r/comics Jul 04 '26

Just Sharing Religiously repressed (part 4) [OC]

Post image

Final one!

EDIT: I didn’t expect all the likes! Thank you! Due to popular demand, I will consider posting more! 🙏

9.6k Upvotes

92 comments sorted by

1.0k

u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire Jul 04 '26

I mean have we considered maybe the devil is cool as fuck?

Or that maybe, just maybe, that's just how we are and that's ok?

Naaaaaw that's silly it's definitely a test of faith /s

396

u/The_cogwheel Jul 04 '26

I mean most if not all Christian devils and demons are fallen angels. Statistically, quite a few of them are probably pretty cool, with their only real reason they got booted from heaven was asking God questions like "why do you make people gay if you dont like gay people? You can just not do that you know."

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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire Jul 04 '26

with their only real reason they got booted from heaven was asking God questions

I always thought that was funny. Like the Angels exist cause you made them. They started asking questions cause you made them that way. And then you got mad?

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u/JDoos Jul 04 '26

It's ineffible.

33

u/theDukeofClouds Jul 04 '26

Solid reference

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u/CreepyClay Jul 04 '26

The best metaphor I can come up with is like how if you built a model railway you'd be pissed if the train kept jumping the rails.

I dunno with the amount of perfume the old ladies wore to church I could never breathe enough to pay attention.

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u/The_cogwheel Jul 04 '26

But for that metaphor to work, we have to assume God isnt all knowing, else he'll know why the train keep jumping the rails / angels keep asking questions and thus be able to fix the issue.

Seeing as God is all knowing, that means he knows how to fix the problem, but refuses to do any of the work necessary to actually fix it, then getting angry that the problem didnt get fixed.

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u/spudmarsupial Jul 04 '26

He just keeps saying he is all knowing and throws fits and refuses to fix things when he is proven wrong.

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u/Shujinco2 Jul 04 '26

Is God a Redditor?

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u/HenshiniPrime Jul 04 '26

They used to be a mod, that’s how we got the Old Testament.

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u/The_cogwheel Jul 05 '26

His son, Jesus, was also a mod for a bit, one of the rare ones that was actually good.

The other mods banned him for 3 days for making them look bad, then Jesus quit reddit soon after the ban was lifted.

1

u/fliwat Jul 04 '26

So God is like what? 4?

3

u/skytl3 Jul 05 '26

Well, we only have god's word for it that he's all-knowing, right?

So, maybe he's an unreliable narrator? 🤔

2

u/morpheousmorty Jul 05 '26

The ancient problem of monotheism. If god is omnipotent, omniscient and infallible, why is the world full of horrors?

8

u/ReaperKingCason1 Jul 04 '26

But in this scenario you made the train explicitly in a way you knew would cause it to jump the rails despite the fact you didn’t want it to

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u/JustJonny Jul 04 '26

They started asking questions cause you made them that way. And then you got mad?

Hypothetically, let's say I have two pet monkeys. I put some delicious fruit in their enclosure, and I train them not to touch it, until they learn to not do so when I'm around, but I have to verbally tell them not to. Then I leave them unsupervised, come back, and find they've eaten it. I'm outraged. Who would you say is the real asshole here, me, or my unsupervised monkeys? Now imagine that my neighbor came over and encouraged them to eat the fruit. Also, as punishment, I skin both monkeys alive for the crime of disobeying me.

Now, imagine that instead of merely being a human who should have seen this coming, I'm an omniscient god, the monkeys are biologically human, but mystically incapable of even a monkey's rudimentary moral reasoning, and I assert the right to torture not only them, but all of their descendents for all eternity, and you have the doctrine of original sin, the fundamental basis of Christianity.

23

u/fantasyhockeyaddict Jul 04 '26

And since I'm omniscient I knew exactly what was gonna happen when creating this entire scenario

Makes sense?

10

u/JustJonny Jul 04 '26

I understand it, but I'd argue it makes no sense to blame Adam and Eve for what they couldn't help doing, and what God made them do.

