Do you ever find that a few of your favorite authors keep quoting the same guy over and over? I do. This guy, Tony Campolo, is always being quoted by some of my favorite authors. Dennis and I had a conversation a few months back about being students of authors and speakers we admire, and his name came up. Dennis found this video today, and we watched it together. I was really moved and wanted to share it with you guys. It may be a little controversial, but it's also incredibly convicting. I'm trusting that you will watch with open hearts and open minds.
Click the link below to watch the video.
Tony Campolo on Politics and the Church
Did you do it? Are your toes hurting from being stepped on? Mine are. Ouchies.
Thoughts?
Showing posts with label social justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social justice. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
"Half the Sky" book response
Well, I'm proud of myself. I finished a book this month! It's hard for me to find time to read these days. Or maybe I should say I don't make time to read. I'm a firm believer that you have all the time you need to do what's important to you - although I often have to remind myself.
Anyways, this is not a soapbox post, so I'll step down now. :)
I'm especially proud because I finished reading Half the Sky and I'm halfway through Half the Church. I'm so glad, too, because it deals with such a new subject for me and I'd like to read through it twice. More about that later on.
Half the sky was a really informative read. It's no news that women are often the most oppressed demographic in developing countries. Half the Sky discusses issues like maternal mortality rates, honor killings, child brides, and many others. I've been reading so much about suffering and oppression over the last several months that I didn't think this book had much new to offer in the way of eye-opening information.
In the latter chapters, though, my mindset was really challenged. The books I've read previously (Not for Sale and Orphanology) were written by Christians, with a Christian worldview. Half the Sky is, as far as I could tell, not written by professing Christians. They are very fair, pointing out situations where religion is helpful, but also places where it is used to oppress women. A few times I found that they used Biblical scripture out of context, trying to show how Christianity is oppressive to women. Then again, at times in history, others have misread scripture and Christians have oppressed womens. It does still happen today, but I know that the heart of the gospel message is not oppressive to anyone and there is no biblical basis for oppressing women.
There is a whole chapter that seems to be advocating providing abortions for women in poverty stricken areas, which I don't find to be the best answer, especially for women who find good health care hard to find in the case of complications. I'm sure these authors have never heard of post abortion stress, a form of post traumatic stress disorder affecting at least 80% of women who've had an abortion.
Don't get lost in the sections you disagree with, though. There is so much more to be gained, particularly, I think, from the passages I found somewhat uncomfortable.
This book definitely has a feminist tilt to it. (Keep reading please, even if you're offended! Hopefully you'll feel better by the end!)
You see, I am a somewhat stereotypical old fashioned kind of woman. The idea of being barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen sounds like a good day to me.
I might even make my husband a "sammich" while I'm in there.
*Gasp*
I am fortunate to have a husband that respects me and believes in me, and I'm part of a church that respects women and what they have to offer in ministry. I'm never made to feel like I'm less competent than a man or that it's my job to be at home serving my family. It's just what I find fulfilling; it's what I want to do. So, I am a stay at home mom. I'm thankful to have such an opportunity.
To be honest, I've always gotten the message that a good christian wife does those things, but I never really spent a lot of time questioning it because it was where I wanted to be anyway. When the discussion came up, I always said that each woman had to decide what was best for her situation.
I never really admitted (to myself or others) that I thought that 99% of women should probably be stay at home moms, and that men are almost always better at leadership/in the workplace than women.
Ohmygoodness, I sound so backwards right now. I'm still thinking through all of this, so bear with me if I come of as offensive or unclear.
Half the Sky makes so many points that made me pause. Ideas such as -
- women are statistically much more likely to spend their income to benefit their families, whereas men are more likely to spend it on personal items like alcohol (This information comes from cultures in which women are not only kept from working, but also aren't valued for their opinions on how income is spent)
- a government in which women are allowed positions of leadership is more balanced in perspective than one that is 100% male. Men and women often bring different strengths to the table.
- educated women are more likely to stay close to home and benefit their area, whereas men are more likely to move to a better area with more opportunities
- educated women raise educated children
- a society that values its women is usually much less violent than one dominated by male thought
Not that I was ever against women in politics or the workplace, and goodness knows I'm all for educating women, but I just never thought that putting women in leadership and/or the workplace was the answer to any problems. I felt that they should be in the home investing in the family.
