Yo thanks for drawing Jesus as like… a happy, kind, and healthy person. I grew up going to church every week and saw nothing but his misery and crucifixion. Every depiction of Jesus I’ve seen fills me with guilt, dread, and anxiety. But I came across your + volcanoid piece and it made me happy. The kind of happy where you can’t help but cry a little because something so simple shouldn’t have such a big impact, but it does.

Idk I’m rambling now, but that drawing you posted is low key healing my religious trauma. And I don’t fucking care if someone thinks it’s blasphemous or something. That is the Jesus I wish I had.

hii! i want you to know that i took my time trying to come up with a response to this because i just wanted it to stay in my inbox for just a little while longer... wahh. this is so touching.

i think there is absolutely a sore lack of depictions of a happy christ, and i'm really glad you've found such relief in my drawing. it makes me really really happy ;_; i don't think my any means is it a stretch to say that showing children the beaten body of a man who was gored on a cross is... not good for them. if it were up to me, yeah, all images of jesus shown to children would be of him pre-crucifixion

thank you so much for sending me this... i'm gonna be thinking for a while on it. u are the best

Hey! Anon from the last time here! By "Pro-Palestine Westeners" I was partially referring to all these students from Columbia and MIT who were illegally occupying the school grounds and harassing/hurting the actual Israeli/Jewish/Middle Eastern/the other generally decent students.

I know there's Pro-Palestine people who are actually decent, but all these college students are risking suspension/expulsion/jailtime because they'd rather chant pro-Ha*as slogans rather and listening to news from biased fonts rather than educating themselves on what's really happening. Some people would rather stay in their ivory towers, rather than going outside and touching grass.

I also know there's LGBT+ people in Palestine and other parts of MENA, and all I wish for them is that they live long enough to find a place where to live freely and out of the closet, without suffering persecution from their government.

Hope this clarified at least a little bit my other ask, and sorry it sounded so ambiguous. Finally, let's hope that Eden Golan gets at least in the top 5 at Eurovision 2024, just to spite anyone who booed her.

Hi Nonnie!

Thank you for sending this ask to clarify the previous one, it's what I thought you meant, and I'm glad to hear I wasn't too off.

TBH, as a gay woman myself, with gay Palestinian friends who are a part of my queer community, and whose struggles I know well, that's the first group I thought about as well. Then I thought about the fact that under Hamas law, husbands can rape their wives with impunity. I thought about the way the Christian population (the biggest non-Muslim minority under Palestinian rule) has demographically plummeted in the areas that Israel passed on to Palestinian control as a part of the Oslo accords. I thought about black people, whose ancestors were kidnapped because of the Trans-Saharan (i.e Arab) trade slave, and are still treated as lesser humans because of that (based on their skin color, they are still referred to in Arabic to this day as "Abeed," meaning slaves).

I think this last group, which most people don't even realize exists, deserves a bit more info shared about it:

Pretty sure black activists in the states, who don't know the history (and present) of the Arab slave trade, or the persisting anti-black racism that exists in Palestinian society, have no clue they're being exploited against the same Jewish community, which stood with Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, even having some of its members paying with their very lives for this. I hope they wake up and realized they're being used for antisemitic purposes by the same people who enslaved and are still discriminating against some of their people.

But it's funny how the world's activists and human rights defenders seem to ignore the plight of these marginalized Palestinians, isn't it? Almost like, because they're NOT being oppressed by Jews, rather by fellow Palestinians, and can't be used to justify antisemitic rhetoric and action, then they don't count. So much for minority solidarity and intersectionality, right? It doesn't extend to Jews, and it doesn't extend to Palestinians who can't be weaponized against Jews.

Regarding the last bit of your ask, bless you for being hit with Apollo's dodge ball and predicting Eden making it into the top 5, despite every effort made by the jury members of so many countries, the awful people in the audience, and members of fellow delegations. It was magnificent!

