Isabella - custody battle by lesbian now conservative christian over 10 yr old

[shnozzola]

NY Times article about former lesbian partner abducting 10 yr old, fleeing and hiding in Nicaragua.

She prayed long hours, hoping God would tell her what was best for her daughter, said Linda M. Wall, a conservative activist and self-described “ex-gay” who befriended her in Virginia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/us/a-civil-union-ends-in-an-abduction-and-questions.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

[Nick]

Sounds like one confused person.

[Nam]

No such thing as an "ex-gay". If you've had sex with the same sex you are, enjoyed it, and wasn't forced: you're gay. Deal with it.

-Nam

[Astreja]

I... don't know what to say.  I'm horrified.

I hope the authorities rescue the girl and imprison the kidnapper for life.

[Quesi]

It will take a lifetime for this poor child to learn to rebuild trust.  She has been told so many lies.  She was taught at such a young age to lie (dress like a Mennonite to cross international borders) and hide and run.  She has been told that her parent, (and her grandparents) are evil.  And not in that snide way that divorced parents try to win favor with a kid sometimes, by badmouthing the other parent.  But in a way in which whole communities have taught her to fear and distrust a parent. 

The article suggests that they move frequently, on the run for years, and the little girl does not have the opportunity to build attachments to peers or mentors or neighborhood routines.

My heart breaks for this poor child, and the damage that a parent caused her.

And as much as I am angry at that mom for the damage she has caused this poor child, I feel sorry for her.  What switch turned on or off in her brain that turned her into such a self-loathing human being?  Was it all religious pressure and brainwashing?  Is there some chemical imbalance?  Did she have an abusive childhood too, in which she, (like her daughter after her) was taught to hate and fear and distrust?  It appears that she is beyond healing at this point.  And yeah, jail is in her future.  And more disruption to this child's life.

[LoriPinkAngel]

I will never begin to understand extremists.

[Traveler]

Heartbreaking. 

[Kimberly]

And as much as I am angry at that mom for the damage she has caused this poor child, I feel sorry for her.  What switch turned on or off in her brain that turned her into such a self-loathing human being?  Was it all religious pressure and brainwashing?  Is there some chemical imbalance?  Did she have an abusive childhood too, in which she, (like her daughter after her) was taught to hate and fear and distrust?  It appears that she is beyond healing at this point.  And yeah, jail is in her future.  And more disruption to this child's life.

I read this shortly after it was posted here. I felt a lot of anger towards the mother at first but as I got to the middle of the article started asking myself similar questions. It reeks of desperateness. It doesn't sound like she was brained washed by the Mennonites, she was said to be depressed living their lifestyle. It almost sounds like she used them in an "under ground rail round" type of way. Perhaps she took the help of the first person who agreed with her? It sounded like she may constantly be struggling with her own self hate. They described it as guilty over her past, but I imagined it differently.

Any ways, it's not hard for me to understand why a mother would want to protect her child from something she viewed as harmful. Maybe she sincerely believes her daughter would be sent to hell if she too became a lesbian. I imagine that would be a hard burden to carry, knowing you introduced them to a life of sin.

This is a good reason for people to spread their objections of religion. I never really understood how some atheist could be so vocal about their beliefs. But if you take a look at any number of current events you will seemingly normal people doing irrational things. For whatever reason religion put blinders on people and it just baffles me that they can't see past the ludicrousness of the messages they spew.

Here we have a woman who would presumably be found sane, behaving with such desperation that she can't see that she is doing more harm than good. Maybe if this woman had a conversation with an atheist some of her self loathing could have been prevented. Maybe this all would have never happened. Who knows, maybe it would have caused her to spiral out of control sooner. But eventually the rest of the world is going to have to stop basing such important decisions on the possibility of eternal hell. IDK how else more people are going to get it unless we atheist speak up.