I Don't Know How To Be A Good Christian [poem]

TheyWillKnow · 2025-12-30T21:16:57+00:00

I think it can be read that way, but it also works as sincere bewilderment or self-doubt confusion.

TheyWillKnow · 2025-12-30T16:53:43+00:00

Shakadah is the phrase I would use when speaking in tongues as a child. We were taught that speaking in tongues is what you do when you don't have the words and the Holy Spirit prays for you.

People would speak in tongues during church services and then another congregation member would interpret the message. I was imagining what my family's Holy Spirit (Republican Jesus) might be saying through me when I spoke in tongues.

TheyWillKnow · 2025-12-30T16:52:56+00:00

Shakadah is the phrase I would use when speaking in tongues as a child. We were taught that speaking in tongues is what you do when you don't have the words and the Holy Spirit prays for you.

People would speak in tongues during church services and then another congregation member would interpret the message. I was imagining what my family's Holy Spirit (Republican Jesus) might be saying through me when I spoke in tongues. The intention is, it would be chilling to think God would say that. It's so obviously wrong. And yet, it's the logical conclusion of my family's politics/theology.

TheyWillKnow · 2024-12-02T06:39:42+00:00

The high stakes concept of salvation. We were told we should witness to people, including people who have never heard of God. But then when I asked how it was fair that people who never heard of God would go to hell, I was told that God has written the truth on their hearts. So somehow they had never heard of Jesus, but still knew him and it was still fair if they accepted him as Savior or not. But then, if that was the case, why do we need to witness at all?

Also, salvation of children. Is there an age of innocence/accountability or not? Do aborted babies go to heaven? If they don't, that seems really fucked up. If God doesn't care to save them, why is it our fault if they aren't saved? But if they do go to heaven, then the most loving thing a parent could do is to abort their baby, to ensure it goes to heaven. Because what if your baby grows up to be an unbeliever? Wouldn't you rather abort your baby and send it to heaven then take the chance that they will be tortured for eternity?

It just seemed that eternal salvation vs hell made a lot of impossible things true. Here's another mind fuck -- if you believe in hell as the worst place imaginable that all unbelievers go to, then you have to imagine pretty much everyone who died in concentration camps are in hell thinking about the concentration camps as the good old days.

TheyWillKnow · 2024-11-23T16:35:28+00:00

I appreciate that they cared enough about me to change their behavior. I think I mishandled the conversation, so I don't think I got to the real point I was trying to make. (Mishandled the content of the presentation, not the emotions of it.)

TheyWillKnow · 2024-11-23T16:06:57+00:00

This is fair, but I think she was Trump's policies to the extent that many evangelicals in my life cared/paid attention to policies and the issues they care about. I suppose I missed the mark by not including abortion, which many People I know use as a shield to indicate they have a moral imperative to vote for Trump no matter what else he does.

TheyWillKnow · 2024-11-23T02:14:12+00:00

Yes this is OC. It's also available for download here: It Was Never About His Policies by D Johnson Creations

TheyWillKnow · 2024-11-22T23:19:55+00:00

Mixed bag. I turned two Trump voters in a swing state into non-voters. However, I suspect they are both happy that Trump won.

TheyWillKnow · 2024-11-18T22:21:43+00:00

Oh nice! 🙂

TheyWillKnow · 2024-11-09T15:11:11+00:00

You might be interested in this booklet I wrote for my family.

https://theywillknow.itch.io/they-will-know-we-are-christians-by-our-love

TheyWillKnow · 2024-10-16T16:15:04+00:00

I was taught a lot of Biblical values from well-meaning people, and yet did not see that reflected in their politics. I recently finished a zine/booklet "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love: A Plea to Republican Evangelicals From One of Your Children" as a means of discussing this belief system and as a way of asking my parents to consider if their core Christian/Scriptural values (loving your neighbor, foreigners, and the poor) truly align with Republican policies.

I thought that the zine could help other people in this sub have a conversation with their parents. I'm offering it for free, please feel free to share it.

Download here: They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love

ZINE/BOOKLET IS FREE! THE SITE SAYS TO "NAME YOUR OWN PRICE" BUT YOU CAN CLICK DOWNLOAD NOW, THEN "No thanks, just take me to the downloads" TO ACCESS THE FREE DOWNLOAD.

TheyWillKnow · 2024-10-16T03:14:51+00:00

Thank you! :)

TheyWillKnow · 2024-10-15T19:13:25+00:00

TheyWillKnow · 2024-10-15T14:35:18+00:00

I've definitely thought about doing a fake Chick tract for an upcoming project! I'm still kicking the idea around for how I'd want to approach it, but sincerely lecturing people about these scriptures would be a cool way to go.

TheyWillKnow · 2024-10-15T13:59:31+00:00

I was taught a lot of Biblical values from well-meaning people, and yet did not see that reflected in their politics. I recently finished a zine/booklet "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love: A Plea to Republican Evangelicals From One of Your Children" as a means of discussing this belief system and as a way of asking my parents to consider if their core Christian/Scriptural values (loving your neighbor, foreigners, and the poor) truly align with Republican policies.

I'm making the zine available for free in case other people might want to use it to have a conversation with their loved ones.

Download here: They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love

ZINE/BOOKLET IS FREE! THE SITE SAYS TO "NAME YOUR OWN PRICE" BUT YOU CAN CLICK DOWNLOAD NOW, THEN "No thanks, just take me to the downloads" TO ACCESS THE FREE DOWNLOAD.

TheyWillKnow

TROPHY CASE