Archive for the ‘Gender Equality’ Category

All a castrating single Christian egalitarian wants for the holidays…

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

One of the gifts a castrating single Christian egalitarian wants for the holidays …is a potential partner. Like many of my single Christian friends I have been lovingly (and not so lovingly) interrogated about my continued singleness. However, until recently I believed securing a partner was a fringe benefit; something that miraculously comes to you while you are “seeking first the kingdom/ “kin-dom” of God.” But then I had a moment of insight and thought, “what could be a better example of the kingdom/ “kin-dom” of God than a loving life- long partnership premised on and sustained by the love of Christ?”

I have listened to several suggestions, some more memorable than others, as to how to achieve my goal. There are those who have advocate Internet dating. Apart from my pride that tells me that I really don’t have a problem attracting men, my only real problem with Internet-dating is human nature. The average human is self-interested and as a result is prone to “airbrushing,” which is greatly facilitated by Internet. The potential suitor can be anything he or she believes you want until he or she achieves the desired end. Another more novel approach is that of a “mail-order mate’ but unfortunately for me these services are more suited to males seeking “traditional women” from developing countries.

I must confess that I like traditional things. I love my grandmother’s sweet potato pudding with the creamy custard on top. I prefer when my pudding is made from fresh ( not canned or frozen) coconut milk. In the old days the coconut milk was obtained by hand grating the coconut, but as soon my grandmother bought a blender she no longer grated the coconut by hand.  She did not believe that scraped fingers made the pudding more delicious. In essence I believe my grandmother was teaching us that tradition is great as long as it does no harm.  

Second only to low self-esteem, a traditional view of male-female relationship is one of the main features of relationships characterized by domestic violence, so like my grandmother I don’t grater things by hand that are safer to blend.

So we have come to my real problem. I am an unrepentant castrating single Christian egalitarian.  I know I am treading on dangerous waters when I mention castration, but my form of Christianity renders it necessary.  It is the kind of Christianity in which the possession of a phallus whether organically grown, bought or made is not the criterion for leadership; Christianity that views the Bible as divinely inspired yet gravely affected by human limitations as exemplified in instances such as Pauline theology.  In Pauline theology women are commanded to be both silent in church as well as cover their heads when prophesying— mildly contradictory. Another example is that of Bible translators who in Romans 16 changed the name of Paul’s relative Junia (female), who is described as a prominent apostle, to Junias (male). Mine is the kind of Christianity that confesses that “ as many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3).” No, we are not all the same. We are still beautifully diverse but our worth, our purpose, our possibility are determined by Christ who loves all of us and not our genitalia. 

So I know I have been more naughty than nice this year (most years) but since I am asking a God of grace and not a Santa of merit I will keep hope alive. A merry everything to you and yours.

Renegade

Posted in Gender Equality | 3 Comments »

Amen and

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

I really enjoy your posts because I crave educated feminist discussions. As a woman who is readily stereo-typed as an angry black woman who needs to “calm down” so that people can accept my ideas, I have first-hand experience of being called a sower of discord, even a racist. Perhaps it is because I am more a lover of Malcolm X than Martin Luther King Jr as I believe in some respect Malcolm was the healthier of the two. I do not advocate for violence and though Malcolm advocated the use of violence, after converting to Islam he committed no documented violent act against anyone rather he was violently killed by the “beloved community.” I liked Malcolm because he, like the black panthers , preached self-love a text that abusers/oppressor do not want to hear.

More to the point…There is necessary animosity and unnecessary discord. If in the interest of loving truth telling and self-love you offend someone that is all in the game of love. I love a story by Flannery OConnor in which the “pimpled faced white girl” tells the racist classist self- proclaimed Christian Euro-American female protagonist that the latter is a warthog who needs to go back to hell her place of origin. The protagonist was greatly disturbed by the comment, but accepted it as a revelation from a truth-telling God (a Pauline moment of being knocked off her high horse). I am telling people about racism, sexism not to show that I am better than, but that we all deserve to be treated better. To open the door to mutual improvement, as you previously stated both the oppressor and oppressed are in need of liberation.

Will they still say we are sowing discord if we tell the truth in love? Hell yes. It is the age old tact of blaming the victim, where the abuser wishing to maintain power over refuses to accept how he or she is perceived by the abused. Those people were not going to form coalitional alliances with us anyway when “they” say “they” want to end oppression they mean just that. They want to be the heroes who are remembered for their acts of justice and not for their complicity in a legacy of oppression.

