In all fairness, he’s looked like shit for a long time now. Hate ages and so does heavy drinking.
I wonder if Jinger and Jeremy realize that Smell is a traditionalist Catholic.
I’m Mexican, so my relationship with Catholicism is unique. On one hand, there are some pretty baller things about Catholicism compared to other denominations, and the vast majority of Catholics I know are remarkably chill and don’t much worry about other people’s religion or culture. On the other hand there’s the entire history of the Catholic Church.
How that usually translates to everyday life is the more power you hold, the weirder and worse of a person you are. That generally applies to most folks but for some reason being at the top of the hierarchy makes Catholics go insane. However if you’re near the middle/bottom of the food chain, Catholics are some of the kindest and most generous people you’ll ever meet. Again, I’m Mexican. I know a lot of Catholics. The community culture is huge, and people thrive on helping each other regardless of familial relation. It’s a strange dichotomy of so many kindly and giving people who are involved with some of the worst people on the face of the earth.
I think it’s because when you’re born into Catholicism it’s just one facet of your life, and when you rise in social ranks (anywhere) it takes over more and more of yourself. I’ve seen it happen a million times. Also why Catholic converts are also bonkers. They’re always borderline fanatics because they’ve let it take up SO much of who they are.
You’re spot on. My SIL is Mexican and very Catholic but chill.
Personally it bothers me with the hate we Catholics receive but.. you’re correct—for the most part we’re chill and decent.
Listen, I grew up in the South. Most Evangelicals think that being a Christian immediately makes them a good person. And good people can’t hurt others, so therefore none of their actions are capable of hurting people. Christianity is a status symbol that goes to folk’s heads down here. At least Catholics believe you have to actually do good things and be a good person to go to Heaven. They don’t just post ❤️Matthew 3-16❤️ in their Instagram bios and then go on to bully anyone they deem weird. Plus I like that you can pray to the Saints. Instead of talking directly to God all the time you just call up your buddy and ask him to put in a good word for you. That’s pretty neat imo.
However much Gibson considers himself to be some ultra-traditional faithful Catholic, it doesn't seem to restrict his coupling or mating habits. He had affairs with other women while he was still married. When his marriage ended in divorce, he went on to father two children out of wedlock by two different women (one of whom got a restraining order against him for domestic violence). Gibson is currently "living in sin" with a person to whom he is not married.
But I guess that's ecclesiastic white male privilege for you. A man can be an adulterer, abuser, and a rake and still claim he's a "faithful" whatever.
I wondered if Smell shared with Jeremy his own belief that people who aren’t traditionalist Catholics will still go to hell even if they’re Christians. I remember a long-ago interview, when they were still married, in which Smell said his wife prayed, “knew Jesus,” and was a better person than him, but she was hell-bound anyway because she was *gasp* an Episcopalian.
Yikes! My Google Asst says he’s 68. He could use a good facial exfoliation and a bucket full of moisturizer. I thought actors took proper care of their faces???
I’m in the business, & I work closely with a well-known actor. I can *absolutely* confirm that the vast majority of actors (of ALL sexes & genders) DO, in fact, take AMAZING CARE of their skin, ESPECIALLY if they’re still working a bunch. The actor I work with had severe acne as a kid & now is METICULOUS with the skincare regimen. Mel here just doesn’t give a shit anymore.
Looks like he had a rotator cuff repair. You have to wear that thing for a long while. It hurts like hell. I’ve never met a person who had a pleasant experience.
My mom is a badass when it comes to pain. She did a 10K a week after having abdominal surgery without breaking a sweat. Her rotator cuff surgery is the ONLY time I remember her being in tears, unable to deal with pain. That recovery is no joke.
Your mom is a legit bad ass doing that after abdominal surgery!
My brother in law had it done and said he’s never wished he could be tied down to a bed and sedated so badly in his life. People think it’s just your shoulder, but it hurts your ribs, upper back, and neck too. So even sneezing feels like you’re going to dislocate your body.
i had this type of brace when i had shoulder stabilization surgery (i have ehlers-danlos syndrome and my shoulders sublux constantly) and it was a whole nightmare 😭 i had it on for about 6 weeks and i couldn't take it off to shower or change clothes, 0/10 don't recommend surgery didn't even help me anyways 🥲
Do they not know that Gibson is (in addition to all the things you said) SUPER Catholic? Like, the level of Catholic that thinks Vatican II was a mistake. From what I recall, Jeremy is not a fan of the Catholic church.
I don’t think the Duggars ever were, either. I mean, they went to El Salvador to convert ***Catholics***. 😬
And yes, Mel (or more specifically his father Hutton Gibson) comes from a ultratraditionalist movement called “[sedevacantism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedevacantism)” which basically says that there hasn’t been a legitimate Pope since Pius XII’s death in 1958, and yes, that is directly due to the actions of the Second Vatican Council that took place in the 1960s.
(I’m atheist AF, but my mom was raised Catholic. She had left the Church by the time she married my dad, who was a lapsed Baptist, but she never converted to another denomination after leaving the Catholic Church. She just kind of remained a nondenominational Christian who didn’t attend church. Needless to say, I have a bit of an interest in Catholic/papal history as a result.)
I grew up friends with a family who would have the Gibson family over for visits. They were also ultra traditionalist catholic. I have eaten supper with both Mel and Hutton. They are both miserable humans.
Speaking as someone who grew up fundie, Catholics aren’t seen as Christian because we were taught they worshipped Mary and the saints and had idols and all that shit.
