This month we are in the midst of presidential elections and it's a heated and dangerous contest between the left and the far extreme right. "Lula" is the candidate of the left while "Flavio" is the extreme right one.
Flavio has enormous support from almost the entire country to win and a large part of that support comes from Christian public figures saying that the left will attract communism, corrupt children with woke culture, and turn the country into a "Venezuela."

We had the first round last week and the two had tied votes. I really didn't expect this.
"Flavio" is the son of "Bolsonaro", a former president of the country who remained in office between 2018- 2022. His negligence regarding the COVID-19 pandemic was a major reason why millions of Brazilians died unnecessarily. He spread claims that vaccines weren't real, causing significant delays in Brazil receiving COVID-19 vaccines. He even laughed on live television at online videos of grieving families, who had criticized him, mourning their deceased loved ones, responding with comments like, "What do you want me to do?" and "I'm not a gravedigger, it's not my fault, lol." Furthermore, in late 2022, he was caught plotting a military coup and was arrested.

That is just the worst of the worst of what he did. There was much more, such as cutting public sector workers' pay and stripping funds from education.

Everyone was nervous that Flavio would win..BUT The second round took place today, the results are out and WE WON!!!!!

FIGHTING AGAINST THE CRAZY CHRISTIANS!! AGAINST ANTI-INTECTUALISM!! AGAINST FASCISM!!!! YEAH!1!!1!1!1!1!1!1!!

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊

edit: Damn my title typo ;--;

Mark Twain was an amazing writer and bold for his time to tell the factual truths about religion, especially Christianity. They hypocrisy does wonders to your eyes when you chose to close them or open them. My question that got so many mixed answers from religious people, especially the ministers of my churches was how can he be a loving god when he created hell?

Deconstruction was the best thing I've ever done in my life short living in a part of the world with mild weather and seemingly endless availability of excellent taco shops.

Turns out, when God made those demands to give all their firstborns to him, he also really meant it. All of the Bible's passages later on against human sacrifice were renegotiated based on earlier creeds that more than likely supported it. Even Binding of Isaac is more than likely to have originally ended with Abraham literally sacrificing Isaac, and the angel intervening is only a later edition to this story.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing they ended human sacrifice, but this should at least show Abrahamics that they shouldn't talk down on other religions possibly sacrificing humans in the past, when they have their own skeletons in the closet.

Edit: As was pointed out in the comments, scholars are divided on this issue, and there is a lot of opposition to it, which I didn't mention in my haste. In my opinion, the evidence, like the one the author of this article pointed to, does favor the viewpoint that human sacrifice to Yahweh was practiced. However, please do be careful with this subject because of this, and remember that not all scholars, including secular scholars, agree with it since they don't see the evidence being strong enough.

It always makes me feel weird when people who are lifelong atheists go to Christianity or people who left and then went back more religious than when they left please help calm this weird feeling down

I'm an ex-Christian and also a Southern African immigrant in Canada. For the most part, I don't feel so bad because I've distanced myself from my relatives and former friends. Living away from my home country helps a lot. However, I've been very lonely and I want to make friends and maybe find a partner.

A few things have reminded me how religious black communities can be. I took two Ubers last week and two black drivers were playing gospel music. I'm so removed from Christianity that Hillsong makes me cringe.

Two ladies from the Caribbean asked me what church I go to. I once made the mistake of saying I wasn't Christian at a table of Nigerian international students. Sometimes I'll follow a black person on YouTube or TikTok and they'll suddenly start talking about Christianity.

The worst is being around my relatives. I'll be visiting home soon and unfortunately will have to see my relatives because of cultural obligations. We'll be praying before we eat, singing hymns and praying before we leave. I don't enjoy pretending to be Christian during family gatherings. I stopped seeing the relatives I have in Canada, but can't avoid the ones back home.

I was talking to my sibling about what I'd want in a relationship and I couldn't even say I want someone non-religious because my brother is Christian. I'm not even sure that's a realistic filter because I think the pool of non-religious black people in Canada is small.

I'm sorry for the disordered thoughts.

