#exvangelical — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #exvangelical, aggregated by home.social.
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Promise Backlund (@eve_wasframed) is a former worship leader turned counter-apologist. I first heard of her on Seth Andrews’s podcast. She wrote a book called Gospel of Lies (the title sounds harsher than it actually reads).
There’s one chapter where she discusses the impact that music, architecture, mood lighting, and large gatherings can have in producing feelings of transcendence and euphoria for the human “spirit.” She writes of going to her first secular rock concert and finding it just like church. “My belief that God was as involved with a rock concert as he was with a worship service turned out to be closer to the truth than I realized. It turns out God was equally uninvolved. But my confusion was by evangelical design, as there is little difference between their worship services and a live concert. Music is already manipulative by nature; that’s why we listen to it.”
She doesn’t mean that musical manipulation is necessarily a bad thing–we listen to music to help us feel good; it’s like art or literature, where the creator of the piece is trying to evoke certain thoughts or feelings to the audience or reader. But you need to be aware that it’s human-made. Otherwise, “these emotional moments can convince you that of course there’s a god…”
“Music’s ability to impact our emotions, physical state and behavior has been widely studied and universally recognized.” Look at the minor keys for the “Imperial March” in The Empire Strikes Back or the Emperor’s theme in Return of the Jedi and contrast that with the uplifting major key of the Rebel fanfare. That’s John Williams who did that, not God.
As a worship musician myself for many years, I have experienced the manipulation from both sides. If a pastor wanted to really turn on the tears during a prayer service, he would give me the nod and I’d gradually shape the improvisational droning of my violin into an upwelling theme that sounded like something out of the Braveheart soundtrack. I didn’t see myself as doing manipulation in that moment, though; I thought I was just being “used by God.”
Find her book here: https://medialabbooks.com/products/9781964487557_gospel-of-lies #atheism #exvangelical
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Promise Backlund (@eve_wasframed) is a former worship leader turned counter-apologist. I first heard of her on Seth Andrews’s podcast. She wrote a book called Gospel of Lies (the title sounds harsher than it actually reads).
There’s one chapter where she discusses the impact that music, architecture, mood lighting, and large gatherings can have in producing feelings of transcendence and euphoria for the human “spirit.” She writes of going to her first secular rock concert and finding it just like church. “My belief that God was as involved with a rock concert as he was with a worship service turned out to be closer to the truth than I realized. It turns out God was equally uninvolved. But my confusion was by evangelical design, as there is little difference between their worship services and a live concert. Music is already manipulative by nature; that’s why we listen to it.”
She doesn’t mean that musical manipulation is necessarily a bad thing–we listen to music to help us feel good; it’s like art or literature, where the creator of the piece is trying to evoke certain thoughts or feelings to the audience or reader. But you need to be aware that it’s human-made. Otherwise, “these emotional moments can convince you that of course there’s a god…”
“Music’s ability to impact our emotions, physical state and behavior has been widely studied and universally recognized.” Look at the minor keys for the “Imperial March” in The Empire Strikes Back or the Emperor’s theme in Return of the Jedi and contrast that with the uplifting major key of the Rebel fanfare. That’s John Williams who did that, not God.
As a worship musician myself for many years, I have experienced the manipulation from both sides. If a pastor wanted to really turn on the tears during a prayer service, he would give me the nod and I’d gradually shape the improvisational droning of my violin into an upwelling theme that sounded like something out of the Braveheart soundtrack. I didn’t see myself as doing manipulation in that moment, though; I thought I was just being “used by God.”
Find her book here: https://medialabbooks.com/products/9781964487557_gospel-of-lies #atheism #exvangelical
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Promise Backlund (@eve_wasframed) is a former worship leader turned counter-apologist. I first heard of her on Seth Andrews’s podcast. She wrote a book called Gospel of Lies (the title sounds harsher than it actually reads).