While I was pondering all of these new ideas, one question kept running through my mind, though.
"Who is taking care of the children?"
Yes, children go to school and Dad can help out with the kids, but many of these stories involve women with demanding careers who travel abroad to complete their education, or women who run very busy ministries and aid organizations.
I haven't quite worked out how it all gets done.
I'm so glad that my friend recommended Half the Church, because it not only helps me wrap my brain around all of this, but it's written from not only a Biblical perspective and with lots of evidence of women in leadership in the Bible. It also brings to my attention that the average woman spends less than half of her life with children living at home, and some women never get married or have children at all. What of those women, if we believe that a woman's place is in her home, and that the workplace, ministry, and leadership is primarily a "man's world"? I have to confess here - I've been pretty shortsighted on this one.
What is our identity to be, and how do we play that out to best benefit society, our families, and ourselves?
I don't like admitting that I had such a narrow perspective of women, and even myself. I don't like that some of you may think that I'm now a bra-burning feminist. I do, however, want to share this with you as I work my way through it. I want to hear what you think, even if we disagree.
Then again, I'm not sure what my opinion is, so it's hard to disagree with. Huh?
Anyways, this is not a soapbox post, so I'll step down now. :)
I'm especially proud because I finished reading Half the Sky and I'm halfway through Half the Church. I'm so glad, too, because it deals with such a new subject for me and I'd like to read through it twice. More about that later on.
Half the sky was a really informative read. It's no news that women are often the most oppressed demographic in developing countries. Half the Sky discusses issues like maternal mortality rates, honor killings, child brides, and many others. I've been reading so much about suffering and oppression over the last several months that I didn't think this book had much new to offer in the way of eye-opening information.In the latter chapters, though, my mindset was really challenged. The books I've read previously (Not for Sale and Orphanology) were written by Christians, with a Christian worldview. Half the Sky is, as far as I could tell, not written by professing Christians. They are very fair, pointing out situations where religion is helpful, but also places where it is used to oppress women. A few times I found that they used Biblical scripture out of context, trying to show how Christianity is oppressive to women. Then again, at times in history, others have misread scripture and Christians have oppressed womens. It does still happen today, but I know that the heart of the gospel message is not oppressive to anyone and there is no biblical basis for oppressing women.
There is a whole chapter that seems to be advocating providing abortions for women in poverty stricken areas, which I don't find to be the best answer, especially for women who find good health care hard to find in the case of complications. I'm sure these authors have never heard of post abortion stress, a form of post traumatic stress disorder affecting at least 80% of women who've had an abortion.
Don't get lost in the sections you disagree with, though. There is so much more to be gained, particularly, I think, from the passages I found somewhat uncomfortable.
This book definitely has a feminist tilt to it. (Keep reading please, even if you're offended! Hopefully you'll feel better by the end!)
You see, I am a somewhat stereotypical old fashioned kind of woman. The idea of being barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen sounds like a good day to me.
I might even make my husband a "sammich" while I'm in there.
*Gasp*
I am fortunate to have a husband that respects me and believes in me, and I'm part of a church that respects women and what they have to offer in ministry. I'm never made to feel like I'm less competent than a man or that it's my job to be at home serving my family. It's just what I find fulfilling; it's what I want to do. So, I am a stay at home mom. I'm thankful to have such an opportunity.
To be honest, I've always gotten the message that a good christian wife does those things, but I never really spent a lot of time questioning it because it was where I wanted to be anyway. When the discussion came up, I always said that each woman had to decide what was best for her situation.
I never really admitted (to myself or others) that I thought that 99% of women should probably be stay at home moms, and that men are almost always better at leadership/in the workplace than women.
Ohmygoodness, I sound so backwards right now. I'm still thinking through all of this, so bear with me if I come of as offensive or unclear.
Half the Sky makes so many points that made me pause. Ideas such as -
- women are statistically much more likely to spend their income to benefit their families, whereas men are more likely to spend it on personal items like alcohol (This information comes from cultures in which women are not only kept from working, but also aren't valued for their opinions on how income is spent)
- a government in which women are allowed positions of leadership is more balanced in perspective than one that is 100% male. Men and women often bring different strengths to the table.
