Letters to the Editor

Come as you are At Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Snoop Dogg figures in sermons, housewives cradle babies in tattooed arms -- and religious fundamentalism rules. Meet the Disciple Generation, the fierce new face of American evangelism. By Lauren Sandler [2006-09-13]

• From the horse's mouth

  I’m nothing short of furious that Ms. Sandler felt it was ok to pick & choose snippets of our conversation and weave them together to create a more controversial story. I write this, not so much to defend myself, but to defend my family who she’s dragging through the mud in the name of journalism.

  First of all, yes, I admitted that there was a time when I did not want children. What she curiously chose to leave out of the article, is that once I got older and had a change of heart, my husband & I tried for almost a year to conceive our son. And during my pregnancy, I had a dangerous complication that threatened his life. My heart was breaking because I loved him so much – even before he was born. My faith in Jesus and my friends at Mars Hill (both women and men) were what kept me strong during the 88 days that I was in and out of the hospital on strict bed rest. Sure the kids drive me nuts sometimes, but why can’t I admit that without being accused of not wanting to be a mother??? Have any of you tried to do a two hour interview with someone while your 2 year old and newborn are vying for your attention? Yes, I was frustrated. Do I wish I didn’t have my children? Of course not. And this quote: "We had originally planned not to have kids, but now we have to do our best to repopulate our city with Christians" is insane.

  Secondly, there is no reason for anyone to feel sorry for me. I am not a woman who has been put in a cage only to be let out for procreating and to fix dinner.

  To suggest that I am at the effect of a misogynist husband and church is hilarious when you consider the real sexism that I experienced in the music industry as a single woman. I toured with a band once whose tour manager used to make jokes that I should play “bunk roulette” with the guys on the bus. I got kicked off a tour for the simple fact that I was a woman because the drummer’s girlfriend thought he’d hit on me. And I couldn’t go to a venue without local security guards assuming I was a groupie or that one of the guys in the band was my boyfriend.

  I praise God for delivery me from that world and blessing me with a husband who loves me and treats me like gold.

  So go ahead, believe what you will. I expect that none of this will change anyone’s mind about me, Mars Hill, or Jesus but I had a few things I wanted to get off my chest.

  -- Judy
  Permalink Flag Wednesday, September 13, 2006 02:47 PM
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