and while I have and still am very vocal against Institutions, either state or religious/theocratic States, Cult-States [and I do believe theocratic states are in fact Cult states] and Dogmatic political state systems,
I'd like to say, there is a common thread to all of these: fundamentalism.
Fundamental ideas are not always bad, but when fundamental ideas or beliefs that are carved in stone with the sole purpose of perpetuating slavery/patriarchy, putting MAN as a God, and not a God,
then, I have to beg to differ.
That to me, is what fundamentalism in 'religion' is, putting MAN AS GOD. A man, the man, all MEN. NOT GOD.
It is I belief the Worst form of idolatry there is, because if you peel the layers away, there is never any taking ownership of sin/or wrongdoing by Men, oh no,
they either blame Woman [convenient and has worked since beginning of time] or their parents or the crops or whatever reason they can find, the devil, you name it, but they never take ownership of their Sin therefore they can continue on being abusive, totalitarian, asswipes without ever having to humble themselves before God and change their ways.
That to me, is the core of fundamentalism, and it isn't based in faith, no, its based in LEGALISM, meaning, following the Laws and Judging by those Laws. Fundamentalism has nothing to do with faith [Bible, Romans], hardly,
it has to do with legalism and putting the Law and the Man above God.
We see examples of how these fundamental beliefs play out when we look at the astronomical and sanctioned abuses towards women and children, not just in Islam either, but in All fundamentalists beliefs, including yes, political 'dogma'. They all set themselves upon a sort of hierarchy, with not God on top, no, with Man on top. They may 'say' God is on top but the fruits speak otherwise, as its always what benefits the Man, that is on the top of the ladder or pyramid.
They use distortions and liturgy of texts to do this and to perpetuate it through the use of enforcements of the Law [benefiting and keeping Man as God] on top, with the use of TERROR.
Reading this article, that I will be posting below, I want to say, as a Christian or believer in the Bible, I never read much of what is believed to be 'fundamentalism's' and even as growing up in a very conservative fundamentalist environment, what I heard taught and what I read in the Bible were two different things entirely. For example, on the topic of 'submission', where fundamentalist Christians [or Catholics] way that a woman's duty is to submit to her husband, no exceptions and that all divorce is wrong, yada yada yada....to me, that always seemed a bit ludicrous but not only that, way, way off base with what the Bible meant when speaking about submission.
The Bible is very clear about both husbands AND wives submitting to each other, its very clear about Christians submitting and being 'humble', not weak, not passive, not a doormat, just not arrogant, not Insistent on having one's way, etc.
When you take the Bible in its entire context you see quite a different picture, than what Fundamentalists paint for you, in Fundamentalism there is absolutely no questioning anything, what that Man at the pulpit or the clergy says, etc., is the Final Authority.
Say's who?
God?
no, Man, that's who. Some, infallible, weak, sinful MAN.
All one has to do is look with open eyes at the creation of God to see, there isn't just one fundamental dogma in anything, there is diversity, balance, why, there is even a creature where the Males give birth, not the female. [seahorses]
There is diversity, color, and in every single animal kingdom, there is diverse and different patterns or roles, that animals of that kingdom fall into, some are extremely hierarchical and patriarchal, some are extremely matriarchal, others are patrilinear, but they are not all the same.
Why is that?
Why, would a fundamentalist God, create such diversity of behaviors, gender roles, color and bonds between the animal world, plant life, geology and geography, the universe, yet, demand from us,
a Fundamentalism that thrives on setting up MAN as God and all else, as something to be abused, chastised, thrown out, discarded?
It's completely contrary to the Nature of the Creator, even in the most patriarchal of animal kingdoms there is not the violence and misogyny towards the females as there is among Fundamentalists.
Only man is guilty and capable of such horrid violent crimes and behaviors of hatred, towards their own sisters and their own kind as well as all others.
Man in the above sentence includes in this context women as well.
Anyway, so I'm reading this article and I think to myself, where do these fundamentalists even Get this warped liturgy, on domestic violence and submission? The article below is about the difficulties that Christian women find themselves in when in an abusive marriage, and how many preachers/churches perpetuate the cycle of abuse by enabling it with the 'submissive' content,
but, fact is, IF a man is beating the shit out of you, HE'S ALREADY DIVORCED YOU, divorce isn't just going to a lawyer and filing a paper, its an act, a Willful Act of separation. IF someone is abusing you, they are separating from you, they are taking Illegal ownership of you because no one has the right to OWN anyone, but at the same time, they are separating that Marriage Bond,
when it says, what God has so joined together let no man put asunder, that means the Husband as well. When you hit someone, when you rape someone, when you abuse someone, you are putting asunder that bond, that relationship,
the spouse/partner/child may stay with you [child referring to parent-child relationship] but they do so out of either obligation forced by fundamentalism [or by terror sanctioned by laws that enforce those abusive systems] or our of fear,
but the bond, has been broken. Period,
there has already been divorce. So if a woman leaves a violent spouse and signs a document that isn't the Beginning of divorce, no,
that is only the finalizing of what has already transpired.
