I grew up evangelical and stayed in the church for 30+ years. I've deconstructed in the last six years, and in unpacking the hurt and pain the church has caused me, Easter has become a holiday that I dread and despise.
Thank you for sharing this. You're right, Easter is a story about hope, about perseverance, about loving others and doing what we can to help each other not only survive but thrive. Thriving still feels far away, to be honest. But I'll be damned if I don't do my part.
After reading this, I opened the curtains to my bedroom for the first time in months. The sky is clear, the sun is radiant, the birds are singing.
And for the first Easter in six years, I feel hope.
Silly Phil, Lindsay made it clear she's the only one allowed to run for office in the family.
But in all seriousness if the Church is doing its job properly, it is doing a lot of those hard things you talk about. I am singing in the choir of church that regularly hosts weekly meals for those in the inner city free of charge. The next town over is donating part of their land and building 160 low income housing units. Another church in my hometown will be supporting the homeless population by letting them stay in their church for a time.
When our government isn't leading by example, we need to look for better examples. Church can be just that for people to learn how to give, how to help, how to support. In many cases they have been doing it safely for years. As a lifelong Christian and a subscriber of yours since 2009, I encourage anyone looking to do that hard work you speak of to find a local church already doing it. It will be as full as it gets today on Easter, but the work doesn't finish after the resurrection, it only just begins
Church is one place for that, but it's all of our job, not just religious people's.
I have worked within several church based groups, but I kept getting yelled at by church people because I don't believe the same thing they do, so now I work with anarchist groups like Food, Not Bombs and nobody yells at me.
I'm glad you and other people like us are helping build Peace & Love in the world.
Same. Church just isn't the place for me anymore (really never was) and I joined a local group of people who are all as irreverent as I am and we're doing clothing and food drives and giveaways and recently started a plot in a local community garden so we can provide fresh produce at our food bank. I'm about 20 years older than the rest of the group but they have embraced me and my family and it's become a great "third place". P.S. thank you Phil for all you do and frankly this post was amazing.
I'm glad you are part of a church that is doing the good work. I think that's happening less and less often.. At least in the part of the country I live in.
Really glad this was the first thing I read when I opened my phone this morning for my “what broke in the world while I was asleep” check. Gives me a much needed hit of hope. Thank you, President De Franco.
This horror of a human is my commander-in-chief. I've served for nearly 30 years, I'm moments away from retiring, and I just don't know how I would be able to get through these times without you PhilyD. Thank you for this post, it helps me reset, get out of my head and realize I can control what I can control which is serving others. Love your beautiful face!
Phil I've followed your show since the beginning and your post about Easter is in my opinion the best point of view you have ever articulate. Thank you so much for sharing it.
As someone who is affected by this in a slightly more indirect way. (A Canadian who’s living with three others on about $3000 CAD a month with one income) I think that, even though I’ve had breakdowns, I know it’ll all get better because me and others are willing to make sure the world changes for the better. I’ve always been optimistic, but I just… know. I know that things will eventually get better. Think about how hopeless people must have felt after the disasters throughout WWII, or how scared so many people were during any depression/recession. This just goes to show that people will persevere and push through.
Ever since this nightmare began, love for my neighbors is the only thing I've been able to hold on to. Love for others is the reason I'm angry.
It's a little bit of a tangent, but the running theme of the game Expedition 33 is "for those who come after." I support my community, I fight for those who are silenced, I look for those opportunities to be the support that our government has failed to be, all for those who come after.
It's humbling and encouraging to see my community doing so much to support those around them, and we will keep going. Happy Easter everyone! Take care of yourself and others!
I feel like I gotta share this with everyone with older parents as a PSA.... PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD FIND OUT WHO YOUR PARENTS ARE DONATING TO!!! I just so happened to get my parents mail yesterday and I kid you not there we 10 SEPARATE LETTERS from the Israel PRO ZIONIST CAUSE! So I asked my mom why they were being bombarded with mail from them and she just nonchalant told me that shes been donating to them more money than I care to admit..... I know she means well but I had to get across to her that she was donating to the atrocities of Muslims and even Christians in that part of the world. this is gonna sound like a joke but I'm dead serious.... PLEASE EVERYONE TALK TO YOUR PARENTS ABOUT ZIONISM
I have a strict no politics on Sunday policy for my own mental health and as someone who is deconstructing the evangelical faith I was raised in Easter is a lot complicated so I really didn't even mean to read this article when it hit my inbox yesterday but I admit that Phil always has something to say that uplifts me so I read it and was so happy to see him talk about organizing in our communities and doing mutual aid. Almost a year ago now I joined an organization here in the Arkansas/Oklahoma River Valley and we are doing mutual aid, political education and out there protesting with No Kings and 50501 as well as our own protests. This group has become a family for me and my adult children. I'm just so excited to see what the next generation is willing to stand for and be part of the movement for change in our very "Red" community.
Praise to be Allah from a "Christian" man on Easter Sunday is heretical, maybe even a heresy of the highest level. Any evangelical that has any shred of dignity needs to denounce Trump and if they should not they are hypocrites and heretics themselves. This is a mask off moment and if you know an evangelical Christian you should be pressing them as hard as you can. Don't let these boot licking fake Christians continue to spread their false scripture any further. Coming from a background of Evangelicalism and now being an atheist this still leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth, the only thing worse then a hypocrite is a heretical hypocrite.
I grew up evangelical and stayed in the church for 30+ years. I've deconstructed in the last six years, and in unpacking the hurt and pain the church has caused me, Easter has become a holiday that I dread and despise.
