Daily affirmations of a word mercenary
Another Perspective on the Second Gen
3Nov2003 Filed under: LinkageDo you know how many people have asked me, in the past five years, as a Jewish, lesbian, agnostic, wannabe Buddhist, ‘What do you think about your son being a practicing Baptist minister?’ And I try to keep it real — it’s really brought me up against how much I want my kids to be just like me, and how validating it is of me when they act like me or have my values. And it’s been a struggle for me to learn how to accept — not just accept but celebrate — what gives Jesse joy: his spirituality, which flies in the face of pretty much every thing I believe in.
This is an interesting article about a woman who wrote abook about teens and drug use. The author is an aging hippie, her son a recovering drug addict…who’s become a baptist minister. Interesting perspective on the pendulum swinging.
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6 Responses to “Another Perspective on the Second Gen”
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Hey there. I'm Ariel Meadow Stallings, a native Seattleite who's written my way up and down the Left Coast. Electrolicious is where I post daily randomata, but I also write for a living. My first book, Offbeat Bride, is in bookstores now.
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dave
November 3rd, 2003 at 2:46 pm
yeah… my little brother started out as a raving drug-addict, and then BECAME a born-again minister, so… sometimes the pendulum is all in the SAME person.
leblanc
November 3rd, 2003 at 3:00 pm
wow. just that excerpted paragraph make my mind reel. i definitely want to read more.
greta
November 3rd, 2003 at 3:17 pm
interestingly, all of the people i know who have gone in the direction of religious fanaticism (born-again especially) were previously heavy drug users. i haven’t quite figured out yet how, but i do think that it is significant.
Ariel
November 3rd, 2003 at 3:21 pm
I’ve noticed that too, Greta, and here’s my theory:
Addictive behavior revolves around a resignation of control: you’re not making your own choices, you’re driven by the desire for your substance of choice. In some ways, organized religion fits that same model: churches provide a structure that many recovering addicts need. You resign control to God, and in that resignation you are rewarded with a faith, a community, and a support system that is sadly lacking from many addicts’ lives.
I could go on and on and on about this topic (related: why so many people who are recovering get deeply into exercise routines) but it’s all armchair analysis and I hate getting caught talking out of my ass.
paisley
November 3rd, 2003 at 7:51 pm
veddy interesting!
leblanc
November 4th, 2003 at 4:15 pm
i agree with your theory, Ariel. added note: religious fanatics are often also obsessive/compulsive, as opposed to addictive, personalities. and, obviously, people who have been through hardcore trauma of somekind also turn to religion as an “escape” from having to really deal with their problem (drug abuse, rape, abuse, etc.)
the desire to relinquish control to an outside force, and therefore not be responsible for yourself or for the world around you, is common among both drug abusers and hardcore religious practitioners, at least in this country. i would NOT say the same about those in other cultures. religion here in america is a whole different ballgame.