There are a few ideas of Karl Barth that I like and I think I would be a Barthian if I was around more people who practiced Barthian theology, instead of enshrining the man. Barth a “contextual theologian” wrote  about the krisis, which he defines as a constant state of accepting that we are at the same time condemned and accepted by God. Condemned for the non-life-giving things in us, and accepted by a God who nonetheless loves and wants to rectify us. This is a hard pill to swallow in a culture where people constantly say “don’t judge me” understood as be a false prophet and call evil ( non-life-giving things) good.

renegade-grateful for stimulating discussion in a desert land :-)

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Sotomayor and the WOMEN of Iran

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a wise Latina woman, made the headlines for several days – if not a few weeks – as she was slandered and labeled a dubious character because of a comment she made a while back about a wise Latina woman making better decisions than a white male. Regardless of what anyone thinks of the comment one should look beneath the surface to reach the source of the comment:
Power.

The fact is that women, regardless of their age, race, or class, have been subjected to various forms of the sin of sexism. Women, for the sheer fact that they are women, have been and are abused, stereotyped, taken advantage of, etc., and as we see in the brave and courageous faces of the women of Iran, silenced and subjected to abuse, violence, all because of an age old myth that the God of heaven and earth has ordained that female be less than and subject to male. (Incidentally, this myth has made its mark in many religious traditions). This sinful lie has made its home in our hearts causing all of us to give in and to live in ways that are not reflective of the kingdom which Jesus spoke of.

So, when Sotomayor made this comment she was – may I conjecture – speaking of her experience as a Latina woman who has had to struggle harder to find power in this world than most white males. As a result, her experience as a Latina woman would be different than that of a white male who would have power by the sheer fact that he is a white male. The experience and insight of a person who has had to struggle more for power always has something unique and powerful to offer those of us who have not had to struggle as much to gain power. Therefore, some might be appalled and perplexed by the statement, but we must realize that what we say and what we do always has context; experience will always inform how we think (even those who are interpreting and making and enforcing law).

All that being said, we see the tragic and at the same time inspiring events unfold in Iran as we see the faces of women who are legally 2nd class citizens in that country courageously stand up to the sinful forces that have so cruelly and violently enforced the myth. We see the face of men and women who want to have power for and with one another and not over and against each other. Now more than ever the voices, the stories and the EXPERIENCES of these women are finding their way into our homes and soon, if not already, we will begin – only begin – to realize how some of us are simply given more power than others for the sheer fact that we are male, or that we are American, or this or that, and there is no reason to be defensive, but instead to humble ourselves, especially as people of faith, and ask how we might live in ways that our more reflective and proactive in  destroying the various myths we’ve internalized about women, about Muslims and so on, and cherish one another seeking to have power WITH and FOR each other and not OVER and AGAINST one another.

Finally, in these challenging times President Obama is being urged to take more action as the oppression, suppression, and violence against the Iranian people increases. May we be hard pressed to think and pray for this situation because, as Martin Luther King Jr. has reminded us, “Violence begets violence.” What fruit would an attack on Iran produce? Would it help the survivors of the oppressed in this country?

May God grant the men and women of Iran God’s peace, comfort and continued courage.  Amen.

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Posted in Christian Community, Gender Equality, Interfaith Relations, Peace Concerns | No Comments »

CA: Proposal to Get the State out of the Marriage Definition Biz

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis and many other Christians have advocated what seems to me to be a smart solution to the gay marriage issue, which is in essence, “to get the State out of the marriage definition business.” To have the state issue ONLY civil partnerships to all couples both straight and gay, with completely equal legal rights and responsiblities, and then leave the definition of the sacrement of Marriage to the Churches and other religious institutions.

Well, this week in California, an initiative proposal has just been approved for signatures to do just that. It is completely grassroots, begun by two college students in reaction to Prop 8.

From the Monterey Herald:

Their constitutional amendment would repeal the ban, known as Proposition 8, and strike the word “marriage” from licenses, tax forms and other state documents while retaining the rights and responsibilities of marriage for domestic partners.

“The purpose of which is to provide equality amongst all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, without offending the religious sect,” the pair wrote in their application for an initiative title and summary. “Legally speaking, ‘Marriage’ itself would become a social ceremony, recognized by only non-governmental institutions.”

“Ours is more like a compromise that mediates the two sides,” he said. “This isn’t a gay rights campaign, it’s an equal rights campaign. You can see it as an attack on marriage, but you can also see it as protecting marriage because we are taking it out of the battlefield.”

They need 700,000 signatures from Californians by August. If they get it they will be a Proposition on the California ballot in 2010.

You can join their Facebook group (just launched and at about 2,600+ already) and their soon to launch website will be here.

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Posted in Gender Equality, Human Rights | 10 Comments »

Like a Thief in the Night Part II.

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

 Like A Thief In The Night Part I

In response to many of the raids that were separating parents from their children, senior citizens from their caretakers, and spouses from one another, The Latino Leadership Circle, The Council of Churches of the City of New York, CONLICO, and the Latino Pastoral Action Center hosted “LEVANTANDO NUESTRAS VOCES” (Lifting Our Voices) at La Sinagoga on 115 East 125th St, NYC.

