(i ripped this off wikipedia real fast so sorry if it's lib)

In October 1776, the Public Universal Friend contracted an epidemic disease and was bedridden and near death with a high fever. Their family summoned a doctor from Attleboro, six miles away, and neighbors kept up a death-watch at night. The fever broke after several days. The Friend later reported that [deadname redacted] had died, receiving revelations from God through two archangels who proclaimed there was "Room, Room, Room, in the many Mansions of eternal glory for Thee and for everyone". The Friend further said that [deadname redacted]'s soul had ascended to heaven and the body had been reanimated with a new spirit charged by God with preaching his word, that of the "Publick Universal Friend", describing that name in the words of Isaiah 62:2 as "a new name which the mouth of the Lord hath named".

From that time on, the Friend refused to answer to their deadname, ignoring or chastising those who insisted on using it. When visitors asked if it was the name of the person they were addressing, the Friend simply quoted Luke 23:3 ("thou sayest it").  Identifying as neither male nor female, the Friend asked not to be referred to with gendered pronouns. Followers respected these wishes; they referred only to "the Public Universal Friend" or short forms such as "the Friend" or "P.U.F.", and many avoided gender-specific pronouns even in private diaries. When someone asked if the Friend was male or female, the preacher replied "I am that I am", saying the same thing to a man who criticized the Friend's manner of dress (adding, in the latter case, "there is nothing indecent or improper in my dress or appearance; I am not accountable to mortals").

editorial note: I think this is a very cool story and I really love hearing it. We've been around forever and we've been doing variations of this forever. It's really beautiful


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  • Angel [any]
    ·
    1 month ago

    We're long-distance friends who chat a ton. Though she is currently in the UK closer to her mother, her father lives in the same state as me. Her father has been wanting her to visit, but she said that she finds me a much larger incentive to go. She was thinking of using it as a "two birds, one stone" opportunity, where she could see us both.

    We are quite flirty, but we've made no commitments, especially since a long-distance relationship wouldn't be easy to work out. If we were to ever go down that route, at the very least, she has some form of a connection to the place that I live in already.

    We'll see how it goes. Right now, I'm just glad to have such a relatable friend who gets me.

    • rtstragedy [fae/faer, she/her]
      ·
      1 month ago

      damn i can relate too, shout outs to long-distance friends you can lose hours with! best feeling in the world tbh ... good luck :3