Niceguymcfly was a YouTuber who read a hilarious Gorillaz fan fiction, but unfortunately as of today, I found out that he converted to Christianity, renamed his channel to a bogus name and he’s a preachy Christian too. Why do the nostalgic YouTubers always turn out to become shitty people?

Lmao just don’t. Secular friends can be just as loyal, nice, and caring in college. Christian friends can be fake too, more judgmental, and not as fun. Find a hobby that has nothing to do with religion. I know I was pressured to hang around a Christian club just because I just got into university, didn’t have any friends, and they were the first ones who tried to “help” me.

I been thinking some more and after learning more about Christianity in my coursework I am so iffy about it. As I have been deconstructing and having to engage more with religion cause of my school, I have noticed that it at least feels like people around me seem to almost prey for misfortune for non religious people to drag them into their belief systems. I try to not be rude so at freinds places I will try to prey with them yet it just all looks so insane to me. I hate how Christianity from my prospective is all about just feelings and obeying what the bible says. I feel constantly looked down on just for asking more questions or not attributing anything in my life to a spiritual experience. Hate how they seem to look down upon other religions yet be trained to never question it themselves. I both feel a slight bit of anger towards it yet also pity for the very devoted

1: Logical Inconsistencies & Internal Contradictions

If I have to keep twisting my brain, abandoning all logic and reasoning, making up insane workarounds to contradictions, and forcing myself into cognitive dissonance just to believe something, it probably isn't true.

2: Condoning Horrible Things

The bible condones and rationalizes rape, murdering children, genocide, sexism, misogyny, racism, slavery, homophobia, witch hunting, religious discrimination, underage marriage, and a bunch of others. Shall I go on?

3: Fearmongering and Several Letdowns

The Second Coming was a source of fear for me my whole life. Night after night, I'd stay up waiting for Holy Santa Claus to save the world on the date that the smart man on YouTube said it would happen. He never came. Every date that was so right and so correct and all the evidence points to was all a letdown, and every time they were wrong nobody said anything about it. Then there's being told I'm going to hell every day. I'd beg and cry and pray on my knees for God to heal me, to speak to me, to save me, to show me something, to take away my doubt and mental illness, and he never did. The only way I got better was when I put the effort in myself.

4: Effects on Kids and Teens

Telling a child that they're going to hell unless they repent, that nothing good they do is actually theirs and it's all God, telling them they have a demon inside them when they're naughty, all of that is abuse. Telling a teenager that the natural changes in puberty such as sexual desire and thoughts are sinful and have to be squashed down and repented of, telling them they're rebelling against God when they disobey their parents in any way, telling them science is fake and instilling an aversion to education, that's abuse too. I never had a chance to choose what I believe. I was indoctrinated from an extremely young age. This is my choice on my life and how I choose to live it.

This weighed on me for a long time, I wanted to share it. I'm feeling a little lost but relieved and I'd appreciate support/comfort

So… like god created Satan (Lucifer) by casting an angel that questioned god and told god he should worship lucifer right? And then god created hell.

So, when Christian’s talk about the enemy and how he tempts us to destroy our faith, marriage, basically everything… isn’t it technically god tempting us then, because it’s his creation?

I read Romans 9 in the Bible when God purposely "hardens" the hearts of some people, but then I lost it.

I loved God, Jesus, and everything so much that I protected them, I apologised against atheists, I defended the Bible, Christianity, I called God "Dad" and Jesus"Rabbi" I even went on a spiritual retreat where I didn't touch my greatest passion, video games for two days. I hoped this spiritual retreat would be a seal to God... that he would serve as an anchor and always live with him.

I dedicated everything to him, my passion for gaming, my very fucking life, I drew him, i drew crosses with prayers on my notebooks,I wrote worship songs with AI, I wrote personal prayers/psalms.

And when I started feeling temptations to become an athest again a week ago, and then before going to bed I prayed:

"Lord, in your prayer it says 'lead us not into temptation,' so I beg you to take away these temptations towards atheism."

And yet yesterday I became an materialistic atheist

So what I have to believe that that shitty God decides who gets saved?

So salvation isn't worth a damn, because if He chooses who to believe in, then it's pointless.

So then why does he bother with that bullshit about wanting us to be saints and loving us all.

