Agnostic - Tumblr Posts
Why’s a christian’s first instinct when encountering an atheist or someone from a different religion to immediately start trying to ‘turn’ them? I’ve started just avoiding the topic with both my parents and other people solely because I don’t want to listen to them try to convince me of their beliefs.
Religion is subjective. I have my own beliefs— you have yours. This sounds mean, but I didn’t ask you to tell me your conversion story, I didn’t ask you to ‘lead me to the Lord’. I don’t try to convert people to my religion— or lack thereof— so PLEASE stop trying to convert me to your own.
Also, this isn’t a dig at christians as a whole— just a group of people I’ve encountered throughout my whole life. Please stay considerate of people who aren’t of your faith— how would you feel if I started trying to convince you your God isn’t real?
I'm agnostic but every time I hear someone say "God lives inside us all," I imagine a tiny little god nestled in my ribcage, whispering instructions to our hearts and brains that we commonly believe to be a "feeling deep down in our guts"
Gifted (2017) Dir. Marc Webb 📺 This was director Marc Webb's first original film since 500 Days of Summer (2009). . . #chrisevans #mckennagrace #marcwebb #filmquotes #gifted #agnosticatheist #agnostic https://www.instagram.com/p/CXbauarpeUU/?utm_medium=tumblr
Satan Loves Religion, is all FOR it, and wants even MORE of it! Does that sound crazy? Actually it isn’t…it’s been his plan from the very beginning.
One of the most effective techniques Satan uses to turn people away from God is getting people to think they have to DO SOMETHING in order to enter eternity, nirvana, become ‘enlightened’ or acceptable to a god or gods. Religion in a nutshell is EXACTLY THAT - Man’s attempt to please god.
Religion requires that there are RULES to follow, and that you must do something in order to be worthy or accepted, either by a divine being or by a group that demands that you adhere to an established creed. In the end, it is an endless treadmill of actions, mantras, and rituals with the ultimate goal of distracting the practitioner of seeing the truth of who God is and what He really wants.
The plain truth is God Does Not Want Your DEEDS, He Wants Your DEVOTION. The ‘Faith’ referred to in today’s scripture verse at heart is about having a Relationship with God, and not repetitive ritual. Just as a child has a loving relationship with it’s father, so our Heavenly Father wants to have that self-same intimate relationship with us. This is what Christianity is all about – Relationship NOT Religion.
If you are living a life based on doing something to gain God’s favor, God instead is waiting for you to simply say, “I LOVE YOU GOD. THANK YOU FOR BEING MY HEAVENLY FATHER.” Have you said that yet? If not, do it today.
God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You NotesOnLife.org
Read over 700 other messages like this at NotesOnLife.org/archive
Helloooo <33333 it's 2:05 am where I live and currently I Am Drunk so I randomly decided to make a post on
My sins according to the Catholic Church
So the church I'm forced to go to holds confessions like a regular church. And we are given this questionnaire to fill out 😦😦😦😦
So let's see....
Responsibilities to god:
1. Have I gone to Mass on Sunday or have I rebelled and been stubborn about going to Mass?
Ans: Ooh. Well I technically go to Mass on Friday bc where I live Sunday is a weekday! And I fucking hate going. I worked out an arrangement with my parents about skipping once every 2 weeks! So yeah, I HAVE been stubborn about not going.
2. Did I participate in Mass or did I daydream?
Ans: I daydream. Maladaptive daydreaming stuff.
3. Have I prayed everyday? Have I read the Bible? Have I been rebellious to God and his commands?
Ans: no, no yes
4. Have I misused the name of God by swearing and cursing?
Have I told the Father that I love him for creating me and making me his son/daughter?
Ans: Jesus Fucking Christ. No, I have not told sky daddy anything.
5. Have I thanked Jesus for becoming man, dying for my sin and rising to give me eternal life?
Ans: nope ❤️
6.Have I asked the Holy Spirit to help me conquer sin and temptation and to be obedient to God’s commands?
Ans: Why should I?
