Stick a Fork in Me, I'm Done

I would like to take this opportunity to talk to any of the young women who read my blog and felt inspired by what I've written. This will be my last post.

I started this blog as a lark. I write short stories in my spare time and I was snowed in. Hence, "In Loving Submission." If you are a fundie to whom my little blurb sounded like something you wanted to read, I feel for you. I really do. I'm stopping the joke because real people are getting really upset and I think it's time to make myself known.

Yes, it's a joke. It's an over the top joke. But the sentiment is posted in countless blogs all over the internet. There are actually women who subscribe to this lifestyle in some way: submissive, modest, purity, feminine arts, etc. There are countless women who have been kept undereducated, unskilled, under a man's thumb, whether it be their father or their husband. They believe their sole purpose is to birth a multitude of little children to "train up in the Lord," i.e. teach girls to perpetuate the same cycle over and over again and teach little boys they will one day have dominion over the women in their lives.

There is no Prince Charming. You are not princesses. You do not live in a fairy tale. There are only men and woman who are trying the best they can to live good lives. What you should want is not a man to rescue you from spinsterhood or someone to protect you but you should want a man who values your mind and soul. You should want a man who wants you to be more than a submissive doormat. Real men to do not need to rule the roost, they need a partner. A well-educated, intelligent, outspoken partner who is interested in building a life with someone, hand in hand. Real men are not threatened by women who have minds of their own, who are intelligent and capable.

Did you really think it was appropriate for a husband to "correct" his wife? Correct her spelling, yes, correct her behavior, no. Where does this come from??? A husband and wife should be partners. Yes, they should disagree and talk and come to compromises. Under no circumstances should the wife be a child to be corrected. A husband is NOT a substitute father.

Get an education. There are plenty of online programs that you can do between breastfeeding and cooking. Your husband may not be around forever to support you and if you have a multitude of children you owe it to them to be able to support them. There is no excuse for having children YOU can't support. The most loving thing you can do for your children is to have an education which does NOT include "Biblical Science" but instead includes critical thought.

Get on the pill. I don't care what Michelle Duggar says. It doesn't cause abortions. Use your common sense. The female body is not supposed to birth child after child after child. Respect your body enough to give it a break. Mother the children you have.

In that vein, quit foisting your motherly duties off onto your daughters. You bred them, you raise them. I don't care if Rebekah or Ruth just loves babies; these are not their babies. Their babies are way into the future. Let your daughters get an education, let them think, breathe, and develop their own personalities. No matter what you do you may have a daughter who doesn't really want to be a mother and you know what? That's okay! Not every woman is destined to have twelve children in a shoebox of a house.

More importantly, figure out who you are and what you want - don't rely on what you've been taught to guide you. The most important reason to have higher education is to develop critical thought. That one trait will save you time and time again in the real world.

In case anyone is interested, I'm a single atheist. I wrote every single one of these posts in a single day. I simply regurgitated every single bromide of fundie thought I knew. Which only proves that none of you fundies think for yourself, you simply parrot the party line.

I do want to apologize to my Catholic readers. I was pretty sure that you were all in on the joke so I played along. If anyone was truly offended, I apologize. I have the utmost respect for your faith.

Big props to my peeps at Free Jinger for figuring it out so quickly and then joining in the fun by playing along. I hope it was entertaining - I thought it might be a fun diversion for us.

In fundie fun,
Gizmola