I’ve noticed a lot of comments on No Longer Quivering recently claiming that there’s a difference between “voluntary submission,” which is godly, and “involuntary servitude,” which is not. The arguments usually run like this: Submitting to my husband fulfills my God-given desires for leadership. I don’t mind submitting to my husband; he doesn’t lord it over me like a tyrant. I choose to submit to my husband to glorify God. I submit to my husband because Jesus likes it and I... Read more
As a former retail slave, I have a request to make of all last-minute holiday shoppers. When you’re at the checkout, and the cashier says, “Have a nice holiday,” say thank you. When you’re at the checkout, and the cashier says, “Merry Christmas,” say thank you. When you’re at the checkout, and the cashier says, “Have a nice day,” say thank you. Don’t do any of the following: When you’re at the checkout, and the cashier says, “Merry Christmas,” correct her... Read more
There is now a new addition to my story on No Longer Quivering: Daughter of the Patriarchy: Admissions It concerns how I got into college… and what happened when my female friends in the Message tried to go, too. I am nearing the end of my story after nearly three years on No Longer Quivering. I left the Message as a college sophomore, ten months after the conclusion of this installment. If you have questions about how I left the... Read more
Inevitably, when I write about the modesty issue, I get some variation of the following responses: Modesty is about respecting yourself. Dressing “immodestly” also objectifies you. Only my husband has the right to see those parts of me. Do you want everyone to walk around naked? Even if men are responsible for themselves, we shouldn’t tempt them. A new addition to this list comes from an anonymous commenter today: Haven’t you noticed that men dress more modestly than women? In... Read more
This isn’t a story about how modest clothes allowed me to “let myself go” and conceal a growing figure. It’s not even a story about how wearing modest clothes kept my self-esteem at rock bottom and thrust me into a too-close relationship with Ben & Jerry. It’s a story about how modesty doctrines impacted my mind, in ways that had real, negative effects on my body. Modesty was one of the reasons my defining relationship with my body became whether... Read more
I’ve been having great fun with the holidays this year. I made a Halloween costume. I bought candy and put up a jack o’ lantern. Now I’m getting ready for the winter with snowmen decals on my windows, Christmas lights and ornaments for the tree I’m going to buy in a few weeks. In between, I’m bringing an apple cobbler to Thanksgiving dinner with my friends. The holidays are therapeutic. They give me something to look forward to. For most... Read more
The American political sphere is something like a gladiator’s ring taken over by staggering drunks wielding clubs. Everybody hates everybody else; hatred is a prerequisite for entry. The Occupy Wall Street movement throws our polarized culture into a stark light: the Right wants to denounce the protesters as a rabble of lazy, entitled hippies. The Left wants to assimilate them into its weak, bloated ranks of ineffectual bureaucrats. What does the religious world do with this situation? I know what... Read more
This is cross-posted at No Longer Quivering. Growing up in fundamentalism was like living with a moral GPS navigator installed in my head. Every decision was mapped out already; all I needed to do was listen to the voice telling me where to go. Sometimes I could stop and look at the map. Most of the time I was looking ahead, trying to live, listening and following directions as best I could. The GPS gave me directions for living: Read... Read more
Message of the Hour believers claim that William Branham was the last of seven prophets to “restore” the Bride of Christ to life as it was in the days of the apostles. For most believers, this means restoring miracles and divine healing, so Message believers insist that they have been given power to cast out the spirits that cause sickness. The “third pull” for which they are waiting (last I heard, anyway) is generally interpreted as the power to create... Read more
Fundamentalism has a nasty habit of redefining words. You can tell they’re doing it when the word to be defined is preceded by “true.” True Christians. True fulfillment. True peace. True freedom. Here’s an example of someone redefining freedom: Many people live under the false belief that God’s commandments are restrictive and that real freedom comes from doing whatever we want. But this is a lie. Only obedience leads to true freedom. In other words, “true” freedom is obedience to... Read more
The Phoenix and Olive Branch
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