Having Megan Phelps-Roper on staff is an example of why I pay for TFP. I’m after the perspectives of people who have changed their minds, and who has had a bigger turnaround than she?
Most insightful portion quoted below. Seek knowledge, reach out to others, get to know people that disagree with you rather than demonize them.
"I read books and considered ideas that my family had always dismissed out of hand. Was there anything to them? I sought out people my family had targeted and condemned. Were they evil, as I had been taught? And as I befriended outsiders—as I watched them live their lives up close—I began to see beauty in their traditions, and to adopt some of them myself."
Ms. Phelps-Roper's change of heart about Christmas, at the cost of her family's association is instructive. As highly evolved primates, at least physically and mentally, it's hard to abandon tribal loyalties. Some highly evolved tribal operating systems make it fatal to attempt, such as fundamentalist Islam demands apostates be executed.
Which makes Christianity rather interesting, studying its remarkable spread throughout Europe during the fourth century CE. For example, I'm reminded of Constantine's mother commissioning the survey of Christian sacred sites in the Holy Land, such as Nazareth, Jerusalem, and the Galillee sites such as K'far Nahum (Capernaum). The Jewish Sages credit Christianity with civilizing the nations, being it generally keeps the Laws of Noah (with the worship of the Messiah being an arguable exception). It was Christianity that defeated the commercial slave trade in England in the 18th century and informed the abolition of slavery in the United States not long afterwards (after a civil war).
Sadly, Christianity and the great Enlightenment it fostered -- and fought sometimes, is disappearing. It will be a fringe population by the end of this century. It's all but disappeared in Europe, given the landscape of empty churches. We're facing a secular, anti-scientific, anti-enlightenment future that is, sadly, sinking our societies into moral and political incompetence.
Wow. Were we to scrutinize- debunk? -- every religious holiday or tradition or rite this way. Christmas is wonderful for so many reasons not mentioned here: warmth, family and friends, the lights, better to give than to recieve, fires, help the less fortunate, good will to all, Christmas trees, Dickens, the way people love it, white Christmas. It meets some deep human need. I love it.
How PC of you. Christmas is a national holiday by act of congress and as a nation, we were founded on Judeo/Christain principles as is most of the western world.
You could make the argument that most of the federal holidays piss somebody off so maybe we should get rid of all of them.
What a downer. Are you the Grinch? (On the Grinch thing, I'm kidding.)
What a beautiful but sad and touching story. I am so happy for you that you are able to experience the joy and fun of the holiday now. Thanks for sharing what must be some very painful recollections.
One of the reasons I am increasingly drawn to Orthodoxy is because of the inherent inability to condemn Westboro (or anyone else's) interpretation of the Bible. We Evangelical Protestants insist that every believer can (nay must) interpret the Bible for himself using the personal guidance of the Holy Spirit. Westboro would insist that they "have the Holy Spirit" I'm sure, and the rest of us evangelicals have no tools to argue with them. Oh sure, we may disagree, but there's absolutely no way to prove who's right. It turns out that the only thing worse then having one Pope was making every man his own Pope.
Orthodoxy at least has a way to solve this problem of competing Biblical interpretation. Ecumenical councils are a middle road between theology ordered from on high (Catholicism) or a theology free for all (nondenominational Protestantism). It's not perfect, but the Orthodox theological toolbox is far more robust.
I'd love to read more about your father, Megan. If he liked the lights enough to take you around to see them, he wouldn't seem to fit in with the rest of the family. How did he manage?
Before the connection to the leftist scolds is revealed I knew that's where it was heading. Because they are both the same. Religious fanatics bereft of human compassion or spirit without an ounce of grace. I have no idea if there is a hell but if there is a just God would allow the Westboro lunatics and the leftist scolds to enjoy eternity together.
Beautifully written!
“They’re just lights,” my dad said gently. “I’ve always liked them.”
I'm not crying, *you're* crying.
God Bless everyone.
What a beautiful story Megan. Love that you shared this!
Having Megan Phelps-Roper on staff is an example of why I pay for TFP. I’m after the perspectives of people who have changed their minds, and who has had a bigger turnaround than she?
