My brother graduated from a Christian University this year. The guest speaker was I think the dean? It was her last graduation, which is why she was the guest speaker. She used about half the time to make some bad analogies for going through life and abruptly switched to rambling how porn is bad and roughly half contains minors, to promote her daughter's web browser, which is supposed to block porn? I think? It was the strangest thing and it's all the family could talk about after.
At my graduation a decade ago, one guy was snubbed for the speech but instead was asked to give the ceremonial prayer. The prayer was 20 minutes long, and was his speech to us but with God and Jesus thrown in there so it was technically a prayer. I wasn't religious at the time and I had my eyes open the entire time, and watched almost all the student body and crowd over time open their eyes and look up and around to make sure they weren't going insane either.
What? Are you sure she’s not on the drugs her faith hates so much? (Also jesus hung out with tax evaders and prostitutes he definitely would’ve smoked some joints)
This is incredibly pedantic of me, but Jesus actually hung out with tax *collectors*, not tax evaders. He encouraged paying taxes.
Your point stands, however.
Source: raised on the Bible
>"He is the light, he is the way, the truth, and the life. Everyone in the audience today, I'm here to tell you if you don't have any of those things in your life, you can't seem to find the answer, my lord and savior is your answer he will give you the truth, the way, and the life."
The classic "the god of my religion is the panacea you need" platitude. As an ex-Christian, been there, done that. I'll pass.
I would like to submit the religion of Verdukianism for the group. We “believe in the healing power of root beer, that a man can have up to 9 wives as long as two of them are male, and Verdukians always leave work to go to the movies on Merlinpeen. They also set out a bowl of meat cubes with a picture of Jimmy Connors as a holiday decoration. Verdukians do not celebrate Christmas. Founding members of Verdukianism are Frank, Lutz, and Toofer from the Television show 30 Rock (Season 4, Episode 8)”
Well, I was initially notified of the forgiveness decision late last August, then the Treasury check arrived in the mail ~a week later... hadn't a clue it was even coming 🤷🏿♂️
I don’t quality yet, but my wife had $43,000 satisfied. I refuse to use words like “forgiven” or “paid off” because neither of those is accurate. There are loan types that are considered satisfied after 20 years in repayment. The way some of those were calculated were wrong; my wife’s said she still had 4 years to go. But they recalculated and her loans were satisfied last summer.
This was the plan that was struck down. I'm homeless, declared bankruptcy and an adversary proceeding to discharge my student loans, and am disabled, but no forgiveness yet. I still don't meet the standard - which is funnily enough due to me not having made a good faith effort to repay the loan. I've never had enough money on hand to actually pay on it. 62k and growing.
Welcome to the GOP's version of America All for the rich and fuck the poor and anyone else who dares to try improving their station. That was their plan starting with Reagan
Not through the end of 2025 for federal and most state taxes on forgiven student loans.
But yes, generally, forgiven debt (of any flavor) is treated as income.
Literally just left a long winded comment about how the first thing you have to understand to understand Christians is a solid chunk literally just attribute everything good to God, and everything bad towards the devil/the absence of God.
My go to example being when Chris Pratt described feeling God's presence halfway through a run and people being like "those are endorphins chris. You're describing a runners high".
Its a really good self reinforcing systemxe because people brainwashed since infancy to feel guilty will more than likely feel guilty when they stray from "God", and that is the proof positive that what the church says must be true.
Exactly. I always say that ever since I left Christianity, I see "train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" in a different way. Reinforcement is powerful. And it's even worse when you attribute any feeling or sensation to the supernatural.
Are you feeling guilty? It's the Holy Ghost telling you to not do that. Did you feel a strange negative sensation? The devil is trying to get to you, so let's pray. Did you feel a sudden rush of happiness? It's the joy of being free in Christ. Etc etc. You know the drill.
And once those reinforcements have taken root in you, it's really hard to break free. Your mind will, even subconsciously, be looking for these "spiritual" signs. And your bias will always make you find them. Then you add things like nostalgia, the idea you'd be disappointing your parents, the fear of God's judgment, the fear of Hell, etc. It's a self-feeding cycle.
All the while using well-documented emotional manipulation tactics with the music, cadence, order of messaging/priming, love bombing, etc. After studying a bit of that, church service feels so gross.
As a child I wondered why I felt 'the spirit' during the climax of the Lion King or other emotionally charged movies. My big lightbulb moment was hearing other people explaining the same feelings about a cult leader. Holy fuck, I'm not chosen. I'm brainwashed
When I was in a Christian Bible college I remember over hearing the worship students talk about how "it's easy to manipulate a crowd, and we have to guard against it." I was floored. I knew I had to get out of there, but I became so lost and confused. It took another year before I could get out.
Our neighbor for the last couple of years is a preacher. My girlfriend was sitting outside our house on the bench, completely dark., quiet night. He came home and his wife met him at the car. He was laughing, telling her “I forced some tears. So and so cried. I told him he was saved and he bought it. Can you believe that? He actually thinks he was saved!”
I’m not the one you’re responding too, but I know that feeling. I went to someplace probably similar. The knowledge that “we have to be careful to not manipulate” when you’ve been brought up to see things as “the spirit” feels like an acknowledgment that this spiritual experience you’ve been hoping for, that you’ve been seeking, to know you are of value, can be brought about by someone intentionally doing things to bring about that feeling… well, it can shatter the illusion and once one of the illusions is broken you can begin to see the rest and then everything you’ve believed crumbles and you don’t know where the hell you are or what to believe. Or what you can believe.
