Set Apart Reading

[dairyfreelife]

New blog I found that I'm not sure has been discussed here. Four sisters aged 15-21 write on the site. Most of it is stuff like napkin folding and doing their hair, but this one caught my attention.

 

everydayset-apart.weebly.com/1/post/2012/12/set-apart-reading.html

 

 

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there is no such thing as a good witch! And there is no such thing as a good vampire.

 

There's no such thing as witches or vampires period. (Yes, wiccans do call themselves witches, I know, but she means witches like Harry Potter and the Wizard of Oz)

 

 

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I hate to be crass but wizardry is ranked right up there with some other totally disgusting sins.

 

How is something a sin if it's not real?

 

 

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While I haven't researched this book for myself,

 

Love statements like that...

 

 

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everything I have heard about it can be summed up in one word...violence. Have you ever looked at what the bible says about violence?

 

Why, yes. Yes, I have. It's quite violent too.

 

 

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Besides the fact that there is war in the Bible. Just because there is war in the Bible does not (in my opinion from what I read in the Bible) make killing and violence legitimate entertainment.

 

You sure about that?

[GeoBQn]

I'm surprised that she doesn't like Chronicles of Narnia--I though that was the only acceptable magical story outlet for fundie Christians.

Also, she's condemning violence as entertainment by criticizing Hunger Games. While I haven't read the books myself, my understanding is that the books themselves condemn violence as entertainment. She's criticizing a book that is actually agreeing with her.

[GeoBQn]

It looks like they ascribe to some Fake Jew websites, so that might account for not liking Narnia.

[Claddagh]

Some questions to consider:

What does the bible say about the drinking of blood?

It's called communion girls.

Second, in a way, Jesus could be considered a vampire. The bible says he rose from the dead after three days.

[Dysfundamental]

I'm surprised that she doesn't like Chronicles of Narnia--I though that was the only acceptable magical story outlet for fundie Christians.

Anglicans don't really count as Christian for truly hardcore fundies, though. There is a certain strain of "thought" in the fundieverse that the Narnia books promote salvation by works and challenge predestination.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I think these kids/adult children should read more.

There is no such thing as a good vampire, because THERES NO SUCH THING AS VAMPIRES!!! Everyone who reads Twilight (except for a few hardcore insane fans) knows that vampires and werewolves dont exist and it is just a story. Maybe if they were allowed to read fiction more often they would know that.

Would have thought fundies would like Twilight though, as Bella is as useless as a fundie woman, and they dont have sex before marriage.....although then again, the writer is a Mormon and adds her beliefs to some of it, so maybe they dont count?

It cant be a sin to be a wizard as wizards dont exist. The only reason they are mentioned in the Bible is because it was written thousands of years ago where people didnt know science so presumed everything was made by God, Satan or magic. Also how is being a wizard perverted?

Magic isnt real either, so cant be a sin. Unless theyre referring to doing magic tricks, which are fake but probably confuse the average fundie as you need critical thinking skills to work out how it is done.

The Hunger Games is about how using violence and death for entertainment is wrong. The people who enjoy killing are portrayed as bad, and the good characters prefer not to use violence, unless they are defending themselves from being killed.

The Bible is the most violent book in the list, containing stories of rape and murder and some really perverted sexy bits. Magic happens, like turning water into wine. The main characters, drink, dance and show anger, but fundies dont like that. Some of the violence is shown as a good thing, and even encourages readers to do the same thing, and has been responsible for real world violence towards certain minority groups that are portrayed as bad in the book.

The craziest thing I have ever heard a fan of the books mentioned by them do is try and bite the actor who played Edward in the Twilight movie, to the point where he worried that he would catch AIDS from a crazy fangirl, but the Bible? There have been extreme fangirls/boys influenced by that book to get involved in hate crimes, disrespect the dead and their families by crashing funerals, beat their children to death, blame rape victims for deserving it, abuse their wives and children, act mysogynistic, become terrorists, threaten to kill the president, break the law, risk their lives by trying to have 20 children who they neglect, cause deaths to people by telling them to pray instead of go to the doctor, threaten people into reinacting these things in real life and these fans are also encouraged to teach these disgusting behaviours to their children, and read them scary stories about Hell. The main character is portrayed as a perfect being who can do no wrong...but then kills millions of people, even more than the characters portrayed as evil, and also appears to be pretty abusive to the other characters and humanity as a whole but this is totally okay to the readers.

