Women and Religion

"Brother Mike" on UC Campus

2009-05-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

This guys, "Brother Mike," preaches blasphemy on UC's campus, and has been for the past week or so. He's surrounded by police-issued caution tape to keep from getting his ass beat. Today was the only day I actually chose to watch, because I'd already heard enough about how he does this for attention, or how he just says shit to rile people up until they fight him, and then he sues the college (haha).

Standing in a long sleeve button up with spandex and beige slacks, with some sort of CamelBak-like backpack, he also carries his Bible and a gallon of water. He preaches of quotes from the Bible, and entertained but slightly enraged college students shout things at him to make him as upset as he's made them. If anything, I'm crossing my fingers that no one takes him the slightest bit seriously, because he preaches against premarital sex, homosexuality, and a plethora of other things that are just illogical to insult.

"Women can't find an income because they're too busy giving it out for free," was one of a series of insulting lines that I heard from this guy.

At another point, someone shouted about his hypocrisy, and for the life of me all I wanted to do was argue with him one on one. "Brother Mike" leaps to the edge of the caution tapes, nearly offended, and points his finger so furiously at this kid and says, "You know what i think!? I think you're a FORNICATOR!! I think you partake in premarital sex, which is a SIN."

But I rolled my eyes, turned the other cheek, and took comfort in his counter-productivity. If there is a God, I'm willing to bet that isn't the way She would've wanted him to promote activism. Once again, WWJD does NOT apply here...

Nice.

2009-05-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Woman lets daughter die by praying instead of calling 911

2009-05-23T15:22:00.001-07:00

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5588968

That's just ridiculously disgusting. The girl dies from untreated diabetes. "She could have been saved with basic medical treatment: fluid and insulin."

Absolutely disgusting.

Womanist

2009-04-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

"Womanism" as defined by Oxford American Dictionary (recognized by a little red underline in this format like it's not a real word) is a form of feminism that emphasizes women's natural contribution to society, used by some as distinction from the word "feminism" and it's association with white women.

Now, when I had searched this word earlier to write a paper about it, the immediate definition came up as a distinct term for feminists of color. The word itself in the context of the article i was reading emphasizes this sentence: "I am a black female scholar." as if one can't be a womanist should they lack one of these qualities.

My immediate reaction was that it was unfair and creating more intricacy to the Movement. My thoughts were, "Why create yet another term to exclude a whole category of people?" I was reminded that I, as a white female, have travelled an entirely different road in America. But in turn, I am not allowed to identify as a womanist.

The example was given that people who go to church on holidays but never any other time are not real "christians." And the idea in turn is that if you are to identify as a certain label, it brings a sense of security and comfort. But part of me is still fighting this. If womanist is to separate the feminist struggle of women of color from white women, the foremothers using the term "feminist" probably hadn't intended it to include strictly white women.

And maybe this where we find our web of miscommunication with sexism in religion. Maybe, in an optimistic state of mind, the terminology just hadn't been explained to the extent that we need it to be today. Maybe we're taking literally what's meant to be said figuratively and it's just one giant misunderstanding.

I'm curious to find out when classism will be incorporated into our lexicon. I'm waiting for us to divide even further, and am actually trying to come up with a word for low class, uneducated, white feminists.

To me, it'd be equivalent to make a term for male feminists. Sure, it's got its upsides to the creation, but wwhyyyyy is it SO necessary? I feel like it should be appropriate enough to say, "I am a male feminist. I am a black feminist. I am a feminist of the lower class. I am _____ feminist." and the connotation will be immediately interpreted within the listener.

I'm a little torn. After just taking "the Study of Language" i feel so frustrated and torn with the English language and nearly irate at America as a whole. Melting pot, my ass. I mean, maybe if the pot contains vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, water, dish soap, and corn syrup.

Why can't we just mix together and demand a mass movement for the progression of a way bigger population??

Mary Magdalene

2009-04-24T12:30:00.001-07:00

Listen, kids. There's something significant missing from this story. I haven't gotten a chance to read Mary's gospel chapters, but I have every intention of doing so. With that said, I think that Mary's rep is all wrong.

Why was I preached that Mary was a prostitute, a conniving whore, when in it never even says that in the New Testament? This is where I'm so frustrated.

A portion of religious strains believe that Mary of Bethany is the sinning terrible woman and that she's different from Mary Magdalene. But Mary Mag gets like 7 demons cast out of her from Jesus? I don't know. Regardless, how is it so unclear who this woman even was when she's got her own gospel that was stricken from the record?

