Petition for Change

Many of you who read here have concerns and have expressed your concerns about HSLDA. You may be interested in reading and signing this petition. If you can and are willing, please share the petition on Facebook and whatever other social media sites you use.

I've long been of the opinion that HSLDA masquerades as an advocacy group for homeschooling families and rights when it's actually an advocacy group for dominionist ideals and milieu, and that whatever real "help" homeschooling families actually get from them is more accidental than intentional, more ancillary than primary. I've yet to encounter information that has moved the needle of my opinion on that.

Homeschoolers Anonymous - New Site By Homeschool Survivors

"Survivors" seems the most appropriate word.

If you're someone who thinks what I wrote here was rife with hyperbole, I encourage you to visit Homeschoolers Anonymous to hear first hand from young people who came in up the Christian homeschool movement...and now have to deal, as young adults, with the repercussions and emotional (and other) damage done by this cloistered (in nearly every way), paranoid, fearful cult movement. Bravo to these people for speaking out. A lot of people don't understand what they risk in doing so, but I do, and I have bushels full of love and respect for them.

Let Us Create God In Our Image, In Our Likeness

I don't think it's coincidental that America is pretty much the only free, advanced, civilized western society that still enforces capital punishment (in many states and MOST bible-belt states) and is also home to most of the fundamentalist Christians in the world. American fundamentalist Christianity has created God in their own image. As a friend says, "The practice of our belief and faith is the reflection of our God", and fundamentalists see God as vengeful, hateful, judgmental, and intolerant. The image on our side of the mirror is seen in our religious endeavors, personal interactions, and positions on social and political issues.

The Death of the Heart and Soul

With that title, what else could I be writing about but the Purity Movement?

Help Another Survivor

Take just a few seconds to click HERE and help another incredible person pursue higher education. She deserves the best. Costs you nothing, and requires nothing of you except to click on the "vote" tab.

To My Politically-Charged Readers

[Over the last few weeks and months, really going as far back as last spring with the marriage amendment issues, I've received some very passionate emails regarding political issues, as well as witnessed and engaged in some heated social media discussions (not to mention the real world stuff), from people who claim Christianity - and frankly would be fighting mad if you questioned their Christianity. The following isn't aimed at any single person, even if I've encountered many who fit every scenario within. It's a generic, yet serious, response to the entire animal of conservative cultural Christianity.]

Random Rambles As 2012 Closes

2012 has been a bizarre year. For me personally, a very up and down twelve months with a lot of blind corners and curveballs, with a sprinkling of pleasant surprises mixed in. Here's a few all-over-the-place rambles as we near the end of an all-over-the-place year...

Old and Empty Holes

Maybe the most frequent question I'm asked by spiritual abuse survivors is "How do I move forward?" I don't have a definitive, foolproof answer. I only have my own thoughts, observations, and experiences to offer, so here goes...

Hearing From God

This isn't so much a new piece as it is an opportunity to bring The Peace Game and God's Will Isn't Rocket Surgery back around to some newer readers while offering a few thoughts to serve as companions to the things discussed in those pieces.

The Immodesty of Modesty

Modesty is a super-huge deal in fundamentalist sectors. It's a shame that fundamentalist efforts toward modesty are quite often self-defeating - superficially "solving" one problem while creating another.

A Little Bit of Assistance

If you guys wouldn't mind, take a moment to visit THIS PAGE and help a Patriarchy/Quiverfull survivor gain a scholarship by casting a simple vote for her. Absolutely NO information is required from you, and it literally will take just a few seconds of your time. I've met this young woman and can't adequately describe just how amazing she is or how deserving of this scholarship she is. A little bit of help could mean a lot. To those of you who take a few seconds to do this - a heartfelt thanks.

For New Readers

A couple of older links and "Joke" series links seem to have made their way around social media over the last few days, resulting in a significant uptick in readers. And with that, quite a few emails from new readers. Just a couple of quick notes to you guys...

The Very Picture of Christ and the Church

So say the P/QF, Christian homeschooling cult people, and the very religious/religious addicts in general about marriage. It was actually said to me, exactly as the title phrases it above, by just about every religious jackass in my ex's world. It's another of those stupid, Christianese lines that now make me want to jump neck deep into a bed of raging fire ants (or do something equally as inhumane to myself) in principled protest. I can only stand so much extra stupidity when I have enough of my own to deal with.

Control

I don't consider myself a religious person (at least I hope I'm not, because being a religious person isn't the quick route to my Christmas card list). Certainly not a "Christian" by the modern, fundamentalist definition(s). I do consider myself a person of faith in God and Jesus Christ, but more than anything, if I had to attach a particular word to who or what I am, the word would be "spiritual". Kinda hard to fit that one into any corner.

Simple Measuring Stick

I've offered this kind of observation before, but more toward specific facets of P/QF and Christian homeschooling. Since there seems to be a broader range of readers here now, I thought I might offer this in a simple form that applies across the whole spectrum of religious belief.

The Election

I don't mean Calvinism vs. Arminianism. I mean that Tuesday in November every four years where grossly ill and uninformed, emotionally-driven people (on all sides of the spectrum) go to the polls to elect a President.

Wildly Random Rambles and Blurbs

Gonna be kinda-sorta-prolly all over the place tonight. Buckle up.

Paradise Recovered

I wish I'd gotten something about this film up weeks ago - but life ever so rudely interrupts.

Chick-fil-ibuster

Several people have asked for my thoughts on last week's "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day", so I'm emerging from my summer hibernation to write a few words about it.

Ramblin' on Recent Issues

Just a couple of quick things regarding recent controversies...