#scripturewriting — Public Fediverse posts

@SistaWendy I've been trying to get a read on why people react weirdly to me when I talk about it! 😂 I was talking about it on here quite a bit a few years ago.

The first chapter addresses this. Calling it scripture is an attempt to take back the power for anyone to define what is and is not sacred. Anything that anyone creates which resonates meaningfully with another person is scripture, and its creator is a prophet.

My scripture shelf contains the likes of Ann Rice and Richard Bach alongside Alan Watts and the Tao Te Ching.

Maybe I need a rebrand so I'll stop confusing or scaring people, but like, I really want to assert this point through how I think and talk about it. It's a book that covers spiritual topics and contains doctrines, most of which I have seen discussed in various ways in secular contexts. The text attempts to erode all externalized and authoritarian basises of religious power while offering the reader tools to build their own sense of spirituality.

Think Pale Blue Dot, or your best friend after a huge bong hit. It's deep, but demands zero faith or allegiance.

I will however take donations, but only because rent is due tomorrow. 😂

#ScriptureWriting

I realized recently that I don't think I've seriously revisited my scripture writing project since my dad died in 2023. I tried to get back into it a couple of time, but omg that place I came from and how sick I was. Considering that I *wrote it* while sick in the first place is a real testament to how awful things got.

I had all but 3-4 planned chapters finished, with even a few edit passes. (I need to keep re-reading it as I pick it back up, and just edit as I go.) So like, it's *almost* ready for people to see it. So close.

I had tried to sell it the season before dad died, but there's really only like, one place that would be a good fit for this weird little gremlin. And they rejected it.

At this point, I'm kinda sorta thinking of just putting it online. I've been thinking about doing an indie web site anyway, and this is just the sort of weird little text you could easily find on the 90s internet.

I just read chapter 2 and it's solid.

idk. I felt called to write this thing to express the insights I'd gained while trying to stay alive enduring unbearable pain for so long. And as a project to see if I could untangle the authoritarian aspects of Mormonism, to see what a truly expansive, inclusive, diversity-embracing version of Mormon doctrine could look like.

It's my Secular Woke Hermeneutics of Mormonism in the vibe of Alan Watts and Carl Sagan. My speculative theology. My sequel to Recovering Agency after deconstruction. It's the "So now what?"

It feels right. It feels like a calling. I feel like I'm coming up for air now and want to do something with it.

#exmo #exmormon #ReligiousTrauma #ScriptureWriting

It's interesting to think of god as a scientist who created this simulation, and each of our awarenesses and memories are data-points of what it is like to experience this reality.

All of these words are really stand-ins for concepts which can't be put into human words or even human constructs. But I think this direction quite often.

god probably isn't a being the way we think of beings. Daddy in the sky is not the appropriate metaphor for this way of thinking about god.

Maybe that means there are realities where the rules are different, and then our body of experiences can be compared to the experiences of awarenesses there to understand how a higher level of reality works.

I find a lot of purpose in this, that my collection of data and the meaning I've discovered about how this reality works is of benefit to "god," in how that will be compared to the conclusions and summaries of uncountable other awarenesses.

No matter what happens to me, I've contributed. All I have to do is think an observation, and it's of value. Nothing is "correct" or "true," just another datapoint in a vast, incomprehensible experiment.

I hardly even think that such a god created any of this, but instead arose naturally, as we did, out of the mixing and matching of all the things that are possible, happening.

It also stands to reason that there are many more than just one of these gods.

#ScriptureWriting #exmo #exmormon #ReligiousTrauma

But after a certain point, there can be no productive worrying. Then the only way to let go is accept that if the solution fails, we'll worry about it then. Or we worry there is no solution... but that's simply current or future suffering, and so let's go back to not worrying about suffering. Hang on for the ride is all you can do. Stop struggling against having to struggle!

After the worry, set the plans into motion. Meanwhile, rest. The future will come, and the plans will roll forth, and when it's time to worry again, you'll know.

But meanwhile you will have rested. So when the stress comes you can easily remember that this is not forever. You are making the effort now, you knew it would be hard, you've accepted the current pain and worry, it is all going according to plan.

Tense, and release. Tense and release.
/🧵

#DarkSojourn #Recovery2025 #enlightenment #ScriptureWriting

I sure am stressed tonight. But this was the time designated for stress. I knew I'd be stressed, this is according to plan; stress during the middle of a super hard thing is normal and even healthy so long as there are times that are not super hard. This last part is important.

