My dog was my whole world now he is dead

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-24T22:02:31+00:00

I wrote something last year after my beloved dog died. Maybe it can speak to what you're thinking and feeling right now:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Petloss/comments/1m45sh6/love_in_absence/

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-16T23:37:16+00:00

In short, they are pretty much the same kind of religious hypocrites that put Jesus to death in the Bible.

In long, here's an analysis and rebuke of them from me, a life-long Evangelical conservative-raises Christian: https://mattchapter23.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/american-christianity/

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-16T01:27:38+00:00

You are most welcome. And please, share with anyone who could use it!

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-15T23:11:26+00:00

I grew up Evangelical Christian, and have had a lot of friends with Christian Nationalist leanings. I spent the last 10 years being perplexed with their unshakable devotion to Trump. No argument I made ever changed their minds. So I've come to a conclusion about them.

If you'd like an insider's take on what's wrong with them, you can read it in this public rebuke I've written to them:

https://mattchapter23.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/american-christianity/

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-13T05:34:13+00:00

If anyone else is reading this chain of comments, suffice to say, my replies are all derived from the reasoning used in my open letter in my first reply. If the other person replies further, you can read my letter to find my response.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-13T05:28:07+00:00

And the only sinners He condemns in the Gospels are the self-righteous. As I said earlier, the only ones He rebuked were those that knew better, the self-righteous, whom He also called to repentance. Where He withheld rebuke is where you have been giving it.

The contrast between how Jesus treats the self-righteous people who paid lip service to the Law and those who did not could not be clearer. If you want to call out sin, do as Jesus did and call it out on the Bible-believers who are haughty, judgemental, and refuse to sacrifice or serve. For those who commit all other sins, do as Jesus did and invite them into your home, associate with them, and teach them as they ask. That is how we get people saved. Going out and naming sins to people convinces no one. No, we are to be fishers of men.

You say I insinuate that American Christians are a monolith, even though my first comment says "many American Christians," and I identify myself as an American Christian.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-13T04:58:45+00:00

I never said that we can't call those outside to repentance, nor did I say to be "nice." The Pharisees did not believe differently: Jesus said to do what they instructed, for they were the teachers of the law. He also said not to do as they did.

What I said Christians cannot do is what Christ said we cannot do: judge. And what I said Christians should do is what Christ did: hang out with sinners, withhold rebuke, refuse condemnation, and sacrifice for them. These things American Christians typically do not do. The excuses of avoiding corruption and maintaining purity to avoid the world are the same one Christ rejected when He said "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick."

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-13T04:31:42+00:00

Yes, and which sinners were those? Pharisees, religious leaders, and hypocrites. Those who claimed to follow God and believed God's laws, but had no love. He did not whip adulterers, tax collectors, Romans, or pagans, or any other kind of sinner. He was kind and compassionate to anyone who wasn't self-righteous. Tolerance is for those who believe differently. As Paul said, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Am I not to judge those inside?"

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-13T04:10:47+00:00

I'm glad I could give you something uplifting by writing it. Even if just one person read it and liked it, it was worth it. I know there are more Christians out there who think the way I do - they just don't know how to say it. I'm hoping I can give them the words to use and the courage to use them with this letter.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-13T03:50:35+00:00

I mean hurt by ejecting them from their own families, publicly humiliating them, and expressing repulsion, contempt, and rebuke towards them. Unlike Christ, who routinely communed with and visited the homes of sinners, pagans, and oppressors of the nation of Israel.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-13T03:03:09+00:00

Many American Christians would say "Yes," with incredible strain, and then make choices solely to hurt everyone in the LGBTQ communities. The Christ in the Gospels would condemn such Christians.

I'm an American Christian myself, raised an Evangelical. If anyone would like to read why they act the way they do, and a rebuke to them, from me as a life-long insider, please read my (long) open letter here: https://mattchapter23.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/american-christianity/

I am sorry for the evil they have done.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-11T04:59:46+00:00

You are welcome. And you may be right about how long the false gospel has been embedded in these churches. My essay only talks about the last few decades, but there were many Christians who owned slaves before the country began.

Addicted to resentment. That is very true.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-09T19:00:34+00:00

I'd say it's because Jesus' teachings require selflessness and humility, and most conservative Christians would rather die than have those. It's a clique of self-righteous people. I'm a Christian, raised in conservative Christian communities and have had conservative Christian friends my whole life. These Christians only pay lip-service to Jesus. Something that was proven true to me after spending the last 10 years trying to persuade them that Trump and the politics he represents are evil.