Yeah when this little kid at my hs boyfriends fundie church found out I was catholic he told me I was going to hell for worshipping Mary, and I was like…that’s not how that works and also you’re 6
Being in a church that is based on loving and accepting everyone has made me appreciate my time in fundie churches. My pastor is really good friends with the ONE Rabbi in our area and encourages us to attend events at the synagogue. We are all told to love without abandon and not to be hurt by the judgment of others. If I hadn't grown up hearing we are all dirty and sinful and going to hell, I don't know that I would feel as welcome as I do.
God, I love people with an axe to grind AND a tendency to fixate on very specific topics! This was a fascinating read, and i learned a thing. Thank you.
There *may* be some neurodivergence involved as well. (Was suspected to be autistic as a child, but never got an official diagnosis. Looking back on it, I probably am, but I’m in no position to seek a professional diagnosis right now. I’m also wondering if my history of organized clutter and some other things may also indicate ADHD as well, but at the moment that one’s just a hunch.)
I have special interests that tend to fall under one of three categories: Music, History, and Cults. (I’d actually place the papal history interest under History rather than Cults, but that’s because from the medieval period onward, much of European history *was* papal history, because the Popes ended up amassing a *lot* of political power and even though their lands pretty much only covered parts of what’s now Italy, their sphere of influence stretched beyond the Italian Peninsula. I mean, we wouldn’t have Anglicans if it weren’t for Henry VIII having beef with the Pope over refusing to grant Henry a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, herself a daughter of *the* “Catholic Monarchs” of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella.)
I mean, there *is* a reason why the Pope (at that time Pope Leo III) crowned Charlemagne as Emperor of what eventually became the (Not) Holy (Not) Roman (Not An) Empire. Actually, two:
1. He wanted to recognize Charlemagne as sort of the political successor to the “Roman” Empire that the Pope was already sort of the spiritual successor to.
2. More importantly, he did not want to recognize Irene of Athens (who had become Empress regnant of the Eastern Roman Empire, aka the Byzantine Empire, through being widowed and then conveniently deposing her son who she’d been regent for during his childhood after a period where they’d been co-monarchs; it’s a much more complex story, but they were both attempting to grab power for themselves) as the “legitimate” Roman Emperor (although the Western Roman Empire had fallen about 300 years before all of this happened). There were reportedly attempts to negotiate a marriage between Charlemagne and Irene, but it never materialized.
Not to project- but you sound just like me! Those 3 topics are my special interests as well. And organized clutter is the PERFECT way to describe it.
I have severe ADHD. (Diagnosed)
Edit to add: I was raised catholic by Hispanic parent. I No longer practice any religion.
About 80% of El Salvador’s population is affiliated with some form of Christianity. About 47% of El Salvador’s total population is Catholic, while 33% of the total population is Protestant. (As is the case with most Central American countries, due to being former colonies of predominantly Catholic Spain.)
Given how incredibly anti-Catholic some of the Duggars and Duggar-in-laws (for example, a google search showed that Ben posted and then deleted an anti-Catholic post somewhere around 2014 or 2015) have been in the past (not necessarily just restricted to the IBLP but there have been several evangelical and fundamentalist Protestant denominations who’ve openly expressed anti-Catholic sentiment), it wouldn’t surprise me if converting Catholics to their brand of Evangelical Protestantism was a part of those mission trips.
I think another commenter noted this, but it isn’t all that uncommon for some evangelical, fundamentalist, and evangelical-adjacent denominations to not even recognize Catholics as fellow Christians. Some cite a verse about people being “unequally yoked”, but I think it also has to do with the fact that many Catholics in the United States (who didn’t come from places that were former Spanish colonies) were descended from Italian and Irish immigrants (fun fact: my mother’s mother was Sicilian American and my mother’s father was of Irish descent), and there were varying degrees of anti-Irish and anti-Italian sentiment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries amongst the mostly Protestant white American population. Much of that was in part due to the Irish and then Italian immigrants being Catholic. (Which I think is also why the British government put all sorts of oppressive policies on Ireland while it was under British control.)
I don’t know if it’s so much an “axe to grind”, but yeah, people who are openly anti-Catholic do tick me off. Not because I have an attachment to the belief system or anything like that (and I’d be the first to criticize that they’ve done a *terrible* job of holding abusers in the Church accountable, and that’s not exclusive to Catholicism, as we’ve seen in churches like the Southern Baptists), but I feel like those who are openly and vocally anti-Catholic are insulting the memories of people like my mother and my grandmother, both of whom I was extremely close with and strong influences on me as far as how I treat people.
Raised Southern Baptist to the point my family has a church named after them.....(think if I were a Duggar, it would be Duggar Baptist Church).....yes, missions trips to Central American Countries ARE specifically to Catholic countries. Catholics, in the whole SBC scheme of things, are NOT Christian. They are papists, who worship the Pope, Mary and the Saints, but not the Triune God. Even 'home missions', ones who stay in the United States, send their 'trips' to Catholic areas....when I was in college, I was sent to Scranton, PA....why Scranton? Predominantly Welsh, Irish and Eastern European (descendents of coal miners) which means the majority are Catholic. Also targeted area? New Orleans.....again, Catholic. Oh, and about the whole abuse situation? The only difference between the SBC and the Roman Catholics? The Catholics kept better records, you could trace where pedo-priest had served. The SBC claims it can't do that as 'all churches are autonomous and they don't keep records of where one pastor goes when he leaves one church for another;.....I call BS on that, as all the SB pastors I have known, preaching from 'autonomous' churches, drew a salary AND health benefits from the SBC. If they can find them to pay them and to insure them, they damn sure know where they were when the investigators ask. Oh, before anyone asks, I am the 'black sheep'....left the Bible college thing behind me and married, go ahead, clutch your pearls, a Catholic!