If it was bought out nowadays, it would probably be banned for all of the acts of violence its caused.

[GeoBQn]

They are definitely Fake Jews. There is a picture of the children standing in front of a fireplace with a menorah and shofar on the mantle, and they've got an entry on how to make a set of tzitzit that look more like friendship bracelets.

everydayset-apart.weebly.com/1/post/2012/09/make-your-own-tzitziot.html

They also have an online business called Sew Hebrew.

sewhebrew.weebly.com

1. For a site with the term Hebrew in the name, only one item actually has Hebrew lettering on it.

2. The pot holder uses a quote from the New Testament, which was not originally written in Hebrew.

3. There is a word missing on the quote from the Shema bag.

4. They should put a warning on the Shema bag that it can never be thrown away (except for being buried in a genizah) because they made the brilliant choice to put the four-letter name of G-d on it.

[Anxious Girl]

The Bible can be very contradictory, * in Ursula's voice * innit? I mean; in Levictus or 1 of the other books God forbids fortune-telling, magic and sorcery, yet I think one of the major Biblical leaders (Solomon, I think) uses divination to talk to the dead. So magic can't be all that bad.

[Bbfamteam]

Apparently they fail to read books like Judges and 1st Samuel...some awesome reading material in there. I particularly like when Jael drove the tent peg through some bad guys head. Her poor headship probably slept with one eye open after that.......and *gasp* prostitutes and that naughty Sampson too. Along with Deborah being in power over Israel and leading an army I can't imagine fundie patriarchs reading these to the kids during bible time.

To be fair, The Lord got super pissed when Saul used the witch the call up the spirit of Samuel (I think). They might read that one to justify the hatred of Harry Potter and Halloween

[Dinorah]

They are definitely Fake Jews. There is a picture of the children standing in front of a fireplace with a menorah and shofar on the mantle, and they've got an entry on how to make a set of tzitzit that look more like friendship bracelets.

everydayset-apart.weebly.com/1/post/2012/09/make-your-own-tzitziot.html

They also have an online business called Sew Hebrew.

sewhebrew.weebly.com

1. For a site with the term Hebrew in the name, only one item actually has Hebrew lettering on it.

2. The pot holder uses a quote from the New Testament, which was not originally written in Hebrew.

3. There is a word missing on the quote from the Shema bag.

4. They should put a warning on the Shema bag that it can never be thrown away (except for being buried in a genizah) because they made the brilliant choice to put the four-letter name of G-d on it.

I can't sew to save my life, but aren't those items rather amateurish looking and overprized? I know I wouldn't spend 10 $ for that pot holder, gospel quote or not.

[snarktastic]

Have you ever looked at what the bible says about violence?

Why yes I have! The Bible's in favour of violence, yes?

You know, wiping out other tribes, stoning people who have the wrong ideas, killing rape victims.

That kind of thing.

[snarktastic]

"Twilight", "Harry Potter", "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".

What do these books have in common? More than you may think. They all portray evil things as good and upright.

I haven't read the first two books but only summaries and reviews.

Have now read the post and - Oh good lord. :roll: I haven't read Twilight but the other two are deeply moral books. About FANTASY worlds. And as someone said above, to start off with "I haven't actually read these books". *headdesk*

[jenny_islander]

Apparently they fail to read books like Judges and 1st Samuel...some awesome reading material in there. I particularly like when Jael drove the tent peg through some bad guys head. Her poor headship probably slept with one eye open after that.......and *gasp* prostitutes and that naughty Sampson too. Along with Deborah being in power over Israel and leading an army I can't imagine fundie patriarchs reading these to the kids during bible time.

