#support thy neighbour

[city-of-ladies]

Licoricia of Winchester (c. 1220–1277) was an exceptionally successful financier and businesswoman who acted as a leader for her community and frequently dealt with royalty.

Licoricia and her time

Little is known about Licoricia’s early life. Like many Jewish women of her time, she was likely highly educated. By 1200, England’s Jewish population numbered between 4,000 and 5,000. Marginalized and subjected to widespread antisemitism, Jewish communities faced fluctuating tolerance—often depending on their financial usefulness to the crown.

Licoricia first appears in records in 1234 as a young widow running a prosperous business. She had three children with her first husband: Benedict, Cokerel, and Lumbard.

Jewish women were not uncommon in the world of finance. Around 10% of loans recorded in the English king’s rolls at the time were made by Jewish women. Names like Henna of York, Mirabelle of Gloucester, Belia of Bedford, Chera of Winchester, and Abigail of London stand out among the many successful female Jewish financiers.

These women acted as independent moneylenders, traveling on horseback or by cart—often with armed escorts—appearing in court on their own behalf, dressing richly, owning estates, and lending money to men from various social ranks.

Licoricia’s business ventures

Well-connected and influential, Licoricia lent money to a wide range of clients—from farmers and local barons to the aristocracy and the church. Among her borrowers were King Henry III and his brother-in-law, Simon de Montfort. She also rented homes to Christian women and conducted business across southern England.

In 1242, Licoricia married David of Oxford, another prominent financier with whom she had a son, Asher. Their union faced obstacles as David’s first wife, Muriel, refused to consent to a divorce. It was only through royal intervention that the marriage was permitted.

Despite her marriage, Licoricia continued to manage her business independently. When David died in 1244, Licoricia was imprisoned in the Tower of London to prevent her from interfering while royal accountants assessed his estate. To reclaim David’s debts, she was forced to pay a sum of 5,000 marks—part of which was used to fund a new shrine to Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey.

After her release, Licoricia expanded her late husband’s business. Thanks to her access to the king, Licoricia was often called upon by other Jews to intervene on their behalf.

Though highly successful, she was not without controversy. In 1253, a man sued her for charging excessive interest on a loan that allegedly forced his father to sell his estate and forge documents. She defended herself by accusing the plaintiff of murder and forgery. With royal intervention, she managed to settle the case with only a small fine.

Unsolved murder

In 1277, Licoricia was found stabbed to death in her Winchester home, alongside her devoted Christian servant, Alice. Her coffers, strongboxes, and goods were stolen, suggesting the crime was motivated by greed. The culprit was never found.

Her legacy endured through her sons, who continued to refer to themselves as the “sons of Licoricia.” Asher, in particular, became a successful financier. However, just 13 years after her death, Edward I expelled the Jewish population from England.

Today, a statue of Licoricia stands in Winchester, bearing the message “Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself” at its base.

If you enjoy this blog, consider supporting me on Ko-fi!

Further reading

Bartlet Suzanne, Tallan Cheryl, “Licoricia of Winchester”

Berman Brown Reva, McCartney Sean, “David of Oxford and Licoricia of Winchester: glimpses into a Jewish family in thirteenth-century England”

“Licoricia of Winchester project”

Waterman Hillary, “Licoricia of Winchester, Jewish Widow and Medieval Financier”

Williams-Boyarin Adrienne, “Anglo-Jewish women at court”, in: Kervy-Fulton Kathryn,   Bugyis Katie Ann-Marie, van Engen John (eds.), Women intellectuals and leaders in the Middle Ages

[proseandpsalms]

If there's one thing I hate, it's when conservative Christians use their subpar understanding of the Bible to justify bigotry and hatred.

If there's ANOTHER thing I hate, it's when atheist spew the same rhetoric.

Just Because You're An Atheist! It Doesn't Mean You Inherently Have Good Biblical Literacy!

Obviously it's great that you don't believe the same bigotry and hatred as the conservative Christians... however, you're still agreeing with their understanding of God?

You still are not putting the Bible into it's cultural and historical context! There are plenty of things in the bible that do not and should not be applied to the context of today.

When you agree that the Christian God hates queer people, trans people, supports slavery, and genocide. Guess what? That helps absolutely no one.

You aren't smart because you are incapable of separating the church as an institution (that has 100% caused harm) and the core values of what Christianity actually is (LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR!).

When you say that God hates gay people from your atheist perspective, I understand that isn't a bother to you as you don't believe in God. When queer Christians who DO believe in God (AND have queer, religious trauma) hear you say that, it can be so hurtful and insensitive.

You are simply spitting the same harmful rhetoric as the conservative Christians, but without the belief in God.

[official-dickiebird]

YES.

wjere is Wally East

I ate him

[some-pers0n]

I think the idea of a "heaven is corrupt" sort of storyline could be a neat way to explore the faults of the church and how religion distorts the word of God and turns a faith that should be about love and taking care of one another under the light of the Lord into a means to demonize and other those who aren't "normal", but is kinda wasted in Hazbin Hotel from a lack of understanding of how it works and favours a less nuanced approach.

Throughout history, Christianity has been used to justify discrimination. Demonizing sex and saying sex workers and those who partake in casual sex will be damned. Addicts and the mentally ill are seen as demon-possessed (or demons themselves) and are sent to hell. Of how people justified themselves in colonizing other countries and massacring these people whom they arbitrarily deemed to be unwanted and unlovable in the eyes of God. Twisting His words into hate and viewing those who go against Him in some way, even if it's as small as enjoying sex outside of reproductive means, as sinners undeserving of redemption.

