For my day job, I work as a freelance editor. I take on various jobs through freelance websites and am currently working for a company where I do developmental editing for books. (Fixing things like flow, pacing, formatting, missing information, incomplete thoughts, etc.) I have read it all. An economics book about China's rise on the world market to a sci-fi book full of intrigue to a self-help book by a teenager. I'm reading first drafts so many of the books need a lot of work and some are more promising than others. But today is the first day I've had to read a religious book. This thing is complete with scripture verses, the gospel message, and a bunch of religious jargon that would alienate any reader who isn't already steeped in religion. (despite the insistence that the book is for those who are searching) It is taking everything in me not to respond snarkily. I can't even get into the bit about mental illness where she suggests that people wouldn't have depression or mental health issues if they just found their identity in Jesus rather than "the world". There are SO many places with junk Christian-eeze statements. But I just ran across this bit and it just made me shake my head: Some of the characteristics that come from righteousness are being upright, ethical, principled, moral, high-minded, honorable, blameless, irreproachable, noble, pure, justifiable, defensible, understandable, and reasonable. True righteousness comes only from God. We cannot attain it without Him. His gift of righteousness allows us live as righteous and all of the characteristics that come with it. Without him, our attempts appear only as arrogance. It's hard to not reply with something like, "Says you." I am a very principled, moral, honorable, and reasonable person (along with all those other junk words) and I don't have God. I feel very much like a morally righteous person, more-so than when I was a Christian. When I was a Christian I was a judgmental asshole because I did actually think I was all of those things, but I also believed (like this author) that no one else could possible be. I think it's absolute bullshit to tell someone they can't be a good person (because that's basically what she is saying in Christian-eeze) without God. I remember telling people that and I was wrong. And I hate that I am editing a book that tells people that. And then I remember that I am getting paid $20 and hour and all I have to do is tell her when things don't make sense. Because she is going to write this with or without me. And perhaps I can sneak in a question or two that challenges some of this.
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AuthorThis is a personal, but secret, blog archiving my deconversion from a Christian to a non-believer. Archives
December 2020
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