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While anything is possible
I believe that bigotry against trans people would be more common in a religious home than an atheist one. IMO.
Bigotry
No one sees Christina as trans, though. They just see her as a little girl. Technically, Christina hasn't been trans since chapter 1.
What's being described isn't bigotry... it's religious intolerance. You can find that anywhere and among any group.
If you're referring to Dawn, that's not bigotry either... it's greed. Her mother is afraid that if Dawn were to come out, they might lose their status as a foster family... and the income it generates allowing her to not work.
Umm
Dawn was punished because she wore 'female' clothes. I believe that's bigotry no matter what the rationalization was for the punishment.
Hit save too soon
Was in the middle of formulating my comment when I hit save instead of preview. Sorry.
Regardless
You write well and obviously have thought a lot about the issues.
I try
I do a lot of research in my stories. In point of fact, in Arizona in 2017, having a trans child would not be a disqualifying factor to be a foster family... but that fact is buried in a ton of legalese, policy statements, and regulations. As such, many people mistakenly believe it would be a disqualifying factor. That Mrs. Hollander believes it is just an aspect of her that I felt compelled to show.
I'll freely admit that some of the most bigoted, intolerant, and hateful people I've met in my life have been atheists, (my abusive ex-stepfather comes to mind) so I have a tendency to view them negatively. I try not to be prejudiced about it, but no one is perfect. Perhaps it's not a fair reflection of them as a whole, but I have met many loving and tolerant people of faith who accepted me even knowing my past, yet few complain when people of faith are painted with the broad brush of intolerance in other's stories. I'm not saying that some religious people don't deserve the rep... they do based on their own words... but to paint all faithful people with that brush is just as unfair as doing so against any group. Just think of Mrs. Hollander as counterpoint to those times.
Hugs,
Roberta
Tough Chapter
No one can accuse you of NOT writing without putting emotion into your stories. That includes drawing emotion out of your readers. Really beautiful writing skills. I had to leave the story line and go pet the goats which also included a dozen cats and a jealous dog or two. I finally managed to come back and finish this chapter.
Not sure how you plan on pulling Christina out of the lions den but.
Daniel 6: 16-22
And it takes only one to save them all, to gather those needed
Judges 7
Interesting events and you really are stringing out the nail bitters. We are allowed free choice and to get in over our head. But when there is no hope...., For those who have faith there is always hope.
Hugs Roberta
Barb
If anyone thought this life was the whole enchilada and that was it. Report card and lessons begin at the end. Hope I passed.
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
This one was hard
No doubt. It was difficult for me to write this part. The rest of the story was written fairly quickly... about a chapter a day before editing. This one took a week. Nancy and her ilk are a personal issue for me. So yes... this part is very emotional for me... and when I was finally able to face it, poured out the black and painful feelings of one part of my past into it. When this story is finally done being posted, I may get into why.
As you can see, the climax is coming and where the battle will be fought is now in plain sight. The next couple chapters will be the battles that determine Chistina's fate.
On a side note, I'll be posting up the first chapter of Lost Faith in Novel Chapter form when Chapter 11 of The Wisher's Paradox is posted in a few days, the posting of the first three chapters of that book coinciding with the final 3 of this story. I hope those who have enjoyed this story and haven't yet read that story because it's currently only published in PDF format will enjoy the ride.
Hugs,
Roberta
This has been a very hard story to read……
Because every chapter brings a new reason to cry. This is more of a horror story than anything else, as each new chapter brings a new villain and a new form of torture. The only real change has been that stead of just Christina getting hurt, now you have her parents, Kathy and her parents, soon you will be adding in her grandparents, and now Dawn.
And seriously, how inept must the DCS be that they can’t see the kind of people they have working as foster parents, not to mention that witch that is working to separate Christina and her parents.
Yeah, really having trouble equating this story with a loving God.
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Working things out
This story was hard for me to write for many reasons, but I'm glad I did as it gave me a chance to work out some issues I had with some very bad parts of my life. These things were not the actions of the loving Creator, but of the cruel and heartless people that tried to corrupt His gifts to me for their own purposes.
There are three chapters remaining in the story. After the last one is posted, I will add a comment as a "Note from the Author", describing just what inspired this story and the direction it had to go... and maybe just why this was so hard for me personally.
There is a light at the other side of the darkness. I'm glad you're all here with me as I traverse it once more... so at least I won't be alone.
Hugs,
Roberta
I am afraid that I have trouble believing……
And not just because of being born transgender, nor because of how my many prayers went unanswered.
No, I have trouble believing in a loving God because of the many things I have seen in this world. The things I saw while in the service, the evil I have seen, and the things I did - no matter how justified they were - make me doubt.
How can a loving God, one who so loved us that he gave his only son, allow the evil that exists in this world to go on? How can that self-same God allow people to be used and treated as they are?
I have simply seen too much to believe anymore. I hope, and I pray……….
But I can’t believe.
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
I have a hard time seeing a
I have a hard time seeing a loving God every day. I cannot understand how a loving God can allow such misery, and the only excuse given is "free will." But that would explain why there is such pain in this story, it isn't part of anything God would be doing.
Nancy Boyd is worried about the wrong people
its Sarah Hollander who really is an abuser. And so is Nancy herself.
She’s not really worried about people
Based on what she was saying, she is more worried about money. She sees this as an issue of funds. The more kids in care, the more money that there is for the department, and the more that the social workers get. She is the worst kind of people to be in that role.
Monsters in plain sight
How did Hollander ever become a foster parent? It appears she sits on her brains all the time and makes the kids do the work she should be doing.
How does Christine praying harm Hollander in any way? If she doesn't believe God eiists then getting angry over Christine praying is wasted. And by getting angry because Christine is praying shows something happened in her past that caused her to turn away from God. Had this not have happened she really wouldn't have made that big of a deal over Christine praying.
Nancy is much the same because of her hatred of all parents. She's had bad experiences with either her parents or she was in the system when it happened. And it had to be terrible for her to be super angry. Maybe being constantly molested? Maybe it was known to be happening but no one raised a finger to stop it?
And now Nancy is going after the grandparents. Faking information so they can't be Christine's foster parents. What Nancy forgets, in her blind anger, is that what goes around comes around. And when it comes around it's often more vicious than when it was first sent out.
Nancy can only stretch the string so far before it breaks, and she finds herself out of a job and possibly behind bars.
Others have feelings too.