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So yesterday I was walking down a random railroad track in the middle of a random swamp, picking blackberries when my phone rang.
It was my sister. She was like, "Hey, I know this is out of nowhere, but... you remember Pipi Camp?"
Of course I did. It was a week-long Christian camp my parents would send us to every summer. "... Yeah."
And then she was all, "Okay, do you remember the ceremony the last night where they did the thing with the sticks? Like, throw them into the fire?"
"... Yeah?"
"What did they call it?"
Then I remembered. Oh man, it had been years since I had thought of it. "They called it burning the fags."
So that was why she called, because she remembered out of the blue and she HAD to make sure she hadn't misunderstood or was going crazy or something. But she wasn't. I remembered they would explain that the sticks were calls "faggots" because that was an old word for sticks... but now that I'm grown up, it totally isn't. I mean, unless we're in the UK and we're smoking cigarettes. But we're not. We're in California.
Again, it's been years. I can't remember the exact reasons for the ceremony, and she can't either. I think we had to wrap a piece of paper around the stick before throwing it into the fire to burn. It might have been what we learned during our week in the camp, or a confession about our sins or something along those lines. Can't remember.
So, Christian friends on my flist, is this like... a normal thing? Am I missing something here, or does this whole thing seem just as fucked up as I am now realizing?
It was my sister. She was like, "Hey, I know this is out of nowhere, but... you remember Pipi Camp?"
Of course I did. It was a week-long Christian camp my parents would send us to every summer. "... Yeah."
And then she was all, "Okay, do you remember the ceremony the last night where they did the thing with the sticks? Like, throw them into the fire?"
"... Yeah?"
"What did they call it?"
Then I remembered. Oh man, it had been years since I had thought of it. "They called it burning the fags."
So that was why she called, because she remembered out of the blue and she HAD to make sure she hadn't misunderstood or was going crazy or something. But she wasn't. I remembered they would explain that the sticks were calls "faggots" because that was an old word for sticks... but now that I'm grown up, it totally isn't. I mean, unless we're in the UK and we're smoking cigarettes. But we're not. We're in California.
Again, it's been years. I can't remember the exact reasons for the ceremony, and she can't either. I think we had to wrap a piece of paper around the stick before throwing it into the fire to burn. It might have been what we learned during our week in the camp, or a confession about our sins or something along those lines. Can't remember.
So, Christian friends on my flist, is this like... a normal thing? Am I missing something here, or does this whole thing seem just as fucked up as I am now realizing?
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Damnit, I should have gone to a sports camp! That would have been fun! :D
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I'm sure bread would have smelled better than rotten old sticks. We'd all gather around the fire and sometimes the wood would snap and pop and the embers would almost get us. Lol. That is what worried me at the time. I think I should have paid more attention. ;D
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"Yes, we do," I say patiently.
"So how could you be Jewish? You've read the bible?" she continues. "And you seem to understand it?"
Pondering how I could say that in my suitcase was a copy of the Koran without getting myself stoned, I just moved on.
And actually, yeah, it does smell good and it's kinda fun.
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I have heard of some crazy Christian types around here, though. I had a friend who went to school with some of them. Trying to make friends with one of them (on her first day, in 1st grade), she walked up to the preacher's daughter and announced, "Did you know we're descended from monkeys?"
The girl's response?
"You're going to hell."
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I went to a funeral for a friend who was also a Catholic a few months ago -- my first real exposure to Mass. And some of the ceremonies were like, um, yeah. I was grieving and of course I was respectful, but the blood and body ceremony took me aback a little.
These people were Evangelicals, I believe. They're on a whole new level of crazy.
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Honestly, I don't get it. I am religious, and that doesn't stop me from being a lesbian. I don't just get that kind of disgusting bigotry. I don't see why our God would forbid love.
But well, I do live in Finland. And my parents are very tolerant.
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But there is something here in Finland. In here, a woman is able to become a priest. It ofcourse caused and still sometimes causes a fuss, but as far as I can remember I have had female priests. (I am eighteen) I remember the first time when I realized how new thing it is and how some (smaller) churches here still won't accept women as priests. I was throughly shocked. I was so used to it that I hadn't even wondered it.
Somehow memory of that always warms my mind.
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Urge to kill.
Rising.
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Basically, it is true that the word started out as meaning "a bundle of sticks" and was originally applied to women who would gather said bundles, typically old widows. As with many words used for women, it was eventually applied to homosexuals as a derogatory term. I believe I have seen it used in its traditional form in poetry, plays, and other documents dating back from Shakespeare's time.
So it comes down to what you want to think. My guess is that, depending on how far back this particular tradition goes, the term was originally used in the traditional way: The burning of a bundle of sticks. That said, these are modern times and the term has evolved (or devolved) to gain additional connotations. It is possible that a) The group is unaware of the slang term and continues to use the term out of loyalty to tradition, b) The group is aware of the slang term and stubbornly refuses to change it because they don't want to seem like they're bowing to the demands of a "PC culture", c) The group is aware of the slang term and is using it purposefully to reinforce certain perceptions and behaviors it deems unacceptable.
Frankly, if it really bothers you, I'd put it in the context of the rest of the camp and whatever it tried to teach. If the whole set of memories gives you a good vibe overall, assume they're just ignorant. Maybe write them a letter to explain how it could be hurtful or offensive, if this really has you stirred up. If you get a bad vibe, assume that this is intentional and stay the hell away.
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Writing a letter is a good idea. I'll consider it, although it may take me some time to figure out exactly what to say.
Thanks! *snug*
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Remembering things from a completely different context can be down right strange, can't it?
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It's good to know that even in the Bible-belt, that's not a normal ceremony because... yeah, that's just wrong.
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I went to a rather liberal church for these parts. By that, I mean I was the first female usher there, ever. And I had people coming up to me saying they were surprised the church wasn't falling down on me.
Yeah. That was liberal for the area. There was a schism later with many people leaving when the women demanded the right to be deacons.
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Like... Hitler-level screwed up...
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And I remembered thinking about my 4-H leader and remembering that she was a lesbian, and being really sad for years every time I saw her.
Yeah it always seemed to be a case of picking and choosing the right gospels when it came to Jesus. The theory of what he supposedly taught were pretty good... at least the ones in the church canon. I can't imagine the guy would condemn anyone like that, you know?
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I do remember it having a sweet ropes course, though.
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But anyhoo... Small town Iowa is a bit different. I think it's because my town was completely and totally ignorant. We were taught nothing about homosexuality or anything. I never knew such a think existed... Which came as quite a shock my junior year of high school when I fell in love with the new girl... >___<; (my guy friend who was gay (not that I knew at the time) laughed his ass off, called me his 'sweet innocent' and gave me my first yaoi ^^)
Thinking back... nope... Nada... Your camp was just had a creepy tradition.