OK, So.

I’ve been wrestling with whether to post this, or not. I want to always advise of resources for marginalized people to find community. However, these are religious resources. They’re the sort that emphasize inclusion and welcome and community, though, so that wins out, for me. I’m going to post this, hoping that someone will be able to use the information or knows someone else who can. I don’t know if there is an audience here for such things, so this would be the time to comment as to Yea, post these when I see them, or no comments/Nay being there is no one who might use these, and I’ll save the space in future. Thanks for your time! There is no proselytization intended with this post. It’s only to try to reach any- and everyone who is looking for community. These came from my Sojourners magazine. They’re simple resources that one can check out with no obligation or identification.

TRANSforming Church Culture: Becoming Trans Inclusive
Convocation 2025: UNCHARTED

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Published by ali redford

I love dogs and people. I want living creatures to thrive. I love to cook, and share the food, but ya gotta get in line in front of the dog.

17 thoughts on “OK, So.”

    1. Hi Janet. I know you addressed the comment to Ali and I thank her for posting this. But please let me also respond. I understand that because I post stuff about hate preachers that attack people many might think the blog is antireligion. But that is not the full story. The fact is I am against hateful religions and those that use them as a cudgel against those they don’t like. I hope this can be a welcoming space for those who are religious and inclusive. I know that are members in high favor including two authors. Both Randy and Ali are people who have deep faith in their god. Roger is someone who comments here very often and he is also very religious, and again all of them have a faith that is welcoming / inclusive to others. I often post stuff from Reverend Ed Trevors who is an Anglican Priest I follow and really enjoy his posts. Again he is very inclusive. One thing these people have in common is they follow the precepts of Jesus, not the hateful vengeful god of the Old Testament. I feel we all have a personal code of behavior regardless if it is religious or not. I have such a code and mine is not based on religion yet when I wrote to Rev. Trevors to ask if his heaven had a place for me telling him how I live my life but also was an openly gay man in a same sex marriage. His response was sure, he felt anyone who lived by the guidelines of Jesus regardless if they were Christian or not they were welcome by his lord, including openly gay people in a same sex marriage. His god was one of love, not hate or harm. I really hope the inclusive religious people of all faiths feel comfortable here posting their feelings in the comments on everything posted here. I do not mind them sharing their religious feelings / beliefs as long as they are inclusive and anti hate / anti-harm.

      A bit of my history if you will indulge me. At about 15 or so I started working for a local farmer who along with his entire family were very religious. They were Seventh Day Adventist. When school ended after my 11 grade when I was 17 I took a very bad beating. They were getting worse and worse and I felt my adopting adult male was finally going to kill me as he had threatened to do many times. The farmer found me hiding in one of his barns. I begged him to let me hide / stay in the barn during the summer. I told him my fear. He had another idea. He asked me if I would go to the church boarding school this summer and stay until I graduated. I told him I had no money, he told me he would cover all expenses. He explained I would have to follow the rules and observe the rules of their faith, go to all the chapels and services. I agreed. He took me into the house where his wife a nurse tended to my wounds. He went to where I lived to talk to those that adopted me. I have no idea what he said but he came back and told me it was OK to return there, I would be safe, pack the things he gave me a list for, and he would pick me up in the morning. He did, he also paid for everything. When I graduated he told me he would pay for me to go onto their seminary. I wanted to so bad, but I knew and had accepted by then that I was gay and I knew I couldn’t accept his offer. See why I don’t hate all religious people, one of them saved my life when I was a child. Hugs

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    2. That is my thought, too. We don’t know who might be reading, and it may be something they can use. I’ve posted at least a couple Christian ones in the past several days, and I didn’t want anyone to worry! But this seems important.

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      1. Hi Ali. The idea that we don’t know who is reading is a great point. I like the mix of uplifting posts, encouraging posts, and posts promoting acceptance / tolerance, or showing how others are suffering needing our help. It doesn’t matter to me the source as long as the material is accurate if it is a news source. Never fear to post something religious if it is inclusive and not hateful. If it is hateful and posted to show how bad that type of faith is I am OK with it as I do it also. I feel the best way to defeat hate is to know what hate is saying so we can refute it. Ali I love what you post and I am sorry I just don’t get to read them all the time. Hugs

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        1. I’m not sure what you mean. If it is that my comment was confusing –

          Religion based sites, both real life and internet, are not bad because they are religion, IMO, it’s what they do with it.

          These look like possibly good resources, but I always approach with caution. Also, I didn’t check them out but if Janet says they are okay, then they probably are – but approach with caution anyway. It’s just a rule on dealing with religions.

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          1. Understood! There are no locks; they merely want people to way.know they’re welcome in their settings, and to learn how to be more welcoming. That’s what I got from it, anyway. I’m cautious about religion, too.

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    2. Hi MDavis. I agree. Uplifting and inclusive items even from a religious source are welcome. I feel religion is like almost everything else, it can be used to a good purpose or a bad one. Those inclusive to everyone and uplifting rather than hateful or cruel are welcome. Hugs

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    1. Hi!

      A while back, Scottie had some health issues happening, and was exhausted. He asked a couple of his friends to post, in order to keep the blog lively. So here I am! He’s back to posting, too. We all post, now. Thanks for reading here! I don’t get to yours nearly often enough.

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    2. Hi Brian. I know this was for Ali and I hope she will weigh in also. I am OK but not good. After my stroke in early 2023 I struggled to function much less keep the blog going. I asked two people if they would step in to help me. Ali was one of those, Randy is the other. I may some day ask others to do guest posts. As to my health it fluctuates badly right now. Sometimes I am ok for up to a week, sometimes I am day by day struggling simply to get out of bed or make a post. On my bad times I struggle to even watch videos and it is so hard to make a post or reply. After I got really ill again two months ago I now struggle to even get to others blogs. I want to and love your blog the posts are informative and the photos are outstanding. I used to look forward to them so much and will enjoy when I feel up to going there again. I will get better, I am working on it, I will again be looking at your blog. But I need to build up more energy. It is a trick between answering the 208 comments I have saving to answer, and still do the few posts I want to do, try to get to the four windows of 15 tabs each of stuff I thought important to save for later posting, and finding time to read the many other people’s blogs I really love. A few times I have thought of turning the posting on the blog over to Ali, Randy and maybe a few others so I can read others blogs … but then I read something that really makes me feel I need to post it. Anyway. That is the update on me. If you ever want to contact me outside the blog my email is Scottiestoybox@gmail.com, thank you very much for caring. Hugs

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      1. Hi Scottie. So gerat to hear from you, even the news are a bit mixed… Don’t worry about visiting, the critical thing is for you to get better. I suspect blogging or visiting a handful is good for your morale… You probably have to be more selective… 😉
        best wishes of recovery my friend.

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  4. Love all you mices to pieces but, sorry, religion is bad

    Opiate of the masses, tool of the state to control people

    Bread and circuses, beer and football, crotch-shots on Fox

    Those who know me know I’m not ignorant of my speech

    All we need to know is within us to know …

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    1. I appreciate you responding on this one, and I will bear in mind what you write as I decide what I ought and what I ought not post here at Scottie’s Playtime. I figure most readers are of similar mind with what you write, and/or on line with what Scottie writes (as I am, since it doesn’t affect my own belief,) so I wanted to ask about religious resources. My primary thought re this is of those who may want inclusion with religious-mostly Christian because I don’t see much from the others-communities, and/or may be heartened to know such exists.

      I try to be courteous of all the viewpoints when I post (well, except Republican viewpoints, of course! They can go read elsewhere.)

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