Who's Number 1

Wade Burleson posted a quote by John Calvin concerning women:

"As far as the external connections and social propriety are concerned, the man takes his lead from Christ, and the woman from the man, so that they do not stand on the same level, but this inequality exists ... Because he is made subject to Christ and that includes the condition that he take first place in the control of the household and its affairs. For in his home the father of the family is like a king... The man is in authority, and the woman is in subjection to him ... In I Tim. 2:12 he debars women from speaking in church altogether ... because of the pre-eminence which God has given to the man, so that he might be superior to the woman ... The woman took her origin from the man, and that therefore she has a lower standing ... The woman was created for the express purpose of greatly enriching the man's life ... Paul looks higher, viz. to the eternal law of God, which had made the female sex subject to the authority of men. Therefore all women are born to submit to the pre-eminence of the male sex ... Let the man therefore carry out his function as the head, having supremacy over her; let the woman perform her function as the body, giving help to him ... Let the woman be content in her position for subjection, and not feel indignant because she has to play second fiddle to the superior sex"(translated by John W. Frazer, Eerdmans, 1996, pp. 229ff.).

Not surprising coming from a man who had Michael Servetus burned at the stake for disagreeing with him and set up a theological police state in Geneva he thought to be heaven on Earth.

The biggest problem with the Moral Mafia is that Calvin's Commentaries are how they interpret the Bible. Earlier versions of Calvinist's hanged and burned those who disagreed with them right here in the New World. Puritans were Calvinists, and their oppressive and repugnant behavior in the 1600 and 1700's led to the first amendment's two clauses prohibiting a state sponsored church and restrictions on worship.

The chosen frozen inserted this version of Calvin's doctrine into the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message Statement: Section XVIII The Family

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Bold face mine, used for emphasis.

At least in this day and age the Moral Mafia recognize equality of salvation, just not equality in marriage.

Charles Dickens had a take on this thought in his book Oliver Twist. When the orphanage director was told that he could go to jail for the theft of a locket his wife had taken, because he was by law to control his wife. The man replies: "Then the law is a bachelor."

The passive/aggressive response is: If Momma's not happy, nobody's happy.

There are only a couple of ways that Calvin's and the 2000 BFM view of a marriage can become a reality:

1. The man becomes a tyrant. There are many ways a spouse, as women can play this game too, exerts control over the other person: refusing to let the wife work outside the home, learning to drive, keeping her pregnant and raising numerous children, breaking all ties with family and friends, being jealous if she so much as looks at another person, constantly putting her down as ugly, stupid, incompetent and lastly sexual and physical abuse. If you follow Calvin and The BFM to its logical conclusion women are to be treated like children and kept dependent all their lives either by their father or husband. In essence they are property. Not all men use religion to justify being tyrants, but I don't believe God approves of this behavior because it deprives the woman of the one thing God has instilled in all humans: Free Will.

2. Brainwashing. Ever seen at the blank stare of the women taken out of polygamous cults? Homeschool young men and women to believe this is God's will, cocoon them from the rest of society and they won't know there is another way.

The Bible does have one word that describes marriage better than the dictates of Calvin. That word is "helpmeet." The couple, as single sex couples would apply here too, help meet each others needs. It's not top down in structure it's team work. Anyone who's been a parent and worked as a team with three o'clock feedings and changing diapers understands this. Someone in a marriage of men's work/women's work cannot understand first the joy of those feedings and bonding with the child while they are helpless and the love and respect a woman feels for the man helping her. If all the man's job is to bring home the bacon and her job is to take care of the kids; the love and respect is gone as she's just a servant and he's only a walking wallet.

Living with another person for forty or fifty years is bloody hard work. Making those years mostly happy and fulfilling instead of pure torture works if: The woman truly admires and respects her husband. The problem here is that this is not a "God given responsibility" it has to be earned, not demanded or taken. The only way in a long term relationship that a woman will admire and respect her husband is if he admires and respects her. It's reciprocal. Its equality not dominant/submissive or divinely imposed. They willingly meet each other's needs

In The Garage

The weather is getting cooler, but still nice with Grinnygranny at work the garage is empty so yesterday I opened up the outer door, set up the computer and tried to work on my writing. I actually got quite a bit done, but then Daniel went out to wait for the school bus and everyone in the house thought it was nice out there too and that shot down any more work. Still while the weather's this nice I'll be spending more time out there.

