t. Why? Out of principle? Did she give him a reason? (Like racking up credit card debt lmao) Despite all his preaching he is seemingly fine with letting his daughter and grandson struggle.

But my conclusion is I think Greg came from a fairly emotionally detached family and that’s why there’s this part of him craving attention, affection and approval.

That’s a part of Greg I don’t see many people discuss and Nicholas Braun keeps emphasizing it. He’s lonely and he’s scared. He doesn’t have anyone except Tom and Tom is volatile and abusive to him sometimes.

(Don’t get me wrong, I love the ship, I love these dysfunctional maniacs but in the end that is what a lot of Tom’s aggressive behavior is. Abuse. I won’t deny that because that would be doing a disservice to both the characters and the ship. It’s so interesting because it’s messed up. Same with Hannibal and Will. Nothing wrong with shipping problematic things because well, they’re not real so no one is getting hurt)

Yes Tom’s behavior is a result of Shiv’s emotional abuse but that doesn’t really excuse it. It just explains it. I love both Tom and Shiv btw

But yeah Greg is thrust into a world he knows nothing about and he has to adapt. He’s trying to emulate the people around him and unfortunately they all suck lmao so he’s becoming a progressively worse person as he adapts to this lifestyle.

Tom praises him for blackmailing him, Gerri praises him for snitching on Tom, Kendall praises him for blackmailing him as well. Every time he lights up like a Christmas tree

Is Greg greedy? Hell yeah but I think his greed comes from a different place than the Roys greed comes from.

Greg has been a rock bottom before, he had nothing when he arrived. Why wouldn’t he want security? And then why wouldn’t he want luxury? (His cousins have it and they didn’t do anything to earn it other than being born into the right family)

He’s desperate to not to end up sleeping on church pews and scrounging food from offices again.

(I wonder if there ever was or is any lingering bitterness/resentment that they get all this and he got so very little. If there was I’m sure Ewan was the source)

Nicholas Braun says a lot of things boil down to being about survival for Greg and that tracks.

He jumps sides and blackmails and manipulated because he’s trying to survive in this cutthroat world and he needs to be on the winning side to keep himself afloat. (Is that not what they all try to do?)

It’s not out of malice or cruelty. It’s necessity. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone intentionally but he’s looking out for himself. Self preservation.

If Shiv, Connor, Roman or Kendall fail they usually still have obscene amounts of money to fall back on because for all his threats Logan won’t let them stay gone for long. He’s too controlling.

Greg does not have that. Especially after Ewan takes away his inheritance.

(No one else is looking out for him after all except Tom and that’s a volatile, rocky and confusing relationship for him. Also Tom did fuck him over by implicating by in the cruise scandal and was originally planning on using him as a scapegoat)

He’s watching them all stab each other in the back every other day and he’s also being praised for shitty behavior. Is it really a surprise he’s got progressively “worse”?

Also frankly no one is particularly nice to him? He’s constantly mocked, berated, humiliated and dismissed by everyone. They were so ready to sacrifice him and Tom “Tom sundae with Greg Sprinkles”

There are enough nice moments as NB said that Greg feels like he’s a part of this messed up family but..he’s really not. Like by blood yes but in their eyes? He’s not really a Roy. Neither is Tom. They’re not on the same level.

So..sometimes I ask myself why do people act like Greg owes any of them loyalty? Because they’re family? Bullshit, that doesn’t matter. I hate that shit. If family treats you like shit you don’t owe them anything. No matter what material things they give you.

Also hm maybe I’m an ass for this but I don’t care that Greg is a bit of a mooch when it’s the Roys he’s mooching off of. They are billionaires. They’ll survive Greg being a bit of a parasite (might as well get something out dealing with that family) it’s not like he’s going to hurt their feelings either.

I see a lot of “Greg acts entitled to stuff because of his family it’s disgusting. Nepotism at its finest” and this one makes me laugh because yeah I can see a few times where acts like that…but so is every single character on this fucking show? The Roy children more than any other characters.

The Roy kids didn’t earn their dad’s fortune. They are living off their father and if he didn’t own the business none of them would have a job there because none of them know what the fuck they’re doing or how to interact with other human beings (Roman especially LMAO)

Connor literally lives off his dad’s money and does pretty much nothing else until he decides he’s going to try to be president (Connor my beloved..you are so dumb)

I’m not saying he’s better than them either. Just that they’re both shitty and I don’t see how Greg doing the same things the Roys do makes him the most evil character on the show (no joke I have seen people say that and not in a joking way)

There’s a weird very aggressive double standard for people who just HATE greg for some reason (which is fine) and I think that’s a failing in the writing because Greg doesn’t have nearly as much material for the audience to sympathize with and get to know him like we do the Roy kids.

So when he does dick things it’s like “wow what a dick” rather than “oh he did that because ____ and he’s still a dick but I get it now”

I mean I’m looking for those things because I’m deranged but the average viewer I mean.

(Tom gets a lot of these same takes about not being worthy, being too entitled, needing to be knocked down a peg, etc or whatever but he gets a lot more sympathy than Greg and again that’s a flaw in the writing for Greg. Or maybe it’s on purpose who knows.)

Anyway we were talking about Greg not owing loyalty to the Roys.

Kendall gives him an apartment but it’s not a completely selfless gesture lbr. He needed a place for his parties. He needed Greg to get him coke and wanted to keep him on his side.I love Ken but he doesn’t seem to care much about Greg as a person.

He doesn’t owe Tom anything either because frankly Tom owed him for getting him into the cruise situation in the first place. Also considering the abuse Tom has consistently flung at him… (both physical, emotional and mental) it makes sense he feels a mix of resentment and a desire to get the fuck out of there

Sometimes I get the feeling people think Greg like owes Tom love back? (You can’t owe someone love just because they were nice to you a few times for that matter but that’s a whole other conversation) like because Tom loves him so much he’s a terrible person for not feeling the same way? (If you’re assuming unrequited in Greg’s part)

If I was Greg I’d fucking hate Tom. I would have called HR a loooooong time ago. (It wouldn’t do anything with that shit show of a company but I digress)

The fact Greg willingly sticks around after his attempts to leave are foiled is insane.

The fact he even seems to genuinely like Tom is a strange miracle. Yes, Tom has done truly good things for him but he also abuses him. That does not disappear or become magically forgotten just because he’s doing something good for him now.

I think Greg cares for Tom but I also think there’s a lot of resentment there over how he’s been treated. He doesn’t like how imbalanced their relationship is. He wants them on equal footing.

Tom is so many things to Greg no wonder he’s completely baffled by him. (I see people say three don’t understand how Greg can’t see it but uh the hostile behavior would throw me for a loop too. Just because it’s obvious to the audience doesn’t mean the characters themselves are being written with the same knowledge we have)

He’s all these conflicting wonderful, horrible things.

He’s safety, he’s danger, he’s affection, he’s scorn, he’s a helping hand, he’s the hand holding him down, he saves him, he purposefully implicated him in his crimes, he says trust me, he says never trust anyone, he’s a kiss on the forehead and bruises from water bottles flung at him in a rage.

He’s all of these things at once and I think that’s really fucking confusing for Greg.

I think Tom does realize he needs to put them on more equal ground for their relationship to improve in Greg’s end. (Greg’s less than pleased reaction to being offered the position of “Tom’s attack dog’ is very telling. He doesn’t want to be under Tom’s thumb anymore. He resents that power imbalance)

Will Greg betray Tom? I don’t know. Only time will tell if all those lessons on being ruthless have truly sunk in.

Tom kicked that dog [Greg] a hell of a lot and petting him now won’t make him forget. He shouldn’t be surprised if/when Greg turns around and bites him too.

Do I think losing Tom would devastate Greg? Yes, regardless of how you interpret their relationship. Tom is really the only person he has. He’d be completely alone. So, betraying Tom would ultimately ruin him too because the rich life won’t be so much fun with no one to share it with. It’ll be empty and pointless.

Logan is gonna play the same mind games with these two as he does his kids. (New kids who dis) and ultimately whether they end up screwing each other over or not (hopefully just screwing part heh) there’s no way this will end well

Another point I wanted to touch on is Greg’s complete disinterest in sex up until it’s suggested he can use Comfrey or the Contessa to climb the social ladder. (He expresses clear discomfort at the idea at the bachelor’s party being a sex party and doesn’t even respond to Tom’s “we should talk to some girls”)

And he loses interest the moment a girl seems to return his affection.

This could be interpreted as closeted Greg or at least Greg who’s willing to play straight to get better social status.

(But also bi Greg is a possibility but he just isn’t interested in them beyond social climbing apparently)

I for one like the idea of gay closeted Greg? Because I think seeing him struggle with the idea of becoming his father (gay homewrecker) would be really very interesting.

There’s a lot of potential here. Internalized homophobia even? Where he unconsciously sees being gay as something bad, as something that destroyed his family? Or just being terrified that his mother will look at him and think he’s just like his father.

Just daddy issues galore because not only did he lose his father but he has no stable father figure in his life. (I think he sees Tom as one in a twisted way, but also a potential lover. Daddy issuessss)

Like he needs someone to guide him and love him.

He can chase riches all he wants and that may keep him living in the lap of luxury but it doesn’t mean he’ll be happy.

In fact Nicholas B says that Greg just needs someone to ask him if he’s okay? Because he’s not. “Everything feels bad in this world all the time for him”

Greg is greedy. He’s..starving for a lot of things. For love, family, security, money, power, all of it. He wants all of it and he wants it all at the same time. (Who doesn’t want these things to some degree)

And I think it’s because he’s never really had any of those things in the first place.

I also think at this point he’s very lonely when it comes down to it. Tom is all he has and that’s probably half of why he tolerates Tom’s behavior at first (also he didn’t really have a choice) before he genuinely starts to care about him too

And he does show genuine concern for Tom at times. I think it’s just a very complicated relationship, maybe even more so on Greg’s side because of how volatile and wishy washy Tom has been to him.

“I wonder if she’d still be there if she knew the real me?” (Who is the real you, Greg? Because honestly we don’t know at this point and I really hope we get to know him 😉)

I just really wanna know more about Greg and his family okay. Let me get to know Greg the Egg

[thessaliah]

Reading this lostbelt, from Pepe's viewpoint and issues, and how he described the Crypters. It makes me uncomfortable that FGO is trying to validate privilege and trying to cast the victims of the privileged ones (PHH) as "bad" because they tell them to go fuck themselves and flipped the roles. Or are "good" because accept being destroyed (fucking erased) to validate the "better" (privileged) history. It felt like that from the beginning but Pepe's thoughts nailed this sickening feeling.

I was going to do my character meme answers, but so much THIS. I don't think Nasu thought over this pretty well (or he doesn't care because status quo-sticker), or he took so long his work isn't going to age well in the current context people are more aware than ever about this "competition" between humanity which is absolutely abhorrent and unjust. Even when presenting a side as "hopeless" for their growth, that sounds like you're making excuses to trample it for your benefit, like a typical privileged person would ignore those who rot on the sidewalk.

This is the funny thing. The entire situation as you point is like some of those pariahs said no more and decided to take over with the corpses of their oppressors. Panhistory to validate themselves created the Prunning Phenomena and can't take heat from the consequences of their very system generated? The rich side of this is that all those billions who disappeared actually to validate their existence in the first place set this system that originally walked on the corpses of many untold erased timelines. Because resources were limited (sounds familiar?) only a scant number of timelines could be kept. And this very cruel system was wished unconsciously by humanity itself. Nasu even compared what Humanity is doing to itself to what Goetia did in his booklet of Lostroom as if to frame what is the cause. Crypters, Lostbelts, the "God"? Thematically, they are victims and pariahs who got left behind. They aren't the "aggressors" that shot first. There’s a reason why the theme is revenge and payback of those who were down and stood again. Nasu’s not talking about Panhistory or Novum Chaldea.

Of course, is perfectly good and dandy to have Novum Chaldea look for the survival of them and their Panhistory, but it's not sitting well with me to take them as heroes at all, unlike Part 1. In part 1, the enemy had a problem with suffering, but the suffering caused by death and terminus, which was more a natural consequence of being human that could be delayed but is something nobody denies exists and must be accepted. It was a palatable approach of a Solomon who experienced a mortal life and the system Solomon left behind which took an exclusive "god" viewpoint unable to sympathize until he tasted mortality.

Part 2 meanwhile the core of the problem is that injustice and gap between loser and winners, and it seems to push for us to accept it can't be helped, humans are like this when is a dangerous complacent "Let the better ones eat you, pariah" sour aftertaste. It's also very dangerous because while there's no "pruning phenomena" in real life, there is across history the whole silencing the loser and oppressed by the winners, trying to wipe them out for their own glory and benefit. There's no point to wish fight fact or reform. Novum Chaldea being a passive tool to defend the way Panhistory has conducted itself with rare exceptional "no this waifu/this loli/cute animal" moments don't cut it for me to see them as good. It makes me feel dirty. They never made an effort to do anything but react too unless a said article to protect is at stake. It's increasingly hard to associate or sympathize with them over someone like Kirschtaria Wodime, whatever you think of his plan, he is the only one who made an effort to try to change the odds while embracing hope humanity inherent goodness will carry them out for a better future, better order, better results. While Chaldea's weak arguments against him could be summed up in Holmes' cynical view of how humanity won't change and will always be like that and suffer (which is again a reminder of "don't try to do anything, go with the flow" to suppress revolution and reformers). The arguments were so feeble that the one that stopped him isn't Chaldea, but Beryl's betrayal.

I understand fully the extraordinary context and circumstances of what happened, and what was lost, but those people who disappeared, they also wove a system that did the same to others. It's just an unfortunate plot to me. Nobody denies Kirschtaria was willing to accept the loss of Panhistory (even though if he could, he would have saved those people too) out his inability to save them with his limits, but N. Chaldea is perfectly willing to accept the loss of other lives too (although they also feel bad), are they less worthy? And while Kirschtaria’s passively accepted the loss of Panhistory (because none of the Crypters directly had to do with its blanching), Chaldea is actively now doing the Pruning System work in pulling the plug on others. Not just the Lostbelts but to restore Panhistory is accepting the way it works and how many it destroys. Instead of taking a bet to try something new, in the long run, maybe create something better. Both sides demand terrible sacrifices, but only one is coming with a solution to try and fix what is broken. The other side is just putting a band-aid and pretend is fine.  I don't know if Nasu is going to end it in a satisfying way. Because he's not one to overhaul this system and he maintained since FSN: "the seat of happiness are limited" as if was a natural and desirable message.  

