This title seems harsh but it's the honest truth and until you see it for yourself, it is hard to believe. After all aren't Christians those wonderful folks who publicly give their lives to Christ and vow to live as Christ lived? Instead.......
Call it getting older but this past year I've been yearning for simplicity.
Simplicity in everything really. My brain just can't sit through hours of ratchet TV anymore to watch the same scripted argument about who ate the last sandwich, or who didn't tell who what for 5 straight episodes. I'm tired.
I've known about The Duggar family for years. They were on the Today Show announcing pregnancy number 17, 18, 19 and 20 and the engagements of their children. I knew of them and thought God bless this woman cause my nerves can only handle the 2 children I have. Michelle Duggar has been pregnant for 24 years of her life or something crazy like that. Not me for, but do you Boo.
This family has had a show on the air for years and it wasn't until the year 2015 that I decided to watch an episode. Maybe it was the family aspect of it all and the fact that no one was arguing about the same thing every episode but before long I looked forward to the show and set the DVR to do what it do.
My quest for simplicity led me to show ultimately.
I enjoyed their basic family values and views on finances, discipline, and all things we don't see on TV anymore. All the children had chores that they did willingly and they run their household like a well oiled machine. I couldn't help but wonder and admire how in a world full of rough edges, they'd maintained their innocence and softness.
Weeks ago I saw a link on good ole Facebook (my new news source since bidding adieu to Matt Lauer and em - I just can't do bad news every single day. It goes against the simplicity path I'm on). the link was about the oldest Duggar son, Josh and how he was a child molester. I read the breaking news and immediately thought ok this happened when he was 14, why is it coming out now? Also I went on to read that it was reported to the authorities and Josh had admitted it to his wife before they got married.
Before long, the Christians came out swinging talking about Aha we got you! We knew you weren't perfect. Sigh. Who is perfect? News stories followed and everyone had something to say especially the Christians.
Listening to them painted this picture of a ruthless 14 year old going around raping his sisters. The facts are that he was 14 and hormones were raging and he would touch his sister's girl parts while they were sleeping. The sisters didn't even know about it. The kicker is that Josh himself, at 14 felt bad about his actions and confessed them to his parents! Wow, I don't know many teens that confess anything, they wait till they are caught. His parents were horrified and talked to him about it. He repeated it and they grew concerned and involved the authorities once they realized that just their problem solving wasn't doing it. A full case was opened, investigated and closed. Josh was also sent away for counseling and returned a changed person.
This is where it gets tricky with the Christians. They know all this and have been taught about forgiveness and redemption and empathy BUT refuse to believe anyone can change. They want to crucify you and watch you burn. Only then will they be satisfied. They cannot get past your past and want to keep you there.
What's even worse is when it is a public figure and they can really go at it! Paragraphs of passionate arguments via keyboard BUT refuse to say a word when this very thing is happening in their house or in their immediate family! How many people do we see crying about being molested by an Uncle or Mom's boyfriend for years and the Christian turns a blind eye? Even when evidence is presented and they walk in on lil Junior pulling his pants down on lil Susie, they yell at him and dismiss it as teenage hormones. They never call the police and keep it in the family. How many 14 year old boys try and cop a feel?
If you read all this and somehow deduce that I see no fault in inappropriate touching then congratulations to you for that. My thoughts are that his parents handled the situation and got the authorities involved. Once they closed the case, we had no business being in it.
Another show I was watching had me seeing these Christians again.
Preachers of LA and Detroit has the Christians up in arms again because they couldn't believe that these preachers were on TV living flashy and "spending the Church's money." We forget that preachers are human beings too and have real issues to deal with. I stopped putting people on pedestals a long time ago but it was clear watching the show that the Christians still were putting their preachers on said pedestals.
The Shelby family caught my attention on the Detroit series. Here was a family with 5 children who some would say were stuck in a bubble. That's exactly what attracted me to them. Again, here was a family that were living in this bubble and were happy. It was clear that the Christians wanted every opportunity to burst the bubble. how could 5 grown children still live at home, be respectful, and actually enjoying being in the ministry with their parents?? Surely there had to be one that wasn't as perfect as this family portrayed.
Unfortunately oldest daughter Courtney was the one the Christians pounced on to bring down.
At a meeting with the other preacher kids, the Shelby kids are grilled on love and when they say they are interested on that right now, it is not enough. The Christians say they don't know why she is acting like the virgin Mary since they know for a fact that she has been out there! Listen, I don't care if she had slept with half of Detroit, that was her past.
Courtney herself gives her moving testimony to a youth group during one episode but it is not enough. The Christian bloggers start digging harder and go as far as finding her ex boyfriend and interviewing him and write about her having an abortion because her parents made her. Goodness!
They won't let her get past her past.
