betrayed
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What is Toxic Positivity and Hyper-Optimism?

Toxic Positivity at Work and Church

I’ve experienced a type of positivity on past jobs and at certain past churches that I think are truly toxic. Positivity and optimism is not necessarily and always a good thing. If it were we’d have seen Jesus Christ teach that and live that out. Jesus shows us a balance of reality based optimism, conflict and correction. Jesus frequently and lovingly acknowledges negative things, things that cause anger, and things that badly need to change. Which sometimes sounded very negative, insulting and emotional. Humanity needs correction and conflict. Correction is unavoidable wherever love is present.

I’ve experienced work cultures where all expressions of dissatisfaction, frustrations or conflict are not only ignored, disregarded, but were even punished.

It’s is commonly seen with strongly hierarchical groups with insecure leaders. They aren’t able to solve the problems, so the next best thing is to silence all reference and natural reaction to them.

Extreme positivity and hyper-optimism is deceptive because it is hard for most everyone to see optimism as a negative trait. It disarms people and sometimes ushers us into a delusional view of situations and people.

It is easy to conclude that overly negative and pessimistic people are toxic. But not very positive people.

Toxic positivity is a positivity mindset that goes beyond healthy optimism into a sort of required group-think. It is an attempt to control people with extroverted positivity. Those who don’t agree with the positivity itself or resist the control that they are feeling then become the scapegoated problem in the group. When those who dont agree are often the very people who can help the group or leader the most. Sometimes Jesus speaks through outsiders and through non-conformists. Sometimes Jesus MUST speak through the non-conforming because the conforming ones just won’t listen to the Lord within. They prefer to silsten to someone else.

Toxic positivity is stubborn in that it insists on dominating. This is seen when it unfriends and cold-shoulders those who disagree or don’t jump on board with the same way of thinking. It cold-shoulders people who do not match the person’s or a group’s way of thinking. The only option for the non conformers becomes remaining distant, shallow and silent or simply leaving the group.

Toxic positivity causes people to avoid and desperately try to control conflict, even healthy and godly conflict. Which was so common in the NT. So it can result in unfriending. I think I’ve even seen it cause or contribute to divorce, and this is one of the reasons I label it toxic. It is so divisive, it delays or prevents positive change and it can even become a form of phychological abuse.

Extreme positivity in churches has become one fruit of the word of faith gospel that was so popular in the 1990s. It is harmful and toxic to many expressions of love and Christian fellowship. Equally as harmful as is complaining, pessimism, and negativity. In a sense it can become a form of passive aggressive abuse.

Toxic positivity in a church setting is an indication of many things but I think the most important is that it indicates that leadership and the people misunderstand the gospel of the kingdom. They think they have to engineer the church, stifle all negativity and they misundertand childlike happiness with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Some Psychological Studies

Now take these studies with a grain of salt. I put much more value on the words of Christ than I do psychological studies. I don’t put much stock in the present-day practice of psychology because I think it was largely destroyed years ago by governments and politics. And has become something largely unhelpful through the decades. An extension of the pharmaceutical lobby. Ignoring sound science to redefine psychological maladies for political or pharamceutical purposes. But… that does not discount the sound science and of every psychological study. Some are very helpful and psychology when done without ulterior motives can be very helpful.

Here is a psychological study of positivity and it’s link to mania:

http://gruberpeplab.com/pdf/Gruber.Johnson.Oveis.Keltner_2008_Risk%20Mania%20Positive%20Emo.pdf

Similarly, some research suggests that emotional regulation (always being positive) for some people can be harmful see: https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2020-03346-001.html

Similar content The Gospel of Judas

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What is the GOSPEL of THE STATE?

You read that right, THE GOSPEL OF THE STATE. This post is not to be confused with article about “the state of the gospel”. This is about the gospel of the state. The word state meaning a centralized human government.

There is a gospel of the state being proclaimed all over the world. And I would argue it is the most popular and widely embraced gospel message on earth. Whether we live under democracy, monarchy, socialism, or a communism. The gospel of the state is preached within them all.

So what then is exactly the gospel of the state?

The Gospel of The State is the false good news and proclamation that the state, the centralized orginization of human government. Can and should be provider, protector and have the position of loving god or parent over a group of nations, an individual nation, a state, or a city.

Adam Collier

Almost every politician, embraces, teaches and many even proclaim with religious fervor their personal take on this gospel.

This gospel has been with us since the very beginning, in the Bible the story is that Cain killed Abel. He then was driven out and he went out to build a city called Enoch (see Gen 4:17). A city and its government with the intention of replacing God, to replace what Cain had lost in the garden after he had killed his brother Abel. Replace the provision, the protection, and even the very presence of God.

Most peoples of the earth fall for some version of the gospel of the state. Many Christians even, have more excitement, passion, and knowledge about their version of the gospel of the state. Than they have for the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Can Human Government Be Good?

