#yeah the world i'm creating makes me think about religion quite a lot

[theshalesky]

look at them.

they haven't learnt how to make statues yet.

they don't have time for it. all their energy is being used to survive in their cruel world where the ground has been burnt centuries ago.

and yet they venerate their gods with a passionate devotion, crawling on their knees in front of the plain wood altars.

despite everything, they're convinced their gods exist. of course they are, they're right. their gods really do exist, and they know that because the gods have shaped their world as it is now and given them the powers that allow them to survive. so of course they're convinced they exist, it couldn't be otherwise.

really? looking at their story, we know their gods exist and ours might not. but they don't have more knowledge about their gods that we have about ours. we, too, have scriptures that tell us how god created and changed the world and how the abilities that make us human come from him.

are we any different from them? are they any different from us? neither of us know the things that we're worshipping.

[worrywrite]

I've just finished Small Gods. And I gotta say. I'm divided on this one.

I have heard a lot of people recommend it, even as an entry into Discworld books. But I honestly would never tell someone interested in starting Discworld to start with Small Gods. It is not an easy to get into book. I almost felt like I was forcing my way through the book till the Ephebe section.

But I enjoyed it.

I think the problem I had with it is that it felt like it had a message and tried to tell a story a long with it. The book itself is hardly about the small gods, which I'm honestly fascinated to learn more about. What it is really about is metaphysics and ontology, but a very odd (and interesting) fictional ontological and metaphysical situation.

The question presented to the reader is not "does god exist" or "does this god, or any god exist". No, the book is pretty clear, as far as Discworld goes, gods are real. Lots of them. Far too many, really (though I have a soft spot for P'tang P'tang, guy didn't know what hit him). The questions the book presents are more about the relationship between gods and worshipers. It's almost an iteration of "which came first, the chicken or the egg" because the books big thesis is that gods need people more than people need gods.

But I also don't think it's quite so simple as that. Because a "god" by the books standards is a specific type of entity, but it also explains how people replace gods. The quisition is a form of god replacement; it does almost exactly what Om did early on and led followers through fear and power. People believed in the quisition the same way they believed in Om and so one was able to replace the other. The quisition was not a god, it was an organization of men; but it was able to take the place of one in the lives of devotees. The philosophers of Ephebe are another sort of religion. They aren't exactly atheists, because they know that would be foolish, but they worship ideas. They replaced religion with theories and innovations and questions.

The book almost says that gods need people and people need something to believe in. But not quite. Brutha falls short in that way (imo). He is a wonderful character and a good window for the narrative (and he's just a good dude and very endearing). But he doesn't really have a solution. He never addresses the problem. Not even Om, when he started a tavern brawl with the gods, fixes the problem. The conclusion of the book only feels like it managed to say "there is a problem" and that fixing it is an ever-present process. But nothing gets solved apart from the military conflicts. Omnianism is still... A mess. Religion and the gods and philosophy and the quisition are all still a mess. And Brutha's solution to it all is nearly "it needs to be better."

I recognize, of course, why it is this way. Attempting to answer the problem of what is there that people can believe in that still makes the world work is just... It's *the* question isn't it? Yeah, there's small and personal answers. But systematically answering that question basically creates a religion in the process.

---

Something I really appreciated, and I'm glad Pratchett wrote it this way (and frankly I wish there was more talk about it) was Vorbis' idea of truth and fundamental truth. Because that truly felt like the crux of the story.

I see it a lot in conversation in real religious circles. There is the reality of a situation (often something meaningless) and then there is the "fundamental" truth of it (usually an understanding of the situation with perceived values ascribed to it). It is like the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic value. There is a truth that is (reality) and a truth that matters (perception). The whole discussion in the book really boils down to being able to lie well, but it's like lying is a method of changing reality by altering perception.

The whole thing, and honestly a good chunk of the book, gave me a headache trying to work out. But it was a very interesting headache.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on Vorbis. Because he is almost a fantastic villain. But he falls short because he's a very chaotic neutral character. He's essentially a curious nihilist. He isn't, exactly, power hungry. The book explains that he does things, horrible things, just to see what happens next. But that, combined with his steel ball mind... Makes me wonder why he really did anything at all? I never felt like he was motivated, just that he was the force in motion that would go up against the protagonist. It was like he was a mechanism for disasters to strike, that his poking and prodding at reality had actually torn it asunder--but not in an interesting way.