This seems to the Christian specialty, keeping you in your past and holding it over your head.
They forget that if you made it through your past, you passed.
Call it getting older but this past year I've been yearning for simplicity.
Simplicity in everything really. My brain just can't sit through hours of ratchet TV anymore to watch the same scripted argument about who ate the last sandwich, or who didn't tell who what for 5 straight episodes. I'm tired.
I've known about The Duggar family for years. They were on the Today Show announcing pregnancy number 17, 18, 19 and 20 and the engagements of their children. I knew of them and thought God bless this woman cause my nerves can only handle the 2 children I have. Michelle Duggar has been pregnant for 24 years of her life or something crazy like that. Not me for, but do you Boo.
This family has had a show on the air for years and it wasn't until the year 2015 that I decided to watch an episode. Maybe it was the family aspect of it all and the fact that no one was arguing about the same thing every episode but before long I looked forward to the show and set the DVR to do what it do.
My quest for simplicity led me to show ultimately.
I enjoyed their basic family values and views on finances, discipline, and all things we don't see on TV anymore. All the children had chores that they did willingly and they run their household like a well oiled machine. I couldn't help but wonder and admire how in a world full of rough edges, they'd maintained their innocence and softness.
Weeks ago I saw a link on good ole Facebook (my new news source since bidding adieu to Matt Lauer and em - I just can't do bad news every single day. It goes against the simplicity path I'm on). the link was about the oldest Duggar son, Josh and how he was a child molester. I read the breaking news and immediately thought ok this happened when he was 14, why is it coming out now? Also I went on to read that it was reported to the authorities and Josh had admitted it to his wife before they got married.
Before long, the Christians came out swinging talking about Aha we got you! We knew you weren't perfect. Sigh. Who is perfect? News stories followed and everyone had something to say especially the Christians.
Listening to them painted this picture of a ruthless 14 year old going around raping his sisters. The facts are that he was 14 and hormones were raging and he would touch his sister's girl parts while they were sleeping. The sisters didn't even know about it. The kicker is that Josh himself, at 14 felt bad about his actions and confessed them to his parents! Wow, I don't know many teens that confess anything, they wait till they are caught. His parents were horrified and talked to him about it. He repeated it and they grew concerned and involved the authorities once they realized that just their problem solving wasn't doing it. A full case was opened, investigated and closed. Josh was also sent away for counseling and returned a changed person.
This is where it gets tricky with the Christians. They know all this and have been taught about forgiveness and redemption and empathy BUT refuse to believe anyone can change. They want to crucify you and watch you burn. Only then will they be satisfied. They cannot get past your past and want to keep you there.
What's even worse is when it is a public figure and they can really go at it! Paragraphs of passionate arguments via keyboard BUT refuse to say a word when this very thing is happening in their house or in their immediate family! How many people do we see crying about being molested by an Uncle or Mom's boyfriend for years and the Christian turns a blind eye? Even when evidence is presented and they walk in on lil Junior pulling his pants down on lil Susie, they yell at him and dismiss it as teenage hormones. They never call the police and keep it in the family. How many 14 year old boys try and cop a feel?
If you read all this and somehow deduce that I see no fault in inappropriate touching then congratulations to you for that. My thoughts are that his parents handled the situation and got the authorities involved. Once they closed the case, we had no business being in it.
Another show I was watching had me seeing these Christians again.
Preachers of LA and Detroit has the Christians up in arms again because they couldn't believe that these preachers were on TV living flashy and "spending the Church's money." We forget that preachers are human beings too and have real issues to deal with. I stopped putting people on pedestals a long time ago but it was clear watching the show that the Christians still were putting their preachers on said pedestals.
The Shelby family caught my attention on the Detroit series. Here was a family with 5 children who some would say were stuck in a bubble. That's exactly what attracted me to them. Again, here was a family that were living in this bubble and were happy. It was clear that the Christians wanted every opportunity to burst the bubble. how could 5 grown children still live at home, be respectful, and actually enjoying being in the ministry with their parents?? Surely there had to be one that wasn't as perfect as this family portrayed.
Unfortunately oldest daughter Courtney was the one the Christians pounced on to bring down.
At a meeting with the other preacher kids, the Shelby kids are grilled on love and when they say they are interested on that right now, it is not enough. The Christians say they don't know why she is acting like the virgin Mary since they know for a fact that she has been out there! Listen, I don't care if she had slept with half of Detroit, that was her past.
Courtney herself gives her moving testimony to a youth group during one episode but it is not enough. The Christian bloggers start digging harder and go as far as finding her ex boyfriend and interviewing him and write about her having an abortion because her parents made her. Goodness!
They won't let her get past her past.
This seems to the Christian specialty, keeping you in your past and holding it over your head.
They forget that if you made it through your past, you passed.