I grew up in a small town that was full of this. You know why everyone thinks that revelations is coming true and it’s the end times? Selfishness.
Christians who believe that they’re living in the end times are narcissists, hands down. I was surrounded by them growing up. They will tell you it’s because the world is sinful and all the signs are matching but really their actual reasons for believing that it’s the “end times” is:
They don’t need to feel guilty about using resources/polluting (God will “renew” the earth)
They don’t need to worry about the next generation, because it’ll be over before then
Someone else (Jesus or God or the Holy Spirit or all three in the mecha-jesus form) will save everyone for them
They get to be raptured, leaving behind all the sinners, and thus proving that they really are better than everyone else.
It’s all pure selfishness and narcissism. I read the bible, and then I read the entire left behind series. All of them. It’s rapture porn for Christians. It’s 13 books of “Oh if only we were as smart as the Christians to accept Jesus earlier!” Of course it was, and that’s why it was marketed towards Christians, and not non-Christians. (Seriously, think about how fucked up that is that they had 13 books dedicated to that, marketed towards them, and how much they ate it up. But I digress)
Christians are more than happy to put their head in the sand. It’s why you see Christians not giving two damns about the planet or pollution, or the next generations. They don’t care. They’re going to be fine. They’ll be raptured. Everyone else? Well jokes on them because the Christians were right and everyone else deserves it.
and I haven’t even touched on the pure arrogance of assuming that of all of the generations and billions of people who came before that somehow you’re the one who experiences the return of your savior
Do you know where that word comes from? It started as Narcissus, a teenage boy who was cursed to fall in love with his reflection because he didn’t want to get married. Then psychiatrists used his name for a mental disorder. Then this pop scientist, Christopher Lasch, said the mental disorder is on the rise due to American culture. And a bunch of self help books made money telling you that you’re surrounded by evil… that word. And that’s how it broke into pop culture.
Now, people who have heard the word in pop culture have looked it up, and they’ve landed in all different parts of that history through their research. So some people only know the myth, some people know the mental illness, some people know the pop science. And I’ve talked about different parts of this history, and met people from all three groups saying I’m wrong, and the truth is actually one of those three parts. Some people say it has nothing to do with mental disorders and it’s just a myth. Other people say the people with the mental disorder are evil monsters. It’s all jumbled up. But now you know the whole history, and I encourage you to sit and have a think about all of that, and decide what you think about using the word.
Yep. It all started when I saw some memes on Reddit about what having NPD is really like. They sounded like Me, so I looked the disorder up on the internet. But half the search results, even when I used search terms about support for people with NPD, was about how we’re evil and people want us dead. It’s a big barrier to treatment. And neurotypicals say they want us to get therapy and deal with our emotional difficulties, but they make it impossible to get treatment with all this stigma. I couldn’t find any therapist who specialises in helping people like Me be better. I couldn’t even find advice on exercises I can do at home to work on My problems. I had to work on this stuff alone. I want to be a kinder person, but there’s so much hate trying to drive Me deeper into the pit of bitterness and despair.
Once again, I agree with this sentiment but Lemmy has got to stop putting all Christians in one basket. There are certainly loud and proud Christians like the ones you’re describing. But there are many many Christians who also do care about our environment, and do the quiet work. Humans were supposed to till and keep the Earth. Just like all groups of people, there are bad and good Christians.
You’re not wrong, but the immediate danger of the bad Christians is WAY more important right now than the feelings of the good Christians. If the good Christians don’t like it, they should get their fellows in line.
Timothy 4:16 – “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
There’s a clear duty to keep others from using scripture in corrupted ways. Silent good Christians are no better than protest non-voters.
Agreed with you. But the same can be said for any group of people no? There are also lots of atheists who are ruining the planet, and lots who are not. Lots of ____ who are, and who are not. It’s up to all of us with good character to act right now in this time. That’s why I’m saying, it’s better to recognize those who are your fellow humans in this fight, and those humans exist in all groups.
The thing is, we’re not talking about the ____ group. We’re talking about those obnoxious Christians who are ruining it for everyone. If that doesn’t include you, nice. But that doesn’t change anything about that overly vocal minority.
I grew up in a small town that was full of this. You know why everyone thinks that revelations is coming true and it’s the end times? Selfishness.