- educated women are more likely to stay close to home and benefit their area, whereas men are more likely to move to a better area with more opportunities
- educated women raise educated children
- a society that values its women is usually much less violent than one dominated by male thought
Not that I was ever against women in politics or the workplace, and goodness knows I'm all for educating women, but I just never thought that putting women in leadership and/or the workplace was the answer to any problems. I felt that they should be in the home investing in the family.
While I was pondering all of these new ideas, one question kept running through my mind, though.
"Who is taking care of the children?"
Yes, children go to school and Dad can help out with the kids, but many of these stories involve women with demanding careers who travel abroad to complete their education, or women who run very busy ministries and aid organizations.
I haven't quite worked out how it all gets done.
I'm so glad that my friend recommended Half the Church, because it not only helps me wrap my brain around all of this, but it's written from not only a Biblical perspective and with lots of evidence of women in leadership in the Bible. It also brings to my attention that the average woman spends less than half of her life with children living at home, and some women never get married or have children at all. What of those women, if we believe that a woman's place is in her home, and that the workplace, ministry, and leadership is primarily a "man's world"? I have to confess here - I've been pretty shortsighted on this one.
What is our identity to be, and how do we play that out to best benefit society, our families, and ourselves?
I don't like admitting that I had such a narrow perspective of women, and even myself. I don't like that some of you may think that I'm now a bra-burning feminist. I do, however, want to share this with you as I work my way through it. I want to hear what you think, even if we disagree.
Then again, I'm not sure what my opinion is, so it's hard to disagree with. Huh?
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Book club check-in
We're halfway through August now, so I want to check in with you who are joining in on the "Life Changing Book Club." How's it going? Are you reading "Not for Sale
"?
I've only got a few chapters left to go, and I found that at about chapter four I got really overwhelmed. I'm surprised it took me that long, really. I mean, human trafficking is a huge issue that will not be resolved anytime soon, and it's going to take a lot of highly trained professionals to do it. I even asked myself why I need to know this if I can't do anything about it. I will tell you that it gets much more encouraging towards the end, especially in chapter six.
We'll talk more about the book after everyone has had a chance to finish it, but here is the major message I'm getting right now:
Take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of you.
I will not be traveling to Thailand to work in a home for escaped sex slaves anytime soon. I can pray for those workers, and I can give money to help those that are able to be "in the trenches", but it will be a long time before my responsibilities here ease up enough that I'll be working overseas again.
In each chapter, I noticed a theme developing: One person recognized problem in front of him/her and took responsibility to act. No one is expecting to eradicate slavery single handedly. I think it becomes much more manageable when we quit trying to solve the problem and just ask ourselves two questions.
What do I see that needs fixing?
I firmly believe that there are plenty of opportunities to fight for justice around us, we just aren't used to looking for them. We just need to pray, open our eyes, and not hesitate to respond unselfishly when we see a need. This is my prayer for our home right now.
Am I doing everything that I can?
I am guilty of trying to simply do something, or only doing "enough to feel better". I don't see that as a true sacrifice or answer to a call. My prayer is that I will give of myself so deeply it hurts and that I will teach my children to do the same. Part of that is by raising my own awareness by reading difficult books like "Not For Sale" and making it a point to keep this at the front of my mind and heart.
So, what does this look like for me?
For our family, it looks like educating ourselves and challenging each other daily to be focused on what really matters. Dennis and I have a dream taking shape for a future in helping the least of these, and we are preparing ourselves now in every way we can. Maybe some day I can elaborate on this more.
For me as a blogger, it looks like using the little bit of a voice I have with this blog to raise awareness and get you folks in on the conversation. I think we should all use our circle of influence, no matter how big or small, to raise awareness about the huge problem of human trafficking.
For me as a mom, it looks like raising kids with a heart of service and eyes open to the suffering around them.
For Dennis and I, it looks like inviting an orphan from Ethiopia to join our family forever and call us "Mom" and "Dad". This is continually at the forefront of my mind right now, so I've chosen a book about orphan care to be our book for next month. It's not just about adoption, but also about the orphan crisis worldwide and the many ways we can all help. I'll be talking more about it later, but if you want to go ahead and get it ordered, the book is "Orphanology" by Tony Merida and Rick Morton.
