----- Original Message -----
From: "Valerie Vanderlip" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 6:42 PM
Subject: [LACTNET] breastfeeding making nicer people
**Hi Valerie,
> For those who like a Biblical reference:
> The New Testament, The Book of Luke 11:27-28
> (Jesus was teaching in the streets to a large crowd of people concerning
> prayer and driving out demons by the power of G-d.)
> "As Jesus was saying theses things, a woman called out, 'Blessed is the
> mother who gave you birth and nursed you.'
> He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of G-d and obey
> it'."
**And what IS the word of God? Who knows what it says exactly? Let's not
forget that the New Testament was written quite a number of years after
Jesus died *by humans* who interpreted what they had understood from his
words. We all know how much we, here on this list, can have different
understandings from one and the same text. Those things weren't any
different in the old days. Next to that, what we read today, is often a
translation from a translation from a translation from edited versions. Do
that with a contemporary text and it is easy to see how much the text can
change, away from its original wording/meaning. And even more: we read it in
a completely different setting with completely different customs. We only
have to look up lactation texts from, say, ten or twenty years ago and you
get my point.
> Each person is responsible for their own actions; it can't be bestowed
> even
> by the best intentioned (and lactating) parent.
**With all due respect: I don't think this is valid. If you grow up with one
leg, is it your own responsibility that you cannot walk...? Children who
grow up with a bad example, will have a very hard time developing their
potential optimally. They are mentally handicapped, to a certain extent.
Difference is: physical handicaps are visible, mental ones are not. The
influence of parents makes a huge difference and can give children either a
head start or a set back and everything in between. Of course, once we are
adults, we are responsible for our own actions, but it is hard to apply
wisdom and knowledge you were never handed. All the (fairly) recent
psychologic and brain development research has shown us how big the impact
is on the forming of our brains when it comes to early physical experiences
and the abundant flowing of oxytocin. It is way too easy to dismiss all that
and say "Obey God and all will be well". Look at the world and see how
people kill eachother because 'they act according to Gods wishes'. A lot of
harm has been done referring to God, not only in modern times but even in
biblical times (see Old Testament).
Let's act responsible *as parents* and realise that our children will take
us as an example. It's scary sometimes, but yes: our influence on them is
huge, either way. We therefore have the responsibility to look our own past
in the eye, as hard as it may be, and work on whatever damage may have been
caused to our own personality and repair it, in the interest of our children
and grandchildren.
Warmly,
Marianne Vanderveen IBCLC, Netherlands
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