Monday, July 6, 2009

I'm just curious...?

My wife and I have mentioned to each other before about how we would like to talk with some folks from the fundamental Baptist movement. You know, the one in which ladies wear long skirts and the men/boys are typically in collard shirts tucked into pants??? I am fairly conservative myself and have often wanted to strike up a conversation (dare I say a friendship) with their families.

But here's the thing - they seem closed off??? Perhaps they get tired of people making fun of them or staring at them, but I am genuinly curious. So, are any of you fundamental baptists? Would you be willing to talk about your beliefs with me and my family?

This may not be the best place for it, but I don't have any other option to try and communicate these questions. Perhaps I am a little strange (no comments about that, ya hear?), but I thought I'd give it a shot!

Dean

2 comments:

  1. Let me tell you why they seem closed off. Because they ARE!! Nobody and nothing is good enough. I grew up in a fundamental Baptist, fundamental black and white family, and no church was ever good enough. No matter what we did as a family, when we went out in public we had to have the "perfect" look on: long hair, long dresses, modest to the point of ugly. I'll tell you what happened to the kids I grew up with who grew up in that. One was so insecure, she habitually dated married men, one ex-communicated her parents, and myself? Well, I was pregnant at 17, and the guy took off. It took me a long time and a lot of counseling to get over feeling guilty for EVERYthing I did, and feeling like my husband was right in EVERYthing. Poor guy. Even when he wasn't right, I went along with it, instead of being his partner and sharing my heart. So many, many poor decisions we made along the way. Now we are way more of a team. Eeek, long story, to say, better than becoming friends you might open their eyes by showing them a less black and white side of life. Fortunately even my parents have realized that their form of loving God back then was all about themselves and making sure they were perfect. It's easier to follow rules than what God puts on your heart! Unfortunately you don't show His love, and His work doesn't get done, only bitterness and contempt. Especially for the children.

    Feel free to delete this comment! It's not a popular view by some, I'm sure, but it's my experience.

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  2. I typically only delete comments that are solely spam in nature - though I've never had any that are too rude or filled with profane language. I have heard a lot of people with your similar experiences (several friends on Facebook have commented there), but I wonder if that is the norm or the exception? I grew up in a non-fundamentalist but legalistic church, one that caused ripple effects throughout my life. I'm guessing there are churches EVERYWHERE that people have those issues, regardless of their denomination.

    What I'm saying is, that even though some have had issues within the fundamentalist or independent baptist camp, does not mean that ALL of those church/families are the same way. That is not to discount your or other's experiences....but could it have happened no matter what denomination you were in???

    Thanks for commenting!

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