escaping fundamentalism
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Conversion therapy survivors flag
I’ve just seen this announcement from the Conversion Therapy Survivors Network on Facebook: The votes are in! Hunter Moore‘s design will now become the FIRST-ever Conversion Therapy Survivor Flag! Grey: Represents PTSD and memory loss.Pink: Symbolizes sexual abuse and marginalization.Blue: Stands for domestic violence.Triangle: Inspired by the progress pride flag, it represents survivors overcoming these…
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The sunk cost fallacy
One of the reasons that people tend to stay in toxic relationships and religions, persist with failing projects, and even watch terrible movies all the way to the end, is the sunk cost fallacy.
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Deconstruction story: Richard Swan
A friend shared a Facebook post by Richard Swan (in the fun group Dull Men’s Club) today, talking about how vanishingly few people are tone deaf, and most people can sing. I take the view that singing is an outpouring of the soul and one of the cruellest things a person can do is to…
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Dealing with door knockers
My best ever riposte to some doorstep evangelists was when they asked me “who do you believe is the ruler of this Earth?” And I replied “I don’t believe the Earth can be ruled, I believe that she’s a goddess in her own right”. The doorstep evangelists practically ran away down the front path. The…
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Just visiting
I’ve often referenced these posts by Annika Mongan, which present a fascinating account of what’s happening energetically at evangelical churches, and at Pagan gatherings. I also got independent confirmation of this by speaking to another Wiccan who sees energy as colours (I experience it as changes in temperature) who confirmed that she saw a lot…
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A healing journey
A new book from Moss Matthey, An apostate’s guide to witchcraft: finding freedom through magic, explores his personal journey from fundamentalist Christianity to witchcraft. Moss writes: This book is about my journey from a fundamentalist Christian cult to the joyous and freeing world of Witchcraft. Blending my personal experience with gentle exercises, this book is for anyone who is…
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Movies and TV
Changing Paths challenge day 27: movies and TV. Movies and TV that changed my mind / blew my mind.
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Books
Changing Paths challenge day 25: books 📚 I love reading books. I love writing books. I love talking about books. I love having a to-be-read pile. I love rereading books that I have enjoyed. A book is a little world and its characters are mirrors you can hold up, and try identifying with them to…
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Animals and birds
Changing Paths challenge day 10: animals and birds. I love animals and birds and Nature. It feels like such a privilege to see animals and birds in the wild. In our garden we have chipmunks and cardinals and robins and rabbits. We were once visited by a very floofy skunk. We have only seen one…
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Nature
Changing Paths challenge day 4: Nature. 💚🌿 Many years ago, when I was a child, I was told that the Israeli settlers had planted trees in the desert and made Israel greener. I was told this at an event organized by evangelical Christians. This shows the prevalence of Zionism among evangelical Christians. (1)
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ExVangelical solidarity
Fantastic article from John Beckett (polytheist UU Druid) on the rise of the ExVangelical movement and how to get the tentacles of Christianity out of your brain.
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Reblog: A weird boy, but definitely a boy
A weird boy, but definitely a boy: Freestyling it again for chapter 4 of “Changing Paths” This Friday, I’ll be blogging some of my thoughts from reading Chapter 4, “Religion and Gender” of Yvonne Aburrow’s book, Changing Paths… It’s been interesting for me as a man primarily dedicated to and working with Freyja. It seems…
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Alanah Sabatini
Beautiful music for deconstruction from toxic religions by Alanah Sabatini, who has just released an EP of reclaimed hymns. It’s available on Bandcamp and YouTube now, and on all the major streaming services next Friday: It’s very calming and could be sung as a group. It would work well in Unitarian, Unitarian Universalist, and Pagan…
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Reblog: Reflections on chapter 3
Being gaily religious and religiously gay: Blogging freestyle for chapter 3 of “Changing Paths.” This week, I want to blog about chapter three of Changing Paths by Yvonne Aburrow… My relationship with my sexuality when I was an evangelical Christian was a complete mess, and not solely because I was gay. For those who may…
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Liberty for some
Sarah Zang hoped to escape her highly controlled home life in 2006.She enrolled as a student at Liberty University in Virginia. She looked forward to making her own decisions, free of her parents’ strict rules. Liberty University, a Christian college, seemed like the perfect haven, promising safety and a community that shared her values. —…
Changing Paths 