Responsibilities to others and myself:
1. Have I been rebellious, disobedient or disrespectful to my parents, teachers and those in authority over me?
Ans: yea
2. Have I lied to or deceived my parents or others?
Ans: me almost every day amirite
3. Have I been arrogant and stubborn?
Ans: *nods head yes*
4. Have I talked back to my parents or those in authority?
Ans: No shit, like c'mon sometimes they're plain wrong
5. Have I gotten angry or nurtured and held grudges and resentments? Have I refused to forgive others? Have I cultivated hatred?
Ans: Yes. I have cultivated hatred. Why does this sound like such a villain thing. People are annoying and confusing sometimes.
6. Have I engaged in immoral fantasies?
Ans: I, as a girl, have dreamt of having a wife someday. So yes, in the eyes of the church.
7. Have I read bad books/ literature or watched bad films?
Ans: Yes I read queer books. I read fanfiction and smut. I read The Darkening Age which I'm pretty sure is bad for the church. I also like watching queer people in films. Cry about it.
8. Have I gossiped about others?
Ans: Yep, I have, but I mostly prefer listening, it's not like I spill other people's secrets anyway so.
9. Have I slandered anyone? Have I told lies about others? Have I mocked or made fun of others?
Ans: Yes, I have. I mock people whose opinion I think is wrong. I mock the Church on a weekly basis.
10. Have I lied or cheated? Have I stolen anything? Have I paid it back?
Ans: Yeah I've lied. A lot to my parents. I have also cheated on tests before.
11. Have I been selfish or spiteful toward others? Have I been jealous?
Ans: I'm jealous a lot. It's a normal emotion. I've also been selfish many times too, but that has stopped mostly.
12. Have I participated in anything that is of the occult: ouija boards, fortune tellers, séances, channeling, astrology?
Ans: .....witchcraft is literally my spirituality, even my hardcore Christian parents believe astrology.
13. Have I been patient, kind gentle and self-controlled?
Ans: Lmao. I hope I'm kinder. But self-control....patience.... Well of I had self control I wouldn't be actually drunk rn.
14. When my conscience told me to do something good, did I do it or did I ignore it?
Ans: I honestly don't know the answer to this one.
I often catch myself thinking quite badly of the Catholic church. Which wouldn't happen if I was allowed to be agnostic in peace, but sadly no. I keep thinking of why I left the church too. When I heard my teachers say that abortion is wrong even for a woman who is r*ped. That's when I knew something was wrong and that's when I started to question the church. Which lead me to my beliefs now.
I often catch myself thinking quite badly of the Catholic church. Which wouldn't happen if I was allowed to be agnostic in peace, but sadly no. I keep thinking of why I left the church too. When I heard my teachers say that abortion is wrong even for a woman who is r*ped. That's when I knew something was wrong and that's when I started to question the church. Which lead me to my beliefs now.
Disclaimer
I only write for pagan/agnostic, female readers.
I'm not being sexist.
I'm not discriminating against your religion.
That is simply the demographic I know the most about and feel comfortable writing.
(i also think its so cool to write such a niche...)
Draped in Shadows
In the courtyard where the peepal tree sighs, A girl once danced in sunlight’s embrace, Her laughter mingled with temple bells, But faith now lingers like a ghost in this space.
Incense curls, like a serpent's breath, Winding through tales of glory and grace, Yet beneath the vibrant marigold blooms, Lurk whispers of fear that time can’t erase.
The sacred texts, heavy as stone, Speak of dharma, yet silence her pleas, For every prayer, a question lingers, “Why must love bend and break on its knees?”
In the twilight of rituals, colors fade, As the Ganges flows, a relentless stream, With every aarti, her spirit feels caged, Caught in the web of another’s dream.
Once, she sought solace in divine embrace, But the gaze of the faithful grew cold and stern, With every gaze that pierced her soul, The light of devotion began to burn.
The goddess adorned with silken threads, Yet her heart aches under the weight of her chains, For in the shadow of sacred shrines, Love is a battlefield, and faith bears its stains.
As festivals come and go, like fleeting dreams, She stands amidst the echoes, searching for peace, But the mantras sound hollow, the colors bleed, And the truth of her heart lies in pieces, released.
Once, she believed in the lotus’s bloom, But now sees the thorns that cling to the stem, In the temple’s glow, she feels so alone, Her faith, a whisper—a broken hymn.
