The title is a little misleading. I'm just trying to be clever.
In an attempt to express things the way I used to before I got into that cycle of only ever ranting through my blog, I've decided to go the more personal route again this time. Also, I've hit a point where I'm starting to come out of a tunnel that I somehow entered and the light is beautiful, and I want to share it.
BACK STORY TIME! I struggle with insecurities. WHAT? A GIRL THAT STRUGGLES WITH INSECURITIES? HOW ORIGINAL! HOW UNHEARD OF! I know, right? I always feel kind of lame when I say that. Like, how stupid is it that I'm 21 and I still feel like I'm 14 when I look in the mirror and go "Blah" at the face staring back at me? At the same time that I feel stupid, I also feel really alone in my battle for liking myself. I literally just pointed out how common of a problem insecurity is, though, so I'm proving to myself as I type these words that I have no reason to feel alone (nor should you in the event that you can relate).
I also struggle with depression (though, admittedly, not as much as insecurities) and those two things tie in so well with each other it's not even funny. I basically spent all of last month falling prey to that deadly duo and the last time that happened to this same extent, I was 14 (hence my statement in the last paragraph). I feel kind of like I've basically been taking an extended, unpleasant trip down memory lane, but with new twists and turns and pitfalls and other dramatic phrases. In an attempt to not waste as much time as I did the first time around, I've sought help WAY faster.
And help has indeed helped.
So, now that you understand sort of where I'm coming from, I'm going to explain the purpose behind the title. A lot of my insecurities come from what I feel to be unmet desires that the enemy has "kindly" helped me twist into big old knots of stupid. Knots pretty much suck all the time, and it's often very hard to see where the actual problem lies, because all the extra string gets bunched up and hides the solution. That's what I've been feeling like inside. You still tracking with me?
These knotted up, "unmet" desires have become so confused in my brain and heart that I've become like the Israelites in Egypt, and have sought help from empty wells and idols. In this specific instance that I'm referring to, I've elevated my human relationships over my relationship with God and have found them to be ultimately unsatisfactory. With the problem correctly diagnosed thanks to the aforementioned helpful help, I've been able to see that the treatment is a nice dose of truth.
Am I being too ambiguous with my wording? I don't want to bear every little piece of my soul here, so I'm sorry if I'm kind of dancing around the details...
ANYHOW, people make a bad God. God is a good God, and when I let Him be God, He amazes me. However, when I kick Him off the throne and put people there instead, I find myself..wait for it...depressed and insecure.
SPECIFIC EXAMPLE TIME! People don't listen to me. My friends, guys that I'm interested in, guys that I'm not interested in, random folks that I meet...randomly. They just don't. I don't know if what I'm saying is boring, or if I'm bad at catching people's attention from the get go, or if I just mumble and then people give up trying to hear what I'm saying. For whatever reason, a lot of people have a really hard time focusing on what I'm saying when I'm speaking to them. And that hurts. A lot.
That "helpful help" is one of my older sisters in the faith who is WAAAY wiser than me, and is so surrendered to Jesus that I want to follow her, because I know she'll always point me to Him. She asked me to identify what the desires I was really feeling were behind the relationships I was seeking to fix my insecurities. One of those desires was to be paid attention to. It honestly just started out with guys still not paying attention to me, but then I started to notice that thing I just mentioned about how people just start ignoring me when I'm talking, and I realized I kind of feel like no one pays attention to me.
While we were discussing all of the other triggers and desires and stuff, she asked if I had any Scripture that I go back to frequently. I told her Psalm 139. She grabbed her Bible, opened up to it, and had me read it out loud in sections that we then dissected. I have read that psalm more than I have read any other passage in the Bible. I spent an entire summer at camp memorizing it. It pretty much stalked me for a whole year by popping up all over the place until I paid more attention to it. And God's Word is most definitely living and active, because the psalm I know best is still cutting straight through my heart.
I honestly usually pay the most attention to verses 13 and 14, because that's where it talks about being fearfully and wonderfully made, but this time, it wasn't those verses that got me. It was verses 1 through 6, which say...
"O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it." (NASB)
I want someone to pay attention to me and listen to me when I'm talking, right? GOD pays so much attention to me that He knows what I'm going to say before I even know. WHOOP! There it is! Here's that beautiful light I mentioned earlier. Here's the treatment, the knot inside the string. My "unmet" desires have actually already been met through Christ. Because He reconciled me with God through His death and resurrection, I no longer have to seek my satisfaction through human relationships. If I find my satisfaction in Him, and if I rest in the fact that HE listens to me and pays attention to me, I won't hurt as badly when the people in my life don't.
Know that I'm not trying to say anything about those people. I love them dearly despite their inability to listen, just as they hopefully love me dearly despite me unintentionally demanding that they hear everything I say to them.
Satan is a crafty jerk, and the Bible says that he's come to steal, kill, and destroy. One of the best ways for him to do that is by taking our natural desires and twisting and perverting them, and then screaming in our ear that we need to fulfill those desires through means other than the Lord. He's the ultimate re-brander, because he makes sins like idolatry looking freaking good. Then he shames us when we fall prey to it. But the light is shining now, and I'm seeing where I went wrong. And I'm dragging it even further into the light by telling you about it through this post because sin doesn't grow well when it's taken out of the darkness.
All of this to say, God is at work showing me the truth behind my hurt, and you should know that He can do the same for you. True satisfaction should never be sought somewhere other than the Lord, because it can never be found there. This is what I'm learning and I hope you can learn it through me so you don't have to hurt the way I have.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Let's talk about Euthanasia
Let's talk about Euthanasia. Okay? Okay.
I've been on a months-long spree of ranting and raving about borderline controversial issues. Then, my last post kind of exploded because I got real controversial, real fast. I'm about to do it again, though I doubt I'll have the same response as before. And that's really okay with me.
So I have recently read about a few people who have gotten a free pass to end a life. There's the woman who plans to die in a few days (still praying against that one), and then there's this mom who just recently starved her disabled daughter to death.
I would like to know on what planet this is considered okay. Speaking as a Christian, murder is wrong. Speaking as a human being, MURDER IS WRONG. Ask pretty much any sane person and they will tell you that. It's an [almost] undisputed fact. But, recently, we've been redefining our terms. Sayings like "quality of life" have been thrown around to help us justify ending someone's life. Okay guys, assisted suicide is just a nice little euphemism for murder. And we here in America (and Europe...and everywhere) have problems owning up to the murder we're committing by allowing this to go on. Perhaps the reason we have to call it by a nicer name is because deep down, we understand that is fundamentally wrong. Just a thought.
