iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

History shows us what happens when death becomes entertainment: Rome’s crosses. America’s lynching trees. Each one dressed up as “justice,” but really tools of terror. ✍️ I wrote about this in my latest Substack: The Dangerous Fantasy of Televised Executions. 👉 Link in bio to read.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Stephen Miller isn’t a builder of worlds. He isn’t shaping history. He’s a side note. An asterisk in the Trump years. If his name shows up in textbooks, it will be in the footnotes of America’s ugliest chapters. open.substack.com/pub/therealj...

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

If your theology protects pastors over children, demands purity from teens while excusing predators, and calls itself holy while covering harm—let it die. Some things need to die so something honest can rise. Something that actually looks like Jesus.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

This can’t be real,” I say for the 700th time, knowing full well that it is, in fact, very real and very stupid.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

If your faith leads you to fight for the right to hit disabled kids but not to feed the hungry ones in the lunchroom, then it’s not Christ you’re following.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

“Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial.” Dr. King Jr.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Why do they always have Jesus is king or Jesus is lord in their bios? What is it about this strain of Christianity that feels entitled or empowered to be such jack wagons?

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Hey @coreysnathan.bsky.social thanks for the book recommendation. How to Know a Person by David Brooks is fantastic!

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Empires build themselves on fear and chaos, but they always fall. Every single one. They burn bright, but they burn out. Stay grounded. Stay focused. Love doesn’t need to be loud to win—it just needs to endure.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

This is what happens when Christianity is co-opted by empire. A government that boasts about chains is a government that has lost its soul. And a church that remains silent has lost its witness.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

White Christian nationalism is obsessed with controlling LGBTQ+ people. They’d rather legislate suffering than face the truth: Queer people exist, thrive, and belong fully in the image of God.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Christian leaders once said interracial marriage would destroy society. Now they say the same about trans rights. If history teaches us anything, it’s this: The people screaming the loudest about “protecting the children” are often the ones we should be protecting them from.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Imagine sitting in church yesterday, hands raised in worship, while defending policies that kill the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Jesus wouldn’t be in that pew—he’d be the one those policies are crushing.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Singing praises to Jesus while supporting policies that destroy lives is the modern version of the priests saying, “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15)

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

He who saves his country does not violate any law” is not patriotism—it’s a confession of corruption. It’s the lie every tyrant tells before they seize total power. And if Christians defend it, we are no longer standing with Christ—we are standing with empire.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to protect the powerful, to ensure the rich get richer, to cast out the immigrant, and to silence the oppressed. 1/

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Sometimes, the most radical thing we can do is keep the door open. To stay soft, even when it hurts.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

It’s deeply problematic when Christians claim they should be hated and persecuted simply because Jesus said, “The world will hate you because of me.” This mindset doesn’t just misinterpret scripture—it reinforces toxic, cult-like behaviors that thrive on isolation and animosity. 1/

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Polarization happens when we replace people with caricatures. When faith is used to draw battle lines instead of building bridges, it stops being faith and starts being ideology.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

LEAVE. TRANS. KIDS. THE. HELL. ALONE. That’s it. That’s the post.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Had a video or two go crazy on Tik Tok & IG. So many loving comments and those are the majority. But (and that’s a BIG but) lots of “Christians” saying just awful things. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest but what makes them act that way? What about their system makes that the default response?

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

If your faith needs government protection, it’s not faith—it’s fear. The gospel doesn’t need an executive order. It needs people living out love, justice, and humility. Christians, we must call this out. This not just bad politics. It’s blasphemy.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

The president’s executive order is a bold move to protect women’s sports from (checks math again)… 0.002% of athletes. Truly, the biggest threat of our time.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

If your faith doesn’t compel you to speak out against this kind of blatant racism and sexism, it’s time to re-evaluate. Silence isn’t neutrality. Silence sides with oppression.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

“Love your neighbor” wasn’t a suggestion. It wasn’t conditional. It wasn’t meant to be debated. If your theology lets you ignore suffering, your theology is broken.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

One of the hardest parts of all this isn’t losing friendships. It’s realizing those friendships were never built on love—only shared illusions.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Statistically speaking, if you’re looking for a groomer, you might want to start with the pulpit—not the pride parade.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