I have a guilty secret to confess. I've started watching Ally McBeal. When it was on the network I never bothered with it. Some of the episodes are rather blah or only have one good laugh, but the one with Barry Manilow had me laughing the whole show. Another episode was a three hanky tear jerker. It's nice that they're still around to be seen.

Jumbled Thoughts

Was given a link to this site by a friend, Astronomy picture of the day, it's awesome.

It's nice that Wade Burleson is back to blogging, though it does get him into trouble. His post here is the best explanation I've encountered that deals with Paul's statement about women being silent in the church.

It's greatly appreciated that Michael Manning has his computer back and is posting comments again. It's nice to have someone respond to what I say. He posted an interview with David M. Bailey that is interesting and heart wrenching. Our prayers go with him.

Visited Steve (attorney I work for) in the hospital yesterday, he had hip repair surgery and is going home today. All seems to be going well.

I've started my new story, it's really raw right now, but I'm back into my imagination and it feels great.

A Sad State Of The Fair

Two days the booth has been manned with few sales. My novel has been looked at but no takers. Sunday is my turn to sit or stand there as people walk by mostly trying to ignore what we're selling, books. They'll stop and look at jewelry, sit for ten or more minutes to have a cariacature made, stand in line so their kids can ride a pony for five minutes. We have children's activity books, coloring books, picture books, but the parents aren't interested. A five minute pony ride is more valuable to them than something that they can take home and use as many times as they like, but that would mean having to read to their children or get the child to put down the remote long enough to look at the book.
One of the activity books in the booth is about dinosaurs. The author decided to write a children's book about dinosaurs that was scientifically acurate. Not one person was interested as we were surrounded by children all day.
Maybe we're the dinosaurs. Books have become quaint reminders of a bygone era. Today all people do is twitter in abbreviations.
Dave coordinated the booth for three days the other nine authors were there one day, but all of our books were displayed. I didn't make a sale. What I salvaged was trading one of my books and a plastic canvas notepad that Grinnygranny makes for one of theirs.
Lisa has a picture book about Spiderwoman based on the Navajo legend. Daniel my grandson should like it.
Lee has a cookbook. He's developed a mild chile seasoning and the book comes with two 3oz tins of the spice. The recipe that caught my interest was green chile chicken lasagna. When I brought it home wife, daughter and daughter-in-law looked all through it and I think they're planning on trying some of them out.
I'd already bought the anthology that Dave has a short story in, but he sells a number of fantasy anthologies for his publisher so I got another one of those books. Auntypesty is reading it and will give it to her brother when she's done.
Right after Optimus was published I had a book signing at the Fair Plaza Hastings. A gentleman came in who bought a copy way back when. It was nice chatting with someone who has read the book, still remembers it three years later and enjoyed it. He has a manuscript and I told him to e-mail it to me. I'd do a peer review for him. I hope he does.
I gave a copy of my next novel to last month's speaker at W2W and I hope tonight if she's there she'll have kind words about it.
I watched a program about Yellowstone and what would happen if it erupted, which is does about every six hundred thousand years. It's been six hundred and fourty thousand years since the last eruption. You never know what crazy thing you come across that is the seed of inspiration. While watching the show a story came to me, and I'm planning starting on it. Tentative title: After It Hits The Fan.

State Fair

Took my books to the State Fair last night. It was crazy with everyone setting up their booths. It starts today. Ten authors have joined together for a booth. My books are there but I won't sell at the booth until Sunday. It'll take selling four books just to pay for the booth fee. With the traffic that's expected it's my best chance at good sales.

Another signing

Went back up to the Tesuque flea market. Sold two of my books and one of Anne's. Paid for the booth and gas to go up and back. I have another book signing at the State Fair this weekend. I'll only be there to sign books on Sunday, but the books will be on display Friday and Saturday. There's ten of us going in together for the booth and we all can't be there at once. I was hoping that Anne and her husband would come down, but they can't. Somehow I'll have to get some green chile up to her.

On a sadder note. Today was Don Watley's funeral, president of Albuquerque Teachers Federation for many years. He and Mom butted heads quite often when she was president of the secretaries union, but they worked together for many years trying to get decent wages and working conditions for APS employees. Seems fitting that it would be during Labor Day weekend.