Now, let's address this "quality of life" nonsense. Actually, first off, we like to throw around "right to life" as well, and I think that also needs some addressing. Technically, none of us has the "right" to live. It's a gift. None of us are capable of creating other human beings. Despite what your mother may have jokingly told you growing up about bringing you into this world and taking back you out, that's actually not true. We're here because God put us here. And if you don't believe in God, then I understand why you disagree with me, and I challenge you to do some more searching, because you'll find Him if you really want to. He's pretty hard to miss. But anyway, we don't get to decide if we get to live or not.
Sometimes when I'm feeling especially worn out or emotional, I like to joke around saying "I didn't sign up for this life!" Occasionally, I really feel like I wish I would've known what I was getting into when I started forming in the womb. That was all out of my control, though. Whether I like it all the time or not, I'm here. The same goes for every other person. But for the grace of God, none of us would exist. He doesn't need us. He loves us, and He wants us, but He doesn't need us. He's perfectly fine without us. So it should THRILL us to the core of our very souls that we have been gifted with life.
Back to that whole quality thing: Just like we don't get to decide if we personally have life, we also don't get to decide who else gets life. "Quality of life" is probably the most frustrating and stupid thing that comes out of the euthanasia problem. Who are we to decide how well someone's enjoying his or her life? And since when did enjoying life equal getting to live it? I'm personally prone to depression, and to perfectly vulnerable for five seconds, I've thought about ending my life a few times. I'm sure other people do too. But if I went around telling people I quit because I'm having a bad day (or a bad month, or even a bad couple of months, because sometimes it hangs around for a while), they'd fight me on it. I know they would. They'd beg me to get some kind of help. Why? Because having bad times is part of life and it's not a valid reason to stop living.
We like to assume when someone can't communicate in ways that we understand, or when someone is old, or disabled, that they are suffering. We assume they are always suffering all the time and they hate life and they just want to die (emphasis on "assume). But we don't know. We can ask them. They might not understand, depending on who it is that we're talking to, but we can ask. And they can express it or not express it as best as possible, and we can take it for what it is, but we won't know for certain. We won't know because we're not them. We won't know because we've been gifted with the type of life that doesn't include "handicaps" and they've been gifted with the type that does.
"How could God allow that to happen if He really loves us?" Honestly, I don't know. I'm not God. I can only answer so much about Him. Ask Him. He might not tell you, because He's God and He doesn't have to. But I for one am done making excuses for Him. He doesn't need me to anyways.
Taking a different spin on it, though, and remembering that all of human life is created in God's image, I would like to propose that even those of us who are disabled and handicapped are still created in that same image. I would like to propose that maybe, just maybe, what we see as broken and damaged, God sees as whole. It might be different. It might be a little uncomfortable sometimes. But it might also be one of the most beautiful things ever. Seriously, some of the mentally challenged people I know are the happiest and most joyful people on this planet. You want to tell me they have a low "quality of life"? They will sing, clap, dance and laugh more freely than you and I ever will, even our best days. How does that fit in with your "oh, they're suffering" theory? They're also not inhibited in the same way that we are. Sometimes that's not always the best thing, but sometimes it's really cool to be around. It's genuine and refreshing, and I've made this dare before, but I DARE YOU to go spend a day with people like that and then tell me that they're lives suck.
Any suckiness that's in their lives has probably been put there by people who are too lazy to take good care of them. That's on us. That's on the "normal" people. WE, we who like to believe that our lives are better, and we who like to think that we can decide whether they get to keep living or not, are the ones who have a hard time raising their "quality of life." Chew on that one for a while.
Euthanasia is a selfish cop-out. I understand that some situations almost seem to call for it. I understand that some people have fought very long, very hard battles with diseases and injuries. I understand that some of what I wrote sounds very callous. But I also understand that God is sovereign and has a purpose for everything. I understand that He came down out of the glory and perfection of Heaven in the form of Jesus Christ, hung and died on a cross (you wanna talk about suffering? Go read that part of the story), and then died, so that we, an ungrateful, selfish, overly-entitled people might have an eternal hope beyond the short and temporary suffering of this planet (because, fun fact: He came BACK to life so that we can too). So I'm sorry if I'm a little crass, but it is incredibly frustrating to hear people say that certain human beings don't have the "right to live" or a high enough "quality of life" and that they should be murdered because of it. Because of something out of their control. Because of something we can help with.
We'd rather just not help though. It hurts and inconveniences us too much.
I've been on a months-long spree of ranting and raving about borderline controversial issues. Then, my last post kind of exploded because I got real controversial, real fast. I'm about to do it again, though I doubt I'll have the same response as before. And that's really okay with me.
So I have recently read about a few people who have gotten a free pass to end a life. There's the woman who plans to die in a few days (still praying against that one), and then there's this mom who just recently starved her disabled daughter to death.
I would like to know on what planet this is considered okay. Speaking as a Christian, murder is wrong. Speaking as a human being, MURDER IS WRONG. Ask pretty much any sane person and they will tell you that. It's an [almost] undisputed fact. But, recently, we've been redefining our terms. Sayings like "quality of life" have been thrown around to help us justify ending someone's life. Okay guys, assisted suicide is just a nice little euphemism for murder. And we here in America (and Europe...and everywhere) have problems owning up to the murder we're committing by allowing this to go on. Perhaps the reason we have to call it by a nicer name is because deep down, we understand that is fundamentally wrong. Just a thought.
Now, let's address this "quality of life" nonsense. Actually, first off, we like to throw around "right to life" as well, and I think that also needs some addressing. Technically, none of us has the "right" to live. It's a gift. None of us are capable of creating other human beings. Despite what your mother may have jokingly told you growing up about bringing you into this world and taking back you out, that's actually not true. We're here because God put us here. And if you don't believe in God, then I understand why you disagree with me, and I challenge you to do some more searching, because you'll find Him if you really want to. He's pretty hard to miss. But anyway, we don't get to decide if we get to live or not.
Sometimes when I'm feeling especially worn out or emotional, I like to joke around saying "I didn't sign up for this life!" Occasionally, I really feel like I wish I would've known what I was getting into when I started forming in the womb. That was all out of my control, though. Whether I like it all the time or not, I'm here. The same goes for every other person. But for the grace of God, none of us would exist. He doesn't need us. He loves us, and He wants us, but He doesn't need us. He's perfectly fine without us. So it should THRILL us to the core of our very souls that we have been gifted with life.
Back to that whole quality thing: Just like we don't get to decide if we personally have life, we also don't get to decide who else gets life. "Quality of life" is probably the most frustrating and stupid thing that comes out of the euthanasia problem. Who are we to decide how well someone's enjoying his or her life? And since when did enjoying life equal getting to live it? I'm personally prone to depression, and to perfectly vulnerable for five seconds, I've thought about ending my life a few times. I'm sure other people do too. But if I went around telling people I quit because I'm having a bad day (or a bad month, or even a bad couple of months, because sometimes it hangs around for a while), they'd fight me on it. I know they would. They'd beg me to get some kind of help. Why? Because having bad times is part of life and it's not a valid reason to stop living.
