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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Question: can we get real about the fact that this is not about any previously existing anti-Christian bias, and what it is really about is Trump support of any Christian action, regardless of whether it is peaceful, violent or indifferent? Trump is clearly determined to appear as pro-Christian as is humanly possible, while not exhibiting any of the qualities that people ordinarily associate with that religion. What he is doing, above and beyond anything else, is pandering.

And he deserves to be called out for it.

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Joe King's avatar

The "pro-Christian" pandering ignores how diverse Christianity really is. It is only the Christians who are fully on board with his cruelty that he is pandering to. Don't forget the accusations of heresy lobbed at Bishop Budde for simply asking Trump to act like a Christian is supposed to act, according to most of the alleged words of Jesus.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Trump believes in the kind of Christianity that would have cheered at the Crusades, yet disparages anyone like Bishop Budde.

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Sko Hayes's avatar

By george, you've got it!

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Bagat's avatar

There is anti-kkkrist sentiment in kkkrister eyes unless all words uttered are praise jeezy.

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oraxx's avatar

This directive is absurdly unconstitutional, not that Trump has any respect for the Constitution or the rule of law generally. Our secular government cannot choose one religion over another. Period. The Constitution does not carve out an exception for Christians. The real obscenity here is the idea that the most grotesquely immoral President in American history, is somehow a fine Christian.

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ericc's avatar

Quibble: secularism, the establishment clause, and even more general equal rights don't prevent the government from addressing problems in a narrow way when that problem is affecting a narrow part of the population. If we had a rash of vandalism at Buddhist temples, it would be perfectly constitutional for the government to address it with an anti-Buddhism task force. That's not establishing Buddhism or choosing it over other religion, it's putting money where the problem is. Same thing with Christianity; it's not unconstitutional to specifically help Christian organizations if there is some specific criminal activity targeting them (arson at black southern churches spring to mind).

The issue with Trump's speech is that no such narrow problem *against Christianity* exists in the US (except...you know...white supremacists targeting black churches) It's at best political theater, but more likely an attempt to punish government and business offices that treat Christianity exactly as good/bad/indifferent as they do any other religion.

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oraxx's avatar

Trump's directive is not in response to any actual crime. Vandalism is a crime, and civil authorities are justified in investigating it.

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ericc's avatar

Yeah, but it's not "grossly unconstitutional" to do an investigation if you aren't sure a convictable crime has happened either. It can't be, that would screw up the whole system.

Look, Trump and his pet evangelists might be making up bullflop stories of religious discrimination, but if we cut off the FBI's ability to investigate *potential* religious discrimination cases and tell them "you have to know a crime has been committed before you investigate the situation", then a lot more minority-religious and nones would be harmed by that than Christians. That would be like saying you can't investigate a missing (adult) person case until a body shows up. You know who wins under that stricture? The powerful folks and organizations who are best at hiding the bodies. When it comes to religious discrimination, guess who that is.

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Joe King's avatar

"Anti-Christian bias" = anytime Chistians are required to follow the same rules as everyone else. "Persecution" = when those rules are applied to prosecute criminal acts that even the Christians would want prosecuted if the criminal did not invoke thier Christianity.

The message is clear: der Führer and his brownshirts want to make conservative Christianity at the very least the preferred religious viewpoint, and at most mandatory. Welcome to Gilead.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

And in so doing, Trump is fostering an interesting phenomenon: Christians who aren't really Christians.

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Sko Hayes's avatar

I don't know, I am not as fast to declare someone "not a Christian".

I mean, after Jesus, there were no more Jesuses, did you notice? The Inquisition, the Crusades, all of that didn't seem very Christian or Jesus-like, but they called themselves Christians.

So if they believe in Christ or god, I'm calling that a Christian. Let their god sort it out.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

My problem with Christianity is that it arguably promotes both sides of the argument. I mean, when Jesus says in one breath, " Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27), then in the next breath says, "But mine enemies, who would not have me rule over them, bring them hither and slay them before me (Luke 19:27), the contradiction is glaringly obvious. This doesn't even mention the whole "I come not to bring peace, but a sword" crap and all the other hazerai that goes with it. The sad fact is that Jesus refutes his own words often enough to disqualify anything that he may have ever had to say about morality, presuming he ever lived at all, and I doubt that mightily.

And that's one more reason why I'm an atheist.

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Robot Bender's avatar

I'm highly suspect of the Bible anyway. I suspect half of what Jesus is alleged to have said and done is sheer propaganda. That doesn't even include the rest of it.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

👆👆👆🎯

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Sko Hayes's avatar

Well, that's what happens when you have biographers writing about someone who died decades before them and basically writing from spoken word stories (and we all know how reliable that is).

