Are there any other novas from an evangelical Christian household around here? My family reacted poorly to my eruption, the man I'm in love with is still deciding, and I keep on getting hateful letters from the Church of Michael Archangel - who I think skipped the day their pastor was discussing Christ's compassion and love for us all.

I'm just so confused. I don't think I'm a demon or anything, and I can't see God punishing me for falling in love with somebody my father didn't like - Carlos is a pastor himself, after all.

Please don't give me smart answers, or hateful ones. The people at the Manhattan Rashoud facility are nice people, but they don't understand.

Can somebody please help me?

If your religion and your being are at odds, Anne, I'm afraid there isn't too much hope of a peaceful resolution. This isn't like being gay, where they can send you to some brainwashing camp and have you come home swearing on a stack of Bibles that you're attracted to the sex Almighty God intended and they force you into a marriage with some "cured" gay dude so the two of you can play house and pretend for the rest of your miserable, loveless lives.

No, you're a nova, now, and you're going to be a nova even if you don't use your powers even once, even if you can 'dorm down 24/7, and if your family can't suck up and deal with the biological fact of who you are, then either you need to change their minds or you need to be on your merry way. Sorry, love, but this story doesn't have a happy ending for you.

I'm not of your faith - not of any faith, really - but perhaps I can help.

Eruption is stressful on families and friends. It upsets the equilibrium they, and you, have found with each other. This is just about universal, no matter what faith, race, or country you hail from.

Hateful letters from the Church of Michael Archangel are a fact of life as a nova, sadly. I find their notion that all novas are destined to go insane with power and will wipe out untold millions to be a laughable prophecy at best. I did get a nice letter from the Church of the Immanent Escheaton that I had to decline, but they may have a message you'd be interested in.

(I've heard more vitrol from anti-nova religions, sure, but this is the OpNet. "All Novas Should Be Permanently Destroyed" will get more hits than "Novas Are Pretty Neat," which is why everyone who wants to get noticed starts bangin' the drum of hate.)

I can tell you: talk to the ones you love. Faster is better. If you leave them be then all the thoughts they have bouncing around inside of their skulls will ferment and fester. Let them know how hard this is on you and how you need their support - and let them know that you know, how hard it's been on them, because I can all but guarantee that it has been.

Most of all, tell yourself this, because it's the truth: you did nothing wrong. No one chooses to be a nova, the same way no one chooses to have blonde hair or brown skin. What matters, right now, is what you do next. Lots of people are going to be telling you what you ought to do, think, or believe in the next few weeks, but that kind of a choice is not up to them.

I wish I could do more, but evangelical Christianity isn't something I'm an expert on. But in my experience, people are people no matter where you find them.

Vixen:
I tried, Dear Lord, did I try to talk to them. My father effectively told me I was a sinful whore because I erupted while dreaming of the Rapture - where we're going to leave our clothing with everything else behind, like Misters Jenkins and LaHaye say in their books - and flew up through the ceiling. I think it's mostly because he doesn't like Hispanics, and Carlos is Guatemalan.

Cain:
I've been told there are a couple evangelical Christian churches that do accept novas - unfortunately, they also accept homosexuals.

I guess I should ask if homosexuals are sinners too, because if my father's wrong about novas...

I wish Carlos knew what to do. Then he could tell me.

Well, shit, if you're actually asking, no, homosexuals aren't "sinners", either. Sexual attraction is largely a matter of genetic determinism and is only marginally affected by environment.

Here, a few more bombs to drop on you, before you get around to asking:

The Earth isn't six thousand years old, but several hundred million.

God didn't make the Earth in six days, and he didn't guide the hand of evolution.

The Jews were never slaves in Egypt.

No historical precedent exists for Abraham, Adam, Eve, Moses, Joshua, or any biblical figure prior to Judah Maccabeus even existing.

People can't return from the dead.

Oh, also, God doesn't exist. Sorry.

Question... And, not that I don't sympathize with your situation, but I have to ask...

Who the hell is Carlos?

I do believe he's the aforementioned man she's "in love with".

Carlos is the man I want to marry, yes.

If God doesn't exist, why did He erupt me during a dream of the Rapture?

He didn't. Dreams are the result of your subconscious mind reacting to the firing of synaptic neurotransmitters in your brain. Generally this takes the effect of our minds playing with things that weigh heavily on our minds. I'm sure that in your case, you think about things like the Rapture a lot. In short, you dream about the Rapture because you think about the Rapture, and it just so happens that you probably had a traumatic or epiphanous emotional reaction to whatever you were dreaming. Dreams can seem very real.