We like to assume when someone can't communicate in ways that we understand, or when someone is old, or disabled, that they are suffering. We assume they are always suffering all the time and they hate life and they just want to die (emphasis on "assume). But we don't know. We can ask them. They might not understand, depending on who it is that we're talking to, but we can ask. And they can express it or not express it as best as possible, and we can take it for what it is, but we won't know for certain. We won't know because we're not them. We won't know because we've been gifted with the type of life that doesn't include "handicaps" and they've been gifted with the type that does.
"How could God allow that to happen if He really loves us?" Honestly, I don't know. I'm not God. I can only answer so much about Him. Ask Him. He might not tell you, because He's God and He doesn't have to. But I for one am done making excuses for Him. He doesn't need me to anyways.
Taking a different spin on it, though, and remembering that all of human life is created in God's image, I would like to propose that even those of us who are disabled and handicapped are still created in that same image. I would like to propose that maybe, just maybe, what we see as broken and damaged, God sees as whole. It might be different. It might be a little uncomfortable sometimes. But it might also be one of the most beautiful things ever. Seriously, some of the mentally challenged people I know are the happiest and most joyful people on this planet. You want to tell me they have a low "quality of life"? They will sing, clap, dance and laugh more freely than you and I ever will, even our best days. How does that fit in with your "oh, they're suffering" theory? They're also not inhibited in the same way that we are. Sometimes that's not always the best thing, but sometimes it's really cool to be around. It's genuine and refreshing, and I've made this dare before, but I DARE YOU to go spend a day with people like that and then tell me that they're lives suck.
Any suckiness that's in their lives has probably been put there by people who are too lazy to take good care of them. That's on us. That's on the "normal" people. WE, we who like to believe that our lives are better, and we who like to think that we can decide whether they get to keep living or not, are the ones who have a hard time raising their "quality of life." Chew on that one for a while.
Euthanasia is a selfish cop-out. I understand that some situations almost seem to call for it. I understand that some people have fought very long, very hard battles with diseases and injuries. I understand that some of what I wrote sounds very callous. But I also understand that God is sovereign and has a purpose for everything. I understand that He came down out of the glory and perfection of Heaven in the form of Jesus Christ, hung and died on a cross (you wanna talk about suffering? Go read that part of the story), and then died, so that we, an ungrateful, selfish, overly-entitled people might have an eternal hope beyond the short and temporary suffering of this planet (because, fun fact: He came BACK to life so that we can too). So I'm sorry if I'm a little crass, but it is incredibly frustrating to hear people say that certain human beings don't have the "right to live" or a high enough "quality of life" and that they should be murdered because of it. Because of something out of their control. Because of something we can help with.
We'd rather just not help though. It hurts and inconveniences us too much.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Give Up On Marriage
Hi. My name is Andrea. I'm 21 years old. I go to a Christian university that perpetuates the ring-by-spring mentality very heavily. I am on the precipice of giving up on marriage.
Dramatic enough to get your attention? Good.
Alright so for those of you who didn't go to convo today, I'll fill you in briefly. Mark Gungor came and spoke. He talked about marriage and sex. He is *apparently* a comedian. This is basically what I heard though: "Don't get married. Women are nags. Men have nothing boxes and it's okay if they use them. Frequently. Men like when women ignore them. If you do get married, men will only love you (the woman) if you have sex with them." Awesome, right?
NOT. AWESOME.
This isn't the first time, unfortunately, that I've heard that sex is all men want out of marriage. Or, even, just out of women in general. In fact, I've heard at least two times that I can recall that women need a lot from men, and that men only need sex from women.
Suddenly the human trafficking industry is starting to make a lot more sense... Gross, right?
Let me break it down for ya as it was explained to me earlier today. Women want love from men but the only way they can get that love is by having sex with them. Men want sex from women but the only way they can get that is by loving them. How disturbingly circular. And then, let me tag it on the end as if it might not totally matter (because that's what Mark did) that this is only in the context of marriage.
Great. So, what you're telling me is that the man I love might not actually love me back until we get married and sleep together? Why on earth would I want to marry that man? I wouldn't. Not if he didn't already love me. And what happens in the event that I get marred in some hideous car accident and am no longer able to have sex? Does he stop loving me? That sucks. Yep, definitely still not marrying him.
If all marriage is is a greenlight for sex, count me out. Men, you like when we ignore you? Fine. We'll ignore you. FOREVER. (Part of the reason I'm sounding kind of bitter and angry right now is because of the reaction that my male peers gave when Mark explained that men think they must've done something right when women ignore them. Not cool, guys. THAT is why you're single.) But seriously. If all y'all want is sex and to be left alone, you're going to have to find some other way of getting the sex, because we'll leave you alone. VERY ALONE.
Now that I've gotten my anger and soapboxing out of the way, I'm going to quote my friend and former roommate Caitlin...
"What our generation needs is a fresh perspective on marriage. We don't need older couples who complain about the burdens of marriage or the irritating things their spouses do. We need older couples who give younger generations something to look forward to, a selfless relationship of continual romance. Because I don't intend to marry a lazy man, and I'm sure whoever my husband will be isn't looking to marry a nagging wife. Marriage on earth is a reflection of the Great Romance of Heaven, so let's stop with the insulting generalizations and start lifting one another up and encouraging each other toward beautiful futures that are glorifying to God."
A-freaking-men. Even though I just wrote about how all men only want sex, I know for a fact that that's not true. I've seen my fair share of really solid marriages lived out and I can tell you that there's a lot more that happens between those couples than what goes down in the bedroom. Sure, that plays a pretty significant part in any marriage relationship, but there's a lot more going on in life outside of that.
I refuse to believe that all men enjoy when their wives ignore them because they're angry with them. I imagine that there are a fair few who are quite distressed when the woman they love has been hurt by them. I'm not trying to validate women ignoring people when they're angry, because I admit that that's a terrible way of dealing with problems. But I am trying to point out that that generalization is probably false.
I also refuse to believe that all men only look at women for what they can offer them sexually. What about that is glorifying to God in any way, shape, or form? How is that treasuring your sisters in Christ, or loving them, or respecting them? It's not. Not even close. It would be like me, only ever objectifying guys by just saying "He's so hot. We should make out." and never actually caring how they are as people. That would be complete and total garbage.