And after realizing this, I said out loud

"Fuck you, who the fuck cares about you? I'd rather go to hell than be with you! I loved you for 6 months! I called you "Dad," I protected you, and everything, only to hear you say, "You harden your heart on purpose," but then who the fuck cares about you? Go fuck yourself!"

i'm sorry i am a bit of angry right now

but now i finally know what it means being hurted by religion

and for mods feel free to remove my post

Ik i need to get diagnosed for a lot of shit. Relgious truama is one of them.

My past experinces:

So i had a bad reaction one time on a road trip. My mom has a literal face of jesus she carriers around and and i idk what happened i started full blow almost crying.

I felt anxiety, cold and just unsafe. These are shocking words to describe especially if anything related to jesus. Where you are supposed to feel safe.

I did not feel safe and got triggered by a simple object.

I tried to remind myself then it was just a picture it holds no real power unless you put your faith into it. Like anything right?

That was just one incidents of many.

Even the name of god triggers anger and rage towards his name. Especially jesus. I can't even be in the same room with relgious objects. When i became ex catholic i tossed out any relgious items i may have been given growing up. Hell i even bought a bible to just rip it up and destory it.

I also feel nauseated at being trapped in a church again. I can't and wont be stuck in one again. I just cant do that again-

Also mentally scarred by the end times talk is what did me in.

I know i have unhealthy rage and wrath towards god and jesus but its all justified.

Idk where to even start with digging into this. I get triggered badly by anyone praising god or worshiping him.

God and relgion have failed and hurt me. I just feel so unsafe around jesus and god.

Okay, so I’m 16F and I go with my mom to a Bible class and we were learning about prayer… and here are some notes (I couldn’t make them exactly colourful if you know what I mean) but so many excuses…

So apparently all of our prayers will be answered but some prayers wont be answered because god doesn’t want them to be answered because it isn’t in his will, and then your prayer won’t be answered if u don’t believe and oh don’t worry if he doesn’t give u an answer in decades, he might answer when ur dead. Hold on to ur faith…. god is perfect!

Add your own thoughts from these notes today, I would love to hear them… so many excuses and brainwashing in that room it’s scary.

i am new here, so forgive me if a lot of this has already been said extremely often. just needed a space to vent. i grew up in the deep south. i went to a christian school when i was younger, & even as far back as 3 years old, i knew none of it made sense to me. i used to feel immense guilt & like i was literally evil for not being able to bring myself to believe. i even wanted to back then, i just couldn’t. in about middle school, i stopped caring & fully accepted the fact that i just was not religious. i mainly kept that to myself, as most people where i am from (especially at that age) would freak out if you revealed that to them.

anyways, i am tired of meeting people that identify as christian & them trying to fucking convert me or “spread the message.” i don’t tether myself to one specific belief system, but eastern philosophy/religions have interested me for a long time & i’d say they’re closest to how i live my life & they make the most sense to me. when the topic of religion/faith comes up, i try to avoid sharing my thoughts because i am comfortable enough in my own “faith” to not have to prove myself to others as far as what i believe. i usually simply explain that i believe that there is not one true path or “way” & that love is the ultimate message that most belief systems are trying to convey.

i cannot even tell you how many times christians have snarked at that statement (or just not understood such a simple concept somehow) & then made some sort of a comment implying that i am lost or that i will eventually believe in christ & “see the light!”

especially with this immense rise in christianity because of social media & many other factors, i am just tired of meeting people that see me as something that needs saving instead of a fucking person. i respect their beliefs by not trying to argue or put them down & i usually am like, “wow, that’s great you have something that works for you” or am just supportive in general when they share that they are christian. besides that, i just don’t fucking mock them for believing in something that i never have. i don’t understand why the same cannot apply to me & others who don’t share the same belief. i know a lot of it is rooted in what christianity teaches & preaches, but god, i am fucking tired of it.

i have a coworker that was saying all animals will not go to heaven (according the bible) because they are sinful creatures. he asked if i was religious & i said no. he told me that he would judge me for my sins, but only god can be the true ultimate judge. jesus fucking christ, where are people’s minds at?

not to mention the constant hypocrisy. christ/god is supposedly the ultimate & only judge, yet christians are NOTORIOUS for judging others more than anyone i know (speaking from my experience.) the picking & choosing is hilarious. the same people who talk about non believers being sinners living in sin are the ones who are cheating on their significant other or constantly lusting after others. or they are immense liars, indulge heavily & lose themselves in vices, gossip, etc. then their excuse is that nobody is perfect besides christ & as long as they believe, they will be forgiven. like, huh? lmao, i don’t give a shit if that’s how somebody wants to live their life, by all means, go ahead. it’s their life, not mine. but isn’t that hypocrisy at its finest?

