u/ResolveExisting8051

“They will call good evil, and evil good”.

This verse has been spinning in my head this past year. Seeing everything that has been happening recently, the lines drawn in the sand. It breaks my heart.
I grew up in the Bible Belt, as a person of mixed ethnicity. Growing up I was always told about the glorious manifest destiny of the west, how we saved the Africans from their mud huts and worshipping the sun and gave them new life in the United States. Growing up I truly believed I couldn’t be my race and Christian. I had to either choose one or the other. So I chose Christian, for the sake of salvation.

Later in life I moved out. Moved to a major city. I had access to information and history and different cultures and people. This is when I learned the truth of who I was, my ancestors, and what the church truly had its hands in historically against my own blood.
I learned about what manifest destiny really was. The genocide of my people in the name of God. “Kill the Indian, save the man” they would say as they burned villages, stole resources, and put a fat cross in the middle of the corpse pile.
I learned what slavery truly meant. Africans 🍇ed into salvation. Forced to receive Christ at the expense of their own will and safety. Why are we all of a sudden a Christian nationalist nation, we wanna make America great again? How far back are we going? Segregation, trail of tears, lack of women’s right? What date? What time?
Recently, I brought this up this history to my church family. Why was this never addressed in the church? What can we do to repent for this and go and mend bridges that we burned with reservations, Africans communities, etc? I was met with racism and hatred in return.
“That’s not the churches problem, that was 100s of years ago, the devil is distracting you with the waves, your people were savages, you should be thanking the church”.
I’ve had Christian people try to shut me up. Telling me I’m wrong to speak out.

I wanna leave Christianity. Because by leaving Christianity, I will have the freedom to actually go feed widows and orphans, feed the hungry and clothe the needy, without the ever bearing weight of the churches judgement on my shoulder telling me “this isn’t Gods will, you’re distracted by the waves, look at Jesus”. The church has proven to me that they only care about life if it looks good on their churches new letter. That repentance is only a metaphor for punishing others when they don’t agree. The church has proven that people like me aren’t welcome. I no longer feel welcomed in the church. Because the moment I actually turned the mirror on us, showing what we have done to harm so many people, not just historically, but today, and even myself, I was told we deserved it, I deserved it.

The church creates victims and then blames us for not “feeling Gods presence”. And I want out. The earth is burning up because of greed, people are dying because of greed, and the church has told me that I need to ignore it and “look to God”. I want out. If you can give me a good reason to stay, as a Christian, please feel free to tell me.

“The devil disguises himself as an Angel of Light”
“God lets it rain on the just and unjust”.

I feel like verses in this light are very circular and manipulative, right?
As someone who has traveled the world, sene many cultures, languages, nations, people, the idea that any spiritual encounter that doesn’t make sense in your mind can simply be explained away with a simple “yes it’s good but it’s actually demonic” sounds pretty unfair and hypocritical.

It’s a blatant “heads I win, tails you lose” argument. If something is evil, then it’s evil. If something is good, it’s still evil, because it wasn’t done in “Jesus name”.

I’m from NW New Mexico but I live outside of the state now. I of both Hispanic and native descent. I recently came across this recipe for tejuino/tiswin. It seems like the recipe names are interchangeable for both recipes but I’m not sure if they are or if there’s a difference. I know the apaches has their version of tiswin which was like a beer, but in New Mexico we have something more similar to Tejuino from Mexico. But some of us call it tiswin as well.

Do you know the difference and do you know how to make it?

I have a ton of it growing near my property. I was planning on removing it because it’s invasive, but as I pulled one flower it stained my hand an indigo color.
Can you use it as an indigo substitute?

Democrat, republican, liberal, conservative. Whatever you may believe, how do you navigate what you believe as a Christian vs how you view your politics?

I feel this year is Expecially important to ask this question. I feel like I’m being ripped apart. I grew up republican conservative (I grew up in the Bible Belt) but ever since moving and seeing the world I’ve had a change in heart in so many things. The way this administration is treating native Americans and public lands/ ancestral sites feels sick and greedy.

