Tessera

Elinor Ashleigh

@elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social

An insatiably curious two-year-old who can never stop asking "why?" with the curmudgeon heart and energy level of an old man. An open-minded learner who thinks no question or idea is too controversial to explore.

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Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · last mo.

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Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Text on image reads: "Christian Churches: 'Come be part of our supportive community.' Translation: You will be guilted into endlessly offering money, providing unpaid labor, and sacrificing your time. When they are trying to get you to join, their tactics are all about what you will receive. But once you're in, your good standing will depend on what you will give." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #religioustrauma #churchhurt

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Text on image reads: "The only way Israel was a 'torchbearer' for other nations was when they burned them to the ground." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #theology #Bible #BibleStudy #Israel #politics

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Text on image reads: "You do the same thing with him that you do with god. It doesn't matter what he says or does because you've already decided that he is your savior. No matter how despicable he is shown to be you will still insist he is a 'good guy.'" #Christianity #religion #ChristianNationalism #politics #criticalthinking #Trump

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Text on image reads: "The idea of a god that would cause or allow so much suffering is frightening. And the people who believe this god to be good feel unsafe." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #theology #mentalhealth #psychology #atheism

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Text on image reads: "You doomed your children to all of the things you hate about adulthood when you had them." #antinatalism #childfree #parenting #ethics #philosophy

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Text on image reads: "Eating meat is speciesism. Believing it is immoral to kill and eat humans, but not animals is speciesism. Believing suffering does not matter if it is not experienced by humans is speciesism." #veganism #animalliberation #speciesism #ethics #philosophy #animalrights

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Text on image reads: "Progressive Christian Mystics: 'The Bible can be treated as a sacred text by interpreting it in any way that is meaningful to you. Unless you think it says something bigoted; then you are reading it wrong.' Translation: You are free to find whatever meaning you want in the Bible, as long as you skip past what it actually says." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #theology #progressiveChristianity #Bible #criticalthinking

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on the image reads: "A reasonable person has CONFIDENCE proportionate to the evidence. An unreasonable person has FAITH despite insufficient, weak, or refuting evidence."
#exchristian #exvangelical #Christianity #faith #reason #science #atheism #faithtransition

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on image reads: "I think it is most ethical for sentient beings to never be brought into existence where suffering is a significant, unavoidable part of life. However, if you believe otherwise and you want more people to have children, address their concerns about having children. Invest in remediating climate change, bigotry, and violence. Invest in increasing support for parents and children through education, parental leave, and affordable childcare. Combat inflation and ensure fair pay and reasonable costs of living. You can keep projecting by calling people selfish for not bringing children into a dumpster fire without their consent. Or you can reduce legitimate concerns about the well-being of potential parents and children." #antinatalism #childfree #parenting #ethics #philosophy #climatechange #humanrights #politics

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on image reads: "Christians: 'I will pray you find the truth.' Translation: I think I'm being helpful, but I don't actually understand because I have intentionally isolated myself from other perspectives. Even though Jesus taught me to follow the golden rule, I lack the imagination to understand what it would be like to engage someone as close-minded and insulting as I am when it comes to my beliefs. There is no love like Christian condescension." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #criticalthinking #epistemology

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on image reads: "Sometimes I will listen to gospel music, or sing a hymn I used to love. And even now I am brought to tears. Not because I sinned. Not because it was a mistake to leave religion. Because it wasn't real. Because the idea of a loving, all-powerful protector who would save the innocent and manifest justice was a beautiful dream and I had to wake up." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #religion #mentalhealth #healing #atheism #Christianity

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on image reads: "I grew up hearing that some parents told their children a story of a woman who walked up and down the side of a river crying and calling for her children who had died. It was told as a warning to children not to misbehave, because she would come and take them away. 'How silly and cruel,' I thought. Then my parents would drive us to church, just like every Sunday. 'Your religion assumes that people are children and need a boogeyman so they will behave.' — Carl Sagan" #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #psychology #criticalthinking #Llorona #atheism

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on the image reads: Progressive Christian Mystics: "I call myself a Christian because I believe the Bible is true and sacred."