On the other hand, he did say that Kirschtaria's ideals are the most perfect even among "all legends of TM" and that his goal was objectively beneficial for humanity. Even one of the game options lets Guda comment that his idea is desirable, but... (doesn't want to forsake Panhistory... although Panhistory ironically has no problem to destroy and wreck other timelines to keep their flawed Consensus -> what isn't discussed, huh).

I think Nasu wanted to make this about survival instead of good vs evil, which was fine up until Kirschtaria came up with an idea of revision/reform the Human Order instead of proposing something based on survival of a lifestyle because he wanted to minimise the suffering. Which Chaldea poorly answered. At heart, by trying to smooth over humanity’s need to compete with each other by closing the gaps of how they started (and even them), wouldn’t that also affect the Pruning system which is based on this fierce competition of what is the best/ideal timeline consensus? Yes, of course, because that system reflects the present humanity mindset of competition to “survive” and divide themselves in winners and losers. In the long run, IMO, that would have been modified too. Kirschtaria doesn’t directly reference to it, but vaguely alludes to an answer humanity failed to reach which is linked to a lot of what’s happening too, including the “God.” Because Chaldea only had arguments for survival (to the point this is acknowledged by Kirschtaria’s description of what is defeat/victory for Chaldea and for Kirschtaria. To Chaldea, Kirschtaria says that their victory is survival, and to be defeated is to die; while Wodime’s defeat is that the Beast manifested and he couldn’t finish his plan). And business continues, as usual, I guess. It leaves a bitter taste when your supposed POV has no agency or drive to make any difference. It is frustrating! 

I know I was harsh with this, and I also appreciate how Guda and Mash still try to help the people who they see in danger in front of them, but is frustrating because at the same time they are doing things to make themselves feel better knowing they are here to wipe them out. Like, you know, giving a starving orphan a candy to make then happy and go behind their back and pull out the resources of the orphanage they’re in to let them starve to use that money to buy yourself food, something like that. Even if you know they really need that money to not starve themselves for the possibility they can rebuild different orphanages, would you still consider characters who do that the same heroes as part 1? Hard to say, right? 

“Far side is darker than Near side”, yes, but I think Nasu went a little too far. Because even if HF was dark, for example, I completely empathised with the difficult choices, while it’s harder now.

[wisdomrays]

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Can We Choose Our Actions?

Based on the verse cited above, it seems that God controls us. However, the Qur'an says that God has given us reason, intellect, and free will so that we can choose the way of good or evil. How can we reconcile these?

The Arabic word hidaya usually is translated as "guidance." However, it also has other meanings: rectitude, the straight way, the way to Islam, and the way of those upon whom God has bestowed His blessings. The Arabic word dalala usually is translated as "going astray." Among its other meanings are corruption, error, the way of those who persistently adhere to false beliefs and willfully break God's law, and those who refuse to listen to the truth and thus go astray out of their own heedlessness or negligence.

Being guided and being left astray relate to God and depend on His Will. He creates hidaya to manifest His Name al-Hadi (the One Who Guides) and dalala to manifest His Name al-Mudil (the One Who Leads Astray). He creates, or in other words, enables or "gives" being guided or being led astray. This does not mean that He leads someone on the right path or astray. Rather, being guided or being led astray result from our own intentions and actions, for such is a consequence of our attitudes and inclinations. It has nothing to do with an arbitrary predestination.

Guidance can be received by various actions: going to a mosque; listening to a sermon, a lecture, or the Qur'an; reflecting seriously on the Qur'an's verses and their meaning; spending time with pious people; receiving advice from sincere, spiritual guides and teachers of religion, and trying to benefit from their purity and lofty ethos; and reflecting on the true nature of life and death. Such practices lead to mental and spiritual enlightenment. If you start to do such things, no matter how apparently small or insignificant, God accepts it as a means to grant guidance. Therefore God guides, but the individual initiates the process. On the other hand, if you frequent such places as bars, nightclubs, or non-Islamic places of worship, in effect you are asking to be led astray. If God wills, He will let you go astray. If He does not, He will save you from such a destiny by any means He wishes.

Our share in determining whether we will be guided or go astray is infinitesimally small. If we follow misguidance, God creates the results from our own actions in accordance with the laws of cause and effect that He has decreed for His creation. It is a necessary condition of moral responsibility that we freely initiate actions that will lead us to misguidance if we choose to do so, despite all the warning and instruction we receive. Later on, God will punish or forgive us as He pleases.

Consider this example. When you listen to the Qur'an or a sermon, or read something about Islam, you experience certain feelings, a kind of inner uplifting and illumination. However, someone living next door to the mosque might consider the call to prayer, the sermons, and the prayers sources of irritation and complain that they are a public disturbance and nuisance. In either case, God uses our reactions and inclinations to create and enable the necessary results, wholly dependent on His Will, that may follow from that response.

Consider a different example. As we eat and drink, all kinds of nutrients, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, and so on are sent to where they are needed in our bodies. The mere wish or act of placing food in the mouth does not enable nourishment. First the faculties necessary to identify and move the food into the mouth, a complex coordination of brain and muscle activity, must be engaged and operative. No part of this process is controlled consciously or understood by the individual. Then, as the food enters the mouth, salivary glands begin to operate. Data about taste and flavor are passed to the brain, processed, and directed to the stomach, informing it of the precise combination of chemical substances necessary to digest that particular food and turn it into nourishment. And this is only the beginning!

As we have no conscious control over the process of nourishing our own body, we cannot say: "I put the food in my mouth, planned and arranged everything for the meal, digested it, distributed it to where it was needed, and fixed my body temperature for everything to function properly and efficiently. I did all this on my own!" If we did, would we not be ascribing to ourselves the actions of God? We should acknowledge reality: "When I put food in my mouth, wonderful processes begin to operate. An unseen, powerful hand puts these processes in motion for the necessary amount of time. The One who initiates and sustains all these processes is God."

By moving our will and inclination toward Divine Guidance, we may prove ourselves capable and worthy of it. For instance: I long to talk about religion with fullness and ease, to express my heartfelt feelings so well that others may be moved and benefit—but I fail to achieve what I wish, and can do only so much. I wish to convey Qur'anic law and God's commandments through persuasive, sincere words—but I get stuck at some point and become tongue-tied. I long to be totally immersed in the rapture of prayer and to be rid of all worldly concerns while praying—but I can hardly manage one prayer out of a thousand in this way. In sum, I contribute a sincere wish or a will, even though I may not realize my goal. The realization of this belongs to the All-Mighty.

The love and pleasure of faith, the earnest desire for Heaven, and an inclination to be content and submissive in the face of whatever comes from God are gifts that only He can place in our hearts and souls. We choose and incline, and God accepts and bestows His Blessings and Guidance. Saduddin Taftazani said: "Faith is a flame that God lights in a person's soul as a consequence of his or her use of free will." In order to obtain so great a favor, we must use our free will. You press a button and your life is illuminated. This seemingly small effort of will, this inclining toward faith, becomes the means to acquire Guidance and to be illuminated by Divine Light.

Some people may ask: If God lets go astray whomever He wills and guides aright whomever He wills (74:31), how does He call His servants to account?

We cannot attribute evil to God, for that comes from ourselves: Whatever good happens to you is from God; and whatever evil happens to you is from yourself (4:79). We have only ourselves to blame for what we suffer, for God does not wrong any one as much as an atom's weight (4:40). What happens to us is based upon our choices and actions, and accords with the law of cause and effect that God has decreed for His creation. Thus, those who persistently adhere to false beliefs and refuse to listen to and obey Divine commandments gradually lose the ability to perceive the truth, until a seal is set upon their hearts. Since God instituted these laws, sealing the heart and leading astray are attributed to Him. But in reality, such is the consequence of that person's free choice and inclination. Such a fate is neither predestined nor unjust.

Happiness in the Hereafter is the natural consequence of our effort to attain righteousness and inner illumination while alive: None does He cause to go astray save the iniquitous, who break their bond with God after it has been established, and cut asunder what God has joined, and spread corruption on Earth (2:26–27). God does not cause anyone to go astray, except those who He knows will refuse to seek faith. Here the causing to go astray denotes God's leaving the individual alone and removing His blessings. God may forsake one who He knows will choose to deny the truth and persevere in denial. Deserving His favor and blessings or deserving their withdrawal depend upon our free choice, and nothing else.

[clevervonskelli]

The Liberator (2020)

I have been excited about this project since the very first hints about it were released, so in full disclosure I have to admit that I approached this with high hopes. I also have to disclose that – despite being a huge military history nerd and a fan of reading source material before adaptions are made – I have not had a chance to read The Liberator: One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau by Alex Kershaw, so I cannot speak to how accurate anything is, nor can I comment on the quality of the original material either. Here are my thoughts on the visual choices, the characterizations and narrative structure, and the approach to diversity and representation. 

The hybrid-animated style is something that I was a bit surprised by because even after watching the trailers that were released my poor grad-school-addled brain processed it as a marketing choice just for promo. Everything looked like a comic page done by an awesome colourist and it I was :O but also :D Since I love comics, especially those that use muted palettes and a realistic style, I think I adapted to watching something that didn’t look like every other war drama out there a lot faster than my parents, who were watching with me. Comics and war (and WWII in particular) have a fascinating and interconnected history, so although it is a unique way of styling the show it also fits it so well! At times I did find myself wanting to see the characters faces in a bit more detail but, in fact, closeups were better than farther shots. Facial ticks and micro expressions came through well in most scenes and I was impressed all over again with the work the animations teams must have done as well as by the voice work and performances by the actors. I’m so familiar with Bradley James’ face and movements that I was never worried about missing something in his performance because of the show’s visual aesthetics and I feel like all the other cast members were just as transparent to me despite having never had the pleasure of watching them before. Overall, the visual style of the series gave it a certain charm and I imagine it helped to mitigate effects costs on what I don’t THINK was a project with a big budget.

The story itself is one that I really enjoyed. The character Felix Sparks is such a central hero, and I can certainly see how he could come off as too good to be true. The same can be said for most of the characters, from Sergeant Sam Coldfoot’s tenacity and escape from death to the German soldiers who show mercy and do not shoot Sparks while collecting his dead and wounded men from the mountain. **[This in particular seemed odd to me since they were from an SS unit and those dudes were generally some of the nastiest Nazis to ever serve but maybe its from the book, idk. It also underlines the “ugh, officers, ammirite? Except you Sparks, you’re an okay guy” vibe that is so common for military dramas by showing that on both sides there are men who are just soldiers being soldiers. Similar to the events in Aschaffenburg and at Dachau, we are purposefully reminded that there are good and bad people on both sides].                                                                                                                      I think that the heroic portrayals of the characters (while a tiny bit one-dimensional) mostly speak to what the real men must have been like. Or, perhaps more relevantly, to how they have been remembered. This is where I think the source material and how it is used becomes a big factor. Kershaw’s book uses historical research and interviews with Sparks, some of his men, and even some German soldiers. As I said, I have not read it but knowing his style a lot of the elements in the show that feel quite ‘all hail the conquering heroes’, or that are so focussed on the brotherhood of the unit, likely come from his narrative choices. I’m willing to believe that the members of the Thunderbirds were brave and caring men who did what was best for the outcome of the war and for each other, regardless of the personal cost or the expectations of the American military/society at large. We see some of their ‘faults’ in the series – something that is often only possible when it comes to accounts of small-unit fighting – and they are not actually perfect; it just happens to be that those faults have favourable outcomes or are mediated in the particular context of WWII, especially when we are looking back on them decades later. If the character’s representation largely reflects how they have been remembered it seems simplistic to forsake stories expressing awe and hope for daring to do so when the limitations or biases inherent to memory are also at fault. I believe it will always be important to tell the stories of individuals who inspire us to be better, which I think The Liberator does in a few different ways. All the same, having more time to dig deeper into the characters would have made them much more dynamic and would have been amazing.

On that note, it is important to be critical of how the ethnic/racial differences were addressed. The focus of the series narrows quite a bit by the end of the first episode to follow Sparks. I believe that the Kershaw book uses him as a primary interviewee, so that plays into it, but this is also where having the series be longer would have made a difference. Following a central character is a model of historical narrative that works and has worked for quite some time. It is essentially a safe bet for a project like this that I’m sure did not have the luxury of taking chances, but it didn’t allow for us to really dive into the other characters beyond what see of them through Sparks’ eyes. As the 2ndLt and later Captain of the battalion I think it’s fair to have a significant portion of the story told from his perspective or with him as a focal point because his position affords him the most information to share, but adding more variation of voices could have been so good! Instances of other characters talking about him in the series are great moments that give the other characters more ‘screen-time’ and also nicely back up the claims of brotherhood and togetherness that the overall story is making about the men. Having them speak about themselves too would have been even more awesome. The elements of simplification or Nationalism that can be felt when Sparks whips the men into shape and they become a fine fighting unit made up of usually segregated Native American/Indigenous, Mexican American, and white cowboy soldiers would be mediated by this more equal sharing of perspective. I have little doubt that the real men came together in an unexpected but inspirational way that discarded (most) of the prejudices that existed outside of their little bubble in order to fight a common enemy – at the very least their strategic accomplishments and survival would suggest as much. The portrayal of their coming-together would benefit from being a tad less contrived or solely laid on Sparks’ shoulders.

Overall, I really enjoyed the series and I hope more people watch it. It’s not perfect by any means but it does do a nice job of making a small but important chunk of history more accessible and it attempts to provide a realistic representation of events that border the unimaginable.

