- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
my wife is like that too…. when I show her she is wrong she says whatever and changes the subject. I see a pattern. lol just kidding but couldn’t resist Thank you Doubting Mom for posting the link to Joanna’s blog. I took the time to read the comments. I am very disturbed by some of them, although I should not have been. There were some that said women have themselves to blame, that they can go and do great things like the early Mormon women did. But, I know that is not always true. Yes, as an individual woman in the church, you can serve your heart out. I totally subscribe to that idea and implement it in my own life. However, at times, you can receive backlash from doing even that as some priesthood holders believe very strongly in the priesthood lines of authority and worry someone doing individual service will get in the way of their organized service. These types of priesthood holders seem to feel you need the bishop’s permission to serve someone, even if that someone was asking for your assistance. I have seen this up close and personal more than once, as have other of my friends. Also, when women leaders are carrying out their callings, they do so under the direction of the priesthood. The particular priesthood leader at any time may choose for whatever reason, to say no to a particular project. What to do then? If a woman went ahead and organized the project (for example, maybe a major community service project) on the side, away from church, but involved her friends, many of who would be sisters in the same locale, she might very well be seen as being in rebellion to her priesthood leader who said no to the project. So maybe it is better to go ahead and organize great projects separate from the church and never seek to do them through the church structure. At least in that scenario, one could go ahead with the said project and not be seen as being in rebellion. So much of the issue seems to be the inconsistency of local leaders. We support them, we sustain them but their reactions vary across the board. I feel this is why many have disengaged. And I don’t mean to sound like I think all male leaders are guilty of the above behaviors. But some are and maybe you do not even know they are until you are in the middle of a situation with them. I am also dismayed at the meanness of some of the commenters who are LDS. Because someone shared her thoughts and represented the viewpoints of other women too, these commenters feel they are justified in being unChristlike. It makes me feel ill.
I’m not sure the exact things you are referring to but I certainly live and teach by the truth that “you(a person) does not need permission “to do the right thing”. Which in a case where a member or non member needs help and ask for it. It’s like asking permission to have charity. Maybe I am confused and just read it wrong. A project that wasn’t church funded? Or sponsored? Of it is then I let the details belong to those that they belong to. If it isn’t then there is the place where we need more people to take initiative and start and lead projects to help others. I have, in a non official capacity(non church event) but less members seem interested then non members unless it was a sanctioned church event. Yes, Forgotten_Charity, it is very odd that priesthood lines of authority were carried that far. A little dysfunctional there. You’re right…should we have to get permission to have charity? And I agree you can do community service away from church but I was following up on the women who are critical of Joanna Brooks and others who wish for the autonomy the earlier RS sisters had….this was all in the comments and I know now you don’t like reading those. So for those critical onesl who say we as RS Sisters can go do these big projects and that’s it’s our own fault we don’t…they are definitely forgetting the approval through the priesthood channels. It’s just a little discouraging to me as I saw it happen in person. I am grateful Joanna is there and I hate that she is getting such hate mail from LDS people. Especially since she all she said wasn’t put into the program and what little bit they included has been grossly misintepreted by some. May God bless her and keep her safe from hurt. Fear is the driving force here afterall. It is not unique to our religion. It occurs whenever there is such a strong belief that believing something or not believing it, simply just to even question something will send someone staigt to hell or anger gods wrath.this fear causes “splitting” and triggers the age old tribal mentality of “us versus them”. I see it lots in Orthdox Jewish community I live in. As well as our church and even the Muslim faith and others. I grew up with a extreme version of this in my family and community. The fear led to constant anger which led to extreme and constant yelling for controll of others to reign in this “fear”. It is why splitting is so destructive. In the ultra Orthdox Jewish faith for example I have seen(I don’t mean this a a knock on my Jewish friends but as a observation) they don’t go to the police for problems. They have their own civil courts and don’t trust outsiders(even police or courts). In new York and other places this has led to a unabated child molestation. Since the civil Jewish courts can’t “jail” someone. They simply ask the rabbi to pay a fine and continue with his service, inveribly it happens again and she the children go to the authorities(police) they get threatening phone calls, death threats, and all manor or “mean comments… Including to those providing a help hotline for them. They do it because they “fear” the wrath of god from these children who have broken the tradition of keeping things handled inside the community. Tradition is law there. As well as a great fear of dishonoring a Rabi of the accusations are false overwrites the child’s need to be protected. It is splitting and us versus them in extreme caused by fear of gods wrath for not abiding traditions. It is just 1 example out of many I have seen. Showing anger to those that are splitting and encouraging the “us versus them” caused my the brains releasing of neruchemicals for survival. They are doing what accurs naturally to them as they were taught to fear. It’s sad but understandable thru are just fearing and splitting what they were taught. That is why it is far less common in non ultra Orthdox communities where people weren’t taught it was not ok to question or go against established traction. We can only help by love and patience and understanding what exactly is causing it. Reacting as they do or displaying anger will only further entech them in fear as more chemicals ate released in the brain for survival. We have the capacity to help others with love, just as the Christ(the prince of peace ) rightfully taught. F_C: I enjoy your tidbits about the ultra orthodox Jewish community.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.