So I just learned about this TV show called Jon and Kate plus eight. Supposedly it's been on TV for a few seasons, but due to my lack of an antenna and cable (and interest), I don't get to see any television unless it's on Hulu or netflixs, and even then I'm picky. This is a show I know nothing about, I've never seen, and yet am already annoyed at.
To me, this show is like that accident on the side of the road. I don't care, I really don't want to see the carnage, but somehow I can't help taking a peek at what's going on, and, afterwards, learning as much about the incident as possible. I googled the show, read a few things about it, and then started shaking my head in a complete lack of understand and annoyance.
It's based off of a real live couple, Jon and Kate (go figure), who, through the help of science, managed to have one set of twins and one set of sextuplets- thus the 8. The show has followed the life of this family, through good and bad. It's probably helped them deal with having 8 kids. How else were they going to pay for the food, diapers, clothes, cars, etc. unless they did a reality show about their life? Actually, I think it's pretty ingenious in this day and age. Of course, it seems like it might have put a strain on their relation ship since the couple is now getting a divorce and who knows what's going to happen to the kids. But I guess fame and fortune is worth all that.
I'm not annoyed at the show. I'm not annoyed at the couple for having 8 kids (I think it's stupid, but if you really want to take care of 8 kids, heck go for it. Just don't expect me to help pay for them), I'm not even annoyed at them for divorcing, it is pretty common these days. No, what I'm annoyed at is the hypocrisy of the mother, Kate, on her blog describing how she met her husband, how they ended up with 8 kids, etc. Maybe someone with more of a religious background can explain this to me, but my take is that she's just trying to find an excuse for her selfish actions by laying things at God's door.
To explain, this woman could not get pregnant - she didn't ovulate. Their plan was not adoption of course, but fertility treatments. The first time they got twins. Then, again have decided against adoption despite the fact they had the opportunity to do so, with baby who needed love and support in hand, they choose fertility treatments again. This time they got 6 kids. Eek.
The mothers response - not a thank you for the Doctors and scientists or appreciation for all of their hard work, but:
"I have learned that I am not at all in control of my own life—God is. He owns every facet of my very being! What great relief to know that all that stress does not have to sit on my shoulders anymore! I give it to God and he takes care of it for me! I have learned to be grateful for everything I have. God has provided for us immensely, even in times of Jon’s unemployment!"
and
"There was a lot I still did not know in that hospital bed at 26 weeks....and so much more! I did not know that when God chose to give us six babies, sextuplets, that when He assured us that He would provide for us, that He meant it would be the way He has."
Okay, so here's what I don't get. If you believe in a God, didn't he/she/it decided that Kate should not have children? If it wanted her to have kids, then maybe she would have ovulated normally and she wouldn't have needed the help of fertility treatments. It's not like she was old to have kids - she was 25 when her first ones were born. So maybe it was the scientists that deserve all her praise and adoration. And if she really wanted to leave things in Gods hands, why did she accept all sorts of medical treatments when she was pregnant with 6 kids? Why did she need over 50 doctors and specialists to help her out? Why were they born via Cesarean and not naturally? Why is it when we really want something - we go to the scientists, but once they do their jobs - all credit is given to God?
What makes this had is that the doctors were telling Kate that it would be better go through "reduction," ie remove a few of the embryos in the womb so the others can have a better chance to live. She adamantly refused because all the kids were a gift from God. I know this is a touchie subject (and I have my issues with it as well) but let's think of it this way - none of these embryos would have existed without scientists. If it was up to God, there would be no children because Kate couldn't have them. The scientists created life. If we are going to go through creating life (acting like God) where none was supposed to be, shouldn't we also take care to balance the equation and make sure to not create too much, or more than we as a people can handle? Why is everything that is "pro" life equated with God and everything related to "death" is evil?
We can not have life without death. Simple as that. If humans never died from old age, we would completely consume this world and all of it's resources. We would be overpopulated and would eventually die from lack of food, places to live, wars, etc. I know there are a lot of ecological examples, unfortunately not at my fingertips, of what can happen to a species if their population is not kept in some sort of check. Death is a natural part of the circle of life (I can't believe I actually wrote that). To deny that is to deny reality, deny the way of the world, and in my atheist viewpoint, deny the way God designed the world. To deny death is to deny that part of God and deny truth. To me, that is a very unreligous action.
In my opinion, Kate wanted lots of kids. She brow-beated her husband into having kids, and laid the blame on God when in reality, she just did what she wanted and damn anyone who thought differently. It is there when she wants him, but she was un-willing to accept the restrictions God laid on her. This annoys the heck out of me. Hypocrisy in full force.
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