What does making a difference look like for you in your life? Know that I am praying for your readers as you join me in this journey.
"?I've only got a few chapters left to go, and I found that at about chapter four I got really overwhelmed. I'm surprised it took me that long, really. I mean, human trafficking is a huge issue that will not be resolved anytime soon, and it's going to take a lot of highly trained professionals to do it. I even asked myself why I need to know this if I can't do anything about it. I will tell you that it gets much more encouraging towards the end, especially in chapter six.
We'll talk more about the book after everyone has had a chance to finish it, but here is the major message I'm getting right now:
Take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of you.
I will not be traveling to Thailand to work in a home for escaped sex slaves anytime soon. I can pray for those workers, and I can give money to help those that are able to be "in the trenches", but it will be a long time before my responsibilities here ease up enough that I'll be working overseas again.
In each chapter, I noticed a theme developing: One person recognized problem in front of him/her and took responsibility to act. No one is expecting to eradicate slavery single handedly. I think it becomes much more manageable when we quit trying to solve the problem and just ask ourselves two questions.
What do I see that needs fixing?
I firmly believe that there are plenty of opportunities to fight for justice around us, we just aren't used to looking for them. We just need to pray, open our eyes, and not hesitate to respond unselfishly when we see a need. This is my prayer for our home right now.
Am I doing everything that I can?
I am guilty of trying to simply do something, or only doing "enough to feel better". I don't see that as a true sacrifice or answer to a call. My prayer is that I will give of myself so deeply it hurts and that I will teach my children to do the same. Part of that is by raising my own awareness by reading difficult books like "Not For Sale" and making it a point to keep this at the front of my mind and heart.
So, what does this look like for me?
For our family, it looks like educating ourselves and challenging each other daily to be focused on what really matters. Dennis and I have a dream taking shape for a future in helping the least of these, and we are preparing ourselves now in every way we can. Maybe some day I can elaborate on this more.
For me as a blogger, it looks like using the little bit of a voice I have with this blog to raise awareness and get you folks in on the conversation. I think we should all use our circle of influence, no matter how big or small, to raise awareness about the huge problem of human trafficking.
For me as a mom, it looks like raising kids with a heart of service and eyes open to the suffering around them.
For Dennis and I, it looks like inviting an orphan from Ethiopia to join our family forever and call us "Mom" and "Dad". This is continually at the forefront of my mind right now, so I've chosen a book about orphan care to be our book for next month. It's not just about adoption, but also about the orphan crisis worldwide and the many ways we can all help. I'll be talking more about it later, but if you want to go ahead and get it ordered, the book is "Orphanology" by Tony Merida and Rick Morton.
 |
| Click this picture to order yourself a copy now! |
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Giving of our Stuff and Time
Happy Independance Day! I hope you all have a safe and fun time celebrating!
So, I've been thinking about a "game plan" for how I hope to live a more socially responsible life. It's pretty overwhelming.
I have a friend who shared some hard-hitting scripture verses about living simply so that we can share more on her blog.
I believe that's the perfect place to start, and it's what we're going to be doing at house in the coming days. We are going to make a greater effort to live on less so we can give more.
How does that work out practically? Well, for one thing, I think it's a great idea to find a charity that can put your extra things to good use. I used to work for a crisis pregnancy center that helps out women in need. They work in conjunction with a thrift store that provides free items to families in need. So, I'll be cleaning out our unnecessary things and sending them somewhere they will be put to good use.
Do you have some extra clothes, toys, linens that your family could part with to provide for someone else? I'm going to do my best to give sacrificially, so that I'm not just giving people my "castoffs".
While we're talking about giving to charity, I'd like to make a suggestion. Like I said, I used to work for an organization that helped out women who found themselves pregnant and in need. I was the volunteer coordinator, so I know how important volunteers are!
It's good and necessary to recognize injustices in other countries and do what we can to fight them, but it is important not to forget the need right where we are. I think that it would be amazing if every family adopted a local charitable organization, and made it a mission to support them in any way possible. This could be monetary, but it could also be with time spent volunteering.
