A friend of mine wrote a memoir about her LDS mission in Taiwan, and an excerpt was just published in the New York Times Modern Love Column: All I Wanted Was a Hug. It's a fascinating portrait of homo-vs-hetero public displays of affection in a super-chaste subculture!
I think one of the things that bothers me most about the Mormons is that they expect their missionaries to put everything on hold, even their basic human need for non-romantic affection, while they are on their missions. (I consider it dehumanizing and demeaning that they aren't even allowed to be called by their first names.) If they can't or won't suppress those important needs to be seen and treated as individuals with emotional needs, it is believed that they can't be good missionaries. I never went on a mission (at least I had that much good sense), but I can't help but wonder how much damage that requirement of missionary service has done to missionaries' psychological makeup.
I really want to read the book that link is excerpted from.
2 comments:
Thanks for that link.
I think one of the things that bothers me most about the Mormons is that they expect their missionaries to put everything on hold, even their basic human need for non-romantic affection, while they are on their missions. (I consider it dehumanizing and demeaning that they aren't even allowed to be called by their first names.) If they can't or won't suppress those important needs to be seen and treated as individuals with emotional needs, it is believed that they can't be good missionaries. I never went on a mission (at least I had that much good sense), but I can't help but wonder how much damage that requirement of missionary service has done to missionaries' psychological makeup.
I really want to read the book that link is excerpted from.
Elaine
Hey Elaine!!!
Very true. I'm looking forward to reading the whole memoir as well!
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