tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post4013730107140900888..comments2023-10-18T02:03:42.145-07:00Comments on LEARNING TO LIVE FREE: Maternal MartyrdomUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-52285531523148329922014-01-11T21:27:28.567-08:002014-01-11T21:27:28.567-08:00I just posted an English translation of a review o...I just posted an English translation of a review of the popular Finnish novel <i>Heaven’s Song</i>: <a href="http://blog.edsuom.com/2014/01/heavens-song.html" rel="nofollow">blog.edsuom.com/2014/01/heavens-song.html</a>. It’s about the difficulties involved with the being fruitful and multiplying part of Laestadian life and has been in high demand in Finland.Ed Suominenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699682370502146769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-45491799616340047632012-11-03T11:50:55.197-07:002012-11-03T11:50:55.197-07:00
Odds of a strand of DNA arranging itself in the r...<br />Odds of a strand of DNA arranging itself in the right order to create life? 1 in 10^400,000. About the same as YOU winning the lottery EVERY DAY for 15 Billion consecutive years. Good luckAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-75320607880249682082012-11-02T16:42:11.983-07:002012-11-02T16:42:11.983-07:00Thank you for this thoughtful comment, Anonymous. ...Thank you for this thoughtful comment, Anonymous. "You can stop trying to fulfill this prophecy now people!" would make a good bumper sticker.<br /><br />Another toxic result of this thinking is the martyr complex it encourages . . . the long-suffering woman who is consciously or not, competing with others to suffer the most, as it it makes her holier. I have heard mothers complain about their "blessings" in front of them. <br /><br />No child should feel like he/she is a burden that must be borne.<br /><br />Every child should feel wanted and adored and nurtured, not just as babies but for the rest of their lives. <br /><br />—FreeFreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14779418481668841114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-41799464734679284732012-11-02T11:20:12.115-07:002012-11-02T11:20:12.115-07:00As someone who grew up in a very tight-knit commun...As someone who grew up in a very tight-knit community of an LLC congregation, I have seen first hand how so many families suffer because of this man-made "rule" within Laestadianism about banning birth control of any kind. Yes, I firmly believe that children are a miracle, a gift from God, so to speak but that does not mean that we should abuse and neglect our bodies as women and mother's to have as many children as God sees fit! There are so many instances where smart, well educated mothers have gone against what their doctor has told them in regards to having more children and how it isn't safe or recommended to do so. There are a few believing ladies in my home congregation who have had to have their tubes tied on the advice of their doctor for fear of their life (if they were to get pregnant again). I am so thankful they listened to their doctors and chose to save their lives - even though the church would later make them feel as though this was a wrong decision which they would need forgiveness for. I also have seen many, many mothers (close friends of mine), have bascially a child every year and everytime they get pregnant they are so disappointed and wishing they could've been "given a bigger break this time". The fact that there are so many different personalities and situations (whether it be financial, living conditions, marital strife, etc.), how can this overall decision be blanketed to everyone within the LLC? It should be up to each couple on their own to decide whether or not they will have a large family, how much spacing is between each child and how many children they wish to have...not up to a group of preachers who have decided that this would be in the best "teachings" for the LLC. No woman got to give their opinion on that, it was a group of men. Does that make any sense? And nowhere in the Bible, does it say anything about banning the use of contraception. Yes, it does say "go forth be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth" (which we have all heard countless times I'm sure) but this O.T. scripture was when the world was at a population base of more around the 10,000's then the billions! I think the world is replenished. You can stop trying to fulfill this prophecy now people! Not trying to make light of a very serious situation, believe me! I think now its coming down to the fact that if Laestadians do not continue to have such large families, the population won't be as great within itself and this could cause problems in the future if people start to leave. The more people within a group, the more likely they are to stay. Another point I need to make is not that large families are bad and no one should have a large family! There are many, many people that are wonderful parents, spouses, siblings - within large families - it is those who can not handle the stress and burden of having so many children - either emotionally, mentally or financially - or all of the above - that should be able to be given the freedom to choose for themselves. I can definitely say that as a mother of 2 young children (3+ years between them), it is no easy feat being a mom. And I give credit to anyone who can do this year after year, bringing a new baby into the family and somehow making it work. My heart breaks for the many mothers within the LLC that feel they have no choice but to continue to have children, even if they feel that they are not ready to be a mom or would like some time to get to know their husband a little better before adding kids to the mix or are simply