Do you know of a place nearby that you and your family could invest in? What are your gifts and passions? How could you use them to meet a need in your community? If you have a certain place in mind, give them a call and see what their needs are. If you don't, start looking around. Visit and call a few places until you find one that's a good fit for you and your family. Invite that ministry to be a regular part of your life. Pray for it. Spend time there. Recruit your friends.
A few ideas: Homeless shelters, food pantries, children's homes, crisis pregnancy centers
Some churches have great community outreach programs, and that's a great place to invest.
What other kind of charities might be a good place to invest?
Come back for my next post of living simply when it comes to our money!
So, I've been thinking about a "game plan" for how I hope to live a more socially responsible life. It's pretty overwhelming.
I have a friend who shared some hard-hitting scripture verses about living simply so that we can share more on her blog.
I believe that's the perfect place to start, and it's what we're going to be doing at house in the coming days. We are going to make a greater effort to live on less so we can give more.
How does that work out practically? Well, for one thing, I think it's a great idea to find a charity that can put your extra things to good use. I used to work for a crisis pregnancy center that helps out women in need. They work in conjunction with a thrift store that provides free items to families in need. So, I'll be cleaning out our unnecessary things and sending them somewhere they will be put to good use.
Do you have some extra clothes, toys, linens that your family could part with to provide for someone else? I'm going to do my best to give sacrificially, so that I'm not just giving people my "castoffs".
While we're talking about giving to charity, I'd like to make a suggestion. Like I said, I used to work for an organization that helped out women who found themselves pregnant and in need. I was the volunteer coordinator, so I know how important volunteers are!
It's good and necessary to recognize injustices in other countries and do what we can to fight them, but it is important not to forget the need right where we are. I think that it would be amazing if every family adopted a local charitable organization, and made it a mission to support them in any way possible. This could be monetary, but it could also be with time spent volunteering.
Do you know of a place nearby that you and your family could invest in? What are your gifts and passions? How could you use them to meet a need in your community? If you have a certain place in mind, give them a call and see what their needs are. If you don't, start looking around. Visit and call a few places until you find one that's a good fit for you and your family. Invite that ministry to be a regular part of your life. Pray for it. Spend time there. Recruit your friends.
A few ideas: Homeless shelters, food pantries, children's homes, crisis pregnancy centers
Some churches have great community outreach programs, and that's a great place to invest.
What other kind of charities might be a good place to invest?
Come back for my next post of living simply when it comes to our money!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Trafficking in Humans Report 2012
I made some scary commitments on Wednesday. I didn't really want to be that honest in such a public way, but I need the accountability, and I need help knowing how to follow through. I may be taking this blog in a new direction for a while, so I hope you'll stick with me and learn along with me.
So far, I've ordered some great books on the subject, which I'll share with you when they come in and I have a chance to look over them. (I have a good friend, who's ahead of me on this journey, and she's been making recommendations. Thanks Ashley!)
I've found a great website, the CNN freedom project, that highlights stories about slavery worldwide. Through it, I found out that the day after I wrote Wednesday's post that something called the "Trafficking in Humans Report" was released for 2012. This report rates countries based upon their efforts to minimize all forms human trafficking, including commercial sex, bonded labor, child labor, involuntary domestic servitude or child soldiers.
Secretary of State Clinton Describes it this way:
"This report ... gives a clear and honest assessment of where all of us are making progress on our commitments and where we are either standing still or even sliding backwards...This could mean enacting strong laws, stepping up their investigations and prosecutions, or simply laying out a roadmap of steps they will take to respond."
You can read her full report (or watch it) here.
In this document, countries are rated Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 watch, or Tier 3. The criteria are as follows:
You can read the full Trafficking in Humans Report for 2012 here. (Scroll down and click the links titled "country narratives")
The countries are listed alphabetically and begin by listing the countries rating as well as a profile of human trafficking in that country in recent years, followed by what that country is currently doing and what it should do to help minimized slave trade in that nation.
You probably won't be able to read the whole thing, it is insanely long, wordy, and official. I would love for someone to have this condensed into a user-friendly manual that lists what countries are safest to buy from. I always look at the tags of the clothes I buy and wonder what the factory they were made in looks like. Imagine a little list, sort of like the "dirty dozen" list of fruits and vegetables that we need to buy organically.
