When I was in college, before I was out, I stated in my speech class that if heaven was a place that didn't welcome gay people, then that was a heaven I didn't want to be part of.
Seeing this email right in the middle of reading Scarlet Morning was quite a Nate-core bundle, if I may. My eyes were sparkling from all the mysteries of the Book, and now my head is full with deep-seated admiration for how intense and visceral your poetry is. Thank you for sharing it as always.
God is all loving. I've never understood why that's so hard for people (especially people in the church itself) to understand. It's not God loves everyone except... it's God loves FULL STOP. If the church can't understand something so fundamentally basic about God then they weren't worth your time in the first place, but the failure is with the people in the church, not God's and certainly not yours.
I left the church (organized religion) in large part because I decided that if God really hated love between two consenting adults here on Earth, then I didn't want to be a part of his heaven.
I felt this so much. When I left first the church it wasn't because I didn't believe - it was because I believed so much that I wasn't willing to ignore the scriptures that weren't convenient to my pastors, my parents, people I thought were my friends.
right in my ex-catholic feelings. even as a kid who didn't know any gay people, I didn't want to leave my divorced uncle who didn't baptize his kids or my aunt who said she didn't believe anymore behind.
Yes. This is why I left, too. I found my way to the home where I belonged - in a synagogue, trying to make TODAY better - but that had to start with leaving.
I left church, too, but still respect the power faith and its stories hold. In a medieval text I read the line "a giant slipped into a dwarf when your image hid inside a child" (durch sîn tougenlich geberc/
slouf ein rise in ein getwerc,/ dô dîn bilde almehteclich/ hal in kindes forme sich). Religious stories have caused harm, but they have also inspired creativity and altruism.
But yes, if you can, choose love and kindness over any teaching (even if it professes to teach love and kindness).
This is so good!! Sigh, I didn’t dislike church or religion for it’s caring part, but I disliked it so so much because people said you could not do stuff that still came purely from love. Either the love for life, the love for people or the love for yourself. How can one believe that there is only one way to be good and the rest evil. How can one think that all different kinds of love are ‘not acceptable’…it’s so painful and I’m so happy I stepped out of that as soon as I lived on my own.
When I was in college, before I was out, I stated in my speech class that if heaven was a place that didn't welcome gay people, then that was a heaven I didn't want to be part of.
Dear ND,
Beautiful piece!
I love this: "I have seen the face of God down here among the outcasts."
Thank you for sharing it all!
Love
Myq
Wow. This is so strong. Thank you
One of my favourites pieces of yours ❤️🩹
Seeing this email right in the middle of reading Scarlet Morning was quite a Nate-core bundle, if I may. My eyes were sparkling from all the mysteries of the Book, and now my head is full with deep-seated admiration for how intense and visceral your poetry is. Thank you for sharing it as always.
"If I am damned, then I am damned."
I've said something similar and seeing it reflected here hit me hard. Thank you.
God is all loving. I've never understood why that's so hard for people (especially people in the church itself) to understand. It's not God loves everyone except... it's God loves FULL STOP. If the church can't understand something so fundamentally basic about God then they weren't worth your time in the first place, but the failure is with the people in the church, not God's and certainly not yours.
Or, God isn't real, which is what ND is saying.
And you don't need to (futilely) try and convince him. He's happy with who he is. Like I am happy to be freed from the shackles of God.
And that's fine too. I'm not trying to tell other people what to think, certain priests do too much of that anyway.
If God truly loves all, then there is no hell.
Love this so much. Raw, real, and vulnerable. Love led me away from church, too.
Love led me away from church and into the hearts of my found family. 🧡
I left the church (organized religion) in large part because I decided that if God really hated love between two consenting adults here on Earth, then I didn't want to be a part of his heaven.
Fuck yes! Same here.
I felt this so much. When I left first the church it wasn't because I didn't believe - it was because I believed so much that I wasn't willing to ignore the scriptures that weren't convenient to my pastors, my parents, people I thought were my friends.
right in my ex-catholic feelings. even as a kid who didn't know any gay people, I didn't want to leave my divorced uncle who didn't baptize his kids or my aunt who said she didn't believe anymore behind.
Epic.
Yes. <333
Yes. This is why I left, too. I found my way to the home where I belonged - in a synagogue, trying to make TODAY better - but that had to start with leaving.
I left church, too, but still respect the power faith and its stories hold. In a medieval text I read the line "a giant slipped into a dwarf when your image hid inside a child" (durch sîn tougenlich geberc/
slouf ein rise in ein getwerc,/ dô dîn bilde almehteclich/ hal in kindes forme sich). Religious stories have caused harm, but they have also inspired creativity and altruism.
But yes, if you can, choose love and kindness over any teaching (even if it professes to teach love and kindness).
This is so good!! Sigh, I didn’t dislike church or religion for it’s caring part, but I disliked it so so much because people said you could not do stuff that still came purely from love. Either the love for life, the love for people or the love for yourself. How can one believe that there is only one way to be good and the rest evil. How can one think that all different kinds of love are ‘not acceptable’…it’s so painful and I’m so happy I stepped out of that as soon as I lived on my own.