Monday, November 7, 2011

Misfit

Marilyn,
Your thoughts echo my own.  I've been reading Misfit Cygnet for awhile.  I have gotten so frustrated that I've sworn off reading her...but then I relent and check back in, and find that she's written something that I so totally agree with that I keep on reading.  My husband and I both follow her blog.  We are either really annoyed with her attitude (you're right in that what she calls satire is NOT satire - it's self-righteous condemnation a lot of times), find her totally thought-provoking although we disagree, or actually (surprisingly!!) agree with her.  It definitely varies.

As for TJEd, I thought she had some valid points to make.  As someone who's done quite a bit to research, attended a couple of their seminars, read a few of the books (but definitely not all), and knows some people personally who were peripherally and directly associated with the George Wythe College/University (one was a teacher there), I can tell you that she's not all wrong.  They do have some problems.  They are trying to make money off of this.  A lot of the "educational truths" here are for income, in my opinion.  I don't know that they are being dishonest on purpose. The blog post she references about George Wythe defrauding a lady out of money is not entirely accurate.  If you continue on the blog she cites, and read through the comments, there is more information to give a better picture.  I don't think she read the comments - or else she went looking for information and only saw what she wanted to see.

I thought her post about BYU Football was lame.  I thought her post about problems in our youth program were fairly accurate.

As for TJEd...I think people who adhere to it are a little too...I don't know how to say...strict in their adherence?  They equate TJEd truthfulness with Gospel truthfulness and act as though they are one and the same.  They are not. 

Misfit's very judgmental.  I don't know how she can stand to live in a world with so many sinners, actually.  :-)   But sometimes she judges correctly (in my opinion).  Sometimes I think she skirts the line of apostasy...kind of like her ranting about ESPN when you know it had to be approved by at least some of the Brethren.  Either that, or they leave people to govern themselves and are willing to take the consequences of that - however it plays out for the Lord's University.  They never have said that they wouldn't have to approve this stuff if only we could live a higher, football-free law.  I think she makes weird assumptions sometimes.  I'm not a huge football fan - I enjoy an occasional game because it's fun.  But I don't think it's evil, nor do I think that all football players are fornicating drunkards.  One of my good friends quarterbacked for BYU and I KNOW he wasn't.  But she considers them all evil.

But we're talking about TJEd.  I think there is some good there.  I have taken what I have found to be beneficial to my family and used it.  It's huge in Utah - particularly among the Utah County homeschoolers (largest base, I think), and so I think she comes up against it a LOT...people who think it's the One, True Way to homeschool.  That would be frustrating.

As for her post, she included a link that talks about the hebraic way of educating...THAT was interesting reading!
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3 comments:

Aaron said...

Funny. I wrote the Misfit Cygnet years ago...I don't think she posted my response, in fact, the week after I posted the following, her site went private then....gone completely. Here were my thoughts after her Hunger Games post unedited (posted in several parts):

To the Misfit Cygnet:

Wow……

I don’t know you but after reading your blog over the past week (which was sent to me by a family member), I have a few thoughts I would like to share. (Three only, I promise)

Thought #1

I am not your Home Teacher, Bishop, EQ President, Relief Society President, High Priest Group Leader, High Councilor, Stake President. Nor am I a Regional Representative, General Authority, Member of the 12 Apostles or First Presidency. So who am I? ……I am just some dude who read your blog and shook my head the whole time in wonder of how someone who claims to believe the same gospel I do, could think this way….which really boils down to my opinion meaning…… nothing. I stated who I am not, because it is important that you know these thoughts come as personal opinion….with no authority, so basically you can fertilize the lawn with this after you read it….but I feel compelled just the same to let you know my thoughts (fertilizer or not).

Thought #2:

You suffer from what my wife and I call ‘Spiritual Anorexia’….let me explain. Anorexia Nervosa is a dangerous debilitating mental / physical disease where the one who suffers really believes that they are overweight. They look in the mirror and cannot see anything but what they perceive to be as someone covered in fat. They are huge, they are ugly, and they need to shave a few more pounds before they can truly be happy. (They also look at everyone else the same way. ) Scores of these unfortunate folks line hospital beds across the country emaciated, falling apart….dying….believing they still have pounds to lose.

As I read your blog, it sounded exactly like the ramblings of someone with Anorexia. You ramble on and on (and on) about how you have sin to purge, trying to be better, trying to eek out that one last thought that might be offensive to God…..when you have no sin to purge. Sin is willful indulgence in evil and disobedience to God. (I hardly believe that anything in your life is willful indulgence in evil or outright disobedience.)

Mistakes are human, thus we have repentance, but Sin? That is knowing right from wrong and choosing wrong. If you do something to offend God without knowledge that you are offending him, that is a transgression. Does this happen?.... sure…. it happens to all of us, we are human. The natural man is an enemy to God, however, when we listen to the Spirit, it will tell you if something you are doing is in offense to God….at that point you make a change. You, however, have this very cavalier attitude that makes sin not a choice, but a disease that seeps from everything with which we come in contact, which it really isn’t.
...cont

January 15, 2015 at 11:09 AM
Aaron said...

...cont

A few quick points on your spiritual anorexia….

