In protestant doctrine, life on Earth seems like a meaningless charade. Its value is infinitesimal compared to that of the afterlife, and whether we end up in Heaven or Hell is already predestined. So why doesn't God just immediately create us in the afterlife?
This question *must* be a commonly discussed one in #theology, but I'm not a theologian and I don't know where to look. Any ideas?
A second reflection I wrote after being at the Hands Off demonstrations yesterday, this time an exploration of what it means to be "blessed"--even when an angry Trump supporter yells at you from his car window.
Can lesbians follow Christ?
Brilliant take on dogmatic bigotry.
The “Old Testament God”?
Trans artist Laura Jane Grace asks about God’s phallus.
Been a few weeks, but here's a new post on the ol' blog (and not the one I accidentally deleted last night!), wherein I use a deeply nerdy Godzilla discussion as a launchpad for a discussion on narrative theology.
With the new instance I should have a new #introduction.
I am a working class independent researcher, mostly interested in #ViolenceStudies. I have been a student of #theology most of my life. I am interested in Space and Place, radical geography, feminist criticism, #poetry, Conflict Resolution, #ecology, and #astronomy.
I wrote a good deal about myself here: https://www.tilley.earth/
I write poetry almost daily and I have been writing poetry for just over 30 years.
I maintain that the most interesting epoch of Christianity was during the first 3 centuries and then it proceeded to get co-opted by power, and everything - EVERYTHING - went downhill from there.
#theology #hermeneutics #Christianity
https://masto.ai/@GhostOnTheHalfShell/114236614646398161
My latest discourse with the critical theorist, Rudolf J. Siebert, can be found below. We talk about the anti-Nazi Lutheran Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the model of resistance he left for us to follow. #philosophy #theology #Nazism #Fascism #DietrichBonhoeffer #Hitler #Trump #MAGA #GOP #ElonMusk #Resist #academia #Sociology #WWII
https://dustinjbyrd.org/2025/03/16/talking-dietrich-bonhoeffer-and-fascism-with-rudolf-j-siebert/
- I agree that:
- the fundamental question might be of almost existential importance to organised groups, and humans who wish to form and maintain them.
- finding common ground is essential, as is nurturing empathy in all parties.
- I sumbit that:
- enquiring minds might enjoy examining the findings (or what we might divine of them, for such firms, if they have any sense, have long since obfuscated their work) of Cambridge Analytica and their ilk: https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/files/35063914/2020_Psychological_Operations.pdf although please note that state-of-the-art circa 10 years ago may now be old hat.
- theologans are a fine source of information regarding tried-and-tested methods of creating inclusive "in-groups".
- lesser groups that depend upon cohesive thinking like cults, militaries, resistance or political groups, corporate entities, and so forth, are all worthy of consideration too. The real nuggets of gold are finding the "happy-clappy" groups that manage to absorb & bestow happiness upon their adversaries. Not sure where one finds such groups though (outside http://mathstodon.xyz obviously).
- I'd love to know if anyone has come across any "threads" that are interesting to pull at, or salient web-search terms that are a good start, in reading about such things.
- I'd be curious to know how folks (eg in NATO, CCP, etc) taking high-level geopolitical perspectives might view this problem.
Let’s get a little weird for the weekend! This is my first longer blog post and I’ve been doing a fair bit of reflection on #Theology and #Technology these days…
#Jesus #Christian #Church #Linux #Episcopal #Weird #Spirituality
Back in the day as a wee undergrad majoring in philosophy, I attended a symposium on theology of science. I asked one of the speakers how could anyone falsify theological data. He simply said this: "Falsification is not as transparent as once believed."
Classic philosopher move. When backed into a corner, redefine the terms.
#callforpapers on the work of René Guénon. Please consider contributing to this critical volume that intends to interrogate the thought of Guénon and its reception by both rightwing and leftwing thought. #academia #academicchatter #philosophy #ReligiousStudies #theology #modernity #france #egypt #traditionalism #secularity #religion #islam #sufism https://dustinjbyrd.org/2025/03/05/call-for-papers-edited-volume-on-rene-guenon/
This video about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his theory of societal stupidity explains my lived #autistic experience of the world quite well; and is very pertinent to current times.
Basically he theorises that stupidity is a compromising of ones own #ethics mostly to fit into society - something I find almost impossible to do despite the ramifications.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr7bPlp52FU
#psychology #theology #neurodivergent #stupidity #society @actuallyautistic @autism @neurodivergent
A Tiresome Blend of #Cult #Bragging and Bad #Theology
https://www.debunking-christianity.com/2025/02/a-tiresome-blend-of-cult-bragging-and.html
He was soon struck by how closely San Diego’s fate was tied to #Mexico’s.
He had no idea that 90,000 people may cross the border on any given day for work or tourism or education, including around 1,000 Mexican children who attend schools in the #SanDiego diocese — and those numbers don’t even count asylum seekers.
#Immigration, the topic of a class at Harvard, was now part of his community’s lifeblood.
McElroy’s proper place in the world. His 1989 book, “The Search for an American Public #Theology,” argued that the fundamentalist strain of #Christianity, which wanted government leaders to base decisions on certain Scriptures, was too partisan and alienating to unify a country as diverse as the United States. Instead, Catholics should find common ground through an appeal to #reason, he believed. You didn’t need to quote the Bible to establish human life as sacred.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/03/02/historic-or-heretical-san-diegos-cardinal-is-one-of-the-u-s-s-most-consequential-catholic-leaders/
In Laodicea, the water supply arrived through an aqueduct lukewarm and unpalatable.
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth”.
Revelation 3:15-16
Now ya feel justified to do wut they told ya, won’t ya
Götterdämmerung 
