I
can often feel shame at my level of frustration with the Christian
community at large. See I was taught that anger makes you bad,
hateful, unreasonable, even disobedient. While I understand where my
frustration and anger come from, and that it has sat a long time
unexpressed I still feel the urge to repress it or risk
being
seen as irrational. It makes sense that something that was
inadequately diffused in the past may not come out eloquently or be
the Emily Post version of expressing anger. In fact I think it takes
a while to find a balance to expressing frustration and anger. I have
also found that things that frustrate me, or
make me angry are things that actually deserve a solid thoughtful
critique. But it can come out as just an angry rant without enough
thoughtfulness to show the larger picture or question at hand. So I
am going to thoughtfully try and tackle an experience I found truly
frustrating and it begged the question; what in Dickens name?
Scrooge;
The musical!
But
it isn't "The" musical, it is "A" musical. "The
musical" could imply that this was a Broadway production on
tour, but it is not and it's only the beginning of a slight deception
that becomes a very large one. On the radio it is announced that the
musical is being held at the Champion Center which sounds like it is
a local sports arena or the cities main event center- it is not. You
don't really see anything on the musical home page to indicate that
it is not what it seems except for the tab that mentions church
resources. So I Googled Champion Center and found that it is indeed a
Church and that they are producing the musical in their event center.
I
was now weary of this fact, especially in light of what seemed to me
to be deceptions on their part to get people to come. However I tried
to keep as open mind as possible, I felt that Dickens work stood on
it's own for conveying some great spiritual messages, and that a
church could have chosen to produce a musical of it for those
reasons. I could see how A Christmas Carol reflected a lot of
Christian Values.
I
was sadly mistaken. The Church didn't feel Dickens work had enough
messages of salvation on it's own. They re-wrote it to fit their
message of salvation. It was no longer a story about Ebeneezer
Scrooge finding personal salvation by not shutting off his heart from
love and connection others. It was a story of why Ebeneezer Scrooge
had hardened his heart to Jesus, and therefore Christmas.
It
followed a classic Christian line of reasoning that Scrooge had
hardened his heart against Jesus and God because he had gotten hurt
(during childhood) and it caused him to abandon all thoughts of
faith. So then he was shown as the unrepentant sinner who just needed
to give Jesus a second chance. And the reason he was to do this was
not only because God loves him, but because if he did not he was
going to hell for all eternity. Hell and damnation was actually part
of the theme in the production. There was even a brief intermission
where a Pastor came on stage to lead everyone in a prayer and to
accept Jesus into their hearts if they wanted.
Of
course after being shown that it was people who had hurt him in the
past, not Jesus, and that the alternative to a loving God was all
eternity in hell, Scrooge accepts Jesus into his heart. Cue the
bursting celebration music.
I
was quite upset for the ride of deception I had been taken on and for
how my good will was abused. This wasn't a church who appreciated
Charles Dickens or A Christmas carol. This was a church who seemed to
so desperately believe it needed to convert people to salvation that
it was willing to use deceptions to do so, then spring the message of
salvation on it's patrons attending the event. It's the kind of
desperate belief that starts out as well meaning, but turns dark.
They believe that people don't know what's good for them and they are
going to save them, give them the good medicine whether they want it
or not, and shove it down throats if they have to, if it means saving
souls. As a matter of fact we have seen this well meaning belief turn
dark before. Sir Thomas Moore was so deeply committed to his beliefs
that he decided he would rather burn people at the stake than risk
them being sent to hell. He felt he could at least save their souls.
This man wrote Utopia, was an idealist and a conscientious objector
to war. I cite this belief being taken to an extreme but it is the
same belief.
I
have always felt that as a community if Christians needed desperate
measures to convert others, and that their being a shining example of
God's work was not enough, that there are some flaws within their
beliefs. You shouldn't have to work so hard to convince people that
something can bring about amazing benefits to their lives, if that is
truly the case. But many Christians don't believe people know what is
good for them. I think this might come from some of those same
philosophies that are applied to Children. Children don't know what
is good for them, children need to simply obey and bend their will to
God and their parents. We see the message about being children of God
frequently so it makes sense that those other child rearing
philosophies also influence the spiritual realm of thought.
The
frustration and fury did not end with being given a message about an
eternity in hell. The patriarchy and misogyny were alive and well in
this production of a Christmas Carol. I have seen this
type of patriarchal misogyny
over and over in the community I was raised in. This
was particularly
true
of
the Christian community where “women are from Venus and men are
from Mars”. It seems
to
start with people
getting
married. There
are the
jokes about a wife being an old ball and chain, a nag, over emotional
and having to literally drag her man down the isle from the former
life he loved so much (there are way too many cake toppers for this).
Then it becomes about her being a Mom, a nag, an old ball and chain,
and
over emotional.