A question back to you, Miss Joy. If God is responsible for eruptions and he chose to cause you to erupt in this fashion why do others not erupt through similar means? Most people erupt because their lives are threatened, which I guess you could make a case for divine intervention, there. But some people erupt because they're mad, or experimenting with drugs, or because they choose to smash their head into a wall until it happens. I seem to recall not too long ago a serial rapist erupted when his victim pulled a can of weapons-grade mace on him. Was God responsible for those eruptions as well? Clearly not. The only rational answer is to simply remove God from the equation, and there's a very good reason to do that: there's no such thing.

I'm sorry you could only be introduced to this idea now.

Please. I'd ask if this is a joke but sadly I know it's not.

At least she hasn't been completely indoctrinated.

To be sure I understand, you think that your father is telling you that you're a sinful whore because you're dating a Guatemalan named Carlos, but he is saying that it's because you erupted? I wish to make sure that I understand, because that statement isn't very clear.


Don't ask anyone here what you should think. Clearly, you have learned that one person you trusted to feed you information was wrong; now is not the time to find another font of 'wisdom' to drink from. You are responsible for your thoughts and the actions stemming from them, unless you have a telepath in your brain. This responsiblity does not disappear if you are just doing what another told you.

Do research. You're in New York City; just stand on any street corner and you'll see that there are many diverse lifestyles that all thrive in the city. For more formalized study, try The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered Community Center. They would love to enlighten you.


See comment above. You're an adult. Think for yourself.

My father can't even tell the difference between a Guatemalan and a Mexican; I don't think Christ's in his heart.

I guess God chooses His timing in mysterious ways. How can anyone understand His decisions?

I am sorry if I seemed hateful towards gay people. We're meant to love the sinner, hate the sin; but having met a couple novas from the QNA, I'm not so sure it is a sin. Mustang Sally and Rainbow seem like very nice, well-adjusted people, not at all how World Net Daily describes them. They certainly didn't try to recruit me for the homosexual lifestyle!

Thank you for not being hateful towards me. My father did his best to see me sheltered from the sins of the world; unfortunately, he seems to have told me a lie or two. I can only assume it was with the best of intentions, but only the Lord can judge that in the end.

More likely that your father really believes the lie. There are people like that; I have a cousin who went all religious. Once I erupted, he started to send mom and dad CoMA material. They laughed in his face (over the phone) and told him not to bother anymore.

And the reason they didn't try to convert you is because they believe that you are or you aren't gay, and they can't make you believe that you are if you aren't. That's the way most of the homosexuals I've met feel about it.

There is nothing in the Christian faith that says being a nova is a punishment from God, there wasn't before and there certainly hasn't been anything added since N-day. CoMA, which is a church unto themselves and remains mututally exclusive from all other faiths are the ones who sputter that crap about being demons and what not. Seriously, most sane churches will not touch these guys with a ten foot pole.

What kind of a church do you attend? Sheesh.

If CoMA is giving you trouble, fine, that's one thing. If your own church is giving you grief about being a nova then just join a different fellowship that is more understanding. It's that easy.

All this "Christ this" and "Chirst that" and "I wish Carlos were here..." just shows that you're co-dependant. Rapture, think for yourself, do for yourself, it's a great feeling. Try it sometime.


The sins of the world are where 99% of the fun is. Hit any club or the Blackburn on a Friday here in New York sometime. You'll never want to go home.

My father runs my church.

Co-dependent? I don't know what that is, but aren't women supposed to obey the rules laid down by men?

He can'tmake you be a member of it. If the people of your church are treating you poorly, just leave.


If I wasn't already dead you'd have just killed me.

Hell no you ain't gotta do what we tell ya. Land of the free, home of the brave and all that. You have the right and the privilege to be anyone you want to be.

Obey rules laid down by men... what a crock.

But the Bible says so.

It also says Abraham was married to his half-sister Sarah. His son was married to his first cousin Rachel, and his son was married to his 2nd or 3rd cousin... Three of the worlds major religions were founded by 3 generations of inbreeders. Funny how people just gloss over the stuff they don't want to notice. The book has some interesting stuff in it if you read it real close like and start asking questions.