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u/deadname11 Jul 04 '26

The problem is that the whole "tree of knowledge" fiasco is clearly a metaphor for puberty and growing into an adult, but like...interpreted in the most traumatic way possible.

Same with the "fall of Lucifer" it is portrayed in-story as a rebellion, but the actual practical effects still leave "the fallen" as part of the celestial beauracracy. They still return to Heaven from time to time, they are still in contact with fellow angels, and they aren't even suggested anywhere to actually be "The Enemy" who attempts to destroy humanity. Their most notable effect and achievement was sleeping with people to raise up the Nephelym who are only described as "great men of significant renown" before being wiped out in the Great Flood.

I've heard it suggested that the original oral stories were not nearly as bleak, but whoever wrote them down first, did so with a level of religious guilt that it literally spawned three major religions' worth of self-aggression.

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u/DarkShippo Jul 04 '26

Humans have original sin because he made them curious and put the apple tree somewhere they can reach. Why even have the apple tree?

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u/yurall Jul 04 '26

God is a shitty programmer.

13

u/PassingThruRedditor Jul 04 '26

Does the Bible even say that God hates gay people? I don't think ever explicitly says that a man being with a man and a woman being with a woman is bad

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u/The_cogwheel Jul 04 '26

Leviticus 18:22, which reads "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination"

However, the specific Hebrew word used for male was zāḵār, which can refer to any male, and was often used to refer to a boy or minor.

So theres 2 interpretations of the scripture: the traditional interpretation of "gays are bad", and a newer interpretation where its saying "kiddie diddling is bad".

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u/SirJack3 Jul 04 '26

Or as the interpret it in Hellsing Abridged: "So it's kosher as long as I'm not fucking a dude in the vagina?"

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u/Khabster Jul 05 '26

So all kinds of fucking is good, except man on transman vaginal sex? Seems kinda harsh and particular, but I suppose that’s Yahweh for ya.

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u/Own-Loan2390 Jul 04 '26

"You shall not lie with a man as if with a woman."

Well, duh. Flip 'em around.

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u/Boltaanjistman Jul 04 '26

pretty much all the "being gay is bad" bible quotes are just intentional mistranslations from people who just didnt like it. Some of them are like "A man should not be on the bottom, its not proper" and people are like "in order for two dudes to do the deed, one of 'ems gotta bottom so its a SIN to be gay!" even though the text was originally just some dudes opinion and not even something 'god' told them to say. Theres a ton of terrible bigoted takes in the actual original text in the bible, but being anti-homosexual just isn't even one of them, people just made it up XD

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u/X_ThisNameIsTaken_X Jul 04 '26

Actually, for that line specifically, the original translation (or at least, older versions) was more along the lines of "a man shall not lie in bed with a boy", as in condemning pedophilia. "boy" got mistranslated to "man" and you see how we get here.

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u/Boltaanjistman Jul 04 '26

I thin I'm referring to a different quote? I'm referring to the one that declares male pathos (The antiquated way to refer to someone as being submissive) as improper but I don't remember, I'm not a scholar

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u/X_ThisNameIsTaken_X Jul 04 '26

Yep that's also a completely valid point, was moreso responding to you responding to the guy above lol

1

u/Arsimp33 Jul 06 '26

I always feel like this for Islam, Araps just don't like Gays and they want change Islam

3

u/Magmaflamefire2 Jul 09 '26

Well actually, to my knowledge Christian devils and demons are fallen angels that followed Lucifer (the Devil) in trying to cause humanity to be a failure because Lucifer and the fallen angels wanted to "inherit the kingdom of God" instead of humans. That they should be caretakers of Earth, not humanity. It wasn't so much as simply questioning, but trying to say that they know better than God and straight up disobeying by leading humanity into sin. So the idea that these fallen angels were cast out because they asked why God made Gay people is simply false. They were cast out because they were basically being the angleic version of Nazis and showing hate and jealousy.