I would love to hear what anyone else thought of it.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Sat., Jan. 30, 2021

Commemorated on January 17_by the new calendar

Saint Anthony the Great ( 356)

     The Monk Anthony, a very great ascetic, the founder of wilderness-monastery life and as such the father of monasticism, is entitled "the Great" by Holy Church. He was born in Egypt in the village of Coma, near the Thebaid wilderness, in the year 251. His parents were pious Christians of illustrious lineage. From his youth Anthony was always serious and given over to concentration. He loved to visit church services and he hearkened to the Holy Scripture with such deep attention, that he remembered what he heard all his entire life. The commandments of the Lord guided him from the time of his very youth. When Saint Anthony was about twenty years old, he lost his parents, but in his care remained his sister, a minor in age. Visiting the church services, the youth was pierced through by a reverent feeling towards those Christians who, as it relates in the Acts of the Apostles, sold off their possessions and the proceeds thereof they applied in following after the Apostles. He heard in church the Gospel passage of Christ, spoken to the rich young man: "If thou wouldst be perfect, sell what thou hast and give it to the poor; and thou wilt have treasure in heaven; and come follow after Me" (Mt. 19: 21). Anthony understood this as spoken to him personally. He sold off his property that remained to him after the death of his parents, he distributed the money to the poor, he left his sister in the care of pious virgins in a monastic setting, he left his parental home, and having settled not far from his village in a wretched hut, he began his ascetic life. He earned his livelihood by working with his hands, and alms also for the poor. Sometimes the holy youth also visited other ascetics living in the surrounding areas, and from each he sought to receive direction and benefit. And to a particular one of these ascetics he turned for guidance in the spiritual life.

In this period of his life the Monk Anthony was subjected to terrible temptations by the devil. The enemy of the race of man troubled the young ascetic with thoughts, and with doubts about his chosen path, with anguish over his sister, and he attempted to incline Anthony towards fleshly sin. But the monk preserved his firm faith, he incessantly made prayer and intensified his efforts. Anthony prayed that the Lord would point out to him the path of salvation. And he was granted a vision. The ascetic beheld a man, who by turns alternately finished a prayer, and then began to work – this was an Angel, which the Lord had sent to instruct His chosen one. The monk thereupon set up a strict schedule for his life. He partook of food only once in the entire day, and sometimes only once every second or third day; he spent all night at prayer, giving himself over to a short sleep only on the third or fourth night after unbroken vigil. But the devil would not desist with his tricks, and trying to scare the monk, he appeared under the guise of monstrous phantoms. The saint however with steadfast faith protected himself with the Life-Creating Cross. Finally the enemy appeared to him in the guise of a frightful looking black lad, and hypocritically declaring himself beaten, he reckoned to sway the saint into vanity and pride. But the monk expelled the enemy with prayer.      For yet greater solitude, the saint re-settled farther away from the village, in a graveyard. On designated days his friend brought him a scant bit of food. And here the devils, pouncing upon the saint with the intent to kill him, inflicted upon him terrible beatings. But the Lord would not allow the death of Anthony. The friend of the saint, on schedule taking him his food, saw him as though dead laying upon the ground, and he took him away back to the village. They thought the saint was dead and began to prepare for his burial. But the monk in the deep of night regained consciousness and besought his friend to take him back to the graveyard. The staunchness of Saint Anthony was greater than the wile of the enemy. Taking the form of ferocious beasts, the devils again tried to force the saint to forsake the place chosen by him, but he again expelled them by the power of the Life-Creating Cross. The Lord strengthened the power of His saint: in the heat of the struggle with the dark powers the monk saw coming down to him from the sky a luminous ray of light, and he cried out: "Where hast Thou been, O Merciful Jesus?.. Why hast Thou not healed my wounds at the very start?" The Lord replied: "Anthony! I was here, but did wait, wanting to see thine valour; and now after this, since thou hast firmly withstood  the struggle, I shalt always aid thee and glorify thee throughout all the world". After this vision the Monk Anthony was healed of his wounds and ready for renewed efforts. He was then 35 years of age.      Having gained spiritual experience in the struggle with the devil, the Monk Anthony pondered going into the deeps of the Thebaid wilderness, and in full solitude there to serve the Lord by deed and by prayer. He besought the ascetic elder (to whom he had turned at the beginning of his monastic journey) to go off together with him into the wilderness, but the elder, while blessing him in the then as yet unheard of exploit of being suchlike an hermit, decided against accompanying him because of the infirmity of age. The Monk Anthony went off into the wilderness alone. The devil tried to stop him, throwing in front of the monk precious gems and stones, but the saint paid them no attention and passed them on by. Having reached a certain hilly spot, the monk caught sight of an abandoned enclosed structure and he settled within it, securing the entrance with stones. His faithful friend brought him bread twice a year, and water he had inside the enclosure. In complete silence the monk partook of the food brought him. The Monk Anthony dwelt for 20 years in complete isolation and incessant struggle with the devils, and he finally found tranquillity of spirit and peace in his mind. When it became appropriate, the Lord revealed to people about His great ascetic. The saint had to instruct many layfolk and monastics. The people gathering at the enclosure of the monk removed the stones sealing his entrance way, and they went to Saint Anthony and besought him to take them under his guidance. Soon the heights on which Saint Anthony asceticised was encircled by a whole belt of monastic communities, and the monk fondly directed their inhabitants, teaching about the spiritual life to everyone who came into the wilderness to be saved. He taught first of all the need to take up spiritual efforts, to unremittingly strive to please the Lord, to have a willing and unselfish attitude towards types of work shunned earlier. He urged them not to be afraid of demonic assaults and to repel the enemy by the power of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord.      In the year 311 the Church was beset by a trial – a fierce persecution against Christians, set in motion by the emperor Maximian. Wanting to suffer together with the holy martyrs, the Monk Anthony left the wilderness and arrived in Alexandria. He openly rendered aid to the imprisoned martyrs, he was present at the trial and interrogations, but the torturers would not even bother with him! It pleased the Lord to preserve him for the benefit of Christians. With the close of the persecution, the monk returned to the wilderness and continued his exploits. The Lord bestowed upon His saint a gift of wonderworking: the monk cast out devils and healed the sick by the power of his prayer. The multitude of people coming to him disrupted his solitude, and the monk went off still farther, into the so-called "interiour of the wilderness", and he settled atop an high elevation. But the brethren of the wilderness monasteries searched out the monk and besought him at least often to pay visits to their communities.      Another time the Monk Anthony left the wilderness and arrived amidst the Christians in Alexandria, to defend the Orthodox faith against the Manichaean and Arian heresies. Knowing that the name of the Monk Anthony was venerated by all the Church, the Arians circulated a lie about him – that he allegedly adhered to their heretical teaching. But actually being present in Alexandria, the Monk Anthony in front of everyone and in the presence of the bishop openly denounced Arianism. During the time of his brief stay at Alexandria he converted to Christ a great multitude of pagans. Pagan philosophers came to the monk, wanting by their speculations to test his firm faith, but by his simple and convincing words he reduced them to silence. The Equal-to-the-Apostles emperor Constantine the Great (+ 337, Comm. 21 May) and his sons deeply esteemed the Monk Anthony and besought him to visit them at the capital, but the monk did not want to forsake his wilderness brethren. In reply to the letter, he urged the emperor not to be overcome with pride by his lofty position, but rather to remember, that even over him was the Impartial Judge – the Lord God.      The Monk Anthony spent 85 years of his life in the solitary wilderness. Shortly before his death, the monk told the brethren, that soon he would be taken from them. Time and again he instructed them to preserve the Orthodox faith in its purity, to shun any association with heretics, and not to weaken in their monastic efforts. "Strive the yet more to dwell ever in unity amongst ye, and most of all with the Lord, and then with the saints, so that upon death they should bring ye into eternity by their blood, as friends and acquaintances", – thus were the death-bed words of the monk passed on in his Vita (Life). The monk bid two of his disciples, who had been together with him the final 15 years of his life, to bury him in the wilderness and not arrange any solemn burial of his remains in Alexandria. Of his two monastic mantles, the monk left one to Sainted Athanasias of Alexandria (Comm. 18 January), the other to Sainted Serapion of Tmunta. The Monk Anthony died peacefully in the year 356, at age 105, and he was buried by his disciples at a treasured spot glorified by him in the wilderness.      The Vita (Life) of the famed ascetic the Monk Anthony the Great was written in detail by a father of the Church, Saint Athanasias of Alexandria. This work of Saint Athanasias is the first memorial of Orthodox hagiography, and is considered one of the finest of his writings; Saint John Chrysostom says, that this Vita should be read by every Christian. "These narratives be significantly small in comparison with the virtues of Anthony, – writes Saint Athanasias, – but from them ye can conclude, what the man of God Anthony was like. From his youth into his mature years observing an equal zeal for asceticism, not being seduced by the avenues of filth, and not as regards infirmity of body altering his garb, nor the any worse for it in suffering harm. His eyes were healthy and unfailing and he saw well. Not one tooth fell out for him, and they only weakened at the gums from the advanced years of age. He was healthy of hand and of foot (...). And what they said about him everywhere, all being amazed at him, whereof even those that did not see him loved him – this serves as evidence of his virtue and love for God in soul".      Of the works of the Monk Anthony himself, there have come down to us: 1) his Discourses, 20 in number, treating of the virtues, primarily monastic, 2) Seven Letters to monasteries – about striving for moral perfection and regarding the spiritual struggle, and 3) a Rule of life and consolation for monastics.      In the year 544 the relics of the Monk Anthony the great were transferred from the wilderness to Alexandria, and later on with the conquest of Egypt by the Saracens in the VII Century, they were transferred to Constantinople. The holy relics were transferred from Constantinople in the X-XI Centuries to a diocese outside Vienna, and in the XV Century – to Arles (in France), into the church of Saint Julian.

© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.

Matthew 11:27-30

27All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Hebrews 13:17-21 

17Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. 18 Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.19 But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. 20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what iswell pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

[marshmallowprotection]

Antirrhinum

AO3

Pairing: Saeran Choi/Lila Lancelot (OC) 

Description: Saeran and Lila thought that they could escape from Paradise and leave everything behind that had brought them together in the first place. The Savior refused to allow this to happen. She would twist up their love for one another and put it to better use for the greater good and for the sake of paradise. All they had to do was submit. 

Based on Saeran's 3rd Bad Ending. 

"Saeran... or Ray... please... come back...!" Lila whimpered. 

Her arms curled tightly around her torso as she sat in the corner of her room. It was dark and all she had known were these four walls ever sine Saeran had left her behind. 

It had been so long since he promised that he would save them. Was he going to come back? Had he been lying when he said that he would help? When he said that he was going to protect her and Ray? When trembled underneath her fingers as she held his face in her hands and cried.

She thought it would only be the last time she saw him for a few days.

Not weeks, or months.

No matter how much she cried and screamed for help, nobody would come. She was trapped in this room with no way out. Her messenger was useless and she could speak to nobody at all apart from Rika and... she didn't want to do that. She really didn't want that. Yet, these four walls were all she had and when the door opened for the first time in weeks, she found herself staring at the woman with golden curls.

She looked sympathetic for once and clicked her tongue as she took in how disheveled Lila had become. Rika sank down to her knees in front of the girl and rested a hand against her shoulders for a second as Lila trembled. As scared as she was, she had not been around another person in such a long time. It had been exactly as Rika had planned and to see her in such a place almost made her smile broadly.

It had been a child’s play, to say the least, like taking candy from a baby. Nothing more, and nothing less than that. All it took was a little yank of an arm behind one's head until they begged for mercy and lamented, pushing their limit for pain until they eventually cracked and had no choice but to submit and accept their fate. Sure, there was always a hint of trepidation and hesitancy from those who didn’t know what was good for them at first, but she was quick to break them of these awful habits.

It only took a bit of this, a dash a that, a sprinkle of such the right amount of applied pain, and when you wrapped it all up in a delicate bow, it was just right again. Saeran had been falling on a fool’s errand. Why would he ever think that he was made for the outside world? Certainly not, she knew him better than that.

He had not survived and flourished there, no, no.

He had spent his childhood miserable and lost until she had found him and taken him to the safety of the walls.

It had been the doing of that girl.

Whenever something seemingly started to go wrong in her divine plans the issue always led back to Lila. She had gotten in the way and caused far too much trouble to warrant any good feelings. A part of Rika wanted to throw her away and try again, but the kindness in her heart was too big for her to do such a thing like that.

Why ever should she throw any somebody who had the power to sway Saeran AND Ray?

That would be a waste of something that could provide far too much good in her quest to redeem him in the holy light that could only exist here in Magenta.

Self-reflection was important and Rika was glad she stopped for a moment to think about what would be best done to fix this mess.

She was surprised that the idea didn’t occur to her sooner. She could use her just as she used Saeran, just as she had used Ray.

Once Rika decided that her devil had given her the best path to follow, she went through with it. Ray had thought that he was going to be leaving for good, but, as a matter of fact, he would be sleeping for quite some time. Just as long as it would take to break the spirit of that pathetic princess.

It took time, of course.

It always took a bit of time and effort to figure out the best way to make someone crack. Lila had already been pushed to her limits by Saeran as he had spent weeks toying with her feelings and emotions for the sake of a thrill, and that left her in quite the vulnerable state.

She had thought that Saeran had finally abandoned her once and for all when he never came to find her after so wholeheartedly telling her in the dead of night that they would escape.

Oh, she feared that it had all been a cruel trick played on her expense. That he dangled her freedom and the freedom that she had wanted for him and Ray out on a string only to leave her gasping for air like fish out of water on the way to market… just to see how she would break.

Her heart was heavy and her tears were close to drying out after so long of being scared and alone.

The pitiful fact was—

Lila would not give up on that boy easily.

It was her fatal flaw, her hamartia, the one thing that left her vulnerable.

Even when the rest of the world had given up on her and she should have given up on belief and faith, she never let herself give up on the boy that had shown her so many feelings and experiences.  From the fondness that Ray had given her to the delicate hesitation that came from the nervous Saeran.

Rika could see it in those eyes of hers. The childish devotion that was tied to like an anchor sinking into the deep sea. She almost pitied Lila. She had seen that look in her own eyes at one time when she was a different person.