overwhelmed with motherhood with the kid(s) they already do have. Whatever the reason, they feel they have no choice and are jumping up and down with joy each month when they know they aren't pregnant again...yet. Sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-35286976734084776572012-10-30T14:53:01.312-07:002012-10-30T14:53:01.312-07:00Well said. I am from a large LLC family and have a...Well said. I am from a large LLC family and have always known it wasn't for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-43111548028841615542012-10-26T17:00:08.102-07:002012-10-26T17:00:08.102-07:00Dear Daisy, thank you for linking our blog (Freepa...Dear Daisy, thank you for linking our blog (Freepathways) with this very important article. I do agree with grateful words already written visible here to you, Ed, for your excellent well written, and exactly detailed research on the Laestadian ban of birth control in itse entirety. Actually, if possible, I would wish to get it translated in Finnish. we don't have anything as well written report on the issue compared with this marvellous article. However, I am afraid that the translation would need extra resources. Right now there is not easy to find out such ones. The Laestadian women (and men also) in Finland would absolutely benefit a lot on the information in this article. They would be worth of this information. Yhis would be worth of thinking how to get it done.<br /><br />Our warmest thanks, Ed, for your beautiful and fine work for knowlege, better understanding, and awareness. For the Human Rights. <br /> - BR, Markus Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-60015939286932854882012-10-25T11:38:44.832-07:002012-10-25T11:38:44.832-07:00Anonymous' link from a Finnish Laestadian publ...Anonymous' link from a Finnish Laestadian publication said, "Women and men should know that there does not exist any ban of birth control in the Bible. This Laestadian doctrine of large families and of sin of contraceptives are created only by human beings, by the Laestadian preachers who know almost nothing about biblical scholarship. Sex and sexuality have been the exclusive domain of Laestadian husbands and preachers in the patriarchate gender system. Laestadian women are never asked to express their opinions and experiences on this issues." I guess my views are shared by some one over in Finland-part of that Laestadian telepathy I think. Unfortunately, this subject is approached with whispers in Laestadian domains with very little knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and psychology. Many in Laestadianism try to solve or answer complex questions with canned Biblical verses taken out of context. I am sure that when airplanes were invented there was more than a few Laestadians chirping away, "if men were meant to fly they would have wings." I think the whole family planning issue is held onto by the Pharisees as it is one of the few remaining ways that they can 'control' people other than thru vicious gossip & a couple of other control mechanisms that they have. After all, they can not conceptualize true faith in Christ as being the 'norm' for each person as that would demolish their legalistic rules and hence their legitimacy as some type of religious authority. It is the same story in most Laestadian groups. Old APAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-7628846240985354432012-10-24T15:01:15.558-07:002012-10-24T15:01:15.558-07:00Here's another interesting link about the topi...Here's another interesting <a href="http://freepathways.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/banning-of-contraception/" rel="nofollow">link</a> about the topic, this time from a man's point of view. daisyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03168831819807523569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-71629992865948120122012-10-20T18:06:23.146-07:002012-10-20T18:06:23.146-07:00Amen.Amen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-82582282322722159402012-10-20T17:59:45.957-07:002012-10-20T17:59:45.957-07:00These are my thoughts exactly. I love my children...These are my thoughts exactly. I love my children, but I felt totally obligated to have them one after the other, with no time to even grasp what I was doing. It's so hard to think straight when you have child after child. I will definitely teach my children they do have rights to their bodies, they need to use their brains, plan financially, consider their situations, and truly want the children they have. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-73153016977449976932012-10-16T09:33:03.208-07:002012-10-16T09:33:03.208-07:00That's interesting, LLLreader. I had not heard...That's interesting, LLLreader. I had not heard of that advice before. <br /><br />Substitute "the Church" for "Government" in this quote from 20 years ago by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg:<br /><br />"The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being and dignity. It is a decision she must make for herself. When Government controls that decision for her, she is being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices."<br /><br />--Free<br />Freehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14779418481668841114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-86115732132010060872012-10-14T17:20:32.276-07:002012-10-14T17:20:32.276-07:00LLLreader sez: In the 1940's Preacher Axel Usk...LLLreader sez: In the 1940's Preacher Axel Uskoski spoke at the OALC in Brush Prairie saying that children should be born at least two years apart in order to prtect the health of the mother. Has this teaching gone by the wayside? He was a well respected preacher, as was his father before him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-62534025289393760642012-10-12T13:40:58.887-07:002012-10-12T13:40:58.887-07:00Anonymous said, 'This issue of childbearing is...Anonymous said, 'This issue of childbearing is one of the main reasons that I left the church. The church's views on women are designed to keep women down and submissive. What happens when a woman is struggling with suicide and depression and she knows that she cannot handle another child?' I have made the point previously that one of the 'glues' that holds Laestadianism together is KEEPING THE WOMEN UNEDUCATED. I recall one overwhelmed Laestadian woman say to me, "I wish I was one of those who have already died." When I grew up in my Laestadian group I clearly remember being told that any sexual urges or desires were essentially the devil inflaming a person's lusts whereas in reality sexual urges in both men & women are a normal part of our physiology with men peaking out at around age 20 and women at around age 42. Hence part of the Laestadian's big push for early marriages is to ABSOLVE people (especially males)of the sin of sexual desire by pushing early marriages since a marriage license essentially gives a person an absolution with regards to sex-at least that is what I understood the preachers meant. However, the Laestadian Pharisees and Pharisettes do not stop there as they essentially follow a couple into the bedroom with a long list of 'rules of practice' and the results are constant pregnancies which in turn forces many couples to come up with yet another set of subtle rules, methods and contra-exceptions to circumvent the Pharisee's rules and nature's course-but which do not always work. Hence there are more than a few mothers & fathers who are unable or unwilling to provide the love and personalized attention children need. I guess the whole subject seemed normal when I was part of it all but now it all seems absurd to me. However, for those who remain as members I would guess that there will always be an undertow current with this subject. This was but one of the many reasons I stopped attending. I was glad when I later found a Bible Church whose 'glue' was faith in Christ versus man-made Laestadian Pharisee 'glue.' Old APAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-1583676076868081032012-10-06T14:26:22.465-07:002012-10-06T14:26:22.465-07:00It's hard to say why this crime escaped the pa...It's hard to say why this crime escaped the papers. Do Laestadians make a large percentage of readership and advertising revenue? If so, that could be why. <br /><br />It is easy to see why mothers completely collapse under the strain of having large families. This is the second Laestadian mother I have heard wish they would be picked up and killed and left on the side of the road. <br /><br />I only have two children, two young adult sons. My younger son had a lot of learning disabilities. Though it was my wish to have a large family, like the others, it was never fulfilled due to my family's financial need I needed to work. We lived in a 600 square foot apartment for many years until we were able to save for our own home. I was able through my great medical insurance to get my learning disabled child the best help possible and to give him love and attention, and who knows how much of that care averted some of the tragedies that often befall children with learning disabilities. The prisons are full of people who cannot read and write, and my son's learning disabled friend recently killed himself. I had the time and energy left over for him that I could let him know how much he was loved and valued to me. That was important for me to convey, since I never felt my own mother was ever proud of me or valued our relationship. What was easily given, as she had many children and was blessed with easy pregnancies, I did not feel she valued. I have always felt like a little lost girl craving a mother's love and attention. When I left home, my roommates were a litle perplexed why my mother never called, sent packages, etc. I never felt like she ever missed me. I miss my sons tremendously now that they are away from home. Once I had not seen her for months after I moved away, and when I went to big services and I saw her sitting around a table drinking coffee with her female relatives, I tapped her on the shoulder, a big smile on my face, happy to see my mom. She barely glanced at me, and then shoved her styrofoam cup and me and mumbled 'get me a cup of coffee' and then turned away, not even meeting my eyes or giving me God's Greetings. My roommate behind me, who had never met my mother, and who I never spoke ill about, was a bit shocked. I had not taken this as anything out of the ordinary until I learned that not all church families operated in this way. My roommates mother became a cherished friend to me, and always has looked happy to see me and that she saw me as a valued person. If I miss anything about the church, it was about people like that. There were a few older women who treated me like this and it was a real blessing and a model I used when I had my own children. I never had a daughter, and I feel that was a blessing, too, since I was afraid of getting it wrong. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-49563475328166690882012-10-05T22:10:00.423-07:002012-10-05T22:10:00.423-07:00Child abuse happens anywhere, but it is more commo...Child abuse happens anywhere, but it is more common in authoritarian relationships where adults have all the power and children are undersupervised. On July 19th, a man -- a father -- from the OALC in Battle Ground was arrested for first degree rape of a child. How many signs were ignored? How many children are being hurt elsewhere? Why has this escaped the newspapers?