One Bright Corner

[Rueinthesky]

In the Extinct Woman post she refers to a "children's program" where they learned the 10 Unchangeables. That is Gothard's Children's Institute where the kids go while the parents go to his Basic Seminar. So they've been involved for a while since you can only attend up to age 12. Then you get to go to the actual, mind numbing seminar. There is even a song about the 10 Unchangeables. I'll never get that out of my head.

[formergothardite]

hMyoN5JQgOI

Wasn't there motions for this song?

[Guest Anonymous]

I think my dad would be seriously creeped out if I had done this kind of thing when I was twenty :shock:

Mine would have been creeped out no matter how old I was.

[Rueinthesky]

hMyoN5JQgOI

Wasn't there motions for this song?

I think it was just holding up the number of fingers for each unchangeable. Most of the songs had motions.

[Someonetocall]

They had a handy widget to write to state reps to protest homosexual marriage. I used it to email the reps, but I may have revised it a bit. It was on the fly but I think it gets my point across.

Please do redefine marriage.

Marriage recognizes the union of two people who love each other and want to join their lives together legally to enjoy the benefits offered to couples by the government I see nothing wrong with admitting that.

Same-sex couples continue to have many the same rights and benefits of currently married heteronormative couples, however it can be said that they are not being treated equally. There are no meaningful differences between homosexual and heterosexual relationships because the relationships serve to strengthen and sustain the participant members and their communities and families.

This is an important issue to my family and me and it is one that we will keep in mind when we vote.

Please do redefine marriage. The so-called "Christian" right, currently doing their best to promote extremism and exclusion, may be loud but extending the same legal protections to homosexual unions will change society for the better.

Thank you for the work you do on our behalf.

[jenny_islander]

I completely agree. We need more truly Biblical women. We need business owners and church planters like Lydia. We need church leaders like Junia, Prisca, and Phoebe. We need proactive women, willing to step away from the security of stay-at-home daughterhood, like Rebecca. We need women who find a man they want and marry him, like Ruth. We need women to point out when the law is being an ass, like Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. And when the powers that be will not cease to do evil, we need asskickers like Judith and Jael.

Men who preen themselves when their own daughters write poems compounded of idolatry and emotional incest? Them we need like a hole in the head.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

i feel sick.

i have a truly appropriate relationship with my father. I chat to him on the phone while I wait for Mum to come to the phone.

Appropriate. Not incestuousness.

[dairyfreelife]

The love poems are so creepy. If I wrote something like that to my father he would tell I needed to boyfriend because I was becoming incestuous. I think that would the only case where he would personally go out and find me someone to be with. If my dad wrote me a poem like that, I'd run for the hills.

[HijabiLady]

My mom used to leave those heart-shaped candy boxes by our bed for me and my brothers. But never, ever did she write...love poetry for us. :shudder:

[Arielkay]

Ewww, I am hearing some serious alarms here. And am I the only one that wonders how a father "prunes" his daughter? WTF. :shock:

[JesusFightClub]

YUCK

I cannot imagine lying in bed thinking that way about my brothers, let alone my dad writing me a love poem. What is *wrong* with these people? If you don't feel the need for a boyfriend, don't have one, but don't make your family be the substitute.

The gay marriage thing isn't even standard fundie nutjobbery. Why did God condemn "homosexuals" and "sodomites"? Was he so pissed off he put them in twice? What Bible translation is this, cause it sure as fuck isn't the KJV.

Also, I don't think my ideas of right and wrong are based on God's ideas in the Bible. How could that be the case? *headdesk*

[Patsy]

I completely agree. We need more truly Biblical women. We need business owners and church planters like Lydia. We need church leaders like Junia, Prisca, and Phoebe. We need proactive women, willing to step away from the security of stay-at-home daughterhood, like Rebecca. We need women who find a man they want and marry him, like Ruth. We need women to point out when the law is being an ass, like Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. And when the powers that be will not cease to do evil, we need asskickers like Judith and Jael.

Men who preen themselves when their own daughters write poems compounded of idolatry and emotional incest? Them we need like a hole in the head.

:clap: :clap:

Jael, Michal, Abigail and Deborah kick butt and take names within the span of two books. Abigal wasn't suppressing her own talents to plump up her brothers' and husband's egos when she outright stated "My husband's an idiot."

I thought about my girlfriends, some already flirting and going out with boys. Why did I need to, when I had a cute boy who would put his chubby arms around me, stroke my long brown hair, and tell me that he loved me?

... :?