The fact that she had been broken and thrown about like a ragdoll was her fault, she should have known better than to love somebody. What did that feeling earn her? Nothing but torment and yelling and screaming and suffocating in a room to learn her lesson.

Love… hah…!

It’s such a shame that when you think you have that and the person judges you and casts you aside when you reveal your truest self. Love is powerful and it can ruin a person in a matter of seconds if matters get to that extent.

It’s daunting when someone looks upon you for the first time with such faith that you do not know what to do with yourself. Giving yourself to someone who does not know what that power and faith could give to them. This was something that Savior knew very well and she understood the devil in her Saeran.

That was why Saeran couldn’t bear to look at that poor thing in the eyes because her blind devotion terrified him to the brim. Something believing in him for once in his miserable life? In a way that his Savior did not? Oh, he could have never been ready for such a thing, not even Ray could handle a thing directed at himself.

Blind devotion can be such a beautiful thing. He was not ready to feel on the receiving end of those feelings, nor was he ready to do what needed to be done to use that power to the fullest level that he could. That was why he was led astray. It was why he had failed. It was why neither he nor Ray could do what she planned for them.

They misunderstood what true power was.

Rika realized that when she spoke to the broken doll for the first time, and she could see it reflected her eyes. She saw something that she could have never seen in the awful traitorous man that cast her aside like garbage when she revealed her true nature to him one fateful afternoon. Something that her devil relished and found sheer satisfaction from, deliciously so.

Devotion without any fears.

True… blind… devotion.

Lila may have been tired, and her body may have been very weak… but she refused to give up on Saeran or Ray. It put a wrench in the plans of paradise in the past but that did not mean that it couldn’t be useful. This level of belief was something that could be perfect. This should be used for better means, Rika knew.

Rika e could work with this, she could twist this narrative so wonderfully, she could benefit from this, most of all, paradise could benefit from this. The cogs and gears were turning in the back of her head as her devil whispered such beautiful darkness into her ears. Yes, yes, this was something that she could use to take them all down.

She could see why her dear, useless, pathetic, childish Saeran had fallen for Lila. She could also see why this nervous, terrified, shivering porcelain doll had sought out comfort from him.

“You miss him, don’t you? Poor thing, abandoned because he didn’t know what was good for him, right?” She cradles the poor girl’s face in her hands. Lila is listening to her every word because there was nothing else left for her to do. “It’s okay. You can be honest with me. I of all people know what it feels like to love someone who forsakes them.”

She had been locked tightly in this room for such a long time. Rika had made sure of that. After she had taken Saeran back into her bosom, she knew that he needed time to pray and repent for his clear misdeeds against paradise. His punishment would be to sit in a dark corner and take his elixir until his lungs burned and pleaded for the end. Lila, on the other hand, would be used as Rika saw fit and neither Saeran nor Ray would have a say in what happened to their pitiful toy. It was quite lovely to see the way the light left this girl’s eyes day by day by day. Saeran had promised that he would come back and that they would escape together, did he not?

When Lila had first pleaded with her after she hadn’t heard from Saeran that first day, begging to know if Saeran had been taken or not. Rika did not tell her the truth. Saeran is gone, no one can find him, I am afraid he must have run off and left you behind . It was for her own good. She had to learn that she could not take something that belonged to someone else.

How far was she willing to go for her belief in them?

“He just said he would come back. I believed him. No, I believe him, but he’s still not back and it's been so very long,” Her voice is quiet, so very quiet and tired.  “If he… if he left without me… that’s okay… right? As long as… as long as he’s safe, I don’t... It shouldn’t matter what happens to me, right? I just want Saeran to be safe.”

Lila started to shake her head at that notion that sprang into her head. Her dry eyes found the will to let a few tears go free despite how dehydrated she was. She choked back a heavy sob and held herself as tightly as she could.

It isn’t much comfort and she’s on the brink of losing it , and her feet are so close to the ledge that she’s mere seconds from falling.

That’s just what Rika wanted.

Rika nodded her head as if he understood those feelings and where she was coming from, her sharp eyes were softened on her form. “That’s alright. I get it. We both wanted the same thing for him, you know? I wanted Saeran to be safe, as well. But, he left me behind too.  Sure, our intentions were a little different but we both care about that poor boy, right?”

“Yeah,” Lila mumbled. “Let’s say that.”

She watched, and she waited. Rika could find no sign of attitude or ill-meaning in those words. Long ago, the girl would have fought with her for saying such a thing and pushed her away with such heated vigor. But it appeared as though that her will had been so thoroughly broken down that she didn’t or couldn’t fight anymore.

Good.

If they agreed, that made matters much easier to contend with.

Rika smiled, and tucked a stray hair from Lila’s face, “You must be wondering why I came to see you today after all this time. Well, it wasn’t that I didn’t mean to. There is much business to take care of and I can’t relegate everything out without Saeran here. I come to you with my proposition, my dear. Don’t look so down, princess. I won’t let you rot away here.”

Lila lifted her gaze from the ground and looked dead into Rika’s eyes. She was scared and hopeful but as much as she was craving safety, she was also nervous about listening to anything that Rika may have had. She was looking for a hidden meaning under those words but she would not find what she was looking for tonight.

The pitiful princess had no energy to fight back. She knew that she was a sitting duck and it would be better to submit then it would be to fight back. She didn’t reply to which Rika expected. It mattered not. What mattered now was that she said what needed to be said.

“What would you say if I told you that I had a way for you to be with Saeran?” She asked. “Would you be interested?”

Silence.

“Isn’t he gone ?”

“He’s never really gone,” Rika replied. “You must know that, my dear. As much as he wants to rebel against me, he knows that he can’t survive out there without me, or without you .”

“What does it matter? He clearly doesn’t want anything to do with me,” Lila muttered. Her voice was bitter, and it was lovely to hear such a sound for the first time. “It doesn’t seem to matter what I want. If he’s okay without me, then that’s okay. I won’t… let it bother me. He deserves to be happy. If he’s far away from this place, good. I'm as good as dead anyway. No matter what I do, he's not going to come back for me.”

Rika paid no mind to that fact, she only continues to speak her mind and let the words flow out one by one. “I assure you he isn’t happy at all, Lila. How could he be happy knowing he left behind his precious princess? I've been thinking... You just wanted to be able to be with him without anyone separating you. Isn’t that what you want?”

Lila looked down. She wasn’t saying but it was very obvious what she wanted. It had always been so clear and predictable to read her expressions. Like an open book that could tell no pathetic lies at all to anyone. She wanted him. She wanted to be with him.

“I realize… I may have acted hastily in my past decisions, and I regretfully may have made a few mistakes in my actions. I know you might be quite hesitant to trust me, but I’ve realized that to fix things I need to start with those that I have… well, hurt the most recently.”

“Sounds funny coming from, well, you,” Lila mumbled. Her bitter voice was exhausted and tired of fighting all the time. “All you’ve ever done to Ray and Saeran is hurt them. I don’t see why you would just… change.”

Rika chuckled. It was a soft, delicate sound. “I’ve changed, I promise you that. When Saeran… and I spoke before he left, I realized what I had been doing was rather extreme, and how badly I had hurt the two of you. He put it into perspective for me.”

“I love that boy like he’s my own… and I messed up. I only wanted to protect him,” She continued as she let go of Lila. ”I overreacted. I was scared of losing him. I didn’t know what else to do. I’m only human. We make mistakes. This place is supposed to be a paradise for those who have suffered, not a place where suffering occurs to people.”

Lila was quiet. Her eyes set on the ground.

Rika only watched as Lila fiddled with her hands on her lap and tried to think of a way to avoid this. She would find nothing, the Savior knew, and this was the right time to finally enact everything that she wanted. ”I should have been protecting both of you, and those precious feelings you shared from the start. I wanted to help, but my help wasn’t the right kind of help. So, I want to fix this. I want you to and my dear Saeran to be happy here. This could really be a place where those who have been hurt can come to seek comfort. But, I can’t do it alone. I need both of you. You both have shown me something I forgot long ago in the past. Will you give me the chance to fix it? I promise I will make things better if you do.

Rika's touch on Lila lingered, and her green eyes fluttered underneath thick eyelashes. "If not for me, for Saeran. I can’t stand that he may be sad or hurting. Doesn’t he deserve to be happy… don’t you deserve to be happy? Give me one chance to prove to you and Saeran that I can make amends."  

She could ignore Rika and shut her eyes. Yet, her will was so very tired. She was desperate, as much as she wanted to push back, there was no point in hiding things anymore. Saeran was seemingly gone from her reach and she would gain nothing out of biting back. She didn’t have anything to do. There was nothing but this and if she didn’t give Rika a chance, then she could be sitting here in this toy box until she took her final breath. At the very least, if she agreed to this, then she could see the outside world again. That was what Rika counted on and that was what she wanted from the start.

Saeran… Ray… she missed them.

She wondered how they were doing, and if they had gotten away from Magenta. Or if they were hiding out somewhere from this place. By what Rika was saying, it sounded like they could have been nearby or still in contact with this place. She needed to know. She needed to talk with him. She needed answers. She wanted to see him again, to see them again. She would do anything to feel his arms around her body again. Her heart ached without him.

Lila was just… tired.

She was tired of fighting and she was tired of seeing these four walls and nothing more around her at all hours. There was a window but that window was mocking her every time she looked at it with tired eyes. She was starting to lose her mind piece by piece. All she wanted was to be able to go back to the start. Saeran had been right when he said that this toy box was going to be the worst ever punishment that she could face. Now he was gone.

She wanted Saeran back. She wanted Ray back. But, they were gone and she could do nothing but cry and crawl at her arms. It hurt, it hurt a lot, and although that quiet voice in her head was telling her to run and to keep fighting back...she just submitted herself.

Lila submitted.

Her hesitation slowly wore away like a rope about to snap, then she nodded her head. “Okay. I’ll… trust you,” she finally cracked. "I'm so tired. I can't do this anymore... I just want the pain to stop... I don't want to be alone anymore... please... as long as he's okay... I want him to be okay..."

Rika clasped her hands together and smiled so broadly. Her hand brushed against the top of Lila’s head as she sat there like a very good girl. So quiet, so obedient. Even as Lila started to sob and cry like a pitiful child, she held the poor dear close as she planned the future for this precious thing. “I’m so happy to hear you say that. I promise you won’t regret this. You and Ray… you’ll be so happy together very soon. You'll never be alone again. I'll fix everything for you, Lila. You know that I'm always good at helping others find their perfect place. Don’t worry, I will show you the way to embrace your beautiful future ahead.”

It would hurt a little... but it was for their own good.

“Oh, dear, it looks like you need a bit of sprucing up before the prayer starts. Let’s just fix this up for you, Ray,” she patted down his hair and made sure to carefully tame those messy locks underneath her fingers. She then removed the few wrinkles from his garment. “There, now you’re looking like a real Savior.”

He was quiet. What was he supposed to say here? There was no point in opening his mouth and saying anything against his Savior. He was wearing his own variation of her ceremonial robes. She had made it for him, and he was… happy… to wear it.

She had insisted that he needed to make things official and although there was hesitance in his heart, he obeyed every word and order that she gave to him. He let her fiddle with him as if she were trying to ready a child for their first school photo the morning of. He was used to her doing that and fawning over him. He slowly nodded his head in response once it clicked for him that she was speaking to him.

“...Thank you, my Savior,” he said. He had no choice, otherwise. There had been no hope of escaping from Magenta, no matter what he did or how hard he tried to fight back against all he had ever known. Losing was inevitable.

Why had he thought that he would be able to do that? Neither he nor Saeran had expected to be captured when they tried to escape. Wait… was he even Ray? That name didn’t feel quite right but the other name didn’t feel right either. He wasn’t sure who he was anymore as she would call him whatever she saw fit. Was he Ray? Was he Saeran? Was he neither or was he both of them? He was becoming something new due to his Savior’s dedicated hands.

It mattered not who he was, or what name that everyone wanted to use to call him. He would respond to everything and anything as long as it meant that he was doing the right thing. The universe wanted him here, and everything always brought him back to her. If this was to be his existence, then he had to accept it from now on.

He didn’t dare think of those thoughts now.

Escape… fighting back … it all made him feel sick.

The only reason that he found the will to keep his body standing was that somebody was holding his hand. It was clammy and it was cold, but it was the touch of her hand that gave him the strength not to die on the spot. She had stayed locked up so tightly in that room waiting for someone to rescue her and she never gave up.

He could not die and leave her behind to suffer in this place. She was dedicated to him with every fiber of her soul, and he was dedicated to her being and her safety. Lila was holding onto his hand so tightly that it felt as though she would disappear if she didn’t hold onto him.

Times like this, his clarity would swim back to the forefront of his brain and he could recall what had happened to them. How he had spent weeks chained up in the dungeon with nothing but darkness and elixir to keep him company until he repeated the words that the true Savior wanted him to breathe into life.

How he refused to do it over and over again for the sake of the woman that believed in him so strongly that she would withstand his verbal lashing as the struggle over what was truly strength rang heavy in the back of his head.  

Paradise…

Paradise existed .

It was in this place. He forced himself to believe it even though his numb body cried at him for allowing this to happen. Why else wouldn’t he be able to leave? Why else wouldn’t Lila be able to leave? Clearly, they were meant to be here. This was the only way that he and Lila could ever be together.

It was their only real option.

It was this, or endless days of solitude until they died. For her, he would do anything, and for him, she would do the same. Days… weeks… months… who knows how much time passed them by since they had tried to escape. The elixir and the training tended to blur the memory of those who were too far deep into it.

He had no idea how long it had been, or what exactly had been going on outside of what they were going through. Did it even matter? Nobody was going to save them and they couldn’t save themselves, so submitting to the numb and foggy haze of the elixir was the only thing that they had the option to choose.

He was numb all the time, now.

She was numb, too. Gone from her eyes was the light that had once glimmered and sparkled, the same eyes that had both fired him up and made him feel alive. The eyes that had made Ray fall into a state of hopeless infatuation and the eyes that made Saeran angry that they could stay so kind to a monster in front of her body.

