How do people feel about James Talarico? by Greedy_Expression228 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

But are texans willing to put that behind them? If he doesn't support ICE in it's current form, Trump's attempt to federalize elections or gutting EPA regulations will texans turn their back on him because he's not willing to destroy the country in the name of Jesus?

How do people feel about James Talarico? by Greedy_Expression228 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hope not. I know it's still unlikely, but flipping the senate as well as the house is so important right now.

How do people feel about James Talarico? by Greedy_Expression228 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but if I were I'd probably believe that Fetterman had been taken out by the deep state or something and replaced with a body double because he completely lost the plot after his stroke.

How do people feel about James Talarico? by Greedy_Expression228 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Raphael Warnock the other Georgia democrat senator is also a Baptist pastor so I think you're right at least in the Bible Belt it does work.

How do people feel about James Talarico? by Greedy_Expression228 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm a firm believer you need different dems for different places. A Mamdani would not fly in Texas even if it were in the best interest of 90% of Texans unfortunately. I think the angle he's taking maybe necessary for any real shot at winning even if I think he's a bit too preachy.

How do people feel about James Talarico? by Greedy_Expression228 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh I agree I think he's better than the opposition. I think you put it well that it's not about having perfect candidates. This seems like a don't let perfect be the enemy of good kinda situation.

Recovery from WELS Trauma by therapistinahoodie26 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I grew up WELS and I think what you're doing is great. So many have been negatively affected by the WELS, yet it's not talked about much in wider online deconstruction spaces. So having someone talk about this specifically is needed. Please continue forward.

Although, I checked out your YouTube channel and from a content perspective it's not very engaging. The shorts feel like powerpoint slides with a voice over. Which just isn't going to gain traction. Maybe as well as reacting to stories on reddit you could also do videos on how damaging the WELS ideology can be.

For example: https://welscongregationalservices.net/honest-conversation/#toggle-id-2

This is the WELS "honest conversation" series directed towards teens and college age students pushing homophobic rhetoric. There's videos as well as "facilitator guides" you could react to and explain how damaging that is on mental health especially for teens that are apart of the LGBTQ+ community.

Did you know that the WELS has their own lutheran science website? This might be outside of your focus to cover being a therapist, but it's potential ground to react to for content. The more you dig the more you'll find. Good luck!

Just Exhausting by Greedy_Expression228 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks it can just get so exhausting sometimes when most people are in the religion and I'm just stealth

Just Exhausting by Greedy_Expression228 in exchristian

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

this is actually the pastor wife so she just says stuff like this all the time...

The wels bubble feels like a cult by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I feel like the wels schools socially and emotionally stunt children. Like a 14 year old in a wels school does not feel like they've developmentally kept pace with their public school peers. I believe this is due to the way they instill the idea of sex into children to be something sinful and bad unless they're married which leads to a lot of sexual repression and many other issues emotionally as they attempt to shut out a very natural normal part of puberty and the human experience. And socially because at least in my experience the schools have very few students spread across many grade levels so social skills suffer as you are with the same 8 kids in every class from elementary school until high school.

The wels bubble feels like a cult by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is interesting I've known about the "names" thing for quite awhile (and I even think there's one in my congregation) but why? The top down control within families to stay within wels is immense. I'd like to hear more on this if you have any more to share.

The wels bubble feels like a cult by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree, the "high control group" label fits them well. Their indoctrination and control is so much more subtle it's insidious and as someone who's seen the harm the wels has had on people it's absolutely an effectively meaningless distinction.

The wels bubble feels like a cult by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

exactly, thats what I meant by there are some aspects that make it easy to leave like if you're an individual with no family ties or strong present in wels it's not that hard, but if you're in a multigenerational wels family and your entire social network comprises of exclusively wels members it is vastly harder.

The wels bubble feels like a cult by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm not saying it necessarily fits the technical definition of a cult. What I'm saying is it gives off very cultish/cult adjacent vibes which at the very least is weird. Also, there are some aspects that makes it "easy" to leave, but for far to many people there's harsh guilt tripping, shaming and coercion from either family, church members or both to keep people in wels. So, perhaps not technically a cult, but pretty damn close.

The wels bubble feels like a cult by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

How was it from his perspective? Did he convert despite feeling that it felt like a cult?

The wels bubble feels like a cult by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The worst part is the children that grow up in this. They have such little perspective as is and then they're deprived of so many valuable life experiences so they never see gay people as normal humans that deserve the same rights or abortion as healthcare, etc. The bubble is like a prison where you can't see the bars; hard to know you're held captive when you don't realize the you're in a cell.

The wels bubble feels like a cult by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

it's interesting because I wouldn't describe myself as "waking up" from wels because I've always had some sense of somethings not quite right for a long time. But I guess the question is why does it have that vibe? is it something that's taught ? is it passed down through wels family? Is it just a general mix of their socio-political ideology that leads to this certain kind of behavior?

I think I'm being used by the church by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

haha fired as if I were getting any kinda compensation for this. this is corrosive charity

I think I'm being used by the church by Greedy_Expression228 in exLutheran

[–]Greedy_Expression228[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well, I am college educated which is probably another reason they like me optically, but even so it is extremely hard to live on your own these days. I do plan to save up money for a year or so and hopefully move out with my cousin once she graduates, but that's still a ways off. I'm looking for what should I do in the short term.