Before I go any further in this blog I want to warn you. There will be a Game of Thrones spoiler. It's from the most recent TV episode so if you haven't watched it yet, don't read any further. And it's not happened in the books. But it appears that it's coming. That this is one of those where George RR let them know what was going to happen soon and they already put it in the show. So if you don't want the books spoiled don't read any further. We clear? SPOILER ALERT has been issued...venture further at your own risk!!
Okay? Ready?
One of the bonus things that comes with watching Game of Thrones is watching how outraged people get the next day over the episode. About what brutal thing happened. The interesting part to me is how arbitrary the outrage seems. A few weeks ago Sansa was raped on her wedding night and people freaked out. Not that she was raped necessarily, but that SHE was raped. See in the books it's a different character. And from what I've gathered it's a much more brutal and depraved scene. But because it was Sansa people were outraged. Okay...
This weeks outrage is another one like the Sansa story-line for me. We knew it was coming. The signs had been there all along. The character told you exactly who he was and what he was willing to do. And yet, Monday morning people are freaking out because it was too much! How could he? How could they? Oh no...
See one of the characters sacrificed his daughter to his god. Burned her alive. It was brutal to watch the scene. The actress that plays (played?) Shireen was incredible on the show and this scene was outstanding. For a child actor especially she is brilliant. And because she has been so brilliant and because she is Stannis' daughter every part of you was sure that he would back down. Because you would right? Anyone normal would. Even though we've seen Stannis burn people alive before. Even though we know he killed his own brother. Even though we know his wife is just as big of a religious fanatic as he is. Even though we know all of these things we are still shocked. Who sacrifices their child to their god?
Well a lot of people do.
Maybe not in such a dramatic way, but it happens all the time.
A few weeks ago we were at a wedding for friends of ours. For one of the brides the family she had there consisted of one blood relative and then all of the "family" she has picked up through the years. Her parents weren't there. They have no relationship to her. Because she's a lesbian. They sacrificed her to their god you see. Now the other bride had all of her family there. Lots and lots of family. Her grandfather officiated the service. They prayed and blessed the union. They welcomed their daughter's new bride in to their family as their own. They thanked god for bringing the two of them together and for the love they have for each other. They did not sacrifice their child to their god.
You see?
In my family when my nephew came out friends of my brother and sister abandoned them. Told them that they couldn't be around such sin. This is after my brother and sister stood by them when the male half of the couple had been accused of a heinous crime, by the way. Heinous. They stood by them during that, but a gay son? Oh no, not going to happen. They sacrificed the child to their god.
In many religious families over the years the second sound you heard after coming out was the door slamming behind you. Kids got kicked out of homes. Disowned. Disavowed. Or sent away to "counselling" to "fix" the issue. They were sacrificed to their family's god. It's getting better, but it still happens.
In the church I grew up in our youth minister was a pedophile. When it was discovered he was banished from the church for being gay. Yep. They called him gay and sent him out in to the world instead of calling him what he was, a pedophile, and calling the police. And they felt this was the right decision to make. According to the church elders his sin was that he liked boys, not that his crime was he abused BOYS. And the scandal that would have hit the church if he had been prosecuted? No way they were going to let that happen. They sacrificed their children to their god.
I was also raised with the belief system that I was responsible for not only my own sexuality and sexual thoughts but those of every man around me. Men are so weak, you know. Just the sight of me in a low cut blouse could cause their rapist nature to overwhelm them, and really could you blame them? I mean, cleavage. It's why when my attempted rapist wanted to shut me up all he had to say was, "No one will believe you. I will say you led me on." And he was right, they wouldn't have. See they had sacrificed their girls to their god.
The reality show family going through the wringer right now? 19 Sins and Counting? Their stance is summed up with a few talking points, it was over the clothes sometimes, it was while they were asleep sometimes, some of them were too young to even know what was happening, we asked around and a lot of boys in the church were doing the same thing...They sacrificed their daughters to their god. The "help" they got for their son? A summer job, basically. Well and I'm sure they prayed over it. The girls? They got a lock on their bedroom door. Which is all good and everything, but I want you to think about that for just a second. Every night as you go to sleep make sure you lock your bedroom door because your molester is right outside. You need to make sure the boogeyman doesn't get you, because we aren't going to. We've sacrificed you to our god.
Lot offered up his daughters to be raped. Abraham took Issac to the mountain to sacrifice him. The entire Christian religion is based on a father sacrificing his son.
So really was that scene about a fanatic sacrificing his daughter to his god really all that shocking?
I wish it had been.
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