Do the fundies ever bring you down?

[ladypuglover]

They are for me, I mean these are people who are twisting the word of God to abuse children, women, young men, animals, and even the earth all in the name of their golden calf. They are making me so heart sick that they want to spread hate and posion to every person so that everyone will be filled with filthy joy of beating a child with plumbling line. Or to starve a child, to tell the child that it is filled with so much sin that no one can ever love it. They forget to tell that child what Jesus had to say about these sin filled children and say that even Jesus wouldn't want them as they are. They spew bile and hatered onto people crying out for help and refuse to help them for not being Christian or being Christian enough in their eyes. They gleefully ignore or mock the very people Jesus told them to minster to. They joyfully tell grieving familys their loved ones are in hell never knowing the deceased person at all.

Today it is just to much to see that they are filled with such hatred saying it is love. Calling abuse the Word of God is still abuse and even worse when God never said to do what they do.

Anyone ever feel so overwhelmed by the fundy beliefs of hatred?

[doggie]

it does not bring me down it pisses me off. but I am a guy so that may be part of it.

[MamaJunebug]

They are for me, I mean these are people who are twisting the word of God to abuse children, women, young men, animals, and even the earth all in the name of their golden calf. They are making me so heart sick that they want to spread hate and posion to every person so that everyone will be filled with filthy joy of beating a child with plumbling line. Or to starve a child, to tell the child that it is filled with so much sin that no one can ever love it. They forget to tell that child what Jesus had to say about these sin filled children and say that even Jesus wouldn't want them as they are. They spew bile and hatered onto people crying out for help and refuse to help them for not being Christian or being Christian enough in their eyes. They gleefully ignore or mock the very people Jesus told them to minster to. They joyfully tell grieving familys their loved ones are in hell never knowing the deceased person at all.

Today it is just to much to see that they are filled with such hatred saying it is love. Calling abuse the Word of God is still abuse and even worse when God never said to do what they do.

Anyone ever feel so overwhelmed by the fundy beliefs of hatred?

You have said, so well, what I feel so often. How and why people would twist the truth of Jesus Christ so violently and so far from recognition is beyond me. I can only guess that the devil is influencing them, without their realizing it. Why else would they do what they do?

I treated myself to an hour away from home and errands in a local cafe today and checked FJ (of course). Looking around at the women dressed comfortably in slacks and jeans, the men and women visiting without tension and without any overt 'pecking order,' several single men sitting each alone - without any woman on their arm to provide their straightness; one was talking to his computer (on Skype, I presume) and nobody was shushing him or giving him the side-eye.

Looking around at all that, I thought, "This is part of why I speak up against patriarchy and theonomy. This fabulous privilege of being able to travel, to stop, to enjoy life on one's own terms."

It was a small thing, but it meant a lot, because extremism of any direction can take that away from us, and the patrios and theonomists would love to.

And that makes me mad, and makes me want to redouble my efforts to keep standing up to them. Yep, sure thing. Thanks for asking!

[Shoobydoo]

it does not bring me down it pisses me off. but I am a guy so that may be part of it.

Me too. I know a lot of people here are often amused by fundie antics, but it usually just makes me angry. (Excepted for the irradiated electrolytes thing. THAT was hilarious.)

[fundiefan]

Nope. I do, like others, get pissed off though. This place is a way to balance that. A little snark, someone else's perspective, some humor and someone else saying what I can't find the words for all serve to shut down my being pissed and angry at people I don't know.

[Beeks]

Since I came here primarily for the laughs, yes, it does get me down. I hate reading all the stuff about children in these horrible situations, and honestly sometimes I have to back off on reading the nastier blogs and just go back to the funny for a while.

[FlorenceHamilton]

Actually, I find it kind of frightening. Many mainstream Christians who are one the Right Wing totally do not get it. Because they do not get it, they are frighteningly supportive of the Political agenda these clean cut, smiley people people are bringing upon the land. Many of these otherwise nice conservative folks live in areas where Christians are all they know. It is so easy for them to fall into the propaganda about how we "pander" to minorities in the US, or about how aheists are evil, and Muslims are all closet terrorists. They figure that since the majority wins an election or a referendum, that the majority should always get their way. This is why they see equal rights and minority protections as not being American or Constitutional.

What they do not understand is the obligation provided by the Constitution to prevent a Tyranny of the Majority. The danger of such a tyranny is lost on a population that has little exposure to the diversity that truly exists here.

My family is Jewish. My ancestors came to America for its freedom of Religion. Although at the moment, we are "acceptable" to the Chistian Majority, I wonder if the only religion that will have freedom is a certain brand of Christianity. And if this new wave really takes power, how much freedom will folks like me have who were never Christian and are now Atheist?

And the package it in matching Frumpers and clean cut good looks. You just never know what the face of evil will look like.

[Guest Anonymous]

I can't say it better than what FlorenceHamilton already wrote.

[O Latin]

I get angry, too. I remember when I first went back to school after my attempt to be a SAHD, there was this moment when I realized how sick I was of trying to stick to my "values" and how I just wanted to be the fun, happy, vibrant person I used to be, and I was so angry at fundie-ism for doing that to me, for taking so many good things away from me. So when I think of it doing the same thing to other people, it does bring me down a little. But I try not to dwell on it because a lot of things bring me down and if I didn't try to shut them out sometimes, I would be miserable.