But when pressed, what they mean by "true and sacred" is that the Bible includes messages that are deeply meaningful to humans. Becoming a mystic is just a last ditch effort to hang on to a religion-based fantasy of a spiritual and moral community bringing light and love to the dark void of reality. This is a beautiful dream that I share. But an ambiguous, obscure, problematic text is a hinderance, not a vehicle to this better world.

#Christianity #atheism #exvangelical #exChristian #mystic

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on image reads: "When people say, 'I agree with that in principle, but the money has to come from somewhere,' what they are really saying is they don't care enough. There is always enough money for what they really care about and never enough for what they don't." #politics #economics #humanrights #healthcare #poverty #war #education

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on image reads: "Billie Eilish is right. Someone who kills you and eats you doesn't love you. Any other conclusion is rationalization. #ethics #philosophy #veganism #billieeilish

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on image reads: "'I would have been afraid of someone like me.' — Jared Smith. I grew up believing that someone without religion lived a depraved life without morals. I grew up believing that much of what I had inside of me needed to be washed away. I grew up believing that most of what the world had to offer was dangerous. Then I read, traveled, listened, and learned. Everything I could. I realized that existence was so much larger than my church. That knowledge was more expansive than the Bible. That moral reasoning was more valuable than faith. That love was freer, joy was more sacred, and time was more precious than religion. I too was raised to fear atheists. Then I became one." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #religion #atheism #secularism #mentalhealth #healing #Christianity

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Text on image reads: "Many Christians respond to uncertainty about the external world by resorting to a 'god of the gaps.' Gods are no longer needed to explain dots of light in the sky, changes in ocean tides, or why the earth shakes. Likewise, many respond to uncertainty about internal worlds—the unseen motivations of themselves and others—with a 'satan of the gaps.' When someone behaves virtuously, it's attributed to their character, their cultivation, their choice. When someone behaves viciously—against what seems right—they're at a loss to understand and plug in evil forces. 'The devil made me do it.' 'They've given themselves over to satan.' In both cases, curiosity stops there. Because the goal is avoiding the discomfort of doubt. To be curious requires sitting in not knowing, and possibly never knowing. But this is the best option for learning more, understanding better, and lasting growth." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #epistemology #criticalthinking #psychology #atheism #philosophy

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion. I'm not affiliated with OSF or Mormon Stories, and I'm not a lawyer.

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William Wren@william-wren.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion. I'm not affiliated with Open Stories Foundation or Mormon Stories, and I'm not a lawyer. Donations go directly to OSF, a 501(c)(3). You can donate at www.mormonstories.org/legal/

Text on image reads: "The lawsuit against Mormon Stories and John Dehlin may not seem relevant to most of us, but it is. This is not just about one church suing someone they disagree with. It is about what any organization can get away with when it has amassed an ungodly fortune and hides behind the shield of 'religion.' The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a dangerous and powerful organization that is causing harm throughout the world with impunity. These types of authoritarian organizations thrive in secrecy. Sharing what you learn brings their actions into the light." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #religion #religioustrauma #exmormon #mormon #LDS #MormonStories #Christianity #secularism

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "Satan doesn't send plagues, tornados, and floods. God does." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #theology #Bible #atheism

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "Liberal Christians: 'Scholarship reveals that the Bible is consistent with modern morality.' Translation: A straightforward reading of the Bible won't lead you to the most moral conclusion—but once you arrive at that conclusion through other means, you'll discover the Bible conveniently supported it all along." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #theology #progressiveChristianity #Bible #epistemology #criticalthinking

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion. I'm not affiliated with Open Stories Foundation or Mormon Stories, and I'm not a lawyer. Donations go directly to OSF, a 501(c)(3). You can donate at www.mormonstories.org/legal/ For ways to help, check out: substack.com/profile/4575...