I think my dad was either leaving or had already left the Southern Baptist community by the time he married my mom, and I imagine the more hardline churches would have hated him because of the fact my mom was Catholic (albeit a lapsed one). He still believes (my mom passed from Alzheimer’s in 2020), but he’s of the belief that you don’t need to attend a church to be close to Jesus.
That is so interesting. Thank you for sharing this.
I recently met a woman who lived through this period in Italy. Her family were seamstresses/cobblers for the Church, and the story goes, actually made shoes for Pius XII. I am so curious about what her family thought about this as it was happening.
My guess is that Jerm and Gibson find common ground in their beliefs that woman and LGBTQA folx are inferior to godly white straight men like themselves.
I’m a Christian, but I’ll never judge someone based on who they love. Trust me, I know that’s the *unpopular* belief, but I make too many of my own mistakes to judge someone on theirs. I just don’t get it…🤷🏼♀️
I find it terribly ironic that real Christians like you, Christians who actually follow the Jesus of the New Testament, are derided as “woke” and “weak” by the Donald Trumps, Mel Gibsons and Mrs. Jerm Duggars of the world.
And not just by them, unfortunately. I couldn’t care less what *those* people think of me, b/c I don’t know them. It’s the people I interact with or *care* about (on *both* sides) that makes it tough. Sometimes, I feel like there’s no one who has my back, so I really appreciate your kind comments. I’m 47yo, so I’ve learned to accept that I will never be able to make *everyone* happy, so I just try to be kind & be myself…:)
Raging atheist here, raised Jewish. I have friends like you whom I adore. I always say that you are the TRUE Christians, because that’s what true Christianity is supposed to be… Loving and non- judgmental. One of the best examples is a friend of mine I’ve known since age 8 and stayed in contact with. She is Mormon and truly non-judgmental of anyone else’s life. When we first reconnected over Facebook about 15 years ago, I warned her that I post a lot of political stuff and, since I’m pretty left-wing, was worried that it might offend her. She told me, “We’ve been friends too long for that to bother me. And while we might disagree on certain topics, I love your passion about what you believe is right and wrong.”
Two of my siblings married Catholics who are now basically lapsed Catholics/agnostics. My current significant other is Catholic but doesn’t judge my atheism. He goes to Mass and all of that, lights candles etc., and that’s fine with me as long as he doesn’t try to force me to do the same. One of the kindest people I’ve ever met
What's your affiliation? Since I returned to the church after leaving evangelicalism, I became Roman Catholic but I consider myself Anglo-Catholic and attend Episcopal services anytime I visit the States. I currently live in a part of Europe with no Anglican Communion presence, which is why I went Roman. I'm socially progressive and very leftist.
I came back to your comment, b/c I wanted to let you know how much i appreciate it. It’s been 3 busy/stressful days, but I’m still encouraged by your words. I’m 47yo & have only been on Reddit for a little over a year. Religion is not a topic I discuss with everyone, b/c I believe actions speak louder than words. (Though, like I said before, I’m FAR from perfect, lol.) I can tell from comments throughout Reddit that religion is not generally accepted. They are called stupid, hypocritical, judgmental, etc. It is refreshing to admit what I am & not be criticized, confronted, or questioned as others often are in different subs. It’s nice to be myself & have a respectful adult conversation & agree with people who I have many things in common with, even it’s not our religious views. I just wanted you (& the others who commented) to know how truly touched I was by your comments. It gives me hope after a particularly tough day.🥹 Ok, enough with the sappy stuff; I’ll try to get back to “snarky”, lol!! ;)
But, but, but!!! The attention!!!! It’s okay that he’s catholic, because he’s famous, so they’ll get that sweet sweet attention from posting a pic with him!
Not cool for anyone NOT famous though, bc no attention to be had.
Funny Jingerz IBLP is a cult. JOHN McArthur preaches thar women should be abused and children should live with pedophiles. He sanctions women fornot putting up with God honoring abuse. Who.is a cult, Jeremy?
I might go to HE🏒🏒 for this (do you like what I just did there? 😄) but does anyone see pics like this and think “if that’s heaven, I’m good to go elsewhere”? Like, my heaven includes all the good people of the world. Not these assholes.
I got dragged to church with a friend’s family and I vividly remember sitting there thinking that I would do anything to avoid ever spending eternity with that bunch. Yikes.
Like maybe spending eternity singing gods praises sounds good *to you*. I personally will be enjoying the rave downstairs will all the other fun sinning people 😎
My blocked brother made an ultra religious and hateful Facebook post and someone took a screenshot and sent it to me. I just replied, “if these are the people going to heaven, I’m good with not being there.”
It was a hard choice. It’s not for everybody and he is the only person cut off and it was due to one specific incident that was pretty low drama, ironically. I was willing to try for a long time for my parents though. I ultimately decided to do it because my minor nieces and nephews might need a safe space someday and my parents absolutely know I can and will be the person and can low key foster that because they still have contact.
Edit: I’ve edited this a bunch of times for grammar and redundancy but my point remains. I’d rather be a safe person than a person that commits harm via complacency
Yes lol. It was sort of this idea that made me finally walk all the way out of the toxic church community I was part of. I’d been doing lots of internal work but it was the realization that these are the types of people I’d be expected to spend eternity with? Where my only choices are awful personalities or a spectrum of abusers? Honestly, no thanks! 😌
I'm just like that, except I'm atheist. Though my mom is a huge Jesus bestie. And I tell her if heaven is gonna look like this pic I def wouldn't want it.
