Yeah read some crap like this and I think "Yeah people are cracking up" My fundie churches and websites taught me "aliens were demons" too and don't get me started on the whacked out Christian Nephilim believers who have overlaps in beliefs with the Ascension/Alien Disclosure people. Last week on a Facebook medical support board, with all the women on there talking about how they were actually aliens not born on this planet because of their health problems, I wrote "Look evolution and our bone structure makes it clear, humans are from this world!"
I may be autistic with multiple health problems and not fit in but it doesn't mean I come from another planet or galaxy.
"I am not your Indigo Child because I have autism!". What is weird, there was this woman on that same board, who advertised her health board for those on the autistic spectrum and I went over there, and it was Qanon city---"Trump lost the election due to fraud, the new world order pedophiles will be locked up..., etc. etc. Sigh. The same craziness that took over the fundamentalist world has taken over a lot of holistic health world.
Autistics seem to be a target of the woo peddlers to the extreme. Why is this? Exploiting all the desperate parents who want their autistic child to be normal at any cost? There's weird theories I see popping up in the Lipedema world too, to go with all those extreme diets. The autism lady was talking about Lipedema too and saying our special DNA saved during us during famines. If that's true, they can have it. I'd rather be skinny and starving.
One thing I am worried about is Qanon stuff through the New Age wellness and holistic community. I saw a autism page on here that had tons of praise for a certain right wing politician and extreme Qanon beliefs. Some of the stuff seemed racist too like when they wrote white people and smarter autistic people had more Neanderthal blood and were "born hunters". They presented these beliefs as scientific. I was horrified.
"A new Paradigm and way of thinking, such as, separating humans into genetic types i.e Born Hunters, needs a new way of looking at the research we have already and how to relate it to any new insights.
"A new Paradigm and way of thinking, such as, separating humans into genetic types i.e Born Hunters, needs a new way of looking at the research we have already and how to relate it to any new insights.
In the last decade Scientists have extracted and sequenced DNA from bones found in the Neander Valley in Germany, Neanderthal bone DNA can be translated as 'New Man' bone DNA. There is Scientific Peer Reviewed research stating most modern humans outside of Africa have 1-3% Neanderthal or New Man DNA."
There's the ascension and disclosure people [see Gaia.com] who believe autistics are Indigo children and aliens not of this earth. Evolution points to the very earth oriented origins of human beings. Of course anti-vaxx stuff is a given. I meet a lot of Australians online who seem to believe this way on these boards. It's not just conservative and evangelical Christians going down Qanon, extreme conspiracy highway, but New Agers, holistic medicine participants, and the wellness community.
I don't trust a lot of alternative health advice. Years ago I got into naturopaths, herbs, etc, in my case to stay alive even though this was contrary to the advice with many in that world I stuck by modern medical care too. None of the alternative health stuff worked. I tried acupuncture, colloidal silver, ear candling, [I never believed in homeopathy], herbs, and other alternative health stuff, and it all failed.
ALL of the naturopaths misdiagnosed me including one medical psychic in Chicago. I saw several naturopaths who never got my endocrine problems correct or Lipedema either. Some herbs and foods were good don't get me wrong for nutritional value and some foods will clear water off the body like parsley, but it's not the same as taking Lasix. All this stuff was an expensive path to nowhere.
I am not a Christian anymore but do blame Christianity for bringing me into conspiracy. I consider liberal Christians who support social justice allies, like Barber, so yes I know there are Christians who don't fit in the crazy camp but at least where I live, liberal Christians are rare, everyone from the Catholics, Lutherans, mainline evangelical etc. are on the Trumpster wagon and against masks.
Society has reached a point of complexity where belief in religious fairy tales, is destroying belief in science. I am surrounded by anti-maskers, to the point that when I came home yesterday, when I was sitting in the car, there were 4 people in the foyer of my apartment building without masks. None of them believe Covid is real or is overhyped.
Society has reached a point of complexity where belief in religious fairy tales, is destroying belief in science. I am surrounded by anti-maskers, to the point that when I came home yesterday, when I was sitting in the car, there were 4 people in the foyer of my apartment building without masks. None of them believe Covid is real or is overhyped.
Anti-maskers and "open up" types are at least 50 percent of the people I live around. Our hospitals are going over the cliff too and the idiots are still crying for everything to "open up".