If faith is about thinking the right things about God, then every differing opinion becomes a threat. Disagreement turns into heresy. And somehow, the most important thing about God becomes our thoughts about God.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

This was easily one of my favorite interviews. Not only b/c The Spirit of Justice is that good but b/c @jemartisby.bsky.social that engaging. The episode drops Wednesday. Don’t miss it. The story he tells in his book give us the way forward. Link in bio. #podcast

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

The first books the Nazis burned were on gender and sexuality. The first people they erased were those who didn’t fit their vision of “purity.” Scrubbing trans people from government websites is not just policy—it’s a warning.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

“I don’t love the whole dictatorship thing, but at least my grocery bill will go down!” Narrator: It did not, in fact, go down.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Black history isn’t just about the past—it’s about the present and the future. The same forces that try to diminish it today are the ones who have fought against justice for centuries. Honoring Black history is resisting erasure.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

When the government bans words, it’s not about language—it’s about control. Erasing words is the first step to erasing people. This isn’t about semantics—it’s about power.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

You were not created to run on empty. Sabbath is a reminder that your worth isn’t measured by productivity. Step away. Breathe deeply. Take joy in things that don’t demand output. If you feel like you can’t afford to rest, that’s a sign you need it most. Let today be a day of deep, guilt-free rest.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

The refusal to celebrate Black History Month isn’t neutrality—it’s erasure. But Black history doesn’t disappear just because some refuse to acknowledge it. We will honor it, teach it, and carry it forward—because black history is American history.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

The machine demands exhaustion. The system thrives on burnout. But rest disrupts. Rest resets. Rest reminds us that we are more than what we produce. Rest is rebellion.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

If your faith isn’t political when the powerful use religion to oppress, but suddenly is when a bishop calls for justice—you’re not defending Christianity. You’re defending power. #HR59

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Jesus overturned tables when religious leaders used faith as a prop for power. Those condemning Bishop Budde while praising a president for selling signed Bibles aren’t defending Christianity—they’re selling it.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

My deconstruction zoom group is open for registration. It’s free but we do ask you make a donation to the Pride Center of NCFL for the student group. We’ll look at stages of decon, inerrancy, LGBTQ, hell & more. It start 2/12 @7:30 pm eastern. Registration is in bio & comments. #deconstruction

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Jesus told his followers to expect persecution—not because they were loudest, but because they stood with the least of these. If you’re aligning with power, you’re not the one being persecuted.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Are you being “persecuted” for your faith, or are you upset that your beliefs no longer go unchallenged? There’s a difference between suffering for Christ and suffering for control.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

So much of the harm of fundamentalism is the anthropology behind it. Our first acts of violence are often toward ourselves. Episode 4 with @matthewpaulturner.bsky.social is live now! Link in bio. #podcast

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

I’m rewatching The Outsider after reading it and noticing how they completely changed the ending and several key points in the storyline. It’s still very good but not as good as the book. I’m curious how @stephenking.bsky.social feels about it. I think I would be frustrated.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

You can’t defeat white Christian nationalism by saying ‘That’s not real Christianity’—you defeat it by confronting how much of Christianity has always been shaped by nationalism, white supremacy, and empire. Name it. Dismantle it. Reimagine it.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

American Christianity has been colonized by empire for centuries. MAGA Christianity is just its latest form. Instead of saying ‘That’s not real Christianity,’ we should be asking, ‘Why does Christianity keep producing this?’

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

MAGA Christians aren’t real Christians’ is just another way to distance ourselves from the hard truth: American Christianity has always had a deep-rooted problem with white supremacy, nationalism, and empire. And until we deal with that, nothing changes.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Just talked with @coreysnathan.bsky.social from @goodfaithpolitics.bsky.social. It was a really good interview and I’m excited for everyone to hear it. In the meantime- make sure you’re checking out his stuff. Really important work happening over there.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

“They were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). Freezing aid to the vulnerable mirrors the sin of Sodom and betrays any claim to moral high ground.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

The prophets condemned nations that ignored the cries of the oppressed. A society that caters to the rich while the poor are left to suffer walks the same doomed path.

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Joe Smith @therealjoesmith.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

I talked to @annaforflorida.bsky.social for the Shift Happens podcast. She’s a fighter and we need leaders like her right now. Click the bio link to hear all she had to say. Make sure to subscribe, rate & share. Every little bit of resistance helps. #podcast

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