6 months ago, I was asked to teach a group of 15 and 16 year old kids. I teach the class for 45 minutes each Sunday. I'll be honest, that they don't often have much of a lesson. In my mind, they've just sat through 75 minutes of extremely boring Church services, and so my lessons general involve a discussion of their escapades during the week, and then a few minutes at the end summarizing some basic principles that could apply to their lives.
I don't agree with 50% or more of the manual that I have been given to teach to them. Ethically I don't think it would be right of me to teach against that stuff, but I don't feel comfortable teaching it either, so I just leave it out. I love the kids in my class, and from what I hear from them, I'm one of the few adults that actually likes to teach them. I was saddened a few weeks back when one of the more colorful young ladies said that her teachers in the next class hated her. I replied that they might find her mildly annoying, but I was sure that hate wasn't what they were feeling. She described some things which they had said. Some of the other girls agreed. How can you hate a free spirited young lady with all the potential in the world?
Anyway, I digress. I've thought about asking to be released as the teacher for this class, mostly because it is hard to find something worthwhile to teach the kids, when the entire lesson is supposed to be on blind obedience, but yesterday I was reminded of just why the kids need someone like me...
The girls all went away to girls camp this week. A significant leader in the area told them that they were not allowed to wear shorts, and made each of them sign a contract stating that they would not wear shorts (among other things) or they would be sent home.
It gets freaking hot in Utah in the summer. All of the girls commented how uncomfortable it was to walk around in long pants all day, especially on some of the longer hikes, but...
At the the end of the camp the same leader stood and told them all that their decision to obey his council (Not much of a decision when you coerce them to sign contracts, but anyway...) and not wear shorts was their way of proving their willingness to be obedient, and that because they were obedient without question (Oh - believe, there was questioning!!!), they had been blessed by the spirit of the Lord during the week. Of course on hearing that, they all convinced themselves that they had indeed felt the Lord's spirit and the flow of endorphins increased, because all of a sudden they thought they may have a chance at getting back to live with God.
I'm sorry, but that kind of thinking, as I have said before is pure, unadulterated BullShit!! What kind of sick freak gets off on throwing his perceived authority around and putting limits on young girls, all in the name of God?
Sadly I think he thinks he's doing the right thing, and despite my weekly encouragement to them that they are free to make their own choices, I suspect they will grow up much the same.
It's worth a shot though... I grew up that way, and it was the subtle suggestion by one person that I was indeed a free individual that final broke me out of the cycle.
I think it's time for you to move so you can be in a new ward.
ReplyDeleteWe just did 6 months ago!!! I was hoping that moving into a more established area, that we'd get away from leaders who are out to try and make a name for themselves, instead it just seemed to get worse.
ReplyDeleteI'm pushing for Perth or Adelaide in Australia, but I'd even settle for Chicago or Cali somewhere. Probably be here for another decade or so though. In retrospect I think my mistake was working for the Church as long as I did.
As a rule, I am distrustful of religion. Not because there is anything inherently wrong with religion, any religion, but because people tend to forget that despite what they might think or believe, they don't actually know what the truth is. At some point, some people become convinced that they've got it, this is it, and that everyone else had better live by their interpretation of the truth or they will not be accepted by god. Assuming, of course, that god exists, but that's a whole other conversation.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very short hop from "being right" to coercing, convincing, cajoling, manipulating, and the real agenda is not spiritual enlightenment, it's power at best, but really, it's just about being right. People will move heaven and earth to be right, they will kill, maim, cripple, ruin minds and hearts, just to be right. Religion is a fabulous tool for this, because there is no argument, no discussion that can ever end in anything but "well, I just know that God is there and I believe in the Bible" or whatever it is.
All manner of horrible things have and continue to be done in the name of god. It's unfortunate.
You could almost say...
ReplyDeleteReligion convinces people to fly planes into buildings.
While understanding that we all have a spiritual connection to the world and those around us is what drives us to live in peace with each other.
I think religion can accomplish a great deal that is good, but as I heard once... With great power comes great responsibility, and all to often that responsibility is misused.
What the crap?!
ReplyDeleteWas the "significant leader" by chance named Warren Jeffs?
Sadly it was not. It is a very beloved local Stake President.
ReplyDeleteHe's a good man, and definitely strives to do what he feels is right, but all to often I think the great power rush that comes from having a host of people striving to be completely obedient to you is a pretty good feeling, and easily confused with 'Feeling the spirit'
It does help to explain to me, how so many can blindly follow a man like Warren Jeffs though, and be so caught up in following someone that they think was chosen by God, even when the very thing you are asked to do, appears to be in conflict with a persons understanding of Gods plan.
My belief is that we were sent here to prepare to meet God (Although that journey means many different things to as many different people), and that journey involves a lot of learning and self discovery. Many others believe we were sent to learn to be completely obedient, a path that I don't believe will lead us to any further understanding than we had when we started. In fact it bears a scary resemblance to another plan that was apparently presented...
Ridiculous to the nth degree. Its examples like this that have turned me off of religion throughout my life. I'm sure there are many good things to be gained from having a religious belief but I just can't get past the digust I feel when I hear these kinds of stories. What's funny is that I get why the leader enjoys abusing his power (its not unlike what people do in politics, military... other sectors of life), what I don't understand is how people can so blindly buy into what he tells them without any rational analysis.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a line that gets blurred in this whole process.
ReplyDeleteThings like this really turn me off as well, and then I get to the point where I'm ready to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Perhaps as I search for that line between the good things religion has to offer, and the parts where it gets manipulated by power hungry men, I need to more specifically define each side, and then the line would become more apparent.
Religion is interesting in the way that logical thought seems to be suspended when you buy into a certain paradigm... I blogged on this about a year ago elsewhere, perhaps I need to revisit it, and see if we can better define this...