Some people think it's only the hardcore fundies like the independent fundamentalist baptists I left behind who are anti-mask, and rejecting science, where I live--- I would estimate 50% of the population locally rejects the reality of Covid. On almost every local comment board dealing with Covid, most are clamoring for everything to be "opened up". Our hospitals have gone over the cliff, and now are warning that if you have a heart attack, or other problems, they don't have space for you. ICU beds are at 0 percent in Southern California.
Religion is breaking people's thinking in America. One major problem with religion is it does promote magical thinking. The base of faith is believing things without "seeing it" and without evidence. This is a damaging proposition in modern times with the challenges we face. Spiritual exploration, is a positive but where humanity gets in trouble is dogma. The problem now too is adherence to dogma not based on reality is directly putting our lives at risk!
Christopher Hitchens was right when he said "Religion poisons everything". Liberal Christians who believe in science too are a MINORITY now, in many regions of the country. I am old enough to remember when United Methodists, Lutherans and most Catholics accepted the basics of science--this is not true around here anymore[bible belt of the Midwest] The local Catholic church even had an antimasker sign up telling people to go to Mass for months.
Fear is rife in America the whole country seems embroiled in a PTSD response. It shuts down rationality. This is a part religion preys on especially toxic religions that invoke hell to keep you in control. The manipulation in America is so immense, with propaganda and more, people are shutting down rational thought. With Covid alone, how many inside are in a freeze or flight scenario?
As I have written about before, my own jumping into fundamentalist Christianity was based on trauma. I almost died [more than once] I went deaf, I experienced extreme poverty with no resources and had scary stigmatizing health problems where no help was forthcoming for many years. People can retreat to fantasy when so overwhelmed, they can't think critically anymore. It happened to me. My thinking got broken.
Christopher Hitchens was right when he said "Religion poisons everything". Liberal Christians who believe in science too are a MINORITY now, in many regions of the country. I am old enough to remember when United Methodists, Lutherans and most Catholics accepted the basics of science--this is not true around here anymore[bible belt of the Midwest] The local Catholic church even had an antimasker sign up telling people to go to Mass for months.
Fear is rife in America the whole country seems embroiled in a PTSD response. It shuts down rationality. This is a part religion preys on especially toxic religions that invoke hell to keep you in control. The manipulation in America is so immense, with propaganda and more, people are shutting down rational thought. With Covid alone, how many inside are in a freeze or flight scenario?
As I have written about before, my own jumping into fundamentalist Christianity was based on trauma. I almost died [more than once] I went deaf, I experienced extreme poverty with no resources and had scary stigmatizing health problems where no help was forthcoming for many years. People can retreat to fantasy when so overwhelmed, they can't think critically anymore. It happened to me. My thinking got broken.
In desperation I ran to the myths about God helping and caring. Reality bit me on the ass instead. As hospitals implode, reality is going to take a chomp out of many people. What scares me is as the death numbers skyrocket, so many simply don't care even now.
I went deep into conspiracy to try and make sense of a world, examining patterns that had gone mad. This is basically is what is happening to people on a societal wide level. Why do you think people are going for Qanon or becoming more hard core Christians?
Someone asked me on a message board, dealing with ex-Qanon people and those dealing with Qanon relatives, what got you out of conspiracy [and fundie religion]? I gave them this list [edited for conciseness] as for the reasons I got out.......
"1. Leaving and deconverting from fundamentalist Christianity. Prayer was never answered, I got tired of false spiritual answers and given a model of life that didn't exist for a disabled low income person. Christianity wrote checks that reality could not cash. I would shut down my conspiracy blog when I left fundamentalism, I had maybe a three week flirtation with liberal Christianity and decided I didn't believe any of it anymore. I returned to the UU as a non-Christian.
2. The Trumpsters made me disgusted with the conspiracy world. Watching 99% of the conspiracy websites all go for Trump bothered me. I was sickened years before that over the increasing racism and nationalism.
I always thought Alex Jones was a fake. I wrote even against him on my conspiracy blog. Why did all the conspiracy people match from Rense to the rest of them? Why did they push the same stupid Republican politics, or alt-right for those who thought the Republican party was "deep state" or NWO.