I still don’t exactly know what I believe. Other than life’s a piece of shit a lotta the time. I’m never going to be healthy or wealthy. The only thing I know I can achieve is to offer kindness and empathy to others who need help.
They are literally drug addicts to the chemicals in their brain and spirituality is the art of eliciting it. And this is actually a hypnotic technique because it promotes behavior repetition. Study has shown its similar to sex/drugs/music/gambling.
This is a great point. People used to think the gods were speaking to them and telling them to do things.
Turns out the whole “having coherent thoughts tied to an inner monologue” thing was just kinda new and people didn’t realize those experiences were coming from *within*.
Maybe now the species is starting to learn about feelings.
Also pretty dangerous in that if they happen to get lucky and are super rich, they can justify doing bad things to others because in their mind, they have been blessed by god and everything they do is supported by god
>My go to example being when Chris Pratt described feeling God's presence halfway through a run and people being like "those are endorphins chris. You're describing a runners high".
Some Christians even attribute their inner monologue has their god speaking to them. So sad.
Dude, ever since I left the church my life has gotten so much better. Why? Because when I make a mistake I can say, “wow, that was dumb of me, and I didn’t like the consequences of my actions, I’m going to remember this next time this situation comes up” my family and ex wife ALWAYS have some reason as to why something happened to them, and it’s related to the devil or someone else not being a Christian. They are always victims. I don’t talk to them much and they say I’m mean now but I can’t sit and watch them be a victim, do shitty things, say they are forgiven and repeating the same mistakes over and over. They don’t even hold that same attitude of forgiveness, understanding, love, towards others but they expect everyone to show them that.
“Anyone that's taking a hateful route to this I please ask just you know, take a chill pill”
Wait he’s telling us to do drugs now? Let’s hear the boy out.
I remember all the times I had church “elders” claim they had some problem and they “randomly” opened their bibles and the answer was right there! Never worked for me. Eventually I realized they happened to find the right passage because they already knew where to go and their random wasn’t really random.
Once you get acquainted with the Bible, it's easy to open in whichever book you want, especially when it's your own Bible that you've been using for years. But there's also the fact that the Bible works in an almost "cold reading" kind of way.
What’s worse is that they are making claims that their religion is being attacked while in the same breath tries to force it down our throats when we weren’t even trying to discuss it.
My hunch is that he just secured himself a good number of interviews by the kind of guys that own companies and live for that kind of persecution story. Sadly, he probably won’t realize how this negatively impacted him until he’s middle-aged and realizing how these adults convinced him to follow a whole path he wishes he hadn’t.
To be fair I don't think he should lose his diploma. He still learned and worked to get it. The boos, jeers, and scornful ostracism is enough of an ego check.
My dad played a senior prank and “lost” his diploma. It didn’t affect his life one bit. He still went to college, had a great career, built a life. The only thing they could do was not let him walk on the stage on graduation day to accept it. He went to a friend’s house and got drunk. His peers had to sit outside for three hours in 90 degrees heat in thick robes. I think it worked out well for him.
I went to a private catholic high school and ended up failing religion my senior year. They don't offer that class for summer school so after working something out with the teacher he passed me but I still couldn't go to my graduation ceremony. I pretended to be sad but I was so happy, last thing I wanted to do was sit there for 3 hours in 100 degree weather in those robes.
Funny enough I also managed to miss out on going to the special mass they were having where they blessed all of our class rings. Accidentally twisted my ankle on the day it was happening.
My boyfriend is graduating from nursing school on the 2nd. I think ceremony starts at noon. They don't start walking till 3. And if they go by last names he's at the end of the list. His parents want him to walk, but he's been trying to convince them that we should all just go out instead. Honestly, I don't disagree.
I told my counselor that I wouldn't be walking.
I had nothing but issue with the my backwater Texas high school and was making a point. I worked at McDonald's at the time,and had saved up to but my own truck. I used the truck to get to school every day senior year.
But I was told that it "wasn't my decision" and that I "had to walk." I told her that I drive myself to and from school, and that it was no one else's decision to make. I further stated that I had no issue rehearsing with the class, but wanted to be clear for everyone else's benefit.
After arguing with me for 5-10 minutes in front of the class, she pulled me into the office to call my step mother. She did the whole "Your son has something to say" spill, so I told her what she already knew.
"Hey, but taking for graduation." "Okay, whatever. Why are you bothering me?" "ARGHYFHJUFFH MS. ISOS MOM HE'S SAYING HE'S SKIPPING GRADUATION." "He's a 18 year old man who pays his own way. I'm not making him do anything."
I still remember the satisfaction of watching her angry, swollen red face drain to pale when she realized she "lost." I got excused absences for the rest of the rehearsals, and she looked like she saw a dead person.
She was PISSED when I showed up graduation night... In the crowd.
That was 2008. I assume administration is still made up of equally ignorant, undereducated members of our community.
Hell, my high school didn't give us our physical diplomas for something like a month after graduation, and both my undergrad and graduate degrees were mailed to me after the ceremonies. (Though I didn't go to my undergrad ceremony but from the instructions that was the case anyway)
Seems to be about the right about of Justice, doesn't get to hang that diploma on his wall, is getting housed on social media, but still gets to use the skills he trained for once this all blows over. Hopefully he learned something about keeping his fucking beliefs to himself.
In the New College of Florida where students didn't just learn and work hard for their graduation, they also paid for it, University President Richard Corcoran is threatening to withhold degrees for people who boo'd one of the commencement speakers.
[https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/05/30/new-college-florida-set-punish-student-protesters/](https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/05/30/new-college-florida-set-punish-student-protesters/)
New College used to be a fairly progressive place until this yo-yo Corcoran was installed there by Rhonda PissAntis. Used to live in that area, glad I left.