One coping mechanism for stress I've come across, I try to not worry about suffering itself. It's one less thing to worry about if I can accept the unpleasant sensations I'm experiencing that I don't have reasonable control over, and let go of trying to prevent suffering that cannot be prevented. This itself reduces suffering because at least I can relax over some aspects of it.

But that's not always easy to do. I can't always just will that to happen. So then I try to not worry about worrying. If I'm worried that I can't stop worrying, well that's just the same problem, isn't it? So I let myself worry if I need to.

There is a time for worry. There is a time for stress. Worry motivates us to concentrate on the problem and try out different solutions. There can be creativity in this space, like a puzzle of how to fix it. That's normal, but a new problem comes when there is (or seems to be) no acceptable solution. Or we're afraid that the solution we've planned won't work. Maybe it's good to think a little harder to come up with contengencies.

🧵
#DarkSojourn #Recovery2025 #enlightenment #ScriptureWriting

And what you'll find there? I'm struggling to put into words. It's what they call the Tao. Between all these thoughts is "That." The Tao that cannot be spoken. When watching those feelings, *between* them is that feeling, that shattering of the Illusion, that noticing of the existence of all the barriers between things, between self and the world, all those borders and lines drawn of this thing and realizing those lines are not what you thought, that they are blurred, and that it's all the same.

That we're all the same.

/🧵

#ScriptureWriting #enlightenment #spirituality

Your emotions are senses, just like sight and sound. They are sensations passing through you, by you, that you happen to observe.

You are not your emotions.

Emotions can seem the same as the self because they are inside the body, not outside. And because we can exercise a little bit of conscious control on them.

But we can exercise a little conscious control over our other senses as well. I can close my eyes, look a different direction, squint, and move around or alter reality to change what my eyes take in. I can turn off a machine or tell someone to shut up or turn up the volume or switch songs to exert some control over what senses my ears register.

Emotions aren't much different. We can take actions to change what we feel, to a certain extent. I can change what I'm thinking about, practice acceptance, take a deep breath, go to the movies, take another hit (yes, please, I'm on a roll), or a number of other things to consciously change how I feel...

But the limits on this control are similar to those on touch, traste, smell, sight, and hearing. Sometimes you can't shut out unwanted sound, sometimes the song you want to hear isn't accessible, sometimes a bug bite will not stop itching, and sometimes you can't stop being mad or sad or happy no matter how hard you try.

One form of casual meditation I practice is I just watch my emotions. How am I reacting? What thoughts are coming up? How does my body feel? I'm not doing anything, just watching myself feel and do. I watch my emotions the same way I'd watch a TV show or listen to music. It's no different than listening to someone else talk.

🧵

#ScriptureWriting #enlightenment #spirituality

When we talk about reality or perception of reality as an illusion, ego is the part of the illusion to do with self and sense of self.

Ego deaths are breakthroughs where that part of the illusion falls away. When you are freed in various ways from your illusion of selfhood.

It is freeing.

#AbuseCulture #ScriptureWriting

All the universe wants from you is sensations. Doesn't have to be pleasant sensations or unpleasant sensations. Every sensation has a purpose when you are the universe delighting in sensing itself.

#ReclaimingEnlightenment #ScriptureWriting #ReligiousTrauma #philosophy

That’s what my #ScriptureWriting project was about last year, Reclaiming Enlightenment, but life got too much and I had to pause. (I only had a few more chapters, too.) It was a reframing of Mormon doctrines to remove the authoritarian parts and make it make sense as a metaphor in a scientific world, so it can be a tool for healing the world.

#exmo #exmormon #ReligiousTrauma #LDS #Mormon #ReclaimingEnlightenment #AbuseCulture

I get these big ideas but then have no energy reserves to write about them.

This one is going on the list for #ScriptureWriting

LDS Eschatology (end times theology) maps really super well to current events IF you swap who are the good guys and the bad guys.

Surely the wheat is being separated from the chaff, as those who choose to uncritically support toxic Christianity are filtered down to the most toxic individuals within those systems, and those who awaken to the wickedness of false prophets either leave, stay and are vocally critical, or at least hold private divisions secretly within them waiting for a chance to escape.

Quite a lot maps, actually, when we redefine "sin" as the condition of trauma that is common to us all. Society is learning to heal trauma, and more importantly, learning to prevent it. Those who double-down on toxic Christianity are in support of ongoing structures that produce trauma. Those who leave tend to be willing to unpack it and serve others in healing.

#LDS #Mormon #exmo #exmormon #ReligiousTrauma #ScriptureWriting

@religion

i am bringing forth a book of scripture :)

it's personal scripture, but there are revelations and messages for the Saints therein. for ex.,
one of the sections is titled and speaks to the "Unity of the Saints"

since i am writing the record, in a word processor rather than gold plates like #Mormon and Moroni, i have titled it "The Book of Wednesday"

as more is written and revealed i will likely share some of it.

