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tiptapricot · 11 months

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Hey just a PSA but the writer of City of the Dead is a Jewish man who has been upfront about how uncomfortable it makes him that people keep trying to insist that he's writing catholic guilt.

I know that David Pepose is Jewish, but that doesn’t impact the criticism of his depictions.

I don’t think anyone should be attacking his identity or his authenticity as a Jewish man, but that is different from criticizing his writing and the undertones and out of character takes in his portrayal, as well as the pieces it glosses over and doesn’t include. His experience is valid and enough, but it is not the same as the system’s and it does not make him immune from creating things with harmful or inaccurate tones for them. We’ve seen this already with some inaccuracies in his Black White and Blood issue to the more orthodox childhood of the system (saying they went to Hebrew school despite that being very unlikely for them to have done).

My critiques of his depiction of their Judaism as well as others I’ve seen and discussed with people were not trying to say it was writing the system as Catholic, but saying the way Marc was written and the way his guilt was portrayed was out of character and very much lined up with the Christian/Catholic ideas of punishment and suffering to atone for wrongdoing. That’s in the text and can be easily gleaned from it.

The current context around it also doesn’t add more exploration besides “I did bad and I’m so guilty I must punish myself and that’s why I do what I do.” In fact the context that is there makes things weirder by having Marc seemingly be even more spiritually inclined/favorable to Khonshu than he has been in the past.

It’s just a mixed bag of “this is not how this character should be acting and has uncomfortable undertones” whether they were intended or not doesn’t change that. Criticizing what Pepose hs written for Marc does not mean saying his experience is less authentic, just that he wrote something off for the character and things don’t map on one to one.

As far as his responses to the critique of this handling, that’s where this gets more complicated. Besides discussions and dissections here on tumblr, the only conversations/reactions on Twitter I’m aware of are below with peoples names other than Pepose’s crossed out as to not give them further exposure past their interactions with him.

I do believe there’s been a lot of miscommunication and bad faith responses on his part. I understand wanting to clarify when something drawn from personal experience is read differently, I get that people saying he wrote guilt with a Catholic vibe when maybe he drew it from himself is uncomfortable, but again, that doesn’t impact the critique and more context is needed to change where things sit currently. But it’s just a funky and strange situation in general.

(This following response involves a different user than the previous talking to Pepose. The original person left no more responses and said nothing else than what is shown above)

This is all I’ve seen on him responding to the subject, and later Pepose blocked both posters in this thread from what I’ve heard. This is the extent of their interactions with him.

Overall I think saying the handling of Marc’s Judaism in this first issue is weird and off is a fair criticism/observation to make. I don’t think it was intentional or there was any malice behind it, but it does show a lack of understanding of the character of Marc Spector, and was tied to a multitude of other problems throughout this first issue (like as we see above with a misunderstanding/mishandling already of the system’s DID and plurality). And I think people can also be upset about that if they are.

Again I understand being uncomfortable, but issues are still allowed to be pointed out and there is still room to mess up when writing characters from your own community. Fair criticism to how something reads is not the same as personally attacking someone’s identity. And it shouldn’t be, but I genuinely don’t think anyone I’ve seen here so far has been doing that.

Though with all of this I am a non-Jew discussing things I’ve talked about with my Jewish friends, so please please if you want more in depth and explanatory posts on this topic, as well as how Pepose has been handling MK (most of which I am drawing from and the discussions with have informed my stuff here) you should check out @fdelopera as they’ve made many dissections on the topic as a Jewish MK fan! And they can speak on this topic much more in depth and with much more awareness and information than I can.

Some very relevant posts to this is their dissection of why Marc’s spirituality and handling so far is an issue and very funky and an examination of the Jewish themes in MacKay’s writing.

But those are my overall thoughts as well as continued clarification on my points on the topic so I hope I articulated things well!

(ID in ALT for all)

#the fruit is talking again #the fruit is answering again #moon knight #moon knight comics #moon knight city of the dead #marc spector

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filipinoizukuu · 3 years

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Pls share about the Gospel of Judas 👀

, im SO glad someone asked because this topic is nigh always pingponging around in my head and the fact i get to ramble about it means the WORLD to me. TW ahead for canon-typical violence, gore, and other such discussions of all that fun heretical stuff!

Now, to preface this, I just wanted to say that I’m not a licensed professional in anything related to theology nor religion nor historical artifacts. I am. as we all are deep down inside, a simple teenager with ridiculous hyper-fixations and a vast ocean of random information that will not be of any importance to my career or home life whatsoever. Easily, many of the things I talk about could either be wrong or debunked, but I will try my best to explain the Book of Judas as I understood it.

Among the many books that make up what we know as the Bible today, there were various seemingly ‘missing perspectives’ and inconsistencies that existed between gospels. One of the reasons for this was the fact that the Bible in and of itself was a compiled work that was originally recorded years after the oral tradition had passed. What is or isn’t ‘canon’ often depended on the rulings of past Popes who worked with historians to determine the authenticity of ancient artifacts that either proved or contested the canonical teachings of the Bible--one of the more popular debunked samples being The Shroud of Turin, which while being ruled as a fake by Pope Clement the VII a long time ago, still has its authenticity being debated until today.

It’s important to remember that the canon status of ancient artifacts. while somewhat reliant on Papal confirmation, can sometimes be contested and interpreted to each individual’s discretion.

And among all of these artifacts, there is my favorite one of all--The Book of Judas. Now, factually speaking, the Gospel of Judas was written in (somewhere between 2 to) 5 A.D., not actually that farfetched considering that only in 1 A.D. was the first version of the Bible we know today written. It was found somewhere in Ancient Egypt but was declared as fiction at some point in 180 A.D. by St. Iranaeus of Lyon. To understand the impact that The Book of Judas would have on the Bible (which, to put it simply, was revolutionary), you’d first have to have a quick review and understanding of who Judas Iscariot was in the gospels that we know today.

Judas was a disciple.

He was one of the 12 disciples that were closest to Jesus and a disciple that most accounts of the story would say actually truly deeply loved him at some point. Judas was, as all memes about Christianity are fond of reminding, also the traitor that eventually chose money and greed over his love for God’s son and turned him in with a kiss in a garden that led to Jesus Christ’s death at the cross.

That is until you read the translations of the Book of Judas.

In the original books--whether it was because he was possessed by the Devil or simply a man who had fallen into greed--Judas was portrayed to be a sinner and a horrible traitor. After his betrayal and Jesus’ eventual death, Judas had then become guilt-ridden and anguished, choosing to end his own life in the Gospel of Matthew and even tarnishing a field with his blood and sins according to St. Luke in Acts.

The Book of Judas, however, CHALLENGES these motives. Instead, it takes what brought all past Christian texts together by changing the portrayal of Judas on its head and putting the previous ‘traitor’ under the light of something else entirely.

According to the Book of Judas, Jesus had asked Judas to betray him.

The 26-page manuscript was a brief retelling of the dynamics we were lead to believe in the story told by the main four books. In the Book of Judas, we were told that the original other 12 disciples were actually quite... foolish. They were described to be sort of arrogant and clueless, constantly misinterpreting and forgetting Jesus’ words because while he was teaching them to be better and to spread the words of God, the disciples were still, at their core, human sinners. The manuscript was believed to have reported that of the disciples that were closest, or at least best tolerated by Jesus--Judas was by far the most understanding of His words.

Judas, in accordance with his book, was the only one who could understand the significance and cryptic lessons behind Jesus’ teachings. Because of this, Jesus knew he was the only capable one to serve him in what was to come.

You see, part of the prophecy was that Jesus had to die. He had to suffer and fall for humanity’s sake so that we would be able to be forgiven. As much as it sucks to even think about it, Jesus had come to expect that someone would need to cause his death and hurt him all so that he could fulfill his purpose.

In the end, he thought that death by the hand of an enemy was far worse than a death at the hands of a friend.

During the Last Supper, Jesus approached Judas and placed him into a vision. He placed Judas in a fantastical, wonderful dream where Judas sat facing the house of heaven and saw Jesus. Jesus, who looked at his beloved friend and said: “you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.” Judas will exceed all of them. And he will sacrifice the man that clothed Jesus.

In this interpretation, Judas was essentially told that he was the one who would finally free Jesus from his physical form. Judas, the supposed traitor disciple, would be the one to fulfill Jesus’ prophecy and thus sacrificed his beloved friend to bring about forgiveness for humanity.

And he understands.

In this manuscript, Judas Iscariot understands the will of God and what he has to do. He understands the weight of his betrayal and what he has to do in order to obey Jesus--so then it isn’t money or fear or anger or evil that motivates him to surrender Jesus to the soldiers but utter obedience and adoration for the Son of God. Judas gives his ‘yes’, knowing that for years and years he will be slandered and labeled as a traitor but at his core, Judas knows that it was not a betrayal to begin with.

So he led the soldiers to Jesus in the garden. He kissed him and let him be taken away and let him die.

This was the official translation approved by BBC and National Geographic according to the original translations done by Stephen Emmel, a Coptic studies professional.

Later on, this interpretation would be challenged by Dr. April DeConick, who claims that the mistreatment and mistranslation of the paper actually told the complete opposite, in the way that the revelation in the Last Supper was not created by Jesus but, in fact, by Judas, who had revealed himself to be the 13th demon of hell. This interpretation, while less popular, served as a direct challenge to the recharacterization BBC and NatGeo had approved of. I don’t really know too much about this debate, but I do know that this second interpretation does exist.

Of course, the original Judas text itself is currently impossible to truly translate to be sure. It was torn and shuffled, put into a freezer, and possibly even missing a few pages (which you can blame Bruce Ferinni for), ultimately making the authentic manuscript really difficult to properly restore.

The takeaway from this whole Book though--whether you accept it as canon or not--is that there were many interpretations and beliefs early Christians and Gnostics had that the time that criticized the way the four main gospels had passed down God’s teachings. People believed what they thought supported their own beliefs and at the end of the day. it's all still just a matter of who we choose to credit.

The real author to the Book of Judas remains anonymous to this day, but I am very glad to have been able to share this with you all :)

not proofread since i did this at like 4 am | x x x

#tw long post #long post tw #gospel of judas #christianity

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atarahderek · 3 years

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Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell - a Wolfwalkers analysis

To follow up on my review of Wolfwalkers, I would like to discuss the villain in depth. This analysis will contain spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want to be spoiled, click or scroll away now. You have been warned.

