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roll-for-gaslight · 1 month

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for whosoever believeth in him (shall not perish but have everlasting life)

An exploration of the two oldest Applebees siblings' relationship with religion. tw// religious trauma, child abuse, let me know if I should add anything else.

AO3 Version: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55677883/chapters/141332254

Part One: The Prophet

Part Two: The Proselyte

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

-Proverbs 3:5-6

When Kristen was having a hard day, this is the verse that came to mind most often. It was the one she fell back on when it got hard to stay awake at church, or Bucky did something to annoy her and her first instinct was to annoy him back. She was Helio’s Chosen, she knew better than to act like that. It’s not Bucky’s fault he hadn’t learned yet, he wasn’t Chosen like her, he would come to it in his own time. Instead, she would correct him gently and mend anything he broke with a Mending cantrip, one of the earliest signs of her Blessing. It’s the one she’s repeating under her breath now, as she dies in a highschool cafeteria, surrounded by the corn that should have, by all accounts, been blessed with Helio’s light and protected or healed her rather than harmed her. It’s her first set of dying words, though no one else would ever know it.

She sneaks her principal into heaven only to be sent back to the mortal plane herself. Worse than that, Helio refuses to answer the one question that’s been sitting on her mind for years: why do you let bad things happen to good people? Not only does he not have an answer, he throws her out of the afterlife when s he asks. There is a seed of doubt firmly planted in her heart by that interaction, though she supposes this isn’t the first time she felt a flutter of something like it.

"I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."

-Philippians 4:13

She supposes this could have gone better. She’s never been left home alone to babysit before, but her parents say that since he just turned nine she’s finally old enough. She’s making macaroni and cheese, with all three boys running around the dining room table. Bucky and Bricker are chasing Cork around the table because he has something she can’t quite make out in his hands, all screaming over each other. She’s just glad that when she told them it wasn’t safe to play in the kitchen they actually listened to her. She felt herself glow with pride at the thought, knowing her mom and dad would be proud of her for taking care of everyone tonight if all went well.

Then, a lot of things happen at once. There’s a crash, a scream, a thudding sound, and then all her brothers are crying. Bricker runs into the kitchen and barely stops short of crashing into her.

“KRISTENKristencomequickit’sCorkhe’shurt and—” he half-shouts, but she stops listening.

“Stay here, turn off the stove, and bring me the emergency phone!” she says immediately, shouting her instructions as she runs into the other room. When she arrives she sees Bucky first, blood all over his hands and face. It takes her a moment to remember what Bricker said and realize it isn’t his own blood, but Cork’s. She casts her eyes downward to see her youngest brother lying there, limp and colorless as blood pooled around him. There’s an action figure, one of Bucky’s, scattered into several pieces about a foot away from his hand. She approaches quickly, realizing that the blood is coming from his head, and grabs one of the napkins off of the table as she pushes Bucky out of the way.

“What happened?” she demands. Bucky looks up at her through his tears, and she realizes abruptly that she doesn’t know how to fix this.

“We were just trying to get my Adventure Man toy back! I tried to grab him and he lost his balance and his head hit the table and then he just started bleeding so fast I didn’t know what to do,” he says, and she does her best to offer him a comforting smile.

“Everything is going to be okay,” she assures him, silently begging Helio for forgiveness for bearing false witness, knowing the moment the lie passes her lips that she’ll have to repent in church for it on Sunday. He seems to relax at her words. “Go and get the black bottle with the white cap from under the bathroom sink.” she says, and he runs off. She’s left alone, for just a moment, with a slowly-dying Cork, and is faced with the helpless thought that she can’t heal him. She should have been watching him.

She begins to whisper prayers, each and every one she knows, under her breath.

Bucky and Bricker enter the room at the same time, both holding the things she instructed them to grab. She takes the hydrogen peroxide and tells Bucky to take the phone and call their parents, tell them they need to come home, but she’s not sure how to proceed after that. She feels tears prickle in her eyes as Cork’s breathing becomes shallower and shallower, and does her best to clean the wound and wrap it up despite the fact that the blood-soaked towel isn’t doing much anymore.

Just when the tears begin to fall, the moment that all hope seems lost, it happens. Her hands glow with a brilliant, burning golden light and the air fills with the scent of popcorn. Cork’s eyes fly open as the color returns to his face, and suddenly she can breathe again. She pulls her littlest brother into a tight hug, and Bucky and Bricker join them. She can faintly hear the sound of her parents as they come through the door, moments too late to be helpful but she’s grateful they’re there nonetheless. The whole world feels far away except for her brothers, right here with her.

“What happened here?” her mom asks, “Kristen, did you just heal your brother? Was he hurt, did you heal him?”

Kristen looks up from the hug and is only able to nod before her dad starts to separate the four of them. Bucky and Bricker move back when they’re told to, sent off to get cleaned up, but it takes her a few extra seconds before she can let herself let go. Her mom wraps her arms around her to guide her into the living room, and through the shock Kristen can faintly hear her calling Pastor Amelia to share the good news.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Sol’s will for you in Lord Helio.”

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Kristen’s eyes are starting to get heavy. She’s been staring upward for almost a full twenty-four hours at that point, feeling the searing heat of Sol’s light burn her face as she murmurs her prayers along with the pastor onstage. Pastor Amelia’s shift ended some time ago, so it was a man’s low southern drawl leading them now, but she can’t be sure how long it’s been. She’s ten, so it’s not her first Harvest Festival, so Helio is making her last longer than he used to before he intervenes to help her through her prayers. Her skin feels raw and blistering, and her eyes strain against the unrelenting light. She’s doing her best to make him proud.

She knows the girl beside her, who seemed so devoted when they met at the beginning, was carried out after only three hours or so. The boy in front of her passed out from the heat not long after. She had noticed that he drank all of his daily water in the first hour, but could do nothing to warn him. Bucky is on her other side, here for his first year in the Prayer and doing well. Next year they’ll be in different age groups, but she’s glad to have him here now. She’s pretty sure he’ll have to kneel soon because of how he’s shaking and sweating. Kneeling is allowed as long as they know you’re still awake. There’s a part of her that wants to kneel first so he’s not nervous, but she also knows it’s important that she remains standing as long as possible to fully connect with Helio.

She knows that probably within the hour, they’ll get an optional ten-minute break to refill their water. If Bucky can last until then, she’s pretty sure he’ll be able to make it through the next day.

He kneels, his head falling onto the ground immediately. She knows it’s technically against the rules, but she kicks him in the arm and casts one of her smallest healing spells for him. She can barely see in her peripheral vision as he glows momentarily and looks up at her. He’s still faintly murmuring prayers, so he’s not actually out yet. Kristen feels the toll the spell takes and her knees buckle, so she slowly kneels to avoid taking out those around her if she falls. She distantly notices several other kids around her kneel quickly after, as if they were all awaiting her cue as Chosen. She thinks she should maybe feel guilty for that, but she can’t quite bring care about them right now, only Bucky. He’s still sweating, but as she kneels he seems to remember his placement and raises his face to the sun yet again.

She waits anxiously for someone to say something or for Helio’s reprimand to come for breaking the rules. He sees all, so she knows it’s hopeless to think he won’t notice.

