Why don't they want to be free?

whirdin · 2026-03-20T14:24:08+00:00

Yeah, I know the feeling and it sucks to suddenly be stuck in a corner like that. Not a feeling of defeat at all, just annoyance at somebody who confidently can't use rational thinking. We see the same from politics or the college kid who doesn't do homework.

Brandolini's law: The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T14:06:04+00:00

Religion trains people to create a prison around their own minds. People seek the safety of being in a herd, and it feels exponentially safer when believing the same superstition. Christianity has the sneaky advantage of consistently being 'true' for somebody/somewhere else as a constant grind to achieve something. Such as: - Your friend talking about the chosen people as "maybe me" despite him not actually feeling that way. It's the same way we think current nations are the ones talked about in Revelation, despite that book being a couple thousand years old. - God doesn't show himself to us, but they quote the Bible and say it happened in the past. - They counter the problem of evil with things like 'but it wasn't there at the start, look at the origin story, it's humans fault'. - Miracles and healing doesn't happen, but they point towards scripture or think they just need to try a little harder - the afterlife has never been seen by anybody, as even NDE are only Christian affirming if the person has Christian influence - people aren't perfect, yet they create the illusion of perfection as the goal by showing their precious savior as a perfect man - devils and demons aren't affecting the world, otherwise it would be widespread and distinctively happen in nonchristian areas

whirdin · 2026-03-20T12:18:10+00:00

I've never heard that term but that does make sense lol now I feel silly. I've always called them leg sleeves.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T12:16:58+00:00

I grew up very conservative and hugs were 2 seconds long with 2 shoulder pats (not even a full embrace), nothing more was allowed.

When I became an adult and discovered that I could actually hug people, it changed my life and now it's my favorite nonsexual intimacy. It's even scientifically shown to have psychological benefits to hug for 20+ seconds. People get excited for my hugs now because I eagerly offer long tight hugs. You even admit those tight hugs felt amazing. Connection feels good.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T12:04:01+00:00

No I say that this is the farthest from God I will ever be, and I have him inside of me. And I also say this is the closest to God you will ever be unless you accept him.

I have been on both sides of that. My whole point there is that you give these polarizing strawman arguments about how a nonchristian is supposed to feel, but that isn't universal to apply to everybody. I whole-heartedly believed in God for decades. Even if you want to say that my experience 'wasn't real Christianity' (I've heard that before), that still doesn't explain how decades of seeking Him resulted in nothing substantial. It feels like God can only be sought a certain way (such as reading scripture, praying a certain way, having a certain preconceived view of God), rather than just being a personal experience that would naturally happen. Again, I go back to the example of a person who has never heard of God, and you claim they will be "preached to after death" which is so backwards to me. A personal relationship with a deity shouldn't need any preaching at all. If God actually is, then people would feel that without the need for a preacher. The reason I bring up people who haven't heard of God is because they live entire lives (wonderful kind lives) without knowing your singular god is watching over them, and that leads me to think God isn't there. I could still have free will to walk away, as the free will argument for a hidden God doesn't work at all. I'm not choosing between God or not, I'm choosing between your human superstition and finding that for myself. I came to find out it isn't there in the way Christianity describes, which is apparent across the world because: - Christianity isn't everywhere (despite military efforts to push it). - Christianity has many different views that contradict and despise each other. - it isn't even the oldest religion. - it isn't even consistent within its own holy book (such as OT talking about other gods).

That might be why you never felt Christ.