The first thing one needs to understand about Oliver Cromwell is that he is a historical domain character. Cromwell was an English statesman, born in 1599, who held the official title of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1653 until his death in 1658. Some creative license is taken in Wolfwalkers, as while Cromwell did take over much of Ireland, including Kilkenny, by force of arms in 1650, when the film is set, it would be another three years before he attained the title and duties of Lord Protector. Cromwell was Anglican, and had been raised to hate Catholics (a bitter grudge held over from when Protestants were severely persecuted under the Catholic queen Bloody Mary). This led him to act with extreme brutality toward the mostly Catholic Irish, and to this day, the Irish see Cromwell as nothing but a monster. The remaining countries in Britain give him mixed reviews, though he’s generally perceived as a pretty good guy in England.

Cromwell being so hated in Ireland led to his character being given something of a historical villain upgrade in Wolfwalkers--depending on who you ask, of course. Undoubtedly, some Irish would say he wasn’t portrayed as evil enough. His character design is fairly true to life, though it does evoke images of Pocahontas’ main villain John Ratcliffe. His personality is reminiscent of Judge Claude Frollo from Disney’s adaptation of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. He sees his path as the only righteous one. It’s been done before, but with Cromwell, it’s taken to a new extreme. Cromwell deifies himself. It’s kind of brilliant, actually.

In the film, Cromwell’s name is never given. He goes strictly by Lord Protector. His insistence on being addressed only by his title reflects his real life actions, where he began to insist on being addressed as “his highness,” and signed his letters “Oliver P,” in the fashion of kings who would sign their names as “George R,” or the like, with ‘P’ standing for ‘Protector’ the way ‘R’ stood for ‘Rex.’ Cromwell habitually ends his orders and decrees with, “That is the Lord’s will.” Between this habit and his exclusive title, he begins to seem a bit blasphemous. And that appears to be the intention. When he proclaims “the Lord’s will,” he’s not talking about the will of the Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth. He’s talking about the will of the Lord Protector; himself. He equates Lord Protector of the Commonwealths with Lord God, Almighty Protector, and elevates himself to that status. This results in a very cold, cruel, distant man who is baffled by the idea that a man would rather mourn for his seemingly dead daughter than follow his orders to the letter. Which is, honestly, very standard behavior for any man who thinks himself a god.

So does Cromwell give any indication of acknowledging a God higher than himself? Yes; all of twice in the movie. He’s seen praying once, but this too could be interpreted as talking to himself, as he again says only “Lord” and not “Lord God,” and he ends his prayer insisting that what he wants to do must be “the Lord’s will.” His prayer was likely to assure himself that he was still a humble man, so he could go out and continue to deify himself without guilt. At the climax of the movie, when Bill, who was bitten by Moll while she was trying to defend Mebh, takes on his new wolf form for the first time, Cromwell becomes genuinely terrified by the enormous wolf in front of him and cries out for the Lord God Almighty to protect him. It is the only time in the entire movie when Cromwell actually turns to a higher power than himself for help--and after everything else he’s done up to this point, it’s too late to curry any favor with God.

The climax ends with Cromwell’s death, as he allows himself to fall off a cliff rather than be turned into a Wolfwalker by Bill’s bite. The false god plunges to his demise, purportedly surrendering his soul to the God of heaven. This is more historical license, as the real Cromwell died of natural causes eight years after the movie is set.

Some viewers of the film have interpreted Cromwell vs. the Wolfwalkers as Christianity vs. paganism, conveniently forgetting that the Goodfellowes are Christians and gave no indication of converting at the end of the film. A look into Wolfwalker lore reveals the legend behind them; they were either blessed or cursed by St. Patrick (and one’s opinion on which it was depends on one’s opinion of wolves in general), who made a bargain with them. He did not want to force their conversion (this is true to the character of the real St. Patrick, who believed faith in God must be a personal choice and not coerced), but allowed them to roam free, albeit as wolves while they slept. Since Wolfwalkers are created not by choice, but by the bite of another Wolfwalker, it is well established that Wolfwalkers can be any religion. In the case of this film, exactly half of the Wolfwalkers are Protestants living in Catholic Ireland, with no indication that they’re going to change faiths, because they see no conflict between their faith and turning into wolves whenever they sleep. The presumably Catholic side character Sean Og even says that St. Patrick made peace with the pagans who became the original Wolfwalkers, and himself sees no problem with a Christian living as a wolf at night. He encourages Robyn’s friendship with Mebh, and cheers her on when she helps Moll escape. Cromwell alone sees conflict in the idea of a Christian Wolfwalker because he hates wolves and he hates anything that doesn’t basically worship him. Cromwell is the god of his realm, and if he says there will be no wolves or Wolfwalkers, then so be it. He will destroy every one of them, down to the last child. This is a story of a man who has deified himself going up against people who understand the difference between true faith and forced compliance. I think it’s safe to say St. Patrick would probably be on the Wolfwalkers’ side.

#Wolfwalkers #Cartoon Saloon #Oliver Cromwell #Ireland #historical domain character #analysis #Lord Protector

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kuronekonerochan · 4 years

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*deep breath, takes cover* so...about Start Up *activates shields*

Warning: This is a rant... a looooooooooooooooong raaant (pls read this in that long man jap commercial singing voice, if you don’t know what I’m talking about google it...it’s...wow).

First, let’s start with how I feel watching this drama vv

^^ Found footage of drama viewers who went into this hooked by the first engaging episodes thinking it would be a good drama and not crumble to the ground in the second half, after already having gone through Do You Like Brahms? and Record of Youth just in the past few months of 2020.

I think the problem with dramas this year is that the scripts seem like they were written without purpose. A writer should want to tell a story. They should have a clear picture in their minds of what story they want to tell. Of who their characters are as people and how they want them to be at the end and what happens to mold them into who they become and how they get there.

These scripts don't seem to want to tell a story at all. The writers instead seem to have something to say instead of a story to tell. They want to say ppl are like that and they behave a certain way and so we end up with scripts like Do You Like Brahms? or Record of Youth with a million characters portraying relatable irl attitudes and it works as social commentary, but without a proper plot for a story they want to tell to streamline the whole thing it becomes little more than people watching that is interesting at the beginning as character study but quickly falls apart when it becomes apparent they have no idea what to do with the characters they've created.

And in DYLB the characters ended up having no time to have properly structured arcs because they stopped the drama and filled the runtime with secondary characters demonstrating various forms of pettiness in human nature and when they got back to the main characters and broke them down they suddenly ran out of time to make them heal on screen so it was a rushed mess.

Record of Youth was so worried with showing also a billion characters for the different types of ppl there were, that besides PBG, most characters had little to no development They were just there, there was no story it was all pointless.

Start up also had this vast set of characters, each with defined personalities and individual issues to overcome: the sister with her internalized (and misplaced) guilt and her defense coping mechanism of lashing out on her sister and overcompensating stubborn behavior; the mother with her life choices; the grandmother with her past lies and current health issues; Dal Mi with her rage issues and her inferiority complex and her relationship with her sister; Do San with his confidence issues and his self sacrificing/self sabotaging bullshit; Ji Pyeong with his loner complex and his guilt towards grandma and back into her family and the unresolved issues with Dal Mi; plus the found family aspect, the team growing together, Ji Pyeong being begrudgingly supportive against his will and Nam Do San being disarmingly honest and kind to him even when they disagree bc that's how he is, even if he now stands up for himself and starts to be cheekier.

And that's how the drama was going... until it wasn't. Because there was a sandbox competition and jargon and stuff to cram in there for conflict and a love triangle they decided to drag for some reason... and suddenly because some events needed to happen the characters start behaving in a way that makes no sense to their established personalities. Do San is blowing up all the time and him and Ji Pyeong hate each other all of a sudden... no more endearing bickering, pure vitriol; Dal Mi after the whole reveal with the letters never had a personal conversation with Ji Pyeong again; the mother had an out of the blue christian mea culpa...without barely talking to any character prior besides the MIL; and one of Do San's friends is pissed at Ji Pyeong, also out of the blue bc years ago he was mean to his brother and he killed himself. He is mad now, halfway into the competition...not when they met Ji Pyeong at their old place, or during the whole "fooling Dal Mi as a CEO" arc, or even at the beginning of the sandbox...just randomly now. Artificial conflict who?

And Dal Mi and her sister...well the drama doesn't have time to unpack all that, or show a proper personal conversation between Ji Pyeong and Dal Mi, but this drama also needs to end with the family back together and Do San still needs to end up as the brilliant confident engineer he needs to be, and since him and his Sherpa, who should have been the one to nurture him (even with a bit of tough love), are now busy hating each other...well TIME JUMP TIME!

Character development on screen who? Do you like Brahms? Start up sure does bc they did the exact same thing...when you write yourself into a corner...stop writing, do a time jump and tell everyone everything already happened.

This is latest mutation of the time jump trope is even worse than the usual kind. The romantic trope one was usually for self reflection, to make a break from the conclusion of the dramatic plot and transition smoothly into a happy ending (since killing off the bad guy, who one of the characters might be related to or had befriended before he went off the deep end and thus have conflicting feelings about, and immediately jump into the smooching mood might be a tad too much), or fix up the power imbalance in traditional kdramas (the female lead spends the whole drama as his secretary...time jump glow up for curriculum abroad so she doesn’t have to work for him all day before coming home together...not that sexy, kind of exhausting really), or simply kdrama trope tradition like the last minute amnesia...just because.

But in our year of the devil 2020 time jumps are now where the meat of the plot should be. The emotional resolutions, the healing, the forgiveness, where relationships are mended and strengthened and the important events take place. It’s the divine spa for plot holes and lazy writing where scriptwriters sip their drinks and congratulate themselves for a work well done, because in the end it all worked out...their characters come out of the time jump spa feeling refreshed, with a new purpose in life at peace with themselves and all their struggles past them, just in time for a happy reunion, or just footage of them looking at cellphones and posters and talking about other characters so the audience knows all is well and they’re all pals now... and then they go back to their chores and the camera pans out (okay this one I realize due to the pandemic maybe having the entire cast together could be difficult, but at least showing them interacting one on one for god’s sake).

I know this was long and ranty, but I am getting tired of this new trend of Don't show and don't tell...at least not to their faces. Go with "Oh, haven't you heard? xoxo gossip girl". I am all for good character study and social commentary, but maybe tell a story and then according to the actions of the characters give them realistic personality traits. And only then, after having a clear plot in mind, incorporate the characters into the story and not the story into the characters.