In the end, as the sun dips low, She lays down her trust in the sacred soil, For the girl who once danced in the light of the divine, Now walks a path where shadows recoil.
Yet beneath the ruins of faith that once soared, A flicker ignites in the ashes of doubt. For from shattered beliefs, new paths may unfold, In the garden of healing, her spirit breaks out.
She whispers to the stars, “I will rise from the dark, With each step I take, I’ll reclaim my own spark.” In the silence, she finds strength to create, A faith not in gods, but in love, unrestrained.
Beijo da Morte.
Busco em preces não ouvidas, promessas vazias, juramentos abandonados, por um Judas fiel e um Jesus implacável.
Mas tudo se resume a palavras. O corpo nem mesmo reconhece seu poder de fazer o que deseja, enquanto eu só posso implorar, esperando talvez, ter.
Angeline Christ
Death's Kiss.
I search in unheard prayers, empty promises, abandoned oaths, for a faithful Judas and an unforgiving Jesus.
But it's all about words. The body doesn't even recognize its power to do what it wants, while I can only beg, hoping perhaps, to have it.
Angeline Christ
Not a Christian not an Atheist but a third, secret thing (superstitious and a bit fucked up)
EDIT: RECRUITMENT IS CLOSED!! Thank you sooo much to everyone who participated and filled out the screener. :)
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sooo um hi! I’m a graduate researcher and wondering if folks would be interested in my study! 👉🏻👈🏻
Are you an ex-fundamentalist, ex-evangelical, or ex-charismatic Christian? Me too, and I’m looking for people like us to participate in an academic research study (IRBNet NO: 1873336) on identity development among ex-Christians. If you want to participate, please fill out the screener survey listed on the flyer (bit.ly/aposidscreener). And please share with anyone you know who might be interested! Please message me or email me at fio . haire @ mnsu . edu for more information.
Thanks!
Fio Haire (they/he), master’s student at Minnesota State University, Mankato
Primary Investigator: Dr. Aaron Hoy (he/him), Assistant Professor of Sociology at Minnesota State University, Mankato
[Image description: A multicolored flyer with text that says:
IRBNet NO: 1873336
Research Study for Former Christian Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, and Charismatics
Conducted by Fio Haire and Aaron Hoy at Minnesota State University, Mankato
Now Recruiting Interview Participants
Participants must be:
- 18 or older
- Live in the U.S.
- Be able to converse in English or with assistive technology
- Identify as ex-evangelical/fundamentalist/charismatic
- Not currently identify as Christian
Complete the screener at bit.ly/aposidscreener
Questions? Email fio . haire @ mnsu . edu
Scan here! - image of an arrow pointing to a QR code.
Share your story in a research study on the identity development of ex-Christians!]
Project “31 interviews in 40 days” complete! Thank you to everyone who has contributed to my master’s thesis project on identity development of ex-Christians; the interviewing process has been so life-affirming and hearing the stories of people in the ex-Christian community has reminded me over and over again why research in this area is so important.
I’ve reached recruitment capacity for this project, but I will undoubtedly be doing additional work on the topic of religious exit in the future. If you’d like me to reach out for a future project or if you’d like a copy of my master’s thesis when it is complete, please feel free to send me a message!
Hi folx!
I put out a call for participants in Spring 2022 for a research study on the experiences of ex-evangelicals, ex-fundamentalists, and ex-charismatic Christians. I wanted to update you on the progress of this research and provide a little info about where my analysis has led so far.
First, I want to thank those of you, from the bottom of my heart, who participated in this study, vulnerably shared your story, and contributed to a beautiful tapestry of narratives of autonomy, self-discovery, and empowerment. I was overwhelmed in the best way with the outpouring of responses, and I ended up interviewing 31 individuals with similar religious backgrounds. Far more of you wanted to be interviewed than I was able to schedule, and for that I am infinitely grateful.
