Would you believe me if I told you that the same organizations that convinced Christian parents to spank and hit their kids every time they showed "willful" disobedience in toddlerhood and beyond are now selling courses on how to heal the "epidemic" of estrangement within these same families?

hello autistic nerds I need help tracking down a book that is from 1970 that is co-authored by James Dobson and I can only find copies of it for $100 used. I am wondering if anyone who is a part of an academic institution could help me find it on interlibrary loan or JSTOR perhaps?

It's very important to understand, fascists don't just see hypocrisy as a necessary evil. It's not that it's an unintended side-effect. It's the purpose. The ability to enjoy for yourself the exact thing you're able to deny others, because you dominate, is the whole point.

gestures at everything

Liz Lemon: Lemon, It's Wednesday

Alt: Liz Lemon: what a week huh, other guy: Lemon, It's Wednesday

static.klipy.com

there is some news coming out from my corner of the world (writers/advocates who speak about the issue of child abuse in Christian spaces) that is truly devastating . . . I just want people to check in on your own mental health before proceeding with social media right now.

Any time you hear a news story about how a pastor or youth pastor was caught abusing children I want you to remember that the parenting methods they encouraged from the pulpit were training children to always comply with authority (and to equate pain and punishment with god's love).

Timely thread in light of a video I saw today: www.reddit.com/r/PublicFrea... TW: Gun execution (demonstration) and bizarre child grooming to encourage state violence under the guise of punishing "sin."

From the PublicFreakout community on Reddit: Mt Olivet Baptist church in Kentucky; this is their vacation Bible school. Incredibly disturbing.

Explore this post and more from the PublicFreakout community

reddit.com

D.L. Mayfield (they/them)@dlmayfield.bsky.social · last mo.

Any time you hear a news story about how a pastor or youth pastor was caught abusing children I want you to remember that the parenting methods they encouraged from the pulpit were training children to always comply with authority (and to equate pain and punishment with god's love).

Any time you hear a news story about how a pastor or youth pastor was caught abusing children I want you to remember that the parenting methods they encouraged from the pulpit were training children to always comply with authority (and to equate pain and punishment with god's love).

Listening in small digestible chunks, and, wow. I'm estranged from my parents (fully no contact, after years of trying to maintain a relationship) and, as always, your work is so resonant for me. Thank you for making me feel less alone.

Looking for book or journal article recommendations on how fascism has always targeted queer and gender-non conforming people. Please and thank you!

This is exactly right. When churches have to rely on new converts instead of multi-generational religious families, they're in trouble. And for good reason.

They are losing the war where it counts -- their children and grandchildren want nothing to do with Christian nationalism and the horrific lack of humanity and morality being displayed in their politics. Seriously, check out Focus on the Family's FB page if you don't believe me!

You can talk about how so young men are converting to Christianity all you want but explain to me then why every single conservative Christian organization is posting think pieces about why all the kids are leaving and how to help estranged parents and why so many adult children are "prodigals".

Good morning, the people who really really want you to follow Jesus are also totally OK with for-profit concentration camps, neighbors being kidnapped off the street by masked agents, children being ripped away from their parents — and people who protest this being sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Can someone PLEASE do some actual qualified research on this because I have a hunch that the rates of estrangement in MAGA/religious authoritarian communities is way higher than we know.

D.L. Mayfield (they/them)@dlmayfield.bsky.social · last mo.

We know that estrangement is on the rise in religious authoritarian communities -- think white evangelicals, Mormons, etc -- but how are these communities explaining away the estrangement?

We know that estrangement is on the rise in religious authoritarian communities -- think white evangelicals, Mormons, etc -- but how are these communities explaining away the estrangement?

Why are Christian conservative communities so upset about the "trend" of their adult children turning away from the faith/setting boundaries with their parents? Today on the STRONGWILLED podcast we tackle this issue -- and the real reasons why so many people are walking away from toxic systems.