Despite that, nothing comes. When the ten-minute break arrives, Bucky turns as if to speak with her and she just hands him her water jug. “Can you fill this for me, Buck? I’m going to pray through the break. As much ice as you can crush in there, please.” she requests, and he nods.

“Yeah, Kristy, I can do that. I’ll let mom and dad know,” he responds, and she suddenly and desperately wishes for last year, when she was the only one of her siblings doing the full prayer and Bucky’s only job was to make sure she had water on breaks, free to spend most of the rest of the festival playing and enjoying the summer.

The pastor is taking a break, so anyone staying is welcome to do their own prayers. If there’s anyone else in the field, they must be really far away from her. She feels the breeze for the first time in a while, but the sun also beats down harder than before. She sends Helio her apologies, doing her best to appease him, but never feels the sweet rejuvenation of his miracles. Not until the very last second of what should have been her break, right as people return to the field. She feels all eyes on her as she realizes she must have been the only one that stayed judging by the size of the crowd. Right as she registers that information, she feels a warmth in her chest. It expands outward and the day becomes ten times brighter. She’s glowing and feels herself becoming weightless. She knows it’s Helio’s blessing at last, knew all along that forgoing her break was the perfect way to repent. It lasts a full minute before she slowly descends, and when she does she feels it.

She feels like she’s fresh off of a full night’s sleep, completely refreshed. Her braid has redone itself, she feels clean, and her skin is no longer blistering. People suddenly crowd around her on all sides, each kneeling beside her and taking a moment to look up to the sky before returning to their new formation, remaking the neat lines that had been lost before as others failed. Bucky is the last to approach and takes his place beside her, reaching out to grab her hand for one fleeting moment before pulling away again. He puts her water jug and his own between them. For a while, everything is perfect.

Seven hours later, the night brings a unique challenge, and the one that finally removes Bucky from the Prayer. It’s much cooler, a reprieve from the intense heat of the sun, but it’s also dark. At this point in the festival, that makes it too easy to fall asleep. He has the sense to kneel before he does it, but not to totally avoid colliding with Kristen. He falls across her feet, and suddenly she feels tears in her eyes. Maybe she should give up too, help him out of the crowd. She knows it would be frowned upon, and can picture the look of disappointment on her mom and dad’s faces when they see her step away. She can’t bring herself to move. Someone comes to collect Bucky, but she doesn’t see who.

She lasts until noon the next day. It’s been a full forty-eight hours, and she’s the last one standing for their entire age group. The field is empty around her. The clock strikes loudly for twelve o’clock, the time of day where Helio’s magic is the strongest, and suddenly her legs buckle and go out from beneath her. She hits the ground hard, feels the dirt and rocks scrape against her knee. The moment her head hits the ground, she loses consciousness.

Kristen wakes up alone on a cot. There’s a window open, letting fresh air and a little early morning light into the room. She checks her crystal to see it’s six in the morning, eyes aching at the light from the screen until she turns the brightness setting all the way down. She hovers over her mom’s contact for a few moments, considering texting to see where to find them, but can’t bring herself to actually do so. She closes her eyes instead to do a silent prayer for her daily spells, and it feels like a weight off her chest when she feels the holy magic fill her with warmth. Helio is proud of her. She did good.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord Helio is giving you.”

-Exodus 20:12

“Kristen, I don’t know how many times we’re going to have to go over this. If they don’t worship Helio, they’re sinners. It doesn’t matter what they do or say because anything done outside of Sol’s light is sin.” her dad is saying, frustration coloring his tone.

Her mom nods in agreement. “If they aren’t faithful, they aren’t your friend. If you can’t depend on them to make the right choice on the most important decision, how can you trust them with anything else?”

Kristen finds herself at a loss for words. It had been Bricker who started all of this, playing with that little Goblin girl on the playground before Mac and Donna had gotten the chance to pull him away. It had been an innocent question. “But she was so nice, what could be wrong with her?” he had said. He’d also immediately accepted his parents’ simple answer: she was a non-believer. Kristen had been fighting this battle for half an hour at this point, determined to show her parents the truth of Helio’s light. This is part of being Chosen, she thinks. It’s her job to right these wrongs, even if it means standing up to her parents.

“Mom, Dad, Sol’s light touches all creatures the same. If they act with good intentions and follow the rules of scripture, they have potential to find faith. Isn’t it our job to lead them there, and let them take their own path there? It doesn’t make them bad people, just lost ones.” she says, not for the first time.

“That’s enough, Kristen,” Mac says finally, using his this-conversation-is-over voice. She winces slightly, knowing that she’s in trouble. “You need to drop this, or we’ll have to go have a talk with Pastor Amelia about you questioning Helio’s word. Is that what you want?”

Panic fills her at the thought of Pastor Amelia’s disappointed face and tone. There’s no way she would still be Helio’s Chosen if she really questioned Him and she knows it. Pastor Amelia having to step in would definitely call it to His attention. She shakes her head quickly.

“No! No, of course not. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to question Him. I just didn’t understand, I guess,” she assures them quietly, and they seem satisfied. When she glances at her brothers, Bricker looks disappointed. She looks away.

“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

-Proverbs 6:16–19

Kristen has never been more excited than her first day of highschool. She’s excited to make friends, and to fulfill Helio’s word by showing them the light. It’s the whole reason that she wanted to go to Aguefort, and it’s why she asks Daybreak to send her to detention with the bad kids. Who better to help the most lost souls in the school than the Chosen of Helio? Who better to bring them under his holy gaze?

She feels a little bad for lying, but knows that she can repent for it tonight and Helio will understand. She feels worse about asking Daybreak to lie for her, and knows she needs to apologize to him too. She’s Chosen, she should know how to act better than that.

It doesn’t matter. They don’t seem happy about her proselytizing, but they seem to like her anyway. She’s looking forward to her new group, to finally getting the chance to be the yeast that makes the whole loaf rise.

She dies instead.

“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin."

-Leviticus 18:22

Tracker is maybe the coolest person Kristen has ever met. She’s openly queer, a werewolf, and she worships Galicaea. She grew up in the church and chose to leave it, which is scary, but it’s also really… Exciting? Thrilling? Enticing? Attractive? Kristen isn’t sure she has exactly the right word for it yet, but she knows it feels almost good.

She’s not so sure about Helio anymore. How could He not have the answers she was looking for? Not even for her, His Chosen? What did it even mean to be Chosen by Him? Did it mean anything, if she didn’t choose Him too? She’s not so sure anymore.

She hates that she hasn’t seen her brothers all week. It’s not like it is with her parents with them, they haven’t done anything wrong. She hates that her long school days have led to her avoiding her whole family. She’s had more sleepovers since school started than she has in the whole rest of her life.

She’s pretty sure she has a crush on Tracker. What would that mean for her? Would that make her gay? Or maybe bi? She hopes, for a moment, for that to be the truth but now that she’s thinking about it the thought of spending the rest of her life with a husband in a traditional marriage sounds… suffocating. Spending the rest of her life with someone fun and interesting like Tracker sounds so much better.

Maybe Helio isn’t everything. Maybe her parents are right about him, and if they are then she’s not interested. Maybe Helio holds hatred in his heart.

Maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe she’ll find something new.