My original intention with this project was to synthesize the narratives all of you shared into a study exploring the ways ex-Christians navigate the development of the self, and to have the analysis completed towards the completion of my master’s degree in May 2023. My writing and analysis for that paper is about 60% complete. During the time of interviewing and analysis, several complications arose in my own journey of self-discovery related to my own religious exit, that made continued engagement with the data difficult from a trauma perspective. I unfortunately had to put the project on hiatus during this summer, and I pursued a related but different project towards graduation this fall. That “pivot” project was an analytical literature review of existing studies that narrate mental health patterns during the process of religious exit for those leaving their religion. I graduated with my master’s this past Saturday. I would be happy to DM the PDF of that paper to anyone who would like to read it. The Appendix of the paper explains more about my decision to pivot to a different project for graduation, and the impact that this research has had on me as a researcher.
However, the project many of you contributed to is not over. I am committed to getting your stories out to the world, both to an academic audience and the general populace. To that end, I will be continuing the analysis as an independent researcher beginning in the new year, with the goal of having a complete draft to you by end of Summer 2024. During this process, if you would like, I would be more than happy to incorporate any new information you would like to share about your experience and work with one or more of you as beta readers or co-researchers (and thereby include you as a co-author on the paper if it successfully moves towards academic publication). For those I’ve already interviewed, I would also be happy to share your specific interview transcript if you would like to reflect back on the specific knowledge you contributed to the project.
I greatly appreciate your grace and patience with the writing, the analysis, and with me as a researcher-human living a journey alongside yours.
If you would like to assist with the project in any way (beta reading, ideas for analytical direction, contributing additional information or developments in your journey from the past year, being interviewed if you were not during the initial ask), I would be honored to work with you in that capacity. You are more than welcome to DM me with any questions, concerns, comments, or requests.
Thank you so much for existing as your whole self!
-Fio
sooo um hi! I’m a graduate researcher and wondering if folks would be interested in my study! 👉🏻👈🏻
Are you an ex-fundamentalist, ex-evangelical, or ex-charismatic Christian? Me too, and I’m looking for people like us to participate in an academic research study (IRBNet NO: 1873336) on identity development among ex-Christians. If you want to participate, please fill out the screener survey listed on the flyer (bit.ly/aposidscreener). And please share with anyone you know who might be interested! Please message me or email me at fio . haire @ mnsu . edu for more information.
Thanks!
Fio Haire (they/he), master’s student at Minnesota State University, Mankato
Primary Investigator: Dr. Aaron Hoy (he/him), Assistant Professor of Sociology at Minnesota State University, Mankato
[Image description: A multicolored flyer with text that says:
IRBNet NO: 1873336
Research Study for Former Christian Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, and Charismatics
Conducted by Fio Haire and Aaron Hoy at Minnesota State University, Mankato
Now Recruiting Interview Participants
Participants must be:
- 18 or older
- Live in the U.S.
- Be able to converse in English or with assistive technology
- Identify as ex-evangelical/fundamentalist/charismatic
- Not currently identify as Christian
Complete the screener at bit.ly/aposidscreener
Questions? Email fio . haire @ mnsu . edu
Scan here! - image of an arrow pointing to a QR code.
Share your story in a research study on the identity development of ex-Christians!]
On Sanity
Chesterton has already pointed this out, but I was struck anew today after talking with a robin and feeling wind in my hair, that it was the irrational, not the rational, that makes us sane.
To love, to befriend, to laugh, to think philosophically, to write, to play, to dream. Poetry, music, dancing, nature. As I watched the sunset and whistled, feeling more sane than I ever had in my weeks of studying for exams, I remembered it is the neglect of these that leads to madness. For it is not the dancers and florists who go mad, but mathematicians and chess grandmasters.
Aquinas says that the nature of a human is to be a rational animal. He said that, of course, to distinguish us from animals. Unlike them we have the power to reason, and it is a terrible power and beautiful responsibility. But even Aquinas from his ivory tower doesn't dare eliminate the animal inside us.
There is something deep in the bones of our nature quite apart from rationality. We are animals still, and we must love that. The primal, the guttural, the free and the wild. This too makes us human.
You know, I meet less atheists these days.
Like proper atheists - the "logic and science = no God" types. It's not a firm part of their ideology. Most non-religious people I meet tend to be agnostic or loosely believe in a vague moral deity.
I think more than anything people are scared, confused, and angry - I think more and more people hope God is real.