Trigger Warnings: We're talking about rape again today.A couple weeks ago, when the "Jesus vs. Religion" video was making it's rounds on the internet, I decided to respond with my opinion that, religion really isn't such a bad thing. That Jesus and religion can get along. Back then, I wasn't angry at the video's creator, Jeff Bethke (though, perhaps I was a bit annoyed at how much he was clogging up my Facebook newsfeed). I was just trying to figure out for myself what place religion had in my … [Read more...]
Weekend links!
January 28, 2012 by 3 Comments
Here are a few of my favorite moments from the internet this week! Enjoy!"Five women who changed God’s rules" by Fred Clark at Slacktivist: Sometimes I don't think God's laws are fair. Sometimes they're sexist. Sometimes I let God know how I feel about those rules. Turns out, this makes me a "biblical woman," and turns out that, God listens to women. This article tells us of five women in the Bible who challenged one of God's unjust laws and paved the way for more equality for women of the an … [Read more...]
Sometimes you fight. Sometimes you pray for peace.
January 27, 2012 by 10 Comments
It's been a rough week for many of us survivors of rape.Some of the responses to Joe Paterno's death (the one's that blantently stated that we should forget his role in enabling the rape of young boys in light of his awesome football legacy) had been fighting back panic attacks, tears, hate, and rage as I tried so hard not to let anger suck away all the joy and healing that I've managed to find over the past few years. Walking the line between a desire to love/forgive and a desire to live in a … [Read more...]
Rape culture, Relevant Magazine, and other things that make me want to swear a lot
January 26, 2012 by 8 Comments
Trigger warnings: rape, and rape enablingSome of the responses to Joe Paterno's death were triggering for me. You know, the ones that basically say (albeit in much more eloquent terms), "Everyone, shut up about the rape victims and how they're feeling! Joe Paterno was really good at winning football games! Can't we just talk about that?"As a rape victim, this was painful to hear, but not unexpected. As soon as I heard of his death (or rather, as soon as the media falsely reported his death … [Read more...]
Mark Driscoll, spiritual abuse, and fluffy bunnies…
January 25, 2012 by 18 Comments
We're going to talk about Mark Driscoll today on the blog.I know that, for many, the mere mention of that name brings up feelings of anger and overall yucky-ness. So, I'm going to help you get through it. Inspired by the "Bunnies to Replace Mark Driscoll" movement, every time your brain imagines this...:...I want you to mentally replace that image with this:Got it? Okay, now for the post!If I wrote a response about everything awful or stupid Pastor Mark Driscoll (hereafter known as … [Read more...]
When I went to an Episcopal Church
January 23, 2012 by 17 Comments
Abe and I didn't know much about the Episcopal Church when we went there yesterday morning, which led to some awkwardness--like having to fumble with that prayer kneeling thingy (does anyone know the official name?) on the backs of all the pews. Or like when Abe, used to Catholic communion, ate his wafer before the cup was passed to him and had nothing to dip into the wine. But it was a good experience anyway.In fact, even though the service started at 10 am (and, those who know me know that … [Read more...]
Weekend reads!
January 19, 2012 by 1 Comment
There's this trend among bloggers. Many bloggers will, once a week, dedicate their time to sharing some of their favorite reads from others. I love that! And, so, I'm going to jump on the band-wagon!Introducing, Weekend Reads!So, without further ado, here are some awesome reads from this week that I would like to share with you all!"Fucked Up" by Stitching Seams: A passionate, poignant piece on some of the painful after-effects of growing up in an abstinence-only world. If you read nothing … [Read more...]
What the “Effeminate Christianity” crisis says about women
January 17, 2012 by 69 Comments
The latest crisis in evangelical Christianity seems to be the "feminization" of the church.Now, I wasn't sure exactly what that meant. Even if we were to ignore the fact that there is no real definition of "femininity," and even if we were to judge "femininity" by strict societal expectations and stereotypes, what does that mean? It's not like the church is wearing lipstick and carrying a purse. And I've never heard a pastor say anything like, "The vagina cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday to me and Martin Luther King Jr.!
January 15, 2012 by 1 Comment
It's my birthday today!And it's also Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday!I'm proud to share a birthday with such a great man. King is one of my heroes, as he is a great role model for non-violent activism. He made a difference without pulling any triggers or dispatching any troops. He taught me to believe that the power of love and non-violence can change the world.I'll let the man speak for himself. Here are a few of my favorite quotes by him (taken from brainyquote.com): A nation that c … [Read more...]
Diving into the ocean of religion
January 14, 2012 by 20 Comments
Interesting discussion on yesterday's post, friends!In case you missed it, yesterday I responded to the viral video that's been going around the interwebs lately--Jeffersen Bethke's "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus." I argued that religion and Jesus are not incompatible. In fact, in order to have a "relationship" with Jesus, we need to take action--action that, for many people, looks like religion.I really wrote that post to myself. I do that a lot--write things to myself. Writing is how I … [Read more...]
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