Recently, I ventured into all-too-familiar territory,
a Mormon-bashing comment thread on The Zero Boss blog. Either my second comment never went through or was regarded as the proverbial elephant in the room (or 'Comments' section in this case). I guess I should be grateful for that. I barely have the energy to cook dinner for the kids at night, much less make coherent statements about religion and politics. If you really want to know my feelings about the church, I refer you to the "Who I Am" series in the Feb. 2006 archives or to my Blogging For Books entry to your right because I just don't have the time or energy to get into that right now. Returning to the comment thread in question, it included many of the usual suspects: big evil secrets in the temple and leaders who only appear to be teaching good things, but are secretly and subliminally teaching evil (This one always leaves me confused-I guess I've never been invited to the secret "evil" meetings or I'm just not any good at reading between the lines and believe that when they say "be nice" what they mean is "be nice."). I guess tithing was mocked too, but as someone who has to really work at remembering to pay hers (or his), I don't feel too qualified to comment one way or another about it.
And, of course, no Mormon-bashing thread would be complete without the whole 'Mormon men treat their wives like inferiors' crap. No sooner do I hear this, than I start giggling thinking about conversations my friends and I have had about our husbands' "allowances" or the way you can see me or my friends barking orders at our husbands and children equally on any given Sunday while we find a place to sit for church or load up the kids to go home (Hey! Someone's got to teach them how to behave!) And clearly anyone who makes this broad statement about the role of women in our church has never sat through one of our Blanchard Branch Council meetings where the most commonly repeated phrase is "Yes Ma'am" and "I'm sorry you feel that way Sister So-and-So." I'm sure there are bossy, jerky men in the church; but there are bossy, jerky men everywhere in every religion or other walk of life. (Jerk Boyfriend was a proudly self-proclaimed atheist.) Oh, and I was also amused at the indirect claim that perhaps some Mormons appear to be liberal because they're being coached by their church leaders to do so as a positive PR move. Umm...NO! I joke daily with my husband that his former roommate and a very strong member of our church would probably pay me $20 to stop talking about my political views (or just to stop telling people that
Mike Leach is Mormon, he hates it when I do that too. Hee! Hee!). I have definitely never been coached by church leaders to 'fake' my liberal politics. Believe me.
There's so much I could say, so many points I could argue, but I've decided just to let it go. These people will believe what they do, I will believe what I will; and never the twain shall meet. I just want the people on Jay's thread to know that I embrace them in the spirit of Christianity, I forgive them their misconceptions,
and I secretly laugh at them for being a bunch of big ol' meanieheads*. Uh, I mean no, I love them, I love them all. But how can you call yourself a tolerant Liberal if you're discriminating against me? I'm just sayin'...So instead of a long, defensive post about why they are wrong and why I am right in which I beg them to walk a mile in my shoes, I will just refer you back to
this subsequent post at Zero Boss and the classic blurb from South Park which pretty much sums up my feelings about the church too. (Or at least, when those feelings are presented in a format that even a bunch of big ol' meanieheads* can understand.) Besides, I like my shoes and choose not to share them with a bunch of meanieheads* who wouldn't walk the extra mile back to return them anyway.
*Yes, the original word I used has been edited out because sometimes I remember how to behave myself. Even if I had already hit 'publish' and had to go back and fix it.
11 comments:
I know -- it's so tiresome. Sigh. People say that "fatism" is the only acceptable form of discrimination in our society today, but that's so untrue -- religious discrimination has got to be a bigger problem (otherwise, why would I have dealt with it on a weekly or monthly basis for the last 34 years?). I also wonder how liberal a person can be when they can reject and slander millions of people outright without meeting any of them (or maybe just one or two of them). I bet every person on that comment thread could get to know me and like and respect me, never once suspecting that I'm one of those terrible Mormons. Somehow, even though my beliefs are "insane" and "horrible" (and every other hurtful thing that has ever been said to/about me) no one ever knows that I'm Mormon unless I tell them -- even though I'm very active and follow all of the rules. How weird can I really be?
(Answer: very weird. I play bagpipes and I really like lima beans.)
