My Religion and My Banned Books
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- čas přidán 2. 05. 2022
- In which John discusses his work as a chaplain, his religion, his books, and why he writes books that endeavor to stand there. As is usually the case with videos where I even obliquely attempt to talk about faith, I feel very unsettled about this one (hence all the textual asides), as my relationship with religious institutions (even progressive ones) is increasingly ~complicated~. But I wanted to try to express that the people trying to restrict access to information and human rights do not speak for me or for all Christians.
Also: I made this video before the leak of the U.S. Supreme Court's apparent decision to overturn Roe. (I am traveling a lot for the turtles movie and I'm making things on an unusual schedule.) So while I understand that parts of this video may feel like a response to that news, I didn't know the news when I wrote, filmed, or edited it.
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Proud of you John.
Take that atheists!
Yooo are you back?
I love that the man behind the Jesus Christ account is a nerdfighter, seeing you in the comments make me happy. You're a good person.
Thanks, Jesus.
@@vlogbrothers :)
"... because this is the Internet and I don't wanna."
I appreciate such a blase declaration of a personal boundary. "I don't wanna" is all the justification we need provide. 👍
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"... because this is the internet and I don't wanna" is possibly the wisest set of words I've ever heard spoken on CZcams.
Yes people can be horrible.. Even worse on the internet
@@sitrakaforler8696 yeah we need the government to control all forms of online communication to keep people safe from bad words
@@streetchronicles5693 Nice of you to provide an example of people being horrible.
I fully understand this, completely get it. But maybe it’s time to revisit that “this is the internet, and I don’t wanna” talk about my religion. Every Christian is called to evangelize, with great respect, openness, kindness, yes, but to evangelize; to share our faith publicly.
wisdom and foolishness are often conflated. I don't blame you or the 1k people that liked your comment.
i’m listening to this on a road trip with my dad as he’s driving and he goes “i like this guy and what he has to say. he should write books”.
That's so sweet
Bro I got his Anthropocene Reviewed book from a bookstore today, then a few hours later I get recommended three different full John Green vids.
I still can't find anywhere that has actually BANNED Green's books. All I see is his work being "challenged" not even by districts but by ONE person running for administrative power within that district.
John, as a fellow Christian AND middle school English teacher grieved deeply by the increasing prevalence of framing empathy and nuance as "sin," thank you. Your books will always be welcome to stand in my classroom.
Thanks for doing the hard work--especially in this environment--of continuing to connect the right books to the right readers. -John
@@vlogbrothers We just finished Fahrenheit 451, incidentally enough!
I realized the other day that books are like voting, if they didn't have an effect, they wouldn't be working so hard at restricting them.
Usually they would just look at a page that has the only sex scene/drug and alcohol abuse in the entire book and choose to ban the book while disregarting it's original intent and overall message.Quite sad tbh.
Unfortunately in some parts of the US, it's not up to you as a teacher because the state threatens teachers with prosecution if they do or say things deemed age-inappropriate, without saying what that means.
Whenever John makes a video this good Hank’s next video is always something like “5 ways drywall is making us sad”. I can’t wait
This is a really great title for a video. -John
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I'd watch that video
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"I would argue that if great books have an agenda, it is not a liberal agenda, or a gay agenda or a Christian agenda--It is a humanizing agenda. A mission to recognize and acknowledge the human value in ourselves and others."
"I think efforts to restrict stories are often efforts to restrict empathy."
These are good words. Please keep doing what you do, John :)
Looking for Alaska was a book that I read because it was to be banned in my local high school. The entire graduating class read it as a part of our protest. Looking for Alaska remains to this day my favorite book. My best friend and I got matching “I go to seek a great perhaps” Tattoos. We have posters all over our walls, framed to make them more adult. We reread the book in times of stress, happiness or boredom. It was the first book I can remember reading where I felt something. Not just what the author was writing and following with the characters. But a larger lesson, a bigger picture, I felt sorrow but also hope and joy. Feeling two polarizing feelings at once was a lot for my young brain. And it left an impact. How anyone views this book as salacious in any way is so weird to me. It’s such normal “teen” stuff. If anyone believes teens aren’t off doing worse, they’re probably mistaken. I also never understood forcing someone else to do or not to do something just because of your religion. Some Christians freak out over the Muslims and how they’ll bring America sharia law! But they’re not called to evangelize the way Christians are. They’re not trying to ban things for others because of their beliefs. Any rules for anyone other than yourself based off of religion is so strange and the opposite of how America is supposed to work. That’s just a rant on my thoughts. I don’t add much to the conversation but now you know I guess.
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That's awesome. I'm now going to read the book. It's very inspiring that you actually have that tattooed.
@@hefeibao it’s an incredible book. It hits you just perfectly. I recommend it to everyone but especially high schoolers. It is just so painfully real and really provided a lot for me in my teen years and continues to this day.
...Muslims aren't trying to ban things?
I pity you.
"I think efforts to restrict stories are often efforts to restrict empathy." A gut-punching line that gets to the heart of it all. Thank you.
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The pagan church didnt have any youtubesque thing sadly we dont have a diverse culture in europe and america. Lack of emapthy from fellow christian body of christ
“Dont just do something, stand there,” has been a line I’ve practiced throughout hardship since I first read it when TAR came out. When my grandmother was dying, when my sister was unwell, when my father was diagnosed with cancer... I tried to give them what they gave me during my lowest periods of chronic illness. I stood beside them, no more, no less. Thank you John.
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I find that "standing there" is so hard...we all want to do something, we want to fix the troubles or ilness...for me, at least, it's difficult...I am often reminded (or remind myself) even in conversations with friends that they just need someone to listen, not someone to advise or fix their problems. Just listen and be empathetic.
Whats TAR?
Growing up, I was taught that the message of Christ was one of universal love, compassion, forgiveness, and charity. I was deeply disappointed and disturbed to find that many (perhaps most) people who profess that faith do not extend that love and compassion to certain groups that they disapprove of. They call themselves Christians, yet they ignore the most fundamental teaching of Christ.
Thank you for bringing focus back where it has always belonged: treating each other with care, love, and respect.
Yes, the phrase that stuck with me the most is “love thy neighbour”, as in “love the person next to you who could be just about anyone” and not “love the neighbour that lives next to the house you just bought after making sure the neighbourhood that you are moving to meets all of your obscure quotas for what you considered ‘acceptable’”.
That was my most significant takeaway and the guiding principle of my morals. The whole New Testament serves to highlight human flaws and ask us to care for eachother in spite of them.
I wholeheartedly agree, I think that there are two easy mistakes to make when obeying Christs message. Christ told us, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[e] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22. This clearly shows that we must first Love God and focus on eternity, and love our neighbor and work for there eternal benefit. That may take shape in making the here and now better but must focus also on there eternal status.
The most fundamental teaching is to follow God's will - loving your neighbor is second to that. What many people get wrong, is just because a Christian objects to certain behaviors/lifestyles, doesn't mean they don't love the individual. God loves all, but doesn't love the sin, and we're not supposed to tolerate sin.
@@cman04 Yes, it is unloving on the verge of hatred to ignore someone else's sin, what people seem to think that if tolerating sin is loving, is akin to saying that a parent who tells their kid not to play in the street is unloving.