#LatterDaySaint #Mormonism #ScriptureWriting #TheBookofWednesday

Eve started eating the fruit of Knowledge of Good and Evil. But she never finished it. WE’VE never finished it. We are still eating it with her. By living we are eating it. The experience of living is the process of understanding good and evil, both individually and as a collective.

When we are finished, then we collectively shall understand that sin is trauma: the very same trauma that helps us stay alive in a world trying to kill us. Only then can we transcend trauma.

Only then can we turn to the Tree of Eternal Life.

#ScriptureWriting #ReligiousTrauma #LDS #Mormon #exmo #Exmormon

I’ve been wanting to write about ego in my scripture, but the #ScriptureWriting project is on hold until I stop being so sick all the time (if ever). In fact, that was the next chapter in the queue, and it’s going to be really hard to write. It’s a misunderstood concept, but it can be really useful when better understood. Because again, these myths! Everyone has an ego, ego in the right degree is healthy, ego doesn’t have to mean you think you’re awesome, and softening your attachment to your self-image (identity) can lead to better behaviors and mental health. That ties into concepts of attachment, the Serenity to accept the Self I cannot change (and Courage to change the Self I can). #ego

Working on the Ego & Ego Death chapter today, starting just from notes, not even an outline. Most of my recent work up till now has been reviewing/editing existing chapters to reload my brain splines. So I'm shifting gears. I haven't thought about ego in a long time. I need to come at this by sitting on a porch somewhere overdoing it with a joint for several hours.

Thankfully I do have some notes from previous such sessions. #ScriptureWriting #Ego #EgoDeath

The central thesis in my scripture is that trauma = sin. Sin is not necessarily something you *do* but something that happens to you.

Both sin and trauma:

1. Have consequences.
2. Separate us from god, transcendence, nature.
3. Separate us from each other.
4. Block progress.
5. Cause or greatly risk harm to someone else or ourselves.
6. Limit free agency.
7. Keep us from “coming home.”
8. Prevent blessings and happiness.
9. Block us from the free-flowing vibe of the Spirit.
10. Self-perpetuate.
11. Are passed down from generation to generation.

The only definition of sin that doesn't parallel with trauma is that "Sin is anything that goes against God's commands."

If we can prevent/heal trauma, we can prevent/heal sin.

#ScriptureWriting #exmo #exmormon #philosophy #religion #theology #SecularSpirituality #SpeculativeTheology

The central thesis in my scripture is that trauma = sin. Sin is not necessarily something you *do* but something that happens to you.

Both sin and trauma:

1. Have consequences.
2. Separate us from god, transcendence, nature.
3. Separate us from each other.
4. Block progress.
5. Cause or greatly risk harm to someone else or ourselves.
6. Limit free agency.
7. Keep us from “coming home.”
8. Prevent blessings and happiness.
9. Block us from the free-flowing vibe of the Spirit.
10. Self-perpetuate.
11. Are passed down from generation to generation.

The only definition of sin that doesn't parallel with trauma is that "Sin is anything that goes against God's commands."

If we can prevent/heal trauma, we can prevent/heal sin.

#ScriptureWriting #exmo #exmormon #philosophy #religion #theology #SecularSpirituality #SpeculativeTheology

The central thesis in my scripture is that trauma = sin. Sin is not necessarily something you *do* but something that happens to you.

Both sin and trauma:

1. Have consequences.
2. Separate us from god, transcendence, nature.
3. Separate us from each other.
4. Block progress.
5. Cause or greatly risk harm to someone else or ourselves.
6. Limit free agency.
7. Keep us from “coming home.”
8. Prevent blessings and happiness.
9. Block us from the free-flowing vibe of the Spirit.
10. Self-perpetuate.
11. Are passed down from generation to generation.

The only definition of sin that doesn't parallel with trauma is that "Sin is anything that goes against God's commands."

If we can prevent/heal trauma, we can prevent/heal sin.

#ScriptureWriting #exmo #exmormon #philosophy #religion #theology #SecularSpirituality #SpeculativeTheology

The central thesis in my scripture is that trauma = sin. Sin is not necessarily something you *do* but something that happens to you.

Both sin and trauma:

1. Have consequences.
2. Separate us from god, transcendence, nature.
3. Separate us from each other.
4. Block progress.
5. Cause or greatly risk harm to someone else or ourselves.
6. Limit free agency.
7. Keep us from “coming home.”
8. Prevent blessings and happiness.
9. Block us from the free-flowing vibe of the Spirit.
10. Self-perpetuate.
11. Are passed down from generation to generation.

