So recently I've had some visitors of the, shall we say, fundamentalist Christian mindset. Most have been extremely nice and engaging, and I kind of welcome their different sensibility. As I've said, sometimes Liberals can be a might heavy-handed. However, some of you might wonder - why exactly is a nice Jewish girl getting traffic from Christians? Well. This is mainly because I've felt compelled - at times foolishly - to comment on a very Hyper Christian blog. (Say what you will, the woman gets a lot of hits. )
Here a homeschooling mother of seven lets forth on such riveting subjects as why public schools are like the Nazi regime for Christian children, how birth control is against God's plan, why homosexuals are sinners and how homosexuality should be illegal and - thereisnosuchthingasevolutionhowdareyoumentionityounastyliberal. She is a firm proponent of something called Biblical Womanhood. Here's a little tutorial:
Should women submit to men? Apparently, they should (I want to point out that the very smart and devout Terry @ Breathing Grace explains that most Christians believe that women should submit to their husbands, and not to ALL men. Fair enough. Not having a husband, this hasn't come up exactly. Thank G-D):
Yes Kelly over at Generation Cedar just f'loves this guy's preaching. Oh, and don't send your children to public schools! They are a breeding ground for Marxism:
I know, right?
But I think in general I've been a little unfair. You don't get overnight to the point where you tell a stranger that homosexuals should spend their lives celibate and safe from sin. That's a long indoctrination. I wasn't raised by Fundamentalist Christians - I wasn't raised by Christians at all. And curiously, all my years of Hebrew School didn't have much to do with, well, God's Wrath. Let's face it, fear of Brimstone is not the primary motivator in my life, because as I've pointed out, I was more afraid of my mother - and she was a lot scarier than Brimstone. In fact, I'm sure the Archangels are asking her right now how she inspired so much respect from us.
But I digress.
Remember that famous passage where Anne Frank - living in an attic and soon to die in a Concentration Camp - said that she still believes people are basically good? I've always thought that if she can think it, I can think it. And so I do believe people are basically good. With a few bad apples, of course. I believe that being nice to each other is kind of what every religion is getting at. I believe that faith is a personal matter, and you have to find your own way. I believe that everyone is in charge of their own destiny because if there is a Deity up there, She's kind of busy, you know? I believe in forgiveness, although I often fail to be forgiving.
Mostly I believe if we let go for even a moment of why everyone should have the same rights to love, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we will lose those rights.
What can I say? I was raised by Heathen Liberals. :)
12 comments:
Very interesting post. I greatly like your writing style. Your humor reminds me of my own and I find myself snickering even though I don't agree!
Let me say though, that I don't live in fear of fire and brimstone. I don't follow God because of fear of fire and brimstone. I don't even know any Christians who do! You may have been joking and not really believing that's why people follow the Lord, and if so, then disregard this, you already know it. I follow God because He created me and He loves me. This makes me want to follow Him. Not fear, not worry, LOVE. He is merciful and gracious and I am in awe of Him. I want to follow Him just because He IS.
I also wanted to add that I, too, was raised by heathen liberals :) My beautiful mama used to make constant comments like "I can't believe a daughter of mine is into this stuff." My parents are marvelous!
During the 2000 election, I was one to say that if Bush won, I would leave the country. I was pro-everything and following in heathen liberal parental footsteps. A few months later, I was following Jesus. (Though still not a Bush supporter... just no longer a democrat supporter too.) God can change even the hardest of hearts. His is a Truth that looks ridiculous on the outside (His Word says that His Truth will look like foolishness to unbelievers), but when It is revealed to a person in all It's glory, It is beautiful.
My eyes were opened, I had true freedom. My parents are still the best! My mama is my best friend.
Thank you for sharing where you are coming from. I enjoy reading your thoughts and beliefs.
Amy, please don't feel I don't respect you or your beliefs. I was raised to believe that freedom of religion is extremely important. I would never EVER tell someone else how to worship. I mean that.
I was joking about the brimstone though. :) I just meant that I don't carry any thoughts of the afterlife. That's all. I know Kelly believes this, but I really don't have any vested interest in proving anyone wrong or right - who knows, maybe I'll get to the doors of Heaven and go whoops - but I am interested in thinking things through.
Love the story of how you married your stalker...you sure have an adorable family.
Thanks for reading!