As a working librarian, I appreciate this brief and nuanced explanation that cuts to the core of why the freedom to read is so important. Thank you.
Hi. Because I am traveling for the Turtles All the Way Down movie (I am currently behind a fine Nameless Chain Restaurant in a thicket of honeysuckle trees), I recorded and edited this video on Sunday, before any news about the possible decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe. I realize that this video will be seen in that context, but it was not made in that context, and I just thought that might be helpful background. In our private giving, Sarah and I have for many years supported efforts to expand access to all forms of reproductive care, including abortion care, and will continue to do so.
Also: I'm always uncomfortable talking about religion, as you can probably tell in the video, because my own relationship with religion is so wildly divergent from most of the conversations about religion online. And when I try to talk about it I often leave people feeling EVEN MORE dissatisfied with my answers, maybe in part because they are kind of unsatisfying. Like, my own approach to religion is not really centered on the question of whether God is Really Real or whether there is an afterlife. (For me, these are just not central questions. I know they are for lot of people!) I do not care if God is made up; I only care what God wants for us and for our world, and on this front I have some reasonably strong opinions that are outlined in the Gospels where, for example, God tells us that it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and where God makes very clear how we should treat the poor and those who are marginalized by race, gender, or ethnicity. God makes very clear how we should treat the imprisoned, and the hungry, and how we should treat refugees. This is not to say there is nothing that troubles me in the Bible--there is much that troubles me--only that my conclusions from revelation are focused on this world, and on how to respond to the injustice and inequity in this world. -John
"behind a fine Nameless Chain Restaurant in a thicket of honeysuckle trees" sounds like a delightfully cryptic, poetic way to express anguish... or maybe joy... Or maybe it is a great name for an indie rock band.
Regardless, it is oddly beautiful despite being an aside.
@@smilemakeafunny maybe it's a not yet written Mountain Goats song lyric.
I'm a former evangelical Christian, and your understanding of Christianity certainly would have startled me at one time. Part of my journey out was realizing that there are a bunch of Christians like you out there, and those Christians had no less a legitimate claim on the faith than I had. My journey ended up with me becoming a soft atheist, but now I'm constantly trying to fight against the current of thought that would compel me to ask questions like "Why would a seemingly thoughtful person believe that every Sunday, all around the world, bad wine suddenly turns into God's blood?" It's not that simple.
"I do not care if God is made up; I only care what God wants for us and for our world," is the perfect way to approach the issue, I think. What I want is a transtheist world where we care less about the former question and more about the latter.
I'm sorry that your belief that people should not be made to be other or less than does not apply to people who are smaller and younger than you. That when you speak of marginalized people you don't include those who are systematically dehumanized. All human beings deserve human rights. Being pro-life should be a progressive thing.
very well said John. thank you for clarifying and just for trying your best.
I found myself nodding to each line but never as hard as when I heard books have a humanizing agenda. What an insightful and powerful video.
Thank you John!
I don't have any friends because they are ashamed of the videos I upload. Are they really that bad, dear aru
@@AxxLAfriku yes
John, I'm a medical student planning to pursue pediatrics. What you said about obscenity touched my core. As a Christian raised in a very conservative household, I am oft interrogated by family as to my opinion regarding LGBTQ+ children especially in regard to gender affirming care. The lack of empathy is entirely evident and they seem unable to comprehend that there are worse things for a child than being transgender. I've see children abused for their sexuality or gender identity. I've seen suicide attempts because parents could not accept their daughter they had only ever known as a son. I wish more people could recognize how that is the obscenity permiating our society today.
Thank you for this video. It helped my spirit to hear you speak openly to your faith and how it is complemented by your humanism.
This phrase is said so often it tends to lose its meaning, but in the truest sense, you are doing the Lord's work. Thank you.
it shouldn't be surprising to you that people don't want children to be feed a cocktail of hormones or have irreversible damage done. personally I don't care, it don't and will not effect me in the future. but it seems silly to be shocked by.
A "Christian" medical student who is appalled that children can't be neutered for their short-lived symptoms of dysphoria. Yeah... The Hippocratic Oath doesn't mean anything to you, eh?
@Mancat I don't think you know how gender affirming care is managed for children.
@@poomrapea this is what im confused about as a Christian too..there’s no way she’s implying that the Christian God would condone this? time for her to hit the Book again ☕️
Catholic here with an English degree who is thinking about going back to school to become a chaplain! I just wanna say thanks John for your beautiful melding of faith & reason, truth & love, all together to make some beautiful stories and content for us to enjoy and ponder. ❤️
How very well-timed. My teacher talked to us today about her opinion on book banning and I will be happy to show her this video tomorrow.
What did your teacher say?
@@caine7024 it’s only been an hour 😆
I'm curious about what she said too! I hope your teacher is one of the more open-minded ones
While you're at it, you might also want to show her the older video John made about banning his books. I feel like it adds to this conversation
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Being witness to another persons grief is the best way to help them in my opinion. I never wanted placation or empty words, just the acknowledgment that things were bad and a presence that can remind me that I am not alone and my pain is valid and real
Absolutely. Don't try to fix. Just be there.
To dredge up what is apparently one of John's favorite quotes, from The Body in Pain by Elaine Scarry: "To have great pain is to have certainty; to hear that another person has pain is to have doubt." We know instinctively that our own pain always feels more real to us than other people's pain, so when someone makes the emotional effort to really acknowledge another's pain, to accept its reality and stand there with them in it, they sort of help spread the mental load of it. You can't escape the pain, but you also don't have to suffer it alone.
Yes. The thing that has helped me the most has always been acknowledgement. Not platitudes of positivity, not offered solutions or support. Listening, acknowledging my pain as real. As a trans person who grew up in an abusive household, I'm very used to my experiences being denied or minimized. Acknowledging them breaks through that, and for me it helps more than anything.
Well said
Yes. The best thing you can do to help someone is to remind them they are not alone.
Thank you for posting this John. Thoughtful as ever. A quote from Sir Terry Pratchett seems appropriate here:
"And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That’s what sin is.’
‘It’s a lot more complicated than that -’
‘No. It ain’t. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they’re getting worried that they won’t like the truth. People as things, that’s where it starts.”
― Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
I should read his work. Seems like a nice dude
"efforts to restrict stories are often efforts to restict empathy." Well said. it has similar sentimental vibes as when Captain Holt from B99 said, "Every time steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place."
"Don't just do something, stand there" will be sticking with me for many years. Thank you.
I'm just gonna associate this with that parks and rec episode where Ann is upset that Chris is trying to solve all her problems instead of listening and empathizing...
I haven't been through grief like many of the people John described, but I have battled mental illness for most of my life, including severe depression. i didn't expect people around me to understand the dark depths in my mind because I didn't understand them myself. but during the scariest moments, if I had someone with me, it was MUCH less scary. that person cared about me, and that beacon of hope kept me alive and kept me heading towards healing. my life is actually pretty good right now, despite some big struggles, and I'm infinitely grateful to the people that helped me get here. if you desperately want to help someone but you can't, just stay with them. that act alone will help them more than you may ever know.
Standing there does not solve any problem. Knowledge and verified methods do. Like for example knowing the 5 steps of grief. Or that they could be living in a society where taxes are higher (30 vs 20) but there is free healthcare.
check out the book "don't just do something, sit there" 😉
It’s the vital difference of telling stories about believable people or lecturing about role models. I’m bookmarking this video.
