Blog on the Lillypad
Thursday, December 25, 2003
 | More misogyny from Hyles followers
I'm not sure why this issue took on such huge proportions. I've actually been called worse on the FFF, but on Dec 23, the smarting IFB-er, put up a post in which he alleged I look like a horse. Well, I've been called far worse things by these clowns. In fact, I didn't even read the post until I saw browsing make a response in the thread, and then I read it to see what was up with browsing. |
| Even then, I wasn't alarmed or concerned. Being called ugly by a fundamentalist man, is like being called ugly by Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel on the Simpsons. You just don't take it seriously. Especially when your accuser is a person you have personally defeated in electronic format every time he's challenged you to accept one more of his unbiblical arguments. Anyway, I assumed nobody would even notice the slam, as these clowns always resort to insult when they have been soundly rebuked for their bad doctrine and bad practices. |  |
Pastor Marty Braemer was a lot more cautious about jumping in on this one. Perhaps---the last time this came up---the large round of censure that came down on whoever posted a personal attack showed that it just wasn't worth it. BAPTIST, (who says he is a preacher, but I maintain he is a teenager), posted a line to defend the insult against me by saying, "If she doesn't want us making comments, she shouldn't have put her pic up." I take that as a de facto acknowledgement that these guys expect to use whatever means they can in their "ends justifies the means" method of defending their culture of ignorance and legalism against the genuine teachings of the Bible that demand knowledge of Christ and grace for God's people. Such a statement indicates no inclination of obeying Christ's commands.
If they can get a picture of you, they'll call you ugly. If they can get you in a weak moment, they'll call you a coward, etc., etc. The law of Christ means nothing to them, at least not to BAPTIST, not as far as I can see from his references to issues of right and wrong. But if you've been reading the FFF, you probably knew that already.
 | After a day, Marty posted to the effect that I'm being treated only as I've treated Dr. Hyles (except my claims about the abuses at Hyles-Anderson and FBCH are based on documentation, ethics, biblical law for church government, and witness accounts. The claims against me are based on being really angry over my posts). It's pretty clear that these guys, two of whom style themselves as pastors, believe that revenge is a legitimate reason to stoop to personal attack. |
But what has really surprised me has been the avalanche of censure against them. You never know on the internet. I've been blasted before, accused, called names (far worse than "ugly"), and not many people have said anything. Suddenly it's an issue. I chalk it up to the mutable nature of the web boards. Maybe with it being Christmas week, there were fewer posts to read, so more people had time to read the blather posted by the people who call me names because they cannot rebut my claims either from Scripture or from fact. Anyway, I've provided links here if you want to read the insults live on the FFF. The highlighted lines above from each person will take you to their posts.
But so far nearly a dozen people have posted to censure this personal attack on me: Some have posted on the principle of not stooping to personal attack. Some have posted to say that no, I am not ugly. And a few (much to my amusement) have posted to tell these guys just to grow up and get over what I say, warning them that they are making worse fools of themselves than I could ever make of them. (And this assessment is true.)
I'm grateful for all of these posts. The ethical question is the largest point to make, in my opinion. Personal attack has long been a sword in the sheath of many fundies, and I am really glad to see that several fundies are disgusted by these tactics and simply won't accept them, (even when they may not agree with me on the Hyles issue). It's nice to see people demand facts and objective argument. But it's also really nice to have personal supportiveness against petty and angry men. And it's funny (and welcome) to see one or two men just tell them the facts of life: they are making fools of themselves. Some fundy preachers think it is their prerogative to hand out insults, and they do need a decent man or two to just tell them such behavior is unmanly.