3. Library book reading. I am disabled and have more time to read, this includes being in bed a lot from severe rare diseases. Part of the library reading list included books on Climate Change, that proved the case it is real--saw evidence in my own life, evolution, science, paleontology, biology, psychology, sociology and more. My desire to educate myself was life long. Over the long haul it destroyed a lot of what conspiracy theorists and religionists were telling me.
4. Moving away from a psycho fundie town [it is actually known as a center of the alt right] Being out of that bubble helped. Even all the New Agers there had bought into conspiracy. I knew people who never went to doctors and only naturopaths. One friend who was in the New Age went off, all blood pressure meds because modern medicine was no longer to be trusted and died of a stroke. Where I live now is way too religious and conservative but it is wealthier and there are more educated people here.
5. I always have been progressive, I hated the Republican party. Being on a fixed income, the boot strap crap isn't going to sell. I protested war even as a fundie. I voted for Obama secretly as a fundie, because I thought all the Republicans would cut my Social Security so I had two competing sides. Even as a fundie, I did environmental volunteer work that my church mocked and once told me, "God is going to give us a new earth".
So the conspiracy bullshit about America being the light of the world didn't sell with me. This also put me at odds with a lot of conspiracy people. Capitalism and it's limits directly affected my life. So when conspiracy people whined about socialism, I used to think this place sure as hell needs more of it especially when my husband had job lay offs, and I entered my late 40s and then early 50s, knowing things were never going to get economically better.
Their answers were bullshit and their refusal to see what was happening to Gen X [I am in my early 50s] on down pissed me off. My husband works in gig employment laid off from newsapapers. I did not have proper medical care or health insurance even in my 20s. Ever met a liberal conspiracy theorist? They do not exist. That world in other words pushed me out.
McGowan kind of bordered on it, but died [but still believed in absurd stuff like moon landings being fake.] The guy who wrote the Rigorous Intuition blog seemed to be on the edge of liberalism, but Trumpsters took over his blog discussion board anyhow. I was a rare bird in a world I did not belong.
Their answers were bullshit and their refusal to see what was happening to Gen X [I am in my early 50s] on down pissed me off. My husband works in gig employment laid off from newsapapers. I did not have proper medical care or health insurance even in my 20s. Ever met a liberal conspiracy theorist? They do not exist. That world in other words pushed me out.
McGowan kind of bordered on it, but died [but still believed in absurd stuff like moon landings being fake.] The guy who wrote the Rigorous Intuition blog seemed to be on the edge of liberalism, but Trumpsters took over his blog discussion board anyhow. I was a rare bird in a world I did not belong.
On the conspiracy Christian blog, I was coming to weird conclusions and even wrote on there most conspiracy is propaganda, and most churches are for societal control. Why would I stay in a system I considered abysmal. It was like I was digging myself out too. It is hard to know what to trust especially in this society of lies.
6. Going no contact with my majority Trumpster family that preached religion [uber Catholicism] and extreme bootstrapper politics. Adult children of narcissists recovery. Refusing abuse, and being done with those who abused and put me down for being disabled and lower income. I became educated about narcissists and sociopaths and how they operate. That alone tore the veil off many of the gaslighters. Self empowerment that saved me from the clutches of religion and abusers.
I still struggle with some areas, the programming was strong with. This Covid crap has not helped. I didn't get to enjoy my reintroduction to reality very long.
Its weird for me now to see so many people getting into the conspiracy thinking. One thing about me when I was a conspiracy theorist, I kept my mouth shut about it in the "real world" because I knew it was weird and did not "fit in" with these new conspiracy types, they spout off, having gained mainstream acceptance in their conservative circles.
One guy wrote that "the pervasiveness of information is overwhelming many people's ability to cope." He is right. There's too much to deal with. The world has reached a level of complexity that many people can't deal with. So many horrible things are happening where the basics of making a living are under a threat, where one worries about everything from school shootings to terrorists threats, people are cracking up. Add to this that since the boomers all left home and Reagan came along, people don't have stable economic lives anymore, they don't have strong social networks and that capitalism has made it so everyone is on edge, always having to "fight to survive". Even the middle and upper middle classes, have to constantly produce or be on the outlook out from not being knocked off their higher place. In other words, don't get sick or have anything bad happen, because it means poverty and destitution awaits.
Chris Hedges is right about the liberal social class, the intelligentsia basically telling the poorer and working classes to go to hell.