Redemption of sinners I view as being the main theme of Hazbin. Yes, there are murderers and terrible people down there, but does that mean they aren't possible of redemption and salvation? These sinners aren't much different than the saved in heaven. Still human and still capable of kindness and care. Charlie's optimism and hope for salvation and redemption in the sinners contrasts with heaven deeming that they cannot become better people and are better off dead.

Which is a shame since Hazbin seems to take a somewhat black-and-white approach to it all. Adam is so bluntly evil and it kinda takes the fun out of it. I get it because there's also not real subtly with how real Christians see nothing wrong with their hate and say the most outlandish things possible because it just Makes Sense to them, but Adam straight up saying that they kill sinners for fun is too straightforward this early on.

I personally would've preferred it to be more nuanced, or at the very least heaven just attempting to be kind and perfect. An aura of fake-niceness that makes it seem like it's some peaceful and idyllic place, but it only is meant for those who apply themselves to impossible demands and refuses to believe in redemption. Wouldn't it be nice if Charlie harked back to the idea that Christianity is about loving thy neighbour and that Jesus died for our sins? That, if God's love is endless and He forgives all, hell should be empty? Bring up the hypocrisy and how His words are used as a means to hurt and divide rather than bring together community and support.

But where's the fun in that? How am I supposed to know I should root for the red demons and not the angels if they don't make it extremely clear I should hate them? Nuance is stupid anyways.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 25 - KIDFIC

SERIES: Rockabye Verse by BladeoftheNebula

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: M Words: 77,005 Tags: A/B/O, No Powers AU, Firefighter Steve

Summary: Cute alphas didn’t appear out of nowhere to help ruined omegas. That was a widely accepted fact. Tony Stark had always known his life wouldn’t be easy as a genius omega in an alpha’s world. But not even he predicted getting knocked up and forced to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere.

Reasons why I love it: This series is what made me reconsider my stance on kidfics and dive head first into the rabbit hole. It's so much fun to read, fluffy and funny and angsty in turn, and I couldn't even tell you which fic of the series is my favorite, because they're all excellent. If you haven't read it yet, definitely give it a try, even if you're not a big fan of kidfic. You might be like me and get converted too.

This series consists of:

Rockabye

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: M Words: 38,218 Tags: Romance, Family Feels, Domestic Fluff

Summary: Cute alphas didn’t appear out of nowhere to help ruined omegas. That was a widely accepted fact. Tony Stark had always known his life wouldn’t be easy as a genius omega in an alpha’s world. But not even he predicted getting knocked up and forced to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere.

Reasons why I love it: Everything about this fic is wonderful. The way the town is introduced, all of the character cameos, Tony's backstory with Ty, Steve being his usual loveable self – I love all of it. We get to see Tony settling into the simple life and Steve slots into his world like a long-lost puzzle piece. It warms my heart every time I read this fic. Definitely check it out if you haven't, because it's incredible!

Home is Where the Heart is

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 10,293 Tags: Threats of Violence, Home Invasion, Protectiveness

Summary: Tony finds that launching a successful, omega-led tech company has some rather unsavoury consequences.

Reasons why I love it: I always love the way Neb writes A/B/O dynamics and the world building implications that come with the territory, and this verse is no exception. The whole premise of this fic is so scary, Jesus Christ, poor Tony. The angst is super well-written, and I love how Tony's friends and family support him every step of the way. Definitely check this one out, it's great!

Loose Ends

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: M Words: 2,006 Tags: Claiming, Intimacy, Protective Steve

Summary: Steve woke up already growling with his body lying protectively over a sleeping Tony. Something had triggered his instincts. Something was here that was a threat to his family. Restless, he pulled back the covers and moved to the window to peer outside. Ah. He’d wondered when this would happen.

Reasons why I love it: Yeeees, Steve, get that fucker! I was always waiting for a scene like this in the fic that started the whole verse, so I was ecstatic when I found out that this fic exists. It's everything I wanted from that confrontation, and the ending is super sweet. You definitely have to read this one!

Fractured

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: M Words: 9,251 Tags: Injury, Fluff and Angst, Parenthood

Summary: Steve learns that sometimes being a parent is a pretty tough gig.

Reasons why I love it: Steve spiraling over his son's injury is so raw and sad and relatable. I'm glad Tony is there to reassure him in the end. This fic gives me all the feels, and I hope you go and experience them for yourself!

Love Thy Neighbour

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: M Words: 11,680 Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Assassination Attempt

Summary: In which the town of Shield plays host to a very special group of Wakandans, and for once, Tony Stark isn't the only trouble magnet around.

Reasons why I love it: Steve being the neighborhood hero is very on brand. I love all of the scenes with T'Challa and his family, Nakia is so sweet, especially with Maria. The hurt/comfort is wonderful, plus, the smut is hot as hell. This fic is amazing, and you should definitely read it!

Leaving feels too soon

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 5,557 Tags: Parenthood, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: If they can get through move-in day at the dorms without Dad having a total emotional breakdown, Maria will consider it a complete success. Thank God Pops is there to keep him in check.

Reasons why I love it: I was grinning throughout this entire fic. Maria and JJ grew up to be the teeniest of teens, and Steve and Tony are such relatable parents, it's fantastic. It's the perfect ending to a wonderful series, and you should absolutely read the entire thing, if you haven't already. Seriously, go and do it now, you won't regret it!

