Post by akibare on May 5, 2009 16:21:55 GMT -5
Just a random internet reader here, who's lurked and read a bunch of stuff about QF, Biblical Patriarchy, courtship, religious homeschooling, etc etc, on the internet for some years. I am very much not a member of that world, very much no desire to join it, just found it all interesting. A weird reading hobby, I suppose.
Just yesterday I've found this board because of the review over of Kathryn Joyce's book on "Doug's Blog" (part of the Vision Forum website).
I've lurked on "Doug's Blog" as well as various and sundry of the family blogs in that general orbit for years now, plus countless courtship-recommending sites, Daughters at Home, Biblical Patriarchy, gauzy accounts of the Vision Forum weddings that were the couple's first kiss (and the rest of the blogs getting envious), all that stuff - drawn partly from homeschooling threads on USENET and then just continuing to read out of fascination (to be honest, often what might be termed a morbid fascination) with a world that is simply so very different from my own (although unfortunately I can identify with some of the emotional manipulation and gender issues in both Vickie's and Laura's stories, as alas those things seem to exist in a lot of contexts don't they?).
I've enjoyed reading the posts, partly to see "the dark side" yet from the inside. It's possible to find criticism of the QF life, but so often it's not very informed, in the sense that it stops at a simplistic "so many kids is irresponsible" or worse yet just condemns the entire thing as "silly fundies." Hence, not so interesting. No nuance at all.
It strikes me that a lot of what I do enjoy about a lot of the blogs, the homesteading stuff, the kids stuff - the stuff that tends to get snarked in "mainstream" criticism - isn't all that terrible. You can have a big family if you want, homeschool if you want, go rural if you want - without the religious patriarchy bit. The practical discussions are often great, and there is no doubt in my mind that it's a lot of really smart and skilled women (most of the bloggers seem to be moms) out there. So it's refreshing to see the issues separated.
I also really enjoyed reading Vickie's and Laura's posts, they are well-written, and even coming from such a very different place (urban, Asian, not religious, no kids, etc) a lot of the manipulation stuff really does ring common - another reason that it's refreshing to see the issues separated. So many think, what could I possibly have in common with them? But it's out there.
It's amazing that you are finding yourself free to move on in your own direction.
And... your kids are beautiful. Even with the crazy shawls on
Just yesterday I've found this board because of the review over of Kathryn Joyce's book on "Doug's Blog" (part of the Vision Forum website).
I've lurked on "Doug's Blog" as well as various and sundry of the family blogs in that general orbit for years now, plus countless courtship-recommending sites, Daughters at Home, Biblical Patriarchy, gauzy accounts of the Vision Forum weddings that were the couple's first kiss (and the rest of the blogs getting envious), all that stuff - drawn partly from homeschooling threads on USENET and then just continuing to read out of fascination (to be honest, often what might be termed a morbid fascination) with a world that is simply so very different from my own (although unfortunately I can identify with some of the emotional manipulation and gender issues in both Vickie's and Laura's stories, as alas those things seem to exist in a lot of contexts don't they?).
I've enjoyed reading the posts, partly to see "the dark side" yet from the inside. It's possible to find criticism of the QF life, but so often it's not very informed, in the sense that it stops at a simplistic "so many kids is irresponsible" or worse yet just condemns the entire thing as "silly fundies." Hence, not so interesting. No nuance at all.
It strikes me that a lot of what I do enjoy about a lot of the blogs, the homesteading stuff, the kids stuff - the stuff that tends to get snarked in "mainstream" criticism - isn't all that terrible. You can have a big family if you want, homeschool if you want, go rural if you want - without the religious patriarchy bit. The practical discussions are often great, and there is no doubt in my mind that it's a lot of really smart and skilled women (most of the bloggers seem to be moms) out there. So it's refreshing to see the issues separated.
I also really enjoyed reading Vickie's and Laura's posts, they are well-written, and even coming from such a very different place (urban, Asian, not religious, no kids, etc) a lot of the manipulation stuff really does ring common - another reason that it's refreshing to see the issues separated. So many think, what could I possibly have in common with them? But it's out there.
It's amazing that you are finding yourself free to move on in your own direction.
And... your kids are beautiful. Even with the crazy shawls on
