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   Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️ (rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp)'s status on Wednesday, 24-Sep-2025 23:50:14 JST Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️

   Ever since I was a child, there was trend in Christianity to claim that all you need to do to get into heaven is to “Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior,” whatever that means. The real-world result has been that you have people all over the place who call themselves “Christians,” but could not tell you one thing Jesus of Nazareth is ever supposed to have said. The Bible becomes a mere talisman, not to be read but simply “wielded.” (1/3)

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     Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️ (rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp)'s status on Wednesday, 24-Sep-2025 23:50:14 JST Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️

     in reply to

     It is no surprise, then, that you have people saying this sort of thing with a straight face, and failing to see the irony:
     "As a Christian, one thing I love about Trump is how shameless he is about saying 'Love my enemies?' No way man, I hate those guys!' So cool how the honesty allows the conversation to actually happen, rather than a bunch of pious platitudes.”
     This was actually written by some self-described “Christian,” a self-described “Marriage Coach,” named Giff Lasta. (2/3)

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     Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️ (rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp)'s status on Wednesday, 24-Sep-2025 23:50:14 JST Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️

     in reply to

     It’s as if Jesus was just killing time between his “immaculate conception” and his crucification, and nothing he did or said in between matters as much as his being a sacrificial goat slaughtered to “pay for your sins.” (3/3)

     Mr. Bill repeated this.
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     Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️ (rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp)'s status on Wednesday, 24-Sep-2025 23:50:14 JST Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️

     in reply to

     I wonder if anyone has ever done a serious comparison of this “Get into Heaven free” Christianity and the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism founded in Japan in at the end of the 12th century. It remains the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan, presumably because it is so easy and stupid. All you have to do is chant “Namuamidabutsu,” et voilà! You can get into the “Pure Land.” (1/2)

     Mr. Bill repeated this.
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     Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️ (rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp)'s status on Wednesday, 24-Sep-2025 23:51:50 JST Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️

     in reply to

     The phrase means, “Homage to Amitabha Buddha,” but you don’t don’t even have to know that; you don’t even have to know who the Amitabha Buddha is, because it’s all automatic. It’s the password to paradise. No doubt this insidious notion led to all sorts of horrible people doing all sorts of horrible things over the centuries, because, just like the “I accept Jesus as…” thing, it’s your Get Out of Jail Free card. Just mumble it on your deathbed and you’re good to go (to paradise). (2/2)