Most insightful portion quoted below. Seek knowledge, reach out to others, get to know people that disagree with you rather than demonize them.
"I read books and considered ideas that my family had always dismissed out of hand. Was there anything to them? I sought out people my family had targeted and condemned. Were they evil, as I had been taught? And as I befriended outsiders—as I watched them live their lives up close—I began to see beauty in their traditions, and to adopt some of them myself."
Ms. Phelps-Roper's change of heart about Christmas, at the cost of her family's association is instructive. As highly evolved primates, at least physically and mentally, it's hard to abandon tribal loyalties. Some highly evolved tribal operating systems make it fatal to attempt, such as fundamentalist Islam demands apostates be executed.
Which makes Christianity rather interesting, studying its remarkable spread throughout Europe during the fourth century CE. For example, I'm reminded of Constantine's mother commissioning the survey of Christian sacred sites in the Holy Land, such as Nazareth, Jerusalem, and the Galillee sites such as K'far Nahum (Capernaum). The Jewish Sages credit Christianity with civilizing the nations, being it generally keeps the Laws of Noah (with the worship of the Messiah being an arguable exception). It was Christianity that defeated the commercial slave trade in England in the 18th century and informed the abolition of slavery in the United States not long afterwards (after a civil war).
Sadly, Christianity and the great Enlightenment it fostered -- and fought sometimes, is disappearing. It will be a fringe population by the end of this century. It's all but disappeared in Europe, given the landscape of empty churches. We're facing a secular, anti-scientific, anti-enlightenment future that is, sadly, sinking our societies into moral and political incompetence.
I use the term deliberately. Leftists are decidedly illiberal.
Wow. Were we to scrutinize- debunk? -- every religious holiday or tradition or rite this way. Christmas is wonderful for so many reasons not mentioned here: warmth, family and friends, the lights, better to give than to recieve, fires, help the less fortunate, good will to all, Christmas trees, Dickens, the way people love it, white Christmas. It meets some deep human need. I love it.
So touching, so beautiful. And I love your sunroom decked out in lights! My family lives near Brookings. Merry, merry Christmas dear.
How PC of you. Christmas is a national holiday by act of congress and as a nation, we were founded on Judeo/Christain principles as is most of the western world.
You could make the argument that most of the federal holidays piss somebody off so maybe we should get rid of all of them.
What a downer. Are you the Grinch? (On the Grinch thing, I'm kidding.)
What a beautiful but sad and touching story. I am so happy for you that you are able to experience the joy and fun of the holiday now. Thanks for sharing what must be some very painful recollections.
One of the reasons I am increasingly drawn to Orthodoxy is because of the inherent inability to condemn Westboro (or anyone else's) interpretation of the Bible. We Evangelical Protestants insist that every believer can (nay must) interpret the Bible for himself using the personal guidance of the Holy Spirit. Westboro would insist that they "have the Holy Spirit" I'm sure, and the rest of us evangelicals have no tools to argue with them. Oh sure, we may disagree, but there's absolutely no way to prove who's right. It turns out that the only thing worse then having one Pope was making every man his own Pope.
Orthodoxy at least has a way to solve this problem of competing Biblical interpretation. Ecumenical councils are a middle road between theology ordered from on high (Catholicism) or a theology free for all (nondenominational Protestantism). It's not perfect, but the Orthodox theological toolbox is far more robust.
I wasn't feeling this until the end when you found your window to joy and suddenly I loved this piece.
I'd love to read more about your father, Megan. If he liked the lights enough to take you around to see them, he wouldn't seem to fit in with the rest of the family. How did he manage?
Franklin:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9445235-if-you-would-persuade-appeal-to-interest-and-not-to
“Would you persuade, speak of interest not of reason.”
Before the connection to the leftist scolds is revealed I knew that's where it was heading. Because they are both the same. Religious fanatics bereft of human compassion or spirit without an ounce of grace. I have no idea if there is a hell but if there is a just God would allow the Westboro lunatics and the leftist scolds to enjoy eternity together.