I may start to work on something like that for myself. Perhaps a list of all of the Tier 1 ranking nations.
This document is really long, I've skimmed some of it, but I truly hope to look over the whole thing to get a better picture of what's going on in my world today.
Please come back for Monday's post. I'll be sharing some exciting news about something that's been in the works for a while in our home!
Have you heard of the Trafficking in Humans Report? Is it just me, or should it be bigger in the news?
So far, I've ordered some great books on the subject, which I'll share with you when they come in and I have a chance to look over them. (I have a good friend, who's ahead of me on this journey, and she's been making recommendations. Thanks Ashley!)
I've found a great website, the CNN freedom project, that highlights stories about slavery worldwide. Through it, I found out that the day after I wrote Wednesday's post that something called the "Trafficking in Humans Report" was released for 2012. This report rates countries based upon their efforts to minimize all forms human trafficking, including commercial sex, bonded labor, child labor, involuntary domestic servitude or child soldiers.
 |
| Photo Credit |
Secretary of State Clinton Describes it this way:
"This report ... gives a clear and honest assessment of where all of us are making progress on our commitments and where we are either standing still or even sliding backwards...This could mean enacting strong laws, stepping up their investigations and prosecutions, or simply laying out a roadmap of steps they will take to respond."
You can read her full report (or watch it) here.
In this document, countries are rated Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 watch, or Tier 3. The criteria are as follows:
Tier 1 ranking indicates a government has acknowledged the existence of human trafficking, has made efforts to address the problem, and meets minimum standards.
Tier 2 is countries whose governments do not fully comply with minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance.
Tier 2 watch is countries where governments do not fully meet minimum standards, and although they may be making significant efforts the country has a particularly large number of victims, or is not providing evidence of its efforts
Tier 3 is countries that do not fully comply with minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so. Tier 3 countries face the possibility of US sanctions because of their poor human trafficking record.
You can read the full Trafficking in Humans Report for 2012 here. (Scroll down and click the links titled "country narratives")
The countries are listed alphabetically and begin by listing the countries rating as well as a profile of human trafficking in that country in recent years, followed by what that country is currently doing and what it should do to help minimized slave trade in that nation.
You probably won't be able to read the whole thing, it is insanely long, wordy, and official. I would love for someone to have this condensed into a user-friendly manual that lists what countries are safest to buy from. I always look at the tags of the clothes I buy and wonder what the factory they were made in looks like. Imagine a little list, sort of like the "dirty dozen" list of fruits and vegetables that we need to buy organically.
I may start to work on something like that for myself. Perhaps a list of all of the Tier 1 ranking nations.
This document is really long, I've skimmed some of it, but I truly hope to look over the whole thing to get a better picture of what's going on in my world today.
Please come back for Monday's post. I'll be sharing some exciting news about something that's been in the works for a while in our home!
Have you heard of the Trafficking in Humans Report? Is it just me, or should it be bigger in the news?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Thief, Slaveholder, Murderer
For July's challenge, I had originally intended to do a series on saving money or exercising or something. I felt like I didn't need to do anything too challenging, being that I just had a baby and all.
But then I got convicted, and I have a confession to make to you.
I am a thief, a slaveholder, and a murderer.
I wasn't convicted in a court, it goes much higher than that. I was convicted by that still, small voice that says "You can't live like you don't know this. You can't ignore how serious this is anymore."
Why do I carry this weight? Why do I believe these things about myself? Well, let me walk you through it.
Thief
I have a closet full of clothes, and people are freezing to death every winter. I even have more than one winter coat. I live in south Louisiana, one is more than enough.
I have a fridge and pantry loaded with food. Not only that, if I don't like what I have or I don't feel like cooking, I just go out to a restaurant and pay someone else to do the work for me and I have a whole menu to choose from.
Meanwhile, people are starving to death. Mothers in other countries will have to choose which one of her children will get to eat today.
How, as a Christian, am I able to live like this?