All in all, it was a fairly difficult book to wrap my head around. Not in the same way as some others. Unlike other Discworld books that have left me feeling like I was missing something, this one felt like it was missing something. The humor and the wit were there, the message was there. But there was this void that I can't really describe except by using all these words.

[solvicrafts]

13, 14, 15, 26, 29 from the recent ask meme?

(13) Do you believe in reincarnation?

For the most part, I'd say yeah. I think it's very plausible, but I also think it's probably not *quite* what we think it is, if that makes any sense. That's basically my stance on all spiritual and religious beliefs -- there's probably truth to it, but we've probably got a few things wrong.

(14) Would you want to be reincarnated?

Mm... maybe. I lean more towards 'no,' but we don't always get what we want.

(15) Do you think you're special, or just another person among billions? Can you be both?

I think I'm a special kind of pain-in-the-ass.

Bad jokes aside, I think everyone's fairly unique or special in their own way and has potential for something, but few are able to really act on it. So I guess I think we can be both. Some are certainly more charismatic or influential than others, but I don't think any one human is inherently more special or valuable than the other.

(26) What's the most life-changing choice you've made so far?

In middle school we were studying ancient Greece and I decided to write a paper on Achilles (but you'll see me refer to him as 'Akhilleus' on my blog if I ever talk about him, for personal reasons).

Spoiler: I didn't stop researching after I finished my project and it led me down a whoooooooole different path in life.

(29) Do you believe in some form of god/s?

I do, but my beliefs are hard to explain with words and kinda... complicated, I guess?

I definitely believe in some forms of gods, but my belief is that the true nature of divinity is very much beyond human comprehension, and that gods have a symbiotic relationship to humans the same way different animals in the ecosystem do.

Like... I don't believe gods necessarily created the world, or that humans invented gods. I think gods exist in some form we cannot understand, and that much like humans and other animals, they adapt and change over time.

I don't believe ANY religion has all of the answers or even most of the answers, and I think it's absolutely bonkers how wild people will get about their arguments over gods and religion.

I think there's just a lot of things humans will never, ever fully understand, and the challenge of that is what makes it all so very fascinating to me. I'm a lot like Kimmuriel in this regard, I suppose: somewhere out there, there is a hard limit as to what I am capable of knowing, but that does not deter me in the slightest as I will keep trying to learn anyway.

[just-graysexual]

So... *sigh* ...I know I'm gonna open a whole can of worms by asking this question. If you want to ignore it or say I'd rather not have this on my blog, you are more than welcome not to answer but... if you could point me in the right direction, I'd he forever grateful. I'm gray-ace. Exactly WHERE I'm still figuring it out, but I kinda like the label because it just sort of... takes the bits and pieces from all the identities that I fit into and mushes them into one big label. And I love (1/?)

(2/?) that about it. I honestly think that it’ll stay around for a while yet at least. Problem? Well… I’m a Christian. Which… doesn’t bring up any IMMEDIATE concerns. I mean, Priests are celibate, and nuns are celibate and so like… everything should be a-okay, right? *sigh* My romantic orientation is still in the works. I’m a very… “go where the wind takes me” type of person when it comes to love and… well… commitment is hard. Because I want to do it right, you know? So… as far

(3/?) as I know, I’m pan romantic. I could be biromantic. Or simply heteroromantic. I really don’t know. And… A lot of this… “compromise” (but I don’t really see it as a compromise???) in my beliefs is that… the whole BASIS of Christianity is founded upon Compassion, and love, and forgiveness. Yeah, you should love God but like… I don’t claim to know EVERYTHING about God. I don’t know why he made some people Transgender and others gay and some people asexual. In way, its like asking why

