Programs like πΏππ‘ ππ ππππ¦ and πβπππ¦ π»ππππ¦ ππππππ are NECESSARY. They are NEEDED, because the general public is mostly completely unaware of the behavior of churches such as those of the IFB, and they damned well need to know. Some of them, and indeed, some of those who are members of IFB churches, just might be moved to take action against them and bring what is undoubtedly MORE such offenses to light.
I salute those who made these documentaries and those who had the fortitude to come forward and tell their stories, and I look forward to more such revelations in the future.
The herd instinct runs deep in the human species, and I suspect it may have been part of our survival strategy. Puny little humans survived through banding together for security and the specialization of labor. I think a lot of people belong to churches because they feel a deep need to belong to something. Belonging isn't the root problem, it's the willingness of people to delegate their thinking to others that causes all the trouble. People get caught up in the dynamic of organized religion, and often become blind to what it's doing to them, and blind to what their real choices are. Few people who managed to walk away from religion regretted the decision.
Setting the record straight. A letter to the editor in my local paper today began like this: "This Thanksgiving we should give some thought to our Pilgrim ancestors, who came to this country because their religious beliefs subjected them to persecution at home. Seeking safety and freedom, they fled to foreign shores."
Whitewash! The Pilgrims weren't seeking safety or freedom and certainly not religious liberty. They had first left England for the nearby Netherlands, which was the most welcoming, open, accepting, and tolerant society on Earth at the time. They couldn't stand it there. Too much variety. Too much competition. What they wanted wasn't religious freedom, they wanted a place where they could rule the roost, ideally someplace where there were no heretical ideas that their kids could be exposed to. The supposedly empty continent just across the Atlantic Ocean seemed ideal for their purposes. Which, to repeat, had nothing to do with freedom of conscience and everything to do with patriarchally dominated groupthink.
Thank goodness Christianity isn't meant to make people into better people, because otherwise we might have to categorize this as just a wee bit of a misfire.
Some great, insightful comments on this thread. Lord Acton said it a few hundred years ago: "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." That obviously can apply to churches as well.
We should make sure that the pundits on Fox News know all about this program on the ID channel. Iβm sure theyβll have a lot to say about it. Lol π
Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the legendary Doctor Who (except for that 10 year period when they were missing from the airwaves before finally being revitalized). Can't wait to see Ncuti Gatwa (the first openly gay Doctor) make his debut.
Cynical me thinks that religion was created solely to trap women in bad marriages to abusers and rapists. Just the rules surrounding womenβs behaviors, sex, and menβs power. Rational me sees stories like this and shifts further into cynicism.
The more power a religion holds over its adherents, the easier they are to exploit and abuse. The only way to completely eliminate that danger is to give religion no power at all.
Iβve come to view any religious organization that has Fundamental in their title is one that should be avoided at all costs (late to this as I road tripped to my daughterβs for bird festivities). Hope everyoneβs day was peaceful.
Programs like πΏππ‘ ππ ππππ¦ and πβπππ¦ π»ππππ¦ ππππππ are NECESSARY. They are NEEDED, because the general public is mostly completely unaware of the behavior of churches such as those of the IFB, and they damned well need to know. Some of them, and indeed, some of those who are members of IFB churches, just might be moved to take action against them and bring what is undoubtedly MORE such offenses to light.
I salute those who made these documentaries and those who had the fortitude to come forward and tell their stories, and I look forward to more such revelations in the future.
The herd instinct runs deep in the human species, and I suspect it may have been part of our survival strategy. Puny little humans survived through banding together for security and the specialization of labor. I think a lot of people belong to churches because they feel a deep need to belong to something. Belonging isn't the root problem, it's the willingness of people to delegate their thinking to others that causes all the trouble. People get caught up in the dynamic of organized religion, and often become blind to what it's doing to them, and blind to what their real choices are. Few people who managed to walk away from religion regretted the decision.
βπβππ π€ππππ πππ πππππ π‘πππ π‘βππ¦ βππ£π ππ πππ€ππ, πππ π€βππ πππ πππ πππ£ππ πππ π‘βπ πππ€ππ, ππ‘'π π πππππππ‘ π π‘πππ πππ π ππ₯π’ππ πππ’π π.β
A perfect summary of just how horrifying purity culture is. NONE of this is surprising to me.
"The new ID series, premiering Friday, will leave you shocked"
Not really. I'm whatever the opposite of "shocked" is.
Setting the record straight. A letter to the editor in my local paper today began like this: "This Thanksgiving we should give some thought to our Pilgrim ancestors, who came to this country because their religious beliefs subjected them to persecution at home. Seeking safety and freedom, they fled to foreign shores."
Whitewash! The Pilgrims weren't seeking safety or freedom and certainly not religious liberty. They had first left England for the nearby Netherlands, which was the most welcoming, open, accepting, and tolerant society on Earth at the time. They couldn't stand it there. Too much variety. Too much competition. What they wanted wasn't religious freedom, they wanted a place where they could rule the roost, ideally someplace where there were no heretical ideas that their kids could be exposed to. The supposedly empty continent just across the Atlantic Ocean seemed ideal for their purposes. Which, to repeat, had nothing to do with freedom of conscience and everything to do with patriarchally dominated groupthink.
IFB. Founded by Steven 'Don't Tase Me, Bro!' Anderson. Just saying.
Shocked? Sorry, but Christianity and its horrific behavior has long since ceased to shock me. It has become expected.
"Ministry of scandals" sounds like a Monty Python sketch.
Thank goodness Christianity isn't meant to make people into better people, because otherwise we might have to categorize this as just a wee bit of a misfire.
So, close call there.
Some great, insightful comments on this thread. Lord Acton said it a few hundred years ago: "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." That obviously can apply to churches as well.
We should make sure that the pundits on Fox News know all about this program on the ID channel. Iβm sure theyβll have a lot to say about it. Lol π
OT: a very happy thanksgiving to those of you who participate in the holiday.
OT
Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the legendary Doctor Who (except for that 10 year period when they were missing from the airwaves before finally being revitalized). Can't wait to see Ncuti Gatwa (the first openly gay Doctor) make his debut.
Cynical me thinks that religion was created solely to trap women in bad marriages to abusers and rapists. Just the rules surrounding womenβs behaviors, sex, and menβs power. Rational me sees stories like this and shifts further into cynicism.
The more power a religion holds over its adherents, the easier they are to exploit and abuse. The only way to completely eliminate that danger is to give religion no power at all.
Iβve come to view any religious organization that has Fundamental in their title is one that should be avoided at all costs (late to this as I road tripped to my daughterβs for bird festivities). Hope everyoneβs day was peaceful.
OT: Now they're charging you to quit your shitty job:
https://slashdot.org/story/23/11/23/1836220/some-firms-are-demanding-steep-repayments-if-staff-depart
(Source story is paywalled)