One reason I fell into fundamentalist religion, was noticing the NPR listening wealthy even liberal boomers, didn't give a crap about my severe health and economic plights. Part of me was entranced then with the religious messages about a more simple and wholesome life. I believed their answers would make life better, they did not. Even now I have uncomfortable feelings about wealthy mostly older liberals refusing to face the facts about class and the growing poverty and economic destitution. They advance a world that no longer exists of comfortable secure homes, vacations and progress. Don't they get that progress is over when half the population doesn't believe in basic science? Wake up, the 1980s are over with.
I vote Democrat, but write all the time how the Democratic party has betrayed me and millions of others and it's true. While many Democrats protest class issues even wealthy ones, many things are papered over, this needs to change.
Sadly the majority of the conspiracy and conservative set, has internalized their oppression and decry "socialism", unions, and anything that HELPS society. They have internalized the Republican messaging of Social Darwinism, and the "survival of the fittest". This means even if their own suffering is on the line so be it. Just look at poor people who vote Republican, there's plenty of them. There's a weird pride in suffering. It's sick. Now they reject basic pandemic precautions, even death isn't enough of a deterrent. I've had dark thoughts that America has a built in death-wish now. Life has become so miserable, overwhelming and scary, maybe there is a self destruction theme advancing the cause of the anti-maskers. Inside they do all want it all to fall down. Capitalism has ripped them to shreds and they want it all to burn and crash.
One guy wrote that "the pervasiveness of information is overwhelming many people's ability to cope." He is right. There's too much to deal with. The world has reached a level of complexity that many people can't deal with. So many horrible things are happening where the basics of making a living are under a threat, where one worries about everything from school shootings to terrorists threats, people are cracking up. Add to this that since the boomers all left home and Reagan came along, people don't have stable economic lives anymore, they don't have strong social networks and that capitalism has made it so everyone is on edge, always having to "fight to survive". Even the middle and upper middle classes, have to constantly produce or be on the outlook out from not being knocked off their higher place. In other words, don't get sick or have anything bad happen, because it means poverty and destitution awaits.
Chris Hedges is right about the liberal social class, the intelligentsia basically telling the poorer and working classes to go to hell.
One reason I fell into fundamentalist religion, was noticing the NPR listening wealthy even liberal boomers, didn't give a crap about my severe health and economic plights. Part of me was entranced then with the religious messages about a more simple and wholesome life. I believed their answers would make life better, they did not. Even now I have uncomfortable feelings about wealthy mostly older liberals refusing to face the facts about class and the growing poverty and economic destitution. They advance a world that no longer exists of comfortable secure homes, vacations and progress. Don't they get that progress is over when half the population doesn't believe in basic science? Wake up, the 1980s are over with.
I vote Democrat, but write all the time how the Democratic party has betrayed me and millions of others and it's true. While many Democrats protest class issues even wealthy ones, many things are papered over, this needs to change.
Sadly the majority of the conspiracy and conservative set, has internalized their oppression and decry "socialism", unions, and anything that HELPS society. They have internalized the Republican messaging of Social Darwinism, and the "survival of the fittest". This means even if their own suffering is on the line so be it. Just look at poor people who vote Republican, there's plenty of them. There's a weird pride in suffering. It's sick. Now they reject basic pandemic precautions, even death isn't enough of a deterrent. I've had dark thoughts that America has a built in death-wish now. Life has become so miserable, overwhelming and scary, maybe there is a self destruction theme advancing the cause of the anti-maskers. Inside they do all want it all to fall down. Capitalism has ripped them to shreds and they want it all to burn and crash.
Anti-vaxxers don't trust doctors.
Why are the Covid mandates not being accepted? While narcissism is fueling a lot of the lack of empathy, people don't trust the experts. That's it in a nutshell. The intelligentsia above that abandoned the poorer classes, don't realize as people became more disenfranchised, and got no answers to fix things, they turned against multiple institutions. I faced this myself, where I was told one thing by teachers, academics, scientists, doctors and others, that life would turn out one way, and it did not and that it was "all my fault". Failed expectations was the catalyst to turn away. My poverty separated me from the "reasonable" as I was cut out of their world of hope, science and technology. Has this happened to others?