"Love the story of how you married your stalker"
you mean like Luke and Laura on General hospital?
also: the links in this post don;t seem to be linking
Links fixed! Sorry! :)
Can I add a correction? Since you admittedly don't have a deep grasp of Biblical concepts, I just want to let you know that the Bible does NOT say that women are to submit to men. Titus 2, Ephesians, 1 Peter, and every other New Testamet passage on the issue says that wives are to submit to their OWN husbands. I realize that there are segments of the Christian community that teach that all women are subject to all men and I disagree with their theology vehemently.
I know you probably also disagree with the very notion of a wife even submitting to her husband, but the fact is that when the husband is doing the part that he has been commanded to do Scripturally, this is a non issue. And submission is NOT a dirty word. We all submit to someone every day in some way shape or form.
In the case of Christian marriage, I frequently find myself who reminding those who rail against submission that the veru idea is dependent on the wife's willingness to submit than it is on the husband's ability to force his own way.
There is so much I could say on this issue but the comment box of your blog is not the place for such a discussion. I've written a couple of posts on my blog that I believe offers a balanced picture of the concept. You can check them out at your leisure here and here.
I've added your point, Terry. I want to point out something though. While, once again, I have NO problem with anyone leading their lives as they see fit, what I've observed on SOME blogs is the extent to which teachings will go. It tends to lead to a "keep your daughter at home, tending children and the house" idea system which easily runs aground when ten children are born and the husband leaves/dies/cannot support the family. Yes, some families and churches step in - but this can leave women extremely vulnerable to the slings and arrows of well, outrageous fortune, right? I see nothing wrong with women choosing to stay at home with their kids - hey, why not - but the idea that they have no way to get work if they need it is a little disturbing.
In fact one blogger proudly proclaimed that giving women the right to vote was inherently wrong. After all, if you follow the Scripture, the wife must vote with the husband anyway - so why does she need a vote?! (Hilariously, the blogger reveals in a different place that HIS wife actually did vote!) So you see my problem with the concept.
Are there gender specific roles we should play? I don't know. There are men who are more nurturing, and women who are less nurturing.
Thanks for commenting. You have an awfully smart blog.
I find it very interesting and quite telling that you would change are unalienable rights from "LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" to "love, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Makes it much easier to swallow the whole abortion thing.
LOL, Terri! Didn't even realize I had done that (Freudian slip?) but no, it's not what I meant at all. I don't apologize for my belief that abortion should be safe and legal. Sorry, I realize I don't agree with you on this one.
I don't think life begins at conception, but mostly I think too many women were harmed by illegal abortions. Young, young girls. Their lives are equally important and I prefer that they don't die from dirty knitting needles. In an ideal world, no one would abort. All children would be loved and wanted - until then I am grateful that abortion is still safe.
So I don't need to "swallow" the abortion belief. I stand behind it. I think women are not wombs. I think they should be able to choose. :)
hi MOD!
i recently just discovered your blog because i had been wondering for a couple of months why i no longer saw your insightful (and often pithy and delightful!) comments on kelly's blog. i find myself checking on her most days seemingly for the same reasons that you do (or did). i attempted a(respectful) response to a post there recently that i thought was disturbing, and was roundly chastised by her and found my comment deleted. *sigh*
the "quiver full", submit to your man, etc., mentality was not something i was raised with at all and i know it's a bit objectifying but i feel compelled to keep tabs on it just as i would rubberneck on the highway.
so basically, i just wanted to pop in and say that i'm glad to find your own blog and that i'll be following it now, too, for very different reasons!
best wishes,
jill
You're reminding me that I keep meaning to update this blog, Jill. Thanks for reading! ;)
Kelly. Sigh. Yeah. She could use a sense of humor about herself - and her hammering away about how she knows THE WAY is deeply transfixing and annoying in equal parts. But mostly I'm fascinated by the slippery slope of agreeing to live that way. Pretty soon every single thing in one's life is offered up to the altar of a very narrow Christianity that constricts every molecule of individuality. But I sense that she has a checkered past, and this makes her feel safe.
It's hard not to feel for her, given that. You know?
you hit the nail on the head-- i really have no problem at all with others' religious proclivities, but the way that each seemingly small lifestyle choice in that particular worldview is so constrained and premeditated is both baffling and fascinating. and i do often wonder what it would be like to follow that path; kelly seems to have many admirable qualities and i feel badly that she could be stifling those...at the same time she would not at all appreciate such sympathy! and unfortunately i can't stop imagining how her daughters are affected when she posts about keeping women out of college, etc.
but, i also have evangelical christians for in-laws, and i think reacting to such blogs makes ME feel safe in comparison to the idea of discussing issues directly with them. which is for now how i stay in my own narrow comfort zone!
thanks again, and definitely get back to blogging!
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