Anne, you're right.. you are pretty weird. As you pointed out, being Mormon is the least of it! LOL. We get along pretty well so I'm sure I fit nicely into the same oddball catagory.
Growing up Catholic, I gotta say we're very strange too. We have that whole Spanish Inquistion and pedophile priest thing as part of us. Every religion has their own freak show to deal with. I guess that's why I haven't gone to church in years. God is cool but religions get rather weird. It would be nice if people could get past the whole judgemental thing but I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. I know I've done my unfair share.
I think you nailed it in pointing out that you can't really claim to be a caring, peace-loving, tolerant liberal and then paint an entire group with whom you happen to disagree with such a broad, meaniehead brush. I'm tired of that brush, from both sides. And I'm sorry you had to endure that, but from what Anne says (I loves me some lima beans, Anne!!), it's probably all too common.
Mmm, I totally love lima beans!
Hey, Melessa, I thought of you last night as Jay Leno made a joke about if we elect a Mormon president...what will we do with the 18 first ladies, ba da boom. Ugh. Love you!
Jen
Glad I got to read the post pre-editing! I thought your comments on the thread were great and I love that South Park clip!
What really matters is that we do what we have to do and let them do what they think they have to do.
Anne's so right. I'd even go one step further and say that Christian-bashing is the last acceptable form of religious discrimination. And it's jaw-dropping to me how so many "tolerant" liberals fail recognize such irony.
I posted that last night and couldn't check my comments until today. When I saw there were six, I clicked on them rather reluctantly only to find that they were all wonderful and thoughtful comments made by six of my favorite women in the world. You ladies rock!
Anne-I love the jaw-drops I get from people who, after getting to know and like me, find out that I'm Mormon.
I like lima beans too-but I didn't know we had that in common. How did we not discover that in our 20+ years of friendship?
Chris-I was just thinking that same God v. organized religion thought on my drive home. I'd give up going to church for Lent, but that would just be silly. Just so you know, I'm quite the online scrapper when it comes defending Catholicism too. All churches have 'baggage' and I get tired of hearing about it from people who have never even seen the inside of whatever church they are criticizing.
Toni-I usually know better than to get involved in 'discussions' like that, but I was surprised at all the bile from people who read Zero Boss. I thought they were better than that. Jay himself is, and I guess that's all that matters.
Jen-Wow! Did he stay up all night thinking up that clever and original joke?! We Mormons have never heard that one before. LOL!
Christy-"What really matters is that we do what we have to do and let them do what they think they have to do." Yep! That's why I didn't charge back in there and start vehemently defending myself from all the crap they were spouting. I've got good arguments against all of it, but it's pointless to share those with "meanieheads" (or dumbasses) who just don't get it anyway. They aren't worth my time or effort.
I wish you could see G.C. (the one who would give me $20) freaking out over the years every time the camera catches Mike Leach cussing on the football field. I know you can hear his voice saying "I wish he would stop telling people he's a member of the church." It makes me laugh. (And feel a little bit better about what I may say on this blog, then edit later when I feel bad.)
thatgirl-I absolutely agree about the Christian-bashing, people do it to us, and then we make it worse by doing it to each other among our various denominations.
Abe Lincoln was right in his comments about "a house divided" I just hope this nation wakes up and realizes that too.
Don't give G.C my blog addy or he'll know that my RS pres sent me a card with the word "damn" in it! I know, I can't believe I'm still active. ;)
If I gave him your addy, it might come up in conversation that I have a blog and having him read anything here just wouldn't do.
I'm not mormon and I don't play one on TV either. ;) I am Pentecostal and we have an "inside joke". The reason we women wear such long skirts is to hide the "pants in the family". LOL
LOL Little Woman! No one laughed harder than me and my very traditionally Catholic co-worker whose church also gets a lot of flak for women's rights. We talked about how sweet those motherly little old ladies at church must seem to those who have never been involved in helping them to organize a church social or sat through Sunday school class with them when they are on a rant about something. And they've certainly never lived with them at home-or they wouldn't be nearly as misinformed about who the boss is behind the closed doors of every church-going home. :>)
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