(4/?) God made someone black. Or have red hair. Or green eyes. Or have 3 freckles on their left cheek. I don’t know! He just… He wanted them that way. For a reason. And you’d have to be CRAZY to try and put words in God’s mouth. I mean, this is the same being that (at least I believe) created the stars in the sky. Why would I claim to know how He thinks? And here’s the craziest thing right: the LGBT+ sometimes seems a better practitioner of Christian values than a lot of Christians. The Ace

(5/?) Community has been so loving, and compassionate!! Like, it’s crazy!! And I mean, I just left heated from my church this past Sunday for DARING say that no sinner is worthy of love. Like… you entirely miss the point of love if you try and say that you are either worthy of it or not. Love is a GIFT. You give it to someone because… you care. They aren’t “worthy” or “unworthy.” “Deserving” or “undeserving.” It’s whether or not you decide to give it and that’s what makes love beautiful.

(6/?) Besides. That’s INSANE to say that a HUMAN BEING. Whether they be a child, or a broken adult, or some other lost soul in search of SOME form of companionship or forgiveness, doesn’t DESERVE LOVE. Like, we’re all human being. We all fuck up. But come ON NOW. That’s just CRAZY. And like… I don’t expect God (in whatever form you want to believe him in) ever thought we were going to get it 100% right. I mean, otherwise, why wouldn’t he just come down and rule the world himself? Fixes all

(7/?) all the bickering, right? And that’s where faith comes in. “We walk by faith, not by sight,” or whatever? But recently, I’ve basically been… well… barraged, to say the least, with both the LGBT+ and fellow Christians saying that I have to be one or the other. I have to be Gay or Christian. Otherwise, I compromise my beliefs. But I don’t see it that way? And like… being on the aspec yourself, I’m sure you understand how difficult it is to be torn between the Ace Community and the

Hey Anon,

These were the only messages I received. It looks like tumblr might have eaten anything else that you sent me and I am sorry for that. I hope you are feeling better though. Feel free to come and rant or vent anytime you need to. It looks like you really wanted to get this out there. And I’m glad you found a place to do it. Sometimes we are not always free to express our frustrations, so I am here if you ever need to.

You can be LGBTQ+ and religious! You can be Ace and religious! You don’t have to chose between one or the other. There is nothing wrong with being yourself and following your beliefs! There are many religious people who are LGBTQ+ and Ace; you are not alone. Many of us can relate to where you are coming from. I hate all this hostility between religious people and the LGBTQ+; not to mention the immense toxicity it has on religious LGBTQ+ members. It’s not easy being religious and LGBTQ+, but it is possible. 

I completely underhand what you are growing through. I am Christian myself (Roman Catholic to be exact) and growing up non-heterosexual is extremely hard. To hear how my fellow “Christians” talked about people who were gay, especially my family members scarred me deeply. Ever since I was a little kid I knew that I was not heterosexual. I just knew, but there was not a lot of resources for me to look into and I didn’t know of any other orientations besides heterosexual and homosexual. And I was taught homosexual was wrong.

As time went on, I would literally drop on my hands in knees in prayer crying, tears pouring down my cheeks, to make me heterosexual. I begged and pleaded with God to help me and save me. I didn’t want to be bad. I didn’t want to be non-heterosexual. I didn’t want my own family members to hate me because I was non-heterosexual. I didn’t want God to hate me and send me to Hell for being non-heterosexual. I was scared, lost, and hurt. I never got an answer. So, I grew to hate God and religion. I turned my back God and despised religion and Christians who do nothing but preach love, but spread hate. 

Separating myself from God and religion actually helped me in discovering myself. I immersed myself with the LGBTQ+ community. I tried various different labels and researched as much as I could, until I found asexuality and the ace spectrum. Since then, God has called me back. I am reworking on my faith and relationship with God. I have heard God’s voice…and y’know what he told me? “I am always with you.” I never felt anything so powerful and so loving in my life. I felt every single positive emotion that a person could feel. And I learned something. God loves me. Growing up I though God abounded me. I though God hated me. I learned, that that’s what other people told me He felt. But through God I learned that he loves me. And I think there is a reason I am not heterosexual, especially in such a religious family. I think me being graysexual definitely made my parents (mostly my Father) question themselves. My Father still has a lot of work to do, but my Mom is doing so great with accepting people and supporting me. 