There was a whisper of the old person inside of them but it would always be extinguished before she could crawl out of the darkness. Her light, fading in and out as her faith became warped into a twisted variation of itself. He would see it when she squeezed his hand in her own and prayed for salvation at his side.

“My Savior,” she sank to her knees in front of him. Those brown eyes were not like the ones that he had seen in her bedroom late in the night as they whispered their final goodbyes. No, in these eyes were a kind of devotion you would revere a God with. “I am gracious to be allowed in your presence once again. I know I led you astray, but she has shown me the error of my ways. I hope to be worthy enough to be near you in the future.”

Saeran could only look down at the girl in front of him with petrified eyes. What had happened? Lila was never like this. She was not supposed to be like this. Her face reminded him of Ray. How he longed to please others but he feared punishment. How he looked upon Lila as if she were a Goddess incarnate when she gave him her hand.

His breath began to quicken, and his head snapped up to look in the direction of Rika who had her hands placed delicately in front of herself as if she were innocent.

“What did you do?” he tried to demand, but his voice cracked and held no trace of the anger that had once fueled him. He sounded like a scared child again. He wanted to recoil from Lila’s touch but he had missed her so much that he couldn’t shake her hands from his body. “What did you do to her?!”

“I fixed her for you,” Rika told him with a smile. “You see, it finally occurred to me that paradise could really prosper with someone in charge that has a loyal follower that looks so sweet, so easily swayed are the masses when there is a pretty girl that believes so strongly in her faith. She won’t fight you ever again, and she’ll do any little thing you ask. She’s always been devoted to you.”

She took a few steps forward but not too close to break the illusion that the young girl had upon him. She gestured to Lila, “I realized my mistake when we spoke last, my dear Ray. It was wrong of me to let you play with the girl first. I’ve corrected all of her ugly light. She’ll never fight you or the whim of paradise ever again. Isn’t that what you wanted?

Saeran’s pulse began to accelerate as he looked back at Lila. It was true. She had been dressed up extra special by the Savior for him. Like a believer, but the colors were reversed. White, she was bathed in white like the angel that she had always been but this… this wasn’t right. This looked exactly as Ray had always envisioned.

Her clutching at him with blind devotion in her eyes, smiling, not putting up a fight, and staying as close to him as she could ever be. How they could spend every day in paradise like this, forever happy and safe from the pain of the world outside. Was this really what he wanted? Was this really what he wanted to do to Lila from the start?

It brought no happiness to his eyes.

Only fear and misery.

“My Savior,” Lila’s quiet voice spoke again. His vision snapped back onto her own and he was left looking at Lila with nowhere to go. She quivered, and tears began to flood her vision. “Aren’t you happy that we’re together again? I… I understand if you’re disappointed in me. I did so much wrong. I tried to ruin our paradise. Please, forgive me… I’ll do anything.”

It felt like he was living a nightmare and this nightmare was wrapping its hands around his throat minute by minute.

“I promise… I promise I’ll never fight you again. Whatever you want, ask for it from me and I will do it for you. I am here for your happiness… our happiness…. I understand now what you wanted for us and I promise I’ll never go against the will of paradise,” her voice was desperate. “Please, my Savior, stay with me. Let’s stop fighting against this. I want to make you happy... please... I understand if you wish to not see me after my actions. I know I was stupid... foolish. But, I'm better now. She helped me become the person you always wanted me to be. Aren't you happy? Please, don't look so sad... I thought you would be happy to see me. I don't— I don't understand."

Her voice was panicked, and the tears that coveted the corner of her vision was far too much for him. "I'm perfect now. We can be get together forever... like we always wanted if that's what you want from me. I'll do whatever you want. Please. Just say it... say something. If you don't wish to see me, tell me... I need to know... I need to know... please... please..."

“Yes, Ray,” his Savior echoed her words. “Stop fighting the truth. Aren’t you tired? Lila was so very tired of fighting it. So, she accepted paradise into her heart as you always craved. You wouldn’t want your precious follower to cry any more tears for you, do you? She’s already spilled so many. You’re hurting her by denying her dream of being with you. Isn't this what you always wanted? You wanted a pretty little follower that loved you blindly.”

The only thing that remained of this memory was the sounds of his own anguished screams.

If he suffered, she suffered.

At the very least… they had each other in this misery to hold onto. Saeran clutched her hand just as tightly when Lila held onto him. He could not bring himself to look at him because he knew if he saw her eyes, he would see the ghost of his mistakes. She would be looking at him as if he were her everything and desperate for his praise. What this truly what he had wanted? It mattered not now... this was what he had, and this is what he would live with until he died.

No escape from paradise.

The only choice was to accept it and embrace the devil. A part of him did not believe what he was being told but the smarter part of him knew that he could never fight against it, so he did what he knew best, submission to the absolute darkness.

Rika smiled at him. “You’ve done so well lately, my children. Both of you have finally found your true potential, and today is the day we share that glory with everyone. I can’t believe things have finally come together the way that they were always meant to. It took a while for this to come to fruition, but the fruit of your labors will benefit all the believers from here on out.”

Her vision slid to the side where the other important person for this paradise was. She reached out and brushed her fingers against Lila’s chin. “I’m just glad you could finally see our side of things, dear, after all that fighting and nonsense you spouted. You truly have become something lovely. Your loyalty is something to admire, isn’t it?”

“Yes, of course,” Lila whispered, a quiet voice trembling as she did. Saeran couldn't stop himself from looking at her as she gazed at Rika, like a frightened kitten. “I am happy in paradise. I have never been happier than I am when I am with my Savior. I wish others could see how happy we are and join us.”

If only he had been strong enough to protect her from the start.

But, he would be what she needed now as he had failed to do it in the past. No matter how much it hurts or stings... what she wanted, he would become it. Her Savior, her protector, her light, her soul, her everything. Saeran would not fail her again. If they were together, that was what mattered. They had this. This was the only option left for them to take. If they refused to comply, they would be separated and surely left to die in the dungeons alone.

He would not leave his Believer to suffer and rot alone.

Not again.

Never again.

“Your unwavering faith will help inspire those who resist the darkness onto the true path to salvation, once and for all. Paradise awaits so many under this new rule, I can’t wait to see how many we can save from misery,” Rika spoke with glee in her voice. She couldn’t wait to see how things would play out from now on, delightfully so. "The believers will see it, they will see with their own eyes just how strong paradise can be. It can bring together the darkest of hearts and show them their true potential."

Lila nodded and then looked back down to her feet, quiet and submissive once again. The only reason he knew that she was still with him was thanks to her fingers interlocked with his own. The numb feeling remained but the Savior and his Believer were ready.

It was only a matter of time now. Rika had taken a step back from her role as the Savior and quietly slid into the shadows behind her two precious children. She was using them for their own good. They understood that. The two of them would become the face of paradise and if anything were to go south, they would take the blame in her stead as she left to rebuild paradise all over again. The Savior, and his most loyal believer… a match made in paradise and no one could deny it.

This was a paradise that Rika could stand behind. She would show the world what true darkness was and how real love was. This would show that traitor and his leeches. This would prove to that horrible man that all of her whims were for good.

V would regret the day that he fought against Rika’s darkness.

She was going to show them all through these two and their idyllic love.

Her hands rested against their shoulders briefly, “Now, it’s time for you to grant them the witness of your presence.”

“Oh, he’s here!” Rika watched as Saeran took his seat on the poppet in front of everyone and all the believers watched with fascination.

The murmurs began to quiet down as he raised his hand to silence them, and Lila took her place at his side. Her hands politely poised in front of herself as she smiled at the crowd. Her eyes did not meet that smile  but it mattered not. All that mattered was that the world could see how much she believed in that boy, and she would not abandon him.

Saeran began to speak, and those words captivated the crowd with ease. He had always been such a good boy. He had learned very well in the past. “Poor souls who seek salvation, the eternal paradise awaits you here at Magenta. The outside world is a pit of defilement. We must cleanse the corrupted world, and that is why our pasts are scourged with darkness. Darkness and light will always be with us. We will all soon become the light of salvation.”

“Liar, you’re not the real Savior!” a believer spoke up from the back of the room as he rose from his seat and pointed at him, ”We want the real Savior! Why isn’t anybody saying anything about this? Are you just acting like she doesn’t exist? Where did the Savior go?!”

Lila’s eyes trained on the sound of the voice. She shook her head at him as if sighing at a small child who was throwing a tantrum, “There is no Savior but the one that you see before you,” her voice was gentle and her tone was direct. All those who saw her knew that she lived and breathed those words.

“That isn’t the Savior!” the man lashed back at the two in front of the room, both Lila and Saeran as they stood amongst the sea of people. “He’s just the errand boy of the real Savior! A crybaby that does not know what to do! He’s done nothing for me! This man is not the woman who saved me and I refuse to accept this! Why aren’t any of you talking about this?!”

“He wishes to save all those who suffer in the cruel outside world. He saved me when no one else would.  I would be out there lost, hurting, suffering, miserable if he had not found me and shown me the light,” Lila stood her ground as she spoke. ”He only wants to save all of us, and I have witnessed it myself time and time again. My Savior is a just man who has always been here for the lonely and weak. Why would you ever insinuate that there has ever been anyone but my Savior?”

Rika pursed her lips from her spot in the shadows as she watched her children enact their paradise upon them all. She knew that there may be trouble from those who didn’t know any better. But, they could be taken care of with ease, no worries at all.

Nobody would fight the law of paradise.

Those that did would be rightly punished and born anew in the blazing fire of Mint Eye. “Security? Take away that traitor,” she said, quietly.

“Because that man is not my Savior!” the believer spat. He started to march forward to prove once and for all that Saeran was not the real Savior. However, before he could even get close to reach the poppet, he was held back by the guards. That unruly believer was removed from the room in the blink of an eye. It had to be done.

Saeran showed that he felt bad for that poor believer, but he continued with his word.

As he should do, the calmness in the center of the storm was the sign and mark of a very strong leader in the middle of a wildfire. He nodded, and looked back among the faces of the believers,  “I do not fear change. I do not fear blame. We only seek to look ahead and build a paradise for all. I only wish to deliver the words of salvation to all.”

Rika could see as a glimmer of the old Saeran peeked through but disappeared just as soon as it had arisen when Lila pressed her hand against his shoulder to steady him. “The authorities, the everyday society, culture, and media, they all seek us out. That means they agree we’re right. The Mint Eye has never been more powerful, and we will be even more powerful tomorrow. We will bring salvation to every corner of the world.”

“You have seen it yourselves, come to us and we will protect you from any more pain, that is the paradise we create for ourselves. Have faith in my Savior, our Savior, for tomorrow, our power grows its hold,” Lila said. Her voice was stronger than it had been moments prior and it couldn’t have been better than this. “For eternal paradise.”

“For eternal paradise,” Saeran echoed. His weary expression gave nothing to the sea of people in front of them but Rika knew that he had finally submitted, once and for all, to his fate as the Savior and his fate with Lila at his side as he had always wanted.

The crowd erupted into a lovely chorus of cheers and cries of hopeful folks who could and would be saved. The rest of the world was next, and Rika could not wait to see it happen.

[mrlnsfrt]

God or Nothing

We continue our series in 1 Samuel with this post focusing on 1 Samuel 12. Now that Saul has been established as king (for more details see Making a King and You Shall Have Help) Samuel takes this opportunity to retire. He has faithfully served from childhood to his old age (1 Samuel 12:2) and he has helped them transition to a new system of leadership. Interestingly Samuel’s final act as a judge was to place himself on trial. Samuel asked everyone if anyone had suffered any injustice at his hand that he would make it right. (1 Samuel 12:3) A powerful testimony to Samuel’s character, the people replied that his ministry as Israel’s judge has been faultless. Samuel had never abused his power, he had never been dishonest, no one had been cheated or oppressed by Samuel.

The careful student of the Bile should take careful note of this. The example of Israel’s last judge should be contrasted with the examples of the kings who will in the future cheat and oppress the people as well as take their sons, daughters, produce, and animals (1 Samuel 8:11-16; 14:52).

Now that Samuel has established himself as a fair judge, he puts on his prophet hat and delivers his longest speech recorded in the Bible. Samuel begins with a review of their history highlighting how God had raised up leaders and delivered them from their enemies. Samuel also highlights how each time they forgot their God they were overpowered by their enemies. The key lesson Samuel wishes to teach the people is simple. God alone is their Savior. Israel has never been saved by kings, or armies, or weapons or alliances. A closely connected lesson is also that Israel is always delivered by God as a response to their prayers and repentance.

One way to look at this is that the importance of knowing what God has done in the past is to know how to behave in the future. That is why we study the Bible, correct? We look at how God acted in the past in order to know how to best relate to Him in the present.

Good thing God never changes.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. - Hebrews 13:8 NKJV

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. - Malachi 3:6 NKJV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. - James 1:17 NKJV

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” - Isaiah 40:8 NKJV

Whenever we find ourselves facing trials and tribulations we can benefit from looking back on how God has delivered us in the past. Bible study keeps God and what He is like fresh on our minds. Life is really not that complicated. Whenever we are with God we have the assurance of victory even if that victory looks like defeat for a moment. The challenge is to continue to trust in God, that is, to have faith when things are not going according to plan.

Samuel makes it clear that Israel was delivered whenever they repented. God has always graciously responded to the pleas of His children. So when we find ourselves outside of God’s will, if we are willing to repent, He will always deliver us.

 Then they cried out to the Lord, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. - 1 Samuel 12:10-11 NKJV

Israel will only prosper when they are faithful to God. Samuel makes it very clear that the children of Israel suffered oppression not because God is weak, but rather because God is a jealous and just God (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 32:4). This means that if you are dishonest, oppressive, abusive, racist, etc. God is not on your side. Also if God is not the only God in your life, He is not with you. This may sound harsh but it’s what the Bible teaches. How else can you interpret passages like,

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. - Exodus 20:1-6 NKJV

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. […] 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. - Luke 14:26-27, 33 NKJV

Does it surprise you to find Jesus being “more extreme” than the Old Testament? you have to check out the sermon on the mount sometime (Matthew 5-7). The two passages above describe the same principle. Nothing in our lives can be above God. We must be willing to give up anything and everything for God. This may sound crazy or extreme. But when you take into consideration what Samuel says, essentially, how God has behaved in the past, then this behavior makes perfect sense. When we look at God’s history, His interactions with His children in the Bible, and even in our own lives, it makes perfect sense to trust God, because He is everything!