[verdemoun]

Has TW! Sean ever had any problems reconciling his sexuality with his religion? As someone from a Catholic family who never really got into it... Catholics are the kings and queens of worrying about damnation. Not to mention Sean is also a man from the late 1800's...

Has he ever met a catholic bigot? They're so holier than thou... somehow more so than regular ones.

Since I can't see your Darragh as anything other than a supportive dad, how did he help his only son?

(All of this comes from my personal experience. To any devout Catholics reading this, I meant no offense.)

Also... Darragh totally owns a shillelagh, if just for symbolic reasons, and plans to pass it to Sean on his death.

aBSOLUTELY!! Sean is the one who definitely struggles the most with sexuality due to growing up a very devout catholic. also darragh owning a shillelagh is canon to me

Timewarping really shook his faith since he had to doubt the concept of heaven and hell, when previously he'd really accepted his life as an outlaw meant he was going to hell in a nihilistic way.

After being reunited with Darragh, and having Maeve, they got pretty active in their local church and were regular church goers.

Darragh had no qualms with homosexuality. He grew up with a very 'the greatest commandment is love thy neighbour' brand of catholicism (very sexy unrealistic depiction of 19th century catholicism) and that wasn't conditional.

Darragh is also just delightfully weird and goes to church for the ritual and scripture but doesn't consider a priest's interpretation of scripture as any more holy than the common man's, and a priest is the worst sinner of all for preaching their own interpretation of the scripture when it is impossible to read the bible as it was intended when it was written.

Unfortunately, this sort of pseudo-intellectual babble was lost on Sean, who very quickly falls into the internalised homophobia of 'I love my black queer partner but I do that with full knowledge that I am living a life of sin and will go to Hell.'

Sean also starts holding and sharing the opinion 'marriage is a union between a man and a woman under god' during the polls/vote and argues with Lenny that gay marriage should be called gay unions instead of marriage so as to not disrespect the Lord. Lenny is shocked Sean finally said something so stupid it wasn't attractive, it was just irritating.

Sean was evicted to the couch. Isaac punched him at least once. He wasn't invited to several gang hang outs. And naturally it was Maeve to the rescue.

Their church, the church they had been going to since timewarp, where Maeve was baptised, finally goes on its own homophobic spiel. And Maeve, at the tender age of 7 or 8 (i think), scoffs, goes 'that's stupid' and walks out. Sean looks mortified, Darragh looks proud, and once they're outside Darragh just laughs it off and says they'll find another church.

And poor Sean nearly breaks down crying. He didn't know that was an option. Darragh adds salt to the wound asking if Sean would really let some old dude in a robe make Maeve feel bad about herself if she was queer, and of course there are catholics and churches that aren't homophobic - and somehow Darragh never realised how much Sean was struggling with his sexuality and gives his son the hug he really needs.

Sean gets a bit of therapy, stops being homophobic and is allowed back in bed.

[samkerrworshipper]

you mentioned a while ago that you grew up in a super religious family and don’t talk to them anymore as a result. did you experience a lot of internalised homophobia and what’s your perspectives on situations like korbin albert?

firstly i’d like to say that i don’t talk to my parents just because of their religious beliefs, there is a lot of trauma i have because of them and i don’t have a relationship with them because of that.

i think a lot of religions, preach to love everybody and forgive everybody and yet they actively discriminate whilst saying that. i believe people use religion to excuse themselves of just being hateful people and at the end of the day a person is very capable of practicing what they preach and in the case i’m talking about that is love. the bible talks about loving thy neighbour and john 4:7 literally says let us love one another for love comes from god.

there isn’t any part of any of the verses revolving around love that excludes different groups of people. so to say you love all and are a ‘good christian/catholic/mormon/whatever’ and then actively discriminate in my opinion is completely against the point of religion. religion is supposed to connect people and to make every feel like they are able to connect with a greater power.

i think internalised homophobia is weird because whilst i wouldn’t ever say i was homophobic towards myself growing up i also completely denied my sexuality until i was 18-19 because it was never a real option for me and i couldn’t accept it.

i think situations like korbin albert are sad, i don’t harbour any hatred for her. many of my siblings don’t believe in my life style and whilst it’s upsetting i don’t have any hate for them either. at the end of the day, a person, specifically a child who is raised in a household full of hatred and never quite escapes that hatred you can’t expect them to make the change unless they are given the resources and opportunity to do so. and even if you give them the resources it’s going against everything they’ve known their whole lives.

my favourite example which i heard a couple of years ago when i went to a service at a lbgtqia+ church was the example of children raised during the war in germany. their whole lives they had been trained and indoctrinated to hate jewish people, their parents, main stream media, propaganda. they thought they were supporting the right thing and because of the hatred fed into their lives it because second nature, it was pure habit and they struggled and experienced far more hatred after the war ended because they still believed in what they had been taught.

children are a product of their environment and whilst it is completely possible to change that, it’s incredibly hard to completely pivot a whole mindset that they’ve learnt their whole lives

anyways that’s a whole essay but it’s a subject i feel very passionate about !

[soupedepates]

Y'all I am Christian.

Yeah shocking I know, I wear a rosary on the daily because it makes me feel protected and I have a Mary Magdalena medal and I begged my mother to buy me the new edition of the Jerusalem Bible (with historical annotations!!!!!! and translation notes!!!!!!!).

But if Christianity is all about love thy neighbour, I am also a fucking vengeful virago. An angry bitch ready to fight. I love like a dog, I will come back after a beating, but if you betray me once too many time I'll retaliate.