#tvn start up #start up #do you like brahms?#record of youth #kdrama #cdrama #kdrama edit #kdrama rambles #kdrama rant #kim seon ho #nam joo hyuk #bae suzy #park bo gum #also the discourse for start up is wild #it's twilight team jacob vs team edward levels of aggressive #or wook vs so moon lovers aggressive #I liked them both at the beginning do san was a sweetheart but he was also a doormat #ji pyeong was investment type capitalism manipulative but not in a malicious way that's just his mindset and it's understandadble #anyways I liked them both they were both cute and adorable together and when do san stopped being a doormat and started to speak for himself #and ji pyeong was just baffled by his straightforwardness but they were still cute even when bickering that's when this drama peaked #and then it went downhill #and now I like them both a little less as characters bc the writing and plot ruined them #but I love both actors and they are both doing an amazing work #they are both honestly much better than this drama even deserves at this point #korean drama

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goodshipsherlollipop · 4 years

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Self-interview (but not really) Part 2

Thanks again @sherlollyappreciationweek

Comp1mom

Q: What made you decide to create a “Christian” version of Sherlock? According to the BBC version, he is a self-avowed atheist.

A: When I look at Sherlock’s true nature, I see such potential for him as a Christian. He exhibits so many characteristics that we, as Christians, try to show - forgiveness of wrongs done to him (note how he doesn’t fight back when John assaults him); sacrificial love (his willingness to die for others, as in TRF); the desire for true justice, the way Moriarty says he’s “on the side of the angels”. At least for me, I was intrigued by the idea of converting him to Christianity, to give him a true purpose for his life that has eternal consequences.

Q: Do you think that portraying Sherlock as a Christian is important? Why or why not?

A: I am always hopeful that people will read and see the validity in my reasoning for him becoming a Christian, given how often he has escaped death. Quite often, in stories, Molly puts the question to him - Why are you still here? Why have you escaped death so many times? That should be enough to make anyone reevaluate their life’s purpose.

Q: Molly Hooper is the one who proselytizes him, right? Why do you use Molly? Why not John, who must be a believer in Christ in some way or he would have had a problem with christening Rosie?

A: For me, it HAD to be Molly. Her character and the way she behaves in the show is consistent with the behaviour of a Christian. She loves Sherlock unconditionally; she sees beyond the detective persona to the real man beneath. She needs to be the catalyst for Sherlock to be open to the idea of Christianity, because he loves and trusts her. John, although he certainly believes in God and has some Christian (or Catholic in my story canon) background, does not live a life that is consistent with Christianity and its ideals. He has multiple sexual partners. Although I think he is an ethical man, I don’t believe he has the kind of sexual morality that is typical of committed Christians. Identifying yourself as a Christian because you were raised in a Christian home and went to church, does not make you one if you display behaviour that is contrary to what the Bible teaches. Either you’re committed to what you believe and try to follow what the Bible teaches, or you are not really committed to your faith, (not that Christians are perfect - far from it, but we do try to follow what the Bible teaches, and we feel guilt when we fail). There’s a difference between being a Jesus fan and a Jesus follower.

Q: What evidence does Molly use to convince Sherlock of a Higher Power?

A: In various stories, Molly points out the beauty and balance of creation, that it does not make sense for that balance to have occurred spontaneously. She also points out the complexity of the human body and how it is built with all its systems designed to work in harmony. Personally, I believe these two facts are huge considerations, and that it takes far less of a leap in logic to believe something created this beauty, rather than it happening spontaneously. Molly also points out the fact that Sherlock has been spared from death so many times and asks him to question why that is so, whether there is a higher purpose to his life because of that.

Q: How do you maintain Sherlock’s acerbic wit and still have him believe that Jesus Christ is more than a swear, is a deity, the Deity?

A: I try to show that Sherlock is not the “perfect” Christian. He has many years of conditioning in one type of behaviour, and that is something that is going to come out from time to time. I don’t find it as difficult to write him as someone who does not use the name of Jesus Christ in a profane way, because he doesn't talk that way in the show (unlike John). Personally, I am also not comfortable in writing (or reading) stories that use the name of Jesus Christ as an expletive.

Q: What does belief in Jesus Christ do for his detective work? Or does it influence his detective work?

A: Oh, I definitely think his faith adds an element of compassion to Sherlock’s detective work. He is no longer answerable only to himself, but he is trying to behave in a way that displays his faith and pleases God. That means thinking before he speaks, caring about the people involved in the case, rather than just the case itself. His motives, to glorify God in his work, are his priority.

Q: Is there any evidence in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing that Sherlock Holmes believes in Something Higher than himself?

A: I absolutely believe ACD’s Sherlock believed in God, which is one of the reasons I felt it believable to change BBC Sherlock’s atheistic stance. ACD’s Sherlock mentions Providence, as evidenced in this quote from The Naval Treaty.

“Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.”

Also, in The Boscombe Valley Mystery, when Sherlock lets a dying killer go, he says, “You are yourself aware that you will soon have to answer for your deed at a higher court than the Assizes.” This implies God will judge the man after he dies.

Penelope Chestnut

Q: How long have you written Sherlolly stories? What made you start writing?

A: A dear friend of mine recommended watching Sherlock, and my husband and I binge watched it in the summer of 2017. After the final episode, I was so sad that the Sherlock and Molly dynamic was not resolved, I was moved to write a happy ending for them. My daughters have been involved in fanfiction for years, so I knew people did this kind of thing. My intention was to write a one-shot happy ending for them, just for my own satisfaction. After I wrote it, though, I found I didn't want to let the characters go. I had fallen in love with their story, and I wanted to keep writing for them. 60 chapters later, I decided to start publishing my story, A Journey to Love, Faith and Marriage. This was just over 3 years ago, on November 7th 2017, when I joined fanfiction.net. I later joined ao3 as well and was publishing on both sites for quite some time. I've had a better response though on fanfiction.net, so have pretty much limited myself to that site over the past year and a half. I continue to make revisions and correct errors on my fanfiction.net stories, while I don’t really do anything on ao3. I have been likened to a writing machine on a couple occasions. To date, on fanfiction.net, I have published over 1.9m words. Putting that in perspective, in three years I've published the equivalent of more than 7 volumes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (the longest book in her series), or close to two and a half volumes of the Holy Bible.

Q: Do you have a certain routine you follow when you write?

A: I don’t have a set daily routine, but I do set myself a goal to complete a certain amount of work per week. This has changed over time. Currently, I set myself the goal to write at least one chapter of a story each week, to keep myself in line with my publishing schedule of one chapter per week. If I am writing an installment for my COVID-19 series that is published in addition to my regular publishing schedule, I still try to write that in addition to my usual chapter writing for the week. So, at times I write more in a week than other times. I am also working on revising one of my AU’s into a Christian historical romance I hope to publish professionally next year.

Q: What is it like being a Christian author?

A: It brings me joy to spread a Christian message through my work, but, like anyone else, at times I do suffer self-doubt. I've questioned in the past whether my limited audience makes worthwhile the enormous effort I put into writing these stories. It can definitely be discouraging to get very little return on your work, and I have a bad habit of comparing myself to more “popular” writers in the fandom. I am, however, getting better at recognizing my own self-worth, having confidence that the lack of readers is not a reflection on my ability and talent as a writer, but more a reflection on the general lack of interest from the majority of Sherlolly fans in reading stories with Christian themes and the values that go along with it (particularly sexual purity outside marriage). Just as I don’t care to read stories of characters with a colourful sexual history because I don’t agree with that kind of behaviour due to my Christian beliefs, I imagine those without similar beliefs are probably not interested in reading about sexual purity or abstinence before marriage, as it is not something they can relate to. Thankfully, I am blessed to have a small but vocal support group who really give me the impetus to keep writing these Christian stories.

Q: Are there any devices you use in your writing as a legally blind author?

A: As I mentioned earlier, I absolutely would be lost without my iPad. Actually, it is the larger sized iPad Pro. I would also be lost without programs that give me the ability to resize the font so I can read it! Thank God for technology!

If you made it to the end of this two-part interview, I hope you enjoyed getting to know my writing journey better. God bless!

#sherlollyappreciationweek #sherlollyselfinterview20 #interview20

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nuclearnerves · 4 years

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Y'like creepy stories n horror films? ...Ever heard of The Tar G-Man?

I’ve got mixed feelings about the horror genre...

On one hand there’s some BRILLIANT and absolutely AMAZING stories that can be told through the lens of human fear. Also, unsettling and upsetting media used to portray certain feelings or just make really cool shit happen where you get fascinated or even wonder “why am i so upset by this?” is so so sooo good. It took a lot of my life to figure out how to parse the horror genre because I used to be pretty adverse to gore and killing for no reason (still am, kinda), so i would avoid things all together. I watched the Grudge when I was 11 and then Yoko with her missing lower jaw showed up I cried and had to sleep in my dads bed that night because I was so scared! But somewhere down the line, after I was done being obsessed with how scared I was, instead I just started thinking “wait... isn’t she a regular person who was just hurt? What if she doesn’t want to get me? What if she’s just as scared as I am?” and I started to like, picture what it would be like if I went up to her and made friends with her. I would imagine us just sitting down and drawing pictures for each other, and all the fear went away! That’s how I started REALLY loving monsters and the horror genre, is when I could really sympathize with the monsters.

Now as for horror movies, ehhh. It’s really over-washed with... bullshit. Unreal “the schizophrenic psycho was the killer” ableism, the constant stream of “it was a satan worshiping demon summoning cult” boring nonsense, it got so fucking trite and over-done that the horror genre actually just pisses me off now. It’s so fuckin stupid. Like okay bro I get it you were raised Christian and don’t understand how any other religion works. Oh God don’t even get me started on the “making you wait for 20 minutes, watching an actor slowly nervously walk down a dark hallway with a candle so that you can have a two second jump scare” idiocy. Go fuck yourself I have ADHD and you didn’t even scare me you just bored me until I fell asleep.

