u/Defiant_Inflation_70

I want to say that I completely understand that some people (especially the queer ones among us) are TERRIFIED that Will deliberately changing swear-words must be a sign that he is turning/has turned into an ultra-orthodox, hateful Christian.

I understand that many people here probably have extremely traumatic relationships to religion, including Christianity/the Bible. I can see how the connection between "removing swears" and "conservative preacher" is made.

I have also read some comments and accusations that aren't really criticisms about the new album, that are just cruel and upsetting. Like making jokes about conversion therapy. Or saying that Will must be delusional. There have been more disturbing comments that I don't think should be said about anyone, that I won't repeat.

I understand some of them may be intended as jokes, but I think there is a line one shouldn't cross with humor. And that includes insulting someone's identity, for instance, questioning whether someone is "really" queer/gay/trans/etc..

As a segue: I understand having negative assumptions about Christianity. I have met and painstakingly argued with people who identify as Christians who sow division and fear and use Gospel to justify evil actions against gay and transgender people, immigrants, Indigenous peoples, poor folk, people of other faiths, single mothers, divorced people, really, the list goes on and on... Not to mention the horrific crimes against children that is enabled and covered up by the Catholic Church.

(Personally I feel those people are not true Christians, but I'm sure they would say the same about me. I digress...)

(Edit: my point here was not that hateful Christians **are** "not true Christians", but that we could all call each other "bad Christians" and it would be redundant either way.)

I have also met the most generous, kind, thoughtful, and unconditionally loving people who were devoted and faithful - not just Christians, but people of many faiths. I've met amazing folk through the Furry community!

I don't think one of these truths has to exist in opposition to the other. There is Hate out there, to be certain. To me, Jesus' message is one of unwavering love, never conditional. Christ was a radical who fought against the oligarchy of His time. Christ teaches to *defy* hegemony and authoritarian oppression.

I blame no one for judging Christians based on the actions of autocrats who claim Christ's name. But maybe I can at least assure you that many of us sought this path because of our own painful pasts, as a way to see the world with hope, and to walk with more kindness.

Back to the topic: I don't know for certain whether Will is a Christian, or even whether he removed swearing *because* of his faith. But if that is the case, I hope that I can offer some reassurance that it's not necessarily related to an attitude of censorship or judgement. Not all Christians avoid swearing, but for those who do, it's often a way to connect with mindfulness. To be intentional with language; to test one's determination or focus; to reflect on inner pains; to remind oneself of spiritual lessons... I have personally challenged myself to not swear before - be it for a day or for a few minutes while meditating - since my inner voice is often very angry and distrusting. It could be for number of interesting reasons beyond punitive restriction. Why do people pray? Why do people meditate? Why do people bow their heads when speaking to cultural leaders, or use capital-H for Jesus Christ's pronoun, or invoke Salawat after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)? Why are humans spiritual at all? Why do some of us spend hundreds of hours making cartoonish animal costumes?

To those who have left comments out of suspicion or hatred, I'm sorry you have not been shown how welcoming Christians could be, I wish you nothing but peace.

I don't participate much here on Reddit, but I would like to finish this post by thanking you for reading, and with some words from another brilliant artist, the late, great, Sinead O'Connor (Shuhada Sadaqat), who was an ordained Catholic bishop, as well as having later converted to Islam, which I think are pertinent:

>...all religions, but certainly the Catholic Church, is really a house built on sand, and it's drowning in a sea of conditional love, and therefore it can't survive, and actually the office of Pope itself is an anti-Christian office. The idea that Christ needs a representative is laughable and blasphemous at the same time, therefore it is a house built on sand, and we need to rescue God from religion, all religions, they've become a smokescreen that actually distracts people from the fact that there is a holy spirit, and when you study the Gospels, you see the Christ character came to tell us that we only need to talk directly to God, we never needed Religion... (...) God and religion are two different things, you don't need religion in order to have a relationship with Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit...

(From here, skip to 3:10 - pity she was interrupted so many times, but great nonetheless)