Here's what I'm thinking.

Mary Magdalene must've been educated enough to be able to read and write. She's got a written gospel accredited to her. This seems to me like blind patriarchy. The male dominance has the ability to push her out of the Bible and into this twisted idea that she's Mary the Sinner, when she's really not quite like that at all.

Think of the same way you hear people argue Adam and Eve. Like women are responsible for the fall of the human race. PSH. God never TOLD Eve not to do it, he made it very clear to Adam what would happen if he ate the fruit, and he still did it. As one of the girls in my class so elegantly stated it, "Adam was just a punk."

Adam was just a mark ass trick.

A little over 7 minutes in...

2009-04-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Regardless of how hard I was laughing the whole time... At like 7:30 they hit gender. =)

in regards to the importance of language and communication

2009-04-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

At the American Jewish University, Sam Harris and Rabbi David Wolpe debated their beliefs. Submitted online January 7, 2008, both men make it a point to restate their words. Specifically when the Rabbi says, “No, I shouldn’t say it like that,” and rewords his phrase. Later in the debate, Sam Harris argues that he sees the Rabbi as a reincarnate, to which the Rabbi responds, “I was someone famous, don’t make me as like a washerwoman or something.” If both of these men take the time to consider their language choice, and even correct themselves when need be, why would he make such a pompous claim?

Sam Harris, described as "the lovechild of seth green and ben stiller" (which had me staring at him the first two times i watched this), uses an analogy of Elvis to God that I think is superb. Religulous status. Enjoy.

Women, Religion, and Language

2009-04-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've got this wretched feeling that throughout my Women's Studies courses, I'm going to come to this harsh realization. I know that it's going to be something along the lines of our attempts to incorporate all people into all categories. The only parallel I can really conjure is back in the day when people were trying to promote racial equality by stating, "I don't see in color." When in fact it should have been, "Yeah, you're black, I'm white, and that's okay because we're both just people."

I find myself noticing this between religions, between genders and sexes, and many others. But what's specifically frustrating to me is dealing with the redefining of words. Like how there are more than two genders, and how what makes up those genders is different on a person-to-person basis. How will we ever make progress if we can't play on an even field? The UN (regardless of its inability to do much of anything at all) cant come up with a universal definition of "terrorism." What the hell are WE to do?

In the midst of my frustrations, I went online to see what next subject we were going to discuss. To my [pleasant] surprise, it was language. In hopes of these articles answering my questions, I read. And while I definitely learned some new perspectives and concepts thanks to Plaskow, Hooks, and Cameron, I don't know how applicable these articles are to my specific struggles with modern-day definitions.

I did, however, learn a kind of peculiar love for Hooks who challenged my views. While half of me is frustrated with being incorporated into a group of oppressors, the other half offers a push, or maybe an excuse, to defy proper English. I hate that I don't have an argument when it comes to the decisions my ancestors have made. We as Americans, we as colonizers, as oppressors, as dominators, as culture-smothering close minded religious folk who are "doing it in the name of God." I'm not proud. And as a white female, I just cross my fingers that partaking in the suggested rebellions of Bell Hooks makes me a revolutionary and not a hypocrite.

Reddit.com has Giant Statue Theme Today

2009-04-09T12:09:00.001-07:00

Shit, I refresh Reddit's "What's Hot" (not what's new, my bad) and here's the new one: "A Buddha the size of a skyscraper. Deep in the Chinese hinterland stands the world's tallest statue, so unknown in the West that Wikipedia doesn't even have a picture."

Honestly? I thought Buddhists were better than that, C'mon. This is worse than Touchdown Jesus. This is just upsetting. And proof that American architecture just isn't that cool. Buddha looks way cooler than that Jesus does.

I tried to google more information on this giant gold buddha, but apparently there are a ton of other buddha statues in China, a few of which have been demolished, melted, or otherwise dismantled. Within Reddit's comments, people mention the hypocrisy demonstrated within this religion. One argument mentioned that while Buddhists believe that all suffering can be alleviated by the eradication of material objects and focusing on the inner self, and that this is meant to remind people of that. Regardless, ironic.

Touchdown Jesus

2009-04-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

On reddit.com, the giant Touchdown Jesus makes it on the "What's new?" section under the title, "62 foot tall Jesus? Have megachurches gotten too big? I have driven past this huge graven image/eyesore/example of gross profit & excess many times. It is out there just north of Cincinnati on I-75 northbound."