I love people. Everyone is entitled to love. Hate is a poison that only tear us apart, distilled by the people in power (c'me on, yall can see political leaders LOVE using strawmen and scapegoats; that's Fascism 101).

That being said.

You're entitled to rage. A beaten dog will snap and bite its owner. And the Christ would put His hand on the dog's head and says, "you endured so much, but it will get better, you will know the beauty of love, and I love you so, so much".

Love thy neighbours means also support their rightful anger, because the world is bitter and unfair, and sometimes, until you can do otherwise, anger can fuel you until it gets a bit better, and you get to rest. Anger is survival. Clawing your way out of the black pit of abuse you're pushed in by tradition, family, institution, politics. Anger is fuel to indignation and to fight.

Anger will support you until you can finally rest and heal in peace.

Anger is just a moment, where you feel so far from Grace, yet It is here, and you can close your eyes, for angels are here for you. You're loved.

You may not believe in God. That's your right. That's not wrong. You're loved just as much.

You're so loved.

No matter what hateful speech preachers are spitting. We the queer, the trannies, the weirdoes, the unconventionnals, the odd-one-outs, the heretic, the witch, the impious, the rabid, the destroyed, the desperate. You're so, so, so loved. If not by God, it's by me, and the million persons like me with heart, and caring for their neighbours.

And loving thy neighbours is also fighting for happiness. Passiveness won't do nothing.

this is a call for action just as much as Jesus agitated Judea against Roman authority, the Son of Man is the first anarchist who made the world turn upside down.

We have a legacy to carry, don't we?

[zoramones]

we cannot forget about palestine this christmas, especially since there are people of all religions being killed RIGHT NOW in christ’s homeland. and to the christian zionists who are supporting isr*el or to the christians who are “staying neutral” as a shield to stay WILLFULLY IGNORANT and complicit in this colonial states listless acts of MASS GENOCIDE, do you think jesus would do this? is staying neutral and silent in the face of the slaughter thousands of people who have done nothing to deserve it , MOST OF WHOM ARE CHILDREN, what christ wants of his followers? do you think christ would support a fascist, terroist state built on colonialism? now, i’m no believer but i KNOW that christ would denounce all of the things stated above. jesus said, love thy neighbour and help one another. he preached kindness and love above all and we need to remember that when celebrating, especially this year when there are so many atrocities committed against so many marginalised communities.

[claraameliapond]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Friendly reminder that Christmas is the annual cultural celebration of the birth of Christ in the Christian religion. Religious or not or just not particularly, that is what this cultural celebration signifies. It's the entire reason for it.

So if participating in Christmas today, please be aware, that whether you believe it is a mythos or real, the place that this happened is Palestine. Jerusalem, Bethlehem, these are all real places, and they are in Palestine. Jesus is not white. Jesus is Palestinian; Mary is Palestinian, so while we all celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ today, and participate in this cultural celebration and religious holiday, it is crucial, especially right now, that we acknowledge that this holy, sacred celebration of peace, is from Palestine, and that this religion, so pervasive in Western, European culture, one of our longest running traditions and mainstays of our culture; the religion that signifies peace, the religion that stands as a beacon of teachings of peace, coexistence and kindness; the religion from which many lessons of peace, kindness pervade our society and are used non religiously: "love thy neighbour"; "the good Samaritan"; is from and about a culture and people that still exist today, who, like in many religious texts, are targeted and persecuted just for existing.

They have been so for 75 years, and a created nation state in the name of a religion that does not accept it, has displaced, demonised, targeted, ethnically cleansed, and continue to currently commit horrific genocide on a mass scale of this culture, these people that we are celebrating right now at Christmas, in honour of peace, whose culture has long signified to us some of the most crucial and poignant teachings of peace, of living alongside those different to us peacefully with kindness, with care. These people are being persecuted RIGHT NOW

No culture, no people , no beings should be treated Iike this, but it is specifically poignant that this is happening right now, as we celebrate the birth of a Palestinian baby that signifies peace and liberation, and a Palestinian woman who gave birth to this baby.

If you are celebrating Christmas without acknowledging this, that the figures central to this whole occasion of peace, are Palestinian; That Palestinians are currently being persecuted just for existing, having their land stolen and people brutally violently ethnically cleansed, this is happening to children, and you do not currently support Palestine, Palestinian people: if you can't see this connection, you really haven't understood the whole point of this holiday, what it's for, what it's about, and you don't deserve to participate in it.

I am surprised there's not even a PR inspired ceasefire today, oh the irony: the figure of Jesus as a baby, and throughout his life, was persecuted too.

If you are celebrating this holiday and you do understand the connection, you do support Palestine, please please do whatever you can to free Palestine, to rally support of a voting public to put pressure on your elected officials, call, write, share the truth, non stop to end this genocide immediately, to free Palestine from the tyranny of its brutal occupier forever, to restore their peace and safety, their human rights. Globally, the world is doing this. Please make sure you don't stop. In honour of this holiday we are celebrating right now especially, Christmas, we must stand up for Palestine, our Palestinian family, and use our power in whatever way we can to secure peace, to truly, properly free Palestine of this tyranny, forever.

Voting is a big one: your exercise of power to influence how your country responds to things like this; your elected officials are selected by societies- by you- to be your representatives on a global scale, for global and country wide events, issues, to make the right choices on behalf of your society, on behalf of you. Who, out of your options, is the best one to do this? And yes, sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose.

Make sure you're aware of what you're celebrating today. Live in honour of them, celebrate in honour of them, and work to stop this genocide and free them, in honour of all of them.