I want to vote blue but at the same time I feel like Christian’s I speak to say “you can’t vote blue and be a Christian because they believe in abortion, LGBTQ, Etc. I feel like I can’t handle the pressure of people’s expectations. Especially as a tribal man, I have always had a small distrust of government policies, but because I grew up around the Bible Belt, I was always persuaded to vote Red. Now I can’t handle it. My heart breaks for the lack of empathy that Christian’s nowadays have, in EITHER side.
One side doesn’t associate with God, the other uses him as a weapon, which I would argue is worse, but still, I can’t do it.

I come from a racially mixed background. I have certified tribal blood from many continents. America, Africa, Mexico, Europe (this will make sense when I explain it).
I’ve slowly become callus to Christianity because of my past and ancestors. My tribe that I’m enrolled in has been burned multiple times by Catholic and Protestant traditions in the U.S.. Catholics tired to outright kill us but failed, now the evangelical Protestant church is trying to destroy us on a cultural level. I mean residential schools, slavery, all that jazz.
But as I was broken, walking away from God, and looking into church history, I found the Orthodox Church. And from what I’ve seen, the Orthodox Church is the only church to not try to outright “might makes right” entire nations of people. I’ve been walking to Join a church But I’m nervous about certain things.

1. Icons
   Since I grew up Protestant evangelical, I was always taught that icons were idolatry, that Jesus is our intercesor, and anyone else would be considered a form of idolatry.

2. Ceremony > relationship
   Many people tell me to stay away because orthodox people believe in the power of ceremony and sacred items more than they rely on Christ “the prayer rope won’t save you, you can only cross your heart so many times but Jesus doesn’t care”. It’s always rubbed me the wrong way how people demonize you guys.

3. Relationships
   This one’s more a personal thing. I’m scared of my relationships with my family if I were to convert. I fear that my wife and I would be cast out. Again, evangelical Protestant “lemme lay hands on you” responses. Or even my marriage may falter if my spouse was uncomfortable with the idea of kissing icons and such. How would someone travel through that?

Someone just recommended this subreddit to me. So I guess I’ll start off by just saying hello, and I’m with you lol.

I grew up in the Bible Belt Pentecostal movement, went into full time missions for a couple of years and recently have deconstructed a lot of my faith. From who I believe God is to how I should act as a Christian.

I come from a multi-cultural background that has been heavily affected by bad Christian theology. From reservations, to slavery, to more modern things like off hand racist comments and “know your place and shut your mouth” mentality. I’ve been heart broken by the modern state of the church in the west. My biggest statement I’ve been preaching from the rooftops is about the idea of spiritual reconciliation and repentance for the churches roll in what we would consider war crimes in the United States. Again, manifest destiny, chattel slavery, etc. what’s made my lose most of my faith in the church has been the sheer lack of concern and apathy so many Christian’s have towards issues that don’t effect them directly.
“That’s not my problem, forgive and forget, that was 100s of years ago, get over yourself, I never owned a slave why should I care”.
I didn’t ask for anything big, just reconciliation, expecially as someone who experienced real time racism within the church walls itself, and I was promptly booted out the door.

So now I’m here, in the ex evangelical community, because I see the damage I grew up in and played a hand in pushing. And I’ve felt like a colonizer to my own people and it fills me with deep regret, now I’m doing my best to actually live out my faith, speak out against the historical and present wrongs of the church and its involvement in politics and manipulation, and just be a decent person. I don’t go to church anymore and in a sad way, I’m proud of it. I feel like I’ve woken up to myself and have freedom to actually care about people in real time now that I have disconnected from evangelicalism.

I’m so tired of what the modern church as become. I’m hardly consider myself a Christian anymore because I don’t go to church, I pray my own way, I write secular songs and I’ve quit giving a damn about “convictions” Imposed onto me by other people.
The church in the US has such a history of violence, slavery, theft, injustice, and nowadays it’s so taboo to speak of. I’ve spoken to people who’ve outright told me “that’s not the churches issue to deal with, we’re only supposed to deal salvation, not reconciliation”. We hate the idea of spiritual reparations (no I’m not speaking of financial reparation). We have the idea of Returning identity back to people wronged by the church unless they bow to our rich, hyper charismatic American version of Christianity!
We hate the idea of “we did you wrong as people, black, native, different shade of white, poor, whatever it is, let us first ask for forgiveness and then let’s see how we can make this better now”. It’s unfreaking heard of!!!