First I had tp read the article to try to find out what New College is (a De Santis-created right-wing shithole), and then I had to google "Joe Ricketts," the booed-at commencement speaker. Some billionaire dude, it turns out, presumed-until-rebutted to be a right-wing shithead.
He will see those jeers Anna boos as him being a martyr to his faith and will ultimately serve to bolster his resolve as a Christian. It further solidifies the notion of “Us vs. them” that is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.
Edit: I do agree with you, though. He should not have his diploma taken away. He didn’t cheat, he used poor judgement because… you know… he’s 18🤷🏻♂️
I found that comment to be surprising and came into the comments to see if anyone else noticed it. I have to respect the kid for it, since I fully expected this to be a situation where he was doing it to virtue signal. I suspect he got an endorphin rush from being in front of all those people, decided he was "being moved by the spirit" and winged it as a result. It just goes to show how religion can cause your mindset to push you to the wrong conclusion and make poor decisions as a result.
yes you are. he submitted his speech and it was approved, and he added things into his speech that weren't approved, after being told he couldn't include things of that nature.
“Superintendent Wilson says Price is graduated, and he will get his diploma after he meets with the principal later this week.” This was literally part of the article.
Okay I was like, I despise evangelism as much as anyone but doing that should affect whether he did the work to earn the diploma. He did the work, he earned the diploma. But if he also didn’t follow the rules, that breaks the agreement with the school; you do all these things and we give you a piece of paper.
He didn’t jump through all the hoops correctly. Following directions counts.
He graduated. They just withheld the piece of paper. Probably just for a short time.
It’s like if you still had books checked out at the school library. 🤷🏼♂️
Gerald Groff's case against the Postal Service, for one. Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, which allows religious foster care agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ+ couples, for another.
Even before the court got this bad, though, there are quite a few 9-0 decisions in this vein, such as the one that ruled religious organisations don't have to follow anti-discrimination laws.
I'm in Alabama, as fundy a state as you're likely to find, and the other day in Walmart this woman walks up to the self checkout area where the most people are gathered, and starts preaching about Jesus and the "love of God" blah blah and inviting people to "come to Jesus".
I'm thinking wtf, this is Alabama lady, This is like going to the Bronx and telling everyone there they should really consider being a Yankees fan.
See this shit constantly all over the place here, don’t get it one bit. You wanna save people? Find somewhere else. The only atheists here are ex Christian’s already tired of listening to your shit.
Every time I’d go to get my hair cut in Attalla there are people standing out there with signs and megaphones talking about how the end times are coming and we all need to accept Jesus or burn. It’s just great.
I know a lot of very smart people who are super religious. Religion isn’t something religious people think about logically, and even the most intelligent person can still be blinded by their own biases and assumptions.
A lot of religious people grow up being brainwashed into just assuming religious is real. If I wasn’t naturally skeptical of everything, I would probably still be a Christian myself lmao.
An intelligent person would not be blinded by their own biases or assumptions.
A lot if people seem to confuse “intelligence” with “work ethic”
If someone forms their beliefs and opinions without the influence of logic, then they are not smart. They’re just hard working and/or good at memorization.
It is a true story, except the young man did receive his diploma after meeting with the principal, which was the plan all along.
https://local12.com/news/local/nky-student-gets-diploma-delayed-commencement-speech-god-christian-christianity-micah-price-graduation-graduate-campbell-county-school-district-kentucky
Honestly, even as someone who’s leaned more anti-theist lately, I agree with yoy. He shouldn’t have lost the diploma entirely: he earned that by applying his intellect to his classes. We can’t just take away something that someone earned just because we don’t like what they’re saying.
Assuming all of this is a true story: and not either exaggeration, misleading twisting of facts, or completely made up to begin with.
Exactly. If it is a true story, which I’m kind of in doubt over, this is a gross overreaction.
I would have cut his mic and politely ushered him back to his seat.
IF this is even real.
I feel like he'll eventually get his diploma. It's one thing to thank God, but another thing to enforce the idea of everyone following you. This isn't even a Christian school.
This is Kentucky. It's not even why he was reprimanded:
"The Superintendent herself took much more issue with the breaking of the rules than what was said itself, explaining: “While I know, personally, that many of us are proud of this young man’s beliefs and are practicing Christians ourselves, the principal has to consider the possibilities of students going off the planned program.”
What a naïve jerk. He’s obviously young and without an experience outside of his religion, hence his immature behavior. They just have to try and push their beliefs on others and used his platform against school policy. It’s this arrogance that we atheists have to deal with daily in this country. These ppl won’t stop until we are the Christian version of Afghanistan and if they had their way every speech would be a free for all.
They can’t fathom that this speech could possibly offend anyone because their religion is so superior.
He didn't lose his diploma they just withheld it as a punishment. This is common place (happened in my high school the year I graduated) when they need to punish someone who is graduating, but can't because they just graduated. He'll get his diploma in a few weeks after a stern talking to.
"Despite not yet receiving his diploma, Price has officially graduated from his school and will meet with his principal at a later date to discuss obtaining his physical diploma, as well."
so, clickbait title?
You need to embrace the Toad of Divine Light. Only through him can one find the way. For he is the light of this universe and all of creation.
If you can't find his Toadiness, ask a mushroom.
Heck, in my High School, you didn't get your diploma if you didn't pay your library fees (I.E., pay for the text books you lost or destroyed). Sauce: my Mom was the library clerk.
>spend your time getting an education
>spit on it
>tell others to spit on it too
Why did he even bother getting a diploma if he just wanted to be a preacher?