[patriottruth]

2024 U.S. Elections Day Reminder - East Coast and Central USA Polls Are Now Open: Per the King James Version of the Christian Holy Bible: The Abrahamic G-d is NOT Pro-Life. And, most importantly, This is NOT 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, or 1970's America; And Every Pro-Choice Woman and Mother in the United States Can Legally Divorce Every Husband Who Votes for donald j. trump, Get a Husband-Financed Attorney, the House, the Car, the Kids, Child and Spousal Support, and Half of All Financial Assets, and Date and Re-Marry a Harris Voter to Protect Her Children. Plus, All American Women Can Stop Having Sex with trump voters and Only Have Sex with Harris Voters to Eradicate trump-voting Genetics From American Bloodlines. Checkmate!

Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Deuteronomy 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Leviticus 19:12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Psalm 139:19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. Psalm 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Psalm 139:21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? Psalm 139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

2 Samuel 12:1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 Samuel 12:2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 2 Samuel 12:3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 2 Samuel 12:4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 2 Samuel 12:5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 2 Samuel 12:6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 2 Samuel 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 2 Samuel 12:8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 2 Samuel 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 2 Samuel 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 2 Samuel 12:11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 2 Samuel 12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. 2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 2 Samuel 12:17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 2 Samuel 12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? 2 Samuel 12:19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

The exemption for marital rape was struck down in New York in 1984. In a sworn divorce deposition in 1989, Ivanka trump's mother, Ivana trump, testified that donald j. trump violently assaulted her, ripped fistfuls of hair from her scalp, and raped her after he became enraged by a painful operation to remove a bald spot on his head. The New York Times reported in 1990 that a divorce was granted to Ivana trump due to donald j. trump's "cruel and inhuman treatment" of his wife which included his public adultery with Marla Maples. Ivana trump spoke of donald j. trump's cruel and inhuman treatment of her again in 1993: "On one occasion during 1989, mr. trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage. As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness, which he normally exhibited towards me, was absent. I referred to this as a 'rape', but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense." Ivana trump later died from internal injuries after accidentally falling down the stairs in her home. Instead of Ivana's remains being honored on holy ground like many other deceased wealthy individuals, she's now buried in an oftentimes unkempt grave near the clubhouse of donald j. trump's Bedminster, New Jersey golf course. (Wikipedia)

“I think that she’s got a lot of Marla, she’s really a beautiful baby. She’s got Marla’s legs. We don’t know whether or not she’s got (Marla's breasts) yet but time will tell.” - donald j. trump on his and Marla Maples' 1 year old daughter, Tiffany trump.

In 1996, donald j. trump fired his bodyguard Spencer Wagner after a police officer found Marla Maples and the bodyguard together under a lifeguard stand on a deserted beach at 4:00 a.m. In June 2019, writer E. Jean Carroll alleged in New York magazine that donald j. trump raped her in a department store dressing room in 1996 after he'd first met her in 1987. donald j. trump later identified E. Jean Carroll from a photo from that 1987 meeting as being his wife, Marla Maples, because she looked just like Marla Maples at the time. On May 9, 2023, a New York jury in a civil case found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation against Carroll. They awarded Carroll US$5 million in damages. In July 2023, Judge Kaplan stated that the jury had actually found that trump had raped Carroll according to the common definition of the word as they had ruled that Trump had forcibly and nonconsensually penetrated Carroll's vagina with his fingers. A September 2023 partial summary judgment again found Trump liable for defaming Carroll. On January 26, 2024, Trump was ordered to pay Carroll an additional $83.3 million in damages. (Wikipedia)

donald j. trump married Melania on January 22, 2005. On March 20, 2006, Melania and donald had a son, Barron William trump. Melania became a citizen of the United States on July 28, 2006. Karen McDougal first met trump in June 2006 at a party hosted by Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion. donald j. trump kept in contact with McDougal, and they had sex on the first date. She said she met members of his family and he promised to buy her an apartment in New York. To avoid "paper trails", donald j. trump had McDougal pay for flight and hotel expenses when she flew to meet him, then he reimbursed her. McDougal ended the affair in April 2007 because she felt guilty about sleeping with a married man "many dozens of times"; she was also offended by derogatory comments he made about her mother and a Black man who was dating a female acquaintance of his. (Wikipedia)

To Stormy Daniels before they had sex (mid-July 2006 - 4 months after his wife Melania gave birth to donald trump's son, Barron): "You're beautiful and smart, just like my daughter." - donald j. trump

On October 27, 2016, a local Finnish tabloid, Ilta-Sanomat, reported an allegation by Ninni Laaksonen, Miss Finland 2006. Laaksonen appeared with donald j. trump on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 26, 2006. Laaksonen claims that before they went on the air, donald j. trump grabbed her buttocks. As Laaksonen describes the interaction: "He really grabbed my butt. I don't think anybody saw it but I flinched and thought: "What is happening?" Someone later told Laaksonen that trump liked her because she looked like his wife, Melania, when she was younger. Laaksonen revealed her account to a local Finnish tabloid, Ilta-Sanomat, which had contacted her regarding the level of professionalism involved in Donald Trump's handling of his employees within the Miss Universe pageant. The story was published on October 27, 2016. (Wikipedia)

"Don’t you think my daughter’s hot? She’s hot, right?” - donald j. trump on his Ivana trump's daughter, Ivanka trump

“My daughter, Ivanka, she’s got the best body." - donald j. trump

“She's actually always been very voluptuous.” - donald j. trump on his and Ivana trump's daughter, Ivanka trump