"Don't just do something, stand there."
The best way to support another is to listen and acknowledge they are human, just like you.
That is one powerful, counterintuitive inversion of a well-worn saying. Makes me rethink my entire approach to conversations with family and friends.
Not always the best way, but an important way. Different people respond best to different methods, and sometimes you need multiple (with proper timing) to help someone.
However, if you listen, they'll usually tell you whether they want a listener or a helper. Their want and their need might be different, though.
Kanzeon - A Japanese name from zen, the name of the bodhisattva of compassion. Translation of the name is: the one who hears the cries of the world.
@@notsam498I know what I’ll be reading about tonight 😂
I appreciate your comment for scratching my curiosity 🎉
@@NotBettyWyte yep, that translation as a note is very modern. One of my teachers used that wording. But other translations land close to that.
I'm no Christian however I find John's outlook on life and humanity really beautiful, and, well, humane. Deeply humane! Religion has never had a very good reputation, however the existence of John Green and many wonderful people like him that I've met in my life give me faith that having faith is good for the individual and has potential to be good for society as well.
"Religion has never had a very good reputation" ask me how I know you are from california
@@LumpyBumpyAcidFish nah, religion in general has gotten a lot worse rep since its gotten to the point where people only look at the bad of any group and say the whole group is like that, no matter what group it is
@@LumpyBumpyAcidFishAre you purposely ignoring the mutliple wars, killings, abuse, and bullying that religion has caused? Or are you being purposely dense.
@@LumpyBumpyAcidFishThe answer is, you're being purposely dense. I didn't even give you another option because there is no way that you haven't paid attention to world history.
@@realityforward *religion in general*
name 10 religions without looking anything up
I have watched vlogbrothers for years. Probably more than half my life... (I'm 22) My mother is a high school English teacher who found this channel through John's books. I used to watch with her, reluctantly, but now I watch of my own volition, enthusiastically. Hank and John's emphasis on empathy and connection was and continues to be formative for my personal beliefs, religious or otherwise. I think we all need a reminder that Life is bigger than our own lives. So thank you for reminding me again of my own humanity through others. I needed that today.
"Efforts to restrict stories are often efforts to restrict empathy." This and your point about books that humanize are such essentially and elementally fantastic points that I wish everyone in the world could hear today right now.
empathizing is good but when one group of people try to glorify under age drinking and pre marital copulation the other will obviously demand abhortion ristriction coz you just can't get away with your own mistake without consequences. (less then 2% of abhortions are due to rap and medical issue, if you are not stable for child rearing use proper precautions or don't have six.) Similarly very very few people really hate trains but when people to glorify tender dispho ria and other ment al illness and try to make it trendy people protest
On the other hand other books and videos and websites are to instigate hatred, sense of superiority, disregard for others. What do you do with those ?
@@csbened16 Now we come up against the Paradox of Infinite Tolerance.
@@youronlyfriend933 Doesn't seem particularly paradoxical to me. Similar to John's justification for not discussing his beliefs online, just don't be tolerant of intolerant people. You can't fix hate with love, and the party banning books is trying to marginalize me on lines of religion. So I tolerate plenty, but there is a dark, solid line drawn, and I don't tolerate the forced conjunction of church and state.
How about efforts to restrict people from going into a movie theater to watch such stories, if they don't accept an experimental vaccine that needs to be updated every few months? How about efforts to prevent these people from retaining their jobs so that they can feed their families?
"...Efforts to restrict stories are often efforts to restrict empathy."
Bulls eye.
This is among my favorite vlogbrothers ever, and I will keep it and show it to my grandchildren when I have them. Thank you, John (and Hank).
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Right? I already started transcribing it
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As a staff chaplain at a Children's hospital today, thank you for sharing this good take on what chaplaincy is. Also, thank you for your writing and advocacy here.
My husband is a social worker with chaplaincy training and he sometimes gets flack for not “evangelizing” enough. God needs people who can meet people’s needs where they’re at, to just stand there and be a comforting presence. People seem to miss that Jesus’ earthly ministry was to break chains; spiritual, physical, social, religious. And Christians are supposed to emulate him!
You know, John, in our religious tradition (I'm an Episcopalian too), when we take those baptismal vows, we're asked "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?" and we respond with "I will, with God’s help."
And whether its being against banned books, or your hospital work in Sierra Leone, or a number of other things you do....I do think you lead an honest attempt to live that out in an admirable and holy way.
Hello from a fellow Episcopalian Nerdfighter! 💜
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It's a good line, that one about striving for peace and justice and respecting human dignity. I think about it a lot. -John
@@vlogbrothers it's what drives... A good chunk of my faith practices. Does my action advance fighting injustice?
I'm an Athiest, and I completely agree with you. Stories have power, the power to bring different people form different walks of life together; and people who ban books often have a vested interest in keeping people segregated.
If people were actually worried about what they claim to be worried about regarding books, they'd just teach kids to read things critically and think about stuff.
But of course that's the exact opposite of what these people want to happen.
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As another non-religious person, I also agree. We each have our own values and should live our lives to the best of our abilities. If others disagree, religious or not, I can respect that as long as they're also living good lives and respecting others. Banning books is forcing our views on others, restricting their freedom and hiding other valid perspectives.
Jesus loves you
@@questioner1596 Jesus loves you
as someone rediscovering their faith, hearing this means a lot to me. thank you, john.
God bless you
I didn't expect to cry two minutes into this video, but here we are. John, I wish there was someone like you around when my sister was in the hospital dying of cancer. As a ten year old terrified of all the medical staff, it would have been a great relief to see someone there to support me. I am so glad to have found you. You're work has been what ten year old me needed. I really appreciate all that you do.
Hearing you were a chaplain indeed surprised me when I first learnt of it. The empathy it required you to display, and the amount of listening and caring it required - well, you having that doesn't surprise me
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Why did it surprise you?
100% what I thought when I first learnt it too. John, you are someone I look up to in so many ways, and I think your empathy and also your way of knowing what to say (or not) is one of the reasons for that.
*"Efforts to restrict stories are often efforts to restrict empathy."*
~ John Green, Author and amazing human
I've been thinking that saying my whole life but I couldn't put it into words
Efforts to restrict content can also be instructive for transmitting values. There is a lot of content where respect of human value or values is not presented in ways that aligns with what parents are teaching. In the same way one person wouldn’t want to pass along conservative structuralist values to their student, others don’t want to their students accessing content that is humanist or progressive in nature. Please remember this. Most people come from this from a perspective that people they disagree with have an agenda. I think that is true and will always support the parental agenda over the institutional or personal agenda of education if they come into conflict.
@@bgorg1 Trouble comes when the parental agenda is exactly the agenda to restrict empathy. That's when people suffer, intolerance grows, and the divisions among us strengthen. We all lose.
@@davetoms1 i can see how we would want to encourage more empathy and hear you. However, I don’t know if empathy is the sole or primary value that needs to be considered. And empathy cuts two ways. It doesn’t just need to go from the more privileged to the less privileged, because who is really to judge that. It also needs to go from the teacher back to the student and their family. Morality, ethics, norms, and mores are also important agenda items that need to be considered. One may not agree with my view on morality but I hope they can have empathy for what I as a parent am doing to raise my child. And in relation to my child, I have parental rights, but the school or library only has obligations.