Yes, Mark Gungor stated in the beginning that he was going to use generalizations. But that shouldn't justify passing along all those ideas from such a public platform. We don't need to hear that stuff and accept it as fact. Generalizations are, for lack of a better word, crap.
I won't give up on marriage just yet. And I don't think anyone else should either. It was given to us by God as a means to reflect the love He has for us as The Church. But know that if we continue, as a generation, to define it by such shallow terms, we are disgracing that gift. If all marriage is is sex, let's just quit now. If all marriage is is sex, than Mark Gungor was right: It IS better not to be married.
Dramatic enough to get your attention? Good.
Alright so for those of you who didn't go to convo today, I'll fill you in briefly. Mark Gungor came and spoke. He talked about marriage and sex. He is *apparently* a comedian. This is basically what I heard though: "Don't get married. Women are nags. Men have nothing boxes and it's okay if they use them. Frequently. Men like when women ignore them. If you do get married, men will only love you (the woman) if you have sex with them." Awesome, right?
NOT. AWESOME.
This isn't the first time, unfortunately, that I've heard that sex is all men want out of marriage. Or, even, just out of women in general. In fact, I've heard at least two times that I can recall that women need a lot from men, and that men only need sex from women.
Suddenly the human trafficking industry is starting to make a lot more sense... Gross, right?
Let me break it down for ya as it was explained to me earlier today. Women want love from men but the only way they can get that love is by having sex with them. Men want sex from women but the only way they can get that is by loving them. How disturbingly circular. And then, let me tag it on the end as if it might not totally matter (because that's what Mark did) that this is only in the context of marriage.
Great. So, what you're telling me is that the man I love might not actually love me back until we get married and sleep together? Why on earth would I want to marry that man? I wouldn't. Not if he didn't already love me. And what happens in the event that I get marred in some hideous car accident and am no longer able to have sex? Does he stop loving me? That sucks. Yep, definitely still not marrying him.
If all marriage is is a greenlight for sex, count me out. Men, you like when we ignore you? Fine. We'll ignore you. FOREVER. (Part of the reason I'm sounding kind of bitter and angry right now is because of the reaction that my male peers gave when Mark explained that men think they must've done something right when women ignore them. Not cool, guys. THAT is why you're single.) But seriously. If all y'all want is sex and to be left alone, you're going to have to find some other way of getting the sex, because we'll leave you alone. VERY ALONE.
Now that I've gotten my anger and soapboxing out of the way, I'm going to quote my friend and former roommate Caitlin...
"What our generation needs is a fresh perspective on marriage. We don't need older couples who complain about the burdens of marriage or the irritating things their spouses do. We need older couples who give younger generations something to look forward to, a selfless relationship of continual romance. Because I don't intend to marry a lazy man, and I'm sure whoever my husband will be isn't looking to marry a nagging wife. Marriage on earth is a reflection of the Great Romance of Heaven, so let's stop with the insulting generalizations and start lifting one another up and encouraging each other toward beautiful futures that are glorifying to God."
A-freaking-men. Even though I just wrote about how all men only want sex, I know for a fact that that's not true. I've seen my fair share of really solid marriages lived out and I can tell you that there's a lot more that happens between those couples than what goes down in the bedroom. Sure, that plays a pretty significant part in any marriage relationship, but there's a lot more going on in life outside of that.
I refuse to believe that all men enjoy when their wives ignore them because they're angry with them. I imagine that there are a fair few who are quite distressed when the woman they love has been hurt by them. I'm not trying to validate women ignoring people when they're angry, because I admit that that's a terrible way of dealing with problems. But I am trying to point out that that generalization is probably false.
I also refuse to believe that all men only look at women for what they can offer them sexually. What about that is glorifying to God in any way, shape, or form? How is that treasuring your sisters in Christ, or loving them, or respecting them? It's not. Not even close. It would be like me, only ever objectifying guys by just saying "He's so hot. We should make out." and never actually caring how they are as people. That would be complete and total garbage.
Yes, Mark Gungor stated in the beginning that he was going to use generalizations. But that shouldn't justify passing along all those ideas from such a public platform. We don't need to hear that stuff and accept it as fact. Generalizations are, for lack of a better word, crap.
I won't give up on marriage just yet. And I don't think anyone else should either. It was given to us by God as a means to reflect the love He has for us as The Church. But know that if we continue, as a generation, to define it by such shallow terms, we are disgracing that gift. If all marriage is is sex, let's just quit now. If all marriage is is sex, than Mark Gungor was right: It IS better not to be married.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Side note: I'm in no way trying to trash Mark Gungor as a person. He did make a few points among all the weird, awkward ones, that were pretty solid. I am not familiar enough with him as a person to make any statements regarding his ministry or work outside of what I heard from him today. Though I was personally not impressed, I do not wish to slander him. If God can make a mule talk, or a dead man rise, or use a girl named Andrea Johnson, I'm not going to doubt that He can use someone like Mark Gungor for the furtherance of His Kingdom. I felt that it was necessary to include this because I do not wish to tear Mark Gungor down, only to question what he said today.)
Friday, August 29, 2014
Dear Mr. Dawkins
So, the Pro-Life Movement is something that's recently (and by "recently" I mean within the past few months) become more relevant to me individually. No, I have not become pregnant, and no, I do not personally know anyone who has, but I have become more informed about abortion.
First off, I'm in a ranting mood so I'm probably going to rabbit trail a little bit. Second, I might be a little harsh and frank because ranting moods tend to make me do that. I will try my best to edit my thoughts and words so they still have some kind of love in them.
OKAY! "Andrea, why are you in a ranting mood?" Well, random audience member, I will tell you. I just finished reading a beautifully written opinion article from my college newspaper about a Richard Dawkins quote relating to whether or not a woman should abort her child with Down Syndrome. I know the writer and she did an awesome job. There are things I would like to add to this topic, though, and since I have free reign because this is a blog and not affiliated with anyone but myself, I will now craft my response to Dawkins.
He was quoted as tweeting "Abort it and try it again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice." First off, I personally have to question your view of morality, Mr. Dawkins, because you are an atheist and therefore we do not share the same worldview at all. Taking that whole issue out of it, don't call the child an "it." If you're going to openly and publicly condone the slaughter of innocent life then maybe consider growing a backbone and saying it like it really is. "Oh, but that's offensive and politically incorrect!" THEN MAYBE CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW ALTOGETHER.
ANNNNND calming down a bit...
Next, in the article I read, the writer further explained how Dawkins expounded on what he meant on his website, richarddawkins.net. I would totally provide you with a link to the actual page but my wifi is a little shaky so I can't get it to load properly right now. My apologies. I don't know how I feel about quoting all of her quotes from him but I'll provide a summary for you. Dawkins essentially tells the woman it's immoral to give birth to a child with Down Syndrome if you know early enough in the pregnancy, and also giving birth and allowing that child to live opens up the door to future burdens and suffering.