The only definition of sin that doesn't parallel with trauma is that "Sin is anything that goes against God's commands."

If we can prevent/heal trauma, we can prevent/heal sin.

#ScriptureWriting #exmo #exmormon #philosophy #religion #theology #SecularSpirituality #SpeculativeTheology

The central thesis in my scripture is that trauma = sin. Sin is not necessarily something you *do* but something that happens to you.

Both sin and trauma:

1. Have consequences.
2. Separate us from god, transcendence, nature.
3. Separate us from each other.
4. Block progress.
5. Cause or greatly risk harm to someone else or ourselves.
6. Limit free agency.
7. Keep us from “coming home.”
8. Prevent blessings and happiness.
9. Block us from the free-flowing vibe of the Spirit.
10. Self-perpetuate.
11. Are passed down from generation to generation.

The only definition of sin that doesn't parallel with trauma is that "Sin is anything that goes against God's commands."

If we can prevent/heal trauma, we can prevent/heal sin.

#ScriptureWriting #exmo #exmormon #philosophy #religion #theology #SecularSpirituality #SpeculativeTheology

Free agency isn't a gift. You have to work for it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.

#ScriptureWriting #exmo #exmormon #philosophy #religion

There's a concept I don't think will fit into the flow of this book. I wanted it to, but I'll leave it here.

Hypothesis: The biggest reason a conscious being hates pain is because it draws attention away from that which we'd rather be paying attention to.

There were a lot of areas within that I wanted to explore, but here's a thought: What if we were able to have multiple focuses of attention? And when in pain, pain only had to be one of those? Would pain then really be so painful?

#ScriptureWriting

god dam = mad ego

#ScriptureWriting #philosophy #theology #religion #enlightenment

Ego death = A god, thee

#ScriptureWriting #theology #religion #philosophy #enlightenment

Be in the moment, but not of the moment.

#ScriptureWriting #exmo #exmormon #theology #philosophy #religion

God was asleep. Then you woke up. Now god is awake.

#ScriptureWriting #Philosophy #Theology #religion

Perhaps one day god said to godself, "Am I omnipotent? Can I do all things? Can I create a rock I cannot lift? Am I so powerful that I could best even myself?"

On that day, god decided to test this idea, and split godself into an illion separate creatures with separate awarenesses, and placed them all in a limited realm where they each could try to best the other in a 22 billion-year-old contest of wills.

Reality is god trying to outdo godself.

#ScriptureWriting #Philosophy #theology #SecularSpirituality

Perhaps one day god said to godself, "Am I omnipotent? Can I do all things? Can I create a rock I cannot lift? Am I so powerful that I could best even myself?"

On that day, god decided to test this idea, and split godself into an illion separate creatures with separate awarenesses, and placed them all in a limited realm where they each could try to best the other in a 22 billion-year-old contest of wills.

Reality is god trying to outdo godself.

#ScriptureWriting #Philosophy #theology #SecularSpirituality

Perhaps one day god said to godself, "Am I omnipotent? Can I do all things? Can I create a rock I cannot lift? Am I so powerful that I could best even myself?"

On that day, god decided to test this idea, and split godself into an illion separate creatures with separate awarenesses, and placed them all in a limited realm where they each could try to best the other in a 22 billion-year-old contest of wills.

Reality is god trying to outdo godself.

#ScriptureWriting #Philosophy #theology #SecularSpirituality

Perhaps one day god said to godself, "Am I omnipotent? Can I do all things? Can I create a rock I cannot lift? Am I so powerful that I could best even myself?"

On that day, god decided to test this idea, and split godself into an illion separate creatures with separate awarenesses, and placed them all in a limited realm where they each could try to best the other in a 22 billion-year-old contest of wills.

Reality is god trying to outdo godself.

#ScriptureWriting #Philosophy #theology #SecularSpirituality

Perhaps one day god said to godself, "Am I omnipotent? Can I do all things? Can I create a rock I cannot lift? Am I so powerful that I could best even myself?"

On that day, god decided to test this idea, and split godself into an illion separate creatures with separate awarenesses, and placed them all in a limited realm where they each could try to best the other in a 22 billion-year-old contest of wills.

Reality is god trying to outdo godself.

#ScriptureWriting #Philosophy #theology #SecularSpirituality

Going to try to get started on #ScriptureWriting today, but a flare of seemingly unending IBS plus some frustrating bad news is keeping me distracted. It's hard to write about #SecularSpirituality with a bad attitude.