There’s one chapter where she discusses the impact that music, architecture, mood lighting, and large gatherings can have in producing feelings of transcendence and euphoria for the human “spirit.” She writes of going to her first secular rock concert and finding it just like church. “My belief that God was as involved with a rock concert as he was with a worship service turned out to be closer to the truth than I realized. It turns out God was equally uninvolved. But my confusion was by evangelical design, as there is little difference between their worship services and a live concert. Music is already manipulative by nature; that’s why we listen to it.”
She doesn’t mean that musical manipulation is necessarily a bad thing–we listen to music to help us feel good; it’s like art or literature, where the creator of the piece is trying to evoke certain thoughts or feelings to the audience or reader. But you need to be aware that it’s human-made. Otherwise, “these emotional moments can convince you that of course there’s a god…”
“Music’s ability to impact our emotions, physical state and behavior has been widely studied and universally recognized.” Look at the minor keys for the “Imperial March” in The Empire Strikes Back or the Emperor’s theme in Return of the Jedi and contrast that with the uplifting major key of the Rebel fanfare. That’s John Williams who did that, not God.
As a worship musician myself for many years, I have experienced the manipulation from both sides. If a pastor wanted to really turn on the tears during a prayer service, he would give me the nod and I’d gradually shape the improvisational droning of my violin into an upwelling theme that sounded like something out of the Braveheart soundtrack. I didn’t see myself as doing manipulation in that moment, though; I thought I was just being “used by God.”
Find her book here: https://medialabbooks.com/products/9781964487557_gospel-of-lies #atheism #exvangelical
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Promise Backlund (@eve_wasframed) is a former worship leader turned counter-apologist. I first heard of her on Seth Andrews’s podcast. She wrote a book called Gospel of Lies (the title sounds harsher than it actually reads).
There’s one chapter where she discusses the impact that music, architecture, mood lighting, and large gatherings can have in producing feelings of transcendence and euphoria for the human “spirit.” She writes of going to her first secular rock concert and finding it just like church. “My belief that God was as involved with a rock concert as he was with a worship service turned out to be closer to the truth than I realized. It turns out God was equally uninvolved. But my confusion was by evangelical design, as there is little difference between their worship services and a live concert. Music is already manipulative by nature; that’s why we listen to it.”
She doesn’t mean that musical manipulation is necessarily a bad thing–we listen to music to help us feel good; it’s like art or literature, where the creator of the piece is trying to evoke certain thoughts or feelings to the audience or reader. But you need to be aware that it’s human-made. Otherwise, “these emotional moments can convince you that of course there’s a god…”
“Music’s ability to impact our emotions, physical state and behavior has been widely studied and universally recognized.” Look at the minor keys for the “Imperial March” in The Empire Strikes Back or the Emperor’s theme in Return of the Jedi and contrast that with the uplifting major key of the Rebel fanfare. That’s John Williams who did that, not God.
As a worship musician myself for many years, I have experienced the manipulation from both sides. If a pastor wanted to really turn on the tears during a prayer service, he would give me the nod and I’d gradually shape the improvisational droning of my violin into an upwelling theme that sounded like something out of the Braveheart soundtrack. I didn’t see myself as doing manipulation in that moment, though; I thought I was just being “used by God.”
Find her book here: https://medialabbooks.com/products/9781964487557_gospel-of-lies #atheism #exvangelical
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Promise Backlund (@eve_wasframed) is a former worship leader turned counter-apologist. I first heard of her on Seth Andrews’s podcast. She wrote a book called Gospel of Lies (the title sounds harsher than it actually reads).
There’s one chapter where she discusses the impact that music, architecture, mood lighting, and large gatherings can have in producing feelings of transcendence and euphoria for the human “spirit.” She writes of going to her first secular rock concert and finding it just like church. “My belief that God was as involved with a rock concert as he was with a worship service turned out to be closer to the truth than I realized. It turns out God was equally uninvolved. But my confusion was by evangelical design, as there is little difference between their worship services and a live concert. Music is already manipulative by nature; that’s why we listen to it.”