I tried to fix things but was unable. Look at millions of people having the bottom fall out and a slow crash, and experts provided answers that did not work on the economic front, people have shut their ears now even to basic scientific information meant to save lives. In a world that no longer makes sense, people look for patterns and whys and wherefores. It makes conspiracy and religion attractive, to provide explanations. I still struggle trying to figure out how "it all went so bad". I was a conscientious young person. I wanted answers, and I went looking for them.
Religion supposedly can then come into pick up the pieces. It's another trap of control but people don't realize this. The soothing bliss of a gold filled heaven awaits. Jesus will return and fix everything. The planet may burn and the oceans die but God will give us a new planet. Some New Agers await "disclosure" and others believe they are "not of this world" because this world has become so horrible to them. Think about that.
People want to feel some control, they want some help, they want a feeling of safety from the abyss. Much of evangelical Christianity lies to people now, telling them Covid is not real, that it is just a flu, and God will protect you from germs. It's like these Christians are doubling efforts to prove reality is not real, as they hold super-spreader events like Kirk Cameron's latest:
Why are the Covid mandates not being accepted? While narcissism is fueling a lot of the lack of empathy, people don't trust the experts. That's it in a nutshell. The intelligentsia above that abandoned the poorer classes, don't realize as people became more disenfranchised, and got no answers to fix things, they turned against multiple institutions. I faced this myself, where I was told one thing by teachers, academics, scientists, doctors and others, that life would turn out one way, and it did not and that it was "all my fault". Failed expectations was the catalyst to turn away. My poverty separated me from the "reasonable" as I was cut out of their world of hope, science and technology. Has this happened to others?
I tried to fix things but was unable. Look at millions of people having the bottom fall out and a slow crash, and experts provided answers that did not work on the economic front, people have shut their ears now even to basic scientific information meant to save lives. In a world that no longer makes sense, people look for patterns and whys and wherefores. It makes conspiracy and religion attractive, to provide explanations. I still struggle trying to figure out how "it all went so bad". I was a conscientious young person. I wanted answers, and I went looking for them.
Religion supposedly can then come into pick up the pieces. It's another trap of control but people don't realize this. The soothing bliss of a gold filled heaven awaits. Jesus will return and fix everything. The planet may burn and the oceans die but God will give us a new planet. Some New Agers await "disclosure" and others believe they are "not of this world" because this world has become so horrible to them. Think about that.
People want to feel some control, they want some help, they want a feeling of safety from the abyss. Much of evangelical Christianity lies to people now, telling them Covid is not real, that it is just a flu, and God will protect you from germs. It's like these Christians are doubling efforts to prove reality is not real, as they hold super-spreader events like Kirk Cameron's latest:
Denial won't protect any of these people from getting sick.
Narcissism, also has people go into denial. For any of us ACONs, did any of our narcissistic parents live in reality? Some of us would beg them to listen to us. A major part of gaslighting was simply lying about what was happening. That's coming from multiple fronts. They ignore reality and tell you to shut up as they craft their own and expect you to adhere to it. Trump's blathering about "fake news" was just a narcissist projecting. They think they are "special" not one of the riff-raff. Kirk Cameron believes he is one of God's "chosen" and not a lost person who will get sick. Narcissists don't deal with actual reality, that takes introspection. The narcissist epidemic is going to cost lives too. The narcissism of Christianity "we are so blessed and the chosen and you are 'lost scum' only deserving of death and hell" has come roaring out of the closet.
Desperation has people running to comforting myths. Christianity gets more radicalized and extreme. Have you noticed all these conservative churches care only about the world that comes after? Along with the self destruction I mention above, it's like people have totally given up on this life and THIS WORLD and are embracing myths instead. I am not sure what the answers are. Things need to get better. People need to return to facing reality. We need a society of cooperation and hope again. That much is sure if we are to survive. I hope others can think about the traps, that are too easily fallen in. This world is not an easy place but fantasy isn't going to fix things either, it's destroying us. If you think the world has gone psycho, it has. You are not alone.
Update on this: Obviously some of my views about Covid had changed. One mistake in life, never stop listening to people even ones you disagree with. The conservatives warning about problems regarding Covid did have truth to their statements.