The word gospel simply means “good news”, the idea that human government can be good apart from God is the foundation under this gospel of the state. Human government sets out to provide food, housing, physical protection, justice, entertainment and community. To create human government from scratch we must have a concentration of people in one place cooperating peacefully.

Gospel of the State – the Corruption of Human Government

Don’t get me wrong, human government has its place. The service of officials unto a nation, a community or a state is necessary on some level.

The pooling of money for the common good, to create roads, and systems that are impossible without cooperation. And perhaps even to set up safety protections for citizens that are agreed to. As well as for the provision of justice. However, we take it too far when we view those organizations as capable of doing what they are not capable of. We take it too far when we give individuals and agencies, God-like status and powers over ourselves and others.

Gospels of the state flourishes, grows and is spread most where there is: A concentration of power, money and even teachings about what government could and should be.

The state progressively strives to become the defender of the citizenry who have embraced the message being proclaimed. Politicians become preachers of the gospel of the state in increasing passion and conviction.

I think it’s best to look at the issue of governmental power in the context of a gospel. Because a religious gospel message is is the closest approximation of how state power, political messages and religious like fervor is displayed in nations of people.

Which particular gospel of the state might have you embraced?

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What Covid19 Can Teach Us About Christian Gatherings

It is late-April 2020 and the Covid19 pandemic is in full swing. The numbers seem to be decreasing but our governments reactions to it are ramping up. I recently noticed a local county leader publish a guide for local church’s about how to conduct church meetings during this time of virus fear. I suspect he received his guidelines from Albany NY.

In the article the executive tells church members how to sit, (in their parked vehicles, windows up), he tells the pastors how to deliver the “sermon”, he tells all how to give “tithes” and when and how to dismiss.

I’m not knocking this guy I’m sure he’s obeying orders coming down from on-high (ie…from whomever is controlling Albany these days).

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While reading this article it occurred to me that who is in charge of a Christian meeting is as important as meeting at all. I’m not suggesting we should ignore these guidelines I’m setting out to make a broader point.

Jesus Christ, the ACTUAL Lord of the church, displayed how to conduct Christian meetings for years. And in all those no gatherings no real estate was purchased or constructed, no buildings were remodeled, no corporations were formed, and no tithes were collected for salaries and property upkeep. And especially no Roman officials or soldiers were consulted regarding how to gather. Back then all that the authorities could muster was orders to stop gathering and to stop speaking of this Jesus.

The Apostle Paul also openly taught his people how to meet, gatherings are written about with considerable detail in some of his letters.

How Christians gather together is a display on earth of Jesus’ Lordship and kingship. This is a critical aspect of the gospel of The kingdom of God that most Christians I know seem to not understand or ignore.

Running Christian meetings will be either Jesus Christ himself through the spirit, working through each member yielded one to another from the foundation of love …. or it will be some ambitious brother or sister who feels the need to dominate meetings to feel fulfilled, or it may be some great elder/ pastor who simply knows (or will accept) no other way.

…or now, here in NY in 2020 it’s atheist politicians with their thumb on the congregations using a waning virus as a pretense to direct Christian meetings.

But most importantly if it is not Jesus Christ running a meeting through the Holy Spirit I suspect it doesn’t really matter much who it is. It can be atheist Albany, or the Vatican, or some talented and domineering Protestant Christian, or some slick clergyman sheister insistent on extracting a salary from our “tithes”.

If it is not Jesus Christ running the meetings it’s just not a big deal, it’s all the same spiritually … and the measure to which it is not Christ is the measure that it will be a spiritually irrelevant meeting.

Evil powers in high places DO care IF and HOW Christians gather, (I think it terrifies them more than anything else, I think they will kill before they allow his dominance over the church again.)

To maintain their grip on earth they must have a say in the money, and in the message, and ESPECIALLY in the face to face interactions among Gods people. (“Quiet everybody, look up here all of you, listen now, you can greet and interact briefly, …out there, …when I am done, and please make sure you keep the conversation about my sermon.”

They must impose dominance, they must displace the dominance of the spirit of Christ or there will be trouble.

Jesus-followers however meet in such a way that is almost invisible financially to the wicked powers over us. Money given to the poor among us. No buildings, no hierarchy, no corporations, no tax exemption is necessary.

Had Jesus met like most US Christians do today, the Pharisees would not have needed to bribe Judas (with their tithe money) to find him. He’d have his place in his designated building with his approved license and highest of titles.

But Jesus was not hiding from them, he was being led of the spirit… the devils in power don’t easily know where that is, they need a single leader (a neck to grab) in a single building (that they’ve told us how to build), to try to control Jesus on earth.

The ultimate aim is control and hindrance of Jesus Christ in the earth. Kingship and Lordship over the earth is at stake and this has always resulted in great violence.

Always remember that Jesus prayed “on earth as it is in heaven.” This prayer has brought great conflict that still rages within and around his follower.

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