Avert your eyes, children, she may change forms

[prog]

I am vaguely aware of what's going on lately in the church of my upbringing.

Can you imagine if, say, a woman was elected as a regional vice-president of a multinational corporation by that division's officers, and every other division in the company totally lost their shit over the mere fact that there was suddenly a woman among their ranks, enough to make global headlines? Maybe fifty years ago this would be unsurprising, but today everyone else would look at them awful funny, eh?

Making it slightly worse for me personally is that my own parents loudly side with the conservatives in all these issues, and want to tell me about how they've started attending services at some rogue don't want no faggots 'round here splinter-church and they feel just like the early Christians meeting in secret enclaves to escape persecution! So exciting!! I've tried to show them how childish their views are but there's not much point to it, so instead I just try to change the subject when it comes up.

Comments

[farwing.livejournal.com]

um...i'm sorry your parents are being stupid. (did that come out as too harsh and mean?)

[prog.livejournal.com]

Nah, I know what you mean.

My parents are of course pretty awesome and smart in lots of ways, but when it comes to social issues they just fall down. I tell them this. What can ya do, eh.

[ahkond.livejournal.com]

It's my family's church as well, and I'm spared most of the drama because my mother is socially liberal about it and my father doesn't particularly care. However, it does mean that my uncle will get all apoplectic about it when given an opportunity, and my mother's cousin and his whole family (who live in the same suburb as my parents) have decamped to another denomination. So gatherings of the extended family have to be navigated with caution. Luckily in most of these conversations I can just shrug and say it's not my row to hoe anymore.

Ugh.

[dictator555.livejournal.com]

Dude, my Mom voted for W. Twice. It made no sense 'cause before that I thought she was cool. Sometimes parents just don't understand, and there's no talking sense into them.

[bonbonbabs.livejournal.com]

bonbonbabs smiles. :)

I'm glad you're able to be diplomatic with your parents!

[radtea.livejournal.com]

The great thing about this flap is that it's given us headlines like this one: Episcopalian General Convention Adopts Vague Resolution. Talk about "dog bites man."

I try to view the whole thing as a form of social entertainment. My mother and sister are both in knots about the ordination of gays and stuff, to the extent that my sister has considered dumping the Anglican church and becoming a Catholic, which horrifies my mother--an old-style Anglican who was brought up to believe that the only good Catholic was dead Catholic--no end.

I tell 'em both they should listen to Jesus and not Paul, but they aren't about to take doctrinal advice from someone who doesn't do faith.