"I kiss Ivanka every chance I get." - donald j. trump

"If I weren't happily married and, ya know, her father…” - donald j. trump on his and Ivana trump's daughter, Ivanka trump

“If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her." - donald j. trump

“Aides said donald j. trump often talked about Ivanka trump’s breasts, her backside, and what it might be like to have sex with her, remarks that once led [former Chief of Staff] John Kelly to remind the president that Ivanka was his daughter.” - Miles Taylor (former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff under donald j. trump)

"Is it wrong to be more sexually attracted to your own daughter than your wife?" - donald j. trump on his and Ivana trump's daughter, Ivanka trump

On October 25, 2016, allegations were made by two men stating that Trump had attended and partaken in sex parties filled with underage minor females as young as 15 years old who were induced with promises of career advancement. Illegal drugs were also alleged to have been provided to the minors. One man was identified as model and actor Andy Lucchesi, while the other was identified as a fashion photographer who spoke on condition of anonymity. Both men claim to have been acquaintances of Trump during that decade, which one described as his "Trump days". Lucchesi, for his part, claimed that he saw Trump engage in sexual activity with the girls but did not witness him taking illicit drugs. In regards to the age of the girls, Lucchesi said he himself never specifically asked about their ages, only remarking of the attendees "a lot of girls, [aged] 14, look 24."

"Now, somebody who a lot of people don't give credit to but in actuality is really beautiful is Paris Hilton. I've known Paris Hilton from the time she's 12, her parents are friends of mine, and the first time I saw her she walked into the room and I said, 'Who the hell is that?'" - donald j. trump on 12 year old Paris Hilton

In April 2016, an anonymous woman using the pseudonym "Katie Johnson" filed a lawsuit in California accusing both donald j. trump and Jeffrey Epstein of forcibly raping her when she was 13 years old at underage sex parties at Epstein's Manhattan residence in 1994. The case was dismissed the following month. A second version of the lawsuit was filed in New York in June by the same woman as "Jane Doe" claiming to have been raped or sexually assaulted by the pair at four 1994 parties when she was 13. The lawsuit was refiled in September and on November 2, Doe was scheduled to appear at a press conference at the office of Lisa Bloom before abruptly canceling; Bloom said the Doe she had received multiple threats. "I loudly pleaded with Defendant Trump to stop, but he did not," Jane Doe wrote in a formal declaration accompanying her recent suits. "Defendant donald j. trump responded to my pleas by violently striking me in the face with his open hand and screaming that he would do whatever he wanted. … Immediately following this rape, Defendant Trump threatened me that, were I ever to reveal any of the details of Defendant Trump's sexual and physical abuse of me, my family and I would be physically harmed if not killed." The lawsuit was withdrawn two days later.

Trump invited NBC News to film a party he threw for himself and Epstein at Mar-a-Lago, where they joined various NFL cheerleaders; the kiss incident occurred there. NBC News revealed footage of the party in July 2019, showing Trump, Epstein and the cheerleaders. At one point during the video, Trump grabbed a woman around her waist, pulled her against his body, and patted her buttocks. At another point, Trump appears to tell Epstein: "Look at her, back there … She's hot." A 2002 article in New York magazine quoted donald j. trump talking about Epstein: "I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it, Jeffrey enjoys his social life."

TANAKH (Jewish Publication Society, Hebrew-English) Page 254 Leviticus 20:10 If a man commits adultery with a married man's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.

“I gotta use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. I moved on her actually, she was down in Palm Beach and I failed. I’ll admit it. I did try to f*ck her, she was married … and I moved on her very heavily. I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture and I told her 'I'll show you where you can get some nice furniture. I moved on her like a b*tch, and I could not get there, and she was married. And all the sudden I see her and she’s got the big phony t*ts, she’s totally changed her look. I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pu**y." - Convicted felon, habitual sexual offender, lifetime adulterer, incestuous pedophile groomer, and adjudicated rapist, donald j. trump

[lordhavemercyyyyy]

just brought myself to tears with the shortest prayer of my life just trying to ask God for help for the people in Gaza and Palestine right now, highly recommend to my fellow children of God to actually do something good and support victims of genocide and now I'm gonna rant about why it doesn't fucking matter whether you (directed towards Christians, specifically American Christians) side with the Gazans and Palestinians or if you side with Israel, genocide is just that: genocide.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39).

The Bible itself tells us to show love and compassion for others regardless of who they are. All humans are children of God, whether they believe in the Jewish and Christian God or if they believe in another, or even if they follow no god. The Lord in Heaven created us all in His image, so we are all the same deep down. Meaning, how about we actually stop giving a fuck about taking sides and start praying for the victims of genocide, start advocating for victims of oppression. Push all accusations of antisemitism or racism aside, GENOCIDE IS GENOCIDE, GENOCIDE IS MURDER, AND MURDER IS SIN. If you truly consider yourself a righteous believer in the Lord, then act like it. Advocate for His law. Show kindness to all others, as Jesus preached.

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43–44). It does not matter who they are, they are people deserving of love and compassion.

