MOPS International (I don't know about this...)

[AspenRose]

So I have a son who is almost 9 months old. I saw a flyer at the laundromat for MOPS. They are starting one in my area. I knew it was Christian-based, so I gave the organizer a call.

She called me back today. I don't know about this. Just a gut feeling.

Here's the website:
http://www.mops.org

Anyone here have any experience with this group? Please share.

[supernova]

1. This sounds like a theologically conservative organization

From their Faith Position Statment: (bold is mine)

Churches/parachurches and individual MOPS ministry leaders must embrace and agree on the basic, orthodox truths of the Christian faith and the essential issues of salvation. We believe the Bible is the foundation for these truths. It is God’s Word, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is authoritative on all matters on which it speaks.

http://www.mops.org/page.php?pageid=79&srctype=linklist&src=78

Those are the words that lept out at me. Seems to me they are a conservative organization at the very least. Perhaps not fundamentalist. I don't know, but they are using the language of the theologically conservative.

It's not really inclusive "celebrate our differences" language. So I bet while they say "all kinds of moms," I bet youd find a kind of homegeneity.

[Maat]

4. I research the Religious Right ..

this is their code language.

They basically follow the theology of the Southern Baptist Convention or the Assembly of God.

People who spout this language are generally patriarchal (believe women are basically property), antigay, anti-reproductive-rights and anti-privacy-rights.

Beware, I say.

[realisticphish]

2. this article

http://www.mops.org/page.php?pageid=1328&srctype=body&src=647&PHPSESSID=f0fd8115680c18ce4576d852dcadf353
sounds a bit sexist, but what do i know

[AspenRose]

3. Oh I know!!!

I saw the teaser and raised an eyebrow. Didn't bother to read the article....just thought it was another "red flag."

Edit: Here's the main reason why I was turned off...
When the coordinator called me, she introduced herself, said she had moved into town from TX (I was raised in TX, so I caught that right away) and wanted to start a MOPS group. She then asked me how "socialized" my almost-9-month-old was. In other words, did he go to other people easily. Naturally, at this stage on the development curve, babies are into the "separation anxiety" phase, and my kid is no exception.

She then asked whether we put him in the nursery during church. I told her that upon the advice of our pedi, we did not, because our pedi felt 1) it was a germ factory, and 2) he was too young.

The coordinator kind of sighed, and hummed and hawed. Then she went into a lecture about this thing they had called MOPettes, and how she felt it best that MY child participate in it, to learn how to be apart from me. Oh, she knew it would be difficult for me, and "believe me, I've been there," she said....but when SHE first started MOPS and she had her 6-month-old, the coordinator then told her she had to learn to separate from her child, else it would only get worse as he got older.

I just got an awful feeling after that conversation, and the judgmental, condescending "I know better" tone that came across just smacked of RW fundie. So I wanted to look up the organization to see if it was just THIS INDIVIDUAL that came across that way, or if EVERYONE was like that.

Later on last night I talked to a colleague who is a counselor (an LISW) and is a Christian. He has three sons. I told him what she said and he thought I should avoid them like the plague. "What is it with this self-serving 'you need to make your baby adapt to YOUR lifestyle' stuff? Why have children if you aren't going to care for them? Yes, you need breaks, but hopefully you have a spouse or trusted friend or family member to relieve you. You don't just throw your child cold turkey into an environment they aren't familiar with, with people they don't know! We didn't raise our boys that way and they are healthy, independent, mature guys." (He also thinks Dobson is abusive.)