techchick, you’re right-- overgeneralizations are A Bad Thing.
I do have a hair up my ass about the Promise Keepers. To me, they seem pretty much equivalent with the Talibs, in that they (the organization, not necessarily the adherents,) take religion out of the personal domain and politicize it, seeking to influence the administration of government. This, mixed with an ideology that is arguably anti-women and anti-gay, scares the hell out of me.
Obviously, Promise Keepers is a huge organization and the percentage of its membership that goes on to slay their family in cold blood is negligible. Further to that, nothing in their literature appears to advocate gamocide.
That being said, I think that the underlying ideology of Promise Keepers is pathological and profoundly dangerous. When the founder of an organization goes on record, without blushing, to state that “There’s coming a day when the strongest voice in America will be that of a Christian male,” it sounds more like a threat than a promise to me. McCarthy’s pastor, the Rev. James Ryle, preaches that Promise Keepers is the army prophesied in the Book of Joel:
While I’m quite sure no one of any importance in PK would counsel their members to commit violence against uppity women, it seems to me that an ideology which revolves around the idea that men are inherently superior to women, and a representative of God within the family unit, cannot foster a healthy family environment. “Disagree with me? You’re going against God’s will.”
Sure, the Seven Promises look fine.
But the shit that is spouted at the rallies is dangerous, and seems (to me) to be engineered to attract insecure men by giving them the sort of validation that they are unlikely to receive in the wider world. “You’re right. Your word is law. Your wife and family should blindly obey you, or they are committing a grievous sin-- and you’re living in sin if you don’t exert an iron will over them.”
Christian fellowship is a fine thing – but I suspect that the PK variety is a fraud, and the ideology is more personal than gospel. I am especially mistrustful of them since the organization is nearly transparently about raising huge amounts of money for right-wing lobby groups. Their stadium rallies look like boat shows, for christ’s sake. Or maybe not for Christ’s sake.
There are tens of thousands of Scientologists that will tell you that the CoS totally turned their life around and gave them hope where there was none before. I’ve got family & friends that have been involved with Scientology, and they’re not stupid or evil, either. Does that mean I’m cool with Scientology? Fuck no, they’re a bunch of thieving bastards who are taking advantage of their members.
I’ll post this before the hamsters sleep, and be back.
