Oh totally. Paul gives self help podcaster bro vibes. Just, “I had this trauma one time but then I did psilocybin and now I’m a philosopher and you could be too if you drink this protein powder. #sponsored”
At least Peter was more like “but Jesus was actually my bff and I was there when he said these things.”
I’m mostly team John though for following Jesus like the Eras tour. He’s all, “I’m just here for the friendship bracelets. Follow me on Twitter for live concert updates!”
As a Minnesotan, I greatly appreciate this newsletter. I too hate St. Paul (the man, not my state capitol. Physical St. Paul has good restaurants, yarn shops, and wonky streets). And I too agree Duluth needs some condescending letters. I mean…the gate way to the Great Lakes my ass.
Allison, this is the best one yet. I have a relative, who is sort of evangelical Christian, for complicated reasons, in spite of her basic good sense. She tells her kids that “Paul is a meanie.” This is a good explanation for grown-ups!
I've gotta tell you, you're not the only one who senses something sinister from Paul of Tarsus. This website https://www.jesuswordsonly.org/ was created to try to get Christianity back on track by pointing out that there's no way around it, Paul was a false prophet who had moments of actually trying to follow God and be at peace (Galatians). Thanks so much for this post!
I'm glad I'm not the only Christian who can't stand Paul (who, incidentally, is even my city's co-patron, together with Saint Peter...)... 😂 he kept on writing letters to EVERYONE, left right and centre, judging everything and everyone from his high horse, but has anybody ever replied to him? Eh? EH? Nope. That speaks volumes to me. 😅
My mind was literally blown in college when I suddenly understood one day that the Corinthians were people living in Corinth (which was around until the 19th Century, when an earthquake came along). I also assumed "Corinthians" were some kind of errant religious movement that he hated rather than a city full of people he thought were dummies.
In case you didn't know, Paul almost certainly did not write Timothy 1. Many of the books attributed to Paul were not written by Paul. Seven out of the thirteen Pauline Epistles have contested authorship. (I was a religious studies major, a long time ago.)
In the same way that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were not written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John but by anonymous authors, who may have been apostles but we don't know. The gospels were later attributed to those men in the 2nd century. In the early church "who wrote it" wasn't a big deal to them. The text was more important than the authorship. Though that notion flipped in the following centuries.
I think you're giving short shrift to St. John of Patmos. Oh top of all the bullshit that crazy christians do in order to prepare for the rapture and the end of the world and are all "burn it down" all the time, there's the fact that this is the source of the fucking 1000 years of the 1000 years' reich.
"Allegedly, one of Saul’s miracles was casting a spirit of divination out of a girl in Greece—which, can I just say, would have royally pissed me off. Don’t take away my soothsaying powers, you absolute dick. I am an enslaved woman in 51 CE. How else am I going to make a living. I have no rights. I can’t start a Patreon." 🙌 Perfection. Love these rants so much!
paul the small things
Oh totally. Paul gives self help podcaster bro vibes. Just, “I had this trauma one time but then I did psilocybin and now I’m a philosopher and you could be too if you drink this protein powder. #sponsored”
At least Peter was more like “but Jesus was actually my bff and I was there when he said these things.”
I’m mostly team John though for following Jesus like the Eras tour. He’s all, “I’m just here for the friendship bracelets. Follow me on Twitter for live concert updates!”
As a Minnesotan, I greatly appreciate this newsletter. I too hate St. Paul (the man, not my state capitol. Physical St. Paul has good restaurants, yarn shops, and wonky streets). And I too agree Duluth needs some condescending letters. I mean…the gate way to the Great Lakes my ass.
"Die, if you want to, you misguided martyr!"
Lol of Tarsus. Fun and interesting!
Totally. Hate Saul/Paul. Agree.
Allison, this is the best one yet. I have a relative, who is sort of evangelical Christian, for complicated reasons, in spite of her basic good sense. She tells her kids that “Paul is a meanie.” This is a good explanation for grown-ups!
I totally agree! Paul is and always will be the world’s biggest arsehole. Sorry for the lack of eloquence but - he just is.
It always sucks when somebody like this isn’t just a footnote in history, but literally created the basis of so much of a world religion’s beliefs.
I've gotta tell you, you're not the only one who senses something sinister from Paul of Tarsus. This website https://www.jesuswordsonly.org/ was created to try to get Christianity back on track by pointing out that there's no way around it, Paul was a false prophet who had moments of actually trying to follow God and be at peace (Galatians). Thanks so much for this post!
I'm glad I'm not the only Christian who can't stand Paul (who, incidentally, is even my city's co-patron, together with Saint Peter...)... 😂 he kept on writing letters to EVERYONE, left right and centre, judging everything and everyone from his high horse, but has anybody ever replied to him? Eh? EH? Nope. That speaks volumes to me. 😅
Duluthians? Duluthites? What are the good citizens of Duluth called right now?
My mind was literally blown in college when I suddenly understood one day that the Corinthians were people living in Corinth (which was around until the 19th Century, when an earthquake came along). I also assumed "Corinthians" were some kind of errant religious movement that he hated rather than a city full of people he thought were dummies.
In case you didn't know, Paul almost certainly did not write Timothy 1. Many of the books attributed to Paul were not written by Paul. Seven out of the thirteen Pauline Epistles have contested authorship. (I was a religious studies major, a long time ago.)
In the same way that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were not written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John but by anonymous authors, who may have been apostles but we don't know. The gospels were later attributed to those men in the 2nd century. In the early church "who wrote it" wasn't a big deal to them. The text was more important than the authorship. Though that notion flipped in the following centuries.
I think you're giving short shrift to St. John of Patmos. Oh top of all the bullshit that crazy christians do in order to prepare for the rapture and the end of the world and are all "burn it down" all the time, there's the fact that this is the source of the fucking 1000 years of the 1000 years' reich.
Or maybe you covered him previously. Ta.
"Allegedly, one of Saul’s miracles was casting a spirit of divination out of a girl in Greece—which, can I just say, would have royally pissed me off. Don’t take away my soothsaying powers, you absolute dick. I am an enslaved woman in 51 CE. How else am I going to make a living. I have no rights. I can’t start a Patreon." 🙌 Perfection. Love these rants so much!
Your sense of humor is wicked, sharp, and so on point, I love every issue of your newsletter! What inspired the name of it? It's perfectly suited.