I want to make this quote into a subversive cross stitch now
Thanks for the nuanced and thoughtful perspective, John. I am a Christian and a longtime nerdfighter and I completely agree with your points on book banning being a way to restrict not only content/knowledge, but also empathy. Reading about “worldly” things certainly does not negate my faith as an adult. For a child or teenager trying to find their place in the world, to find what is a healthy way to live, I do think it’s important that parents guide the content that the kids consume (reading, videos, or otherwise) and set age-appropriate boundaries. But outright banning without conversation or understanding is so unproductive and not at all aligned with the empathy commanded in the Bible.
Here's the empathy commanded in the Bible: “Let a woman learn in silence and full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to be silent” (vv. 11-12)
"I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." 1 Timothy 2:12
Faith is merely believing something on insufficient evidence. It's unscientific and dangerous. This is the true horror of religion. It allows perfectly decent and sane people to believe by the billions, what only lunatics could believe on their own.
Tell a devout Christian that his wife is cheating on him, or that frozen yogurt can make a man invisible, and he is likely to require as much evidence as anyone else, and to be persuaded only to the extent that you give it.
Tell him that the book he keeps by his bed was written by an invisible deity who will punish him with fire for eternity if he fails to accept its every incredible claim about the universe, and he seems to require no evidence what so ever.
Go read about socially spread Tourette's and then give me some more blather about the state of truth. You lefties are going to hate the fall of civilization. You aren't prepared .
As a bookseller, I love this video so much. This is exactly how I feel when it comes to the range of books we sell in our little indie store. It’s not our job to push a certain agenda, or curate our selections to match our viewpoints, but merely to offer the many little bits of many different humans with many different viewpoints. To let the books just stand there. By doing so, we end up pushing the real agenda: empathy!
As someone who's been in a semi-religious crisis for a while due to their gender identity and also just everything going on right now it's nice to hear a religious perspective that doesn't push away who I am and seeks to humanize everyone, not just those who are a certain way and believe certain things. Thank you John💙
Hello. I don’t know you, and I don’t know your religious background. But, there are communities of queer religious people all over the Internet, and I personally have found reaching out to them very helpful. If you would like to know more, let me know, and I can point you to an affirming online community which helped me. If not, I wish you the best of luck in this crazy journey we call life :)
Best of luck dealing with this hard situation.
@@manatillia 💙💙💙
As someone who has also been having a long-term, slow-burn religious crisis for similar reasons, I want to tell you what I tell myself: No one owns this tradition (that is, the one I sometimes adhere to). No one owns any of the others, either. Ppl might gatekeep you out of physical spaces, but no one can gatekeep your relationship with ideas.
Remember not all people of any religion are against you. What we tend to hear is the loudest voices not the best hearts. The media likes to put them in frame because it gets a bigger audience. There are the quiet majorities of all religions who don't hate others for their differences. There is also a growing non-religious group that has no reason to hate you. Be well and don't give up. Be who you want to be. The opinion of others is worth only what you pay for it.
As a Muslim, I love your books.
They allow me to understand what I don't experience, they help me when I do experience certain things.
Reading your books can help with empathy, understanding and even healing for some, I'm sure!
Books are powerful. They are tools. They are needed and necessary.
This!!!!
Same
Jesus loves you
@@jordanp7927 And we love him. But as a servant and prophet of God, born of a woman just like all of us. Worship is reserved for God alone.
👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
I'm a Buddhist monk and a hospice chaplain and I love your description of the work you did.
So I am super late to the party on this video, but I just wanted to put down what a powerful video this was for me. As a religious person myself, who also loves stories and literature, this hit home in a lot of ways. I have had to grapple and process a lot of things over the last several years that has put me and my faith at odds with those who claim to be arbiters of that same creed. To listen to your humble confidence and gentle strength as you grapple in your own circles and experiences gives me a lot of hope that I can do likewise in my own context and in my own network. Thank you for this.
"Don't just do something, stand there" has become a real and helpful tennent of how I interact with people that are hurting, especially my friends and family. I have you to thank for teaching us that, John, thank you.
for me too! i repeat it to people at least once a month and have found it extremely helpful - speaking as someone who used to (and sometimes still does) find giving empathy and encouragement and support to others very awkward and marginally terrifying - to 'just' stand there made all. the. difference. both for me and my loved ones. thank you, John.
Same. Such great advice, for so many circumstances.
Thank you.
I am Christian and active in my religion. I used to be judgemental and condemning. I have regrets. I have come to realize that standing up for my faith and my beliefs should not get in the way of living my faith and my beliefs. In other other words, Christ taught His gospel and invited all to follow Him. But he still included all, loved all, and cared for all. He had true Charity to everyone whether they followed Him or not.
I don't think what you are doing goes against your religion. I think you are living your faith.
(ps I wish my words were more eloquent as yours, hopefully they make sense.)
I will remember the line "standing up for my beliefs should not get in the way of living my beliefs." A testimony does not have to be long or eloquent to be powerful.
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🎶"If you cannot pray like Peter; if you cannot preach like Paul..." etc.
I prefer 'relationship' with Christ rather than 'religion'.
I'm really sad to hear that your books were banned. : ( I taught American literature once here in my country in a Catholic institution, and I assigned Looking for Alaska. I really loved that book. Greetings from El Salvador! I really love your books. : )
I don't often, almost never, feel respect emanate from conversations around religion. I say that only to add weight to the next sentence. I feel so much respect flowing out from you in this video.
I'm a couple years younger than you are, John, so I was an adult when Looking for Alaska came out. I was also a very sheltered Christian who left an incredibly sheltered Christian college and became a church missionary in the poorest area of my own hometown, and I basically had the word NAIVE written on my forehead for at least 25 years. I remember being upset that the high school culture you described was completely outside of my experience; I didn't even know anyone else who had the smoking-drinking-sex teen life, so I thought you were so old you forgot what high school was like. I felt uncomfortable and it felt wrong to me... but on a deeper level, your writing rang true. I looked for other books with your name, but you hadn't written them yet. Nobody knew about CZcams yet. I'm really grateful that I got to spend the last decade with you, learning to crave stories that aren't about me and to imagine other people complexly. Your books were part of that journey long before I knew anything about you, and I would hate to take that away from other people who just need to know that something different exists.
I was a young naive atheist, FWIW.
Wow you seem cool
To ban select books from the curriculum is much different than removing access to them entirely. Even with the "book bannings" if people want to read John's books they can, it just isn't part of curriculum anymore
@@eddielorentz8019 they get banned from school libraries. I doubt his book was part of a curriculum at any point.
@@eddielorentz8019 There's three different types of book bans for schools. Hard banning; banning books from the school itself including the library. Mild banning; i.e not allowing it in the curriculum. Soft banning; schools won't purchase certain books due to dealing with parents reaction to a book and the worrying over school funding.
I'm rarely this early. As a writer, filmmaker, and general human being, I would like to say that both of you, John and Hank, are major inspirations to me, both in the way you approach your fictional works, and how you handle reality.
Right there with you on that. As an educator and aspirational storyteller, hearing John and Hank's approaches to the multitude of problems as well as successes of the world help me understand where I am and I am thankful for that.