Reevaluating my faith and relearning my religion has made me more comfortable in my graysexuality, actually. Remember, God created you in his own image…and saw that it was good (Genesis). Remember what God told Moses? “Who gave man his mouth? Or makes him mute or deaf, sighted or blind? Is it not I?!” (Exodus). God knows you, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. (Jeremiah). He knows who you are. He has plans for you. He wants you to be the person He is calling you to be: yourself. 

And don’t forget Jesus. Remember all that Jesus taught us: LOVE. Jesus gives us the greatest commandments: Love your neighbor like yourself (Matthew). Love one another as I have loved you (John). And don’t forget this one, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (John). So, you are right. We are called to love and support one another. That’s what a good Christian is supposed to do. Be that example!

You are do nothing wrong by following your faith and being Ace. I don’t understand where your parish is coming from with the not loving sinners part. That doesn’t make sense to me. Because, we are all sinners! Again, remember what Jesus said, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone” (John). We are all sinners. Everyone of us. Sin does not recognize color, race, political party, or orientations. Sin is your actions, your thoughts, your words. You sin by doing, not by being. 

It sounds like you need a little break from religion for awhile. Or at least to separate your orientation from your faith. It’s okay to take a break from your religion. Give yourself some time to work through what you are going through one-by-one. Work on your orientations, sexual and romantic. And find your way back to faith once you are more comfortable with yourself and who you are. Maybe you will learn to see things through different eyes. God will not abandon you and God will not stop loving you. Remember, the prodigal son parable (Luke). God will be waiting for you with open arms. 

Don’t let what other people say get to you. You are right. Love and love one another. God made you from His own image, don’t create God into your own image. A lot of people do that nowadays. No one can say what God believes or thinks. No one can claim what God feels about you. No one can say what God has chose to do. Everyone deserves love and we are all sinners. 

Keep doing your best. Be the example. Show the world it’s okay to be who you are and it’s okay to be religious. Many people, on both sides, don’t like the fact that I am religious and queer. It’s like a tug-o-war. Don’t let others force you to choose. You can be both. It’s not easy, but it’s possible. You are not alone. There are quite a few Queer Christian Communites:

https://www.qchristian.org

http://scmcanada.org/queer-resources/ 

https://www.believeoutloud.com/background/christianity-and-lgbt-equality 

http://queergrace.com/communities/

And a few tumblr blogs:

https://acecatholic.tumblr.com 

http://christianandqueer.tumblr.com 

http://asexualchristian.tumblr.com 

https://lgbt-christian-safe-haven.tumblr.com 

You hang in there, Anon. It’s not easy being LGBTQ+ and religious, but it’s okay that you are. Both sides need to do some serious work. Christians need to take a step back and realize all the harm they are actually causing. They need to stand up and be Christians. Keep being yourself. Keep doing what is right, by the Lord. Help bridge this gap. I hate the hate, but I hope in time things do get better. You are loved. God loves you. God is there for you. God will not abandon you. It’s okay for you to be ace and Christian. That’s who you are. You are not hurting anyone by trying to be true to yourself. Don’t listen to anyone that causes you harm. Give yourself some time. Find yourself in your orientations first. Give yourself time to really understand your labels and identities. And come back to your faith in your own way, not how other people tell you to do it. Hang in there. If you ever need to talk, rant, or vent I am here feel free to message me anytime. 

[escapadeist]

Recently i read a tumblr post by @tibby and @keltik who responded to it about Marvel and here are my views on it and Marvel over all.

The other reasons that people (me incl.) dislike MCU are these, 1. They have movies with characters that are quite flat, not rounded enough for my taste, i feel after watching that movie, that it was just ok, i feel a heightened sense of adrenaline from all the action, but this was action very much choreographed and using special effects and the like and especially, the concept of superpowers, superpowers imo, are not at all close to realistic, i have watched marvel movies, so don't think I'm not speaking from experience, and uk the ones i liked? IM1-2 and only Loki as a character from Thor, ik very popular choices, but uk the reason i chose these? I like the actors, their acting brings out something from a character that's supposedly non-human and godly with farfetched realities and a sense of saviour complex with no consequences. So when u ask me, i hated Thor, CA, and the new Hulk (the older one i liked because of the aesthetic appeal of the movie, plus again, Ed Norton's delivery)

