Symptom of a problem in evangelical circles

[struggle4progress]

Kathryn Brightbill

... In that world, which Moore travels in and I grew up in, 14-year-old girls courting adult men isn't uncommon.

I use the phrase "14-year-old girls courting adult men," rather than “adult men courting 14-year-old girls," for a reason: Evangelicals routinely frame these relationships in those terms. That's how I was introduced to these relationships as a home-schooled teenager in the 1990s, and it's the language that my friends and I would use to discuss girls we knew who were in parent-sanctioned relationships with older men.

One popular courtship story that was told and retold in home-school circles during the 1990s was that of Matthew and Maranatha Chapman, who turned their history into a successful career promoting young marriage. Most audiences, however, didn't realize just how young the Chapmans had in mind until the site Homeschoolers Anonymous and the blogger Libby Anne revealed that Matthew was 27 and Maranatha was 15 when they married. Libby Anne also drew mainstream attention to Matthew Chapman’s writings, in which he argued that parents should consider marriage for their daughters in their "middle-teens." At that point the Chapmans stopped receiving quite so many speaking invitations ...

As a teenager, I attended a lecture on courtship by a home school speaker who was popular at the time. He praised the idea of "early courtship" so the girl could be molded into the best possible helpmeet for her future husband. The girl’s father was expected to direct her education after the courtship began so she could help her future husband in his work.

In retrospect, I understand what the speaker was really describing: Adult men selecting and grooming girls who were too young to have life experience. Another word for that is "predation" ...

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-brightbill-roy-moore-evangelical-culture-20171110-story.html

[BigmanPigman]

1. I wonder how many non religious people are saying,

"I am not surprised by any of this"? I know I am.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. This sounds as if it is a story out of some backward 3rd world country

The American Talibornagain

[struggle4progress]

3. A few more years of GOP control will make US one of the most backward in the world

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. K&R!

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. It reminds me of the polygamist cults along the Southern Utah/Northern Arizona border

Older men with teen brides with religious dogma as justification. Young men kicked out to remove competition.

[Amaryllis]

6. ANd just exactly how was her father supposed to"direct her education" after the courtship began?

Did that creep out anyone else?

[SunSeeker]

7. K & R for exposure.

[Kablooie]

8. Yes Virginia, stereotypes do come true.

[genxlib]

9. That is a facinating read.

Thanks for posting.

It is not surprising to me that Phil Robinson of Duck Dynasty fame shows up among the propoters of this vile preying on teenage girls.

When my daughter was young, she used to like to watch that stupid show. So I was exposed to it as background noise. Most of the cast are playing the harmless yokels role in a modern day Beverly Hillbillies. But Phil Robinson was something else. He was just a spiteful, arrogant prick. They used to show him with his grand-kids a lot and he was just mean to them.