Everyone has to add their own spin. Paul hated women, Luke liked to make up stories, etc...

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SeekingReason's avatar

Joe! 🎯 Grand champion comment of the day! 🏆🏆

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

Because there is no anti-Christian bias. This is double-speak. Look at what Florida has done to New College of Florida: Turned it into a White Christian Nationalist propaganda factory. "Anti-Christian bias" is a code word for "establishing White Christian Nationalism." Heritage Foundation has allied with Viktor Orban's "education institute" to make Christian Nationalist and White Supremacist propaganda. Go look at a Timberdoodle catalog: The only pronoun in the whole thing is "he." Even their "non-religious" curriculum is biased. Go watch some PragerU videos--these, too, are now in Florida public schools. I have articles on my Bluesky (sadie728) but you have to look in my older posts to find them. Americans need to learn to read propaganda. Go read some of Donna Zuckerberg's (yes, the sister) Substack posts about the misuse of Classical imagery to construct White Christian Nationalism. "Classical" = White Supremacy. "Western Civilization" = White Supremacy. Etc.

Ignore the literal meaning of their words and look at the speech acts--the function of what the words are being used for.

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Joe King's avatar

Religion reverses everything. Every accusation a confession. It is a generally good rule of thumb to take whatever they say and believe the opposite of them.

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

And search "Faithful America FAQs" This is an anti-Christian Nationalist Christian-led organization that has been literally on the front lines picketing Michael Flynn's revivals. They have an excellent resources section--this is a group that atheists can ally with.

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James's avatar

Well, Sarah, I just followed you over at BlueSky. I'll peruse your posts there. You have been warned. /s

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cdbunch's avatar

It's not a waste of time, it's a threat to all non-Christians. Or even the wrong kind of Christian, like Rev. Budde or anyone else that follows the loving, hippie, communist version of Jesus that can be found in the Bible, instead of the judgemental torturer who was looking for people to kiss his Daddy's ass for eternity, who can also be found in the Bible.

They will be able to declare anything a sin, and do whatever they want to to anyone they want to under the banner of "religious freedom". As Greg, our atheist bigot from yesterday said, you can't ask straight people to work alongside gay people, some them have a deeply-held religious belief that being gay is a terrible sin.

This will be used to prevent the FBI from investigating if Steven Anderson is directly exhorting his parishioners to kill LGBT people.

It will be used to allow parents to perform potentially deadly "exorcisms" on LGBT kids or even just rebellious kids, those "Jesus Camps" won't be investigated or shutdown no matter the abuse.

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Bagat's avatar

Anderson is just one of dozens demanding death of Gays. Bing shows 3,750,000 hits.

https://www.bing.com/search?pc=MOZI&form=MOZLBR&q=preacher+demands+death+of+gays

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NOGODZ20's avatar

If they truly want to get rid of gay people, they'll have to forbid sex between straights. Where do they think all those gay people come from?

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Asking them to follow one of the most ancient christian advice ? Tu n'y penses pas ?

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cdbunch's avatar

Indoctrination from drag queens. Or at least that's what they loudly proclaim while calling them pedophiles.

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AlbertCamus's avatar

Like the Shakers! Where's they go, by the way?

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

“They’re tasked with identifying anything that has “contributed to unlawful anti-Christian governmental or private conduct”… “

Which means they have carte blanch to attack folks who choose not to be Christian. This blog, for instance, can be a target for calling out the criminality of Christian organizations and leaders. It may sound like a slippery slope, but sometimes when folks are pouring oil on a surface they’re intending to slide right into the thing folks fear they’ll hit.

This administration is doing exactly what everyone was claiming was an overreaction.

“Project 2025 isn’t going to be implemented, Trump doesn’t even know what’s in it.” Most of the EOs he’s signed so far have been delineated in P25 and written by the Heritage Foundation. Not an overreaction.

“He wont create concentration camps. That’s crazy.” Gitmo is now being filled with detained immigrants, more than it was designed to hold, and it is off American soil so the torture Gitmo is already infamous for is likely to continue. Not an overreaction.

“He wouldn’t do things to hurt women, he loves women.” He’s eliminating any and all protections for women, people of color and LGBTQ a people. Not an overreaction.

“He wouldn’t do things only be a dictator for a day, that’s not too bad. He didn’t really mean it it was just an expression to say he was going to clean things up.” He’s trying to take over Gaza, with Netanyahu by his side, literally and figuratively, wanting to deport people not even in the USA that he has no jurisdiction over so he can wipe out the current structures and rebuild with his name all over everything and lease the country to whoever gets to stay.