Text of the image reads: "The Open Stories Foundation and John Dehlin of Mormon Stories is being sued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am not, and I have never been a member of the LDS Church. But when I was closeted and struggling, Mormon Stories helped me. They helped me process. They helped me understand. And they helped me feel less alone. If Mormon Stories has helped you even a little, or you believe religious leaders and organizations should not go unchecked, please consider spreading the word that John Dehlin and Mormon Stories needs your help." #exchristian #exvangelical #deconstruction #Christianity #atheism #Mormon #MormonStories

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "Christianity attracts the generous, compassionate, and merciful. It also attracts the power-hungry, bigoted, and cruel. And that is a problem." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #theology #criticalthinking #atheism

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "Christians: 'Churches have problems because they are full of people, but that is not sufficient reason to give up on god or church.' Translation: god provides no competent oversight for his organizations—but we should still believe he is all-good and all-powerful—and churches will be slow to correct problematic, or even harmful, behavior, if at all—but we should endlessly tolerate it." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #religioustrauma #theology

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "One of the most frustrating issues with engaging some Christians is the condescending, unmitigated certainty. It has nothing to do with the quality of the evidence, the validity of the arguments, or the thoroughness of the search for truth. It is just stubborn insistence that puts down the doubter for approaching religion with the same high epistemological standard they have learned to apply to everything else." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #epistemology #criticalthinking #atheism

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

bit.ly/biblical-vs-...

Text on image reads: "Cutting off your own hand is 'like Christ.' Making your teachings intentionally ambiguous is 'like Christ.' Anointing yourself with oil instead of helping the poor is 'like Christ.' Healing a few sick and blind people—but not all—and letting your friend die so you can raise him from the dead for your glory is 'like Christ.' Tormenting pigs, sending them to their death, and sacrificing baby animals is 'like Christ.' Not renouncing slavery or patriarchy is 'like Christ.' Threatening people with eternal fire is 'like Christ.' Following the old law is 'like Christ.' But most problematic: being coidentified with God is 'like Christ.' You justify Jesus' moral authority by making him the same as god, but justify your own morality by making him different. This is irreconcilable and intellectually dishonest." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #theology #Bible #BibleStudy #progressiveChristianity #criticalthinking

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "Christians: 'What harm is it if I believe in Jesus? What have I lost if I'm wrong?' A lot. In both cases. But it doesn't matter if this is pointed out to you, because your hypotheticals are not sincere. You are not actually willing to consider: 'Could I be wrong?' But we were. Too many Christians ask these questions to play the victim. They ask to act as though they are just off to the side—minding their own business, not doing anything, and not hurting anybody—and now they are being picked on. But as it is with much of what they say, they are not interested in the answer. It is performative." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #epistemology #criticalthinking #atheism

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "Christians are endlessly trying to use faith to fill in the gaps of evidence. And when it is pointed out to them that this indicates they don't have sufficient evidence to believe, they try to convince us that we know faith is legitimate because we use faith. That we have faith in science, or gravity, or our best friend. No. We don't. We have trust proportionate to the evidence for these things. We don't keep trusting our friend if we find out they've been lying to us. If gravity suddenly stops working, we won't continue to count on it. If something other than the scientific method can be demonstrated to better explain and predict reality, we should all jump ship. This is not what Christians do. They are endlessly using faith to believe in something despite insufficient, weak, and even refuting evidence." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #epistemology #criticalthinking #atheism #secularism #science #philosophy

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "Liberal Christians, when you do not remove the god of war and violence from your authoritative texts you help to make violence and 'holy wars' done in the name of god more likely." #deconstruction #exvangelical #exchristian #faithtransition #Christianity #religion #theology #progressiveChristianity #Bible #ChristianNationalism #politics

Elinor Ashleigh @elinor-ashleigh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Text on image reads: "If you believe in global warming, don't have children. If you have significant doubts about whether this planet will be comfortably habitable for your children, do not bring them into that existence without their consent." #climatechange #globalwarming #philosophy #ethics #environment #controversial