Daimyen

I swear that every time I talk with a conservative Christian in Wattpad, I become more convinced that they are all either monsters or completely blind to their own actions. There was a record number of violent attacks on Pride parades this year. Over 200 anti-LGBT laws have been proposed in 2022 this far in USA alone. The mental health of LGBT youth has dropped to rock bottom. Republicans are trying to make it a crime to mention that LGBT people exist. And since all that doesn’t stay in USA but spreads to Europe, for the first time in my life (despite having grown up in 99% Lutheran country), I’m scared that some ”Christian” will decide to kill me because I’m a teacher and openly trans and gay.
          	
          	And yet I’m supposed to be the bad guy for speaking against their rhetoric that my existence is harmful to myself and the society. They’re all doing it out of love and respecting my views. Yeah, right. I’ve moved past the time I believed that ”love” meant labeling me as less than human unless I change who I am (narcissistic parents raise messed-up children).
          	
          	Words have consequences. If you keep insisting that some people are harmful to the society (or family or children), you are also guilty when someone inspired by those words commits acts of violence (physical, emotional or legislative).

Daimyen

And thus the point about being brainwashed was proven. Believe the way I do or suffer eternal torment in Hell. I swear, these evangelical kids should be taught in school how many different types of Christianity there are. Not believing their interpretation of the Bible (and I’m yet to meet anyone calling it the Word of God who even has a clue what the Bible says) is not the same thing as not believing in God or Jesus.
• Reply

DinoDaniel2019

@Daimyen I do not think my beliefs to be brainwashed ones over a fear of Hell, that’s always an argument made. Their is just to much good from God to not believe in Him. Why suffer internal torment when you could be with Him forever in Heaven? And I understand that other religions wouldn’t accept ours and our religion won’t except theirs. I do not know what will happen to those who do not believe for I am not the Almighty. While you may be older and wiser than me, I shall take my information not from you but from the word of God for His word is Truth.
• Reply

Daimyen

@DinoDaniel2019 I’m not believing you to be hateful in this case, just weird. I guess it could be the evangelical purity culture. Or maybe the kids nowadays are just different. Nobody thought that a kid’s first crush was about lust when I was a kid. It was sweet and innocent love. As for your other beliefs…probably more brainwashed with the terror of hell than hateful, but it doesn’t change my initial point: words have consequences. Thinking you are being loving doesn’t negate the harm caused. (And seriously? Assuming other people don’t know Jesus and are going to hell just because they don’t believe your interpretation of the Bible comes across as both hateful and arrogant. If you don’t want to be grouped together with the hateful crowd, try walking in the other’s shoes for a bit and think how you’d feel if for example, a Muslim came telling you that a part of you is wrong and that you’re going to hell unless you start believing and living like they do. Just some parting advice from someone who’s lived longer.)
• Reply

AquaGloss

Hey, just wanted to say I saw your comment and also yeah I deleted mine (I'm kinda done with the conversation and just don't want to get pulled back in if someone else jumps in in the future) but I have put some thought into your reply and while I can't say that I fully agree, I'm going to take into consideration what you have said. I don't necessarily intend on changing my beliefs, however I will confess that I'm still learning and trying to figure out how to interact with others who disagree with said beliefs, such as members of the LGBTQ community and I'm not always right.Thanks for discussing and debating with me. I try to learn from these types of interactions and implement that knowledge in similar future interactions with others. It's also renewed my consideration for taking up theology (like, not just Bible study but the actual professional study; I wasn't sure if the way I worded that made sense or not lol)

Daimyen

@AquaGloss You’re welcome. It’s up to you if you believe that ”God’s way” as you see it is the best way - although I hope meeting genuinely good people who believe differently will eventually make you change your mind. It’s the ”harmful to society” rhetoric that’s not true and leads to real harm to LGBTQ people.
            
            Theology is quite interesting. I have been reading on critical Bible studies, the history of Christianity, comparison with Judaism, the cultural context and all that stuff for a few years whenever I have time (getting my students through the pandemic has taken most of my free time lately, though). I recommend seeking resources that don’t advertise biblical inerrancy. When inerrancy enters the picture, honesty gets thrown out of the window (trust me, I have seen all the excuses why murdering babies is supposedly good and just in the Old Testament).
• Reply

Daimyen

I swear that every time I talk with a conservative Christian in Wattpad, I become more convinced that they are all either monsters or completely blind to their own actions. There was a record number of violent attacks on Pride parades this year. Over 200 anti-LGBT laws have been proposed in 2022 this far in USA alone. The mental health of LGBT youth has dropped to rock bottom. Republicans are trying to make it a crime to mention that LGBT people exist. And since all that doesn’t stay in USA but spreads to Europe, for the first time in my life (despite having grown up in 99% Lutheran country), I’m scared that some ”Christian” will decide to kill me because I’m a teacher and openly trans and gay.
          
          And yet I’m supposed to be the bad guy for speaking against their rhetoric that my existence is harmful to myself and the society. They’re all doing it out of love and respecting my views. Yeah, right. I’ve moved past the time I believed that ”love” meant labeling me as less than human unless I change who I am (narcissistic parents raise messed-up children).
          
