Yes, exactly! When I stopped taking the Bible part and parcel and instead looked at it book by book, I realized Paul’s letters stick out like a sore (and sexist, homophobic, judgmental) thumb. He writes like a pretentious freshman English major, too. So much gobbledygook!

The facts JES includes here are themselves a solid argument that critics should know something about what they’re critiquing. I’ve read and heard a *lot* about Beyonce this year and didn’t know until now that she owns a chunk of Tidal. Maybe thinkpieces shouldn’t get a pass on basic newsgathering.

There’s something about this guy’s descriptions, lack of basic knowledge about the music he’s talking about (Who doesn’t know what Survivor is about???), and inability to view this female artist separately from her relationship to men that made me feel icky.

This is excellent Julianne. I have so many things I could say but I’m still recovering from you saying so much of it so perfectly.

If sea urchin isn’t fresh, it can have a metallic taste. I’d say that wasn’t the freshest. It should taste sweet, creamy and ocean-y, not fishy or metallic.

Saturnalia!!

Same with my wife. It’s on every year. We switch between the DVD and the VHS version.

I wasn’t taught these things. I grew up in Assemblies of God churches, then as an adult went to a Vineyard church, a community church, and then two Nazarene churches (I have moved a lot) and at no point did anyone say, hey...Paul didn’t know anything about Jesus’ life other than death and resurrection and maybe not…

You didn’t know. Your parents should have known better, but that wasn’t on you.

I lived a very similar existence, although I had the added bonus of homeschooling. I remember one girl specifically who I prosthelytized to at the age of eight. I led her to Christ and then gave her a Bible. Her mother was furious. She marched over to our house, handed us the Bible, and told me that I was not welcome…

Sure! What you just described is really close to my present beliefs and feelings about religion actually. I can’t commit to being an atheist because even though I have days where my thought processes are very much atheist, I can’t 100% believe that there is absolutely no chance of there being some form of God/god-like…

I thought nature was the bible for atheism. *shrug*

The movie theater near our house has a church that meets in it on Sunday mornings. They still show a few movies during that time though. My husband and I got a laugh when we walked past all these church folk on our way to watch Deadpool in the theater next to the “sanctuary”.

I grew up very religious and am now, quite happily, atheist. One of the things that made it hard to give up Christianity was the idea that I would have less community, but the truth is that now I have more people in my life who are true friends and a wider support system than before. I never quite fit in at any…

I’m so sorry. Honestly your faith is your business. I know lots of people who are genuinely made happy by having it. I would never begrudge someone happiness, or comfort when they’re going through something so awful, because sometimes for your own sanity you need to feel that something bigger than you is taking care…

Dawkins is more like the atheist Jimmy Swaggert.

See also: getting into the good diner for brunch just before all the churchies.

We weren’t really given the tools by which to criticize religion.

I do not envy this man the road ahead. It’s really difficult to face your community, or even your own past actions, after you’ve “shed” your faith.

Wondering now if she has a burner account. Probably has the best posts.