Listening to Christian Radio.

I'm tootling around, getting some errands done across town. Going to the Hostess Thrift Store. Yeah, it sounds icky, going to a "thrift store" for your bread and squeezing the Twinkies near poo-stained underwear and smelly used shoes, but it isn't like that. It's just the stuff they're trying to unload, usually pretty close to the expiration date. Not a problem for us to eat right away. I also got an ABeka book, $11-something in the catalog before shipping, brand-new looking (not even a crease from being opened all the way! Mmm) for 49 cents at a REAL thrift store nearby. Oh, yeahhhr.

So, the mighty hunter here is on the way home from the third stop, Sam's Club. There are a couple of Christian radio stations at the end of the dial, and I pop *seek* when one is playing an ad or something boring and find the other one. There are a couple NPR and strange stations on the end of the dial mixed in as well, but these are pretty obvious because of the annnoyyying mellllow voooices ovvv the annnnouncerssss. Eew. Yeah, I skip those.

Boring Christian rock on the first station. *seek* And I find a program about two women and their "journey" out of marriage.

"This should be interesting," I thought. "Stupid men, messing everything up. And big-time pastors and their stupid pornography, boo-hoo they sinned against their God... And their stupid prostitutes if they're politicians and can afford a bit better. Good grief, I'd like to go ONE STINKIN' DAY without hearing about some stupid guy on the news, or the radio... And look what they did to these poor women! It's just criminal. Well, at least it isn't a politician I elected *this time*. I think."

One woman began to tell her story. When you get married, you expect things to go a certain way. And the people around you all expect things to go a certain way. And when things don't go as you expect, there are questions left unspoken. It's a hard thing, to learn to be true to yourself and find what the best thing for you to do would be. (and so on and so on)

"Oh, boy, I hate programs like this," I thought. "They get these poor women on here, whose husbands are SUCH STUPID JERKS, and they just let them talk about their 'journey' out of marriage? Nothing about what a @#$ the guy is? Here's this lady talking about being true to herself, when really this guy needs a good smack fer being such a cheater!"

This bothers me about Christian radio. Yeah, yeah, speak the truth in love. But can I also say that the whitewashed truth is worse than calling someone a "@#$?" These programs that have ladies talking on and on about how their Heavenly Father just gave them such a peace to forgive, and oh, it was kinda hard till they said the *magical prayer* just one more time, died to self... and then they felt sooo much better and they're married again and things are fine.

(Aside: Probably because IRL they're hot and someone actually wanted them. But oh, noooo, they'll never interview the old, fat and ugly ex-wife who is still very bitter and spends her time eating in front of the Young and Restless in her muu-muu and hasn't combed her hair in two days. Maybe she's a Christian, too. Ever thought of that?)

The producers of this show didn't. They were both very young-sounding women. Oh, and such a heartbreaking story one of them told of her aging grandmother not being able to "directly speak of why the marriage broke up." And how difficult it was for her to talk to her dying gramma about things and why they have to be the way they are.

And I'm starting to wonder why this woman can talk so poignantly of the marriage breaking up, but never once use the word "infidelity" or "forgiveness?" Maybe this is one of those new "seeker" programs. They don't want to use words like "propitiation" and flip people out. But you'd still figure she'd say something about how all of this is the guy's fault... somewhere in the program. This must be that "emergent" style I've heard so much about. I decide that something is not quite right about the "emergent" style. Something is quirky.

Or maybe they told all the really juicy stuff at the beginning of the program and I missed it! That would figure. Right after the warnings to get all the little kids out of the room (you know the programs I'm talking about). Sigh. And now the program is wrapping up.

The host is going on a little too long about how "brave" they were to tell their stories. How their "personal journeys out of a traditional marriage" could be seen as an "inspiration" for other ladies who are "contemplating coming out."

Well... that's an interesting way of putting it, I guess, I'm thinking... and I'm getting this even more quirky feeling that something strange is going on... I've heard that somewhere before... what is it? What is it?

...and listeners, the host says, for further thought on this topic, I'd recommend the book "Women Who Are Married to Men but Are in Love With a Woman"...

** quirky feeling confirmed **

Well, now the joke is on me. Turns out I was listening to a gay radio station! My apologies to the guys I dissed in my mind throughout that show. Don't you hate when you get all good and mad... and have lots of righteous indignation... and then you find out you're wrong? What a feeling! I'm still angry, but I'm laughing at myself on the highway home at the same time.

Serves me right for being so judgmental of those poor, persecuted young men...