I just wrote this long response and deleted it because I am exhausted and potentially not making sense. But I’m glad you wrote about this, Kari. There are so many things that are enraging and disheartening and mind boggling and i don’t know how any of us are expected to carry on with “regular life” right now.
But one of the most ______ (insert whatever word of choice you want) is dealing with people who say they voted for this ticket because they are pro-life. Or they support this administration because they are pro-life and Christian. This is not a form of Christianity I understand. This is not a Jesus I understand. I grew up in “loosely Christian households” where we celebrated Christmas. Both parents were lapsed Catholics. My eventual stepmom was a practicing Catholic. My stepdad was Episcopalian. I have a very close family member who is now “following the true teachings of Jesus” and I could talk for a long time about how much it has broken my heart.
But to say you are pro-life and then have no regard for the life of the mother is unbelievable. The mental gymnastics required to get yourself to a place where you would rather see a 9-year-old child carry a baby to term because you, in your infinite wisdom, have decided that’s what god wants? Miss me with that. Miss me with all of it when you take away a woman’s right to bodily autonomy, full stop. When you decide boys and men should have more rights.
I understand there are people who find a lot of comfort in religion. Melissa Hortman for example. She fought for abortion rights, sane gun control legislation, police reform, the environment…AND she taught Sunday school. My kids’ pediatrician, one of the best men I ever met, super liberal, fought for women’s rights, abortion rights, affordable childcare, LGBTQ rights…and was a devoted Catholic. These things do not have to be mutually exclusive. I would argue a decent and legitimate spiritual practice should make you MORE COMPASSIONATE and if it isn’t then your practice sucks. It’s how you apply it. And as you said, it is not a seasoning. So I’m glad you wrote about this, I adore you, and I am sending you tons of hugs. I hope some of this made sense and I am very sorry it is so long. I got no sleep 😞 Feel free to delete, I will not be offended *at all.* Just wanted you to know I am with you.
Girl I would NEVER delete you. And I mean…the only reason my post wasn’t longer and more ranty is because WE WENT TO LITERAL WAR WHILE I WAS WRIITNG IT
Now that I am not half asleep...to your point about religion bringing comfort - I think that's fine. I know people who find comfort in religion, and while I don't subscribe to any particular faith, I don't see the harm in it if you're not using it to harm others.
My opinion is that religion is based on stories that were told for people to understand the world better, before there were explanations. How could you explain a plague if you didn't know what a germ was? So, I understand it, and I think there's value in nearly every religious text in terms of moral code etc. But to say that people deserve to suffer because of something people wrote thousands of years ago? That's where my tolerance ends.
I mean, so with you. Also, written by men. A man in the sky gets credit for creating life, not women. Women are created from a man’s rib to be man’s “helpmate.” Fuck off. I mean I’m not a fan of this book. But we don’t all have to draw comfort from the same things. If it makes someone a better person, better friend, etc, great. I just think if your religion is teaching you it’s okay to harm or smite (smite!) people who don’t believe what you believe, then we have a problem. I fundamentally have an issue with anyone who thinks they know for sure what’s happening here and what’s gonna happen next. And when they believe it so blindly that they think they have a right to say how other people should live, that’s a form of mental illness. Because no one knows for sure what’s happening. Most organized religion feels like a way to control people, and keep them in line. Live right or you’ll go to hell. That’s my opinion.
I can’t read any more about the war, and having gone through 12 years of full-time Catholic school, and getting Born Again worshiping and hanging out with Protestants for a full decade, I have to weigh in on how dead on this article is. Don’t mingle your faith with hatred and cruelty. THINK!
Thank you for this. It’s so horrible but we all need to be reminded of the consequences of these “prolife” laws. Your post made me curious so I just did a search. They recently delivered the baby, premature, weighing one pound, by emergency c-section. They are now keeping him alive in icu. Looks like Adriana’s funeral is planned for this coming weekend. I can’t even imagine how incredibly painful this has been for her family. Including her young son, a cognizant feeling child who lost his mother. But he was born already so…
I just wrote this long response and deleted it because I am exhausted and potentially not making sense. But I’m glad you wrote about this, Kari. There are so many things that are enraging and disheartening and mind boggling and i don’t know how any of us are expected to carry on with “regular life” right now.