I’m also kinda concerned about people actively marketing horror to kids. Five Nights at Freddys, Bendy and the Ink Machine, Slenderman, and I think a lot of Trevor Hendersons artwork is being made into games for kids now too. Henderson is an incredible artist, so I’m cheering him on to make that schmoney, but still. Something about it feels odd. See a part of me is like “we should let kids do what they want so long as its not hurting anyone” and it’s not, and also I kinda like that kids can now express fears or frustrations they might have in harmless and fun ways. Actually on second thought, letting kids have their own genre of horror doesn’t sound too bad. Just don’t let them condone murder or violence and we’re fine. I mostly just don’t want big companies marketing off the fear of children. A lot of these games and stories are also kinda boring to me, they’re not really my type of fun horror. I like psychohorror and not just “ooo imma getchee” horror.

So sliding aside the shit that’s very clearly “Here’s some overdone bullhankey we’re throwing at you so you can give us money”...

SOME HORROR THAT I GENUINELY LOVE, GAMES AND MOVIES: -Jordan Peele’s “Get Out”, absolutely brilliant thriller about racism with a satisfying ending. Poignant, realistic, haunting and terrifying. I need to watch Peele’s other things, I think he’d doing the candyman soon??? VERY excited for that. I also still need to see “Us”

-Playdead’s “INSIDE”- ABSOLUTELY FUCKING SHOWSTOPPING IN EVERY CONCEIVABLE WAY. EASY TO PLAY VIDEO GAME PUZZLE PLATFORMER. HAUNTING VISUALS. DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON LITERALLY EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SOUND DESIGN. Not even that scary imo just deeply unsettling and an absolute delight to play and watch. The story behind it is left vague for you to interpret but imo that’s a part of the charm! There’s a sense that you’re being hunted, but it’s not a single psycho killer, it’s a mass of guards and some kind of corporation and mermaids and all types of scary shit that’s outside your control. The ending is glorious and sad as it is beautiful.

-For a nice sheer shot of “oh god oh god oh fuck i’m going to die i’m so fucking scared someone please help” just play or watch PT. See, PT is one of those things that hits all the “what’s over done w the horror genre” but does it RIGHT. Distressingly realistic visuals. Madness from being in the same place all at one. Jumpscares done at tasteful times. Seriously upsetting visuals that make you want to throw up. It’s one of those horror games that is GENUINELY FUCKING SCARY. it leaves you “time to breathe” but gives you NO place to feel safe while breathing. You have no weapon, you’re locked in a house and you’re slowly being peeled apart bit by bit with guilt and resentment as you’re being pulled slowly down into hell as the ghost of what you did comes at you. It’s soooo good. There’s no killing unless you (the player) get killed.

...but to answer your question, no, I have not heard of the Tar G-man.

#asks #long post #not art #i'm sorry i have so many emotions about horror #i havent managed to parse them all yet #just know that i love it #Anonymous

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chicagocityofclans · 4 years

Photo

Clarisse “Clara” Fields → Margot Robbie → Black Bear Shifter

→ Basic Information

Age: 229

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Straight

Born or Made: Born

Birthday: September 3rd

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Religion: Christian

→ Her Personality Clara has for a long time played things close to her chest. She has built walls between her true feelings and those that she portrays in an effort to control her reaction and the reactions of others. Clara finds safety and comfort in control, and is deeply disturbed when it’s taken away from her. The rigidity in the way she communicates has contributed to the somewhat ice queen facade she portrays. She has strict rules for herself and the pack and expects them to be followed. She is difficult to persuade and may hold out just to prove a point.

Clara, in addition to controlling her reactions, also enjoys controlling the way her environment looks. She is always put together, and her homes and the hotel are always immaculate. Her cleaning helps control the anxiety she feels and having beautiful environments put her at ease. Clara is very protective of her pack and has dedicated herself and her life to helping it and its members be as successful and comfortable as possible. Clara often provides support for new members when they come to the city, even helping them find jobs at the hotel or in one of the real estate companies owned by the clan. She is generous and is comfortable in sharing her wealth. She is gracious and always willing to listen, and has a long standing passion for humanitarianism. Clara often goes on environmental charity trips and has dedicated a branch of the pack towards funding them.

→ Her Personal Facts

Occupation: CEO/Owner of Fields Hotels, Head of Clan Heavy, and Council Member

Scars: None

Tattoos: None

Two Likes: Matchmaking and Humanitarianism

Two Dislikes: Her personal space being intruded and People who shirk responsibility

Two Fears: Germs and Losing/Ruining her family’s legacy

Two Hobbies: Equestrianism and Hunting

Three Positive Traits: Neat, Protective, and Dignified

Three Negative Traits: Unbending, Controlling, Anxious

→ Her Connections Parent Names:

Garland Fields (Father): Clara loved her father more than anyone. She idolized him and was constantly at his side. She had her sights on leadership from a young age, and tried to soak up everything she could from her father. Clara took on more and more responsibility as she grew up, taking over the Fields Hotel and running it successfully at the turn of the century. It was at this point that Clara began to see some concerning signs in her father: aggression, random sporadic shifts, waking up covered in blood. Clara paid the human shifters $1,000 over that year to keep her father’s antics quiet. She could see he had hypershift and couldn’t bear to let his reputation be blemished. They went out hunting and Clara killed her father, using the excuse of dementia to cover his and her tracks. She still feels guilty over this at times and will direct her guilt into anger towards Asa.

Annabelle Fields (Mother): Annabelle died before Asa and Clara turned 50. They found part of her body in the woods about 5 miles from their house. It was obvious that hunters of some kind got to her. It deeply affected each member of the Field’s family.

Sibling Names:

Asa Fields (Twin Brother): Clara and Asa have always tended to butt heads, and it's only gotten worse since he has returned from being gone. Clara feels like he’s intruding on the system she’s built and dedicated her whole life towards. She also has a lot of resentment of him not returning home when Garland died. She was entirely alone grieving her father and has felt on her own since then. A part of her is happy he is back and wants to readily trust them like she did when they were kids. Both are damaged, and at the moment Clara is treating Asa as if he were a problem member in her pack.

Children Names:

None

Romantic Connections:

None

Platonic Connections:

Taye Black (Pack Member): Taye is one of the people Clara trusts most. He’s able to handle whatever needs handling and she has come to trust his calls in situations that she isn’t there for.

Bryce Holt (Best Friend): Bryce and Clara did not start out friends. She heavily blamed Clara for the exchange that Bryce’s father requested, and loudly shouted that whenever she could. Clara finally sat down and they began talking things out. Clara offered a fraction of her own experiences, and Bryce was willing to finally open up. Their bond grew after that, and Clara considers Bryce her best friend.

Patrick Perry (Pack Member): Patrick is one of Clara’s pack that she finds particularly exhausting. She has frequently seen him talking with the Mist family and believes that he is the one who has given them so much information on the supernatural.

Anna Johansen (Pack Member): Clara has only met a dozen or so panda shifters in her time. Typically they came to be matched and then returned to their homes, so Clara is delighted to have Anna with them. She is hoping to have her take interest in the real estate side of the business, and is glad that Riley is assisting with that.

Michael Johansen (New Pack Member/Interest): Clara has found herself enjoying Michael’s company. She’d met him briefly a few times before he asked to move his pack to the city. She was happy to have a whole new crop of heavies in, but was surprised when she found herself becoming close to the former alpha.

Ezra Schultz (Good Friend): Ezra is the longest remaining pack member in Chicago, having been with the Fields since they were originally founded in New Orleans. She has seen some of the signs for dementia in Ezra and is dreading the day she will have to take care of him. She has always found him to have a “true north” conscience and never knows where he will side in board meetings.

Hollis Sony (Good Friend): Hollis and Clara are close. She has repeatedly backed Clara when tough decisions had to be made and has always been a good sounding board for issues when Clara wasn’t sure what the best path was.

Nathan Cleirigh (Psychiatrist): They rarely get to the root of any of her issues, sticking generally to her compulsions and depression and grief over her father. They have never gone deeper, despite the fact that Clara knows that they should. It embarasses her too much to talk about her other relationships and opinion of herself.

Chris Bialar (Fellow Alpha): Chris and Clara have gotten closer over the recent years when they realized how much they have in common in regards to their packs. They are both facing dwindling numbers with an inability to replace them.

Nick Hamelin (Fellow Alpha): Clara used to think Nick hated her, as she was the constant center of his jabs, but when she confronted him he set her straight. They stay out of each other’s way, generally, and both care greatly about their packs. Clara does actively avoid getting on his bad side, as she knows what the repercussions may be.

Ellis Watts (Fellow Alpha): Clara and Ellis get along fine. They aren’t particularly close, but she respects how he runs his pack and the leadership that he and his higher ups show.

Percy McCormick III (Fellow Alpha): Clara has known Percy since they were children. He has always been a show man and is great at being a person that people think they should follow, but he isn’t a leader. However, no one has pushed against him in the pack, and she would never undermine another leader.

Isaac Baker (Fellow Alpha): Isaac and Clara have very different styles in meetings and they tend to clash. Isaac is short, arupt, and disregards the traditions put in place that have kept everything running smoothly in the first place. That being said she respects his willingness to stand up for his principles even if he is standing alone.

Scorpius Getta (Business Associate): Scorpius bailed the Heavies out, for a steep price that Clara and her pack are still paying off today. However, he has always treated her and the deal with the utmost professionalism and respect, which Clara returns.

Dan Prior (Old Acquaintance): Clara knew Dan from when he was human. His parents were often in talks with her own, and she thinks they even considered the change before he “disappeared”. They still talk when she goes down.

Maxine Vanes (Liaison): Max is on Clara’s speed dial for whenever the rats cross the line with her hotel. She is often able to deal with it well enough where Clara doesn’t have to talk to Nick.

Talia Cleirigh (Former Business Associate): Talia used to put her and Asa to bed and stop the nightmares that they frequently had over their mother. She used her on and off until she made her deal with Getta. That was too private of information to allow someone to see. She still has temporary insomnia, but uses that time to check on the hotel and get other work done.

Hostile Connections:

Sam Thompson (Board Member): Clara has known Sam her whole life. They grew up together, almost like siblings. However, he has always been a challenging force throughout her leadership and recently she’s lost much of her trust in him. He holds the same resentment towards Clara that his father held for Garland. That they were cheated out of a position. It at one point caused Clara great anxiety and sleepless nights, wondering when he was going to challenge her. She finally decided to stop waiting around and began training to fight in her human physical form. She has continued to wait for an attack, especially after she had to kill Sam’s wife four years ago. For all that Clara dislikes Sam, she is incredibly impressed that he held on for his kids, and believes he is genuinely a good father, and even leader at times.