Slaveholder
I know that the tomato products I buy to make our favorite spaghetti and pizza are very likely grown and harvested by slaves or something close to it, yet I think it's ok to keep supporting this industry because giving these products up would be too difficult. It's not just tomatoes either, I know that it goes much further than that.
I know that it's highly likely that the clothes I buy are not ethically produced. I know, and have known for years, that it's very common for factory workers overseas (and sometimes here) to work 15-20 hour shifts in unsafe environments for as little as 6 cents an hour. Yet, I continue to support this industry.
I even know that the toys and clothes I buy for my children were potentially made by workers who are children themselves. Often these children are sold to factory owners because their families are starving, and these child slaves are watched by guards and sometimes beaten for working too slow.
I know these things, and I continue to support the industry with my money. I am a mother, and I still give money to support child labor. I'm disgusted with myself.
Murderer
I said this already, but people all over the world are starving to death, and I continue to live in extravagance.
I don't know if you caught the gravity of this, but it rips my heart out and I'm going to say it again, and I want you sit and dwell on it before you read on -
Mothers in other countries will have to choose which child gets to eat today.
People are freezing to death because they don't have warm clothing, and my problem is that all of my coats are taking up too much room in my closet.
Families are dying because the only water they have available is plagued with parasites, and I am concerned that the abundant, treated water flowing from my tap might be unsafe.
I have a nice sized savings account and a decadent lifestyle and I'm not willing to share.
The truth is, if I take a broader view of it and look outside the borders of my nation, I am the one percent. I live extravagantly while my brothers and sisters overseas are dying of need.
So, I've told you the crimes I've been convicted of. What is my sentence?
My sentence is to stop ignoring these hard facts and start living out these difficult truths.
Beyond that, my sentence is to swallow any pride or fear that I may have over being labeled abnormal or radical.
My sentence is to confess these crimes to anyone who is willing to listen and ask them to come alongside me in my journey to recovery from this life of crime.
How, in God's name, am I going to do it?
This is where I am stuck. I've been living this way so long, I don't know how to live a life free of these crimes.
The part that makes me really angry is that I grew up in the church, I grew up in a Christian family, and I still don't know how to stop stealing, killing, and destroying.
Don't get me wrong, I don't blame my family, nor my pastors, because they are like me. They were raised without being taught how or why not to do these things, either. Somewhere along the lines, the church decided it was more important to keep the government in line than to be a voice for the oppressed and starving.
I AM NOT OK WITH THIS.
Again, how am I going to do this?
This has been on my heart for a while. Years actually. It's been growing lately, and I had originally intended to wait until I had some heart wrenching facts and some snazzy resources to show you. I was going to wait until I had a plan in place.
The thing is, there must not be as much money in reporting social injustice in mega companies as there is reporting on politics and war, so the resources are not that easy to find.
And I couldn't wait anymore to get this off of my chest.
I don't know anyone living a life free of these crimes, so I don't know how to change.
This is where you come in. If you are willing, I'd like for you to take on my sentencing.
I'm going to be dong some heavy researching on what companies are safe to support and which ones aren't. I'm going to try to restructure the way we shop and live so that I don't have to feel ashamed anymore.
I need your help, I need us to pool our resources and start a conversation and I need you to give me ideas on how to do this, because I'm scared.
I'm scared I will compromise. I'm scared I'll be afraid of looking too weird or that people will stop taking me seriously.
I don't want to live like this anymore, but I don't know how to stop.
You may think I'm being overdramatic, or taking too much of a burden on myself. I've made these excuses for myself, but what if it was my daughter or son starving to death? Freezing? Working long hours in a garment factory? It's someone's children, and that someone is no less of a person just because he or she is poor and very far away.
This post was shared at Mom's the Word, Homestead Barn Hop
, Works for Me Wednesdays, Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers, Frugally Sustainable,
But then I got convicted, and I have a confession to make to you.
I am a thief, a slaveholder, and a murderer.I wasn't convicted in a court, it goes much higher than that. I was convicted by that still, small voice that says "You can't live like you don't know this. You can't ignore how serious this is anymore."
Why do I carry this weight? Why do I believe these things about myself? Well, let me walk you through it.
Thief
I have a closet full of clothes, and people are freezing to death every winter. I even have more than one winter coat. I live in south Louisiana, one is more than enough.
