I have seen many posts from this guy I follow about atheism on my own account as well as this account. It's Shadows writing this.

I do not believe my God, the christian God, is homophobic, I believe he is forgiving. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us ALL from our sins, regardless of race, religion, sins, sexual preference, etc. I believe gays have an equal chance to be saved and go to heaven as Christians do.

Now here is where I will shock everyone... I do not believe just because you go to church every Sunday you go to heaven. I do not believe it is mandatory for a Christian to go to church every Sunday or even at all.

This is what I believe...

Do not take God's name in vain. Usually we take this to mean don't say such things as "Oh my God" or "Jesus Christ" but I believe there is more to it. I believe that it means that Christians should not go around telling athiests or anyone that they are going to Hell regardless. I have heard Christians tell gays they'll go to Hell. Tell self-harmers they'll go to Hell. Tell suicidals they'll go to Hell. Tell nonbelievers they'll go to Hell. Tell people with tattoos they'll go to Hell. I believe that in a way, this is taking God's name in vain and I do not believe this is right. Christians who do that are running God's name through the dirt. Our God is forgiving and loving.

A friend of mine was molested at such a young age... And for so long she believed she'd go to Hell because she allowed it to happen, even though she didn't know better. Because Christians all around have said things like that. I was a suicidal and self harmer and I believed God may damn me to Hell for so long becuase of that. But that is not our God.

Christians have been named one of the most judgemental religions and for that I am sorry. But I swear there are some who do not, who will not judge and I am one.

For the atheists and any other nonbeliever who has come to hate Christians and our God, let me ask you this? Would you hate us less if we weren't so pushy? If we weren't so judgemental? If we were more loving? If we didn't say you were going to Hell because you did something we don't agree with?

Let me ask you this? Do you hate me because I am a Christian even though I have not said you're going to Hell? Even though I apologized for the acts that others have commited? Even though I have tried to be your friend? Even though I accept your beliefs as yours and mine as mine?

Christians are commanded by God to preach the truth. We were told we would be hated for it. We were told we'd be persecuted for it. But we were told to preach the truth and to teach others about God. Can you hate us for doing what our God has told us to do? If you can, then you're not accepting like you think you are. There is a fine line between preaching the truth and harassing others into believing the truth.

I am sorry that my brethren has made you feel condemned, I am sorry they have preached falsely and made my God look merciless. I am sorry that my brethren has fed you lies and stained any hope or any good image of my God you have seen. But I hope I can at least help make my God's name.

And if you hate me for it, so be it but I am doing what I was commanded to do.

~Shadows

I will tag the person I mentioned at the beginning.

#religion

#Christianity

#Atheists

#Atheism

Do you feel that itch in the back of your head?

Slowing you down

Like shoes full of lead?

Do you wonder now, ‘Were they truths? Were they lies?’

Birthing new ghosts

Behind your eyes,

And all of these memories won’t stay under seal,

All of these things

Were they even real?

Where do you find enough ground to stand on?

When it feels like quicksand

You’re standing upon?

All of these thoughts, they get lost in your mind,

And questions and answers

Are so hard to find,

When every direction leads only to tears,

Why not give in

To all of your fears?

So stay where you are, there’s no need to choose,

And though you won’t win

Nor will you lose.

You found me lost on the map. You found me here, misguided, misplaced. My compass permanently southbound. I begged you to rewrite me. And as you chalked the outlines of my heart in vibrant, burning light, my dark covered you, blanket-like. Ensnaring your hands and your mouth. Suffocating. Myself as the lack of oxygen to your blood-stream. So I drew a breath with my pen on your lungs. But I couldn’t save you from me.

He was immaculate miscarriage.

For if he was born

The skies would fall to the dark,

And his voice would quake the earth with pale green eyes he would smite man with colorless flames.

He was the heir to the reaper's kiss.

And he would have creation for his own.

Welcome to society-

Where you differences are your flaws

Where your criticized and judged,

based on the mask you did wear

Where every achievement you achieve is just considered luck

Wherever you go your expected to be the paragon

Where every smile means the beginning

And, every frown concludes the end

Where one mistake is eternity

And your perfection isn’t who you are

But, the carvings of the vessel your in

Enjoy your stay-

12.9.18

Marinette walked to her garden to make amends. She stepped on the cold ground with bare feet. She moved her legs on the grass. She walked to the roses and cut off the thorns, so she would no longer feel the pain. She pulled the lilies from the ground so she could no longer go to the cemetery that was her heart. She walked to the daises and removed the petals, so she could no longer count on the love that let her down.