[jenny_islander]

Ewww, I am hearing some serious alarms here. And am I the only one that wonders how a father "prunes" his daughter? WTF. :shock:

By ceaselessly shutting down conversations that might lead to unapproved topics, lying, exaggerating, and reminding them that they are, after, all, just Daddy's little girls.

Mother Daddy knows best,

Take it from your mumsie dadsie,

It's a scary world out there . . .

But then this is the crowd that clucks over Rapunzel's disobedience in leaving the tower while missing the little fact that she was kidnapped into the tower in the first place so that "Mumsie" could use her to prop herself up.

ETA: Here ya go, every stay-at-home-daughterhood handbook in a nutshell. Just assume that Dadsie is in the shadows watching approvingly.

[Daenerys]

You missed the post where Mikaela actually reviewed Tangled and decided it was inappropriate. I love searching their blog because they have written about every imaginable fundy topic. They also reply to almost all of the approved comments rather than ignoring them like most people.

onebrightcorner.blogspot.com/2011/02/dont-tangle-with-character.html

A few weeks ago, I went to see Tangled in the theater with some friends. It was funny, charming, entertaining, romantic, creative, and beautiful to see. And I came out with those warm fuzzies that most Disney princess movies leave me with; Tangled seemed to be continuing the tradition of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. As a female, I was somewhat bothered by Rapunzel's attitude towards her "mother," despite the fact that the woman she disobeys and runs away from is not actually her mother, but rather her kidnapper. Rapunzel doesn't know this, however, so we discussed the quandrary as we walked out of the theater. Was it right, was it wrong? How will it affect viewers?

Now, I'm not the type to swoon over fake guys set up in fake storylines with fake good looks. I've never "fallen" for an actor, nor have I wished that Cinderella's prince would leave her and come bounding out of the TV screen for me, or that Darcy would come to his senses and end up with a nice, modern, American girl. However, the unfortunate result is that I'm much less critical of masculine characters. I bristle at the feminism portrayed in so many films, and I react to the sorry worldliness of so many of the females in films. I noticed and rejected some of these same attributes in Tangled. However, it didn't even occur to me to think about Flynn Rider (Rapunzel's savior and love).

Until a guy pointed it out to me. Here is a man who is an unremorseful thief, an unashamed traitor to his country, and an excellent liar. He is conceited, selfish, and lazy, but he is also good-looking and seems to have "chemistry" with Rapunzel, so I and the rest of the theater audience (read: little girls) didn't really notice. To be fair, the 100 minutes teach him a lot of life lessons, and he loses the conceit, the selfishness, and the laziness. He learns to love someone other than himself, and he learns the beauty of helping others when there is no benefit to him.

Hmmm.

There is no apology. There is still not much remorse. The implication is that the love of a beautiful woman suddenly transformed him. And what's wrong with that? Almost every Hollywood love story worth its weight in candy hearts and rose petals has the rogue-boy-meets-innocent-girl-and-melts-into-a-good-boy-before-her-angelic-charms. But I have seen this storyline play out in real life too many times to be deceived--very rarely does it work out so well for the innocent girl. Almost always, the innocent girl is the one charmed into thinking that her love transformed this man, only to discover on her honeymoon that he is still a rogue. He has never changed, and he very likely will never change.

And then there's the guy's perspective. Tangled has been billed as a movie for girls and boys--but what are the boys supposed to think after watching the hero steal and fight and lie his way through the first sixty minutes, only to magically change in the final third of the movie? Do we really want men to think that they can spend their prime in dissipation until they finally decide to succumb to that legendary ball and chain? This is certainly not the type of man I am looking for, and Flynn Rider should be the last choice--not the first--for a princess.

Yes, I've turned 160 degrees in my opinion of this latest Disney offering (I'm not to the 180 stage yet, because my eyes are still glittering with the amazing paper lantern scene and my ears are still ringing from the soundtrack). I've never properly analyzed male characters, but now I realize that they are just as abused as all the terrible female characters I've groaned over through the years. Can we have a love story where two flawed, imperfect human beings who nevertheless possess strength and character fall in love not out of their mutual hatred for each other but because of their tandem worldviews and mutual admiration for each other's strengths? Pop some popcorn! I think I hear Little Women calling my name.