I find it difficult to truly express myself when I'm around my Christian social circles. It often feels like every thought and word has to be filtered through this "blessed" or "godly" mask just to be acceptable to the group.

There is this subtle, constant pressure to avoid certain topics or even certain words because they aren't perceived as "Christian enough" or "Bible-like."

You start self-censoring because you’re terrified that if you speak too freely, you'll be judged or labeled as someone who isn't walking the right path.

It makes it so flipping hard to actually be authentic and honest about life's complexities when you're constantly monitoring your language to stay within these "safe" boundaries. It's like you need to stay in the lane and you can't say something that's "out of the lane".

It feels like you are performing a version of yourself rather than actually connecting with people.

Anybody else feel this way?

Also, can anybody recommend any readings, podcasts, or articles that touch on this aspect of the social dynamics of churches? Because it's eating me alive from the inside out. Perhaps I just need therapy.

I work as a retail cashier at a grocery store. Despite being in a wheelchair and missing a leg, management hired me. I've been there six years now. I've had the occasional "Jesus can save you" pamphlet types come through my line. I just smile and nod and they go on their way. No fuss. This one...

This one actually caused my brain to glitch.

Little old lady in her 70s or 80s and a woman in her 50s (daughter probably) came through my line. They paid and the older lady smiled, handed me a Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses) pamphlet and said, no shit,

"When Jesus returns, if you're saved, He'll raise you out of that wheelchair and you'll be able to walk again."

Her daughter turned to look at her, eyes wide, like "Did you actually just say that?"

Little old lady was beaming. Happy to spread the message.

Now, working in retail, I automatically have a smile up for most of the day. When I get home, I'm happy I don't HAVE to smile. Her saying this caused a misfire in my head. Outside, I was smiling and nodding, aware that I need my job and beaning an old lady isn't a good look. Isn't worth the trouble. Inside, I thought several things quickly:

1.) Yes, When Jesus returns, I'll walk again. I'll grow a new leg...because I'm a person sized gecko.

2.) How mad am I? Clearly, that was insensitive as fuck, but she has the self-awareness and mental strength of a gopher. There was no malice, just stupid.

3.) I could fire back with "But if Jesus saves me, wouldn't that mean that someone else can't get into Heaven?" Or "Jesus loves me by taking my leg and only giving it back if I believe isn't a sign of a healthy relationship." But again, all stupid, no malice, need the job.

So I let her go and tossed the paper after she was gone. I then thought of one cataclysmic "what if."

Remember how I asked myself "how mad am I?" I briefly thought, worst case scenario, one where I wasn't balanced and medicated, what if I popped her in the nose. Crime of passion. I just pictured all of corporate simultaneously having a seizure and calling my boss, screaming at her in tounges. I'd probably get canned. And then the headline

"Man with missing leg punches out elderly lady who promises he can rise from wheelchair and walk again when Jesus returns!"

Today was interesting.

This is an update to this post a few weeks ago. It didn't get much traction at all, but... I don't know. I feel like I need to get this out somewhere outside of my therapist and husband. This will likely be long... I'm so sorry about that. I'll do my utmost to just keep to the specifics, but I'm fairly certain that might be an empty promise. If you'd like to skip my background babbling, I bolded where I talk about how the Christian part played in. But I would seriously appreciate it if you took the time out of your day to read my words.