Let no man put asunder....
and here's what is even more interesting, Jesus said to the religious scribes [fundies] that God allowed divorce /and concubinage and all that Due to the hardness of their hearts, but that in the beginning it was always one man/one woman and that bond, that relationship, built on trust/growth and loyalty/love, etc., and then Jesus goes on to say, that it is sin/wrong for a man to divorce his wife except for adultery [meaning if she breaks off and goes with another/vice versa too], but then too, he says, IF a man divorces his wife he as not just committed adultery but he causes HER to commit adultery,
think about that for minute. Could Jesus be telling us that when a man puts asunder his wife, including domestic violence, that he is in fact Sinning? Say what, some might say, but that is what He said [and numerous other scriptures that say husbands love your wives as Christ love the church and gave himself up for it], that man is committing in fact, already in his heart, adultery?
I find it interesting that Jesus spoke volumes about the sins of the heart, meaning, the intent of which we do things, even if we don't carry them out full speed, or if we do, but in a different sort of way,
meaning, using different means but creating the same ends. IF a man beats his wife eventually he's going to wind up killing her, putting her asunder,
and he's already KILLED the bond/marriage, relationship. Most of all, he's robbed himself because even if she stays, out of fear or because of some 'system' of fundamentalism telling her she has no choice, she'll never in her heart [or vice versa, women can abuse men too] go to him of her own accord, freely giving love,
no, she'll only do so out of fear, terror, obligation and inside a seething resentment and hatred.
Talk about a broken bond...and a bond that broken, without a miracle and a lot of work/change and more change, it can never, be repaired. That, is divorce.
Personally I believe that Jesus [and the Bible] go further on this, that its not just the question of divorce but the commodification (sic) of people that results in a cycle of taking bonds and human beings, including yes, women, for granted, for not taking vows seriously, for not taking the commandment Love thy neighbor as thyself seriously...it starts in the home, family,
if a man/or woman treats their family with contempt, abuse and hate, how then, do they treat others? How then, do they lead by example whole nations? With virtue, or with terror? Fundamentalisms, rule by terror,
not by virtue. Why in the most horrific of societies be they corporatist capitalism with the elitist at top who use subtle terror to keep people in their place of misery or the dogmatic Stalinist ruling a serfdom kingdom with a gun [what I call that type of fundamentalist 'vanguardism' now, serfdom with a gun], or a theocratic system that sanctions every vile behavior of hate there is from child rape to killing women when ever a man wants to 'covet another woman', or to just throw his God-like weight around, remember, putting Himself, the Man, as a God,
its all the same thing.
Its not about virtue or life or holiness, or about God,
its about selfishness. Idolatry, its as simple as that. God is love, says so in John [Bible], if God is love,
then, why does fundamentalism in the name of God, create the opposite?
fear and hate?
AND the proof of the terror of fundamentalism is in this,
those who are fundamentalist, will never question this, oh no,
because like a fundamentalist preacher telling a woman she may never divorce no matter if her spouse is raping and beating her, he in fact, is telling her, she has no free choice, no free will,
and in Every single hateful fundamentalist ideology/system there is, they all have one main thing in common,
they despise free choice, free will, and they do not tolerate it whatsoever. Its slavery,
no ands, ifs, ors buts about it. God, does not need slaves,
He is mighty and powerful enough, Holy and Rightous, Love,
that He does not need slaves who tremble in fear,
because those who Know God, willingly, come to Him with love in their hearts....once they know, who God is, and who God isn't.
and I know, God is no fundamentalist.
anyway, very good article here and I think it applies to All fundamentalist beliefs. Also, I believe if you read all four pages, you will see that the problem isn't with faith,
the problem is with the liturgy and the fundamentalism that sets in stone that Man is God....and there is no deviation from that. If that, was the case,
then I ask,
why Free Will?
I have never seen God as some abusive misogynist asswipe who gets off on beating/raping women, hardly,
but I have seen, and read, decades and centuries of misogynist jerks who have distorted, twisted, taken out of context, scriptures and even invented their own books/to make themselves as Gods, as God,
and as far as I'm concerned, when women, Choose to continue in that relationship, meaning willfully without duress or coercion, or better said, IF they are working to perpetuate that type of fundamentalist system or state system, they are, in fact, only perpetuating Idolatry,
putting Man, husband, spouse, government, before God, putting them first, at costs to themselves. God doesn't get glory from that,
hardly, but I can tell you who does, and his name isn't God, his name is Satan. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy, [to those of you who aren't spiritual you could term it something else] but the fact remains,
to continue to embrace fundamentalism one does not elevate the position of God, no, what they do, is continue the cycle of abuse, violence, hate, slavery, and death.
Biblical Battered Wife Syndrome: Christian Women and Domestic Violence
http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/124174/biblical_battered_wife_syndrome%3A_christian_women_and_domestic_violence_/?page=1
No comments:
Post a Comment