She doesn’t mean that musical manipulation is necessarily a bad thing–we listen to music to help us feel good; it’s like art or literature, where the creator of the piece is trying to evoke certain thoughts or feelings to the audience or reader. But you need to be aware that it’s human-made. Otherwise, “these emotional moments can convince you that of course there’s a god…”
“Music’s ability to impact our emotions, physical state and behavior has been widely studied and universally recognized.” Look at the minor keys for the “Imperial March” in The Empire Strikes Back or the Emperor’s theme in Return of the Jedi and contrast that with the uplifting major key of the Rebel fanfare. That’s John Williams who did that, not God.
As a worship musician myself for many years, I have experienced the manipulation from both sides. If a pastor wanted to really turn on the tears during a prayer service, he would give me the nod and I’d gradually shape the improvisational droning of my violin into an upwelling theme that sounded like something out of the Braveheart soundtrack. I didn’t see myself as doing manipulation in that moment, though; I thought I was just being “used by God.”
Find her book here: https://medialabbooks.com/products/9781964487557_gospel-of-lies #atheism #exvangelical
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Can I interest you in a little exvangelical novelette, featuring opposites attract, a bi man, a woman discovering her inner strength, a second chance at love, found family, nineties vibes, and Canadianisms?
🩷💜💙
Free Indeed: Tim & Darlene (Queering Edmonton #0.5) by Casey Shepherd is up for pre-order.
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Can I interest you in a little exvangelical novelette, featuring opposites attract, a bi man, a woman discovering her inner strength, a second chance at love, found family, nineties vibes, and Canadianisms?
🩷💜💙
Free Indeed: Tim & Darlene (Queering Edmonton #0.5) by Casey Shepherd is up for pre-order.
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Can I interest you in a little exvangelical novelette, featuring opposites attract, a bi man, a woman discovering her inner strength, a second chance at love, found family, nineties vibes, and Canadianisms?
🩷💜💙
Free Indeed: Tim & Darlene (Queering Edmonton #0.5) by Casey Shepherd is up for pre-order.
-
Can I interest you in a little exvangelical novelette, featuring opposites attract, a bi man, a woman discovering her inner strength, a second chance at love, found family, nineties vibes, and Canadianisms?
🩷💜💙
Free Indeed: Tim & Darlene (Queering Edmonton #0.5) by Casey Shepherd is up for pre-order.
-
Can I interest you in a little exvangelical novelette, featuring opposites attract, a bi man, a woman discovering her inner strength, a second chance at love, found family, nineties vibes, and Canadianisms?
🩷💜💙
Free Indeed: Tim & Darlene (Queering Edmonton #0.5) by Casey Shepherd is up for pre-order.
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Happy #BandcampFriday! If you're a fan of #indie #folk and protest music, I hope you'll like my latest album. You can download this single, my nonbinary, queer anthem, for free. My entire back catalog is free/name-your-price as well.
https://arendleejessurun.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-the-way-i-am-2
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Happy #BandcampFriday! If you're a fan of #indie #folk and protest music, I hope you'll like my latest album. You can download this single, my nonbinary, queer anthem, for free. My entire back catalog is free/name-your-price as well.
https://arendleejessurun.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-the-way-i-am-2
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Happy #BandcampFriday! If you're a fan of #indie #folk and protest music, I hope you'll like my latest album. You can download this single, my nonbinary, queer anthem, for free. My entire back catalog is free/name-your-price as well.
https://arendleejessurun.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-the-way-i-am-2
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Happy #BandcampFriday! If you're a fan of #indie #folk and protest music, I hope you'll like my latest album. You can download this single, my nonbinary, queer anthem, for free. My entire back catalog is free/name-your-price as well.
https://arendleejessurun.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-the-way-i-am-2
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Happy #BandcampFriday! If you're a fan of #indie #folk and protest music, I hope you'll like my latest album. You can download this single, my nonbinary, queer anthem, for free. My entire back catalog is free/name-your-price as well.
https://arendleejessurun.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-the-way-i-am-2
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Both because it is absolutely necessary AND there is already a blueprint for it in the Judeo-Christian worldview. I use to hear about the "Year of Jubilee" growing up in #evangelical church.