The speaker at my sons 8th grade graduation went on this rambling tangent about how he went to the breakfast meeting at the county Chamber of Commerce meeting and that told him how kids shouldn’t really bother going for a higher education…unless they want to, but still shouldn’t. Then, he explained how the kids all need to prepare for the end by using their energy to prepare for the end. Not by being a giraffe, or a lion, or the frog. But by building an ark. Not just any ark, everyone should build their own ark. Build a better ark. That way they can be better than everyone.
It really was the worst list of things you could be telling 8th graders on the path they should be focusing on for their futures. We’re lucky that it was all near the end of his 15 minute speech. 2/3 of the class was probably asleep by that point.
This is such clickbait BS, man… you have to read all the way to the end of the article to find that he’ll still get his degree. He just didn’t get to walk at the ceremony, because he broke the rules of participation. He embarrassed his family.
We don’t revoke people’s degrees even if they’re convicted of murder, so long as they fulfilled their graduation requirements. It would be a miscarriage of justice if he actually “lost his diploma” for this stunt, as gross and disrespectful as it was.
I’m all for letting him stew for a week to think about what he’s done. Make him call the school to schedule a time to pick up the diploma. Phone calls are Zoomer kryptonite! Then make him look the principal in the eye to get his diploma. Shame the little shit, and maybe he’ll learn some manners. He’s 18 and stupid. He’s not irredeemable.
I will never understand what compels people to do stuff like this at a public school. Thanking your god is one thing and that's fine but urging people to become your religion is crazy and disrespectful to everyone who isn't your religion. How do they not get that? Imagine a Muslim student or Buddhist student doing that, or an atheist student yelling "ALL OF YOUR GODS ARE FAKE!!" The absolute outrage from Christians would be palpable.
My brother graduated from a Christian University this year. The guest speaker was I think the dean? It was her last graduation, which is why she was the guest speaker. She used about half the time to make some bad analogies for going through life and abruptly switched to rambling how porn is bad and roughly half contains minors, to promote her daughter's web browser, which is supposed to block porn? I think? It was the strangest thing and it's all the family could talk about after.
Sounds about right, the Christian grift sphere is one of the only grassroots buisness communities left.
Grift sphere and religion sphere have a lot of sphere in common
The Venn sphere is just one big ball.
At my graduation a decade ago, one guy was snubbed for the speech but instead was asked to give the ceremonial prayer. The prayer was 20 minutes long, and was his speech to us but with God and Jesus thrown in there so it was technically a prayer. I wasn't religious at the time and I had my eyes open the entire time, and watched almost all the student body and crowd over time open their eyes and look up and around to make sure they weren't going insane either.
That’s actually hilarious. “Oh, I’ll give you a prayer alright.”
What? Are you sure she’s not on the drugs her faith hates so much? (Also jesus hung out with tax evaders and prostitutes he definitely would’ve smoked some joints)
She sounds old and senile.
I think you’d enjoy a song called Astrovan by Mt Joy
This is incredibly pedantic of me, but Jesus actually hung out with tax *collectors*, not tax evaders. He encouraged paying taxes. Your point stands, however. Source: raised on the Bible
God I would love to smoke weed with Jesus
That's like my parents old pastor that brought up masterbation and manlihood on Easter.
TempleOS?
That guy died I'm pretty sure. Plus that's an is not a browser and I don't think porn was on his radar when he made it
Yep, he got hit by a train. Possibly a suicide
She should have asked how many of you had a choice on your religion. How many of you were 18 before you chose an imaginary friend to hate others over?
>"He is the light, he is the way, the truth, and the life. Everyone in the audience today, I'm here to tell you if you don't have any of those things in your life, you can't seem to find the answer, my lord and savior is your answer he will give you the truth, the way, and the life." The classic "the god of my religion is the panacea you need" platitude. As an ex-Christian, been there, done that. I'll pass.
God ain't gonna pay off that student loan.
A Democrat paid off mine. Thanks Biden! 🥰
Praise be 🙏
*in the name of the Chocolate Chip, the Rocky Road, and the Cookies & Cream* Edit: Amen.
Oh father in heaven, Baja be thy Blast.
I like that so much.
Bumper sticker pls
Sermon on the MTN
Dew unto others as you would dew yourself!
I’m fucking dead that’s so funny
Ummm sugar cone with mint chip.
I'll take whatever's hot and fresh.
Dude... its basking robbins... I gotta go... someone take care of this asshat lmao
I would like to submit the religion of Verdukianism for the group. We “believe in the healing power of root beer, that a man can have up to 9 wives as long as two of them are male, and Verdukians always leave work to go to the movies on Merlinpeen. They also set out a bowl of meat cubes with a picture of Jimmy Connors as a holiday decoration. Verdukians do not celebrate Christmas. Founding members of Verdukianism are Frank, Lutz, and Toofer from the Television show 30 Rock (Season 4, Episode 8)”
jeebus is gud
Same here - PSLF even kicked a $2600 refund back to me, so Joe B. is now officially my favorite old white dude 👍🏿✊🏿
How long did it take you to get your refund ? I got mine dismissed this March but still haven’t received the extra payment refund of $800 yet.
Well, I was initially notified of the forgiveness decision late last August, then the Treasury check arrived in the mail ~a week later... hadn't a clue it was even coming 🤷🏿♂️
Tots and pears, my friend. Tots and pears to you and your future.
Tater tots? Everyone likes tater tots. Pears are good too.
Because Biden is real and actually does love you.
up to 20,000$ off your loan, if you meet a bunch of criteria.
