*Disclaimer* Those of you who read this original post will realize that the title of the thread is NOT the actual question I'm asking. I often purposely write thread titles that way because I'm hoping participants will take the time to read the first post before posting. 
And so... here goes...
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Hello Singles (and friends of other various relationship statuses),
A news headline caught my eye yesterday was about a teacher who was under investigation for punishing a child who was left-handed. The teacher apparently wanted the child to use their right hand instead.
In my own family, we have several lefties and the most fascinating thing to me is that some of them are quite athletic, but yet play about half of their sports left-handed and the other half right-handed. While I was shocked that a teacher in this day and age would still try to "correct" a left-handed child, I've also heard a few lefties in my own life talk about being punished in school (some even had their hands slapped with rulers) for using their left hand.
Have you encountered this type of thinking in your own life?
I could be mistaken, (and feel free to provide more background info if I'm missing something), but the main reason why left-handers were historically punished is primarily rooted in Christian beliefs--particularly in reference to passages stating that those who are saved will be seated on God's right side, whereas, the condemned will be shown to the left.
This got me thinking about instances in which people--who truly believe they are following God--invent and enforce such prejudices and abuses (similar to when it was believed that if you could swim, you were a witch or devil and therefore, must be hanged.)
I'm interested in knowing:
1. Are you or is someone close to you left-handed, and have you received mistreatment because of it? How was your situation handled? (Did a parent stand up against the person who punished you?) Were people always trying to "correct" you into using your right hand? And what was the reason given for your "correction"? (Why was it so important to someone that you use your right hand instead of your left?)
2. What situations have you been through in which people punished, oppressed, or wrongfully mistreated you because they felt you were somehow "sinning" or "evil" in some way, when you know you were not?
3. How did you stand up to such people, and how would do you go about correcting them? (Especially if it's a teacher who is mistreating your child, etc.) Were you able to show them through God's Word that their thinking was incorrect?
4. How can we, as Christians, stop such false thinking/teaching, and prevent the abuses that come with it?
I know someone out there is bound to ask what this has to do with being single. From my experience, when we are single, we are often seen as being more vulnerable, and I know that in my own life, I've seen people who have (at times, unwisely) assumed they were free to be more critical (they call it "being honest") or harsh with singles even when the person wasn't doing anything wrong, but yet these people truly believing that they are somehow "helping".
I'd be very interested in hearing your stories, even if they have nothing to do with being left-handed.
And so... here goes... ********************************
Hello Singles (and friends of other various relationship statuses
), A news headline caught my eye yesterday was about a teacher who was under investigation for punishing a child who was left-handed. The teacher apparently wanted the child to use their right hand instead.
In my own family, we have several lefties and the most fascinating thing to me is that some of them are quite athletic, but yet play about half of their sports left-handed and the other half right-handed. While I was shocked that a teacher in this day and age would still try to "correct" a left-handed child, I've also heard a few lefties in my own life talk about being punished in school (some even had their hands slapped with rulers) for using their left hand.
Have you encountered this type of thinking in your own life?
I could be mistaken, (and feel free to provide more background info if I'm missing something), but the main reason why left-handers were historically punished is primarily rooted in Christian beliefs--particularly in reference to passages stating that those who are saved will be seated on God's right side, whereas, the condemned will be shown to the left.
This got me thinking about instances in which people--who truly believe they are following God--invent and enforce such prejudices and abuses (similar to when it was believed that if you could swim, you were a witch or devil and therefore, must be hanged.)
I'm interested in knowing:
1. Are you or is someone close to you left-handed, and have you received mistreatment because of it? How was your situation handled? (Did a parent stand up against the person who punished you?) Were people always trying to "correct" you into using your right hand? And what was the reason given for your "correction"? (Why was it so important to someone that you use your right hand instead of your left?)
2. What situations have you been through in which people punished, oppressed, or wrongfully mistreated you because they felt you were somehow "sinning" or "evil" in some way, when you know you were not?
3. How did you stand up to such people, and how would do you go about correcting them? (Especially if it's a teacher who is mistreating your child, etc.) Were you able to show them through God's Word that their thinking was incorrect?
4. How can we, as Christians, stop such false thinking/teaching, and prevent the abuses that come with it?
I know someone out there is bound to ask what this has to do with being single. From my experience, when we are single, we are often seen as being more vulnerable, and I know that in my own life, I've seen people who have (at times, unwisely) assumed they were free to be more critical (they call it "being honest") or harsh with singles even when the person wasn't doing anything wrong, but yet these people truly believing that they are somehow "helping".
I'd be very interested in hearing your stories, even if they have nothing to do with being left-handed.