Maybe she’ll take a leap of faith.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

-Hebrews 11:1

She can still cast magic. She’s not sure who or how, but her leap of faith didn’t strip her of her divine magic. She can still heal her friends, and her Spirit Guardians aren’t corn-themed. The magic flowing through her is strange and new, no longer searing heat but instead a slight chill that shoots its way through her from her very core.

Every night’s a sleepover as long as she’s not living at home. Her parents haven’t even tried to get her home yet, not even a text since the other night. She’s just glad Fig and Gilear have been so nice to let Kristen move in with them. There’s no way she would have been able to leave that house if they hadn’t offered; she couldn’t imagine actually asking her friends to take care of her like this. Fig was just nice enough to offer first, so she didn’t feel as bad just accepting.

Tracker is going to be her girlfriend, she’s pretty sure. She still has to actually ask, but she’s pretty sure the feelings she’s having are reciprocal. She talks to Ragh, quietly and briefly, about being gay. He doesn’t make fun of her, which she suspected he wouldn’t. He just nods respectfully along as she speaks and gives her a little head pat before they depart, the most affection she’s seen him show anyone but Dayne.

Kristen’s decided that she’s happy with who she is. If someone has a problem with it, she doesn’t need to care. That’s how Tracker talks about it all: her queerness, her religion, her lycanthropy. There’s no reason Kristen should have to change who she is for some bullshit rules that don’t actually mean anything. Fuck anyone who says otherwise.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

-Ephesians 2:8-9

Kristen is dying again. In the gym, at prom, she is being killed by the vice principal, but it doesn’t even matter. As Helio’s Chosen she is directed straight towards the main office of Heaven when she arrives, only to find Arthur Aguefort waiting for him. Not only does he agree to come back and help her return, but he also gives her his watch to use.

Oh, and she creates a new god.

No big deal.

Okay, big deal. She hates her new god, but it’ll be okay. Maybe YES! just has to grow on her.

“For Sol so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”

-John 3:16

The chapel makes Tracker freak out, but Kristen can’t get the image of the goddess out of her head. She was beautiful, and there was something strikingly familiar about her. She tries several times to draw her, but to no avail. She doesn’t voice her desires to her friends or even to Tracker on any kind of deeper level, but feels herself drawn to the idea of a forgotten goddess who specializes in doubt. Doubt has already gotten her this far, right?

As they venture into Sylvaire and split up to gather the ingredients, only to lose all their allies except Gilear. Oh, yeah, and Kristen almost dies again, but at least this time she saves Riz. At least this time she has the chance to do some good. She thinks that it’s worth it as long as her friends are safe.

When they make it to the chapel in the forest, their second time coming in, she’s grateful to have Fabian watching her back. The whole place seems creepy, but also strangely alluring. She wants to understand who this goddess was before she was abandoned. Why would her followers do this to her? She steps closer.

‘Why do you searching for me?’ a low, crackling voice speaks directly into her mind.

“I heard that you were the goddess of doubt, and that really resonates with me right now,” Kristen begins to say, but those aren’t the right words. She pauses for a moment to think. “I have a lot of praise for you.” she says finally.

There’s a sharp pain in her chest, accompanied by a horrible wet sound. She chokes, suddenly unable to catch her breath, and grasps for whatever hurt her only to make contact with something that feels like solid bone. She looks down and— Is that a spike?

Fabian says something and then he’s gone and it’s dark. She holds onto consciousness for as long as she can, tilting her head up to the sky and wishing, just for a moment, for the strength of a god supporting her the way Helio used to. It doesn’t come. Neither do her friends.

‘I have a lot of praise for you.’

What was she thinking?

Kristen Applebees, dying yet again with a prayer on her lips.

“‘Who’ is easy. It is us, everything, and you. ‘Why’ is harder.’Why’ is something that only you can decide. The universe doesn't have a ‘why’.”

For a while, she’s floating in nothing. She doesn’t have a sense of time or space, it’s neither light nor dark, there is no sensation. Everything is just empty for a while, and then it’s not anymore. Her eyes are already open when she comes to, face turned upward towards the ceiling.

She looks down to find a gaping hole in her chest, her tie-dye shirt soaked through with blood. She puts her hand through it to make sure it’s not an illusion, but realizes belatedly that that doesn’t mean anything in the Nightmare forest. Looking at her hand, she realizes that her pinky finger is missing too.

She slowly, carefully, wanders out of the room and into the forest. Her friends are far away, and she’s scared, and she’s pretty sure she’s still dead. That suspicion is confirmed when she’s brought face-to-face with the person she wants to see the least right now: Helio. He’s accompanied by Sol and a woman Kristen doesn’t immediately recognize.

The woman introduces herself as Galicaea, Tracker’s goddess, and Kristen can’t help but feel comforted by the thought of her girlfriend for a few moments before it all goes wrong. Are these her only options? Sol’s bullshit or Galicaea’s?

No.

She’ll make her own options. She punches Helio in the face.

Her philosophers aid her as they always have, helping her find the path away and giving her magic while she can’t rely on a deity. She knows what she needs to do.

She’s going to bring back the mystery goddess, no matter what it takes.

“The first rule of existence is as above, so below. People are fractal images of the universe. You are, as we are.”

If the first rule is as above, so below, that’s where she’ll start.

She ends up deep in the forest, and she can hear Tracker hunting her somewhere in the distance. She takes mud from the forest floor and blood from her own chest, using it to paint the goddess’s face on the bark of a wide tree. She’s no artist, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

She all but lays down, her knees folded underneath her and body pressed low, but her eyes cast up to the image. Slowly, it shifts until it shows the image of a beautiful goddess, the very one Kristen has been reaching out for.

She appears in an inky void, mountains in the distance and a deity made of starlight in front of her. They speak of finding comfort in the dark unknown and wielding doubt as a tool rather than holding it in her heart; Kristen feels something slot together like a piece has been missing from the core of her very existence and it’s finally here.

She’s pulled out of the conversation by danger looming outside of her new twilight protective circle, but Tracker is the danger. He escapes into the woods, free yet again, and finally finds her friends. She feels drawn in until she can pull the pinky finger bone out of Adaine’s pocket. She casts raise dead, there’s a sudden bright flash of light, and then it’s done.

She feels her body return to her, hears her friends’ exclamations of surprise at her sudden appearance. She can see, in the low dusk light, the purple tie-dye of her new shirt made to represent her new goddess. Cassandra. She takes her first breath.

St. Kristen Applebees is born again.

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literaryvein · 3 months

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MY WRITING COLLECTIONS

1. I WANT TO BE SO AWFULLY HAPPY THAT I NEVER NEED TO WRITE POETRY AGAIN. This writing collection contains 79 free verse poetry. It begins with the bright top notes of bergamot, pomegranate, peppermint, and a splash of prophetic silence. It then takes on a floral mixture of carnation and geranium, tangled with an ocean of grief. The collection ends with a blend of white musk, Bourbon vanilla, and a handprint of the happy, unlived years.

2. bored god. This writing collection contains 22 free verse poetry and prose pieces. You know what I’m afraid of? That God is sick of us (N.M.)

3. monochrome me. This writing collection contains 20 free verse poetry, prose pieces, and stream of consciousness. Teaching myself how to be me again.