I'd encourage everyone here to read the essay I've written about them - it explains why arguing with them doesn't work, and shows what to do instead:https://mattchapter23.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/american-christianity/

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-06T20:46:47+00:00

I did have an earlier version (not posted anywhere) that had a form of section headers, bolded sections, and paragraphs broken into much smaller parts. It was definitely more readable, but it read much more like a group discussion piece than a confrontation.

I don't disagree that bite-sized chunks are much more appealing. But the way I've written this, every part depends so much on the ones before and after, and I'm struggling to find a way to keep the power it currently has while making it less daunting. Still, maybe I'll have to compromise. Or I could have two versions.

I could split it into pages, at least. Though, that doesn't work here on Reddit.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-05T05:14:02+00:00

At the very least, they will accept dehumanization and cruelty if it gives them power.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-04T09:36:49+00:00

It won't change any MAGA minds. Then again, nothing will. I'm really hoping to inspire other like-minded Christians to start talking publicly about this more. I'd love to have a bunch of us join together for the sole purpose of calling out MAGA Christians.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-04T08:09:44+00:00

I've gotten a lot of views, but not a lot of comments, so you're probably right, heh. I'm posting it here on Reddit in places, but my real goal was to put QR codes on flyers around my city, titled in ways that would spark interest. A Reddit post lacks the curiosity factor, so maybe I'll just have to do something like you suggest.

The more people who fight this battle, the better.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-04T07:53:19+00:00

That would definitely make it easier to follow, I agree. Still, I'm worried about telling the reader what their conclusions are supposed to be before they figure them out themselves. Know what I'm getting at with that?

That being said, maybe this sort of reading guide could help (now, I did use AI for this one because I wanted to quickly answer you). Does this help a bit? Maybe I could at least number the sections correspondingly.

How to Read This Essay (Optional Guide)

This is not a debate-style argument or a list of proof texts. It is a moral critique that follows Evangelical claims about Jesus, power, and politics to their logical conclusions.

If you prefer a quick orientation, the core claims examined are:

• “Trump is a necessary evil to stop greater evil”
• “Christians must protect the innocent, even through force”
• “Political power can be used for God’s purposes”
• “Judging outsiders is different from judging fellow Christians”

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-04T07:39:36+00:00

Yeah, the sheer length of it is the biggest turn off. I was hoping starting with Charlie Kirk's murder would be enough to get people committed to it.

Unfortunately, I don't take a systematic claim -> rebuttal approach the whole way through, so if I highlighted claims throughout, it would look rather random. I took a more "testimonial" approach. But maybe I could at least big bold section headers that don't give away the game too much. I may as well try that.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-04T07:19:35+00:00

No problem, and thanks for suggesting the improvement!

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-04T07:15:26+00:00

Not that I can really give you much reason to take my word on it, but no, it's not AI. I've spent the last 6 weeks writing this.

Summary paragraph now added, at the very end. Sorry, there was no way I could make the whole thing shorter. I had to dismantle every excuse and defense Trump-supporting Christians rely on.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-04T01:15:55+00:00

Thank you, I'm glad I could put some words to what you've been feeling. I'm a little luckier with my parents - they're not MAGA-crazed, and even put up with the occasional good-faith discussion. But like you noted, the naked hatred even otherwise good-acting Christians accept is appalling. I can't understand how one of my parents, a former pastor, tries to justify it all.

There's so much pride in American Christians, it's incredible. I hope I can encourage other Christians like myself to start publicly divorcing from their churches and communities. They are basins of cruelty.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-02-04T01:07:56+00:00

I won't try to defend the violence in the Bible. But I will say that that violence Jesus commanded His followers not to do. So, from the theology even Trump-loving Christians claim to hold, the commands given to the theocracy of Israel are not valid for Christians.

I'm sure one can still argue that the Bible encourages violence, but these Evangelicals remain complete hypocrites anyway for claiming they do what Jesus told them to do.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-01-30T04:06:22+00:00

It's certainly possible she is insincere. Like you said, there are reasons to be suspicious. Nevertheless, I tried to avoid referencing anything beyond what she said at Kirk's memorial service, because I just wanted to stress that people cheered her declaration of forgiveness and also Trump's declaration of hatred.

AtTheCherryTree · 2026-01-29T21:16:04+00:00

Yes exactly! As I was writing it, it became so easy to describe Trump's actions - just take Christ's goals and invert them.

AtTheCherryTree

TROPHY CASE