Legit, he uses the words "suffering" and "burden". He doesn't come right out and say that that child is a burden and will suffer, but it is heavily, heavily implied. Let's all take a moment to just let that sink in.
Okay. Now that that atrocious idea has been implanted in our minds, let's address what he said. So, Mr. Dawkins - talking to you again - you're wrong on a few counts. Again, your morality is just...what is it even based on if you don't believe in God? That's, like, the heart issue here. I'm not fully qualified to confront that at this point in time, but know that once you fix that, we'll probably start to see more eye-to-eye. Second, but for the grace of the God you don't believe in, you are not that child that you are encouraging that mother to abort. Please let that sink in. I know it's kind of a cheesy rhetoric that's sometimes passed around between pro-lifers that everyone who supports abortion hasn't been aborted BUT IT IS SO TRUE.
Thirdly, and yes this required a new paragraph, from a secular standpoint, you don't know what that child was capable of. Killing any child (AND THAT IS WHAT ABORTION IS - THERE IS NO SUGAR COATING MURDER) is wrong because murder is wrong. Inherently. Taking away that life takes away so much potential. That child could cure cancer, or could make the computer that knocks Apple and HP out of the park, OR could be the person responsible for SAVING YOUR LIFE if, and I'm in no way wishing this on you, you become fatally ill or injured or something. But...you'll never know...because they're dead. Because you said it was more "moral" that way.
"But, Andrea, this kid had Down Syndrome. That's the not the same thing." Correct. People with Down, or any other form of handicap are not the same DEVELOPMENTALLY. And sometimes physically. But that has no bearing on their personhood. THEIR PERSONHOOD. THEY ARE PEOPLE. THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU AND I ARE. I AM LITERALLY SHOUTING IN MY HEAD AS I TYPE THIS SO PLEASE READ IT THAT WAY.
I don't care if someone is mentally handicapped or physically handicapped or both or neither. That person is a person regardless! Know why? Well, because God said so. "Ha ha, God's not real." False. But, again, that's not my main point right now.
It ticks me off so much when people assume that because someone is mentally or physically handicapped, they'll be a "burden" or they'll have a "lower quality of life." You don't know crap about what that person's life is like if you don't actually know them and ask them. Sure, not all mentally challenged people can verbalize things in the same way, but that doesn't mean that they're suffering.
And you want to know the really crazy thing about mentally challenged people? They will change you forever.
I dare you, Richard Dawkins, and anyone else who cares to tell me that all mentally and physically handicapped people have horrible lives and that their parents are immoral for letting them live that life, to go spend ONE DAY with them. That's all it takes. They are some of the freest, most inhibition-less, happiest, most JOYFUL (and yes, there's a difference there), brightest people that you will ever encounter. And they will love the crap out of you because that is just who they are. Not all people with handicaps are like that, sure, but a vast majority of the ones I've met are (and I've met a lot of them so I know what I'm talking about).
And that whole burden argument is garbage. When you love someone, it's not a burden to take care of them. Mr. Dawkins, you yourself were once a dependent, diaper-wearing baby that someone, somewhere cared enough about to take care of. You didn't make it where you are in life by yourself. I don't have to know your whole life story to know that. So forget that whole argument! It's not based on anything.
People with Down syndrome, or any other kind of handicap, are literally some of the best people that have ever lived. One of my best friends on this planet is mentally challenged and I love her like she's family. She's improved my "quality of life" tenfold just by being who she is.
THIS WHOLE ISSUE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE AN ISSUE! It's a NON-ISSUE! They are people and they matter and they're awesome and we - also as people - do not have the right to decide whether or not these people get to live. They get to live for the same reason we do - because God decided to let them.
RANT OVER. (I could go on forever about this but I'll probably start repeating myself and getting overly worked up so this will have to do for now)
First off, I'm in a ranting mood so I'm probably going to rabbit trail a little bit. Second, I might be a little harsh and frank because ranting moods tend to make me do that. I will try my best to edit my thoughts and words so they still have some kind of love in them.
OKAY! "Andrea, why are you in a ranting mood?" Well, random audience member, I will tell you. I just finished reading a beautifully written opinion article from my college newspaper about a Richard Dawkins quote relating to whether or not a woman should abort her child with Down Syndrome. I know the writer and she did an awesome job. There are things I would like to add to this topic, though, and since I have free reign because this is a blog and not affiliated with anyone but myself, I will now craft my response to Dawkins.
He was quoted as tweeting "Abort it and try it again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice." First off, I personally have to question your view of morality, Mr. Dawkins, because you are an atheist and therefore we do not share the same worldview at all. Taking that whole issue out of it, don't call the child an "it." If you're going to openly and publicly condone the slaughter of innocent life then maybe consider growing a backbone and saying it like it really is. "Oh, but that's offensive and politically incorrect!" THEN MAYBE CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW ALTOGETHER.
ANNNNND calming down a bit...
Next, in the article I read, the writer further explained how Dawkins expounded on what he meant on his website, richarddawkins.net. I would totally provide you with a link to the actual page but my wifi is a little shaky so I can't get it to load properly right now. My apologies. I don't know how I feel about quoting all of her quotes from him but I'll provide a summary for you. Dawkins essentially tells the woman it's immoral to give birth to a child with Down Syndrome if you know early enough in the pregnancy, and also giving birth and allowing that child to live opens up the door to future burdens and suffering.
Legit, he uses the words "suffering" and "burden". He doesn't come right out and say that that child is a burden and will suffer, but it is heavily, heavily implied. Let's all take a moment to just let that sink in.
Okay. Now that that atrocious idea has been implanted in our minds, let's address what he said. So, Mr. Dawkins - talking to you again - you're wrong on a few counts. Again, your morality is just...what is it even based on if you don't believe in God? That's, like, the heart issue here. I'm not fully qualified to confront that at this point in time, but know that once you fix that, we'll probably start to see more eye-to-eye. Second, but for the grace of the God you don't believe in, you are not that child that you are encouraging that mother to abort. Please let that sink in. I know it's kind of a cheesy rhetoric that's sometimes passed around between pro-lifers that everyone who supports abortion hasn't been aborted BUT IT IS SO TRUE.
Thirdly, and yes this required a new paragraph, from a secular standpoint, you don't know what that child was capable of. Killing any child (AND THAT IS WHAT ABORTION IS - THERE IS NO SUGAR COATING MURDER) is wrong because murder is wrong. Inherently. Taking away that life takes away so much potential. That child could cure cancer, or could make the computer that knocks Apple and HP out of the park, OR could be the person responsible for SAVING YOUR LIFE if, and I'm in no way wishing this on you, you become fatally ill or injured or something. But...you'll never know...because they're dead. Because you said it was more "moral" that way.