This is an outright attack on non-Christians. Anyone to push back on Christian terrorists, like the “peaceful protesters” mentioned in the article, will face the full wrath of the federal criminal justice system. Also, forget about complaining that our schools are forcing prayers on students. Oklahoma will just be the vanguard of our new education system. And that is just for starters.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Also in the "Dear Leader has 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 heard of Project 2025, we swear!" file: https://apnews.com/article/trump-russell-vought-confirmation-budget-project-2025-7d1c476694176876256e95cecbd49231

The only real question is whether the end result of this shitshow leans more towards theocracy, or kleptocracy.... because it sure ain't gonna be a 𝘥𝘦𝘮ocracy when they're through with it.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Read Mersault's latest that I linked to above.

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Robot Bender's avatar

(Sigh) This is what comes of true, complete history not being taught in schools. They're following the Third Reich's plans.

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Tinker's avatar

All this does is cement in my mind the link between Christian and cruelty. I realize there are some people who do good in the name of Christianity but, Trump is separating himself from that type of Christianity. In effect, he is creating another branch of Christianity, the MAGA Christians. All I hear from the Christian churches is crickets when it comes to calling out Trump. Sure a few members of Christian churches have said things against him but they are shouted down, excommunicated or just leave the church. Many Mormons were against him in the two previous elections but they seem to have embraced him now. Perhaps it's because they think Trump will give them a nation where everyone is forced to pick a Christian religion. Or maybe it's as simple as they want to be on the winning side, no matter how cruel it is.

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Joe King's avatar

The cruelty is the point. They want to be on the cruel side, no matter how winning it may or may not be.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

With a $100 billion nest egg in their hip pocket, the Mormon hierarchy has little to worry about.

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

I highly recommend Alyssa Grenfell's videos on YouTube exposing Mormonism! She even has a video about how they hack algorithms to send pro-Mormon ads even to anti-Mormon videos.

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Robot Bender's avatar

That branch of Christians is nothing new.

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Tony Walters's avatar

The cruel irony is that the right wing Christian nationalists are calling for the persecution of Reverend Budde for asking the president to show mercy. I suppose it is only for the “right Christians”

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oraxx's avatar

It has been ever thus. The bloody, gory history of Europe is in no small part the story of Christian on Christian violence, much of it perpetrated in the name of Christianity. Now, America's religious right is claiming their particular slant on the supernatural is the solution to all the country's problems.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

...instead of the source of most of our problems, by dumbing down those they indoctrinate.

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Joe King's avatar

Their official position is that if one doesn't toe the party line on the cruelty of White Evangelicalism, one is not a True Christian (tm) and is therefore subject to the persecution and not protected from it. They have had those bagpipes blowing for centuries.

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oraxx's avatar

Far too many of America's most vocal Christians value the authoritarianism of the institutional church far more than anything Jesus supposedly taught. I say supposedly because no one has any idea what he actually said.

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Kay-El's avatar

I posted this on Andra Watkins site: “I “persecute” CN’s every day by not opening the door to them; refusing invitations to discuss their religion or visit their churches; supporting my trans family member; putting a pentagram on my front door”.

Also I’ll never say Merry Christmas again. Its either Happy Holidays or Fuck You, take your pick.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

👏👏👏👏👏👏😁

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James Clark's avatar

As a very liberal antitheist living in the Bible Belt, I'm actually starting to fear for my welfare. I moved to my current residence after retirement as I was seeking a lower cost of living. I'm currently weighing my options and considering abandoning the house I purchased. I'm starting to think that I might be safer being homeless in California than staying here. I'm also fearing losing my Social Security benefits and having my bank accounts frozen simply because I strongly oppose the Drumpf agenda, thanks to the illegal access Elon Musk was given to my banking information. Needless to say, I think I'm done with enjoying my retirement.

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Bagat's avatar

You are not the only one feeling this

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Sarah T's avatar

I'm a leftist that was living in a small town in the deep South. I left last October because I was feeling progressively more unsafe. I came back to the Northeast and there are MAGAts here, too, but the balance is better as far as having other leftists/progressives around.

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Bagat's avatar

ALL dictatorships require violence to spread. This includes religious dictatorships.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

OT- The NatCs don't just want to force women (and girls) to carry unwanted pregnancies to term... they don't want women (or girls) to have the right to avoid 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 pregnant, either: https://apnews.com/article/michigan-lawmaker-threats-elective-sterilization-358a4f0ed6e55e8c785faa7b29d41cdb

"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳?!"

