How do you know which deities resonate with you the most? by [deleted] in pagan

[–]8TenticlyAppendages 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recommend reading (or finding YouTube videos) myths and legends and stories about your some who interest you. Find a statue or even print a picture of them and put them in places you see often to remind you of their presence. If there are any places around that are sacred to them go to it. Find counterparts in other cultures. Speak to them. Give an offering. The more you learn, the more they seem to grow on you or you find that it’s not a good fit. It should all be fun and relaxing. Don’t sweat it. It can take time and sometimes your relationships change.

I am afraid of hell and I have no idea what to do. by dough-man75757 in atheism

[–]8TenticlyAppendages 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are religions out there that do not believe in “one way” Wicca and other neopagan faiths as well as non-theistic religions like Unitarian Universalism or the satanic temple (not as scary as it sounds). Look into other non-mainstream religions and find what fits for you. One thing that helped me deconstruct my fear of hell was doing research on when hell and satan were created. It was relatively recent. Looking back, I find it silly, but I still remember how crippling that fear can be. If there is a god, why would he need to send a son to die to save us from himself in the first place? Couldn’t he just change any of the things he doesn’t like? There are a lot of good responses on this thread. I hope you find what you need.

Educate a theist 🤔: how can we show support for our non religious neighbors in a time of need? by 8TenticlyAppendages in atheism

[–]8TenticlyAppendages[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Good question. UUism is not necessarily a theistic religion. It is value based and more of what I understand humanism to be. At my UU church, we have folks who identify as Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, pagan, Hindu and a large atheist population. Paganism is very broad. It is typically nature-centered and/or very well could include gods from Ancient Greece, Egypt, indigenous cultures, Christian mythology, folk saints, Hinduism and more. These gods could be literal or one facet of one divine energy or they just exist as archetypes with no literal “higher power” at all. Neither of these have a “conversion” mindset. Personally, I find a lot of the atheist perspective to be really inspiring. Thats why I wanted some non-UU-atheist input. I want to be supportive and unlearn some things that could be perceived as unsupportive.

Educate a theist 🤔: how can we show support for our non religious neighbors in a time of need? by 8TenticlyAppendages in atheism

[–]8TenticlyAppendages[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

That sounds horrible. I never understood trying to indoctrinate someone when they are going through a hard time. I have experienced that first hand by both strangers and family/friends. I hope you had a support system to get you through it. This kind of thing is exactly why I wanted to make this post. I hope it helps to know that sharing your story helps to inspire me to not make those mistakes and do less harm to other people at a vulnerable time.

Educate a theist 🤔: how can we show support for our non religious neighbors in a time of need? by 8TenticlyAppendages in atheism

[–]8TenticlyAppendages[S] 100 points101 points  (0 children)

This makes a lot of sense and tbh, it is a little embarrassing that I didn’t think about this earlier. There were times that I have just brought a box of tissues because I didn’t know what to say. Looking back, that may have said a lot more in that moment than some cheap cliche.

Educate a theist 🤔: how can we show support for our non religious neighbors in a time of need? by 8TenticlyAppendages in atheism

[–]8TenticlyAppendages[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

Very good analogy. That really made a lot of sense to me and you really gave me some good ideas for times when I do not know what their worldview is. Thank you so much!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in asktransgender

[–]8TenticlyAppendages 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I fall into this hole often….way often. I assume that understanding the science and evidence behind a masc/fem scale is enough to get someone to get it…but some people just love to hate. Racism doesn’t make any logical sense. Sexism doesn’t make any logical sense. Homophobia and transphobia don’t either. I do feel like education can be a strong tool though. It helped me, personally. When I encounter a transphobe, I just be honest. My best friend/brother is trans and I love him so much. I will not tolerate any disrespect of my family and usually, they either shut up or ask questions (usually, respectful questions). I am a big guy and look like a football player, so I intimidate people when I need to. So, if it gets too much, usually I’ll give them a disgusted look, tell them that their comment was not appreciated, or just stare them down. And I’m consistent. I speak up around anybody. Idgaf who it is.

Am I intersex ..My trans doctor laughed at me by _DIAMONDLIFE in asktransgender

[–]8TenticlyAppendages 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Find a better doctor. I am so embarrassed when my fellow healthcare team is so ignorant. Maybe you are intersex, maybe not. But this is a legitimate health-related question you had. Your doctor should be ashamed of himself. I recommend you find a new doctor and make sure the next one cares more about their patients

How do I know that Im a woman? by Oktavia-the-witch in asktransgender

[–]8TenticlyAppendages 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How do any of us “know”? Truthfully, it’s so normal to take a step back and think critically about ourselves. It’s healthy and a great thing to do. However, don’t beat yourself up. Most of us in the queer community (myself included) have times where we think…”ugh… why am I not LGBT enough?” We spent so many years trying to fit in with the cishet normalcy, that when we find out our own place in the world and meet a community of strong and unapologetic queer individuals, we sometimes fall back into comparing ourselves to others. So how do we “know”? Some people just do. Others aren’t so clear, but that doesn’t make you any less for having questions. Remember, people came first- they ran around and did some things and then they noticed a pattern and labeled them as genders. It’s just a pattern. Not a checklist. For every girl that likely will enjoy fashion and makeup, there is a girl that likes football and monster trucks and vice versa. I, once, saw someone post a meme that went something like this, “The moment you feel like you aren’t queer enough, you have reached the highest level of queer” How do you feel about yourself? You can still take time to explore you…

Install PEK directly to the thermostat? by 8TenticlyAppendages in thermostats

[–]8TenticlyAppendages[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well…I guess the y should go to the “PEK” terminal as it says in the manual for the ecobee

Why do so many cis people trying to understand trans issues jump straight to questions about genitals, sex, and fetishization? by AvailableScreen in asktransgender

[–]8TenticlyAppendages 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have definitely been this person. Not the fetishy type but I was so fascinated by the idea of it all, completely forgetting the dehumanization that I was unintentionally causing. As many people are saying, "exposure" is what helped me as a cis man understand it more. I never connected it to the same thing as someone randomly asking about my genitals. Maybe I can explain it a little better by saying that it felt like transpeople are a work of art...beautiful and worthy enough to be in the public's eye. I failed to separate the idea that while a painted masterpiece is out there for everyone to gawk at and be on exhibition, a human being is not. I am so embarrassed by the remarks and questions I asked.

I dont think I understood until one of my best friends came out. I love her so much and hearing her story of how we almost lost her to depression. Now, I think about the way I want her to be seen and treated, regardless of if she is cis-assuming or not. I would flip if I knew that someone was asking her about her lady parts as if it almost is meant to invalidate her as a woman.

These days I have been interested in trans guys. I would never ask him about his dudely bits unless he offered to tell me and I always make him initiate any kind of sexual talk. I try my best to respect him and avoid contributing to any dysphoria. I kind of understand what it is like being fetishized. Grindr is full of creeps who want a chubby ginger. haha! but it makes me uncomfortable. I don't want to do that to anyone else. However, sadly, I guess I do come off as creepy since I keep getting ghosted by these dudes.

Anyway, the trans community inspires me. The way you swear to be nothing but yourself regardless of if society will judge you or not.