<br />--Angry As HELLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-44943915253032405552012-10-05T14:12:10.865-07:002012-10-05T14:12:10.865-07:00I wish I had thought this clearly about this issue...I wish I had thought this clearly about this issue when I was still having kids. We would have been using condoms and I wouldn't have thought twice about doing it, either. I can relate to the overwhelmed feelings you get when you're the parent of a lot of young children, for sure. That is a lot of responsibility to put onto young adults who in many cases are not ready for it. Thanks, Ed, for posting this.daisyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03168831819807523569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-67108762082130116222012-10-04T20:16:51.232-07:002012-10-04T20:16:51.232-07:00There is indeed. Valerie has been a source of wisd...There is indeed. Valerie has been a source of wisdom, humor, and inspiration for me on my journey out of religion and toward a spiritual agnosticism that finds beauty and significance in many traditions --without insisting on any of them. Her site <a href="http://www.wisdomcommons.org/virtues" rel="nofollow">Wisdom Commons</a> is a great place for exploring (and sharing) universal ethics, and her blog <a href="http://awaypoint.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Away Point</a> is full of great writing on psychology and belief.<br />--Free<br />Freehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14779418481668841114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-88012452985763114332012-10-04T18:45:00.836-07:002012-10-04T18:45:00.836-07:00Laestadians teach that God gives children as a ble...Laestadians teach that God gives children as a blessing. Birth control is forbidden because it could prevent a life from coming into being, and by averting that possibility, the parents are defying God's will for them and taking life from the child. This perspective seems to take precedence over everything else, including the well-being of those children as they get older. Because when there are a large number of children in a family, parental oversight becomes less and less, and pretty soon, you have children watching over the children. Fighting goes on, abuse can happen, kids can be injured or bullied, and an overwhelmed parent screams, dispenses slaps, and pulls hair as a quick fix for a squabble instead of taking the time to talk through the issues and teach the children appropriate behavior, compassion and understanding. Where is the blessing now? <br /><br />And how does a child in that situation develop a healthy self-esteem and healthy self image? How does a child learn that they have the right to say No when it comes to issues relating to their body, when the parents don't have the right to make those choices themselves? Some families do better than others at this, and I am not painting the whole bunch with the same brush. But I have seen these families many times, and I just cringe when "Dad discipline" comes into play and he starts handing it out to everyone in reach. Blessing, my eye. <br /><br />Do I sound a little cynical? Yes, I am.<br /><br />In reference to the above anonymous poster whose mother was not able to adequately care for her children, I am sorry you had to go through that. At times, I was afraid I was going to be a mother like that. I was overwhelmed, too. I believed I had no control over my situation, either, so I used to wish that someone would pick me up when I was out walking, kill me, and roll me out on the side of the road somewhere. I didn’t know how to handle the life I had. I don't say that to make anyone feel sorry for me. I never told anyone that. It was just a reflection of how desperate I felt, how helpless the whole situation made me feel. There didn't seem to be an answer.<br /><br />I did look for books at the library, though. These were written, I think, for women trying to conceive. These books described how to determine when a woman's most fertile time of the monthly cycle occurred. I never checked them out…I just read them at the library, right in the aisle, while the kids were looking for books. Although I didn't go through all the temperature-taking, etc, that the books recommended because that would be too obvious, I was able to figure out when NOT to have sex to avoid getting pregnant. I never told my husband that I did this. I just did it. Desperate measures for desperate times. I didn't avoid getting pregnant completely, because I was afraid of people noticing. But I was able to spread out the births of my subsequent children a little farther. But still. Why? Why should this be considered a good thing? <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-5832446912740318252012-10-04T15:47:38.669-07:002012-10-04T15:47:38.669-07:00I realized after my first two children, who were b...I realized after my first two children, who were born fairly close together, that being a mother of a large family was a challenging role that I was probably not cut out for. And yet, as a "good Laestadian", I continued to have children. Taking care of small children is exhausting, and when you are nauseated and vomiting for three or four months at a time, trying to care for those babies is nearly impossible. And if you have to work a job besides? It's unspeakably miserable. At least it was for me. Every time I gave birth, I was so grateful that the cycle was over again, and I only had to deal with the new baby right then. But at the same time, I was already dreading the unpleasantness of the next pregnancy. I can only speak for myself, and I don't presume to say how it is for any other mother...but living through that was like doing my time in hell. <br /><br />This is not a way to live. This is not how any woman should have to spend her life. It accomplishes