Isn't it refreshing to hear actual, real people talk about things?
@@littlestbroccoli Yes! Most "real" people on YT have small followings, so it's really rare and really nice that Hank and John are so popular. I just wrote a really long comment about that. lol
@@mitchclark1532 I agree. With the way things are monetized, they are some of the only people who can still be themselves on YT today.
I don’t currently have the words to express how much I appreciate this. “Don’t just do something, stand there” is going to stay with me, thank you.
Hi John. A few years ago I wrote to the Nerdfighter community about pushback I got from parents and school admin while I was teaching LfA. Part of the pushback I received in the public school I was at mirrored what you discussed in this video. You gave me encouragement then, and the unit ended up being among the most powerful I have ever taught in my educational career. This video, however, eloquently describes what I didn’t have the words then to say. Please know that your work matters. The human experiences you provide a window into matter. The conversations you lend a voice to matter. Thank you. DFTBA!
when I was 11 I remember going to the children's hospital chaplain after hearing a code get called on my little siblings ward, and the only thing I could really say was something along the lines of "a kid died today, and I'm happy it wasn't mine". I don't think we said anything more, but I remember how his eyes showed so much grief and anger and heartbreak. It was this one unbearably sad moment where there was no comfort he could offer me except to stand there with me, yet that helped more than any words could of
I think just quietly being there for someone when their world falls apart is one of the hardest things you can do. I don't think we were truly made to be able to just *be* with the uncomfortable feelings and not try to fix it, so the fact that some people do it anyway for strangers makes me feel so weirdly happy at how loving humans are deep down, that out there some people will willingly wade into an ocean of pain just to make sure you aren't facing the storm alone
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Oh my word! This is so good! I have learned so much from you. Such helpful perspective. I was watching your literature crash course and you said “a character doesn’t have to be likable to be interesting” and, I know, that sounds obvious, but it has totally changed the way that I read and the enjoyment I get from it. So thanks! And, as a fellow Christian, this is so refreshing to hear!!!!
I came from a huge religious background and my mom never let me read Harry Potter. I made friends with all the “Potterheads” though. I knew the storyline pretty well-except for Snape. When I learned about Snape, I actually read the whole series because despite him not being likable, what I feel many kids that age miss is he is *interesting* with depth beyond just being a mean teacher.
And that also changed my perspective forever on what literature I enjoy. I concur that this is such a good video.
@@OldTelivisionRocks I’m not sure when you were growing up and how many books were out but I was reading age when the first book came out, so I got to sit with a book for a few years until the next one came out. You’re definitely right and your comment is right, however it’s so easy to simply hate the mean teacher until a few books in when we’re forced to view him as human because we find out the love and torture that he endures. I think that’s when no one can deny his humanity. I think Johns books are often about that experience in one book - delicately creating depth and interest for each character regardless of likability.
*'I think efforts to restrict stories are often efforts to restrict empathy. That's not in keeping with my faith, but more importantly I don't think its in keeping with a functioning society. - John'* I seldom finish a video and then go right back and watch it again, but this one is a wrecking ball of defining things I'd never heard/been able to define in words. THANK you John
I remember being 14 and coming to faith whilst falling in love with your books. Once I told one of my older Christian peers that you (at the time) were my favorite author) and mentioned Looking for Alaska was one of my favorite reads, she said it was a horrible book and I couldn’t explain why it was my favorite. Now I do, it was humane. It filled my heart with empathy and compassion over what was also relatable to my life at the time being Native American and coming from an alcoholic family background with partying stereo types and “looking for a great perhaps”. Christ Jesus eventually became mine. And since that time, I have been given everything I’ve asked the Lord. I even have amazing in laws, and friends I never thought I’d make because I stood up from my pitiful self and did something. I’m not saying God gives everything you ask, but at the time, I wanted life when I was suicidal. I wanted a family when mine fell apart. I wanted to travel and I’ve barely scratched the surface of the grace I’ve been given despite all 11 years since I accepted Christ. Oh the mercy. Oh the forgiveness and joy and love. Oh the humanity while walking in faith. So very humbling.
~ czarina.
Repent and trust in Jesus. We deserve Hell for our sin. Lying, lusting, etc, but God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross and ride from the grave to free us from sin. If you repent and trust in him youll be saved.
Romans 3:23
John 3:16❤😊😊❤
@@lowlightpiano7110wow your gonna really say all that after that heartfelt comment
I’m Agnostic, & my father is a Pentecostal Preacher. Thank you for representing a group of people in such a positive way. I have a hard time with religion so it helps me knowing there are some good religious people out there.
I’m a queer non-binary person who was raised in a pretty liberal denomination of the Christian faith. One that often gets called “crunchy granola”, but is also often accused by other Christian’s and non Christian’s as “wanting to have it both ways”. I understand that argument, honestly, and have been hurt by members of that community because I have often felt like while well intentioned, their understanding of where marginalized people fit into their faith was often behind where it needed to be. While I don’t consider myself a Christian, I still attend church occasionally, and I volunteer and work at summer camps every year because I believe in the mission. It was the first place where I was ever called in as a queer artist, and told that I could be that, even though I didn’t have the words to describe myself as that at the time. At a Christian summer camp.
I say all this; because this is what has always endeared me to Nerdfighteria and made me stay a part of this community for the past 11 years of my life. John and Hank are two people who believe a lot of the same things, but also a whole lot of different ones- and yet they collaborate with each other every day to bring light and joy and to make a difference in the world. Nerdfighteria has, and still can, and “have it both ways”. What is “obscene” can often times be meaningful and life changing, just as it can be destructive and oppressive. This community has grown with me because it has given me the space to learn and grow and be as I am. And I do deeply believe that when we frame our institutions and systems and our world through that same lense, we can accomplish a lot more than when we don’t.
Tldr; thank you John. I needed this today.
Well-said
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Looking for Alaska virtually saved my life at the age of 16. I'm Muslim and it actually renewed my faith and helped me make it through the "labyrinth of suffering".
I had no idea that you worked as a chaplain. This warms my heart, because I worked as a hospital chaplain (intern & resident) for a year, beginning last summer...so what you said about the work definitely resonates. Thank you for sharing about your faith and how it motivates you and your work, including your writing. Thanks for all you are continuing to do to make this world a better place for everyone.
P.S. I am an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church and I talked about my work as a chaplain in my most recent sermon this past Sunday.
I'm a student nurse and I love hearing about your stories as a student chaplain at a hospital. You have a great heart and even though I will often have to "do something" in my job, I hope I can remember to just stand there as well.
Speaking from personal experience, it is a bad idea to be emotionally involved with your patients. It deteriorates your efficiency. Let the resident chaplain do the job of "standing there".
Fellow nurse here. This warning to a new nurse to avoid connection for the sake of efficiency -well, if it’s not facetious, it’s the saddest thing I’ve read this week. It’s also far too relatable. If, like so many of us, you’ve been ground down by unsustainable workloads and callous administrators, I wish you rest and healing.
@@DorkInProgress84 I said "efficiency" because it is a cold quantitative measure. Avoiding connection is not for the "sake of efficiency", it is a necessity to keep you "normal". Or else you would be emotionally drained patient after patient. That will not only make you slow (less efficient), but will also affect your personal life and your ability to make right medical decisions.