My parents were very strict with me until I erupted, then it seems like they just stopped caring. I guess that's better than what you are going through, but they were devout as well and I was raised that way, but after I started thinking for myself I started noticing some of that stuff the churches like to sweep under the rug. Just a bit of trivia that I learned in Sunday school when I was little, but did you know the word CHURCH, isn't actually anywhere in the bible. It was added by King James' translators. The real greek word is the exact same one that is used for the mob that tried to stone Paul.

Pardon me while I calm down a bit. From what I've seen religion (not spirituality) has done just about as much harm over the centuries as it has ever done good if not more.

Is that what the Bible really says or is that just how you've been taught to read it?

Who cares what the Bible says? You're a human being, aren't you? You've a fully-functioning brain, right?

So make up your own damn mind.

Get off this tit, would you, love? I very much doubt any of us in the room who have taken high school biology or psych don't know that much.

I didn't know what an 'Oneirologist' was until I looked it up just now, y'feckin' goofball yeh.

Ever think it might be... oh... I dunno... wrong?

How can the Bible be wrong? God wrote it.

Go get a dictionary and look up the word 'tautology', love.

You know, that's something that's been bothering me for a while now. I'm glad you brought it up. If a divine all-powerful all-knowing eternal being were to write a book, wouldn't it be immediately obvious to anyone who even glanced at this book that it can only be the work of a supernatural being? I mean, absolute epiphanies should leap off of every page. The prose should be tighter, more eloquent, more entertaining, more insightful, and more profound than anything any mortal could ever create. All people everywhere should keep a copy close at hand at all times, and be absolutely riveted by the unspeakable truths and knowledge that it imparts.

Compare this to The Bible that actually exists. It's rambling, incoherent, mind-bogglingly dense and tedious, internally inconsistent, and frighteningly banal.

God had nothing to do with The Bible. God would have done a much better job of it.

I'm a big fan of books, The Bible included. The next time you talk to God could you please ask him to get his facts straight.

Who incited David to count the fighting men of Israel?
God did (2 Samuel 24: 1)
Satan did (I Chronicles 2 1:1)

In that count how many fighting men were found in Israel?
Eight hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
One million, one hundred thousand (I Chronicles 21:5)

How many fighting men were found in Judah?
Five hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
Four hundred and seventy thousand (I Chronicles 21:5)

God sent his prophet to threaten David with how many years of famine?
Seven (2 Samuel 24:13)
Three (I Chronicles 21:12)

How old was Ahaziah when he began to rule over Jerusalem?
Twenty-two (2 Kings 8:26)
Forty-two (2 Chronicles 22:2)

How old was Jehoiachin when he became king of Jerusalem?
Eighteen (2 Kings 24:8)
Eight (2 Chronicles 36:9)

How long did he rule over Jerusalem?
Three months (2 Kings 24:8)
Three months and ten days (2 Chronicles 36:9)

The chief of the mighty men of David lifted up his spear and killed how many men at one time?
Eight hundred (2 Samuel 23:8)
Three hundred (I Chronicles 11: 11)

When did David bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem? Before defeating the Philistines or after?
After (2 Samuel 5 and 6)
Before (I Chronicles 13 and 14)

How many pairs of clean animals did God tell Noah to take into the Ark?
Two (Genesis 6:19, 20)
Seven (Genesis 7:2). But despite this last instruction only two pairs went into the ark (Genesis 7:8-9)

That's just what I can remember at the moment. It was penned by man, written by man, and thoguht up by man. Face the facts deary.

I don't understand most of those words. I'm sorry.

Hey, let's not go overboard, people. Anne, here, has just come from a life where this was probably all that she knew into a secular world where we know these ideas haven't been valid for hundreds of years. But you can't bombard the wee thing with a million proofs against her life's work all at once or you're just going to scare her away.

So relax. Ease off. The best way for Anne to come to the truth is to gently nudge her in that direction so she can discover for herself. You don't need to wield the facts like a sword: a scalpel will do. The Truth doesn't need PR people. It's the Truth.

Flicker, that was really well said. Even though I don't believe in Religion any more, I do still believe in God. What you said about the bible though, was as convincing of a proof as any I've heard about the book. At least as good as Rev's facts.

I think us monkey's are predisposed to believe in God, even us quantum powered monkeys. It's just a shame we don't really have a book like the one you described.

I didn't pick the name Rapture. It stuck and my brother decided to register it for me. I didn't know you needed to register nova names...

I doubt very much that your brother has legal standing to register anything in your name at all. You get to pick.

Little lady, you SO need to talk to my Mama.