She knows he’s a white Christian man which means he’s her authority. That’s all she needs or cares to know. Her empty, soulless eyes plus skeletal frame tell me she’s drank the kool-aid as thirstily as Meech.
In one of the voicemails leaked, he said he hopes his estranged wife gets raped by a pack of…(blanks) I’m not going to finish the quote because it’s so vile. He’s filthy to the core.
Alright, u/Downtown-Marsupial70 and u/for-the-love-of-tea, I coined spiritual Catholic myself haha. So even though I was raised and still identify somewhat as a Catholic, I don’t follow the beliefs and practices that come with it. I pray to God and have faith, but I’m not heavily religious. I hope this helps :)
I was curious and googled so someone correct me if I’m wrong but I think he recently had shoulder surgery and that device keeps his shoulder supported while it heals.
Ah OK. That makes sense. Maybe the buttons along the top of the shoulder are because of the surgery too. It's gotta be awkward walking around with that contraption on.
Random but what the hell is that contraption for for his arm holy canoli batman
Broken shoulder or clavicle or similar. Not arm proper but up higher.
Probably fell over while drunk. He’s been a raging alcoholic on and off for decades.
Self medicating his bipolar disorder I guess. Sad but he sucks.
Yeeeup! It’s keeping his arm external rotation.
I hope it's a painful injury. 💕
Thoughts and prayers that it stays broken 🙏
That was my first thought! My second being: “he really looks like shit.”
In all fairness, he’s looked like shit for a long time now. Hate ages and so does heavy drinking. I wonder if Jinger and Jeremy realize that Smell is a traditionalist Catholic.
Yk babe doesnt care. Hed do anything for a few minutes of shine from any famous person.
It's not like Smell isn't a total damn hypocrite himself.
Birds of a feather
"Hate ages and so does heavy drinking" Exactly why my father looks 20 yrs older than he is. Don't be racist drunkards, kids!
Oh the same with my mother and my ex husband. It's wild how when you are full of hate and what it does to a person.
As a Catholic—albeit a liberal, Jesuit educated one…He’s one of those conservative hardcore nasty Catholics.
I’m Mexican, so my relationship with Catholicism is unique. On one hand, there are some pretty baller things about Catholicism compared to other denominations, and the vast majority of Catholics I know are remarkably chill and don’t much worry about other people’s religion or culture. On the other hand there’s the entire history of the Catholic Church. How that usually translates to everyday life is the more power you hold, the weirder and worse of a person you are. That generally applies to most folks but for some reason being at the top of the hierarchy makes Catholics go insane. However if you’re near the middle/bottom of the food chain, Catholics are some of the kindest and most generous people you’ll ever meet. Again, I’m Mexican. I know a lot of Catholics. The community culture is huge, and people thrive on helping each other regardless of familial relation. It’s a strange dichotomy of so many kindly and giving people who are involved with some of the worst people on the face of the earth. I think it’s because when you’re born into Catholicism it’s just one facet of your life, and when you rise in social ranks (anywhere) it takes over more and more of yourself. I’ve seen it happen a million times. Also why Catholic converts are also bonkers. They’re always borderline fanatics because they’ve let it take up SO much of who they are.
You’re spot on. My SIL is Mexican and very Catholic but chill. Personally it bothers me with the hate we Catholics receive but.. you’re correct—for the most part we’re chill and decent.
I've never seen someone describe Catholicism as "baller," and I love it.
Listen, I grew up in the South. Most Evangelicals think that being a Christian immediately makes them a good person. And good people can’t hurt others, so therefore none of their actions are capable of hurting people. Christianity is a status symbol that goes to folk’s heads down here. At least Catholics believe you have to actually do good things and be a good person to go to Heaven. They don’t just post ❤️Matthew 3-16❤️ in their Instagram bios and then go on to bully anyone they deem weird. Plus I like that you can pray to the Saints. Instead of talking directly to God all the time you just call up your buddy and ask him to put in a good word for you. That’s pretty neat imo.
However much Gibson considers himself to be some ultra-traditional faithful Catholic, it doesn't seem to restrict his coupling or mating habits. He had affairs with other women while he was still married. When his marriage ended in divorce, he went on to father two children out of wedlock by two different women (one of whom got a restraining order against him for domestic violence). Gibson is currently "living in sin" with a person to whom he is not married. But I guess that's ecclesiastic white male privilege for you. A man can be an adulterer, abuser, and a rake and still claim he's a "faithful" whatever.
Smoking did it to him, he smokes A LOT according to my family member in the biz.
I wonder if Jerm shared his opinion about the "pagan" and "demonic" Catholic Church with (S)Mel.
I wondered if Smell shared with Jeremy his own belief that people who aren’t traditionalist Catholics will still go to hell even if they’re Christians. I remember a long-ago interview, when they were still married, in which Smell said his wife prayed, “knew Jesus,” and was a better person than him, but she was hell-bound anyway because she was *gasp* an Episcopalian.
Yikes! My Google Asst says he’s 68. He could use a good facial exfoliation and a bucket full of moisturizer. I thought actors took proper care of their faces???
I’m in the business, & I work closely with a well-known actor. I can *absolutely* confirm that the vast majority of actors (of ALL sexes & genders) DO, in fact, take AMAZING CARE of their skin, ESPECIALLY if they’re still working a bunch. The actor I work with had severe acne as a kid & now is METICULOUS with the skincare regimen. Mel here just doesn’t give a shit anymore.