This
production seemed to take it's cue from those jokes. What
should
have been
a sweet domestic scene in the Cratchit family was instead a scene of
the family sitting down to dinner, and when Mrs. Cratchit wasn't
looking they all made faces and gagging noises because everyone knows
women, and Moms are terrible cooks.
You
can't seem
to
tell those
that prescribe to this
type
of humor
that
it
is wrong because they will look at you as an over emotional nag. I
know from
experience
that when you say something about this being
problematic,
and
you
dare to object you are met by the good old boys patriarchy club who
laugh it off and remind you that you are too sensitive to take a
joke. I
think that if I wrote a letter to this church telling them this is
how I saw the scene they would probably tell me “of course we
respect women, it was just innocent fun”.
The
portrayal
of
women being nags wasn't left in the kitchen. No at one point Scrooges
housekeeper is featured flying on a broom and cackling like a witch.
And this same poor woman was later subjected to Scrooge chasing her
about his bedroom in his fit of happiness at having made Jesus his
Lord and savior. He
was trying to hug her against her protestations
and lack of consent. We can see here the traces of the idea that
women don't know what they want, they are irrational, and consent
doesn't matter. And her consent matters even less because she is a
miserable old nag who just needs a hug from
Jesus Christs new poster boy.
I
think the truth is that most of those who end up purporting these
beliefs have been learning them from a young age, soaking them up
like a sponge. They genuinely don't see a problem with it or
understand the larger issues of a patriarchal mindset. In fact it's
so normal that a lot of it is unconscious. Adding in the spiritual
component of Christianity can seem to lend some legitimacy to a
patriarchal way of thinking, because it seems sanctioned by God. That
is I believe one of the main arguments for traditional gender roles.
And you know what, that's fine. If traditional gender roles make you
happy, then all the power to you. However I would very firmly argue
that the belittling mockery of women, and taking away their right to
consent is not something a good, benevolent, loving God would ever
sanctify.
I
actually think Jesus held women in higher esteem than do many of
today's Churches. I think of the woman at the well, and how Jesus
sought her out. I have always thought that in the midst of chaos she
represented quiet wisdom and an openness. I think he went to her to
be grounded because she represented a pillar of strength, and not
because she had a weakness that needed to be ministered to. I think
he truly respected her. How can churches claim they respect women in
the same manner when they choose to not be reflective of the ways
they diminish and demean them? They can't. To truly say they respect
women; they would have to become self reflective and change.
Thus
concludes my really saddening and anger inducing experience. And it
becomes more so by the fact that I know this was
not an isolated experience, or an isolated set of beliefs I
encountered. The parts
of Christian communities that feel a
drive to minister and convert, along
with holding
patriarchal
ideals
has and
will
create many similar productions.
Scrooge;
The musical!
But
it isn't "The" musical, it is "A" musical. "The
musical" could imply that this was a Broadway production on
tour, but it is not and it's only the beginning of a slight deception
that becomes a very large one. On the radio it is announced that the
musical is being held at the Champion Center which sounds like it is
a local sports arena or the cities main event center- it is not. You
don't really see anything on the musical home page to indicate that
it is not what it seems except for the tab that mentions church
resources. So I Googled Champion Center and found that it is indeed a
Church and that they are producing the musical in their event center.
I
was now weary of this fact, especially in light of what seemed to me
to be deceptions on their part to get people to come. However I tried
to keep as open mind as possible, I felt that Dickens work stood on
it's own for conveying some great spiritual messages, and that a
church could have chosen to produce a musical of it for those
reasons. I could see how A Christmas Carol reflected a lot of
Christian Values.
I
was sadly mistaken. The Church didn't feel Dickens work had enough
messages of salvation on it's own. They re-wrote it to fit their
message of salvation. It was no longer a story about Ebeneezer
Scrooge finding personal salvation by not shutting off his heart from
love and connection others. It was a story of why Ebeneezer Scrooge
had hardened his heart to Jesus, and therefore Christmas.
It
followed a classic Christian line of reasoning that Scrooge had
hardened his heart against Jesus and God because he had gotten hurt
(during childhood) and it caused him to abandon all thoughts of
faith. So then he was shown as the unrepentant sinner who just needed
to give Jesus a second chance. And the reason he was to do this was
not only because God loves him, but because if he did not he was
going to hell for all eternity. Hell and damnation was actually part
of the theme in the production. There was even a brief intermission
where a Pastor came on stage to lead everyone in a prayer and to
accept Jesus into their hearts if they wanted.
Of
course after being shown that it was people who had hurt him in the
past, not Jesus, and that the alternative to a loving God was all
eternity in hell, Scrooge accepts Jesus into his heart. Cue the
bursting celebration music.
