the copious online edifice of dj sallySALL

I think every person needs a Standard in their life, to guide them as to what is ok and what isn’t.
For example, I used to hang out with people who had grown up into this thing and that, and even though I was raised in a very different way — opposed to THEIR “this and that,” (“redacted” coz not all of it was legal, lol), being friends with them helped me both see a different way, and that it “seemed ok” that they were that different way. Later, I’d see the problems associated with that other way. And I realised that perhaps the boring or annoying way I’d been raised had some merit after all. I’m pretty impressionable, and as a child, my accent would completely change in just hours. (Like permanently.)
Based on who I was around.

So when I got to a certain age, I realised I needed a Standard-Setter that wasn’t me and wasn’t the people around me.
Not me, coz I couldn’t trust me to be as… selective? As I needed to be. (To stay out of jail, lol. Thankfully I never made it in, but it was close a few times.)
In other words, I was so curious and open-minded (and, frankly, “fun-loving”) that it would only spell disaster at some point. (Usually quite early on.)

And for the same reasons that I could not trust my own edicts or guidelines, I was “proven” to be just as unable to or unwilling to (or just plain “I finally got wise enough to”) NOt-trust the schemes or thoughts or plans of other humans.
Just like you, I have trouble with “universally-known, unspoken human rules.” (Your entire post was BEAUTIFULLY-articulated, btw!!! ♥️♥️♥️🙏🙏🙏🌹🌹🌹:))

Because if everything is opinion, then that means:

Might makes right

Aka it’s the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, and frankly (for I am a selfish and self-centered little beastlyanna).

So then… who?

There HAD to be a truth out there; there’s FACTS, right? I mean there’s stuff we can measure and observe and yes there’s subjectivity but there is also OBJECTIVITY, which means there HAS to be a TRUTH out there, which means it has to be findable.

So I went looking.

Criterion number one: IT HADDA BE SET FORTH BY A NON-HUMAN.
Not had to be but HADDA BE. (No I am not from New Jersey. Lol. ♥️)

So are we talking aliens or vampires or what exactly?

In the absence of Dracula and Edward Cullen 🧛‍♂️ I was left with just one option: GOD.

“But which god, Sally?”

The One, True, Living God. The One Who Made me and Who Made you.

“But how did you know which one it was? Great spirit? Allah? Buddha? Mohammed? Catholic Church? Universalism? Brahman? Shinto-ness? Jenova? Sephiroth? Leviathan? Lilith? satan? Jesus? Me?”

Well, as much as I’d like to be worshiped by all humans (not really, actually, lol), I was out of the running. Again, I’m human and the standard-setter needs to not-be.

Culture? Hmm. Not sure how we snuck that one in there, but some countries think it’s ok to marry off pre-teens, and homie don’t play that game, so there you go. (Aka cultural relativism. And I’m bicultural, btw, so this #struggle be REALNESS. 💋

So not me and not culture and not aliens coz Sigourney Weaver. And not beetlejuice or satan coz the devil is a liar. (That’s his job description, so don’t hate. Demons only speak one language, and it’s LIE. Literally. That’s why when you have low self-esteem and feel like “I should die coz I’m trash!” You know it’s a lie. Coz those are demons. That’s where it came from the phrase “he was wrestling with demons.” Coz they’re actually real. Most religions actually include them.)

“So then WHAT, sally bishai, or bi ahwa, (or needs ahwa, or had too much ahwa, lol) is the standard-setter?? Coz right now you’re making it sound like most of the world religions are out of the running, too!”

You’re right. Most of them ARE off the table. Because the only options are “all of them are true,” in which case anything goes, in which case Hitler goes free in Heaven or hell or there isn’t one.

I didn’t like that option (though again, whether or not I liked it doesn’t impact whether it’s true or no).

So if ALL true is a problem (I mean that’s our original prob isn’t it? Opinions NO and truth YES? (Yes!)).

So that means there’s either NO way to truth, or there’s only ONE way to truth. Again, for those in the back: Only one TRUTH, and only one WAY to it.

So I changed my major to philosophy and world religions.

I spent TWO YEARS reading all this stuff that likely killed an entire forest (I’m sorry, baby trees :(( I did go on to plant tons of stuff but that’s another tale for another day.)

And in the end, the system of beliefs that had the MOST evidence behind it, and the MOST logic in—and, frankly, had the most BENEFIT to it (both in terms of personal change for me, and in tangible benefit to those around me—if and only IF I lived that way)…

Was found In The Bible.

In it, I learned that

• ALL HUMANS HAVE VALUE COZ HE MADE ALL HUMANS
• THE POINT OF LIVING IS NOT HAPPINESS, it’s LOVE

And contrary to popular spiels,
GOD IS LOVE.

it’s in the fact that God Sent His Only Son (Jesus) to die on the cross in order to satisfy the blood price of our sins. Which we could never pay. So now when we give our lives To Him, we are able to hang out With The Father. (Who Hadda Oust Adam and Eve for transgressing in the Garden of Eden.)

So even if I didn’t believe in the system He Preached, it’s a system based on love. His Love for us.

And Jesus tells us to love one another. Turn the other cheek. Give your shoes away too when someone wanted just your overcoat. Pray for your enemies and love them. Give yourself (and that last piece of pizza) away.

“But isn’t God mean? I mean He Allowed this and He didn’t Do that!”

Well, if He did what I wanted instead of doing His Will, then who’s God? Me or Him? There’s a reason He CEO and I “just” work For Him. :)) He hath better Eye-sight than do I, lol. 🤓

Again, sister, I ADORE your post and your question. It’s one I’ve struggled with for soooo long. I don’t think it’s just a neurodivergence thing. I think anyone who truly wants to make a diff in this world, and wants to do the “right thing” and also BE the right “thing” (as it were :)) HAS to confront these questions. I think about them lots, too, actually. Every time I meet a new friend who seems super-cool… but does some sketchy stuff (that I’m secretly jealous of and want to try! Like bungee jumping in a chicken feather suit! Kind of. I think it would feel extra trippy lol. But maybe it was just a meme and I got my hopes up for naught. Heh.)

Anyway, there’s tons more I want to write but I’m interested in your questions as well. (And typing in this baby text field has me feeling all sorts of insecure now. Lol.)

I send oodles of love to you, and look forward to hearing (well, reading) what you think. Sorry in advance if I’m late replying, writing takes lots out of me and staring at the screen gives me cluster headaches and migraines.

Anyway! May God Make Himself Known to you and Real to you (just ask Him! He’s Waiting, like a helpful telephone operator at Time-Life, or whatever that company was that would crank out greatest hits CDs back in the day).
sally SALL
♥️✝️🙏

PS
Oops I didn’t even mention The Sovereignty Of God! That’s a huge deal and discusses why His Plan “gets to be considered” correct. But I guess I’ll save that for next time. ♥️✝️🙏 hope you have the best Sunday ever, sis :))