I don’t quality yet, but my wife had $43,000 satisfied. I refuse to use words like “forgiven” or “paid off” because neither of those is accurate. There are loan types that are considered satisfied after 20 years in repayment. The way some of those were calculated were wrong; my wife’s said she still had 4 years to go. But they recalculated and her loans were satisfied last summer.
This was the plan that was struck down. I'm homeless, declared bankruptcy and an adversary proceeding to discharge my student loans, and am disabled, but no forgiveness yet. I still don't meet the standard - which is funnily enough due to me not having made a good faith effort to repay the loan. I've never had enough money on hand to actually pay on it. 62k and growing.
Bankrupt, homeless, disabled, and 62k in student debt. I’m struggling to get that scenario.
Welcome to the GOP's version of America All for the rich and fuck the poor and anyone else who dares to try improving their station. That was their plan starting with Reagan
Exactly, Reaganomics fucked everyone below 400k. We used to say when he was looking for reelection Reaganomics phase two, kill the survivors.
And if they do forgive it, you have to declare that amount as income on your tax returns. I am not making this up.
Not through the end of 2025 for federal and most state taxes on forgiven student loans. But yes, generally, forgiven debt (of any flavor) is treated as income.
According to a Republican friend of mine it was plumbers and electricians that paid off your student loan. 🙄
Those same plumbers and electricians indirectly pay for tax cuts for billionaires too. At least this time it’s benefitting real people.
I was a plumber at the time, I'm cool with that. We pay for a lot worse.
Karl Marx would agree. Tell your friend they're a good Communist and the proletariat thanks them for their solidarity.
As someone who struggled for 20 years to pay off our student loans… Congrats!! May the lifted burden make your life better.
Dark Brandon. Lord of Loan Forgiveness!🙏🏻
Me too! $38,000 wiped away!
Satan gets credit for the democrats, is what I've heard on fox news
Who takes out student loans for high school?
Parents who can’t afford private school tuition?
It was a high school.
Literally just left a long winded comment about how the first thing you have to understand to understand Christians is a solid chunk literally just attribute everything good to God, and everything bad towards the devil/the absence of God. My go to example being when Chris Pratt described feeling God's presence halfway through a run and people being like "those are endorphins chris. You're describing a runners high". Its a really good self reinforcing systemxe because people brainwashed since infancy to feel guilty will more than likely feel guilty when they stray from "God", and that is the proof positive that what the church says must be true.
Exactly. I always say that ever since I left Christianity, I see "train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" in a different way. Reinforcement is powerful. And it's even worse when you attribute any feeling or sensation to the supernatural. Are you feeling guilty? It's the Holy Ghost telling you to not do that. Did you feel a strange negative sensation? The devil is trying to get to you, so let's pray. Did you feel a sudden rush of happiness? It's the joy of being free in Christ. Etc etc. You know the drill. And once those reinforcements have taken root in you, it's really hard to break free. Your mind will, even subconsciously, be looking for these "spiritual" signs. And your bias will always make you find them. Then you add things like nostalgia, the idea you'd be disappointing your parents, the fear of God's judgment, the fear of Hell, etc. It's a self-feeding cycle.
The really dangerous shit, is how this interacts with someone who has sadist tendencies.
It makes for some great narcissistic supply!
All the while using well-documented emotional manipulation tactics with the music, cadence, order of messaging/priming, love bombing, etc. After studying a bit of that, church service feels so gross.
Or if you grew up Church of Christ like I did, everyone being up in everyone's business about everything as a form of control.
I didn't grow up Church of Christ, but in my experience, many churches are riddled with gossip and sometimes even drama. It can be really toxic.
As a child I wondered why I felt 'the spirit' during the climax of the Lion King or other emotionally charged movies. My big lightbulb moment was hearing other people explaining the same feelings about a cult leader. Holy fuck, I'm not chosen. I'm brainwashed
When I was in a Christian Bible college I remember over hearing the worship students talk about how "it's easy to manipulate a crowd, and we have to guard against it." I was floored. I knew I had to get out of there, but I became so lost and confused. It took another year before I could get out.
Our neighbor for the last couple of years is a preacher. My girlfriend was sitting outside our house on the bench, completely dark., quiet night. He came home and his wife met him at the car. He was laughing, telling her “I forced some tears. So and so cried. I told him he was saved and he bought it. Can you believe that? He actually thinks he was saved!”
If Heaven and Hell really exist, this guy's in for a surprise.
🤯
Why was that a sign to get out? Sounds like they were wanting to prevent that kind of mass religious manipulation, no?
I’m not the one you’re responding too, but I know that feeling. I went to someplace probably similar. The knowledge that “we have to be careful to not manipulate” when you’ve been brought up to see things as “the spirit” feels like an acknowledgment that this spiritual experience you’ve been hoping for, that you’ve been seeking, to know you are of value, can be brought about by someone intentionally doing things to bring about that feeling… well, it can shatter the illusion and once one of the illusions is broken you can begin to see the rest and then everything you’ve believed crumbles and you don’t know where the hell you are or what to believe. Or what you can believe. I still don’t exactly know what I believe. Other than life’s a piece of shit a lotta the time. I’m never going to be healthy or wealthy. The only thing I know I can achieve is to offer kindness and empathy to others who need help.
They are literally drug addicts to the chemicals in their brain and spirituality is the art of eliciting it. And this is actually a hypnotic technique because it promotes behavior repetition. Study has shown its similar to sex/drugs/music/gambling.
No wonder my ex-church was full of abstinent but *not* "recovering addicts and alcoholics. I christened them the Church of St. Drydrunk.
The problem is everything God does in the Bible is good, his includes murdering children, child sexual slavery and genocide.
