There is a Christian Program that I used to find interesting now and then. But lately, when I happen upon it, it's always about marriage, marriage, marriage, marriage... did I say marriage? Marriage is the "perfect" example of God's love, and the enemy (satan, the devil) is always going to try and rip your marriage apart. Oh gawd, there are hundreds of philosophies around how to make your marriage work, and how to be self sacrificial, etc etc. And to be honest, much of the advice they give IS fairly good advice... to a degree. Some of it is horse shit too.
Since I seem to be PMSing, and I want to rip someone face off, I decided it was Bob and Audrey's turn. I don't know them personally, but hey, if you are going to put yourselves out there, and try to be my TV friend, then I feel I have the right to tell you what I think.
*sigh* You know, I am having difficulty listening to Bob and Audrey speak AGAIN about marriage. Please don't mistake my opinion of marriage. I have always believed that Marriage can be an example of what God is like, and it can be a beautiful thing. But I get a bit offended by how marriage is SO exalted. It almost seems like it's an idol of sorts. Also, I feel like people who end up in a divorce are then labelled as "less than", like there is something wrong with them, as if they made that choice, as if they planned it that way. Have you ever done a show about divorce that actually gives divorced people HOPE about their lives? Have you ever taken a casserole to a recently single mother, acknowledging that her marriage has died and that you are showing her some sympathy? Have you ever told your viewers about "Divorce Care" a wonderful ministry to help divorced people hang onto God while dealing with all of the pain and losses that come with a divorce?
Everytime I flip through the channels and come across your show, all I hear is marriage marriage marriage. As if the only WORTHY Christians are MARRIED Christians! Alot of people who get divorced either didn't choose it, or had to make a choice based on the choices of the other. When will I be able to see an episode that gives divorced people HOPE? Far as I can tell, Jesus didn't abandon or condemn someone in that situation. (Woman at the well). Even Paul was previously married, he wasn't always the single guy he was when he wrote his letters.
I think you are doing the general public that your program is aimed at a disservice with this kind of propaganda message. You guys seem SO focused on marriage that your view has become way too narrow. Perhaps you should call this "The Marriage Show" or even "The Bob and Audrey Show" so at least we aren't fooled into thinking we are going to find something that is actually applicable to OUR lives.
And just to add some credibility to what may seem like a brash criticism from some nutbar named "Bambi" - I have been separated from my husband for 4 years. If asked, I will share more about that. I have 2 children living with me from that marriage. After one year of separation, I began attending Steinbach Bible College and graduated last spring (after 3 years) with a BA in Peer Counseling. I've also taken Divorce Care twice, and had my youngest child attend Divorce Care for Kids. I tried to have that ministry brought into my church and they said no. I tried to make divorce care gift bags of encouragement for when other people get divorced at our church, and they said no. They invited me to share my testimony about going through divorce as a christian, then they renegged. I also work in a ministry called Rachel's Vineyard right here in winnipeg (for the last 6 years), a ministry brought to Winnipeg by Rev Scott Miller for people who have lost children to abortion. I've been a christian for almost 12 years. I am currently at U of M studying to get my Social work degree, so that I can help people, doing the ministry work that God has called me into.
Many many divorced people I know have slipped through the Christian cracks. Churches seem fine to let that happen, I'm not sure why... Do we taint the attendance? Do we make you look bad? Are you happy to not have to confront the idea that living on this earth, Christian or not, IS messy. Do you want to live in a bubble? Is it Christian to live in a bubble? We can never be totally free of the mess, unless you want to live as a pharisee. But then you're falling off the other side of the horse. We already feel like freaks and failures because we couldn't make our marriage work. We already feel like aliens at church because we are in so much pain, that all that "good stuff" at church just seems to bounce off because of all the grief we're dealing with. Why are so many people in this big rush for us to deal with OUR sin before they will give us any kind of love or sympathy? Did the Samaratian do that? "If you tell me how an idiot like you gets himself into a stupid situation like this, perhaps I'll consider caring about you." No, he just freaking HELPED HIM. He treated him like a human being. And we who are divorced or divorcing, we are human beings too, chosen in love by God.
IF you happen to have a show that is about Divorce, that gives a divorced person HOPE... I'm be interested in the having the link to watch it somewhere online. Because it will be the first that I have seen...
I wish you a good day
Bambi (That is my real name, btw)
You get the idea...
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