Post #1779528

2026-02-24 03:56 UTC

@dragonfriend 100%! One of the toughest parts of deeply internalized shame is simply being able to ACKNOWLEDGE it at all, in ourselves, much less talk about or process with others.🫠 (It's hard not to spiral into seclusion & despair if you feel ashamed OF feeling shame😵‍💫) Institutionalized religion taught me a lot I never wanted to know about weaponizing shame, despite y'know...*gestures vaguely at John 8:7-11* It helps to consider that, technically, Jesus could be considered therian.😉👼

Replies (1)

@dragonfriend@dragonchat.org 2026-02-24 04:44

@GoodNewsGreyShoes Yeah, I lived in a state of depression for a large chunk of my life, and shame can be a vicious cycle. And yeah, I've seen a lot of, shall we say, bad behavior from people in the church, despite none of us being without sin, and none of us deserving God. And that includes from myself. My inability to love myself was eclipsing my view of God, and despite being taught and shown that He *loves* me, I somehow didn't get it, and thought He just *tolerated* me, because I hated myself. And yes! One of the big things I've learned in the past few years is that God *understands*! I struggled to understand my dragonic feelings, but God understood from the beginning and was waiting for me to take these feelings to Him! He wanted to lead me and show me how to understand them, and He has shown me how dragonic He is! God knows what it's like to have a human body and yet be more than just human, because He knows all things, and because He lived an authentic human life while still being divine! He gets it! I wish I had taken my thoughts to God sooner, because I could have saved myself years of hurt. I also want to say, since it sounds like you've been hurt by institutionalized religion, that I'm sorry. It's messed up, the things that happen. None of us are without sin, and all of us have failed and done wrong. None of us deserve God, but God wants us *all*. That's what it's about. On behalf of any Christians who have not shown you the love they received, I apologize. I myself have laughed and ridiculed along with others, and we all should have known better. I'm sorry. Despite being raised in a Christian home and calling myself a Christian for most of my life, it's only been a few years since I really had a relationship with God, and that has made all the difference. :dragnyell: I don't deserve it, but He loves me and wants me, and that's what it's all about! :dragnyell:

Open ##1779529