To be fair, The Lord got super pissed when Saul used the witch the call up the spirit of Samuel (I think). They might read that one to justify the hatred of Harry Potter and Halloween

Calling up the dead is seriously frowned upon in the Bible, but when Jacob used magic to make sure that his flocks and herds (= liquid assets in our terms) grew more quickly than his swindler boss's flocks and herds, God did not punish him for it. It isn't magic per se that is forbidden, it's particular things you do with magic.

And, yes, the Bible is at least as drenched in violence and horror as any of the books on that list! Do these girls just ignore the passage about the king who was stabbed so hard that his fat padding closed over the knife and the people who found him weren't sure how he had died? Or the woman whose dismembered body was sent piecemeal all over the country? Or the Jews wishing that someone would grab the conquering Persians' babies by the heels and dash their brains out against convenient boulders--as had been done to the Jews' babies when they had been forced to go into exile?

[jenny_islander]

Have now read the post and - Oh good lord. :roll: I haven't read Twilight but the other two are deeply moral books. About FANTASY worlds. And as someone said above, to start off with "I haven't actually read these books". *headdesk*

My local public library has an official form for demanding the banning of a book. Question 1 is, "Have you read this book?"

Many forms have been picked up, but to my knowledge not one has ever been turned in.

[Marian the Librarian]

My local public library has an official form for demanding the banning of a book. Question 1 is, "Have you read this book?"

Many forms have been picked up, but to my knowledge not one has ever been turned in.

This happens regularly in Public Library World. People want to complain about a book, but they have no idea what they're really complaining about - they've just heard (or assumed) it's "bad." What's more, they'd like to make that determination for everyone else. Where I work, the forms do get turned in - and I love a good intellectual freedom fight! :P

For some fun reading, check out the American Library Association's "frequently challenged books of the 21st century" web link:

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/freq ... enged#2010

[JaChelle Sugar]

[snip]

Would have thought fundies would like Twilight though, as Bella is as useless as a fundie woman, and they dont have sex before marriage.....although then again, the writer is a Mormon and adds her beliefs to some of it, so maybe they dont count?

All those ebil fantasy elements are corrupting, plus Bella knows what she wants and goes after it and gets it. She has desires and doesn't suppress them. She doesn't submit to her headship authority. She has friends outside of family, goes to public school, sneaks out, leaves the country (!), sure as hell doesn't keep sweet... In some ways she's passive and I'm not trying to present her as some strong character, but boy she has way more character qualities/actions that are non-fundy-approved than she has fundy-approved ones.

[CynicMom]

It's called communion girls.

Second, in a way, Jesus could be considered a vampire. The bible says he rose from the dead after three days.

We need some serious thought about this one. Jesus rising from the dead makes him an undead, but was he a vampire, a werewolf, mummy, or a zombie? He was after your souls so that could indicate zombism. Wasn't the famous table-flipping incident post-resurrection? That would show an increased propensity to violence associated with lyncanthropy. He rose having been wrapped in bandages so he could be a mummy. He was pro-blood sacrifice and the communion ritual show a fixation on blood which could indicate vampirism. Really you could go with almost any undead hypothesis.

The only solution is a silver-tipped arrow made from garlic root set on fire. Just to be safe.

[sarahbrownie]

They are definitely Fake Jews. There is a picture of the children standing in front of a fireplace with a menorah and shofar on the mantle, and they've got an entry on how to make a set of tzitzit that look more like friendship bracelets.

everydayset-apart.weebly.com/1/post/2012/09/make-your-own-tzitziot.html

They also have an online business called Sew Hebrew.

sewhebrew.weebly.com

1. For a site with the term Hebrew in the name, only one item actually has Hebrew lettering on it.

2. The pot holder uses a quote from the New Testament, which was not originally written in Hebrew.

3. There is a word missing on the quote from the Shema bag.

4. They should put a warning on the Shema bag that it can never be thrown away (except for being buried in a genizah) because they made the brilliant choice to put the four-letter name of G-d on it.