Your wish has been granted, Ellen. Like John, it was not in me to continue hospital life, so I am no longer practicing. (That's why I have time to spend in vlogbrothers comment section)
Standing there is not a physical act. The purpose is for the other person to know they are heard. I worked in nursing homes for many years. What I saw was the nurses who realized they were part of a team, leveraged their aides to know who needs more attention. They leveraged other professionals to get the care that the patient needed.
The nurses who were "pill pushers" and just told the patient in pain, " Well that is what the Doctor ordered." had more cantankerous patients and over stressed aides.
Patients who felt heard could handle the pain better even if it was as severe as the others.
Religion has done a lot of damage in my life, but I can appreciate your religious approach John. I know that you genuinely care about people, and that is something that we need more of in this world.
Mine too, but then I tried a relationship with Christ instead of religion, and that has made all the difference.
@Nay Thoughtless Sorry about your experience
Same. I am going through religious trauma therapy, and am an atheist with no intention of changing that. But I recognized recently that I have active disdain for Christianity, and have been working to heal that, and this video is incredibly helpful to that cause.
@Nay Thoughtless I see those who push a theocracy as weak in following their religion. For instance, if a person’s religion says they should not drink alcohol, Which takes more strength: living somewhere where alcohol is banned? Or living somewhere where alcohol is cheap and available everywhere at all hours of the day? I recognize the strength those who practice their religion, especially when it is hard.
@@unoffensiveusername1887 I've been in largely the same boat (having a disdain for Christianty because of my upbringing but trying to work through it). We are in this together
I haven't been great at keeping up with vlogbrothers' videos for a while now but every so often I'll watch a video like this one and it reminds me why these are so important. Thanks for speaking your truth, you are both incredible human beings.
"I continue to find religion a helpful approach to the ancient conversation about how to live as a person in a world full of other people."
This is a sentiment that I can appreciate. All other arguments aside, religion provides a much needed philosophical framework that's hard to find otherwise.
This is just the "religion is useful" argument. Imagine someone saying "I continue to find the spiderman comics a helpful approach for how to live as a person in a world full of other people."
Don't undersell yourself, you can probably write a paragraph with more useful philosophical frameworks than all the religions combined. Start with giving women rights and you'll be better than nearly all of them.
Faith is merely believing something on insufficient evidence. It's unscientific and dangerous. This is the true horror of religion. It allows perfectly decent and sane people to believe by the billions, what only lunatics could believe on their own.
Tell a devout Christian that his wife is cheating on him, or that frozen yogurt can make a man invisible, and he is likely to require as much evidence as anyone else, and to be persuaded only to the extent that you give it.
Tell him that the book he keeps by his bed was written by an invisible deity who will punish him with fire for eternity if he fails to accept its every incredible claim about the universe, and he seems to require no evidence what so ever.
i disagree. I think anyone who says religion is a good framework is wrong. The bible is anything but a good teacher. Unless you think killing apostates, women, gays, and enslaving people is okay, you can’t honestly say that it’s a good guide. They’re are manny much better alternatives to religion.
@@stale.baguette religion today is much more than the direct translation of a book written thousands of years ago. Im not religious at all, but the original comment here nails the point exactly. Religion is an answer to why should society run peacefully, its not the only answer and im sure as hell not qualified to say its the right or wrong answer but if it works for others im not going to shit on them for it
As in, "you can't ask questions because we have all the answers, even though they are very flawed and a lot of times contradict basic empirical evidence"? Yeah, I'll pass on that religion thing in my philosophy.
@@vgrezende That sounds like a pretty narrow view of religion.
Not all religions claim to have all the answers, and not all religions make falsifiable claims.
There’s a saying in recovery that goes “you’re only as sick as your secrets”. I firmly believe that when we hide aspects of the human condition from our young people and each other, we do so at our peril, and we increase human suffering. As a kid, when I had problems, I often thought I was the only one who felt the way that I did. I really wish someone would have had the words to explain that I wasn’t alone and that others were very good at putting up a good “front”. Instead, I learned those valuable lessons from books, in which authors portrayed honest characters going through real struggles in being human, dealing with inequity, and finding self respect in adversity. To not have had access to those types of stories would have reinforced my thoughts that I was broken and inadequate. I am grateful to have been able to read widely and without anyone deeming it inappropriate.
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Love this comment.
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Jesus loves you
as a fellow deeply-complicated-relationship-with-religion Christian, this was really affirming. thank you John! i know you didn’t mean to time the video release like this but i think it was good timing.
orthodoxy
Jesus loves you
completely understand (I find my self in the same situation) and for me it was the lyrics from "fin" by Anberlin, specially when he sais "We're not questioning God, just those he chose" cause it showed me that you can make a difference between the religion and the people from that religion... and that goes with everyone.
@@-Pam_Guti This is true, I’ve learned not to blame God for the violence people commit, even Christians. After all, it does say in the Bible we are all the same, we’ve all sinned and salvation comes through grace so no believer has the right to boast.
just remember, affirming =/= facts. Be aware of confirmation bias. It’s what leads people to be religious in the first place and prevents free think.
wow, i already respected and looked up to you so much as an author and a fellow history nerd (i am also a christian, an aspiring author and a high school history teacher - i probably show your crash course videos in my class at least one a week!) and this was so inspiring to hear. i love your perspective on faith and the importance of stories. thank you for sharing this.
"Don't just do something. Stand there."
Literally made tears well up.
It was a hard lesson for me to learn growing up that not all problems could be solved and that just being a witness could sometimes help with pain & suffering.
Thanks again for the wisdom.
I just wish the book-burners would watch this video but we both know that won't happen.
I've been doom scrolling and on the verge of tears all morning because of the leak. I've never clicked on a video faster. Thank you so much for all that you & hank bring to us, in this case: a reprieve from an unbearable sense of impending doom.
What leak? What happened?
@@omgtkseth If I would hazard a guess, the majority supreme court just voted in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade.
If it ever becomes comfortable for you, I would love more content on the nuances of your faith. I think your voice about your approach to Christianity needs to be amplified above the typical evangelical voices that dominate America. I'd love to learn more about your reconciliation of mainstream theology and the empathetic values that you share on the channel. It may not resonate much with the main demo of this channel based on your nerdfighteria surveys, but perhaps a separate channel or an autobiographical book about your spiritual journey? Anyway, no pressure. You already a lot of amazing things. May God continue to bless you. :) Keep up the awesome work!
To add to that, if John doesn't want to talk about his own beliefs, he could recommend channels, books, podcasts, etc. where people talk about Christianity in a way that aligns with how he approaches it. I know I have a huge soft spot for the channel God Is Grey.
Thissssssssss. As someone who was raised fundamentalist christian and am now a soft atheist, I am always so eager to hear about John's faith.
This may be my favorite video of yours ever-not because it's cool to learn of your beliefs (but it totally is) but because of the principle you demonstrated.
Thank you for doing your best to practice what you preach. The world needs more of this transparency. What more can we ask of anyone? You rule.
Speaking as someone who wasn’t allowed pretty much anything “secular”, it was a huge disservice not being privy to the outside world. I feel like I am still working harder than everyone else just to play catch-up. I don’t understand all the pop culture references, sure, but I’m also really naïve and easily manipulated and taken advantage of. I didn’t really know anything.