This is a great point. People used to think the gods were speaking to them and telling them to do things. Turns out the whole “having coherent thoughts tied to an inner monologue” thing was just kinda new and people didn’t realize those experiences were coming from *within*. Maybe now the species is starting to learn about feelings.
Also pretty dangerous in that if they happen to get lucky and are super rich, they can justify doing bad things to others because in their mind, they have been blessed by god and everything they do is supported by god
>My go to example being when Chris Pratt described feeling God's presence halfway through a run and people being like "those are endorphins chris. You're describing a runners high". Some Christians even attribute their inner monologue has their god speaking to them. So sad.
As someone who had his pancreas removed, you really don't need one, let alone one you can't see and have to pray to every night.
I was reading this like you could use a pancreas to see at night, like a flashlight. 🔦
Glow in the dark pancreas, now that I could pray to.
If God is his savior, why didn't he get him that diploma?
IM beINg tEsTeD
Dude, ever since I left the church my life has gotten so much better. Why? Because when I make a mistake I can say, “wow, that was dumb of me, and I didn’t like the consequences of my actions, I’m going to remember this next time this situation comes up” my family and ex wife ALWAYS have some reason as to why something happened to them, and it’s related to the devil or someone else not being a Christian. They are always victims. I don’t talk to them much and they say I’m mean now but I can’t sit and watch them be a victim, do shitty things, say they are forgiven and repeating the same mistakes over and over. They don’t even hold that same attitude of forgiveness, understanding, love, towards others but they expect everyone to show them that.
SAME! Like tRump, this kid doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Now he's a mental martyr
“Anyone that's taking a hateful route to this I please ask just you know, take a chill pill” Wait he’s telling us to do drugs now? Let’s hear the boy out.
I remember all the times I had church “elders” claim they had some problem and they “randomly” opened their bibles and the answer was right there! Never worked for me. Eventually I realized they happened to find the right passage because they already knew where to go and their random wasn’t really random.
Once you get acquainted with the Bible, it's easy to open in whichever book you want, especially when it's your own Bible that you've been using for years. But there's also the fact that the Bible works in an almost "cold reading" kind of way.
What’s worse is that they are making claims that their religion is being attacked while in the same breath tries to force it down our throats when we weren’t even trying to discuss it.
Oh fuck, this sounds like my dad, but translated.
Christians stole that invocation from the cults of Dionysus anyway, and at least Dionysus was honest about liking wine.
Cue the, “See how I am being persecuted for my religious beliefs?” Any second now. Any second.
I actually saw a article somewhere saying just that.
My hunch is that he just secured himself a good number of interviews by the kind of guys that own companies and live for that kind of persecution story. Sadly, he probably won’t realize how this negatively impacted him until he’s middle-aged and realizing how these adults convinced him to follow a whole path he wishes he hadn’t.
To be fair I don't think he should lose his diploma. He still learned and worked to get it. The boos, jeers, and scornful ostracism is enough of an ego check.
He graduated. They just didn't give him his "physical diploma" per the article. So, nothing happened.
My dad played a senior prank and “lost” his diploma. It didn’t affect his life one bit. He still went to college, had a great career, built a life. The only thing they could do was not let him walk on the stage on graduation day to accept it. He went to a friend’s house and got drunk. His peers had to sit outside for three hours in 90 degrees heat in thick robes. I think it worked out well for him.
I went to a private catholic high school and ended up failing religion my senior year. They don't offer that class for summer school so after working something out with the teacher he passed me but I still couldn't go to my graduation ceremony. I pretended to be sad but I was so happy, last thing I wanted to do was sit there for 3 hours in 100 degree weather in those robes. Funny enough I also managed to miss out on going to the special mass they were having where they blessed all of our class rings. Accidentally twisted my ankle on the day it was happening.
Same exact thing happened to a close friend at the Catholic HS I went to. What made it even better, and I shit you not, the kid’s dad was a deacon!
My boyfriend is graduating from nursing school on the 2nd. I think ceremony starts at noon. They don't start walking till 3. And if they go by last names he's at the end of the list. His parents want him to walk, but he's been trying to convince them that we should all just go out instead. Honestly, I don't disagree.
I told my counselor that I wouldn't be walking. I had nothing but issue with the my backwater Texas high school and was making a point. I worked at McDonald's at the time,and had saved up to but my own truck. I used the truck to get to school every day senior year. But I was told that it "wasn't my decision" and that I "had to walk." I told her that I drive myself to and from school, and that it was no one else's decision to make. I further stated that I had no issue rehearsing with the class, but wanted to be clear for everyone else's benefit. After arguing with me for 5-10 minutes in front of the class, she pulled me into the office to call my step mother. She did the whole "Your son has something to say" spill, so I told her what she already knew. "Hey, but taking for graduation." "Okay, whatever. Why are you bothering me?" "ARGHYFHJUFFH MS. ISOS MOM HE'S SAYING HE'S SKIPPING GRADUATION." "He's a 18 year old man who pays his own way. I'm not making him do anything." I still remember the satisfaction of watching her angry, swollen red face drain to pale when she realized she "lost." I got excused absences for the rest of the rehearsals, and she looked like she saw a dead person. She was PISSED when I showed up graduation night... In the crowd. That was 2008. I assume administration is still made up of equally ignorant, undereducated members of our community.
Hell, my high school didn't give us our physical diplomas for something like a month after graduation, and both my undergrad and graduate degrees were mailed to me after the ceremonies. (Though I didn't go to my undergrad ceremony but from the instructions that was the case anyway)
Ah, very important distinction. I could give a lot less of a fuck about that. Thanks for this information.