2. Now you will go ahead and say it requires efforts to think up a storyline, but that's all they do, they don't develop their characters, they keep adding in more on the plot, and a thing that bothers me most is how people don't realise the money-drawing that this company is doing, with appealing to what the fans want. (especially those with not much else to do in life than fantasize of their idol superheroes instead function in a realm of reality) no offense, but the instant i hear someone say "oh i love mcu, n I'll defend it till my last breath" what i hear is "i believe these movies are my religion and these characters are my gods, I'm part of a pseudoreal cult that believes rather than solve the problems or search for their solutions in the real world, I'd much rather be satisfied by the barely-there plot of this movie which seemingly always ends happily for the protagonists where they save the world, because the reality of helping the world an ounce bothers me, and my empathy keeps bumming me out so what's the solution to all that? Never growing past a fantasy and reveling in it to escape from reality."

3. Now even from a professional pov, famous directors, like say, Martin Scorcese famously came out vocally against MCU and their banal tactics of creating a storyline that never ends so the money that enters the producer's pockets never ends too. He said it's the end of the movie going culture where u saw actual lives, as close to them as possible being portrayed on screen and inspiring people generations over and finding catharsis and solace in the characters' lives and maybe somewhere applying it in their own. And moreover, don't u see what it does to art itself? The ample number of creators involved in the MCU and the amounts of rejections and dilutions of their creativity they receive just to satisfy a corporate overlord organization that functions on keeping the public engaged, and giving them what they want, (which fyi is what they make us think we want, i hope uk the psychology behind their marketing these movies etc.) It takes away from the silver screen or mainstream the opportunity for niche or indie movie makers n artists to ever reach a platform that can gain their creation any recognition and therefore through the medium of storytelling they get to expand the horizons of not just the possibilities of cinema, but the minds of the viewers as well.

4. I have also read a lot many places that "art isn't always supposed to be deep", or "can't people just for a good time and come back satisfied n happy and not think too much of it's morality or effect on humankind?" And to that i say, yeah go ahead, watch some stupid movie that's about ghosts entering dimensions or superheroes saving the world, the brain needs to rest too and we all need laughs and a period of not too much cognitive effort. But, here lies the problem now, what if all that's ever made henceforth is just that? And what if the organisation that handles the pulse of the market has control over not just it's own releases and their viewer response, but also that of other movies and actors n actresses who act in said other movies and can control how much fame and how much of an audience they can get or momentum they can hold. Uk, DC has been making Superman and Batman shows n movies since the 40s and 50s, but back then it didn't become an all consuming franchise over the film industry because the audience didn't give it that much attention or even if they did they just saw them once or twice in a decade, were satiated and that was it. Now that the marketers of these movies have seen the reduced attention span of this generation and the ease of accessibility and the need for escapism due to low quality of life, they have capitalised on all of that and captivated, rather, held them by the throat and squeezed out every ounce of their limited attention into a continuing series of episode after episode of an ongoing never-ending but also never satisfying and always keeping u wanting for more saga of absolute and utter bullshit. (Excuse my language)

5. Lastly, like I mentioned everywhere up till now, the last is the concept of capitalist greed. U know how corporations run the world on their terms and make people into machines that worship their God that "gives them what they think they want" and then keeps on sucking their souls n money just to keep it's belly full. So yeah, i hope this made sense to you as viewers and fans of this particular franchise and i hope u understand this isn't a personal attack towards the individuals watching Marvel as a fun passtime or so but for those that tout it as the superior form of cinematic experience and storytelling.

So, if u read this and are up for debating on this you're welcome to do so in the comments and reblogs. I have nothing against those that enjoy watching these movies, I'm not here to make your decisions for u or take your choices or freedom away or anything, it's just that fanatism particularly for this franchise needs to be from a conscious perspective too.

Thanks for reading.