Eliza Meyers (Board Member): Eliza gets the short end of the stick, mostly due to her age. She is young and parrots whatever Sam says, which has led to Clara ignoring her opinion for almost the entirety of her being on the council. She has decided to let her take the lead in this new project of creating the indoor hunting ground.

Pets:

None - Clara has difficulty with animals being indoors, though this is an issue she is working on.

→ History

→ The Present

#Margot Robbie #Clara Fields #Clarisse Fields #Female #Clan Heavy #Taken

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tessatechaitea · 4 years

Text

Justice Society of America #8

Oh no! Hate! It must be stopped!

That caption sounded sarcastic, didn't it? It sort of sounds like a centrist arguing against somebody saying something that nobody should be on the other side of. "Of course Black Lives Matter! Nobody is saying they don't! Why even bother bringing it up?! You're just causing trouble!" is the kind of thing that has made me hate people who identify as "non-political" or "centrist" or "libertarian" or "Proud Husband. Father. Christian." Nobody needs to hear from you if the only thing you have to say is that nobody needs to be fighting for the things they need to be fighting for! "If it's already a crime, why do we need more stringent laws for punishing crimes motivated by hate. Aren't all criminal acts hateful?" says the person ignoring reality for their own selfish interests of which I can't even begin to guess. Enough about people who have chosen to be non-people. Let's discuss a comic book from 1993 that probably takes a stronger stance against fascism than a frightening large number of Americans today.

This advert on the inside front cover would be better if the picture over "very rare" was a cow. I mean, it wouldn't work for baseball cards but I would like it better.

I think the best part about actually living in a world where superheroes are real is that day in 5th Grade when Hawkman and Hawkwoman visit your class to talk about Egyptian archaeology. The issue begins by catching up with Hawkman and Hawkwoman as they continue their quest to steal Egyptian cultural artifacts. You have to give them a pass on this though! In 1993, people just believed archaeology was a thrilling way to bring treasures into museums for everybody to share! It's not like we had hundreds of years to reflect on how terrible this practice was. You have to do some cultural math by subtracting the number of years Western culture believed whatever it did was right and just from, I don't, negative 100? Do you think we'll have learned some humbleness and respect in one hundred years? Most kids who grew up in the 70s wanted to be boring ass truck drivers but by the 80s, thanks to Indiana Jones, they wanted to be boring ass archaeologists. Kids aren't the greatest at determining what a fun adult job might be. Did you know there are people who get angry at the supposition that digging up and taking cultural artifacts and treasures from other countries to bring back to your own might be theft? Generally they're the same type of people who believe that all advances to civilization were brought about by white culture. They hold this opinion through absolutely no evidence at all. How do I know they don't have any evidence? Because if they looked for evidence, they'd wind up reading history and realize their claim was too ludicrous to continue defending.

You might think Hawkgirl is commenting on the gigantic sarcophagus the native archaeologists are opening but I know she's making an innuendo about Hawkman's cock because she's doing that thing with her hat where she lifts it up and down and waggles her eyebrows.

It's not really much of a joke though because nobody expects Hawkman's penis to be as large as a fifty foot long sarcophagus. I mean, I'm sure it's big but it's not going to be unwieldy! It's probably almost exactly the same size and shape as his mace. Interlude: here are some Facebook posts I made on several different July 26thes because I guess I think of it as a holiday to entertain my future self every July 26th? Whatever the case, I love Past Me more than Future Me and possibly even more than Present Me. Because of the Hays Code, Alfred Fatcock had to change his name to keep making films. How patriotic would you consider a person who got a flag pregnant? War Games is my favorite movie because it taught me that trying is pointless. The first item on my bucket list is to buy a bucket. End of Interlude. Can you tell I'm stalling because maybe eight issues of this comic book was too much? Here's an adult riddle: What's twenty-five feet long, wrapped in bandages, and has an eye in the middle of its head?

This guy's penis!

I don't recognize the guy with three eyes but I'm sure he's some immortal wizard named Amn Thoth or something. While the Carters discover ancient mummy curses, Johnny Quick tries to convince Rex that his hour of strength doesn't come from a drug at all but deep inside him. He doesn't need to pop pills to be a superhero; he just needs to balance his chakras and figure out his mantra. Then he'll tap into some deep spiritual part of himself that is probably just a meta(l)gene and whammo! Hourman is back and straight edge! But Rex doesn't buy it. Especially since learning his mantra isn't going to cure his son's cancer (which he got from taking Miraclo). Also in the hospital is Wesley Dodd who is doing therapy to recover from his stroke. Plus his friend Bishop Tumutuu who was some guy who fought against Apartheid. And because the Bishop is in the hospital, the white supremacists are gathering outside to not wish him well.

Shouldn't they hear what they have to say and debate them to better strengthen their own side of the argument on why all people should have equal opportunity with all rights and freedoms promised by this country?

I'm absolutely for freedom of all speech. But the problem that the American media and a lot of people on the Internet have fallen into is the idea that all speech needs to be discussed and debated equally. That's the whole "freedom of speech" trap. Whenever somebody on Twitter wants to debate some terrible topic that nearly all kind and forward thinking people realize is a monstrous and terrible idea and you simply mock them for their terrible beliefs or tell them to shut up, they think you're clamping down on their free speech. No, sir. You were able to say the stupid thing you wanted to say. What you actually want is for a Constitutional Amendment that forces me tor respect what you said and debate it as if the matter has yet to be resolved. The media does this all the time by allowing both sides of an opinion to debate which only legitimizes the side with the terrible take. Sure, we should allow racists to go on CNN and declare their stance on race relations. But the people on the other side shouldn't be debating that topic with them. They should just laugh at them and point and tell them how terrible they are. Maybe get some of that slime from You Can't Do That on Television for rebuttals. Freedom of speech needs way more mockery and far less debate if it's going to recover. Hourman responds to the white supremacists with a "None of my business!" because he's a terrible centrist who believes that if the status quo isn't making his life rough, why rock the boat? Also his son is dying of cancer so maybe he's a bit distracted. I shouldn't be so hard on him when he's wracked with the guilt of probably killing his son with his drugs. The white supremacists begin making trouble so it's time for the JSA to put an end to hate! Or will hate win out? I mean, this comic book was written in 1993 and I don't feel like hate has backed down.

Sure, he's against metahumans now. But just wait until one of them decides to wear on of those stupid hats and silly robes!

Watching the speedsters begin to get pummeled by the huge mass of white supremacists, Hourman accidentally balances his chakras! He's suddenly powerful without the drugs or the black lights or the Doctor Fate deep muscle massages! Now if he can convince his son that the power of Miraclo has been inside him all along, his son will have the strength to battle the cancer! Why did I use an exclamation point on that previous sentence when I don't really fucking care about Rex Tyler and his son! Hourman crashes out of the hospital window to save Johnny Quick. He lets Jesse do her own thing because he's heard about women's lib and also she's not an old man whose powers have significantly dwindled over time.

My adrenal gland just got bigger too!

In the end, the Bishop is saved and even Wesley Dodd joins the fight! Or he just absentmindedly shot off his sandman gun and coincidentally put the Bishop's assassin to sleep. It's hard to tell since he's still suffering from his retirement party stroke. The issue ends with Green Lantern surfing the television when he comes upon Carter Hall's interview program where he's interviewing the mummy they dug up, a man named Edmund Kulak. Since Green Lantern recognizes him, I guess he's one of the JSA's foes. According to the Who's Who, Kulak can use his third eye to cause everybody on Earth to hate each other. I guess that's why the white supremacists were acting up (and also wearing eyes on their hats and robes). Having a magical reason for racism is always a better comic book story than acknowledging a lot of people are racist of their own free will. Imagine all the angry letters that the pre-Comicsgate generation would have had to write in! "I'm not racist but I don't think you should portray all white people as racist because that is racist! Logic for the win!" That might seem like I created a 1993 Strawman but have you read the letters reacting to the Tales of the Teen Titans Spotlight on Starfire about Apartheid? My pretend letter was practically verbatim of one or two of the letters Mike Gold had to respond to on that series! Justice Society of America #8 Rating: B-. I think I've read enough old stories about old people fighting immortals. The whole mortality angle is really bringing me down!

#Justice Society of America #JSA #DC Comics #Mike Parobeck #Mike Machlan #Len Strazewski

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theosmatters · 4 years

Text

Are Atheists Smarter than Christians?

Aren’t Atheists generally smarter than Christians? Doesn’t it seem like the smart minded academics and scientists are Atheists and people of faith are not as intelligent? Culture could give us the idea that those of better intelligence do not have any belief in God, while people of lesser minds have a “God deficiency” in their brains.

Let’s begin by adding some qualifiers to the idea of being more intelligent. If we define intelligent to mean educational attainment level then there are some atheists who are more intelligent than some Christians. As an example Richard Dawkins, a very popular outspoken atheists and public debater against Christians and especially Creationist, is no doubt more intelligent than myself if we compare college degrees. Richard Dawkins has a PhD in biology and is a professor at an esteemed university in England. He can speak more intelligently than the average Christian about many things concerning biology.

However, this is not the end of the story. Popular culture and media seems to have portrayed a false story about Atheists. In Western societies it seems taken for granted that Atheists are the real intellects of society. They are too intelligent, too big minded, for any sort of belief in religion. However upon closer examination we find that in the matters of most importance Atheists are actually not more intelligent than Christians. This even applies to someone of the academic pedigree as Richard Dawkins.

What do I mean by saying Richard Dawkins is more intelligent than the average in certain areas especially biology? I mean he has achieved a higher educational level than many. Yet this is the really important question to ask, “Does this mean he is more qualified to know if God actually exists and if the universe evolved or was divinely created?” Certainly not! The problem atheists have is not one of academic intelligence, it is a problem of sin. They have traded away the intelligence of God for the intelligence of this world.

The Bible is not silent about this issue. The book of Proverbs is essentially teaching a person about how to be wise. Solomon begins the opening section of this book by explaining to us the first step to being a wise person. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…”(Proverbs 1:7, NKJV). Solomon is clear that for a person to truly gain knowledge, they must first acknowledge their need and reverence for the one true God. If a person is to truly gain wisdom, they must first be in a right relationship with God. Wisdom’s first lesson is, “Do you fear the Lord?” Without this first crucial step, all wisdom and knowledge that follows will be tainted with sin and incomplete without God.