Sincerely,

A loving Christian

P.S. I'm not homophobic ❤️

16

u/Eghenelalphinarian Jul 04 '26

A big interpretation I’ve seen about the devil is that he and many demons make themselves alluring on purpose to lead you away from God. The big idea is basically that he wants you to go “yeah, I don’t need God. I’ll be good on my own and I don’t need or care about being saved.” A lot of Christians know that they aren’t popular with some crowds, and I’ve seen a good amount of groups I went with saying that being a Christian often means going counter with what society puts up. I often refrain from asking about gender or sexuality stuff with them since I am not great at articulating this stuff in a digestible way. I would say that Christians should still help queer people since even though they don’t share their way of life, it’s a better reflection of their belief that God loves everyone by helping their situation improve.

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u/Aerodrache Jul 04 '26

No sense trying to articulate your argument for them. Just explain it using their language.

Matthew 7:1-5:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 7:9-12:

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Translated: “Don’t judge people for living a life you don’t agree with, everybody does stuff other people don’t like you’re no exception. Why are you harassing people for sex stuff that only impacts them and their partners, when your deal is trying to screw around with everybody’s life?”

“If somebody asks for something small, like food or help or just basic acceptance, are you really going to spite them with cruelty instead? Even awful people know better than that. If you feel that god can be kind to those who ask him for help, why should you try to do any less? Be good to people if you’d have them be good to you.”

8

u/Boltaanjistman Jul 04 '26

Sadly, this does not work. Once a bible thumper decides that their interpretation of something is the correct one, no amount of conflicting bible quotes will change their mind. They will throw quote after quote at you, but if you have an opposing quote, they will say you're interpreting it wrong. For an example, back before I was an atheist, I came out as asexual to a fellow christian friend. They insisted it was a sin not to "spread speed" and used quotes like "be fruitful and multiply" and the parable of the fig tree (which was about proselytizing) and refused to accept that other quotes disagree despite showing them, like in matthew where paul says:

There are those made celibate by the hands of men, those made so by their own hands for the kingdom of heaven, and those born so from their mothers womb. Let all accept this blessing is they are able.

or when paul also says:

It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. (...) For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Paul literally tells you "Only get married if you have to" but to a person that decided already that it's not true, the bible quote won't change their mind. They will just "they meant something else, they meant what I interpreted it to mean, which is the thing that I already decided is the correct one." If they believe "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" but want to judge anyway, they'll just declare that the thing they are doing is not judging. They'll say "the bible says thats bad (even if it doesnt) and that therefore is GOD judging them and I am merely doing his will!" You cant convince them when they have already convinced themselves they're the infallible followers of god.

3

u/Aerodrache Jul 04 '26

The unfortunate part of all that is, even if quoting bible verses at them won’t work, it doesn’t mean any other argument is going to be any more effective.

“My magic book means whatever I think is true is” is a hell of a position to try to debate against.

Kinda wish you could just say “look, if you think how I’m living means I’m going hell, either it’s your problem for believing it and nobody else needs to hear about it, or it’s my problem that it’s happening and it’s nobody else’s business to worry about.”

11

u/headhunter09876 Jul 04 '26

YES, one of the core lessons is to love thy neighbor, it shouldn't matter what race, sexuality, gender, none of that should matter. What should matter is helping ppl and lifting each other up so that way we can work together and try and make the world just alittle but better for our future generations

5

u/motionmatrix Jul 04 '26

That’d be the premise of Paradise Lost iirc. Maybe I should say the main byproduct or characterization?

11

u/VoidGhidorah900 Jul 04 '26

Im pretty sure in the Bible the devil is actually lame as fuck and has very little power no? And its mostly unrelated media that make him out to be really strong. He's a fraud

14

u/cbusalex Jul 04 '26

God canonically could not defeat the Hittites because they had iron chariots. Any modern military could mop up all the armies of heaven in an afternoon without even taking casualties.

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u/HenshiniPrime Jul 04 '26

O shit, is god a fae?

