It’s Hard Knowing That Fellow Christians Are Following Republican Ways Instead Of Gods Way - Blog Posts

When I first received this zine in the mail I was a little turned off. It made me think back to the pamphlets and fliers that people tried to hand me on my college campus in hopes of “converting” students trying to get to class. But boy was I wrong (talk about judging a book by its cover)!!! Anyway, the author, D (Who wishes to remain anonymous), kicks things off by sharing some of his thoughts on his childhood and growing up in a conservative evangelical community. In fact, he mentioned how this zine started as a letter to his parents but now coniders it to be a letter to every church and church leader he’s encountered in his lifetime. According to the D, he often felt like questioning religion was dangerous and ungodly. Although he was taught to “love thy neighbor” he often questioned why this didn't include queer people, people with children out of wedlock, working women, and more. How come were taught to love unconditionally but no one actually practices it?

The intro is one of my favorite parts of this zine. The zinester brings up the common saying “God is Love”. Something that you’ll hear church members say fairly often. Then the writer invites us to close our eyes and imagine. What would it be like to live in a world where “they know we’re Christians by our love.” You walk into a room, talk to the people inside, and without a doubt they know you're a Christian by your love. What did you say to them? He then asks us to think: Who counts as they? What groups will know your Christian by your love? And what groups won’t? Finally, he asks the reader, “Whom have you pretended doesn't count as they to make the whole love thing easier? I love this whole concept. I often see so-called Christians making up excuses to make their hatred go down easier but for trans people like me and others from marginalized groups, that can be a hard pill to swallow.

One of my favorite pages was the Scripture page. It lists 3 different scriptures (Mark 12:31, Isaiah 1:17, and Galatians 3:28) and at the top states, “What would it look like if your political beliefs were informed by these scriptures?”. It’s so common to see bigoted people using the bible to explain away their wrong-doings but when it really comes down to it there are a lot of “Christians” that seem to know nothing about the bible and what it preaches and this page encompasses that.

Overall this zine was a great read. If you're in the process of, or just starting to, unpack your religious upbringing then this book is just for you. It’s fairly long so it was impossible to mention everything that was discussed so I highly suggest tracking down one for yourself. DM me if your interested in the digital verison of this zine! (PS This zine pairs wonderfully with a hot drink while listening to Preachers Daughter by Ethel Cain)