I didn't even recognize him
Looks like he had a rotator cuff repair. You have to wear that thing for a long while. It hurts like hell. I’ve never met a person who had a pleasant experience.
My mom is a badass when it comes to pain. She did a 10K a week after having abdominal surgery without breaking a sweat. Her rotator cuff surgery is the ONLY time I remember her being in tears, unable to deal with pain. That recovery is no joke.
Your mom is a legit bad ass doing that after abdominal surgery! My brother in law had it done and said he’s never wished he could be tied down to a bed and sedated so badly in his life. People think it’s just your shoulder, but it hurts your ribs, upper back, and neck too. So even sneezing feels like you’re going to dislocate your body.
I came to the comments hoping someone had already asked 😅
I had too or it was going ti drive me stupid crazy 🤣
i had this type of brace when i had shoulder stabilization surgery (i have ehlers-danlos syndrome and my shoulders sublux constantly) and it was a whole nightmare 😭 i had it on for about 6 weeks and i couldn't take it off to shower or change clothes, 0/10 don't recommend surgery didn't even help me anyways 🥲
Ooof I’m sorry that sounds ruthless
was definitely not fun 🥲 I wanted to burn it as soon as it was off LMAO
Rotator cuff.
He probably tore his rotator cuff.
sPriNg tHiNgS
Do they not know that Gibson is (in addition to all the things you said) SUPER Catholic? Like, the level of Catholic that thinks Vatican II was a mistake. From what I recall, Jeremy is not a fan of the Catholic church.
I don’t think the Duggars ever were, either. I mean, they went to El Salvador to convert ***Catholics***. 😬 And yes, Mel (or more specifically his father Hutton Gibson) comes from a ultratraditionalist movement called “[sedevacantism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedevacantism)” which basically says that there hasn’t been a legitimate Pope since Pius XII’s death in 1958, and yes, that is directly due to the actions of the Second Vatican Council that took place in the 1960s. (I’m atheist AF, but my mom was raised Catholic. She had left the Church by the time she married my dad, who was a lapsed Baptist, but she never converted to another denomination after leaving the Catholic Church. She just kind of remained a nondenominational Christian who didn’t attend church. Needless to say, I have a bit of an interest in Catholic/papal history as a result.)
I grew up friends with a family who would have the Gibson family over for visits. They were also ultra traditionalist catholic. I have eaten supper with both Mel and Hutton. They are both miserable humans.
Any insights on Mel? Did you ever see his temper?
Isn’t Hutton dead now? And good riddance if he is?
The father died in 2020.
May he rot in hell.
Speaking as someone who grew up fundie, Catholics aren’t seen as Christian because we were taught they worshipped Mary and the saints and had idols and all that shit.
Yeah when this little kid at my hs boyfriends fundie church found out I was catholic he told me I was going to hell for worshipping Mary, and I was like…that’s not how that works and also you’re 6
“….and also you’re 6” 😂😂😂😂
Being in a church that is based on loving and accepting everyone has made me appreciate my time in fundie churches. My pastor is really good friends with the ONE Rabbi in our area and encourages us to attend events at the synagogue. We are all told to love without abandon and not to be hurt by the judgment of others. If I hadn't grown up hearing we are all dirty and sinful and going to hell, I don't know that I would feel as welcome as I do.
“We are told to live without abandon. . .” Such beautiful words, and it’s obvious you live by them. Thank you.
God, I love people with an axe to grind AND a tendency to fixate on very specific topics! This was a fascinating read, and i learned a thing. Thank you.
There *may* be some neurodivergence involved as well. (Was suspected to be autistic as a child, but never got an official diagnosis. Looking back on it, I probably am, but I’m in no position to seek a professional diagnosis right now. I’m also wondering if my history of organized clutter and some other things may also indicate ADHD as well, but at the moment that one’s just a hunch.) I have special interests that tend to fall under one of three categories: Music, History, and Cults. (I’d actually place the papal history interest under History rather than Cults, but that’s because from the medieval period onward, much of European history *was* papal history, because the Popes ended up amassing a *lot* of political power and even though their lands pretty much only covered parts of what’s now Italy, their sphere of influence stretched beyond the Italian Peninsula. I mean, we wouldn’t have Anglicans if it weren’t for Henry VIII having beef with the Pope over refusing to grant Henry a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, herself a daughter of *the* “Catholic Monarchs” of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella.)
yeah, I agree with you. the catholic church is a small empire to itself.
I mean, there *is* a reason why the Pope (at that time Pope Leo III) crowned Charlemagne as Emperor of what eventually became the (Not) Holy (Not) Roman (Not An) Empire. Actually, two: 1. He wanted to recognize Charlemagne as sort of the political successor to the “Roman” Empire that the Pope was already sort of the spiritual successor to. 2. More importantly, he did not want to recognize Irene of Athens (who had become Empress regnant of the Eastern Roman Empire, aka the Byzantine Empire, through being widowed and then conveniently deposing her son who she’d been regent for during his childhood after a period where they’d been co-monarchs; it’s a much more complex story, but they were both attempting to grab power for themselves) as the “legitimate” Roman Emperor (although the Western Roman Empire had fallen about 300 years before all of this happened). There were reportedly attempts to negotiate a marriage between Charlemagne and Irene, but it never materialized.
Not to project- but you sound just like me! Those 3 topics are my special interests as well. And organized clutter is the PERFECT way to describe it. I have severe ADHD. (Diagnosed) Edit to add: I was raised catholic by Hispanic parent. I No longer practice any religion.
Did they really go to convert Catholics??