This is how Samuel puts it,

20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. 22 For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.  - 1Samuel 12:20-22 NKJV (bold mine)

Samuel tells the people not to go after other gods because essentially they are nothing. I must admit that when it comes to family it is extremely difficult. But even my family members need to take the back seat when it comes to principles concerning God’s will. It should also go without saying that you need to be very careful that you are sure you know God’s will because there is always a great danger that we label our will as God’s will.

I don’t want you to think I am presenting a works-oriented approach to God or theology. We read above (1 Samuel 12:22) that God will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake. This means that Israel never earned their place or status of beloved of God. God has always delivered His children for the sake of His name (Psalm 25:11; 79:9; 106:8; 143:11; Isaiah 48:9; Jer 14:7, 21; Ezek 20:9, 22; Dan 9:19) that is, because of who He is, and not because of what they did to deserve His help or love. Since Israel’s previous efforts were not the basis for God’s love towards them, likewise their failures do not destroy His love for them (Romans 5:8; Titus 3:5-7). However, God’s love for us does not do away with our mission and responsibility.

Let me try to make it clearer like this.

Israel’s threat was never external, it was always internal and spiritual.

The problem with Israel asking for a king is the idea that a king would deliver them and they would no longer need to be faithful to God. Samuel is making it clear that even with a king, their salvation depends on God. God loves them, but there are consequences to disobedience and special blessings that come with a faithful relationship with God.

The thunderstorm they experienced in 1 Samuel 12:18 was a reminder that it did not matter how mighty their king was, no one could stop God’s judgment. Samuel would continue to pray for them, he would continue to teach them. But it was up to them to continue to trust in God and to be faithful to Him.

Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” - 1 Samuel 12:24-25 NKJV

[stickykeys633]

I’m less concerned with the OP and more interested in this comment. 

Now I thought I was cool with this person, but I’m sure I’ve got them mixed up with someone else, because this is the kind of willful nonsense is such an icon of the delusional movement and it’s mystifying that they keep trying it. 

First, they present a problem that is not only wildly antithetical to the entire premise of the show, but also is said in a way to incite anyone who hears it, despite the side. 

In this case: It’s Stiles’ fault that Scott got bitten. 

They like to use it to start or punctuate their long line of reasons why Stiles is terrible, completely forsaking that fact that had Scott not been bitten, HE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THE TEEN WOLF!

Or, even worse (for them) Stiles would have been the one who got bitten, and can you imagine their meltdown if that’d happened? They might even have never watched the show!

So they put out this ridiculous statement and they wait for the replies. Some are in their camp, “Scott is such a good boy, he had peer pressure, he’s the victim!” and some are to the other side: “Scott’s a stupid teenager” “He didn’t have to hide” “He chose to go with Stiles” etc. 

So the antis see those arguments and THEN... they remove the cause of the answer. They completely forget that what is being said is a reaction and not a general statement of being. And they say things like “YOU THINK SCOTT DESERVED IT!!”

Well, of course not, but you postulated that Scott getting bitten was Stiles’ fault, and we reminded you that Scott has full autonomy and can make his own decisions. And some decisions aren’t going to be the best. In this case it started and could have stayed as a bad decision, but it ended up changing Scott’s life, presumably for the better. 

So all in all, I think it’s fine. At least fine enough to squeeze 3 quality season from it (I’m being VERY generous).

But that doesn’t help the delusional cause, which is crazy because as much as they hate Stiles, I think they hate Peter just as much. And the only person whose fault it was that Scott got bit? Was Peter. He’s the one who bit him. 

But they lash out at Stiles, at Derek (for some reason), at Sheriff (which, sis... lol, that is not that boy’s daddy), but never at the person whose fault it actually is, despite it benefiting their argument. But you can’t the white boy be a good person, or at least not a villain.. apparently. 

[lovethyqueers]

I recently came out to my mom as bisexual (we'll deal with the NB part later in family therapy which we're going to now i guess), and she didn't take it well. I explained to her why I believe it's ok to be in a relationship with someone of the same gender, provided sources and scriptures and my own story about reconciling my faith and my identity. She's still stuck in the mindset that homosexuality is evil, and that i'm breaking her heart. (1./2)

This is a tough question to answer. And first off, I’m really sorry you’re going through this. I can only imagine how painful it is. So I extend all the comfort and prayers your way that I can. 

Part of it really is up for her to work out with God. There’s only so much you can do. Only so much you can say, do, and try, to help her see things from your perspective a little bit. But ultimately, her mind is her mind and her heart is her heart. It’s one of the hardest things to come to terms with. 

There’s many ways you can approach this and I’m honestly not entirely sure of the correct one. It’s a tricky situation. 

But, if this is any consolation to you at all: even if she never agrees with you about the lgbtq+ issue. Even if she doesn’t understand how you can be lgbtq+ and a Christian. You can explain and explain and talk and talk and it can in one ear and out the other. But when she sees the way you live, the way you love, and the way you reflect Christ- those are things that are hard to negate. And hopefully seeing those things can help her to respect you as a fellow believer. 

So, I’d advise:

1) That you pray. Pray for wisdom in speaking to her. Discernment in your conversations with her. Pray that your heart, mind, and ears are open to listening to her. And pray that you can try to understand it from her perspective. 

But also- pray for her to open her heart to listen to you. And pray for her to remember that you are still her child, regardless. Pray she is reminded of the commandments to love and care for you. 

2) Know when you need to back down- for your own sake and hers. Sometimes, I get in arguments back and forth with some of my anti-lgbtq+ peers and family, and eventually, hours pass, and I’m sitting there, exhausted to my bones, tears in my eyes, and a weariness in my heart that I cannot bear any longer. Don’t stop at that point. Stop long before. Sometimes, it’s better to say, “Mom, I love you, but we need to stop arguing. I don’t either of us to say anything hurtful to each other. Let’s stop,” than to keep going until you’re so upset you don’t know what to do with yourself. 

3) Don’t expect too much. And I’m not just saying this in a, “Your mom will never change, she’s doomed,” kind of way, no. I’m saying this in a “your mom has lived with this particular form of theology/beliefs for a long time and it’s not something that’s going to come undone in one night.” 

I was homophobic for about fifteen years of my life. I’m talking about genuinely hurtful terrible homophobia. Gays don’t go to heaven, their ‘sin’ is worse than other sin, and so on so on. I was angry with people, with myself, and God. I also was a closeted bisexual with confusion and dysphoria regarding my gender. But that doesn’t excuse it. Homophobia is a heck of a drug and I firmly believe it isn’t biblical. 

But undoing that? Unraveling your beliefs, examining them, and trying to see where the toxicity has been so woven into the fabric of who you are? That’s tough. I’m still not done figuring it out. I’ll probably continue on figuring it out for years to come. 

I’m just saying- have patience with her. Don’t put yourself in danger. Don’t let her hurt you. But do understand that, if she’s genuinely putting in an effort, and trying to understand- it won’t happen overnight.

4) There’s a lot of rich theological discussion to be had with her, if she is willing to discuss it calmly. A lot about forgiveness, love, judgement, and especially about being one body of believers, despite our diversity of opinions and backgrounds and experiences and orientations, etc. See if your mom is interested in having a discussion about it. A good verse to reference is this one:

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (ESV)

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Your mom might benefit from examining that passage from a new perspective: you, as an lgbtq+ believer, bring things to the table that others can’t. Maybe urge her to think about what some of those things may be. 

Regardless of whether she does or not, you’ve at least given her something to dwell on and pray over. 

5) Remind her of this simple verse. We all know it.

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

There are no asterisks. No long terms and conditions. It’s simple enough that a child can understand. And that’s the point. With faith alone that reaches beyond understanding, you can be saved. We cannot save ourselves. Only Jesus can. Salvation is not from your mom, or from you. The moment you declared Jesus Lord is the moment you were “born again,” just as your mom was. It’s us that try to put conditions on God’s love and Jesus’s sacrifice- not Him. He loves you. You are his child. Regardless of sexuality and gender. 

and 6) Protect yourself. If debating with your mom or arguing or trying to convince her- if that is hurting you. Take a step back. Tell her that you love her, but you’d like to put the discussion to rest for the time being. 

You are valuable member of this family. A family of believers. From different walks of life, backgrounds, experiences, struggles, hurts, and joys. You are loved deeply and valued by the God who created you, the one who will never leave, nor forsake you. Try to cling to that, even now, when things are rough. 

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/trvr_support_center/lgbtq-religion/

Trevor Project hotline: 1-866-488-7386

God bless you. You will be in my prayers. 

(If I said anything wrong, I apologise. I did my best to respond but I am fallible to error. I ask that you forgive me if I made any. ♥)

[dailybiblelessons]

Thursday: Preparation for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Roman Catholic Proper 21 Revised Common Lectionary Proper 16

Complementary Hebrew Scripture Torah Lesson: Numbers 15:32-41

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day. Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses, Aaron, and to the whole congregation. They put him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him outside the camp.” The whole congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the Israelites, and tell them to make fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and to put a blue cord on the fringe at each corner. You have the fringe so that, when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and you shall be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture from the Latter Prophets: Jeremiah 6:1-19

Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin,  from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,  and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem; for evil looms out of the north,  and great destruction. I have likened daughter Zion  to the loveliest pasture. Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her.  They shall pitch their tents around her;  they shall pasture, all in their places. “Prepare war against her;  up, and let us attack at noon!” “Woe to us, for the day declines,  the shadows of evening lengthen!” “Up, and let us attack by night,  and destroy her palaces!” For thus says the Lord of hosts: Cut down her trees;  cast up a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This is the city that must be punished;  there is nothing but oppression within her. As a well keeps its water fresh,  so she keeps fresh her wickedness; violence and destruction are heard within her;  sickness and wounds are ever before me. Take warning, O Jerusalem,  or I shall turn from you in disgust, and make you a desolation,  an uninhabited land.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Glean thoroughly as a vine  the remnant of Israel; like a grape-gatherer,  pass your hand again over its branches.

To whom shall I speak and give warning,  that they may hear? See, their ears are closed,  they cannot listen. The word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;  they take no pleasure in it. But I am full of the wrath of the Lord;  I am weary of holding it in.

Pour it out on the children in the street,  and on the gatherings of young men as well; both husband and wife shall be taken,  the old folk and the very aged. Their houses shall be turned over to others,  their fields and wives together; for I will stretch out my hand  against the inhabitants of the land,    says the Lord.

For from the least to the greatest of them,  everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest,  everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,  saying, “Peace, peace,”  when there is no peace. They acted shamefully, they committed abomination;  yet they were not ashamed,  they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;  at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,    says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads, and look,  and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.¹ But they said, “We will not walk in it.” Also I raised up sentinels for you:  “Give heed to the sound of the trumpet!” But they said, “We will not give heed.” Therefore hear, O nations,  and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; I am going to bring disaster on this people,  the fruit of their schemes, because they have not given heed to my words;  and as for my teaching, they have rejected it.

¹This passage is reflected in Matthew 11:28-30, where our Lord urges us to rest in him.

Complementary Psalm 103:1-8

Bless the Lord, O my soul,  and all that is within me,  bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits— who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Semi-continuous Psalm 71

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;  let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;  incline your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge,  a strong fortress, to save me,  for you are my rock and my fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,  from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. For you, O Lord, are my hope,  my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from my birth;  it was you who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you.

I have been like a portent to many,  but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise,  and with your glory all day long. Do not cast me off in the time of old age;  do not forsake me when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me,  and those who watch for my life consult together. They say, “Pursue and seize that person  whom God has forsaken,  for there is no one to deliver.”

O God, do not be far from me;  O my God, make haste to help me! Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;  let those who seek to hurt me  be covered with scorn and disgrace. But I will hope continually,  and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,  of your deeds of salvation all day long,  though their number is past my knowledge. I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,  I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,  and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and grey hairs,  O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might  to all the generations to come. Your power and your righteousness, O God,  reach the high heavens.

You who have done great things,  O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities  will revive me again; from the depths of the earth  you will bring me up again. You will increase my honor,  and comfort me once again.

I will also praise you with the harp  for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre,  O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy  when I sing praises to you;  my soul also, which you have rescued. All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm  have been put to shame, and disgraced.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 12:3-17

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, ; or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.”¹

Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and ‘make straight paths for your feet’², so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled. See to it that no one becomes like Esau, an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal. You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought the blessing with tears.

¹Proverbs 3:11   Proverbs 4:26

Selections are from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Footnotes in the Hebrew Scriptures that show where the passage is used in the Christian Scriptures are based on information from the The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) by David H. Stern, Copyright © 1998 and 2006 by David H. Stern, used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the CJB, the passage ends with (CJB) and this copyright notice applies. Footnotes in the Christian Scriptures that show where a passage from the Hebrew Scripture is used are from The New International Version Bible® ( NIV®), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the NIV, the passage ends with (NIV) and this copyright notice applies. Image Credit: Hands image by Gerd Altmann, downloaded from Pixabay, text added by Michael Gilbertson using Photoshop. Hands image used under Creative Commons 0 license. Combined image may be used under the same license. Please credit www.Lectionaryreadings.org.

Year C Ordinary 21, Catholic Proper 21, RCL Proper 16: Thursday

[skystonedclouds]

Jesus did not come to bring peace.

So many nonbelievers misunderstand this verse. I feel like this clarification should have to be said. In giving the benefit of the doubt I will assume they just read this verse out of context on some anti-theist site.

So unbelievers take a few verses out of context:

Matthew.

Matthew 10:34-35 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Luke.

Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Woe shocker this seems so bad out of context. So let’s look at this in context shall we...

Matthew clarified.

Matthew 10 (surrounding verses).