[atadalt]

sew your own clothes

buy second hand

or even better, share/trade clothes with others

grow your own food

give people spare produce

create art

go outside

support small artists

attend local gigs

go watch school/youth performances

learn more languages

read the banned books

volunteer

advocate for others

but honestly, love yourself

y'all already know this, but i reckon these are the punkest things you can do. in this world, where everything is trying to make a profit, hurt others, drive us apart, do the rebellious thing.

sew your own clothes, buy second hand or share/trade clothes. turn against fast fashion, wear sustainably! i'm sure there are apps and stuff out there for trading clothes, but i can say that it works! especially if you have young ones, as a kid there were a few families in the street with age gaps and different sizes, so we'd pass all the clothes around to each other and it worked, even to the point where when one family moved away, whenever they came up to the area they'd drop off a bag of clothes for us!

grow your food, share it, cook for others. especially where I am, we've got colesworth controlling and artificially inflating groceries so much to the point where I'm skipping meals to save money. grow as much food as you can, and again, see if you can swap with others.

creating art, supporting small artists and watching youth performances, these are so encouraging! go watch the high school perform some shakespeare or something, yeah it might suck but you know what, this is the highlight of those kids year, and buying a ticket and supporting them will help keep these things going.

these things, i'm in a small area, and these are very rural things to do as well. supporting family businesses, sharing what you've got, helping out others without expecting anything, it doesn't just take a village to raise a kid, it takes a village to enjoy life, and enjoying life is a great rebellion.

but honestly, the punkest thing you can do is love. love yourself, don't let capitalism win by making you feel like you need to buy this to be happy. go outside, wear what you want, eat what you want, seriously. love thy neighbour too, because keeping us separated is what they want, it stops us from acting. so form community, help others. it's the best rebellion we've got to be honest.

[brenda-walsh-ministries]

What Can I Do?

Real compassion is putting your caring into action. It's much more than sympathy or concern. Feeling sorry for someone when you can see them hurting is one thing, but doing something about it, is compassion. When Jesus was here on earth, His heart was full of compassion. He reached out to all those who were hurting, He didn't just pass a beggar on the street and say, oh, that's sad. No! He did something about it. Sometimes it's as simple as just being there, letting someone know you care. A simple smile or word of encouragement, other times, may be reaching into your pocket to help financially. Pray and ask God to put compassion in your heart for others, and ask Him to guide and direct how you should show it. Open your eyes and look around you and you'll see a world filled with hurting people. Ask yourself, what can I do to help make someone's life a little better? Text: 1 Peter 4:10, Galatians 6:2, Acts 20:35, James 2:8

Bible Texts:

1 Peter 4:10 KJV - As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Galatians 6:2 KJV - Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Acts 20:35 KJV - I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

James 2:8 KJV - If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

[sublimeobservationarcade]

American Zeitgeist: All I Care About Is Money

The archetypal American has jettisoned every concern apart from the getting of money. Donald Trump is the manifestation of this sole reason for living in the 21C. American zeitgeist: All I care about is money. Democracy is dying and withering on the vine via its neglect. Distrust is driving most folk to covert thy neighbour’s lifestyle. The shared world revealed by technology has opened a sewer of conspiracy theories and bitter political polarization. It reminds me of that study, where a group of individuals cannot feed themselves but must rely on others to feed each other – sadly this current bunch will be going hungry through their inability to put aside their individual orientation. Community has become an outdated and neglected concept in America.

Show Me The Money America

Trump and Musk represent a zero sum transactional approach to the economics of living. ‘Show me the money’ stands over and above all else. Moral concerns like right and wrong have gone by the wayside. The strong looking out for the weak. The wealthy caring for the poor. These quaint concerns are yesterday’s things. The reductionist model in favour at the moment has no time for the Enlightenment. Trumpian politics is a backlash against progressive political correctness ‘woke’. It embraces the brute force of blue collar machismo taking what it wants. F*** women. F*** DEI. F*** LGBTQI.

The American Love Of Money

American zeitgeist: All I care about is money. Electing Trump 2.0 is proof positive of this overarching concern. 70 million American’s voted for a convicted felon for President. Nothing matters more than making money to these folk. Their admiration for rich men knows no bounds. Their aspirational motivation towers above mere details like the Constitution and the rule of law. Their political masters reflect these American traits. The Republican party, the GOP, has morphed into a mob family under Boss Trump. The boss threatens his opponents with violence and modern Americans on the Right love this stuff. Give em guns and money. Fond family memories of Sunday lynchings. Bullying is a great American tradition upon which the West was won. Outgunning weaker opponents via wealth sponsored tech and weapons. The Church Of Hate Even Christianity in America has been warped into a religion that hates fervently. In the South, they defended slavery as an institution and essential way of white life. Their form of Christianity became an exclusive white religion with a fantasised  blue eyed Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth was actually a brown skinned Semite from the Middle East. Christian Nationalism in the US calls more upon the Old Testament, where the God of the Jews is a fiercer deity. Smiting opponents and slagging off sinners left, right and centre are the orders of the Israelite’s day. Fire and brimstone sermons accuse liberal enemies of treasonous sinning. Hating others keeps these religious houses from fading into obscurity in a money obsessed culture. “Christian nationalists are more likely than other Americans to see political struggles through the apocalyptic lens of revolution and to support political violence. A majority of Christian nationalism Adherents (54%) and 45% of Sympathizers agree that “there is a storm coming soon that will sweep away the elites in power and restore the rightful leaders,” compared with only 22% of Skeptics and 7% of Rejecters.” - (https://www.prri.org/research/support-for-christian-nationalism-in-all-50-states/)