"But, Andrea, this kid had Down Syndrome. That's the not the same thing." Correct. People with Down, or any other form of handicap are not the same DEVELOPMENTALLY. And sometimes physically. But that has no bearing on their personhood. THEIR PERSONHOOD. THEY ARE PEOPLE. THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU AND I ARE. I AM LITERALLY SHOUTING IN MY HEAD AS I TYPE THIS SO PLEASE READ IT THAT WAY.
I don't care if someone is mentally handicapped or physically handicapped or both or neither. That person is a person regardless! Know why? Well, because God said so. "Ha ha, God's not real." False. But, again, that's not my main point right now.
It ticks me off so much when people assume that because someone is mentally or physically handicapped, they'll be a "burden" or they'll have a "lower quality of life." You don't know crap about what that person's life is like if you don't actually know them and ask them. Sure, not all mentally challenged people can verbalize things in the same way, but that doesn't mean that they're suffering.
And you want to know the really crazy thing about mentally challenged people? They will change you forever.
I dare you, Richard Dawkins, and anyone else who cares to tell me that all mentally and physically handicapped people have horrible lives and that their parents are immoral for letting them live that life, to go spend ONE DAY with them. That's all it takes. They are some of the freest, most inhibition-less, happiest, most JOYFUL (and yes, there's a difference there), brightest people that you will ever encounter. And they will love the crap out of you because that is just who they are. Not all people with handicaps are like that, sure, but a vast majority of the ones I've met are (and I've met a lot of them so I know what I'm talking about).
And that whole burden argument is garbage. When you love someone, it's not a burden to take care of them. Mr. Dawkins, you yourself were once a dependent, diaper-wearing baby that someone, somewhere cared enough about to take care of. You didn't make it where you are in life by yourself. I don't have to know your whole life story to know that. So forget that whole argument! It's not based on anything.
People with Down syndrome, or any other kind of handicap, are literally some of the best people that have ever lived. One of my best friends on this planet is mentally challenged and I love her like she's family. She's improved my "quality of life" tenfold just by being who she is.
THIS WHOLE ISSUE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE AN ISSUE! It's a NON-ISSUE! They are people and they matter and they're awesome and we - also as people - do not have the right to decide whether or not these people get to live. They get to live for the same reason we do - because God decided to let them.
RANT OVER. (I could go on forever about this but I'll probably start repeating myself and getting overly worked up so this will have to do for now)
Friday, August 8, 2014
It Ain't About the Money
This is a soapbox post. You've been warned.
This summer I've grown up a lot. I've seen more of the world and understand a little bit better how it works. And I've noticed something seriously disgusting about it. People choose money over other people. And they do it everywhere, all the time.
I worked a human services job this summer and I'm not going into details because I'm honestly not sure how much I'd even be allowed to say. Talk to me in person if you want to know more about it. We're gonna suffice it to say that I heard a lot of really sad stories of people being kept in bad situations because someone, somewhere was getting money from it. The more I heard stories like that, the more I wanted to go scream.
And earlier today I just read an oh-so-lovely (sarcasm) article about how Mark Zuckerburg is forcing a new Facebook messenger app on smartphone users that has access to our microphones and cameras and contacts and all sorts of stuff that Zuckerburg should really have no interest in at all. I'm sure it's not the first digital thing that's extended a little too far into the lives of its consumers, but it's Facebook so it's hitting me a little harder. Facebook is my guilty pleasure and I probably hold it a little too near and dear sometimes.
Of course he's wanting access to all of that extra information for the purpose of selling it. Just another instance of money over people.
These are two different examples that stem from the same heart issue of greed. Of the more-more-more mentality. Of the American dream, I gotta have it all kind of people that we are today. And this blog is me, calling ALL of us out, on our crap. That's right. THIS IS CRAP.
And I say "all of us" because I know I've been guilty of treasuring my money a little bit too much at times too.
But here's the deal, friends. We're going to die. We will all die. I'm not trying to be creepy or morbid or doom-and-gloom. I'm giving you the honest facts. Death is inevitable. (And don't tell me taxes are because they're not, but that's another soapbox issue for another time.) We can't avoid it and we certainly can't buy our way out of it.
So, why on earth are we so consumed by owning everything on earth? Yes, I am coming at this topic from my worldview, which states that we all have eternal souls that either go to heaven or to hell, but even if you don't believe that, I'm sure you can agree with me that money can't save your life. Your time will run out and all of your stuff? All of those things you worked so hard for? It's all going to stay behind. You can bury it with you if you want, but it's just going to rot in the ground.
BUT if you put your hope in Christ and spend your life serving Him (which can sometimes, oftentimes, look like serving other people here) guess what? You get treasure in heaven! Treasure that lasts! Treasure that matters.
So, to those of you forcing people to stay in those bad situations - be they voiceless or misinformed - think about that. Think about what you're doing. Consider whether or not your money is worth it. The money that you will eventually leave behind.
And to those Mark Zuckerburg types - I don't think you really want to spy on all of my conversations. In fact, I KNOW you don't. But...if you really must have all my information, send me yours in exchange. Sound good? Good.
This summer I've grown up a lot. I've seen more of the world and understand a little bit better how it works. And I've noticed something seriously disgusting about it. People choose money over other people. And they do it everywhere, all the time.
I worked a human services job this summer and I'm not going into details because I'm honestly not sure how much I'd even be allowed to say. Talk to me in person if you want to know more about it. We're gonna suffice it to say that I heard a lot of really sad stories of people being kept in bad situations because someone, somewhere was getting money from it. The more I heard stories like that, the more I wanted to go scream.
And earlier today I just read an oh-so-lovely (sarcasm) article about how Mark Zuckerburg is forcing a new Facebook messenger app on smartphone users that has access to our microphones and cameras and contacts and all sorts of stuff that Zuckerburg should really have no interest in at all. I'm sure it's not the first digital thing that's extended a little too far into the lives of its consumers, but it's Facebook so it's hitting me a little harder. Facebook is my guilty pleasure and I probably hold it a little too near and dear sometimes.
Of course he's wanting access to all of that extra information for the purpose of selling it. Just another instance of money over people.
These are two different examples that stem from the same heart issue of greed. Of the more-more-more mentality. Of the American dream, I gotta have it all kind of people that we are today. And this blog is me, calling ALL of us out, on our crap. That's right. THIS IS CRAP.
And I say "all of us" because I know I've been guilty of treasuring my money a little bit too much at times too.