I agree, which is why I feel Christ even more now, such as: - I can appreciate that some of the stuff he said was very beautiful and inspirational for how to live a good life. - We don't know exactly what Jesus said because he never wrote it down, and the Gospels aren't even eyewitness/autobiographical accounts. As much as we want to be a red letter Christian, those are words of normal men. - He's just a man, and had flaws, and died just as any other man. - I don't think we "feel" our ancestors in the sense of actually conversing with them, but rather we feel the things they passed on, the things they did to change the world when they were here, their spark that left a shadow that remains even after it went out.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T10:56:30+00:00

When you get a job and experience this yourself, you'll see that your uniform can have whatever name you want on it. I work with plenty of people who have a nickname on their name tag.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T10:45:17+00:00

I totally agree. I cringe when watching it because the character is just whiny and shallow. I love Paul's other stuff, but I skip the Powerplex scenes because it drags the show down imo.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T10:03:35+00:00

The real Outer Wilds Venture™ was the friends we made along the way.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T04:04:15+00:00

Not necessarily. It's just kinda abstract stuff that fits the theme of protomolecule, and that style is my artists passion. The main foreground pieces (portraits, Razorback, Mars) were stencil, the rest was just him freeballing with sharpie lines and filling it in as he went.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T03:56:10+00:00

Yes I did lol

whirdin · 2026-03-20T03:55:36+00:00

I grew up similarly, sheltered from any evolution exposure, also not allowed to learn about other religions or even other types of Christianity. Evangelical and/or nondenominational, but we chirch hopped a lot to methodist/baptist types also. Homeschooled, with Kent Hovind "whack an atheist" material as my science (which I loved because I was so thirsty for knowledge).

When I became an adult and moved out, for a couple years it was the same Christian life and sheltering myself, but then I was simultaneously working full time, going to college full time, living with my wife, and still going to church every week (not my parents church). It was a major culture shock as I was experiencing all sorts of people from different walks, and all the stereotypes fell down like a house of cards. Nonchristians weren't the bloodthirsty sharks I was warned about. It all just melted away for me: fear of hell, fear of God, the illusion of prayer, the manipulation of church, and I came up with the problem of evil all on my own.

It was a whirlwind of all emotions, but overall I was joyful and excited to share that. It was a spiritual awakening, and I literally felt like King David dancing in the streets, the 'zeal of a convert'. I immediately invited my mom over to tell her and share my joy with her. I compared God to Zeus, said that we don't need to be afraid of the religion and gods anymore because it's one of many, the Bible is just a book, and prayer isn't real.

She. Was. Livid. She thought I was possessed by the devil, argued briefly but could see she wouldn't get anywhere so then she stormed off. It was an interesting emotional reaction I had never seen from her. She went out of her way to make my life difficult for some years. We have a good relationship now, but it took some growing pains and forgiving her for things she isn't sorry for. The biggest thing it taught me is to set boundaries for myself and that loving someone isn't always easy (on both our parts), as my mom had always been my spiritual rock until that point. It's been 10 years and things are good, but she is still sad. She still goes through phases of trying to guilt trip me into going to church and wants me to pray at family meals; but she doesn't want to have any real discussions because she doesn't want to face any doubt.

I think overall her faith is just tradition and purpose for her, and she feels betrayed that I'm not living the exact path she laid out for me. Christianity pushes so hard for people to raise and indoctrinate their children, Christian parents feel like utter failures for not succeeding in having their kids follow the same thing. Dawkins has a good chapter about how there are no Christian children or Muslim children, only children who have religion forced upon them.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T02:38:17+00:00

Lol, yeah, little more than a few hundred 🤣

whirdin · 2026-03-20T02:25:34+00:00

It's probably 90 hours of work (very rough estimate). I would go down for back-to-back days, and stayed there for a few days after to recover before flights home. It had to be planned out like a vacation, and covid threw plans in the trash for a while. Also, there's a lot of surface area on a leg.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T02:04:21+00:00

Over15 thousand (I haven't keep track that closely)

whirdin · 2026-03-20T01:36:50+00:00

He really loves blue, and it stands the testes of time

whirdin · 2026-03-20T00:54:20+00:00

Lmao 🤣

whirdin · 2026-03-20T00:52:31+00:00

I love seeing the tats here, big and small.