          Words have consequences. If you keep insisting that some people are harmful to the society (or family or children), you are also guilty when someone inspired by those words commits acts of violence (physical, emotional or legislative).

Daimyen

And thus the point about being brainwashed was proven. Believe the way I do or suffer eternal torment in Hell. I swear, these evangelical kids should be taught in school how many different types of Christianity there are. Not believing their interpretation of the Bible (and I’m yet to meet anyone calling it the Word of God who even has a clue what the Bible says) is not the same thing as not believing in God or Jesus.
• Reply

DinoDaniel2019

@Daimyen I do not think my beliefs to be brainwashed ones over a fear of Hell, that’s always an argument made. Their is just to much good from God to not believe in Him. Why suffer internal torment when you could be with Him forever in Heaven? And I understand that other religions wouldn’t accept ours and our religion won’t except theirs. I do not know what will happen to those who do not believe for I am not the Almighty. While you may be older and wiser than me, I shall take my information not from you but from the word of God for His word is Truth.
• Reply

Daimyen

@DinoDaniel2019 I’m not believing you to be hateful in this case, just weird. I guess it could be the evangelical purity culture. Or maybe the kids nowadays are just different. Nobody thought that a kid’s first crush was about lust when I was a kid. It was sweet and innocent love. As for your other beliefs…probably more brainwashed with the terror of hell than hateful, but it doesn’t change my initial point: words have consequences. Thinking you are being loving doesn’t negate the harm caused. (And seriously? Assuming other people don’t know Jesus and are going to hell just because they don’t believe your interpretation of the Bible comes across as both hateful and arrogant. If you don’t want to be grouped together with the hateful crowd, try walking in the other’s shoes for a bit and think how you’d feel if for example, a Muslim came telling you that a part of you is wrong and that you’re going to hell unless you start believing and living like they do. Just some parting advice from someone who’s lived longer.)
• Reply

Daimyen

I think anti-LGBT hate masquerading as ”love” and ”protecting children” is starting to get at me. Clock strikes midnight about now, and I’m still working since some of my students need this stuff sorted out now. I love each and every one of them. But according to politicians and ”Christians”, my very existence as openly gay and transgender teacher damages them in terrible ways and I shoukd stay away.
          
          It’s all so very tiring. And depressing.

Daimyen

@Di_Rossi Thanks. My students have been great this far. It’s just…the overall political climate, I guess. That denying the full humanity of people like me and portraying us as threats to women, children and the entire society is used to gather support - and that it works.
• Reply

Di_Rossi

@Daimyen  I'm really, really sorry to hear that you're personally affected by such nonsense. But, this is a time of beliefs rising to the surface and a readjustment of viewpoint on many topic. There are those who are clinging to the past because change scares them, but there are more who are silently reevaluating. 
            
            The best we can do is speak our truth and allow others to speak theirs, even if we radically disagree. Simply the fact that you are willing to put in the effort to speak for hours to your students is having a positive impact...even if it might, at times, not look like it on the surface. Hang in there, it's worth it.  
            
            It may be slightly cliched now, but Ghandi's words are true: be the change you want to see in the world. Be the light. But take care of yourself too. Self care is not a luxury in these times, it's a necessity. :-)
• Reply

Daimyen

When I see a fellow LGBTQ person idolizing someone who calls for us to be ”cured” of being who we are…I just know it will end in tears. But it is the human nature that the latest generation has to burn their own wings just like those before them did.
          
          If anybody is reading this, I leave you with an article by a transgender priest, Fr. Shannon Kears: https://www.queertheology.com/evil-kindness/

Daimyen

The first chapter of "Reclaiming Love" is out, with the topic of what the Old Testament actually says about homosexuality. Next: what the New Testament says. I'm hoping to get that (and what the Bible says about gender diversity) written during Pride Month, but since I don't have summer vacation - still trying to patch up stuff after the covid year -, that may take a while.

Daimyen

Logged in to Wattpad to change my password after the news about the data breach and was met with 240 notifications (I may have a few too many books in my library). If your comments or votes for my books or follows were somewhere in there, thank you. If you wanted my attention about something, please leave a message here.
          
          My sister will have a surgery soon (fortunately we live in a welfare state, so no worries about money at least), and the first post-covid school semester is also starting in two weeks (although managed remote learning fairly well, there’s still patching up to do), so I may not check back very often.

-HERMITTHEFROG

Hey there,
          The LOVE IS LOVE AWARDS are now open for participation, you can easily join as a judge and/or a participant just by filling out the form! Please do check it out.
          Thanks, Sarah.
          https://my.w.tt/7veAkWPRV4

-HERMITTHEFROG

@Daimyen I understand, the same happened here. But it's okay, whenever you're comfortable :)
• Reply

Daimyen

@-nightingales- Thanks, I’ll take a look once things calm down a bit. Like most schools in Europe, we had to move all teaching online and close buildings super fast. Been 12+ hour workdays the whole week to get the situation under control. >.<
• Reply