I borrowed this book from the library and forgot to write it up. Probably finished the first or second week of November.
I loved the book and was most surprised (outraged!) that 'Purity' was funded by taxes as a viable 'birth control message'. This foolishness is the, " Just Say No' of the 90's and early 2000's. And, studies prove that people that use the 'Purity' method (abstinence) have no discernable difference between people who don't use any kind of birth control.
I was also pleased to see that although kids are exposed to far more about sex than people of other eras, however they know absolutely nothing more about the actual facts of sex and babies than people who were not exposed to Internet sex.
From a woman who has been there and back, the first inside look at the devastating effects evangelical Christianity’s purity culture has had on a generation of young women—in a potent combination of journalism, cultural commentary, and memoir.
In the 1990s, a “purity industry” emerged out of the white evangelical Christian culture. Purity rings, purity pledges, and purity balls came with a dangerous message: girls are potential sexual “stumbling blocks” for boys and men, and any expression of a girl’s sexuality could reflect the corruption of her character. This message traumatized many girls—resulting in anxiety, fear, and experiences that mimicked the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—and trapped them in a cycle of shame.
From the book's page at amazon-
"This is the sex education Linda Kay Klein grew up with.
Fearing being marked a Jezebel, Klein broke up with her high school boyfriend because she thought God told her to, and took pregnancy tests though she was a virgin, terrified that any sexual activity would be punished with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. When the youth pastor of her church was convicted of sexual enticement of a twelve-year-old girl, Klein began to question the purity-based sexual ethic. She contacted young women she knew, asking if they were coping with the same shame-induced issues she was. These intimate conversations developed into a twelve-year quest that took her across the country and into the lives of women raised in similar religious communities—a journey that facilitated her own healing and led her to churches that are seeking a new way to reconcile sexuality and spirituality.
Sexual shame is by no means confined to evangelical culture; Pure is a powerful wake-up call about our society’s subjugation of women."
Also, these people believe that 'Christian woman cannot be raped'. If she is raped, this proves that she really wasn't a very good Christian. How was she dressed? Why was she there? Why did she not conceal her sexuality? or Why did she flaunt it?
Men are not part of the 'rape equation'. Women are responsible for controlling their sexual wiles, and if this turns on men to the point that the men can't control themselves, then this is the fault of the women.
Also, women are expected to put on a 'happy face', regardless of how they really feel. 24/7 they are kind of like ambassadors of the Christian Faith, and it is extremely bad form to appear to be 'down' or depressed.
The author was suffering from Crohn's disease and it wasn't until she relocated to Australia did she receive a proper diagnosis. She just kept a 'happy face' during all of her very real pain.
Young girls are expected to have absolutely No Physical Contact with their boyfriends until after they are married.
"A lamb during the daytime, and a tiger at night (ind bed)". Obviously, there is no switch that can be turned on, and this is a ridiculously in-human view of sexuality.
The book was completely absorbing and compelling and I wish I owned a copy.
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