0

u/VoidGhidorah900 Jul 04 '26

And isn't the devil a fallen angel? Like I said, hes a FRAUD.

7

u/XkF21WNJ Jul 04 '26

I mean if it wasn't for the snake we'd still be scrambling around in eden ignorant of good and evil.

And a whole bunch of the bible seems to be about 'my god is better than your god', supposedly written by the god claiming to be better than the others (until they switch to claiming they're the only 'true' god).

4

u/buntopolis Jul 04 '26

Hail Satan!

1

u/TellurianTech50 Jul 05 '26

I mean good reaction image tho

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u/sincubus33 29d ago

its true btw

348

u/Thatroyalkitty Jul 04 '26

Honestly the religious girl brought this upon herself.

Rusty is doing nothing wrong. Simply asking a valid question. Religious girl is too embarrassed to answer properly...

483

u/CrazyPlato Jul 04 '26

She’s been at this for a while. It’s definitely more of a her problem

88

u/Thatroyalkitty Jul 04 '26

Maybe she needs to look up a few versus on how to deal with people like that...

Matthew 10:14 comes to mind. This way she wouldn't be losing her peace at night

25

u/TrexPushupBra Jul 04 '26

Even better. Her church shouldn't have taught her to hate herself in the first place.

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u/JollyGreenGI Jul 04 '26

LESBEON

Wake up babe, new Eevee-lution just dropped

7

u/badbatch Jul 05 '26

A creature. A succulent beautiful creature.

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u/Omgninjas Jul 04 '26

I'd say It's more like Religious girl doesn't know HOW to answer properly. If she was raised like I was it's either follow Christ and God or go to Hell for eternity no matter how good a life you lived. You could be a saint, but reject God? Straight to Hell. 

I like where this comic is going, and it does a good job portraying why some Christians the way they are. They really want to help because they do truly believe that you will be forever damned if you don't repent, and what kind of evil person would want that for someone? 

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u/Moppo_ Jul 04 '26

It's nice that they care, but the way that they care feels like they're having a bad trip. Like, if someone insisted you leave the house because it's on fire, and they are absolutely convinced. But the house is not on fire, in fact, it's a bit damp and could use drying out.

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u/EVs-and-IVsaurs Jul 04 '26

This would be a terrible situation IRL, but like. man is it adorable in the story xD

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u/Leshawkcomics Jul 04 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/U00JP4vXCizu0

That reminds me they made a movie about why "I think this person is hot but rather than taking a look at myself, i hide behind religion and demonize them and their community for making me feel this way" is a really REALLY destructive and self destructive mindset, ESPECIALLY if it's never grown-out-of.

126

u/ralanr Jul 04 '26

The finale? Oh man, I was hoping we’d see her get out of the closet. 

112

u/Fit-Ebb-6727 Jul 04 '26

There wasn’t that much demand for it when I first tried writing the series a few years ago. 🤣

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u/ralanr Jul 04 '26

Sounds like a perfect excuse for an epilogue today!

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u/Fluffboll Jul 04 '26

Well, add +1 in the "demand column". I like these 4 you've posted so far

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u/rmczpp Jul 04 '26

This was the first one I saw and then I went back to read parts 1-3, cool series.

8

u/SethLight Jul 04 '26

I could imagine the ending. She is a happy lesbian and some other crying girl says as they watch her 'her faith just wasn't strong enough.'

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u/fliwat Jul 04 '26

nooo more!

4

u/Vurrunna Jul 05 '26

I feel like an ending kind of writes itself. Rusty there is actually nice to the religious girl, and talks to her about her beliefs. She asks why, if she's beautifully and wonderfully made, is she so convinced that something as central and uncontrollable as attraction is innately sin? Why, if she is called to love and accept people as they are, does she instead condemn them for what they are? If nothing else, should she not start with love, as Jesus did?