Finally, she took an axe and cut down the apple tree that occupied her garden. She threw away the naked branches and chopped this tree into small pieces, to match the number of misplaced pieces in her soul. She took the wood into her home and started a fire.

Putting the fragments of her into a fireplace. She arranged everything and lighted a match. She watched the flames blaze and started to breathe. Staring at the memories that dragged her down, turn into ash. And as the smoke lifted to the chimney and floated to the sky, she let it fly high and reach the dark clouds that took permanent residence in her mind. She stared at that smoke that would clear her soul, body, heart, and mind.

She waited for the rain to erase the bad in her life. And as the first drops felt down from the sky above, banging on the roof, she felt her chest rise and fall. Her heart once again beating in rhythm. And through the glass she stared, marveling at the night sky. Watching the clouds clear, and at last noticing the moon. Its light glow showing her the way, guiding her to someone she once was. No longer stuck in the dark and cold. But with moonbeams on her skin and light in her fibers.

Strong enough to start the healing process. To begin anew.

One day at a time, until she was human again.

...

You picked out the nicest outfit in your closet

And stared at yourself in the mirror for an hour repeating,

“You can do this. It’s dinner. Don’t be weird. Don’t be awkward.”

And you straightened that loose hair drooping over your forehead

Slicked it back with hair clay

And sprayed the cologne I complimented back in high school.

You drive to my place, your heart in your throat

Palms sweating over the steering wheel

And your blush creeps over your face as you see me wave and walk over to your car.

You open the door for me

This is it. You think to yourself. It’s finally happening.

We drive to the best restaurant in town.

You hold the door for me. Pull out my chair for me. You’re the most chivalrous guy I’ve met.

And we talked for hours

Reminiscing the good old days with our squad in senior year.

Late nights out doing what we weren’t supposed to

Being the only two out of our group to stay up chatting in the living room of the suite we all rented on prom night.

And then I asked you what your intentions were. Why did you take me out for dinner?

Your heart is racing. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

You’re visibly shaking. I feel bad for having asked that question.

Then your words came clumsily falling out, not out of carelessness but that they contained so much of your raw emotion.

“I— I love you. I really love you. I have been in love with you for years!” you nearly shout.

The words finally find release after being bottled up for so long. Everyone around turns to us and you lower your head in embarrassment.

I take your hand. Everyone turns away and goes back to their business. Clinking utensils on their fine china plates and wiping their faces with imported cotton napkins.

“I love that you had the courage to say that. I love that you’ve taken me out tonight. I love you, but not in the same way. I love you as a friend— like a brother.”

And the words hit you like a 16- wheeler going down the freeway at 90 mph.

Perhaps I’ve always had been too friendly. Too nice. Too perfect in your ideas.

Of course she doesn’t feel the same way. I’m so stupid.

It’s because your imagination got the best of you. You thought of me and then you started to imagine us. How I had always been there to listen to your venting. Then on to imagine your hands running through my hair and inhaling the scent of my baby cologne. And then you imagine what it would be like to hold me and take me to dinner at the best place in town and to kiss me at the end of tonight.

But I was home thirty minutes later after you paid the bill.

And I gave you a hug and thanked you for the meal before you drove off into the night.

I was in pain for having hurt you,

Yet it wasn’t on the level you felt.

And so you got home and took of your best outfit. Washed the clay out of your hair

And the cologne I always loved

Threw yourself onto your bed and hugged your pillow,

Muffling your shouts of the agony from your heart, Thoughts drifting into the fool you’ve made out of yourself

That we could’ve happened if you’d had done things differently.

But the truth is that it wouldn’t have been any different.

I’m sorry I didn’t imagine what you imagined.

I’m sorry I didn’t feel the same way.

I’m sorry that I never noticed that you loved me another way, that I could’ve saved you from all this heartache if I’d known back then.

I’m sorry that things probably won’t go back to the way they were.

I hope you can find,

in what’s left of your heart,

To forgive me for tonight.