4. mimicking maelstroms. A 417-page collection of poetry and prose pieces. Writings with “REQ” at the bottom indicate that the piece was requested by a reader. This contains writings that have been tossed into the flames of the internet, with some additional pieces that have since been salvaged from the fire, and a few that have never felt the sun on their face.

5. writings from the fields of asphodel. This writing collection contains 20 poetry and prose pieces. In Greek mythology, the Asphodel Meadows is depicted as the part of the Underworld inhabited by ordinary souls, those whose lives were neither good nor evil. Lately, life is an aimless wandering through these empty fields.

6. Orchids and Other Poems This poetry collection contains 20 free verse poems. It opens up with the fresh floral notes of orchids, lavender, roses, and an ex-poet’s introspection. The heart turns dark and sweet with a blend of honeysuckle, lily-of-the-valley, religious undertones, and a variety of funeral flowers. Finally, the closing notes bring the collection together with warm amber, sandalwood, summer memories, and a hint of home.

7. Poetic Paralysis This poetry collection contains 20 free verse poems. It is split in two equal halves; the gap between these two halves represents the year I stopped writing. My year of poetic paralysis. This collection will be available on the 29th of February 2024.

8. The Book of Strangers (Part 1: The Tea Room) This writing collection consists of 17 poetry and prose pieces handwoven from strangers' stories. In another universe, we meet at the tea room. These written pieces are cups of tea I offer to you as my thanks for giving me a glimpse of your heart, dear strangers.

9. The Book of Strangers (Part 2: The Poet's Garden) This writing collection consists of 24 free verse poetry, prose pieces, and stream of consciousness handwoven from strangers' stories. This time, we meet at the poet's garden. These written pieces are flowers I plucked for you as my thanks for giving me a glimpse of your heart. Don't worry, the poet wouldn't mind.

Send Me A Message if you want to read any of my writing collections. I will send you a link if: (i) you are following this blog; (ii) indicate which collection/s you want (i.e., 1, 2, 3 etc.); (iii) let me know what you think after reading it; and (iv) do NOT know me personally.

- L. V.

#literaryvein #poetry #writeblr #writers on tumblr #poets on tumblr #original writing #literature #spilled thoughts #spilled ink

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peppermint-rat · 5 months

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"XMO Heart Attack"

Glued inside the stall door of a bathroom in a mormon chapel. "Praise to the man" is one of the most disgusting hymns to me. It was a real struggle to keep it in my head long enough to write this. I know saying you were literally shaking is kind of an eye roll on here (for good reason) but I can honestly say I was trembling with rage as I composed this. So cathartic to finally, finally do something with that anger.

Timpanogos tribe's website where you can learn more and donate

LandBack

Poem in plain text under the cut

Praise to the man who wrote Doctrine & Covenants!

Verse 59, Section 132

Nothing is sinful if men do it in God's name

Thank Joe for that, or the mormons would be doomed

Praise to our Brigham, who ordered "EXTERMINATION!"

A series of massacres we call the "Black Hawk War"

Those poor Timpanogos, they were killed by the thousands

But our grand, spacious building was built upon the gore

The mormon militia carved the heads from their victims

For two weeks, the captives were forced to watch them rot

Those women and children were then sold into slavery

They were Lamanites; they deserved what they got

Your children sing of "Lamanites", just as I did

So don't try to tell me it's different today

Say that your prophet told you, "Murder your brother"

Could you, a good mormon, really disobey?

Packer and Oaks said, "Sometimes truth is not useful"

What useful lies have they told you instead?

Pulled threads cannot unravel truth, so I ask thee

Why have they made it a sin to pull their thread?

This made you uncomfortable, and thus, must be evil

A test of your faith, I remember, yes, I know

But Jesus will want to know why you're cool with murder

He won't be impressed when you say, "Have you met Joe?"

"Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven"?

The church must atone for the blood on stolen land!

Wake up, the world will see your buried injustice;

Millions SHALL KNOW "Brother Joseph" again!

#exmo #exmormon #apostate #apostake #brigham young #and now I'm allowed to turn 30 in two weeks

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 2 months

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By: Adam B. Coleman

Published: Apr 17, 2024

Recently I was driving through an affluent neighborhood outside of Boston and I saw more "Black Lives Matter" flags on one street than I've ever seen in totality in any black majority working-class neighborhood.

If I were to presume that most of the people who live in this area are white, why do they feel the need to brandish this flag more so than black people? It only makes sense if "Black Lives Matter" were using the image of black people as a front for an upper-class religion.

Most people agree with black lives matter as a sentiment, including me, but for many it's a way to signal to other ideological believers where they stand and differentiate themselves from the non-believers.

It's no different than if I wore a cross on my chest to let others know about my faith in Christ: they want to signal to the world their social justice & economic status. Within their class bubble, this is how they measure their righteousness against others within their enclave.

That flag has nothing to do with me as a black person but instead has everything to do with making upper-class suburbanites feel less guilty about their social status and elevate their moral standing amongst their social circle.

They find affirmation about us needing them as our faux saviors through other upper-class blacks, especially the academics who are well-versed in their ideological scripture and reject people like me as being false prophets attempting to lead them astray.

Sometimes when people are void of significant problems, they manufacture their own or adopt other people's problems. I believe a significant reason why this ideology holds so strongly amongst the wealthy is because it gives them purpose and an issue to strive to resolve.

However, regular people who are just trying to make ends meet don't need to create problems that aren't there: they have enough of them already. They don't generally have an ego that accepts the possibility of how they can become the saviors of the world, one flag at a time.

Coincidentally, on that same street, those same houses all had LGBT flags and "hate has no home here" lawn signs: It was like driving through an internet meme mocking the ideological left.

Because they rarely leave their bubble, they can't see the absurdity in their actions. They are distant from the demographics they claim to champion, making their advocacy theoretical and improbable for them to bring a resolution to the problems they claim are abundant.

Personally, I am skeptical about anyone who attempts to state their character unprovoked. When I see a neighborhood like that which is trying to convey that they are good people, I think to myself "If you're moral people, you don't need to tell me this: It will shine through."

I worry that there is a segment of wealthy Americans who are insecure about their morality, which is why they quickly bought into a narrative about them being inherently racist or immoral based on what they look like. Maybe this is their way to repent for their sins?

The reason we are being inundated with racial fallacies, outrageous claims, and ideological bent in our media coverage, entertainment, and legislation is that the people who dominate in these fields have all graduated from the same seminary-esque liberal universities.

What's very clear to me is that the flourishing of radical left-wing ideology is fueled by those who reign at the top of the economic ladder. They are disconnected from the rest of us & can't see the ridiculousness of what they're doing because their bubble only reflects their image.