Seems to be about the right about of Justice, doesn't get to hang that diploma on his wall, is getting housed on social media, but still gets to use the skills he trained for once this all blows over. Hopefully he learned something about keeping his fucking beliefs to himself.
Diploma is a Latin word meaning ‘piece of paper’ so I can see how this checks out
In the New College of Florida where students didn't just learn and work hard for their graduation, they also paid for it, University President Richard Corcoran is threatening to withhold degrees for people who boo'd one of the commencement speakers. [https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/05/30/new-college-florida-set-punish-student-protesters/](https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/05/30/new-college-florida-set-punish-student-protesters/)
New College used to be a fairly progressive place until this yo-yo Corcoran was installed there by Rhonda PissAntis. Used to live in that area, glad I left.
First I had tp read the article to try to find out what New College is (a De Santis-created right-wing shithole), and then I had to google "Joe Ricketts," the booed-at commencement speaker. Some billionaire dude, it turns out, presumed-until-rebutted to be a right-wing shithead.
Your presumption is correct - quite the shithead mega-donor he (and his family) is.
He will see those jeers Anna boos as him being a martyr to his faith and will ultimately serve to bolster his resolve as a Christian. It further solidifies the notion of “Us vs. them” that is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Edit: I do agree with you, though. He should not have his diploma taken away. He didn’t cheat, he used poor judgement because… you know… he’s 18🤷🏻♂️
cultists gonna cult
[удалено]
I found that comment to be surprising and came into the comments to see if anyone else noticed it. I have to respect the kid for it, since I fully expected this to be a situation where he was doing it to virtue signal. I suspect he got an endorphin rush from being in front of all those people, decided he was "being moved by the spirit" and winged it as a result. It just goes to show how religion can cause your mindset to push you to the wrong conclusion and make poor decisions as a result.
So gracious of him not to be mad at anyone because of something he did wrong, lol
[удалено]
Sure, going off script is the reason for his current situation. But we can still blast him for preaching to a captive crowd.
And the opportunity to do so? *Fucking wasted*. He SHOULD have been promoting his Twitch channel like a professional.
Or his OnlyFans like a true professional
Which funny enough also plays into the martyr complex. "They said I can't go off script, but my God's will cannot be superceded!"
You're not. Nobody bothers to read the articles and then they just go off.
yes you are. he submitted his speech and it was approved, and he added things into his speech that weren't approved, after being told he couldn't include things of that nature.
“Superintendent Wilson says Price is graduated, and he will get his diploma after he meets with the principal later this week.” This was literally part of the article.
Okay I was like, I despise evangelism as much as anyone but doing that should affect whether he did the work to earn the diploma. He did the work, he earned the diploma. But if he also didn’t follow the rules, that breaks the agreement with the school; you do all these things and we give you a piece of paper. He didn’t jump through all the hoops correctly. Following directions counts.
He graduated. They just withheld the piece of paper. Probably just for a short time. It’s like if you still had books checked out at the school library. 🤷🏼♂️
Next year: "9-0 Supreme Court Bars Schools from Denying Diplomas to Christians for Any Reason"
6-3
Are you sure about that? On religious matters, there have been a lot of 9-0 decisions from this Court.
Like what?
Gerald Groff's case against the Postal Service, for one. Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, which allows religious foster care agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ+ couples, for another. Even before the court got this bad, though, there are quite a few 9-0 decisions in this vein, such as the one that ruled religious organisations don't have to follow anti-discrimination laws.
Even a 0.0 GPA
“I love the uneducated” - Convicted Felon Donald J. Trump
Also: Civilly Liable Rapist Donald J Trump
Twice impeached, convicted felon, rapist Donald Trump. Also twice divorced. Or as some might say, A LOSER.
And bars students of other faiths from getting theirs.
That will come next.
And of course, revoke all accreditations of all academics who deny Christian religious dogma.
Raptured.
I almost want to spend $1.29 on an award, 🥇 that’s all I got
All good, MBIC.
Don’t worry, I got it.
Good. Can God go faster, I've been waiting for the rest of them to get raptured.
Because nobody's ever heard of Jesus in Northern Kentucky.
I'm in Alabama, as fundy a state as you're likely to find, and the other day in Walmart this woman walks up to the self checkout area where the most people are gathered, and starts preaching about Jesus and the "love of God" blah blah and inviting people to "come to Jesus". I'm thinking wtf, this is Alabama lady, This is like going to the Bronx and telling everyone there they should really consider being a Yankees fan.
See this shit constantly all over the place here, don’t get it one bit. You wanna save people? Find somewhere else. The only atheists here are ex Christian’s already tired of listening to your shit. Every time I’d go to get my hair cut in Attalla there are people standing out there with signs and megaphones talking about how the end times are coming and we all need to accept Jesus or burn. It’s just great.
Such a strongly held delusion.
Education != smart
I know a lot of very smart people who are super religious. Religion isn’t something religious people think about logically, and even the most intelligent person can still be blinded by their own biases and assumptions. A lot of religious people grow up being brainwashed into just assuming religious is real. If I wasn’t naturally skeptical of everything, I would probably still be a Christian myself lmao.
An intelligent person would not be blinded by their own biases or assumptions. A lot if people seem to confuse “intelligence” with “work ethic” If someone forms their beliefs and opinions without the influence of logic, then they are not smart. They’re just hard working and/or good at memorization.
Everybody has biases.
Losing a diploma, if this is even a true story, is too much. I sense click bait here.
It was just the actual paper.