What A Nation Admires Will Define That Country Money is seen as the bedrock of American civilisation. A man’s right to earn a living and all that sort of stuff. Wealthy business leaders are viewed as natural fits for high office. Whether that wealth and power has been achieved by hook or by crook is neither here nor there, apparently, in the minds of many Americans. What a nation admires will define that country. Corruption rides on the back of deregulation and unfettered business. Trump and Musk are slashing the civil service and doing away with the regulatory watchdogs. Stupid folk are celebrating this as good for business. Really are Americans the most stupid of us; as the cyclical nature of crises reveal financial crashes follow the regulatory behaviours of government. Too dumb to pay attention to history? “US President Donald Trump's late-night firing of inspectors-general at multiple government agencies has been criticised as illegal by Democrats and others and drawn concern from at least one fellow Republican. In what critics called a late-night purge, Trump fired 17 independent watchdogs on Friday. A person with knowledge of the matter told the Reuters news agency that the move cleared the way for replacing independent watchdogs with loyalists. “ - (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/plainly-illegal-donald-trumps-firing-of-watchdogs-at-us-government-agencies-criticised/yy67o8khp) The Sucker Carrots For The Mob - Blame the government for everything. - Pin the tail on the bloated civil service donkey. - Demonize difference!!! - Piss in the pockets of the mob. - Make America white again. - Pick on vulnerable folk who can’t fight back. - Appear tough on crime & terrorism. Remember that Donald Trump has won the Presidential election twice – against women! The only guy he faced, a really old Joe Biden he lost. He would not admit this and told the Big Lie instead. America is electorally skewed in favour of rural low population electorates in the red states. These rural areas are conservative in nature regarding the role of women, white supremacy, and abhor big city attitudes to things like diversity, trans people and multicultural America. Gun toting folk that support their young men forming armed militias, who dream of shooting up America. Big Tech Backed Trump The crooks are riding on the tails of Trump extremists, as they carve out a kleptocracy. Big tech in the guise of Musk, Bezos, Zuckerburg and Thiele threw their digital weight behind Trump in reaction to the Biden administration’s attempts to impose some much needed regulation in this space. Big tech and its oligarchs are running the show in America – Amazon, Facebook, Google, X, PayPal, Microsoft and the burgeoning chip and AI corporations. “The millions that US tech companies invested in currying favor with Donald Trump seemed to pay off this week as the new administration issued a flurry of directives that relaxed regulations and dropped lawsuits previously aimed at holding the industry to account. Crypto, AI and social media companies, many of which made donations to Trump, are all expecting to benefit.” - (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/22/crypto-big-tech-trump) American zeitgeist: All I care about is money. This singularity within American hearts and minds makes it easy to manipulate them. Donald Trump promised every disgruntled voter to assuage his or her grievance. High inflation? Blame it on DEI policies. Losers who never went to college, whether they had good reason or not. Blame it on liberal ‘woke’ policies that favour elites. The lack of success in lives. The failure to amass big bank balances. Trump blames these things on the prevalence of refugees and illegal immigrants in the US. The GOP blames these grievances on LGBTQI folk. Pin the tail on the donkey – the DNC donkey.  Downward envy is fanned into flame via the blame game in American politics. Social media, which is an American invention, has made everything much worse. Trolls, bots and disinformation do the bidding of the lowest common denominator. Fake news is rife on social media. America has no standards when it comes to public discourse. Anything goes with Elon Musk’s X and Trump’s GOP encourages lies and misinformation. Trump Refocusing Americans On Houthi Bad Guys Trump is now refocusing American domestic attention on an international bad guy – the Houthis. After a period of negative reaction to his own policies he seeks to distract and divert attention. There is nothing like a war or military action to curry favour with the mob. Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump. ©HouseTherapy

Read the full article

[nerdygaymormon]

Mark 12:30-31 - Love God & Love People

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Love God & Love People, there’s no greater commandment. And yet, LGBTQ people often don't feel love from Christians and churches. Anti-queerness seems to have become a large part of modern Christian identity. Some believers think that the best way to show love to queer people is by preaching that they need to deny this important part of who they are.

I think any believer should be asking, "How can I love queer people?" and "Do they recognize what I am doing as love?"

For LGBTQ people, it is a challenge to reconcile the message about a loving God with rejecting messages preached at church. It feels like many Christians put an asterisk on the commandment to love their neighbor *unless they are queer.

Christ says to love, so don't let other things get in the way of that.

For a person to feel loved, they need to feel respected. If I identify as gay, don't say that I struggle with same-sex attraction, that feels like you are reject my understanding of myself. If someone shares their pronouns with you and you instead use the pronouns you're more comfortable with, it shows you're unwilling to make even this small effort show respect and we should be on guard around you.

Your love shouldn't be conditional. People get to choose how to live their own life. Self-determination is an important of being an adult, and teenagers need a growing amount of agency as they mature. Even if you don't agree with our choices, don't stop loving us.

If you love someone, you show an interest in them. Ask questions. If there's something important to me, ask me about that. If I'm dating, ask how it's going.

Speak up if people say negative things about us, even if we aren't in the room. If you love us you will stand with us when someone says something offensive, even if it possibly costs you social standing in your religious community. Similarly, speak positively about me and the other queer people you know. Speaking about LGBTQ people and topics will help others become more comfortable with our existence.

Support policies which allow us to be treated with fairness and equality. It's hard to believe you love me if you vote for my oppression.

For queer people, let me remind you that the commandment is to love others as yourself. This presupposes that you love yourself. I know it's easy to replay those negative messages in your head, to believe the worst things said about queer people, that is not self-love. Sometimes we turn our fear and anger inward against ourselves, that is not love. We need to accept ourselves and recognize the goodness in us, then learn to love the different parts of who we are and develop the talents we have and appreciate the things which interest us.