Discernment

I wanted to include this video about the dangers of over-romanticizing motherhood.

Motherhood & Work: The Conservative Tendency to Over-romanticize Motherhood from Canon Wired on Vimeo.

And I really enjoyed Jankovic's book, Loving the Little Years.  But all is not cool in the neighborhood.  As I watched the video something kept tickling in the back of my mind.  "Doug Wilson?  Moscow, Idaho?  Don't I know these names from somewhere?  And not in a good way?"

Yep.

You'll notice she's being interviewed by someone--her dad, I believe--a gentleman named Doug Wilson, who has the dubious distinction of being one of the few people who will say that slavery was probably not that bad, not really, not if you made the Alcotts shut up, among other foolish statements (like, for instance, that we should give homosexuals the death penalty).

I actually saw this video on another website, watched it, liked it, posted it on my Facebook wall, and then decided I better Google Mr. Wilson.  Whereupon I yanked it off my Facebook wall and decided to write this post.  And in case you're wondering, yes, I read his side of events, too--it was not encouraging.

I still don't have a problem with what Jankovic said in her book--or in the video, actually--but her willingness to be associated with a guy who hasn't backed down from his bad opinions doesn't speak well for her discernment.  (Even if he is her dad, she doesn't have to do public interviews with him.)

It doesn't speak well for my discernment that I nearly left the video up without doing my research.  I wanted to actually not mention the whole thing, but I did review Jankovic's book favorably here on the blog a while back, so now I am posting this as a warning.  If you read her book, do it with your eyes open, and a critical watch on the theology underpinning her essays.

Which are good essays.  But Stephen Jay Gould and Isaac Asimov were also very good essayists, and their theology was not exactly Biblical.  I think I have the responsibility of warning you, just as I think I have a responsibility to refrain from forwarding the latest vaguely religious paranoia spam.  (I.e., Madeline Murray O'Hare, who's been dead for years, is somehow sponsoring an evil bill in Congress--sign an imaginary petition.  Costco might be selling halal chicken which is somehow meat sacrificed to idols--don't buy it--sign an imaginary petition.  Harry Potter is making kids into Satanists.  And so on.  Please do not forward these.  They make you look stupid.)

We've all been given discernment.  Especially at this time of year, when a lot of pseudo-Christian stuff floats around, we need to exercise it--and make sure that we are not dishonoring the name of Christ in our communities.  Take a lesson from my mistake, and spend the ten minutes it takes to make an informed decision about what to support, repeat, or be associated with.

Here's hoping you all have a blessed Christmas.

Cheers,

Breanna