Solid Rock Church featured in Monroe, Ohio is notorious to those who have driven on I-75. Okay, okay. Not the church itself, just the enormous Jesus statue that weighs in at like 16,000 pounds. More stats featured on the King of Kings statue (i like touchdown jesus better) include over 8,000 hours of man-labor, reportedly the largest sculpture of Christ in America, and was actually built in Florida, divided into sections, shipped to Monroe and then rebuilt on site of the church.

8,000 man-hours. Besides how stupid "man-hours" sounds, that's like, 333 days. Does anyone else feel like that was time poorly spent? I mean, is it funny? Yes. Is it gaudy and ridiculous and making for a great rant? Yes, yes, and hopefully yes. But it's possible with volunteers and "man labor" to build homes in just over a month. Is this church doing what Jesus what do? Ahhhh, I don't think so.

The argument was made that the people that see Touchdown Jesus become curious and inquire, thus leading to the visiting then church, then falling in love with God. Not that I necessarily find it acceptable that a huge expensive sculpture brought someone to their religion, but congratulations on finding some kind of hope. I believe that people need to have some kind of hope and if thinking that a huge jesus that resembles that statue is going to forgive your sins and bring you to eternal happiness at the end of your days, then FINE. I've never BEEN to this church, I don't KNOW what they practice. But something tells me by the structure of the church itself, they aren't standing for that WWJD stuff.

Upon clicking, the link to the church itself was used three months prior to host a separate title. "Itithe: Paying your duty to God in the 21 Century." I click. My jaw drops. Not only did these people spend an insane amount of time and money to make this ridiculous fucking statue, but the bastards have a way for you to DONATE ONLINE.

Not only just, "Hey, help us fulfill our mission to uplift people," but instead "iTithe online is a way of fulfilling your commitment to God."

No, no. Don't go to church, just give us your money. This isn't even about religion anymore. This is a profit seeking, money-hungry clan. I've seen it from my hometown too. Suburban, wealthy churches buying Wii's to entice children to go to Bible study groups. What, does "ministry" work cost too much? Bussing a few kids downtown to help at a food bank every once in a while? Or cook some food and serve it on the streets? Sure, Cleveland fucked up real hard and made it illegal to feed the homeless, but bottom line: Shouldn't churches be helping feed the poor instead of feeding materialism into their children?

Hm... that rant strayed a bit.

Final note: The website gives you an option to save the Touchdown Jesus picture as "Desktop size." I could've sworn somewhere in the Bible people were supposed to be modest. Like when Jesus tells that guy to stop praying out loud in front of everyone so they can hear. I feel that Solid Rock Church is in violation of this action.

Doubts

2009-04-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

A series of events strung out over my life have left me bitter, confused, and discontent.

Raised in a Presbyterian household, educated with six years of Lutheran schooling, involved with volunteer work (or "ministry work") within the church I had confirmed to, I feel a kind of knot in my stomach. The kind of knot you get when your mom or dad looks down on you and says, "I'm not mad, but I'm very disappointed in you."

But I have a lot of hostility toward the church. Toward organized religion. Toward what I've been told my whole life.

There's a reason college developed the reputation of rebellion, acceptance, and radical thought. No, it's not just the drugs. Biology and the sciences have me laughing at the concept of Noah's Arc. I'm not well versed enough in just about any other religion to make a comparison, but I know how quick we are to judge Mayan religion, Native American tradition, and the Roman Catholic Church. So HOW is it okay to frown upon, bash, criticize, and pick apart those religions as ridiculous and far-fetched when Christianity follows some of the most outlandish concepts in regards to modern society? How???

It's hard for me to understand that, while grateful, I survived what should have been a fatal car accident when just weeks later, a devout, talented, beautiful Christian girl from my high school was drunk driving, hit a pole, and died. I don't know that I believe in "luck" because there's no reasoning behind when you get it and when you don't. I have this strange, sickening feeling that science and physics behind how we were hit by that SUV and how Jordan hit that pole are just enough to cause the reactions that they did. In addition, of course, to a plethora of other factors.

I am doubting my religion, and I'm doubting yours too. There will be more entries with more history and more stories. Specific topics to be covered and ranted about. All set in motion by just a few events.

What are those? Well...

Hostility toward having religion pushed by my educators as a child;

Seeing the amount of regular pain and suffering throughout the world with no way to fix it;

Feeling just as good without prayer as I did with it;

Watching the film "Religulous" (yeah, i know. but it's a must-see);

Enrolling myself in "Women and Religion" at college;

Among an overabundance of other factors.