Fried Chicken for the Pope.....

Well after I cleaned up the earthquake damage (ie, did the dishes, folded laundry... you know the usual) My mind got back to the whole polygamy custody trial going on down in Texas. You know, at the end of all this, nobody is going to win. To me it's a similar situation to what is happening in Iraq. Serious misjutices, if not violent crimes are being commited to a community of people, by their leaders. So we try to help the victims. But the victims don't know any other way to live. So when we try to teach them (force them) to live like "us" (whoever we are) we further victimize them.....my whole mantra on the Iraqi war has been that it took hundreds of years to develop a Democracy in the United States. Just because we've gotten pretty good at it doesn't mean we can just stomp our combat boots into someone else's land and demand they live the same way...no matter how noble the cause. Good intentions often have horrible endings......and it often takes generations upon generations to filter out these strong rooted beliefs about how one should live. Especially when they are of a religious nature.

Think about it, if you are a spiritual person, or a religious person, or anyting other than agnostic, you try to live a life according to terms that would be pleasing to the higher power you believe in right? That's what these people are doing. I am not saying that it is right...especially the "Joy Book" and marrying of girls right out of puberty. But if we were to find that every single mother and wife on the compound was of legal age to marry and birth children....would this really end? Hell no it wouldn't end because now we (meaning society, media etc) have scarred these children for life. They are indoctrinated to believe one thing...yanked out of their homes, away from their families, all of them assuming this is religious persecution. Already to taught to mistrust all of the outside world....and now I am certain they don't trust a damn one of us! So whether they go back to their compound and continue to live as they have lived before....or whether they get put into foster care and groomed to be 'normal' citizens (this term kind of grates on my nerves...who are we to judge what is normal?) they will never feel comfortable in thier own skin. Their identity has been stripped from them! I fear this generation may someday make us pay...in the same way Waco sympathizers made us pay. Remember Oklahoma City? These children will forever be angry...at us, at their parents, at their religion, at God...who knows but their anger will manifest itself somehow, someday. I would almost put a dollar on that. If my blog still exists in 20 years we shall see...

And I blame their parents, I blame the generations before them, I blame the MOTHERS! And yet I pity the mothers, they are raised to be subservient to the will of men. So they raise their children in the manner in which they are expected. And in reality all women are subservient to some extent. Especially if we are wives and mothers. Let's not pretend we aren't. We carry more of the household burdens (ie earthquake cleanup...you know, dishes, laundry...the usual), parenting burdens, scheduling burdens etc....the only difference is I have the right to stand up and tell my husband to stick the dirty dishes up his arse and do them himself! LOL! And I'll be damned if some 50 year old man would be marrying my teenage daughter (if I had one)!! God had better just bring his holy butt right down here to Southern Illinois and tell me to my face that he thinks that is supposed to happen....cause I ain't believin' it any other way!!! No Warren Jeffs or whoever is in charge now, will decide the fate of my children....my children will be raised to choose their own destiny!

It's funny to me how religious groups need a 'divine' leader. Even us Catholics. And I am convert to the faith...I was raised by a holy roller bible thumpin' mama and had the bible shoved down my throat for years. I left the church as soon as I was 18 and never looked back until I contemplated having a family....then my heart led me. But as a Catholic, there are PLENTY of things I don't fall in line with. My philosophy is there are "God's Laws" and "Church Laws" They are all noble and worth following. However, me personally, I'm only worrying about God's Laws. My salvation is between he and I. And the Pope is an inspiring man of the faith. But I don't believe he is any more divine than my husband is and if he showed up at my door I'd invite him in for some Fried Chicken and Mashed Taters....*Shock, Horror* *she wouldn't really do that would she?*

Damn straight I would, oh that reminds me I got to get to work on my lesson plans for VBS and the workers list for the church picnic! I am busy little non-conformin' Catholic! LOL! If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'! I love my church. I just don't believe every little detail....but I love it just the same!