nothing. Nothing. Except bringing more children into the world, who will have to be fed. clothed, and taken care of. And when you don't have the resources to take care of them, it all becomes a burden that consumes your very existence. <br /><br />Where is the next garage sale where I will find cute clothes for my kids so other kids won't make fun of them at school and make them cry? Will I find a winter coat for this one at the food/clothing shelf this time when I go, or will I have to squeeze some money out of the limited grocery money to get him a coat that fits him? If I do that, will I have enough to get us through to next payday? Or will we have to go to the parents' house for dinner a couple of times in there? <br /><br />I didn't understand how a God who loved us would want his children growing up in a home where there was not enough to go around--not enough money, food, not enough time or love or attention. This is not how kids should be raised. It is not.<br /><br />It’s not that I didn't appreciate my children or that I don't like having them. There is not a one of them that I would give back. The issue is not a matter of not loving them; the issue is that parents are not given the opportunity to determine what they can handle. They are all pushed into the same well-oiled mold whether it fits them or not. And that's wrong.<br /><br />I think there is a peculiar dichotomy that goes in in Laestadian circles. First you have this view that every baby is a blessed dispensation from God for the parents. Every potential baby is included in that grab bag. Oh, glory! It's a baby! There are some outspoken mothers who make a point of commenting about every new baby or baby-to-be, like what a blessing they are! How blessed! How wonderful! Sometimes I wonder what their response would be if I had gotten the guts to say, "Well, I don't think it's wonderful at all. I can't take care of the ones I have right now. Where am I going to put this one? In a dresser drawer?"<br /><br />I feel robbed of the joy of having children that you plan for and hope for and try for. I don't know how to express it without sounding like I didn't want my kids. There is something about choosing to having children that is different from being expected to have children. You appreciate the one, and you can resent the other. Some people can find a way to appreciate it anyway, and I commend them. I understand that I chose my actions, and that no one held a gun to my head. But I was trying to do what I thought was the right thing, even though it went against what I felt was true and right for me. <br /><br />When I see people having children who plan for and who are excited for them now, I get to experience that delight through them, and it is bittersweet. I cannot go back for a do-over. I can only encourage my children to wait until they are sure. Wait until they are prepared. I don't sugarcoat how much work it is to raise children. I tell them what I wish someone had told me: honey, you have a choice...take your time, and make it wisely.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-66036855937239243072012-10-04T13:20:15.095-07:002012-10-04T13:20:15.095-07:00Dr. Tarico, good points, and what a nice surprise ...Dr. Tarico, good points, and what a nice surprise to have you drop by here! Your book <a href="http://www.valerietarico.com/Trusting_Doubt.html" rel="nofollow">Trusting Doubt</a> (then titled <i>The Dark Side</i>) was one of the first “bad” books I furtively looked at when I decided to do some inquiry after learning about evolution. It was a bracing read, and there is a lot there for us survivors and questioners of Laestadianism to appreciate.Ed Suominenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699682370502146769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-28024740935027207752012-10-04T13:10:03.522-07:002012-10-04T13:10:03.522-07:00Anon, thanks for an informative and thoughtful com...Anon, thanks for an informative and thoughtful comment that raises yet another aspect of the issue. It is true that the children already present in a big family can and do suffer from the parents’ lack of time and ability to provide attention when ever more siblings are added. There is certainly genuine love to smooth over the bumps in the road; I’ve seen it radiating from the faces of older children when they hold their new baby sister or brother, in my family as well as others. But there can be resentment sometimes, too, and that is more hidden from view. The kids are not allowed to express it freely, because they, like the parents, are expected to consider each new baby a welcome gift, no matter the circumstances. And yes, when the issue of disability enters the picture, which it does in a frighteningly high proportion of the “caboose” children born to Laestadian mothers in their 40s, the problem is compounded.<br /><br />I grew up essentially an only child, with my youngest sibling 10 years older than me. (Long story.) My father was always available to help me with my various projects, standing on the roof helping me string wire from one end to the other for a new ham radio antenna, driving me down to the electronics store for parts, telling me of the confidence he had in me as an individual person. Yes, I missed out on a lot by not having the swarm of siblings around, especially later in life when there are all those cousins and great family get-togethers in Laestadian circles. But the individual attention of my parents was an important part of my upbringing, and it’s a struggle to try to provide that to a lot of kids all so close in age. (For any of mine who chance to be reading this, I’m sorry. Your mom and I had a very difficult job and limited abilities.)