32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

What did we learn? 32-33 The surrounding verses are talking about people who are ashamed of the gospel denying Christ. 34 Then right after Jesus Christ says he did not come to bring peace. 35-36 For households will be turning against themselves. 37-38 So anyone who loves their household more than Christ is not worthy of serving Christ. We must even be willing to be crucified. 39 Jesus Christ is affirming that we will lose our lives to shame, mockery and maybe even death for but we will find eternal life in him.

Matthew 13 (parallel verses).

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

What did we learn? 9 Jesus Christ is warning us we will be delivered up to councils, rulers, kinds and so on to be beaten. 10 The gospel must be preached to all nations nevertheless. 11. It is not important to know what you will say to your accusers because the Holy Spirit will speak. 12 Family members will betray each other to the point of putting their own members to death. 13 This surrounding verse is key because it says we are hated for the name of Christ. It means the reason all of this conflict of betrayal going on is due to being a victim of hate because of the message of the gospel. The gospel turns people so angry and hateful against the messenger that they want the messengers put to death (even if they are family).

Matthew 24 (parallel verses).

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

What did we learn? 8 Sorrows are going to increase. 9 People will hate us to much they will deliver us up to be hurt and killed in all nations. 10 Many will be “OFFENDED” so gosh diddly darn people are offended. In their offence they will turn to hatred. Being offended must merit the execution of Christians. 11. False prophets are going to get worse so many are deceived about true Christianity. Just like right now when so many are confused about these verses. 12 There will be a lot of evil to the point love will be like cold wax so no wonder they want us killed. 13 We need to endure all these hardships for the same of Christ. 

Matthew conclusion:

Jesus Christ is not bringing peace for us believers. He is turning nations, people an even our own family members against us to have us killed. He is ensuring the message of the gospel will be offensive to the point people will hate us wanting our heads. All these verses are about martyrdom and persecution we must endure to be worthy of Christ.

Luke clarified. 

Luke 14 (surrounding verses). 

24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. 25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

What did we learn? 24 Jesus is talking about people who proved to be false converts who will not taste of his supper. 25-26 Oh see this verse looks like a parallel to Matthew 10:37. (He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me). That’s right in this verse Jesus increases the illustration by explaining that our love for others an self must look like hated compared to our love for God. Many will even feel hated because of the offensive message we preach and the way we must leave anyone at any time to follow Christ. To the world it may very well look like we hate our loved ones and ourselves when we walk out on them. I will talk about this more in the next verses. 27 We must bear our cross referring back to the fact people want us dead. 28-30 Jesus Christ is explaining we should count the cost of following him before following suit. The cost is that we must put him before everything even before ourselves and loved ones.

Luke 9 (parallel verses).

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

What did we learn? 59-61 So I bring this verse up as just one example of a Christian having to forsake family to follow Christ. Leaving everything behind is part of the cost of following him. Many atheists actually use this or similar examples to show the “offensiveness of the gospel”. That is they see it as a reason to hate Christians which only ties back into the loop of the meaning behind the verses. These verses are the reason people will feel like we hate them because we exalt God above everyone (even ourselves). 62 Jesus Christ warns believers not to look back (like Lot’s wife) or we are not even worthy of Christ.

Luke conclusion: Christians must be willing to forsake all including our lives in every sense for the kingdom. We must forget honor, respect, dignity, our love ones, our own selves and even our own physical lives. We must never look back or we are not worthy of Christ. He must come first or we must forget the idea of Christianity. We must count the cost of being a disciple which is... it will cost everything.

Conclusions of conclusions:

The funny thing is when atheists bring up these verses they are only reminding us of two things.

1. Martyrdom and persecution. Everyone will hate us being offended to the point of wanting us killed. 

2. The cost we must wager to follow. Following Christ cost everything from the opinions of men to our own lives.

[dfroza]

human pride seeks to rule the world

but Love seeks to humble us.

our Creator is the very Breath of Life itself and the True nature of earth and its grandeur is meant to spark reverence in the heart & mind.

and the nature of Love is always True:

“Don’t you know that when you allow even a little lie into your heart, it can permeate your entire belief system?”

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 5th chapter of the Letter of Galatians:

[A Life of Freedom]

At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.

I, Paul, tell you: If you think there is benefit in circumcision and Jewish regulations, then you’re acting as though Christ is not enough. I say it again emphatically: If you let yourselves be circumcised you are obliged to fulfill every single one of the commandments and regulations of the law!

If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!

But we have the true hope that comes from being made right with God, and by the Spirit we wait eagerly for this hope. When you’re joined to the Anointed One, circumcision and religious obligations can benefit you nothing. All that matters now is living in the faith that works and expresses itself through love.

Before you were led astray, you were so faithful. Who has deceived you so that you have turned from what is right?

The One who enfolded you into his grace is not behind this false teaching that you’ve embraced. Don’t you know that when you allow even a little lie into your heart, it can permeate your entire belief system?

Deep in my heart I have confidence that the Lord, who lives in you, will bring you back around to the truth. And I’m convinced that those who trouble you, whoever they think they are, will bear the penalty!

Dear friends, why do you think the religious system persecutes me? Is it because I preach the message of being circumcised and keeping all the laws of Judaism? Not at all! Is there no longer any offense over the cross? To tell you the truth, I am so disgusted with all your agitators. I wish they would go even further and cut off their legalistic influence from your lives!

Beloved ones, God has called us to live a life of freedom. But don’t view this wonderful freedom as an excuse to set up a base of operations in the natural realm. Constantly love each other and be committed to serve one another.

For all the law can be summarized in one grand statement:

“Demonstrate love to your neighbor, even as you care for and love yourself.”

But if you continue to criticize and come against each other over minor issues, you’re acting like wild beasts trying to destroy one another!

[The Holy Spirit, Our Victory]

Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life. When your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit you hinder him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your self-life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit.

But when you yield to the life of the Spirit, you will no longer be living under the law, but soaring above it!

The behavior of the self-life is obvious: Sexual immorality, lustful thoughts, pornography, chasing after things instead of God, manipulating others, hatred of those who get in your way, senseless arguments, resentment when others are favored, temper tantrums, angry quarrels, only thinking of yourself, being in love with your own opinions, being envious of the blessings of others, murder, uncontrolled addictions, wild parties, and all other similar behavior.

Haven’t I already warned you that those who use their “freedom” for these things will not inherit the kingdom realm of God!

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:

joy that overflows,

peace that subdues,

patience that endures,

kindness in action,

a life full of virtue,

faith that prevails,

gentleness of heart, and

strength of spirit.

Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.

Keep in mind that we who belong to Jesus Christ have already experienced crucifixion. For everything connected with our self-life was put to death on the cross and crucified with Messiah. If the Spirit is the source of our life, we must also allow the Spirit to direct every aspect of our lives. So may we never be arrogant, or look down on another, for each of us is an original. We must forsake all jealousy that diminishes the value of others.

The Letter of Galatians, Chapter 5 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 3rd chapter of the book of Jeremiah about returning to God by forsaking lies:

God’s Message came to me as follows:

“If a man’s wife

walks out on him

And marries another man,

can he take her back as if nothing had happened?

Wouldn’t that raise a huge stink

in the land?

And isn’t that what you’ve done—

‘whored’ your way with god after god?

And now you want to come back as if nothing had happened.”

God’s Decree.

“Look around at the hills.

Where have you not had sex?

You’ve camped out like hunters stalking deer.

You’ve solicited many lover-gods,

Like a streetwalking whore

chasing after other gods.

And so the rain has stopped.

No more rain from the skies!

But it doesn’t even faze you. Brazen as whores,

you carry on as if you’ve done nothing wrong.

Then you have the nerve to call out, ‘My father!

You took care of me when I was a child. Why not now?

Are you going to keep up your anger nonstop?’

That’s your line. Meanwhile you keep sinning nonstop.”

God spoke to me during the reign of King Josiah: “You have noticed, haven’t you, how fickle Israel has visited every hill and grove of trees as a whore at large? I assumed that after she had gotten it out of her system, she’d come back, but she didn’t. Her flighty sister, Judah, saw what she did. She also saw that because of fickle Israel’s loose morals I threw her out, gave her her walking papers. But that didn’t faze flighty sister Judah. She went out, big as you please, and took up a whore’s life also. She took up cheap sex-and-religion as a sideline diversion, an indulgent recreation, and used anything and anyone, flouting sanity and sanctity alike, stinking up the country. And not once in all this did flighty sister Judah even give me a nod, although she made a show of it from time to time.” God’s Decree.

Then God told me, “Fickle Israel was a good sight better than flighty Judah. Go and preach this message. Face north toward Israel and say:

“‘Turn back, fickle Israel.

I’m not just hanging back to punish you.

I’m committed in love to you.

My anger doesn’t seethe nonstop.

Just admit your guilt.

Admit your God-defiance.

Admit to your promiscuous life with casual partners,

pulling strangers into the sex-and-religion groves

While turning a deaf ear to me.’”

God’s Decree.

“Come back, wandering children!”

God’s Decree.

“I, yes I, am your true husband.

I’ll pick you out one by one—

This one from the city, these two from the country—

and bring you to Zion.

I’ll give you good shepherd-rulers who rule my way,

who rule you with intelligence and wisdom.

“And this is what will happen: You will increase and prosper in the land. The time will come”—God’s Decree!—“when no one will say any longer, ‘Oh, for the good old days! Remember the Ark of the Covenant?’ It won’t even occur to anyone to say it—‘the good old days.’ The so-called good old days of the Ark are gone for good.

“Jerusalem will be the new Ark—‘God’s Throne.’ All the godless nations, no longer stuck in the ruts of their evil ways, will gather there to honor God.

“At that time, the House of Judah will join up with the House of Israel. Holding hands, they’ll leave the north country and come to the land I willed to your ancestors.

* * *

“I planned what I’d say if you returned to me:

‘Good! I’ll bring you back into the family.

I’ll give you choice land,

land that the godless nations would die for.’

And I imagined that you would say, ‘Dear father!’

and would never again go off and leave me.

But no luck. Like a false-hearted woman walking out on her husband,

you, the whole family of Israel, have proven false to me.”

God’s Decree.

The sound of voices comes drifting out of the hills,

the unhappy sound of Israel’s crying,

Israel lamenting the wasted years,

never once giving her God a thought.

“Come back, wandering children!

I can heal your wanderlust!”

* * *

“We’re here! We’ve come back to you.

You’re our own true God!

All that popular religion was a cheap lie,

duped crowds buying up the latest in gods.

We’re back! Back to our true God,

the salvation of Israel.

The Fraud picked us clean, swindled us

of what our ancestors bequeathed us,

Gypped us out of our inheritance—

God-blessed flocks and God-given children.

We made our bed and now lie in it,

all tangled up in the dirty sheets of dishonor.

All because we sinned against our God,

we and our fathers and mothers.

From the time we took our first steps, said our first words,

we’ve been rebels, disobeying the voice of our God.”

* * *

The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 3 (The Message)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for monday, August 16 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons that looks at the cross in Jerusalem and the sacred Body:

Shavuah tov v'chodesh tov, chaverim. If you are following the weekly Torah schedule, you will recall that in last week's Torah reading (i.e., Shoftim), Moses defined an extensive system of justice for the Israelites and pointed to the coming Messiah who would be the rightful King of Israel: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers -- it is to him you shall listen" (Deut. 18:15). In this week's portion (i.e., Ki Teitzei: כי־תצא), Moses returns to the immediate concern of life in the promised land by providing additional laws to be enforced regarding civil life in Israel. In fact, Jewish tradition (following Maimonides) identifies no less than 74 of the Torah's 613 commandments in this portion (more than any other), covering a wide assortment of rules related to ethical warfare, family life, burial of the deceased, property laws, the humane treatment of animals, fair labor practices, and honest economic transactions.

Of particular interest is the statement that a man who was executed and “hanged on a tree” (עַל־עֵץ) is cursed of God (Deut. 21:22-23). According to the Talmud (i.e., Nezakim: Sanhedrin 6:4:3), the Great Sanhedrin (סַנְהֶדְרִין גְדוֹלָה) decided that “a man must be hanged with his face towards the spectators” upon a wooden stake, with his arms slung over a horizontal beam. It should be noted that while this is technically not the same thing as the gruesome practice of Roman crucifixion, the reasoning based on this verse was apparently used to justify the execution of Yeshua (Mark 15:9-15; John 19:5-7; 15). The exposed body was required to be buried before sundown to keep the land from being defiled. Besides the shame and degradation of this manner of death, the one so executed would be unable to fall to their knees as a final act of repentance before God, thereby implying that they were under the irrevocable curse of God (קִלְלַת אֱלהִים).

In this connection, we should note that Yeshua was falsely charged with blasphemy before the corrupt Sanhedrin of His day (Matt. 26:65; Mark 14:64; John 10:33) - an offence that was punishable by stoning (Lev. 24:11-16). However, since the Imperial Roman government then exercised legal hegemony over the region of Palestine, all capital cases were required to be submitted to the Roman proconsul for adjudication, and therefore we understand why the Jewish court remanded Yeshua and brought him to be interrogated by Pontius Pilate. Because Roman law was indifferent to cases concerning Jewish religious practices (i.e., charges of blasphemy), however, the priests further slandered Yeshua by illegitimately switching the original charge of blasphemy to that of sedition against Rome. The Sanhedrin undoubtedly rationalized their duplicity because the Torah allowed for an offender to impaled or "hung on a tree" (Num. 25:4), and since they were unable to do carry out this judgment because of Roman rule in the area, they needed Pilate to condemn him to death by crucifixion (Matt. 27:31; Mark 15:13-4; Luke 23:21; John 19:6,15). Note that crucifixion is mentioned elsewhere in the Talmud (Nashim: Yevamot 120b) regarding whether a widow can remarry if her husband had been crucified, as well as by the Jewish historian Josephus. The Talmud furthermore alludes to the death of Yeshua where Yeshua is said to have been crucified on “eve of Passover” (Nezekin: Sanhedrin 43a). [Hebrew for Christians]

and another set of posts by John about the heart returning to our Creator:

The sages say that teshuvah (return) was created before the world itself, as it says, “Before the mountains were born, or you brought the world into being, you were the Eternal God who says: “Return (שׁוּבוּ), O children of man” (Psalm 90:2-3).