Solomon finishes the verse this way, “But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (NKJV). So a wise person fears God. Fear here does not mean to be afraid of God. Fear rather means a reverence and respect for God because of who He is and His powerful authority over our lives. However a fool despises wisdom. What does this mean? Solomon means that a foolish person is the one who does not acknowledge God’s authority over their lives. Therefore they shut themselves off to truly gaining wisdom.

This means that Richard Dawkins is highly intelligent by the world’s standards. However he is also very ignorant and by the Bible’s definition, a fool. How can both be true? Because the intelligence of this world is temporary and ironically it is limited when compared to the wisdom of God.

Someone may ask, “How can an atheist like Richard Dawkins be so educated yet still not believe in God? Does this mean we Christians are wrong and since he is more educated in Biology we should accept what he says about evolution being true?” The Bible also addresses this.

The problem that someone like Richard Dawkins has is not a lack of enough evidence for God’s existence. The problem is that he has been so darkened in his heart and mind by sin that he refuses to accept the evidences of God right in front of his face. The Bible teaches that sin is not just when we do actions that go against God’s will, but it is a condition every person has due to the curse of Adam (Genesis 3). We come into this world sinners needing salvation, not saints who lost our way. The Bible teaches that one of the effects of sin on a person before they come to faith in Jesus is it causes spiritual blindness.

Passages such as: John 3:1-20; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; and Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:17-19 teach us that people with Jesus are blinded spiritually, bound to a sinful nature, and the results are a distorted and insufficient ability to think rightly about the world and God. Practically speaking, this means that atheists can be intelligent by the world’s standards but they are actually fools. The Bible refers to a fool as someone who refuses to acknowledge God. I want to stress again the word refuses. Paul teaches in Romans 1:18-32 that the problem with sinful mankind is not that God has hidden Himself. Rather sinful man suppress the truth about God with his own sinfulness.

Richard Dawkins does not believe in God because he does not want to believe in God. Atheists who claim they are the more intelligent are actually saying they do not want to believe in God. Because once they believe in God’s existence then they become accountable to a higher Being for how they live their lives. Sinful people by nature run from God.

The pop-cultural notion that Atheists are more intelligent than Christians is certainly not true. Society pushes this idea because they want to make Christians feel stupid for believing in a God we have never seen like you can a person. But the Bible says creation speaks very loudly that God is real and exists. Historical evidence shows us Jesus truly lived and rose again. Atheists who claim they are too intelligent for believing in God are trying to give the impression that they have out grown beliefs in the supernatural. They claim that they believe science and facts, thus giving the impression that if you are a person of faith, then you are not a person of science and logic. It’s ironic though that the facts of science can change. What was once thought to be scientific fact 200 years ago has been discarded, or altered countless times. However the Word of God stands unchanged and never proven wrong.

Atheists who claim they are higher minded are deep down trying cover up their own guilt and provide an excuse for themselves to not be held accountable before holy God. Any God fearing Christian is honestly more intelligent than them because they: believe in God, have faith in Jesus, and stand on God’s Word (the Bible) as the source for truth. These are honestly the most reasonable beliefs to have when you look at the evidence. The Bible declares God’s truth and has never been proven wrong despite anyone’s claims to the contrary. Challenge anyone when they make these claims and ask them to back them up with proof. They will also fall upon their own sword if you press them to be consistent with their own belief system that their is no God. Their own worldview cannot hold up to its own weight.

What is truly ironic is that Atheists who claim to be more intelligent than Christians have to borrow from the Christian worldview to make their anti-Christian claims. They steal from Christian philosophies and Biblical teachings to support their own claim that God does not exist.

Atheists are not more intelligent despite their claims. Their refusal to believe in God is not a sign of their intelligence, but rather is a sign of their sinfulness. God has made Himself clearly evident in various ways, but Atheists refuse to acknowledge Him. The Bible tells us sin has darkened mans’ understanding to think right about God. The Bible also tells us the intelligence of this world cannot compare to the intelligence God gives to His followers.

Do not buy into the false pop-cultural myth that Atheists have higher minds and higher intelligence. This is a great hoax to convince Christians to abandon their faith. Their are many intelligent and highly educated Christian scientists, doctors, lawyers, academics, and more. Do not let degree acronyms fool you into thinking that person must know what they are talking about if they say they don’t believe in God. All this means is that they are highly educated fools who refuse to bow the knee to their Creator who grants them the privilege to breathe the air He created to sustain their God-denying lives.

#Atheism

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davidthetraveler · 5 years

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David’s Fic-Rec Friday: 2019/11/22

Hey guys. Who’s ready for some reading.

Before we get started though, a quick warning. A fair number of today’s entries are rather dark and contain some less positive themes. So please take care of yourselves and double check any content warnings and tags on these stories to make sure you won’t be triggered by them.

With that said, let’s get started.

Virgil’s Basically a Cat by temporaryistemporary (Tumblr Account Unknown)

Set in @sugarglider9603‘s Mario AU, this is a simple story about the Princes (Roman and Patton as Daisy and Peach respectively) discovering their boyfriends’ (Logan and Virgil as Mario and Luigi respectively) incredible jumping ability. And all because Virgil has some surprisingly feline tendencies, especially when it comes to danger and surprises. There are mentions of Deceit as Bowser and an attack on the castle, but otherwise it’s just good clean fun. And you don’t have to be familiar with the AU to enjoy it.

Strong by AidenJail (aka @therubyjailcell)

Another AU, this one set in @sugarglider9603 and @ask-spiderverse-virgil‘s Spiderverse AU. Again, you don’t have to know all the details of the AU to appreciate this story, though it does help to know that Thomas is like an Older Peter Parker and is training the other four, Logan, Patton, Roman, and Virgil, in their own Spider-Man-esque abilities. In this one, Roman starts distancing himself from the others after he loses control on a mission and badly injures a perp. Between his own guilt and anger and the others’ disapproval, he starts down a dark path, leading to a terrible confrontation.

This story features graphic depictions of violence, anger and betrayal, and some very dark mindsets, including mentions of death and murder. It does have a happy ending though. But seriously, please look after yourselves and tread carefully with this one.

How much Farther is my Window to Freedom? by moonwarrioryt (aka @moonwarrioryt)

Another darker story, this one is the introduction to what I’m hoping is going to be a very interesting story. In this medieval AU, Virgil has been imprisoned in his own home by his abusive father for years. But now he’s finally managing to escape to freedom, whatever that might be. There’s no direct depiction of abuse, though there are plenty of references and implications, and it does allude to a dark tragedy in the past, though it’s not really portrayed in much detail. And if you can get through that, it is a surprisingly deep and emotional portrayal, and definitely worth your time.

i don’t wanna see you again, ever by rottingmolars (aka @insanegoldie2)

The third and final dark entry in this week’s batch. This one tells the story of a young Logan coming to terms with his sexuality and his parents’ homophobia, and the kind pastor’s son, Patton, who helps him through it, first as a friend, and then as his boyfriend. There is talk of conversion therapy and rampant homophobia, as well as religious material. But it also features a christian pastor who is a staunch LGBTQ+ ally, which makes this Christian Bi-Ace quite pleased. Give this one a look, if you can, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

the comfortee becomes the comforter by shesthemuscle (aka @creativemoxiety)

We’re gonna end this week’s recommendations on a high note. Specifically, a very sweet Moxiety note. Virgil is used to being the one who needs comfort from Patton. But after a bad nightmare, Virgil finds himself being the one giving comfort, and having a major personal epiphany about himself and his relationship with Patton. Heartfelt and sweet, and absolutely happy-tears inducing. Absolutely worth your time and tissues.

*****

I’d also like to take this chance to start a new segment of this weekly post: this week’s Featured Famder Fic-Writer. And our first featured author is:

Tori_Aoshiro (aka @torisfeather)

This talented French and American author makes it their mission to provide french translations of Sanders Sides stories for our French-speaking famders. It’s sometimes easy to forget that Thomas’ fans are spread all around the world, and many of them don’t speak English as their first language, if at all. So I salute Tori and the work they and their fellow translators are doing. Keep it up, Tori. I know you’ll make us all proud.

*****

Welp, that’s that. I hope you guys enjoy these stories. And remember to show these authors your love with some kudos, some comments, and maybe even a bookmark or two. Also, if you’d like to see previous recommendations, or find out more about my Fic-Rec Friday Project, you can find all of that over on my Fic-Rec Friday Masterpost. And if you’d like to be added to my Fic-Rec Friday Tag List, or if you’re already on the list and you’d like to be removed, feel free to let me know.

In any case, I hope you all have a great weekend, and happy reading!

General Tag List:

@ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2

Fic-Rec Friday Tag List:

@kunnuglegur-tortimandi @max-is-tired @panicattheeverywheremcr

#Deceit Sanders Mention TW #Violence Mention TW #Death Mention TW #Abuse Mention TW #Conversion Therapy Mention TW #Homophobia Mention TW #Mention of Religious Material TW #David's Fic-Rec Friday

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lawrenceop · 4 years

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HOMILY for 2nd Wed per annum (II)

1 Sam 17:32-33. 37. 40-51; Ps 143; Mk 3:1-6

Today’s first reading is well-known: David, who we heard yesterday has been anointed by Samuel, goes to meet Goliath in battle, and armed with just a sling and a stone, he defeats him. David, then, is the anointed one, a christus who will also be king. The Fathers of the Church thus read this story in a typological manner, and they saw David as an important type of the Christ, who would also rule as a king in David’s royal line, and who is victorious over the Enemy.

For Goliath stands for sin and death. Indeed, in the light of today’s day of prayer and penance, Goliath could stand for the culture of death that threatens to destroy God’s people, God’s little ones, and which can often seem formidable and gargantuan. But on a personal level, sin, like a giant also threatens to destroys our life with God, which can only be restored by grace and penance. So, like the people of Israel and Saul’s army, we are in need of a champion, a Saviour to rescue us from sin and death, and to conquer the culture of death that stalks our lands.

David is described as one who is handsome and youthful, a shepherd called from the fields to lead God’s flock. So too, in St John’s Gospel, Christ calls himself the good shepherd, although the word kalos in Greek means more than just ‘good’. It means beautiful, attractive, noble. Hence, many early Christian images of Christ often portrayed Jesus as a youthful and handsome shepherd in the image of David the shepherd king. For Jesus is the king who comes to shepherd us, who attracts us with the nobility of his teaching, and with the very beauty of his person. In our struggle with the untruths and seductions of our age, we should never doubt the attractiveness and compelling power of truth to attract Man. For the human person is made for the truth, and his heart is restless until he finds it. So we must be prepared to boldly preach and teach the truth with clarity and with charity. Armed with truth, we can stand tall like David.

