thoughts on a “feminist” article…part 1

The following is the beginning of my thoughts on an article that my friend had a link to on her facebook. It is a first attempt at articulating or starting to articulate the response that wells up within me as I read and hear how people in our fair land are looking at things.
My friend and I used to have more similar views but now it seems there may have been a bit of a shift in her thinking, or perhaps I never really knew her thoughts… the article she is linking to is entitled “Zombie feminists of the RNC” and it’s written by Rebecca Traister on www.salon.com. and my friend describes it as illustrative of her own inner conflicts…….

The article seems to be a discussion of her emotions regarding the use of the Feminist movement to describe VP candidate Sarah Palin. I understand her trouble since she seems to have bought in to the Feminist movement’s rhetoric and now some terminology seems to have been hijacked by someone and employed for a different purpose. My understanding is in no way fully informed so I’m not saying I know it all by any stretch but from what I do know…. here’s what I see….

Ok, for starters she makes a reference in her first paragraph to an essay written by a devout Quaker “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God”. She’s saying she’s having nightmares about Palin and wishes they were witty like that they were of Palin marching into a kindergarten leading them into a recitation of that essay. Now here’s a free bee totally unrelated, but a peeve nonetheless…. I studied that essay in high school honors English and only after graduating from College did I find out that actually this essay which has been referred to as indicative of people of faith was a very rare anomaly in the life of this man. It is one of the only messages he gave like this and only then out of a deep love and compassion for his people did he use such a strong discourse. Why were we never told the “rest of the story”???? I can’t fault Ms. Traister for this since this was the same way I was taught but it makes one wonder how much more of our thinking has been shaped by half truths and proof texts that we’ve been taught because that was the “accepted thought at the time”. When the reality was somewhere far from there. I just wish for myself and for others as well as for future generations that we had been and could be taught the full story so WE could make the decision on our views for OURSELVES rather then being fed some propoganda. I just wonder why popular culture seems so afraid of the truth getting out that there are people who worship Jesus Christ who are very kind, thoughtful, loving, self sacrificing individuals who would give you the shirt off their back just cause you needed it and it was the right thing to do. Further that it’s people like them full of conviction who founded a country where people could be free to chose whom/what they worship. The irony is that with the “advancement” of the ideals of those who don’t worship Christ the only ones who are really limited are the Christians and all in the name of “freedom”. It’s just sad that if it weren’t for Christians, there would be no “freedom” of any kind we would all still be in various dictatorships etc…. (see the rest of the world for the case in point). Christians are taught to keep their mouths shut and not “impose” or “push” their views on anyone but I don’t really know that many who are really outspoken about their beliefs, in fact, other than Gov. Palin and Pres. GW Bush, I have rarely heard anyone refer to Jesus as anything other than a byword on National TV. Oh except for if you want to put the extreme examples like the TBN preachers. I have come to realize that the only people imposing their views on anyone else are the liberals, the left. I rarely hear a well thought out Christian (and there are plenty) on any major news network being given a chance to weigh in on anything of consequence. ok….. this has been a total digression from the article at hand. Sorry! I’m gonna sign off for now and try to pick this up again tomorrow. Thanks for bearing with me as I try to work out my thoughts in this little spot…