There's an onshore breeze lifting sharply and I should be loading the sailboard onto the car and heading off to catch it. Instead I'm going nowhere and the dogs are looking alarmed, as if I'm about to do something really stupid, like bring home a cat or make them turn vegetarian.
Because all I can do is sit here and write with tears streaming down my face, and hope that nobody who isn't canine sees me like this. And pray that please, for fuck's sake please, can God kick the arse of everybody on this entire planet who professes to believe in anything remotely connected with Christianity (or any other ism or anity God feels like kicking) until we can collectively make sure nothing like this ever happens to anyone again.
It's not hard: let's just make sure pregnant young women - child-mothers - are treated with the respect, care and love they deserve. If they choose to terminate, then let's support them in that choice, giving them first-rate medical care and support. Or if they choose to give birth, and give their child up for adoption, or raise it themselves, then let's help them with all we've got as a society and church. Whatever: it's their call, and our call (if we're going to pretend we've so much as the flimsiest veneer of civilization) is to support and empower them. Who gives a damn about what it might cost: how about for a change we all just take seriously our responsibilities as human beings.
Click here and read for yourself the account of fear, pain and courage that's left me so shaken. And then can one of the fundamentalist Sydney trolls who lurk around here (your IP addresses give you away every time fellas - you might think I'm a theological fool, but don't think that also means I'm not IT savvy enough to know who you are, and when you come around) please explain why we need to take your crap exegesis about the submissive role of women literally, and this passage is only figurative? Because by the hermeneutic you guys use, there's deep shit coming for a whole lot of you 'men' who've wasted the church's money, energy and reputation on things other than helping little ones like these.
Unless that is, God's mercy should happen to be a whole lot bigger than that which you've in the past shown those who've failed to meet your own 'moral' standards. Which is what I happen to believe may be the case. But then, what the hell would I know?
Saturday, 5 April 2008
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9 comments:
Very powerful and very moving. I'll shut up now.
I do not even know what to say beyond Kyrie eleison. God - have mercy on us all please. We so need it.
Alcibiades.
I read her story. I've linked to her several times from your site in the last few weeks. Thank you.
Some things can never be justified, or atoned for, not in this world.
There's nothing I can say, except your tears are shared.
I attended the Adoption party for a couple in their late 30s and their adorable son who was made legally theirs yesterday. The incredible gift of their son by the birth mother and father is more wonderful than anything that could happen to them. They will be eternally grateful to to them both for this wonderfulness that has come to them.
I have read the blog you linked for some time. It is now on my favorites list. Thank you Alcibiades.
Hi Al.. I'm not sure if you are pointing your finger at me but I do have an IP address with 'Sydney' and 'Anglican' in it and read your site almost daily.
I'm sorry but I can't answer your question because I don't believe in a submissive role for women.
anonymous: Hi anonymous - gee you've got a common name around this diocese ;-) Thanks for breaking the silence and for dropping by: if you don't believe in the authorised Matthian line regarding the subordination of women then I'm hardly going to be pointing my finger or anything else at you, am I? FWIW, the heroes to whom I was referring know exactly who they are: if there's any uncertainty then you're not one of them. Which you're not.
I haven't known what to say about this. I still don't. It disturbs me greatly.
Thank you for leading me to that story. I, too, was a young, unwed mother, ill-treated at the hospital, though I kept my baby. Sad the things I put up with then that I surely wouldn't put up with now!
What a brave young woman she was. What an amazing story. Incredible.
Thank you for your tears and your passion.
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