P×dophiles are flocking to churches because they're unregulated by the government. They're becoming a safe haven for these sick fucks because they often attempt to handle conflict and scandals within their own walls. Also, due to a high need for childcare, often no background check is needed!

A "scandal" is bad for business attendance numbers, so they like to keep it quiet, if they can.

My family has gone to so many churches throughout the years, and at least 5 or 6 have had the sexual abuse of a child come to light within church leadership.

I am dead serious about this: KEEP YOUR KIDS OUT OF CHURCHES!!!!

EDIT: I forgot to mention that most clergy are not bound by laws that would make them mandated reporters for child abuse.

It's a nice sentiment, but..

This was premeditated. She needs to be held accountable and have consequences for what she willfully and knowingly did.

She literally killed people. I'm not sure this can be a case of "forgive and let her off lightly."

From "Untamed" by Glennon Doyle

He's literally pro-dictatorship. Loves the way North Korea is ruled: with absolute authority and with harsh punishments for anyone who disobeys their ruler.

The man is furious that his presidency did not grant him that. If he is elected a second time, he will aim towards dismantling democracy for his own gain.

I finally made a vague comment pushing back against my boss's fucking unhinged conspiracy theories and shitty beliefs after being forced to hear him spout it for nearly a year.

"Wow, Wayne. I thought you were against the government regulating what people should do with their bodies. Huh.. but okay."

He turned purple, didn't talk to me for the rest of the day, and never put me on the schedule after that.

Their entire business closed down a few months ago. I feel bad for were the ladies working there & my one co-worker. They were all part of the same church/religion, and they all basically cowered before Wayne. Wayne was an asshole who treated them all terribly. He was just mad that I didn't let him treat me the same way.

They also didn't want to give me more than 18 hours per week or raise my pay up from 12$ an hour for the highly specialized job I was doing.

Good riddance, Wayne.

Because when I do what I want, I get called a "retard" or asked "what the fuck are you doing?" by the people around me. I make a point to try to do things quietly (stopping to observe a cool bug, making chalk drawings on the sidewalk, saying "wheee!" on the swings, etc.), but it really doesn't matter.

I've caught glimpses of people filming me before, so I now only do what I want in privacy.

Also doesn't help that I've been accused of "doing it for attention." Nah, my dude, pretty sure I'm just fckin' autistic.

I only want people to leave me alone now. I don't like having to justify my actions when I'm just trying to enjoy myself.

Do they think that birthing & taking care of a newborn is like "summer break"???

For the billionth time: get fucked, GOP.

I wrote 3 - 4 sentences and got in.

They want people to join who will make an effort to contribute to their community.

So their """essay""" requirement is working if it keeps out people who think that writing a couple lines is "mental".

What is challenging in art? Just put a pencil on paper and move it around.

In my experience, "centrists" are often just right-wingers who smoke weed.

There was an asian food place in my local mall back when I worked there as a teen. My old boss casually mentioned that it was a human trafficking front. They'd have women from their native country marry for a visa, have them come to US, employ them work at the store, then.. I have no idea.. I sincerely hope it was for visas and not more nefarious purposes..

There was also a gambling ring going on in the tailor shop of the same mall. But that was whatever.

Having an interest in sharing something with you without making you feel stupid about it.

Went to about art museum with a guy, and he was super excited to tell me about certain pieces and artists and their history. He was very kind when I asked questions about things that were probably very obvious to a more studious person.

Was on his arm by the end of the date. Absolutely smitten!

I think your brian might be malfunctioning.

Success = hard work.

Hard work = not lazy.

Not lazy = good.

Rich / successful people = good people (unless they're involved in godless entertainment, of course)

Not successful = not working hard enough.

Not working hard enough = lazy.

Lazy = bad.

Poor / unsuccessful people = bad people

They do not think hard enough to see nuance. They just don't.

An old friend of mine once ranted to me about how poor women will keep popping out babies to get free government money & food. Like.... bitch, do you know how actually difficult it is to get """free money""" from the government? Are you seriously mad that children are being fed? Do you think that poor people fund their "lavish lifestyles" off government funds? BITCH, POOR PEOPLE DON'T DO THAT!!! RICH PEOPLE DO!!!!

It's because he's making himself out to be a martyr who is challenging a corrupt system, which is why "the system" doesn't like him and is trying to steal what is rightfully his.

See? He's the one fighting the true corruption!!

Honestly, anyone who still buys into this shit at this point is dead to me.

You're definitely not ugly.

I hope that you're able to appreciate, love yourself, and see yourself how others see you eventually, my friend.

If I have to pry answers out of someone, I'd rather cut my losses and move on.

Does this guy think he's cool or mysterious?

I mean, yeah, that's how I deal with it.

But even some non-church-going folks with drop off their kids at "youth group" essentially for free childcare and debatable "moral development."

"Will you love and care for this child that needs a home?"

"Yes, of course!"

"What if they happen to be trans?"

"Ew, no."

Fix the stupid fucking spine!!!

One little incident and you're in pain for the rest of your life? Shitty design flaw.

I agree. 15 years is hardly "life" in prison, though. I think it's more than fair.

My old boss claimed to be a libertarian.

He would always rant and rave about the government overstepping and forcing people to get the vaccine and wear masks (which never happened, but okay) and then in the next sentence would praise the folks in power who wanted to ban abortions.

Like..... motherfucker, at least be consistent!

