I have been part of the discussion on the ex-toots blog http://extoots.blogspot.com as we all discusss the consequences of extreme religions.
I feel those who stand in defense of the church are actually defending themselves against any life change. They simply can't bear the consequences of being wrong.
While a woman's life has reached the extreme end of anguish, a baby's life is lost, the much larger more deeply felt is the shaking of their religious beliefs.
What would happen if the church would be found out, to be upheld by a wobbly foundation? How much of their lives would collapse when it falls?
When a collective group have fashioned their lives and given up their own rights for a cause, for a belief that is larger than their self…it eclipses the self and they become it. They become the church, they are part of the foundation, one of the bricks.
And, when the bricks begin to crumble and show their instability, then what?
Somehow we see the "Church" as being this higher power, this impotent god like untouchable person. When in fact the church is made up of humans. It is being lead by a collective board of humans, and preached by a human to other humans.
The collectiveness of these folks IS the church. And yet, with the discussion on the ex-toots blog, it appears that the church is a non-human thing is what they are following…and IT is reading the bible and pulling out things that they should or should not do, and creates these rules and the rewards and or punishment. Like a imagination game….but with real life consequences. And all things have to be run through this non-human like thing, although the church is run by humans.
It is quite spectacular in its own mentalness.
The preachers are not willing to stand in the light of reality and claim clearly and succinctly how it is that they don't believe in woman's rights. And the women who have given up their rights are looking to the 'church' to stand strong in saying how it will be impossible to get to heaven IF you take birth control.
What happens to the women who have abided by these rules to find out that they are not steadfast?
How terrifyingly incredible it is to watch them speak out of both sides of their mouth, to see the twisting twirling sliding ungrasping of this rule in the light of murder.
No one wants to claim it as part of their faith.
How sad that this mother who killed her child doing what was deemed good and promising of heaven is now standing out there alone.
Her preachers are unable to articulate and own the path they set her upon.
They ARE responsible for preaching. She is responsible for letting them control her body, until it became uncontrollable.
A clear example of what happens when you take control of others…