Patriarchy vs The Croods

I don't do movie reviews very often. For one thing, I can't keep up with the movies I want to see, let alone any others. So I'm not on the cutting edge here at all. In fact, this movie is a year old.

The Croods came out in 2013. I took a couple of my kids to see it. Then it was released on Netflix and I watched it two more times, the last time being Monday night the 21st of April, 2014. I have not grown tired of this flick yet and would watch it again with someone who has never seen it. The zany humor and pro-family theme combination make it one of my favorites of this decade.

Sadly, many Christians won't go see it because it is based on a family of cave people living in a prehistoric era. Many Christians are so concerned with their Young Earth Creation view that they will miss the symbolism in this movie.

Seriously, how many teenage daughters, hitting puberty, have looked upon their families as positively stone age. Conversely, how many fathers dealing with their daughters' puberty have wondered what happened to that little girl they loved. Those poor fathers can't figure out where this emotional/dramatic monstrosity evolved from.

Perhaps the reason this movie has captured my heart is that I watched it back during a time when my church was showing the "Courageous" movie put out by Doug Phillip's Vision Forum group. I didn't see Courageous myself, but did view the purity ring scene from it. You can find that scene at Spiritual Sounding Board:Who Owns a Daughter's Heart.

Contrasting the restrictive, controlling, push of patriarchy over their daughters with the struggles of the father/daughter relationship as portrayed in The Croods brought me to actual tears. And I don't cry much. Just ask my kids. They call me robot mom. I don't display a lot of emotion.

It brought me to tears for two reasons. The first reason for those tears was a deep anger and frustration over how Patriarchy is botching up families with their control and fear tactics.

But the second reason was because The Croods dealt with the subject matter of overprotective fathers and frustrated daughters with more charm and grace than anything the Patriarchy crowd has ever come up with.

Let's get into the review part.

As mentioned before, there is a character conflict between father Grug and daughter Eep. Grug wants to keep his family safe. They are the only family left in the area, since the other families were all taken out by various prehistoric dangers. And as Eep says, Grug has been able to keep them safe because he is strong. That, and they hide in a cave most of the time.

Eep can't stand the cave and wants to explore. But everything is dangerous and their family motto is: "Never not be afraid!"

Then enters the character 'Guy' who tells Eep that the world is ending, changing, and that the only way to escape it is to follow the sun. But Eep knows she can't leave her family and the safety of the cave.

However, the ground shakes, the cave is destroyed and the Croods are forced to venture into dangerous territory that is all the more dangerous because it is unfamiliar.

Along the way Eep meets up with Guy again and he joins their small group (whether he likes it or not) because they need his fire. Somehow, Guy convinces them all that they need to follow the sun. The presence of Guy adds tension due to his new ways of thinking that Grug sees as bad.  But it's his new ways that help them survive their trek Westward.

I was in a conversation over on Thatmom's blog with a gal by the name of Avelinn concerning the draw of the Patriarchy on the Evangelical movement. We came to the conclusion that the reason it was so enticing is because we are in a time of changing and it's scary. Patriarchy promises to keep our children safe, like Grug's devotion to the cave and rules kept the Croods safe for so long. But as we have seen, Patriarchy can't keep our children safe. And in fact, Patriarchs, like Doug Phillips, are dangerous wolves in sheep's clothing the prey on children. I had considered writing on The Croods and contrasting it to Patriarchy. Our conversation has convinced me to carry it out.

Because the conclusion of The Croods is far more satisfying than the conclusions the modern day Patriarchs have. The Patriarch's conclusion involve scandal, like Phillips, Mahaney, and Gothard.

Without giving too much away, we learn that it wasn't just Grug's strength that was able to save his family. It was also the power of Grug's love for his family that saved them in the end.

If you haven't figured it out, yet. I highly recommend The Croods if you are looking for family entertainment that actually builds up families rather than tears them down.

It is available on Netflix and DVD.

The Sins of Patriarchy

Patriarchy has a very dark and putrid underbelly.

The smiling faces of the model families featured in magazines and on websites are used to hide the sins of the 'patriarchs'. But the sins are there taking advantage of the very women and girls they claim to protect.

Doug Phillips, a chief patriarch and patriarchy pusher, used his position and his doctrine to sexually abuse a young lady for years in both her home and his.