Going to try to get started on #ScriptureWriting today, but a flare of seemingly unending IBS plus some frustrating bad news is keeping me distracted. It's hard to write about #SecularSpirituality with a bad attitude.

Going to try to get started on #ScriptureWriting today, but a flare of seemingly unending IBS plus some frustrating bad news is keeping me distracted. It's hard to write about #SecularSpirituality with a bad attitude.

Going to try to get started on #ScriptureWriting today, but a flare of seemingly unending IBS plus some frustrating bad news is keeping me distracted. It's hard to write about #SecularSpirituality with a bad attitude.

Going to try to get started on #ScriptureWriting today, but a flare of seemingly unending IBS plus some frustrating bad news is keeping me distracted. It's hard to write about #SecularSpirituality with a bad attitude.

There are, in fact, some consistencies in some spiritual experiences. For instance, many folks across many cultures experience transcendence of feeling at one with everything or with all beings. This is either psychological or reflects evidence of a real spiritual realm, BUT there are inconsistencies in the details, for instance, which god or force had anything to do with it. That’s where you’ll find me being skeptical of claims about what it all means. #SecularSpirituality #ScriptureWriting

There are, in fact, some consistencies in some spiritual experiences. For instance, many folks across many cultures experience transcendence of feeling at one with everything or with all beings. This is either psychological or reflects evidence of a real spiritual realm, BUT there are inconsistencies in the details, for instance, which god or force had anything to do with it. That’s where you’ll find me being skeptical of claims about what it all means. #SecularSpirituality #ScriptureWriting

There are, in fact, some consistencies in some spiritual experiences. For instance, many folks across many cultures experience transcendence of feeling at one with everything or with all beings. This is either psychological or reflects evidence of a real spiritual realm, BUT there are inconsistencies in the details, for instance, which god or force had anything to do with it. That’s where you’ll find me being skeptical of claims about what it all means. #SecularSpirituality #ScriptureWriting

There are, in fact, some consistencies in some spiritual experiences. For instance, many folks across many cultures experience transcendence of feeling at one with everything or with all beings. This is either psychological or reflects evidence of a real spiritual realm, BUT there are inconsistencies in the details, for instance, which god or force had anything to do with it. That’s where you’ll find me being skeptical of claims about what it all means. #SecularSpirituality #ScriptureWriting

There are, in fact, some consistencies in some spiritual experiences. For instance, many folks across many cultures experience transcendence of feeling at one with everything or with all beings. This is either psychological or reflects evidence of a real spiritual realm, BUT there are inconsistencies in the details, for instance, which god or force had anything to do with it. That’s where you’ll find me being skeptical of claims about what it all means. #SecularSpirituality #ScriptureWriting

Did a couple of hours of #ScriptureWriting today, editing the chapters on Chaos & Evolution, Death & Trauma. It took me about two weeks to load the splines (get my brain in gear) for this project again, but I seem to be in the flow and it's making sense to me again. Adding the parable to help prep the reader for a bunch of scientific ideas did wonders for softening the Chaos & Evolution chapter. Not sure when I'll get to writing new chapters. I'm about 2/3rds through the book. Very close, but I really do need to review what I've already written before diving into new content.

I dislike these sentiments I see that people are generally "stupid." No, people are generally scared. And they've bought into messages their whole lives that they're stupid. So the wall goes up immediately if they think something is going to be too hard. In part because if they TRY to understand, and fail, it will reinforce their bad feelings about themselves. It's easier to put up a front of performative stupidity (which is under their control) to avoid vulnerability.

I believe in the ability of most people to grasp difficult concepts if they can just give themselves a chance. If we want to build a better world, we need to have more patience and faith in one another. #ScriptureWriting

3/3

I've struggled to get back into #ScriptureWriting since my dad died, perhaps because he was one of my motivators to write it. But the last week or two I've been sitting with it a couple of times a week trying to get back into it. I became discouraged with Chapter 3, where I get into a lot of hard science (creation of the universe, molecular chemistry, and biogenesis type stuff). Even my own eyes were glazing over reading it. I think I've fixed that now by introducing the content with a parable, to help sum up what I'm going for metaphorically first, so people have a reason to concentrate on the hard parts. Now the science is just explaining that parable, and I hope it's more accessible. I also prefaced it by saying that I'm offering both milk and meat, and if the reader only understands the milk, then that's ok too.

1/

I did a little #ScriptureWriting today, not much, just reading and making line edits to existing chapters. It's fairly hot here #today though not as hot as it's going to get later this year.