This #EXvangelical supports #JubileeOrWar2028
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My name is Laura, but y'all feel free to call me Lala if you like. Or Tink. Or Ishe. I'm here for {in no special order}:
#bulletjournaling
#dogs
#Caturday
#crochet
#Appalachia
#AppalachianHistory
#actualadoptee
#bookwyrm
#wolves
#phonephotography
#Irishlanguage
#pizza
#art
#StardewValley
#music
#stationery
#witchy
#drawing
#buckdance
#donorconceived
#notparentexpected
#formerfosteryouth
#exvangelical
#AuDHD
#Bridgerton
#DerryGirls
#FruitsBasketanime
#manga
#anime
#humor
#yallmeansall 🌈
#tattoosPlease boost, if you'd like. I may edit this in the future. If you've a similar list, I'm happy to boost in return.
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Why #Deconstructing From #Evangelical #Christianity Is SO Important and SO Difficult
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltuEEsqgU08
#deconstructingchristianity #exvangelical #exchristianThis is a short clip from a full episode of The Kayse Melone Show. Here, I talk about why I think #Deconstruction from Evangelical #Fundamentalist Christianity is so important. Also, what happens after we go through Deconstruction?
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The Canadian pop singer Shawn Mendes wrote again and again in his journal "I will sell out the Rogers Center". He was doing something called manifesting, which has taken off on Tiktok. But what exactly is it? I investigate:
https://oblivionwithbells.com/2024/10/19/thoughts-and-prayers-is-really-just-thoughts/
#Manifesting #magicalthinking #manifestation #Christianity #Christian #Prayer #Faith #Belief #God #Jesus #ExChristian #Exvangelical #PostChristian #PostChristianity #Doubt #Praying #Deconversion #Deconstruction
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Could someone *please* tell the #theobros that #TotalDepravity is not supposed to be their life *goal*?!
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Reading up about manifestation & magical thinking today made me think about "thoughts & prayers". So I wrote a blog post about it:
https://oblivionwithbells.com/2024/10/19/thoughts-and-prayers-is-really-just-thoughts/
#ExChristian #PostChristianity #postChristian #Exvangelical #prayer #Lawofattraction #belief #religion #superstition #magicalthinking #positivethinking #positivity #Christian #Christianity #faith #manifestation #newage #newagethinking #luckygirlSyndrome
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As a notable non-prayer, how do you respond to someone’s request for prayers?
They are in a distressing situation, so snark isn’t the answer here.
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#Evangelicals are STILL Freaking Out About the Deconstruction Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UELB303mITw
#deconstruction #exchristian #exvangelical
#WilliamLaneCraig freaks out about deconstruction, but to no one's surprise, he doesn't seem to understand what #faith deconstruction is in the first place. He thinks we're all just reacting emotionally to bad experiences we had in the conservative #church.
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Many of us understand that there is one side of the US political spectrum that has turned truly awful, but what a lot of people don't seem to understand is how that got that way and why they are so adament about their beliefs. Of course there are pragmatic reasons (people who are wealthy and in charge of things want to stay that way) but still it is truly astounding that so many people who are not among the category of "rich white men" will still cling to those who probably despise them, or if not them then people they know and maybe even love. There is a person I know who is employed at a public agency and his direct boss is probably the biggest Trump supporter in the building - oh, and she also happens to be a lesbian. How does that make any sense at all, given what Trump and his followers have said they want to do to #lbgtq people?
Well, a big part of it is religion, and in particular the Christian religion. So many of those people have somehow been convinced that to oppose Trump would be to oppose "God's annointed" even though it is obvious to most of us on the outside of their bubble that Trump is not a God-fearing man, and would probably be among the first to have Jesus shot to death if he ever came back.
But step back a bit - where did this idea of just unconditionally obeying a "man of god" come from in the first place? Well, that is certainly nothing new, after all the early church required its followers to obey the Pope and all the bishops and cardinals and priests and so on. But where did that ever come from? After all, Jesus for the most part condemned organized religion, especially the scribes and the Pharisees of his day, according to the Bible.
