Finished watching the incredibly depressing documentary about The Villages, a large retirement community in Florida.
One tiny little detail has stuck with me: A sermon in which a preacher says that worrying means you don't have enough faith in God.
One tiny little detail has stuck with me: A sermon in which a preacher says that worrying means you don't have enough faith in God.
I used to hear this shit all the time growing up in the church. Normal human experiences (fear, doubt, sadness, not to mention actual health conditions like anxiety or depression) were all attributed to a lack of faith.
Rhetoric like this serves to make people ashamed of normal human emotions and experiences, who then try to divorce themselves from their feelings.
It also separates people from control of/responsibility for their emotions and experiences. Got a problem? Give it to Jesus.
It also separates people from control of/responsibility for their emotions and experiences. Got a problem? Give it to Jesus.
I cannot tell you how many times I've heard this when talking about actual issues (like rape, child abuse and PTSD.) Actual accountability? Nah. Take it to God.
Kudos to the filmmakers for including this quick clip as an example of the pitfalls of "positive" thinking.
Kudos to the filmmakers for including this quick clip as an example of the pitfalls of "positive" thinking.
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