#Adam B. Coleman #BLM #Black Lives Matter #virtue signal #virtue signalling #virtue signaling #white savior complex #white saviorism #white savior #woke #wokeness #cult of woke #wokeness as religion #wokeism #religion is a mental illness

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scribeforchrist-blog · 19 hours

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Sheep’s Amongst Wolves

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK =========================

+ Jeremiah 17:7: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. ========================= VERSE OF THE DAY  ======================== + Romans 16:17-18 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites ========================= SUBJECT: Sheep’s Amongst Wolves  ========================= ** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS ** I AM A SHEEP I AM WISE I AM RIGHTEOUS  I AM FULL OF WISDOM  ******************************** THOUGHTS: =======================  We will meet people who are not out to serve Christ. They will seem to have the agenda of serving God, or that they are a Christian, but truly they were placed there to destroy your destiny. Many people are working for the enemy, and they can see what God has placed in you and they are ready to block it. Today's verse says I urge you; he said, “I strongly desired; I encourage you to watch out for people that can cause problems contrary to what you know the word says; these people aren’t serving god, but their plans.”  Paul warns us that everyone will not want to see us succeed in our walk with God. There are folks out there, that are from the demonic, and they want to cause you to separate from God, and they will do everything they can to give you the wrong word from God. They will even give you information that isn’t true because they are out to stop you from walking in the light and using the anointing that was given to you by God; they want to stop the call you have. Look at this prophet in the bible  1 King 13:18 The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (But he was lying to him.)  This prophet didn’t mean this other prophet any good; he lied to him, and the other prophet refused to heed the instructions of God. He already knew what God was telling him to do, and instead of listening to God, he listened to this prophet and he told him wrong. Just because someone carries a title doesn’t mean they know what suits your life. That’s why we must “believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”   We must pray about new and old people who come and has been in our lives because they are out to destroy what we have with God, and they will do it and move on to the next person. If we aren’t wise to the snares and traps of the devil, that’s why we pray every day and connect with the true vine; the word even tells us that John 15:4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”  It says we can't bear any fruit without him; we can't do anything without him, so we must remain in Him. To remain in God, we must feed our spirit man daily with the word. We can't destroy Satan by shouting , or with tears and emotion. We can only defeat the spirits he sends our way by speaking the word of God; that’s why we must learn the word of God so that we can grow in discernment, in seeing, and in hearing because if we are ignoring God and ignoring our relationship with him my friends, we will become spiritually dry. We will lose our destiny or calling by doing things that are not of God because we allowed our relationship to die.  2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So, it is no surprise that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 

It’s people out here right now who are not out to see you succeed in your growth with God; they will deceive you and tell you that your gift of tongues isn’t tongues; they will try to silence you to make you stop praying, and this is what the enemy wants for us all to stop praying in tongues because when we do he then understand what we are speaking to God about but otherwise he can’t understand it, nor can he block so he plants doubts in our heads about it to silence us the Christian walk is real and the things we come against is real but as long as we think that a devil is a small man with a pitchfork and a hat and not see him as what he is , the Bible calls the devil a roaring lion , If we don’t stop and take under consideration of who we are entertain we will forever dwell in a season of non-growth and disbelief.   ***Today, we learned about false teachers, false prophets, and destiny stealers; we learned that this is real, and we must pray about the people that are in our lives and are heading our way; the word says Jesus said unto us I send you out as sheep amongst wolves, that the world is dangerous and people will do whatever they can to pressure you from your path look at Peter, Peter said “ Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”  Jesus immediately rebuked him, and that’s what we must do: rebuke the enemy and stay away from what is false; the enemy wants us not to get to our calling because he knows that once we start walking in the peace of God , in his love ,in his grace ,in his mercy and it’s no way he can stand against the power and the anointing that’s going to be upon our life by God. Children of God, we must be mindful of what we do and who we are around, the enemy will use anyone to place thoughts and bridges between us and God! ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee ======================== PRAYER ======================== Heavenly Father, we thank you for everything; we ask you to help us get through the day, give us wisdom and knowledge so we may understand your word, and remove anyone in our life we shouldn’t be around or listen to. God gives us eyes to see and ears to hear. Lord, protect us from the things of this word. Lord, we are your sheep and we hear your voice , We ask you to direct our steps, and we will heed your voice ,forgive us of the sins we have done; in Jesus Name, Amen  ======================== REFERENCES  ======================== + Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God but merely human concerns.”  + Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'"  + Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock ======================== FURTHER READINGS  ========================= Proverbs 5  1 Chronicles 8 Leviticus 13 2 Chronicles 12 =========================

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eisforeidolon · 3 days

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Hey there, I hope you don't mind me dropping in here on a topic from a few days ago and harping on about it (I'm not very well-versed on ask boxes so I'm a bit unsure of the etiquette. If I commit a major faux-pas, forgive me). Apologies if this ends up a little long and a lot sarcastic - I have opinions about this. It's given me a fair bit of grief over the years.

Y'know, I see these 'abusive Dean' takes float across my dash a fair bit (apparently not being into Destiel or Wincest means I must be a Bitter Sam-girl instead and hate Dean, according to Tumblr). The oh-so-delightful 'abusive husband Dean and beaten wife Sam' takes. People calling Sam 'beaten wife coded' in general. One based on a grand total of two instances where he flinched cause Dean made a loud violent noise near him (who the hell wouldn't, you don't need to be 'beaten wife coded' to flinch when someone chucks a chair at a wall, it's almost like Sam has some kind of trauma about various other things and might be generally jumpy...). Or taking the end of S10 out of context and choosing to forget that Dean was nearly fully taken over by a mark of fratricide (which he still managed to overcome, they conveniently fail to mention that). And I just... ugh.

What I never understood about these takes is like... why? There's trying to paint your fave in a good light and a character you hate in a bad one, but then there's making the heart and soul of the show itself into something so ugly it ruins it for other people, like your Anon, and honestly this happened to me too a while ago before I forced myself to stop listening to the greater fandom and find a few I trusted (like you). Even still, it gets all up in my head sometimes. Why are these people finding such glee in making the central relationship so awful? What are you getting out of this show if you think that about it?

Like, imagine looking at the finale through this lens. Congratulations, you turned something sad but ultimately bittersweet into something horrible, the 'beaten wife' dedicating the rest of their life to their 'abuser' then being forced to be with them for eternity, and this is portrayed as a good thing. Why would you ever want to view it that way? Plus, it's rather forced if you take it as a whole - the few times Sam stood there looking contrite while Dean did something stupid pale in comparison to the number of times he calls him out on it, even in the later seasons (14x12 Prophet and Loss, anyone? 15x17 Unity?).

I guess people can take from media what they want, it's obviously not my place to police people's enjoyment, but I just never got the appeal. It seems so counter to what the show was clearly actually trying to do, yet they tout it as fact (now where have I seen that before). Like it's somehow a bad thing to enjoy the show on its own terms. Coming across these takes still kinda bums me out. This goes for people insisting it's the other way around too - I can't stand any brother vs. brother stuff either, it's never anything but bad faith, and honestly kinda misses the point. Some of these people boggle my mind with their lack of empathy.

If there's one thing this fandom is good for, it's honing your ability to roll your eyes and move along. It's full of so much absolute batshit insanity that you'll never survive if you listen to every take. Trust me, I've tried. Do you know which tags to block to avoid this kinda stuff? Cause I never seem to be able to.

Sorry if this was a bit of a rant dump, heh. I'm usually a chronic lurker, but this discourse in particular bothers me immensely.

You're absolutely fine, I mind neither bringing up previous topics nor excessive length (be a bit of a hypocrite if I did, tbh). And yeah, it's one of my least favorite SPN fandom discourses, too.

