Many of us "crunchy" mamas have probably encountered this article entitled "Growing Up Unvaccinated" recently. In news feeds and on parenting sites, it has caught on like wild fire, traveling at light speed around the Internet reminding me of one of my favorite quotes; a lie can spread half way around the world while the truth is still putting it's shoes on.
So, what I want to do here is deconstruct this propaganda piece but not as others have done. Many have written brilliant blogs and articles about the holes in this story which are big enough to drive a truck through not to mention the junk science, the fact that it's an obviously falsified hit piece, and counter points of experiences growing up vaccinated.
There's also the theory that Parker might work for the CDC and actually be this woman.
The science on vaccines is there and easy to follow with the links I've provided or through independent research, that's not what I'm here to debate or even comment on. Nope, I here to talk about how ungodly this piece is.
Most of us are getting so wrapped up in the vaccine debate and wondering if her story is true and if she really works for the CDC that we are allowing a very ungodly and satanic notion to slip right by us.
The idea that it's entirely OK to publically humiliate and insult your parents online.
For the sake of Amy's mother and father I pray they are so "hippie" that they don't have an Internet connection and they have no idea what their daughter has said about them to millions of people online.
Now, whether or not you agree with Parker's premise or not I think we can all act from one HUGE assumption - that her parents were doing their best.
Her mother breastfed her for over a year, putting aside her own needs and desires to do what was best for her child and be on demand for her child's nutrition 24 hours a day. Her parents worked in a home garden to provide fresh, organic food for their children. Both her parents cooked literally EVERYTHING from scratch according to Amy - putting them heads and shoulders above average parents, including myself.
Whether or not these are the sacrifices you would personally make for your child I think we can all agree her parents put in a lot of hard work and obviously made a lot of sacrifices on her behalf.
Yet, she quite literally opens her hit piece by calling her parents "nuts".
But she doesn't stop there. She goes on. A few more paragraphs down she calls her mother a "freak". Once she has laid out her, uh-hem, story, she proceeds to trash parents who don't vaccinate which means she is calling down her own dear parents because, obviously, they didn't vaccinate her.
What insults does she throw? She implies that non-vaxers don't teach their children love or compassion (so that means her, right? I mean she's the child of freaks after all). She calls parents like hers cruel. She even goes so far as implying that vaccinating parents such as herself do not enjoy watching children suffer which means that parents who don't vaccinate do?
Do these sentiments sound like the thoughtful, kind and, above all, respectful words that a grown child should publically say about their parent? I'm reminded of the old saying; if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
We didn't all have great parents. Some of us had horrid parents but the Bible does not say to respect only those parents who deserve our respect (however we deem that to be earned). The Bible calls us quite clearly to respect and honor our parents, PERIOD.
Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
I think this quote could lead us to a reason, beyond vaccines, that Mrs. Parker may have had so many health issues...
Exodus 20:12 ESV
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Or was her HPV scare the modern day equivalent of ravens?
I guess it's a good thing we no longer play old school...
Exodus 21:17 ESV
“Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
Deuteronomy 5:16 ESV
“‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
I certainly disagree with things my parents did or said while I was growing up. Some very passionately. Some things cause me great heart ache that I share with close friends but never would I write such a piece as Amy's and slam and insult my parents to millions of people around the world.
My God has commanded me not to, it is a sin and frankly, even if you take God out of the equation, it's a nasty and awful thing to do.
Even when we have really bad experiences with parents who perhaps were drug addicts or physically abusive we can certainly write pieces online that help others to understand how to prevent or combat abuse or how to help a child whose parents are on drugs without resorting to name calling and publically shaming our own parents in such an unbiblical way.
But here's the good news! Amy, and indeed all of us, are redeemed! Our sins, our disrespect, are all forgiven! We can atone for our wrongs and still stay on the path to our Father in Heaven through the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ! God loves Amy, He loves her parents and He loves her children. He loves us all.
I have been reading your blog for years now and I really like learning about your views and I enjoy "seeing" your sweet family grow. So, please know that what I am about to say is not meant to be offensive. In fact, I tried to figure out how to send this comment to you privately, but I can't find a way to do that on your blog.
ReplyDeleteSo, I am a little concerned about this deconstruction of Parker's post. I can't figure out your point. Your post comes across as a way to judge how Parker is breaking the fourth commandment. It really seems like you are saying something like, "Not only is Parker against vaccinations, but Look! She disrespects her parents! Everyone look at how BAD she is! *I* could disrespect my parents, but I don't!"
I wonder if you would feel the need to publicly judge someone if she shared your beliefs?
Again, I hope this note does not come across as mean; I don't intend it to be.
Blessings to you and yours.
I meant, "Not only is Parker *for* vaccinations..."
ReplyDeleteSorry.
Erin, thank you for your comment. My post here is to simply state that what Parker is doing is ungodly (to us in the faith) and it's a growing trend online to defame one's parents, children or other family members. This is simply my take on a viral post. Perhaps if I saw one that was against vaccines but which also tore down parents I would have the same reaction, the absence of such an article's existence (to my knowledge) makes it impossible to tell. However, I'm also not going to sit here and say "don't judge." That's impossible. We all make judgments everyday. What time we will get up, what to have for breakfast, what job to work, etc. We live our lives based on judgments and discriminating one thing we consider "good" over something else. When I'm specifically referencing scriptures I have no problem saying "A" is good and "B" is bad, that's exactly what the scriptures are there for - to help us discriminate good from evil. I have no problem with calling out evil. We have all sinned. No one is above it except our Savior. That's why I ended this piece with this quote...
ReplyDelete"But here's the good news! Amy, and indeed all of us, are redeemed! Our sins, our disrespect, are all forgiven! We can atone for our wrongs and still stay on the path to our Father in Heaven through the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ! God loves Amy, He loves her parents and He loves her children. He loves us all."
IMHO, I'll call evil, evil and never back down from that but that is not the same as judging someone's worth and value and as I stated Amy is a daughter of our Heavenly Father and He LOVES her, without question and regardless of her mistakes.
In this modern day and age we confuse stating scriptural truth with judging someone's value as a human being. It's one of the Adversary's best tricks.
I've seen that post deconstructed six ways from Sunday and no one did it from this angle. Very interesting! You're right, there seems to be a growing trend of online shaming of family members. Viral photos of parents publicly shaming their kids break my heart. The internet has a long memory and each generation is progressively more adept at using it.
ReplyDeleteYou're also right about judgments IMO. We cannot avoid judging. Not only do we judge how to use our time, we judge with whom we will spend it. That usually isn't a personal judgment on them, and never should be about their worth as a person, but it's unavoidable. Jesus spoke of eternal judgment, which is not ours to make.
Bronwyn, thank you so much for you comment! I really enjoyed it. God bless <3
ReplyDelete