"Love Thy Neighbor* (terms and conditions apply)

Theological Schadenfreude: When Faith Breeds Cruelty

Ah, the sweet irony of watching institutions built on compassion accidentally become factories for sanctified smugness. It’s not a good look…especially for a moral authority.

Picture this: You've got a religion whose central marketing pitch is essentially "God is love, and we're His official representatives on Earth." Solid brand identity. Great messaging. Unfortunately, somewhere between the mission statement and the field operations, things got a bit... twisted.

Enter the divine double standard. When your theology teaches that certain people are cosmically off-limits—let's say, for argument's sake, anyone whose romantic preferences don't align with ancient agricultural societies' dating advice—you've essentially created a spiritual caste system. And boy, do people love a good hierarchy, especially when they're perched comfortably at the top.

The genius of this setup is that it transforms basic human nastiness into a religious duty. Suddenly, that warm fuzzy feeling you get when someone you disapprove of faces hardship isn't petty vindictiveness—it's divine justice in action. You're not being cruel; you're being spiritually perceptive! It's like having a theological hall pass for your worst impulses.

This is where things get deliciously absurd.

These same communities will host "Love Wins" potlucks while simultaneously maintaining detailed theological arguments about why love actually has very specific terms of service. They'll preach about Jesus dining with tax collectors and sinners, then spend board meetings discussing who's really welcome at the communion table.

The mental gymnastics required to maintain this position could qualify for Olympic status. "We love you, but also God might smite you, but we're praying for you, but also you're probably going to hell, but we're saying this with compassion, but also we can't let you volunteer in children's ministry because... reasons."

Here's the psychological payoff that makes it all work:

When life inevitably serves up its random cruelties to people in the "wrong" category, it feels like cosmic validation. The universe appears to be endorsing your worldview with a divine stamp of approval. It's confirmation bias dressed up in Sunday clothes, and it's intoxicating.

The cherry on top? 

Most practitioners seem genuinely baffled when outsiders question their moral authority. "But we're the good guys!" they insist, apparently missing the memo that claiming moral superiority while practicing selective compassion is roughly equivalent to advertising yourself as a "humble genius."

The result is institutional cognitive dissonance on a grand scale—organizations claiming to represent perfect love while accidentally perfecting the art of sanctified schadenfreude. It would be fascinating from an anthropological perspective if it weren't so destructively effective at marginalizing real people.

But hey, at least they've mastered the art of weaponizing grace—turning the very concept of divine love into a precision instrument for inflicting spiritual harm.

The hypocrisy is shameful………and frankly, ungodly.

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Schadenfeude: the German word for feeling good about someone else’s misfortune.