I’m really sorry you were excluded from so much and I have confidence you’ll be able to build yourself up and catch up! We’re all unfortunately catching up to others in some way, and I bet you have deeper empathy and insights in some ways due to how you were raised.
So many people I know feel this way. You are not alone! I hope you have fun discovering for yourself all of the things that were kept from you.
Have you embraced your inner communist?
Pop culture references are not entirely necessary - following the latest hot trends won't make no friends.
They seem to only serve a false sense of connection from a shared interest - as if it is a shared experience with a false sensation that it connects two strangers; in my personal experience it is easier to stick with your own interests and stumble into strangers with that shared interest - which isn't difficult when you are open-minded and non-judgemental and generally amicable. Art, in general, draws all sorts - yet there are particular performance arts and other mediums that are crafted for particular demographics or communities; art is broad and encompasses many different products, but even certain subjects (History, Science, etc.) can easily connect you with like minds.
To anyone who feels they can be manipulated. I would suggest reviewing the 20+ classic logic fallacy and review various examples (both hypothetical and from real life - reading the descriptions of a particular logic fallacy seems to bring to my mind examples from recent or historical events), and also review the mental wellness and social practices of establishing/communicating boundaries - which should be natural for anyone with self respect.
Your relationship with religion is the exact same as mine and I’m so relieved to hear it articulated in this way that I am in tears. Thank you, John. 💛
Religion hurts sometimes, but a relationship with Christ doesn't.
Thanks for this video. I’m someone who believes that Christianity and science compliment each other rather than fighting. It’s hard to find other people that feel the same.
Well, I’ve just arrived to this conclusion this month so that makes 2 of us, have you read Frances Collins yet?
I mean the fact is that, Science and Christianity actually DID compliment eachother, in like i think the 17th century, they realised that god gave us the power to find the unknown, which like is pretty great i mean it gives you both the acknowladgement that this is ok.
@@aaronstark1969 I've read his books, when I was having my first existential crisis and was my gateway to Christian Apologetics.
@@MortanAMrk How about now? I wouldn't say 'compliment' but I think they're pretty compatible. (evolution and all)
I am of the same understanding!
Although I have read many of your novels and watched your vlogs for years, I have never felt as connected to you as I do now. I am so grateful for your generous honesty despite your discomfort.
i was given a copy of the fault in our stars by a friend years ago i think around when the movie came out. and since then it has become filled with highlighted lines. i am disabled/chronically ill, and have had a run-in with thyroid cancer before funnily enough. although at the time my experience with sicknesses and diseases was different from hazel's, my human experience was so similar i kept crying. i felt seen by your writing standing there with and for me. i understood that i deserved love, romantic intense interpersonal love. i understood more about the terror my mom feels when i am going through intense flares. i defend this book with my life now because it changed me and it solidified my understanding that i as a human deserve the best like everyone else and that love is hard and still worth it every time. thank you.
Don't just do something, stand there. So good
I may be an Atheist and Humanist who left Christianity, but as a Gay man I really Respect and Wish more interpreted your Religion as you do!
Thank you.
John, stumbled upon this video.. didn’t know who you were but after watching video I figured it out! I used to work at a “half price books”, and of course, your books were everywhere. Now I’m excited to read one!
ALSO, I’m a science teacher and currently working on my first sci fi book! Loved the video, excited to watch more.. and WHO IS HANK?!
Oi mate, Hank Green is John's brother, he is a science communicator, as far as I am aware, the creator of SciShow and one of the hosts of crash course (I think John might be there too, not too sure tbh, I sometimes get them confused since they both make awesome content about topics that I like and both are Green).
Oi mate, Hank Green is John's brother, he is a science communicator, as far as I am aware, the creator of SciShow and one of the hosts of crash course (I think John might be there too, not too sure tbh, I sometimes get them confused since they both make awesome content about topics that I like and both are Green).
In an incredible way, this video also serves to help an audience of, I'd imagine, mostly materialists to empathize with what they think a "religious" person has to look like. You don't have to talk about every aspect of your faith, that's fine, some parts of your life should remain your life. But I do think videos like this are important for a lot of people who either look down on the faithful or simply don't understand the diversity of character and motive that having faith can bring. I'm personally not religious, but I find myself defending them against a lot of pretty rude people, good to see your message in the video is in line with what the video accomplishes.
As a secular atheist humanist, I am with you 1,000%.
I've not studied the Christian bible extensively. But I've read the gospels, and a bit more. In short, the lessons I learned from Jesus were: Be kind, be humble, be charitable, everyone deserves love and care. Be wary of the greedy and of hypocrisy. The intent of rules is absolutely more important than the letters that make them.
I think these lessons are, for the most part, represented throughout many faiths and religions, and ethical philosophy seems to mostly agree as well.
When I see self proclaimed Christians act out if spite, judgement, anger, and zealotry it makes me feel angry at their hypocrisy, sad that they feel the need to do these things, and scared at the potential pain and suffering that will result.
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I really love this summation of the messages of the gospel. Not a bad set of values for anyone to adopt.
@@MKPiatkowski it's odd to me how the Red text taken alone has a different tone than much of the rest of the NT.
Amen. As a seminary graduate turned athiest I found the othering of my former faith group smothering. The cold comfort of being "theologically right" paled in comparison to the warmth of embracing others in their full authentic humanity.
This ROCKS! ⭐ Both the commentary on books & banning them, & on religion & how to help people. As a non-religious person, you have the kind of religious views & practices I admire, & people like you are a great example of why I'd NEVER say Christians or Christianity or any religion is inherently bad, & why I defend them from prejudiced people. I'm especially happy when Christians aren't hateful to LGBT+ people, & don't want to ban abortion- it's so hypocritical to keep teens ignorant about sex & unable to access contraception, then force a teen girl to keep a baby she likely wouldn't have conceived in the first place if she had knowledge about sex & access to contraception. I'm sure you know America has the highest rate of teen pregancy for a rich, developed country, & I'm 100% sure that stuff is a HUGE factor.
It all makes me so grateful to live in Australia- we have decent sex ed & access to contraception for teens, & book-banning sounds positively Mediaeval to me! We were allowed to read "Forever" by Judy Blume at school when we were 11-12, & I think that gave us a really positive message about sex without being preachy. It was just a good story, & still relatable enough for Aussie pre-teens in the late 80s (I'm old!) It did NOT make anyone go out & have sex at that age- quite the contrary; we got the idea that it was a big decision & you should only do it when you're 100% ready, with someone you care about, who's respectful & cares about you too, & using contraception...
TL; DR: That was amazing; I'm not religious but I admire your views, & absolutely agree with you.
I was a full time student chaplain during the pandemic. (I think we even read one of your CPE reflections as a case study) This is spot on. Thank you. Don’t just do something, stand there.
You have beautifully described my role as a chaplain. I too listen deeply and stand with people in pain. Thank you. May your work as a writer and vlogger continue to heal those who have been marginalized.
