Freedom Of Religion Means ALL Religions Not Just Christian Sects!

I agree strongly with all of this OP. 

Community?

Several pagan/polytheist blogs have recently considered why our various online communities too often fall apart, and have been discussing ideas to help them stay together. 

It seems to me that burnout and conflict are the two main factors impacting community cohesion, so I’ll address each of those in turn.

Burnout

Our tumblr communities are voluntary associations without formal leadership and often without stated goals. I often see around 1-3 individuals actively welcoming newcomers, answering questions, and creating in-depth content. They eventually experience burnout and become less active, move to another blogging platform, or simply vanish. Some of that might due to changing circumstances (school, job, health, family, etc.) or having a change of interest, but comments indicate there’s definitely a feeling of being under-valued. Interestingly, some of the steps that could be taken to help community helpers feel appreciated may also help build community cohesion.taking responsibility,

Recognition. When we interact, we don’t always treat the other person as a real human member of our community with a life beyond the tumblr dash. We often expect entertainment, information, and quick answers. Reblogs and likes are the minimum one should do to acknowledge the content one values.Taking a moment to say “hello”, to introduce oneself, to ask how their day or a project is going lets the other person know they’re being seen, not just being regarded as a sort of Alexa. When we reblog or reply to someone, we can thank them for having made a really good comment or post, appreciate their art, or mention the wonderful items in their online shop. In short, we can treat each other with the kindness and courtesy we treat rl friends and associates, not just as faceless entities behind the screen.

Focus. We can take the time to read and digest posts and comments, and refrain from responding heedlessly. Someone recently took me to task about a small detail in a post about an Athenian festival. I pointed out that they were saying exactly what I had said in the post. They cut off the discussion without an apology.

Apologize. It takes courage to admit mistakes. Shame often leads people to deleting posts and trying to forget about the whole thing. Making a good apology - taking responsibility, acknowledging the offense, expressing remorse, and making amends - shows depth of character. Apologies can save relationships, and a community is, after all, a web of relationships.

Service. Everyone in a community has something to offer, and anyone can help answer questions! Just about everyone in the Hellenic community can direct newbies to theoi.com, share their favorite shop(s), art, poems, etc., and post about their gods. In fact, our community depends on as many of us doing these things as possible!

Support. We know who the content creators are - we see their names regularly. People don’t always have the energy to admit they’re feeling overwhelmed. When we don’t see them as often, it’s time to send a message: “How’s it going?” “Anything I can do?” “I admire your dedication.”  We can’t reach them by baking cookies or brewing tea, but we can post things they might like, answer some of those posts asking for help, offer a prayer for them. There’s an idea: how about praying for our community?

 Conflict I should be an expert in conflict by now..but I keep falling into it. Let me count…I’ve alienated at least 4 people on tumblr whom I previously regarded as friends, and there’s probably many more. Maybe you’ll be able to learn something positive from my lapses in judgement. Try to view disagreements as kindly as possible. 

Sometimes there is wisdom in scrolling past. Not everything is a problem, and not every problem, dear reader, is your problem. Our pagan religious communities intersect with the interests of people following tags for ancient history, mythology, witchcraft, feminism, and fandoms, just to name a few. A little self-control can go a long way to averting conflict.

Try to assume the best. This relates to the previous point, but I’m thinking more about my specific communities. Sometimes tumblr eats part of a post, sometimes a key word or sentence is accidentally omitted. No one has encyclopedic knowledge of a subject, and even those with Ph.Ds can miss something (which is why peer review exists). Gentle inquiry and correction is one of those things that can help preserve relationships and community.

Think of the impact on your community.  Again, relates to the previous point. Is it ever worth embarrassing a member of one’s community? When online forums first started, people were encouraged to observe a “5-minute rule”, an “hour rule”, or a “24-hour rule” to think over a reply before sending. There are times when a diplomatically-worded private message might save feelings all around. There are times when one realizes no input is really necessary. 

But, face it, there are times when something (such as white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia) needs to be confronted, must be dealt with immediately, and sometimes it falls squarely on your shoulders to do it. When that happens, say a prayer for guidance, and speak for justice. When you see someone standing up against hate, please message them your support and volunteer to step in - if you have the spoons and if they need a break. It will be greatly appreciated.