- B

[sagebodisattva]

Antinatalism and Nihilism

Yeah. In case you didn't know, or were somehow a bit unsure about whether or not antinatalism was a nihilist philosophy, antinatalism is perplexingly nihilist, nihilistic supreme; that means it's the grand chalupa, with fresh sour cream.

The most standard commonly known definition of nihilism is a philosophical doctrine that suggests the negation of one or more reputedly meaningful aspects of life. If nay you say, then are you implying that antinatalism isn't asking it's prospective antinatalist to negate certain values that the majority of humans all share in common? I mean, it is called antinatalism, isn't it? Asking a human to consciously avoid procreating, whether just, correct, most moral, or not, this is still a value subtraction equation. The idea that consciousness is better off to never have existed is certainly a negative value conclusion, even if you twist around the narrative to demonize the perceived opposition.

If some condition independent of consciousness that exists out there in the universe is somehow a morally BETTER configuration, in all it's independently existing isolated betterness, without anything existing, any unavoidable prognosis, prescription, or proscription, that may be proposed, will all be subtraction transactions. That's antinatalism, and that's the common understood consensus as to what the definition of nihilism is. There's no way around it. If you’re an antinatalist, then you are at least nihilistic. Period.

Yeah. A dirty stinking value negating nihilist.

And I understand why antinatalists want to reject nihilism, for, while suggesting the negation of a commonly held meaningful value, they do so under the banner of a righteous pro-value. Which is all well and good, but it still doesn't change the fact that it's aim is still to negate a value.

And I'm not against antinatalism, in fact I agree that, for people who are serious about discovering the truth about reality and seek to walk the path of self recognition, of which, is the only existential function for why we are here, procreation isn't helpful. It's an investment, which is a distraction, and that's passing the buck to someone else. And for the people who are NOT serious about reality, the truth and self recognition, you definitely shouldn't be procreating either, because you are just recklessly creating giant amounts of demand and deprivation just for it's own sake, and that isn't a requirement. If one is not seeking to understand the reality, then why should one be ignorantly pushing more lives into existence, for the mere sake of selfish gratification? It's an abuse of power. You don't have any way to obtain consent for the life you are causing to manifest, so therefor this is indicative of an immoral act, like it or not.

And I know there are a lot of people out there that are grateful to have been pushed into existence and appreciate it deeply, but just ask yourself, for what? Pleasure seeking activities? Is that what it is? Just raw hedonism? Back dropped against a life of mundane routine and pointless empty lives of quiet desperation and frustrating futility? To endure large amounts of suffering, boredom and tedious undertakings, just to have a small sip of ecstasy? It seems that we have forgotten that this realm should be treated as a training ground, and not like a lounge for fat cats and lazy lizards.

I won't go too far into depth about the positive aspects of choosing not to procreate, perhaps reserving these thoughts for a future video, for the main idea of this exposition is to show how antinatalism is a nihilistic philosophy. As if antinatalism was somehow something else other then nihilism? Yeah right. If you think so, then you must somehow have your narrative about the logic twisted up.

I know, I know, you have a certain subjective feeling about certain facts, and since the fact is a fact, how you feel about those facts must also be facts! I know, I know. Anything less would be a case of mental illness.

But, one should always try to understand who one's allies are. And one should also try real hard to try and stop maligning and demonizing an adjacent ally; in exactly the same way everyone else tries to malign and demonize you. Atheism, antinatalism, nihilism, post modernism, deconstructionism, futurism, transhumanism, are all relative philosophies existing within the same ideology cluster, despite having some differences. Maybe what they all share in common, in a broad sense, is a rejection of an old world and an old way of doing things.

You do know that, in theism's mind, atheism, and thereby also antinatalism by default, are considered nihilist philosophies simply because they both reject theism. And you know that this is where nihilism primarily got it's bad name from. It was a label frequently used to malign those that rejected theism. And I say 'antinatalism by default" because I think it's safe to assume that if you are antinatalist, you certainly can't be any kind of theist worth his salt. What kind of theist would think that being fruitful isn't in accord with a sky daddy's wishes? Unless there are theists out there, that I don't know about, who believe in an incompetent fucked up god who can't be trusted, but if that's the case, why bother with remaining a theist? Overthrow that motherfucker. If believing in a loving all powerful god, while having an attitude that the world is too fucked up a place to bring children into, isn't cognitive dissonance, then what is?

