My mother is stopping by the Christian Broadcasting Network

[Ladyhawk]

on her way home.

I had an instant, negative visceral reaction to this news...ugh! Am I weird?

She raised two kids, neither of which believes in god. I don't know if she knows the horrible truth about my brother yet. She's been threatening to do missionary work in Mexico. I wish she wouldn't mess with the poor Mexicans. :( Isn't it enough that she messed up her kids with that crazy fundy hogwash?

And yes, she's a member of the Christian Coalition, loves Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. I swear, I must have hatched from someone else's egg.

I love her, but she drives me crazy. I can't understand why she continues to buy into that hateful religion. :(

[Ilsa]

I'm sorry, Ladyhawk.

Maybe the Mexicans will send her home.

[nini]

1. She should go to Mexico...

Maybe she'll get a dose of what being poor is really like and see how Americans aren't far behind.

[Ladyhawk]

6. Well, she's into the idea that the US is the greatest nation on earth

and that if you're poor in the US, it's your own damn fault. She makes allowances for me (at least superficially). At times it's been apparent that she thinks it's my own damn fault. Once I took her with me into counseling and she spent the entire time lambasting me, saying what an awful, ungrateful hellspawn I am. That opened my eyes. I never really know what she's really thinking. Our family was trained to never say how we really felt about anything. That one time at the counselor's and various other times of "stress" have shown me that she really doesn't regard me very highly.

[elehhhhna]

2. Does she speak Spanish? That would be helpful.

it coud be an eye-opening experience for her. My sis made my Mom help her once at a women's shelter and it slapped Mom into reality for at least 15 minutes. lol

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Well I suppose on the up side there's no way they could brainwash her

even more. :(

:hug:

[Ladyhawk]

4. Good point, that. :)

I used to be that brainwashed, but I found my own mind. My mother's too old to change, I think. It would be a horrible revelation to endure. Maybe the trick is to see it not as wasted time, but as part of a learning experience. I need to apply that to my own life, I think; otherwise I would consider most of my life wasted. The pain of betrayal, the health problems: If I could look at it as a learning experience, it would help a lot. :)

I've decided it isn't my responsibility to educate my mother. First of all, she's told me she doesn't want to hear it. Secondly, because of my depressive disorder, she doesn't take me seriously. No one who knows about the mental issues takes me seriously, so there's no sense in saying anything. :shrug: I mean, I'm sane. It's just they think anyone who has depressive disorders, PTSD, etc. must not have any answers. They never take into consideration the possibility that restrictive, harsh religion played a part in creating the problem. :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Oh! I am in the same boat! My hubby doesn't take me seriously

for the same reasons. :hugs:

[Ladyhawk]

9. That sucks.

If I can ever get to the point where I can function on my own, I want to move to a community where I am not known and start over. I'm tired of not being taken seriously. :cry: I'm not crazy. I'm a very intelligent and talented woman. I can reason for myself and I'm not afraid to look for truth whatever it might be. Very few people have made it out of the "from birth" fundy brainwashing camp. I did. That is worth something in and of itself.

Just surviving with depression or some other mental illness is something to be proud of. Taking steps to heal oneself is something to be proud of. :) I'm sure you're doing these things, too! It's those who don't acknowledge their illnesses who have the worst problems of all. Look at the chimp. He thinks he's been chosen by god. The guy is a total nutcase and he's convinced other nutcases to follow without question. They are much sicker than those who acknowledge an illness and seek treatment.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. I think starting over might be a good idea for you. I hope you can

make that happen someday. :)

And I agree, it is really something to get out of fundyville and survive a mental illness too! :hug:

[specimenfred1984]

5. Her Mental Illness Isn't Your Fault

and if you're beyond your early 20s, they're little chance you'll become mentally ill. Even if you did, like in a rare circumstance of being lost in a jungle for months or being severly traumatized, you would still have a great chance of recovery.

The worst type of mental illness is early-onset mental illness. My guess is your relative was affected at an early age. They are very difficult to treat so don't feel like you've failed either.

[Ladyhawk]

7. Well, I have suffered from mental illness.

The problem is this: The sickest people won't admit they're mentally ill. Either that or they really don't know!

My mental problems came (at least partially) from being raised in such a weird-ass, restrictive environment. I was physically, sexually and "spiritually" abused. The funny thing is, I'm seen as the one with the problems. :D I admit my problems. I am working to overcome them.

[frazzledmom]

11. Too bad you can't choose your family like you

can your friends. I've seen you around here for a long time Ladyhawk, you have always struck me as intelligent and articulate. Being seen as the "one with the problem" is actually a good sign these days. As screwed up and backwards as everything is I'd be worried if the fundies and neo's thought I was "normal". To quote one of my favorites:

"Learn to let go of the things we love we must." -Yoda

Your family may be nuts sweetie, but your friends are all right here for you :hug:

-Walldude posting on the wife's 'puter

[Ladyhawk]

14. (((((((((((((( walldude )))))))))))))

We really must get together and do some computer gaming someday. My current PC is a mammoth. It's not quite a dinosaur yet. We're talking Pleistocene, here, not Mesozoic. :D It will still do most tasks, but lately I've run into some regular apps it won't run, let alone games! When I upgrade, we should game. :) (I am remembering you correctly as a gamer, right???)

[KharmaTrain]

10. Sometimes I Think Religion Can Be A Regressive Disease

As one sees the end of their days coming closer, the thoughts of "what's gonna happen to me" seem to get louder. This appears to be the case in those who've been indoctrinated with a lot of "hell and brimstone" religious upbringing. The childhood freight of a hell with nothing but fire and evil monsters manifests over the years and is preyed upon by charlatans like Robertson. This isn't exclusive to Christianity, since I've seen it with my Jewish relatives as well. As they aged, they needed a comfort that only their faith would provide.

I can understand your reaction and the balancing act you have to do emotionally and to keep peace. I think it was Tom Leykis who said unlike your sex or race, you are not born of a specific religion. No one has a Catholic or Muslim or Wacko Baptist gene...it's indoctrinated from birth and deliberately so. Religions haven't stayed in business for as long as they have if they didn't hit 'em young and grab 'em when they're old.

As a couple others have chimed in, I don't think it'd be such a bad thing for her to spend a good three months in rural Mexico. Look what elderly missionary work did for Miss Lillian Carter.

Peace...

[Ezlivin]

13. It's too bad she can't see the "work" they are doing around the globe

If she could travel to some of the places that Robertson, Falwell, et all have claimed they've aided through their charitable works, she'd quickly form a new opinion of the gang.

Or perhaps a visit to Robertson's diamond mine would be in order. I'm sure the workers there could testify as to Pat's righteousness.