There is a deeper blessing that preceded our exile... The Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world, and God clothed humanity in divine sacrifice from the very beginning (Gen. 3:15,21; Rev. 13:8). The water of life (מַיִם חַיִּים) flows from the original orchard of Eden to the world to come (Gen. 2:10; Rev. 22:1).

The LORD subjected creation to vanity for the sake of hope (Rom. 8:20), for the revelation of his greatness, as he descended into its depths to return and restore all things to himself. God decreed to enter space-time as the Son of Man, the “Second Adam,” to become our Savior and healer. He came to reveal the face of God to us (2 Cor. 4:6). Yeshua “descended in order to ascend” so that we could know God’s compassion, love and healing through his "mesirat nefesh" – his total sacrifice of body and soul – to return us to God. [Hebrew for Christians]

Right now, if you are seeing this, affirm that the Lord Yeshua is your deliverer and that you trust in Him for eternal life. As he promised: “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes in the One who sent me has (i.e., present active indicative) eternal life and will not be condemned, but has passed over (literally, “crossed over”) from death to life” (John 5:24). Note that the verb translated “has passed over” is “perfect active” that expresses completed action: “this one has already crossed over from death to life.” In other words, the gift of eternal life is an accomplished reality though it is only experienced as we truly surrender to the love and grace of God from a heart of faith. The “basis” of life is now radically new and of a different order. As the apostle Paul later summarized: “For it is by grace you have been saved (i.e., a perfect passive participle that denotes completed action done on your behalf with effects that continue to the present) through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:9-10). I’m so glad it’s not the strength of my grip that keeps me holding on to God, but the strength of His..... [Hebrew for Christians]

8.15.21 • Facebook

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

August 16, 2021

Fearing God for Nothing?

“Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?” (Job 1:9)

Satan’s challenge brings up an important question: Why should a person serve God? His question suggests that Job had no real love for God; his righteous behavior was motivated purely by a desire to receive material blessings.

Job’s friend Eliphaz apparently had precisely the outlook on life that Satan wrongly accused Job of. Eliphaz believed God took no pleasure in human righteousness. He believed a person should serve God purely out of self-interest, a desire that God would reward him with material prosperity (Job 22:2-3, 23-30). God has created the world such that wrongful behavior normally leads to unpleasant consequences while upright behavior normally brings good results (Proverbs 12:21). However, Eliphaz was fundamentally wrong; God did take pleasure in Job’s righteousness (Job 1:8; 42:7).

Death and suffering are results of sin (Romans 5:12). The first people God created rebelled against Him and brought death and suffering into the world (Genesis 3). However, suffering is not necessarily occasioned by a specific sin in the life of the sufferer, as Eliphaz and his two friends seemed to believe.

A person who truly loves God will serve Him in good times and bad times. In this sin-cursed world, sometimes wicked people prosper and righteous people suffer, but Job recognized that perfect justice awaits the day when the Creator returns to Earth (Job 19:25-27). This is probably the reason Job maintained his faith even when God allowed Satan to take everything—including his children and his health.

Job often spoke rashly from his pain (Job 6:1-5; 7:11). Yet his declaration of faith in God is a wonderful example for all believers: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). WP

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR: Part 158

Standing against Radicalism: The Example of Abu Hanifa

Radicalism is a destructive force that threatens bonds within a society. It violates social order, for those who adopt radicalism assume their views as the norm and dictate that all must follow their lifestyle. Radicalism has a potential to reveal itself even more violently when aligned with some religious beliefs, which often serve as a great source of motivation for their adherents, especially when the religion itself is misinterpreted.

Abu Hanifa (d. 767 CE) is considered a leading scholar of Islamic law and his thoughts led to the formation of the Hanafi school of Islam, which has the greatest following among schools. Abu Hanifa's time was an era of intense political and social mobility. While new conquests brought in new cultural and religious components, the political authority aspired to disseminate an official form of Islam; at the same time, new groups and formations emerged to respond to changing conditions. Unfortunately, these conditions led to some groups being radicalized. Abu Hanifa's stance against radicalism was exemplary and his arguments are still worthwhile today.

His political attitude

Abu Hanifa represents the prototype of an independent scholar. He was wary of state power, believing that it corrupted intellectual honesty in the interest of preserving power; thus, he did not hold an official political position. This was a brave stance, as he was seriously persecuted for it. Yet his independence allowed him to see radicalism - on both sides of the political spectrum - for the danger that it was.

Understanding of Islamic jurisprudence

Abu Hanifa is considered the pioneer of the school of sound opinion (ray), which advocates seeking solutions to social-judicial problems by using reason together with religious essentials and scholarly comparison (qiyas). Deductive reasoning (ijtihad), juristic preference for the better (istihsan), and acceptable custom (urf) have an important place in his understanding of Islamic jurisprudence. We can infer that he also believed in the necessity of taking social and psychological realities into account when making religious judgments; this was what he did in practice.

Abu Hanifa did not choose a reductionist approach by restricting himself to the frame of religious essentials, but produced solutions to the questions he faced—or could possibly face—by benefiting from the sources mentioned along with the Qur'an and Sunnah. It is possible to define his approach to jurisprudence as an understanding that places humanity in the center; his views expanded the domain of legitimacy and accepted components of historical and cultural heritage that do not contradict the spirit of religion and belief of Divine oneness, such as local customs and practices. This broad perspective ran contrary to radical beliefs. Because the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence does not disregard real problems in life, it is more capable of solving them.

Abu Hanifa viewed education and debate as essential to his jurisprudence. He would bring a certain problem - some of them contemporary, and some hypothetical - to the attention of his students, each of whom was an expert on an Islamic discipline such as tafsir, hadith, and fiqh; he would let them discuss that matter in detail, follow the discussions with patience, and come to a conclusive judgment according to the strength of the arguments. But he would still tolerate the opposing thoughts of his disciples, such as Imam Muhammad and Abu Yusuf, and let those thoughts come to life. All of their opposing thoughts were recorded, and people acted upon most of them.

We can accept Abu Hanifa's educational method as a pluralist and democratic one, which also teaches how to forbear different opinions with patience. It shows the value of viewing an issue from different points of view. Despite its value, there were some groups that did not support Abu Hanifa's methods.

His understanding of belief

Some groups had formed prior to Abu Hanifa as extensions of the extremist Kharijites. They not only directly declared believing Muslims who sinned were apostates, but they also attacked them and tried to exterminate them in the name of religion. The Kharijites even declared Caliph Ali - and many other devout believers - apostates. Though the Kharijites were the most violent, other groups - including the Mutazilites - also persecuted certain religious groups when they came to political power. Unfortunately, this act of dividing society into groups inevitably led to more violence.

According to one definition, it is possible for religion to be a dividing or uniting factor within a society. It can be a great force for good when it is kept separate from the political machinations of power. In his work Fiqh al-Akbar, Abu Hanifa defined the concept of religion (din) in terms of its contents by saying, "Religion is the title given to the entirety of religion, faith, submission, and religious judgments." Abu'l Muntaha, the scholar who annotated this definition, states that the word religion has different uses, sometimes meaning belief, sometimes submission, and sometimes as the Divine judgments conveyed by a certain Prophet. However, at his answer to the question directed to him about the difference between religion and religious law, Abu Hanifa he expressed that he saw a difference between them. He did not only acknowledge this difference, but also gave a religious and rational explanation for it.

According to Abu Hanifa, religion (din) and religious law (shariah) are separate concepts. He accepted religion as the principles to be believed in - namely, the belief of Divine unity, and faith in the existence and unity of God. Religious law, however, is a body of judgments related to different aspects of human life such as worship, interpersonal relations, and the like. Abu Hanifa interpreted the Qur'anic verse meaning, "I have not created the jinn and humankind but to worship Me (exclusively)" (Dhariyat 56), in the sense of, "So that they know Me and acknowledge my Oneness."

He believed the origin of religion is the belief in the unity of God. Obviously, this definition is based on the distinction between the essence of religion and what it necessitates. Here, belief is the absolute condition of religion, because a person belonging to a certain religion is a matter of accepting the essential teachings of that religion, rather than observing the acts of worship commanded by that religion.

Abu Hanifa came to this conclusion about religion by considering the fact that the essentials of belief brought by the Prophets are the same, but there are certain differences on other issues, such as worship. The Prophets of God did not belong to different religions. None of them commanded their people to forsake the religion of the previous Prophets, since their faith is the same. On the other hand, every Prophet invited their people to follow the law they conveyed, as decreed by God Almighty for that specific people, not necessarily following the exact law conveyed by the previous Prophets. There were many different codes for different peoples. It is for this reason that God Almighty states, "(For each community) ...We have appointed a clear way of life and a comprehensive system (containing the principles of that way and how to follow it). And if God had so willed, He would surely have made you a single community (following the same way of life and system surrounded by the same conditions throughout all history)" (Maedah 48).

The faith of Divine oneness is always the same and religion does not change from one Prophet to another in this sense; it is the systems and their rules that change. If "religion" were fulfilling everything God commands and avoiding everything He forbids, then a person who fails to observe only one command or commits one forbidden act would be an apostate. As such, the legal judgments between fellow believers such as marriage, receiving an inheritance, attending a funeral, and the like would be invalid. However, it is having belief that makes them lawful between fellow believers. Other commands come after having accepted religion. If the commanded acts were faith itself, then God would not call His servants believers until they fulfilled the acts He commanded.

In order to support the point stated above, Abu Hanifa asserted the fact that when believers are excused from certain acts at certain times, they are still considered to have faith: a menstruating woman who abandons the daily prayers, a man who has a valid excuse abandons the Ramadan fasting, or a poor man who cannot give the alms of zakat are still considered believers. If such observances were identical to having faith, failing to observe them for some excuse would have the same meaning. However, it is impossible to make such a claim. According to Abu Hanifa, there is no complete relation between faith and deeds, since they are separate things.

Abu Hanifa stated that the following verses and others of similar meaning also point to the same fact:

"Tell those of My servants who believe that they must establish the Prayer in conformity with its conditions..." (Ibrahim 31); "O you who believe! Prescribed for you is retaliation in cases of (deliberate, unjust) killing..." (Baqarah 178); "O you who believe! Remember and mention God much" (Ahzab 41).

If the commanded acts were identical with belief or faith (iman), then God would not address people as believers until they fulfilled those acts. In addition, God Almighty separates having faith and good deeds in other verses as well:

"Except those who believe and do good righteous deeds..." (Asr 3); "No! Rather, whoever submits his whole being to God (and does so) as one devoted to doing good, aware that God is seeing him, his reward is with his Lord, and all such will have no fear, (for they will always find My help and support with them), nor will they grieve" (Baqarah 112); "But whoever wishes for the Hereafter and strives for it as it should be striven for, being a believer..." (Isra 19).

This distinction proves that faith is not the same as deeds. Believers observe the prayers, fasting, zakat, Hajj, and they make remembrance of God owing to their faith - but they are not considered to have faith for having observed these. This proves that they do good deeds after having faith (iman) already.

In his letter to Uthman al-Batti, a scholar from Basra, Abu Hanifa stated this view with reference to different proofs. He used the following example: an indebted man firstly acknowledges his debt and pays it afterwards, but not vice versa. His acknowledgement of the debt is not for having paid the debt, but his paying is for having acknowledged the debt.

Abu Hanifa did not believe that a person who sins is out of the sphere of faith; nor are they an apostate. He expressed this point, saying, "Those who have acknowledged the direction to turn for worship are believers. I cannot count them as having forsaken faith owing to some command they do not observe. As for one who abandons some obligatory acts in spite of having faith, that person is a believer, but a sinful one (he is not a disbeliever)."

Abu Hanifa argued that what would make one an unbeliever is not committing a forbidden act, but considering it lawful; not abandoning an obligatory command, but considering it unnecessary.

Abu Hanifa also pointed out that real believers commit sins not by considering them lawful, but by giving in to their carnal soul. When asked, "If God is dearer for a believer than everything, why does a believer rebel Him? Is it possible for a person to rebel while having sincere love for God?" the great imam replied, "Yes, a child loves his father, but sometimes disobeys him. The situation of a believer is the same...He commits sins not owing to a lack of love for God, but for giving in to the feeling of lust or something similar."

Some claimed that this stance aligned Abu Hanifa with the school of Murjia, whose adherents believed that sins would not nullify one's faith, but Abu Hanifa soundly argued that it is not possible to guarantee anything in matters of faith:

"We cannot say that sins do not harm a believer at all. Similarly, we cannot say that a person who commits sins will not enter Hell. Neither can we say our good deeds are accepted and our evil deeds are forgiven... However, who commits good deeds in conformity with all of the conditions of validity...and dies as a believer without nullifying those deeds, then God does not let those deeds be in vain, but rewards them." We need to clarify at this point that by this definition Abu Hanifa did not refer to an argument as if religion was a matter of conscience only; religion for him is a comprehensive system of life that concerns all aspects of believers' existence.

While founding the most developed school of Islamic jurisprudence, Abu Hanifa defined religion with reference to its essence, pinpointing the difference between religion and other factors related to religion. His definition of religion as the faith of Divine oneness is very important in terms of maintaining social unity. Such a definition does not lessen the importance of religion's other requirements. Moreover, the political and social conditions of his time called for such a definition. For this reason, Abu Hanifa made a definition that referred to the essence of religion and aimed to maintain unity in society by counteracting the tendency to easily condemn those with different opinions.

This is valuable even today, as taking belief in Divine unity as the basis of religion allows followers of different monotheistic religions to meet on common grounds. In the Qur'an, God Almighty addresses Muslims in the person of the Prophet and demands them to call People of the Book to a common word between them: "O People of the Book, come to a word common between us and you, that we worship none but God, and associate none as partner with Him, and that none of us take others for Lords, apart from God" (Al Imran 3: 64).

Conclusion

When Abu Hanifa's world of thought and understanding of life are studied, it's clear that his viewpoint valued differences and did not permit persecution. This perspective still bears significance in terms of peaceful coexistence in today's societies. Such a magnanimous attitude can help to combat radical attitudes and inclinations for violence.