But one of the most ______ (insert whatever word of choice you want) is dealing with people who say they voted for this ticket because they are pro-life. Or they support this administration because they are pro-life and Christian. This is not a form of Christianity I understand. This is not a Jesus I understand. I grew up in “loosely Christian households” where we celebrated Christmas. Both parents were lapsed Catholics. My eventual stepmom was a practicing Catholic. My stepdad was Episcopalian. I have a very close family member who is now “following the true teachings of Jesus” and I could talk for a long time about how much it has broken my heart.
But to say you are pro-life and then have no regard for the life of the mother is unbelievable. The mental gymnastics required to get yourself to a place where you would rather see a 9-year-old child carry a baby to term because you, in your infinite wisdom, have decided that’s what god wants? Miss me with that. Miss me with all of it when you take away a woman’s right to bodily autonomy, full stop. When you decide boys and men should have more rights.
I understand there are people who find a lot of comfort in religion. Melissa Hortman for example. She fought for abortion rights, sane gun control legislation, police reform, the environment…AND she taught Sunday school. My kids’ pediatrician, one of the best men I ever met, super liberal, fought for women’s rights, abortion rights, affordable childcare, LGBTQ rights…and was a devoted Catholic. These things do not have to be mutually exclusive. I would argue a decent and legitimate spiritual practice should make you MORE COMPASSIONATE and if it isn’t then your practice sucks. It’s how you apply it. And as you said, it is not a seasoning. So I’m glad you wrote about this, I adore you, and I am sending you tons of hugs. I hope some of this made sense and I am very sorry it is so long. I got no sleep 😞 Feel free to delete, I will not be offended *at all.* Just wanted you to know I am with you.
Girl I would NEVER delete you. And I mean…the only reason my post wasn’t longer and more ranty is because WE WENT TO LITERAL WAR WHILE I WAS WRIITNG IT
That’ll do it. Lol. Sob. Scream into the abyss.
Now that I am not half asleep...to your point about religion bringing comfort - I think that's fine. I know people who find comfort in religion, and while I don't subscribe to any particular faith, I don't see the harm in it if you're not using it to harm others.
My opinion is that religion is based on stories that were told for people to understand the world better, before there were explanations. How could you explain a plague if you didn't know what a germ was? So, I understand it, and I think there's value in nearly every religious text in terms of moral code etc. But to say that people deserve to suffer because of something people wrote thousands of years ago? That's where my tolerance ends.
I mean, so with you. Also, written by men. A man in the sky gets credit for creating life, not women. Women are created from a man’s rib to be man’s “helpmate.” Fuck off. I mean I’m not a fan of this book. But we don’t all have to draw comfort from the same things. If it makes someone a better person, better friend, etc, great. I just think if your religion is teaching you it’s okay to harm or smite (smite!) people who don’t believe what you believe, then we have a problem. I fundamentally have an issue with anyone who thinks they know for sure what’s happening here and what’s gonna happen next. And when they believe it so blindly that they think they have a right to say how other people should live, that’s a form of mental illness. Because no one knows for sure what’s happening. Most organized religion feels like a way to control people, and keep them in line. Live right or you’ll go to hell. That’s my opinion.
I can’t read any more about the war, and having gone through 12 years of full-time Catholic school, and getting Born Again worshiping and hanging out with Protestants for a full decade, I have to weigh in on how dead on this article is. Don’t mingle your faith with hatred and cruelty. THINK!
agreed. Thank you!
Thank you for this. It’s so horrible but we all need to be reminded of the consequences of these “prolife” laws. Your post made me curious so I just did a search. They recently delivered the baby, premature, weighing one pound, by emergency c-section. They are now keeping him alive in icu. Looks like Adriana’s funeral is planned for this coming weekend. I can’t even imagine how incredibly painful this has been for her family. Including her young son, a cognizant feeling child who lost his mother. But he was born already so…
I feel so terrible for her family. It is a living nightmare. And there is no way that the child isn't going to face serious medical challenges.