Why are Christian conservative communities so upset about the "trend" of their adult children turning away from the faith/setting boundaries with their parents? Today on the STRONGWILLED podcast we tackle this issue -- and the real reasons why so many people are walking away from toxic systems.

Heartbroken for the girls he abused. What courage they have shown. One missing thing needs to be highlighted here: Donaldson's conservative evangelical Christianity. CW: evangelical purity culture cultivates and protects pedophiles @dlmayfield.bsky.social www.strongwilledproject.com/purity-cultu...

Purity Culture is Pedophile Culture

Part 1: It's Not the Man in the Trench Coat you Should Be Worried About

strongwilledproject.com

Sam McBride@sjamcbride.bsky.social · last mo.

Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is a paedophile, a jury has unanimously found: Guilty on all 18 counts, including rape of a primary school girl. Judge says jail is "inevitable" and ex-MP immediately remanded into custody. Full breaking coverage:

holy shit????? ICE is getting rid of seven of the 11 would-be concentration camp warehouses they purchased and sec. mullin indicates new mass detention centers are not priority. huge!

ICE Spent $700 Million on 7 Warehouses. Now It Wants to Get Rid of Them.

nytimes.com

It still absolutely boggles my mind that yet eugenics was a core factor in my upbringing. As an eXvangelical PK, Dobson had an overwhelming influence on my parents’ child rearing philosophy. FotF played a big role in my childhood. When I learned about Popenoe a few months ago my mind was blown

Two years ago I published my chapter on James Dobson's mentor and boss of ten years, Paul Popenoe. Dobson has worked very, very hard to erase this chapter of his history from the record and I think it's because eugenics has always been a core part of his work and he doesn't want that exposed.

100%. when I came out in high school, FOTF were the first people my mom went to for advice because they had such a strong grip on the sort of christian media she consumed via radio. their whole operation is insanely harmful and emotionally abusive/manipulative.

D.L. Mayfield (they/them)@dlmayfield.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Right now Focus on the Family is going all in on reaching out to people who are estranged from their adult children -- soliciting donations, personal information, and selling the "cure" (some Townsend videos that don't help at all). They are just grifters making money off of the culture wars.

It is very appropriate that the organization that built their brand around the value beating your children into submission and breaking their will like a dog (Dobson's metaphor) now has a crisis of estranged parents they can continue to milk for cash. I wish hell was real specifically for him.

The most interesting name to me personally on Peter Thiel's secret list is John Townsend. Primarily because he is all in on helping grift people at Focus on the Family who are estranged from their adult children.

Just finished listening to the last 2 Patreon-only episodes of @dlmayfield.bsky.social's Strongwilled podcast and having some big feelings about my dad, extra-weird leading up to Father's Day. I think what makes me saddest is how patriarchy has harmed him, and I don't think he'll ever realize it. 💔

The most interesting name to me personally on Peter Thiel's secret list is John Townsend. Primarily because he is all in on helping grift people at Focus on the Family who are estranged from their adult children.

Interesting to see Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life) and John Townsend (co-author of Boundaries, current Focus on the Family partner) on this list. The elites have always needed evangelical Christians to push the culture war narratives so the rich can get richer

WIRED@wired.com · 2mo ago

ICYMI: More than 200 of the world's elites registered for a retreat whose agenda runs from panels on cult-building and sex to prepping for World War III. An associated app offers matchmaking. www.wired.com/story/leak-e...

Yup, I heard this too many times to count, and believed it too. Turns out, pretty sure getting hit hurt more.

D.L. Mayfield (they/them)@dlmayfield.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The most common thing kids in these homes heard as they were being hit, paddled, and beaten on their buttocks? “This hurts me more than this hurts you.” Gaslighting children into minimizing their physical/emotional pain and forcing them to hug/end the ritual by fawning and placating the parent.

How do I explain to people that being forced to hug your parent after you were spanked by them actually makes it WORSE, not better, for your physical and mental health?