Yesterday on fb, 'Mormon Memes', a page I love to follow, posted a quote (it basically said this, but since it's now been deleted on their page, I can't put the exact one up)...
I was a little appalled, and shared it on my page, along with my shockedness at the notion. What made sharing it all the more worth it though was when Ally came home and saw it. She was sitting up in the family room with me and I heard this little gasp come from her. She couldn't believe it either. I eventually took it down... you know me... my lack of confrontation... actually, my bigtime chicken-ness. But it had served it's purpose... knowing my baby girl knew she didn't need approval or the go ahead from any man to feel like she was beautiful.
Today Mormon Memes posted a new quote and had this to say about it all:
"Apparently a lot of people didn't like a certain post from yesterday so I made my own version of the picture I posted. (Which I didn't make by the way.) This one more clearly demonstrates what I was trying to say."
Which is a little bit bETter... I understand what they're trying to get at.... still, it makes it seem to me like a girl can't really think she's all that without a man. At least they're trying to move away from the message they sent out yesterday.
Others reactions:
"That's a wonderful thought you have here, but you actually proved what the problem was with the other post. 'God gave us eyes to see all beauty--' Well, the other post was saying that girls are incapable of seeing their own beauty and that it takes a man to kick start their self-worth and self-esteem. As if they are complete incapable mentally and emotionally from just being happy with who they are.
This makes women sound needy and pathetic. Also, not everyone deserves any such thing. Some people are terrible in relationships or abusive, even women. Having divine worth doesn't mean you "deserve" a man who will focus on your outward appearance. What about those women who don't find this type of man? Should they sit there self-righteously knowing they are entitled to something they aren't getting?"
"Yes, it's true that women like being told they are beautiful and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem was that it sounded like women needed their beauty to be validated by men for it to be real. While it is true, like you say, that many women don't believe they are beautiful until a man tells them they are, it's a very SAD truth about our society. All women are beautiful and they should believe in themselves and not depend on society or a man to define their self-worth. Not all women end up with a man and I would hate for them to go through life never realizing their beauty because someone made them feel like it wasn't true unless men thought so too."
"Much better. The other one gave men the power to control how women felt about themselves."
This makes women sound needy and pathetic. Also, not everyone deserves any such thing. Some people are terrible in relationships or abusive, even women. Having divine worth doesn't mean you "deserve" a man who will focus on your outward appearance. What about those women who don't find this type of man? Should they sit there self-righteously knowing they are entitled to something they aren't getting?"
"Yes, it's true that women like being told they are beautiful and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem was that it sounded like women needed their beauty to be validated by men for it to be real. While it is true, like you say, that many women don't believe they are beautiful until a man tells them they are, it's a very SAD truth about our society. All women are beautiful and they should believe in themselves and not depend on society or a man to define their self-worth. Not all women end up with a man and I would hate for them to go through life never realizing their beauty because someone made them feel like it wasn't true unless men thought so too."
"Much better. The other one gave men the power to control how women felt about themselves."