He also scoffed at me because "must be nice to get government money during the pandemic just for having a kid." I got like 300$. That shithead gladly got a massive business bailout and just smugly read shitty articles and conspiracy theories from with Facebook Q group at work instead of doing his job.

Damn, that hurts to read that, but you're right.

I have a bazillion books at my place (for every age group.. do 8-year olds still like "Magic Tree House"..?), art supply, board games, cards, and those kinda things.

I'm sure he'll be happy to do literally anything, tbh. Poor kid seems to feel guilty for simply existing. Fuckin' hate to see it.

He had a lot of mental health issues that he just wouldn't get help with.

He ended up being upset a lot because I didn't "react the way [he] wanted me to". In the end, I really did care about him a lot, but his clinginess and codependency on me was far too much for me to handle. He made it clear that he was unhappy, but also depended on me to make him happy. I tried very hard, but it was never good enough. Did my best to encourage and support him, but he just couldn't do right for himself.

He really was such a beautiful person, but loving someone is often not enough.

I really do hope that he is doing well now, wherever he is.

I hate you. I hate you soooo damn much.

I'm sorry, but I hate this argument.. because it's crock.

Attackers generally do not telegraph their intentions. They often come on suddenly and unexpectedly. I've been assaulted before and could not have defended myself even if I wanted to. I was caught too off-guard. Having a gun would not have helped me in any of those situations.

It's a "I am very badass!"-solution often from folks that have never been in that vulnerable kind of position before, because if they have, they would know that it cannot be reliably executed.

I am always worried about replying to "older" threads after being brow-beaten on R×ddit with messages like "Dude, it's been 48 hours. Why are you replying to this?".

Plus the old "don't necro old threads/posts" I'm used to from other sites and forums, as well.

Force of habit after those experiences, honestly.

I sew. Specifically, I love sewing stuffed animals.

As a kid, I always wanted those giant stuffed animals, but it just wasn't meant to be. Now I can make pretty much whatever I want!

I love the colors, the feel of the fabrics.. but my favorite part is seeing my 2D drawings get turning into a tangible 3D object! Plus, it makes kids go "WHOOOOAAA" or smile or laugh when they see what I make. That really can't be beat!

That's fine, but she still made a conscious decision to do it. If she was one year older, would that make any kind of difference?

And let me be clear: mental illness can make some behaviors more understandable, but not murder– if the blame is put solely on mental illness, all that does is put more stigma on it. Not every shitty decision people make is because of "mental illness".

A friend in Austria made me realize how absolutely asinine it all is.

"Imagine having to be diagnosed as gender."

Endless content can definitely lead to a more addictive platform. Because it's trying to encourage more users to generate their own content, there's certainly less of it, bit definitely less garbage to wade through.

That said, I feel that I'm learning more, sharing more, and interacting with others more.

It's also much nicer than R×ddit, because I've seen so much less: ragebait, fake stories, sensationalism, intentional factual inaccuracies/disinformation, shilling, shitty bots, etc.

Honestly? I think it will eventually be astroturfed by corporations and bad actors once it gets big enough.

My early-morning ADHD brain read that as:

By upvoting this post, you confirm that you are not Amish

And I was like "Well duh!" before my reading comprehension caught up with me.

I have to make a conscious effort to drink water, and my health requires that I do so. In order to not be dehydrated and sick, I carry a water bottle wherever I go.

I had a really cool NES water bottle that I loved because it had a push-button flip top. The less effort it takes for me to get to the water, the better! But eventually, the top broke and I begrudgingly had to get another water bottle.

Got one off Amazon (during lockdowns), and I just always had issues with it. Too big, flip top would come open in my bag sometimes, hard to clean, etc. I finally asked for a water bottle for Christmas as the one thing I wanted, and my SIL came through.

The flip top is SO easy to clean, the button is great, it has a handle that can flip up & down and doubles as a safety that covers up the button (so no more accidental openings!!), it has a pour spout AND a clever af straw-less sip option built into the top and it is just.... so good. She got me a bright orange one, because that was the only color they had in the store at the time, and she was worried I would have preferred a darker, more neutral color. Nope! Turns out, it's perfect for making sure I don't constantly lose my water bottle anymore!

As you can see, I will ramble to anyone who asks about it, because it's just so damn good.

I recently realized that it comes in different sizes, too!!

So anyone in the market for a damn good water bottle, check out the "owala"-brand. It's extremely inexpensive, great quality, lots of color & size choices, and it's just great. I swear I'm not a company shill– just a passionate hydro homie.

Here's a photo of mine. Yours will not come with stickers. Gotta supply your own. Sorry!

Dental assistant once thanked me profusely for brushing my teeth before the appointment. I always do, but that cemented my resolve to continue doing it indefinitely.

This oversized shirt! It's soooo comfy and cozy and roomy. It's been my favorite wardrobe staple for months now! Plus it's got a cool fish on the pocket.

They want to know if your views will mesh well with the community they are trying to curate before they let you in.

I browsed Beehaw for a bit before deciding that it did, and mentioned it in my application.

I think they're a bit more choosy now, as I used to see folks spouting things like "can you not use the word 'minorities'? It shows a bias. You need to address everyone, not give preferential treatment," or some other dumb horseshit.

Honestly, I think they just don't want to have to deal with people saying stupid shit and they're tired of trying to argue with people who A). genuinely hold stupid, shitty beliefs, or B). are trolling/pretending to be stupid in order to get a reaction.

More power to them, if that's the case.

"Rules for thee, but not for me!"

Ngl, being a professional cosplayer sounds dope.

Thank you. Maybe one day.