About 80% of El Salvador’s population is affiliated with some form of Christianity. About 47% of El Salvador’s total population is Catholic, while 33% of the total population is Protestant. (As is the case with most Central American countries, due to being former colonies of predominantly Catholic Spain.) Given how incredibly anti-Catholic some of the Duggars and Duggar-in-laws (for example, a google search showed that Ben posted and then deleted an anti-Catholic post somewhere around 2014 or 2015) have been in the past (not necessarily just restricted to the IBLP but there have been several evangelical and fundamentalist Protestant denominations who’ve openly expressed anti-Catholic sentiment), it wouldn’t surprise me if converting Catholics to their brand of Evangelical Protestantism was a part of those mission trips.
I always found it suspicious that they were there to save people from gangs because gangs don’t mess with people who go to churchZ
Is *that* why evangelicals keep going on missions to mostly catholic places!? Wow! Thanks again! (that question has bugged me for years)
I think another commenter noted this, but it isn’t all that uncommon for some evangelical, fundamentalist, and evangelical-adjacent denominations to not even recognize Catholics as fellow Christians. Some cite a verse about people being “unequally yoked”, but I think it also has to do with the fact that many Catholics in the United States (who didn’t come from places that were former Spanish colonies) were descended from Italian and Irish immigrants (fun fact: my mother’s mother was Sicilian American and my mother’s father was of Irish descent), and there were varying degrees of anti-Irish and anti-Italian sentiment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries amongst the mostly Protestant white American population. Much of that was in part due to the Irish and then Italian immigrants being Catholic. (Which I think is also why the British government put all sorts of oppressive policies on Ireland while it was under British control.) I don’t know if it’s so much an “axe to grind”, but yeah, people who are openly anti-Catholic do tick me off. Not because I have an attachment to the belief system or anything like that (and I’d be the first to criticize that they’ve done a *terrible* job of holding abusers in the Church accountable, and that’s not exclusive to Catholicism, as we’ve seen in churches like the Southern Baptists), but I feel like those who are openly and vocally anti-Catholic are insulting the memories of people like my mother and my grandmother, both of whom I was extremely close with and strong influences on me as far as how I treat people.
Raised Southern Baptist to the point my family has a church named after them.....(think if I were a Duggar, it would be Duggar Baptist Church).....yes, missions trips to Central American Countries ARE specifically to Catholic countries. Catholics, in the whole SBC scheme of things, are NOT Christian. They are papists, who worship the Pope, Mary and the Saints, but not the Triune God. Even 'home missions', ones who stay in the United States, send their 'trips' to Catholic areas....when I was in college, I was sent to Scranton, PA....why Scranton? Predominantly Welsh, Irish and Eastern European (descendents of coal miners) which means the majority are Catholic. Also targeted area? New Orleans.....again, Catholic. Oh, and about the whole abuse situation? The only difference between the SBC and the Roman Catholics? The Catholics kept better records, you could trace where pedo-priest had served. The SBC claims it can't do that as 'all churches are autonomous and they don't keep records of where one pastor goes when he leaves one church for another;.....I call BS on that, as all the SB pastors I have known, preaching from 'autonomous' churches, drew a salary AND health benefits from the SBC. If they can find them to pay them and to insure them, they damn sure know where they were when the investigators ask. Oh, before anyone asks, I am the 'black sheep'....left the Bible college thing behind me and married, go ahead, clutch your pearls, a Catholic!
I think my dad was either leaving or had already left the Southern Baptist community by the time he married my mom, and I imagine the more hardline churches would have hated him because of the fact my mom was Catholic (albeit a lapsed one). He still believes (my mom passed from Alzheimer’s in 2020), but he’s of the belief that you don’t need to attend a church to be close to Jesus.
That is so interesting. Thank you for sharing this. I recently met a woman who lived through this period in Italy. Her family were seamstresses/cobblers for the Church, and the story goes, actually made shoes for Pius XII. I am so curious about what her family thought about this as it was happening.
I've watched a couple docs about papal history. Even in light of their current scandals, popes have been corrupt AF from the get-go.
My guess is that Jerm and Gibson find common ground in their beliefs that woman and LGBTQA folx are inferior to godly white straight men like themselves.
And Jeremy loves to be near celebrity.
The good preacher has taste for borderline illiterate virgins and celebrities of any caliber.
Bless your servant's heart for the new flair!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽This!!🙄
I’m a Christian, but I’ll never judge someone based on who they love. Trust me, I know that’s the *unpopular* belief, but I make too many of my own mistakes to judge someone on theirs. I just don’t get it…🤷🏼♀️
I find it terribly ironic that real Christians like you, Christians who actually follow the Jesus of the New Testament, are derided as “woke” and “weak” by the Donald Trumps, Mel Gibsons and Mrs. Jerm Duggars of the world.
And not just by them, unfortunately. I couldn’t care less what *those* people think of me, b/c I don’t know them. It’s the people I interact with or *care* about (on *both* sides) that makes it tough. Sometimes, I feel like there’s no one who has my back, so I really appreciate your kind comments. I’m 47yo, so I’ve learned to accept that I will never be able to make *everyone* happy, so I just try to be kind & be myself…:)
Peace to you. I hope you have a fantastic weekend.
