I grew up Mormon and had a hard time believing that we were the "true church," "taught the true teachings.," etc., when I learned about how many different current and old religions and beliefs people had throughout human history. Cracks started to form in my faith foundation then. The following thoughts throw me for a loop back then. Exibit A. Exibit B. Exibit C.
There are over 40,000 sects of christianity last I knew. I'm going to say thousands isn't an overexageration. I won't consider religions the same if they have different beliefs.
Do you happen to know where a higher resolution version of this image is?
I am not very knowledgeable about religion but that chart buckets European Animism as one "Religion" while I think it was not organized and refers to the disparate beliefs of folks in the area at the time, so one could argue that there were lots of version I think.
It's so ridiculous! I too have thoughts and prayers. Thoughts that one day we'll follow the examples of more civilized and developed countries - ones that truly care about the safety and well-being of their citizens - by supporting social policies like universal healthcare, publicly-funded education and reparations for historically marginalized communities. And I pray that we one day find the courage to meticulously seek out and destroy every gun owned by an American civilian (with exceptions for heavily regulated licenses for hunting and sport, like with tractors or race cars).
I object to the piece of paper. Publicly funded schools shouldn't be using tax payer funded paper/printers to discriminate against student's second amendment rights. SCOTUS will fast track my lawsuit as soon as you give me a school name.
If only they would use ACTUAL thoughts! Sure and actual prayers too, as in the kind that require you to stand the fuck up and do something, instead of asking to be given all the credit as if they had. e.g., you just paid off my college tuition? THANK YOU! Oh wait, you only offered me your thoughts and prayers about my potentially lifelong crippling debt situation. Nvm, you may fuck all the way off now!:-(
As someone who grew up in an Evangelical church, I've never in my life seen the kind of prayers that "require you to stand the fuck up and do something."
More's the pity:-|. Jesus did stuff, reportedly, so those who claim to be "His followers" choose to do the opposite. Jesus Himself would be rejected out of nearly all churches in America today.:-(
Even so, churches on the whole still used to serve a useful societal role - lessening rates of theft & murder, fostering community ties with irl people, helping the disenfranchised (feeding homeless, aiding widows & orphans, job-training services, etc.) - but especially after overturning Roe v. Wade I think the public perception has shifted. Now we see more clearly than ever before how the people in those churches are killing innocents, by converting average people into single-issue voters who will vote for the likes of Donald Trump or George Santos so long as they just do that ONE thing that the religious higher-ups want. Forget how climate change is going to radically transform our world - and in the process kill millions - and similarly automation and globalization are making slaves of us all, desperate to hold onto a job that pays increasingly less and less dividends plus may kick you to the curb no matter what you do.
Fwiw, I even say this as a Christian myself: I do not stand with those who call themselves by that name yet condone genocide, even cause it themselves, and ignore the plight of the innocents who suffer (e.g. Ukraine). I am also a patriot (by the technical, acurate definition) but do not want to call myself that either, especially after January 6. So I guess I am a "godless heathen" now, who "hates my country", or whatever it is that they say about me? Or else NOT THAT, and they can fuck all the way off, as they destroy themselves and yet in the process take us all down with them.:-(
Prob just drunk but this hits home.
I have some dumbass people I care about who boast about the gun freedoms of Texas while having children that are the same age as the children in the Uvalde shooting.
Note that while their kids are the same age--they weren't there for the shooting. As always, no fucks shall be given until it's affected them personally. Even then--only as few as necessary are allotted to cover themselves and their inner circle.
Guess who Uvalde voted in during the gubnatorial race in 2022? Fucking Greg "It Could Have Been Worse" Abbott
It doesn't even matter if you WERE there for the shooting. I was honestly baffled that he took that county. The majority of adults in that community really came together and went "Yup. Abbott is clearly working!" Ugh.