Christians who believe that they’re living in the end times are narcissists, hands down. I was surrounded by them growing up. They will tell you it’s because the world is sinful and all the signs are matching but really their actual reasons for believing that it’s the “end times” is:
It’s all pure selfishness and narcissism. I read the bible, and then I read the entire left behind series. All of them. It’s rapture porn for Christians. It’s 13 books of “Oh if only we were as smart as the Christians to accept Jesus earlier!” Of course it was, and that’s why it was marketed towards Christians, and not non-Christians. (Seriously, think about how fucked up that is that they had 13 books dedicated to that, marketed towards them, and how much they ate it up. But I digress)
Christians are more than happy to put their head in the sand. It’s why you see Christians not giving two damns about the planet or pollution, or the next generations. They don’t care. They’re going to be fine. They’ll be raptured. Everyone else? Well jokes on them because the Christians were right and everyone else deserves it.
and I haven’t even touched on the pure arrogance of assuming that of all of the generations and billions of people who came before that somehow you’re the one who experiences the return of your savior
I kind of wish the rapture would go ahead and happen. Us sinners would be much better off in the long run.
Do you know where that word comes from? It started as Narcissus, a teenage boy who was cursed to fall in love with his reflection because he didn’t want to get married. Then psychiatrists used his name for a mental disorder. Then this pop scientist, Christopher Lasch, said the mental disorder is on the rise due to American culture. And a bunch of self help books made money telling you that you’re surrounded by evil… that word. And that’s how it broke into pop culture.
Now, people who have heard the word in pop culture have looked it up, and they’ve landed in all different parts of that history through their research. So some people only know the myth, some people know the mental illness, some people know the pop science. And I’ve talked about different parts of this history, and met people from all three groups saying I’m wrong, and the truth is actually one of those three parts. Some people say it has nothing to do with mental disorders and it’s just a myth. Other people say the people with the mental disorder are evil monsters. It’s all jumbled up. But now you know the whole history, and I encourage you to sit and have a think about all of that, and decide what you think about using the word.
You’ve been called a narcissist more than once, huh?
Yep. It all started when I saw some memes on Reddit about what having NPD is really like. They sounded like Me, so I looked the disorder up on the internet. But half the search results, even when I used search terms about support for people with NPD, was about how we’re evil and people want us dead. It’s a big barrier to treatment. And neurotypicals say they want us to get therapy and deal with our emotional difficulties, but they make it impossible to get treatment with all this stigma. I couldn’t find any therapist who specialises in helping people like Me be better. I couldn’t even find advice on exercises I can do at home to work on My problems. I had to work on this stuff alone. I want to be a kinder person, but there’s so much hate trying to drive Me deeper into the pit of bitterness and despair.
I appreciate you sharing, and I mean this as a light-hearted comment and not an insult:
You discussing your difficulties in getting NPD treatment while also capitalizing pronouns referring to yourself is 🤌
Once again, I agree with this sentiment but Lemmy has got to stop putting all Christians in one basket. There are certainly loud and proud Christians like the ones you’re describing. But there are many many Christians who also do care about our environment, and do the quiet work. Humans were supposed to till and keep the Earth. Just like all groups of people, there are bad and good Christians.
Yes, yes, not all men or whatever.
Fix your flock if you don’t want to to be branded.
Then the “good” Christians need to do more to counter the Christians
What they are describing is exactly the rhetoric I grew up absolutely surrounded by. It’s extremely common.
You’re not wrong, but the immediate danger of the bad Christians is WAY more important right now than the feelings of the good Christians. If the good Christians don’t like it, they should get their fellows in line.
Timothy 4:16 – “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
There’s a clear duty to keep others from using scripture in corrupted ways. Silent good Christians are no better than protest non-voters.
Agreed with you. But the same can be said for any group of people no? There are also lots of atheists who are ruining the planet, and lots who are not. Lots of ____ who are, and who are not. It’s up to all of us with good character to act right now in this time. That’s why I’m saying, it’s better to recognize those who are your fellow humans in this fight, and those humans exist in all groups.
The thing is, we’re not talking about the ____ group. We’re talking about those obnoxious Christians who are ruining it for everyone. If that doesn’t include you, nice. But that doesn’t change anything about that overly vocal minority.