Here are some posts from the past week or so that you simply must read. [Note: Several of these have a trigger warning] Maybe I’m not outraged. I’m exhausted and open and exposed and a lot of other people are too because we are wounds that get picked at and picked at and picked at one day, there won’t be anything left to heal. When we blame women for the reactions of men – whether it is to their art,... Read more
I wrote this piece for my grandmother about a year ago. She was not expected to live through the night that I wrote this. She ended up living another year because, what can I say? My grandma was a tough cookie. She passed away this morning, but this time I did get a chance to make a phone call and talk to her one last time. She’s at peace. I’m at peace. I’m reposting this for her. I guess this... Read more
When I heard that Preston Yancey, Danielle Vermeer, and J.R. Goudeau were hosting a three-day blog link-up discussing feminism, my first thought was “Damn this timing.” See, I was planning on dedicating these very three days to finishing the literature review for my senior research project. So, yesterday I was too busy to contribute because I was staring at a blank Microsoft Word document thinking “Fuck it, I’m going to go watch Fullmetal Alchemist.” Tomorrow, I’ll probably be too busy to... Read more
[I wrote recently about learning to love my body for Lent. Part of that loving so far has involved some deep contemplation about where the fear and hatred come from. And I’ve realized something. Part of my body hatred, and by extension part of my self hatred, comes from the fact that oppressive people have used my female body to justifying oppressing me. I hate my body and myself because, deep down, I blame my body (and thus myself) for the... Read more
As many of you know, I’ve been doing research on Christian dating books and their treatment of rape and sexual assault. One such book that I’ve been reading is the infamous I Kissed Dating Goodbye, by Joshua Harris. In one section that I found interesting, Harris is explaining that “purity does not happen by accident. After telling the story of David and Bathsheba, and reminding us that protecting our purity is a constant process, Josh Harris goes on to explain the “seductive spirit of... Read more
As a former fundamental Baptist, this is only my second year of observing Lent. Lent, when I was growing up, was one of those things that Catholics do because they don’t really believe in Jesus (I don’t think most Baptist preachers actually know any Catholics) and so they are enslaved to law and to rules and boundaries. I thought, as a Baptist, that I was so lucky to not be enslaved to rules like those Catholics were. Funny, considering the fact that... Read more
It’s been awhile since I’ve had the time to sit down and post links to my favorite blog posts. So I’m going to catch up today, and share some of my favorite posts from the past 2 or 3 weeks. Enjoy these smart people and their smart words! “If there is one thing that Western Christians and atheists have in common it is a shared legacy of colonizing bodies of color.” “You can get a lot of people to do... Read more
Many people think we shouldn’t talk about privilege. Usually, those people who say we shouldn’t talk about privilege have quite a lot of it. But (speaking even as a relatively privileged person), speaking about privilege is important, and I think the concept of privilege is often misunderstood. So, I want to share an illustration that helped me understand the concept a little better. I’ve based this illustration off of an example of privilege given by one of my Women’s Studies... Read more
I didn’t watch the Superbowl, this year (or…any year) but conversations about Beyoncé’s halftime show caught my eye. On one hand, many felt that Beyoncé’s display of all-women power and sexuality was inspiring and empowering. David Henson even went so far as to call it prophetic (and I agree): It was a dance of defiance. For 14 minutes, women were owned by no one. Instead, for those few prophetic and powerful minutes, Beyoncé and the women onstage with her owned... Read more
I really don’t know what I believe about the afterlife. Ever since I gave up the idea of an eternal hell, I’ve found myself able to embrace many different theories with some comfort. As a Christian, though, I find particular comfort in the idea of a future Kingdom of God. I am inspired and energized by the hope against hope that what’s next is some kind of Kingdom ruled by a Love and by a just God. However, this idea... Read more
Sarah Over the Moon
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