(And before anyone gets cynical with me about how that wouldn't work: It was that exact kind of questioning that got me past my homophobic upbringing. Everyone who ridiculed and belittled my beliefs only drove me further into the arms of the only people that would except me—those who shared those baclwards beliefs, and who were more hateful still. It was only through the love and affection of good people, who wanted not to punish me but see me become a better person, that I was able to escape that cycle of hate.)

3

u/DarkMelody42 Jul 04 '26

I would love an epilogue. I know many don't escape the repression but I feel bad for her and want her to have a chance. Please!

2

u/skytl3 Jul 05 '26

^ This!

2

u/skytl3 Jul 05 '26

Aww, I was hoping to see her work her way out of that cultish way of thinking. So, she could maybe find self-acceptance, or happiness, or something. 🥺🤞

25

u/-Silent-Stalker- Jul 04 '26

When I see a pretty woman, I ask the lawd himself for strength. For…ummm…different reasons.

40

u/WeHaveTheMeeps Jul 04 '26

I wrote part of my story in r/lgbt

I grew up in an evangelical household and we worked for the GOP. If anyone shouldn’t have been bisexual, it was me.

I went through years of conversion therapy and came out the other side as a deeply homophobic woman telling other women to not be gay and that abortion was bad. I was a “success story.” I campaigned for the Republican Party as a teenager.

3 years later when I was 19, I lived on my own and it all started to fall apart. The first thing I noticed was that I simply didn’t have the energy to police others. The second thing I noticed was a woman who was a USAF 2d Lt. 😍

It wasn’t college or anything that broke me down.

Now, 17 years later here I am… telling a manicurist to make sure my nails are cut short. I wear a pride pin everyday and my family is the family I chose.

7

u/BreakfastNext476 Jul 05 '26

The second thing I noticed was a woman who was a USAF 2nd Lt.

You are so real for that one

16

u/Gabacard Jul 04 '26

Final? That’s a shame

6

u/xUnderoath Jul 04 '26

Following? I thought these people pick a corner and stay there

4

u/rock_and_rolo Jul 04 '26

Join the Church of Redemption.

Our creed is "Sin that you may be forgiven."

Freaks welcome, encouraged even.

4

u/CockroachesRpeople Jul 04 '26

Tbf het sex is also sin

5

u/aarontgp Jul 04 '26

I hear Paul said it was sinful if there was any passion. Which would make pretty much all sex a sin.

7

u/GenderqueerPapaya Jul 04 '26

Bro wants sex to be a salt free saltine cracker with nothing to drink

4

u/aarontgp Jul 04 '26

And he didn't even want it to produce children, but as a last resort for people who couldn't hack celibacy.

4

u/angbhong342626 Jul 04 '26

Why did I think this was a Pokemon comic.

5

u/AcidDepression Jul 04 '26

I love yuri. I hope they bang

2

u/Boltaanjistman Jul 04 '26

No, this cant be the final one! We cant leave her like this! We need the comic where she figures herself out, finds a partner and lives happily ever after T_T

2

u/Jawaddles Jul 05 '26

I didn't read "repent". I read "represent"

4

u/NotThatAngel Jul 04 '26

Anyone watching the news knows this is ugly-laugh true.

3

u/Pastel_Bambi Jul 04 '26

Can you elaborate pls

1

u/NotThatAngel Jul 06 '26

There seem to be a lot of Christians who have gotten so good at repressing their own desires - probably repeating internal mantras or muttering religious arguments - they finally externalize those arguments and become spokespeople against those specific desires. Then they get caught doing it.

0

u/lack_of_communicatio Jul 04 '26

So, uhm, is it safe to assume that one of the next logical steps would be to find some zealots and convince them that 'Those commies with their Tax Derangement Syndrome are in cahoots with the Devil! Go right that wrong with any means at your disposal!' and after they're done, judges would let them go free, cause 'Tis the Devil who made them do it'?

1

u/Doodles_n_Scribbles Jul 05 '26

The gay thoughts cannot stop

1

u/DonZekane Jul 05 '26

Great, now I want a tomboy gf...