FWIS3

I've just said an inward "farewell" to an online acquaintance. We're both fans of the old Gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows"; I joined some Yahoo fan groups years ago, "met" her there.

She's a Baptist. Recently has moved away from calling herself fundamentalist.

We've had some back-and-forth over the years. Ironically we share the same first name and many life circumstances in common. She's 6 years my senior.

She is, surprisingly, quite open-minded for a Baptist; willing to question, doubt, criticize, etc.

But I've never understood (aside from her husband's involvement/insistence) how she can stay in ANY Baptist church. She wrote me last evening, saying women in their church are told to try and time giving birth around the church schedule; that women should pray they won't have to miss a church service due to giving birth.

Okaaaaay.

I've known of all the GUILT which goes into certain religions. But that's WAY beyond...wow.

So I'm again wondering how she sits there, listening to stuff like that.

Those people are supposed to be pro-life, but you're in trouble if you give birth during a church service. Goes to show...(guilt, wrong, shame).

I don't want to know more about how they believe, or "why" - etc. Or keep wondering how she manages to stay put in one of those pews. She also has mentioned the rampant misogyny...yeah, MORE of that apparently.

Her problem.

There is a mindset the ties everything up in a tidy bow for such places, and somehow people just keep accepting it. I know I did for several years and then something happened with my "ah ha" button. Unfortunately everyone's "ah ha" button has different mileage before it goes off.

Yep.

And it's so SICK.

She mentioned a fellow parishoner having recently given birth; that lady was hospital bound during a church service.

What should be NATURAL and celebrated is, instead, attempted to be turned over to the control of the church.

Sick.

I'm imaging the new mother returning to church with some people looking at her like "Naughty, naughty! You apparently didn't pray enough, to give birth between services. Oh well, we forgive you anyway."

Beyond ludicrous.

My former acquaintance doesn't seem to really GET how sick that is. The full import.

At the end of the day groups like that are about control not being Christians.

So wait, if you get sick with cancer and end up having to stay in the hospital for weeks it's your fault cause you didn't pray enough?

Yes and you're going to hell too.

Sigma_Orionis wrote:Yes and you're going to hell too.

Unless you can get a big enough prayer circle to pray for you. Then you can be saved.

SciFiFisher wrote:

Sigma_Orionis wrote:Yes and you're going to hell too.

Unless you can get a big enough prayer circle to pray for you. Then you can be saved.

Careful, you're just one R away from Martin Luther........