My RW Fundie mother has had a change of heart!

[Lorien]

27 years ago my mother became a Right Wing born again Christian. She bought into the whole Southern Baptist platform: women are inferior and men must be obeyed, the Bible is the literal word of God (talking snakes and all), evolution is a liberal myth and the universe was created 6,000 years ago, the End Times are near, and abortion is THE most important issue in politics. We barely spoke during the 2000 election, though I did tell her all about the election theft that I witnessed personally here in Florida (she had no comment). She barely said a word to me during the 2004 election either, so I knew that she was voting for Bush again. I continued to email her articles about everything from civilian deaths in Iraq to the erosion of the endangered species act, but rarely would she comment on anything (I didn't comment on them myself-I just passed them along). She worked in China as a missionary, so some of the articles I sent her about abuses of Chinese workers working for American companies had an effect. A story about Wal-Mart executives holding meetings at a strip club finally ended her patronage of those stores, though torture, domestic spying, lying us into war etc. etc. seemed to have no impact on her...or so I thought. Recently I received an email from her and at the very bottom she had written this:

"Re Tuesday's primary, I guess I threw my vote away: It went to Dennis Kucinich. I was surprised to see his name still on the ballot. I couldn't bring myself to vote for either Obama or Hillary, even though I must have received 6 recorded phone calls from her (none from O) in the week before the primary and at least 3 on the day of it. Maybe my vote for Kucinich will encourage him to try again!"

:wow:

Needless to say, I'm thrilled that I was finally able to get through to her! I have no doubt that she won't be voting for McCain, and there's a very real possibility that she may cast a vote for the Dem nominee in the GE, whoever it is. After all, she would have had to have registered as a Dem to have voted in the primary!

[femmedem]

1. Left is the new middle!

There is a lot more common ground than not with people we tend to think of as our opponents. :)

[jazzjunkysue]

2. You got her back, Lorien. $4 gas doesn't hurt, either.

With all the upheaval in the economy, I don't know how anyone can keep on the path we're in. Where are all those "true conservatives?"

[Lorien]

4. Well, she was never much of a fiscal conservative

except that she did say two years ago that she thought the new bankruptcy laws were a good idea (like so many conservatives she thought that most people get into debt by buying too much stuff-I sent her articles disputing that). She drives a compact car and everything is within a mile or two from her anyway, so she never complains about gas prices...though they should give the "greed is good" crowd something to chew on!

[gateley]

3. Wow - she's come a LONG way!

Good for the both of you!

And, I'm really hesitant to mention this, but it jumped out at me:

"I must have received 6 recorded phone calls from her (none from O) in the week before the primary and at least 3 on the day of it."

Would that be considered campaigning? If so, didn't they all agree not to campaign in those states?

[Lorien]

5. This was in Ohio

I only get an email from her once in a long while, so she only just mentioned it.

[gateley]

6. Oh - I'll calm down then. Thanks. :-)

[pengillian101]

7. That's sad to allow politics to interfere with family.

We barely spoke during the 2000 election, though I did tell her all about the election theft that I witnessed personally here in Florida (she had no comment). She barely said a word to me during the 2004 election either, so I knew that she was voting for Bush again.

[Lorien]

11. Not by my choice. She was so wrapped up with the church

(and still is to some extent) that she has pretty close to zero contact with non-Christians. It's rather cult like. Things are better now, though.

[pengillian101]

12. Things are better now, though.

Oh, that is good to hear! :hi:

[Der Blaue Engel]

14. Born again Christians usually do

They are told by their spiritual leaders that if they don't constantly shove their views down others throats (aka "witnessing") they may not get into heaven. Such "true believers" eventually alienate everyone they know who isn't in their cult.

It's sad to allow religion to warp your mind and destroy your relationships. Yes, indeed.

[Annces]

8. Thanks for sharing

I think we try to fit into our times. If enough people change, then it becomes easier to make changes. For instance if there were vegetarian fast food joints, I am sure there would be more vegetarians.

[JohnnyLib2]

9. Good news, thanks.

So many Bush bumper stickers have disappeared this year--maybe you are describing another part of a shift. We hope.

[fascisthunter]

10. Now That's What I Call a "Doing a 180"

[OregonBlue]

13. Wonder what was the straw the broke the proverbials camel's back.

Hooray for you!! Double hooray for your mom!!!

[Lorien]

15. I have no idea. Maybe someday I'll ask her

about a year ago she started reading the New York Times online every day. She had never showed any interest in current events before (at least not since being "Born Again"). Sometimes she would send me articles on health discoveries or people who I had once worked with in the entertainment industry, but not much that was controversial. Just in the past two months he sent me a couple of articles about corporate wrongdoing and Exxon's profits,and BushCos war on the environment. That REALLY surprised me. She has always spoken of God's commandment that we be "good stewards of the earth", so maybe the Repug's environmental policies were the final straw. :shrug:

[defendandprotect]

16. Hardestd thing to do is to deal with those r-w around you !!!

[defendandprotect]

17. Hardestd thing to do is to deal with those r-w around you !!!