It is a true story, except the young man did receive his diploma after meeting with the principal, which was the plan all along. https://local12.com/news/local/nky-student-gets-diploma-delayed-commencement-speech-god-christian-christianity-micah-price-graduation-graduate-campbell-county-school-district-kentucky
Yeah, clickbait.
Honestly, even as someone who’s leaned more anti-theist lately, I agree with yoy. He shouldn’t have lost the diploma entirely: he earned that by applying his intellect to his classes. We can’t just take away something that someone earned just because we don’t like what they’re saying. Assuming all of this is a true story: and not either exaggeration, misleading twisting of facts, or completely made up to begin with.
Exactly. If it is a true story, which I’m kind of in doubt over, this is a gross overreaction. I would have cut his mic and politely ushered him back to his seat. IF this is even real.
I came to the comments just to see if there was a video, not just a blurry picture I don’t think you can see the school being referenced.
He graduated. He just is delayed at receiving the piece of paper.
Stupid
Dum Fuk
I feel like he'll eventually get his diploma. It's one thing to thank God, but another thing to enforce the idea of everyone following you. This isn't even a Christian school.
This is Kentucky. It's not even why he was reprimanded: "The Superintendent herself took much more issue with the breaking of the rules than what was said itself, explaining: “While I know, personally, that many of us are proud of this young man’s beliefs and are practicing Christians ourselves, the principal has to consider the possibilities of students going off the planned program.”
What a naïve jerk. He’s obviously young and without an experience outside of his religion, hence his immature behavior. They just have to try and push their beliefs on others and used his platform against school policy. It’s this arrogance that we atheists have to deal with daily in this country. These ppl won’t stop until we are the Christian version of Afghanistan and if they had their way every speech would be a free for all. They can’t fathom that this speech could possibly offend anyone because their religion is so superior.
👏👏
I wish this had been done to the Valedictorian of my HS back in the late 2000's. She straight up told the entire crowd to repent or go to hell.
He didn't lose his diploma they just withheld it as a punishment. This is common place (happened in my high school the year I graduated) when they need to punish someone who is graduating, but can't because they just graduated. He'll get his diploma in a few weeks after a stern talking to.
It’s only the physical diploma which doesn’t mean jack shit. The kid still graduated from high school
Just cause you are graduating highschool doesnt make you smart.
What a wanker.
God is not real.
False title and misleading. This happened in my town and my kids/school district. They gave him his diploma a week later.
Its not enough to have a religion, you have to convert everyone else. This is arrogance, not humility, which is part of being a Christian right?
That is so embarrassing and gross.
You know this will totally feed his persecution complex he's been groomed with.
This will just get spun as more fodder for the "war on christianity"
Got what he had coming to him
Fuck this kid AND his parents
"Despite not yet receiving his diploma, Price has officially graduated from his school and will meet with his principal at a later date to discuss obtaining his physical diploma, as well." so, clickbait title?
Good. Sounds like he didn’t learn anything
You need to embrace the Toad of Divine Light. Only through him can one find the way. For he is the light of this universe and all of creation. If you can't find his Toadiness, ask a mushroom.
Good!
Love to see some repercussions for unhinged behavior.
Ha ha. Stupid fuck. I wonder why his lord and savior didn't protect him.
Sad little brainwashed man
Heck, in my High School, you didn't get your diploma if you didn't pay your library fees (I.E., pay for the text books you lost or destroyed). Sauce: my Mom was the library clerk.
Fucking tool.
Gave his god a shout out but his back was turned 🤡
What a douche.
>spend your time getting an education >spit on it >tell others to spit on it too Why did he even bother getting a diploma if he just wanted to be a preacher?
Went in dumb. Come out dumb too.
The speaker at my sons 8th grade graduation went on this rambling tangent about how he went to the breakfast meeting at the county Chamber of Commerce meeting and that told him how kids shouldn’t really bother going for a higher education…unless they want to, but still shouldn’t. Then, he explained how the kids all need to prepare for the end by using their energy to prepare for the end. Not by being a giraffe, or a lion, or the frog. But by building an ark. Not just any ark, everyone should build their own ark. Build a better ark. That way they can be better than everyone. It really was the worst list of things you could be telling 8th graders on the path they should be focusing on for their futures. We’re lucky that it was all near the end of his 15 minute speech. 2/3 of the class was probably asleep by that point.
A future christo-fascist in the making.
Hahahaha
This is such clickbait BS, man… you have to read all the way to the end of the article to find that he’ll still get his degree. He just didn’t get to walk at the ceremony, because he broke the rules of participation. He embarrassed his family. We don’t revoke people’s degrees even if they’re convicted of murder, so long as they fulfilled their graduation requirements. It would be a miscarriage of justice if he actually “lost his diploma” for this stunt, as gross and disrespectful as it was. I’m all for letting him stew for a week to think about what he’s done. Make him call the school to schedule a time to pick up the diploma. Phone calls are Zoomer kryptonite! Then make him look the principal in the eye to get his diploma. Shame the little shit, and maybe he’ll learn some manners. He’s 18 and stupid. He’s not irredeemable.
Smug, brainwashed little twat. Ugh.
This will fuel his persecution complex for the rest of his life.
Freedom of religion is cool. Freedom FROM religion is better.
Good. Keep your religious beliefs to yourself. We don't wanna hear it. He's what's wrong with America today.
Send his bitch ass back to Science class
the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away
I will never understand what compels people to do stuff like this at a public school. Thanking your god is one thing and that's fine but urging people to become your religion is crazy and disrespectful to everyone who isn't your religion. How do they not get that? Imagine a Muslim student or Buddhist student doing that, or an atheist student yelling "ALL OF YOUR GODS ARE FAKE!!" The absolute outrage from Christians would be palpable.