It does feel like it's pretty hard to find any corner of the fandom where you won't at least occasionally see one side or the other's worst faith not!fave-brother-is-terrible takes. And oh, do I hate the 'beaten wife Sam' half of the 'Dean is an abuser' discourse equation just as much. Like, supposedly they like Sam, so why on earth would they want to pretend this stubborn competent badass of a character is actually a helpless pathetic marshmallow?! Same with Dean on the opposite side of the fandom - it's not just the character they're constantly maligning I can't recognize, the character they "like" similarly bears very little resemblance to the one I'm a fan of!

So far as I can tell, some people just desperately need their favorite character to be the best one who is always in the right. Whether it's over-identification or what, I don't know. They seem to think they achieve it by reframing large portions of the canon as justifying, unfairly attacking, or insulting that character as necessary. Except they don't see how from the outside it very often looks entirely absurd, regardless of if they're doing it in favor of Sam, Dean, or Castiel. Which is not to say there aren't parts of canon which treat all of those characters ridiculously in one way or another? But it's the total fixation on it only being the case with their favorite character in every possible situation where it gets weird.

Every great once in a while, I do manage to come across a take that really annoys me. But for the most part? The extreme ones are just so absurd, so divorced from what anyone even vaguely trying to understand the other characters' motivations and what the show quite obviously intended? I just can't take it at all seriously. Especially when they (as they so often do) get canon details wrong or pointedly "forget" all the canon points that blatantly don't fit their narrative.

Unfortunately, like with a certain ship, when it comes to tagging? You're kind of at the mercy of the self-awareness of the poster about how much other people may not want to see their hot takes.

#askboxery #anonymous #fandom issues #long post #brother vs. brother

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queenie-blackthorn · 2 months

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Do you have a favorite passage of the Quran?

i dont have favorite passages as much as i have favorite ayat (verses)

so, surely with hardship comes ease.

Surely with ˹that˺ hardship comes ˹more˺ ease

these two verses from 94:5-6 has helped me calm down more than you can imagine. i cant explain the calming effect that remembering these two has on me.

do not let their words grieve you.

as someone who got bullied, 10:65 helped a lot.

Allah is the Guardian of the believers—He brings them out of darkness and into light.

this is 2:257 and also rlly comforted me

then this one is kinda different:

and We have put a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and have covered them up, so they are unable to see.

(side note: the "we" here is the royal we, just in case thats confusing lol)

this is a verse that protected muhammad pbuh from being killed when he was fleeing mecca, and it has protected me from my parents. whenever i notice my parents starting to get angry and i get scared, i just whisper this verse (but in arabic – this is the pronunciation if anyone at all wants it) and they always, always get distracted. either my brothers start fighting and my mom has to attend to them, or my dad gets a phone call from work, i swear it works (for me at least). its become my mantra atp <3

oh and theres one more; the entire surah (chapter) of ad-duha (the morning hours). this ones a long story

abt a year ago (back when i was at the lowest point of my life, sh'ing, having regular panic attacks at school) i dreamt of being in a cave, and there was an old man with a long white beard wearing a thobe next to me, but he was focused on something and mumbling to himself. i focused and i saw he was compiling the quran into a book, and i looked in front of me and i saw scattered pages of the quran. i started compiling it with him, but it kinda compiled itself and then flipped open to a random page, which was open to ad-duha

for reference, ad-duha is short, so this is what it looked like:

its that big block in the middle, it fits comfortably on a single page with room for other chapters above and below.

so i told this dream to my moms friend whos good at interpreting dreams, and she told me to read the surah. so i did.

this surah came down on the prophet pbuh in a low point in his life when he thought he was abandoned by god bc he hadnt received any messages from the angel gabriel in over six months. in this short 11-verse chapter, here are a few of the verses:

Your Lord has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful ˹of you˺. (verse 3)

And the next life is certainly far better for you than this one. (verse 4)

And ˹surely˺ your Lord will give so much to you that you will be pleased. (verse 5)

Did He not find you unguided then guided you? (verse 7)

i cannot explain the feeling i got when i read these verses. i cannot properly formulate into words the effect that reading this had on me.

keep in mind, this surah is taught to us as children bc its short. ages 8 and below. i had memorized this long ago but i never really focused on the words? cause its classical arabic, which is largely different from my dialect of arabic, so mostly i know the words but not their meanings iykwim. like i know the word "qala" but i dont know what it means.

so i dont think it was my mind grasping for things of comfort in order to make me feel better; i didnt know that this surah was meant to be reassuring until after the dream.

to this day, i read it whenever i feel kinda low<3

#now that i think abt it #a lot of these are comforting #maybe its bc im usually the one who does the comforting #so its nice having something / someone comfort ME for a change #quran #holy quran #quran kareem #quran ayah #prophet muhammad #muslim #islam #islamicpost #allah #islamic #allahswt #quran quotes #quran translation

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sparklecryptid · 2 years

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Does Tredd screech when Luche puts their frozen feet on his legs?

Luche is a vengeful man that much Tredd knows. Luche doesn’t forget when one has wronged him, rather he lets it fester in his mind until an opportunity comes for Luche to remind others why exactly Titus likes him so much.

Tredd hasn’t done anything wrong, Tredd is certain that he hasn’t done anything wrong.

This does not stop Luche from putting his freezing cold hands and feet on Luche’s bare back as they settle down to sleep.

Tredd yelps and attempts to pull away only for Luche to cling to him like a baby Opo-opo and so Tredd flails and they both fall off the bed.

Tredd lands with a thud on the ground. Luche lands on top of him with a smug smile on his face.

“The hell are you so cold for?” Tredd demands, “Have you been wandering again?”

“You’ll leave me,” Luche says in lieu of an answer, “Consider this revenge for that.”

Silence. Tredd knows he looks dumb with his mouth agape and his eyes wide as he stares at his idiot of a boyfriend.

As if Tredd is going to leave Luche. As if Tredd would abandoned his Lazarus.

“I’m not going to leave you asshole,” Tredd says and pulls Luche - who is still cold as a winters night - onto his chest. Tredd shivers and Luche tries to pull away.

Tredd doesn’t let him.

“You’re stuck with me,” Tredd says, “I wouldn’t leave you even if the sky fell.”

#what good do prophets bring verse

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herald-divine-hell · 1 month

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I don’t usually make posts like this, but I want to be clear: I am a Muslim - the correct term for Muhammad’s followers would have been Mu’min, or Believers, as some of you know from my posts about Ramadan and Eid. I believe strongly in my religion and it’s called for mercy and compassion, justice and dignity, for all mankind. Do not make broad presumptions about our holy text, how it calls for the death of “non-believers” - a term not used in the Quran itself: k-f-r is multifaceted and means different things - especially to the Christians and Jews, commanding us to convert all mankind to “Islam” - a word in the Quran to mean the general practice of submitting to the Divine Will and not just the way brought to Muhammad.

Here are verses which display the Quran’s love of diviserty and commands for the Christians and Jews to follow their own faiths:

49:13: “O’ mankind! Truly We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples [communities/nations] and tribes that you may come to know each one another. Surely the most know before God is the most reverent. Truly God is Relenting, Merciful.”