Narcissism, also has people go into denial. For any of us ACONs, did any of our narcissistic parents live in reality? Some of us would beg them to listen to us. A major part of gaslighting was simply lying about what was happening. That's coming from multiple fronts. They ignore reality and tell you to shut up as they craft their own and expect you to adhere to it. Trump's blathering about "fake news" was just a narcissist projecting. They think they are "special" not one of the riff-raff. Kirk Cameron believes he is one of God's "chosen" and not a lost person who will get sick. Narcissists don't deal with actual reality, that takes introspection. The narcissist epidemic is going to cost lives too. The narcissism of Christianity "we are so blessed and the chosen and you are 'lost scum' only deserving of death and hell" has come roaring out of the closet.
Desperation has people running to comforting myths. Christianity gets more radicalized and extreme. Have you noticed all these conservative churches care only about the world that comes after? Along with the self destruction I mention above, it's like people have totally given up on this life and THIS WORLD and are embracing myths instead. I am not sure what the answers are. Things need to get better. People need to return to facing reality. We need a society of cooperation and hope again. That much is sure if we are to survive. I hope others can think about the traps, that are too easily fallen in. This world is not an easy place but fantasy isn't going to fix things either, it's destroying us. If you think the world has gone psycho, it has. You are not alone.
Update on this: Obviously some of my views about Covid had changed. One mistake in life, never stop listening to people even ones you disagree with. The conservatives warning about problems regarding Covid did have truth to their statements.
Theres so many theories out there at the moment its like a pick and choose selection box . In the UK we have seen such weird responses from government that vary from day to day, nobody takes much notice of them. Good old Pastor Dave is still having problems with his dafter tribe members who are waiting to be raptured . Im the scum of the earth according to a view fostered by our lovely government that being fat is selfish as we are filling all the Covid beds ..really doh . Being a fat diabetic who does all the caring shopping and all the outside contact , i should have been dead months ago , but a bit of common sense has kept me alive thus far , wear a mask, wear gloves mainly to hide the horrible psoriasis on my hands that means i cant use sanitizer , stop the grown kids from visiting . Am i going for the vaccine? eventually but i will wait for a good few months to see what happens to those who have already taken it , todays headline the virus has mutated and is now 3 times as contagious , wouldnt have anything to do with the fact that we are well aware that we are being fed lots of bollocks and vaccine takeup isnt meeting the figures ?
ReplyDeleteI still remember when they told people not to wear masks here seriously, and then switched that around. I thought that was messed up. So we have seen the mixed up advice, lies, and contradictions here too. I can see why some don't trust what they are told. Oh with fat people they have done the you fat people will get it worse and implied it's our fault for "being out of shape" and threatened us all with triaging. I mean this stuff has brought the active eugenicists out of their nasty closets on multiple levels. I try to do what I can though just leaving the apt to do a short walk seems loaded with danger. I am glad you are being cautious with the vaccine too Kate, I keep thinking they fucked this all up, what if that is too? Just have nightmare scenarios going through my head.
DeleteThe United States is messed up. During times of recession or catastrophic events like this pandemic, Americans turn to fundamentalist Christianity. If you look at some other countries like Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, China, New Zealand, and Sydney, you would notice that they did not have new covid-19 victims and covid related death for months. Several countries are already covid free. China did not have many new covid-19 victims for months.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that the United States failed to get the covid-19 rates down because half of Americans who voted for Trump are not good people. They are selfish people who want God to rescue them or let them die. Some of these people are racist and white supremacists who grew up not learning they have a responsibility to the world. Their parents and teachers did not teach them properl. Their pastors tell them what they want to hear.
When I read this blog, I read about people who feel entitled. Most of them are malignant narcissists. Some of them are extremely sadistic, malignant narcissistic such as false preachers like Kirk Cameron, Sean Feucht, Franklin Graham, and Jack Hibbs (Chino Hills, CA Calvary Chapel).
I joined fundamentalist Christian Churches and groups because I was a victim of child abuse, domestic abuse, and economic abuse. I wanted God to rescue me, find me my husband, and take care of me. Many adult victims of child abuse want the same things from God. Unfortunately, God does not answer prayers. We went to the wrong churches where pastors lied to us. Their motivation was to get money from us and to see we did not get what they missed in their lives. You probably met some people who have deep-seated anger that they did not get something they wanted and became pastors later. An example was an angry pastor who did not get into medical school or his athletic career ended when he tried to get into the Olympics.
These are examples of why you met so many toxic people. The United States is messed up because there are too many immature adults who think they are. entitled. I'm glad you found better people since you deconverted.