Thank you for sharing this. You're right, Easter is a story about hope, about perseverance, about loving others and doing what we can to help each other not only survive but thrive. Thriving still feels far away, to be honest. But I'll be damned if I don't do my part.
After reading this, I opened the curtains to my bedroom for the first time in months. The sky is clear, the sun is radiant, the birds are singing.
And for the first Easter in six years, I feel hope.
Silly Phil, Lindsay made it clear she's the only one allowed to run for office in the family.
But in all seriousness if the Church is doing its job properly, it is doing a lot of those hard things you talk about. I am singing in the choir of church that regularly hosts weekly meals for those in the inner city free of charge. The next town over is donating part of their land and building 160 low income housing units. Another church in my hometown will be supporting the homeless population by letting them stay in their church for a time.
When our government isn't leading by example, we need to look for better examples. Church can be just that for people to learn how to give, how to help, how to support. In many cases they have been doing it safely for years. As a lifelong Christian and a subscriber of yours since 2009, I encourage anyone looking to do that hard work you speak of to find a local church already doing it. It will be as full as it gets today on Easter, but the work doesn't finish after the resurrection, it only just begins
Church is one place for that, but it's all of our job, not just religious people's.
I have worked within several church based groups, but I kept getting yelled at by church people because I don't believe the same thing they do, so now I work with anarchist groups like Food, Not Bombs and nobody yells at me.
I'm glad you and other people like us are helping build Peace & Love in the world.
Same. Church just isn't the place for me anymore (really never was) and I joined a local group of people who are all as irreverent as I am and we're doing clothing and food drives and giveaways and recently started a plot in a local community garden so we can provide fresh produce at our food bank. I'm about 20 years older than the rest of the group but they have embraced me and my family and it's become a great "third place". P.S. thank you Phil for all you do and frankly this post was amazing.
I'm glad you are part of a church that is doing the good work. I think that's happening less and less often.. At least in the part of the country I live in.
Really glad this was the first thing I read when I opened my phone this morning for my “what broke in the world while I was asleep” check. Gives me a much needed hit of hope. Thank you, President De Franco.
Well said
This horror of a human is my commander-in-chief. I've served for nearly 30 years, I'm moments away from retiring, and I just don't know how I would be able to get through these times without you PhilyD. Thank you for this post, it helps me reset, get out of my head and realize I can control what I can control which is serving others. Love your beautiful face!
Phil I've followed your show since the beginning and your post about Easter is in my opinion the best point of view you have ever articulate. Thank you so much for sharing it.
As someone who is affected by this in a slightly more indirect way. (A Canadian who’s living with three others on about $3000 CAD a month with one income) I think that, even though I’ve had breakdowns, I know it’ll all get better because me and others are willing to make sure the world changes for the better. I’ve always been optimistic, but I just… know. I know that things will eventually get better. Think about how hopeless people must have felt after the disasters throughout WWII, or how scared so many people were during any depression/recession. This just goes to show that people will persevere and push through.
A message that I very much appreciated reading today
Also, don't tease us with 2032 😉 I feel like we'd show up in droves. Appreciate you!
Happy Easter friend. And thanks for this message.
Ever since this nightmare began, love for my neighbors is the only thing I've been able to hold on to. Love for others is the reason I'm angry.
It's a little bit of a tangent, but the running theme of the game Expedition 33 is "for those who come after." I support my community, I fight for those who are silenced, I look for those opportunities to be the support that our government has failed to be, all for those who come after.
It's humbling and encouraging to see my community doing so much to support those around them, and we will keep going. Happy Easter everyone! Take care of yourself and others!
I feel like I gotta share this with everyone with older parents as a PSA.... PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD FIND OUT WHO YOUR PARENTS ARE DONATING TO!!! I just so happened to get my parents mail yesterday and I kid you not there we 10 SEPARATE LETTERS from the Israel PRO ZIONIST CAUSE! So I asked my mom why they were being bombarded with mail from them and she just nonchalant told me that shes been donating to them more money than I care to admit..... I know she means well but I had to get across to her that she was donating to the atrocities of Muslims and even Christians in that part of the world. this is gonna sound like a joke but I'm dead serious.... PLEASE EVERYONE TALK TO YOUR PARENTS ABOUT ZIONISM
Still wearing my DeFranco 2024 hoodie regularly and expecting a DeFranco 2032 to drop.
Your message hits hard today. While an administration is talking about boots on the ground in Iran we need to be boots on the ground for each other.
you need to tell people they don't have to read if they use the app 🤣😅
Defranco for Prez 2032🤞
I have a strict no politics on Sunday policy for my own mental health and as someone who is deconstructing the evangelical faith I was raised in Easter is a lot complicated so I really didn't even mean to read this article when it hit my inbox yesterday but I admit that Phil always has something to say that uplifts me so I read it and was so happy to see him talk about organizing in our communities and doing mutual aid. Almost a year ago now I joined an organization here in the Arkansas/Oklahoma River Valley and we are doing mutual aid, political education and out there protesting with No Kings and 50501 as well as our own protests. This group has become a family for me and my adult children. I'm just so excited to see what the next generation is willing to stand for and be part of the movement for change in our very "Red" community.
Praise to be Allah from a "Christian" man on Easter Sunday is heretical, maybe even a heresy of the highest level. Any evangelical that has any shred of dignity needs to denounce Trump and if they should not they are hypocrites and heretics themselves. This is a mask off moment and if you know an evangelical Christian you should be pressing them as hard as you can. Don't let these boot licking fake Christians continue to spread their false scripture any further. Coming from a background of Evangelicalism and now being an atheist this still leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth, the only thing worse then a hypocrite is a heretical hypocrite.