Friday, February 14, 2014

Free will and empowerment

I've been following (on and off) a lively online discussion about whether or not people should buy Girl Scouts cookies due to the Scouts' affiliation with Planned Parnethood.

Needless to say there are people arguing both sides of the issue, but one comment in particular caught my eye.

This commenter was responding to a mother who pulled her girls from Girl Scouts. He or she didn't deny any supposed affiliation with Planned Parenthood; rather, he/she seemed to defend Planned Parenthood's influence on girls. S/he wrote: "So you want to empower your girls by making sure they don't know anything about sex, birth control or the most important decisions of their lives. Yeah. Ignorance of important topics is _very_ empowering.

You can't have "respect for self" while your self is locked in a cage with no options. You can't teach "respect for others" if you don't respect them enough to give them all the facts and let them make their own decisions. And you're not teaching "faith in God," either, since you clearly don't trust God's gift of free will to them; you're trying to take it back in case they actually use it."


Girl Scouts aside, I found this comment astoundingly ignorant on the mechanics of raising children with faith.

By this person's logic, we should never teach our children anything. Nothing. Zip, zilch, nada. After all, anything we teach them might interfere with their God-given gift of free will, right? So don't teach a toddler to control his tantrums. Don't teach children not to hit. Don't teach kids to respect their elders. Don't teach teens to control their hormonal urges. Hey, free will means a free-for-all! Whoo-hoo!

What this person is arguing, of course, is that girls should be encouraged to act out on their sexuality (that's the eternal interpretation of "letting them make their own decisions"). We're not talking legal adults here, folks; we're talking GIRLS who are still MINORS.

Another commenter referred to family values as "medieval morality that revolves around controlling women." Huh?

Empowering is a buzz word progressives use to encourage girls and women to abandon all moral teachings and rut like animals. But as the mother of teen girls, it makes a lot more sense to empower my daughters to know they must be responsible for their own decisions and that there are consequences to actions.

In another column entitled Shirley Temple's America is No More, the author wrote: "Today’s sneering secular audiences would reflexively dismiss the film [Bright Eyes] as Norman Rockwell-ish... What such cynics really mean is that the film isn’t sufficiently depraved for modern tastes. Shirley doesn’t pole dance or “twerk.” She doesn’t do a darling little strip tease for the boys while singing “Good Ship, Lollipop.”


That's the difference, apparently. The Miley Cyruses of the world are "empowered." The Shirley Temples are not. Abortions are empowering. Restraint is not.


I hate to break it to people, but women hold a unique position in society: they are capable of conceiving life. Therefore it behooves them to refrain from activities that result in being forced to make harsh decisions that will cause heartbreak no matter what.

I know feminists would love for women to be just like men, but we're not. Therefore I will "empower" my girls to understand that they hold the key to their future happiness in their own hands, and they need to make good choices (the essence of a simple life, if you recall) in order to live with as little heartbreak as possible.

Just some thoughts for Valentine's Day.

25 comments:

  1. It is a shame that many have become so dissatisfied with their lot and uniqueness as women (including nurturing and bearing children) that they would minimize those responsibilities in order to try and be like men. Needless to say it diminishes them.

    It is doubly sad that we are so cynical, and value life so little as to work as a society to extinguish it early. That is the case with abortion and it is becoming the case with euthanasia. Belgium now allows euthanizing children (as of this week). There is no recognized value to human life in much of Western culture.

    Here is the article from the BBC about the Belgium law.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26181615

    Lord have mercy.

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  2. I would be happy to let my grandchildren watch anything with Shirley Temple.Miley Cyrus however is not allowed in my home.She does not present a good example at all.

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  3. Patrice, Patrice, Patrice. Your article was preaching to this choir, but the photo of poor, disturbed Miley and Robin were not appreciated. Enough ugly pictures pop up on my computer screen as it is. Didn't need to see an example on Rural Revolution. I forgive you, since you must have been tired and posted it unthinkingly, but please....

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  4. Just as an aside, you can go to your local Dollar Store and buy 'girl scout cookies' for about a buck and a half. Look for the Clover Valley brand. ;)

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    1. No Kidding?? Honest? I'm so there.