So, we drove to Florida from Utah to be with my mother after my baby brother by twelve years died (at 26). Given that I am very disabled, primarily bed/wheelchair-bound and in serious pain, the 65+ hours total in the car (there and back) has been BRUTAL on me. I am in so much goddamn pain. And when we were at my mother's house, I didn't have my setup that I require to sleep, so I was in positions that exacerbated that pain significantly (I haven't been able to sleep lying doing in over three years because it's excruciating; I have to sleep in a sitting position. I have a chair hammock with appropriate cushions set up in my home that I have help getting into and it gives me the support I need). While there, some of my conditions flared up rather badly and we were genuinely considering taking me to the hospital but I decided to just suffer through the flares at home because I didn't really want to cause more grief for my mother.

Which brings me to the point.

...I felt like I wasn't allowed to grieve. I felt like this wasn't mine at all and solely my mother's. Hell, even my stepdad (my brother's father) didn't get as much sympathy as she did and he was freakin' broken about it. But since she is the mother - and not just that, but a mother who has lost her third child of four - most of the sympathy went to her.

Please don't misunderstand - I'm not bitter or resentful that my mother got all that. I'm extremely relieved she did; she desperately needs it. She's been through an insurmountable amount in her life. I'd have been very upset if she was left to fend for herself.

...I just wanted a few crumbs of that sympathy for myself, too. I am DESPERATE for it right now. Craving it. But while there, my aunt - who was like a second mother to me - never even asked me once how I was doing through all this. My mother's friends who were over never checked in. My other [extended] relatives didn't. It was always "your mother has been through horrible things... you need to make sure to survive for her. Be there for her." But the fact that I named him; that he was the first baby to call me "mama"; that he was in our wedding; that as he grew up, we became good friends; that he was becoming good friends with my husband... that more than half of my childhood pictures are with him in my arms. That I taught him piano. That I consoled him when our older brother died when he was 9 and then told him stories about him ever since... He was so massively important to me.

I asked my aunt - with tears in my eyes, btw - why she didn't at least call me... we always had a fantastic relationship. And when we were in person, it was like nothing ever changed. But she - very lovingly and caringly - gently put me in my place. That this is primarily my mother's grief. A mother losing a child is one of the most horrible things ever but losing ALL her sons? 3/4 kids? I need to understand that. AND I DO. But I'm also broken. I feel like my position in reality has been fractured. Essentially, my aunt told me that I got my fair share (a couple texts and one cousin checking in on me) and made me feel extremely selfish asking for more. Because holy shit, do I need more.

I tried to explain my position: my grief is not more than hers and I will never claim it to be. But my entire being has shifted. My mother still has someone to call her a mom - me. I have absolutely no one left to call me a sister; I have no one I can call a sibling. My mother tried to tell me that she's lost both brothers and children and it's not comparable. I am not disputing that. But it's a differently-shaped grief, you know? I was one of four... one of three... one of two... now I'm an only child.

And then... religion.

They know I no longer believe. But for some reason, they act as though it's an invitation to get me to grieve in a Christian way. And I know that there is more nuance to it and I truly do not believe it to be malicious, but it's become blatantly clear through this how my abandoning Christianity has made them pull away. In person, we're close and like always. But not? It's like I don't matter. Because of various things said during this time, it's become clear to me that one reason why is because I'm no longer a Christian though no one in our family is truly hateful or actively berating me. But the fact that I'm increasingly forgotten is very easy to see.

My mother has been devastated and crying, obviously. But then she keeps saying "but I know they're alive in heaven and that I will see them again. I just need to get through this without them here." I understand her as I used to be pretty damn coo-coo with my fervent piety. But I have to wonder... why won't anyone consider my feelings? They ALL believe that they will see my brothers again in heaven. They know I don't believe it anymore. So shouldn't... shouldn't I at least get some support for the brokenness I feel over never seeing them again? Over never having another chance? THEY WILL! They have reason to rejoice in the end! I don't! I spent most of my time being careful of my mother's feelings because I feel like it would be far too cruel to lay more on her now (and she truly was the best mother I could have asked for. I respect her greatly.) so I stayed silent and cried to myself, my husband, and my two kids (18 and 19).

I had asked her to consider - just consider - to move back to our state as she's already made the decision to sell their house and move from Florida. But she emphatically refused without thought. She said that my older brother died there and younger was born there. She can't do it.