The quiet part ain't so quiet anymore.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

They have a plan to steal all the people they don't approve of spawn. Their xtian "Adoption Agencies are the real human trafficking.

"Don’t ever be lulled into thinking that ‘pro-choice’ states are immune from doing scary shit. And boy oh boy is this story scary: A new lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Vermont and Pregnancy Justice alleges that Vermont’s Department for Children and Families keeps a secret calendar tracking the pregnancies of women they deem “high risk” and “unfit parents” in order to take custody of their newborns.

In fact, the suit lays out how DCF took steps to obtain custody of one Vermont women’s baby by declaring her mentally unfit before she even gave birth and without a formal mental health evaluation. The woman, identified in the suit as A.V., wasn’t evaluated until after they took her newborn away. What’s more, DCF—without her knowledge—even tried to get a court order to force A.V. into a c-section while she was in labor.

From the Associated Press:

“She had no idea that while she was in labor, hospital officials were relaying updates to the state—including details of her cervix dilation—and had won temporary custody of the fetus.”

A.V. had her baby taken from her upon birth, before she was allowed to hold or even touch her child.

ACLU senior staff attorney Harrison Stark says, “This case is so egregious in so many ways that it should really shock the conscience of any Vermonter who cares about personal autonomy or reproductive liberty.”

https://jessica.substack.com/p/vermont-is-tracking-the-pregnancies

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Not hard to see how the definition of "unfit parent" might be tortured into including anyone Cheetolini wants to declare an UnPerson.

*edit- To say nothing of the forced sterilizations 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. "We're going to force you to have babies, unless we decide to force you not to!" Hypocrisy in the trivial, hypocrisy in the monstrous... hypocrisy everywhere in between.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Yup. Leftist, atheist, poor person = "Unfit".

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Her critics have posters of Nick "Your Body, My Choice" Fuentes on their walls.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

That is one motherfucker I would dearly love to kick in the balls whilst wearing spike-toed cowgirl boots.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Or those exquisite spike heeled Louboutins! The ones in the meme with the axe.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

:D

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John Smith's avatar

How can you kick something that requires an electron microscope to see? An option is castration by blowtorch and pliers, if you can find it.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Appropriate response: "Well... okay shithead, if those are the rules you want to play by! And here's what 𝘐 choose for 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 body!"

https://becomingthevillainess.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/tumblr_o7rzohhqnu1u9ru6ro2_1280.jpg

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Lynn Veit's avatar

The quiet part is becoming deafening.

And MADDENING!

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Richard S. Russell's avatar

"Because the only faith that matters to this White House is conservative Christianity."

Let's be accurate here. That faith doesn't matter shit to Donald Trump. What DOES matter is that all those conservative Christians come pre-brainwashed for his convenience.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

"Pre-brainwashed" so true.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

OT- ProPublica has an info-dump about Muskrat's minions, and they're looking for more information: https://projects.propublica.org/elon-musk-doge-tracker/

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RegularJoe's avatar

They have families, no doubt. 😁

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Maltnothops's avatar

Ex-wives and ex-girlfriends, I hope.

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cdbunch's avatar

The oldest was 25. It's not impossible he has an ex-wife, but it seems unlikely.

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Maltnothops's avatar

Ex-gf is a possibility. Apparently a lot of the J6 perps were identified by exes.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

They might be incels.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Bingo!

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

They are Angry Incels so, that is doubtful.

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Maltnothops's avatar

(The funniest thing I ever wrote should have gone here.)

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Bagat's avatar

kkkrister gods promise us trillions upon trillions upon trillions of eons in hell for minor disobedience. This is not a god. It is a tyrant who sees the Marquis De Sade as a role model. This is a tyrant that makes suicide bombers look like a picnic in the park. And he loves?

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Its idea of "love" is everyone loves it OR ELSE!

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

He can impale his celestial ass with Ariane 5.

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Bagat's avatar

Barrel cactus rammed deep using Saguaro cactus.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Too small

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Jarred Harris's avatar

I appreciate the Christian pastors who are also calling out this nonsense. I just wish more would follow suit.

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Bagat's avatar

They always adore the tyrant as the tyrant's demands match theirs.

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Damon Kovelsky's avatar

Anti christian bias is not letting them.whine with self pity.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Or pointing out their lies and propaganda.

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Damon Kovelsky's avatar

I honestly think they believe they cannot lie because they consider themselvevs to be gods army on earth. Hypocracy means nothing to a zealot.

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