But here's the deal, friends. We're going to die. We will all die. I'm not trying to be creepy or morbid or doom-and-gloom. I'm giving you the honest facts. Death is inevitable. (And don't tell me taxes are because they're not, but that's another soapbox issue for another time.) We can't avoid it and we certainly can't buy our way out of it.
So, why on earth are we so consumed by owning everything on earth? Yes, I am coming at this topic from my worldview, which states that we all have eternal souls that either go to heaven or to hell, but even if you don't believe that, I'm sure you can agree with me that money can't save your life. Your time will run out and all of your stuff? All of those things you worked so hard for? It's all going to stay behind. You can bury it with you if you want, but it's just going to rot in the ground.
BUT if you put your hope in Christ and spend your life serving Him (which can sometimes, oftentimes, look like serving other people here) guess what? You get treasure in heaven! Treasure that lasts! Treasure that matters.
So, to those of you forcing people to stay in those bad situations - be they voiceless or misinformed - think about that. Think about what you're doing. Consider whether or not your money is worth it. The money that you will eventually leave behind.
And to those Mark Zuckerburg types - I don't think you really want to spy on all of my conversations. In fact, I KNOW you don't. But...if you really must have all my information, send me yours in exchange. Sound good? Good.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
But oh-ho those summer nights!
The title of this blog post is ironic because the majority of my summer was spent going to bed around 11 or 12. Yay irony! This post is also me processing this summer and what it meant to me and how I grew/what I learned so it might be on the more sporadic side as far as organization goes. Yay processing! Now to de-rabbit trail...
I did something a little different this year. Okay, very different. I worked a part-time job (that had full-time hours) and did not go to camp until just last week. It was kind of huge for me. The job I had was good, but challenging, and it definitely stretched me out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot about what "real" jobs look like, and it allowed me the opportunity to make a little money (which, as a college student who currently has a negative net worth, that was a big deal). I also learned that I need to finish college and do something with the degree that I earn because the job I had this summer is not something I could do long-term. Like I said, it was good, but it was challenging too.
Staying at home also gave me the chance to get more involved with my church (I actually got to go to VBS this year - YES!) and spend more time with my parents. I've learned to value my time with them more since going away to school, but even though I have a better appreciation/understanding of them, I also tend to clash with them more. I'm so used to "Life According to Andrea" and so not used to hearing things like "You should probably go to bed soon" or "WAKE UP! I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU AGAIN!" Being involved with church was a definite plus. Being around my parents so much was equal parts plus and minus. It's honestly nothing against them and I love them dearly. It's just that I'm an adult now and I want to be treated like one. #TheStruggle
Going to camp last week was much the same as working all summer; it followed the trend of good-but-challenging. I was a counselor for the week, which is different from my position on the leadership team that I had all last summer. I haven't counseled since 2012, so it was a bit of a shock to my system to go from worrying about staff to worrying about campers. But also like I said, it was good. God didn't shy away from giving me what was described by my friend as a "summer's worth of problems in one week," but I think He did that because He knew He could strengthen me enough to handle it. And handle it we did (emphasis on "we").
Then I was surprised to get an email from my college informing me that my return date had to be pushed back a few days. Normally I don't think I'd care but college isn't like high school. I actually look forward to going back and so the idea of a few more days at home was just kind of a super huge drag. It would afford me more time to see my friends and my parents, but I've been banking on going back on the 10th all summer, so to change a months-long expectation within a week felt mildly impossible. Praise the Lord, He gave me an amazing, super-hospitable friend who is willing to put me up for a few days until I can move to my on-campus housing. Just one more thing to add to my good-but-challenging summer.
So...procrastination prods me to write this blog. I'm currently avoiding bed because...I'm too tired and lazy to sleep? I don't know. I'll never totally understand why I put off sleeping. Maybe I subconsciously know that if I go to bed early, it leaves me with too much free time to analyze all of my life's problems. But I'm also avoiding packing. My room is just such a mess right now that I'm way too overwhelmed to do anything about it. Instead, I'm seated not-so-comfortably between a mound of unfolded laundry and a pile consisting of a DVD case, books, a tissue box, and random craft scraps that have been cluttering my futon for days. For DAYS. Yay bunk beds!
To sum it all up in elementary-school-first-paper-assignment style...
What I Learned This Summer Is:
1. God's grace is sufficient
2. God's grace is relentless
3. Endurance in times of aggravation
4. When in duress, pray
5. When not in duress, pray
6. Following God's plan might not always be my absolute favorite thing
7. God still has a purpose in EVERYTHING (whether or not it is my absolute favorite thing)
8. Going to bed early because you have to get up early is probably a good idea and doesn't make me lame. It just makes me a young adult with a daytime job that needs her sleep. (this one doesn't quite have the same spiritual application as the others, but it's still worth recording, I think)
So there it is. #Summer2k14 I've made a lot of crafts, I've hung out with my parents (and passed out on the couch in a fashion similar to their own - oh, sleep, my precious friend!), and I've seen more of my church family than I've seen in years. Not going to camp hurt sometimes, and then going to camp last week kind of hurt too, but I don't regret my summer at home. And I don't regret my boring summer nights.
If anything, I would regret staying up as late as I did, but I'm done working and can sleep in and it's not really worth it to get upset over something I can't change. Yay things to learn from!
I did something a little different this year. Okay, very different. I worked a part-time job (that had full-time hours) and did not go to camp until just last week. It was kind of huge for me. The job I had was good, but challenging, and it definitely stretched me out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot about what "real" jobs look like, and it allowed me the opportunity to make a little money (which, as a college student who currently has a negative net worth, that was a big deal). I also learned that I need to finish college and do something with the degree that I earn because the job I had this summer is not something I could do long-term. Like I said, it was good, but it was challenging too.
Staying at home also gave me the chance to get more involved with my church (I actually got to go to VBS this year - YES!) and spend more time with my parents. I've learned to value my time with them more since going away to school, but even though I have a better appreciation/understanding of them, I also tend to clash with them more. I'm so used to "Life According to Andrea" and so not used to hearing things like "You should probably go to bed soon" or "WAKE UP! I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU AGAIN!" Being involved with church was a definite plus. Being around my parents so much was equal parts plus and minus. It's honestly nothing against them and I love them dearly. It's just that I'm an adult now and I want to be treated like one. #TheStruggle
Going to camp last week was much the same as working all summer; it followed the trend of good-but-challenging. I was a counselor for the week, which is different from my position on the leadership team that I had all last summer. I haven't counseled since 2012, so it was a bit of a shock to my system to go from worrying about staff to worrying about campers. But also like I said, it was good. God didn't shy away from giving me what was described by my friend as a "summer's worth of problems in one week," but I think He did that because He knew He could strengthen me enough to handle it. And handle it we did (emphasis on "we").