Sending you hugs! xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

So... *sigh* ...I know I'm gonna open a whole can of worms by asking this question. If you want to ignore it or say I'd rather not have this on my blog, you are more than welcome not to answer but... if you could point me in the right direction, I'd he forever grateful. I'm gray-ace. Exactly WHERE I'm still figuring it out, but I kinda like the label because it just sort of... takes the bits and pieces from all the identities that I fit into and mushes them into one big label. And I love (1/?)

(2/?) that about it. I honestly think that it’ll stay around for a while yet at least. Problem? Well… I’m a Christian. Which… doesn’t bring up any IMMEDIATE concerns. I mean, Priests are celibate, and nuns are celibate and so like… everything should be a-okay, right? *sigh* My romantic orientation is still in the works. I’m a very… “go where the wind takes me” type of person when it comes to love and… well… commitment is hard. Because I want to do it right, you know? So… as far

(3/?) as I know, I’m pan romantic. I could be biromantic. Or simply heteroromantic. I really don’t know. And… A lot of this… “compromise” (but I don’t really see it as a compromise???) in my beliefs is that… the whole BASIS of Christianity is founded upon Compassion, and love, and forgiveness. Yeah, you should love God but like… I don’t claim to know EVERYTHING about God. I don’t know why he made some people Transgender and others gay and some people asexual. In way, its like asking why

(4/?) God made someone black. Or have red hair. Or green eyes. Or have 3 freckles on their left cheek. I don’t know! He just… He wanted them that way. For a reason. And you’d have to be CRAZY to try and put words in God’s mouth. I mean, this is the same being that (at least I believe) created the stars in the sky. Why would I claim to know how He thinks? And here’s the craziest thing right: the LGBT+ sometimes seems a better practitioner of Christian values than a lot of Christians. The Ace

(5/?) Community has been so loving, and compassionate!! Like, it’s crazy!! And I mean, I just left heated from my church this past Sunday for DARING say that no sinner is worthy of love. Like… you entirely miss the point of love if you try and say that you are either worthy of it or not. Love is a GIFT. You give it to someone because… you care. They aren’t “worthy” or “unworthy.” “Deserving” or “undeserving.” It’s whether or not you decide to give it and that’s what makes love beautiful.

(6/?) Besides. That’s INSANE to say that a HUMAN BEING. Whether they be a child, or a broken adult, or some other lost soul in search of SOME form of companionship or forgiveness, doesn’t DESERVE LOVE. Like, we’re all human being. We all fuck up. But come ON NOW. That’s just CRAZY. And like… I don’t expect God (in whatever form you want to believe him in) ever thought we were going to get it 100% right. I mean, otherwise, why wouldn’t he just come down and rule the world himself? Fixes all

(7/?) all the bickering, right? And that’s where faith comes in. “We walk by faith, not by sight,” or whatever? But recently, I’ve basically been… well… barraged, to say the least, with both the LGBT+ and fellow Christians saying that I have to be one or the other. I have to be Gay or Christian. Otherwise, I compromise my beliefs. But I don’t see it that way? And like… being on the aspec yourself, I’m sure you understand how difficult it is to be torn between the Ace Community and the

Hey Anon,

These were the only messages I received. It looks like tumblr might have eaten anything else that you sent me and I am sorry for that. I hope you are feeling better though. Feel free to come and rant or vent anytime you need to. It looks like you really wanted to get this out there. And I’m glad you found a place to do it. Sometimes we are not always free to express our frustrations, so I am here if you ever need to.

You can be LGBTQ+ and religious! You can be Ace and religious! You don’t have to chose between one or the other. There is nothing wrong with being yourself and following your beliefs! There are many religious people who are LGBTQ+ and Ace; you are not alone. Many of us can relate to where you are coming from. I hate all this hostility between religious people and the LGBTQ+; not to mention the immense toxicity it has on religious LGBTQ+ members. It’s not easy being religious and LGBTQ+, but it is possible. 

I completely underhand what you are growing through. I am Christian myself (Roman Catholic to be exact) and growing up non-heterosexual is extremely hard. To hear how my fellow “Christians” talked about people who were gay, especially my family members scarred me deeply. Ever since I was a little kid I knew that I was not heterosexual. I just knew, but there was not a lot of resources for me to look into and I didn’t know of any other orientations besides heterosexual and homosexual. And I was taught homosexual was wrong.