      Just Me

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  5. It's always sobering to read things like this.

    It drips with the sneering, condescending self righteousness of a mindset that bears utter contempt for faith, values and anyone who holds them.

    It projects its own character and makes assertions that are baseless, untrue and irrationally hostile.

    What we see here is an unvarnished look at the kind of thinking that gives rise to the dehumanization of whole swaths of the population.

    We can ask the Jews or our native ancestors how that works.

    A. McSp

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  6. I have declined to sign my 7 year old up for Girl Scouts, although I may not have the strength of character to resist Thin Mints. Instead she will be participating in 4-H, where the Shooting Sports project teaches them (from 3rd grad on) the basics of shooting with air rifle, muzzleloader, shotgun, .22 and bow and arrow. She is also greatly excited about exhibiting in the Pet Kitty competition.

    --Mama Bear

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    1. You have the strength of character to resist Thin Mints, because there is a 3-ingredient recipe for a Thin Mint knockoff that is fast, easy, and apparently nearly indistinguishable from the real thing!

      I've been meaning to make these things. I miss Thin Mints. Here are two slightly different versions of the recipe:

      http://allrecipes.com/recipe/thin-mint-crackers/

      http://www.everyday-reading.com/2013/05/homemade-thin-mints.html

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  7. With regard to the parent's argument, I read the statement differently than you do. He/She appears to be saying that to deny the girl exposure to other "facts" is living in a cage and therefore not empowering. In other words, more information is better and therefore empowering to a young girl. Where this argument falls apart, though, is that when the Girl Scouts choose to associate with Planned Parenthood, organizationally, they lose independence. Unfortunately, PP is a hammer that views all female issues as the same nail. I wonder if this parent would be as thrilled if the Girl Scouts had, instead, aligned themselves with the Catholic Church?

    I do appreciate your juxtaposition of Shirley Temple with Miley Cyrus. It clearly shows how our culture has changed in little more than one generation.

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    1. I very much agree.

      That poor Miley Cyrus is a product of her childhood and parents. I believe she was sexually abused. She was allowed to find her own way, according to her father, because he trusted her judgment. She was about 14 when she was given her head. I think she is and was always looking for boundaries.

      Patrice, I do agree with your very sound advice to make good decisions. I doubt Miley ever got those words.

      I agree with empowerment of girls and women, but what some people call empowerment is an abdication of parental responsibilities. I guess you might say empowerment can mean different things to different people. PP would not be my first choice of an alliance.

      Did you know sweet little Shirley married at 17 and divorced her husband rather than "stand by her man" or acquiesce to religion that says divorce is a sin even if he is an alcoholic that violates all our notions of what a good man, a good husband, or a good father should be?

      Girls (or boys) who are empowered but given no basic directions are doomed to a life of unhappiness.

      What were the GS thinking?

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  8. Like most everything here in America,the Girl Scouts are in transition from a institution of good moral standards to just another planned parenthood outlet advocating sex,sex, and abortions if your meds fail you or you fail to use them.This radical shift has taken much of what America was,but it still has not taken the intelligence and moral compass of the majority of Americans. All these actions are planned strategies,cloven/ piven approved and the vile feds are the main power behind this thrust into debauchery. We can all sit here with our hands under our butts and do nothing or we can rise and take our nation back. These changes are just the beginning and if these changes made now chaff you, the ones coming over the horizon will give you a heart attack. Americans need to fight back. No excuses, we are all in the boiling frog pot.

    had enuff

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  9. I am not going to read the comments before I post, so forgive me if I repeat someone's comment.

    I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout in the 1970's. We sold cookies ourselves. Maybe we sold 50 boxes per girl if we were lucky. Now I feel like I am accosted whenever I enter a store during cookie season. I ask the girls to tell me the Girl Scout motto, and if they can I buy cookies. In the past decade, we have bought two boxes of cookies. How can they not know their own motto?

    As to the alliances of the organizations with planned parenthood and the likes~this is the takeover of our society. Every stone is unturned.