[valsa]

You missed the post where Mikaela actually reviewed Tangled and decided it was inappropriate. I love searching their blog because they have written about every imaginable fundy topic. They also reply to almost all of the approved comments rather than ignoring them like most people.

onebrightcorner.blogspot.com/2011/02/dont-tangle-with-character.html

As much as I hate to say it, I do agree with her about one thing. I dislike it when a movie or show portrays a message (especially when it's to young girls) that you can change a man. I dislike Beauty and the Beast for having the same message ("Sure, this guy is crazy and abusive (for Beauty and the Beast) or charming and manipulative (for Tangled) but if you can just be pretty and spunky enough to make him fall in love with you, he'll do a 180 and become prince charming")

[LIzzieB]

http://telos.edu/forms/Materials.pdf

Urgh... this bible college has some very questionable materials on their Required Materials list, including To Train Up a Child and the Ezzos.

[darareaksmey]

If my husband ever wrote poetry like that to our daughter I would so seek counseling. Then again, she would laugh her ass off at it, not treasure it. And then again, the idea of my husband writing flowery doggerel--or any poetry at all--is hilarious. This would never happen in my world. Thank Heaven.

[formergothardite]

I cherish the rose, I water and feed,

I turn up the soil, meet every need

Let's just hope that he isn't really meeting every need of his 20 year old daughter. This is just so, so icky.

[Guest Anonymous]

Yuck, the skeevy Daddy/Daughter poem is in the final two..... :shock:

Cast your votes, FJ!

http://itsthesimplethings.blogspot.com/ ... mment-form

[MrsYoungie]

hMyoN5JQgOI

Wasn't there motions for this song?

What are they singing about? It's just a random list of stuff.

Especially what sounds like "5 pickles of classity" which I suspect is not right.

[Guest Anonymous]

What are they singing about? It's just a random list of stuff.

Especially what sounds like "5 pickles of classity" which I suspect is not right.

Haha: they are a funny lot the ATI: http://ati.iblp.org/ati/supportlink/kb/questions/44/ I can't hear anything but "5 pickles of classity" now though...

BTW, At this stage I must confess to writing valentines cards to family members as a small child. But love poems they were not. "Violets are Blue" rhymes with pooh, goo, moo and many other words that combine together to form age-appropriate rhymed couplets. :)

[formergothardite]

Number 2(Physical features) is more amusing when you realize Gothard darkens his hair. So much for being an unchangeable!

[NurseNell]

God not only chose the father and mother who brought you into the world, He also fully understood the factors and circumstances that surrounded your conception and birth.

So that must mean no adoption in Gothard's world, right?

[formergothardite]

So that must mean no adoption in Gothard's world, right?

He used to be very anti-adoption because he claimed children' inherited sin's from their father, so an adopted child would be bringing sin into your home. He has lightened up on that recently, I think.

[Daenerys]

Which FJer put this comment? :lol:

You have a beautiful blog! So glad I stumbled upon it. I'll be certain to vote for you after I finish writing this comment.

It really is sweet that you and your father have such a close relationship. My father, a Pittsburgh steel worker for many decades, would have never written a poem like that. BUT, he did give up all of his dreams in life in order to work long, laborious hours for his family. That is how he showed his love.

Honestly, I think he would've been a little confused if I asked him to be my Valentine. His answer would've gone something like: "I am your mother's valentine. Quit being silly, move so I can see the TV and get your old man a cup of coffee."

Your post just made me realize how much I love my dad. Not because he wrote me poetry or bought me flowers, but because of who he was. I wish he were still here so I could tell him that.

Then on the gay marriage thread 'TheCanuck' put this (isn't there a cinnamoncanuck on here?)

Gay marriage was legalized in my home country almost a decade ago...and nothing changed. People of all faiths still worship the way they want to, straight people still marry as much as they did before legalization, and many, many families now have legal protection that allows them to live better lives. There have been literally no negative consequences. You can still disapprove of it, you can refuse to engage in such activity (such as officiating a same-sex wedding). Your rights are exactly the same after legalization- but those of others have been expanded to be equal under the law.

Your beliefs are precious to you, and you have every right to follow them- but they cannot dictate the rights of others who don't subscribe to them. I am proud to live in a country that is grown-up enough to accept that even the will of the majority is not just cause for discrimination, and that one religion cannot limit the rights of everyone.

I will pray FOR the legalization of same-sex marriage, because I recognize that I cannot impose my faith on others.

Mikaela replied:

The Canuck--Thank you for the time you took to comment. As I stated in my article, this bill does add a discrimination section to the Washington Marriage Code, something which has never before existed. The next step after the legalization of homosexual marriage is to follow Canada's lead and criminalize those whose personal faith causes them to conscientiously object to marrying or supporting homosexual marriages.

Also, as I showed by statistics in my article, my beliefs are no longer the majority, so the fact that all states have not legalized homosexual marriage is not due to the will of the majority.

Not much of an argument really, but at least she's got manners unlike some fundies we know...