"THE GOD WARRIOR" ~ ON TRADING SPOUSES

Trading Spouses is a television series in which two spouses/parents from different backgrounds trade families for one week and the viewer watches the experiment in progress. The producers of the show say it's an experiment to find out if, "the grass is truly greener on the other side." I believe it is an experiment in tolerance, acceptance and education about how other people view the world in which they live. There are many different cultures within cultures and many different ways in which to live life.

This particular episode reveals all the things that have totally turned me away from the Christian religion. The blonde in Part 4, Kathryn, is the epitome of the many Christians I have met during my lifetime. Judgmental, close minded and intolerant of how others choose to live their lives. I think people such as this, lose out on what could be wonderful relationships with others. They completely miss the opportunity at at hand to connect with other human beings and learn from them. Had the Christian woman from Louisiana, Margaret Perrin, opened her mind and given the other family a chance and not run from something she considered to be, "not of God" or "of Satan", she might have learned that her views of the Perrin's were not "Devilish" what so ever. At the solstice gathering, Chris Flisher tries to calm Margaret and says, "Just think of something nice like peace on earth", and she has a meltdown and runs away from the experience. She shouts her strange ideas about devil worshipping and she says she won't be a part of it. Mind you, not once was satan or devil worshipping mentioned by anyone at the gathering--except by Margaret! I thought it was a nice, relaxing way to commune with nature, the heavens, the earth and all the souls gathered together. It was their type of church. Margaret simply missed an opportunity to get to know and love some wonderful people on this earth.

I think we are supposed to love everybody, no matter what religion/or not, they follow. Of course, I am not saying we should surround ourselves with rapists or murderers as Margaret's friend, Kathryn, tries to suggest that is what Jeanne does (in Part 4). That's just pure ignorance at it's finest! And very rude, if you ask me! Kathryn bombard's Jeanne Flisher with questions about her religious beliefs. This is something that many Christians dislike having done to themselves, so I don't understand why do they do it to others. By the way, I think rapists and murderers are mentally ill and need medical attention that we as a society do not yet understand how to treat. I also noticed how Margaret's friends intentionally made Jeannne feel uncomfortable while at the same time, Chris Flisher, Jeanne's husband, tried to make Margaret feel as welcomed and comfortable as possible. In Part 4 he says, "There is nothing wrong with prayer, if that is what satisfies her." He even says a prayer at the dinner table, a ritual which I don't think the Flisher family normally practices. He does it for her though, and I think that is what the real, "love thy neighbor" stuff is all about.

In Part 5, Margaret gets up and leaves the radio station studio in a huff, screaming that "Psychic people" are "from the devil". I am psychic and I do not consider myself, "of or from the devil" in any way, shape or form. Had she stayed in the studio and had a discussion with the psychic guest, she may have found out differently. However, she is so closed minded, she will never truly know what kind of person the guy really is. She may have even liked him and maybe could have had a long standing relationship/friendship but she she will never know because she closed herself off. She lost the opportunity to get to know another living soul. She says, "I don't want anything dark-sided. This is a test. This is a God test." It seems to me that she is the, "dark-sided" one here. However, I do believe it was a God test, and one that she failed miserably at.

In Part 7, Margaret talks to Chris and Jeanne's children about "her God". She tries to persuade them into going to her church. None of the children want any part of it so she goes to their father Chris and tells him she wants to go to church and she wants him and his family to go as well. Chris, being the gracious host he is, (throughout the program) agrees and takes Margaret and his family to church. If you ask me, his actions speak far louder than her rants and tirades. She would never listen to Chris or participate or even try to learn anything about the way the Flisher family lived.

Part 8 tells it all! The reactions of the children, when each mom was saying good bye and heading home, speaks volumes! Margaret has to beg the Flisher children for a goodbye hug whereas the Perrin children gladly and graciously hug Jeanne goodbye, no problem.

As I watched this episode, especially Parts 9 - 10 I couldn't help but think that Margaret Perrin, might quite possibly be mentally ill in a religious sort of way. I felt so sorry for her entire family. She throws the guilt trip out, onto her family here. The looks on their faces as she was ranting and raving were heart wrenching. I think the way she presented herself and represented her religion was, "Not of God" and I would never want to become a part of any religious group that taught such a hate-filled and dogmatic doctrine. In her tirade with her family, she tells them she has learned so much and was tested the entire time she was there. She screams about the dark-sided things that she had to, "put up with" the entire time she was there. When in fact, she didn't do one single thing except go to the solstice party and that was only for a very short time and then she left, rudely. She didn't learn a single thing. She only blew out of proportion, all her silly notions about anything, "new aged" or "different" from what she thinks she knows about God and the world.

Margaret Perrin and her friends are the ones that need to be prayed for. I am sending positive thoughts out into the universe in hopes that she and her friends will eventually see the light and change their ways.

There is enough hatred, war and evil things in the world, that there is just no need for those things to be incorporated into any religion. I've always thought and will always think, that religion should be just the opposite of hatred and intolerance. It's just too sad that many religions are intolerant of others. Because how in the world are we ever to become a loving world if we don't love everyone and we close our minds to friendships with others merely because they think differently than we do?

World Peace, Celebrate Diversity and EVOLVE people~
Dali G.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJfYTHba4w0 ~ Pt 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czmit2yPVKA ~ Pt 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVoR3OOMcQM ~ Pt 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PI4hXzUKek ~ Pt 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOT07kC9kqE ~ Pt 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJW1BHPlu4Y ~ Pt 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDHVRZ-5j_U ~ Pt 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzGaAEW7X4E ~ Pt 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrBymvOvO28 ~ Pt 10