2:111-113 notes: "And they say: 'None will enter Paradise expect who is a Jew or Christian.' These are their desires. Say, 'Bring your proof if you are truthful.' Nay. Whoever submits themselves to Allah and does good will have their reward with their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve. The Jews say, 'The Christians have nothing to stand on' and the Christians say, 'The Jews have nothing to stand on,' although both recite the Scriptures, like those who do not know say similar sayings; but Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgement in what they differ [dispute].”

The phrase. “And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve” is a common sentiment made in the Quran regarding Divine salvation, and it is offered multiple times to not only Muhammad’s followers - the Believers, not the Muslims - but to other groups as well.

2:62: “Indeed, the believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabians—whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good will have their reward with their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.”

5:69: “Indeed, the believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabians—whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good will have their reward with their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.”

The Quran calls for the Christians and Jews to follow their own pathways to God.

5:43-48: “And how is it that they come to thee for judgment, when they have the Torah, wherein is God’s Judgment? Yet even after that, they turn their backs, and they are not believers. Indeed, We revealed the Torah, containing guidance and light, by which the prophets, who submitted themselves to God, made judgments for Jews. So too did the rabbis and scholars judge according to God’s Book, with which they were entrusted and of which they were made keepers. So do not fear the people; fear Me! Nor trade my revelations for a fleeting gain. And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are the disbelievers. And therein We prescribed for them: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds, retribution. But whoever forgoes it out of charity, it shall be an expiation for them. Whoever judges not by that which God has sent down - it is they who are wrongdoers. And in the their footsteps, We sent Jesus son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him, and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is a guidance and light to the reverent. Let the people of the Gospel [the Christians] judge by what God has send down therein. Whoever judges not by that which God has sent down--it is they who are iniquitous. And We have sent down unto you the Book (the Quran) in truth, confirming the Books that came before, and as a protector [guardian] over them. So judge between them in accordance with what God has sent down, and follow not their caprices away from the truth that has come onto you. For each among you We have appointed a law and a way. And had God willed, He would have made you one community, but He willed otherwise, that He might try you in which He has given you. So vie with one another in good deeds. Unto God shall be your return all together, and He will inform you of what therein you differ."

For Peace and Goodness:

8:61: And if they incline to peace, incline you toward it, and trust in God! Truly He is the Hearing, Knowing.

41:34: “The good deed and the evil deed are not the same. Repel evil with which is better [the highest good]; then behold, the one between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal, protecting friend.”

The Quran does allow military action, but only for the sake of preserving one’s right to follow the Quran, and never to be transgressors. Indeed, there is evidence, given the Quran is the only true primary source of the Prophet written down, that Muhammad followed a concept of “just war” in defensive lens rather than aggressive actions. So, no, Islam does not wish to take the world and convert others by the sword. The early Muslims who succeeded Muhammad didn’t even do that when they conquered Rome [Byzantium] and Iran. The caliphate remained predominately Christian until the 9th, 10th, or 11th century.

#Tim rambles #please actual take time to learn the Quran and the events occurring at the time before you attack followers of that faith #rant

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learning-islam-together · 9 months

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Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim (In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate)

(بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم)

…………….. do not make them runaway (from Islam) ~ Imam Bukhari 69.

From our July 2020 archives.

SAHIH BUKHARI HADITH NO. 69

Chapter 3 from THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE :~

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet ‎(ﷺ) said, Facilitate things to people (concerning religious matters), and do not make it hard for them and give them good tidings and do not make them run away (from Islam).

Islam is simple, don’t make it complicated.

God intends for you ease.

The religion Islam is easy, beautiful and simply perfect. Why make things hard? The Qur’an reads: “Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” (Qur’an, 2:185)

This verse explains that Islam is easy to follow and rather encourages us to create ease in religion. Unfortunately some Muslims, including some reverts, are under the misconception that the more stringent they are in following religion, the more pious they become. This is totally in contradiction to what our religion teaches us. The misconception is a result of lack of understanding of religion and at times drives some people away from religion, mainly because of the way it is presented to them.

Some people have aimed at causing religion to deviate from its essence, preventing religion from being practiced by attempting to add on many difficult practices and superstitions to it. Such practices have sadly resulted in people deviating from Islam. However from the information set forth in the verses in the Qur’an and the replete stories and Hadiths by the Prophet (peace be upon him), we can ascertain that it is easy for sincere Muslims to be good Muslims.

Some groups of people in attempting to distinguish the reality of Islam ~ the genuine beauty, simplicity and practicality have tried a simple forum of reasoning but only have managed to get themselves labelled as deviants and sects, sadly.

Here at LEARNING ISLAM we try our utmost to keep it uncomplicated and easy as Prophet Muhammad ‎(ﷺ) did per his valued Sunnah. Sometimes a trapezoidal act but Alhumdulillah we seem to have been blessed and we are enamored to pass this blessing of dawah to each and everyone of you.

In this life we are tested and according to the morals and faith we show in this world and God determines where our real life will be lived, that being Hell or Heaven. The test is quite easy; God wishes for us to simply to live the life that brings happiness and peace in this world within the tenets of Islam. in short to live our life in moderation.

Don’t go to extremes dearest sisters & brothers 🙏

#learningislamtogether #muslim #hadith #islam #quran #hijab #muslimah #qur’an #allahisone #mashallah #dawah

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hiswordsarekisses · 8 months

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This post is so wonderful. I found this on a Facebook page called “Waiting Well Changes Everything”

“We all know and love Jeremiah 29:11, but I urge you to go back to verse one and lean into some game changing truths:

Verses 1, 4 & 7 …

King Nebuchadnezzar had deported God’s chosen people from Jerusalem to Babylon in exile. But in verses 4 and 7, the Lord made it clear through Jeremiah’s letter that GOD alone was responsible for the deportation of his people. I often skipped over that inconspicuous detail, focusing more on the exile itself, but it’s critical to realize our loving Heavenly Father will sometimes bring us to incredibly uncomfortable places for our own benefit - although there’s nothing that feels good at the time.

And we often cast blame on the person or situation causing our pain rather than consider that there’s a spiritual aspect in play. The Israelites, no doubt, looked at the king as the source of their pain and suffering. He received their wrath because he was the one they could visibly see, the one who uprooted them, who forced them from their homes and radically altered their lives; he was the issue. But God told the Israelites twice that HE was responsible for deporting them. The God they worship; the God they can’t see; their loving God orchestrated in the spiritual realm an exile in the physical realm. What we see is not ever the true reflection of our reality.

Verses 5 and 6 …. Accept the fact that you’re going to be in this season for awhile. Before God told the Israelites how long they’d be in exile, he gave them his expectations: “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.”

These are all long term directives in a place the Israelites didn’t want to be. Our seasons of exile or wilderness will all look different, and I’m praying they won’t last the 70 years of the Israelites, but what I can tell you is the longer you fight it, the longer you will be planted there. Leaning into all that God has to show you, how he wants to mold you, will insure the greatest transformation in the least amount of time.

Inhale, exhale and accept verse 7 … “Pursue the well being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you thrive.” I can imagine how hard it was for the Israelites to pray for the king and all those who persecuted them daily. God was calling them to bless the very people who were hurting them. And so are we called. God says, when we pray for them and they thrive, then we thrive. How counter intuitive is that?! Only you and God know who should be the focus of your prayers in that exile. It’s hard to swallow at first, but God massively blesses and ministers to those who can rise up and pray for the souls of those doing the persecuting.