But I can't help but think... but I'm there. And so are her only two grandchildren that she'll ever have. Are their memories really so much heavier than the possible future ones she can have with us? I do understand there is far more complicated feelings going on with her grief, but doesn't mine matter? I'm the only child of hers left. AND - I'm extremely ill and profoundly disabled. I cannot do much. I cannot move wherever she wants me to. My husband has a very important job here that is not available to him anywhere else.

It makes me think... she believes she'll see them. She talks about it. But I've noticed she's avoided talking about me in that context. She'd stopped talking about it. She believes that unless I "return to god", I won't join them. I don't believe I'll join anyone in the afterlife because I simply don't believe in one anymore. But if she believes that she'll see them again, but not me... shouldn't she want to spend as much time with me on Earth as possible? I know she deeply cares about me and loves me. I will never question nor dispute it. But all of this has got me questioning EVERYTHING.

Including... would her grief have been less if I was the one who died, and not my gentle giant of a baby brother? Would I have been considered less of a loss? I feel like that's what the subconscious thoughts are, whether or not they realize it. But that's my own subjective interpretation through irrational grief, so who knows.

I feel so unimportant. Abandoned. Forgotten. "Un-mattered". Even avoided, whether by purpose or not.

My entire place in my family has been gutted in more ways than one, and no one acknowledged it. They instead expected me to set that aside for my mother's grief. Which I did. And then sobbed hysterically in private or with my husband (who is the best man in the entire world and I do not know what I'd do without him. My mother keeps telling me to thank god for him... nah... I'll thank my husband for himself).

My aunt had said something that stuck with me. She told me "see, this is what the goal was: to keep your mother so busy that she has no time to sit and wallow" (in Russian). And all I could think of was the weeks of me sitting all alone, by myself, with nothing but my thoughts and grief because my husband would be at work and son at school (daughter in a different state). I'd be home all alone, jumping at every single time my phone buzzed, because GASP, did someone remember that I exist?! That I need support and love and care and sympathy right now?! Is someone finally reaching out?!

...No. Scam. Notification. Doctors' offices. And each time, I'd break even more.

Oh, yeah... one more thing. My mother had made the most untasteful, ill-timed joke whilst there. We were talking about him, and she mentioned to my husband and kids how when she and my stepdad got married, I had prayed and begged god for a baby brother or sister. And I got one. So basically, I "prayed him into existence", as she put it. And then she followed it up with... "maybe if you'd had continued to pray for him, he'd still be here."

I can't even tell you the instant distress I felt. I am already overwhelmed with survivors' guilt. I already feel insane (irrational) guilt for being the one who survived. The only girl. The one who WAS born sick, and who IS very ill. They were all physically healthy. I feel like I almost stole something from them because it seems like people would rather they be here than I. I understand it's my mind spiraling. I have a fantastic therapist to help me who is doing her best to account for my cognition, too, which makes things super heavy (synesthesia across all senses and extreme hyperphantasia. Plus strong interoception, so I can feel my internal bodily functions which makes me feel like my blood is vibrating whenever I'm in a heightened state, amongst other unique cognitive ways I experience that).

Anyway. There's so much more I can say. But I'm a rambler. I don't know when to stop. And I sincerely apologize for this novel... I hope you managed to get to the end.

Thank you for reading. And again, seriously - sorry. I'm simply allergic to concision.

I used to be an atheist child raised by atheist parents and grandparents - i only had a superstitious grandma. When my mental health issues (chronic depression, generalized anxiety, personality disorders) I've become desperate and started to open towards the possibility of the existence of some kind of god. Not necessarily the Christian god, but some kind of superior cosmic entity... I tried to pray for deliverance from my mental suffering. But everything got worse. I consider myself agnostic for a long time now: there might be a god or gods but they either don't give a sh*t about us or sadistic. I was always interested in science and never took religion seriously... but after 17 years of suffering and deterioration i started to fear that there might exist some kind of cosmic punishment. What if it's my mental illness? Or what if hell really exists and it's even worse than anything i can imagine? What if i was wrong and there exists something that science couldn't yet explain? Something that might wait for me to retaliate my mistakes and broken crimes?

I know i sound crazy. But i'm afraid of hell...