Moreover, Christ is the true shepherd who leads us to the evergreen pastures of heaven, and he does this through the Cross. Thus the sling that David uses is typically made of wood, shaped like the letter Y with two arms. So, too, Jesus uses the wood of the Cross, shaped like a Y with two arms, to defeat sin and death. Christ, by his Cross, has put an end to the stranglehold of death over humanity, and we Dominicans, like those white-robed witnesses of the Resurrection mentioned in the Gospels, are called to be the hopeful heralds of the resurrection, witnesses of Christ’s victory over death in our society today. Just to stand with the laity and to pray the Rosary outside an abortion clinic with them, for example, can bring great encouragement and hope to the Pro-Life Movement.

The five stones that David uses to overcome Goliath points to the five wounds of Christ crucified, for as Isaiah says “by his wounds we are healed” (Isa 53:5). Many have been wounded by the culture of death, maybe even people in our own families and friendship circles who are victims, too, of this culture. But only the love of Christ, made visible through the wounds he bears in his body on the Cross - only this divine love - can heal the wounds of our sins, and overcome the guilt and death that grips our contemporaries. The Church therefore proclaims the mercy and healing power of Christ Crucified, who died for all and whose saving love is extended to all peoples no matter what they’ve done. As St Catherine of Siena writes, from the wounds of Christ Crucified “we are able to receive the fullness of divine mercy” Therefore, she urges us: “Embrace, then, Jesus crucified, raising to Him the eyes of your desire! Consider His burning love for you, which made Jesus pour out His blood from every part of His body! Embrace Jesus crucified, loving and beloved, and in him you will find true life because He is God made man. Let your heart and your soul burn with the fire of love drawn from Jesus on the Cross!“

However these words of St Catherine are also addressed to us, faithful Christians, and especially to us Dominicans. For the struggle to build a civilisation of love, to heal our culture and make it a culture of life, is a struggle that takes place, first of all, in our own lives. For the Lord’s mercy must also heal us of our sins; his victory over death must also be experienced in our lives; our hearts must also burn with that love which comes from the Cross. Sometimes, the obstacles to holiness, the scale of sin we must battle in our lives seems giant-like, and we feel small and inadequate. But we have been baptised and anointed as christus, too, so Christ’s grace has been given to us, just as God’s power had been given to David, so that we can conquer the tyranny of sin and death in our own lives. But we do not achieve this by our own strength. No, we must depend always on God and his grace. Therefore, let us always turn to God in prayer as David did: Turn to God in all our little skirmishes and battles against sins; turn to him in humility, disarmed and inexperienced as David was; rely on God’s mercy and strength, as David does. So, when confronted by temptation, and our sins, and indeed, the fierce attacks of the Enemy, we say with king David: “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam 17:47). Then, no matter how ferocious the fight becomes, no matter how helpless we might feel sometimes, the words of today’s psalm will hold true for us: God is “my refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust”. It is with this trust in God that we pray and do penance today, confident that the victory already belongs to him. For Jesus has told us: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)

#culture of death #victory #prayer #penance #sin #grace #precious blood #Cross

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updcbc · 5 years

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January 6, 2019 - “The Path of Godliness” Psalm 1

Click KEEP READING to read the full sermon.

Introduction

Our solitary life is in a balance. Who we are and what we may become is a personal choice. We make desperate measures we think for our good but do much damage to our souls. It is not a dead end when we make a wrong choice. The great lessons in life are painfully discovered in our breaking points. Amidst the maze of life we can be redeemed from our frailties and failures. In the agony of our souls we search our hearts to sort out the noble from the mundane. We come to our own senses and find our home back to God. In solitude we dwell in the presence of the Lord and listen to his still voice. In darkness we nurture our souls in light of the Scriptures. We embrace and cherish the Bible that we have so long taken for granted. In coming back to God and in obedience to his Word, we can learn our lessons well in life and make a fresh start.

I grew up as a religious person. Despite my religiosity, my whole being could be summarized in one word: restless. When I was thirteen years old, my aunt gave me a strange gift. It was a New Testament Bible. I would rather have received any other gift for I wondered what good this book could ever do in my life. Four years in high school, the Bible was a closed book to me. Four years in college, the Bible was a dead book to me. Yet, through all those years I wrestled with the agony of my soul. I knew what was good but was bound with guilt. My motives were defiled expressed in secret misdeeds. In my sinfulness I was restless! In the malady of my soul amidst my utter restlessness I welcomed to end it all by placing my life into my bare hands. In that desperate moment I looked up to heaven and uttered a short prayer, “God if you are real, show yourself to me.” In 1980 during my fourth year in college, I heard of the gospel of Jesus through the ministry of the Campus Crusade for Christ. The core of the gospel truth that spoke to my heart was John 3:16. In response to the great love of God who gave his Son for my behalf, I turned away from my sin and yielded my life to Jesus Christ.

That unexpected crossroad of knowing Jesus Christ defined my life. At last, I found rest for my soul! The first thing I did was to go home to find the book I despised. When I found the Bible, I pressed it hard into my heart with a word of deep gratitude, “This is the best gift I ever received in my life.” Since then I learned and still do to walk with God every day guided by his Word. That was almost forty years ago. To this very day I hold in my hands this Book of Life. And I have no room for regrets.

The Bible is the final authority of the Christian faith and life. Our knowledge of God and how we conduct our lives rest upon our attitude to the Holy Scriptures. Our destiny, here and now and for eternity, is determined on how we handle the living and enduring Word of God. It is for this reason that we remind ourselves of the historic account when Moses gave his final word to his own Hebrew people.

In the renewal of their covenant to the LORD their God prior to entering the Promised Land, Moses gave this solemn charge to his own people. The essence of his parting word applies to every people of the world.

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deut. 30:19-20a)

The covenant of God for Israel is binding for us. A blessed life is governed by the Word of God. To this noble end we are called to “listen to his voice.” This noble call is echoed by the psalmist for all of us.

There is a clear distinction that sets apart those who treasure the Bible from those who do not. The very first chapter of the Book of Psalms is a song of prayer that defines the great contrast between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are blessed for they live by the Word of God (1:1-3). And the wicked who despise it are unfortunate (1:4-6).

A. The Righteous (1:1-3)

Who are the righteous in the sight of God? The righteous walk in godliness, delight in the Scriptures and live a fruitful life.

1. The Path of the Righteous

Those who are right with God walk in the path of godliness.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” (1:1)

Blessedness dispels the notion of shallow happiness based on favourable circumstances. Rather, the biblical thought of blessedness speaks of the highest good bestowed by God to whom he extends his sufficient grace. To be blessed is to experience the fullness of life being assured that God works all things together for our ultimate good and for his glory. A blessed man can be poor but remains grateful and generous in life. A blessed woman in the bed of sickness despite her pain enjoys the sweet communion in the abiding presence of God. A blessed person under severe persecution finds his solace in the safekeeping of God and learns to repay good for evil. Blessedness is to have inward stability and restful peace in whatever circumstance in life. Anchored upon this biblical perspective, the psalmist declared a defining stand of blessedness.

First of all, a blessed person does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. In the time of the judges in the Old Testament, this was the awful description of the Hebrew people, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (Judg. 21:25). In such condition of lawlessness, every man or woman was right in his or her own perspective. The people disregarded their covenant with God and each one became a law to his or her own self. The same attitude of lawlessness is applied in our own time in the name of human rights. On this premise, each one is entitled to his own opinion and we need to respect our own differences, sad to say, on the ground that everything is relative and there is no such thing as absolute. In a secular world each one is entitled to his own opinion and no one has the right to persuade others of his own convictions. And in a pluralistic society we hear many voices with a common argument, “We can speak about anything under the sun, but leave me alone in my belief about God.” We live in perilous times where we create our own gods and define our own standards on what is true or false and on what is right or wrong. The counsel of the wicked defies and distorts the authority and absoluteness of the Bible as the Word of God. In the New Testament, Apostle Paul gave his final instruction to Pastor Timothy. This prophetic word is true to our day.

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Tim. 4:1-3)

Secondly, a blessed person does not stand in the way of sinners. In the period of the judges, each person was entitled to one’s own opinion and had the freedom to do his or her own thing. What does this mean? Israel broke their covenant with God and disobeyed the Ten Commandments. When we see ourselves in our own generation, we are not better than the Israelites. The way of sinners defies the commandments of God. There is a steady moral breakdown in the land manifested in religious hypocrisy. The solemn warning of Paul to Timothy is staggering.

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5a)

Paul gives us a strong word, “Have nothing to do with them” (v. 5b).

Thirdly, a blessed person does not sit in the seat of mockers. We go back to the days of the judges. There was no law in the land for each one became a law to his or her own self. Their brazen lawlessness was an outright rebellion against God in defiance to his commandments and mockery to his warnings. There was no fear of God in Israel. We, too, need to answer a serious question for ourselves, “Where is the fear of God in our land?” The seat of mockers speaks of those who are in authority who see themselves above the law and untouchables driven in their greed for money and power. Are we not also guilty of making a mockery of God when our conscience becomes dull to entertain the thought that it is alright for us to live in sin as long as we can make it a secret for ourselves? We only wear out ourselves in despair when we wear masks to portray a good image in betrayal of our true selves. No one can play with God without facing its dire consequences. Apostle Paul gives us a stern warning, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal. 6:7).

As in the period of the judges, our present world reflects the spirit of lawlessness where every person is entitled to his own opinion and conviction and not bound to the authoritative and absolute Word of God. In this dark and sinful world, we brace ourselves to be maligned and destroyed in our uncompromising stand for what is true, right and just. Blessed are those who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. This is the narrow path and less travelled road of the righteous.

2. The Delight of the Righteous

What sets apart the righteous before God?

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (1:2)

To delight literally means to rejoice in one thing with inner contentment. Above all things, the great joy of the righteous is the Holy Scriptures. The righteous anchor their whole being in the Word of God. In intimate communion with God they meditate upon the Law of the LORD day and night. The Bible is the daily bread of the righteous to govern their lives.

Throughout the historical revelation of God, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, the LORD upholds the primacy of the Scriptures as the absolute rule of life for his covenant people and the firm foundation of life for all nations. The sovereign LORD, the God of heaven and earth, made this clear to Joshua, the successor of Moses, to lead the Hebrew people. This divine instruction is for all of us.

