Nope

Sly Civilian says:

Tactically, it is simply a fact that we need to acknowledge the social privilege of Christian rhetorics and act accordingly. This is not to say that y’all ought to begin to tiptoe around or sacrifice your better judgement, but for the sake of the Holy Thing on Top of the High Place…take these rhetorics seriously enough to engage them on their terms. Otherwise, you’re screaming into the wind.

To which, I say, “nope.”

No thanks.

No, no, no.

First, there’s not just one kind of Christian rhetoric.  There’s just not.  Diverse Christians with sincerely held beliefs come to many different conclusions about right action based on the Bible.

This school of neo-theocrats thrives on the misunderstanding that their rhetorical strategies are the rhetorical strategies of Christians and, if you don’t play nice with the neo-theocrats, you aren’t playing nice with the Christians.

That’s bullshit and, at it’s core, it’s disrespectful of Christians, assuming, as it does, that all Christians are insane theocrats who want to police and punish everyone else.

Which brings me to my second point, if you think that the potty-mouthed liberal feminist doesn’t already have a place in neo-theocratic rhetorics, you aren’t paying attention to the message we women are getting.  Granted, she doesn’t have a great place in neo-theocratic rhetorics, but she’s got a place–as an enemy.

But here’s the thing–it’s nearly impossible for women to NOT be the enemy occasionally to the neo-theocrats.  We’re always doing something wrong–not having enough babies, not serving our husbands cheerfully enough, getting divorced, not getting married, not teaching children about the Bible, teaching male children over 13 about the Bible, dressing too provocatively, not dressing provocatively enough to keep our husbands from straying, and so on, and so on.

Do you know what kind of rhetorical strategy women might embark on in the neo-theocratic movement without criticism?

None.

Every woman, even the women on their side, when they open their mouths run the risk of criticism and chastisement.

The only way we can play by their rules and not be doing something wrong is to just shut the fuck up and take it.

And, no.

If everything you do is going to be wrong, I say, the proper strategy is then to go for it.  To call it like you see it, in terms that match the vileness of their position.

Playing by their rules, we cannot win.

So, the proper strategy is two-fold–refuse to play by their rules and/or lose with such gusto that you inspire others.

 

A Proud Moment

Could anything make me happier than to know that I was a topic of conversation at Stacey Campfield’s dinner Saturday night?  Only knowing that the general consensus among conservatives present was that my writing is "filthy."*

You know what?

If a man who has no respect for the rights of women to bodily autonomy, no respect for the federal law and a woman’s right to confidential medical treatment, no respect for the folks who disagree with him, no respect for decency when it comes to threatening folks’ jobs, and so on, if that man, whose politics are so repugnant, considers me filthy?

I’m honored.

I’d rather be a good-hearted potty-mouth than a sweet-talking viper.

 

 

 

*As I said earlier this evening, sure, I write once about masturbating while reading Campfield’s blog and suddenly I’m "filthy."