And I wonder, just as a side note, who was worse for the theists; the atheists, the heretics, or the nihilists?

But anyway... Yeah. Antinatalism is a form of nihilism. So it's truly quite very bizarre that antinatalism tries to take the high road; goes holier then thou, and plays the role of moral warden against another philosophy that, in fact, represents some of the same concepts and positions.

Nihilists advocate victimization and/or ignoring victimization? Bullshit. That isn't even the case, so it isn't true in the first place. It isn't nihilists who are the ones responsible for the horrors of the world, nor the ones ignoring the horrors. So maybe instead of trying to straw man a scapegoat, antinatalism should either redirect this false characterization right back from whence it came, or try focusing the vitriol upon that which is more befitting of these tragic poetic condemnations. It would seem to me that Theists and statists are the violators of innate human morals.

And don't let the religious aspect of theism create some false sense of a dichotomy existing between theism and it's slave atheism. They are both materialists. Only one is justified by a belief in God, and the other is justified by a lack of a belief in God. The "materials" are on a pedestal in both of these so called diametrically opposed polar opposite positions. And post hence, they are both full of shit. Neither one of them are automatically morally upright. Religion, do we even need to go there? If Jesus came back he'd kick the shit out of the Christians; once he matrixed around their gunfire. And atheism, well where does one exactly derive morality when there isn't some scary supernatural force threatening you, or offering obedience rewards, in a world where cash is king; and only the collection and hoarding of objects and resources are the measure of one's well being? From whereforth, and unto what?

Oh, I know. From empathy. From compassion. From a sense of charity. From a sense of duty, integrity, justice, service, and heroic Herculean honor. Only, this sense of duty is easily derelict when it comes to the raw material reality. In a game of heavy investments and gambling with the margins of profit and loss, wherein the consequence of ignoring dysfunction and not running the risk to do what's called "right", is rewarded by sustaining a retainer of wealth and resources, the objectively morally thing to do, is to do what most benefits yourself and your immediate group. And that's what I mean when I say “objectively moral.” I mean so in the sense that, there will be groups of individuals who feel they have a special status to make decisions on behalf of everyone else, because this self elected special status also affords one a superior perspective to decide and execute what's BEST for everyone...

Sound familiar? And it isn't nihilism that is doing this. It's hard materialism; cause, hey, its logical, it's objectively moral, it's very utilitarian, all of which the nihilist knows, doesn't really exist, and therefor doesn't invest into the motivated fervor of this material passion play. And yet the criminal trouble making shit stirrer uppers have the audacity to point out at the audience and blame them for the stage theatrics. And antinatalism, who sits in section B, points over to section A, where nihilism sits, and passes the blame on to them. It's a joke.

But I can see why everyone's so upset with nihilism. True nihilism upsets the whole apple cart. The passion whores don't want people to resign and give up on the Game of the lemmings, cause jeez, what would happen if everyone became nihilists? It would be unprofitable. We'd have a bunch of peaceful generous self sufficient people who had relaxed forgiving caregiving dispositions, who mind their own business, but share and help others, and who don't want to victimize their fellow humans. And we couldn't have that now, could we? Pointing the finger at you and saying it's all your fault, is so much more convenient and fun!

[diannaagrcns]

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of college roleplay would you like to see? I agree the ideas are unoriginal, but I'm having a hard time coming up with an alternative that's not too bland

Oh man, like I said, I’m not exactly looking to join a college roleplay, but I’m getting kinda desperate in my search and thought it’d be a genre I wouldn’t mind trying again. Not a favourite, but…doable. So I’m not really sure what else has been done recently?

I know there are a lot of Disney roleplays popping up these days, many inspired by Descendants, so they’re either school or university based and focus on either reinterpretations of canon characters (like, the princes and princesses, and all the rest) OR the kids of those characters, and these are usually OCs. 