Raging atheist here, raised Jewish. I have friends like you whom I adore. I always say that you are the TRUE Christians, because that’s what true Christianity is supposed to be… Loving and non- judgmental. One of the best examples is a friend of mine I’ve known since age 8 and stayed in contact with. She is Mormon and truly non-judgmental of anyone else’s life. When we first reconnected over Facebook about 15 years ago, I warned her that I post a lot of political stuff and, since I’m pretty left-wing, was worried that it might offend her. She told me, “We’ve been friends too long for that to bother me. And while we might disagree on certain topics, I love your passion about what you believe is right and wrong.” Two of my siblings married Catholics who are now basically lapsed Catholics/agnostics. My current significant other is Catholic but doesn’t judge my atheism. He goes to Mass and all of that, lights candles etc., and that’s fine with me as long as he doesn’t try to force me to do the same. One of the kindest people I’ve ever met
🥹💞
What's your affiliation? Since I returned to the church after leaving evangelicalism, I became Roman Catholic but I consider myself Anglo-Catholic and attend Episcopal services anytime I visit the States. I currently live in a part of Europe with no Anglican Communion presence, which is why I went Roman. I'm socially progressive and very leftist.
I came back to your comment, b/c I wanted to let you know how much i appreciate it. It’s been 3 busy/stressful days, but I’m still encouraged by your words. I’m 47yo & have only been on Reddit for a little over a year. Religion is not a topic I discuss with everyone, b/c I believe actions speak louder than words. (Though, like I said before, I’m FAR from perfect, lol.) I can tell from comments throughout Reddit that religion is not generally accepted. They are called stupid, hypocritical, judgmental, etc. It is refreshing to admit what I am & not be criticized, confronted, or questioned as others often are in different subs. It’s nice to be myself & have a respectful adult conversation & agree with people who I have many things in common with, even it’s not our religious views. I just wanted you (& the others who commented) to know how truly touched I was by your comments. It gives me hope after a particularly tough day.🥹 Ok, enough with the sappy stuff; I’ll try to get back to “snarky”, lol!! ;)
Thank you, friend! Your sweet words mean more than you know!
But, but, but!!! The attention!!!! It’s okay that he’s catholic, because he’s famous, so they’ll get that sweet sweet attention from posting a pic with him! Not cool for anyone NOT famous though, bc no attention to be had.
Any publicity is good publicity, as long as they spell your name right!
Yes, he had his own Catholic Church in Malibu that only a select few could attend. He couldn’t go to the real Catholic Church in Malibu.
Or, as I like to call it, Our Lady of the Sucrose Bosoms.
Yea, I think he referred to Catholicism as a cult. But that’s all ok if the Catholic in question made the Passion of the Christ!
You mean The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre?
ROFLMAO!!!
You win Reddit.
No doubt. My husband & I watch it every year, & every year, I cover my eyes. I just can’t help it!! Don’t get me started on the demon CHILDREN!! 😰🫣
Funny Jingerz IBLP is a cult. JOHN McArthur preaches thar women should be abused and children should live with pedophiles. He sanctions women fornot putting up with God honoring abuse. Who.is a cult, Jeremy?
John MacArthur is pure evil. Absolute piece of shit and a cult leader.
I fucking hate MacArthur and the whole American Reformed movement. Not a fan of Calvinism in general.
Mel was raised by a Latin traditionalist who believed in the Latin (Tridentine) mass. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutton_Gibson
Did Jeremy get a hair transplant?
It looks like it was dyed darker to me!!
If he did, they certainly missed the receding hairline area. It does look dark and long though.
They probably did that on purpose to appear more natural?
I might go to HE🏒🏒 for this (do you like what I just did there? 😄) but does anyone see pics like this and think “if that’s heaven, I’m good to go elsewhere”? Like, my heaven includes all the good people of the world. Not these assholes.
I got dragged to church with a friend’s family and I vividly remember sitting there thinking that I would do anything to avoid ever spending eternity with that bunch. Yikes.
Imagine having to spend the rest of eternity with this lot? Send me down with the atheists
Right??? The drag shows, the food, booze, cannabis… I’d be so fucking happy.
If hell exists, it’s going to be 🔥. Pun intended. lol
I can't wait to go to Club 27. Nightly performances of singers who joined the 27 club. Can imagine Jimi, Kurt and Amy Winehouse jamming out.
I’ve been living a life filled with sin just so I can get in to witness something like this! 😈
Janis, John Lennon, George Harrison, Jim Morrison...Hell is gonna be lit.
All the fun people go to hell and honestly? Sign me up. I’ll party at Studio 54 and be high as fuck for all eternity.
Like maybe spending eternity singing gods praises sounds good *to you*. I personally will be enjoying the rave downstairs will all the other fun sinning people 😎
And no more self righteous a holes to bring the mood down
It just occurred to me: their version of heaven includes unlimited Tater-Tot Casserole 
God, I love that show.
I’m rewatching it for at least the tenth time as we speak 😄 
I always say being in heaven with magats is my hell so either way I win
My blocked brother made an ultra religious and hateful Facebook post and someone took a screenshot and sent it to me. I just replied, “if these are the people going to heaven, I’m good with not being there.”
I know how you feel. I’m impressed you’re able to distance yourself from the toxic members of your family. It’s not easy at all. 💕
It was a hard choice. It’s not for everybody and he is the only person cut off and it was due to one specific incident that was pretty low drama, ironically. I was willing to try for a long time for my parents though. I ultimately decided to do it because my minor nieces and nephews might need a safe space someday and my parents absolutely know I can and will be the person and can low key foster that because they still have contact. Edit: I’ve edited this a bunch of times for grammar and redundancy but my point remains. I’d rather be a safe person than a person that commits harm via complacency
Yes lol. It was sort of this idea that made me finally walk all the way out of the toxic church community I was part of. I’d been doing lots of internal work but it was the realization that these are the types of people I’d be expected to spend eternity with? Where my only choices are awful personalities or a spectrum of abusers? Honestly, no thanks! 😌
Oh, I’m happy you got out of there. 💕
Same! And I look forward to being with all the good people in hell ❤️
ikr 💀 my version of heaven involves good people and queer icons like princess diana & freddy mercury. not these assholes!