As a non-believer in the supernatural, I regard the difference between a secular humanist, like myself, and a religious humanist, like John, to be literally non-existent; what we're about is the same, it's just a difference of phrasing is all
I think the difference is the "truckload of hopes and prayers" which some people try to avoid and some people tend to encourage
Even though my family is mostly atheist, they always thought me that the most important thing in the Bible is to love our neighbours. No matter their views, race, age, whatever else. And as I grew older and gained faith on my own, I saw more and more cases where this very basic fact gets forgotten. I personally haven't read your books, I discovered your podcast last year and pretty much fell in love with it, but the fact that they are getting banned itself is enough of a reason for me to read them. Have a nice day everyone, and John, thank you for your podcast. It has helped me get through some tough times.
Watched y'alls videos off and on since 2011 when I was in high school. At first I assumed you had a similar world view as me (due to biases that influence all of us), but later realized it doesn't matter what you believe because you're a good person and that's most important. Being there for people and understanding their struggles is so much more important than what you believe, and I'm glad your line of work allowed you to be there for so many. This world has a lot of suck in it. This community is about decreasing world suck, it shouldn't matter what beliefs (or lack thereof) inspire people to work towards that goal. Thanks for being awesome.
Admittedly, I have not been watching a lot of this channel lately. Mostly out of sheer lack of time, but a little because your videos are always very insightful and thought-provoking that I sometimes don’t have the mental energy to focus on them. That being said, I really want to thank you for insightful and purposeful conversations around any and everything here. You always approach things respectfully and with grace. I appreciate your contributions every time I watch your videos. Thank you.
I am like you, John. I am a person of faith who has beliefs or identities that could seem incompatible with that faith, or at least in the way people are used to perceiving its practitioners. I often feel like I am in a gray area where I'm not qualified to participate in the conversation anywhere. I believe in God. I also believe in a world where everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from are greeted with love. I also believe in the richness and complexity of the human experience and the gift that is education and storyelling. Living those values usually puts me at odds with some group or another which is hard. But hearing you be open about your faith and discuss your experience so thoughtfully is incredibly healing for me. I feel so blessed to walk with you.
Hello, fellow gray-area person!! It's lonely here.
Welcome. There are many here in the grey.
Thank you for being eloquent in ways I couldn't to express thoughts about the purpose and use of books. Thank you for the support. ♡❤
Thank you for this, John. As someone who shares a world view with you, I often struggle to find a place. After the years and disillusionment with the public face of "Christianity" I have found a stance in that place you talk about. Loving others, making space for others to be loved, respected, cared for and treated with compassion and dignity. I think in living with intention towards people, and doing this one thing, we do something unique. We stand there for people. I love that our job is to stand there. Thanks for your words, they mean a lot.
Looking for Alaska, Turtles, and The Anthropocene Reviewed made me feel seen, loved, and reminded me that I am human. Thank you for giving me that experience. It was more than I could put into words.
PS. So excited for the TATWD movie 💕
Learning about your faith (the little you have talked about it) really did help me as a religious person who had very few "good" religious role models around me. It let me know that I'm not wrong to be friends with gay and trans people. That I am not a bad person for liking certain books that people wanted to ban or burn. Religious people around me are pretty evangelical, but seeing someone who believes many of the same things as me helped a lot in the last decade. Thanks John.
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"I was there to listen to their pain and acknowledge it." For me, the most important sentence of the video and my hunch, what's currently going wrong: Instead of listening to other people and acknowledge them, we have to fix them.
Dear John,
I am a college undergraduate junior who has recently reconnected to the Christian faith just this past year. A large part of this journey had to do with having a research PI who's shown me that there is an intersection between science and faith and also coming across a community of people who's opened by eyes to the diversity even within the Christian sphere. I just wanted to say thank you for the incredible care and thought you've put into this video. I've had my second baptism just a month ago .. at the same time I am still wrestling with so many aspects of what is stamped as the Christian faith. There are so many politically-charged issues + ideologic warfare + religious warfare that gets so overwhelming. What does help though is to hear people who help expand and define the personal relationship with God I feel each person has. And, thank you for providing a safe space for that. I'm really, really, really blessed to have come across the Vlogbrothers channel - I've been a somewhat regular watcher since middle school #NERDFIGHTERIA!!! #John #Hank #Greenbrothersarethebest
God bless you all abundantly
As an aside, I'm just about to finish my emt course. I have been doing rotations. I've found that my favorite part of the work isn't keeping people alive, but rather, being there for them.
One of my last patients was an elderly man that called in for foot pain. It didn't take long for me to realize that there was no foot pain. Truth was, he had just become homeless. He was scared and had nowhere to go. (I'm going to cut out a lot of this story for legal reasons) But we made it to the hospital and he thanked me for the help. Said he just wanted to be treated like a human being.
Jesus loves you
Really love the phrase "ancient conversation about how to live as a person in a world full of other people" in this video. For some reason the word 'ancient' really stood out to me and for a split second I felt that hard-to-achieve *real* awareness that people - all people - have been having this conversation for thousands of years
"Don't just do something, stand there." I have repeated that phrase so many times after watching your videos over the years. Sometimes I don't know what to say in hard times, but I am present for the people in need in those moments.
I'm forever a bit behind these days in videos, but both this one and the one about the median human have been particularly powerful. The two of you, and the community that has formed around, are such a beacon of hope for humanity in this sometimes very hopeless seeming world. I'm grateful to be reminded that there are such wonderful people in this world.
So , when you say that, do the people around you look puzzled?
@@ronaldreagan5981 with a small explanation they all seem to get out actually.
@@Grarder you do realize that this guy is actively trying to tear down western civilization,right? He presents an incoherent statement as deep insight and uses it to advance above said goals. This is pure propaganda for gullible leftoids.
@@ronaldreagan5981 you do realize they story is about how to console people whose loved ones have died/are dying right? I really don't see how that has anything to do with tearing down society. Pretty sure if you asked John what he was trying to do it would be something like maintain his mental health and try to make a positive difference. And his positive difference seems primarily focused on treating others with kindness and improving the healthcare systems of Sierra Leone. If only more people were such rebels.
I keep coming back to this video (Thanks, Oba-algorithm), and it warms my soul a bit to see people practicing the christianity I saw in the bible when I was a kid. I'm atheist now, can't not be, and a good half of the reason why I left is because of, well, the GOP evangelical mindset. Seeing people say they are "like Christ" but not caring about the least fortunate, not flipping tables at injustice. John, thanks for whatever part you play in helping the people ostensibly of your faith see the human side of things. You're a credit to the human race.
The standpoint that "[insert book here] causes people to sin" removes SO MUCH responsibility from the interpreter of the work, as if sin is always unconscious and passive; there are people who've credited books for their violence against people, but it isn't because of the book itself (as John said, it's "standing there"), it's because of the projection of an agenda onto the work
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Exactly. Only one guy got the message he should kill John Lennon from The Catcher in the Rye, and it’s not because everyone else missed the hidden message in a book written in the 50s
It reminds me of what Dee Snider said in a Senate hearing about music censorship. He said something along the lines of, "You're claiming to see obscene messages in my music. I don't see any. The only obscenity is in your head."
i'm not at all surprised you were a chaplain- i've often found, to me, that many of your videos have a very pastoral bent to them. even just based on that, i'm sure you were very good. "don't just do something, stand there-" great stuff!
It was a shock.
I have been watching both of you for a while, but I have been busy, so distinguishing between you two becomes difficult, but typically I enjoy listening to both perspectives.
"Don't just do something, stand there" is a phrase that really hit. I'll be trying to implement that into my life.