And tzitziot are a time-sensitive mitzvah and traditionally only men observe time-sensitive mitzvah, so her wearing a tzitziot is kinda-of weird, unless she falls in a fringe feminist judaism movement...and I'm guessing she doesn't being mentioned on FJ.

[Dysfundamental]

And tzitziot are a time-sensitive mitzvah and traditionally only men observe time-sensitive mitzvah, so her wearing a tzitziot is kinda-of weird, unless she falls in a fringe feminist judaism movement...and I'm guessing she doesn't being mentioned on FJ.

Well, once you put "Jesus is the Messiah" into your fake Judaism, you've ruined it all so it doesn't really matter how observant you are in other respects. It's like being careful about icing a chocolate cake that has a bunch of sausages shoved into it, really.

I have no patience for Fake Jews. Just be Christians! Let actual Jews be Jews and you just be Christians!

[outrunningzombies]

This complete lack of reading comprehension just makes me so annoyed with SOTDR. Sometimes books written about one thing are making a point about something else. Lord of the Flies isn't really about kids killing each other. Harry Potter has a pretty religious ending. Twilight is rather fundy.

Of course, fundies show a lack of critical thinking in every other area of life, so why should books be any different?

[Claddagh]

We need some serious thought about this one. Jesus rising from the dead makes him an undead, but was he a vampire, a werewolf, mummy, or a zombie? He was after your souls so that could indicate zombism. Wasn't the famous table-flipping incident post-resurrection? That would show an increased propensity to violence associated with lyncanthropy. He rose having been wrapped in bandages so he could be a mummy. He was pro-blood sacrifice and the communion ritual show a fixation on blood which could indicate vampirism. Really you could go with almost any undead hypothesis.

The only solution is a silver-tipped arrow made from garlic root set on fire. Just to be safe.

Good points. I'm reminded of that photo of the zombie walk where a guy shows up dressed as Jesus and it says he's doing the zombie walk "right."

[nomoxian]

I couldn't help but notice a poll off to the right, asking if people answer polls on the website. The choices were "yes", "no", "maybe" and "answering polls is risky business" Whaaa?

[GeoBQn]

Carolina12/23/2012 3:17pm

If you haven't read a book, should you be criticizing or condeming it? You haven't read it! That makes your opinion pretty. . . meaningless.

Bethany 12/24/2012 10:15am

Hello Carolina, thanks for the feedback.

I did state that I have not read the actual books themselves (Harry Potter, Twilight and Hunger Games). When reading about the books I read book summaries as well as reviews (with the exception of Hunger Games). I do not need to read the book Twilight to judge whether it is a biblical book or whether is contains sinful thoughts, ideas, or actions. Some books are so sinful I really don’t even need to read a review to know what I believe about them- Playboy magazine for example, I could criticize and condemn that magazone easily without even opening the cover (or looking at the cover).

When looking at these books I can make a judgment with the summary alone (because a summary is simply facts about the book) and I would never want to form a judgment based on a review (because that is mostly opinion).

Saying that ‘Wizardry is evil’ is not my opinion it’s scripture. I have formed my opinion around the scriptures I used in this article (and others). All Christians must do their best to base their opinion on what scripture says and not base their opinions on what someone else says. You’re right in not putting a lot of stock in my opinion because I am a human and could be mistaken but don’t forget to base your opinion on scripture.

I don’t want to sound like a rude person (which is really easy to do when communicating on the internet!) but I must ask you; do you have scriptures that justify the reading of such books?

Thanks again for your comment,

Bethany

Bethany 12/24/2012 10:19am

To sum it all up-

You're right, my opinion is useless, it's what scripture says that matters.

[SisiL78]

Fundie logic at its best. If you read about something then you shall become it.

I have read Anna Karenina, but I am not going to go shack up with an officer and/or throw myself under a train.

Read Wuthering Heights and will not be running through any moors yelling HEATHCLIFF!

Oh, and Love Harry Potter but have not, sadly, developed magical powers.

[jenny_islander]

Yeah, I've been reading D&D gamebooks for years and I have not become able to cast even a 0-level spell. And believe me, there are days with 3 kids when casting silence would help A LOT.