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Jos. 1:8)

This solemn charge defines our life. It is a command with a promise. We ought to anchor our lives upon the Scriptures and to obey it with all our heart. And we can be assured that God will graciously bless our lives to make a godly difference in this world.

Every Hebrew must treasure the Law of the LORD. Every Christian must live by the Holy Scriptures. And every human being must be governed by the Word of God.

3. The Legacy of the Righteous

Does it really make a difference for us to abide in the Scriptures? Here is a beautiful portrait of a blessed life anchored upon the Word of God.

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (1:3)

This is a delightful metaphor. Like a tree planted by streams of water, a righteous person is rooted upon the living Word of God and established upon the inexhaustible sufficiency of God. Like a tree which yields its fruit in season, a righteous person bears the fruit of godly character to be a source of joy and channel of blessing for others. And like a tree whose leaf does not wither, likewise, a righteous person receives the gift of eternal life and enjoys the grace of living in its fullness.

In summary, like a living and a fruitful tree, the psalmist described a righteous person with this statement, “Whatever he does prospers.” What does this mean? Anyone who delights in the Scriptures will grow in spiritual discernment to ascertain and do the will of God under divine blessing. We do understand not all things go well with us. Yet, in all our experiences in life, good or bad, nothing will be laid to waste if we learn our lessons well. At times we can have a firmer grasp of the goodness of God and can better appreciate his blessing for our lives when he disciplines us of our sinfulness and affirms his great love for us. Down the road of life we all go through a humbling process so we can learn the redemptive lessons in life. In this way we learn to swallow our pride and walk in the humility of Christ. And so we yield with a humble heart, “Father, not my will, but Thy will be done.”

A. The Wicked (1:4-6)

The righteous live in godliness and find their delight in the Law of the LORD. The righteous are like a tree which is much alive with bountiful fruitfulness. The works of the righteous are under the blessing of God. On the contrary, the wicked gratify their sinful desires as they defy God and spurn his Word. The psalmist speaks on the irreconcilable contrast of the wicked from the righteous.

1. The Vanity of the Wicked

How did the psalmist portray the wicked? Here is the awful plight of those who turn away from God and disobey his commandments.

“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.” (1:4)

The chaff or the husk is the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain. On the outside, the chaff appears to look like a grain. In the inside, it is empty and without a seed in it. The chaff is comparatively a picture of worthlessness.

What does this disheartening imagery has to do with our lives? Unfortunately, there are those who set their hearts on earthly goods and think they can buy anything in life. There are those who embrace a humanistic view of life and perceive they have the freedom to do what they like. And there are those who desire for authority and use their power to influence others for their selfish ends. What does the Bible say into all these? We always need to remind ourselves of the word of God.

“‘This is what the LORD says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer. 9:23-24)

The beloved Apostle John wrote a close parallel of this revealing truth.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 Jn. 2:15-17)

We, in our fallen nature, are proud. We are inherently and deceitfully proud. We are inclined to take pride of anything under the sun. Sad to say, we even boast of our knowledge about God. This should not be. Our true knowledge of God should teach us to walk in the innocence of a little child. Such lowly attitude is a despised virtue for those who have no heart for God and who disregard his decrees. The wicked declare their freedom outside of God. They are free, indeed, without a moral compass that leads them to nowhere like chaff blown by the wind.

2. The Judgment of the Wicked

If we rebel against God and treat his Word as garbage, we deserve our own disgraceful and dreadful lot.

“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” (1:5)

God hates those who are proud in their heart. The wicked may boast in their wisdom, power and riches. They may see themselves invincible and indestructible for they are in control over the affairs of man. Yet a time is coming when their mockery and laughter will turn into weeping and mourning. In the end, the wicked will stand before God in dread and be cast away from the company of the righteous in disgrace.

3. The Destruction of the Wicked

We only make fool of ourselves when we think we can play around God.

“For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (1:6)

God holds everyone accountable for he makes a clear distinction between those who fear him and to those who despise him. Here and now, the God of heaven discerns our hearts and watches over the affairs of every human being on earth. The righteous are wise to search their hearts and make things right with God. The wicked are defiant and carefree to go on with their evil ways that lead them to their irreversible destruction. Such was the dreadful path of Cain who murdered his own brother Abel. Cain was restless throughout his life and for all eternity. The path of the wicked is open and wide for men loved darkness instead of light. Indeed, our life is in a balance. We can choose our own eternal destiny with the kind of life we choose. We can delight in the Scriptures and live in godliness. Or we can choose to despise the Bible and live in sin. In this crucial crossroad of life, the final decision is ours.

Conclusion

Where is our life leading to? It is time for us to watch our steps on what kind of road we trod. Few would dare to walk in the path of the righteous for it involves total submission and sacrificial obedience. The road of the wicked is much more appealing and many would follow it for sin is a pleasure. Now what must we choose? Sin is enjoyable but distasteful. Righteousness is painful but delightful. If we truly care for our souls, we would rather stand for what is righteous for our good than wallow in the mud of sin for our disgrace. In the narrow path of blessedness, how then should we nurture our souls?

Define your moral standards. The psalmist says it well. Do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Do not stand in the way of sinners. And do not sit in the seat of mockers. Our lives are established upon the seat of authority that defines our moral stand on how we conduct ourselves. In our waywardness it is much easier to conform to the allurements of this world and satisfy our carnal desires. In our pursuit for our ultimate good we hate every form of evil. And the best safeguard is intimacy with God.

Deepen your biblical convictions. The psalmist gives a nonconforming stand. Delight in the Law of the LORD and meditate on it day and night. What we feed our mind nourishes our heart and transforms our being. Never take for granted the Word of God. Godliness and greatness anchor upon the authority and power of the Scriptures. The Bible nourishes our souls and refines our character. A righteous and stable life is seasoned through daily meditation of and grateful obedience to the Scriptures.

Influence with godly impact. The psalmist makes a powerful portrait. The righteous are like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruits in season and whose leaves do not wither and whatever they do prospers. Apart from God and his Word there is nothing we can do that satisfies and lasts. God can do great wonders in our lives if we cherish the Scriptures in our hearts. To this ultimate end we have no greater joy as fathers and mothers but to see our beloved children walking in the truth.

#updcbc #dcbc #God #Christian #blessed #blessedness #psalm of david #psalm #Bible

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whosyourdreamdaddy · 5 years

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Week 1

The intro of the game opens with the profiles of some of the Dad options and a song that sounds like the bastard sibling of the Barbie song. The colour palette is mostly pastels, pinks, soft patterns. The animation style is close to a generic comic book style.

Whether as a parody or as a derivation of other dating games, DD is set up as a feminine brand with a pink logo in a bubble font with soft tones. There are no hard edges or jarring components to the game.

The first step is the introductory scene where we are introduced to our daughter and we can determine whether we are bisexual or gay, whether our daughter is adopted or conceived. Then we create our Daddy.

The body types include muscular archetypes, big archetypes, athletic archetypes, and even includes options of binders for your Dad if you decide to create a trans-man as your Daddy. While the options are quite inclusive of body types and back-story, it feels necessary to note that the game makes explicit decisions to exclude androgynous types from its body options. The game revolves around men. Women are welcomed to play but they are excluded from the gay male subculture that this game is a part of.

After the avatar moves into the neighbourhood, Dads either come across the avatar as he explores the area or visits the house to welcome him. The neighbour, Joseph, is the good white Christian husband who lives with his wife and 4 children nearby. The second is Brian, the burly father of a 10yr old and owner of a Corgi. The third is Craig, the athlete who knew the avatar from college. The fourth is Mat, the hipster coffee-shop owner. The fifth is Robert, the dive bar type who tries to have a one-night-stand with the avatar. None of the Dads actually talk in the game but once in a while they say ‘Hey’ in different tones. It is slightly uncomfortable to hear ‘hey’ in a lusty tone every now and then. It throws you off even though it is supposed to be seductive.

The actual interaction is based on choosing predetermined dialogues. When the avatar chooses the right dialogue to make the Dad happy, hearts fly out of them and they smile. The hearts are pink and fly out with a loud tinkle of bells regardless of how masculine the Dad is or how masculine the avatar is (or whether the avatar’s daughter is present.) This sticks with the feminine theme of the game. They could have easily chosen stars or an energy bar that rises and dwindles. However, they chose to make these interactions bubbly and femme.

Joseph - the Christian dad who is actually gay or bisexual and has an unlikable wife is a common trope following the phenomenon of homosexual Christian men entering the Church as a form of repentance in communities that considered homosexuality sin. The game is not subtle in offering the avatar the option of playing ‘homewrecker’ but somehow freeing Joseph from the closet. The guilt factor is dimmed by how odd Joseph’s children as well. The family the avatar is wrecking is not an ideal one.

Brian - the burly jovial dad with the smart daughter he hangs out with outdoors is a way for the game to publicly include ‘masculine’ gay men who don’t portray themselves as feminine in any way. The heuristic that gay means feminine is prevalent in Western Culture. People who do not fit this image are ostracised from gay culture while still being equally oppressed under heteronormativity

Craig - the athlete dad who was a ‘bro’ from college is another common trope. Boys who do not realise they are bisexual or gay find out only after spending four years in a fraternity surrounded by other boys in their prime. The intimacy of knowing someone already also gives Craig an edge as a dad since there is already a bond present and Craig is explicitly happy to see the avatar without having to try. I don’t want to say Craig is supposed to be vaguely East-Asian because he could also be seen as Native American, Filipino, etc. The racial ambiguity makes many gay PoC visible but also lumps them together.

Mat - the coffeehouse dad is into niche movies, books. He is highly masculine and a PoC. He appears to be Black as his dreads are common in their community but again, race is an after-thought and cannot be guessed. If taken into consideration, Mat gives visibility to masculine homosexual men in the Black community over the trope of the sassy feminine black man.

Robert - the dive bar dad does not explicitly introduce his child to the avatar like the other dads. Instead, the interaction between the avatar and him happens by chance when they are at the same bar. The avatar sees Robert as scary, giving their interaction a dangerous thrill. There is also an backstory between Robert and Joseph that did not end well. Hence, the avatar is not the first individual to make Joseph exit the heterosexual sphere.

There is a weird juxtaposition of feminine and masculine in the game. They represent the masculine tropes that are usually overlooked. They also feed into popular gay culture. More to be seen

#dream daddy #gender #analysis #course credit

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