Then I was surprised to get an email from my college informing me that my return date had to be pushed back a few days. Normally I don't think I'd care but college isn't like high school. I actually look forward to going back and so the idea of a few more days at home was just kind of a super huge drag. It would afford me more time to see my friends and my parents, but I've been banking on going back on the 10th all summer, so to change a months-long expectation within a week felt mildly impossible. Praise the Lord, He gave me an amazing, super-hospitable friend who is willing to put me up for a few days until I can move to my on-campus housing. Just one more thing to add to my good-but-challenging summer.
So...procrastination prods me to write this blog. I'm currently avoiding bed because...I'm too tired and lazy to sleep? I don't know. I'll never totally understand why I put off sleeping. Maybe I subconsciously know that if I go to bed early, it leaves me with too much free time to analyze all of my life's problems. But I'm also avoiding packing. My room is just such a mess right now that I'm way too overwhelmed to do anything about it. Instead, I'm seated not-so-comfortably between a mound of unfolded laundry and a pile consisting of a DVD case, books, a tissue box, and random craft scraps that have been cluttering my futon for days. For DAYS. Yay bunk beds!
To sum it all up in elementary-school-first-paper-assignment style...
What I Learned This Summer Is:
1. God's grace is sufficient
2. God's grace is relentless
3. Endurance in times of aggravation
4. When in duress, pray
5. When not in duress, pray
6. Following God's plan might not always be my absolute favorite thing
7. God still has a purpose in EVERYTHING (whether or not it is my absolute favorite thing)
8. Going to bed early because you have to get up early is probably a good idea and doesn't make me lame. It just makes me a young adult with a daytime job that needs her sleep. (this one doesn't quite have the same spiritual application as the others, but it's still worth recording, I think)
So there it is. #Summer2k14 I've made a lot of crafts, I've hung out with my parents (and passed out on the couch in a fashion similar to their own - oh, sleep, my precious friend!), and I've seen more of my church family than I've seen in years. Not going to camp hurt sometimes, and then going to camp last week kind of hurt too, but I don't regret my summer at home. And I don't regret my boring summer nights.
If anything, I would regret staying up as late as I did, but I'm done working and can sleep in and it's not really worth it to get upset over something I can't change. Yay things to learn from!
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
My Publicized Ramblings on Having Pinterest Boards of Men
I, like many other tech-savvy (and even not-so-savvy) women, very much enjoy Pinterest. A relative of mine recently asked me what Pinterest was, and I started by saying "Virtual hoarding." All joking aside, I think it is a fantastic website, good for storing all sorts of nifty ideas, inspiring quotes, and funny pictures. However, I've noticed something else my female friends are pinning, and it's just not sitting right with me. Never has, and hopefully never will.
So, ladies, I'm calling you out. If you have a board on Pinterest - public OR private - that is devoted solely to collecting pictures of men you find attractive, I am speaking to YOU. On what level does this seem okay? I realize that Pinterest is used mainly by women, and I respect that. Most guys don't feel a need to gather wedding ideas, recipes, or future home renovation plans. BUT that doesn't mean it's okay for you to pin as many shirtless or handsomely attired men as you want. If Pinterest were a guy-dominant website, and you found out that a large majority of the users had boards of only pictures of half-naked, erotic looking women on them, would you not cry foul?
To me, this is a double standard. Ever heard of a YouTube page called "Blimey Cow"? Well, Jordan, one of the main users on that page, once pointed out that this is a double standard. I haven't been able to shake the thought since viewing that video.
My second problem with these boards is that the majority of them seem to be operated by my Christian friends. I'm not trying to draw uncomfortable lines or say that everything is okay for someone because he/she doesn't profess to be a believer, but for those of you who do, come now. What is the real implication of a board like that?
It's not porn. But don't tell me you don't still think borderline lustful (if not full-on lustful) thoughts while looking at those pictures of the actors, athletes and models. Don't tell me you don't feel some form of emotional rush. Don't tell me if Jesus was standing over your shoulder, looking at your computer screen, you'd feel PROUD to be basically objectifying the male portion of the human population.
I'm not trying to come at this with an "I'm holier than you because I don't pin pictures of attractive men" kind of attitude, but I am speaking as a sister concerned. Is it wise to have Pinterest boards like those? Is it necessary? Is it productive or God-honoring? I get it. And I'm most certainly not perfect. I'm sure I've pinned things that, were Jesus standing directly, physically behind me, I'd probably at least blush over. But, these all-men boards just feel, to me, to be obviously bad ideas.
I don't know. I hope that all made sense. Food for thought?
(p.s. For the record, I kind of hate "Man Crush Monday" and "Woman Crush Wednesday" too.)
So, ladies, I'm calling you out. If you have a board on Pinterest - public OR private - that is devoted solely to collecting pictures of men you find attractive, I am speaking to YOU. On what level does this seem okay? I realize that Pinterest is used mainly by women, and I respect that. Most guys don't feel a need to gather wedding ideas, recipes, or future home renovation plans. BUT that doesn't mean it's okay for you to pin as many shirtless or handsomely attired men as you want. If Pinterest were a guy-dominant website, and you found out that a large majority of the users had boards of only pictures of half-naked, erotic looking women on them, would you not cry foul?
To me, this is a double standard. Ever heard of a YouTube page called "Blimey Cow"? Well, Jordan, one of the main users on that page, once pointed out that this is a double standard. I haven't been able to shake the thought since viewing that video.
My second problem with these boards is that the majority of them seem to be operated by my Christian friends. I'm not trying to draw uncomfortable lines or say that everything is okay for someone because he/she doesn't profess to be a believer, but for those of you who do, come now. What is the real implication of a board like that?
It's not porn. But don't tell me you don't still think borderline lustful (if not full-on lustful) thoughts while looking at those pictures of the actors, athletes and models. Don't tell me you don't feel some form of emotional rush. Don't tell me if Jesus was standing over your shoulder, looking at your computer screen, you'd feel PROUD to be basically objectifying the male portion of the human population.
I'm not trying to come at this with an "I'm holier than you because I don't pin pictures of attractive men" kind of attitude, but I am speaking as a sister concerned. Is it wise to have Pinterest boards like those? Is it necessary? Is it productive or God-honoring? I get it. And I'm most certainly not perfect. I'm sure I've pinned things that, were Jesus standing directly, physically behind me, I'd probably at least blush over. But, these all-men boards just feel, to me, to be obviously bad ideas.
I don't know. I hope that all made sense. Food for thought?
(p.s. For the record, I kind of hate "Man Crush Monday" and "Woman Crush Wednesday" too.)
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