Now she is filing a lawsuit against him for lying to her and using and abusing her sexually.

Pastor accused of 'using nanny as a sex object'

I hope this sends a message loud and clear to all the self-serving, self-important, and entitlement-assuming patriarchs out there. The false doctrine of patriarchy that you worship and serve is being exposed. It will not save you on your day of reckoning.

Patriarchy Is Rooted in Paganism

This has already been said many times, many ways and by smarter people than me. But I have stumbled upon something that is further proof that Patriarchy IS rooted in ancient paganism and NOT a 'biblical' law to keep or principle to uphold. And in fact, what I have found may actually show that Patriarchy is occultic.

Since becoming a Christian I have kept away from all things occultic since I was instructed to do so. But I do love ancient history and study it as an armchair enthusiast.

One of the things that I've come across was how ancient Tarot Cards are and the Schools of mysteries that they are associated with. In the program I was watching they brought up one of the Tarot cards that describes the doctrine of Patriarchy to a T.

The Key words used to describe the Emperor are:

Fathering — Stability — Authority — Power

Control — Discipline — Command — Common sense

Status quo — Order — Structure — Egocentrism

Tradition — Rigidity — Leadership — Experience

Inflexibility — Conservative ways — Organization

It also describing him is this phrase:
 He symbolizes the top of the secular hierarchy, the ultimate male ego

Perhaps if Christians understood the connection that Patriarchy has with the occult, they wouldn't be so pushy to make it 'biblical' doctrine.

At least the Tarot Card acknowledges that:
The Emperor’s power and apparent stability bring great comfort, self-worth, power. But the danger, as Minos discovered, is that we may gain a sense of personal entitlement beyond our actual rights. That way leads to corruption, material or spiritual.


And this is what we are seeing with the fall of Doug Phillips/Vision Forum, and the scandals surrounding Bill Gothard and Bob Jones University, and the many others who have bowed to the pagan and occultic god of Patriarchy. Yet as we watch these scandals and moral failings, the pushers of Patriarchy continue to assert that Patriarchy is part of the gospel.

While we are on the subject and as a bit of a side note. The Empress in Tarot Cards is called:
a fruitful mother of thousands: she is above all things universal fecundity and the outer sense of the Word,

She is also called a:
mother, a creator and nurturer. In many decks she can be shown as pregnant.

So much for militant fecundity being a 'biblical' principle.

The quotes above in blue all come from these two sources in Wikipedia:
The Emperor (Tarot card)
The Empress (Tarot card)

Some may look upon my little detour into occultic symbolism as a bit of a stretch. And perhaps it is.
But I'll tell you this much. Those who claim that Patriarchy is going against culture are completely ignorant of all history and culture, ancient or otherwise. Or they are lying in order to hold up their pet doctrine.

Stealthy Attacks on Womanhood

Or perhaps a better way of saying it is... Greeks bearing gifts attacks... or Trojan horse attacks.

Because this is what American Evangelicals subject themselves when they embrace the little-by-little infiltration of groups like Vision Forum and men like Doug Wilson.

When American Evangelicals embrace VF, ATI, or Doug Wilson, they are receiving that which will destroy them and their credibility.

Thanks to A Woman's Freedom in Christ for the heads up on the comment I'm about to link. The comment highlights how overbearingly oppressive and unchristian groups like VF really are. So many are sweeping Doug Phillips indiscretions and resignation under the rug when they should be examining more closely the doctrine of his group that hands out oppression to women and children while setting men up as Lords and Kings in their home. There doctrine allows men to arbitrarily make life miserable or bearable according to their mode, personality, and disposition. And this doctrine forces women and children to stay in situations that are abusive and not fit for animals.

Here is the comment of someone who has studied these groups.

Bee Keeper's Study of Patriarchy

We must stand against both the brazen attacks of Doug Wilson and Tim Challies on womenhood and the sneaky movement coming from those trying to make Vision Forum more mainstream.

The Patriarchy Gospel

Many of my readers are already painfully aware of this damaging and person destroying movement in some Christian and homeschool circles.

For those who aren't, here's a look at it by Julie Anne

Fathers and Daughters: Who Owns a Daughter's Heart