Raven

Norm, Thanks for sharing that. I'm here with tears in my eyes. What a beautiful story, and a great explanation of another way to see the Bible's teachable moments.

These policies just make it harder and harder on women. Where is the legislation making it harder for men to walk away after impregnating a woman? Where is the legislation requiring these men to step up and be parents, instead of leaving these women on their own? It makes me very sad. ###### banks aside, women don't get pregnant by themselves. But so often, they're the ones who end up raising the kids by themselves. Reduce access to birth control (but not condoms). Reduce access to abortions (but don't force men to participate in the child-raising or provide more support for single mothers). Cut funding to childcare programs (but don't help women stay at home with their children.) Deny access to correct safe-sex information (but be irritated when young girls get pregnant). The assault on women never ends. Those who would take stride to block access to abortions should be lined up to adopt these babies once their born. It doesn't happen that way though. Protect the fetus, but leave the child (and parent/s) to struggle once s/he is born.

Yvonne, Thanks for restating the question. I think I get what you're asking now! Currently I don't have a "spiritual director." I'm not currently attending a church (though I am still a member) and aside from this forum and the one friend I mentioned on the other thread, so really I'm on my own. I think right now I'm following my own path, in whatever direction my heart feels stirred. Perhaps God is my spiritual director?!

I would like to add a couple of points here, if I may.... Sadomaschism is not a sexual orientation, but simply a type of sexual behaviour. It is more than possible that people into S&M, bondage, role-play, etc are sitting beside you in church already. As long as people are consenting, what kind of sex they have is their business, IMO. Would it change your mind about the people you know if you knew about their particular, personal kinks? Would you want to be judged by yours? Rape is also not a sexual orientation. Rape is not about sex, but about control, power, and denigration. If you like your sex (as it was phrased above) through the force of a knife to someone's throat against their will, that's not a sexual orientation, but a whole different issue. Everything I've heard/read about rape indicates that the people who commit these kinds of crimes are not typically able to be rehabilitated, so there isn't much of an argument for a "reformed" rapist. Do I think they should be included from the church community? If there is a chance that they might harm a member of the community, than the community has a responsibility to look after itself. Of course, that's not to say that you might not be surprised by someone's behaviour (just because they haven't raped before, doesn't mean they might not tomorrow) but knowing what we know about sex crimes, it's wise to be cautious. I believe that prison study/worship programs are a positive idea, though. Homosexuality is not related to these other issues, and considering homosexuality in the same conversation as child rape gives life to a dangerous, unsubstantiated slippery slope. Are some homosexuals child molesters? Yes - but so are some heterosexuals. Again, rape is not about sex.

I don't know a lot about this in the big picture, but I'd like to recount something personal, if you'll bear with me. I have a chronic, incurable illness. I've had it since I was about 15 (so nearly 15 years now). Doctors, medications, surgeries ... they have all been helpful, but there are no cures. I reached a point in my life not long ago, that I started looking "outside the box" for ways to help myself. Would I like a cure? Of course, but I'm not banking on finding one. However - I have found some alternative methods that have provided more symptom relief than medications. Someone (I'm not sure who) mentioned chakra meditation - I do regular meditation, with a focus on points of pain. When I do this, I imagine the places inside my body that hurt covered with a whiteness. While I breathe in and out, the energy is directed to those places, and there is a warmth to it. Since it isn't a permanent cure, it's probably not appropriate to call it "healing," but considering it is often more powerful than the Rx medications I have for pain, it's certainly something. As for the healing power of prayer, I do believe in that. When I had my last surgery (2.5 years ago), a friend in another city was praying for me on and off a lot in those first couple of days, as those days are the worst for pain and discomfort. On and off, I would feel that same warmth in my body, and I would feel my heart rate slow down to a comfortable, relaxed pace. I was allergic to the pain meds they gave me in the recovery room, so I was actually NOT taking a single thing for pain, even that first night, because I was afraid of another reaction. So through the suffering and agony, I could feel this warmth and this comfort, and I didn't actually know that my friend was praying for me at that moment. It was later on that she told me that, and it was incredible. It's just my own story, and of course anecdotal evidence is not proof of anything, but I wanted to share that anyway. As for why some people get healed and some don't - to me, that's like asking why some suffer in the first place, while some don't. It's a question without a real answer. I've been sick for 15 years, and have had moments of real bitterness and anger - why me?! I'm not bitter or angry anymore (mostly) but I still don't have an answer. I'm not sure if I believe a person can lay their hands on someone and cure them of a brain injury or anything like that - and if they can, that's God's work, not the person laying hands. However, after what I experienced post-surgery, it can't hurt.

I wanted to add here, as well, that the Pill has other uses besides controlling birth. Many women with conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, dysmenhorrea, etc have come to rely on the Pill to reduce symptoms and make life manageable. Without this medication, some women (I count myself in here) would not be able to work, go to school, contribute to the community, or be well enough to look after the family. I add this here because to me, limiting a woman's access to birth control also can limit her access to medical attention and support for health condition - to me, this is another example of the misogyny that is still rampant in some aspects of "Christianity." Personally, I don't think a group of celibate men have any right to control the medical well-being of women. This seems like just another way the church (in some cases) works to keep women "in our place," so to speak. I don't mean to come off like a crazed feminist (just the regular kind) but I get a bit hot under the collar about this topic. Women are more than baby factories. That kind of thinking not only degrades women and what we are truly capable of, but also devalues women who either do not want or cannot have children.

I should be working on house stuff - renovations, de-hoardering, all those great things...I should also be marking and prepping lessons. The sun is beautiful today, and all I want to do is go outside and play in the garden. (There might not be a lot of flowers yet, but somehow there are always weeds!)