Elizabeth Moon, my Church, Safe Spaces, and a lot of Headscratching

It has been a busy week in my brain. I finished the troll novel, and then fell into a week which included Bryon’s parent teachers conferences (doing the errands for 2, instead of one, on my end), my penultimate nightclass, and the grammar retreat. Ugh.

Added to that, I had dinner with my pastor on Monday. Bryon and I have followed Kathy to 3 Methodist congregations (Methodists have a tendency to move ministers around), and we think she’s a smart spiritual leader, a liberal Christian who’s good at what she does.

Monday, I discovered that she’s having some serious issues with the congregation, and that some members of our church had left due to conflict, not with Kathy, but with people who aren’t behaving churchly. These unchurchly people are trying to oust her in the new year. As she related these tales to me, I found myself perplexed, because you know, this is church, man. I get conflict in other organizations, but there are some pretty clear Christian tenants that tell you how to behave.

And then, last night in White Privilege class, we were talking about safe spaces to talk about issues of racism, and color, and I brought up MoonFail, and the con comm’s rescinding of her guest of honor status. I suggested that might be creating a safe space, although I felt pretty disappointed in the con comm waffling so long in making the decision, when it was clear that Moon countermanded the mission of the convention as feminist and progressive, and being a safe place.

Now, people suggest that this would have been a teachable moment for Ms. Moon. Weelll, given that Ms. Moon has exercised white privilege by walking away from the response (in all fairness, we’ll watch to see if she puts anything up when she is less busy), I’m not convinced that she sees herself as in need of any modification or change.

Timmi is right. I too have to blame Fox News for both of these situations.

We live in a world where hate can be a rhetoric. Many are willing to accept narrow points or world views, or even down right hate as a valid reasoning strategy. Often, the rhetoric of those who discriminate boils down to “because I said so,” or “I know what I know,” or “you can’t tell me differently.” We had a tiny serge of an intellectual is cool attitude around the time Obama was elected, but we’ve gone right back to being a nation of gut feelings, ill-formed arguments, and respecting viewpoints even if they are morally wrong.

Oh boy. I can hear it now. What is moral? What is right? What is wrong? How can you judge anyone’s lifestyle?

Right. I got it. Let me put it more clearly. How can we embrace or give countenance to any standpoint or view that does not countenance basic human rights and basic human respect? In the case of Moon, her statements dehumanize a group of people at the very least, and suggest that this is okay because the actions of a few mean they deserve it. In the case of my church, the ambitions of a few cause treatment that is less than human to another person.

I think to myself, isn’t this nonsense the reason I went into teaching: to get people to think? Why are people seduced by this alternative, that a doctrine of belief is more important than human rights and respect? What does it say about our culture that we allow the idea that Obama is a Muslim to be not only an inaccuracy, but a racist slur? What does it say about my church that a petty argument can pretty much cause Christians to overlook all of Christ’s teachings?

You know, I really prefer to believe that people can change, and that human beings don’t suck. But there are days when that’s tough. Regarding the church, I plan to spend my afternoon building a case for bringing in a Methodist conflict resolution team from the conference, so I guess I’m letting my actions talk for me.

In the case of SF3, the organization behind Wiscon, I wish they’d acted a little sooner, but act they did. As has been repeated over and over, Moon is still invited to come to the convention. I think she needs the education we can offer. However, how is it that anyone can suggest that her statements, which don’t respect basic human rights and basic human respect, are worthy of the accolade of guest of honor in what is supposed to be a safe place for discussing difference? That’s not shutting her up, although I wonder why our society in general doesn’t think it’s okay to shut her up… oh yeah. Being American means saying whatever ill-informed shit you want.

Why our society thinks that is more important than teaching people how to recognized and criticize ill-informed shit is beyond me. No more Fox News for you, people. Time to read some human rights circulars from the U.N.

To those who would suggest that this is about being politically correct–it’s not. The myth that the American public embraces just causes to avoid offense is just bunk. As a matter of fact, I’m finding people walk away more often than confront because they don’t want to make waves. This is what politicians and people in power rely upon.

We’ve been taught that all views are acceptable. And they’re not. There. It’s been said.

I guess, really, that makes me less politically correct, and more a dangerous radical. Groovy.

Catherine

Author: Catherine Schaff-Stump

Catherine Schaff-Stump writes fiction for children and young adults. Her most recent book, The Vessel of Ra, is the first book in the Klaereon Scroll series. She is currently working on its sequel, as well as penning the middle grade adventures of Abigail Rath, monster hunter. View all posts by Catherine Schaff-Stump