    Nothing is left to chance considering the agenda. This is truly a battle ongoing and there are only 2 sides. We are told things are for empowerment, but in truth it is for control.

    Jennifer

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  10. God's enormous gift of free will is not an excuse to act out. It's to be used wisely. It's a sacred agreement to choose right over wrong. (IMHO)

    The commenter on that Girl Scout article seems to want it both ways: To have girls exercise their free will but only if they choose an option that suits the commenter.

    I would hope the commenter understands that true free will exists when one realizes their options, without having any of them willfully withheld...by someone exercising THEIR free will in a malevolent way. (Bad mortal!)

    Boy, this gets complicated....

    Just Me

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  11. Well said. And agree and yet when it comes to my granddaughter I will absolutely buy her GS cookies. She is 9 and knows nothing of planned parenthood nor should she. But I can teach her about hard work and consequences for bad behavior. I can also share a cup of tea and a cookie with her when I do it. And when she's ready to choose the type of organizations she wants to work for I will do my best to steer her in the right direction.

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  12. The contrasting pictures of Shirley Temple and The Pig speak volumes. Such is the fruit of a nation that abandoned God.

    The Girl Scouts (and government schools) will be given access to our children when hell freezes over.

    We are looking forward to next weeks WND column...
    Montana Guy

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  13. Patrice…I think you may have misinterpreted some of what this writer said.

    They said:

    “You can't have "respect for self" while your self is locked in a cage with no options. You can't teach "respect for others" if you don't respect them enough to GIVE THEM ALL THE FACTS and let them make their own decisions.”

    This resonates with me. I am a care giver and I work with mentally challenged adults. One of the classes I recently took was about this very subject. The idea is that if they don’t want to do something, this allows me to casually TALK with them about consequences and how these actions will effect their lives, (totally empowering them to make their own decision and giving them the respect they deserve).

    It works!! I can get them to actually make it THEIR IDEA to do the right thing. I mean…..these words come out of their own mouth like it was always their idea. I do believe this is what they meant by God’s gift of “free will.”

    I used to love what John Wayne would say in a lot of his movies…….”Well, that isn’t what I would do, but you do what you think is right.”

    It is a very subtle way of guiding someone into doing the right thing…because once they make a decision on their own, it truly belongs to them. (better than the whip)!!

    Of course this doesn’t mean that a YOUNG child doesn’t need boundaries, but I think the writer is referring to young thinking minds that are at the age of reason trying to make decisions on their own.

    I believe everyone should know the facts and weigh the options before they decide. Why shouldn’t it be any different for young adults.?

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    1. I was one of the young adults that my parents said make your own way. The result was a life of misery, my life had no bounderies. I got my guidance from magazines, TV and movies. I learned sex out of marriage was ok and good, abortion was ok, because you must self actualize. I learned that there was no real right and wrong, if it felt good then DO IT. These are the things that PP promote. We must not leave our children to their own devices we must teach and quide them in the way of the Lord. A person cannot travel down two roads at the same type. You have to choose. And if you don't teach your children to stay on the right road then someone will come along and make sure they guide your kid on the wrong road. It really is that simple.

      Parents need to start fighting for their children and stop being so permissive. If you won't take the reins of your child's life then this ungodly society will. I wish I had parents that loved me enough to not let me fumble through childrenhood with no guide post.

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  14. I hadn't seen any photos/videos of Ms. Cyrus "dancing." I have to say, it was rather startling to see as I scrolled through this blog posting! Yuck.

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    1. I haven't seen any either. I'm protecting my eyes.