As time went on, I would literally drop on my hands in knees in prayer crying, tears pouring down my cheeks, to make me heterosexual. I begged and pleaded with God to help me and save me. I didn’t want to be bad. I didn’t want to be non-heterosexual. I didn’t want my own family members to hate me because I was non-heterosexual. I didn’t want God to hate me and send me to Hell for being non-heterosexual. I was scared, lost, and hurt. I never got an answer. So, I grew to hate God and religion. I turned my back God and despised religion and Christians who do nothing but preach love, but spread hate. 

Separating myself from God and religion actually helped me in discovering myself. I immersed myself with the LGBTQ+ community. I tried various different labels and researched as much as I could, until I found asexuality and the ace spectrum. Since then, God has called me back. I am reworking on my faith and relationship with God. I have heard God’s voice…and y’know what he told me? “I am always with you.” I never felt anything so powerful and so loving in my life. I felt every single positive emotion that a person could feel. And I learned something. God loves me. Growing up I though God abounded me. I though God hated me. I learned, that that’s what other people told me He felt. But through God I learned that he loves me. And I think there is a reason I am not heterosexual, especially in such a religious family. I think me being graysexual definitely made my parents (mostly my Father) question themselves. My Father still has a lot of work to do, but my Mom is doing so great with accepting people and supporting me. 

Reevaluating my faith and relearning my religion has made me more comfortable in my graysexuality, actually. Remember, God created you in his own image…and saw that it was good (Genesis). Remember what God told Moses? “Who gave man his mouth? Or makes him mute or deaf, sighted or blind? Is it not I?!” (Exodus). God knows you, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. (Jeremiah). He knows who you are. He has plans for you. He wants you to be the person He is calling you to be: yourself. 

And don’t forget Jesus. Remember all that Jesus taught us: LOVE. Jesus gives us the greatest commandments: Love your neighbor like yourself (Matthew). Love one another as I have loved you (John). And don’t forget this one, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (John). So, you are right. We are called to love and support one another. That’s what a good Christian is supposed to do. Be that example!

You are do nothing wrong by following your faith and being Ace. I don’t understand where your parish is coming from with the not loving sinners part. That doesn’t make sense to me. Because, we are all sinners! Again, remember what Jesus said, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone” (John). We are all sinners. Everyone of us. Sin does not recognize color, race, political party, or orientations. Sin is your actions, your thoughts, your words. You sin by doing, not by being. 

It sounds like you need a little break from religion for awhile. Or at least to separate your orientation from your faith. It’s okay to take a break from your religion. Give yourself some time to work through what you are going through one-by-one. Work on your orientations, sexual and romantic. And find your way back to faith once you are more comfortable with yourself and who you are. Maybe you will learn to see things through different eyes. God will not abandon you and God will not stop loving you. Remember, the prodigal son parable (Luke). God will be waiting for you with open arms. 

Don’t let what other people say get to you. You are right. Love and love one another. God made you from His own image, don’t create God into your own image. A lot of people do that nowadays. No one can say what God believes or thinks. No one can claim what God feels about you. No one can say what God has chose to do. Everyone deserves love and we are all sinners. 

Keep doing your best. Be the example. Show the world it’s okay to be who you are and it’s okay to be religious. Many people, on both sides, don’t like the fact that I am religious and queer. It’s like a tug-o-war. Don’t let others force you to choose. You can be both. It’s not easy, but it’s possible. You are not alone. There are quite a few Queer Christian Communites:

https://www.qchristian.org

http://scmcanada.org/queer-resources/ 

https://www.believeoutloud.com/background/christianity-and-lgbt-equality 

http://queergrace.com/communities/

And a few tumblr blogs:

https://acecatholic.tumblr.com 

http://christianandqueer.tumblr.com 

http://asexualchristian.tumblr.com 

https://lgbt-christian-safe-haven.tumblr.com 

You hang in there, Anon. It’s not easy being LGBTQ+ and religious, but it’s okay that you are. Both sides need to do some serious work. Christians need to take a step back and realize all the harm they are actually causing. They need to stand up and be Christians. Keep being yourself. Keep doing what is right, by the Lord. Help bridge this gap. I hate the hate, but I hope in time things do get better. You are loved. God loves you. God is there for you. God will not abandon you. It’s okay for you to be ace and Christian. That’s who you are. You are not hurting anyone by trying to be true to yourself. Don’t listen to anyone that causes you harm. Give yourself some time. Find yourself in your orientations first. Give yourself time to really understand your labels and identities. And come back to your faith in your own way, not how other people tell you to do it. Hang in there. If you ever need to talk, rant, or vent I am here feel free to message me anytime. 

How can I be passionate about life again? It's been really hard these last few years and it seems to be worse since I'm a junior in college and I just feel like I'm going through the motions and I'm not really living life.

I could say read your Bible more often, pray more often, count your blessings more often, eat healthier, exercise more, do more of the things you love….but I’ll tell you something different, something you can do now that will ultimately lead to being more passionate about that list I just made. Here’s a quick story about me first. I had a lot of struggles growing up since I can remember back when, especially throughout my teen years. This is actually my testimony you’re going to read if you don’t know about my past yet. I am a victim of abuse (physical, emotional, psychological, and verbal abuse). My own father was my abuser. I look back in life and I could say I didn’t deserve all the pain and hurt, but because I’ve come out of it a more confident, stronger, wiser, resilient, patient, and faithful Christian, I don’t regret or am ashamed all that I had to go through. It was for my own good that I’ve come to accept. It takes a lot for me to get sad over a matter or get sensitive over something that someone else might otherwise have thought was a mean or rude thing to tell me. Maybe because I’ve grown to tolerate a lot….I hope I don’t come across as someone who has just become so emotionally cold and because of it, prideful. I sincerely have changed my outlook on emotions and it’s not in any way negative, and it’s because God has transformed my mind. I am however more sensitive to the hurts and pains of others, not in an empathetic “poor you” way, but in a manner that strives to help you “understand more about yourself” way. My dad’s love was very tough and because of this ugly character he used to have, I drew myself closer and closer to God, our Heavenly Father. No matter how much pain I’ve endured, Jesus endured so much more. It’s oftentimes the poorest in spirit that find the most comfort in God because out of desperation He is their last and only hope. That’s why 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 is such good scripture to meditate on…

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

There are testimonies of people in all walks of life who have made drastic turnarounds by professing Christ as their Savior. They are ex-prisoners, ex-gangsters, ex-drug users, celebrities that used to work for the entertainment business, even ex-porn stars, cancer survivors, former atheists….before they gave their lives to Christ, the one thing they all had in common was that they were poor in spirit. They did not at first recognize or acknowledge how badly in shape their spirits were in, but once they did and did something about it by turning to God in desperation, He gave them a kind of strength that could only be found in Him.

In Matthew 5:3-12 it says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I gave my life to Christ and heard of this scripture even before the abuse got worse, but it did not stick with me until years later after I had run away. I rededicated my life to Christ and years after the abuse stopped I had gotten comfortable with my old habits and it wasn’t until then when I realized I didn’t have to experience bad things happening to me to get back on track. Oftentimes it takes extremely difficult experiences for people to change their ways. They need a wake-up call. It takes fear for them to finally get motivated. It could be a breakup, a divorce, losing a job, getting thrown out of the house, a terrible car accident, losing someone they love to illness….those who are the most desperate for change are the ones that actually do something positive with the whatever situation they’re in, and those who easily lose hope and give up go into a deep depression. I’ve learned not to wait for those very difficult times and this is how I do it….I simply practice HUMILITY. I can’t emphasize this enough. SURRENDER AS OFTEN AS YOU REMEMBER IN A DAY. BEGIN WITH GOD EARLY IN THE MORNING. END WITH GOD AT NIGHT. LEARN BY RECOGNIZING WHAT AREAS IN LIFE YOUR PRIDE SHOWS UP IN. AS YOU’RE YIELDING TO CHRIST, REMEMBER WHAT HE DID FOR YOU. YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN, YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE, YOU HAVE NOTHING AND ARE NOTHING WITHOUT GOD, CONFESS YOUR PRIDE AND OTHER SINS AND GENUINELY REPENT. PRACTICE THIS AS MANY TIMES AS YOU HAVE TO EVERYDAY AND YOUR HUMBLENESS WILL BE AS NATURAL AS BREATHING. YOU’LL EXPERIENCE MORE PEACE AND JOY BECAUSE YOU’LL ALSO BE MORE AWARE OF ALL THE GOODNESS AND BLESSINGS GOD PUTS INTO YOUR LIFE.

