Sometimes I think I am. There's a guy in the ward that I have some pretty serious struggles with. I really like his wife, and though their older daughter has a sort of love-hate relationship with Bee, I think it's good for Bee to be around her to learn to deal with it constructively. Anyway. I try, and I mean really hard, (so much that Ben even acknowledges that I do well) to just ignore some of the ridiculous and obnoxiously abrasive comments that this man makes.
I about lost it today, though I did manage to contain myself with just a deep breath and a reddened face (Ben noticed, the offending party didn't). In conversation he brought up (and trust me, it wasn't even relevant to the discussion...Ben and I tried to find the connection for a while and then just gave up so that we could save our sanity) the story in 1 Nephi 17:1-2. He said he thought it was interesting because it's one of the only moments in the Book of Mormon where we see any glimpse into spousal relationships (I think he must not be reading the same book I am), and that it's pretty cool that the Lord could take a "bunch of whiny Jewish princesses" (not my words, I imagine anyone reading this would know that, but just in case) and make them change their hearts and shut up.
Being the kind of woman I am, I had always interpreted this verse in the context of how I would feel if I suddenly had to leave my home and way of life and go out into the wilderness because the Lord said so. I know I'd be sore, tired, sunburned, and not all that happy about the whole eating raw meat thing. That said, I also know that after having borne children in really comfortable circumstances and then recovering in my nice house with lots of good help (thanks, Hannah and Mom and Gran) and STILL suffering through nursing....well, doing that in the freaking desert I would have been murmuring a little bit. Not out of any lack of faith, and not because I'm a "whiny princess," but because it really would suck. The thing I've always thought was cool was that even though the women DID complain, God blessed them for being obedient until they got to the point that they DIDN'T complain any more, helping them transition into a completely new lifestyle.
So rather than read it as "God is so amazing that he managed to fix these whiny women," I think I would much rather read it as "Wow, these women did a really hard thing as best as they could, and then God helped them do the rest. Isn't it amazing how He loves His daughters?"
But maybe I'm just too feminist.
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In a talk to the Priesthood session, Pres. Monson said (quoting someone else): "Only a fool takes offense when none was intended." I try to remind myself of that times when I cross into the "too feminist" side (which I think does exist, I guess, when I take everything as an attack on my sex).
That being said, I always read that verse the way you do and never considered there to be another option. I would have gotten red in the face, too, because I love that scripture.
What a WANG
Oh man, I'm with you on that one. And I always try to remember the quote Kim mentioned (it's engraved in my memory thanks to my mom), but I'm not always very good at it.
I'm not feminist (really at all, I think) and I've never interpreted that verse the way he did. I'm pretty sure some people are just offensive no matter who they're talking to. (There's a guy that Steve works with that I have the same feelings towards. I really like his wife, but I can't stand him, so we don't hang out any more. It took Steve months to see what it took me one meeting to see.)
Didn't Nephi "whine" about his "imperfect" situation as well (e.g. 2 Ne. 4)? I think (err, hope) that your man-friend was trying to be funny. I don't know what justifies saying something like "whiny Jewish princesses" at church, though. My best advice would be to silently say to yourself, "that was a bonehead comment," and let it go.
In response to your question, yeah, of course it is possible to be "too feminist" (take this for what it's worth, I'm a man and no-matter-what trapped in my phallic discourse). As soon as you start proposing that there should only be gender-unspecific bathrooms, though, I only consider you a mild though very intuitive feminist.
Keep up your feminist perspective, it's a strength that helps you make connections, take stances, and write thought-provoking things!
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