So where did #Christianity go off the rails? Well, for years I have been saying that it's because Christians, and especially modern #evangelicals, stopped following the teachings of Jesus a long time ago. Sure, they pay lip service to him and pray to him, but for the most part they follow the instructions found in the writings of the "apostle" Paul. And that is a real problem, because Paul was probably just as deluded ans any guy who's ever started his own cult or sect that is loosely based on Christianity. There are many cults that use the Bible AND other writings (but mostly the "other" writings) as the basis of their religion, the only difference is that the extra writings of Paul (and possibly others who used his name) got included in Biblical canon by the early church. But that doesn't mean they are writings that Jesus would have in any way approved of. In fact, there are cases where Paul's writings directly contradict the teachings of Jesus. Here's a good video on the topic:
7 Times Paul Contradicted Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNDsaPoeuzkWhy is this important? Because most of the hate you see coming from the so-called "religious right" is not a part of their religion if you leave out Paul (and also the old testament, but that's another discussion). I have said before, they seem to love conspiracy theories, and you could make a great conspiracy theory that the early church included Paul's writings in the Bible even though they knew he was a "false christ" because if you wanted to control the masses and make them subserviant to the church hierarchy, teaching only the words of Jesus simply would not do. But if you wanted to replace the Christian religion with something that was in many ways the polar opposite of what Jesus taught, then Paul was your guy. And that is as true today as it was hundreds of years ago, and it is the reason so many Christians are deluded about who God has chosen to lead them (and yes, I realize they are to some degree deluded because they want to be, because the delusion reinforces their prejudices and their hatred of those who are not like them). But when they try to stand on their religion as justification for what they believe or do, maybe it is worth asking which religion they are talking about, the one taught by Jesus or the probably totally fabricated version made up by Paul?
EDIT: Here's one more (this reminds me of some dishonest preachers):
The Dishonest Apostle | Was Paul Caught in a Lie?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wGNsRCiTTY#biblecontradictions #deconstructionism #exvangelical #counterapologetics #USpol #ReligiousTrauma #ptsd #ChristianNationalism #Christofascism #deconstructing #evangelicalism #postchristian #postchristianity #exchristian #EmptyThePews #exvie #AbuseCulture #politics #mysogyny #homophobia #racism
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@daveunderwood True, and I don't think a lot of people realize that certain things can trigger a PTSD response, like being accosted by a preacher or other fundamentalist religious type, or even hearing certain hymns/religious songs. #Evangelicalism #PostChristian #PostChristianity #Exvangelical #ExChristian #EmptyThePews
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It can take decades to recover from Fundamentalist Christian indoctrination. For some people it can take their whole life.
#Christian #Christianity #Agnostic #Agnosticism #Atheist #Atheism #Religion #Indoctrination #Evangelical #Evangelicalism #PostChristian #PostChristianity #Exvangelical #ExChristian #EmptyThePews
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I deconverted from Fundamentalist Christianity approximately 6 years ago and I've realised that a key book in helping me process what I was experiencing and helping me to deprogram myself from Evangelical Christianity was the book Leaving the Fold by Marlene Winnell.
I was just wondering if any ex-Christians out there are aware of any other books of that calibre worth reading?
Thanks.
#ExChristian #Atheist #Agnostic #Exvangelical #PostChristian
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Matthew and Luke: Can we copy your homework
Mark:Sure, just change it so it isn't too obvious#deconstruction #deconstructionissue #deconstructionist #deconstructionreconstruction #deconstructionreconstructionevolution #progress #progressivetheology #progressivechristian #progressivechristianity #exvangelical #exvangelicalism #agnosticchristian
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@kyleford I'm not *precisely* #exvangelical but I'm pretty damn adjacent. And I'm definitely into the whole #deconstruction aspect, though partly owing to its fascinating doubled word play with #Derridean deconstruction. #JacquesDerrida
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Religion, economics, politics… most of the time they are all just the same trap. “Hate that guy, feel superior over them, feel entitled to this against others who don’t deserve it!” Just tired of all the bull$hit.
"Religion is what
the common
people see as
true, the wise
see as false, and
the rulers see as
useful"
- Seneca#deconstruction #deconstructionissue #deconstructionist #deconstructionreconstruction #exvangelical #exvangelicalism #agnosticchristian