All over FB are stories of women who are imaginitive, thought ful, and creative in their lives and in raising their children & interactions with others...

In reading parts of the thread 'isolated in RS', I thought to myself....
isn't this about 180 away from the rest of society?

The cookie cutter does stamp out cookies, but: Isn't there room for lots of others in the world?

RS seems to be an avenue for socialzation for women, but anything more going on there?
Heaven knows any active LDS gets sufficient indoctrination in Mormonism.... without RS.

Is RS a means whereby women are 'dumbed down' with the presentation of a diluted study of 'faith'?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 12:24PM by guynoirprivateeye.

You don't even have to go to Relief Society to answer that question.

Just listen to the kindergarten tone and the childish "message" from the RS leadership at General Conference. It is markedly dumbed down for the ladies.

Take "Mothers Who Know" as a prime example. Designed to counteract the idea that SAHM don't know sh*t or are brainwashed. Yet there isn't a single polysyllable in the entire talk, lots of repetition for the smart mothers who can't remember after hearing it once (even though the admonition to pray/obey has been repeated to death every time a Mormon takes the rostrum).

And don't forget the singsong voice- a special syrupy intonation reserved for addressing the (mentally) weaker sex.

Anagrammy

You also need to keep in mind that the projects, arts & crafts, baking, etc., are all done in every ward, in every stake, all over the country the same, same, same.

To wit: someone comes up with an idea that's not particularly new or original, but different and it gets picked up. Soon all RS meetings are doing it. It fades. 5 or 6 years later, someone recycles the idea a little differently, and soon all RS meetings are doing it . . . and so on.

Add those 'be sweet' ladies with their dulcet tones and words and phrases aimed at the level of a 6th grade mind and yeah, Mormonisn stiffles all creativity. Independent thinking, too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 01:05PM by nwmcare.

If there's any one thing that I feel I excell at and is a natural-born talent, it's writing. As an active member of the Church, I always felt like I was supposed to use that talent to "build up the kingdom."

But writing well requires that you have feeling about the content. I lacked the conviction to ever write anything of value that had to do with the church, or God, Jesus, etc. I wrote a response to a reader's letter in the Ensign once last year and then realized - "I don't believe this. I pulled that out of my bag of well-sculpted LDS answers. What am I doing?"

Having backed away and looked at the Church with a different perspective, I have plenty I want to write about. It's unfortunate for them that it wouldn't help to build up their kingdom.

Another way I realize I was stifled: I felt like the things I love doing weren't what I should be doing, because of the "good, better, best" idea. I always felt that scripture study and FHE planning needed to be higher on my priority list than my hobbies, even though I got nothing from those kinds of things. In fact it was the opposite - the more I avoided the scriptures, the better I could retain my hope of gaining a testimony. "Good, better, best," is a great mindset to have, as long as you are the one deciding what is best for yourself (and family, etc.)

I'm realizing now how defunct that "one way fits all" message is.

Not sure I expressed myself very clearly.

Since we are supposed to use our talents to build the kingdom, I felt like mine was wasted unless I could get myself a hefty, healthy testimony. Otherwise I had nothing to write about that would help in the Lord's work.

I still don't think I'm making my point very well, but maybe I'll do a better job when I'm not using my blackberry and I put more time and thought into it.

I would say that Mormonism doesn't stifle creativity. In my career I've known dozens of amazing and creative Mormon musicians and artists. Nothing about their religion did anything to stifle or lessen their creativity.

Now, their critical thinking skills were definitely lacking.

I was never able to draw a human form properly because of always being afraid of it. Men or women dosent matter was still afraid of it of looking to much and getting turned on by the forbidden thing under clothes. Dance was much the same I could fit into boxes to hide my origonal form but i was afraid of myself and anyone seing what I looked like without layers of mormon standard clothes. Singing was hellish as all that was left was sweet syrupy gross music I didnt want to sing because it felt wrong to sing about how great the world was and how lovely mummy and daddy are when they are screaming at each other at home. Leaveing the shackels behind me let me be me.

Also every talent I had I felt like it was just to be used in church so school and college and anytyhing else was some other world of extras that you just looked into till you got your man and became baby makering mashine.

I even had one woman tell me I dont need to work on talents because when I get to the next life my husband will be doing all the creative stuff with the planets.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 03:14PM by blindmag.