Repent. now. before it is too late.

Searching for something else, I came upon this blog, Ladies Against Feminism:

 

LAF is under the oversight of Stanley Sherman, minister of the Lancaster Church of Christ in Junction City, Oregon. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” – Phil. 4:8

 

This blog offers a good overview of the ideology of fundamentalist Christian women.

It is hard for me to imagine the conditions under which these small town home schoolers live, what they read, how they can maintain the beliefs they have: even how they are able to manage, especially if they end up with huge families.  I feel more sympathetic than angry, because I believe they are reacting to the lack of interest in the larger society to families, mothers, child rearing and education. They see a godless society of fornicators, and, well, it's not hard to see how a lady could get that impression in this day and age.

How should feminists react to the concerns of women like this? Will they listen to mainstream feminists? I had a friend once who went in this direction. She did not have a huge family, but she was a home schooler for a while and had a defensive outlook on the doings of society at large. She was an R.N. and very opposed to abortion after seeing a late-term live birth abortion. These are real things that happen, after all,  and they affect how women view sexuality and reproduction.

 

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Good news for me! Changes in diet and lifestyle have brought my bloodwork stats into the normal range. My cholesterol is 170. My blood sugar went down a few points, too. The main thing I did was to cut back on salt consumption. I checked my blood pressure the other day, and it too is in the normal range for the first time in a while. Making small changes has had a big impact on my health. I feel so much better.  I was headed for what they call "metabolic syndrome," but I stopped the progression into diabetes and high blood pressure. Of course I know that it will get harder to maintain this blissful state of affairs as I get older, but it is a rush to realize that I can get such a large health benefit from doing a few simple things. 

Got to get busy now. We are expecting house guests this evening.

 

More: I've been thinking lately about  women who get trapped in closed communities that regard them as having a duty to marry and have as many children as possible.  Deborah Feldman explains her experiences growing up female in the Jewish Satmar sect.

She has written a book, Unorthodox, the Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots.

Religious community leaders bully women into complaince by telling them they have a duty to reproduce  that precludes personal development. There are degrees of this, from completely closed communities to ones that interface with the culture at large, but they all share the belief that women are vessels created by god to "increase and multiply." This is a very big and mostly hidden problem. It is a disgrace that women are still  held to such  notions of fecundity, in America,  in this day and age, when the world is teeming with overpopulation. 

 

Comments

[gigi-hawaii]

I would be against abortion, too, if I witnessed a late term abortion. Gross!

Congrats on lowering your T-scores, Hattie. My internist told me that total cholesterol is not as important as the score for LDL (bad cholesterol).

[Hattie]

Gigi: It wouldn't change my mind, but I think it would take a pretty strong set of convictions about a woman's right to control her body, and her precedence over a fetus. Which I have, actually. Women are the ones who bear the babies and have to bring them up. I would probably stop short of authorizing infanticide, although plenty of that does go on, even today.

[Florence]

Good for you in getting your blood pressure and cholesterol into a healthy range. I recently joined Weight Watchers, not because I particularly wanted to fit into skinny jeans again (LOL) but to try to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

[Joy]

Congrats on the good bloodwork reports Hattie...every little bit counts. I've learned to appreciate these little baby steps...

[musings]

I have to get my blood tested tomorrow too and I AM NOT looking forward to it. I don't think it's going to be good. You got 170? Wow!!!! What I would give to get that. Salt? Salt affected your cholesterol. OK... I'll try it.

[Hattie]

Kay: I've never had cholesterol problems. That's probably hereditary, becuase I eat meat, butter, and so on without having it affect my cholesterol. My problems are with pre-diabetes and blood pressure elevation, which I seem for the time being to be able to control by watching my diet.

[Kay Dennison]

I take cholesterol meds -- partially because of being a stroke survivor and partially because of my lousy diet. The funny part is I have always (except at the time of the stroke) had excellent blood pressure. My doctor bugs me anyway.

[Hattie]

Kay: Hmm. Our visitor takes the meds too, plus he is very careful about his diet. But he does have a history of stroke in his family.

[naomi dagen bloom]

No, women you describe will not listen to feminists. Sometimes they hear something in the ether that leads them away from their "closed communities," many of which appear more open than the one you describe.