I’m so tired of politics shaping our Christ. People acting like Jesus would be wearing a the red white and blue flag and eagle tattooed to his Chest. Just some good ol boy on OUR side of history.
I’m tired of Christian’s claiming to be all about repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, justice, freedom, but we can’t even pull ourselves to not publicly shame someone of a different religion! The same immigrants we preach to about love are the same people we call “dangerous savages” behind their backs!

We call accountability, judgement, we would look at Jesus protecting the Samaritan or the woman in adultery and say he was “tolerating sin”. Hell we’d probably attack Jesus himself! “Loving someone doesn’t mean tolerating their sin”, GIVE ME A BREAK! You can’t even pull yourself to not judge the homeless person on the sidewalk! You can pull yourself not to gossip about the LGBTQ person behind their back!

As a black person, It’s breaks my damn heart whenever I hear black people say “I’m so thankful for slavery, because at least I’m not worshipping the sun anymore”. HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY THE LITERAL ENEMY OF GOD, DEATH ITSELF!

We don’t know love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, or self-control. I’m not saying this about individual people. The institutional church is what I’m speaking of, the very foundation of the church in the U.S. itself is faulty.

I’m completely new to the idea of deism. I grew up in the Bible Belt, Pentecostal style Christianity. But for a while I deconstructed.
I come from an ethnic background that was heavily persecuted by Christian’s. And the only reason my ancestors believe in God and Jesus was because they had to in order to survive.

I’ve had to ask myself “how can a loving God sit back and watch this stuff happen”. People speak of free will and not infringing on choice, but I find this argument lazy at best. I eventually came across the idea of deism, that God set up the world and isn’t really as personally involved in people’s lives.

I’m starting to believe that God set up the world, he set up the spirits, he set up nature, and he let us go. It would explain why bad things happen to good people, why God doesn’t interviene, why other religions outside of Christianity have evidence for their point of view. Abrahamic religions are the only religions (that I know of) that discourage any personal revelation, evidence, and demonizes anything that doesn’t submit to God and authority.

I don’t wanna be that guy, but imma be that guy.
I’m mixed raced. Native American, black, Spanish.
I’m having a hard time with Christianity right now, Especially evangelical Christianity.
I know the history of my people in all sides. I know that I wouldn’t be a Christian today if it wasn’t for slavery, residential schools, etc.

I’ve began speaking up about the recent history of the church, as 250 years isn’t that long ago, and even things as early as 30-40 years ago with the last residential school closing in 1998. I’ve spoken of how it’s effected so many peoples views on Jesus and such and how so many people are still actively hurt my church people.

But I’ve been met with so many Christian’s who say “that’s not my problem, I didn’t own any slaves”, “That’s not my problem, I never shot a native”.
It’s made my lose considerable faith in the church. Almost resentment. Because I’ve been met with modern racism, being called savage and such. I had someone tell me “I don’t believe in generational guilt, I have no obligation to reconcile any person of color for something I never did”. And it broke my heart. I no longer consider this person a friend of mine.

I’m mixed raced. Native American, African American, and Spanish. I’ve grown up my whole life connected to my indigenous roots mostly, never really grew up around anyone besides native and white. I was one of the few black people in my family. I did a 23 and me and found out my African ancestors came through Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida for… obvious reasons. But it sparked my interest. My native culture has taught me that heritage is a big deal and should be looked after, and I’ve neglected that side of me. But I’m really sure where to start.

What can I do, where should I start to truly reconnect in a genuine manner, that doesn’t fantasize it.

I’ll stand on this, the history of jazz alone represents rebellion way more than punk, metal, rock, hip hop, etc.
being birthed from African Americans trying to adjust to a new world of freedom, and lack there of, Jazz was the staple child of artistic freedom. Playing jazz music could’ve landed you a search warrant at one time.

I’m slowly relearning my faith and reconnecting with a lot. I grew up in the Pentecostal Bible Belt and out of high school went into full time ministry.

But there’s a catch. I’m Native American. Many of my cousins don’t hate me for being Christian but for a long time, I’d admit, I turned a blind eye to my cousins concerns about the history of the church and “oh those guys in the past weren’t actually Christian but I promise us nowadays are”. But Christian’s in the west justified slavery, genocide, etc.