- People are not going to hell for reading the Hunger Games. (Sure it was violent, but have your read the Book of Mormon? Old Testament?....far more graphic, senseless violence in either of those.)

- People are ok to kiss while dating, take a photo of it, put it on their wedding invitation, and it isn’t in any way pornographic. (The corvette pic was out of line…you and I do agree on that. I have seen some that push the envelope but the ones you posted were certainly not offending anyone but you.)

- Women look nice when they dress up and look feminine…. They are SUPPOSED to look feminine, GOD made them that way so that men would pay attention to them. Otherwise dudes would just go hunting or fishing. High heels and ‘Up-West Outfitters’ make women look nice while being modest….certainly not pornographic or sinful. (Your Spiritual Anorexia has infected your daughter so much that of all the compliments she received, she clung to the one voice that said something about the shirt being too tight….and just for good measure, high heels, skirts above the knee and blouses with open fronts were worn by men long before women were of status to have such things).

- Men are not so obsessed with sex that they always look at women with sexual thoughts. When I go to church and see a nicely dressed woman my first thought is “She looks nice” NOT “She is so hot”, or “I bet she is great in bed”….sheesh, give us a little credit to be able to handle ourselves as Priesthood holders please.

- Thanksgiving is a time to be together and focus on that we have been given and to be joyful. I am so sorry you had such a terrible time choking down your genetically altered food. Did you at least give thanks for it?

- Nobody laughs at funerals, especially ones about kids. (I truly am sorry you lost your child. As a parent of 8, I can hardly fathom what that must have been like, my heart goes out to you.) I too have been to many funerals where the family was sharing stories, laughing about the memories, having hope, knowing all is not lost and they are just away but will meet again. It’s called ‘knowledge’ that makes the grieving easier…it allows for a chuckle, a slap on the back, a memory of a good time, a hug. Don’t hate it, embrace it, it helps the healing begin.

I am sure you are going to look at all of these points and say “There goes another Ark Culture LDS” (whatever that really means) and then mention just how much I have fallen victim to the world and how could I possibly hold a temple recommend or bear the priesthood with such opinions….but I do.

Your Anorexia is rampant. Those with the disease cannot (and will not) admit they could be wrong in their judgment of the situation.

Am I spiritually overweight with sin? Probably.

Do I need to repent? For sure.

Do I make an honest effort to read my scriptures , say my prayers and raise my 8 children with love and respect for their angel of a mother?.....I sure try.

Do I honestly try to be better when I feel I need to make a change in my life? Yes.

Am I less of a Latter Day Saint that you? (You decide.)

January 15, 2015 at 11:09 AM
Aaron said...




Thought #3

A warning:

I have met a lot of people on my short time on this Earth (37 years) and people who sound as this, skirt apostasy with a razor thin line. I have seen many who profess thoughts or beliefs as extreme as you do, then find themselves looking back at the Church as they walk out the door because of some offense or some argument with the Church or its leaders, never to enter back in. I hope this will never be your case, but as I read (and I read a lot) those same warning signs show with flashing lights and barricades.

My kids occasionally do or say something that offends another and their canned response is “I wasn’t trying to” to which my wife and I respond “You weren’t NOT trying to”. (Forgive the double negative but I think you get the point.)

You state several times in your responses to others to the effect “I’m not trying to be judgmental or come across as rude” but you weren’t NOT trying to either. You say you put a lot of thought into your posts and responses and that just nails the point further that I believe you do mean to come across as you do, don’t hide behind canned responses. The very title of your blog is the ‘Misfit Cygnet’ you pride yourself with standing out and being a different voice. Which brings me to my next point…

What prompted me to write this is my frustration with Latter-Day Saints such as yourself who set themselves up as a ‘lone voice in the wilderness’ and stand under the same flag of faith that I do. You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to give your opinion as though you have authority from the Church.

You don’t.

You present your arguments very well, with much craftiness (soundbytes, photos, statements out of context) and I can imagine that you sit back and think you have crafted modern day scripture.

You haven’t.

Please, if you want to share your thoughts and your opinions, do it with fervor and gusto, but don’t stand under the name of the Church and wave around that flag of faith and pretend that all of us should be like you because we are not…and we shouldn’t be. If you have received personal revelation about something you feel strongly about….keep it to yourself. It is personal, it should remain such. I have yet to read one scripture, one talk in General Conference or one message from any of the Church publications that even infer that we should pass such blanket judgment about everything as you do…..maybe we are reading different publications, but mine are stamped with the seal of the Church.

“Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy.” – 2 Nephi 2:25.

I don’t know how you have any joy in your life with your Spiritual Anorexia raging as it does. Please relax, you are not spiritually unhealthy (I don’t really have authority to say that but I can take my best guess) and please try to enjoy life. Life is not so full of sinful acts that it can’t be enjoyed without fear of offending God.

In Closing:

Post this, don’t post this, reply, don’t reply….whatever. My opinion means nothing because I have no authority from the Church, it’s leaders or of our Heavenly Father to tell you how to live your life or what opinion to have, but I can ask that you not present yourself as the lone voice of reason in this ‘Ark Culture’ because you have no authority to do so.



-Aaron

January 15, 2015 at 11:10 AM

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