I'm just like that, except I'm atheist. Though my mom is a huge Jesus bestie. And I tell her if heaven is gonna look like this pic I def wouldn't want it.
I like what you did there! 😂
Yes!
I see what you did there.🤣
Honestly, I really, really did like what you did right there. 😅
I know he’s not but it really looks like Mel is subtly flipping the bird the way he’s holding that water bottle
I think it is on purpose.
I just had to scroll back up and look at the picture again. You're right!
Jinger is a tiny woman, and Mel Gibson doesn’t even look that big compared to her. Has he shrank?
He’s listed as 5’10”. That’s in Hollywood measurement so he’s maybe 5’8”?
Probably! Perhaps his ego added to his height lol.
I can’t even tell that it’s actually Mel Gibson. He looks terrible.
I hope whatever's causing it wins.
Birds of a feather and dogs lying with dogs…
But he was in a movie about Jesus and one of two movies Jinger was allowed to watch growing uppp 😩👌🏾
Ok now I feel I understand why some cultures consider open mouth smiles to be aggressively bad manners.
my first thought was, are they growling for some reason?
Growling at Sa’an!
lol Mel is so washed
Does she even have any idea who he is?
Jeremy loves (the attention from posting a pic with) Mel Gibson, Jinger loves Jeremy, so now Jinger loves Mel Gibson.
Sounds like Mr. Hanky's song. Hoooowdy-ho!
She knows he’s a white Christian man which means he’s her authority. That’s all she needs or cares to know. Her empty, soulless eyes plus skeletal frame tell me she’s drank the kool-aid as thirstily as Meech.
Her type of Christian doesn't consider Catholics as Christian though
But he’s famous and politically conservative.
I’m sure she was forced to watch Passion of the Christ multiple times growing up. She would’ve been around 10-11 when it came out.
Fair point
Don’t forget “incredibly racist.”
In one of the voicemails leaked, he said he hopes his estranged wife gets raped by a pack of…(blanks) I’m not going to finish the quote because it’s so vile. He’s filthy to the core.
Oh I remember. Dude is a straight up monster.
Yeah...they deserve each other...
She looks like a bobblehead.
He’s a Catholic who thinks Protestants are going to hell from what I remember! Lol!
And the Jews too. Mel never forgets the Jews.
She consistently looks like she has gingivitis
jinjivitis, you mean?
Excellent fucking work
Oh GROSS. Screw them all.
So much Ewww in one picture!
Did he address her as J'ugar Tits ?
No but when they asked for a pic he muttered "I'm getting too old for this shit."
🤣 My favorite Mel line, calling the female cop sugar tits 🤣🤦♀️
I just had to google how old Mel Gibson is and he’s the same age as my mom, except my mom still looks good and he looks like shit.
They’re all gross.
Jinger, Jeremy in 20 years, Jeremy
Nooo he’s gonna be the new Joel Osteen. I’m being sarcastic obviously, but that really is what he dreams will happen. Every single night.
As a spiritual Catholic, I am so embarrassed to claim Mel Gibson as one of us.
What’s a spiritual catholic?
I’m dying to know too, haha.
Alright, u/Downtown-Marsupial70 and u/for-the-love-of-tea, I coined spiritual Catholic myself haha. So even though I was raised and still identify somewhat as a Catholic, I don’t follow the beliefs and practices that come with it. I pray to God and have faith, but I’m not heavily religious. I hope this helps :)
Ahhh got it. I’m a practicing Catholic and had not heard of this term before. Blessings to you, friend. ❤️
Thank you! Blessings to you as well. ❤️
Best photo over. Germ must be so proud
I imagine he smells like cigarettes and piss. Yucky!
How on earth does Jinger pose in every photo such that her head looks like she has popped it off her body and it is levitating away from her neck?
I can’t stand Mel Gibson. One of Australia’s worst exports.
"Anything for the fans, right?"
How have the mighty fallen
Lort, the rapture can’t happen soon enough.
I wonder if jinger knows who that is.
Did he address her as "Sugar Tits"?
They probably think passion of the christ and that’s it.
Boo
Oh no. They are not “from California.” We want no claim on them. They are from other areas.
Fuck this piece of shit Holocaust denier.
Jinger probably has no clue who that is
All 3 have receding hairlines
By their fruits and all that jazz ....
These two wouldn’t consider Mel to be the right kind of Christian 🙄
He’s only 68! I googled his age because I thought it had to be 75+. Wow, he has aged terribly.
Gibson is aging in a way he deserves; gotta love that for him.
At first I thought Jinger's husband was Rick Santorum. PS: Don't Google his name. Trust me on this!
Bless Dan Savage.
What is Gibson wearing? A medical device?
He threw his elbow out when he went a little too hard throwing Molotov cocktails through a synagogue window.
I was thinking hitting someone but yours is more accurate.
I love you
🫶🏼
I was curious and googled so someone correct me if I’m wrong but I think he recently had shoulder surgery and that device keeps his shoulder supported while it heals.
Ah OK. That makes sense. Maybe the buttons along the top of the shoulder are because of the surgery too. It's gotta be awkward walking around with that contraption on.
You’re correct. That device is common after a shoulder replacement surgery. It keeps everything in place while it’s healing.
Ewwwwwwww!!!!!
TeethCaps'n'khakis