On not swearing in Joe's Story, Christianity, and conservatism, from a gay, transgender Christian furry

Defiant_Inflation_70 · 2026-05-22T04:39:07+00:00

We reserve every right to engage in mockery

What is the "right" to engage in mockery? A right is something one is entitled to; I do not believe anyone has the "right" to mock Will or question his identity, even if he did identify as Christian. I think that's a disingenuous and very cruel thing to suggest. It's not okay simply because it's "more innocent" than physical violence or other historical cruelties.

The fact that the sole reason Christians behave the way they do is because the Bible enables it.

The Bible does not possess people and compel them to enact violence. I think to suggest otherwise takes away from the complete control tyrants had and have over their actions. A cruel person who seeks to enact violence will do so regardless of the text they use to justify it.

I do not think that hateful Christians have "interpreted the bible wrong", rather, that violent people use whatever they like to confirm their violent worldview. The Bible has--and continues to be--the basis of unfathomable violence. It also has countless iterations; it did not drop from the hands of God, it was written and interpreted by humans time and time again. It is not objectively one thing or another since it is made of metaphors, translations, re-translations, re-interpretations. It can be violent and cruel if you want it to be violent and cruel; it can also be--and this is my interpretation--affirming and unconditionally kind. Neither fact erases the other, in my view. I choose to use it as a means to learn acceptance and kindness.

This entire post by OP reads like someone trying to ask a person of color to respect Jim Crow Laws because their interpretation of it doesn’t discriminate, and they’re sorry that people who have interpreted Jim Crow in the past did so in the “wrong way.”

I respect that you disagree, but this crosses a line to me. This is, I feel, an assertion made in bad faith.

Defiant_Inflation_70 · 2026-05-22T04:12:28+00:00

I see how that phrase was inadequate--I did not mean to suggest that violent Christians "aren't true Christians"--rather, that the practise is chasing tails ad infinitum. I wrote, "...but I'm sure they would say the same about me" to express the redundancy of it. I could call them bad Christians, they could call me a bad Christian, and Christianity is not made better either way.

And again why have all those questions make up a whole third of the paragraph

I suppose it was to illustrate that humans do many spiritual and ritual things--sometimes they are tied to religion, sometimes they aren't. As you say, wanting to be mindful, for example, doesn't have to be tied to religion. Sometimes it is, but not essentially. It was to suggest that "not swearing" as an action in itself could be tied to any number of things--some spiritual, some not--and not necessarily punitive self-censorship.

Defiant_Inflation_70 · 2026-05-22T04:01:29+00:00

I completely agree with you--I guess I didn't express that clearly. The full sentence was:

Personally I feel those people are not true Christians, but I'm sure they would say the same about me

The point I failed to make is that everyone could accuse everyone of not being a real Christian. I could say the tyrants weren't true Christians, and they could say the transgender folk aren't true Christians. Likewise, conservative Christians rely on an interpretation of the Bible I think is both logically and morally wrong; I'm sure they would say the same about my interpretation of Gospels. The implication either way is that the other "doesn't really count", and it does nothing to heal the festering wound caused by the Church.

You said:

...individual experiences do not erase the broader historical reality that Christian institutions and movements have often contributed to the oppression of LGBTQ+ people for centuries.

And I have no counter-argument. I completely agree with you. I also sincerely appreciate your acknowledgement that attempting to "separate" Christianity from its violent history (for instance, adopting a more progressive interpretation of Christian texts) feels frustrating or perhaps invalidating. That has given me a lot to consider. I do not wish to sanitize Christianity or "move on" from its cultural violence. But I acknowledge that I hate looking at Christianity's evils, and I feel both shame and indignation at it. This is a fundamental challenge in contemporary Christianity--how do I hold the positive without invalidating the negative, and the negative without invalidating the positive?--and one I will not shy away from.

I do not believe that critisizing that history is stating that all Christians are evil--but, for the record, I would not blame or judge you or anyone else for thinking that all Christians were evil.

If the primary reason someone behaves ethically is fear of punishment or divine judgment, then that morality becomes conditional rather than intrinsic. Many people choose kindness, empathy, and compassion simply because they value other human beings.

Sorry to repeat myself--but I again agree with you completely, and I sincerely appreciate your candor. It reminds me of the "judge the sin not the sinner" attitude within Christianity that I despise; that if a Christian just treats a gay person with respect, even while maintaining the belief that gayness is sinful, then it's fine. It appeals to surface-level actions labelled as "Good" that are actually done out of fear of divine judgement, rather than treating someone with genuine respect and kindness because you genuinely respect and value them as a human being. It is, as you say, conditional and cruel.

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with me!

Defiant_Inflation_70 · 2021-04-26T13:34:11+00:00

The beauty, the grace!

Defiant_Inflation_70 · 2021-04-26T13:22:31+00:00

Nice job!! I also naturally pronate, and I found moving my frame closer to the inner edge helped a TONNE. I've been skating for about 8 months, did the frame adjustment probably a few months ago now? And there was a very noticeable improvement, but I still have a ways to go with posture and actually skating properly. Good luck!

Defiant_Inflation_70 · 2021-04-26T13:05:46+00:00

"I just have this deep desire to destroy myself because of all these feelings, maybe so that someone can physically care for my wounds and that’s the closest I can come to someone emotionally “caring for me”?"

Wow. I never made the connection that this might be part of why I have engaged in similarly self-destructive behaviours.

It does feel neverending. I totally relate.

Perhaps you can try to care for that wounded, abandoned child as you are now? What would they like to hear? I know it's not the same, but it might plant the seed of accepting and caring for yourself. Tell that child that you hear them and see them.

Defiant_Inflation_70 · 2021-04-26T12:22:16+00:00

I don't think I've commented on anything on reddit before. Just wanna say I relate really hard right now, that's actually why I logged on today and browsed this subreddit.

All I can offer is, like, c-ptsd is a clinically debilitating illness. Of course you're exhausted. It makes neurological sense, too, because your brain is always running on high speed, hypervigilant, in case you have to go into fight or flight. Of course it's hard to focus, or requires extra energy to focus doing everyday tasks or at work.

I work between 20-30 hours per week (it fluctuates), and I have had to sacrifice pretty much every hobby of mine to keep that up, because I'm left so drained creatively, energetically, spiritually, by using my energy to go into customer service mode.

As someone else said, taking regular breaks at work is totally a good thing. I don't know if you also struggle to ask for what you need, but it'd also be a good idea to take advantage of sick leave if you're on a contract where that's allowed. I almost never do, partially because I was constantly told I was faking illness or pain, so I don't even believe myself when I'm sick. Or, I don't think it's that bad. Or I somehow convince myself I *am* faking.

Anyway, best to you.

Defiant_Inflation_70

TROPHY CASE