I rue the day I was even born in this forsaken country. There's sometimes I wonder if I knew when I was young how bad it would get, I wrote poems that said the future was dark in my early 20s. This place is messed up.
DeleteWe can see right in front of us people are turning to extreme conspiracy or religion. [I am among the guilty as I turned to religion and conspiracy too, but at least kept some integrity and refused to embrace the evil like Trump]
Other countries have done far better with the virus. Some like Australia and New Zealand have been able to return to normal life in some areas. This place was a clusterfuck times 100. Most won't take the vaccine too, that's not going to save us. I have concerns about the vaccine myself due to extreme autoimmune disorders but I can tell at least 50 percent WON'T.
You sum things up well when you say half of Americans who voted for Trump are not good people. I know some Republicans who refused Trump, some old schoolers/libertarians etc, but the majority did, and honestly, I think supporting Trump is a litmus test for narcissists and people with no empathy. America had a narcissism and sociopathy epidemic from, the dog eat dog neoliberal/Republican economic hyper-capitalism society that destroyed all ideas of social cooperation and now we are paying big time.
Add to this prosperity gospel BS which has infused most conservative churches...."God is good all the time" bull crap, where they think only the "bad" people will die or see ruin and it's ruined this country. The Christian Nationalism and arrogance prop up racism, white supremacy and "the chosen people of God" literally don't care if the bodies pile up around them. I wake up everyday happy I got OUT, because if I was associated with any of these people now the shame would kill me. The religious brain worms of magical thinking, rejection of science and more definitely could bring this country down.
We have a flood of malignant narcissists, I believe most big name preachers with their fake charisma, and money grubbing ways are a collection of malignant narcissists and sociopaths. The ones knowingly having super-spreader events, may even enjoy the death and destruction they bring.
I believe some of the pastors don't believe in the religion and know it's a life, they use it for power, but yes many are selfish people who want God to rescue them. Others have death cult wishes for American to fall, for WWIII to happen and for the world to implode so Jesus can return and their Revelation fantasies can become reality.
It sounds like you were like me ending up in fundamentalist Christian churches out of economic desperation, abuse, wanting a "family" to belong to--that was one of my motivations and hoping God would help me [He did not] I wanted God to rescue me too, and give me a purpose for life, and help me deal with my scary medical problems [even if not heal then at least comfort me through them] I noticed God if it exists only seemed to give more to my abusers and kicked me in the face every chance it got. It allowed my husband to suffer too much too, and by that alone, it is not worthy of any worship. Even if I found out it was real, I would still be done, because it is an abuser and cruel.
es no God intervenes in this mess of a world and prayer is not answered. We were lied to my the pastors. One of my pastors has gone crazy and is homeless with his 4 children, in an old RV camper. I can't believe I took anything that man said seriously. So during Covid, he wonders around state parks, he has a blog and none of his kids seem to be getting any education--no access to library books while you are homeless, religion led him to madness and it's led America to madness as well. I think many adult children of abuse victims go looking for love from God or direct or help or a close community, and they are often disappointed and hurt. Most conservative churches are Republican hell-holes of status quo support, they will not have much patience for someone they see as a "cast-off" or without their picture perfect lives and homes and jobs. I agree the motive was money adding up even our small amounts of money. One pastor turned on me when he realized how poor we were and started ignoring us.
DeleteI see fundamentalist Christianity and Christianity as a whole as firebombing my social life. The people were toxic as hell. They were not real friends where they stuck by me through thick and thin but demanding the same beliefs--I did not treat people like this even when I was in. They pushed Social Darwinism on me and cold cruelty. I see religion and belief in God via uber Catholicism, destroying my family and leading them deeper into narcissism with beliefs that God blesses the "good" and "punishes" the bad with illness, poverty or other life problems. Before I went no contact with all cousins, I noticed all of the young were basically going fundie conservative dating homeschoolers and other obeying members of Gilead. My patience ended too with the very few liberals bootlicking the boots of the fascists.
Yes deconversion definitely allowed me to find better people. I could have been closer to others without religion in the way in years past, some relationships changed for the better when I unloaded the baggage of religion.
The United States is choosing dark ages and religion. Many liberals have fought this for years, but it's sliding back down the religion chute. Other countries are entering the modern world and believe in science. This is one reason China alone will become the world's biggest super power.