When I ran away from home and didn’t see my parents for a year, I could remember 6 of those months were the happiest months of my life. It wasn’t because I was away from my dad, well maybe partly…but it was mainly because I had a lot of alone time with God and that’s when I truly began to love myself by getting to know Him more. It was a streak on the mountaintop because I tried the best I could to acknowledge God everywhere I went. I didn’t know at the time that what I was actually doing was surrendering everyday. When you acknowledge God and I mean not just remember He’s present, but simply remembering He sent His Son to die for you, and accepting Jesus as that grace you don’t deserve, knowing how much He actually did for you to have your life where you get to have God as your guide should make you fall to your knees and grieve for how selfish you have been for making life about yourself. Humbling myself made me fall in love with Him more and more, which in turn made me love myself more, which made me more passionate about sharing His love simply by spreading my joy. I am not 24/7 nearly gung-ho and as excited about life as I was then, but overall I definitely appreciate life more now whether I’m in the valley or up on the mountaintop, I have joy because I still take Jesus with me everywhere I go. Some people are fine acknowledging God only once or twice a day, some need to acknowledge Him 20 times a day. Whatever it takes…know that God will be pleased with you for your efforts.

There’s a similar issue I was presented with I think a year ago. Anon asked  how they could be more passionate about reading the Bible because they felt they were just reading it without really getting into it…they needed motivation basically. I can’t remember all that I said, except the part where in order for anyone to get the most out of Bible reading, you have to approach it as if you were a pauper. I believe Bible reading gets boring because we subconsciously think either we won’t get anything much from it or understand anything, or we think we already know a lot when it comes to wisdom. What that is is actually pride but we are not aware of it. There is a fundamental order to prayer and it starts with adoration/praise, then confession, thanksgiving, supplication/prayer requests - ACTS. The first 2, adoration and confession go first because if done sincerely, it should put the one praying in a state of humility. You must be humble when approaching God before realizing He has actually given you a lot (thanks) and before asking him anything your heart desires (supplication). And as Christians we’re suppose to pray a lot throughout the day, enough that it becomes second nature, because really all it is is practicing His presence by talking to God (verbally or mindfully) as if He’s there living and breathing like a real person who’s your really good friend. So approach God with humility by surrendering and praising Him before asking Him that you want to have more passion for life or anything you desire out of life. Acknowledge that you are poor in spirit…I know you probably already know that you are in that state right now, but you should mention it to God too every time you approach Him. Expound on it, be honest with your feelings. “When I am weak, then I am strong. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. God is my guide. He will only give me what I can handle. With Him all things are possible.” Those are God’s promises I put on repeat in my head anytime I can tell my world is about to be shaken. So basically, HUMBLE YOURSELF BY ACKNOWLEDGING YOU ARE WEAK AND YOU NEED GOD’S STRENGTH. BE HONEST WITH YOUR WEAKNESS BUT ALSO DO THE BEST YOU CAN TO FOCUS ON GOD’S POWER OVER YOU THROUGH PRAISE. PRAISE HIM BY MAGNIFYING HIS GREATNESS INSTEAD OF YOUR WEAKNESS. REMEMBER TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY TO PRAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, AND HE WILL BLESS YOU WITH PASSION FOR LIFE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, PASSION FOR GOD. That’s my whole but simple secret for true joy. Thank you for this. I will be praying for you! :)

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Luke 14:11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; He crowns the humble with victory.

Philippians Chapter 2 - Imitating Christ’s Humility

By His Grace, Sheela (Via godfirstgodalways)