feminism and abortion, dealing with emotion, self- vs. God-esteem.

Something I considered interesting: Susan B. Anthony, one of the huge feminists and advocate of women's rights, once called abortion "the horrible crime of child-murder". The point I hold particularly close is that which she makes in saying, "Much as I deplore the horrible crime of child-murder, earnestly as I desire its suppression, I cannot believe with* the writer of the above-mentioned article, that such a law would have the desired effect. It seems to be only mowing off the top of the noxious weed, while the root remains."
An example, I think, in which the systematic worldview really needs to be employed. But I won't get into it.
(This information found on p.45 of "50 Things You're Not Supposed To Know", by Russ Kick, gratefully borrowed from Sal of companionableills - thanks!)
*['Believe with' doesn't make very much sense to me, but that's how it was written.]



It seems to me there are two sides of the spectrum for dealing with emotion (stemming from two perceptions of it):
In an instance of the first, a person does not perceive emotion as something not of oneself. The anger I am feeling is me. This is one version of me: the angry version. I don't recognize emotion as something that is happening to me, nor do I recognize it really as something at all. This, I think, is often a person with a temper, a person out-of-control, or a person who buries emotions or is unable to deal with or work through them.
In an instance of the second, on the other hand, a person views emotions as something. Emotions are tangible and there and, though inevitable and unavoidable, things that can be dealt with. There is with this perspective the danger, however, in dehumanizing emotions. It is so extremely possible to think about and analyze emotions so much that they aren't emotions anymore - reactions become dull or nonexistent and even another encounter with the trigger of the emotion can elicit no emotional response.
(Some people, of course, fall under neither of these categories. I suppose I haven't quite figured out those ones.)

It is interesting to me the ways in which the two kinds of people use the mediums of emotional expression (music, art, poetry, etc.). These mediums, undoubtedly, are potentially consuming - music, from my experience, especially (but perhaps this is only because it is the one to which I am closest). A person of the first perspective, it seems, is more susceptible to being consumed. I would definitely consider these mediums of expression demonstrations or substantiations of emotion, and so, a person that does not recognize (emotion) these mediums of expression as something of which to be wary, or something that can be manipulated to one's benefit, far more easily falls victim. It is far more difficult to defend yourself against an enemy when he is not visible. Contrarily, a person of the second perspective, by employing these mediums of expression as a means of substantiation, more often is able to make them tangible (there should be a verb for this) enough, conceptualize them enough that they are no longer abstract, to be able to work with them.



So many organizations, Christian ones the top among them, seem to say, "You are so valuable! You are so wonderful! Believe in yourself!" They stress the importance of self-esteem. It is very frustrating for me.

I do not believe that humanity deserves self-esteem. God doesn't need you. The world doesn't need you. The world needs God, and you do as well. We do not deserve or in any way need self-esteem; what we need is God-esteem. What we need is humility: the ability to recognize the nature of our humanity, and then to throw ourselves before God anyway. The ability to say, "Lord, take this shell of a soul and make it whole again, so that it can work for you." We do not need self-esteem. We do not need any inkling, any shadow of the dirty lie that we can make any sort of good on our 'merit' alone.


Currently reading: aforementioned book, and its sequel

Currently listening to: soundtrack to Notre-Dame
Seattle Sessions acoustic EP, by the Classic Crime (Yay, I have it!)
We're So Far Away, Mae