      Just Me

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  15. As most of you know, this ungodly and disgusting behavior didn't just begin. It actually started many years ago. Taking the Bible and prayer out of schools, the "free love" movement in the 60's, embracing homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortions as a form of birth control, women climbing the corporate ladder and leaving the child/children in day care, allowing public/government schools to indoctrinate instead of educate, etc. has slowly brought us to where we are now. The "miley's" acting like animals is just a result of that and nothing new. Simply leaving God out of the equation has grave consequences. Obeying His Word takes a lot more than going to a building every Sunday; it's a way of life and that oftentimes takes two parents. If your widowed, there are other options. It's many little things, but we live in a godless society that praises single motherhood, divorce, and so many other sins that God warns us about. Homeschooling, marriage, wholesomeness, Christians are being attacked daily. It's the end times and we have to be ready and protect our children and just do what Gods Word tells us. I feel sorry for Miley and hope she repents and comes to the knowledge of her Creator that created her in His image. So sad that she's come to this level. One day, every knee shall bow. Patrice, I thank God for you and pray for your protection (and your family) and blessings every day. Stay strong and focused on His priniciples and you'll see how He will continually bless you, Don and your lovely daughters in every way. Have a blessed and productive week..Alicia (east Texas homesteader)

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  16. Hey there is not mention about what the Bilbles saids. That it is
    not good for a man to touch a women. 1st Cor 7:1 and I think that
    in Tim a women should be modest.And I would go so far as a man should not even hold hands with a girl. It saids not to touch.
    Any way
    blessings
    Debby

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  17. hey first of all what about the Bible saying that a man should not
    touch a women peorid. ! cor 7:1 A guy should not even hold a
    girls hand. Do not touch means just that do not touch. And a guy wrote that beleive it nor not. And later in the epistles I think that it
    saids that a women should dress modestly.
    No I do not agree with the Lady Ga-Ga of the worlds. But we are
    in the world but not part of it.
    Blessings
    Debby

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  18. Yes Debby, I totally agree. Women should be modest in their dressing and that's a rare thing to see nowadays; especially amongst our youth. It would be nice if they would JUST hold holds; but that seems to also be a thing of the past. It would be nice if the parents picked the groom or the grooms parents asking the brides parents for the hand in marriage just because he like what he sees and the parents see that the young man will provide for the daughter. To be unequally yolked seems to be the norm nowadays. Thank God there are still Patrice and Don Lewis' out there. Lady gaga, madonna and the other ungodly women in entertainment are of this world, but we can't afford to be a part of it even though we live in this world. We are to remain separate and the 'salt' of the earth. It's not that easy many times but that's why we "believer's" have to stay in the Word daily and on our knees interceding for all believers and just try to stay focused on what's glorifies God. Philippians 3 (the entire chapter) We have to stick together and stand on His Word. Blessings your way..Alicia

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  19. I have always been baffled by the notion that girls need organizations like PP to give them "all the facts" or empower them to make their own choices. Parents/ guardians and a young woman's doctor are just as capable of helping her understand cause and effect and her options.

    Growing up in a Christian home, I had just as many "options" to get free condoms at school, sleep around, and otherwise compromise myself as my peers - I just chose not to because loving adults in my life helped me understand early on that doing so was a bad idea.

    As someone who was a Girl Scout from most of my young life, I find it tragic that modern scouting has fallen so far. Where we used to go camping and learn basic, functional (but fun) stills, modern scouts have had all of their activities rewritten so that scouting is now just a rehash of all the same nonsense they get bombarded with at school about the necessity of women becoming leaders, going into STEM careers, etc. Talk about not having any choices!

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  20. I'm sorry, but I disagree with your interpretation of the comment. While I think how her point was presented was rather inflammatory and confrontational - there are portions that do have a point. And I don't think anything suggested that we don't teach our children anything at all.

    Teaching about sex, STIs, and birth control does not HAVE to encourage pre-marital sex just like solely teaching no sex before marriage will always have that result.

    Feminism is supposed to be for equal rights and treatment of both men and women (not just women getting certain things/not getting certain things), but because of the history with a few radicals throughout history the purpose of the movement has been distorted...unfortunately.

    Planned Parenthood has its "Pros" and "Cons", like any organization does - and the support you give is up to you and your family and I'm not saying you should or shouldn't...


    I would like to ask - in the comparison to Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus - it seems that you only old Miley responsible for a rather disgusting performance from both of them. Him mostly for his song about rape and his fondling of a young woman on stage when he is (was) married - and her for thinking she needs to bare all and act outrageous to get attention. But why put all the blame on Miley?

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