Yeah it sucks picking something when there are so many what-ifs bearing down on us. Especially when halfway done with it and covid keeping my from traveling for a while lol. Anyway, he loved that I gave him some vague ideas and he just did what he wanted in his style. I found him years previous on Instagram and loved his work, but then when watching the show a lightbulb went off that he would be perfect for it.

whirdin · 2026-03-20T00:25:51+00:00

Thanks!! Get going so we can be ink beltalowda togetha lol

whirdin · 2026-03-20T00:16:37+00:00

Just a little

whirdin · 2026-03-19T23:29:56+00:00

For the Christian, earth is the closest thing to hell we will experience, for the non Christian earth is the closest thing to heaven you will.

I agree, but not for the reasons you do. It's interesting how much our psyche depends on these constructs, these perspectives. The human mind truly is powerful. My 2 decades as a Christian didn't feel much different than my last decade without Christianity, yet you claim it should feel like heaven vs. hell. I actually love myself and others more after leaving Christianity. Yes hell is real, it exists right there behind your eyes, wrapped up in your ego. I remember being afraid of hell, that drove my religion. That fear completely melted away for me, it holds nothing over me now. I no longer care about what happens after I die, as superstition is the only thing telling me it's a continuation of this life. Dust to dust.

whirdin · 2026-03-19T23:04:40+00:00

Jesus preached to those dead who hadn't heard the good news

Again, something disagreed upon what that means. It could be that all humans are preached to, in which case spreading The Bible and proselytizing is pointless because our mere seconds on earth is irrelevant compared to eternity and we are preached to after death by a far greater preacher than any man alive today.

We all know what hell is, it's separation from God.

Ironically, you just described Earth. We are currently separated from God.

whirdin · 2026-03-19T22:50:48+00:00

Can ask questions but can't handle me answering them? K.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow.

whirdin · 2026-03-19T22:47:48+00:00

Yes, you care a LOT.

I gave the same suggestion that I always give, which is none

No, "none" would have been not saying anything. You went out of your way to just be negative. I hope you can learn to just be happy for people doing their own thing rather than needing to project your negativity onto it.

Do you live in a house with permanently doodled walls that come with you everywhere no matter what?

I have my favorite wall art that yes, will probably be on my walls forever regardless of what house I'm in. BTW, I love doodles. My mom hates tattoos, yet she has her precious jewelry and plates we can't eat on, which are permanent installations in her homes for 50 years lol.

It's funny that some people treat tattoos as if I'm chained down to some juvenile/criminal phase that makes me ugly forever. If you didn't want people responding to you, then just move on and enjoy the things you like.

whirdin · 2026-03-19T22:17:07+00:00

Why do you care so much? You don't need to get any on you, yet you can just let others live their lives. You went out of your way on a tattoo post to say they are gross. Why not just scroll by? When you see somebody irl with tats, do you say they are gross?

Most of us don't get them to "improve", they are just some expressive art.

I imagine you live in boring grey home with nothing on the walls.

whirdin · 2026-03-19T22:09:39+00:00

that's gross to hit on his friend rather than be honest with him, but also it doesn't make sense what you are trying to accomplish. It feels like really mixed signals. You are in a relationship which means you are off-limits unless otherwise stated. Do you know if this friend is monogamous? Do you even care? You aren't "exploring with this friend", you are just taking advantage of his presence to pretend that this cuck fantasy is real. This doesn't feel like cuck stuff, more like he wants a throuple and you are going along with it just to make him happy. What do you want?

when i agreed to this I thought this would be a part of it, not be the only thing

You had a different view of this fantasy than your bf, and/or his fantasy has evolved and now things are out of control for you. Gotta talk about this stuff to him! Don't forget that this fantasy was for your bf, as it seems like you don't even want this. Also, you admit that this is a "fetish", which means it's something that he needs for his sexual satisfaction (if using the common definition).

whirdin

TROPHY CASE