Offer - or seek - mediation. Someone from the community once selflessly stepped in to mediate a conflict in which I was embroiled. It didn’t save the relationship, but the community was spared from seeing the train wreck. Those with conflict resolution training and have the energy to offer help are doing the gods work in volunteering to help the parties involved. In fact, it would be of benefit to our communities if more of us would take a little time once or twice a year to read up on, or refresh ourselves in, techniques for settling disputes.

Though we all value the concepts of kharis/hospitium/ma’at which are intrinsic to our religious practices, I think we also get so caught up in the fun of scrolling that we often forget that virtue and justice are just as important for online interactions as in our other relationships. Because we follow bloggers whom we too often know only by name, it’s easy to become a consumer of other people’s time and effort. Because we can’t hear tones of voice or see expressions, it’s easy to overlook signs of burnout and to misread the intentions of the person behind the keyboard. 

But maybe, if we try to maintain awareness of the communities we say are important, and respect the people behind the usernames, we might be able to maintain the vitality of our communities, support those who create content, and remain inviting to newcomers for many years to come.

These are my thoughts. Please share yours!

Historic Sit In

Just found out today that one of the first sit-ins in America happened at the Alexandria Library in 1939. This was started by a black lawyer named Samuel Wilbert Tucker, and while he lost the case, Tucker continued to fight back against segregation and was part of the NAACP.

Can I Copy Your Homework? Fruits Basket Edition

I’ll Help You With It: Yuki Sohma (Unless You’re Kyo), Hatori Sohma

Yeah, Sure: Hatsuharu Sohma, Kisa Sohma, Momiji Sohma, Ritsu Sohma (Apologizes Loudly for Any Errors on His Homework)

Bold Of You To Assume I Did the Homework: Saki Hanajima, Shigure Sohma, Ayame Sohma

LOL, Nope: Arisa Uotani, Hiro Sohma, Kyo Sohma (Unless You’re Tohru)

Wait, We Had Homework: Tohru Honda

Read at 5:55 P.M. Akito Sohma, Isuzu “Rin” Sohma (Her Cell Phone is never on)

Mary Shelley suddenly became a lot cooler than she already was. 

hello! i’m sorry if you’ve been asked this before but do you think you could elaborate on mary shelley’s attraction to women? i’ve heard of people describing her as bisexual just in passing but i’ve never found a good explanation of it. once again, i’m very sorry if you have been asked this before!

I may have, so check the questions tag just in case!

But Mary Shelley was involved with Jane Williams after Percy Shelley’s death, a relationship/involvement. Mary often described her in terms of endearment and her sole delight. Everything kind of went to hell when she found out Jane had married Thomas Hogg and was talking about how Mary was cold towards Shelley, which is, if you ask me, a big, big asshole move.

She also had wlw friends and help a couple to forge passports so they could ran away together too.

She was totally ok with Antinous, unlike the rest of Rome. 

One strange roman “family” (from left to right): Antinous (two on the left side), Hadrian, Sabina

Definitely reblogging for luck. 

it’s the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century.

you can only reblog this today.

Antony: I was going to get you another cat. 

Cleopatra: We already have Cynane, and the animal shelter’s closed anyways. 

Antony: Shit! 

Cleopatra: where are you

Antony: I left early

Antony: sorry I couldn't stay longer :(

Cleopatra: wtf where are you going

Antony: I'm going home

Cleopatra: are you kidding me come back

Cleopatra: you're drunk

Antony: don't worry I called an Uber

Cleopatra: We drank at my place

Antony: oh

Antony: where am I going

Bad Ancient Rome Joke

Lissa Dragomir: So what do Mark Antony, Julius Caesar, and Cleopatra have in common?

Rose Hathaway: Threesome!

Lissa Dragomir: Can you honestly not take ANYTHING seriously?!

Rose Hathaway: It wouldn’t be as fun if I did. 

Long Overdue Ableism Post

I am sick and tired of certain right wing Christians whining about the ADA (you know the law that ensures that disabled people get an equal shake in life). Without the ADA, myself and many of my classmates wouldn’t have been able to attend school unless our parents could afford the fees for one of the few private schools for disabled people. Many of us would be unable to move in public since ramps wouldn’t be installed, and the visually impaired couldn’t utilize guide dogs. 

In the past, many of us were forcibly institutionalized and sterilized since we were viewed as worthless. Those who weren’t institutionalized were written off by teachers as lost causes, our issues largely undiagnosed. The fact that many of us were murdered in Nazi Germany was ignored until recently. It took mass demonstrations before the ADA was passed in 1990. 

For a group that claims to support “Christian charity” y’all sure aren’t practicing what you’re preaching.