Recently I went through a rough patch with my faith where I was really questioning God and his existence. Eventually I came back around but I realized the most hateful and hypocritical people were my church friends.
I still read my Bible but I quit going to church. I loathe missions trips now. As a native I got to see from the outside the harm that this western church business set up has done to so many people globally. I’m tired of the evangelicals with their 1000s of salvations and 1000s of healings. I’m tired of the passive aggressive racism in the church that still continues to this day. I can’t tell you how many believers come up to me and say “I think you should really pray about that medicine pouch, your beadwork, your long hair, etc.”

When I was at my lowest, the church were the only people to push me down further and lower. So as of right now, I don’t go to Church. I don’t trust the church. To this day I still have good ol boy church goers trying to “kill the Indian, save to man” in me. They’ll call my long hair gay, they say my cultures “needs to repent”. If it don’t bleed red white and blue then it ain’t of God.

I’m tired.

Almost every place on earth has some form of organized warfare. I have a deep love for studying martial arts and never leaving my mother’s basement lol. But you can look to Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East, islands, and find all sorts of organized martial arts. But did your tribe have martial arts that were practiced at some point? I know a lot of native warfare was reflective of hunting styles and raiding styles, but certain wrestling techniques were passed down for father to son, brother to brother, etc.

Trumps burning the world down, selling off our native lands like cattle.
People like Popay, Sequoyah, sitting bull actually made moves to protect their people. I feel like us natives aren’t protecting our people. We try to vote our way out of these and it’s NEVER worked, historically or presently. They didn’t even consult us or ask us about the lands, so why should we ask about protesting, doing what we can to actually stand up.
The Lakota stood up against the pipeline, we need to stand up against big oil trying to drill into these sacred places.

My parents have a violent, territorial french bulldog who’s not fixed.

He attacks the other dogs when they get food, he attacks other dogs when they get near my mother. My parents have resorted to putting him in a box everytime he almost kills my parents other dogs and he immediately goes into victim mode once this happens.

I’m so tired of this Dog. I know frenchies were bred to be lap dogs but this one is a diva who when he doesn’t get his way, or when the other dogs eat, or even hint to having anything he can’t have, he takes it out on the other dogs as violently as possible.

How should I train this dog to not be like this?

Baggy clothing, high socks, bandanas. It feels practical for summer heat but also it looks good.
I’ve done this myself but never really put 2 and 2 together.

I’ll doze off to sleep, than then I’ll “wake up”. It feels like such a dream like state, the only issue being I’m complete aware of my surroundings and I cannot move at all. I can even close and open my eye in this dream state. But I cannot move. And sometimes I just feel this dark energy around me.

My biggest thing is my inability to move. It makes me hesitant to want to sleep ever because this is so common and uncomfortable. I don’t feel rested because I’m complexly awake and aware in this position.

If you look at old trapper photos or old western photos, or even Native American photos, there was a trend of wearing your belt on the outside of your shirt. I wanted to know if there was any point to this?

I feel like AC has made people ignorant on how to manage summer heat. I’ve been getting into different clothing styles and rocking stuff to be comfortable as I’m outside a lot and don’t always have access ac, and my Rez doesn’t use AC often because it’s expensive.

I’ve looked into some traditional and historical teachings and have gone as far as to try and wear only natural materials like cotton and linen, I wear those douchey low cut sleeveless shirts that people hate but damn it if they don’t pull in the breeze. It’s the closest I can get to just being shirtless while being in town.
Moccasins are most comfortable for me, I haven’t found anything that could simulate the freedom of a loincloth without being so exposing to make people uncomfortable (that’ll be the most honest sentence I’ve said all day).

I just remember how our ancestors used to dress. Unless you were working through the bush or cutting wood or walking through cacti, it didn’t make sense to wear so many clothing items, it was too damn hot. Even out east I know for some cultures it was feminine to cover your thighs, but only once Western European influence came over and made us cover up did we start to adopt the idea. Out west where I’m from, we didn’t wear clothing unless we really had to. We built out homes to last and had knowledge passed down that could save our lives. I know we didn’t have to deal with global warming but now I feel this knowledge is needed now more than ever.