With the announcement that the National Conference of the Community of Christ has recommended expanding marriage to include gay and lesbian couples, I have spent the last day reflecting on something that I have thought a lot about for the the last few years: What does the Community of Christ mean to somebody like me, a Mormon who is politically, theologically, and philosophically liberal? In this case, by Mormon I mean a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of... Read more
In their National Conference held April 19-21, The Community of Christ (formerly The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) moved to extend marriage to same-sex couples. The specific recommendations of the Conference to the Community of Christ First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are as follows: The 2013 USA National Conference recommends the sacrament of marriage be extended, where legal in the USA, to persons of the same sex/gender. Thus the 2013 USA National Conference recommends... Read more
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (Knopf, 2009 and Vintage, 2010) was on my reading list after I watched a portion of the documentary on TV (worthy of its own review). I was also drawn to it out of my own feelings of frustration and passion. As someone who has recently been following and even engaged in feminist discussions of expanding the roles of women in patriarchal religious communities, I... Read more
This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Conversation Questions for Chapter Twelve: “…cultural barriers can be overcome relatively swiftly where there is political will to do so.” Where does this political will come from? How can be cultivated? “Implicit in what we’re saying about China is something that sounds shocking to many Americans: Sweatshops... Read more
This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Conversation Questions for Chapter Eleven: Sixty-five dollars …Consider the number and extent of lives changed by this one initial microloan to Saima? Check out microloan resources mentioned in the book. Do you have a group of friends who could make small loans together? Maybe your Bunco group?... Read more
This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. If you watch just one video from this series, watch this one! Conversation Questions for Chapter Ten: Assuming one is not vegetarian, can you imagine being so poor that your family can only eat meat once a year as did Dai Manju’s family? Dai Munji’s story is... Read more
This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Conversation Questions for Chapter Nine: What would you say to a Muslim who proposes that conservative attitudes are not based on their religion, but their culture? How are early Christian beliefs on gender roles similar to early Islamic teachings? How are they different? A Saudi Arabian woman... Read more
This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Conversation Questions for Chapter Eight: This chapter presents some hard political truths intertwined with complex religious beliefs which directly interface with mothers and babies in developing countries. Regardless of political party affiliation, what are your thoughts on the “gag rule”? Abstinence only sex education mandates? The spread... Read more
This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Conversation Questions for Chapter Seven: “Would the world stand by if it were men who were dying just for completing their reproductive functions?” Asha-Rose Migiro, UN Deputy Secretary General, 2007 What are your thoughts? Discuss the major factors tied to high rates of maternal death: biology, lack... Read more
This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Conversation Questions for Chapter Six: If you or someone close to you has been pregnant, what were your feelings when you first heard the news? What fears crossed your mind as the pregnancy developed? What hopes did you have for the newborn’s life? How did you celebrate... Read more
Approaching Justice
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