<br /><br />I don’t want to make light of what is a serious issue, but when you wrote about women who can “pop out one kid after the other, without complications," you reminded me of a memorable phrase that Free came up with in one of our conversations: the Laestadian “pop till you drop” doctrine.Ed Suominenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699682370502146769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-13044769357599456982012-10-04T10:46:38.579-07:002012-10-04T10:46:38.579-07:00Heartfelt thanks to Ed for this comprehensive exam...Heartfelt thanks to Ed for this comprehensive examination of Laestadian dogma on birth control, which is a first (to my knowledge) and a significant contribution to our understanding. <br /><br />May it be read and shared by many. <br /><br />May Laestadian men of conscience, who love their wives, realize that there is no Biblical basis for burdening their health and existing children with another pregnancy.<br /><br />May Laestadian women take responsibility for their own bodies and fertility and stop deferring to men, either historical, fictional, or marital.<br /><br />May the mother about to undergo her 7th c-section, against her physician's advice, realize that God never demanded this sacrifice, and her suffering is not a ticket to eternal rewards.<br /><br />May girls considering their futures know that happy women make for happy children, and that every child deserves to be wanted.<br /><br />Those of us who spent any time in the OALC know that many couples already parse the rules and use non-medical methods to avoid pregnancy (I've heard some doozies, from total abstinence to feigning illness to "Greek" sex). Some have abortions.<br /><br />Education could help more couples choose birth control that is not only effective but leads to happy, healthy mothers and marriages, "just right" size families, and children who feel loved and wanted. <br /><br />That's why we should keep talking about this.<br /><br />--FreeFreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14779418481668841114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-72163340829000444662012-10-04T10:22:31.578-07:002012-10-04T10:22:31.578-07:00Thank you Ed for yet another great article.
As a f...Thank you Ed for yet another great article.<br />As a former Laestadian, I have sat through many sermons and though I'm not an expert on the Bible, I have studied it some and it is frustrating to listed to sermon after sermon that is based not on the Bible, but on a ministers personal experiences and emotions. Not only that, but some of the uninformed and completely ludicrous things that they state about the Bible are nauseating. I recently heard a sermon in which the minister took the passage of being "evenly yoked with the world" to mean that we shouldn't be friends with "unbelievers." <br />This issue of childbearing is one of the main reasons that I left the church. The church's views on women are designed to keep women down and submissive. What happens when a woman is struggling with suicide and depression and she knows that she cannot handle another child? Is this God's will that children have a shell of a mother who is vacant and sleeps all day because she cannot face her life? Growing up in a family of twelve, I had a mother that was physically, mentally, and emotionally unavailable. My mothers mental issues intensified with each pregnancy and it came to the point that we children raised ourselves and each other while our mother slept all day. My father was gone nearly all the time and mother had no help. Was this God's will? That my mother spend her life as a vacant shell while her young children looked on? It is no wonder that some very tragic things happened to us kids. Mom was too far gone to notice. Please, tell me that God did not wish this life for my mother. I sure as hell know he doesn't want it for me. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-4953630703911791612012-10-04T09:34:57.737-07:002012-10-04T09:34:57.737-07:00The fact that Jesus is valued primarily as a sacri...The fact that Jesus is valued primarily as a sacrifice in so many Christian traditions has many disturbing consequences. Primary among them: no human sacrifice is too extreme, too counter-rational, or too bloody to be considered holy. <br /><br />Pro-natal competitive breeding strategies are built into many religions, but only by sanctifying the slaughter of innocents can it be taken to such an extreme as described in this article. Valerie Taricohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16012585215311378948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088717.post-30164512696979413962012-10-04T01:34:36.451-07:002012-10-04T01:34:36.451-07:00Brilliant as always, Ed. Keep up the good work.
T...Brilliant as always, Ed. Keep up the good work.<br /><br />To the first commenter, as a current member of the FALC I would have to agree with your assertion that our church puts much less emphasis on "being fruitful and multiply(ing)." There are still numerous families that self-evidently do not practice birth control, but there are numerous others, mine included, that do ... and I know that while even in my mother's child-birthing days there was a modicum of pressure to procreate, nowadays there simply isn't, at least for us.<br /><br />In our case, to have more children would have potentially dangerous mental health consequences for my wife, and the decision is an easy one. Were it a "requirement" as it appears to be for the OALC or LLC, we would most certainly leave, or at least tell the busybodies to p*ss off. As it is, I simply cannot imagine anyone from our church putting any kind of pressure on us to do so, as I think it is more or less viewed as a personal decision even if many might still think birth control is a "sin."FreeThinkernoreply@blogger.com