I
was quite upset for the ride of deception I had been taken on and for
how my good will was abused. This wasn't a church who appreciated
Charles Dickens or A Christmas carol. This was a church who seemed to
so desperately believe it needed to convert people to salvation that
it was willing to use deceptions to do so, then spring the message of
salvation on it's patrons attending the event. It's the kind of
desperate belief that starts out as well meaning, but turns dark.
They believe that people don't know what's good for them and they are
going to save them, give them the good medicine whether they want it
or not, and shove it down throats if they have to, if it means saving
souls. As a matter of fact we have seen this well meaning belief turn
dark before. Sir Thomas Moore was so deeply committed to his beliefs
that he decided he would rather burn people at the stake than risk
them being sent to hell. He felt he could at least save their souls.
This man wrote Utopia, was an idealist and a conscientious objector
to war. I cite this belief being taken to an extreme but it is the
same belief.
I
have always felt that as a community if Christians needed desperate
measures to convert others, and that their being a shining example of
God's work was not enough, that there are some flaws within their
beliefs. You shouldn't have to work so hard to convince people that
something can bring about amazing benefits to their lives, if that is
truly the case. But many Christians don't believe people know what is
good for them. I think this might come from some of those same
philosophies that are applied to Children. Children don't know what
is good for them, children need to simply obey and bend their will to
God and their parents. We see the message about being children of God
frequently so it makes sense that those other child rearing
philosophies also influence the spiritual realm of thought.
The
frustration and fury did not end with being given a message about an
eternity in hell. The patriarchy and misogyny were alive and well in
this production of a Christmas Carol. I have seen this
type of patriarchal misogyny
over and over in the community I was raised in. This
was particularly
true
of
the Christian community where “women are from Venus and men are
from Mars”. It seems
to
start with people
getting
married. There
are the
jokes about a wife being an old ball and chain, a nag, over emotional
and having to literally drag her man down the isle from the former
life he loved so much (there are way too many cake toppers for this).
Then it becomes about her being a Mom, a nag, an old ball and chain,
and
over emotional.
This
production seemed to take it's cue from those jokes. What
should
have been
a sweet domestic scene in the Cratchit family was instead a scene of
the family sitting down to dinner, and when Mrs. Cratchit wasn't
looking they all made faces and gagging noises because everyone knows
women, and Moms are terrible cooks.
You
can't seem
to
tell those
that prescribe to this
type
of humor
that
it
is wrong because they will look at you as an over emotional nag. I
know from
experience
that when you say something about this being
problematic,
and
you
dare to object you are met by the good old boys patriarchy club who
laugh it off and remind you that you are too sensitive to take a
joke. I
think that if I wrote a letter to this church telling them this is
how I saw the scene they would probably tell me “of course we
respect women, it was just innocent fun”.
The
portrayal
of
women being nags wasn't left in the kitchen. No at one point Scrooges
housekeeper is featured flying on a broom and cackling like a witch.
And this same poor woman was later subjected to Scrooge chasing her
about his bedroom in his fit of happiness at having made Jesus his
Lord and savior. He
was trying to hug her against her protestations
and lack of consent. We can see here the traces of the idea that
women don't know what they want, they are irrational, and consent
doesn't matter. And her consent matters even less because she is a
miserable old nag who just needs a hug from
Jesus Christs new poster boy.
I
think the truth is that most of those who end up purporting these
beliefs have been learning them from a young age, soaking them up
like a sponge. They genuinely don't see a problem with it or
understand the larger issues of a patriarchal mindset. In fact it's
so normal that a lot of it is unconscious. Adding in the spiritual
component of Christianity can seem to lend some legitimacy to a
patriarchal way of thinking, because it seems sanctioned by God. That
is I believe one of the main arguments for traditional gender roles.
And you know what, that's fine. If traditional gender roles make you
happy, then all the power to you. However I would very firmly argue
that the belittling mockery of women, and taking away their right to
consent is not something a good, benevolent, loving God would ever
sanctify.
I
actually think Jesus held women in higher esteem than do many of
today's Churches. I think of the woman at the well, and how Jesus
sought her out. I have always thought that in the midst of chaos she
represented quiet wisdom and an openness. I think he went to her to
be grounded because she represented a pillar of strength, and not
because she had a weakness that needed to be ministered to. I think
he truly respected her. How can churches claim they respect women in
the same manner when they choose to not be reflective of the ways
they diminish and demean them? They can't. To truly say they respect
women; they would have to become self reflective and change.
Thus
concludes my really saddening and anger inducing experience. And it
becomes more so by the fact that I know this was
not an isolated experience, or an isolated set of beliefs I
encountered. The parts
of Christian communities that feel a
drive to minister and convert, along
with holding
patriarchal
ideals
has and
will
create many similar productions.
No comments:
Post a Comment