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TracyFD
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| Posted: Nov 09 2009 at 7:43am | IP Logged
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Last week there was a news segment that aired on Fox (in Minneapolis) that took a negative spin on traditional family values. I missed the Investigative Report, but read the transcript here.
I am just so disturbed by this kind of reporting on many levels. My complete thoughts are here in this blog post.
In a nutshell, this report was to expose a movement called "Quivering" and alarm viewers to the dangers. They interviewed a mom of many who used to homeschool, dress modestly and have unassisted homebirths. She is now divorced and happy to be free of her "dangerous lifestyle" and patriarchal husband.
Maybe the "Quivering" movement is extreme (I have never heard of it before) but other than unassisted homebirth, we Catholics share many values in common and it was disheartening to see the media view our values in a negative way.
I emailed Fox News and I hope they receive many more!
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Tracy
Mom to 3 girly girls,
1 absent-minded professor, and one adorable toddling terrorist.
Pinewood Castle
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folklaur
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The Quiverfull movement *can* be considered very dangerous.
Think, the Maxwells, and Doug Phillips/Vision Forum.
girls don't need any higher education, go from being under their father's headship to their husband's, wives/daughters are really not able to exercise their own free will given by God, they must obey their husbands without question, or else fear eternal damnation.
women aren't convicted in their hearts to wear "skirts only" - they are forced to do so. they don't have the "choice" of having a home birth, they are forced to do so.
even when they say they choose it, they have never been able to MAKE their own choices, so how can they?
some could make a case that it is a form of abuse.
the whole movement is extreme, and quite prevalent in homeschool circles.
i can not stand the Pearls, and i really hate linking to anything by them, but this article actually is an interesting take on the movement: Cloistered Homeschool Syndrome
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JodieLyn
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Well there's apparently an extreme version and not so extreme versions.. (don't know where the Maxwells or Doug Phillips would fall in the spectrum) and the verbage seems to lump them all together.. I do know families that would quickly say they're quiverfull meaning that they don't use any form of birth control or NFP.. some of the families are skirts only and some aren't.. most use hospitals for births.. some must because the woman needs a c-section basically every time etc. Some the girls and boys go to college, some neither (they're doing a family service business) etc.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Lisbet
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That made me sick... 
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
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Bookswithtea
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I was part of the quiverful movement for many years as a protestant. There are two groups within this movement. One is similar to what Laura mentioned, sometimes also includes bigotry against other nonwhite peoples (but I don't think they are the majority). The rest are godly women who are not much different than Catholic couples who choose not to use nfp, even though they would never say that using it is wrong. Some of my dearest friends would call themselves quiverful, and they are not women in bondage to tyrant husbands.
I think the article is unfortunate. This smaller subset of the quiverful movement ought not to represent them, any more than we would like a liberal/pro choice "Catholic" person to represent us.
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~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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teachingmyown
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I hate when they do "investigative" reporting like this. They end up labeling a larger group of people who may resemble this group from the outside, but don't hold the same extreme positions. Why can't they look at a variety of families who believe in large, homeschooling families? Maybe talk to women who do this because they believe in in? Instead, they take only the testimony from a disgruntled woman whose situation may or may not have been dangerous and harmful. Now every skirt-wearing, homeschooling, mom of many is looked at with suspicion. Every one who already was biased against this lifestyle in general now feels justified.
It is kind of like when our pastor gives instruction about removing disruptive children from Mass. He is talking about the kids banging keys or playing with noisy toys or screaming. He is not talking about the squirmy, but pretty quiet toddler or the cooing baby. But after he gives this talk, every time a child whispers across the pew, or drops a book, accusing eyes look at the parent. Every one has been put alert to watch out for "bad" children.  It also affirms the sentiments of those who don't want those children in Mass to begin with.
Interesting thing in the article, it talks about the birth of the fourth child and how dangerous it was. It then goes on to say that her seventh child was a home birth. Where were #5 and #6 born? If they were born in a hospital, then I think that takes some credibility out of her story.
I don't know. Certainly, the way the story is told, it makes you worry about families that are deeply involved in this set of beliefs. I am just always skeptical when the story is only based on one woman's testimony. Either the pastor was lying or not everyone subscribes to that way of thinking.
One other thing, I get really sick of the assumption that the way the "world" does things is the right way. Women in pants, kids in school, births in hospitals. The modern scenario of a hospital birth borders on abuse of mother and baby at times, totally unnatural and intrusive. We all know the drawbacks of school, even if you disregard the social aspects and focus on the education received. There are many social ills that can be linked to the whole women's liberation movement (birth control, divorce, children left in daycare all day). Not that wearing pants is a sign of this, but skirt-wearing is certainly seen as the opposite of a liberated woman.
Okay, rant over. My prayer is for all women and children to be treated with love and respect. Thank God for our wonderful Catholic Faith which guides us, while allowing for room for individual preferences.!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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sarahb
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There is definitely a very dark side to some of the Quiverfull movement supporters.
I see Michelle Duggar as being an example of a loving happy satisfied wife and mother and she is painting a beautiful picture of her quiverfull family in her book and TV show.
But there is definitely a dark side to the protestant movements of patriarchy and quiverfull. I especialy think these movements can be dangerous to catholic families because many of the followers of those lifestyles are pretty anti catholic in their beliefs.
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TracyFD
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You put it well. Molly! I too am grateful to be Catholic and free to make choices about skirts and homeschooling and where to give birth rather than feeling like these are requirements.
I feel bad for women like the one interviewed who felt forced into this lifestyle and equally bad for the rest of us who might be lumped into an extreme group based on appearance and family size. News stories like these make me wonder if "they" are trying to force (or at least scare) those who choose alternatives into doing things the way "the world" does, as you say. Maybe it's a scare tactic now, but I hope and pray the legal system never uses force.
It is interesting to hear of your experiences with the "Quiverful" movement. I used to get the "No Greater Joy" magazine and read about the letters Michael Pearl received from children of extreme patriarchal families, and he did associate them with the Vision Forum. The No Greater Joy ministry seems to share many of the same values but in a much less forceful way. It is just eye-opening to me to learn of all the various protestant sects out there and what they believe.
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Tracy
Mom to 3 girly girls,
1 absent-minded professor, and one adorable toddling terrorist.
Pinewood Castle
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Topic: News Segment Bashing Family Values