I was there, along with Grant Brooke, listening to testimony after testimony of people—mothers and their children, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters of all races, cultures, and colors—speak about the raids, the difficult process of legalization, the abuse they received at the hands of dishonest lawyers and intimidating officers.

Gabriel Salguero, a pastor and the Director of the Hispanic Leadership Program at Princeton Theological Seminary, among other roles, hosted the event that also called for people to be informed of their basic human rights by staff on hand, to sign petitions, and to present their pressing cases.

I was so surprised that it was packed with so many people—leaders from the community, media, pastors, politicians, religious folk, etc, etc.  Why?  Well, I often feel that churches stay away from controversial issues, unless they concern the so-called “culture wars.” 

Churches walk a fine line, as tax-exempt organizations that have a respected role in the government’s view, when they take on controversial issues such as immigration (of course with notable exceptions like the Sanctuary Movement, which has been thrown around again recently).

As far as immigration reform aiding undocumented immigrants, what roles CAN churches play? What roles DO churches play?  People of faith?

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Posted in Christian Community, Economic Justice, Gender Equality, Human Rights, Immigration Reform, Race Relations, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Memo to President Obama

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Inspired by our friends over at Tikkun and Sojourner’s, this is from an esteemed colleague of mine, whom I respect very much…

Memo to President Obama:

One of your core strengths throughout the campaign, and evidenced again on inauguration day, is your impeccable ability to push us to consider new forms of discourse about policy and the way it shapes our collective life in the US and globally.

I encourage you to take the lead in shifting discourse on “terror” or “terrorism” with a focus instead on the psychological affects of war and the realities of domestic violence and sexual assault it often perpetuates.  In our public discourse, we must dismantle the notion that the enemies of well-being and freedom are those with a non-”American” identity, external and foreign.

In defense of American imperial reign, we have spent literally billions of dollars to fund military and counterterrorism programs.  We have exhausted our nation’s resources in order to train our men and women, who are also mothers and fathers, to perpetrate violence and thus fostered an environment which leads to instances of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), toxic stress, and addiction.

According to a 2003 Pentagon study (1) , nearly 40,000 military personnel have been diagnosed with PTSD since returning from combat. Significant increases in domestic and partner assault have been reported as military personnel return from service.  Intensifying the realities:

Women make up some 15 percent of the United States active duty forces, and 11 percent of the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nearly a third of female veterans say they were sexually assaulted or raped while in the military, and 71 percent to 90 percent say they were sexually harassed by the men with whom they served. (2)

(more…)

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Posted in Christian Community, Gender Equality, Health Care, Human Rights | No Comments »

Equal Pay for Women…A Paradigm Shift?

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

On January 29th 2009, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law.  The bill addresses issues of discirmination against women in the workplace, most prominently with respect to the issue of equal pay.  The fact remains, however, that while this bill has everything to do with pay, it also has nothing to do with pay, especially if we are looking at this from a theological perspective.

The Ledbetter bill is, in many respects, great progress for the Women’s movement and feminists everywhere.  As a feminist, I ask myself, “Could it be that women may really come to be seen as equals – as real, full-fledged human beings?”  Some may think that my question may sound like exaggeration, or hypersensitivity, but our global history and current context beg the question.  Studies conitnue to show that women and children make up the majority of the world’s poor, and this epidemic is most certainly connected to the systemic sin of patriarchy.  For centuries now, men have impregnated women, leaving them alone to face the joys and challenges of parenting, forcing women to allow their bodies to be objectified and/or used in order to put food in their children’s bellies. 

  Women have not only been viewed and treated as things – mere objects – they have been seen as inferior beings whose supposed roles have been restricted to the arena of domesticity.  The struggle for women to ask, plead, and demand to be seen as fully fledged human beings – as equals – has spanned the centuries and continues to this day.  Our shameful global history testifies to this fact.  This bill, perhaps, signals a paradigm shift, from the days where the signs and signals of our culture and our religous institutions tell women that they are not equal, to time and a place where the culture will begin to internalize new signs and  new symbols. 

This bill has everything to do with equal pay, but, it clearly has to do with so much more, especially, as noted earlier, from a theological perspective.  As a Christian community, we must prophetically speak against systemic sins, such as patriarchy, which negatively impact both men and women.  Even more, we must loudly voice the vision of God’s kingdom, in which there is no hierarchy; in which our differences are appreciated and understood, instead of used as a means to dominate one another.  We must do so, because, as much progress and excitement that this new bill generates, laws and bills cannot change hearts.  Thus, we must continue to testify to a vision of God’s kingdom, where all are loved and cherished as equals. 

 On that note, however, on behalf of all feminists, thank you, president Obama!

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Posted in Christian Community, Gender Equality | 3 Comments »