[slh12280]

Ladypuglover, I agree with everything you wrote. I have noticed though that a lot of people that are like that tend to quote the Old Testament a lot and ignore the words of Jesus, I joked that maybe the WBC was Jewish that's why they never seem to talk about Jesus. Obviously, there is no comparison there as religious Jews follow God and leave people alone, but wouldn't they hate that thought, with the Jew hating and all :evil:

[Guest Anonymous]

Actually, I find it kind of frightening. Many mainstream Christians who are one the Right Wing totally do not get it. Because they do not get it, they are frighteningly supportive of the Political agenda these clean cut, smiley people people are bringing upon the land. Many of these otherwise nice conservative folks live in areas where Christians are all they know. It is so easy for them to fall into the propaganda about how we "pander" to minorities in the US, or about how aheists are evil, and Muslims are all closet terrorists. They figure that since the majority wins an election or a referendum, that the majority should always get their way. This is why they see equal rights and minority protections as not being American or Constitutional.

What they do not understand is the obligation provided by the Constitution to prevent a Tyranny of the Majority. The danger of such a tyranny is lost on a population that has little exposure to the diversity that truly exists here.

My family is Jewish. My ancestors came to America for its freedom of Religion. Although at the moment, we are "acceptable" to the Chistian Majority, I wonder if the only religion that will have freedom is a certain brand of Christianity. And if this new wave really takes power, how much freedom will folks like me have who were never Christian and are now Atheist?

And the package it in matching Frumpers and clean cut good looks. You just never know what the face of evil will look like.

The social psychologist Hannah Arendt, in discussing Nazism, called their brand of evil "banal" . Their banality was an asset, proving to be a huge component in their rise to power.

[Chrystal-J]

I definitely have to limit how much I read regarding fundies. It's so irritating to see them twist scripture and show their hatred, that I have to take breaks from reading about them.

[JesusFightClub]

FlorenceHamilton put it far better than I ever could.

Sometimes the image of Serena Joy from "A Handmaid's Tale" rises up and it horrifies me to think where these intelligent women bloggers are cheerfully assigning themselves. They might think they're going to an Austenesque fantasy world where all they have to do is practice gentle womanly arts like watercolours and choosing the best silk to go with a certain bonnet. Where they're actually headed for is Afghanistan, where they will be shrouded in burqas, not even given the choice of working, their daughters will be forbidden to go to school and they will be beaten for making too much noise when walking.

So, yeah. Fucking downer.

[darareaksmey]

Yes, LPL, it does bring me down sometimes. It makes me sad that Biblical truths I've been taught since childhood are now the extreme left position. There's no letting God meet you where you are anymore. You have to be in a certain place, or God's not there to meet you, according to the fundies. It makes me sad because I think there are people out there who might find something in Christianity that resonates with them; but then they look up and see that the loudest Christians are the fundies, and they are so intolerant and unloving--who wants to identify with that?

[finleeport]

Most of them in my old neighborhood did so many times, which was one of the reasons I write stories to caricaturize them (although not horribly but comically) Here's one of them for example;

Pilgramatic Progressionists-a Hardcore All-American Christian community with its own Megachurch called the Celestial Church of Zion, a football field, basketball court, golf course, swimming pool, hot spas, youth camps, theater, radio station and a television studio all funded by the Vespines (parody of the WASP) a wealthy, American Christian Social Class who claim descent from the Pilgrims and some of the Founding Fathers.

The Progressionists emphasize dramatically on Americanism, Patriotism, Jingoism, Republicanism, Capitalism, Pro-Life, Homophobia, Anti-Single Parenthood, Abstinence, Prohibition (sometimes) and Sports. Women can be missionaries and work outside the home but it must always involve with children-schools, nurseries, baby stores, children's hospital, Nannies, Babysitting etc. They are against racism and discrimination but do not approve of interracial couples or marriages, and most of the time White Progressionists still think of racial stereotypes. They have charities but would not give money to homeless people believing they would use it to buy drugs and alcohol.

[Ava]

They frighten me sometimes, for the reasons FlorenceHamilton has already stated, but other than that... I think I have passed the point of being shocked by their beliefs anymore. I already have a rather pessimistic view of humanity and the world in general, I suppose, so having it confirmed does not often come as much of a surprise to me.

I do often wonder - and not only with fundies - what on earth can cause some people to be so plain mean spirited against all reason. But I try not to dwell on it or I will spend all my time being infuriated at something I have no means to change.

[tabitha2]

One blog in particular does.Her husband is very controlling and you can clearly tell she is trying to convince herself and her readers she is perfectly! happy!!.It's actually very sad.

[alphaeta08]

I get a little frightened at the idea that too many (i.e. more than one) mainstream politicians believe this crap, and it makes me angry sometimes, too. So yes, it does get me down that people like this don't just get laughed at constantly.

[emmyfair]

What really brings me down regarding fundies is the fact that I have some of these whack jobs in my family. Luckily, more and more of them lately are coming to their senses, and although many remain Christian, they leave the fundamentalism behind. For many years I was too scared to bring my children to visit these people, because I didn't want to have to explain to my kids all the things they'd see and hear.

Now that things are more relaxed, some of my relatives are finally getting to know my kids for the first time. For the most part, this has been without incident. They all know what the trade off is, and I stand firm in protecting my kids from that kind of garbage.

It does make me a bit upset, though, that my fundie dispair has a source so close to home.

[teddybear]

They both frighten and anger me. I see the political power they have attained, as well as their plans for the future. I worry for this country if they get any more power. I keep hoping that they have shown their hand and that people will start to wake up and they will lose power and influence. From what I've read about American history there have cycles of puritanism, followed by periods of relative liberalism. Here's hoping it is time for the pendulum to swing the other way.