I have a fridge and pantry loaded with food. Not only that, if I don't like what I have or I don't feel like cooking, I just go out to a restaurant and pay someone else to do the work for me and I have a whole menu to choose from.
Meanwhile, people are starving to death. Mothers in other countries will have to choose which one of her children will get to eat today.
How, as a Christian, am I able to live like this?
Slaveholder
I know that the tomato products I buy to make our favorite spaghetti and pizza are very likely grown and harvested by slaves or something close to it, yet I think it's ok to keep supporting this industry because giving these products up would be too difficult. It's not just tomatoes either, I know that it goes much further than that.
I know that it's highly likely that the clothes I buy are not ethically produced. I know, and have known for years, that it's very common for factory workers overseas (and sometimes here) to work 15-20 hour shifts in unsafe environments for as little as 6 cents an hour. Yet, I continue to support this industry.
I even know that the toys and clothes I buy for my children were potentially made by workers who are children themselves. Often these children are sold to factory owners because their families are starving, and these child slaves are watched by guards and sometimes beaten for working too slow.
I know these things, and I continue to support the industry with my money. I am a mother, and I still give money to support child labor. I'm disgusted with myself.
Murderer
I said this already, but people all over the world are starving to death, and I continue to live in extravagance.
I don't know if you caught the gravity of this, but it rips my heart out and I'm going to say it again, and I want you sit and dwell on it before you read on -
Mothers in other countries will have to choose which child gets to eat today.
People are freezing to death because they don't have warm clothing, and my problem is that all of my coats are taking up too much room in my closet.
Families are dying because the only water they have available is plagued with parasites, and I am concerned that the abundant, treated water flowing from my tap might be unsafe.
I have a nice sized savings account and a decadent lifestyle and I'm not willing to share.
The truth is, if I take a broader view of it and look outside the borders of my nation, I am the one percent. I live extravagantly while my brothers and sisters overseas are dying of need.
So, I've told you the crimes I've been convicted of. What is my sentence?
My sentence is to stop ignoring these hard facts and start living out these difficult truths.
Beyond that, my sentence is to swallow any pride or fear that I may have over being labeled abnormal or radical.
My sentence is to confess these crimes to anyone who is willing to listen and ask them to come alongside me in my journey to recovery from this life of crime.
How, in God's name, am I going to do it?
This is where I am stuck. I've been living this way so long, I don't know how to live a life free of these crimes.
The part that makes me really angry is that I grew up in the church, I grew up in a Christian family, and I still don't know how to stop stealing, killing, and destroying.
Don't get me wrong, I don't blame my family, nor my pastors, because they are like me. They were raised without being taught how or why not to do these things, either. Somewhere along the lines, the church decided it was more important to keep the government in line than to be a voice for the oppressed and starving.
I AM NOT OK WITH THIS.
Again, how am I going to do this?
This has been on my heart for a while. Years actually. It's been growing lately, and I had originally intended to wait until I had some heart wrenching facts and some snazzy resources to show you. I was going to wait until I had a plan in place.
The thing is, there must not be as much money in reporting social injustice in mega companies as there is reporting on politics and war, so the resources are not that easy to find.
And I couldn't wait anymore to get this off of my chest.
I don't know anyone living a life free of these crimes, so I don't know how to change.
This is where you come in. If you are willing, I'd like for you to take on my sentencing.
I'm going to be dong some heavy researching on what companies are safe to support and which ones aren't. I'm going to try to restructure the way we shop and live so that I don't have to feel ashamed anymore.
I need your help, I need us to pool our resources and start a conversation and I need you to give me ideas on how to do this, because I'm scared.
I'm scared I will compromise. I'm scared I'll be afraid of looking too weird or that people will stop taking me seriously.
I don't want to live like this anymore, but I don't know how to stop.
You may think I'm being overdramatic, or taking too much of a burden on myself. I've made these excuses for myself, but what if it was my daughter or son starving to death? Freezing? Working long hours in a garment factory? It's someone's children, and that someone is no less of a person just because he or she is poor and very far away.
This post was shared at Mom's the Word, Homestead Barn Hop
, Works for Me Wednesdays, Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers, Frugally Sustainable,
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