Saturday, August 16, 2014

Natural Curiosity is Unhealthy (The IFB's Strange Woman)


This post is part of a series examining the “strange woman” doctrine.

The concept of a “strange woman” is an unofficial doctrine** held by some Independent Fundamental Baptists concerning sexually abused girls: They become human garbage and things to be used, to be dispensed with in whatever way is convenient to those who have charge over them. Note that many doctrines in a high demand group are not formally documented but become part of the oral tradition or the hidden curriculum** of their culture and are often more powerful rules than the formally stated ones.

Ron Williams of Hephzibah House offers a very lengthy sermon about this insidiously taught doctrine causing pastors confront occurrences of sexual abuse in their congregations and in educational settings. (Full sermon transcript available HERE. Audio available HERE.)



Dinah and her Pesky Curiosity Ruin All
How can you keep them down on the farm once they've seen the "daughters of the land"?  What would otherwise be characterized as healthy optimism and intelligence is instead sacrificed on the IFB altar of anti-intellectualism.  The ignorance and prejudice of the statements should speak for themselves.


QUOTE: Part II, Dinah's Preventable Defilement
But Dinah, for her part, had responsibility too, she was culpable she had her responsibility.

QUOTE: Part II, Far Country Disease
She violated the principle of Titus chapter 2 and verse 5. Now I understand that Titus had not yet been written, but for our benefit the principal of Titus 2:5 is that we should love out homes. . . Because may I say, if you’re not contented with your home then you’re not going to be contented anywhere.
[. . .]
And if you start thinking that someplace else is better than your home, you’re gonna get the far country disease, and you’re gonna get the same kind of mind set that Dinah apparently got here.

QUOTE: Part II, Far Country Disease
She was curious, and you’ll see especially if you’re a young woman, but this is true of young men and young women, but when you put yourself away from the protection of your home and your parents you put yourself in a very vulnerable position and you put yourself in the tender mercies of the devil and the people of this world. And watch out, what’s going to happen. Chastity and purity goes hand in hand, in Titus chapter 2, with staying at home.

QUOTE: Part II, Far Country Disease
She was curious, and you’ll see especially if you’re a young woman, but this is true of young men and young women, but when you put yourself away from the protection of your home and your parents you put yourself in a very vulnerable position and you put yourself in the tender mercies of the devil and the people of this world. And watch out, what’s going to happen. Chastity and purity goes hand in hand, in Titus chapter 2, with staying at home.

QUOTE: Part II, Far Country Disease
But Dinah developed this curiosity because as bad as Jacob was on this occasion in his life, as much as he’d been on spiritual vacation for ten years. There was still apparently a distinctive difference here because she went out, as our text tells us, she went out to see the daughters of the land because she noticed they’re different than we are. We look different than our neighbors do and that ought to be the testimony of a believing home.

QUOTE: Part II, Far Country Disease
See a person that’s content with God, content with family, content with home, content with what they’ve been taught is not going to go out curiosity seeking how do the Pagans of this world live. Because that’s dangerous. But rather she would have been content to stay at home, she would have been content to be a separated person. . . . But Dinah didn’t, as she went out to see the daughters of the land, she should have known that we live in a world filled with sin. And believe me, we do.

QUOTE: Part II, The Predatory Nature of Men
No doubt Dinah reasoned... “Boy, look at that neat stuff going on around here. Well I’ve never seen anything like this before. Boy this is really exciting and interesting.” until she suddenly lost control of the situation.