tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340854300705531238.post5208178872180348721..comments2022-12-16T02:21:06.059-08:00Comments on From the Heart and the Brain: The Mennonites Speak, In A WayUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340854300705531238.post-2468488625243388882012-09-04T17:24:23.106-07:002012-09-04T17:24:23.106-07:00Okay, good points. Thanks for the clarification a...Okay, good points. Thanks for the clarification and thoughtful response.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340854300705531238.post-21951735829022285402012-08-27T10:20:56.758-07:002012-08-27T10:20:56.758-07:00Instead of arguing, which would be choosing a side...Instead of arguing, which would be choosing a side as I mentioned in the original post, I would rather explore the challenging and interesting points of this case and the people involved. <br /><br />First, is Lisa Miller, the woman who birthed a baby girl. She became pregnant with donated sperm and had a child. Her “partner” at the time, another woman named Janet Jenkins, supported her through this process and they agreed to raise the child together, as illustrated by the union they legally agreed to.<br /><br />The two women then parted ways, leaving an issue of custody, such as in traditional marriage unions. Lisa decided that sharing custody was something so abhorrent to her that she would risk having her child totally taken away from her to avoid it. And she would risk her friends’ freedom as well. This decision, made by Lisa, in the setting of a community of Mennonites, will be thought of as selfish or unselfish, wise or foolish. <br /><br />Who wins, who is punished in this case? Losers all. Lisa is on the run and living in secrecy. Certainly Janet is shunned, always missing the child as you mentioned (who she would of course consider her child just as much as Lisa would). The Mennonite Pastor is in jail. All suffer. What a mess! Not unlike other divorces!<br /><br />You are correct that I must not advocate vigilantism and I do not want to. From what I understand (and that is limited), it seems some sort of compromise within the law would have been best for all involved (though still a mess and with suffering). To resort to breaking the law, and removing a child from the country while in a custody battle should be an absolute last resort and does not seem appropriate in this case. <br /><br />It is interesting the response and choices of the Mennonites in this case. Did Pastor Miller know that he was aiding someone in “kidnapping?” If he did, he likely did not consider it kidnapping, but rather freeing someone from an inappropriate law. As I mentioned, this group took the risks on themselves seeing things differently than most would.<br />Paul Bungehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06756497689644095104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340854300705531238.post-24836701931128887362012-08-21T10:01:45.651-07:002012-08-21T10:01:45.651-07:00Seems to me you are somehow condoning a sort of gr...Seems to me you are somehow condoning a sort of group vigilantism whereby subcultures define and uphold their own moral and societal values and laws regardless of the laws of their external society. This is noble in good in some cases but I do not agree that the kidnapping in this case is somehow justified. It leaves a shunned mother out there wondering why her former spouse has stolen her child. How confusing it must be for her to think that her daughter's kidnapping has the approval of religious groups who want to punish her for being different from the majority... Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13328859805379808501noreply@blogger.com