With Pitch Perfect 3 coming out at the end of the year, I kinda wanna put some more time and effort into my idea for a roleplay focused on various vocal groups at, like, Barden’s rival college. I know PP groups have been done before, and I know Glee groups are still out there – some probably set in colleges – but… There doesn’t seem to anything quite like that in the tags right now.

There are a lot of supernatural town roleplays, and a few ~academy~ groups – so, like, basically private high schools, usually boarding schools, for supernaturals. Maybe something in a higher education setting could be cool? I think I can vaguely remember seeing something like that maybe… 18 months ago? Possibly inspired by The Magicians?? But I don’t remember the details! Something like that could go a lot of different ways, y’know? There’s the classic ‘the school administration has changed recently, and we now accept human students’ or it could be, like, a transitional thing? So in this universe, elementary and high schools just for supernaturals exist and while they do have more “human classes” the big focus is on, like, learning to control their abilities and stuff like that? But these days, they really need more of that “holy shit I know what I am and what I can do as a vampire/werewolf/witch/faery/mermaid/whatever but uhh… I don’t know how to use a computer to apply for jobs to pay my rent” so there are now universities that teach more life skills, how to use those supernatural abilities in mundane settings without getting caught? idk I haven’t thought this through properly!

I’ve seen arts schools before, maybe that’s something you’re interested in? So instead of offering a wide range of majors across different disciplines, the college in your rp might be arts, technology, athletics focused? 

People seem to be super into DC and Marvel stuff, and I’ve seen plenty of superhero school RPs out there. Personally, I’m not into that stuff, and they do seem quite common so if you’re looking to do something more original I might suggest staying away from that, but if it’s your thing? Go for it. I guess sort of in line with that would maybe be like spies or something? And with the new Kingsman out soon, a spy training academy might be of interest to more people!

Ummm I know there’s a group with skeletons based on figures from Greek mythology, which is pretty neat! I’ve had a sort of similar idea myself, but the world-building and selection criteria for specific deities was gonna be very, very different, and there were gonna be elements of that magic still in play. So maybe mythology is something you could try to work in there? But Greek’s kind of…overdone, so branching out could be good! But, like, obviously proceed with caution and be respectful! Greek, Roman, Norse and Egyptian mythology are pretty well-known and open to anyone, creatively speaking, but there others that we may call mythology but like… They’re really still active religions, or religions that people and cultures and trying to reclaim for themselves after colonisation, so you just gotta do your research and be respectful there! But yeah um… It could be a university for reincarnations of deities, and they know that’s who they are. It could be like a greek life type of thing but also sort of… PJO-inspired? (Forgive me if I muck this up but I’ve never actually read the series). So, different houses or dorms accept applicants based on the values that their namesakes (deities) represent? This is probably heading into “been there, done that” territory but whatever.

And not to sound too controversial but uh… What’s wrong with a plain and simple ol’ college rp? No twists no extra layers or unique inspiration for the plot, just… Twenty-somethings going to classes and parties, working part-time jobs, living in shitty dorms and shared housing, falling asleep in the library?

Wait, holy shit, I can’t believe I was about to end this post without mentioning Community !!! So, I really, really, really wanna make/see a roleplay set in a community college like Greendale! It’s weird, it’s whacky, but you can get your damn degree without judgement from other students or staff, and that’s what matters! All ages welcome – college rps often focus on the 18-25 range, and while I get that, damn, would I love to see some older characters in that setting! My idea was to keep the group a small mumu and have the study group thing from Community carry over into the plot and use that to keep things moving every 6 weeks or so, but like… You could do so much! You could actually set it at Greendale if you really wanted to – that way you’ve already got some teachers, classes, locations, and school events to draw upon! Or create your own!! Have a list of compulsory subjects to choose from – idk what they’re called in the US, but how everyone’s gotta get a language credit, and English credit, a science and history credit, no matter what they’re majoring in? Yeah, so actually specificy what those classes would be, and let applicants put one of those somewhere in the app, and that way people are more likely to end up with classmate / potential study-group/study-buddy connections! 

I’m gonna stop now because I’ve kind of run out of steam, but hopefully some of what I said can help get your creativity flowing! If you wanna run any further questions (or plot ideas) by me, feel free to message me again – and please let me know if/when you do end up opening something!