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2eclipsein minnesota again.
with not a whole lot more resolution than when i left. dealing with the family was not as difficult as i feared, my one aunt mostly behaved herself. i got some good time to talk to my folks and my cousin michael, who i haven't seen since i was 12 and with whom i have much in common. also got to chat a lot with my second cousin cynthia who is vagely nuts, but in a completely delightful sort of way. and she's an anthropologist, so of course she's interesting.
the service itself was questionable. i had theological reservations about the pastor, who made a few good points and tried very hard, but clearly had not kept up with the latest in exciting methodist theology. the siblings had squabbled over how they were going to put together what they were going to say and who was going to say what, but it seemed to work out alright. my cousin skyler spoke with great poise and dignity about his love for our grandpa.
i also got to meet the resident crazy in our family - a "christian" preacher so fundamentatlist that the fundamentalists hate him who runs a sort of cult of personality and has gained notariety for his willingness to stand behind ideas which he has no ability to back up scripturally(to say nothing of rationally). for those of you who really want to be scared by his ridiculousness, abandon all hope ye who enter here.
i actually spoke to him. i couldn't resist. for me, fundamentalist baiting is a bit like bear-baiting. and i BEHAVED myself! didn't bring up gay rights or abortion or feminism or any of the things for which i am surely going to hell. he offensively told me about the book he gave to my father (who is pretty scornful of it) and that my father could EXPLAIN it to me (and by the way that's some GALL to be passing crap like that out at my grandpa's funeral)!!!! at which point i told him i had MY OWN seminary degree. after which i was peppered with all manner of questions regarding my faith - which apparently i passed with flying colors. he actually APPROVED of me!! it was very amusing to me but also doubt that i am any kind of good xian if i could get along with him in a room for 5 minutes. in my ideal universe my mom and i are God's answer to people like him and beat them down with dildos when they try to beat people with faith instead of letting them make their own choices and find God gracefully in their own way.
today i am tired.
and i managed to stretch my back in a way that made a crunching sound this morning and which now sends shooting pain along my spine, temporariliy disabling my ability to breath every time i move my head or arms the "wrong way. suck.
i'm very glad it's friday. i was going to go to a cabaret with susan tonight, but i think i will cancel in light of back pain.
with not a whole lot more resolution than when i left. dealing with the family was not as difficult as i feared, my one aunt mostly behaved herself. i got some good time to talk to my folks and my cousin michael, who i haven't seen since i was 12 and with whom i have much in common. also got to chat a lot with my second cousin cynthia who is vagely nuts, but in a completely delightful sort of way. and she's an anthropologist, so of course she's interesting.
the service itself was questionable. i had theological reservations about the pastor, who made a few good points and tried very hard, but clearly had not kept up with the latest in exciting methodist theology. the siblings had squabbled over how they were going to put together what they were going to say and who was going to say what, but it seemed to work out alright. my cousin skyler spoke with great poise and dignity about his love for our grandpa.
i also got to meet the resident crazy in our family - a "christian" preacher so fundamentatlist that the fundamentalists hate him who runs a sort of cult of personality and has gained notariety for his willingness to stand behind ideas which he has no ability to back up scripturally(to say nothing of rationally). for those of you who really want to be scared by his ridiculousness, abandon all hope ye who enter here.
i actually spoke to him. i couldn't resist. for me, fundamentalist baiting is a bit like bear-baiting. and i BEHAVED myself! didn't bring up gay rights or abortion or feminism or any of the things for which i am surely going to hell. he offensively told me about the book he gave to my father (who is pretty scornful of it) and that my father could EXPLAIN it to me (and by the way that's some GALL to be passing crap like that out at my grandpa's funeral)!!!! at which point i told him i had MY OWN seminary degree. after which i was peppered with all manner of questions regarding my faith - which apparently i passed with flying colors. he actually APPROVED of me!! it was very amusing to me but also doubt that i am any kind of good xian if i could get along with him in a room for 5 minutes. in my ideal universe my mom and i are God's answer to people like him and beat them down with dildos when they try to beat people with faith instead of letting them make their own choices and find God gracefully in their own way.
today i am tired.
and i managed to stretch my back in a way that made a crunching sound this morning and which now sends shooting pain along my spine, temporariliy disabling my ability to breath every time i move my head or arms the "wrong way. suck.
i'm very glad it's friday. i was going to go to a cabaret with susan tonight, but i think i will cancel in light of back pain.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-17 05:44 pm (UTC)dealing with family at funerals can be stressful... I remember it being awkward at my grandfather's funeral.. it sounds like you handled yourself well though, and I hope your back gets better soon!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-20 02:33 pm (UTC):O
I haven't seen "cabbage patch" in person in almost 20 years, but even MY family thought he was nuts.
That didn't stop him from gaining a foothold in a few of the churches my family went to. Ankle-length dresses with high collars, anyone?
The whole "research the sins of birth parents before adopting because sins are carried in DNA" thing was out there too.
Complete Autocrat.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-20 03:07 pm (UTC)deeply, deeply crazy.
i can't express how sorry i am that you actually know who he is. i posted the link as something for people to laugh at, not be traumatized-by-the-memory-of.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-20 03:10 pm (UTC)my grandfather, God rest his soul, wanted to keep peace with them even though they stole a bunch of land from him.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-20 11:05 pm (UTC)I mean, how can you NOT laugh at a guy who preached that signing the paper that came with your cabbage patch doll was breaking the first commandment and that having your kids promise to "love" a doll meant that they would never be able to or want to have their own godly family full of real souls.
uhh let's see, what else... the guy thinks you need to perform exorcisms on your DNA after finding out all the sins of your ancestors and that divorce is never ever okay under any circumstances unless you're a jew because Matthew 19:9 is only about jewish betrothal, OH! and women shouldn't work outside the home and you should buy your house with one single payment of cash (can you even DO that?).
He verbally condemned Bill Gaither and Sandy Patti for being for making corruptive music that was too "Contemporary" for the Body of Christ and therefore responsible for leading astray the souls of our youth. Nothing like "if the beat falls on 2 and 4, it's 'of the devil'".
He also has this amazing ability to yank a snip of a passage and ignore everything around it. Some of his failures at exegesis are the stuff of legend among the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church.
He's right up there on the crazy charts with Benny Hinn and the "Holy Ghost Enema". I shouldn't laugh so hard, but it's REALLY hard for me to grasp that these people can possibly be serious about the ridiculous words that are coming out of their mouths despite the fact that they really, truly are quite serious.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-21 01:52 pm (UTC)the one thing that DOES have some basis in scripture is the buying-your-house with one payment. believe it or not there ARE xians - not even necessarily fundamentalist ones - who do this. they live with their folks and save until they have enough - and they live in parts of the country where it is possible. but scripture does have admonitions against borrowing. it is a matter of how you interpret the NT statements about the law no longer applying. some people say that it is only the food laws that no longer apply and some people interpret things more broadly.
it's actually odd how much of law in the US is based on hebrew law. did you know we have a jubilee law? if you don't pay ANY of a debt for seven years, it is completely wiped away. this is an old jewish tradition that every seven years all debts are forgiven.