Verse 8 … You’re searching YouTube and Facebook for prophetic words from ANYone; you’re seeking advice from friends and family; you’re desperate for a sign, a dream, anything to give you direction. Warning! When we are desperate for a word, ANY word will often suffice, and the world is all too willing to supply it:

“You need to move on.”

“God wouldn’t want you suffering like this”

“Are you sure you heard God right?”

“Really … just put it all behind you.”

“Maybe God didn’t mean for it right now, but later ... when things don’t look so impossible.”

God knew you would go seeking. That’s why he gave his declaration in verses 8 and 9: don’t be deceived; don’t go seeking dream interpretations; don’t go seeking advice, for they are prophesying FALSELY to you in my name. I HAVE NOT SENT THEM.

If you go looking for someone to walk you out of an exile, that God has deported you to, make no mistake, you’ll find an escort, and most likely they’ll be a handsome, pretty, sweet-talkin’ package that looks and feels so “easy”, but it won’t be a Heavenly-orchestrated escort. You’ll wake up one day to find a greater prison then you had in the exile. Don’t allow your social circle, your family or friends, your co-workers to have more influence in your decisions then what God had said directly to you.

And finally, verses 10 and 11 … so often we glorify verse 11, but we miss the fact that God, in verse 10, had just announced the Israelites were to be in exile for almost a life time - 70 years to be exact. God was reassuring his people that despite the length of the exile, and the pain and suffering of the exile, he had a plan … a plan for their well-being, not for disaster, to give them a future and a hope beyond the exile. He was reassuring them that in this exile they can call out to him, pray and seek him, and that they will be heard by and find him. And that God planned to restore their fortunes and their relationships from the place HE banished them to.

In the midst of our exile, there is no greater beauty than the sweet words of God saying, “I will restore you to the place from which I deported you.”

We are encouraged to have faith in the exile; keep faith in the exile; and know that faith always proceeds the evidence that is most assuredly on the way.”

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 230

Istiqama (Straightforwardness)

People of truth have interpreted straightforwardness as avoiding all deviation and extremes, and as following in the footsteps of the Prophets, the faithful, the witnesses (of truth), and the righteous (in belief) in their religious deeds and daily lives. The verse: Those who declare: “Our Lord is God,” and afterwards are straightforward, the angels descend upon them (saying): “Fear not nor grieve, and good tidings to you of Paradise which you were promised” (41:30) informs us that angels will receive in the Hereafter those who acknowledged God’s Lordship, affirmed His Unity, and followed the Prophets in their beliefs, deeds, and daily lives. Such a blameless life will cause these people to receive the good tidings of Paradise at a time when all people will tremble with fear and worry on the Day of Judgment.

An individual’s conduct becomes straightforward by performing religious duties; one’s ego (inner self) becomes straightforward by following the Shari’a’s truth; one’s spirit becomes straightforward by acting in accordance with knowing God; and one’s innermost senses or faculties becomes straightforward by complying with the Shari’a’s spirit. The difficulty of being straightforward in all of these levels caused the Prophet, the most straightforward of people, upon him be peace and blessings, to say: Sura Hud and others similar to it have made me old, [1] thereby referring to the Divine command: Be straightforward as you are commanded, which is in sura Hud (11:112).

The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, never deviated from the Straight Path, and was always straightforward in his deeds, words, and feelings. He guided Companions who sought salvation and eternal happiness to straightforwardness by saying: Declare: “I have believed in God,” and then be straightforward, a saying that concisely sums up all essential elements of belief and conduct.

If people claim progress on the path to the Truth but are not straightforward in their state and conduct, all efforts will be in vain, and they will have to account in the Hereafter for the time spent without straightforwardness. [2] To reach the intended destination, an initiate must be straightforward at the beginning, maintain it throughout the journey, and be straightforward at the end of the path, as gratitude for being rewarded with knowledge of God. Being alert to possible deviation at the beginning, engaging in self-supervision during the journey, being closed to wrong thoughts and actions, and considering only God’s pleasure and approval at the end are significant signs of this state:

I know one among the people of straightforwardness: He was the most distinct in the realm of guidance. He sold his soul to the lights of (Divine) Identity, [3] And died purified of all the dirt of human nature.

A servant should seek straightforwardness, not wonderworking or the power of spiritual unveiling or discovery. God demands straightforwardness; however, a servant desires extraordinary spiritual abilities. When they told Bayazid al-Bistami about a man who walked on water and flew in the air, he said:

Fish and frogs also float on water, and insects and birds fly in the air. If you see a man float on his rug on water without sinking and sit cross-legged in the air, do not show any interest in him. Rather, consider whether he is straightforward in his state and conduct, and whether they are in accordance with the Sunna (the way of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings). [4]

What Bayazid advises is that a believer be straightforward and completely humble as a servant, not one flying in the atmosphere of wonders.

Straightforwardness is the last step on a three step stairway leading to nearness of God. The first step is consistency, where a traveler strives to embody Islam’s theoretical and practical dimensions. Success in this continuous effort brings one’s carnal self under control. The second step is settlement or tranquillity, where an initiate purifies his or her inner self of the vices contaminating the spirit and heart (e.g., show, fame, and vanity, all of which cannot be reconciled with servanthood), thereby purging the heart of all that is not God. The third step is straightforwardness, where the doors of Divinity and creation are slightly opened to the traveler, and the Divine gifts are bestowed in the form of wonderworking and blessings, although he or she neither desires nor seeks them.

Straightforwardness, the last station of the way, means living without deviation from loyalty to God and under His direct protection; it is an environment in which Divine gifts and favors are bestowed. Flowers never fade away and hills and slopes do not experience winter, for it is an environment of eternal “spring.” This is what is pointed out in: If only they were straightforward on the path, then, assuredly We would give them to drink of “water” in abundance (72:16). So long as people pursue straightforwardness on the path of belief in Divine Unity and fulfill their covenants with God and His Messenger by fulfilling the Divine ordinances, Divine gifts and bounties will flow abundantly.

Our master, upon him be peace and blessings, declares: So long as the heart of a servant is not sound and straight, his belief cannot be true and upright; so long as his tongue is not true, his heart cannot be sound and straight. [5] He also declares: Every morning, the parts of a man’s body warn his tongue, saying: “Fear God concerning us. For if you are true, we will be true and straight; if you are crooked, we will also deviate.” [6]

Finally, let us hear from As’ad Mukhlis Pasha a very significant warning:

Straightforwardness requires always being true and steadfast;

Fix one of your legs in the center, and let “the free arm of the compass” [your other leg] travel around. [7]

[1] Al-Tirmidhi, “Tafsir al-Qur’an,” 57. [2] Muslim, “Iman,” 62; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 3:413. [3] In other words, he submitted himself wholly and without reserve to God. [4] Al-Qushayri, Al-Risala, 397; Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah Abu Nu’aym, Hilyat al-Awliya’ wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya’, 10 vols. (Beirut, 1967), 10:40. [5] Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 3:198. [6] Al-Tirmidhi, “Zuhd,” 61; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 3:96. [7] In other words, one is to be well-grounded in Islam and to keep the company of those who can provide proper guidance.

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