Christianity is Not Slavery

Lately, I am seeing more and more atheists, agnostics, and supposed Christians that don't act like they are. This has come as a shock to me, because I had never seen any of those in my entire life. Either I knew that the people around me were all Christians, or I didn't know anything about their faith at all and, in my ignorance, assumed that they were Christian because I didn't see them do anything bad. But now that I have seen reality, I feel it is my duty to do something about it.

One of the things I have seen recently is as obtuse as you can get. In my computer class, we have been using  this touch-typing website disguised as a game site. If you get a good score on one of the games on the site, they offer to put your score on the leaderboard. It prompts you to create a username to identify you with. One of the usernames I saw on the leaderboard of my favorite game was "IAmNotASlaveToAGodThatDoesntExist".

Yeah, I have some problems with that. I have a theory about who this was, because I have overheard the conversation between a girl in my class, and a boy who argues with her over all her claims of her faith. I can't be sure though, since it's on a public website.

My first argument: God does exist. If God didn't exist, then how are we here? You might come back with the "Big Bang Theory", but something had to have caused that explosion, too. Plus, how could all of the beauty of this world occur by chance? For this point, I'll use a illustration from a devotion book I read: try writing each letter of the alphabet on its own slip of paper. Put the slips of paper into a bucket, shake it up, and then dump the contents onto the floor. Do the slips of paper come out in the exact order of the alphabet? No.

If what we know as the alphabet, in its exact order, can't be created again by complete chance, then how can what we know as the world and the way it works be created by chance?

Another point: go outside on a fall day. You feel something on your cheek. It also seems to be moving through the trees. You know this to be wind. How? You can't see wind. How do you know it exists? If you know that wind exists without seeing it, then why can't you believe that God exists even though He is invisible?

My last point: Christianity is not slavery. Slavery implies being forced to do physical labor or something for one person, without getting anything in return. This was believed as unfair and was abolished in our country. But Christianity isn't forced lifestyle. People often see Christianity as having a list of do's and don't's to follow, and that's why they're often turned off, but that's not what Christianity is about at all! Christianity is coming to realize that a man, Jesus, gave up His life to save your own, loving Him for it, and you give up certain things and take on others because you feel you need to repay Him, or make Him pleased with you. 

On another hand, Christianity isn't without reward. If we follow Christ, believe in Him and love Him with all our hearts, one day when we die, we get to go to a beautiful kingdom where God has built a mansion for you to live in for eternity, and he lives in a castle, where He is King on the throne, with Jesus at His right hand. There is no sadness, sickness, or worry.

When you take all of this into account, what do you think of Christianity now?

Edited to add: Check the comments section for further discussion.

Why Bronies Love Ponies

Remember my conundrum from a few weeks ago? I finally know what to do. I am not going to hide anymore, and I'm going to try to help my fellow fandom members.

The show? My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I love it. It's what I look forward to all week.

Only, let me explain something: FiM is considered Hasbro's most successful failure. Hasbro needed something so they could create a new line of toys and re-new appeal to children. As is the way nowadays, instead of creating something completely new, they re-booted an old franchise: in this case, My Little Pony. It had appealed to girls for years before, so why not now?

Their target audience was young girls, 5 through 10. They premiered their first season, which was almost an instant hit. Only, the "dart" didn't meet its target: instead of making new fans of little girls, they brought back an old audience, and bronies were born.

Bronies include teenage to adult women and men. They enjoy the show, and follow it with a passion. Some write fan fictions and create fan art. Others simply enjoy the show. But with the creative side, there is a dark side, and then a perverted side... But that's the minority! I still don't understand the dark side...

Because the fans are older than they'd like, and the way the show was represented in some fan fictions and art, Hasbro hates bronies. They have long tried other ways of either attracting their target audience, or destroy the brony fandom. Yet, they did.t back down. They grew stronger.

At first, I didn't understand the bronies, which included one of my best friends. The show was for kids! It's silly! Then that friend forced me to watch it. I instantly fell in love with the colorful, round, kind, playful characters in Ponyville.

I understand why people think the worst of us, but THEY don't understand just what this show is.

This show isn't kid-oriented in the least. The theme song is the silliest part of the show, and then it's great. None of the characters speak with a kid-geared voice, like Diego or Dora. They speak as if they were everyday people, having everyday conversations. They never break the fourth wall, except for comedic effect, so anyone can enjoy it if they keep an open mind.

The plots of the episodes reflect realistic situations: jealousy between siblings, stress over school, bullying, arguments between friends over differences. These episodes have amazing morals, and you become attached and relate to one or more of the "Mane Six": Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Apple Jack.

With FiM, you don't have to worry about the heroine cussing. You don't have to worry about lying or deception, as is popular in today's popular shows such as Pretty Little Liars or The Lying Game. It's a refreshing spin on today's dark media.

All of this, and more, is why bronies exist. We relate to the characters, patronizing is nowhere in sight, and don't see any darkness. It's easy to fall in love with what is among the only light in a dark world.

I hope this helps you see bronies differently. We aren't being childish by watching it, we are trying to be childlike. There is a difference. Childish is being bratty and not understanding that we can't have everything we want. Childlike is not understanding hate, or evil, and strive for good, and happiness. Even Jesus describes how if one does not become childlike, they'll never see the kingdom of  Heaven.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying if you don't watch FiM you don't get into Heaven. I'm saying that it wouldn't be terrible if we tried to be more kind, honest, loyal, generous, and laugh more. Then we could find something magical: friendship, and love. That's the whole theme of the show.

This is to try get people to understand and stop making fun of bronies. I am not going to hide from mockery anymore, but try to stop it. I can do more by acting than hiding. So here's where I'll start. By saying this:

I am Miss Cellaneous. And I am a brony