Acts 2:43-47 “Life Among Believers”

All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.

The believers sold all their stuff, loved everyone, and things were great. If the US is a Christian nation, why aren’t we doing that? (Rhetorical)

This is the Russian plan. It was never about Trump. It was about payback for break up of the USSR.

United we stand, divided we fall.

They’ve made us divided: not MAGA, but the gov’ts abroad who have exported the subversion of a debatable reality. Look at Vladislav Surkov’s strategies and how they are here, in America. You don’t debate your enemy, you debate the notion of truth.

Trump 1 introduced the term “alternative facts,” and now these people sit in a room talking about an ideology as bad, not a formal group or person.

It’s a great community and shares a lot with us. More people should know about faith communities doing the good work in the world, rather than swindling their congregations for mega churches with elaborate shows, while telling people “empathy is not Christian.” It’s absurd what’s happening in those congregations right now.

Religion is a set of beliefs, typically in things beyond what we can falsify (hence faith). It’s not inherently powerful to believe people should be treated with respect. A belief in democracy is a belief in giving others equal power to our own (part of my UU faith).

Unitarian Universalism holds very little power in the world. It’s a beautiful faith tradition. Sure, there are powerful religions, but again, that’s power, not religion.

There are several passages that suggest money & Christianity aren’t aligned. Several passages in Acts talk about the disciples selling everything after Jesus passes and living as a commune with no private property. It says they sold & shared everything together.

There’s the camel & needle proverb. There’s Matthew 25:32. There’s multiple passages that speak of selling what you own and giving it to the poor. There’s Jesus throwing the merchants out in the temple.

When did Christianity become like this? Probably when power saw it could abuse faith, so hundreds/thousands of years ago. Your instinct is great, and you should challenge Christians. I mentioned Matthew 25:32 because it seems so diametrically opposed to what many Christians in power say. We’re supposed to care for the homeless, the immigrant, the prisoner—that’s what this book says.

James 2:15 states that belief is not enough. Belief without works of faith is empty, the same as no faith at all. People telling you they are a Christian while behaving otherwise should be made aware of this passage.

I say this as a Unitarian Universalist. I study the Bible to inform my beliefs, but they are not defined by them. I do think Jesus has been commodified and warped, and the people in power who tell us we’re a Christian nation in the US have lost sight of scripture. They quote the Old Testament and ignore John 13:34.

I also studied all this so when ICE / this government comes for me, I’ll have my receipts. Maybe it won’t matter, but speaking truth to power is important. If so many people believe this book, why do we act like we do? It’s power’s fault, not religion.

Note, I was an atheist for 20 years. I know all about the ills of religion. UU is not like my Catholic Church growing up. If you haven’t been to UU or a Quaker org, it’s worth your time.

My best is: just stop. Yes, Lemmy is like the rural version of Reddit. It’s slower, more niche communities, and not a lot of people making content. But screw Reddit. I was a 15 year reader. They’ve destroyed it for corporate greed. I’m all set.

Favorite, compared to other animals, most people in global north / “The West” and many people elsewhere have some semblance of a normal life, even if the global state is a nightmare.

Least, that we cannot recognize we are one species who could solve a lot of problems by working together. Instead, the selfish & rich create spoilage while being short sighted.

Whyyyyy?

Seriously, this behavior only makes sense as someone with blackmail. Why not just, I dunno, ignore it? Why bring chance of the pardon back into potential? Why remind people of the Epstein files?

I’m glad in some sense that he’s exposing his vulnerabilities in broad daylight. Seems like a really dull minded decision on his part.

Hmm…

It’s the ACA. “ObamaCare” was created as a nickname by Republicans to outrage their base. I don’t know if this post is supposed to have a /s, but if not, you fell for the propaganda, homie.

Good. Let them continue to be incompetent.

We already don’t have them.

What if 8 years of election fraud bullshit was the setup to poison the waters when they actually use the techniques?

This is Russian psyops 101: play/fund both sides so when both are revealed corrupt, the populace is too confused to know what’s real.

So republicans say, for years, “Your Russian election claim is a hoax!” And then we get, “They stole the 2020 election!”

Now we have more statistical information showing signs of manipulation, but because Republicans have called out their opponent as manipulating elections, researchers are afraid too report facts based on voting tabulation.

We are in crisis. The country is socially fractured. We’ve been manipulated by our enemy (Russian oligarchs/mob/Putin). They repeated the lies enough that MAGA will believe any dumb shit while Democrats look like they are using Republican insults or tactics.

We’ve all been duped.

So H1-Bs are $100k per year…or you could spend $1m and just skip the line…

Yeah, this is capitalism and the US in complete decline. The whore of Babylon selling herself to the world in the worst way…

The group defines “TIVE” as “the belief that violence is justified against people who oppose [the trans community],” as well as the belief that opposing trans rights “itself constitutes a form of violence towards people who identify as [trans or gender nonconforming]… or poses an imminent threat to such persons’ emotional, psychological, or physical safety, including through self-harm or suicide.”

What an insane redefinition of “self defense.” Violence isn’t justified…unless you are being targeted, harmed, or killed, which many trans or NB people are. It’s absurd to preemptively label self defense as “violence.” It’s cart-before-horse, intentional PR spin to dehumanize a subset of human people. One species, all human.

The administration will need scapegoats when its policies fail. They’ve laid this ground work for years now. They want justification for violence through violence themselves in this mental gymnastics.

It’s the Heritage Foundation, which might as well be called “Propaganda Hut.” Let me guess: more divisive, American-dividing ideas? Yes, Heritage, let’s keep pushing tribal behavior to encourage class war while the rich destroy the planet and their fellow humans.

This man’s pants are holding on for dear life in the thumbnail. Just floating in the wind.

You’re so right! You TOTALLY care about facts.

And I know you’re a big boy who must say the last word. :( Should I stop?

Better that it’s contained now. I can waste their time.

Thank you for being a real human.

Ah yes, fully what I meant! Oh no, you got me! I’m so wrong! Omg, I feel so bad now. :(

Please don’t waste your time on me, troll!

This is completely asinine. Look at the cabinet.

Bad faith actor spitting propaganda. Don’t waste the effort.

We are all God’s dream. At least, that’s what I believe.